UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
SCHEDULE 14A
Proxy Statement Pursuant to Section 14(a)
of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
Filed by the Registrant x
Filed by a Party other than the Registrant ¨
Check the appropriate box:
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Preliminary Proxy Statement | |
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Confidential, for Use of the Commission Only (as permitted by Rule 14a-6(e)(2)) | |
x |
Definitive Proxy Statement | |
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Definitive Additional Materials | |
¨ |
Soliciting Material Pursuant to Rule 14a-11(c) or Rule 14a-12 |
CUTERA, INC.
(Name of Registrant as Specified In Its Charter)
(Name of Person(s) Filing Proxy Statement, if other than the Registrant)
Payment of Filing Fee (Check the appropriate box):
x | No fee required. |
¨ | Fee computed on table below per Exchange Act Rules 14a-6(i)(1) and 0-11. |
(1) | Title of each class of securities to which transaction applies: |
(2) | Aggregate number of securities to which transaction applies: |
(3) | Per unit price or other underlying value of transaction computed pursuant to Exchange Act Rule 0-11 (set forth the amount on which the filing fee is calculated and state how it was determined): |
(4) | Proposed maximum aggregate value of transaction: |
(5) | Total fee paid: |
¨ | Fee paid previously with preliminary materials: |
¨ | Check box if any part of the fee is offset as provided by Exchange Act Rule 0-11(a)(2) and identify the filing for which the offsetting fee was paid previously. Identify the previous filing by registration statement number, or the Form or Schedule and the date of its filing. |
(1) | Amount Previously Paid: |
(2) | Form, Schedule or Registration Statement No.: |
(3) | Filing Party: |
(4) | Date Filed: |
NOTICE OF
2007 ANNUAL MEETING OF STOCKHOLDERS
TO BE HELD ON JUNE 19, 2007
10:00 A.M. Pacific Time
To our Stockholders:
You are cordially invited to attend the 2007 Annual Meeting of Stockholders of Cutera, Inc. (the Company). The meeting will be held at our principal executive offices located at 3240 Bayshore Blvd., Brisbane, California 94005-1021 on Tuesday, June 19, 2007 at 10:00 a.m. Pacific Time, for the following purposes:
1. | To elect three Class III directors to each serve for a three-year term that expires at the 2010 Annual Meeting of Stockholders and until their successors have been duly elected and qualified; |
2. | To ratify the appointment of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP as our Independent Registered Public Accounting firm for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2007; and |
3. | To transact such other business as may properly come before the Annual Meeting, including any motion to adjourn to a later date to permit further solicitation of proxies, if necessary, or before any adjournment thereof. |
The foregoing items of business are more fully described in the proxy statement accompanying this Notice.
The meeting will begin promptly at 10:00 a.m., local time, and check-in will begin at 9:30 a.m., local time. Only holders of record of shares of our common stock (NASDAQ: CUTR) at the close of business on April 20, 2007 will be entitled to notice of, and to vote at, the meeting and any postponements or adjournments of the meeting.
For a period of at least 10 days prior to the meeting, a complete list of stockholders entitled to vote at the meeting will be available and open to the examination of any stockholder for any purpose relating to the Annual Meeting during normal business hours at our principal executive offices located at 3240 Bayshore Blvd., Brisbane, California 94005-1021.
By order of the Board of Directors, |
Kevin P. Connors President and Chief Executive Officer |
Brisbane, California
April 30, 2007
YOUR VOTE IS IMPORTANT!
REGARDLESS OF WHETHER YOU PLAN TO ATTEND THE MEETING, PLEASE PROMPTLY VOTE BY TELEPHONE, OR IF AVAILABLE, ELECTRONICALLY, OR COMPLETE, SIGN, DATE, AND RETURN THE ENCLOSED PROXY CARD IN THE ACCOMPANYING POSTAGE-PAID ENVELOPE. NO ADDITIONAL POSTAGE IS NECESSARY IF THE PROXY IS MAILED IN THE UNITED STATES OR CANADA. YOU MAY REVOKE YOUR PROXY AT ANY TIME BEFORE IT IS VOTED AT THE MEETING.
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PROPOSAL TWORATIFICATION OF APPOINTMENT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM |
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Internal Revenue Code Section 162(m) and Limitations on Executive Compensation |
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PROXY STATEMENT
FOR
2007 ANNUAL MEETING OF STOCKHOLDERS
TO BE HELD ON JUNE 19, 2007
The Board of Directors of Cutera, Inc., a Delaware corporation, is soliciting the enclosed proxy from you. The proxy will be used at our 2007 Annual Meeting of Stockholders to be held on Tuesday, June 19, 2007, beginning at 10:00 a.m., Pacific Time, which is the local time, at our principal executive offices located at 3240 Bayshore Blvd., Brisbane, California 94005-1021, and at any postponements or adjournments thereof. This proxy statement contains important information regarding the meeting. Specifically, it identifies the matters upon which you are being asked to vote, provides information that you may find useful in determining how to vote and describes the voting procedures.
In this proxy statement: the terms we, our, Cutera and the Company each refer to Cutera, Inc.; the term Board means our Board of Directors; the term proxy materials means this proxy statement, the enclosed proxy card, and our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2006, filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on March 16, 2007; and the term Annual Meeting means our 2007 Annual Meeting of Stockholders.
We are sending these proxy materials on or about May 10, 2007, to all stockholders of record at the close of business on April 20, 2007 (the Record Date).
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS REGARDING THIS SOLICITATION
AND VOTING AT THE ANNUAL MEETING
1
2
3
4
5
detailed requirements of applicable securities laws. Proposals should be addressed to:
Secretary Cutera, Inc. 3240 Bayshore Blvd. Brisbane, California 94005-1021
Nomination of Director Candidates: You may propose director candidates for consideration by our Board. Any such recommendations should include the nominees name and qualifications for Board membership and should be directed to the Secretary at the address of our principal executive offices set forth above. In addition, our Bylaws permit stockholders to nominate directors for election at an Annual Meeting of stockholders. To nominate a director, the stockholder must provide the information required by our Bylaws, as well as a statement by the nominee consenting to being named as a nominee and to serve as a director if elected. In addition, the stockholder must give timely notice to our corporate Secretary in accordance with the provisions of our Bylaws, which require that the notice be received by our corporate Secretary no later than January 11, 2008.
Copy of Bylaw Provisions: You may contact our corporate Secretary at our principal executive offices for a copy of the relevant bylaw provisions regarding the requirements for making stockholder proposals and nominating director candidates. |
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Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management
The following table provides information relating to the beneficial ownership of our common stock as of the Record Date, by:
| each stockholder known by us to own beneficially more than 5% of our common stock; |
| each of our Named Executive Officers named in the Summary Compensation Table on page 23 (our Chief Executive Officer, our Chief Financial Officer, and our three other most highly compensated executive officers); |
| each of our directors; and |
| all of our directors and Named Executive Officers as a group. |
The number of shares beneficially owned by each entity, person, director or executive officer is determined in accordance with the rules of the SEC, and the information is not necessarily indicative of beneficial ownership for any other purpose. Under such rules, beneficial ownership includes any shares over which the individual has the sole or shared voting power or investment power and any shares that the individual has the right to acquire within 60 days of April 20, 2007 (the Record Date) through the exercise of any stock option or other right. The number and percentage of shares beneficially owned is computed on the basis of 13,549,880 shares of our common stock outstanding as of the Record Date. The information in the following table regarding the beneficial owners of more than 5% of our common stock is based upon information supplied by principal stockholders or Schedules 13D and 13G filed with the SEC.
