MILESTONE SCIENTIFIC INC
For the period ended Dec 31, 2023. Filed Mar 29, 2024.
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FY2023 · Filed Mar 29, 2024
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Item 9C. Disclosure regarding Foreign Jurisdiction that Prevent Inspections
None.
Part III
| NAME | AGE | POSITION | DIRECTOR SINCE |
|---|---|---|---|
| Neal Goldman (1) (2) (3) | 80 | Chairman of the Board | 2019 |
| Leonard Osser | 76 | Vice Chairman of the Board | 1991 |
| Jan Adriaan (Arjan) Haverhals | 61 | President, Chief Executive Officer, and Director | 2023 |
| Benedetta Casamento (1) (2) (3) | 54 | Director | 2022 |
| Gian Domenico Trombetta | 63 | Director | 2014 |
| Michael McGeehan (1) (2) (3) | 58 | Director | 2017 |
| Dr. Didier Demesmin | 55 | Director | 2023 |
Member of the Audit Committee
Member of the Compensation Committee
Member of the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee
Neal Goldman, Chairman of the Board
Neal Goldman has been a director of Milestone Scientific since 2019 and has served as Chairman of the Board since January 2023. Mr. Goldman is the President and Founder of Goldman Capital Management, Inc., a family office since 2018, which was previously an investment advisory firm founded in 1985. He was First Vice President of Research at Shearson Lehman Hutton. He has also held senior positions as a money manager and research analyst with a variety of firms including Neuberger Berman, Moseley Hallgarten Estabrook and Weeden, Bruns Nordeman, and Russ and Company. Mr. Goldman serves as Chairman of Charles & Colvard, Ltd. since 2016 and served on the board of Imageware Systems, Inc. until November 2020. He also serves on the board of Deep-Down Inc. Prior to their respective acquisitions, he served on the boards of Blyth Industries and IPASS Corporation. Mr. Goldman received his B.A. degree in Economics from The City University of New York (City College). Mr. Goldman’s professional experience and financial background have given him the expertise needed to serve as one of our directors.
Leonard Osser, Vice** Chairman of the** Board
Leonard Osser has been a director of Milestone Scientific since 1991 and has served as Milestone Scientific’s Vice Chairman of the Board since May 2021. Mr. Osser had been Interim Chief Executive Officer from December 2017 until May 2021. From July 2017 to December 2017, he had been Managing Director –China Operations. Prior to that, he served as Milestone Scientific’s Chairman from 1991 until September 2009, and during that time, from 1991 until 2007, was also Chief Executive Officer of Milestone Scientific. In September 2009, he resigned as Chairman of Milestone Scientific, but remained director, and assumed the position of Chief Executive Officer. From 1980 until the consummation of Milestone Scientific’s public offering in November 1995, Mr. Osser is the Managing Member of U.S. Asian Consulting Group, LLC, a New Jersey-based provider of consulting services specializing in distressed or turnaround situations in both the public and private markets. Mr. Osser also serves as a special consultant to the board of directors of Nexalin Technology, Inc. where he is also Managing Director of China Operations. Mr. Osser’s knowledge of our business and background with us since 1980 provides the Board with valuable leadership skills and insight into our business and accordingly, the expertise needed to serve as one of our directors.
Jan Adriaan (Arjan) Haverhals, President, Chief Executive Officer and Director
Arjan Haverhals has been Milestone Scientific's President since September 2020, Chief Executive Officer since May 2021 and has served as the President and Chief Executive Officer of Milestone Scientific’s Dental Division (Wand Dental Inc.) since June 2020. In January 2023, Mr. Haverhals was appointed to the Board. He brings more than 30 years of sales, marketing, product development, and international expansion experience within the medical device, pharmaceutical, and other industries. Prior to joining Wand Dental and Milestone Scientific, Mr. Haverhals was senior vice president of sales at Xcentric Mold & Engineering from 2019 until 2020 where he was instrumental in increasing sales productivity and efficiency for the company's prototype injection molding services, which included leading healthcare company clients.
