Eric Olson
Sintx TechnologiesAbout Eric Olson
Eric Olson is Chairman of the Board, President, Chief Executive Officer, and Principal Financial Officer of SINTX Technologies; he became CEO and President effective August 1, 2024 and was appointed to the Board in November 2024, later serving as Chairman . He is 62 and holds B.S. degrees in Behavioral Science and Health Administration from the University of Utah, where he also completed a Master’s-level Hospital Administration Internship . Prior roles include senior sales and marketing leadership at Smith & Nephew, Johnson & Johnson, Medtronic, and Wright Medical, and he previously led SINTX (then Amedica) and played a key role in its 2014 IPO . Company performance disclosures show 2024 net loss of $11.0 million and a “value of initial $100 investment” based on TSR of (99.82) for 2024; recent quarterly revenue and EBITDA trends are shown below .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Years | Strategic impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| SINTX Technologies (formerly Amedica) | CEO, President, Director (prior tenure) | Feb 2012 – Sep 2014 | Led the company through its 2014 NASDAQ IPO and commercialization efforts . |
| Skeletal Kinetics (Colson & Associates company) | President & CEO | Dec 2014 – Jan 2016 | Developed and commercialized synthetic bone substitute products for orthopedic and spinal applications . |
| Predictive Biotech, Inc. | Founder, President, CEO, Board Member | Jan 2016 – Jun 2022 | Developed first HCT/P derived from perinatal tissue; led growth as founder-CEO . |
| Foresite Innovations, LLC | Founder, CEO, Board Member | Jun 2022 – Aug 2024 | Healthcare innovation holding company; operating leadership prior to joining SINTX . |
| Smith & Nephew; Johnson & Johnson; Medtronic; Wright Medical | Senior sales and marketing roles | Early career | Commercial leadership experience across medtech majors . |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Years | Strategic impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Foresite Innovations, LLC | Board Member | 2022 – 2024 | Governance of healthcare innovation portfolio . |
| Predictive Biotech, Inc. | Board Member | 2016 – 2022 | Board oversight during product development and commercialization . |
Fixed Compensation
Current terms (as of May 2025):
- Base salary: $375,000; Target annual cash bonus: 40% of base salary .
- Term: Two years with automatic one-year renewals unless 90 days’ notice is given .
Historical pay (2024 partial year):
| Year | Base Salary ($) | Bonus ($) | Stock Awards ($) | Option Awards ($) | All Other Comp ($) | Total ($) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 135,962 | 25,000 | - | - | 33,632 | 194,594 |
Notes: “All Other Comp” generally includes 401(k) match, severance, vacation payouts, housing, and commuting expenses (as applicable) .
Performance Compensation
- Annual cash bonus plan: The Board annually adopts a program based on pre-established objectives; performance factors include financial objectives, financial discipline, business development, product development, and long-term stability, with discretion to modify or re-weight during the year .
- 2024 payout: Olson received a $25,000 cash bonus for his partial-year service; no equity awards were reported for Olson in 2024 .
- Equity plan mechanics: The 2025 Equity Incentive Plan authorizes stock options, RSUs, SARs, and performance shares; awards may carry double-trigger change-in-control vesting and are subject to clawback under any company policy .
Equity Ownership & Alignment
As of July 1, 2025 beneficial ownership:
| Holder | Direct/Common Shares | RSUs exercisable/vesting within 60 days | Total Beneficial Ownership (sh) | % of Outstanding |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eric K. Olson | 26,876 | 1,668 | 28,544 | 1% |
- Shares outstanding at record date: 2,755,587 .
- Breakdown: 26,876 common shares and 1,668 RSUs vesting within 60 days of July 1, 2025 .
- Pledging/hedging: No pledging or hedging of company stock disclosed in the proxy .
- Ownership guidelines: Not disclosed in the proxy .
