2026 Proxy Statement (47b9ba)

Drilling Tools International Corporation 10370 Richmond Avenue, Suite 1000

Houston, Texas 77042

Notice of Annual Meeting of Stockholders

Date:

April 28, 2026

Time:

1:00 p.m. CT

Place:

Virtual Webcast

YOUR VOTE

IS IMPORTANT

Important Notice Regarding the Availability of Proxy Materials for the virtual Annual Meeting of Stockholders to be held on April 28, 2026

To Our Stockholders:

We invite you to attend the 2026 Annual Meeting of Stockholders (including any adjournment, postponement or rescheduling thereof, the "Annual Meeting") of Drilling Tools International Corporation, a Delaware corporation ("Drilling Tools," "DTI" or the "Company"). You will be able to participate in and vote during the Annual Meeting which will be held via live webcast at https://www.virtualshareholdermeeting.com/DTI2026 on Tuesday, April 28, 2026 at 1:00 p.m. Central Time. It is important that you retain a copy of the control number found on the proxy card or voting instruction form, which will be required to gain access to the Annual Meeting.

The Annual Meeting is being held in a virtual meeting format only, via live audio webcast. This approach lowers costs and enables participation from our global community. Stockholders will not be able to attend the Annual Meeting in person.

The Annual Meeting is being held for the following purposes, which are more fully described in the accompanying proxy statement (the "Proxy Statement"):

To elect the seven director nominees named in this Proxy Statement to our Board of Directors to hold office until our 2027 Annual Meeting of Stockholders.

To ratify the appointment of Grant Thornton LLP as our independent registered public accounting firm for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2026.

In addition, stockholders may be asked to consider and vote upon such other business as may properly come before the meeting or any adjournment or postponement thereof.

Only stockholders of record at the close of business on March 3, 2026, are entitled to receive notice of, and to vote at the meeting and any adjournments thereof. As of the record date, there were 35,188,260 shares of common stock outstanding, each entitled to one vote per share on all matters to be voted upon at the meeting. This Notice and the accompanying Proxy Statement are being mailed to stockholders as of the record date beginning on or about March 13, 2026.

If you are a registered holder and have questions about your stock ownership, you may contact our transfer agent, Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company, at www.continentalstock.com, cstmail@continentalstock.com, or (212) 509-4000. If you are a beneficial holder and have questions about your stock ownership, you should contact your broker. For questions regarding the Annual Meeting, the proposals, or the procedures for voting your shares, you may email InvestorRelations@drillingtools.com. If you need any assistance in voting your shares, please visit www.proxyvote.com.

Whether or not you expect to attend the virtual meeting, we encourage you to read the Proxy Statement and vote through the Internet or by telephone, or to sign and return your proxy card as soon as possible, so that your shares may be represented at the meeting. For specific instructions on how to vote your shares, please refer to the section titled "Information About Solicitation and Voting" in the accompanying Proxy Statement.

Sincerely,

R. Wayne Prejean

Interim Chairman of the Board, President and Chief Executive Officer

Annual Meeting of Stockholders To Be Held on April 28, 2026

Table of Contents

Proxy Statement Summary 1

Information About Solicitation and Voting 2

Internet Availability of Proxy Materials 2

Forward-Looking Statements and Website References 2

Board of Directors and Committees of the Board of Directors 3

Director Independence 6

Corporate Governance Guidelines 6

Nominations Process and Director Qualifications 10

Proposal No. 1 - Election of Directors 11

Proposal No. 2 - Ratification of the Appointment of Independent 15

Registered Public Accounting Firm

Report of the Audit Committee 17

Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management 18

Executive Compensation 20

Director Compensation 26

Equity Compensation Plan Information 27

Certain Relationships and Related Party Transactions 28

Delinquent Section 16(a) Reports 28

Additional Information 29

Information About the Meeting 30

Other Matters 36

The Board of Directors (our "Board") of Drilling Tools International Corporation (which we refer to as "Drilling Tools," "DTI," the "Company," "we," "our," or "us") is furnishing this Proxy Statement to you over the Internet or delivering this Proxy Statement to you by mail in connection with the solicitation of proxies by our Board and the solicitation of voting instructions, in each case for use at the Annual Meeting of Stockholders to be held virtually on April 28, 2026, and at any adjournments or postponements thereof.

On or about March 13, 2026, we will commence mailing the Notice of Internet Availability of Proxy Materials to most of our stockholders, and we also will commence mailing to some of our stockholders, and make available electronically over the Internet to all of our stockholders: (1) the Notice of Annual Meeting of Stockholders and this Proxy Statement; and (2) our 2025 Annual Report to Stockholders, which includes our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2025 and our audited financial statements (the "Annual Report") filed with the

U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") on March 6, 2026. If you receive your proxy materials by mail, a proxy/voting instruction card will be included.

The following summary highlights information contained elsewhere in this Proxy Statement. For complete information, please review the entire document carefully before casting your vote.

VOTING MATTERS

BOARD'S VOTE RE NS

COMMENDATIO

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION

PROPOSAL 1

Election of seven director nominees named in this Proxy Statement to hold office until our 2027 Annual Meeting of

"FOR" each director nominee

Page 10

Stockholders

Ratification of the appointment of Grant

PROPOSAL 2

Thornton LLP as our independent registered public accounting firm for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2026

"FOR" Page 14

IMPORTANT NOTICE REGARDING THE AVAILABILITY OF PROXY MATERIALS FOR THE ANNUAL MEETING OF STOCKHOLDERS TO BE HELD ON APRIL 28, 2026

Our Proxy Statement and Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2025 are available at www.proxyvote.com.To access these materials and the virtual meeting, you will need the control number provided on your proxy card, voting instruction form, or in an e-mail if proxy materials were sent electronically.

Information about Solicitation and Voting

The accompanying proxy is solicited on behalf of the Board of Drilling Tools International Corporation for use at our 2026 Annual Meeting of Stockholders, or Annual Meeting, to be held virtually at https://www.virtualshareholdermeeting.com/DTI2026 on Tuesday, April 28, 2026 at 1:00 p.m. Central Time, and any adjournment or postponement thereof. The Notice of Internet Availability of Proxy Materials and this Proxy Statement for the Annual Meeting, or Proxy Statement, and the accompanying form of proxy were first distributed and made available on the Internet to stockholders on or about March 13, 2026. An Annual Report for the year ended December 31, 2025 is available with this Proxy Statement by following the instructions in the Notice of Internet Availability of Proxy Materials. References to our website in this Proxy Statement are not intended to function as hyperlinks and the information contained on our website is not intended to be incorporated into this Proxy Statement.

Only stockholders of record as of the close of business on March 3, 2026, the record date for determination of the stockholders entitled to vote at the Annual Meeting (the "Record Date"), will be entitled to vote at the Annual Meeting.

On June 20, 2023, a merger transaction between Drilling Tools International Holdings, Inc., ROC Energy Acquisition Corp ("ROC"), and ROC Merger Sub, Inc., a directly, wholly owned subsidiary of ROC, was completed (the "Merger") pursuant to the initial merger agreement dated February 13, 2023 and subsequent amendment to the merger agreement dated June 5, 2023 collectively. In connection with the closing of the Merger, ROC changed its name to Drilling Tools International Corporation. The common stock of DTI ("Common Stock" or the "Company's Common Stock") commenced trading on the Nasdaq Stock Market LLC ("Nasdaq") under the symbol "DTI" on June 21, 2023.

We are an "emerging growth company" as defined in the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act of 2012 (the "JOBS Act"). Because we are an emerging growth company, we are not required to include a Compensation Discussion and Analysis section in this Proxy Statement and have elected to comply with the scaled-down executive compensation disclosure requirements applicable to emerging growth companies. In addition, as an emerging growth company, we are not required to conduct votes seeking approval, on an advisory basis, of the compensation of our named executive officers or the frequency with which votes must be conducted.