From 2012 until 2018, Mr. Haverhals worked at Straumann, LLC, a global leader in manufacturing medical and dental devices, where he held a series of senior sales and marketing roles including vice president of customer marketing & education, where he oversaw all product franchises and led the launch of more than 30 products in the North American market. He also served as senior vice president for the Nordic Region at Straumann AB, senior vice president of global sales digital solutions, which included oversight of the strategic acquisition of Etkon; and served as vice president of the Prosthetics Business Unit, where he introduced a new implant and prosthetics product line within a new market segment.
He also served as senior vice president for the Nordic Region at Straumann AB, senior vice president of global sales digital solutions, which included oversight of the strategic acquisition of Etkon; and served as vice president of the Prosthetics Business Unit, where he introduced a new implant and prosthetics product line within a new market segment. He also served as vice president of global marketing & sales at Elkem AS, one of Norway's largest industrial companies. Previously, Mr. Haverhals served as executive vice president of marketing & sales at Cresco Ti Systems Sàrl, a global dental implant company, where he was responsible for turning around and managing global sales, marketing, international business. Mr. Haverhals holds an MS in Pharmacy from the University of Leyden in the Netherlands. Mr. Haverhals’ knowledge of Milestone Scientific’s day-to-day operations gives him the expertise needed to serve as one of our directors.
Benedetta I. Casamento, Director
Benedetta Casamento has served as a director of the Company since April 2022. Since August 2017, Ms. Casamento has served as a Retail Consultant specializing in finance, business operations, and financial planning and analysis. Ms. Casamento previously served as Chairman and President of Allyke, Inc., an artificial intelligence company creating digital imagery insights for retail and other industries, from June 2016 to August 2017. From December 2014 to April 2016, she served as Chief Executive Officer of Calypso St. Barth, a luxury boutique retailer of women’s apparel and accessories. Prior to her role as CEO at Calypso St. Barth, Ms. Casamento served as a consultant to private equity firms with portfolio interests in retail and fashion from July 2012 to December 2014. Ms. Casamento previously served as Executive Vice President, Finance & Operations of The Talbots, Inc. (“Talbots”), a specialty retailer and direct marketer of women’s apparel, accessories, and shoes, from March 2009 to July 2012. Prior to joining Talbots, Ms. Casamento served in various leadership roles within Liz Claiborne Inc. from February 1999 to November 2008, culminating in her position as President of Liz Claiborne Brands. Ms. Casamento started her career at Saks Fifth Avenue. Our Board has determined that Ms. Casamento’s extensive business experience, as well as her background in accounting and finance, qualifies her to serve on the Board.
Gian Domenico Trombetta, Director
Gian Domenico Trombetta has been a director of Milestone Scientific since May 2014 and served as the President and Chief Executive Officer of Milestone Scientific’s Dental Division (Wand Dental Inc.) from October 2014 until May 2020. He founded Innovest S.p.A, headquartered in Milan, Italy, in 1993, a special situation firm acting in development and distressed capital investments. He has been its President and Chief Executive Officer since its inception. He served as the Chief Executive Officer or a board member of several private commercial companies in different industries including both industrial (e.g. IT, media, web, and fashion) and holding companies. Before founding Innovest, Mr. Trombetta was Project Manager for Booz Allen & Hamilton Inc., a management consulting firm from 1988 to 1992. Mr. Trombetta holds a degree in business administration from the Luiss University in Rome, Italy, and an MBA degree from INSEAD-Fontainbleau-France. Mr. Trombetta’s business background and experience has given him the expertise needed to serve as one of our directors.
Michael McGeehan, Director
Michael McGeehan has been a director of Milestone Scientific since October 2017. Mr. McGeehan is a business consultant with 30 years of experience in a variety of business domains, including financial services, medical and healthcare products, consumer package goods and the software technology industry. Mr. McGeehan started his career at Metaphor Computer Systems in 1988 and then went to work at Microsoft Corporation in 1991. In 1995, Mr. McGeehan left Microsoft and founded Forefront Information Strategies, an information technology consulting firm. In 2002, Mr. McGeehan returned to Microsoft where he worked until 2017, when he returned to and re-started Forefront. Mr. McGeehan was on the Board of Directors of Wand Dental. Mr. McGeehan has a master’s in business administration from Pace University and a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science from Marquette University. Mr. McGeehan’s professional experience and background have given him the expertise needed to serve as one of our directors.
