UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

SCHEDULE 14A INFORMATION

Proxy Statement Pursuant to Section 14(a) of the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934
(Amendment No. )

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☒Definitive Proxy Statement

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ARTIVION, INC.

(Name of Registrant as Specified In Its Charter)

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1655 ROBERTS BOULEVARD, NW
KENNESAW, GEORGIA 30144

 

NOTICE OF ANNUAL MEETING
AND
PROXY STATEMENT

April 3, 2023

To Our Stockholders:

On behalf of the Board of Directors, we invite you to attend the Annual Meeting of Stockholders of Artivion, Inc. on May 16, 2023 at 9:00 a.m., EDT. Given our successful use of the virtual-only format at our last two annual meetings, we have again adopted a virtual-only format for our Annual Meeting this year. The Annual Meeting will be accessible at the following website address: https://web.lumiagm.com/295739807. After this year’s Annual Meeting, we intend to again evaluate the best method for holding our annual stockholder meetings going forward.

Please review this Notice of Annual Meeting and Proxy Statement, which describes the formal business to be transacted and procedures for voting on matters to be considered during the Annual Meeting.

YOUR VOTE IS IMPORTANT. Regardless of whether you plan to attend the virtual Annual Meeting, we request that you please take a few minutes and follow the instructions provided on the Notice or Proxy Card you received by mail, and further described herein, to review the Proxy Statement and vote your shares via internet, telephone, or mail. You may, of course, choose to attend the Annual Meeting virtually and vote your shares online during the meeting. If you wish to participate in the meeting, you will need your control number to join.

However you choose to participate, we encourage you to review this Proxy Statement and vote your shares.

Sincerely,

J. PATRICK MACKIN
Chairman, President, and Chief Executive Officer

1655 ROBERTS BOULEVARD, NW
KENNESAW, GEORGIA 30144

 

NOTICE OF ANNUAL MEETING OF STOCKHOLDERS

TO THE STOCKHOLDERS OF ARTIVION, INC.:

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the Annual Meeting of Stockholders of ARTIVION, INC. (the “Annual Meeting”) will be held on May 16, 2023 at 9:00 a.m., EDT. Like last year, the Annual Meeting will be held as a virtual-only meeting. The Annual Meeting will be accessible at the following website address: https://web.lumiagm.com/295739807, for the following purposes:

1.To elect as directors the nine nominees named in the attached Proxy Statement to serve until the next Annual Meeting of Stockholders or until their successors are duly qualified or until their earlier death, resignation, or removal.

2.To approve, by non-binding vote, the compensation paid to Artivion’s Named Executive Officers, as disclosed pursuant to Item 402 of Regulation S-K, including the Compensation Discussion and Analysis, compensation tables, and narrative discussion.

3.To approve, by non-binding vote, the frequency of stockholder advisory votes on the compensation of our named executive officers.

4.To ratify the preliminary approval of Ernst & Young LLP as the independent registered public accounting firm for the Company for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2023.

5.To approve additional funding of 3,040,000 shares for the Artivion, Inc. 2020 Equity and Cash Incentive Plan.

6.To transact such other business as may be properly brought before the Annual Meeting or any adjournments thereof.

Only record holders of Artivion’s common stock at the close of business on March 22, 2023 will be eligible to vote during the Annual Meeting. Artivion would like for you to attend the Annual Meeting. However, if there is any chance you may not be able to attend the Annual Meeting, please follow the instructions on the Notice or Proxy Card you received by mail to vote via internet, telephone, or mail.

Important notice regarding the availability of proxy materials for the Annual Meeting of Stockholders to be held on May 16, 2023. Pursuant to the rules promulgated by the Securities and Exchange Commission, we have elected to provide access to our proxy materials by notifying you of the availability of our proxy materials, including the Annual Meeting notice, Proxy Statement, and our 2022 Annual Report to Stockholders, both via internet at http://www.astproxyportal.com/ast/01609 and providing the means whereby you can request a paper copy of proxy materials be sent via U.S. mail.

By Order of the Board of Directors:

JEAN F. HOLLOWAY
Corporate Secretary

Date: April 3, 2023

An electronic copy of Artivion’s 2022 Annual Report to Stockholders, which includes Artivion’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2022, and which contains financial statements, is available via the proxy information website provided on your proxy Notice or Proxy Card.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1655 ROBERTS BOULEVARD, NW
KENNESAW, GEORGIA 30144

 

PROXY STATEMENT
FOR ANNUAL MEETING OF STOCKHOLDERS

This Proxy Statement is furnished to our stockholders as of the close of business on March 22, 2023, the record date, for the solicitation of proxies by the Board of Directors of Artivion, Inc. (“Artivion,” the “Company,” “we,” “our,” or “us”) for the Annual Meeting of Stockholders of Artivion (the “Annual Meeting”) to be held on May 16, 2023 at 9:00 a.m., EDT. The Annual Meeting will only be held virtually at the following web address: https://web.lumiagm.com/295739807. The voting of shares will not affect a stockholder’s right to attend the Annual Meeting. A signed paper proxy may be changed by sending in a timely, but later dated, signed paper proxy. Any stockholder sending in or completing a proxy may also revoke it at any time before it is exercised by giving timely notice to Jean F. Holloway, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary, Artivion, Inc., 1655 Roberts Boulevard, NW, Kennesaw, Georgia 30144, (770) 419-3355. Artivion is providing notice of the Annual Meeting and access to the Proxy Statement and Annual Report via the “Notice and Access” method.

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS REGARDING THIS SOLICITATION
AND VOTING DURING THE ANNUAL MEETING

PROPOSAL ONE – ELECTION OF DIRECTORS

Artivion directors elected during the Annual Meeting on May 16, 2023, will hold office until the next annual meeting, until their successors are duly qualified, or until their earlier death, resignation, or removal.

Director Nominees

Each of the nominees is currently a director of Artivion. Should any nominee for the office of director become unable to accept nomination or election, the persons named on the Proxy Card intend, unless otherwise specifically instructed in the Proxy Statement, to vote for the election of such other person, if any, as the Board of Directors may recommend.

The following table sets forth the name and age of each nominee, the period during which each such person has served as a director of Artivion, the number of shares of Artivion’s common stock beneficially owned, directly or indirectly, by such person, and the percentage of outstanding shares of Artivion’s common stock such ownership represented at the close of business on March 22, 2023, according to information maintained by Artivion. None of the shares of stock noted below are subject to a pledge or similar arrangement. Except for J. Patrick Mackin, our President, Chief Executive Officer, and Chairman of the Board of Directors, none of the nominees holds any other position or office with Artivion.

*Ownership represents less than 1% of the outstanding shares of Artivion common stock.

⁽¹⁾Except as otherwise noted, the nature of the beneficial ownership for all shares is sole voting and investment power.

⁽²⁾Includes 7,878 shares of unvested restricted stock granted on June 1, 2022.

⁽³⁾Amount includes 387,506 options that are either presently exercisable or will become exercisable within 60 days after March 22, 2023. This amount also includes 197,706 shares of unvested restricted stock subject to forfeiture held by Mr. Mackin as of March 22, 2023. This amount does not include 30,176 shares earned under 2021 and 2022 performance stock unit awards that had not vested as of March 22, 2023, and that will not vest within 60 days thereafter.

⁽⁴⁾Includes 9,066 shares of unvested restricted stock granted on November 8, 2022.

⁽⁵⁾There were 40,875,444 outstanding shares of Artivion common stock as of March 22, 2023, the record date.

2023 Director Nominees

2023 Director Nominee Skills

Director Nominee Qualifications and Biographical Information

Thomas F. Ackerman has served as a director of Artivion since December 2003. Until February 2017, Mr. Ackerman served as a consultant to Charles River Laboratories International, Inc. (NYSE: CRL) (“Charles River Laboratories”). Charles River Laboratories is a leading global provider of solutions that accelerate the early-stage drug discovery and development process, with a focus on in vivo biology, including research models and services required to enable in vivo drug discovery and development. Until early 2016, Mr. Ackerman served as a Senior Financial Advisor of Charles River Laboratories, a position he held since August 2015. From 2005 to 2015, he served as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Charles River Laboratories. From 1999 to 2005, he served as Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Charles River Laboratories. From 1996 to 1999, Mr. Ackerman served as Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Charles River Laboratories, where he was employed since 1988. Mr. Ackerman is a director of the University of Massachusetts Amherst Foundation and serves on the audit committee of Olin College of Engineering. Mr. Ackerman received a B.S. in Accounting from the University of Massachusetts and became a Certified Public Accountant in 1979. Mr. Ackerman’s license is currently inactive.

The Board of Directors has determined that Mr. Ackerman should serve as a director of Artivion because of his expertise in accounting and financial reporting, particularly in the biotechnology industry.

Daniel J. Bevevino has served as a director of Artivion since December 2003. From 1996 until March 2008, Mr. Bevevino served as the Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Respironics, Inc. (“Respironics”), a company that developed, manufactured, and marketed medical devices used primarily for the treatment of patients suffering from sleep and respiratory disorders. He was employed by Respironics beginning in 1988. In March 2008, Respironics was acquired by Royal Philips (NYSE: PHG) (“Philips”), whose businesses included a variety of medical solutions, including medical diagnostic imaging and patient monitoring systems, as well as businesses focused on energy efficient lighting and consumer products. From March 2008 to December 31, 2009, Mr. Bevevino was employed by Philips as Head of Post-Merger Integration – Respironics, as well as in various operating capacities, to help facilitate integration of the combined companies. He is currently an independent consultant providing interim chief financial officer services in the life sciences industry, and he currently serves as a director of one of the private companies for which he provides services. He began his career as a Certified Public Accountant with Ernst & Young. Mr. Bevevino’s license is currently inactive. Mr. Bevevino received a B.S. in Business Administration from Duquesne University and an MBA from the University of Notre Dame.

The Board of Directors has determined that Mr. Bevevino should serve as a director of Artivion because of his expertise in accounting and financial reporting, particularly in the medical device industry.

Marna P. Borgstrom has served as a director of Artivion since June 2018. From 2005 until March 2022, Ms. Borgstrom served as President, Chief Executive Officer, and a board member of Yale New Haven Health System, an integrated health care delivery system with approximately $5.88 billion in annual revenue, 2,681 patient beds, and 29,486 employees. During her tenure with Yale New Haven Health System, Ms. Borgstrom was instrumental in the health system’s growth, which over the last decade included an increase in revenue of 126%, patient beds of 26%, and employees of 60%. Ms. Borgstrom also played a significant role in integrating Yale New Haven Health System into a cohesive operating entity, increasing efficiencies and significantly reducing costs. During the challenging pandemic, Ms. Borgstrom and her team evolved care pathways for COVID-19 patients, such that Yale New Haven Health System was able to keep patients and employees safe and report mortality rates of less than 50% of the national average, despite treating a larger number of, and more medically complex, COVID-19 cases. Additionally, Ms. Borgstrom currently serves on the board of Marion Parke, a privately held company based in Minneapolis, MN. Ms. Borgstrom received her Bachelor of Arts from Stanford University and a Masters in Public Health from Yale University.

The Board of Directors has determined that Ms. Borgstrom should serve as a director of Artivion because of her extensive experience as a senior executive leading a large, complex organization in the healthcare sector, coupled with her knowledge of healthcare regulation and policy and her recognition within the healthcare industry.

James W. Bullock has served as a director of Artivion since October 2016. Mr. Bullock previously served as the President and Chief Executive Officer of Zyga Technology, Inc. (“Zyga Technology”), a privately-held medical device company focused on products that treat conditions of the lumbar spine, until January 2018, when RTI Surgical, Inc. (formerly NASDAQ: RTIX) acquired Zyga Technology. Prior to that, he served for six years as President and Chief Executive Officer of Atritech, Inc. (“Atritech”). Atritech was a privately held cardiovascular manufacturing company that was acquired by Boston Scientific Corporation (NYSE: BSX). Prior to that, he served for nine years as President and Chief Executive Officer and was a member of the board of directors of Endocardial Solutions, Inc. (NASDAQ: ECSI) (“Endocardial Solutions”), a cardiac-focused medical device company that was acquired by St. Jude Medical, which was itself acquired by Abbott Laboratories (NYSE: ABT). He also served as President and Chief Executive Officer and was a member of the board of directors of Stuart Medical, Inc., and he began his career working in a variety of sales and marketing leadership positions at Baxter International, Inc. (NYSE: BAX) and American Hospital Supply Corporation. Currently, in addition to Artivion’s Board of Directors, Mr. Bullock also serves as Chairman of the board of directors of Stimdia, Inc., a privately held company that conducts research for the development of medical devices for use in the critical care treatment of ventilator induced diaphragmatic dysfunction. Mr. Bullock also serves as Chairman of the board of directors of Surgical Information Science, Inc. and as a director of Intershunt Technologies, Inc., both private health companies. Mr. Bullock received a Bachelor of Science in Public Administration from the University of Arizona.

The Board of Directors has determined that Mr. Bullock should serve as a director of Artivion because of his business acumen and substantial experience in the global medical device industry, particularly in the area of company growth.

Jeffrey H. Burbank has served as a director of Artivion since October 2017. From 2019 until March 2022, Mr. Burbank served as the Chief Technology Officer at Fresenius Medical Care North America, a division of Fresenius Medical Care AG & Co. (NYSE: FMS) (“Fresenius Medical Care”), the world’s largest provider of products and services for individuals with renal diseases. Prior to that, Mr. Burbank served as Chief Executive Officer and a member of the board of directors of NxStage Medical, Inc. (formerly NASDAQ: NXTM) (“NxStage Medical”), a leading medical technology company, positions he held since he founded NxStage Medical in 1998, until Fresenius Medical Care completed its acquisition of NxStage Medical in February 2019. Prior to founding NxStage Medical, Mr. Burbank was a co-founder of Vasca, Inc., a company that provided innovative implantable access devices, where he was the President and Chief Executive Officer, as well as Chairman of the board of directors. Mr. Burbank has over 30 years of senior leadership experience in the medical device industry, developing, marketing, and manufacturing products for end-stage renal disease patients. During his career he has been an inventor on over 50 U.S. patents for medical devices. Mr. Burbank received a Bachelor of Science in Industrial Engineering from Lehigh University.