Internet Availability of Proxy Materials

In accordance with SEC rules, we are using the Internet as our primary means of furnishing proxy materials to stockholders. Consequently, most stockholders will not receive paper copies of our proxy materials. We will instead send these stockholders a Notice of Internet Availability of Proxy Materials with instructions for accessing the proxy materials, including our Proxy Statement and Annual Report, and voting via the Internet. The Notice of Internet Availability of Proxy Materials also provides information on how stockholders may obtain paper copies of our proxy materials. We believe this rule makes the proxy distribution process more efficient, less costly, and helps in conserving natural resources.

Forward-Looking Statements and Website References

This Proxy Statement contains various forward-looking statements that are not historical facts. These forward-looking statements generally are identified by the words "believe," "project," "expect," "anticipate," "estimate," "intend," "budget," "target," "aim," "strategy," "estimate," "plan," "guidance," "outlook," "intend," "may," "should," "could," "will," "would," "will be," "will continue," "will likely result," and similar expressions, although not all forward-looking statements contain these identifying words. Forward-looking statements reflect the Company's beliefs and expectations based on current estimates and projections. While the Company believes these expectations, and the estimates and projections on which they are based, are reasonable and were made in good faith, these statements are subject to numerous risks and uncertainties, any of which could cause the Company's actual results, performance, or achievements, or industry results, to differ materially from any future results, performance, or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties, which include, but are not limited to, the risks described in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2025 filed with the SEC on March 6, 2026 under the heading "Risk Factors" and in other documents filed by the Company with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date hereof, and except as required by law, the Company undertakes no obligation to correct, update, or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise. You are advised, however, to consult any additional disclosures we make in our reports to the SEC. All subsequent written and oral forward-looking statements attributable to us or persons acting on our behalf are expressly qualified in their entirety by the cautionary statements contained in such disclosures and in our reports to the SEC.

Website references throughout this document are inactive textual references and provided for convenience only, and the content on the referenced websites is not incorporated herein by reference and does not constitute a part of the Proxy Statement.

Board of Directors and Committees of the Board of Directors

Board Composition

Our Board of Directors (the "Board") currently consists of seven members. As of the date of this Proxy Statement, our directors are Curtis J. Crofford, John D. "Jack" Furst, Ira H. Green, Jr., Eric C. Neuman, Thomas M. "Roe" Patterson, R. Wayne Prejean, and C. Richard Vermillion.

Thomas O. Hicks, Sr. served as Chairman of the Board and a director through his passing in December 2025. On January 26, 2026, the Board appointed Ira H. Green Jr. as a director to fill the vacancy created by Mr. Hicks's passing. Mr. Green will serve until the 2026 Annual Meeting, at which time he is standing for election by our stockholders.

In connection with these changes, the Board appointed Mr. Prejean to serve as Interim Chairman of the Board, effective December 9, 2025. On January 26, 2026, the Board appointed Mr. Prejean to serve as permanent Chairman of the Board, subject to his reelection as a director at the 2026 Annual Meeting, effective as of the conclusion of that meeting.

The Board and management are grateful for the leadership and many contributions of Thomas O. Hicks, Sr., who

was instrumental in the Company's growth and transition to the public markets.

Additional information regarding our Board leadership roles, including the responsibilities of our Chair and Lead Independent Director, is provided under "Board Leadership Structure and Role in Risk Oversight" immediately below.

Board Leadership Structure and Role in Risk Oversight

Our Corporate Governance Guidelines provide the Board with flexibility to select the leadership structure that it believes best serves the Company and our stockholders over time. The Board regularly considers whether to separate or combine the roles of Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer ("CEO") in light of the Company's strategy, risk profile and leadership needs.

The Board's fundamental responsibility is to promote the best interests of the Company and its stockholders by overseeing the management of the Company's business and affairs. Directors are expected to exercise their business judgment and act in what they reasonably believe to be the best interests of the Company and its stockholders, consistent with their fiduciary duties and in compliance with applicable laws and regulations. The Company's business is conducted by its employees, managers and officers, under the direction of the CEO and the oversight of the Board. The Board is elected by the stockholders to oversee management and to assure that the long-term interests of the stockholders are being served.

In overseeing the Company's affairs, the Board is also responsible for overseeing our enterprise risk management processes, and it executes this responsibility both directly and through its committees. Management is primarily responsible for identifying and managing the Company's risks and provides regular reports to the Board and the Audit Committee regarding material risk exposures and the steps taken to monitor and control such risks. Additional information regarding our Board's risk oversight responsibilities, including cybersecurity risk oversight, is provided under "Risk Oversight" and "Cybersecurity Risk Oversight" below.

At this time, the roles of Chairman of the Board and CEO are combined, with R. Wayne Prejean serving as our CEO and Interim Chairman of the Board. In determining its leadership structure, the Board considered the Company's size, complexity, business model and stage of development, and believes that combining the roles of Chairman of the Board and CEO promotes unified leadership and clear accountability, leverages the CEO's in-depth knowledge of our operations and industry, and facilitates timely, well-informed decision-making. The Board also believes that any potential risks associated with a combined Chair and CEO role are effectively mitigated by our governance practices, including a Board comprised predominantly of independent directors, fully independent key committees, regular executive sessions of our independent directors without management present, and the appointment of a lead independent director.

Under DTI's Corporate Governance Guidelines, in addition to the duties set forth in the Bylaws or as otherwise prescribed by the Board from time to time, the duties of the Chair include presiding when present at all meetings of the stockholders and the Board. The Chairman of the Board shall have general supervision and control of the acquisition activities of the Company, subject to the ultimate authority of the Board, and shall be responsible for the execution of the policies of the Board with respect to such matters that may include:

• presiding at, and chairing, Board meetings and meetings of stockholders;

• consulting with the CEO (if held by a different individual), other executive officers, the chairs of applicable committees of the Board and the Secretary to the Board to establish agendas for each Board meeting;

• calling Board meetings;

• leading the Board in discussions concerning the CEO's performance and CEO succession, if such position

  is held by an individual other than the CEO;

• approving meeting schedules for the Board;

• approving information sent to the Board;

• serving as a liaison for stockholders who request direct communications with the Board; and

• performing such other duties and exercising such other powers, as the Board shall from time-to-time delegate.

  The Board has also designated John D. "Jack" Furst to serve as Lead Independent Director, effective as of the 2026 Annual Meeting and subject to his reelection to the Board. In this role, Mr. Furst presides at executive sessions of the independent directors, serves as a liaison between the independent directors and the Chair and CEO, consults with the Chair and CEO on Board agendas and information provided to the Board, and may call meetings of the independent directors as appropriate. The Board believes that the Lead Independent Director role enhances independent oversight and provides an additional channel for Board communication.

  In connection with the Company's board refreshment efforts, the Board currently expects that, subject to reelection following the 2026 Annual Meeting, Mr. Prejean will move from Interim Chairman of the Board to permanent Chairman of the Board while continuing to serve as Chief Executive Officer. The Board believes that the continuity of Mr. Prejean's leadership as Chair, together with the ongoing oversight of our independent directors and the Lead Independent Director, is appropriate for a company of our size and stage of development and supports the execution of our strategy and long-term value creation for stockholders.

  Our Board has concluded that our current leadership structure is appropriate at this time in light of the Company's size, complexity, business model and stage of development. However, the Board will continue to periodically review its leadership structure and may make such changes in the future as it deems appropriate.

  The independent directors regularly meet in executive session without management present. During these sessions, the independent directors may discuss management performance, Board and committee effectiveness, and any other matters they deem appropriate.

  Committees of the Board

  The Board has three standing committees: the Audit Committee, the Compensation Committee, and the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee. Each standing committee operates under a written charter adopted by the Board. The current charters for each standing committee are available on our website at https://www.drillingtools.com.

  Our Board has determined that each member of the Audit Committee, the Compensation Committee, and the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee is "independent" under applicable Nasdaq listing standards and Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") rules. In making these determinations, the Board considered all relationships between each director and the Company.

  In connection with the Company's board refreshment efforts, the Board intends to review the composition and chair roles of its standing committees and to make any associated committee appointments promptly following the 2026 Annual Meeting.

  Audit Committee

  DTI's Audit Committee currently consists of Messrs. Furst (Chair), Neuman, and Patterson, each of whom is "independent" as such term is defined for audit committee members under the rules of the SEC and the listing standards of Nasdaq. The Board has determined that Mr. Furst qualifies as an "audit committee financial expert" as defined under the rules of the SEC.