Shares of our common stock that a person has the right to acquire within 60 days of the Record Date are deemed outstanding for purposes of computing the percentage ownership of the person holding such rights, but are not deemed outstanding for purposes of computing the percentage ownership of any other person, except with respect to the percentage ownership of all directors and executive officers as a group. To our knowledge, except as set forth in the footnotes to this table and subject to applicable community property laws, each person or entity named in the table has sole voting and disposition power with respect to the shares set forth opposite such persons or entitys name. The address for those persons for which an address is not otherwise provided is c/o Cutera, Inc., 3240 Bayshore Blvd., Brisbane, California 94005-1021.
Name and Address of Beneficial Owner |
Number of Shares Outstanding |
Warrants and Options Exercisable Within 60 Days** |
Approximate Percent Owned |
||||
Annette J. Campbell-White |
56,774 | 30,000 | * | ||||
David B. Apfelberg |
20,000 | 20,000 | * | ||||
Kevin P. Connors |
151,607 | 597,916 | * | ||||
David A. Gollnick |
173,696 | 147,462 | 5.3 | % | |||
W. Mark Lortz |
2,285 | 20,000 | 2.3 | % | |||
Jerry P. Widman |
0 | 30,000 | * | ||||
Timothy J. OShea |
0 | 10,000 | * | ||||
Ronald J. Santilli |
5,944 | 63,125 | * | ||||
Robert J. Shine, Jr. |
4,512 | 39,125 | * | ||||
John J. Connors |
5,511 | 90,029 | * | ||||
All directors and executive officers as a group (10 persons) |
420,329 | 1,047,657 | 10.1 | % |
* | Less than 1%. |
** | Includes Performance Unit Awards that will vest and be issued within 60 days of the Record Date. See discussion of this matter included in Compensation Discussion and Analysis on page 22 of this proxy statement. |
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Section 16(a) Beneficial Ownership Reporting Compliance
Section 16(a) of the Exchange Act requires our directors, officers and beneficial owners of more than 10% of our common stock to file reports of ownership and reports of changes in the ownership with the SEC. Such persons are required by SEC regulations to furnish us with copies of all Section 16(a) forms they file.
Based solely on our review of the copies of such forms received by us, or written representations from reporting persons that no Forms 3, 4 or 5 were required of such persons, we believe that during our fiscal year ended December 31, 2006, all reports were timely filed, with the exceptions noted herein.
Two late Form 4 reports were filed for John J. Connors on June 21, 2006 and September 5, 2006, respectively, to report the June 8, 2006 grant of options to acquire 15,000 shares of our common stock, and the August 31, 2006 sale of 8,083 shares of our common stock.
One late Form 4 report was filed for David A. Gollnick on June 20, 2006 to report the June 8, 2006 grant of options to acquire 25,000 shares of our common stock.
One late Form 4 report was filed for Kevin P. Connors on June 20, 2006 to report the June 8, 2006 grant of options to acquire 55,000 shares of our common stock.
One late Form 4 report was filed for Ronald J. Santilli on June 21, 2006 to report the June 8, 2006 grant of options to acquire 35,000 shares of our common stock.
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CORPORATE GOVERNANCE AND BOARD MATTERS
Our Board currently consists of seven directors, with one vacancy. The Companys directors are Kevin P. Connors, David A. Gollnick, Timothy J. OShea, David B. Apfelberg, W. Mark Lortz, Jerry P. Widman, and Annette J. Campbell-White. Our Board has determined that each of the directors other than Kevin P. Connors, the Companys President and Chief Executive Officer, and David A. Gollnick, the Companys Vice President of Research and Development, satisfy the current independent director standards established by rules of The NASDAQ Stock Market LLC (Nasdaq).
Our Board has two standing committees: the Audit Committee and the Compensation Committee. From time to time, our Board may also create various ad hoc committees for special purposes. The membership during the last fiscal year and the function of each of the committees are described below.
Name of Director |
Audit Committee |
Compensation Committee | ||
Non-Employee Directors: |
||||
Jerry P. Widman |
X* | X | ||
Timothy J. OShea |
X | |||
W. Mark Lortz(1) |
X | X | ||
David B. Apfelberg |
X* | |||
Annette J. Campbell-White(1) |
||||
Employee Directors: |
||||
Kevin P. Connors |
||||
David A. Gollnick |
||||
Number of Meetings Held During the Last Fiscal Year |
10 | 3 |
X = | Committee member |
* = | Chairman of Committee |
(1) | W. Mark Lortz became a member of the Compensation Committee on January 20, 2006, filling a vacancy created by the January 9, 2006 resignation of Guy Nohra from our Board and Compensation Committee. Annette J. Campbell-White replaced W. Mark Lortz as a member of the Compensation Committee on April 13, 2007. |
Audit Committee. The Audit Committee oversees the Companys accounting and financial reporting processes and the audits of its financial statements. In this role, the Audit Committee monitors and oversees the integrity of the Companys financial statements and related disclosures, the qualifications, independence, and performance of the Companys Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm, and the Companys compliance with applicable legal requirements and its business conduct policies. Our Board has determined that each member of the Audit Committee meets the independence and financial literacy requirements of the Nasdaq rules and the independence requirements of the SEC. Our Board has determined that Jerry P. Widman continues to qualify as an audit committee financial expert, as defined in SEC rules. The Audit Committee has a written charter, which was adopted by our Board in January 2004, a copy of which can be found on our website at www.cutera.com. The report of the Audit Committee appears on page 13 of this proxy statement.
Compensation Committee. The Compensation Committee, together with the Board, establishes compensation for the Chief Executive Officer and the other executive officers and administers the Companys 2004 Equity Incentive Plan, the 2004 Employee Stock Purchase Plan, and the 1998 Stock Plan. The Compensation Committee has a written charter, which was adopted by our Board in January 2004, and amended on April 13, 2007, and can be found on our website.
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Meetings Attended by Directors
The Board held five meetings during 2006, the Audit Committee held ten meetings and the Compensation Committee held three meetings. No director attended fewer than 75% of the meetings of the Board or committee(s) on which he or she served during 2006, except for Mr. Lortz who attended two of the three Compensation Committee meetings held in 2006.
The directors of the Company are encouraged to attend the Companys Annual Meeting of Stockholders, and directors Kevin P. Connors and David A. Gollnick attended the meeting in 2006 in person. No other board members attended that meeting, in person or telephonically.
Nominations. Our Board does not currently have a nominating committee or other committee performing a similar function nor do we have any formal written policies outlining the factors and process relating to the selection of nominees for consideration for Board membership by the full Board and the stockholders. Our Board has adopted resolutions in accordance with the Nasdaq Marketplace Rules authorizing a majority of its independent members to recommend qualified nominees for consideration by the full Board. Our Board believes that it is appropriate for us to not have a standing nominating committee because of a number of factors, including the number of independent directors who want to participate in consideration of candidates for membership on the Board. Our Board consists of seven members, five of whom are independent. Our Board considered forming a nominating committee consisting of several of the independent members of our Board. Forming a committee consisting of less than all of the independent members was unattractive because it would have omitted the other independent members of our Board who wanted to participate in considering qualified candidates for Board membership. Since our Board desired the participation in the nominations process of all of its independent members, it therefore decided not to form a nominating committee and instead authorized a majority of the independent members of our Board to make and consider nominations for Board membership. The independent members of our Board do not have a nominating committee charter, but act pursuant to Board resolutions as described above. Each of the members of our Board authorized to recommend nominees to the full Board is independent within the meaning of the current independent director standards established by Nasdaqs rules. Our Board intends to review this matter periodically, and may in the future elect to designate a formal nominating committee.
