James W. Bullock
About James W. Bullock
Independent director of Artivion, Inc. since October 2016; age 68. Former CEO of multiple medical device companies (Zyga Technology, Atritech, Endocardial Solutions) with extensive commercialization and M&A experience; currently chairs two private medtech boards and serves on another. Education: B.S. in Public Administration, University of Arizona. Shares beneficially owned: 62,322 as of March 17, 2025; none pledged; ownership is <1% of outstanding shares .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zyga Technology (privately held) | President & CEO | Through Jan 2018 (acquired by RTI Surgical) | Led spine device business to exit |
| Atritech (privately held) | President & CEO | Six years (acquired by Boston Scientific) | Built cardiovascular portfolio to strategic sale |
| Endocardial Solutions (NASDAQ: ECSI) | President, CEO, Director | Nine years (acquired by St. Jude Medical/Abbott) | Grew cardiac medical device platform |
| Stuart Medical | President, CEO, Director | Not specified | Executive leadership |
| Baxter International; American Hospital Supply | Sales & Marketing leadership | Early career | Commercial management foundation |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Status | Focus |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stimdia, Inc. | Chairman of the Board | Private | Critical care devices (ventilator-induced diaphragm dysfunction) |
| Surgical Information Science, Inc. | Chairman of the Board | Private | Health tech/medical devices |
| Intershunt Technologies, Inc. | Director | Private | Health technologies |
Board Governance
- Independence: Determined independent under NYSE Listing Standards; also qualifies for independent committee service .
- Committee assignments (2024–2025): Compensation Committee member; Innovation and Healthcare Compliance Committee member; not a committee chair .
- Attendance: Each director attended at least 75% of Board and assigned committee meetings; Board met 12 times in 2024 .
- Board leadership: CEO serves as Chair; Lead Independent Director role held by Jeffrey H. Burbank (presides over executive sessions) .
- Risk oversight touchpoints: Innovation & Healthcare Compliance Committee co-oversees enterprise risk management and healthcare compliance with Audit Committee .
Fixed Compensation
| Component (2024) | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Annual Board retainer (cash) | $55,000 | Standard for non-employee directors |
| Compensation Committee membership | $7,500 | Member; not Chair |
| Innovation & Healthcare Compliance Committee membership | $5,000 | Member; not Chair |
| Total cash retainers earned | $67,500 | Matches retainer mix above |
| Annual equity grant (restricted stock) | $149,993 grant-date fair value | 6,289 shares granted May 30, 2024 at $23.85; vest May 30, 2025 |
| Total 2024 director compensation | $217,493 | Cash + equity |
Performance Compensation
- Non-employee director equity is time-based restricted stock; no director-specific performance metrics or option awards disclosed for 2024 . | Equity vehicle | Grant date | Shares | Fair value | Vesting | Performance linkage | |---|---|---|---|---|---| | Restricted Stock | May 30, 2024 | 6,289 | $149,993 (at $23.85) | Cliff vest May 30, 2025 | None (time-based) |
Other Directorships & Interlocks
- Public company boards: None disclosed for Bullock beyond AORT .
- Compensation Committee interlocks: Company disclosed no interlocks or insider participation requiring disclosure for fiscal 2024 .
- Related-party transactions: Audit Committee reviews and approves; only one related-party employment transaction disclosed for 2024 (unrelated to Bullock) .
Expertise & Qualifications
- Core qualifications: Business acumen in global medtech, repeated company growth and successful exits, commercialization, and strategic leadership .
- Board contribution focus areas: Growth orientation, sector experience in cardiovascular/aortic technologies .
Equity Ownership
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Beneficial ownership | 62,322 shares as of March 17, 2025; <1% of outstanding; none pledged |
| Unvested restricted stock included | 6,289 shares granted May 30, 2024 |
| Ownership guidelines | Non-employee directors must hold ≥5x annual board retainer; all directors currently meet requirement |
Insider Trades
| Date | Form | Type | Shares | Price | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 22, 2025 | Form 4 | Acquisition (Non-Open Market) | 6,325 | $0.00 | |
| May 30, 2024 (filed Jun 3, 2024) | Form 4 | Equity grant/award reporting | Notional tied to 6,289 RS shares | — |
Note: The May 30, 2024 proxy-disclosed director grant was 6,289 restricted shares; Form 4 filing confirms award timing in late May 2024 .
Compensation Committee Analysis
- Committee composition: Bevevino (Chair), Bullock, Semedo; all independent; authority to retain independent consultants and certify performance metrics (for executives) .
- Consultant: Willis Towers Watson; independence reviewed and affirmed (Feb 2024 and Feb 2025) .
- Governance practices: Clawback policy in place; equity grant timing safeguards; hedging/short sales prohibited for insiders .
Say-on-Pay & Shareholder Feedback
- 2024 CD&A context: Company adjusted executive incentive payouts due to cyber incident impacts; stock price up ~60% in 2024; adjusted EBITDA growth 32% .
- Support levels: 97% of votes cast in favor of 2023 NEO compensation at May 14, 2024 meeting; annual say-on-pay frequency supported by >96% in 2023 .
Governance Assessment
- Positive signals:
- Independence reaffirmed; no pledging; robust committee coverage of healthcare compliance and ERM .
- Active participation on Compensation Committee with independent consultant oversight and clawback policy .
- Ownership alignment: director stock ownership guidelines in place and met; Bullock holds meaningful equity and time-based RS grants .
- Watch items:
- Multiple private medtech board roles can present potential information-flow or conflict risks if counterparties overlap with Artivion; no related-party transactions disclosed for Bullock in 2024; Audit Committee oversees related-party reviews .
- Discretionary adjustments to executive incentives in 2024 due to cyber incident are reasonable given context, but investors should monitor Compensation Committee calibration in future cycles for consistency and rigor .
Citations: ; Internet filings and summaries as cited above.