  As more fully described in its charter, the primary responsibilities of the Audit Committee include:

• to appoint the independent registered public accounting firm and oversee the relationship, and approve the audit and non-audit services to be performed by the independent registered accounting firm;

• to review DTI's quarterly and annual financial statements with management and the independent registered public accounting firm;

• to review DTI's financial reporting processes and internal controls;

• to review and approve all transactions between DTI and related parties; and

• to discuss the policies with respect to risk assessment and risk management, information technology and cybersecurity risks, and other major litigation and financial risk exposures, and the steps management has taken to monitor and control such exposures.

  The Audit Committee held four meetings during fiscal 2025. The Audit Committee has adopted a written charter approved by the Board, which is available on DTI's website at investors.drillingtools.com/corporate-governance/governance-overview.

  Compensation Committee

  DTI's Compensation Committee is currently comprised of Messrs. Neuman (Chair), Patterson, and Vermillion, each of whom is "independent" as such term is defined for compensation committee members under the rules of the SEC, the listing standards of Nasdaq and applicable rules of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended.

  As more fully described in its charter, the primary responsibilities of the Compensation Committee include:

• to review and approve the corporate goals and objectives relevant to CEO compensation, evaluate at least annually the CEO's performance in light of those goals and objectives and make recommendations to the Board with respect to the CEO's compensation, including salary, bonus, fees, benefits, incentive awards and perquisites, based on this evaluation;

• to recommend to the Board the compensation of the named executive officers other than the CEO;

• to recommend to the Board the adoption, material modification or termination of DTI's compensation plans, including incentive compensation and equity-based plans, policies and programs;

• to recommend to the Board appropriate compensation for DTI's non-employee directors, including compensation and expense reimbursement policies for attendance at Board and committee meetings;

• to consider whether risks arising from DTI's compensation plans, policies and programs for its employees are reasonably likely to have a material adverse effect on DTI, including whether DTI's incentive compensation plans encourage excessive or inappropriate risk taking; and

• to determine stock ownership guidelines for directors and monitor compliance with such guidelines.

  The Compensation Committee held three meetings during fiscal 2025. The Compensation Committee has adopted a written charter approved by the Board, which is available on DTI's website at investors.drillingtools.com/corporate-governance/governance-overview.

  Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee

  DTI's Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee is currently comprised of Messrs. Vermillion (Chair), Crofford, and Furst, each of whom is "independent" under the rules of the SEC and the listing standards of Nasdaq.

  As more fully described in its charter, the primary responsibilities of the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee include:

• to assist the Board in identifying prospective director nominees and recommending nominees for each annual meeting of stockholders to the Board;

• to make recommendations to the Board regarding its size, membership and leadership, as well as committee membership and structure;

• to develop and recommend to the Board a set of corporate governance guidelines applicable to DTI and to monitor compliance with such guidelines;

• to oversee the annual self-evaluation process to determine whether the Board and its committees and individual directors are functioning effectively and to report the results of the self-evaluation process to the Board; and

• to oversee DTI's environmental, sustainability and governance efforts and progress.

  The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee held three meetings during fiscal 2025, primarily to oversee and support the Board's planned 2026 board refreshment and succession planning process, which began in the summer of 2025 and is focused on aligning the Board's skills and experience with DTI's long-term strategy and growth objectives. The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee has adopted a written charter approved by the Board, which is available on DTI's website at investors.drillingtools.com/corporate-governance/governance-overview.

  Meetings of the Board and Committees

  During fiscal 2025, the Board held four meetings. Each incumbent director attended at least 75% of the aggregate number of meetings of the Board and of the committees on which such director served during 2025 while serving as a member.

  Mr. Hicks served as a director and Chairman of the Board through December 2025. Mr. Green was appointed to the Board in January 2026 and therefore did not attend Board or committee meetings during 2025.

  Director Independence

  DTI adheres to the rules of Nasdaq in determining whether a director is independent. Nasdaq listing standards generally define an "independent director" as a person, other than an executive officer of a company or any other individual having a relationship which, in the opinion of the board, would interfere with the exercise of independent judgment in carrying out the responsibilities of a director. The Board has consulted, and will consult on an ongoing basis, with its counsel to ensure that the Board's determinations are consistent with those standards and all relevant securities and other laws and regulations regarding the independence of directors.

  In addition, audit committee members must also satisfy the independence criteria set forth in Rule 10A-3 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. To be considered independent for purposes of Rule 10A-3, a member of an audit committee of a listed company may not, other than in his or her capacity as a member of the audit committee, the board of directors or any other board committee, accept, directly or indirectly, any consulting, advisory or other compensatory fee from the listed company or any of its subsidiaries, or be an affiliated person of the listed company or any of its subsidiaries.

  Our Board has undertaken a review of the independence of each director and director nominee and considered whether each individual has a material relationship with us that could compromise his ability to exercise independent judgment in carrying out his responsibilities. In performing this review, the Board considered, among other things, any direct or indirect commercial, industrial, banking, consulting, legal, accounting, charitable, or familial relationships between each director (and their immediate family members) and the Company, its executive officers, or its significant shareholders, as well as any transactions or arrangements in which a director or an immediate family member had, or may be deemed to have had, a direct or indirect material interest. The Board also reviewed each director's and director nominee's professional and board affiliations with organizations that have relationships with the Company and considered each individual's ownership of Company securities, including whether the nature or size of such ownership could reasonably be viewed as affecting the exercise of objective, independent judgment. After reviewing all relevant facts and circumstances, the Board determined that any such relationships and interests were limited in nature, did not involve amounts or commitments that the Board viewed as material, and did not impair the director's ability to exercise independent judgment in the best interests of the Company and its shareholders.

  As a result of this review, our Board has affirmatively determined that each of our directors, other than Mr. R. Wayne Prejean, is an "independent director" as defined under the applicable rules and regulations of the SEC and the listing requirements and rules of Nasdaq. Because Mr. Prejean serves as our President and Chief Executive Officer, the Board determined that he is not independent and has a material relationship with the Company; accordingly, he does not qualify as an independent director under Nasdaq rules.

  Corporate Governance Guidelines

  We are strongly committed to good corporate governance practices. These practices provide an important framework within which our Board and management can pursue our strategic objectives for the benefit of our stockholders.

  The Board has adopted Corporate Governance Guidelines, which provide the framework for DTI's corporate governance along with the Second Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation (the "Charter"), Amended and Restated Bylaws (the "Bylaws"), committee charters and other key governance practices and policies. The Corporate Governance Guidelines cover a wide range of subjects, including the conduct of Board meetings, independence and selection of directors, Board membership criteria, and Board committee composition. The full text of the Corporate Governance Guidelines is posted on DTI's website at investors.drillingtools.com/corporate-governance/governance-overview.

  Stockholder and Interested Party Communications with the Board

  Stockholders and interested parties who wish to communicate with our Board, non-management members of our Board as a group, a committee of our Board or a specific member of our Board (including our chair or lead independent director) may do so by letters addressed to the attention of our Corporate Secretary.

  All communications are reviewed by the Corporate Secretary and such communications may be summarized prior to forwarding to the members of our Board as appropriate. Our Corporate Secretary will not forward communications that are not relevant to the duties and responsibilities of the Board. Unsolicited items, sales materials, abusive,

  threatening or otherwise inappropriate materials and other routine items and items unrelated to the duties and responsibilities of our Board will not be provided to directors.

  Any stockholder or other interested party who wishes to communicate with our Board or any individual director may send written communications to our Board or such director c/o Drilling Tools International Corporation, 10370 Richmond Avenue, Suite 1000, Houston, TX 77042, Attention: Chairman of the Board. The Board will generally respond, or cause DTI to respond, in writing to bona fide communications from stockholders addressed to one or more members of the Board. Please note that requests for investor relations materials should be sent to InvestorRelations@drillingtools.com.