Dr. Didier Demesmin, Director
Dr. Demesmin is currently the Chief Executive Officer and Medical Director of University Pain Medicine Center, a position he has held since 2007. Since March 2006, Dr. Demesmin has held the position of Director of the Pain Management Department at St. Peter’s University Hospital. He is also a physician in the Departments of Pain Medicine at JFK Medical Center (since March 2007), Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital (since January 2008), Somerset Medical Center (since February 2009), Hudson Regional Hospital (since December 2010), and Saint Barnabas Hospital (since November 2013). Dr. Demesmin is also a Clinical Instructor in the Department of Medicine at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School (since August 2006), a Clinical Assistant Professor in the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School (since July 2013), the Medical Director in the Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation and Sports Medicine Institute at St. Peter’s University Hospital (since (December 2013), and an Assistant Fellowship Program Director in the Multidisciplinary Interventional Pain Medicine Fellowship at JFK Johnson Rehabilitation Institute (since November 2013). Dr. Demesmin has been a member of the Board of Trustees of the New Jersey Society of Interventional Pain Physicians, since September 2010, and the Middlesex County Medical Society of New Jersey, since January 2010, where he held the positions of President Elect, from June 2011 to June 2012, and President, from June 2012 to June 2014. Dr. Demesmin received a BA in Psychology from Rutgers University in 1994, a Medical Degree from the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey in 2000, and an MBA from the Kellogg School of Management of Northwestern University in 2018. Mr. Demesmin’ s medical healthcare background in the field of interventional pain management and business background has given him the expertise needed to serve as one of our directors.
Board Leadership Structure
The Board believes that the segregation of the roles of Board Chairman and the Chief Executive Officer ensures better overall governance of the Company and provides meaningful checks and balances regarding its overall performance. This structure allows our Chief Executive Officer to focus on developing and implementing the Company’s business plans and supervising the Company’s day-to-day business operations and allows our chairman to lead the Board in its oversight and advisory roles. Because of the many responsibilities of the Board and the significant time and effort required by each of the Chairman and the Chief Executive Officer to perform their respective duties, the Company believes that having separate persons in these roles enhances the ability of each to discharge those duties effectively and enhances the Company’s prospects for success. The Company also believes that having separate positions provides a clear delineation of responsibilities for each position and fosters greater accountability of management. For the foregoing reasons, the Board has determined that its leadership structure is appropriate and in the best interest of stockholders.
The Board’s Oversight of Risk Management
The Board recognizes that companies face a variety of risks, including China operation risk, liquidity/capital accessibility risk, medical product acceptance risk, and operational risk. The Board believes an effective risk management system will (1) timely identify the material risks that we face; (2) communicate necessary information with respect to material risks to senior executives and, as appropriate, to the Board or relevant Board committee; (3) implement appropriate and responsive risk management strategies consistent with the Company’s risk profile; and (4) integrate risk management into the Company’s decision-making. The Board encourages, and management promotes, a corporate culture that incorporates risk management into the Company’s corporate strategy and day-to-day business operations. The Board also continually works, with the input of management and executive officers, to assess and analyze the most likely areas of future risk for the Company.
Committees of the Board
The Board has standing audit, compensation, and nominating and corporate governance committees (respectively, the “Audit Committee,” the “Compensation Committee,” and the “Nominating Committee.”)
Compensation Committee
The Compensation Committee reviews and recommends to the Board the compensation and benefits of all officers of the Company, reviews general policy matters relating to compensation and benefits of employees of the Company and administers the issuance of stock options to the Company’s officers, employees, directors, and consultants. It also provides recommendations to the Board with respect to non-employee director compensation. The Compensation Committee may not delegate its authority to any other person, other than to a subcommittee. The Compensation Committee is comprised of three members, Benedetta Casamento (Chairman), Neal Goldman and Michael McGeehan. A copy of the Compensation Committee Charter has been posted on our website at www.milestonescientific.com. For additional discussion of the Compensation Committee executive compensation objectives, see Item 11, “Objective of Executive Compensation Program.”
