Veteran finance leader John Fortson named CFO at Dentsply Sirona (NASDAQ: XRAY)
Filing Impact
Filing Sentiment
Form Type
8-K
Rhea-AI Filing Summary
Dentsply Sirona is appointing John C. Fortson as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, effective July 20, 2026. He brings more than 25 years of leadership experience in finance, operations, and strategy across global manufacturing and industrial businesses, including prior CEO and CFO roles at Ingevity Corporation and senior finance roles at Kymera International and AAR Corp.
Under his offer letter, Fortson will receive a $780,000 annual base salary, a target annual bonus equal to 85% of base salary, and, beginning in 2027, annual equity awards targeted at $2.5 million. He is also entitled to a $500,000 sign-on cash payment and a $700,000 sign-on equity award split between premium stock options and restricted stock units, along with standard executive benefits, severance protections, and a non-competition agreement.
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Insights
Dentsply Sirona names a seasoned industrial finance leader as CFO with a robust incentive package.
The company is installing John C. Fortson as Executive Vice President & CFO, effective July 20, 2026. His background spans CEO and CFO roles in complex industrial and specialty materials businesses, including Ingevity, Kymera International, and AAR Corp.
His compensation combines a $780,000 base salary, a target annual bonus at 85% of salary, and recurring equity awards targeted at $2.5 million from 2027. A $500,000 sign-on cash payment and $700,000 in sign-on equity, plus three-year vesting and non-compete terms, are structured to support retention and alignment with longer-term performance.
Future disclosures in company reports may highlight how Fortson’s experience with portfolio optimization, capital structure design, and ERP integration is applied to Dentsply Sirona’s Return-to-Growth Action Plan and broader financial strategy.
8-K Event Classification
3 items: 5.02, 7.01, 9.01
3 items
Item 5.02
Departure of Directors or Certain Officers; Election of Directors; Appointment of Certain Officers
Governance
Key personnel changes including departures, elections, or appointments of directors and executive officers.
Item 7.01
Regulation FD Disclosure
Disclosure
Material non-public information disclosed under Regulation Fair Disclosure, often investor presentations or guidance.
Item 9.01
Financial Statements and Exhibits
Exhibits
Financial statements, pro forma financial information, and exhibit attachments filed with this report.
Key Figures
Base salary: $780,000 per year
Target annual bonus: 85% of base salary
Annual equity award target: $2,500,000
+4 more
7 metrics
Base salary
$780,000 per year
Annual base salary for CFO role under offer letter
Target annual bonus
85% of base salary
CFO target bonus opportunity, prorated for 2026
Annual equity award target
$2,500,000
Target grant date fair value of recurring equity awards from 2027
Sign-on cash payment
$500,000
Payable in first pay period in February 2027; subject to repayment if early departure
Sign-on equity award
$700,000
Target grant date fair value, 60% premium stock options and 40% RSUs
Non-compete period
2 years
Restriction on employment with competitors after termination, subject to exceptions
Effective date
July 20, 2026
Start date for John C. Fortson as EVP & CFO
Key Terms
Executive Vice President & Chief Financial Officer, Regulation FD Disclosure, restricted stock units, premium stock options, +1 more
5 terms
Executive Vice President & Chief Financial Officer financial
"appointed John C. Fortson as the Company’s Executive Vice President & Chief Financial Officer"
Regulation FD Disclosure regulatory
"Item 7.01 Regulation FD Disclosure The Company’s press release announcing the appointment"
Regulation FD disclosure requires public companies to share important, market-moving information with everyone at the same time instead of tipping off analysts or large investors first. Think of it as making sure all players on a field hear the same announcement simultaneously; that fairness helps investors trust that stock prices reflect the same information and reduces the risk of sudden, unfair trading advantages or regulatory penalties for selective leaks.
restricted stock units financial
"The sign-on equity award will be 60% in the form of premium stock options and 40% in the form of restricted stock units"
Restricted stock units are a type of company reward where employees are promised shares of stock, but they only fully own these shares after meeting certain conditions, like staying with the company for a set time. They matter because they can become valuable assets and are often used to motivate employees to help the company succeed.