Director Qualifications. While the independent members of our Board have not established specific minimum qualifications for director candidates, the candidates for Board membership should have the highest professional and personal ethics and values, and conduct themselves consistent with our Code of Ethics. While the independent members of the Board have not formalized specific minimum qualifications they believe must be met by a candidate to be recommended by the independent members, the independent members of the Board believe that candidates and nominees must reflect a Board that is comprised of directors who (i) have broad and relevant experience, (ii) are predominantly independent, (iii) are of high integrity, (iv) have qualifications that will increase overall Board effectiveness and enhance long-term stockholder value, and (v) meet other requirements as may be required by applicable rules, such as financial literacy or financial expertise with respect to Audit Committee members.
Stockholder Nominations and Recommendations. As described above in the Question and Answer section of this proxy statement under What is the deadline to propose actions for consideration at next years Annual Meeting of Stockholders or to nominate individuals to serve as directors?, our Bylaws set forth the procedure for the proper submission of stockholder nominations for membership on our Board. In addition, the independent members of our Board may consider properly submitted stockholder recommendations (as opposed to formal nominations) for candidates for membership on the Board. A stockholder may make such a recommendation by submitting the following information to our Secretary at 3240 Bayshore Blvd., Brisbane, California 94005-1021: the candidates name, home and business contact information, detailed biographical data, relevant qualifications, professional and personal references, information regarding any relationships between the candidate and Cutera within the last three years and evidence of ownership of Cutera stock by the recommending stockholder.
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Identifying and Evaluating Director Nominees. Typically new candidates for nomination to the Board are suggested by existing directors or by our executive officers, although candidates may initially come to our attention through professional search firms, stockholders or other persons. The independent members of the Board shall carefully review the qualifications of any candidates who have been properly brought to its attention. Such a review may, in the Boards discretion, include a review solely of information provided to the Board or may also include discussion with persons familiar with the candidate, an interview with the candidate or other actions that the Board deems proper. The Board shall consider the suitability of each candidate, including the current members of the Board, in light of the current size and composition of the Board. In evaluating the qualifications of the candidates, the independent members of the Board considers many factors, including, issues of character, judgment, independence, expertise, diversity of experience, length of service, and other commitments. The Board evaluates such factors, among others, and does not assign any particular weighting or priority to any of these factors. Candidates properly recommended by stockholders are evaluated by the independent directors using the same criteria as other candidates.
The following table sets forth a summary of the cash compensation and the fair value of stock options earned by our non-employee directors in the year ended December 31, 2006.
Name |
Fees Earned Or Paid In Cash(1) |
Option Awards(2) |
Total | |||||||
Jerry P. Widman |
$ | 37,500 | $ | 120,384 | (3) | $ | 157,884 | |||
Timothy J. OShea |
26,000 | 120,384 | (4) | 146,384 | ||||||
W. Mark Lortz |
27,500 | 115,681 | (5) | 143,181 | ||||||
David B. Apfelberg |
26,500 | 120,384 | (6) | 146,884 | ||||||
Annette J. Campbell-White |
15,000 | 120,384 | (7) | 135,384 |
(1) | Amounts were earned in connection with attendance at meetings of our Board and its committees, or committee Chairman retainers, each as described below. |
(2) | Amounts represent the expensed fair value of stock options calculated in accordance with the Statement of Financial Accounting Standards No. 123(R), Share Based Payment (revised 2004), or SFAS 123(R), as discussed in Note 5, Stock Option Plans, to our financial statements included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2006, filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on March 16, 2007. |
(3) | At December 31, 2006, Jerry P. Widman held options to purchase 50,000 shares of common stock. |
(4) | At December 31, 2006, Timothy J. OShea held options to purchase 30,000 shares of common stock. |
(5) | At December 31, 2006, W. Mark Lortz held options to purchase 50,000 shares of common stock. |
(6) | At December 31, 2006, David B. Apfelberg held options to purchase 60,000 shares of common stock. |
(7) | At December 31, 2006, Annette J. Campbell-White held options to purchase 50,000 shares of common stock. |
Our non-employee directors are paid $5,000 for each regular board meeting; $1,500 per year for compensation committee meetings attended that year; and $6,000 per year for audit committee meetings attended that year. Additionally, the Chairman of the Audit Committee receives an annual $10,000 retainer and the Chairman of the Compensation Committee receives an annual $5,000 retainer.
We have in the past granted directors options to purchase our common stock pursuant to the terms of our 2004 Equity Incentive Plan. Non-employee directors may receive additional cash compensation from time to time as the Board may determine.
Our 2004 Equity Incentive Plan also provides for the automatic grant of options to our non-employee directors. Each non-employee director appointed to the Board receives an initial option to purchase 30,000 shares of common stock upon such appointment. In addition, non-employee directors who have been directors for at
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least the preceding six months will receive a subsequent option to purchase 10,000 shares of our common stock immediately following each Annual Meeting of our stockholders. All options granted under the automatic grant provisions have an exercise price equal to fair market value on the date of grant and a term of ten years if granted before April 2007 and seven years if granted after such date. Each option to purchase 30,000 shares will become exercisable as to one-third of the shares subject to the option on each anniversary of its date of grant, provided the non-employee director remains a director on such dates. Each option to purchase 10,000 shares will become exercisable as to 100% of the shares subject to the option on the third anniversary of its date of grant, provided the non-employee director remains a director up to and including such date.
We are committed to maintaining the highest standards of business conduct and ethics. Our Code of Ethics (the Code) reflects our values and the business practices and principles of behavior that support this commitment. The Code is intended to satisfy SEC rules for a code of ethics required by Section 406 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, as well as the Nasdaq listing standards requirement for a code of conduct. The Code is an Exhibit to our Form 8-K filed with the SEC on April 29, 2004 and is available on the Companys website at www.cutera.com under Company Investor Relations Corporate Governance. We will post any amendment to the Code, as well as any waivers that are required to be disclosed by the rules of the SEC or the Nasdaq, on our website.
Compensation Committee Interlocks and Insider Participation
No member of our Compensation Committee nor any of our executive officers has a relationship that would constitute an interlocking relationship with executive officers or directors of another entity. No Compensation Committee member is an officer or employee of Cutera.
Certain Relationships and Related Transactions
In the Companys last fiscal year, and except for compensation paid to its directors and executive officers for services performed in such roles, there has not been nor is there currently proposed any transaction or series of similar transactions to which the Company was or is to be a party in which the amount involved exceeds $120,000 and in which any director, executive officer, holder of more than 5% of our common stock or any member of their immediate families had or will have a direct or indirect material interest.
John J. Connors, our Vice President of North American Sales, is the brother of Kevin P. Connors, our President, Chief Executive Officer and Director. There are no other family relationships among any of our directors or executive officers.
Communications with the Board by Stockholders
Stockholders wishing to communicate with the Board or with an individual Board member concerning the Company may do so by writing to the Board or to the particular Board member, and mailing the correspondence to: Attention: Board of Directors, c/o Secretary, Cutera, Inc., 3240 Bayshore Blvd., Brisbane, California 94005-1021. The envelope should indicate that it contains a stockholder communication. All such stockholder communications will be forwarded to the director or directors to whom the communications are addressed.
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The material in this section is not deemed filed with the SEC and is not incorporated by reference in any filing of our Company under the Securities Act of 1933 or the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, whether made before or after the date of this Proxy Statement and irrespective of any general incorporation language in those filings.
The Audit Committee of the Board of Directors is comprised solely of independent directors (as defined by Nasdaq rules) who were all appointed by the Board of Directors. The Audit Committee operates pursuant to a written charter adopted by the Board of Directors, a copy of which can be found on our website. The Audit Committee reviews and assesses the adequacy of its charter on an annual basis. As more fully described in the charter, the purpose of the Audit Committee is to provide general oversight of Cutera's financial reporting, integrity of financial statements, internal controls and internal audit functions. The Audit Committee has authority to retain outside legal, accounting or other advisors as its deems necessary to carry out its duties and to require Cutera to pay for such expenditures.
