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John O’Connor

Director at LEMAITRE VASCULAR
Board

About John J. O’Connor

John J. O’Connor (age 77) is an independent director of LeMaitre Vascular, Inc. and has served on the Board since 2008 . He is a former partner and Vice Chairman of Services at PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP (PwC) and previously led PwC’s U.S. audit practice and the Boston office; the Board designates him as an “audit committee financial expert” based on his public financial accounting expertise . Education includes Suffolk University and executive programs at Harvard Business School (Leadership in Professional Service Firms) and the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth .

Past Roles

OrganizationRoleTenureCommittees/Impact
PricewaterhouseCoopers LLPPartner (1982–2006); Vice Chairman of Services (Jun 2002–Nov 2006); Leader, U.S. audit practice (Sep 2000–Jun 2002); Managing Partner, Boston office (1995–Sep 2000)1982–2006Extensive public financial accounting leadership; qualifies as “audit committee financial expert”

External Roles

OrganizationRoleTenureNotes
mTuitive, Inc.DirectorNot disclosedClinical data capture/synoptic reporting software
Health Data Analytics, Inc.DirectorNot disclosedHealthcare analytics
Corvent Medical, Inc.DirectorNot disclosedMedical device company
Almond FintechDirectorNot disclosedDigital payments
Aspect Medical SystemsPrior DirectorNot disclosedPrior public company board
Abt AssociatesPrior DirectorNot disclosedResearch/consulting organization

Board Governance

  • Independence: The Board affirmatively determined O’Connor is independent under Nasdaq standards .
  • Committee assignments (2024): Audit Committee (Chair); not a member of Compensation or Nominating & Corporate Governance Committees .
  • Attendance: In 2024 the Board met seven times; all directors attended at least 75% of Board and applicable committee meetings .
  • Audit Committee activity: Met four times plus one unanimous written consent in 2024; O’Connor chairs and is designated as the audit committee financial expert .
  • Lead Independent Director: The company combines CEO and Chair roles and does not have a lead independent director .
  • Executive sessions: Independent directors typically hold at least one executive session per year, chaired on a rotating basis .
  • Say-on-pay context: Stockholders supported executive compensation by >96% at the 2024 Annual Meeting, indicating broad approval of pay practices .

Fixed Compensation

Component (2024)Amount (USD)Notes
Fees Earned or Paid in Cash$50,000Actual cash compensation received for 2024
Board Annual Retainer (Policy)$26,000Policy schedule for non-employee directors
Audit Committee Chair Retainer (Policy)$20,000Policy schedule
Audit Committee Member Retainer (Policy)$6,000Policy schedule
Compensation Committee Member Retainer (Policy)$2,500Policy schedule
Nominating & Corporate Governance Chair Retainer (Policy)$6,500Policy schedule
Nominating & Corporate Governance Member Retainer (Policy)$2,000Policy schedule

O’Connor’s actual 2024 cash fees ($50,000) reflect the company’s policy plus any proration or plan specifics for the year .

Performance Compensation

Component (2024)Amount (USD)Design/MixVesting/Performance Notes
Stock Awards (RSUs/PSUs)$56,000Part of annual director equity grantPSUs subject to Company performance; RSUs time-based; grant-date fair value per FASB ASC 718
Option Awards$56,000Part of annual director equity grantBlack-Scholes valuation; typical plan terms
Annual Equity Grant Policy (Directors)$170,00050% options, 25% PSUs, 25% RSUsEligibility requires ≥6 months of service at grant
Outstanding RSUs (as of 12/31/2024)966.24 unitsDirector-level countsCompany-wide director disclosure applies to each current non-employee director
Outstanding PSUs (as of 12/31/2024, target)1,137.58 unitsDirector-level countsGrant-date fair value assuming target; max PSUs value at grant was $51,000 per director
Outstanding Options (as of 12/31/2024)19,519Director-level countAggregate outstanding options for O’Connor

The proxy provides detailed PSU/option accounting treatment, but does not specify director PSU performance metrics; PSUs are performance-based under the equity plan and valued per ASC 718 at grant .

Other Directorships & Interlocks

CompanyRelationship to LMATPotential Interlock/Conflict
Corvent Medical, Inc.Medical device industryNo specific related-party transactions disclosed with LMAT; general industry adjacency only
mTuitive, Health Data Analytics, Almond FintechSoftware/analytics/fintechNo LMAT-related transactions disclosed
Aspect Medical Systems (prior)Prior public company boardHistorical; no current LMAT interlock disclosed

Expertise & Qualifications

  • Public company board experience and deep financial/accounting expertise recognized in Board skills matrix and biography .
  • Strategic planning, risk management, and operations oversight experience .
  • Designated “audit committee financial expert” under SEC rules .

Equity Ownership

MeasureAmountNotes
Beneficially Owned Shares (as of 3/5/2025)71,309Less than 1% of shares outstanding
Options Exercisable Within 60 Days (as of 3/5/2025)14,008Included in beneficial ownership computation per SEC rules
Outstanding Options (12/31/2024)19,519Aggregate options held
Hedging PolicyProhibited for insidersCompany prohibits hedging transactions (e.g., collars, swaps)
Section 16 ComplianceCompliant for 2024Company reports all Section 16(a) filings compliant for fiscal 2024

Insider Trades (recent Form 4 examples)

Filing DateTransaction DateTypeSecurityQtyPricePost-Transaction PositionSource
2025-09-082025-09-04A (Award)Dividend Equivalent Rights0.41730.006.5156 (DER units)
2025-09-082025-09-04A (Award)Dividend Equivalent Rights0.85460.005.8691 (DER units)
2025-03-042025-02-28M (Exempt)Common Stock10.0057,301 (shares)
2025-03-042025-02-28M (Exempt)Dividend Equivalent Rights10.003.0099 (DER units)

These examples indicate periodic equity awards/adjustments (DERs) and exempt option-related transactions; no related-party transactions were disclosed in the proxy .

Governance Assessment

  • Strengths: O’Connor brings deep audit and financial oversight experience as Audit Chair and SEC-designated audit committee financial expert, enhancing Board effectiveness in financial reporting, auditor oversight, and internal control monitoring . Independence affirmed; attendance thresholds met; executive sessions of independent directors occur annually, supporting independent oversight .
  • Alignment: Director compensation includes both cash and meaningful equity (options, RSUs, PSUs), creating alignment with shareholder outcomes; 2024 say-on-pay support >96% suggests positive investor sentiment on compensation governance .
  • Watch items:
    • Combined CEO/Chair and no lead independent director reduces counterbalance to management; investors often monitor Audit Chair independence and engagement as a partial offset .
    • Board diversity concerns impacted 2024 voting on another director, and the Board explicitly cited lack of racial/ethnic diversity in explaining a withhold vote outcome; continued diversity progress may be an investor focus area .
    • Ensure continued adherence to hedging prohibitions and clawback policy compliance; company-level policies exist and cover executives (clawback) while insiders are prohibited from hedging .

No related-party transactions were disclosed with directors for 2024; committee memberships are fully independent, and Audit Committee members meet heightened independence standards .