Carlsmed Appoints Jeffrey Bertolini as Chief Operating Officer

What Happened

• Carlsmed, Inc. announced that its Board appointed Jeffrey Bertolini as Chief Operating Officer, effective September 8, 2026. Mr. Bertolini has been with Carlsmed in senior operations roles (SVP, Operational Excellence since March 2025) and has prior industry experience at SI‑BONE and NuVasive. The company issued a press release on September 8, 2026 announcing the appointment.

Key Details

• Appointment effective date: September 8, 2026 (Board action taken September 4, 2026).
• Compensation changes: base salary raised to $475,000 per year effective Sept 8, 2026 (previously $440,000 as of March 9, 2026; initial salary under his July 10, 2025 employment agreement was $375,000).
• Incentive: target annual cash incentive increased to 60% of base salary (was 40%).
• Equity: granted 50,000 stock options on September 8, 2026.
• Severance/benefits: under his employment agreement, if terminated without “cause” or for “good reason” (outside certain transaction windows) and subject to a release, he’s entitled to 12 months of continued base pay, unpaid prior-year incentive, pro‑rated incentive for year of termination, and up to 12 months of COBRA reimbursement.
• Other: Mr. Bertolini and the company entered into a standard indemnification agreement; no family relationships or related-party transactions requiring disclosure.

Why It Matters

• For investors, this is an executive leadership change focused on operations—highlighting management continuity from within and a clear increase in compensation and equity incentive to align Mr. Bertolini with company performance. The higher salary, larger incentive target and option grant increase Carlsmed’s near-term cash and equity-based compensation obligations; the severance protections outline potential post‑termination costs. No material related‑party issues were disclosed.