The Board of Directors has determined that Mr. Burbank should serve as a director of Artivion because of his business acumen and substantial senior leadership experience in the global medical device industry.

Elizabeth A. Hoff has served as a director of Artivion since October 2022. Ms. Hoff has 30 years of experience in the medical device and diagnostics industries and in the commercialization of transformational technologies. Ms. Hoff has served in various senior leadership roles related to, or in, the medical device field, including serving as the Executive Director of Business Development and Strategy at DM Clinical Research and as Chief Executive Officer or as an executive at several medical device start-up companies. Ms. Hoff also founded Hoff Professional Services where she offers consulting and executive coaching services to medical device leaders. Earlier in her career, she gained in-depth global experience in the aortic space, first at Guidant, leading Guidant’s endovascular expansion in Europe, and then as a Business Unit Leader at W. L. Gore, launching and leading the endovascular AAA and thoracic stent graft programs. She gained further senior executive experience at Medtronic as Vice President and General Manager, where she defined and drove a ten-fold expansion in Medtronic’s implantable cardiac diagnostic platform (now the LinQ product family). Ms. Hoff received her Bachelor of Arts in Managerial Studies and Psychology from Rice University.

The Board of Directors has determined that Ms. Hoff should serve as a director of Artivion because of her extensive senior leadership and business experience in the medical device industry across public and private companies, including in the aortic technology space.

J. Patrick Mackin was named President and Chief Executive Officer of Artivion in September 2014. He was appointed to the Artivion Board of Directors in October 2014, and he was appointed Chairman of the Board of Directors in April 2015. Mr. Mackin has more than 30 years of experience in the medical device industry. Prior to joining Artivion, Mr. Mackin served

as President of Cardiac Rhythm Disease Management, the then-largest operating division of Medtronic plc (NYSE: MDT) (“Medtronic”), from August 2007 to August 2014. At Medtronic, he previously held the positions of Vice President, Vascular, Western Europe and Vice President and General Manager, Endovascular Business Unit. Prior to joining Medtronic in 2002, Mr. Mackin worked for six years at Genzyme, Inc. (“Genzyme”), serving as Senior Vice President and General Manager for the Cardiovascular Surgery Business Unit and as Director of Sales, Surgical Products Division. Before joining Genzyme, Mr. Mackin spent four years at Deknatel/Snowden-Pencer, Inc., in various roles, and three years as a First Lieutenant in the U.S. Army. Mr. Mackin has served as a director of Opsens, Inc. (TSXV: OPS and OTCQX: OPSSF), a fiber optic sensors manufacturer, since 2016. Mr. Mackin served as a director of Wright Medical Group N.V. (NASDAQ: WMGI) (“Wright Medical”), a global medical device company focused on extremities and biologics, from July 2018 until November 2020, when Wright Medical was acquired by Stryker Corporation (NYSE: SYK). Mr. Mackin received an MBA from the Kellogg Graduate School of Management at Northwestern University and is a graduate of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point.

The Board of Directors has determined that Mr. Mackin should serve as a director of Artivion because of his business acumen and substantial senior leadership experience in the global medical device industry. In addition, the Board of Directors believes that it is appropriate and valuable to have the President and Chief Executive Officer of Artivion serve as a member of the Board of Directors.

Jon W. Salveson has served as a director of Artivion since May 2012. Mr. Salveson is the Vice Chairman, Investment Banking and Chairman of the Healthcare Investment Banking Group at Piper Sandler Companies (NYSE: PIPR), formerly Piper Jaffray Companies, a U.S. investment bank and asset management firm (“Piper Jaffray”). Mr. Salveson has served in his present position as Vice Chairman, Investment Banking since July 2010. Mr. Salveson was appointed Global Head of Investment Banking and a member of the Executive Committee of Piper Jaffray in 2004. He joined Piper Jaffray in 1993 as an associate, was elected Managing Director in 1999, and was named Group Head of Piper Jaffray’s international healthcare investment banking group in 2001. Mr. Salveson also serves on the Board of Directors of Nuwellis, Inc (NASDAQ: NUWE), an early-stage medical device company. Mr. Salveson recently served on the board of Asklepios Biopharmaceuticals, Inc., a private company specializing in gene therapy technologies, which was acquired by Bayer AG (ETR: BAYN) in 2020. Mr. Salveson received his undergraduate degree from St. Olaf College in 1987 and an M.M.M. in finance from the Kellogg Graduate School of Management at Northwestern University.

The Board of Directors has determined that Mr. Salveson should serve as a director of Artivion because of his extensive experience in the healthcare industry and the medical technology sector, and, particularly, his extensive experience in strategic advisory roles for global healthcare companies in hundreds of transactions.

Anthony B. Semedo has served as a director of Artivion since October 2021. Mr. Semedo has over 40 years of U.S. and international experience in the medical device industry. Until late 2019, Mr. Semedo served as Senior Vice President and President of Japan Operations at Medtronic, where he led multiple business units and functions. Through his tenure at Medtronic from 2002 to 2019, Mr. Semedo held several executive management positions, including Senior Vice President and President of the company’s Aortic, Peripheral, and Venous (APV) Division and Senior Vice President and President of Endovascular Innovations. During his time at Medtronic, Mr. Semedo also served as Vice President of Medtronic’s Japan Cardiovascular Business and as Global Vice President of Vascular Research and Development. Prior to 2002, Mr. Semedo spent time at Alaris Medical Systems, Eli Lilly & Co., and Abbott Laboratories. Mr. Semedo received his Bachelor of Science in Engineering from the University of Massachusetts.

The Board of Directors has determined that Mr. Semedo should serve as a director of Artivion because of his extensive knowledge of and extensive leadership experience in the medical device industry, including in the aortic technology space.

Required Vote

Nominees for election as directors will be elected by a plurality of the votes cast by the holders of shares entitled to vote in the election. Since there are nine directorships to be filled, this means that the nine individuals receiving the most votes will be elected. Accordingly, abstentions and broker non-votes will not be relevant to the outcome.

The Board of Directors’ Recommendation

THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS RECOMMENDS THAT YOU VOTE “FOR” EACH OF
THE NINE NOMINEES FOR DIRECTOR LISTED IN THIS PROPOSAL ONE.

CORPORATE GOVERNANCE AND BOARD OF DIRECTORS MATTERS

Our Board of Directors believes that the purpose of corporate governance is to serve the interests of the Company and the Company’s stockholders in a manner that is consistent with the Board of Directors’ fiduciary duties and the Company’s mission and core values. The Board of Directors has adopted and adheres to corporate governance practices that the Board of Directors and senior management believe promote this purpose, are sound, and represent best practices applicable to the Company. The Board of Directors reviews these practices on an ongoing basis and revises them as appropriate.

Director Independence

In connection with its annual review in the first quarter of 2023, and based on the information available to it, the Board of Directors determined that none of Ms. Borgstrom, Ms. Hoff, or Messrs. Ackerman, Bevevino, Bullock, Burbank, Salveson, or Semedo has or had a material relationship with Artivion and that each qualified as an independent director under NYSE Listing Standards.

In addition to qualifying as “independent” within the meaning of Section 303A.02 of the NYSE Listing Company Standards, each member of the Compensation Committee must be a “non-employee director” within the meaning of Rule 16b-3 under the Exchange Act. In determining the independence of any director who will serve on the Compensation Committee, the Board of Directors will consider all factors relevant to determining whether such director has a relationship with the Company that is material to the director’s ability to be independent from management in connection with the duties of a Compensation Committee member, including, but not limited to (i) the source of compensation of such director, including any consulting, advisory, or other compensatory fee paid by the Company to the director and (ii) whether such director is affiliated with the Company, one of its subsidiaries, or an affiliate of one of its subsidiaries.

In addition to qualifying as “independent” within the meaning of Section 303A.02 of the NYSE Listing Standards, each member of the Audit Committee must also meet the criteria of Section 303A.06 and Rule 10A-3 promulgated under the Exchange Act.

The Board of Directors’ Right to Retain Advisors

The Board of Directors has authorized the committees of the Board of Directors to retain their own advisors, such as auditors, compensation consultants, search firms, legal counsel, and others, to the extent the committees deem it appropriate.

The Board of Directors’ Leadership Structure

Mr. Mackin, the President and Chief Executive Officer of Artivion, serves as Chair of the Board of Directors. The Board of Directors believes that this structure promotes fluid communication and coordination between the Board of Directors and management. The Board of Directors also believes that Mr. Mackin is well-suited to fill both his management and Board of Directors roles and that the Board of Directors benefits from him serving these dual roles.

In order to foster the Board of Directors’ independence from management, the leadership structure of the Board of Directors also includes a Lead Director, a position held by an independent director. Mr. Burbank assumed the role of Lead Director in March 2021. The Lead Director has frequent contact with Mr. Mackin and other members of management on a broad range of matters and has additional corporate governance responsibilities for the Board of Directors. The Lead Director also serves as liaison between Mr. Mackin and the independent directors, approves meeting agendas and schedules to ensure there is sufficient time for discussion of all agenda items, approves certain information sent to the Board of Directors, and has the authority to call meetings of the independent directors. Stockholders can seek to directly consult with independent directors.

The Board of Directors’ Role in Risk Oversight

The Board of Directors has an active role, as a whole and also at the committee level, in overseeing the management of our risks. Management is primarily responsible for risk management, and management reports directly to the committees and the Board of Directors with respect to risk management. The Board of Directors is responsible for general oversight of risks and regular review of information regarding our risks, including credit, information security, liquidity, regulatory, Environmental, Social, and Governance (“ESG”), human capital, and operational. In its risk-oversight role, the Board of Directors periodically reviews the Company’s strategic plan, as well as an assessment of potential material risks facing the Company.

In particular, the Compensation Committee is responsible for ensuring that our compensation policies and practices do not incent excessive or inappropriate risk-taking by employees or non-employee directors. It also has oversight of Human Capital Management, and along with the Compliance and Audit Committees, culture. The Audit Committee, in coordination with Ernst & Young, our independent registered public accounting firm, is primarily responsible for oversight of our internal controls, operation of our internal audit, risk assessment, and risk management, including information security oversight, and various financial and compliance functions. The Audit Committee’s information security oversight role includes responsibility for overseeing the Company’s global information security and information technology risks, controls, and procedures and utilizing independent cyber-security auditors to support that function where appropriate. More detail regarding the Audit Committee’s oversight of information security is located in the Report of the Audit Committee at page 21. The Corporate Governance Committee monitors risk by ensuring that proper corporate governance standards are maintained, that the Board of Directors is comprised of qualified directors, and that senior management is comprised of qualified executive officers. The Compliance Committee is primarily responsible for oversight of our healthcare compliance function, including our compliance with quality systems and regulatory assurance laws and regulations, as well as our compliance with other healthcare compliance laws and regulations. Together with the Audit Committee, the Compliance Committee also exercises oversight of Enterprise Risk Management and our compliance with certain laws and regulations, such as the European Union General Data Protection Regulation (“GDPR”) and the United States Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (“FCPA”), and such policies as our Code of Conduct.

Board of Directors and Committee Meetings, Annual Meeting of Stockholders, and Attendance

During 2022, each director attended, either in person or virtually, at least 75% of the meetings of the Board of Directors and the committees of the Board of Directors on which the director served. In general, members of the Board of Directors become members of committees immediately following the Annual Meeting of Stockholders.

The Board of Directors held 18 meetings during 2022. All but one of the then-current members of the Board of Directors attended the 2022 Annual Meeting of Stockholders, which was held virtually. The Company does not have a policy requiring directors to attend the annual meeting, but it encourages such attendance.

Standing Committees of the Board of Directors; Committee Assignments

During 2022, the Board of Directors had four standing committees: the Audit Committee; the Compensation Committee; the Corporate Governance Committee; and the Compliance Committee. During 2022, the Audit Committee met six times, the Compensation Committee met ten times, the Corporate Governance Committee met seven times, the Compliance Committee met four times, the Compensation Committee and the Corporate Governance Committee met jointly two times, and the Audit Committee and the Compliance Committee met jointly once time.

The four standing committees are described below, and the following table lists the members of each of the standing committees as of the date of this Proxy Statement.

Audit Committee — The Audit Committee operates under a written charter that sets out the committee’s functions and responsibilities. The Audit Committee currently consists of three non-employee directors: Mr. Ackerman, Chair, Mr. Bevevino, and Mr. Burbank. Mr. Ackerman and Mr. Bevevino served on the Audit Committee for all of 2022. Mr. Burbank began serving on the Audit Committee in May 2022. Each of the members of the Audit Committee meets the independence requirements of Section 303A.02 of the current NYSE Listing Standards and also meets the criteria of Section 303A.06, as set forth in Rule 10A-3 promulgated under the Exchange Act, regarding listing standards related to audit committees. No member of the Audit Committee serves on the audit committee of more than three public companies. In addition, the Board of Directors has determined that all of the current members of the Audit Committee satisfy the definition of an “audit committee financial expert,” as promulgated by the SEC.

The Audit Committee charter gives the Audit Committee the authority and responsibility for the appointment, retention, compensation, and oversight of Artivion’s independent registered public accounting firm, including pre-approval of all audit and non-audit services to be performed by Artivion’s independent registered public accounting firm. The Audit Committee also oversees, and must review and approve, all significant related-party transactions. See Policies and Procedures for Review, Approval, or Ratification of Transactions with Related Parties beginning on page 17; see also the Report of the Audit Committee on page 21.

The Audit Committee:

•Reviews the general scope of Artivion’s annual audit and the nature of services to be performed for Artivion in connection with it, acting as liaison between the Board of Directors and the independent registered public accounting firm;

•Reviews various Company policies, including those relating to accounting practices and internal control and information security systems of Artivion;

•Reviews and monitors the performance of Artivion’s independent registered public accounting firm, and is responsible for engaging or discharging Artivion’s independent registered public accounting firm and for assisting the Board of Directors in its oversight of risk management and legal and financial regulatory requirements; and

•Has the authority, pursuant to its charter, to delegate any of its decisions to a sub-committee of the Audit Committee consisting of two committee members, or to the Chair alone, provided that a full report of any action taken is promptly made to the full Audit Committee.

