Elizabeth A. Hoff
About Elizabeth A. Hoff
Independent director at Artivion (AORT) since October 2022; age 59 as of the March 17, 2025 record date. President and CEO of SOMAVAC Medical Solutions; prior roles include Chief Evangelist at Galen Data (since April 2023), senior leadership positions across Guidant, W. L. Gore, and Medtronic, and consulting via Hoff Professional Services. Education: BA in Managerial Studies and Psychology, Rice University. In July 2024 she changed principal employer and, per Artivion’s policy, tendered resignation; the Corporate Governance Committee determined it was in the company’s best interests for her to continue serving.
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure / Dates | Committees / Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Guidant | Led endovascular expansion in Europe | Earlier in career (dates not disclosed) | Endovascular market expansion in aortic space |
| W. L. Gore | Business Unit Leader, launched AAA & thoracic stent graft programs | Earlier in career (dates not disclosed) | Product launch leadership in aortic technologies |
| Medtronic | Vice President & General Manager; expanded implantable cardiac diagnostic platform (LinQ) | Earlier in career (dates not disclosed) | Defined and drove 10x platform expansion |
| DM Clinical Research | Executive Director of Business Development & Strategy | Dates not disclosed | Business development strategy leadership |
| Hoff Professional Services | Founder; consulting and executive coaching | Dates not disclosed | Advisory to medical device leaders |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| SOMAVAC Medical Solutions | President & Chief Executive Officer | Current (as of 2025 proxy) |
| Galen Data, Inc. | Chief Evangelist | Since April 2023 |
Board Governance
- Independence: Determined independent under NYSE Section 303A.02 in Q1 2025; not a company employee.
- Committee assignments: Corporate Governance Committee (member); Innovation and Healthcare Compliance Committee (member). Not chair of any committee.
- Attendance: Each director (including Hoff) attended at least 75% of Board and applicable committee meetings in 2024. Board met 12 times; Audit 6; Compensation 8; Corporate Governance 5; Innovation & Healthcare Compliance 4; two joint Comp/CG meetings and one joint Audit/IHCC meeting.
- Board policies: Directors must offer resignation upon change in principal employment (applied to Hoff in July 2024; Board retained her). Non‑employee directors limited to no more than three other public boards.
- Lead Independent Director: Jeffrey H. Burbank (not Hoff).
Committee Membership Detail
| Committee | Member | Chair |
|---|---|---|
| Audit | No | — |
| Compensation | No | — |
| Corporate Governance | Yes | No |
| Innovation & Healthcare Compliance | Yes | No |
Fixed Compensation
| Year | Cash Retainers (Actual) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $64,167 | Board and committee membership fees (no meeting fees); prorated monthly. |
Retainer Structure (2024)
| Component | Amount |
|---|---|
| Annual Board Service | $55,000 |
| Lead Director | $40,000 (incremental) |
| Audit – Chair / Member | $20,000 / $10,000 |
| Compensation – Chair / Member | $20,000 / $7,500 |
| Corporate Governance – Chair / Member | $10,000 / $5,000 |
| Innovation & Healthcare Compliance – Chair / Member | $10,000 / $5,000 |
Performance Compensation
| Grant Date | Instrument | Shares | Grant-Date Value | Per-Share Price | Vesting |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 30, 2024 | Restricted Stock | 6,289 | $149,993 | $23.85 | May 30, 2025 (time-based) |
- Director equity is time-based restricted stock (no PSUs/options for directors disclosed). Grants made under Artivion’s Amended & Restated 2020 Equity and Cash Incentive Plan; unvested awards generally forfeited upon board departure subject to plan exceptions.
- Stock ownership guideline: 5x annual Board retainer; all non‑employee directors currently meet the requirement.
Other Directorships & Interlocks
- Current public company boards beyond Artivion: None disclosed for Hoff in the 2025 proxy biography and nominee table.
- Compensation committee interlocks: Company discloses no compensation committee interlocks for 2024.
Expertise & Qualifications
- 30 years in medical devices/diagnostics; deep aortic and endovascular domain expertise from Guidant and W. L. Gore.
- Senior operational leadership at Medtronic; platform-scale commercialization experience.
- Regulatory/quality and healthcare compliance oversight via Innovation & Healthcare Compliance Committee membership.
- Global market expansion and commercialization of transformational technologies; CEO experience in private medtech.
Equity Ownership
| As-of Date | Shares Beneficially Owned | % Outstanding | Unvested Restricted Shares | Pledged? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| March 17, 2025 | 25,064 | <1% | 6,289 | None pledged |
- Nature of beneficial ownership: Sole voting and investment power unless otherwise noted.
- Shares outstanding: 42,689,303 as of March 17, 2025 (for percentage context).
Governance Assessment
- Independence and alignment: Hoff is an independent director and meets enhanced stock ownership guidelines (5x board retainer), with no pledged shares—supporting investor alignment.
- Committee fit: Service on Corporate Governance and Innovation & Healthcare Compliance aligns with her regulatory/quality and medtech background; not on Audit/Compensation (limits pay-setting conflicts).
- Engagement: Attendance threshold met amid an active meeting cadence (12 Board; multiple committee sessions), indicating engagement.
- Change-of-employer governance: The Board’s formal review of her July 2024 role change and decision to retain her under its resignation policy is a positive oversight signal.
- Conflicts/related-party: No related-party transactions involving Hoff are disclosed; Audit Committee maintains robust review/approval procedures for related-party dealings.
RED FLAGS: None disclosed regarding pledging, related-party transactions, meeting attendance shortfall, or director pay anomalies for Hoff.