RxSight, Inc. Appoints New President & CEO; Founder Kurtz Becomes CMO

What Happened

• RxSight, Inc. (RXST) filed an 8-K reporting that on July 13, 2026 the board appointed Aziz Mottiwala as President and Chief Executive Officer, effective on his expected start date of July 20, 2026. Founder and current CEO Ron Kurtz, M.D., who has been CEO since 2016, will transition to the company’s Chief Medical Officer and resigned from the board effective the same date. The company also furnished a press release announcing the leadership change (Exhibit 99.1).
• The board added Mr. Mottiwala to the board as a Class II director (term to expire at the 2029 annual meeting). The board adopted a new 2026 Inducement Equity Incentive Plan reserving 3,500,000 shares for inducement grants to new hires.

Key Details

• Compensation for Aziz Mottiwala: $750,000 annual base salary; target annual bonus up to 90% of base; guaranteed 2026 cash bonus of $337,500 (subject to continued employment and withholding).
• New-hire equity: aggregate grant value of $14,000,000 (approximately $2,000,000 in stock options and $12,000,000 in RSUs). Option vests 25% after one year then monthly over next 3 years; RSUs vest 20% at year 1, 20% at year 2, 60% at year 3.
• Severance: Mottiwala’s agreement provides 12 months base pay + 12 months target bonus (outside a change in control) and 18 months base + 18 months target bonus if terminated in a change-in-control period; acceleration and other COBRA benefits apply in certain cases.
• Kurtz’s transition terms: $740,000 annual base salary, eligibility for up to 100% annual bonus, retention bonuses of $370,000 paid on four specified dates if employed through each date, and a Transition RSU award for 500,000 shares (vesting in five equal installments). Kurtz also has amended severance terms including potential cash payments if RSUs are not granted.

Why It Matters

• Leadership change: A new CEO with an extensive commercial pharma/eye-care background signals a likely focus on commercial growth and market execution. Keeping Dr. Kurtz as Chief Medical Officer retains clinical continuity and institutional knowledge.
• Compensation and equity: The large equity package ($14M) and the 3.5M-share inducement plan are material to shareholders because they increase potential dilution and align the new CEO with long-term performance goals. Severance and change-in-control provisions may affect cash and equity outcomes in a sale or leadership termination scenario.
• Governance: The CEO swap included a board seat change (Kurtz resigned, Mottiwala appointed), which shifts board composition and sets Mottiwala’s director term through 2029.

(Information drawn from RxSight’s Form 8-K filed July 15, 2026.)