Erich Manz
KOPINAbout Erich Manz
Erich Manz is Kopin’s Chief Financial Officer, expected to start on September 2, 2025, following the retirement of long-time CFO Rich Sneider . He brings over three decades of finance and accounting experience, including 25+ years at Allegro MicroSystems in roles from Reporting Manager to Corporate Controller, and holds a bachelor’s degree in accounting from Bryant University . Kopin granted Manz an inducement award of 400,000 restricted shares that vest 25% annually each December 10 beginning in 2026, aligning him with shareholder interests during the company’s current operational transformation . Given his tenure beginning September 2025, company filings reviewed do not yet disclose TSR or company financial performance metrics tied specifically to his tenure .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Years | Strategic Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Allegro MicroSystems (NYSE: ALGM) | Business Unit CFO; prior roles from Reporting Manager to Corporate Controller | 25+ years (various roles) | Led financial structure/oversight for product business group; operational efficiency and analytics focus |
| Serta | Accounting Department | Not disclosed | Early-career accounting foundation |
External Roles
No public company directorships or external board roles disclosed in Kopin filings reviewed for Manz .
Fixed Compensation
| Component | FY 2025 Terms | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Base Salary | $300,000 | Per offer letter; paid per regular payroll practices |
| Benefits | Eligible for standard company benefits; participates in applicable group plans | No exclusive executive perquisites; benefits common to eligible employees |
| Clawback Policy | Performance-based compensation subject to recoupment in case of fraudulent/illegal conduct causing restatement | Applies to executive officers (including CFO) |
| Stock Ownership Guidelines | Company guidelines apply to CEO and non-employee directors; CFO not specified | CEO target: 3x base salary; 5-year compliance window |
Performance Compensation
| Incentive Type | Metric | Weighting | Target | Actual | Payout | Vesting/Terms |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Annual Performance-Based Bonus | Determined by Board’s Compensation Committee | Not disclosed | Not disclosed | Not disclosed | Not disclosed | Cash and/or long-term awards; subject to committee approval |
Equity Ownership & Alignment
| Item | Detail | Vesting/Status | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Inducement Restricted Shares (Grant Agreement) | 400,000 restricted shares (Agreement dated Sept 4, 2025) | 25% on each Dec 10 beginning in 2026, subject to continued employment | |
| Inducement Restricted Shares (Committee Approval) | Compensation Committee approved the 400,000 inducement restricted shares on Oct 16, 2025 | 25% vesting each Dec 10 from 2026 | |
| Vesting Schedule (Share breakdown) | Dec 10, 2026: 100,000; Dec 10, 2027: 100,000; Dec 10, 2028: 100,000; Dec 10, 2029: 100,000 | Time-based; continued employment required | |
| Initial Beneficial Ownership | Common stock: 0 (as of Form 3; event date 09/02/2025) | Reported on Form 3; late due to admin delay in codes | |
| Options | None disclosed | N/A | |
| Shares Pledged/Hedging | Not disclosed | Company policy prohibits short sales; no pledge policy disclosure noted |
Employment Terms
| Provision | Terms | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Employment Status | At-will employee | Offer letter specifies at-will |
| Base Salary | $300,000 | Fixed cash component |
| Annual Bonus | Performance-based opportunity; metrics and payout subject to Compensation Committee | Not disclosed targets/weighting |
| Equity | 400,000 restricted shares; vest 25% each Dec 10 starting 2026 | Inducement award per Nasdaq 5635(c)(4) |
| Severance | Not disclosed in offer letter or filings reviewed | N/A |
| Change-of-Control | Not disclosed for CFO | CEO’s CoC terms disclosed separately; CFO terms not disclosed |
| Clawback | Company clawback policy covers executive officers and performance-based compensation | Applies to CFO |
Investment Implications
- Alignment and retention: The 400,000 restricted shares vesting through 2029 create multi-year retention and alignment, with clear time-based vesting milestones; absence of options reduces leverage but also reduces near-term selling pressure until vesting begins in December 2026 .
- Pay-for-performance visibility: Annual bonus is performance-based but lacks disclosed metrics/weighting/payout formulas for the CFO, limiting transparency into cash incentive alignment versus operational goals; company-wide compensation philosophy is shifting toward revenue, gross margin, delivery, yields, and cash flow metrics per 2025 proxy .
- Governance safeguards: Clawback policy covering executive officers mitigates risk of misaligned performance compensation; CEO/Director ownership guidelines are in place, but no disclosed CFO ownership guideline may modestly reduce formal ownership pressure on the finance chief .
- Trading signals: No Form 4 transactions found; initial Form 3 reported zero ownership with the subsequent inducement grant documented via 10-Q/S-1. With first vesting in December 2026, insider selling pressure from Manz is not an immediate concern; monitor future Form 4s as vesting dates approach .