Audit Committee
The Audit Committee meets with management and the Company’s independent accountants to determine the adequacy of internal controls and other financial reporting matters. The Audit Committee’s purpose is to: (A) assist the Board in its oversight of: (i) the integrity of our financial statements; (ii) our compliance with legal and regulatory requirements; (iii) our independent auditors’ qualifications and independence; (iv) the performance of our internal audit function and independent auditors to decide whether to appoint, retain or terminate our independent auditors; and (v) the preparation of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2023 (the “Annual Report”); and (B) to pre-approve all audit, audit-related and other services, if any, to be provided by the independent auditors. The members of the Audit Committee are comprised of Benedetta Casamento (Chairman), Neil Goldman and Michael McGeehan, all of whom are independent as defined in the listing standards of the NYSE American and Section 10A(m)(3) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”). A copy of the Audit Committee Charter has been posted on our website atwww.milestonescientific.com.
Audit Committee Financial Expert
The Board has determined that Benedetta Casamento is an “audit committee financial expert,” as that term is defined in Item 407(d)(5) of Regulation S-K, and “independent” for purposes of the listing standards of the NYSE American and Section 10A(m)(3) of the Exchange Act.
Nominating Committee
The Nominating Committee identifies potential director nominees and evaluates their suitability to serve on the Board. Based on its evaluation, it recommends to the Board the director nominees for Board membership. In addition, the Nominating Committee also evaluates each existing Board member’s suitability for continued service as a director. The members of the Nominating Committee are Michael McGeehan (Chairman), Benedetta Casamento, and Neal Goldman. A copy of the Nominating Committee Charter has been posted on our website atwww.milestonescientific.com.
The Nominating Committee believes that the minimum qualifications for service as a director of the Company are that a nominee possess an ability, as demonstrated by recognized success in his or her field, to make meaningful contributions to the Board’s oversight of the business and affairs of the Company and an impeccable reputation of integrity and competence in his or her personal or professional activities. The Nominating Committee’s criteria for evaluating potential candidates include the following: an understanding of the Company’s business environment; and the possession of such knowledge, skills, expertise and diversity of experience so as to enhance the Board’s ability to manage and direct the affairs and business of the Company including, when applicable, to enhance the ability of committees of the Board to fulfill their duties and/or satisfy any independence requirements imposed by law, regulation or listing requirements.
The Nominating Committee considers director candidates recommended by stockholders. In considering candidates submitted by stockholders, the Committee will take into consideration the needs of the Board and the qualifications of the candidate. The Nominating Committee may also take into consideration the number of shares held by the recommending stockholder and the length of time that such shares have been held. To have a candidate considered by the Nominating Committee, a stockholder must submit the recommendation in writing and must include the following information: the name of the stockholder and evidence of the person’s ownership of Company stock, including the number of shares owned and the length of time of ownership; the name of the candidate, the candidate’s resume or a listing of his or her qualifications to be a director of the Company; and, the person’s consent to be named as a director if selected by the Nominating Committee and nominated by the Board.
The Nominating Committee may also receive suggestions from current Board members, the Company’s executive officers or other sources, which may be either unsolicited or in response to requests from the Nominating Committee for such candidates. The Nominating Committee also, from time to time, may engage firms that specialize in identifying director candidates.
Once a person has been identified by the Nominating Committee as a potential candidate, it may collect and review publicly available information regarding the person to assess whether the person should be considered further. If the Nominating Committee determines that the candidate warrants further consideration, the Chairman or another member of the Nominating Committee may contact the person. Generally, if the person expresses a willingness to be considered and to serve on the Board, the Nominating Committee may request information from the candidate, review the person’s accomplishments and qualifications and may conduct one or more interviews with the candidate. The Nominating Committee may consider all such information considering information regarding any other candidates that it might be evaluating for membership on the Board. In certain instances, Nominating Committee members may contact one or more references provided by the candidate or may contact other members of the business community or other persons that may have greater first-hand knowledge of the candidate’s accomplishments. The Nominating Committee’s evaluation process does not vary based on whether a candidate is recommended by a stockholder, although, as stated above, the Board may take into consideration the number of shares held by the recommending stockholder and the length of time that such shares have been held.
