STAAR Surgical Names Medtech Innovator and Platform Builder Ben Park as Chief Technology Officer

STAAR Surgical appoints veteran medtech platform builder Ben Park as CTO to drive a shift toward a broader multi-product innovation strategy.

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Appointment Advances Strategy to Evolve from Single-Product leader to Multi-Product Innovation Platform

LAKE FOREST, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- STAAR Surgical Company ("STAAR" or the "Company") (NASDAQ: STAA), the global leader in phakic IOLs with the EVO family of Implantable Collamer® Lenses (EVO ICL™) for vision correction, today announced the appointment of Ben Park, Ph.D., as Chief Technology Officer. Dr. Park will join STAAR's Executive Committee and report to Warren Foust, President and Chief Executive Officer.

"Evolving STAAR from a single-product focus into a multi-product platform is central to our strategy — and requires the right leader," said Mr. Foust. "Ben Park is that leader. We have been delivering on revenue growth and profitability, and now it's time to match that momentum with equal urgency on innovation. With our R&D and Advanced Research teams preparing for first-in-human studies of our next-generation products, the moment to accelerate is now. Ben's track record of success in building and commercializing breakthrough medical device platforms makes him the ideal person to advance our innovation roadmap and unlock the full potential of our proprietary Collamer® technology."

Dr. Park joins STAAR from Align Technology, Inc., where he served as Head of Emerging Technology since 2018. In that role, Dr. Park built and led a global multidisciplinary team — spanning biomedical engineering, hardware, embedded systems, and software across the U.S. and APAC — to define next generation product platforms and address unmet clinical needs, from concept through to market launch.

"STAAR has built something genuinely rare — a clinically proven product portfolio with over 30 years of real-world results, a proprietary material that no one else has, and a market opportunity that is only growing as myopia becomes one of the defining health challenges of our time," said Dr. Park. "What drew me here is the ambition to go further: to take everything STAAR has learned and apply it across myopia and beyond. I see a real opportunity to build a multi-product platform by bringing a fresh perspective to how we identify and solve unmet clinical needs. This team is ready to execute, and I'm energized to help accelerate what we can deliver together — for surgeons, for patients, and for the future of refractive surgery.”

Prior to Align, Dr. Park served as Chief Technology Officer of Fingertips Lab, Inc., where he led the development and commercial launch of a health technology product designed for the visually impaired in markets across more than 10 countries. Prior to Fingertips Lab, he served as Chief Technologist at Volcano Corporation, where he led the development of a novel intracardiac imaging platform. He also co-founded Fluid Medical, Inc., where he invented a new intravascular ultrasound imaging platform utilizing shape memory alloy materials and forged strategic development partnerships with Boston Scientific and Olympus Corporation. Dr. Park was awarded the Dean's Postdoctoral Fellowship at the Stanford University School of Medicine, and holds a Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from Stanford University. Dr. Park has authored more than 40 patents and peer-reviewed research publications.

Dr. Park will join other STAAR executives and leaders at the upcoming 44th Congress of the ESCRS in London from September 11–15, 2026, where the Company will engage with ophthalmic surgeons and industry leaders from around the world.

About STAAR Surgical

STAAR Surgical (NASDAQ: STAA) is the global leader in implantable phakic intraocular lenses, a vision correction solution that reduces or eliminates the need for glasses or contact lenses. Since 1982, STAAR has been dedicated solely to ophthalmic surgery, and for over 30 years, STAAR has been designing, developing, manufacturing, and marketing advanced Implantable Collamer® Lenses (ICLs), using its proprietary biocompatible Collamer material. STAAR ICLs are clinically proven to deliver safe long-term vision correction without removing corneal tissue or the eye's natural crystalline lens. Its EVO ICL™ product line provides visual freedom through a quick, minimally invasive procedure. STAAR has sold more than 4 million ICLs in over 85 countries. Headquartered in Lake Forest, California, the Company operates research, development, manufacturing, and packaging facilities in California and Switzerland. For more information about ICL, visit www.discoverICL.com. To learn more about STAAR, visit www.staar.com.