The Audit Committee monitors Cutera's external audit process, including the scope, fees, auditor independence matters and the extent to which the Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm may be retained to perform non-audit services. The Audit Committee has responsibility for the appointment, compensation, retention and oversight of Cutera's Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm. The Audit Committee also reviews the results of the external audit work with regard to the adequacy and appropriateness of Cutera's financial, accounting and internal controls over financial reporting. In addition, the Audit Committee generally oversees Cutera's internal compliance programs. The Audit Committee members are not professional accountants or auditors, and their functions are not intended to duplicate or to certify the activities of management and the Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm, nor can the Audit Committee certify that the Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm is "independent" under applicable rules.
The Audit Committee provides advice, counsel and direction to management and the Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm on matters for which it is responsible based on the information it receives from management and the Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm and the experience of its members in business, financial and accounting matters.
Management is responsible for the preparation and integrity of Cutera's financial statements, accounting and financial reporting processes and internal control over financial reporting for compliance with applicable accounting standards, laws and regulations.
Cuteras Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm, PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, is responsible for performing an independent audit of Cuteras financial statements in accordance with generally accepted auditing standards and expressing an opinion in its report on those financial statements, and for expressing an opinion on managements assessment of the effectiveness of Cuteras internal control over financial reporting.
In this context, the Audit Committee hereby reports as follows:
| The Audit Committee has reviewed and discussed the audited financial statements for 2006 with Cuteras management. |
| The Audit Committee has discussed with the Independent Registered Public Accounting firm the matters required to be discussed by SAS 61 (Codification of Statements on Auditing Standard, AU 380), SAS 99 (Consideration of Fraud in a Financial Statement Audit) and Securities and Exchange Commission rules discussed in Final Releases Nos. 33-8183 and 33-8183a. |
| The Audit Committee has received written disclosures and a letter from the Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm, PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, required by Independence Standards Board Standard No. 1 (Independence Standards Board Standard No. 1, Independence Discussions with Audit Committee) and has discussed with PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP its independence. |
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| The Audit Committee has discussed with the Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm the overall scope and plans for its audit. |
| The Audit Committee has met with the Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm, with and without management present, to discuss the results of its examinations, its evaluations of our internal control over financial reporting, and to discuss the overall quality of our financial reporting. |
| The Audit Committee has considered whether the provision by the Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm of non-audit services is compatible with maintaining its independence. |
| Based on the review and discussion referred to above, the Audit Committee recommended to the Board, and the Board has approved, that the audited financial statements and the report of management on internal control over financial reporting be included in Cuteras Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2006. |
The foregoing report is provided by the undersigned members of the Audit Committee.
W. Mark Lortz
Timothy J. OShea
Jerry P. Widman
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PROPOSAL ONEELECTION OF DIRECTORS
Classes of the Board of Directors
Our Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation provides that our Board shall be divided into three classes designated as Class I, Class II and Class III, respectively, with the classes of directors serving for staggered three-year terms. Our Board currently consists of seven directors, divided among the three classes as follows: two Class I directors, Kevin P. Connors and David A. Gollnick, whose terms expire at our Annual Meeting of Stockholders to be held in 2008; two Class II directors, Timothy J. OShea and David B. Apfelberg, whose terms expire at our Annual Meeting of Stockholders to be held in 2009; and three Class III directors, W. Mark Lortz, Jerry P. Widman, and Annette J. Campbell-White, whose terms expire at this meeting.
The names of the each member of the Board, the class in which they serve, their ages as of the Record Date, principal occupation and length of service on the Board is as follows:
Name |
Term Expires |
Age | Principal Occupation |
Director Since | ||||
Class I Directors |
||||||||
Kevin P. Connors |
2008 | 45 | President and Chief Executive Officer |
1998 | ||||
David A. Gollnick |
2008 | 43 | Vice President of Research & Development |
1998 | ||||
Class II Directors |
||||||||
Timothy J. OShea(2) |
2009 | 54 | Vice President of Business Development, Boston Scientific Corporation |
2004 | ||||
David B. Apfelberg(1) |
2009 | 65 | Assistant Clinical Professor of Plastic Surgery, Stanford University Medical Center |
1998 | ||||
Class III Directors |
||||||||
W. Mark Lortz(2) |
2007 | 55 | Former Chief Executive Officer, TheraSense, Inc. |
2004 | ||||
Jerry P. Widman(1)(2) |
2007 | 64 | Former Chief Financial Officer, Ascension Health |
2004 | ||||
Annette J. Campbell-White(1) |
2007 | 60 | Managing General Partner, MedVenture Associates I-V |
1998 |
(1) | Member of the Compensation Committee as of the Record Date. |
(2) | Member of the Audit Committee as of the Record Date. |
The Board has nominated W. Mark Lortz, Jerry P. Widman, and Annette J. Campbell-White for re-election as Class III directors.
W. Mark Lortz has served as a member of our board of directors since June 2004. Mr. Lortz served as the Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of TheraSense until June of 2004 after its acquisition by Abbott Laboratories earlier in 2004. Prior to TheraSense, Mr. Lortz held several positions at LifeScan, including Vice President, Operations and Group Vice President, Worldwide Business Operations. Prior to LifeScan, Mr. Lortz has 18 years of experience with the General Electric Company in several divisions. Mr. Lortz is a member of the board of directors of Neurometrix, a manufacturer of neurological diagnostic and therapeutic devices. Mr. Lortz holds an MBA in Management from Xavier University and a BS in Engineering Science from Iowa State University.
Jerry P. Widman has served as a member of our board of directors since March 2004. From 1982 to 2001, Mr. Widman served as the Chief Financial Officer of Ascension Health, a not-for-profit multi-hospital system. Mr. Widman also currently serves as a member of the board of directors and the audit committee of ArthroCare Corporation, a publicly-traded medical device company, and the Trizetto Group, a publicly-traded information technology company in the healthcare industry. Mr. Widman is a member of the board of directors of two other
15
privately-held companies in the healthcare industry. Mr. Widman holds a B.B.A. from Case Western Reserve University, an M.B.A. from the University of Denver, a J.D. from Cleveland State University and is a Certified Public Accountant.
Annette J. Campbell-White has served as a member of our board of directors since November 1998. Since May 1986, Ms. Campbell-White has been the Managing General Partner of MedVenture Associates I-V, which are venture partnerships investing primarily in early stage businesses in the healthcare field. Ms. Campbell-White currently serves on the boards of a number of privately-held companies. Ms. Campbell-White holds a B.S. in Chemical Engineering and an M.S. in Chemistry, both from the University of Cape Town, South Africa.
If elected to our board of directors, directors Lortz, Widman, and Campbell-White would hold office as Class III directors until our Annual Meeting of Stockholders to be held in 2010 or until their earlier death, resignation or removal.
Board of Directors Recommendation
THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS RECOMMENDS THAT YOU VOTE FOR EACH OF THE THREE NOMINEES FOR CLASS III DIRECTOR LISTED ABOVE.
Directors Whose Terms Extend Beyond the 2007 Annual Meeting
Kevin P. Connors has served as our President and Chief Executive Officer and as a member of our board of directors since our inception in August 1998. Mr. Connors also currently serves as a member of the board of directors of the Exploratorium in San Francisco. From May 1996 to June 1998, Mr. Connors served as President and General Manager of Coherent Medical Group, a unit of Coherent Inc., which manufactures lasers, optics and related accessories.
David A. Gollnick has served as our Vice President of Research and Development and as a member of our Board since our inception in August 1998. From June 1996 to July 1998, Mr. Gollnick was Vice President of Research and Development at Coherent Medical Group, a unit of Coherent Inc. Mr. Gollnick holds a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Fresno State University.
