Juliet Tammenoms Bakker
About Juliet Tammenoms Bakker
Independent director of RxSight (Class I), age 63, serving since 2015. She co-founded Longitude Capital (Managing Director since 2006), previously founded the life sciences practice at Pequot Ventures and worked as an equity research analyst at Banque Paribas. Education: M.P.A., Harvard Kennedy School; B.Sc., Cornell University (Trustee, Cornell University Board of Trustees). Re‑nominated in 2025 to serve through 2028.
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Longitude Capital | Co‑founder; Managing Director | Since 2006 | Investor in healthcare; extensive medtech board experience |
| Pequot Ventures | Managing Director; founded life sciences practice | Not disclosed | Built life sciences investing platform |
| Banque Paribas | Equity Research Analyst | Not disclosed | Sell‑side healthcare coverage |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Status | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ceribell, Inc. (NASDAQ:CBLL) | Director | Current | Not disclosed |
| Eargo, Inc. (NASDAQ:EAR) | Director | Prior | Not disclosed |
| Axonics, Inc. (NASDAQ:AXNX) | Director | Prior | Not disclosed |
| Venus Concept Inc. (NASDAQ:VERO) | Director | Prior | Not disclosed |
| Cornell University | Trustee | Current | Board of Trustees service |
Board Governance
- Committee assignments: Audit Committee member; Governance Committee member. Not a committee chair. Audit is chaired by Julie B. Andrews; Governance is chaired by Robert Warner.
- Independence: Board determined Bakker is independent under NASDAQ rules; Audit Committee independence affirmed.
- Attendance and engagement: Board met 5 times in 2024; Audit Committee held 5 and Governance Committee held 4 meetings; each director attended at least 75% of Board and committee meetings during periods of service. Six directors attended the 2024 annual meeting.
- Board leadership: Independent Chair (J. Andy Corley) separate from CEO; risk oversight distributed across committees.
Fixed Compensation
| Component | Amount (USD) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Cash Retainer (2024) | $65,000 | Policy baseline $50,000 cash retainer; plus $10,000 Audit Committee member fee and $5,000 Governance Committee member fee (effective Jan 1, 2024). |
| Equity Retainer (2024 grant-date fair value) | $149,945 | Annual time‑based RSUs under 2021 Plan; standard annual value was $150,000 in 2024. |
| Total (2024) | $214,945 | No option awards or other comp disclosed for directors in 2024. |
Policy details and recent changes:
- Cash compensation effective January 1, 2024: $50,000 board retainer; $10,000 Audit chair; $10,000 Audit member; $7,500 Compensation chair; $7,500 Compensation member; $5,000 Governance chair; $5,000 Governance member; $50,000 non‑executive chair; $30,000 lead director; $1,500 per meeting over 8 per year.
- Equity compensation increased effective December 19, 2024: annual RSU grant value to $170,000 (from $150,000); initial RSU grant value to $277,500 (from $217,500).
Performance Compensation
- Director equity is time‑based RSUs; no performance‑linked director awards (no PSUs/metrics disclosed). Annual RSUs vest in full on the earlier of one year from grant or next annual meeting; initial RSUs vest one‑third annually. Change in control, death, or disability accelerates vesting.
Other Directorships & Interlocks
- Public company boards noted above; no disclosed related‑party transactions or interlocks involving Bakker. Related party payments in 2024 were to Praxis entities affiliated with director William J. Link; none disclosed for Bakker.
Expertise & Qualifications
- Skills matrix flags Bakker for accounting/auditing, capital management, mergers & acquisitions, medical technology, and ophthalmology experience; she also brings governance/risk management exposure and international commercialization background.
Equity Ownership
| Holder | Shares | Type/Notes | % of Outstanding |
|---|---|---|---|
| Juliet Tammenoms Bakker | 34,840 | Direct common stock | <1% (per proxy footnote *) |
| Investment trust (affiliation noted) | 1,548 | Held by an investment trust; Bakker may be deemed to share voting/investment power | <1% |
| RSUs vesting within 60 days of 4/8/2025 | 2,554 | Time‑based RSUs scheduled to vest | <1% |
| Total beneficial ownership | 38,942 | Aggregate per proxy table | <1% |
Ownership alignment policies:
- Non‑employee director stock ownership guideline: minimum holdings equal to 3× annual cash retainer; compliance deadline the later of Jan 1, 2028 or 5 years from appointment. Retention requirement of 50% of net shares if below guideline.
- Prohibition on hedging and pledging company securities; formal compensation recovery (clawback) policy for executives adopted November 2023.
Governance Assessment
- Strengths: Independent director with Audit Committee seat; material finance/audit skill set; consistent meeting attendance; clear ownership guidelines; anti‑hedging/pledging policy; separation of Chair and CEO; strong Say‑on‑Pay support (95.3% in 2024), indicating broad investor confidence in compensation governance.
- Compensation alignment: Director pay mix skews to equity via annual RSUs, enhanced effective Dec 19, 2024—supports long‑term alignment; cash fees aligned with committee service.
- Conflicts/related‑party exposure: No Bakker‑specific related‑party transactions disclosed; Board independence review affirmed her independence.
- RED FLAGS: None disclosed for Bakker regarding low attendance, hedging/pledging, option repricing, or related‑party transactions.
Overall, Bakker’s venture investing background and medtech board experience, combined with audit committee service and independent status, are supportive of board effectiveness and investor confidence at RxSight.