Compensation Committee — The Compensation Committee operates under a written charter that sets out the committee’s functions and responsibilities. The Compensation Committee currently consists of three non-employee directors: Mr. Bevevino, Chair, Mr. Bullock, and Mr. Semedo. Mr. Bevevino served on the Compensation Committee for all of 2022. Mr. Bullock and Mr. Semedo began serving on the Compensation Committee in May 2022. Each member of the Compensation Committee meets the independence requirements of Sections 303A.02(a)(i) and (ii) of the current NYSE Listing Standards and is a non-employee director within the meaning of Rule 16b-3 under the Exchange Act.

The Compensation Committee:

•Reviews the performance of executive officers, including the Chief Executive Officer, and approves their annual compensation;

•Oversees the issuance of stock options, restricted stock awards, restricted stock units, performance stock units, and other stock rights and cash incentives under Artivion’s stock and incentive plans;

•Approves, in conjunction with the Corporate Governance Committee and Board of Directors, severance arrangements for executive officers;

•Reviews, approves, and certifies the performance metrics upon which a portion of the compensation of Artivion’s Chief Executive Officer and other executive officers is based;

•Annually reviews, together with the Corporate Governance Committee, the Chief Executive Officer’s objectives and performance, recommends changes thereto, and together with the Corporate Governance Committee, sets the Chief Executive Officer’s compensation package; and

•Oversees certain aspects of the Company’s ESG risks, including human capital management.

See Compensation Discussion and Analysis on page 24 for information concerning the Compensation Committee’s role, processes, and activities in overseeing executive compensation.

Pursuant to its charter, the Compensation Committee has the authority to delegate any of its decisions to a sub-committee of the Compensation Committee consisting of two committee members, provided that a full report of any action taken is promptly made to the full Compensation Committee.

The Compensation Committee has the power to retain, determine the terms of engagement and compensation of, and terminate any consultant that advises the Compensation Committee.

Corporate Governance Committee — The Corporate Governance Committee operates under a written charter that sets out the committee’s functions and responsibilities. The Corporate Governance Committee currently consists of three non-employee directors: Mr. Burbank, Chair, Ms. Borgstrom, and Mr. Salveson. Mr. Burbank and Mr. Salveson served on the Corporate Governance Committee for all of 2022. Ms. Borgstrom began serving on the Corporate Governance Committee in May 2022. Each of these individuals meets the independence requirements of Section 303A.02 of the current NYSE Listing Standards.

The Corporate Governance Committee:

•Recommends potential candidates for the Board of Directors;

•Oversees the annual self-evaluations of the Board of Directors, its committees, and individual directors;

•Approves individuals for appointment as executive officers;

•Oversees succession planning for the Board of Directors and executive officers, including the Chief Executive Officer;

•Evaluates each year, together with the Compensation Committee, the performance of Artivion’s Chief Executive Officer and sets the Chief Executive Officer’s compensation;

•Recommends to the Board of Directors how the other committees of the Board of Directors should be structured, which non-employee directors should be members of those committees, and which non-employee director should chair those committees; and

•Reviews and makes recommendations to the Board of Directors regarding the development of, and compliance with, the Company’s corporate governance guidelines, ESG risk-mitigation efforts, and other governance policies, procedures, and practices.

Compliance Committee — The Compliance Committee operates under a written charter that sets out the committee’s functions and responsibilities. The Compliance Committee currently consists of six non-employee directors: Ms. Borgstrom, Chair, Mr. Ackerman, Mr. Bullock, Ms. Hoff, Mr. Salveson, and Mr. Semedo. Ms. Borgstrom and Messrs. Bullock, Salveson,

and Semedo each served on the Compliance Committee for all of 2022. Mr. Ackerman began serving on the Compliance Committee in May 2022. Ms. Hoff began serving on the Compliance Committee in October 2022. Each of these individuals meets the independence requirements of Section 303A.02 of the current NYSE Listing Standards. The charter of the Compliance Committee requires that a majority of its members be independent.

The Compliance Committee:

•Assists the Company in its oversight of Artivion’s compliance with healthcare laws and regulations, including regulations and laws related to regulatory affairs and quality assurance, and general healthcare compliance such as the Anti-Kickback Statute;

•Receives periodic reports from the Company’s senior management regarding quality and regulatory compliance;

•Provides input into certain regulatory affairs and quality assurance and healthcare compliance policies; and

•Assists, jointly with the Audit Committee, in the oversight of the Company’s enterprise risk assessment and compliance with certain policies and procedures such as the Company’s Code of Conduct and our policies with respect to GDPR and the FCPA.

PROCEDURES FOR STOCKHOLDERS WHO WISH TO SUBMIT RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Stockholders may recommend potential candidates for director to the Corporate Governance Committee. The policy of the Corporate Governance Committee is to give the same consideration to nominees recommended by stockholders that it gives to individuals whose names are submitted by management or non-employee directors, provided such recommendations from stockholders are made in accordance with procedures described in this Proxy Statement under the FAQ “What is the deadline for submitting proposals for consideration at next year’s Annual Meeting of Stockholders or to nominate individuals to serve as directors?” When reviewing a potential candidate, the Corporate Governance Committee considers, among other things, demonstrated character, judgment, relevant business, functional, and industry experience, degree of intellectual and business acumen, and, when contemplating overall board diversity, ethnicity, race, and gender. The Board of Directors and the Corporate Governance Committee believe it is important that the members of the Board of Directors represent diverse backgrounds and viewpoints. The Corporate Governance Committee’s process for identifying and evaluating nominees typically involves consideration of external candidates, including self-nominees, upon a vacancy or at a meeting held in the first quarter of the year, and where appropriate, internal discussions, review of information concerning candidates, and interviews of selected candidates. From time to time, the Corporate Governance Committee has also engaged one or more executive search consulting firms to assist in the identification and recruitment of potential director candidates.

The Corporate Governance Committee has not received any recommended director nominees for election at the 2023 Annual Meeting from any Artivion stockholder or group of stockholders beneficially owning in excess of 5% of Artivion’s outstanding common stock. Stockholders may communicate with the Corporate Governance Committee or the Board of Directors by following the procedures set forth below at Communication with the Board of Directors and its Committees on page 18.

The current Board of Directors’ policy requires each director to offer to voluntarily resign upon a change in such director’s principal employment or line of business. The Corporate Governance Committee will then review whether such director continues to meet the needs of the Board of Directors and whether to make a recommendation to the Board of Directors that it should accept the director’s offer to resign. Upon her retirement as Chief Executive Officer of Yale New Haven Health in March 2022, Ms. Borgstrom tendered to the Board of Directors her offer of resignation. Likewise, upon his retirement in March 2022 from Fresenius Medical Care North America, Mr. Burbank tendered to the Board of Directors his offer of resignation. The Corporate Governance Committee considered Ms. Borgstrom’s and Mr. Burbank’s offers to resign and determined that it was in the best interests of Artivion for Ms. Borgstrom and Mr. Burbank to continue serving on the Board of Directors following their retirements.

The current Board of Directors’ policy also limits the number of other public company boards on which Artivion directors may serve. Non-employee directors may serve on no more than three public company boards in addition to service on the Company’s Board of Directors, and the Chief Executive Officer’s service on the board of any other organization is restricted by his employment agreement with the Company and is subject to prior approval by the Board of Directors.

ARTIVION’S CODE OF CONDUCT

Artivion has established a Code of Conduct that: clarifies the Company’s standards of conduct, including in potentially challenging situations; makes clear that Artivion expects all employees, executive officers, and non-employee directors to abide by applicable legal and regulatory requirements and to understand and appreciate the ethical considerations of their decisions; and reaffirms the Company’s long-standing commitment to a culture of corporate and individual accountability and responsibility for the highest ethical and business practices.

In addition to the Code of Conduct, the Company’s Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer, Chief Accounting Officer, Controller, Assistant Controller, and all other senior financial officers are also subject to the Company’s Code of Ethics for Senior Financial Officers. In the event that Artivion amends or waives any of the provisions of the Code of Conduct or Code of Ethics for Senior Financial Officers applicable to its Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer, Chief Accounting Officer, Controller, or Assistant Controller, the Company will disclose that information on the Company’s website at https://investors.artivion.com/corporate-governance/cryolifes-code-conduct.

CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY

In the second quarter of 2023, Artivion expects to publish its second annual Corporate Responsibility Report, which highlights the Company’s ESG initiatives. The Corporate Responsibility Report details several of Artivion’s ESG efforts, including, but not limited to: (1) environmental initiatives to drive sustainability and limit Artivion’s carbon footprint, including a disclosure relative to the Task Force on Climate-Related Financial Disclosures; (2) diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives to create a welcoming and empowering workplace for every member of the global team as they strive to fulfill Artivion’s mission to make leading-edge aortic technologies available to patients around the world; and (3) Board of Directors level initiatives to enhance Board and workforce diversity, Board refreshment, and Board or Board committee oversight of some of the Company’s ESG initiatives, including human capital management. The Corporate Responsibility Report is available on the Company’s website at https://investors.artivion.com/corporate-responsibility-report-esg.

POLICIES AND PROCEDURES FOR REVIEW, APPROVAL, OR RATIFICATION OF TRANSACTIONS WITH RELATED PARTIES

The Board of Directors has adopted policies and procedures for review, approval, or ratification of transactions with related parties.

Types of Transactions Covered

It is our policy to enter into or ratify related party transactions only when the Board of Directors, acting through the Audit Committee or as otherwise in-line with the Company’s policies described herein, determines that the related party transaction in question is in, or is not inconsistent with, the best interests of Artivion and its stockholders. We follow the policies and procedures below for any transaction in which we are, or are to be, a participant and the annual amount involved exceeds $50,000 and in which any related party, as defined below, had, has, or will have a direct or indirect interest. Pursuant to the policy, compensatory arrangements with an executive officer or non-employee director that are approved or ratified by the Compensation Committee or compensation received under our employee benefit plans that are available to all employees do not require additional Audit Committee approval.

The Company subjects the following related parties to these policies: non-employee directors (and nominees); executive officers; beneficial owners of more than 5% of our stock; any immediate family members of these persons; and any entity in which any of these persons is employed, or is a general partner or principal, or has a similar position, or in which the person has a 10% or greater beneficial ownership interest.

Standards Applied and Persons Responsible for Approving Related Party Transactions

The Corporate Secretary is responsible for submitting to the Audit Committee for its advance review and approval any related party transaction, other than ongoing transactions, into which we propose to enter. If the Corporate Secretary determines that it is not practicable or desirable to wait until the next regularly scheduled Audit Committee meeting, the Corporate Secretary will submit the related party transaction for approval or ratification to the Chair of the Audit Committee, who possesses delegated authority to act between Audit Committee meetings. The Chair will report any action the Chair

takes under this delegated authority to the Audit Committee at its next regularly scheduled meeting and seek ratification of such approval. If any related party transaction occurs before the Audit Committee has approved it, the Corporate Secretary will submit the transaction to the Audit Committee for ratification as soon as reasonably practicable. If the Audit Committee does not ratify the transaction, the Audit Committee will direct management as to what action it proposes management take regarding the transaction.

When considering a related party transaction, the Audit Committee will examine all factors it deems relevant. The Audit Committee, or the Chair, will approve only those transactions that they have determined in good faith are in the best interests of Artivion and its stockholders.

The Corporate Secretary may delegate her duties under the policy to another officer of Artivion if the Corporate Secretary gives notice of the delegation to the Audit Committee at a regularly scheduled Audit Committee meeting.

Review of Ongoing Transactions

At a meeting of the Audit Committee in the first quarter of each fiscal year, the Audit Committee reviews all related party transactions that are ongoing and have a remaining term of more than six months or remaining amounts payable to or receivable from Artivion of more than $50,000 annually. Based on all relevant facts and circumstances, the Audit Committee will determine whether it is in, or not inconsistent with, the best interests of Artivion and its stockholders to continue, modify, or terminate the ongoing related party transaction. Review of ongoing related party transactions is located at Director Independence beginning on page 12.

COMPENSATION COMMITTEE INTERLOCKS AND INSIDER PARTICIPATION

None of our executive officers currently serve, or served during fiscal 2022, as a member of the compensation committee of any other company that has or had an executive officer serving as a member of our Board of Directors. None of our executive officers currently serve, or served during fiscal 2022, as a member of the board of directors of any other company that has or had an executive officer serving as a member of our Compensation Committee.

COMMUNICATION WITH THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS AND ITS COMMITTEES

Interested parties may communicate with the Board of Directors, the Lead Director, the non-employee directors as a group, committee chairs, committees, and individual directors by directing communications to the Corporate Secretary, who will forward them as appropriate, unless they clearly constitute unsolicited general advertising or inappropriate material. Please send all communications in care of Jean F. Holloway, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary, Artivion, Inc., 1655 Roberts Boulevard, NW, Kennesaw, Georgia 30144.

AVAILABILITY OF CORPORATE GOVERNANCE DOCUMENTS

You may view current copies of the charters of the Audit, Compensation, Corporate Governance, and Compliance Committees, as well as the Company’s Code of Conduct and Corporate Governance Guidelines, on Artivion’s website at https://investors.artivion.com/corporate-governance/governance-highlights.

Notwithstanding anything to the contrary set forth in any of Artivion’s filings under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), or the Exchange Act that might incorporate other Artivion filings, including this Proxy Statement, in whole or in part, neither of the Reports of the Audit Committee and the Compensation Committee, set forth below, shall be incorporated by reference into any such filings.