  Code of Business Conduct and Ethics

  DTI has a Code of Business Conduct and Ethics that applies to all of its employees, officers, and directors. This includes DTI's principal executive officer, principal financial officer, and principal accounting officer or controller, or persons performing similar functions. The purpose of the Code of Business Conduct and Ethics is to promote honest and ethical conduct, including the ethical handling of actual or apparent conflicts of interest between personal and professional relationships; to promote full, fair, accurate, timely and understandable disclosure in periodic reports required to be filed by us; and to promote compliance with all applicable rules and regulations that apply to us and our officers. DTI intends to disclose on its website any future amendments of the Code of Business Conduct and Ethics or waivers that exempt any principal executive officer, principal financial officer, principal accounting officer or controller, persons performing similar functions, or DTI's directors from provisions in the Code of Business Conduct and Ethics. The full text of the Code of Business Conduct and Ethics is posted on our website at investors.drillingtools.com/corporate-governance/governance-overview.

  Corporate Responsibility and Sustainability

  We believe that corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives are important to our business and to creating sustainable value for our stockholders and wider stakeholder group. Our Board and management are committed to these initiatives and believe these efforts will benefit our employees, partners, and the communities in which we operate.

  Social and Ethical Practices

  We are committed to improving diversity and inclusion in the workplace by creating a values-driven culture, investing in our employees' career growth through competitive pay and benefits and development and training, and prioritizing safety. Social and Ethical CSR highlights include:

• Diversity and Inclusion - We are committed to creating and maintaining a workplace free from discrimination or harassment on the basis of color, race, sex, national origin, ethnicity, religion, age, disability, sexual orientation, gender identification or expression or any other status protected by applicable law. Our management team and employees are expected to exhibit and promote honest, ethical and respectful conduct in the workplace. All of our employees must adhere to a code of conduct that sets standards for appropriate behavior and are required to attend biennial training to help prevent, identify, report and stop any type of discrimination and harassment. All recruitment, hiring, development, training, compensation and advancement at our company is based on qualifications, performance, skills and experience without regard to gender, race and ethnicity.

• Competitive Pay and Benefits - DTI is committed to providing comprehensive and competitive pay and benefits to its employees. DTI's total rewards for employees include a variety of components that aim to support sustainable employment and the ability to build a strong financial future. We monitor our compensation programs closely and provide what we consider to be a very competitive mix of compensation, insurance and wellness benefits for all our employees, including participation in our company paid short term disability and company paid life insurance programs. To attract qualified applicants, we offer a total rewards package consisting of base salary and rewarding bonus program, a comprehensive benefits package, and a time off policy that includes vacation, paid time off, paid jury duty, statutory paid holidays and floating holidays for all full-time employees. All non-executive employees are eligible for our Safe, Inspired, Productive incentive program ("SIP"), which pays quarterly bonuses to each employee based on their personal performance, district and company financial performance and attainment of district-based safety goals. In addition, all employees are eligible for an annual service award based on tenure and anniversary bonuses for five, 10, 15 and 20 years of service.

• Employee Development and Training - We focus on attracting, retaining and cultivating talented individuals. We emphasize employee development and training by providing access to a wide range of online and instructor-led development and continual learning programs. Continuing education is an ever-expanding part of DTI's foundation by providing weekly safety talks, annual safety and quality training, and

  quarterly soft skill training for all employees. Employees are encouraged to attend scientific, clinical and technological meetings and conferences and have access to broad resources they need to be successful. In 2022, DTI established their Leadership University Training Program to enhance the skillset of our management staff. Graduates of the 15-month program are awarded with a training bonus as well.

• Safety - Keeping our workforce safe and healthy is a key priority, and management is committed to ensuring our employees return home safely after each shift. In 2018, we implemented "Safety Now," a rigorous safety program that is part of DTI's SIP. SIP has helped reduce our total recordable incident rate ("TRIR") from 2.3 in 2018 to 1.15 in 2024 and our experience modified rate ("EMR") from .89 in 2018 to .67 in 2024, which is significantly better than the industry average. All employees are eligible for an annual behavior-based safety award.

  Risk Oversight

  The Board oversees the risk management activities designed and implemented by management. The Board executes its oversight responsibility both directly and through its committees. The Board also considers specific risk topics, including risks associated with its strategic initiatives, business plans and capital structure. DTI's management, including its executive officers, is primarily responsible for managing the risks associated with the operation and business of DTI and provides appropriate updates to the Board and the Audit Committee. The Board has delegated to the Audit Committee oversight of its risk management process, and its other committees also consider risk as they perform their respective committee responsibilities.

  Cybersecurity Risk Oversight

  Securing the information of our clients, employees, and third parties is important to us. We have adopted physical, technological, and administrative controls on data security, and have a policy for data incident detection, containment, response, and remediation. While everyone at our company plays a part in managing these risks, oversight responsibility is shared by our Board, our Audit Committee, and management.

  The Company's cybersecurity Risk Management Policy governs the life cycle in which cybersecurity risks, including:

• Risk Identification - The Company identifies cybersecurity risks through various initiatives performed, including, annual cybersecurity assessments, penetration tests, Incident Response tabletop exercises, vulnerability scans, and cybersecurity reviews of critical third-party vendor engagements. Additionally, risks may be manually identified through employees' reports and escalations.

• Risk Evaluation - Identified issues, vulnerabilities, and exposures are captured within the Company's Risk Register.

• Risk Evaluation and Treatment - The Information Risk Register is updated periodically to reflect all identified risks, and the most up to date treatment option selected by the Risk Owners, including, Mitigation, Acceptance, Avoidance and Transfer. Risk Impact is calculated while considering several impact pillars, which include, Financial Impact, Operational Impact, Regulatory Impact, Reputational Impact, Geographical Impact, and Cyber/Technology Impact.

• Risk Reporting and Ongoing Management - Risks are shared as part of a monthly Cybersecurity Governance Forum, that's attended by leadership. Risk Mitigations are tracked to completion through various project updates. Mitigations include the involvement of people, processes, and technologies to support the Risk Management life cycle end to end.

Since the process was established in 2023, key critical vendors who may have material impact on the Company's confidentiality, integrity or availability of data were prioritized and reviews were completed. The review of other relevant third-party vendors upon onboarding began in January 2024. The cybersecurity dashboard with roadmap progress is shared with the entire Board during each Board meeting. The dashboard includes overview of actions completed and any topics that need Board awareness/sponsorship such as approval of budgets which include cyber security project initiatives. An in-depth update regarding cyber security is discussed during quarterly meetings with the Audit Committee. The Audit Committee is ultimately responsible for overseeing management's execution of the Company's cybersecurity risk management program.

Compensation Committee Interlocks and Insider Participation

None of the members of the Compensation Committee is currently, or has been at any time, one of DTI's officers or employees. None of the members of the compensation committee in 2025, was at any time during 2025 or at any other time an officer or employee of ours or any of our subsidiaries, and none had or have any relationships with us that are required to be disclosed under Item 404 of Regulation S-K. During 2025, none of our executive officers except Mr. Prejean served as a member of our Board, or as a member of the compensation or similar

committee, of any entity that has one or more executive officers who served on our Board or compensation committee.

Board Attendance at Annual Stockholders' Meeting

Our policy is to invite and encourage each member of our Board to be present at our annual meetings of stockholders. We encourage all of our directors and nominees for director to attend the Annual Meeting; however, attendance is not mandatory. All of our directors attended the 2025 Annual Meeting, and all of the directors are expected to attend the Annual Meeting this year.

Prohibition on Hedging and Pledging of Company Securities; Insider Trading Policy

DTI has adopted an insider trading policy which provides procedures governing the purchase, sale, and other dispositions of its securities by directors, officers, and employees that are reasonably designed to promote compliance with insider trading laws, rules and regulations, and applicable listing standards. The insider trading policy is available on DTI's website at investors.drillingtools.com/corporate-governance/governance-overview. The information in or accessible through DTI's website is not incorporated into, and is not considered part of, this Proxy Statement. As part of DTI's insider trading policy, all Company directors, officers, employees, independent contractors and consultants are prohibited from engaging in short sales of our securities, establishing margin accounts, buying our securities on margin, trading in derivative securities, including buying or selling puts or calls on our securities, or otherwise engaging in any form of hedging or monetization transactions (such as prepaid variable forwards, equity swaps, collars and exchange funds) involving DTI securities.