David B. Apfelberg, MD has served as a member of our board of directors since November 1998. Dr. Apfelberg has been an Adjunct Associate Professor of Plastic Surgery at the Stanford University Medical Center since 1980. Since 1987, Dr. Apfelberg has also been a consultant for individual entrepreneurs, venture capital companies and attorneys, with special expertise in the area of lasers in medicine. From June 1991 to May 2001, Dr. Apfelberg was Director of the Plastic Surgery Center in Atherton, California. Dr. Apfelberg holds both a B.M.S., Bachelor of Medical Science, and an M.D. from Northwestern University Medical School.
Timothy J. OShea has served as a member of our board of directors since April 2004. Since joining Boston Scientific in 1981, he has served in a variety of management positions, including business development, corporate project management, international and domestic marketing and sales. Mr. O'Shea currently serves as a board observer on behalf of Boston Scientific for several private and public companies. Mr. O'Shea holds a B.A. in history from the University of Detroit.
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PROPOSAL TWORATIFICATION OF APPOINTMENT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM
The Audit Committee of the Board has selected PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP as the Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm to perform the audit of the Companys consolidated financial statements for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2007. PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP audited the Companys consolidated financial statements for the fiscal years 2001 through 2006.
The Board is asking the stockholders to ratify the selection of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP as the Companys Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm for 2007. Although not required by law, by rules of Nasdaq, or by the Companys bylaws, the Board is submitting the selection of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP to the stockholders for ratification as a matter of good corporate practice. Even if the selection is ratified, the Audit Committee in its discretion may select a different Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm at any time during the year if it determines that such a change would be in the best interests of the Company and its stockholders.
Representatives of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP are expected to be present at the Annual Meeting. They will have an opportunity to make a statement if they desire to do so and will be available to respond to appropriate questions from the Companys stockholders.
Board of Directors Recommendation
THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS RECOMMENDS THAT YOU VOTE FOR THE RATIFICATION OF THE SELECTION OF PRICEWATERHOUSECOOPERS LLP AS THE COMPANYS INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM FOR 2007.
The Audit Committee is directly responsible for the appointment, compensation, and oversight of the Companys Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm. In addition to retaining PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP to audit the Companys consolidated financial statements for 2006, the Audit Committee retained PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP to provide other auditing and advisory services in 2006. The Audit Committee understands the need for PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP to maintain objectivity and independence in its audits of the Companys financial statements. The Audit Committee has reviewed all non-audit services provided by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP in 2006 and has concluded that the provision of such services was compatible with maintaining PricewaterhouseCoopers LLPs independence in the conduct of its auditing functions.
To help ensure the independence of the Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm, the Audit Committee has adopted a policy for the pre-approval of all audit and non-audit services to be performed for the Company by its Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm. Pursuant to this policy, all audit and non-audit services to be performed by the Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm must be approved in advance by the Audit Committee. The Audit Committee may delegate to one or more of its members the authority to grant the required approvals, provided that any exercise of such authority is presented to the full Audit Committee at its next regularly scheduled meeting.
The aggregate fees incurred by the Company for audit and non-audit services in 2006 and 2005 were as follows:
Service Category |
2006 | 2005 | ||||
Audit Fees |
$ | 900,000 | $ | 437,000 | ||
Audit Related Fees |
| | ||||
Tax Fees |
28,000 | 18,000 | ||||
All Other Fees |
2,000 | 2,000 | ||||
Total |
$ | 930,000 | $ | 457,000 | ||
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In the above table, in accordance with the SECs definitions and rules, audit fees are fees for professional services for the audit of a companys financial statements and internal control over financial reporting included in the annual report on Form 10-K, for the review of a companys financial statements included in the quarterly reports on Form 10-Q; "audit-related fees" are fees for services that are normally provided by the accountant in connection with statutory and regulatory filings or engagements; tax fees are fees for tax compliance, tax advice and tax planning; and all other fees are a subscription fee for a PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP online service used for accounting research purposes. Included in audit fees are fees that were billed and unbilled for services rendered during the year ended December 31, 2006.
All of the services provided by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP described in the table above were approved by the Audit Committee.
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NAMED EXECUTIVE OFFICERS AND EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION
Set forth below is certain information concerning our Named Executive Officers as of the Record Date.
Name |
Age | Position(s) | ||
Kevin P. Connors |
45 | President, Chief Executive Officer and Director | ||
David A. Gollnick |
43 | Vice President of Research and Development and Director | ||
Ronald J. Santilli |
47 | Chief Financial Officer | ||
John J. Connors |
42 | Vice President of North American Sales | ||
Robert J. Shine, Jr. |
38 | Vice President of International |
Further information with respect to Kevin P. Connors and David A. Gollnick is provided above under Directors Whose Terms Extend Beyond the 2007 Annual Meeting.
Ronald J. Santilli has served as our Chief Financial Officer since September 2001. From April 2001 to August 2001, Mr. Santilli served as Senior Director of Financial Planning and Accounting at Lumenis, a manufacturer of medical lasers. From May 1993 to March 2001, Mr. Santilli held several positions at Coherent Inc., including Sales Operations Manager, Controller of the Medical Group and, most recently, Director of Finance and Administration. Mr. Santilli holds a B.S. in Business Administration from San Jose State University and an M.B.A. in Finance from Golden Gate University.
John J. Connors has served as our Vice President of North American Sales since April 2005. From February 2004 to April 2005, Mr. Connors served as our Director of North American Sales. From February 2001 to February 2004, Mr. Connors served as our Western Regional Sales Manager. From July 1999 to January 2001, Mr. Connors served as a Sales Manager for Coherent Medical Group, a unit of Coherent Inc. Mr. Connors holds a B.S. in Economics from Miami University.
Robert J . Shine, Jr., Ph.D. has served as our Vice President of International since September 2006. From December 2002 to September 2006, Dr. Shine served as our Director of Marketing. Prior to joining us, Dr. Shine held positions in marketing at WaveSplitter Technologies, Inc. and New Focus, Inc. Dr. Shine holds a B.A. and M.A. in Chemistry and Physics from Harvard University and a Ph.D. in Applied Physics from Stanford University.
Compensation Discussion and Analysis
Overview
The primary objectives of our compensation programs are
| that they be fair, objective and consistent across the employee population, |
| that compensation be directly and substantially linked to measurable corporate and individual performance, and |
| that compensation remains competitive, so that we can attract and retain the key employees necessary for our success. |
We seek to foster a culture where individual performance is aligned with organizational objectives. We evaluate and reward our Named Executive Officers based on the comparable market compensation for their respective positions in the company and an evaluation of their contributions to the achievement of short- and longer term organizational goals. Executive compensation is reviewed annually, and adjustments are made to reflect performance-based factors and competitive conditions. Generally, compensation for our Named Executive
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Officers is adjusted effective June 1 of each year, except that the sales commission plans for our VP of North American Sales and our VP of International are adjusted annually, effective January 1.
Role of Our Compensation Committee
The Compensation Committee, together with our Board, establishes compensation for our Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer and the other Named Executive Officers, and administers the 1998 Stock Plan, the 2004 Equity Incentive Plan and the 2004 Employee Stock Purchase Plan. The Compensation Committee has a written charter, which was adopted by our Board in January 2004, and was amended in April 2007. A copy of this charter, as amended, can be found on our website, which is www.cutera.com.
The members of our Compensation Committee are appointed by our Board. The members of that committee as of the Record Date were Dr. David B. Apfelberg (chairman), Mr. Jerry P. Widman and Ms. Annette J. Campbell-White. Ms. Campbell-White replaced W. Mark Lortz as a member of the Compensation Committee on April 13, 2007. Each member of the Compensation Committee is an outside director for purposes of Section 162(m) of the Internal Revenue Code, a non-employee director for purposes of Rule 16b-3 under the Exchange Act and satisfies the independence requirements imposed by Nasdaq.