DIRECTOR COMPENSATION

Elements of Non-Employee Director Compensation

Restricted Stock Grants

A portion of the non-employee directors’ annual compensation is issued as restricted stock. The shares of restricted stock are issued each year generally following the Annual Meeting of Stockholders. With respect to 2022 grants, the Compensation and Corporate Governance Committees recommended, and the Board of Directors approved, a grant date value of $150,000 per non-employee director, and in June 2022, the Company granted 7,878 shares of restricted stock to each of the non-employee directors serving at the time of grant, which will vest on June 1, 2023. With respect to Ms. Hoff, the Compensation and Corporate Governance Committees recommended, and the Board of Directors approved, a grant value of approximately $100,000 prorated based on her time served as a non-employee director in 2022, and in November 2022, the Company granted 9,066 shares to Ms. Hoff, which will vest on November 8, 2023. The amount and terms of the grants are subject to periodic re-evaluation jointly by the Compensation and Corporate Governance Committees. All equity grants to non-employee directors in 2022 were made pursuant to the Artivion, Inc. 2020 Equity and Cash Incentive Plan (the “2020 ECIP”). A non-employee director will forfeit any unvested portion of the award if s/he ceases to serve as a director, except under certain circumstances as described within the 2020 ECIP.

Board of Directors’ Retainer and Committee Chair and Membership Fees

Absent exceptional circumstances, every other year, the Compensation and Corporate Governance Committees each consider whether to adjust non-employee director compensation and recommend those adjustments, if any, to the Board of Directors.

Each of the non-employee directors of Artivion receives an annual cash retainer for service on the Board of Directors, service on committees of the Board of Directors, service as Chair of a committee of the Board of Directors, and service as Lead Director, as applicable and as noted in the table below. Artivion pays all cash retainers on a prorated monthly basis.

⁽¹⁾In addition to annual Board service retainer.

⁽²⁾Includes committee membership retainer.

Effective June 1, 2022, the annual Board service retainer increased from $50,000 to $55,000. The Compensation and Corporate Governance Committees recommended, and the Board of Directors approved, this change upon the recommendation of the Compensation Committee’s independent compensation consultant, Willis Towers Watson & Co. (“Willis Towers Watson”), and based on available benchmarking analysis provided by that consultant and other information provided by management.

Fiscal 2022 Director Compensation

The following table provides compensation information for the one-year period ended December 31, 2022, for each person who was a member of our Board of Directors in 2022, other than J. Patrick Mackin.

⁽¹⁾Amounts shown include annual Board service retainer, committee Chair and committee membership retainers, and, for Mr. Burbank, a Lead Director retainer, earned by our non-employee directors during 2022. Note that the Annual Stock Awards, which are generally made on June 1, cover the one-year service period ending on May 31 the following year.

⁽²⁾Amount shown represents the aggregate grant date fair value of the 7,878 restricted shares granted to Messrs. Ackerman, Bevevino, Bullock, Burbank, Salveson, Semedo and Ms. Borgstrom, as calculated in accordance with FASB ASC Topic 718. We issued the awards on June 1, 2022, and we valued them at $19.04 per share, which was the closing price on the grant date. See Notes 1 and 15 of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements filed with Artivion’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2022 for assumptions used in valuing restricted stock awards. The restricted stock represented here vests on June 1, 2023; accordingly, these shares remained subject to vesting restrictions as of December 31, 2022.

⁽³⁾Amount shown represents the aggregate grant date fair value of the 9,066 restricted shares granted to Ms. Hoff, as calculated in accordance with FASB ASC Topic 718. We issued the award on November 8, 2022, and we valued them at $11.03 per share, which was the closing price on the grant date. See Notes 1 and 15 of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements filed with Artivion’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2022, for assumptions we used in valuing restricted stock awards. The restricted stock represented here vests on November 8, 2023; accordingly, these shares remained subject to vesting restrictions as of December 31, 2022.

J. Patrick Mackin, Chairman, President, and Chief Executive Officer received no compensation in 2022 for his services as a director of the Company. His compensation as an executive officer of the Company is detailed in the Summary Compensation Table on page 44.

Director Stock Ownership Requirement

In November 2015, the Compensation and Corporate Governance Committees approved a change to the non-employee director stock ownership requirement to five times the then-current annual board service retainer for non-employee directors. The Board of Directors reevaluates this stock ownership requirement typically on a biennial basis and did so recently in November 2021, concluding at that time, based on information provided by Willis Towers Watson and management, that these requirements remained appropriate. All non-employee directors currently satisfy this standard except for Ms. Hoff, whose service on the Board began in October 2022. Ms. Hoff is expected to meet the requirement within the next one-to-two years.

REPORT OF THE AUDIT COMMITTEE

The Board of Directors maintains an Audit Committee of three non-employee directors. The Board of Directors and the Audit Committee believe that the Audit Committee’s current member composition satisfies the rules of the NYSE that govern audit committee composition, including the requirement that each audit committee member be “Independent Directors” as that term is defined by Sections 303A.02 and 303A.06 of the NYSE Listing Standards and Rule 10A-3 promulgated under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.

The Audit Committee oversees Artivion’s financial processes and the Company’s information security preparedness on behalf of the Board of Directors. Management has the primary responsibility for the financial statements and the reporting process, including the systems of internal controls. In fulfilling its oversight responsibilities, the Audit Committee reviewed the audited financial statements included in Artivion’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for fiscal 2022 and discussed them with management, including a discussion of the quality, not just the acceptability, of the accounting principles, the reasonableness of significant judgments, and the clarity of disclosures in the financial statements. The Board of Directors and the Audit Committee have adopted a written Audit Committee Charter. Since the first quarter of 2004, Artivion has retained an outside accounting firm to provide internal audit services. The internal audit function reports directly to the Audit Committee and, for administrative purposes, to the Chief Financial Officer.

During fiscal 2022, management completed the documentation, testing, and evaluation of Artivion’s system of internal controls over financial reporting and the associated information security preparedness in response to the requirements set forth in Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 and related regulations. The Audit Committee was kept informed of the progress of the evaluation and provided oversight and advice to management during the process. In connection with this oversight, the Audit Committee received periodic updates provided by management and Ernst & Young LLP, Artivion’s independent registered public accounting firm, at each regularly scheduled Audit Committee meeting. The Audit Committee also reviewed the report of management on internal controls over financial reporting contained in Artivion’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for fiscal 2022, as well as Ernst & Young LLP’s Reports of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm included in Artivion’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for fiscal 2022 related to its audit of (i) Artivion’s consolidated financial statements and (ii) the effectiveness of Artivion’s internal controls over financial reporting. As of December 31, 2022, the Audit Committee continued to oversee Artivion’s efforts related to Artivion’s internal controls over financial reporting and management’s preparations for the evaluation thereof for fiscal 2022.

The Audit Committee reviewed with Ernst & Young LLP, who is responsible for expressing an opinion on the conformity of those audited financial statements with generally accepted accounting principles, their judgments as to the quality, not just the acceptability, of Artivion’s accounting principles and such other matters as are required to be discussed with the Audit Committee by the applicable requirements of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board and the Securities and Exchange Commission. Ernst & Young LLP also provided to the Audit Committee the written disclosures and the letter required by the applicable requirements of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board regarding Ernst & Young LLP’s communications with the Audit Committee concerning independence. The Audit Committee discussed with Ernst & Young LLP and management that firm’s independence from management and Artivion.

The Audit Committee discussed with Ernst & Young LLP the overall scope and plans for its audit. The Audit Committee met with Ernst & Young LLP, with and without management present, to discuss the results of its examination, its evaluation of Artivion’s internal controls, and the overall quality of Artivion’s financial reporting.

In connection with its review of Artivion’s accounting and financial controls, the Audit Committee discusses with management on a quarterly basis the adequacy of Artivion’s information security preparedness and the types of information technology risks, controls, and procedures and any related issues that could affect the adequacy of Artivion’s internal controls or general operations, including as they relate to information security. Assessments of Artivion’s information security program, including evaluations about its policies, procedures, infrastructure, access control, and change management, were performed by the independent external auditing firms Ernst & Young LLP, Hancock Askew & Co., LLP, and RWT Crowe GmbH.

In reliance on the reviews and discussions referred to above, the Audit Committee members did not become aware of any material misstatements in the audited financial statements and recommended to the Board of Directors that the audited financial statements be included in Artivion’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2022, for filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The Audit Committee has preliminarily approved Ernst & Young LLP as Artivion’s independent registered public accounting firm for fiscal 2023, pending final resolution of the terms of Artivion’s 2023 engagement letter with the firm.

Audit Committee
THOMAS F. ACKERMAN, CHAIR
DANIEL J. BEVEVINO
JEFFREY H. BURBANK

This foregoing audit committee report is not “soliciting material,” is not deemed “filed” with the SEC, and shall not be deemed incorporated by reference by any general statement incorporating by reference this Proxy Statement into any filing of the Company’s under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or under the Exchange Act, except to the extent the Company specifically incorporates this report by reference.

PROPOSAL TWO – ADVISORY VOTE ON EXECUTIVE OFFICER COMPENSATION

Artivion seeks a non-binding vote from its stockholders to approve the compensation paid to our Named Executive Officers, as disclosed in this Proxy Statement pursuant to Item 402 of Regulation S-K, including the Compensation Discussion and Analysis, compensation tables, and narrative discussion. This vote is commonly referred to as a “Say on Pay” vote because it gives stockholders an opportunity to express their approval or disapproval of the Company’s executive officer pay practices.

As discussed in detail in the Compensation Discussion and Analysis that follows, our executive officer compensation programs are designed to attract, retain, motivate, and reward executive officer talent that is able, and appropriately incented to, deliver on Artivion’s short and long-term growth, on other strategic objectives, and on Artivion’s commitments to its stockholders, in particular, long-term value creation. We believe that the form and amount of compensation we provide to our current Named Executive Officers appropriately reflects their extensive management experience, continued high performance, and exceptional service to Artivion and our stockholders.

During 2022, in addition to the continued impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the Company’s business (mostly from hospital-staffing shortages and hospital financial pressures), other unanticipated economic and regulatory challenges also impacted the Company’s business. Agile, resilient, and effective leadership from management was necessary—more than ever—to counteract these challenges and to continue to deliver on the Company’s growth objectives. Throughout the year, the Compensation Committee considered how to incent such leadership, maintain morale among the Company’s employees, including the executive team, and retain key leaders in light of the intense war for talent that persisted in 2022 and the decline in the Company’s stock price, which the Compensation Committee believed to be due mostly to macroeconomic factors or other factors over which management had limited-to-no control. The Compensation Committee particularly focused on ways that it could incent continued high performance from the Company’s executive leadership (in 2022 and beyond) during what was, and still is, a critical time for the Company given its growth objectives now and in the coming years, and in view of the above-referenced headwinds. To facilitate stockholders’ review of the executive officer compensation program, we are providing details regarding the program and the performance and payouts related thereto.

We invite you to consider the details of our executive officer compensation program as disclosed more fully throughout this Proxy Statement. Regardless of the outcome of this “Say on Pay” vote, Artivion welcomes input from its stockholders regarding executive officer compensation and other matters generally related to the Company’s success. We believe in a corporate governance structure that is responsive to stockholder concerns. We view this vote as a meaningful opportunity to gauge stockholder approval of our executive officer compensation policies. Given the information provided in this Proxy Statement, the Board of Directors asks you to approve the following advisory resolution:

“Resolved, that Artivion’s stockholders approve, on an advisory basis, the compensation paid to Artivion’s Named Executive Officers, as disclosed in this Proxy Statement.”

Required Vote

The votes cast for this proposal must exceed the votes cast against it in order for it to be approved. Accordingly, abstentions and broker non-votes will not be relevant to the outcome. As previously disclosed and approved by the stockholders, the Board of Directors currently submits a Say on Pay proposal annually. The annual frequency of this disclosure and approval was the subject of a vote of the stockholders at the Company’s 2017 Annual Meeting and was supported by more than 77% of stockholders who voted. The frequency of “Say on Pay” votes is up for consideration again by the stockholders at this year’s Annual Meeting (see Proposal Three at 70).

The Board of Directors’ Recommendation

THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS RECOMMENDS THAT YOU VOTE “FOR”
THE APPROVAL OF THE COMPENSATION PAID TO ARTIVION’S NAMED EXECUTIVE OFFICERS.

COMPENSATION DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS

This Compensation Discussion and Analysis describes the principles, objectives, and features of our executive compensation program as applied to our chief executive officer and the other named executive officers included in the Summary Compensation Table of this Proxy Statement (collectively, our “Named Executive Officers” or “NEOs”). For 2022, our NEOs were:

Executive Summary

The Compensation Committee (referred to in this section as the “Committee”) generally considers and approves executive officer compensation each year at a meeting held in the first quarter of the fiscal year. These compensation decisions take into account a variety of information and analyses, including, but not limited to, alignment of compensation vehicles with the Committee’s Compensation Philosophy, prior-year Company and individual executive officer performance (including the Company’s share price), current-year performance expectations and key business objectives, any changes in roles and responsibilities of executives, the external environment for talent, and competitive market data and market trends from various sources, including from the Committee’s independent compensation consultant and management.

2021 Say on Pay Vote and 2022 Program Decisions

At Artivion’s Annual Meeting of Stockholders on May 19, 2021, 97% of the stockholder votes cast were in favor of our NEOs’ 2020 compensation. This advisory vote indicated strong stockholder support for our executive officer compensation program, including our NEO compensation, and is consistent with the fact that over the past four years, on average, 96% of stockholder votes cast were in favor of our NEOs’ compensation.

The Committee considered these advisory vote results on the 2020 executive compensation plan as it made compensation decisions for 2022. Based in part on this consideration, and together with individual executive officer performance, retention considerations, and the Company’s actual and expected performance as of February 2022, including its share price, as well as competitive market data and recommendations from various sources, including from the Committee’s independent compensation consultant and management, in February 2022, the Committee considered modifications to the Company’s 2022 executive officer compensation programs as explained in more detail below and approved those modifications in April 2022.

