Robert Black
About Robert Black
Robert Black, age 65, is Chief Compliance Officer at Alliance Entertainment (AENT). He joined Alliance in September 2019, previously serving as Senior Vice President, Accounting & Finance, and was promoted to CCO in May 2024; earlier, he was Senior Finance Manager at Amazon from March 2017 to August 2019. He holds an MBA from the University of Notre Dame (Mendoza) and a BS from Ferris State University. AENT ties executive cash bonuses to year-over-year EBITDA growth; in FY2025 Black’s compensation included $220,000 salary and a $31,992 cash bonus against a 20% target bonus opportunity, with a company clawback policy in place for restatements. He also serves as Corporate Secretary for stockholder communications to the Board .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Years | Strategic Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alliance Entertainment | SVP, Accounting & Finance | Sep 2019 – May 2024 | Oversaw financial operations and financial/SEC reporting |
| Amazon.com, Inc. | Senior Finance Manager | Mar 2017 – Aug 2019 | Not disclosed in proxy |
External Roles
No public-company board roles or external directorships for Robert Black were disclosed in the 2024 or 2025 proxies reviewed .
Fixed Compensation (FY2025)
| Component | Amount |
|---|---|
| Base Salary | $220,000 |
| Target Bonus % (of salary) | 20% |
| Target Bonus $ (calc.) | $44,000 (20% of $220,000) |
| Actual Bonus Paid | $31,992 |
| All Other Compensation | $11,622 (401(k) and health benefits) |
| Total Compensation | $263,614 |
Performance Compensation
| Incentive | Metric | Weighting | Target | Actual/Payout | Vesting/Timing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Annual Cash Bonus (FY2025) | Company YoY EBITDA growth | 100% | 100% payout if ≥10% YoY EBITDA growth; pro-rata down to 1%; no payout if <1% | $31,992 paid; ~72.7% of target bonus dollars (calculated from $31,992 vs $44,000) | Paid in Q1 of following fiscal year after audit |
Notes:
- Compensation Committee may adjust for extraordinary/non-recurring items materially affecting reported EBITDA .
- Company has a clawback policy to recover incentive compensation upon an accounting restatement; recovery form/timing at Board discretion .
Equity Ownership & Alignment
| Metric | FY2024 | FY2025 |
|---|---|---|
| Beneficially Owned Shares | 10,000 | 20,000 |
| Shares Outstanding (Record Date) | 50,957,370 | 50,957,370 |
| Ownership % (calc.) | ~0.02% (10,000 / 50,957,370) | ~0.04% (20,000 / 50,957,370) |
| Unvested RSUs (FY-end) | — | 6,000 units; market value $13,980 |
| Stock Options (exercisable/unexercisable) | — | None outstanding |
Additional alignment details:
- No stock awards were reported in the FY2025 Summary Compensation Table for Black; his “All Other Compensation” comprised benefits rather than perquisites (car/phone allowances were cited only for other NEOs) .
- The proxy does not disclose any pledging of AENT shares by Robert Black; no explicit executive stock ownership guidelines are described as adopted (the Compensation Committee charter allows recommending guidelines) .
- Insider trading policy imposes additional trading restrictions on officers/directors; full policy is available as a 10-K exhibit and on the company website .
Employment Terms
| Term | Details |
|---|---|
| Current Role | Chief Compliance Officer (since May 2024) |
| Company Tenure | Joined September 2019; prior role SVP, Accounting & Finance |
| Severance | Under company general severance policy: one week of base salary per year of service, capped at six weeks |
| Change-of-Control | No specific CoC multiple or accelerated vesting terms disclosed for Mr. Black in the proxy |
| Clawback | Restatement-based recoupment of incentive compensation (cash/equity) at Board discretion |
| Insider Trading | Policy imposes special trading restrictions on executive officers/directors |
| Perquisites | FY2025 “All Other Compensation” of $11,622 reflects 401(k) and health benefits (no car/phone allowance reported for Black) |
| Non-Compete/Non-Solicit | Not disclosed in proxy sections reviewed |
Risk Indicators and Trading Activity
- Section 16 filing timeliness: The company disclosed that Mr. Black filed a Form 4 on September 9, 2025 reporting eight transactions that should have been reported within two business days during FY2025, indicating reporting delays (a governance/process red flag to monitor) .
- Outstanding unvested equity: 6,000 RSUs with $13,980 market value as of FY-end; vesting dates not disclosed, implying limited potential near-term selling pressure from vesting given small size .
Compensation Structure Observations
- Cash-heavy pay mix in FY2025: No stock awards reported; compensation comprised salary ($220,000), cash bonus ($31,992), and benefits ($11,622), indicating limited equity-based pay for Black in the reported year .
- Performance linkage: Annual bonus fully tied to YoY EBITDA growth with linear scale and zero payout below 1% growth; payouts occur post-audit, and clawback applies to incentive-based compensation .
Investment Implications
- Alignment: Black’s direct ownership is modest (~0.04% of shares outstanding), and FY2025 compensation was predominantly cash, limiting long-term equity alignment; presence of unvested RSUs is small in value .
- Pay-for-performance: The bonus plan’s 100% linkage to YoY EBITDA growth provides a clear profitability-growth focus; Black’s FY2025 bonus was below his calculated target dollars, consistent with partial achievement under the EBITDA framework .
- Retention/transition risk: Severance protection is minimal (max six weeks of base salary), and limited equity exposure reduces retention “hooks,” modestly elevating turnover risk relative to peers with larger unvested equity or CoC protections .
- Governance signal: The late Form 4 filing covering eight transactions highlights a control/process gap; continued monitoring of Section 16 compliance and future transactions is warranted .
- Policy backstops: A formal clawback policy mitigates excessive risk-taking tied to financial reporting; insider trading policy imposes additional trading restrictions on executives .
Citations:
2025 DEF 14A – Executive officer biographies; Robert Black background, age, education and roles.
2025 DEF 14A – Summary Compensation Table; Outstanding Equity Awards table; Base/target bonus terms; All Other Compensation.
2025 DEF 14A – Bonus Incentive Plan design (YoY EBITDA growth scale); Clawback policy; awards granted under plan.
2025 DEF 14A – Insider trading policy; Corporate Secretary role for stockholder communications.
2025 DEF 14A – Severance provisions (Black under general policy); Ogilvie/Walker terms for context.
2025 DEF 14A – Beneficial ownership table (20,000 shares) and shares outstanding (50,957,370).
2025 DEF 14A – Delinquent Section 16(a) reports noting Black’s late Form 4 with eight transactions.
2024 DEF 14A – Executive officer listing and biography context (Black, age 64, CCO).
2024 DEF 14A – Beneficial ownership table (10,000 shares; 50,957,370 shares outstanding).
2025 DEF 14A – Compensation Committee charter (ability to recommend stock ownership guidelines).