Our Compensation Committee reviews and makes recommendations for approval by the independent members of our Board with regard to compensation for our Named Executive Officers to ensure consistency with market compensation rates for similar positions, our compensation philosophy and corporate governance guidelines and is responsible for assessing the executive compensation packages offered to our Named Executive Officers. Ultimately, compensation matters are approved by our full Board, excluding Messrs. Kevin Connors and David Gollnick, so that the decisions are made only by the directors who are outside directors for purposes of Section 162(m) of the Internal Revenue Code and non-employee directors for purposes of Rule 16b-3 under the Exchange Act.
Since 2005, we have been working with a third-party compensation consulting group to assist us in setting executive compensation. In past years, management took a more active role in engaging the consulting group and in preparing recommendations of executive compensation for review by the Compensation Committee, and ultimately, the Board. With the SECs recent reforms relating to executive compensation disclosure, in 2007, our Compensation Committee has assumed a more active role.
For 2007, our Compensation Committee has engaged the third-party compensation consulting group directly, and is actively working with the consultant to produce a report and recommendations of executive compensation for the Boards consideration. Because certain components of executive compensation such as sales commissions and bonus targetsare driven by operational priorities, as to which management has greater insight than the Board or the Compensation Committee, the Compensation Committee has directed management to interface with the Committee and the third-party compensation consultant to establish appropriate targets. In the future, we may decide not to hire a compensation consultant each year, but rather once every three years or so. This decision shall be evaluated regularly and will be based on the Compensation Committees evaluation of whether the prior report obtained, along with increased disclosures of other public companies from our industry peer group relating to executive compensation disclosure, is sufficient to allow them to make informed and reasonable decisions with regard to executive-compensation matters.
Role of our Executives in Setting Compensation
On occasion, the Compensation Committee may meet with members of our management team to obtain recommendations with respect to Company compensation programs, practices and packages for executives, other employees and directors. Management may make recommendations to the Compensation Committee on all components of compensation. The Compensation Committee considers, but is not bound to and does not always accept, managements recommendations with respect to these matters. The Compensation Committee and our Board has the ultimate authority to make decisions with respect to the compensation of our Named Executive Officers and does not delegate any of its compensation functions to others.
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Compensation Components
Our Named Executive Officers are compensated with cash, equity and non-equity incentives, and other customary employee benefits.
Cash Compensation. Cash compensation consists of base salary, participation in a discretionary bonus program and, for our VP of North American Sales and our VP of International, participation in a sales commission plan. The sales commission plan contributes to a majority of the cash compensation earned by our VP of North American Sales, which helps more closely align his incentives with those of stockholders. For the quarter ended December 31, 2006, our VP of International earned a guaranteed sales commission of $20,000. Our compensation consultant assists us in analyzing peer public companies to help guide our determination of appropriate cash compensation for our Named Executive Officers. Our cash compensation goals for our Named Executive Officers are based upon the following principals:
| Pay should be set at or above the median of our peer group companies with which we compete for employees; |
| Pay should be positioned to reflect each individuals experience, performance and potential; |
| A significant portion of cash compensation should be at risk; and |
| The amount of discretionary bonus payable in any quarter is based on revenue growth, compared with the same quarter in the prior year, and the operating profit before stock-based compensation and non-operational expenses, or Adjusted Operating Profit. Further, discretionary bonuses are payable only if we have an Adjusted Operating Profit for that quarter. |
Base Salary and Total Target Cash Compensation. In 2006, as a result of the work performed by our compensation consultant, we found that our executive cash compensation levels were below competitive norms, while company performance had generally exceeded that of our peer companies. We also found that our cash and total direct compensation levels were significantly below our target pay positioning. As a consequence, we increased the base salary for our five Named Executive Officers to better align with the market 50th percentile, both for base salary and for total target cash compensation.
Discretionary Bonus Program. In addition to base salary compensation, we have a discretionary bonus program for our Named Executive Officers and other personnel pursuant to which cash payments may be made quarterly. The Board, upon the review and recommendation by the Compensation Committee, effective as of June 1, 2006, set the annual target bonus levels as a percentage of base salary for the Named Executive Officers. Target bonuses are calculated based upon a matrix of revenue growth and Adjusted Operating Profit. For example, at 10% revenue growth and 10% Adjusted Operating Profit, an individual would receive 100% of his or her target bonus. At 50% revenue growth and 25% Adjusted Operating Profit, an individual would receive 375% of his or her target bonus. The actual bonus earned by each of our Named Executive Officers in 2006 was equal to approximately 265% of his or her respective target bonus.
Payments under this bonus program are made quarterly and only in the event that we have an Adjusted Operating Profit in that then-preceding quarter. For 2006, our Named Executive Officers bonuses were based entirely on the achievement of company goals.
We have sometimes issued cash bonuses to our Named Executive Officers that were not tied to specific target bonus levels. For instance, in February 2007, following a recommendation by our Compensation Committee, our Board approved a one-time discretionary cash bonus of $20,000 gross for our VP of North American Sales for his outstanding performance during 2006.
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Long-Term Incentive Program. We believe that equity-based compensation promotes and encourages long-term successful performance by our Named Executive Officers that is aligned with the organizations goals and the generation of stockholder value. Our equity compensation goals for our Named Executive Officers and others are based upon the following principals:
| Stockholder and executive interests should be aligned; |
| Key and high-performing employees, who have a demonstrable impact on our performance and /or stockholder value, should be provided this benefit; |
| The program should be structured to provide meaningful retention incentives to participants; |
| The equity grants should reflect each individuals experience, performance, potential and comparable to what our peer public companies grant for the respective position; and |
| Actual awards should be tailored to reflect individual performance and attraction/retention goals. |
Under our 2004 Equity Incentive Plan, we are permitted to grant stock options, stock appreciation rights, restricted shares, restricted stock units, performance shares, and other stock-based awards. Under that Plan, we grant options to our officers, directors and employees to purchase shares of our common stock at an exercise price equal to the fair market value of such stock on the date of grant. The grant date for stock options to our Named Executive Officers is typically the date of a regularly scheduled board meeting, of which we have four per year, or, for annual merit grants, on or around June 1 of each year. Our outside directors are granted options annually on the date of our annual general meeting of stockholders. We have no program, plan or practice to select option grant dates (or set board meeting and annual general meeting of stockholders dates) to correspond with the release of material non-public information.
In 2005, we issued performance unit awards (otherwise commonly referred to as restricted stock units) pursuant to, and as provided under, the 2004 Equity Incentive Plan. Each recipient of an award entered into a performance unit award agreement (or Award Agreement). These awards vest annually at the rate of 25% of the units per year, for four years, provided the recipient continues to provide us with service. Pursuant to the Award Agreements, following each annual vesting date, the award is settled in stock, net of stock withheld for the payment of employee taxes. Under the terms of the 2004 Equity Incentive Plan and the Award Agreements, each unit has an initial value equal to the fair market value of our common stock on the date of grant. On its vesting date, the unit has a value equal to the fair market value of our common stock on the date of vesting.
We also have a 2004 Employee Stock Purchase Plan that provides eligible employees with the opportunity to purchase shares of our common stock at a 15% discounted price to the lower of the fair market value at either the beginning or the end of the applicable offering period. Except for our Chief Executive Officer, all of our other Named Executive Officers participate in this plan.
Benefits. We provide the following benefits to our Named Executive Officers generally on the same basis as the benefits provided to all employees:
| Health, dental and vision insurance; |
| Life insurance; |
| Short-and long-term disability; |
| 401(k) plan; and |
| Flexible Spending Accounts. |
These benefits are consistent with those offered by other companies and specifically with those companies with which we compete for employees.