Change of Control Severance Benefits Plan financial
"subject to the Company’s Amended and Restated Key Employee Severance Benefits Plan and the Company’s Key Employee Change of Control Severance Benefits Plan"
UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549
FORM 8-K
CURRENT REPORT
Pursuant to Section 13 OR 15(d) of The Securities Exchange Act of 1934
Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported)
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation) | (Commission File Number) | (IRS Employer Identification No.) | ||||||||||||
(Address of principal executive offices) | (Zip Code) | |||||||||||||
(844 ) 848-0137
(Registrant’s telephone number, including area code)
Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions (see General Instruction A.2. below):
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:
| Title of each class | Trading Symbol(s) | Name of each exchange on which registered | ||||||
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an emerging growth company as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act of 1933 (§230.405 of this chapter) or Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (§240.12b-2 of this chapter).
Emerging growth company ☐
If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act.
o
Item 5.02 Departure of Directors or Certain Officers; Election of Directors; Appointment of Certain Officers; Compensatory Arrangements of Certain Officers
On June 1, 2026, the Board of Directors (the “Board”) of DENTSPLY SIRONA Inc. (the “Company”) appointed John C. Fortson as the Company’s Executive Vice President & Chief Financial Officer, effective as of July 20, 2026 (the “Effective Date”).
Mr. Fortson, age 58, currently serves as the President and Chief Financial Officer of Kymera International (“Kymera”), a global manufacturer of advanced performance materials and surface technologies. He has served as Chief Financial Officer, since March 2025, and began serving as President in April 2026. Prior to joining Kymera, Mr. Fortson served from 2020 to 2024 as President & Chief Executive Officer and as a member of the board of directors of Ingevity Corporation (“Ingevity”), a company that creates products and technologies including those relating to automotive gasoline vapor emissions control systems, food, water and chemical filtration, asphalt paving, agrochemical dispersants, bioplastics, coatings, elastomers, and paint for road markings. Mr. Fortson also served as Chief Financial Officer of Ingevity from 2015 to 2020. Mr. Fortson received his Bachelor of Science degree from the United States Military Academy at West Point and his Master of Business Administration degree from Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business.
The Company and Mr. Fortson have executed an offer letter pursuant to which Mr. Fortson will serve as the Company’s Executive Vice President & Chief Financial Officer (the “Offer Letter”). Pursuant to the Offer Letter, Mr. Fortson will be paid an annual base salary of $780,000 and will be eligible for a target annual bonus of 85% of base salary (which target amount will be prorated for 2026).
Also pursuant to the Offer Letter, beginning in 2027, Mr. Fortson will be eligible to receive an annual equity award with a target grant date fair value of $2,500,000 in a mix of equity vehicles consistent with awards approved for other members of the Company’s management committee as approved annually by the Compensation & Human Capital Committee of the Board.
In addition, pursuant to the Offer Letter, Mr. Fortson will receive a sign-on cash payment in the amount of $500,000 payable in the Company’s first pay period in February 2027, which amount must be repaid to the Company within 45 days of termination if Mr. Fortson’s employment ceases within 12 months of the Effective Date for any reason other than involuntary, not for cause termination. Mr. Fortson will also be eligible to receive a sign-on equity award with a target grant date fair value of $700,000, to be granted on the second trading day after the start of his employment or, if such date is not within an open trading window under the Company’s Insider Trading Policy, on the second trading day after the filing of the Company’s next Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q. The sign-on equity award will be 60% in the form of premium stock options and 40% in the form of restricted stock units, each with three-year ratable vesting.
The Offer Letter also provides that Mr. Fortson will be provided certain employee benefits, including, among other things, paid time off, health and welfare benefits, eligibility to participate in the Company’s Supplemental Savings Plan and the Company’s Supplemental Executive Retirement Plan, and relocation benefits. Mr. Fortson’s employment is also subject to the Company’s Amended and Restated Key Employee Severance Benefits Plan and the Company’s Key Employee Change of Control Severance Benefits Plan.
Mr. Fortson has also entered into a Confidentiality and Non-Competition Agreement with the Company, which contains customary provisions including, for example, that Mr. Fortson will not accept employment with a competitor for two years from the date upon which his employment with the Company terminates, subject to certain exceptions.
Mr. Fortson does not have any family relationship with any director or executive officer of the Company, or any person nominated or chosen by the Company to become a director or executive officer, and he has no direct or indirect material interest in any transaction required to be disclosed pursuant to Item 404(a) of Regulation S-K.
The foregoing summary of Mr. Fortson’s Offer Letter is qualified in its entirety by reference to the text of the Offer Letter, which is furnished as Exhibit 10.1 hereto.