The foregoing summary of the Insider Trading Policy does not purport to be complete and is qualified in its entirety by reference to the full text of the Insider Trading Policy, which is included as Exhibit 19.1 in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2025 filed with the SEC on March 6, 2026.

Stock Ownership Guidelines

The Board believes that, in order to more closely align the interests of directors with the interests of DTI's other stockholders, DTI's directors should maintain a minimum level of equity interests in DTI's Common Stock. Accordingly, DTI has stock ownership guidelines requiring ownership of shares with a value equal to at least five times the annual cash received from meeting attendance fees for independent directors. Under the stock ownership guidelines, covered directors must achieve the required level of ownership by the later of (i) the five-year anniversary of the adoption of the guidelines and (ii) the five-year anniversary of becoming a director, respectively. As of the record date, each of DTI's covered directors was either in compliance with the guidelines or within the five-year phase-in period.

Management Succession Planning

As part of the annual executive officer evaluation process, the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee works with the CEO to plan for the succession of the CEO and other senior executive officers, as well as to develop plans for interim or emergency succession for the CEO and other senior executive officers in the event of retirement or an unexpected occurrence. The succession plan includes, among other things, an assessment of the experience, performance and skills for possible successors to the CEO.

The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee conducts a review at least annually of the succession plan. The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee establishes the evaluation process and determines the criteria by which the CEO is evaluated. The results of this review are communicated to the CEO. The Compensation Committee conducts a review at least annually of the current performance of the CEO.

Board Refreshment and Succession Planning

The Board, with the oversight of the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee maintains an ongoing focus on board refreshment to align the Board's composition with the Company's long term strategy, risk profile and stakeholder expectations. The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee oversees a formal Board Succession and Refreshment Policy and related plan that address director tenure, anticipated retirements and other transitions, desired skills and experience, and the timing of future director searches.

As part of this process, the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee periodically reviews a board skills and experience matrix, director tenure and independence, and board and committee leadership roles, with a view toward maintaining a balance of continuity and fresh perspectives. On January 26, 2026, the Board appointed Ira

H. Green, Jr. to serve as a director following the December 2025 passing of DTI's Chair, Thomas O. Hicks, Sr. in order to help preserve leadership continuity and relevant industry and financial expertise on the Board.

On December 16, 2025, director Thomas "Roe" Patterson notified the Board that he would not stand for reelection at the Company's 2026 Annual Meeting, and his decision was reported in a Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on December 17, 2025. Mr. Patterson will continue to serve as a director through the 2026 Annual Meeting. In anticipation of his departure, and following its internal search and evaluation process, the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee has identified Daniel J. Kimes, who currently serves as a board advisor to DTI, as a nominee to stand for election at the 2026 Annual Meeting to fill the seat expected to be vacated by Mr. Patterson.

Similarly, director C. Richard Vermillion has informed the Board that he will not stand for reelection at the 2026 Annual Meeting but will continue to serve until the end of his current term, and his decision was reported in a Current Report on Form 8-K filed on January 27, 2026. The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee has identified Jeremy D. Thigpen as a nominee to stand for election at the 2026 Annual Meeting to fill the seat expected to be vacated by Mr. Vermillion, reflecting the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee's focus on adding additional public company leadership and energy sector experience to the Board.

For additional information regarding Messrs. Kimes and Thigpen's backgrounds and qualifications, please see

"Proposal 1 - Election of Directors - Biographies of the Director Nominees" below.

The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee's refreshment activities were conducted within the framework of the director nomination process and qualification criteria described under "Nominations Process and Director Qualifications" below. In connection with identifying Messrs. Kimes and Thigpen as director nominees, the Committee focused in particular on relevant industry and public company leadership experience, familiarity with DTI's business and strategic objectives, and the ability to contribute distinct perspectives to Board deliberations.

When new directors join the Board, DTI provides a structured onboarding and integration program, including tailored briefings with senior management, operations and financial reviews, and access to key governance and strategic materials, designed to accelerate their effectiveness as Board and committee members. Through these policies, practices and recent actions, the Board seeks to ensure that its composition remains forward looking, effective and responsive to the Company's evolving needs and the interests of its stockholders.

Annual Board, Committee and Individual Director Evaluation

The Board evaluates its performance and the performance of its committees on an annual basis through an evaluation process administered by the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee to determine whether it and its committees are functioning effectively and how to improve their effectiveness. Each committee of the Board shall also evaluate its performance on an annual basis and report the results to the Board, acting through the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee. Each committee's evaluation must compare the performance of the committee with the requirements of its written charter.

Nominations Process and Director Qualifications

Nomination to the Board of Directors

Candidates for nomination to our Board are selected by our Board based on the recommendation of the nominating and corporate governance committee in accordance with the committee's charter, our Charter and Bylaws, our Corporate Governance Guidelines and the criteria approved by our Board regarding director candidate qualifications. In recommending candidates for nomination, the nominating and corporate governance committee considers candidates recommended by directors, officers, employees, stockholders and others, using the same criteria to evaluate all candidates. Evaluations of candidates generally involve a review of background materials, internal discussions and interviews with selected candidates as appropriate and, in addition, the committee may engage consultants or third-party search firms to assist in identifying and evaluating potential nominees.

When considering nominees, the nominating and corporate governance committee may take into consideration many factors including, among other things, a candidate's independence, integrity, diversity, skills, financial and other expertise, breadth of experience, knowledge about our business or industry and ability to devote adequate time and effort to responsibilities of our Board in the context of its existing composition. Through the nomination process, the nominating and corporate governance committee seeks to promote Board membership that reflects a diversity of business experience, expertise, viewpoints, personal backgrounds and other characteristics that are expected to contribute to our Board's overall effectiveness. The brief biographical description of each director set forth in Proposal No. 1 below includes information regarding the person's service as a director, business experience, director positions held currently or at any time during the last five years, information regarding involvement in certain legal or administrative proceedings, if applicable, and the experiences, qualifications, attributes or skills that caused the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee and the Board to determine that the person should serve as DTI director.

Additional information regarding the process for properly submitting stockholder nominations for candidates for membership on our Board is set forth below under "Stockholder Proposals for the 2027 Annual Meeting."

Director Qualifications

With the goal of developing an experienced and highly qualified Board, the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee is responsible for developing and recommending to our Board the desired qualifications, expertise and characteristics of members of our Board, including any specific minimum qualifications that the committee believes must be met by a committee-recommended nominee for membership on our Board and any specific qualities or skills that the committee believes are necessary for one or more of the members of our Board to possess. We value diversity on a company-wide basis and seek to achieve a mix of members on our Board that reflects a diversity of background and experience, including with respect to age, race, ethnicity, professional background and occupation, as well as diversity of perspectives.

In carrying out this responsibility, the committee considers a variety of factors, including integrity and sound judgment, relevant industry and financial expertise, senior leadership experience, familiarity with our business and strategy, and the ability to commit the time and attention necessary to fulfill Board responsibilities. The committee also considers diversity of background and experience, including diversity of perspectives that may arise from differences in age, race, ethnicity, professional background and occupation, as one of several factors in evaluating potential nominees.

Because the identification, evaluation and selection of qualified directors is a complex and subjective process that requires consideration of many intangible factors, and will be significantly influenced by the particular needs of our Board from time to time, our Board has not adopted a specific set of minimum qualifications, qualities or skills that are necessary for a nominee to possess, other than those that are necessary to meet U.S. legal and regulatory rules and the provisions of our Charter, Bylaws, Corporate Governance Guidelines, and charters of the committees of our Board.

While our Board and Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee do not have a formal policy with regard to the consideration of diversity in identifying nominees, we recognize the value of diversity and consider it among various factors in evaluating potential Board members, consistent with our overall director qualification framework. We continue to monitor evolving stakeholder expectations and developments in corporate governance practices as we oversee Board composition and refreshment.

Proposal 1 - Election Of Directors

The Board recommends that stockholders vote "FOR" the proposal to elect each of the nominees.

