XRAY awards $2M retention grant to SVP Chief Supply Chain Officer with 3-year cliff vest
Rhea-AI Filing Summary
DENTSPLY SIRONA Inc. approved a one-time retention equity award to certain executives, including named executive officer Tony Johnson, Senior Vice President and Chief Supply Chain Officer. The award is a stock option grant with a grant date fair value of $2,000,000 awarded to Mr. Johnson to recognize his performance during recent CEO and CFO transitions and to incentivize retention through the next three years.
The options are expected to be granted on the second trading day after the company files its quarterly report for the fiscal quarter ended September 30, 2025, will cliff-vest on the third anniversary of the grant date provided continuous employment, and will expire on the tenth anniversary. Half of the options will have an exercise price equal to the fair market value on the grant date and half will have an exercise price equal to 110% of that value.
Positive
- Retention-focused design ties the award to a three-year employment period, supporting leadership continuity
- Performance recognition explicitly cited as a reason for the award during CEO and CFO transitions
- Partial performance hurdle created by making half the options exercisable only above 110% of market value
Negative
- $2,000,000 grant date fair value awarded to a named executive officer, which is sizable in absolute terms
- Cliff vesting provides no partial vesting for interim retention or performance milestones
- Grant mechanics lack disclosure of the number of options, valuation assumptions, and accounting expense impact
Insights
TL;DR: A targeted retention award of $2.0M in stock options is intended to secure continuity in supply chain leadership through a three-year cliff vest.
The Retention Grant is a focused retention tool: a stock option package with a three-year cliff vesting condition and a ten-year term. Structuring half the grant at a 110% exercise price adds an uphill performance hurdle for that portion, while the other half is at market price, aligning incentives with shareholder value appreciation. The grant date is tied to the companys quarterly filing schedule rather than a fixed calendar date.
TL;DR: The board used its compensation committee authority to grant a sizable one-time retention award to a named executive officer during executive transitions.
This disclosure documents board-level action to retain a key executive amid leadership change. The cliff-vest structure strongly ties payout to continued employment. The filing specifies the grant mechanics, sizing, vesting and exercise-price split but does not disclose the number of options, valuation assumptions, or potential accounting impact.