We intend to use our website as a means of disclosing material non-public information about the Company and for complying with Regulation FD. Such disclosures will be included on our website in the ‘Investor Relations’ sections at investors.staar.com. Accordingly, investors should monitor such portion of our website, in addition to following our press releases, SEC filings and public conference calls and webcasts. In addition, you may automatically receive email alerts and other information about the Company when you enroll your email address by visiting the Email Alerts section at investors.staar.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements often contain words such as “anticipate,” “believe,” “expect,” “plan,” “estimate,” “project,” “continue,” “will,” “should,” “may,” and similar terms. All statements in this press release that are not statements of historical fact are forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are neither promises nor guarantees and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other important factors that may cause actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from what is expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements, including, but not limited to: our ability to grow and generate profit; our reliance on independent distributors in international markets; a slowdown or disruption to the Chinese economy; global economic and geopolitical conditions; disruptions in our supply chain; fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates; international trade disputes (including involving tariffs) and substantial dependence on demand from Asia; changes in effective tax rate or tax laws; any loss of use of our principal manufacturing facility; competition; potential losses due to product liability claims; our exposure to environmental liability; data corruption, cyber-based attacks or network security breaches and/or noncompliance with data protection and privacy regulations; acquisitions of new technologies; climate changes; the willingness of surgeons and patients to adopt a new or improved product and procedure; extensive clinical trials and resources devoted to research and development; compliance with government regulations; the discretion of regulatory agencies to approve or reject existing, new or improved products, or to require additional actions before or after approval, or to take enforcement action; laws pertaining to healthcare fraud and abuse; changes in FDA or international regulations related to product approval; product recalls or failures; and other important factors set forth in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended January 2, 2026 under the caption “Risk Factors,” which is filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) and available in the “Investor Information” section of the Company’s website under the heading “SEC Filings,” as any such factors may be updated from time to time in the Company’s other filings with the SEC.

Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made and, except as may be required under applicable law, the Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260902586596/en/

Investor/Media Contact:
ir@staar.com

Connie Johnson
cjohnson@staar.com
(626) 303-7902 (ext. 2207)

Source: STAAR Surgical Company

Key Terms

phakic iols medical

Phakic intraocular lenses (phakic IOLs) are tiny corrective lenses surgically implanted inside the eye while leaving the eye’s natural lens intact; think of them as a permanent contact lens placed behind or in front of the pupil to correct high degrees of nearsightedness or astigmatism. Investors watch them because their adoption depends on regulatory approval, surgeon training, pricing and insurance coverage, and long‑term safety data — all factors that drive device sales, recurring clinical services and potential liability risk.

implantable collamer lenses medical

An implantable collamer lens is a small, soft lens surgically placed inside the eye to correct vision, acting much like a permanent contact lens implanted behind the iris instead of sitting on the eye surface. Investors care because these devices represent a durable, higher‑value medical product whose sales growth, regulatory approvals, safety record and reimbursement policies can directly affect a company’s revenue and risk profile, similar to how a popular new gadget can drive a maker’s earnings and reputation.

first-in-human studies medical

A first-in-human study is the initial clinical trial where a new drug, biologic, or medical device is tested in people for the first time, after laboratory and animal testing. It focuses on safety, tolerability and basic dosing rather than proving effectiveness; think of it as the first road test for a prototype. Results matter to investors because they provide early human data that changes the perceived scientific risk, timeline and potential value of a development program.

intravascular ultrasound medical

A medical imaging technique that uses a tiny ultrasound probe threaded into a blood vessel to create real-time cross-sectional pictures of the vessel wall and any blockages. Think of it as sending a flashlight into a pipe to see interior cracks and buildup; it helps doctors choose the right treatment and verify stents or other devices are placed correctly. For investors, widespread use or favorable coverage of this technology can influence demand for related devices, procedure volumes, and reimbursement trends.

shape memory alloy technical

An alloy that can be bent or deformed and later return to a preset shape when heated or when the stress is removed, because its internal crystal structure reversibly changes. Think of it as a metal with a memory that ‘snaps back’ when triggered. It matters to investors because these materials are used in medical devices, precision actuators, robotics and aerospace components, influencing manufacture, product performance and markets for companies that make or use them.