During much of 2021, the COVID-19 pandemic, including related hospital-staffing shortages and hospital financial pressures, as well as supply-chain challenges (collectively, the “impact of COVID-19”) continued to have an adverse impact on the Company’s operations and its financial results. During the first several months of 2022, it did appear that the impact of COVID-19 may have started to dissipate, particularly the unpredictability of that impact. In view of this, the Committee considered the appropriate metrics and financial goals for the Company’s 2022 incentive programs and, in particular, whether it should not use non-financial metrics as the Committee had for the 2021 programs. Ultimately, as explained in more detail below, the Committee determined to use only full-year financial metrics for the 2022 incentive programs. The Committee then further considered the performance metrics and targets that would continue to incent the highest levels of performance from management during what was a critical time for the Company given its growth objectives, its commitments to deliver on stockholder value creation, and its desire to retain members of management it deemed key to the continued financial and operational success of the Company. The following is a summary of the Committee’s significant considerations and decisions made regarding NEO compensation for 2022:

•NEOs, except for Mr. Stanton who did not join Artivion until March 2021, received 2022 base salary increases of 3% (Mr. Stanton’s pro rata increase was 2.5%), based on considerations such as personal performance, Company performance, and market positioning;

•The Committee maintained the same percent-of-salary targets for 2022 cash bonuses that it used in 2021 to reflect Company performance and market positioning, at the following percentages of base salary: Mr. Mackin at 100%; Mr. Lee at 60%; and Ms. Holloway and Messrs. Davis and Stanton at 50%;

•As explained in more detail below, the Committee adopted the same constant currency revenue metric for the annual cash bonus plan and as one of two of the metrics for the annual performance share plan, concluding, with input from its advisors and management, that it was appropriate to use this metric across both plans because it continued to be one of the most significant drivers of Company performance and stockholder value creation for 2022. The payout for the cash bonus was capped at 200% overall of target, inclusive of any adjustments for personal performance;

•As explained in more detail below, the Committee returned to using adjusted EBITDA as the other metric for the annual performance share plan, concluding, with input from its advisors and management, that like constant currency revenue growth, adjusted EBITDA was an important indicator of Company performance and a significant driver of stockholder value creation for 2022. The performance share plan was capped at 150% with no modifier for personal performance;

•The Committee decided to maintain in 2022 the same types of annual equity vehicles (stock options, restricted stock awards, and performance stock units (“PSU”)) for officer annual long-term incentive awards that it had used in 2021 and prior years, as well as an equal allocation among the equity vehicles based on estimated grant date fair value;

•The Committee slightly increased the target annual equity value from 2021 to 2022 for all NEOs both as a reward for exceptional individual performance during the pandemic years of 2020 and 2021, and to bring annual equity targets more in-line with—but in all cases still slightly below—market medians for such officers, which medians have increased over the past several years. The target equity values for NEOs annual equity in 2022 were as follows: Mr. Mackin’s was $2,634,735; Mr. Lee’s was $632,700; Ms. Holloway’s was $485,000; Mr. Davis’s was $477,000; and Mr. Stanton’s was $465,000;

•Due to the uncertainty related to the continued impact of COVID-19 on the Company’s business, in the first quarter of 2022, the Committee adopted a framework for the cash bonus and performance stock plans and later, in April 2022, adopted the metrics for the 2022 incentive plans. The Committee finalized and approved the full-year financial metrics for both the 2022 cash bonus and performance share plans as follows: (a) for the cash bonus plan, a single metric of constant currency revenue growth in 2022 versus 2021 with a target of 9%; and (b) for the performance share plan, (1) a metric of constant currency revenue growth in 2022 versus 2021 (the same metric and target as the cash bonus plan) weighted at 50%, and (2) a metric based on performance to target adjusted EBITDA, also weighted at 50%;

•In February 2023, after considering the Company’s full-year financial results for 2022, the Committee determined that it was appropriate to make alterations to the adjusted EBITDA metric to account for two unanticipated external factors that were beyond management’s control and that negatively impacted the Company’s 2022 adjusted EBITDA—namely, the impact of foreign currency exchange rates (“FX”) (in the amount of $0.98M) and legal expenses (in the amount of $0.73M) that the Company was forced to incur to secure derogations that would allow it to continue to sell BioGlue in regions impacted by the Company’s loss of the BioGlue CE Mark at the end of 2021. The Committee also determined to adjust the revenue metric to exclude PerClot sales in 2021 and 2022 given that (1) the Company strategically divested the PerClot product line to Baxter Healthcare Corporation in 2021; (2) the exclusion of PerClot sales from 2022 and 2021 was required under the terms of the 2022 LTIP PSU (as defined below) and 2019 LTIP awards in order to ensure that management is appropriately incented to support strategic divestitures; and (3) for similar reasons, the Committee had excluded PerClot revenues for the second half of 2021 and 2020 when measuring revenue growth for the 2021 executive incentive plans;

•As explained in the Company’s previous proxy filings, in 2019, the Committee approved the “2019 LTIP,” a long-term incentive, performance-based equity grant, that included three performance periods, or “tranches,” spanning a total of five years. In the first quarter of 2021, even though the last year of the performance period for tranche one was 2021, it became evident that the first tranche of the Company’s 2019 LTIP, representing 60% of the entire award that was scheduled to vest over the three year period from 2021-2023, would not payout as a result of the unanticipated impact of COVID-19 in 2020 on the Company’s business performance. As a result, the Committee concluded that the first tranche of the 2019 LTIP would have no retentive value or incentivizing impact on executive behavior for 2021 (or beyond), during a crucial multi-year period when it was even more critical for the executive team to be focused on revenue growth and long-term value creation. Nonetheless, the Committee decided to make no mid-stream

adjustments to the 2019 LTIP and allowed the first tranche to payout at zero. The Committee decided, however, that the same considerations that led it to grant the 2019 LTIP in the first place—a focused incentive for management to deliver at least 9% constant currency revenue growth and an increasingly competitive external talent market—continued to be valid in 2021, particularly in light of the continued impact of COVID-19 into 2021. The Committee also wished to provide officers with the additional related incentive to drive recovery from COVID-19 in the Company’s 2021 business performance. Accordingly, the Committee decided to issue executives a one-year performance stock unit award (the “2021 LTIP PSU”) based on the same metrics that applied in the 2019 LTIP, with the exception of the elimination of the gross margin modifier. The Committee determined to eliminate the gross margin modifier for the 2021 LTIP PSU so that management would not be disincentivized from making continued significant investments in the business in 2021 to lay the groundwork for success in 2022 and beyond. The Committee also reduced the maximum target payout in the 2021 LTIP PSU to 200% (from 250% in the 2019 LTIP) for most NEOs to counterbalance the elimination of the gross margin modifier, as well as to level payouts among all executives;

•Based on those very same considerations, and to further incent executives to drive at least 9% constant currency revenue growth in 2022 and to align executives’ interests with those of stockholders, the Committee decided to issue executives a second, one-year performance stock unit award (the “2022 LTIP PSU”) based on the same metrics and targets that applied in the 2019 LTIP, again with the exception of the elimination of the gross margin modifier and the change to the maximum payout, and with the above-described, PerClot-related adjustment to constant currency revenue growth. As in 2021, the Committee determined that the 2022 LTIP PSU would be based on a number of shares, not overall value of shares at the time of grant, to reflect the fact that the share price in 2022 was lower than it had been in 2019 when the 2019 LTIP was granted. The target number of shares for NEOs under the 2022 LTIP PSU was one-third of the target number of shares in the first tranche of the 2019 LTIP as follows: Mr. Mackin’s was 20,202 shares; Mr. Lee’s was 3,367 shares; Ms. Holloway’s and Messrs. Davis’s and Stanton’s was 2,693 shares; and

•For the 2022 LTIP PSU, the Committee adopted a design metric of performance stock unit awards at 100% of payout based on the constant currency revenue growth rate of 9% in 2022 as compared with 2021, with a maximum payout of 200% of target.

•Unrelated to these 2022 compensation decisions, in light of a significant decline in the Company’s stock price in September and October 2022, related primarily to factors that the Committee believed to be independent of management’s performance, in November 2022, the Committee decided to accelerate into November 2022 a portion of the executives’ annual equity grants intended for 2023. These November 2022 grants, which consisted of Restricted Stock Units and stock options, were considered by the Committee to be part of executives’ 2023 compensation, and, therefore, the value of these November 2022 awards was deducted from the total 2023 target equity award level to determine the value of awards issued in February 2023. The November 2022 awards are included in the 2022 Summary Compensation Table at p. 44 due to the actual timing of the awards and regulatory requirements. The Committee decided to accelerate a portion of the 2023 annual equity grants to enhance the retentive and motivational impact of equity awarded to management and to address concerns about executive retention, in light of significant declines in the value of executives’ equity holdings in the Company and the competitive external marketplace for talent. In February 2023, the Committee approved the final portion of the 2023 annual equity grants, consisting of annual PSUs and LTIP performance-contingent shares. The table set forth on p. 40 reflects the executives’ actual 2022 equity compensation, exclusive of these November 2022 grant values.

Pay-for-Performance Alignment, Including Incentive Plan Designs and Metrics

The Committee believes it has developed a compensation program that ensures that the interests of the Company’s executive officers, including its NEOs, are aligned with those of its stockholders by strongly linking executive officer compensation with Company and personal performance at levels such that executive officers are incented to drive long-term value creation, especially given the Company’s growth objectives in the coming years. The key pay-for-performance aspects of the 2022 executive officer compensation program are described below:

•50% or more of each NEO’s total target direct compensation is in the form of variable pay tied to individual and Company performance;

•Short-term incentives are designed to be based significantly on constant currency revenue growth, a factor that is believed to create significant stockholder value creation, and over which executive officers are believed to have substantial control and that is intended to incentivize executive officers to achieve Company target performance on this key financial metric;

•Targets for short-term incentive opportunities are set at challenging levels designed to incentivize executive officers to achieve business growth at or above levels expected by stockholders, while setting up the Company for long-term success and continued growth;

•Annual long-term incentive opportunities are equity-based and include stock options, which only provide value to executive officers if the stock price increases beyond the grant date price, and performance stock units, which are designed to be earned only if specified results at challenging levels for revenue and adjusted EBITDA, as defined below, are attained, thereby incentivizing executive officer performance that furthers the Company’s strategic goals and drives stockholder value. Such performance stock units, however, are not fully earned if such challenging levels are not met, as was the case with the first tranche of the 2019 LTIP, and, as explained below, with the 2022 annual performance share award;

•NEOs are subject to stock ownership requirements to ensure alignment with stockholders and to encourage executive officers to maintain a long-term view of Company performance; and

•Our Clawback Policy is designed to diminish the likelihood that executive officers unjustly benefit in cash or equity from material misstatements in our financial statements.

As described in this Proxy Statement, in 2022, the executive officer compensation program effectively delivered pay-for-performance as follows:

•In 2022, we achieved above-target constant currency revenue growth of 9.8% (target was 9%), resulting in an above-target payout at 111.4% of target for the cash bonus program and for the revenue component of the annual performance share plan, as well as an above-target payout of 140% of target for the 2022 LTIP PSU; and

•Our 2022 adjusted EBITDA was at 87.1% of target performance (i.e., $39,084,000 versus a target of $44,868,000), leading to a below-target payout at 65.6% of target for this component of the annual performance share plan, and, when combined with the 111.4% payout for the revenue component of the annual performance share plan, ultimately resulting in performance stock units paying out below-target at 88.5% of the target award level.

Throughout this Proxy Statement, we refer to the revenue and adjusted EBITDA performance measures as reported in our 2022 Form 10-K filed on February 23, 2023, which is attached as Appendix A to this Proxy Statement.

Roles and Responsibilities

Compensation Committee

The Committee determines and approves the compensation of Artivion’s executive officers, including the NEOs, except that it jointly determines and approves with the Corporate Governance Committee the compensation of Artivion’s Chief Executive Officer. The Committee is supported by the Chief Executive Officer, other executive officer management, an independent compensation consultant, and other advisors that the Committee, or management on its behalf, consults from time to time, as well as information and data supplied by each of these persons. The consultant attends Committee meetings when invited and provides input, information, and data as requested by the Committee. The Committee regularly meets in executive session without the Chief Executive Officer or any members of management present. For 2022, the Committee made compensation decisions based on its own considerations and analyses, the Compensation Philosophy of the Committee, as well as on information provided by and recommendations from the Committee’s independent compensation consultant, other advisors, and management. Our Chief Executive Officer does not exercise any decision-making authority over his own compensation or participate in Compensation or Corporate Governance Committee meetings or Board meetings regarding his own compensation, except to discuss his own performance and compensation with those Committees or the Board during his annual performance review.

Independent Compensation Consultant

The Committee has the authority to engage consultants, including compensation consultants, to assist with its responsibilities. With respect to general executive officer compensation decisions made during fiscal 2022 and regarding 2022 compensation, the Committee retained Willis Towers Watson as its primary compensation consultant for general executive officer compensation matters. The compensation consultant reports directly to the Committee, is directed by the Committee, and provides only those services authorized by the Committee. The compensation consultant provides no other

services to Artivion. The compensation consultant generally performs an annual review of officer compensation and biennial review of non-employee director compensation, analyzes the relationship between executive officer pay, including that of our Chief Executive Officer, and Company performance, compares executive officer and non-employee director compensation against such compensation of appropriate comparable companies and industry standards, informs the Committee of emerging practices and trends, assists with special projects at the request of the Committee, and attends Committee meetings when invited. In February 2022, and again in February 2023, the Committee assessed the independence of Willis Towers Watson pursuant to applicable SEC and NYSE rules and concluded that Willis Towers Watson was independent and its work for the Committee did not raise any conflict-of-interest concerns.

Compensation Philosophy and Objectives

The Committee’s Compensation Philosophy is to attract, retain, motivate, and reward executive officer talent that has the capability, and is appropriately incented, to deliver on the Company’s short and long-term growth and other strategic objectives and on the Company’s commitments to its stockholders, in particular long-term value creation. To that end, the Company has designed the compensation program to align with corporate strategy and short-term and long-term objectives, achieve market competitiveness, emphasize pay-for-performance, align with stockholder interests, balance the interests of key stakeholders, incent management to address unforeseen challenges, and recognize the unique attributes specific to Artivion and its executive officer team. Each primary component of compensation is intended to accomplish one or more of these objectives, as summarized in the table below.

