Young Cho
About Young Cho
Young Cho, 49, joined AgriFORCE’s board upon closing of the PIPE transaction in November 2025; he now chairs the Compensation Committee and sits on the Audit Committee . He previously served as CEO/Director of TLGY Acquisition Corp (Nasdaq: TLGY) (since Dec 2024), and CEO of StablecoinX (since Jun 2025); prior roles include CFO at Hedera Hashgraph (Apr 2021–Aug 2022), CIO at Abra (Apr 2020–Apr 2021), and earlier senior finance roles at Citigroup (10 years) and UBS (2 years). He holds a BS from Cornell, an MPA from Columbia, and is a CFA charterholder .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hedera Hashgraph | Chief Financial Officer | Apr 2021 – Aug 2022 | Senior finance leadership at PoS public network |
| Abra | Chief Investment Officer | Apr 2020 – Apr 2021 | Launched Earn product in 2020 |
| Citigroup | Director, Special Situations Group | ~10 years | Structured finance and special situations |
| UBS | Executive Director, Private Finance & Credit Trading | ~2 years | Private finance and trading |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| TLGY Acquisition Corp (Nasdaq: TLGY) | CEO & Director | Since Dec 2024 | Public company SPAC leadership |
| StablecoinX | CEO | Since Jun 2025 | Digital asset treasury company (Ethena-backed) |
Board Governance
- Committee assignments (approved Nov 9, 2025):
- Compensation Committee: Young Cho (Chair), Dan Mendes, Amy Griffith .
- Audit Committee: Dan Mendes (Chair), Xiao-Xiao Zhu, Young Cho .
- Nominating & Corporate Governance: Amy Griffith (Chair), Xiao-Xiao Zhu, Matt Zhang .
- Director independence for prior slate (Griffith, Levychin, Meekison, Goldwater) is affirmed under Nasdaq rules; independence status for the new designees (including Cho) is not explicitly stated in the proxy .
- Board reconstitution: all pre-PIPE directors except Griffith to resign upon PIPE closing and new designees (including Cho) appointed, signaling significant governance transition .
Fixed Compensation
| Component | Amount (Cash) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Annual non-employee director fee | $65,000 | Paid quarterly in arrears |
| Compensation Committee Chair fee | $5,000 | Annual cash fee |
| Audit Committee member fee | $10,000 | Annual cash fee (non-chair) |
| Reimbursement | Reasonable expenses | Meeting-related reimbursements |
The Compensation Committee expects to reevaluate the non-employee director compensation program post-PIPE closing, so amounts may change .
Performance Compensation
| Metric/Instrument | Details |
|---|---|
| Equity grant type | RSUs to directors (no stock options) |
| Grant/vesting policy | Directors typically do not receive onboarding grants; annual RSU grants at committee discretion; RSUs typically vest and settle immediately on grant date |
| 2024 director equity | No RSUs held by non-employee directors as of 12/31/2024 |
Other Directorships & Interlocks
- Cho’s concurrent leadership in digital asset entities (TLGY, StablecoinX) could shape perspectives on AgriFORCE’s newly launched crypto treasury strategy; direct related-party transactions involving Cho are not disclosed .
- Hivemind Capital Partners has a 10-year asset management agreement for AgriFORCE’s digital asset treasury (1.25% annual fee); Hivemind founder Matt Zhang serves on the board post-PIPE, representing a governance interlock to monitor for conflicts in treasury oversight .
Expertise & Qualifications
- Finance and digital assets: CIO/Fintech (Abra), CFO (Hedera), structured products/trading (Citi), private finance (UBS) .
- Education/certifications: BS (Cornell), MPA (Columbia), CFA charterholder .
- Board-level skills aligned with AgriFORCE’s crypto treasury pivot and risk oversight needs .
Equity Ownership
- The 2025 DEF 14A beneficial ownership table lists officers/directors as of Sep 19, 2025 and does not include post-PIPE designees; Cho’s ownership is not disclosed in that table .
Governance Assessment
- Strengths:
- Compensation Committee chair and Audit Committee membership provide direct influence over pay structure and financial oversight; Cho’s finance/digital asset experience is additive to AgriFORCE’s new treasury strategy .
- Clear committee charters and prior cadence (Audit: 4 meetings in 2024; Compensation: 4; N&CG: 1) set expectations for oversight rigor, though Cho’s personal attendance is not yet disclosed .
- Watch items / RED FLAGS:
- Extraordinary dilution (approx. 112M shares, ~4,477% of pre-PIPE outstanding) and wholesale board turnover may pressure investor confidence and raise change-of-control concerns under Nasdaq guidance .
- Hivemind asset management agreement (10-year term, 1.25% fee) with Hivemind’s founder on the board necessitates robust related-party oversight and recusals to manage conflicts in treasury decisions .
- Anti-hedging policy not adopted by the board (company-wide), increasing alignment risk for insiders; continued reliance on Insider Trading Policy only .
- Prior related-party legal fees to a director-controlled firm and CEO legal services (pre-PIPE) underscore the need for strict adherence to the related-party transactions policy under the reconstituted N&CG Committee .
- Compensation alignment:
- Director cash fees are modest with small chair/membership uplifts; equity awards (RSUs) are immediate-vesting and discretionary—no disclosed performance metrics for directors, which limits pay-for-performance linkage .
Overall, Cho’s finance/crypto background fits AgriFORCE’s strategic pivot, but the treasury interlocks, anti-hedging gap, and PIPE-driven dilution amplify governance risk. Vigilant committee oversight, transparent ownership reporting, and robust recusal practices will be essential to sustaining investor confidence .