Company: STAA
Filing Date: 2025-04-24
Form Type: DEF 14A
Source: 0000950170-25-058174
Chunk: 11

Company: STAAR SURGICAL CO
Filing Date: 2025-04-24
Form: DEF 14A
Chunk 11
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 Asia-Pacific region. In addition, the Board believes that it can benefit from Ms. Zhou’s experience as a Chartered Financial Analyst. Experience.  Ms. Zhou is the Founder and former Chief Investment Officer of Yulan Capital Management, a global investment firm focused on publicly listed companies. From its inception in 2013 through June 2023, she led Yulan’s growth into a globally respected investment franchise with offices in New York and Shanghai and an institutional investor base that included Tiger Management, L.L.C., as well as leading endowments, pension funds, and insurance companies. Prior to founding Yulan, Ms. Zhou held investing and research roles at Citadel, Kelusa Capital (a Tiger Management backed investment firm), and Bear Stearns. She began her career in investment banking at Credit Suisse. Education.  Ms. Zhou holds dual B.A., Summa Cum Laude, in Economics and Mathematics- Statistics from Columbia University. She also holds an M.B.A. in Finance and General Management from the Wharton School where she graduated as a Palmer Scholar. She is a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) Charter holder and received National Association of Corporate Directors (NACD) Directorship certification. |                                                  |

| 2025 Proxy Statement | – 8 – |

CORPORATE GOVERNANCE We maintain an ongoing and open dialogue with our investors to build relationships and receive feedback on a variety of topics important to them, including governance and operations. The feedback received through our shareholder outreach efforts is communicated to and considered by the Board, and has helped inform our decisions, when appropriate.

| Corporate Governance Highlights                                   |     |                                                                              |     |                                                                           |     |                                                                                         |
| Our Board Chair role is separate from our Chief Executive Officer |     | Our Board conducts annual evaluations to improve processes and effectiveness |     | Our Board has a resignation policy for uncontested elections of directors |     | Four of our six director nominees are independent under applicable SEC and Nasdaq rules |

Corporate Governance Guidelines Our Board maintains Corporate Governance Guidelines to memorialize its governance practices, which serve as a framework within which our Board of Directors and our Board Committees operate. In 2024, the Board conducted a review of its Corporate Governance Guidelines and approved updates to improve clarity and to better align with best practices. These guidelines cover a number of areas, including the role and composition of the Board and Board Committees, functioning of the Board and Board Committees, conflicts of interest, policies, and guidelines, and management oversight, among other things. A copy of