Compensation Mix

The Committee approves the primary components of the executive officer compensation program and generally intends for it to provide more variable pay opportunities than fixed pay opportunities and to place significant weight on long-term incentive opportunities. The Committee believes that this results in a pay program that aligns pay and performance. The following table summarizes the original target pay mix for the NEOs for fiscal 2022 as determined by the Committee in February 2022.

⁽¹⁾ Salary was set by the Committee in February 2022.

⁽²⁾ Unlike in 2021, Short-Term Incentive (cash bonus) was tied only to financial metrics.

⁽³⁾ Long-Term Incentive - Annual Equity and 2022 LTIP PSU (Grant Date Fair Value at target) is based on a grant date closing share price of $18.44.

⁽⁴⁾ Salary as a percentage of Target Total Direct Compensation.

⁽⁵⁾ Short-Term Incentive plus Long-Term Incentive as a percentage of Target Total Direct Compensation.

⁽⁶⁾Salary plus Short-Term Incentive as a percentage of Target Total Direct Compensation.

⁽⁷⁾Long-Term Incentive as a percentage of Target Total Direct Compensation.

Market Analysis

As part of its decision-making process, the Committee requests and reviews relevant market data regarding executive officer compensation levels, Company performance, and the relative relationship between executive officer pay and Company performance. However, the Committee views this data as one of many inputs into its decision-making process, which also includes other assessments of the Company’s performance, assessments of each executive officer’s performance, the need to address unforeseen challenges, significant changes in roles and responsibilities, internal pay equity among executive officers, and retention considerations.

Each year, the Committee reviews and considers an executive officer compensation study prepared by Willis Towers Watson, additional compensation data provided by management, and internal equity information. The executive officer compensation study is typically completed in the fourth quarter of the fiscal year and is used to inform the Committee’s decisions regarding the subsequent fiscal year’s compensation. Accordingly, the relevant study and market information reviewed by the Committee with regard to fiscal 2022 officer compensation was presented to the Committee in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2021. We refer to this study as the “2021 Study.” The Committee reconsidered the 2021 Study for continued applicability at its first quarter 2022 meetings. As in prior years, the 2021 Study assessed both the competitiveness of pay levels, generally and by some specific positions, as well as the alignment of pay with Company performance.

The Company’s 2022 compensation peer group, which is described in more detail below, had median revenues, based on the latest figures available at the time the 2021 Study was prepared, of $278.1 million and median market capitalization as of June 2021 of $1.25 billion. In addition to using officer pay information as disclosed by companies in the compensation peer group, the 2021 Study used survey data drawn from two compensation surveys of U.S. companies, including medical device and healthcare companies with targeted revenues of $200 million - $1 billion, in order to approximate the Company’s estimated revenue for 2022. With respect to all NEOs included in the 2021 Study, the data in the study was a blend of the 2021 peer group and the survey information. In each case, Willis Towers Watson trended the compensation data forward to January 1, 2022 by a factor of 3.0%. We refer to the blended 2021 peer group and survey compensation data for all NEOs as the “2022 Peer Group Information.”

The following peer companies were used for the 2021 Study.

⁽¹⁾The Committee believed that the pay practices of these companies provided a useful reference point for pay and performance comparisons at Artivion, especially considering Artivion’s anticipated growth.

⁽²⁾Latest FYE revenue, in millions, at the time the peer group was developed.

The following survey sources were used in the 2021 Study:

•2021 Willis Towers Watson US General Industry Executive Compensation Survey; and

•2021 Radford Executive Survey.

The peer companies were recommended by Willis Towers Watson and considered and approved by the Committee. In approving the peer group, the Committee considered the fact that each company is (or was at the time) publicly-traded, operates in a similar industry, is similar in size, scope, and complexity, and is reasonably representative of our pool for executive officer talent, although Artivion routinely recruits from much larger medical device companies. The Committee also concluded that the companies are (or were at the time) within a reasonable range of Artivion’s historical, current, or projected revenues. Nonetheless, the Committee reviews and considers changes to the peer group and survey sources in connection with each year’s study. It does so to ensure that the peer group and survey sources continue to reflect appropriate reference points for Artivion. For example, in the third quarter of 2022, for purposes of evaluating the compensation to be paid to executives in fiscal year 2023, the Committee (at the recommendation of Willis Towers Watson) made several changes to the peer group that the Committee used for its current-year analysis, namely: (1) Natus Medical Incorporated was removed; (2) Tandem Diabetes Care, Inc. and OraSure Technologies, Inc. were removed; and (3) AxoGen, Inc. and Avanos Medical, Inc. were added to the peer group. These changes were made to the peer group to be used for benchmarking 2023 executive compensation to address, among other things, consolidation and other strategic transactions in the medical device industry in 2021 and 2022, certain differences that diminish the applicability or availability of the other entities’ executive compensation information (e.g., PE or family-backed businesses), and to ensure an appropriate balance of medical device companies with whom the Company competes for talent, both in terms of revenue, projected revenue growth, market capitalization, and workforce size.

2022 Compensation Components

The primary components of Artivion’s executive officer compensation program are base salary, short-term incentives, and long-term incentives. Artivion also provides executive officers with tax-deferred savings opportunities, participation in Company-wide benefits programs, and limited perquisites.

2022 Base Salary

The Committee generally reviews base salary levels each February as part of its overall review and approval of the executive officer compensation program. Based on its review in late 2021 and early 2022, the Committee determined it was appropriate to increase NEOs’ base salaries 3.0% above 2021 levels, with Mr. Stanton’s increase being pro-rated to 2.5%.

Analysis

The 2021 Study showed that the base salaries for our NEOs were within a competitive range of 93-108% of the median for similarly situated employees at companies in the Company’s peer group. Based on input from management and in consultation with Willis Towers Watson, the Committee approved merit increases for 2022 for all executive officers of 3.0%, with the exception of (i) executive officers whose employment responsibilities or job title had changed between 2021 and 2022 or (ii) executive officers that did not hold their position for the entirety of 2021. In approving salary increases for NEOs, the Committee considered current market positioning, both individual and Company performance during 2021, and the Company’s budget for salary increases generally for all employees.

2022 Short-Term Incentives – The 2022 Cash Bonus Plan

The Committee adopted the “2022 Cash Bonus Plan” as set forth above at page 25.

Analysis – Program Design

The table below shows the performance metrics set for the 2022 Cash Bonus Plan as finalized in April 2022.

See Appendix A to this Proxy Statement for further details regarding the revenue performance measure.

The Committee believed that the 2022 threshold and target performance levels for the constant currency revenue metric were challenging and would drive stockholder value creation. In addition, the 2022 revenue target performance level was within the range of 2022 product and service revenue guidance publicly announced by Artivion.

For the 2022 Cash Bonus Plan, the performance metric was revised from 2021 by eliminating non-financial metrics, with a 100% payout for performance at target levels, a 200% total cap on payout, and the following additional primary features:

•Entire-Year, Financial Metric of Revenue Growth Rate, Constant Currency (2022 v. 2021) (100% of payout):

oPayout levels shown in the above “2022 Performance Goals” table; and

•Each individual executive officer’s short-term incentive was then subject to an increase of up to 20% based on the executive officer’s personal performance, subject to the 200% overall cap discussed above.

In arriving at its decision to approve the 2022 final metric and payouts, the Committee took into consideration the following:

•The Committee’s belief that the core plan design and its pay-for-performance orientation achieved the objectives of the Committee’s Compensation Philosophy;

•The Committee’s belief that the achievement of target constant currency revenue growth was key to incentivizing executive officers to achieve Company performance that will further the Company’s strategic business plan and ultimately deliver value to stockholders, without encouraging excessive risk taking by executive officers;

•The plan’s similarity to the short-term incentive plans of the Company’s peer group companies;

•The still-present “war for talent” and challenging labor market in 2022;

•Artivion’s 2021 performance, and whether any changes to performance metrics were required to achieve 2022 business goals; and

•Recent historical payout levels that the Committee believed indicated that performance goals over the last few years had been set at reasonably challenging levels.

The Committee sets short-term incentive opportunities, in conjunction with a review of base salaries, as part of executive officers’ overall target total cash compensation. The Committee decided to use for 2022 a single financial metric, believing that such a metric would continue to motivate executive officers to achieve financial measures core to stockholder value creation, as well as contribute to the Company’s success in 2022 and beyond. The Committee also believed that, with the lessened, but more predictable, impact of COVID-19 on our business, using a personal performance metric modifier for the overall bonus would continue to reflect the Committee’s intent to align pay with performance. Overall, the Committee believed the 2022 Cash Bonus Plan was appropriately incentivizing given the executive officers’ roles and authority within Artivion, and that the size of the incentives was appropriate based on the 2022 Peer Group Information and internal pay equity considerations.

Analysis – Plan Payout

The 2022 Cash Bonus Plan payouts in early 2023 were based on actual financial performance results of Artivion relative to the predetermined goal, which exceeded the target for payout under the plan. Specifically, the Company achieved 9.8% constant currency revenue growth in 2022 as compared to 2021. That level of constant currency revenue growth resulted in a payout of 111.4% of target.

Mr. Mackin’s 2022 Cash Bonus Plan payout in early 2023 was also based on the same considerations. The Board of Directors reviewed Mr. Mackin’s individual performance relative to his individual goals for 2022 and, after receiving the Committee’s certification of the 2022 performance metric and the Committee’s recommendation, approved the Chief Executive Officer’s bonus payout at the amount set forth below.

The following tables show the performance results for the 2022 performance metrics, the payout, and that there were no adjustments to the short-term incentive paid to each NEO.

2022 Long-Term Incentives – Annual Equity

Based on input from management and in consultation with Willis Towers Watson, the Committee considered the Annual Long-Term Incentive Program, and in the design of the 2022 program, determined to continue with the 2021 program’s mix of equity awards as an equal one-third allocation of total value among stock options, restricted stock units, and performance stock units. This mix may be altered for executive officers located outside of the U.S. to accommodate local tax issues.

The Committee determined that the estimated grant date fair value of the awards under the Annual Long-Term Incentive Program in 2022 would be established at the levels disclosed in the table below to remain market competitive, as reflected in the 2021 Study. Market comparisons were based on the Company’s current financial statistics such as annual revenue and market cap, as well as the anticipated growth of the Company, as well as the continued increase in the complexity of the Company’s business following the acquisitions of JOTEC AG in fiscal 2017 and Ascyrus Medical LLC in fiscal 2020, the distribution agreement with Endospan, which commenced in 2019, and the Company’s rapid growth in international markets, in particular the Asia Pacific and Latin American markets during 2021 and continuing into 2022.

To determine the number of shares of restricted stock units, target performance stock units, and options to be granted, the Committee directed management to determine the number of units of restricted stock and target performance stock units using the closing share price of the Company’s stock on the grant date, and to also determine the number of stock options using the estimated fair value of the options as of the same date. Grants generally were made on the first permissible trading day following the Committee’s approval of such awards. In this instance, grant values approved by the Committee were converted to units using a stock price of $18.44, the closing price on February 23, 2022, the date the grants were made.

For 2022, and as further described under Analysis below, the performance stock units are subject to two performance measures: (1) constant currency revenue growth in 2022 as compared to 2021, weighted at 50%; and (2) performance to target adjusted EBITDA in 2022, also weighted at 50%. See Appendix A to this Proxy Statement for further details regarding the revenue and adjusted EBITDA performance measures.

The following table provides the 2022 equity awarded through the Annual Long-Term Incentive Program to the NEOs as approved by the Committee.

⁽¹⁾Reflects the target performance stock unit award level. The actual number of shares earned under the performance stock units was based on performance factors determined by the Committee. Actual earned shares vest 50% on the first anniversary of the award date or the first available date after the Committee certifies the prior year’s financial metric results, whichever is later (determined to be February 23, 2023, the first anniversary of the award date); 25% on the second anniversary of the award date; and 25% on the third anniversary of the award date.

⁽²⁾ Stock options vest 1/3 per year beginning on the first anniversary of the grant date.

⁽³⁾ Restricted stock units cliff vest on the third anniversary of the grant date.

Analysis – Program Design

In approving the 2022 long-term incentive grant values awarded through the Annual Long-Term Incentive Plan, in February 2022, the Committee considered the following factors:

•Updated market competitiveness analysis by the independent compensation consultant;

•Increased size, geographic scope, and business complexity of the Company following integration of JOTEC AG, the acquisition of Ascyrus Medical LLC, the distribution agreement with Endospan, Ltd., and continued expansion into Asia and Latin America, resulting in significant growth in those regions;

•2021 personal and Company performance;

•The Committee’s continued desire to have an even mix of value among stock options, restricted stock, and performance stock units for the annual awards;

•The compensation program’s design, which emphasizes pay-for-performance and aligns executive officer performance (and resulting compensation) with stockholder interests;

•Performance and retention incentives achieved through the use of annual equity grants; and

•The parameters of Artivion’s stockholder-approved equity plan, the 2020 ECIP, and the availability of shares under that plan.

The Committee determined vesting schedules in consultation with Willis Towers Watson and management and believed that such vesting provided the appropriate long-term incentive and retention for executive officers’ continued employment. All annual long-term incentive (time-based) awards vest over a three-year period.

For PSUs, the Committee used a design metric of: (1) constant currency revenue growth in 2022 as compared to 2021, weighted at 50%; and (2) performance to target adjusted EBITDA in 2022, also weighted at 50%, concluding, with input from its advisors and management, that it was appropriate to do so because, in the Committee’s estimation, these were the most significant drivers of Company performance and stockholder value creation in 2022. The Committee capped maximum payouts under this program at 150% of the target award. See Appendix A for further details regarding the revenue and adjusted EBITDA measures.

Analysis – Plan Payout – PSUs Earned

In arriving at its decision in February 2023 to certify the PSUs earned by NEOs, the Committee took into consideration the Company’s actual performance results relative to the above-described metrics. The following table presents the threshold, target, and maximum performance levels associated with threshold, target, and maximum award opportunities, which fall on a sliding scale for the 2022 annual PSU award grants. The table also provides the actual performance level for 2022, as certified by the Committee, together with the associated level of shares that were earned.