The Board currently consists of seven directors. At the recommendation of the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee, the Board has nominated Curtis L. Crofford, John D. "Jack" Furst, Ira H. Green, Jr., Daniel J. Kimes, Eric C. Neuman, R. Wayne Prejean, and Jeremy D. Thigpen, for election as directors to serve until our 2027 Annual Meeting or until their successors are elected and qualified. With the exception of Messrs. Kimes and Thigpen, each of the nominees is currently a member of the Board.

All such nominees named above have indicated a willingness to serve as directors but should any of them decline or be unable to serve, proxies may be voted for another person nominated as a substitute by the Board. There are no family relationships, of first cousins or closer, among the Company's directors and executive officers, by blood, marriage, or adoption.

The following information is furnished with respect to each of the nominees of the Board, including information regarding their business experience, director positions held currently or at any time during the last five years, involvement in certain legal or administrative proceedings, if applicable, and the experiences, qualifications, attributes, or skills that caused the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee and the Board to determine that the nominees should serve as our directors.

Biographical information for each nominee is contained in the "Board of Directors' Nominees" section below.

Vote Required

The election of directors in this Proposal 1 requires the affirmative vote of a plurality of the votes cast by stockholders entitled to vote on the election of directors. Neither withheld votes nor broker non-votes will have any effect on the

outcome of voting on director elections. Therefore, it is important that you vote your shares by proxy or in person at the Annual Meeting.

In accordance with Section 1.9 of the Bylaws and the Corporate Governance Guidelines, nominees for election or reelection must agree in advance to tender an irrevocable resignation that becomes effective upon (i) failure to receive the required vote at the next annual meeting and (ii) Board acceptance of the resignation. Similarly, any newly appointed directors must agree to tender the same form of resignation upon joining the Board.

Recommendation of the Board

The Board recommends that stockholders vote "FOR" the proposal to elect each of the nominees.

Board of Directors and Director Nominees

The following table provides summary information about each of DTI's current directors and the director nominees standing for election to the Board for a one-year term expiring on the date of our 2027 Annual Meeting. The nominees for director, each of whom has consented to serve, if elected, are as follows:

Biographies of the Director Nominees

AGE: 53

Director Since: 2012

Curtis L. Crofford - Mr. Crofford was appointed to DTI Board in 2012, and is currently a Managing Director for Pennington Creek Capital, the private capital investing arm of the Chickasaw Nation with headquarters in Ada, Oklahoma. From 2005 until February 2024, he served as a managing director for Hicks Equity Partners, LLC, a private equity investment firm founded by Thomas O. Hicks, Sr. Prior to Hicks, Mr. Crofford served in positions at numerous investment banks, including Dresdner Kleinwort Wasserstein and Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette as well as BT Alex. Brown Inc. in New York and London. Mr. Crofford received a Bachelor of Arts from Vanderbilt University and a Master of Business Administration from Duke University.

Mr. Crofford was chosen to serve on the DTI Board because of his extensive experience in private equity, capital markets, and the oil and gas sector to the DTI Board. His decades of board service have enhanced his governance expertise, while his prior tenure on DTI's Board provides valuable company-specific knowledge. Mr. Crofford actively collaborates with management on strategic initiatives, including mergers and acquisitions. His industry acumen and governance experience position him to effectively guide DTI through sector challenges and opportunities. Mr. Crofford's multifaceted background enables comprehensive oversight of DTI's operations, financial strategy, employee retention, board governance, and industry-specific matters.

AGE: 67

Director Since: 2012

John D. "Jack" Furst - Mr. Furst was appointed to the DTI Board in 2012 and currently serves as Lead Independent Director and the chair of the Audit Committee and as a member of the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee. He is also the founder of Oak Stream Investors, a private investment firm founded in 2008, which makes investments in real estate, oil and gas, fixed income securities and public and private equities. Mr. Furst joined HM Capital Partners LLC ("HM Capital Partners"), a private equity firm, in 1989, the year it was formed as Hicks, Muse, Tate & Furst, Inc. ("HM"). Until 2008, he was a partner at HM Capital Partners and was involved in all aspects of the firm's business, including originating, structuring and monitoring its investments. Prior to joining HM Capital Partners, Mr. Furst served as a Vice President, and

subsequently as a partner, of Hicks & Haas. Prior to that, Mr. Furst was a mergers and acquisitions and corporate finance specialist for The First Boston Corporation, an investment banking firm. Before joining First Boston, he was a Financial Consultant at PricewaterhouseCoopers (now PwC), a professional services firm. In addition to DTI, Mr. Furst has served on the board of directors of Capital Southwest, a business development company (BDC) that focuses on providing financing to small and mid-sized businesses, since 2014, including serving as chair of its Compensation Committee since April 2019. Mr. Furst received a Bachelor of Science with honors from the College of Business Administration at Arizona State University and a Master of Business Administration with honors from the Graduate School of Business at the University of Texas at Austin.

Mr. Furst was chosen to serve on the DTI Board because of his decades of experience in leveraged acquisitions and private investments to the DTI Board. His 40 years of investment experience, primarily in private and public companies, provides valuable insights into DTI's business. Mr. Furst's extensive board service has honed his governance skills. He demonstrated leadership during a recent cybersecurity incident, showcasing his ability to assess and manage such threats. His broad financial services background offers unique perspectives to guide DTI's strategic decisions.

AGE: 61

Director Since: 2026

Ira H. Green, Jr. - Mr. Green was appointed to the DTI Board in January 2026 and has served as the Managing Partner of IHG Advisors, LLC, a provider of strategic senior advisory services for companies seeking to optimize performance and maximize value, since October 2025. Up until this time, he spent more than 30 years in energy investment banking and most recently served as Managing Director and Head of Energy, Power & Infrastructure Capital Markets for Piper Sandler & Co., where he led public equity and related capital markets transactions across the energy sector, including oilfield services and equipment, exploration and production, midstream, refining, power and renewables. Mr. Green joined a Piper Sandler predecessor, Simmons & Company International, in 2002, focusing on mergers and acquisitions and capital markets transactions and also served as Chief Financial Officer during the financial crisis. Earlier in his career, he served as President, Chief Financial Officer and a member of the board of directors of SalvageSale, Inc., an online marketplace for damaged and end-of-life industrial assets, and held energy investment-banking positions at Morgan Stanley, The First Boston Corporation (now part of Credit Suisse) and Merrill Lynch. Mr. Green received a Bachelor of Business Administration degree in finance with highest honors from The University of Texas at Austin and a Master of Business Administration degree, with distinction, from the University of Virginia Darden School of Business, where he currently serves as a member of the Board of Trustees of the Darden School Foundation.

Mr. Green was chosen to serve on the DTI Board because of his decades of experience in energy investment banking, capital markets and strategic advisory work across the oilfield services, exploration and production, midstream, refining, power and renewables sectors. His background in leading equity and debt financings and advising boards on mergers, acquisitions and restructuring transactions provides valuable insight into DTI's financing alternatives and strategic opportunities. His prior service as a CFO during a period of financial stress enhances the Board's oversight of financial reporting, risk management and capital allocation. Mr. Green's combination of capital-markets expertise, board-level advisory experience and deep relationships across the energy industry positions him to contribute meaningfully to DTI's long-term strategy and governance practices.

AGE: 43

Director Nominee

Daniel J. Kimes - Mr. Kimes is currently a Partner at Arch Energy Partners, a registered private fund adviser and active direct investor focused on upstream oil and gas opportunities at the real-asset level, where he is responsible for deal origination, underwriting, hedging, risk mitigation and fundraising and serves as a member of the Investment Committee. At Arch, his notable transactions have included the acquisition of Reliance Industries' Appalachia assets and a structured drilling partnership in the Southern Midland Basin. From 2021 to 2023, Mr. Kimes served as Chief Executive Officer and a member of the board of directors of ROC Energy Acquisition Corporation, a $207 million special purpose acquisition company, where he led the sourcing, negotiation and execution of its $319 million business combination with Drilling Tools International Corp. in June 2023 and currently serves as a Board Advisor to DTI's Board of Directors. Earlier in his career, he held executive roles in energy-focused portfolio companies, including as Co-Founder, Co-Chief Executive Officer and director of Shot Hollow Resources, LLC and as Chief Financial Officer and director of Brigadier Oil & Gas, LLC, where he led acquisitions, commercial negotiations and a sales process. Mr. Kimes previously worked as a private equity associate at Natural Gas Partners (NGP Energy Capital Management), where he participated in numerous upstream and oilfield-services investments, and began his career in the energy investment-banking group at RBC Capital Markets. He graduated magna cum laude from Southern Methodist University with a Bachelor of Business Administration degree in finance, with Honors in Liberal Arts and Business, and holds a Master of Business Administration from the Stanford Graduate School of Business.