Item 7.01 Regulation FD Disclosure
The Company’s press release announcing the appointment of Mr. Fortson as the Company’s Executive Vice President & Chief Financial Officer is furnished as Exhibit 99.1 to this Current Report on Form 8-K.
The information furnished pursuant to this Item 7.01, including Exhibit 99.1, shall not be deemed to be “filed” for purposes of Section 18 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), or otherwise subject to the liabilities of that section, and shall not be deemed incorporated by reference into any filing made by the Company under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the Exchange Act, except as shall be expressly set forth by specific reference in any such filing.
Item 9.01 Financial Statements and Exhibits
(d) Exhibits
| Exhibit No. | Description | |||||||
10.1 | Offer Letter between DENTSPLY SIRONA Inc. and John C. Fortson, entered into as of May 30, 2026 | |||||||
99.1 | DENTSPLY SIRONA Inc. Press Release Issued June 11, 2026 | |||||||
| 104 | Cover Page Interactive Data File (embedded within the Inline XBRL Document) | |||||||
SIGNATURE
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the Company has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.
DENTSPLY SIRONA Inc.
| By: | /s/ Daniel T. Scavilla | |||||||
| Daniel T. Scavilla | ||||||||
| President and Chief Executive Officer | ||||||||
Date: June 11, 2026
DENTSPLY SIRONA APPOINTS JOHN FORTSON AS CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER Brings more than 25 years of experience leading transformation, capital deployment, and growth initiatives across global businesses Charlotte, N.C., June 11, 2026 — DENTSPLY SIRONA Inc. ("Dentsply Sirona" or the "Company") (Nasdaq: XRAY), the world's largest diversified manufacturer of professional dental products and technologies, today announced the appointment of John Fortson as Executive Vice President (EVP) and Chief Financial Officer (CFO), effective July 20. Mr. Fortson joins Dentsply Sirona with more than 25 years of leadership experience in finance, operations, and strategy across both public and private equity-backed companies. He has served for 13 years as either CFO or Chief Executive Officer of global manufacturing and industrial businesses. Throughout his career, he has executed large-scale business and finance transformations, capital allocation and portfolio optimization strategies, acquisitions and integrations, and ERP implementations to strengthen financial discipline, drive growth and deliver sustainable shareholder returns. He joins Dentsply Sirona from Kymera International, where he served as CFO. Prior to Kymera, he held executive roles at Ingevity Corporation, starting as CFO & Treasurer before being promoted to CEO, President, and board member. "We are excited to welcome John to Dentsply Sirona," said Dan Scavilla, President and CEO of Dentsply Sirona. "Following an extensive search, John emerged as the clear choice to serve as our next CFO given his rare combination of public company CFO experience, CEO perspective, capital markets expertise, and a proven track record of driving growth and operational excellence at scale. “We are confident that John’s collaborative leadership style, strategic mindset, and focus on execution will make him an outstanding partner for our leadership team as we advance our Return-to-Growth Action Plan.” Mr. Fortson said, "I am honored to join Dentsply Sirona at such an important time for the Company. With leading market positions, innovative products, and significant opportunities ahead, I believe Dentsply Sirona is poised for long-term growth. I look forward to partnering with Dan and the leadership team to strengthen performance, drive disciplined execution across the business and deliver long-term growth and value creation for shareholders." About John Fortson Most recently, Mr. Fortson served as President and CFO of Kymera International, a global specialty materials company, backed by Palladium Equity Partners and Goldman Sachs. During his tenure, he helped lead the integration of a rapidly expanded global platform spanning 21 manufacturing facilities across 14 countries while overseeing the consolidation of 12 ERP systems into a unified operating environment and driving initiatives to improve forecasting, liquidity, working capital performance, and operational efficiency. Prior to Kymera, Mr. Fortson spent nearly a decade at Ingevity Corporation (NYSE: NGVT), a global specialty chemicals and materials company with approximately $1.3 billion in annual revenue, serving first as CFO and later as President, CEO and a member of the company’s board. While at Ingevity, he led the successful separation from WestRock, built its finance,