See Appendix A for further details regarding the revenue and adjusted EBITDA measures.

The 2022 PSU payouts in early 2023 were based on the same constant currency revenue growth results set forth above with respect to the 2022 Cash Bonus Plan, combined with the adjusted EBITDA results set forth in the above table, resulting in a payout of 88.5% of target.

The performance stock unit awards will vest based on the executive officer’s continued service: 50% of the shares earned vested on February 23, 2023 (following the Committee’s certification of the adjusted payout of shares under the performance metric); 25% of the shares earned will vest on February 23, 2024; and the remaining 25% of the shares earned will vest on February 23, 2025, assuming the executive officer continues to be employed by the Company on those dates, the Committee takes no action to waive the employment requirement, or the executive officer has retired in accordance with the definition of Retirement set forth in Artivion’s PSU grant agreement.

The following table shows the target payout and the adjusted payout of PSUs granted to each NEO based upon the 2022 performance metrics.

2022 Long-Term Incentives – 2022 LTIP PSU and Program Design

As previously discussed, in February 2022, the Committee also decided to award executives the 2022 LTIP PSU, pursuant to the metrics, number of shares, and maximum payouts as set forth above at 28.

For 2022, and as further described under Analysis below, the 2022 LTIP PSU was subject to a single performance measure—constant currency revenue growth in 2022 as compared to 2021. See Appendix A to this Proxy Statement for further details regarding the revenue performance measure.

The following table provides the 2022 target shares awarded through the 2022 LTIP PSU to the NEOs as approved by the Committee. The target number of shares under the 2022 LTIP PSU was one-third of the target number of shares in the first tranche of the 2019 LTIP (which, again, was completely forfeited as of December 31, 2021).

⁽¹⁾Reflects the target 2022 LTIP PSU award level. The actual number of shares earned under the 2022 LTIP PSU plan was based on a performance factor determined by the Committee. Actual earned shares cliff vest on the first anniversary of the award date or the first available date after the Committee certifies the prior year’s financial metric results, whichever is later (determined to be February 23, 2023, the first anniversary of the award date).

Analysis – Plan Payout – 2022 LTIP PSUs Earned

In arriving at its decision in February 2023 to certify the 2022 LTIP PSUs earned by NEOs, the Committee took into consideration the Company’s actual performance results relative to the above-described financial metrics (see page 26). The following table presents the threshold, target, and maximum performance levels associated with threshold, target, and maximum award opportunities, which fall on a sliding scale for the 2022 LTIP PSU award grants. The table also provides the actual performance level for 2022, as certified by the Committee, together with the associated level of shares that were earned.

See Appendix A for further details regarding the revenue measure.

The 2022 LTIP PSU payouts in early 2023 were based on actual financial performance results of Artivion relative to the pre-determined goals set forth above, which exceeded the target for payout under the plan. This level of constant currency revenue growth resulted in a payout of 140% of target.

The 2022 LTIP PSU awards vested on February 23, 2023 (following the Committee’s certification of the adjusted payout of shares under the performance metric).

The following table shows the target payout and the adjusted payout of 2022 LTIP PSUs granted to each NEO.

2022 Annual Target Total Direct Compensation

The Committee believed that the blend of annual salary, cash bonus, stock options, restricted stock units, and PSUs (including the 2022 LTIP PSU) appropriately achieved the performance, stockholder alignment, and retention objectives of Artivion’s compensation program. The Committee believes that the use of multiple award types is a common practice among industry peers and that the use of PSUs creates an even stronger alignment between pay and performance. The Committee believes that, in addition to incenting long-term performance, annual equity awards encourage continuous performance and retention by reflecting Company success (and changes in the stock price) year over year.

The Committee used a value-based approach, rather than number of shares, to determine the size of 2022 annual equity grants, as it believed that such an approach more accurately matched the intended value of the equity and intended compensation. For the 2022 LTIP PSU, the Committee used number of shares for the reasons set forth above at page 26. The Committee applied vesting schedules for the 2022 equity awards that it believes provided the appropriate annual long-term incentive to retain executive officers.

In determining the individual components of the executive officers’ 2022 annual compensation (i.e., salary, target short-term incentive, and annual long-term incentive), the Committee evaluated the resulting target annual total direct compensation against market benchmarks, as set forth below, accounting for the Committee’s desire to have target annual total direct compensation generally within a competitive range of the Company’s peer group median. The following table summarizes the NEOs’ 2022 target annual total direct compensation, the peer group median, and the primary rationale for each NEO’s compensation at the level shown.

⁽¹⁾Equity grant value based on a grant date closing stock price of $18.44 for the restricted stock and performance stock units (Annual and 2022 LTIP PSU), as well as a grant date Black-Scholes Option Value of $6.94. Performance stock units are included at target award levels/values.

⁽²⁾Based on data provided by Willis Towers Watson in the 2021 Study.

⁽³⁾Competitive range for Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer, and Senior Vice Presidents total direct compensation is intended to be positioned at the market median; however, including the 2022 LTIP PSU grant value, total direct compensation is intended to fall between the market median and 75^th percentile, driven by superior performance. Willis Towers Watson provided guidance for compensation for all the NEOs in the 2021 Study.

2019 Long-Term Incentives – Tranche Two of the 2019 LTIP and Program Design

As previously discussed, in February 2019, the Committee approved the 2019 LTIP, a long-term incentive, performance-based equity grant, that included three performance periods, or “tranches,” spanning a total of five years. The second tranche of the 2019 LTIP covered fiscal 2022.

For the second tranche of the 2019 LTIP, and as further described under Analysis below, the 2019 LTIP was subject to a single performance measure—constant currency revenue growth in 2022 as compared to 2021 subject to a gross margin modifier. See Appendix A to this Proxy Statement for further details regarding the revenue performance measure.

The following table provides the target shares awarded through the 2019 LTIP to the NEOs as approved by the Committee. The target number of shares under tranche two of the 2019 LTIP was one-fifth of the target number of shares in all three tranches of the 2019 LTIP.

⁽¹⁾Reflects the target tranche two 2019 LTIP award level. The actual number of shares earned under tranche two of the 2019 LTIP was based on a performance factor determined by the Committee. Actual earned shares cliff vested on the fourth anniversary of the original 2019 LTIP award date or the first available date after the Committee certifies the prior year’s financial metric results, whichever is later (determined to be March 1, 2023, the fourth anniversary of the original 2019 LTIP award date).

Analysis – Plan Payout – 2019 LTIP PSUs Earned

In arriving at its decision in February 2023 to certify the tranche two 2019 LTIP PSUs earned by NEOs, the Committee took into consideration the Company’s actual performance results relative to the above-described financial metrics (see page 26). The following table presents the threshold, target, and maximum performance levels associated with threshold, target, and maximum award opportunities, which fall on a sliding scale for the tranche two 2019 LTIP award grants. The table also provides the actual performance level for 2022, as certified by the Committee, together with the associated level of shares that were earned.

See Appendix A for further details regarding the revenue measure.

The tranche two 2019 LTIP payouts in early 2023 were based on actual financial performance results of Artivion relative to the pre-determined goals set forth above, which exceeded the target for payout under the plan. This level of constant currency revenue growth resulted in a payout of 160% of target for all NEOs except for the Company’s CEO, Mr. Mackin, who is subject to a different payout scale and lower payouts at maximum performance (for Mr. Mackin, the maximum is 166.66% of target). In addition, payouts were subject to an 85% gross margin modifier as a result of the Company failing to achieve a gross margin of at least 66% in fiscal 2022 (the Company’s gross margin was 65%), which resulted in a final payout of 136% for all NEOs except for Mr. Mackin, whose final payout was 108%. Unprecedented levels of inflation primarily drove the Company’s underperformance on gross margin, a factor over which management had no control. Nonetheless, the Committee determined to make no adjustments for inflation, given the plan’s design and that the 2022 LTIP PSU was not subject to a gross margin modifier.

The tranche two 2019 LTIP awards vested on March 1, 2023 (following the Committee’s certification of the adjusted payout of shares under the performance metric).

The following table shows the target payout and the adjusted payout of 2019 LTIP PSUs granted to each NEO.

November 2022 Acceleration of a Portion of the 2023 Annual Equity Grant

During 2022, the Company faced several unanticipated negative economic and regulatory headwinds, including, but not limited to, the cessation of the Company’s pivotal PROACT Xa clinical trial. Cumulatively, by late-October 2022, these factors had caused a decline in the Company’s stock price, related primarily to factors independent of management’s performance. The Company’s stock price trended similar to those of other medical device companies, particularly small cap medical technology companies such as ours. This decline reduced significantly the retentive value of executives’ equity holdings, which by late-October 2022 had declined by more than 50% since January 2021, with nearly six years of options underwater.

Accordingly, in Q4 2022, as set forth in the 8-K issued by the Company on November 9, 2022, the Committee, based on input from Willis Towers Watson, decided to accelerate into November 2022 a portion of the executives’ 2023 annual equity grant in the form of RSUs and options. The acceleration of the grant was meant to enhance the retentive and motivational impact of the award and to address concerns about executive retention, in light of significant declines in the value of executives’ equity holdings in the Company and the competitive external marketplace for talent at an important time for the Company in terms of execution on its strategy. The November 2022 grant was not intended to be additional compensation for 2022 or to be additive to an executives’ 2023 compensation; nor did it change the performance period for executives’ 2023 compensation, which is still the full 2023 calendar year. It was only intended to be an acceleration of a portion of the fiscal 2023 annual equity grant, the remainder of which would be granted in February 2023 dependent upon share count and business considerations.

The Committee determined to make the remainder, if any, of the annual equity grant in February 2023 as performance shares, consistent with its Compensation Philosophy and prior practices to use three different equity vehicles to incent executive performance and align executives’ interests with those of stockholders. In February 2023, the Committee approved this remainder of the 2023 annual grant in performance shares, with metrics nearly identical to those associated with the February 2022 annual PSU grant, as set forth in the below table. This resulted in, inclusive of the November 2022 grant, 2023 annual executive grants at target within the range of the 50^th percentile of updated market/peer references for 2023 executive compensation. As in prior years, the 2023 annual equity grant (inclusive of the November 2022 grant), when combined with a 2023 LTIP PSU identical to the 2022 LTIP PSU and tranche 3 of the 2019 LTIP, gave executives the potential through superior performance to earn equity payouts up to the 75^th percentile.

⁽¹⁾This amount represents the total compensation for 2021 as reported in the Summary Compensation Table on page 44.

⁽²⁾This amount represents the total compensation for 2022 as reported in the Summary Compensation Table on page 44, exclusive of the 2023 accelerated annual RSU and options grants. The total grant date fair values of those accelerated 2023 RSU and option grants were as follows: Mr. Mackin’s was $2,580,004; Mr. Lee’s was $809,998; Ms. Holloway’s was $495,000; Mr. Davis’s was $492,001; and Mr. Stanton’s was $428,998.

⁽¹⁾Reflects the target performance stock unit award level. The actual number of shares earned under the performance stock units is based on performance factors determined by the Committee. Actual earned shares vest 50% on the first anniversary of the award date or the first available date after the Committee certifies the prior year’s financial metric results, whichever is later; 25% on the second anniversary of the award date; and 25% on the third anniversary of the award date.

⁽²⁾ Stock options vest 1/3 per year beginning on the first anniversary of the grant date.

⁽³⁾ Restricted stock units cliff vest on the third anniversary of the grant date.

The Company will provide greater detail regarding the 2023 annual equity grant in its 2024 proxy statement.

Equity and Cash Incentive Plans

In May 2015, the stockholders approved certain amendments to the 2009 Equity and Cash Incentive Plan (the “2009 ECIP”) that were recommended by the Board of Directors based on management’s recommendation and in consultation with Willis Towers Watson. The 2015 amendments included new provisions for cash-based incentive payments that were intended to comply with the requirements to be “qualified performance-based compensation” under Section 162(m) (“Section 162(m)”) of the Internal Revenue Code (as amended, the “Code”). In May 2016, the stockholders approved certain further amendments to the 2009 ECIP that were also recommended by the Board of Directors based on management’s recommendation and in consultation with Willis Towers Watson. The 2016 amendments included a separate, lower cap for awards to individual non-employee directors and a higher annual cap for awards to individual employees. In May 2018, the stockholders approved a proposal for authorization of an additional 1.9 million shares for the 2009 ECIP, which were registered in February 2019. The 2009 ECIP expired May 21, 2021.

At the 2020 Annual Meeting, the stockholders approved the 2020 ECIP and 2,675,000 shares of initial funding. All equity and incentive cash compensation delivered for work or performance in 2022 was issued under the 2020 ECIP.

2022 Deferred Compensation

The Artivion, Inc. Executive Deferred Compensation Plan allows certain key employees of Artivion, including the NEOs, to defer receipt of up to 75% of each of their salaries, commissions, and/or the cash portion of any bonus awarded pursuant to the short-term executive officer incentive plan. The plan’s administrative committee, subject to ratification and approval of the Committee, establishes the maximum and minimum percentages of bonus awards that plan participants may defer in each plan year. For 2022, these percentages ranged from 0 to 75% for each of base salary and commissions and were 0% of the annual cash bonus. Because this plan provides for tax-deferred growth of deferred compensation, it is an incentive that the Company uses to attract and retain executive officer-level talent.

2022 Perquisites

It is Artivion’s policy not to provide perquisites to its executive officers without prior approval of the Committee. To the extent that perquisites are incidental to a business-related expense, such as personal use of a business club, the NEOs are generally required to reimburse Artivion for any incremental cost of such personal benefit. Other than these incidental personal benefits, none of our NEOs receive any perquisites that are not also provided on a non-discriminatory basis to all full-time employees, except for Mr. Mackin, whose compensation is discussed at Employment, Separation and Release, and Change of Control Agreements below, and except for supplemental disability insurance and airline club memberships provided to certain of the NEOs. In keeping with Artivion’s practice with respect to all full-time employees, NEOs are also eligible to receive certain benefits upon achieving employment milestones, including receiving $5,000 upon reaching 15 years of service with Artivion and $10,000 upon reaching 20 and 25 years of service with Artivion.

