Richard Kuntz
About Richard Kuntz
Richard Kuntz, M.D., M.Sc. is an independent Class I director of ZimVie since 2022. He is 67 years old, with an M.D. from Case Western Reserve University and an M.Sc. in Biostatistics from the Harvard School of Public Health. Dr. Kuntz previously served as Senior Vice President and Chief Medical & Scientific Officer at Medtronic (2009–2022) and brings deep clinical, biostatistics, and medtech leadership experience to the board . The Board has determined he is independent under Nasdaq rules .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Medtronic plc | SVP & Chief Medical and Scientific Officer | Aug 2009–Apr 2022 | Led medical affairs, health policy, clinical research, corporate technology |
| Medtronic plc | SVP & President, Neuromodulation | Oct 2005–Aug 2009 | Business leadership in neuromodulation |
| Brigham & Women’s Hospital | Interventional Cardiologist; Chief, Clinical Biometrics | n/a | Clinical and biometrics leadership |
| Harvard Clinical Research Institute | Associate Professor of Medicine; Chief Scientific Officer | n/a | Evidence development leadership |
| PCORI (Board of Governors) | Member | 2010–2018 | Health outcomes research governance |
External Roles
| Company | Role | Public/Private | Tenure/Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| DiaMedica Therapeutics Inc. | Director | Public | Current |
| Identiv, Inc. | Director | Public | Current |
| Bactiguard Holding AB | Director | Public | Current |
| Rockley Photonics Holdings Ltd. | Director | Public | Past; served until March 2023 |
Board Governance
- Committee assignments (2024): Audit; Compensation; Corporate Governance; Quality, Regulatory & Technology (member on all) .
- Committee chairs (context): Audit – Karen Matusinec; Compensation – Sally Crawford; Corporate Governance – David King; Quality, Regulatory & Technology – Vinit Asar .
- 2024 meetings held: Audit (8), Compensation (6), Corporate Governance (4), Quality/Regulatory/Technology (4) .
- Independence: All non-CEO directors, including Dr. Kuntz, are independent under Nasdaq rules. All board committees are fully independent .
- Attendance: All directors attended ≥75% of board and committee meetings; however, Dr. “Kunz” did not attend the 2024 annual meeting of shareholders (single-meeting miss) .
- Other public boards: 3 current other public boards (within ZimVie’s limit on other directorships) .
Fixed Compensation
| Year | Cash Fees ($) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 85,000 | Standard annual director retainer $70,000 plus $15,000 “multiple committee participation” retainer for service on >2 committees; paid quarterly . |
| 2023 | 52,500 | Standard annual director retainer was $70,000 (paid quarterly); committee chair retainers differed vs 2024; actual cash received reflects deferral/mix choices . |
Performance Compensation
| Year | Award Type | Grant Date | Grant Value ($) | Vesting | Deferral/Settlement |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | RSUs | 05-15-2024 | 185,000 | Vests immediately | Mandatory deferral until the later of 3rd anniversary or board service end; settles in shares . |
| 2024 | DSUs (annual award) | 05-15-2024 | 8,400 | N/A (DSUs) | Mandatory deferral; settled in shares after board service ends . |
| 2023 | RSUs | 05-12-2023 | 185,000 | Vests immediately | Mandatory deferral as above . |
| 2023 | DSUs (annual award) | 05-12-2023 | 5,225 | N/A | Mandatory deferral . |
| 2023 | DSUs (mandatory deferral of fees) | 2023 | 17,500 | N/A | Applied until director holds ≥5,000 DSUs . |
- Structure: Non-employee director equity is primarily time-based RSUs (immediate vesting) and DSUs with mandatory deferral; no performance metrics or TSR conditions are applied to director equity grants .
- Ownership alignment: 50% of annual cash retainer is mandatorily deferred into DSUs until a director holds at least 5,000 DSUs; each director also receives an annual 500 DSU award. In 2024, no mandatory DSU deferrals were needed because each non-employee director had already reached the minimum DSU level before 2024 .
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Company | Sector | Potential Interlock/Conflict with ZIMV |
|---|---|---|
| DiaMedica Therapeutics Inc. | Biotech/therapeutics | No related-party transaction disclosures with ZimVie; board independence affirmed . |
| Identiv, Inc. | Security/identity tech | As above . |
| Bactiguard Holding AB | Infection prevention | As above . |
| Rockley Photonics (past) | Photonics/sensors | Past director until Mar-2023 . |
ZimVie discloses that Compensation Committee members (including Dr. Kuntz) had no Item 404 related-party relationships in 2024 and confirms committee independence and use of an independent compensation advisor .
Expertise & Qualifications
- Skills matrix highlights for Kuntz: Global/international experience; Government/legal/regulatory experience; M&A/business development/strategic planning; Medical technology/healthcare industry; R&D/science/innovation/technology; Reimbursement/health economics .
- Education & credentials: M.D. (Case Western Reserve), M.Sc. in Biostatistics (Harvard); clinical appointments and evidence-development leadership (Brigham & Women’s, Harvard Clinical Research Institute) .
Equity Ownership
| As of Date | Total Shares Owned | Shares Acquirable in 60 Days | Deferred Share Units (DSUs) | % of Class |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 10, 2025 | 6,259 | – | 6,256 | * (<1%) |
| Mar 18, 2024 | 5,756 | – | 5,756 | * (<1%) |
- None of the shares owned by current directors and officers were pledged as security; ZimVie policy also prohibits hedging, short sales, margin accounts, and pledging of company stock .
- Additional DSUs to be settled in cash post-service noted for Dr. Kuntz (3,151) per footnote disclosure .
Governance Assessment
-
Strengths:
- Broad committee coverage (Audit, Compensation, Corporate Governance, Quality/Regulatory/Technology) supporting high engagement and oversight breadth .
- Strong domain expertise in clinical science, evidence development, and medtech regulation aligned with ZimVie’s quality and R&D oversight needs .
- Independence affirmed; all committees are fully independent; Compensation Committee reports no interlocks or related-party relationships and uses an independent advisor .
- Robust director ownership alignment via mandatory DSU deferrals; Dr. Kuntz met the 5,000 DSU minimum before 2024, signaling compliance .
-
Watch items / RED FLAGS:
- Annual meeting attendance: all directors met ≥75% meeting attendance, but Dr. “Kunz” did not attend the 2024 shareholder meeting; while not disqualifying, some investors view annual meeting attendance as a baseline engagement signal .
- Equity design for directors is time-based and vests immediately (though subject to deferral), which limits explicit performance linkage (common for director pay, but investors may prefer longer vesting or holding features beyond deferral) .
- Board load: Dr. Kuntz serves on three other public company boards, which is at the upper end of ZimVie’s policy limits (still within guidelines and not an executive at those companies) .
-
Policies mitigating risk:
- Prohibitions on hedging/pledging and robust clawback and stock ownership guidelines for leadership enhance alignment and risk control .
Overall, Dr. Kuntz brings material medtech and clinical evidence expertise, broad committee participation, and ownership alignment. The single annual meeting absence and multiple external directorships merit monitoring but are currently within policy and offset by strong independence and skills fit .