Employment Terms
| Term | Summary |
|---|---|
| Effective date | New Executive Employment Agreement approved May 2, 2025 and entered May 5, 2025; supersedes prior agreements . |
| Term length | Two (2) years; auto-renewal for successive one-year terms unless either party gives 90 days’ notice . |
| Base salary | $375,000 per year . |
| Target bonus | 40% of base salary; paid based on Company/individual performance and peer practices . |
| Severance (no cause/Good Reason) | 12 months of base salary, plus accrued salary/benefits . |
| Change-in-control (double trigger; also applies if termination occurs within 6 months prior to a CIC) | If terminated without cause or resigns for Good Reason within 1 year after or 6 months before a CIC: pro‑rated target bonus for year of termination; lump-sum equal to 3×(one year base + greater of target bonus or highest actual bonus in prior 3 years); up to 36 months of health coverage; access to continued coverage thereafter if permissible . |
| Excise tax gross‑up | Company will pay a gross‑up to cover Section 4999 excise taxes and related taxes/penalties if applicable . |
| Equity acceleration | Company equity plan provides for double-trigger acceleration if awards are assumed and the executive is terminated post‑CIC; if awards are not assumed, vesting generally accelerates at CIC . |
| Clawback | Awards under the equity plan may be subject to forfeiture/recoupment under any Company clawback policy . |
Definitions of “Change in Control,” “Cause,” and “Good Reason” are set forth in the agreements; CIC generally includes 50%+ beneficial ownership change, certain mergers/asset sales, or board composition changes, structured to avoid adverse 409A tax impacts .
Performance & Track Record
Company performance (disclosed and recent):
- Pay vs Performance disclosure: 2024 “Compensation Actually Paid” to Olson equals $194,594; Company net income (FY 2024) was $(11,024) thousand; “Value of initial fixed $100 investment based on TSR” for 2024 reported as (99.82) .
- No legal proceedings for directors or officers reported; no related‑party transactions since Jan 1, 2024 beyond compensation arrangements .
Operating performance – last 8 quarters:
| Metric | Q4 2023 | Q1 2024 | Q2 2024 | Q3 2024 | Q4 2024 | Q1 2025 | Q2 2025 | Q3 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue ($) | 902,000 | 687,000 | 859,000 | 799,000 | 542,000 | 369,000 | 151,000 | 208,000 |
| EBITDA ($) | (2,273,000) | (2,667,000) | (2,108,000) | (884,000) | (1,230,000) | (2,236,000) | (2,539,000) | (3,250,000) |
| Net Income ($) | (2,321,000) | (886,000) | (2,204,000) | (6,239,000) | (1,695,000) | (2,292,000) | (2,318,000) | (3,539,000) |
| Values retrieved from S&P Global.* |
Board Governance
- Board service: Olson joined the Board in November 2024 and is a Class I director; his term expires at the 2027 annual meeting if he continues to serve .
- Roles and independence: He serves as Chairman of the Board and CEO (combined roles); four other directors are designated independent under Nasdaq rules .
- Committees: Audit (Chair: Jay Moyes), Compensation (Chair: Mark Anderson), and Governance/Nominating (Chair: Robert Mitchell) are composed entirely of independent directors; Olson is not a member of these committees .
- Attendance: In 2024, all directors attended more than 75% of Board and committee meetings .
Dual‑role implications:
- CEO + Chairman and also Principal Financial Officer roles concentrate authority; committee independence and an Audit Committee financial expert designation (Moyes) provide some oversight counterweights .
Investment Implications
- Alignment and ownership: Olson beneficially owns 28,544 shares (about 1% of outstanding); RSUs of 1,668 were scheduled to vest within 60 days of July 1, 2025, a modest potential selling overhang; no pledging disclosed .
- Incentive design: Target bonus is 40% of salary; equity awards under the 2025 plan are eligible for double‑trigger acceleration and clawback, aligning incentives with performance and retention .
- Change‑in‑control economics: Double‑trigger payout equals 3×(base + bonus) with a pro‑rated target bonus and up to 36 months of health coverage; inclusion of a Section 4999 excise tax gross‑up is shareholder‑unfriendly and can be a red flag in governance assessments .
- Retention risk: Outside a CIC, severance is 12 months of base salary upon termination without cause or for Good Reason, offering moderate downside protection to retain the executive .
- Governance risk mitigants: While roles are combined, fully independent committees (with an Audit Committee financial expert) and codified clawback/recoupment policies provide structural safeguards .
- Execution risk: Disclosed 2024 net loss and weak TSR in the pay-versus-performance table underscore elevated execution risk; near‑term focus remains on commercialization and value creation initiatives articulated at appointment .
Notes:
- No additional equity award details (options/PSUs) were disclosed for Olson in 2024; future grants may occur under the 2025 Equity Incentive Plan .
- No non‑compete or non‑solicit covenants were disclosed in the filings reviewed; the executive agreements will be filed with the Q2 2025 Form 10‑Q .