Mr. Kimes was chosen to serve on the DTI Board because of his extensive experience investing in and operating upstream oil and gas businesses and his direct knowledge of DTI gained through leading the ROC Energy Acquisition Corporation business combination. His background in private equity, structured drilling partnerships and capital markets provides the Board with insight into acquisition opportunities, risk management and financing structures relevant to DTI's growth strategy. His prior public-company leadership as CEO and director of a SPAC strengthens the Board's oversight of public-company governance and transaction execution. Mr. Kimes' combination of investment, operational and board experience in the energy sector enhances the Board's ability to evaluate strategic alternatives and allocate capital effectively.

AGE: 81

Director Since: 2012

Eric C. Neuman - Mr. Neuman has been a director of DTI since 2012 and currently serves as the Chair of the Compensation Committee and as a member of the Audit Committee. Since 2023, he has served as Senior Advisor to Great American Media Group, an exhibitor of video programming on various national and international pay television and streaming platforms, and as a manager of Crossings, LLC, an investment company, since 2013. From 2005 until 2023, he served as a managing director and partner of Hicks Equity Partners, LLC, a private equity investment firm founded by Thomas O. Hicks, Sr. Prior to Hicks, he served as a partner and officer at Hicks, Muse, Tate & Furst, an investment firm. In addition to DTI, Mr. Neuman has served on the board of directors of Tower of Babel, LLC, a cable television network, since April 2013, and formerly served as a director of a number of public and private companies, including Hemisphere Media Group (NASDAQ:HMTV), a publicly traded company for which he also served as the Chairman of the Audit Committee from April 2013 to September 2022. Mr. Neuman received a Bachelor of Arts from the University of South Florida and a Master of Business Administration from Northwestern University.

Mr. Neuman was chosen to serve on the DTI Board because of his decades of experience in investment analysis, providing insights into DTI's strategy. He has a track record in driving growth across industries and his governance skills were developed from board service and roles as Chief Financial Officer. As Audit Committee Chairman at Hemisphere Media, he gained valuable experience in cybersecurity risk management. Mr. Neuman's finance and governance background helps guide DTI through challenges and opportunities as well as enhances the Company's decision-making and risk oversight.

AGE: 64

Director Since: 2013

R. Wayne Prejean - Mr. Prejean was appointed as Interim Chair to the DTI Board in December 2025 and has served as the President and Chief Executive Officer and as a director of Drilling Tools International (formerly known as Directional Rentals) since 2013. With over 45 years of industry experience, Mr. Prejean began his career in 1979 working in field operations in the Gulf of Mexico. From 1979 thru 1999, he was employed by numerous firms that specialized in directional drilling and medium radius horizontal drilling technology, including Scientific Drilling, BecField Horizontal, Drilling Measurements Inc, Drilex Services and Baker Hughes Inteq. Within these companies, he served in various roles in field operations, operations management, sales, and executive management responsible for domestic and international business locations. In 1999, Mr. Prejean founded Wildcat Services, a provider of specialty automatic drilling equipment for drilling rigs. In five years, the company grew from a local 50-rig supplier to over 500 systems deployed in 20 countries around the world - and was sold to National Oilwell Varco (now NOV, Inc.; NYSE: NOV) in 2004. Mr. Prejean was employed in leadership and advisory roles with the Wildcat /NOV organization through 2012. In addition to founding Wildcat Services, he co-founded several other oilfield services companies that were focused on solids control, downhole tool development, MWD products, and precision metal cutting and machining.

Mr. Prejean was chosen to serve on the DTI Board because of his decades of industry experience in operations, commercial strategies, business ownership, and executive leadership. As CEO, he has been the primary driver of DTI's growth through mergers, acquisitions, and post-M&A integration. He oversees DTI's cybersecurity risk mitigation strategies, including improvement initiatives and employee training programs. Mr. Prejean's vision and leadership have been key to DTI's success, making him a valuable Board member.

AGE: 50

Director Nominee

Jeremy D. Thigpen - Mr. Thigpen has served as Executive Chairman of Transocean Ltd., a leading international provider of offshore contract drilling services, since May 2025, where he works closely with the executive leadership team on strategy, leads board meetings, serves as the primary interface between the board and management and participates in the evaluation and consummation of potential acquisitions and financing transactions. From April 2015 to May 2025, he served as President and Chief Executive Officer of Transocean, during which time he led a strategic transformation of the company's fleet, technology platform, leadership team, culture and cost structure, repositioning the company to focus on ultra-deepwater and harsh-environment drilling and improving operating margins relative to peers while avoiding a restructuring that would have impaired shareholder equity. Prior to joining Transocean, Mr. Thigpen spent nearly two decades at National Oilwell Varco, Inc. (now NOV Inc.), where he held roles including Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, President of Downhole and President of Downhole and Pumping Solutions, as well as positions in corporate business

development, supply-chain management and operations. In these roles, he led domestic and international growth through acquisitions, product development and geographic expansion and oversaw significant capital-allocation initiatives, including acquisitions, spin-offs, share-repurchase programs and dividend increases. Mr. Thigpen holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in economics and managerial studies from Rice University and completed the Program for Management Development at Harvard Business School.

Mr. Thigpen was chosen to serve on the DTI Board because of his extensive executive-leadership experience in the global oilfield-services and offshore-drilling industries. His track record of leading complex operational and financial transformations, including large-scale portfolio optimization and cost restructuring, provides valuable insight into DTI's strategic planning and operational-excellence initiatives. His experience in evaluating and integrating acquisitions, managing global supply chains and overseeing capital structure at a NYSE-listed company strengthens the Board's oversight of growth, risk management and stakeholder engagement. Mr. Thigpen's deep industry knowledge, public-company board experience and history of governance leadership position him to contribute meaningfully to DTI's long-term strategy and Board effectiveness.

Executive Officers

In addition to Mr. Prejean listed above, the following persons are the executive officers of the Company.

Biographies of the Named Executive Officers

AGE: 61

NEO Since: 2013

AGE: 51

NEO Since: 2009

David R. Johnson - Mr. Johnson joined Drilling Tools International (formerly known as Directional Rentals) as its Chief Financial Officer in October 2013. Prior to joining DTI, Mr. Johnson served as the CFO of Sharewell Energy Services, a directional drilling company and as the Vice President of Finance and Administration for PathFinder Energy Services, Inc., an international oil field service company and wholly owned subsidiary of W-H Energy Services, Inc. Mr. Johnson has over three decades of experience in accounting and decades of experience in oil and gas related industries. He is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. Mr. Johnson has a Bachelor of Science from LeTourneau University as well as a Master of Business Administration from the University of Texas at Tyler.

Michael W. Domino, Jr. - Mr. Domino joined Drilling Tools International (formerly known as Directional Rentals) in July 2009, and has served the President of the Directional Tool Rentals division since January 2022. He also served as the Executive Vice President of the Rental Tool division from April 2018 until January 2022 and as the Vice President of Business Development from July 2013 until April 2018. Prior to DTI, Mr. Domino worked in roles of increasing responsibility for Directional Rentals, Inc., the predecessor company to DTI, serving as its President from 2009 until 2013, and Stabil Drill Specialties, a drilling tool rental and services company, from 2000 until 2009. He has over three decades of experience in the oil and gas drilling and rental equipment industries. Mr. Domino has a Bachelor of Business Administration from University of Louisiana at Lafayette.