Director Independence
The Board has determined that Michael McGeehan, Benedetta Casamento, and Neal Goldman (the “Independent Directors”) are independent, as that term is defined in the listing standards of the NYSE American. In determining director independence, the Board also considered all equity awards, if any, to the Independent Directors for the year ended December 31, 2023, disclosed in “Director Compensation” below, and determined that such awards were compensation for services rendered to the Board and therefore did not impact their ability to continue to serve as Independent Directors.
Stockholder Communication with the Board
The Board has established a process to receive communications from stockholders. Stockholders and other interested parties may contact any member (or all members) of the Board, or the non-management directors as a group, any Board committee, or any chair of any such committee by mail or electronically. To communicate with the Board, any individual director or any group or committee of directors, correspondence should be addressed to the Board or any such individual directors or group or committee of directors by either name or title. All such correspondence should be sent “c/o Corporate Secretary” at 425 Eagle Rock Ave., Suite 403, Roseland, New Jersey 07068. All communications received as set forth in the preceding paragraph will be opened by the Corporate Secretary of the Company for the sole purpose of determining whether the contents represent a message to our directors. Any contents that are not in the nature of advertising, promotions of a product or service, patently offensive material or matters deemed inappropriate for the Board will be forwarded promptly to the addressee. In the case of communications to the Board or any group or committee of directors, the Company’s Corporate Secretary will make sufficient copies of the contents to send to each director who is a member of the group or committee to which the envelope is addressed.
Section 16(a) Beneficial Ownership Reporting Compliance
Section 16(a) of the Exchange Act requires our officers and directors, and person who own more than ten percent of a registered class of our equity securities, to file reports of ownership and changes in ownership with the SEC. Officers, directors and greater than ten-percent stockholders are required by SEC regulation to furnish us with copies of all Section 16(a) forms they file. Based solely on review of the copies of such forms furnish to us, or written representations that no Forms 5 were required, we believe that all Section 16(a) filing requirements applicable to our officers and director were complied with during the fiscal year ended December 31, 2023.
Insider Trading Arrangements and Policies
We have adopted an insider trading compliance policy governing the purchase, sale, and/or other dispositions of our securities by our directors, officers, and employees that we believe is reasonably designed to promote compliance with insider trading laws, rules and regulations, and the exchange listing standards applicable to us. The insider trading policy prohibits the use of material non-public information about the Company when making decisions to purchase, sell, give away or otherwise trade in the Company’s securities or to provide such information to others outside the Company. We have established black-out periods to which covered persons are subject related to the filing of our regular reports with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The Company may impose additional black-out periods from time to time as other types of material non-public information occur when material non-public events or disclosures are pending. Covered persons are permitted to trade in the Company’s securities only when there is no black-out period in effect and such trade has been pre-cleared by the appointed Company officer, or when a qualified 10b5-1 plan has been established in accordance with federal securities laws. No covered person has adopted or terminated a Rule 10b5-1 trading plan during the last fiscal quarter of the fiscal year to which this report relates.
Code of Ethics
Milestone Scientific has adopted a code of ethics that applies to its directors, principal executive officer, principal financial officer and other people performing similar functions. This code of ethics is posted on Milestone Scientific’s web site atwww.milestonescientific.com. Milestone Scientific will also provide a copy of the Code of Ethics to any person without charge, upon written request addressed to the Chairman of the Board, Neal Goldman, at the Company’s principal executive office, located at 425 Eagle Rock Avenue Roseland, NJ 07068.
Clawback Policy
Our Board has adopted a written policy to recover “excess” compensation that is granted, earned, or vested based wholly or in part upon the attainment of a financial reporting measure. The compensation includes both cash-based and equity-based incentives. The compensation covered includes incentive awards awarded to any individuals (including former employees) who served as an executive officer during the three most recently completed fiscal years preceding the date on which the preparation of an accounting restatement is required, provided that the executive officers were awarded more incentive awards than they would have received if the financial statements had been prepared correctly. The recovery will include an executive incentive award even if the executive was not involved in preparing the financial statements or did not commit misconduct that led to the restatement. Restatements attributable to an inadvertent error also will subject executive officers to the recovery of previously received incentive awards.
The text of this filing, as the company filed it with the SEC, without its images or exhibits. This is not investment advice.