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Internal Revenue Code Section 162(m) and Limitations on Executive Compensation
Section 162(m) of the United States Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, may limit our ability to deduct for United States federal income tax purposes compensation paid to either our Chief Executive Officer or to any four other highest paid executive officers in any one fiscal year that is, for each such person, in excess of $1,000,000. None of our executive officers received any such compensation in excess of this limit during 2006, or any prior year.
Grants under the 2004 Equity Incentive Plan are not subject to the deduction limitation; however, to preserve our ability to deduct the compensation income associated with options granted to such executive officers pursuant to Section 162(m) of the Code, our 2004 Equity Incentive Plan provides that no optionee may be granted option(s) to purchase more than 500,000 shares of our common stock in any one fiscal year. However, in the fiscal year in which the optionee is hired, an optionee may be granted an option to purchase up to 1,000,000 shares of our common stock.
The following table sets forth summary compensation information for the year ended December 31, 2006 for our Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer and each of our other three most highly compensated executive officers. We refer to these persons as our Named Executive Officers elsewhere in this proxy statement. Except as provided below, none of our Named Executive Officers received any other compensation required to be disclosed by law or in excess of $10,000 annually.
Name and Principal Position |
Salary | Bonus(1) | Option and Stock Awards(2) |
Non-Equity Incentive Plan Compensation |
All Other Compensation |
Total | ||||||||||||||
Kevin P. Connors |
$ | 329,167 | $ | 433,066 | $ | 305,193 | | $ | 11,250 | (4) | $ | 1,078,676 | ||||||||
President and Chief Executive Officer |
||||||||||||||||||||
Ronald J. Santilli |
220,417 | 201,461 | 234,370 | | 11,250 | (4) | 667,498 | |||||||||||||
Chief Financial Officer |
||||||||||||||||||||
David A. Gollnick |
217,500 | 198,610 | 165,177 | | 11,250 | (4) | 592,537 | |||||||||||||
Vice President Research and Development |
||||||||||||||||||||
John J. Connors |
113,012 | 54,968 | 215,113 | $ | 252,298 | (3) | 18,450 | (5) | 653,841 | |||||||||||
Vice President of North American Sales |
||||||||||||||||||||
Robert J. Shine, Jr. |
147,580 | 58,685 | 80,150 | | 26,277 | (6) | 312,692 | |||||||||||||
Vice President of International |
(1) | Amounts represent payments of a discretionary bonus in 2006. |
(2) | Amounts represent the fair value of stock options and awards calculated in accordance with SFAS 123(R) and as discussed in Note 5, "Stock Option Plans," to our financial statements included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2006, filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on March 16, 2007. |
(3) | Amounts represent sales commission payments for meeting targets under a sales commission incentive plan. |
(4) | Amount represents 401(k) employer-match contributions. |
(5) | Amount represents 401(K) employer-match contributions of $11,250 and $7,200 for a car allowance. |
(6) | Amount represents 401(K) employer-match contributions of $6,277 and $20,000 of guaranteed sales commissions for the quarter ended December 31, 2007. |
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The following table lists grants of plan-based awards made to our Named Executive Officers in 2006 and their related fair value compensation expense for 2006 calculated in accordance with SFAS 123(R).
Grant Date | Estimated Possible Payouts Under Non-Equity Incentive Plan Awards |
All Other Option Awards: Number of Securities Underlying Options |
Exercise Awards(3) |
Grant Date Fair Value of Stock Option Awards(1) | |||||||||||||||
Name |
Threshold | Target | Maximum | ||||||||||||||||
Kevin P. Connors |
6/8/2006 | 55,000 | $ | 23.75 | $ | 727,727 | |||||||||||||
President and Chief Executive Officer |
|||||||||||||||||||
Ronald J. Santilli |
6/8/2006 | 35,000 | 23.75 | 463,099 | |||||||||||||||
Chief Financial Officer |
|||||||||||||||||||
David A. Gollnick |
6/8/2006 | 25,000 | 23.75 | 330,785 | |||||||||||||||
Vice President Research and Development |
|||||||||||||||||||
John J. Connors |
6/1/2006 | N/A | (2) | $ | 202,525 | N/A | (2) | ||||||||||||
Vice President of |
6/8/2006 | 15,000 | 23.75 | 198,471 | |||||||||||||||
North American Sales |
|||||||||||||||||||
Robert J. Shine, Jr. |
6/8/2006 | 10,000 | 23.75 | 132,314 | |||||||||||||||
Vice President of |
10/20/2006 | 10,000 | 27.36 | 143,397 | |||||||||||||||
International |
(1) | Amounts represent the total fair value of stock options granted in 2006 calculated in accordance with SFAS 123(R) and as discussed in Note 5, Stock Option Plans, to our financial statements included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2006, filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on March 16, 2007. |
(2) | Amounts earned are based on the revenue generated and whether it exceeds the pre-agreed quota for each of the quarters during the year. There is no minimum revenue requirement, or a maximum commission that can be earned. For 2006, Mr. J. Connors exceeded his target and earned $252,298 under the plan. |
(3) | The per-share prices were the closing price of our common stock on the respective dates of grant. |
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Equity Incentive Awards Outstanding
The following table lists the outstanding equity incentive awards held by our Named Executive Officers as of December 31, 2006.
Name |
Option Awards | Stock Awards(2) | ||||||||||||||
Number of Securities Underlying Unexercised Earned |
Number of Securities Underlying Unexercised Unearned |
Option Exercise Price |
Option Expiration Date |
Number of Shares or Units of Stock that Have Not Vested |
Market Value of Shares or Units of Stock that Have Not Vested |
Date Awards Will be Fully Vested | ||||||||||
Kevin P. Connors |
705,000 | 0 | $ | 0.10 | 9/13/2009 | 7,500 | $ | 202,500 | 6/1/2009 | |||||||
President and Principal |
50,000 | 0 | 0.50 | 8/4/2010 | ||||||||||||
Executive Officer |
5,833 | 0 | 4.25 | 10/18/2012 | ||||||||||||
10,833 | 5,000 | 4.25 | 8/13/2013 | |||||||||||||
11,250 | 18,750 | 20.25 | 7/28/2015 | |||||||||||||
40,000 | 0 | 2.50 | 6/8/2011 | |||||||||||||
0 | 55,000 | 23.75 | 6/8/2013 | |||||||||||||
Ronald J. Santilli |
3,372 | 0 | 4.25 | 8/7/2012 | 3,750 | 101,250 | 6/1/2009 | |||||||||
Principal Financial |
8,503 | 6,250 | 4.25 | 8/13/2013 | ||||||||||||
Officer |
6,250 | 3,750 | 13.30 | 7/20/2014 | ||||||||||||
5,625 | 9,375 | 20.25 | 7/28/2015 | |||||||||||||
50,000 | 0 | 5.50 | 9/24/2011 | |||||||||||||
0 | 35,000 | 23.75 | 6/8/2013 | |||||||||||||
David A. Gollnick |
180,000 | 0 | 0.10 | 9/13/2009 | 3,750 | 101,250 | 6/1/2009 | |||||||||
Vice President |
25,000 | 0 | 0.50 | 6/9/2010 | ||||||||||||
Research and |
23,400 | 0 | 2.50 | 6/8/2011 | ||||||||||||
Development |
417 | 2,500 | 4.25 | 8/13/2013 | ||||||||||||
208 | 3,750 | 13.30 | 7/20/2014 | |||||||||||||
312 | 9,375 | 20.25 | 7/28/2015 | |||||||||||||
0 | 25,000 | 23.75 | 6/8/2013 | |||||||||||||
John J. Connors |
15,000 | 0 | 0.75 | 4/6/2011 | 2,250 | 60,750 | 6/1/2009 | |||||||||
Vice President of |
7,700 | 0 | 2.50 | 6/8/2011 | ||||||||||||
North American Sales |
2,000 | 0 | 0.75 | 4/6/2011 | ||||||||||||
4,163 | 0 | 4.25 | 8/7/2012 | |||||||||||||
12,240 | 260 | 6.00 | 9/5/2013 | |||||||||||||
6,563 | 937 | 4.25 | 8/13/2013 | |||||||||||||
19,833 | 8,167 | 13.80 | 2/13/2014 | |||||||||||||
3,125 | 1,875 | 13.30 | 7/20/2014 | |||||||||||||
9,583 | 10,417 | 17.99 | 4/22/2015 | |||||||||||||
3,750 | 6,250 | 20.25 | 7/28/2015 | |||||||||||||
0 | 15,000 | 23.75 | 6/8/2013 | |||||||||||||
Robert J. Shine, Jr. |
23,000 | 0 | 4.25 | 12/13/2012 | 1,125 | 30,375 | 6/1/2009 | |||||||||
Vice President of |
8,750 | 1,250 | 4.25 | 8/13/2013 | ||||||||||||
International |
3,125 | 1,875 | 13.30 | 7/20/2014 | ||||||||||||
1,875 | 3,125 | 20.25 | 7/28/2015 | |||||||||||||
0 | 10,000 | 23.75 | 6/8/2013 | |||||||||||||
0 | 10,000 | 27.36 | 10/20/2013 |
(1) |
One-quarter (1/4th) of the shares underlying each of these options vest on the one year anniversary of the vesting commencement date and 1/48 of the underlying shares vest each month thereafter. |
(2) | Performance unit awards (otherwise commonly referred to as restricted stock units) vest at the rate of 25% per year, for four years, provided the recipient continues to provide us with service. |
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Options Exercised and Stock Vested
The following table lists the options exercised by, and stock vested to, our Named Executive Officers in the year ended December 31, 2006.