treasury, tax, investor relations, internal audit, and information technology capabilities to support a standalone public company, and helped establish a robust capital structure through a $700 million credit facility, $300 million high-yield bond offering, and more than $1 billion of strategic acquisitions. Earlier in his career, Mr. Fortson served as CFO of AAR Corp., a leading global aviation services company with more than $2 billion in annual revenue. There, he led a comprehensive portfolio transformation that included divesting non-core manufacturing assets, retiring $325 million of debt, returning more than $150 million to shareholders through share repurchases, improving returns on invested capital, and repositioning the company around its higher- value aviation services platform. Before entering corporate leadership, Mr. Fortson spent 15 years in investment banking at Bank of America Merrill Lynch, ultimately serving as Managing Director in the Industrials Group. Prior to his investment banking career, he served as an officer in the U.S. Army for seven years. Mr. Fortson holds a Master of Business Administration from Duke University's Fuqua School of Business and a Bachelor of Science from the United States Military Academy at West Point. About Dentsply Sirona Dentsply Sirona is the world’s largest diversified manufacturer of professional dental products and technologies, with over a century of innovation and service to the dental industry and patients worldwide. Dentsply Sirona develops, manufactures, and markets a comprehensive solutions offering including dental and oral health products as well as other consumable medical devices under a strong portfolio of world-class brands. Dentsply Sirona’s innovative products provide high-quality, effective and connected solutions to advance patient care and deliver better and safer dental care. Dentsply Sirona is headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Company’s shares are listed in the United States on Nasdaq under the symbol XRAY. Visit www.dentsplysirona.com for more information about Dentsply Sirona and its products. Contact Information Investors: Wade Moody Senior Manager, Investor Relations Investorrelations@dentsplysirona.com Press: Marion Par-Weixlberger Vice President, Public Relations, Corporate Communications & Brand Publicrelations@dentsplysirona.com Forward-Looking Statements and Associated Risks All statements in this Press Release that do not directly and exclusively relate to historical facts constitute "forward-looking statements." Such statements are subject to numerous
assumptions, risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those described in such statements, many of which are outside of our control, including those described in Part I, Item 1A, "Risk Factors" of the Company's most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K, Part II, Item 1A, "Risk Factors" of the Company's Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q for any subsequent fiscal quarters, and any updating information or other factors which may be described in the Company's other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC"). No assurance can be given that any expectation, belief, goal or plan set forth in any forward-looking statement can or will be achieved, and readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on such statements which speak only as of the date they are made. We do not undertake any obligation to update or release any revisions to any forward-looking statement or to report any events or circumstances after the date of this Press Release or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events. Investors should understand it is not possible to predict or identify all such factors or risks. As such, you should not consider the risks identified in the Company's SEC filings to be a complete discussion of all potential risks or uncertainties associated with an investment in the Company. John Fortson, Chief Financial Officer
FAQ
Who is the new CFO of DENTSPLY SIRONA Inc. (XRAY)?
Dentsply Sirona appointed John C. Fortson as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, effective July 20, 2026. He brings more than 25 years of leadership experience, including CEO and CFO roles at global manufacturing and specialty materials companies such as Ingevity Corporation and Kymera International.
What is John Fortson’s compensation package as Dentsply Sirona CFO?
John Fortson will receive a $780,000 base salary, a target bonus of 85% of salary, and significant equity incentives. Beginning in 2027, he is eligible for annual equity awards targeted at $2.5 million, plus a $500,000 sign-on cash payment and a $700,000 sign-on equity grant.
What sign-on incentives will Dentsply Sirona (XRAY) provide to John Fortson?
John Fortson will receive a $500,000 sign-on cash payment and a $700,000 sign-on equity award. The equity grant will be 60% premium stock options and 40% restricted stock units, each vesting ratably over three years, subject to standard employment and trading-window conditions.
When does John Fortson start as CFO of Dentsply Sirona?
John Fortson’s appointment as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer becomes effective on July 20, 2026. His sign-on equity award will be granted shortly after his start date, timed with an open trading window or the company’s next Form 10-Q filing.
What prior experience does Dentsply Sirona’s new CFO, John Fortson, have?
John Fortson has extensive experience leading finance and operations in global industrial and materials companies. He served as President and CFO of Kymera International, as President and CEO of Ingevity Corporation, and previously as CFO of AAR Corp., following a 15-year investment banking career.
Does John Fortson have any non-compete or severance protections at Dentsply Sirona?
Yes. John Fortson is covered by key employee severance plans and a Confidentiality and Non-Competition Agreement. The non-compete restricts him from working for competitors for two years after leaving the company, and he participates in designated severance and change-of-control benefit plans.