Employment, Separation and Release, and Change of Control Agreements

Employment Agreement with J. Patrick Mackin

In July 2014, the Board of Directors appointed Mr. Mackin as President and Chief Executive Officer effective September 3, 2014, and Artivion and Mr. Mackin entered into an employment agreement (the “Mackin Agreement”). The Mackin Agreement addresses Mr. Mackin’s role and responsibilities as our President and Chief Executive Officer, his rights to compensation and benefits during active employment, and his termination benefits. The Board of Directors determined that it was appropriate to provide Mr. Mackin with an employment agreement due to the Company’s desire to attract and retain high-performing individuals for this role.

The material terms of the Mackin Agreement and his potential termination payments are further described and quantified at Potential Payments Upon Termination or Change of Control – J. Patrick Mackin beginning on page 54.

Employment Agreements with Other Named Executive Officers

Artivion is not party to employment agreements with Messrs. Lee, Davis, or Stanton or with Ms. Holloway that provide any guarantee of employment. They are at-will employees.

Change of Control Agreements with Other Named Executive Officers

On November 21, 2016, Artivion entered into change of control agreements with Mr. Lee, Ms. Holloway, and Mr. Davis. In August 2022, Artivion entered into new change of control agreements with Mr. Lee, Ms. Holloway, and Mr. Davis; however, these new agreements contained only minor, non-substantive revisions to reflect Artivion’s rebranding and reincorporation in Delaware. Mr. Mackin’s change of control arrangements are set forth in the Mackin Agreement. The change of control agreements, which automatically renew absent Company action, generally provide that the Company will pay a severance payment if the NEO is terminated by the Company without cause or the NEO terminates his or her own employment for good reason during a period extending from six months before to two years after a change of control of Artivion. This is a “double-trigger” provision that requires not only a change of control of Artivion but also an employment action before payments are required pursuant to the agreements. The Committee approved termination payments under the agreements for certain NEOs based on their officer status and ability to influence decisions regarding whether or not a change of control transaction should be pursued, with Mr. Lee receiving a payment of 2 times base salary and cash bonus plus healthcare coverage and Ms. Holloway and Mr. Davis each receiving a payment of 1.5 times base salary and cash bonus plus healthcare coverage.

Additional Policies and Practices

Clawback Policy

Artivion has a standalone Clawback Policy that requires the Company to recover excess incentive compensation—in cash bonus or equity form—that was paid to any current or former officer during the three fiscal years prior to a material accounting restatement of the Company’s financial statements as a result of noncompliance with any financial reporting requirement under federal securities law, unless the Committee determines that the cost of recovery exceeds the amount to be recovered. The Clawback Policy does not require fault or negligence on the part of the officer for the clawback to occur.

Additionally, Mr. Mackin, under the Mackin agreement, also must repay any portion of severance payments he has received from the Company if he fails to comply with certain post-employment protective covenants.

Stock Ownership Guidelines

Artivion maintains stock ownership guidelines for executive officers that have been recommended and approved by the Committee, along with the Corporate Governance Committee, and approved by the Board of Directors. The current stock ownership guidelines were adopted in November 2015 and require the following stock ownership requirements:

a.Section 16 Officers: Each Section 16 officer of the Company shall continuously hold a value of the Company’s common stock equal to the value of a multiple of that officer’s then-current base salary at Artivion. The multiples applicable to such officers are as follows:

i.Chief Executive Officer and President: 4 times base salary;

ii.Executive Vice Presidents and Senior Vice Presidents: 2 times base salary; and

iii.All other Section 16 officers: 1 times base salary.

b.Retention requirements: Each Section 16 Officer who has not yet acquired ownership of the required value of common stock set forth above must retain at least 50% of the net number of shares acquired upon the exercise of any employee stock option or the vesting of any performance shares, restricted stock, or restricted stock units (the net number of shares acquired shall be the number of shares remaining after shares are tendered, sold, or netted to pay any applicable exercise price and withholding taxes).

c.Waivers: The Chairs of the Committee and the Corporate Governance Committee shall have the authority to grant waivers from these stock ownership requirements in compelling circumstances such as undue hardship.

d. Qualifying shares: For purposes of satisfying these stock ownership requirements, the following shall be included: shares owned directly or indirectly (1) through a stock purchase plan sponsored by the Company; (2) by the person’s spouse; (3) in a revocable trust of which the person or the person’s spouse is the trustee; (4) any other shares related to or underlying vested or unvested restricted stock awards and performance share awards (after performance metric has been certified); or (5) vested restricted stock units and vested PSUs (at actual, earned levels and only if and to the extent that any applicable performance criteria have been satisfied). It shall not include shares held through any other form of indirect beneficial ownership or shares underlying unexercised options or unvested PSUs whose performance metric requirements were not met.

These guidelines became effective for all currently employed NEOs on November 17, 2015. As shown in the below table, as of March 22, 2023, all of our NEOs are in compliance with the guidelines, except for Mr. Stanton whose employment with the Company began in March 2021. Mr. Stanton is expected to meet the guidelines within the next year.

⁽¹⁾This amount represents the base salary as reported in the Summary Compensation Table on page 44.

⁽²⁾Amount includes: (1) shares held of record by the spouses of executive officers and directors as of March 22, 2023; and (2) shares of unvested restricted common stock subject to forfeiture held as of March 22, 2023. This amount does not include unexercised stock options or shares earned under 2021 and 2022 performance stock unit awards that had not vested as of March 22, 2023.

⁽³⁾Based on the closing price of the Company’s common stock on the NYSE on March 22, 2023 of $11.85.

Anti-Hedging Policy

All Artivion employees, including NEOs, are expressly prohibited in the Artivion, Inc. Insider Trading Policy and Guidelines with Respect to Certain Transactions in Securities (the “Insider Trading Policy”), which is available for review at https://investors.artivion.com/corporate-governance/cryolifes-code-conduct, from engaging in derivative securities or hedging transactions with respect to the Company’s securities. Specifically, NEOs are prohibited from engaging in transactions in publicly traded options, such as puts and calls, and other derivative securities with respect to the Company’s securities. This prohibition extends to any hedging or similar transaction designed to decrease the risks associated with holding Company securities, including but not limited to prepaid variable contracts, equity swaps, collars, and exchange funds. Stock options, stock appreciation rights, and other securities issued pursuant to Company benefit plans or other compensatory arrangements with the Company are not subject to this prohibition.

Furthermore, short sales, which are the sale of a security that must be borrowed to make delivery, and “selling short against the box,” which is transacting a sale with a delayed delivery, are prohibited with respect to Company securities under the Insider Trading Policy and NEOs may not engage in such transactions.

Equity Grants and Inside Information

The Committee generally adheres to a policy that the Company will not make equity grants at times when insiders, which includes members of the Committee, are in possession of material, non-public information, including during regular financial blackout periods. If the Committee approves the grant of equity at such times, it is the Committee’s general policy to delay the grant and pricing of the option and/or issuance of the awarded equity until two full trading days after the public dissemination of all such material, non-public information.

Tax Impact of Compensation Decisions

Section 162(m)

Section 162(m) of the Internal Revenue Code (“Section 162(m)”) places a limit of $1 million per year on the amount of compensation paid to certain of our executive officers that is deductible by the Company for federal income tax purposes. Following changes to the law in 2018, Section 162(m) no longer contains an exception for “performance-based” compensation for arrangements that are not considered “grandfathered.” The Committee makes compensation decisions as appropriate to implement the Company’s Compensation Philosophy, with tax factors (including deductibility to the Company under Section 162(m)) being only one of many factors considered in implementing Compensation Philosophy.

Section 409A

Since Section 409A of the Code, which deals with deferred compensation arrangements, was enacted, the Committee’s policy has been to structure all executive officer compensation arrangements to comply, to the extent feasible, with the provisions of Section 409A so that executive officers do not have to pay additional tax and Artivion does not incur additional withholding obligations. The Committee intends to continue this practice.

Forward-Looking Statements

Statements made in this Proxy Statement that look forward in time or that express management’s beliefs, expectations, or hopes are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such forward-looking statements reflect the views of management at the time such statements are made and are subject to a number of risks, uncertainties, estimates, and assumptions that may cause actual results to differ materially from current expectations. These statements include those regarding future plans and intentions of the Committee and/or Board of Directors related to compensation decisions and expectations that certain performance targets for management are achievable. These future events may not occur as and when expected, if at all, and, together with the Company’s business, are subject to various risks and uncertainties. Along with risks specific to our business, management’s ability to attain certain performance targets is subject to risks affecting the economy generally and other factors that are beyond our control. For additional risks impacting the Company’s business, see the Risk Factors section of the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2022 at page A-1. The Company assumes no obligation, and expressly disclaims any duty, to update publicly any such forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future event, or otherwise.

Report of the Compensation Committee

The Committee reviewed and discussed the Compensation Discussion and Analysis with management. In reliance on this review and discussion, the Committee recommended to the Board of Directors that the Compensation Discussion and Analysis be included in Artivion’s 2023 Proxy Statement on Schedule 14A, for filing with the SEC.

Compensation Committee
DANIEL J. BEVEVINO, CHAIR
JAMES W. BULLOCK
ANTHONY B. SEMEDO

EXECUTIVE OFFICER COMPENSATION

Summary Compensation Table

The following table sets forth information with respect to each of the Named Executive Officers — Mr. Mackin, our Chief Executive Officer; Mr. Lee, our Chief Financial Officer; and Ms. Holloway and Messrs. Davis and Stanton, who were the three most highly compensated of the other executive officers of Artivion employed at the end of fiscal 2022.

⁽¹⁾For 2022, the amount represents the base salary as approved in February 2022. Mr. Stanton’s base salary for 2021 is prorated based on the term of his employment. For 2020, the amount represents the base salary as approved in February 2020 and later reduced to 2019 base salary levels for a seven-month period and again reduced by 25% for a six-month period (which was replaced by phantom stock).

⁽²⁾For 2022 and 2021, amounts represent the personal performance component of the annual award paid pursuant to the applicable short-term incentive plan for that year and the 2020 ECIP. For 2020, amounts represent the entire annual cash bonus award paid pursuant to the applicable short-term incentive plan and the 2009 ECIP. Amounts include all additional or discretionary cash bonuses paid during the applicable year, if any. Mr. Stanton’s cash bonus for 2021 is prorated based on the term of his employment. 

⁽³⁾Amount reflects the aggregate grant date fair value of restricted stock and performance stock unit awards as calculated in accordance with FASB ASC Topic 718, disregarding the estimate of forfeitures. See Notes 1 and 15 of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements filed with Artivion’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2022 for assumptions we used in valuing these awards. The annual PSU awards paid out at 88.5% of target, the 2022 LTIP PSU awards paid out at 140% of target, and the tranche 2 of the 2019 LTIP awards paid out at 136% of target, except for Mr. Mackin, whose award paid out at 108% of target. If the 2022 performance-based shares (i.e., the 2022 annual PSU and 2022 LTIP PSU) were awarded at maximum payouts, it would change the stock awards to the following amounts: for Mr. Mackin $4,515,164; for Mr. Lee $1,116,130; for Ms. Holloway $798,744; for Mr. Davis $790,606; and for Mr. Stanton $749,100. For 2022, and for the reasons described on page 39, the amounts include a 2023 annual RSU grant that was accelerated to November 2022. The grant date fair values of those accelerated 2023 RSU grants were as follows: Mr. Mackin’s was $1,290,003; Mr. Lee’s was $405,000; Ms. Holloway’s was $247,502; Mr. Davis’s was $246,002; and Mr. Stanton’s was $214,500.

⁽⁴⁾ Amount reflects the aggregate grant date fair value of stock option awards as calculated in accordance with FASB ASC Topic 718, disregarding the estimate of forfeitures. See Notes 1 and 15 of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements filed with Artivion’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2022 for assumptions we used in valuing the stock option awards. For 2022, and for the reasons described on page 39, the amounts include a 2023 annual option grant that was accelerated to November 2022. The grant date fair values of those accelerated 2023 option grants were as follows: Mr. Mackin’s was $1,290,000; Mr. Lee’s was $405,000; Ms. Holloway’s was $247,500; Mr. Davis’s was $246,000; and Mr. Stanton’s was $214,500.

⁽⁵⁾For 2022, the amounts represent the revenue performance components of the awards earned pursuant to the applicable short-term incentive plan. For 2021, the amounts represent the non-financial and revenue performance components of the awards earned pursuant to the applicable short-term incentive plan. For 2020, the amounts represent the revenue and adjusted net income performance components of the awards earned pursuant to the applicable short-term incentive plan. Mr. Stanton’s cash bonus for 2021 is prorated based on the term of his employment.

⁽⁶⁾The amounts in this column include matching contributions and true-ups under the Company’s 401(k) plan, reimbursement of club dues, and disability insurance premiums for Named Executive Officers. Fiscal 2020 amounts also include for Mr. Mackin, an $18,000 auto allowance and for Ms. Holloway, a $20,813 relocation allowance. Fiscal 2021 amounts also include for Mr. Mackin, an $18,004 auto allowance and for Mr. Stanton, a $3,496 relocation allowance. Fiscal 2022 amounts also include for Mr. Mackin, an $18,000 auto allowance.

⁽⁷⁾ For 2022, and for the reasons described on page 39, the total amounts include a portion of the 2023 annual equity grant accelerated to November 2022, split equally between RSUs and options. The total grant date fair values of those accelerated 2023 RSU and option grants were as follows: Mr. Mackin’s was $2,580,004; Mr. Lee’s was $809,998; Ms. Holloway’s was $495,000; Mr. Davis’s was $492,001; and Mr. Stanton’s was $428,998. The NEOs total 2022 compensation, exclusive of the 2023 accelerated annual RSU and options grants was as follows: Mr. Mackin’s was $4,968,804; Mr. Lee’s was $1,580,495; Ms. Holloway’s was $1,220,362; Mr. Davis’s was $1,185,904; and Mr. Stanton’s was $1,180,033.

Grants of Plan-Based Awards