William R. Jellison
About William R. Jellison
William R. Jellison (age 67) is an independent Class I Director at Anika Therapeutics (ANIK), serving since May 2024 with his current term expiring at the 2027 Annual Meeting . He sits on the Audit Committee and Capital Allocation Committee and is designated an “audit committee financial expert” under SEC rules . Jellison’s core credentials include CFO leadership at Stryker, long-tenured finance roles at Dentsply, and broad MedTech experience; he holds a B.A. in Business Administration from Hope College .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Astor Place Holdings (Select Equities PE arm) | Senior Advisor | Since 2017 | Advises MedTech companies; strategic and financial guidance |
| Stryker Corporation (NYSE: SYK) | Vice President, Chief Financial Officer | Apr 2013 – Jan 2016 | Led global finance at a major medical technologies company |
| Dentsply International | Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer; other finance roles | 1998 – 2013 | Corporate finance and operational leadership |
| Donnelly Corporation | Vice President Finance, Treasurer, Corporate Controller; other roles | 1980 – 1998 | Progressive finance and leadership roles |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Avient Corp (NYSE: AVNT) | Director | Since 2015 | Specialized materials; current public board service |
| Masimo Corporation (NASDAQ: MASI) | Director | Since Sep 2024 | Global medical technology; current public board service |
| Young Innovations | Director | Since 2017 | Dental products; private company role |
| Solenis LLC | Director | Since Feb 2025 | Specialty chemicals; private company role |
Board Governance
- Independence: Jellison is independent under NASDAQ and SEC standards; 8 of 9 directors are independent .
- Committee assignments: Audit Committee (member; financial expert) and Capital Allocation Committee (member) .
- Attendance and engagement: Board met 16 times in 2024; each director attended at least 75% of Board meetings during their term . Audit Committee held 5 meetings and all members attended all meetings while serving; Capital Allocation held 2 meetings with full attendance .
- Leadership and structure: Independent Chair; independent committees; regular executive sessions without management .
- Policies and controls:
- Majority Voting in Uncontested Elections with mandatory resignation offer if “AGAINST” votes exceed “FOR” .
- Conflicts and Related-Party Transactions governed by Audit Committee review; no reportable related-party transactions Jan 1, 2024 – Apr 21, 2025 .
- Insider Trading Policy (amended Mar 2024); prohibited hedging and pledging (limited pledge exception with CFO approval) .
- Overboarding guidelines compliance affirmed for all directors .
- Compensation Recovery (clawback) policy effective Nov 27, 2023 .
Fixed Compensation
- Director cash retainer schedule (2024): Board Chair $87,500; other directors $50,000; Audit Chair $20,000; Audit member $10,000; Capital Allocation Chair $10,000; Capital Allocation member $5,000; Compensation Chair $15,000; Compensation member $7,500; Governance Chair $10,000; Governance member $5,000 .
- Equity for directors (2024): Annual grant of 5,771 RSUs valued at $149,988 granted July 9, 2024, vesting at the earlier of the 2025 Annual Meeting or one year from grant; new directors received an additional 468-share grant on June 3, 2024 vesting at the earlier of the 2024 Annual Meeting or June 3, 2025 .
| Item | Amount/Units | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Fees earned in cash (2024) | $35,893 | Prorated for service starting May 2024 |
| Stock awards (grant-date fair value, 2024) | $162,475 | 5,771 RSUs ($149,988) + 468 shares ($26.68 price) |
| Total 2024 director compensation | $198,368 | Sum of cash + stock awards |
| Annual equity policy (non-employee director) | 5,771 RSUs; $149,988 value | Vests before 2025 AGM or 1-year anniversary |
Performance Compensation
- Not applicable: Non-employee directors at ANIK receive time-based RSUs without performance metrics; director equity vests on time/service schedules and within annual meeting cycles .
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Entity | Nature | Detail | Potential Interlock/Conflict Consideration |
|---|---|---|---|
| Avient Corp (NYSE: AVNT) | Public board | Director since 2015 | Materials company; no disclosed related-party transactions with ANIK |
| Masimo (NASDAQ: MASI) | Public board | Director since Sep 2024 | MedTech monitoring; no disclosed related-party transactions with ANIK |
| Young Innovations | Private board | Director since 2017 | Dental products; no disclosed related-party transactions with ANIK |
| Solenis LLC | Private board | Director since Feb 2025 | Specialty chemicals; no disclosed related-party transactions with ANIK |
| Caligan Partners Schedule 13D group | Investor association | Caligan & David Johnson share voting/dispositive power over ~1.436M ANIK shares; Jellison has sole voting/dispositive power over 2,700 shares (trust) under joint 13D/A filed May 30, 2024 | Indicates association with activist investor; Company reports no related-party transactions; Board independence standards affirmed |
Expertise & Qualifications
- Financial oversight/accounting expertise; audit committee financial expert designation .
- Medical devices/pharmaceutical experience; commercialization/marketing; M&A/business development; regulatory; international .
- Public company governance/CSR experience through multiple boards .
Equity Ownership
| Component | Amount/Status | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Total beneficial ownership | <1% of ANIK common stock | “*” denotes under 1% (aggregate shares not specified in table) |
| RSUs vesting within 60 days (as of Apr 21, 2025) | 5,771 RSUs | Annual director grant; vests prior to 2025 AGM or one-year mark |
| Shares held via trust | 2,700 shares in Amended & Restated William R. Jellison Trust (7/3/2018); Jellison beneficiary and trustee | |
| Hedging/pledging | Prohibited (limited pledge exception with CFO approval) | |
| Director stock ownership guidelines | 3× annual retainer; 3-year compliance window | |
| Compliance status | Directors met minimum or are within phase-in; reviewed annually |
Governance Assessment
- Strengths: Independent status; audit committee financial expert; active committee roles (Audit, Capital Allocation); documented attendance at committee meetings; strong governance policies (majority voting, clawback, no hedging/pledging); no related-party transactions disclosed; overboarding guidelines compliance .
- Alignment: Director equity is time-based RSUs; ownership guidelines enforced; annual equity for directors reduced from $175k to $150k in 2024, signaling cost discipline and governance prudence .
- Watch items: Association with Caligan Partners via joint Schedule 13D/A suggests potential activist alignment; monitor for conflicts or undue influence, though the company reports no material related-party transactions and affirms independence standards .
- Overall signal: Board refreshment added Jellison in 2024, bringing deep MedTech finance expertise to Audit and capital allocation oversight, which supports investor confidence in financial governance and strategic capital deployment .