Option Awards | Stock Awards | |||||||||
Name |
Number of Acquired |
Value Exercise(1) |
Number Acquired |
Value Realized Upon Vesting(2) | ||||||
Kevin P. Connors |
| | 2,500 | $ | 45,275 | |||||
President and Chief Executive Officer |
||||||||||
Ronald J. Santilli |
20,000 | $ | 437,611 | 1,250 | 22,638 | |||||
Chief Financial Officer |
||||||||||
David A. Gollnick |
151,563 | 3,245,315 | 1,250 | 22,638 | ||||||
Vice President Research and Development |
||||||||||
John J. Connors |
9,917 | 271,324 | 750 | 13,583 | ||||||
Vice President of North American Sales |
||||||||||
Robert J. Shine, Jr. |
5,000 | 120,167 | 375 | 6,791 | ||||||
Vice President of International |
(1) | Represents the excess of fair market value of the shares exercised on the exercise date over the aggregate exercise price for such shares. |
(2) | These shares were originally issued by us pursuant to performance unit awards. On each vesting date, the unit had a value equal to the fair market value of our common stock on the date of vesting. |
COMPENSATION COMMITTEE REPORT(1)
The Compensation Committee has reviewed and discussed the Compensation Discussion and Analysis required by Item 402(b) of SEC Regulation S-K with management. Based on such review and discussions, the Compensation Committee recommended to the Board of Directors that the Compensation Discussion and Analysis be included in the registrants proxy statement on Schedule 14A.
From the members of the Compensation Committee of Cutera:
Dr. David B. Apfelberg
Mr. Jerry P. Widman
Ms. Annette J. Campbell-White
(1) | The material in this report is not deemed soliciting material or filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission and is not to be incorporated by reference in any filing of the Company under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, whether made before or after the date of this Proxy Statement and irrespective of any general incorporation language in those filings. |
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We are not aware of any other business to be presented at the meeting. As of the date of this proxy statement, no stockholder had advised us of the intent to present any business at the meeting. Accordingly, the only business that our Board of Directors intends to present at the meeting is as set forth in this proxy statement.
If any other matter or matters are properly brought before the meeting, the proxies will use their discretion to vote on such matters in accordance with their best judgment.
By order of the Board of Directors, |
|
Kevin P. Connors President and Chief Executive Officer |
Brisbane, California
April 30, 2007
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THIS PROXY IS SOLICITED ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF
CUTERA, INC.
2007 ANNUAL MEETING OF STOCKHOLDERS
The undersigned stockholder of Cutera, Inc., a Delaware corporation, hereby acknowledges receipt of the Notice of Annual Meeting of Stockholders and Proxy Statement each dated April 30, 2007 and hereby appoints Kevin Connors (our President and Chief Executive Officer) and Ronald J. Santilli (our Chief Financial Officer), each as proxy and attorney-in-fact, with full power of substitution, on behalf and in the name of the undersigned to represent the undersigned at the 2007 Annual Meeting of Stockholders of Cutera, Inc. to be held on June 19, 2007 at 10:00 a.m., local time, at Cuteras offices located at 3240 Bayshore Blvd., Brisbane, California 94005-1021, and at any postponement or adjournment thereof, and to vote all shares of common stock which the undersigned would be entitled to vote if then and there personally present, on the matters set forth below:
SEE REVERSE SIDE
FOLD AND DETACH HERE
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Please mark your votes as indicated |
x | ||||||||||||
1. Election of Directors |
FOR ¨ |
WITHHOLD ¨ |
2. Proposal to ratify the appointment of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP as our Independent Registered Public Accounting firm of the Company for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2007. |
FOR ¨ |
AGAINST ¨ |
|
ABSTAIN ¨ | ||||||
CLASS III NOMINEES:
W. MARK LORTZ
JERRY P. WIDMAN
ANNETTE J. CAMPBELL-WHITE |
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THE STOCKHOLDER MAY WITHHOLD AUTHORITY TO VOTE FOR ANY NOMINEE BY STRIKING OUT THE INDIVIDUAL'S NAME ABOVE | THIS PROXY WILL BE VOTED AS DIRECTED OR, IF NO CONTRARY DIRECTION IS INDICATED, WILL BE VOTED AS FOLLOWS: (1) FOR THE ELECTION OF THE NOMINATED CLASS III DIRECTORS; (2) FOR THE RATIFICATION OF THE APPOINTMENT OF PRICEWATERHOUSECOOPERS LLP AS INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM AND AS THE PROXY HOLDERS DEEM ADVISABLE ON SUCH OTHER MATTERS AS MAY COME BEFORE THE MEETING. | ||||||||||||
PLEASE SIGN EXACTLY AS YOUR NAME APPEARS HEREON. IF THE STOCK IS REGISTERED IN THE NAME OF TWO OR MORE PERSONS, EACH SHOULD SIGN. EXECUTORS, ADMINISTRATORS, TRUSTEES, GUARDIANS AND ATTORNEYS-IN-FACT SHOULD ADD THEIR TITLES. IF SIGNER IS A CORPORATION, PLEASE GIVE FULL CORPORATE NAME AND HAVE A DULY AUTHORIZED OFFICER SIGN, STATING TITLE. IF SIGNER IS A PARTNERSHIP, PLEASE SIGN IN PARTNERSHIP NAME BY AUTHORIZED PERSON. | |||||||||||||
PLEASE SIGN, DATE AND PROMPTLY RETURN THIS PROXY IN THE ENCLOSED RETURN ENVELOPE, WHICH IS POSTAGE PREPAID IF MAILED IN THE UNITED STATES. |
SIGNATURE(S) SIGNATURE(S) DATE: , 2007
NOTE: This Proxy should be marked, signed by the stockholder(s) exactly as his or her name appears hereon, and returned promptly in the enclosed envelope. Persons signing in a fiduciary capacity should so indicate. If shares are held by joint tenants or as community property, both should sign.
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FOLD AND DETACH HERE