Proposal 2 - Ratification of the Appointment of Grant Thornton LLP as DTI's Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm for 2026

The Board recommends that stockholders vote "FOR" the proposal the ratification of the appointment of Grant Thornton LLP as our independent registered public accounting firm for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2026.

The Audit Committee is directly responsible for the appointment, compensation, retention, and oversight of DTI's independent registered public accounting firm (the "independent auditors"). The Audit Committee has appointed Grant Thornton LLP ("Grant Thornton") to serve as our independent auditors with respect to our operations for the year ending December 31, 2026, subject to ratification by stockholders. Stockholder ratification of such selection is not required by our Bylaws or any other applicable legal requirement. However, our Board is submitting the selection of Grant Thornton to our stockholders for ratification as a matter of good corporate governance.

Change in Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

In May 2025, following the recommendation of the Audit Committee, the Board approved the dismissal of Weaver and Tidwell, L.L.P. ("Weaver") as the Company's independent registered public accounting firm and the engagement of Grant Thornton as our new independent registered public accounting firm for the year ending December 31, 2025. The Audit Committee also considered Grant Thornton's experience with companies operating in both domestic and international markets. The decision to change auditors was not the result of any disagreement with Weaver on any matter of accounting principles or practices, financial statement disclosure, or auditing scope or procedure.

The Audit Committee also considered carefully Grant Thornton's independence with respect to the services to be performed and its general reputation for adherence to professional auditing standards. The Audit Committee is responsible for the determination of the fees associated with the retention of Grant Thornton and will annually evaluate the performance of Grant Thornton, including the senior audit engagement team, and will determine whether to reengage the independent auditors.

The Audit Committee and the Board believe that the engagement of Grant Thornton as our independent auditors is in the best interests of DTI and our stockholders. In selecting Grant Thornton, the Audit Committee also considered the firm's experience with companies operating in both domestic and international markets. Because the members of the Audit Committee value stockholders' views on our independent auditors, even though ratification is not legally required, there will be presented at the Annual Meeting a proposal for the ratification of the appointment of Grant Thornton. If the appointment of Grant Thornton is not ratified, the matter of the appointment of independent auditors will be considered by the Audit Committee.

In the event stockholders fail to ratify the appointment of Grant Thornton, the Audit Committee may reconsider this appointment. Even if the appointment is ratified, the Audit Committee, in its discretion, may direct the appointment of a different independent accounting firm at any time during the year if the Audit Committee determines that such a change would be in the Company's and its stockholders' best interests.

Representatives of Grant Thornton will be present during the Annual Meeting to make a statement if they desire to do so. They will also be available to answer appropriate questions from stockholders.

Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm Fees and Services

We regularly review the services and fees from our independent registered public accounting firm. These services and fees are also reviewed with our audit committee annually. In accordance with standard policy, Grant Thornton periodically rotates the individuals who are responsible for our audit.

During the year ended December 31, 2024, Weaver served as our independent registered public accounting firm. During the year ended December 31, 2025, Grant Thornton served as our independent registered public accounting firm. The following table sets forth the aggregate fees billed to us by our principal accountants for professional services rendered for the years ended December 31, 2025 and 2024.

1. Grant Thornton's 2025 audit fees consist of fees for the audit of our consolidated financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2025, the review of quarterly financial statements, registration statements, merger and acquisition transactions, other professional services

   provided in connection with statutory and regulatory filings or engagements. In addition, the audit fees include $168,075 associated with

   statutory audits of the Company's international subsidiaries, each performed by Grant Thornton International member firms.

2. Weaver's 2024 audit fees consist of fees for the audit of our consolidated financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2024, the review of quarterly financial statements, registration statements, merger and acquisition transactions, and other professional services provided in connection with statutory and regulatory filings or engagements.

"Audit Fees" represents fees for professional services provided in connection with the audit of our financial statements, the review of our quarterly financial statements, registration statements, and audit services provided in connection with other statutory or regulatory filings.

There were no services outside of the audit services outlined above, during the years 2025 and 2024.

Policy on Audit Committee Pre-Approval of Audit and Permissible Non-Audit Services of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

Our Audit Committee's policy is to pre-approve all audit and permissible non-audit services provided by the independent registered public accounting firm, the scope of services provided by the independent registered public accounting firm and the fees for the services to be performed. These services may include audit services, audit-related services, tax services and other services. Pre-approval is detailed as to the particular service or category of services and is generally subject to a specific budget. The independent registered public accounting firm and management are required to periodically report to the audit committee regarding the extent of services provided by the independent registered public accounting firm in accordance with this pre-approval, and the fees for the services performed to date.

All of the services relating to the fees described in the table above were approved by our audit committee.

Vote Required

The ratification of the appointment of Grant Thornton LLP as our independent registered public accounting firm for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2026 requires the affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of the voting power of the shares present in person, by remote communication, if applicable, or represented by proxy duly authorized at the Annual Meeting and entitled to vote. Because this proposal is considered a routine matter under Nasdaq rules, brokers, banks, and other nominees may vote shares held in street name on this proposal in their discretion, even if they have not received voting instructions from the beneficial owner. Accordingly, no broker non-votes are expected on this proposal; however, if any broker non-votes were to occur, they would have no effect on the outcome of this proposal. Abstentions will be counted as present for purposes of determining the existence of a quorum and will have the same effect as a vote against this proposal. Therefore, it is important that you vote your shares by proxy or in person at the Annual Meeting.

Recommendation of the Board

The Board recommends that stockholders vote "FOR" the proposal the ratification of the appointment of Grant Thornton LLP as our independent registered public accounting firm for the year ending December 31, 2026.

Report of the Audit Committee

Our audit committee has reviewed and discussed with our management and Grant Thornton LLP our audited consolidated financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2025. Our audit committee has also discussed with Grant Thornton LLP the matters required to be discussed by the applicable standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

Our audit committee has received and reviewed the written disclosures and the letter from Grant Thornton LLP required by applicable requirements of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board regarding the independent accountant's communications with our audit committee concerning independence, and has discussed with Grant Thornton LLP its independence from us.

Based on the review and discussions referred to above, our audit committee recommended to our Board that the audited consolidated financial statements be included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2025 filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on March 6, 2026.

Submitted by the Audit Committee, John D. "Jack" Furst, Chair

Eric C. Neuman

Thomas M. "Roe" Patterson

The foregoing report shall not be deemed incorporated by reference by any general statement incorporating by reference this Proxy Statement into any filing under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act"), or the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the

"Exchange Act"), except to the extent that the Company specifically incorporates this information by reference, and shall not otherwise be deemed filed under the Securities Act or the Exchange Act.

Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management

The following table and accompanying footnotes set forth information with respect to the beneficial ownership of Common Stock, as of March 3, 2026, for (1) each person known by us to be the beneficial owner of more than 5% of the outstanding shares of Common Stock, (2) each member of the Board and each director nominee, (3) each of our named executive officers and (4) all of the members of the Board and our executive officers, as a group.

The beneficial ownership percentages set forth in the table below are based on 35,188,260 shares of Common Stock issued and outstanding as of March 3, 2026, the record date. In computing the number of shares of Common Stock beneficially owned by a person, we deemed to be outstanding all shares of Common Stock subject to stock options held by the person that are currently exercisable or may be exercised within 60 days of the record date, March 3, 2026. We did not deem such shares outstanding, however, for the purpose of computing the percentage ownership of any other person.

Beneficial ownership for the purposes of the following table is determined in accordance with the rules and regulations of the SEC. A person is a "beneficial owner" of a security if that person has or shares "voting power," which includes the power to vote or to direct the voting of the security, or "investment power," which includes the power to dispose of or to direct the disposition of the security or has the right to acquire such powers within 60 days.

Unless otherwise noted in the footnotes to the following table, and subject to applicable community property laws, the persons and entities named in the table have sole voting and investment power with respect to their beneficially owned Common Stock. Unless otherwise indicated, the business address of each person listed in the table below is c/o Drilling Tools International Corporation, 10370 Richmond Avenue, Suite 1000, Houston, TX 77042.

Name of Beneficial Owner

Number of Shares of Common Stock Beneficially Owned

(#)

Percentage of Class

(%)