Christopher Dean
About Christopher Dean
Christopher J. Dean (age 51) is Chair of the Board at a.k.a. Brands and has served on the Board since September 2021; he is nominated for a new term through 2028. He is a Managing Director at Summit Partners (since 2001), holds a B.A. from the University of Notre Dame and an MBA from Harvard Business School, and the Board has affirmatively determined he is independent under NYSE standards despite Summit’s controlling stake. Board attendance in 2024 met at least the 75% threshold, and all eight directors attended the 2024 annual meeting.
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Summit Partners, L.P. | Managing Director; Co-leads Growth Products & Services | Since 2001 | Extensive consumer/eCommerce investing; multiple portfolio boards |
| Morgan Stanley | Professional (prior role) | Not disclosed | Finance background |
| J.H. Whitney & Co. | Professional (prior role) | Not disclosed | Private equity background |
| Sun Microsystems | Professional (prior role) | Not disclosed | Technology operating exposure |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Public/Private | Tenure |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brooklinen | Director | Private (not disclosed as public) | Not disclosed |
| Dr. Squatch | Director | Private (not disclosed as public) | Not disclosed |
| Thuma | Director | Private (not disclosed as public) | Not disclosed |
| Ruggable | Director | Private (not disclosed as public) | Not disclosed |
| Quay Australia | Director | Private (not disclosed as public) | Not disclosed |
| House of Noa | Director | Private (not disclosed as public) | Not disclosed |
| ShipMonk | Director | Private (not disclosed as public) | Not disclosed |
| Vestmark Financial | Director | Private (not disclosed as public) | Not disclosed |
| Focus Financial Partners (NYSE: FOCS) | Former Director | Public (prior) | Not disclosed |
| optionsXpress (NASDAQ: OXPS) | Former Director | Public (prior) | Not disclosed |
| EngageSmart (NASDAQ: ESMT) | Former Director | Public (prior; acquired by Vista Equity) | Not disclosed |
| Investor Management Services (acquired by RealPage) | Former Director | Private/Public buyer | Not disclosed |
| Progressive Finance (acquired by Aaron’s) | Former Director | Private/Public buyer | Not disclosed |
| PSC Info Group (acquired by Roark Capital) | Former Director | Private | Not disclosed |
| Senior Home Care (acquired by Oaktree Capital) | Former Director | Private | Not disclosed |
| Sun Trading (acquired by Hudson Trading) | Former Director | Private | Not disclosed |
Board Governance
- Board leadership: Roles of Chair and CEO are separated; Mr. Dean serves as Chair. Independent directors meet in executive session with the Chair presiding.
- Independence: The company is a “controlled company” under NYSE rules (Summit holds a majority). The Board relies on certain NYSE exemptions (e.g., Nominating Committee composition), yet the Board determined Mr. Dean is independent under NYSE standards.
- Attendance: In 2024, the Board held 9 meetings; Audit/Comp/Nominating held 4/6/4 meetings respectively. Each director attended at least 75% of meetings; all eight attended the 2024 annual meeting.
| Committee | Assignment | Chair? |
|---|---|---|
| Nominating & Corporate Governance | Member | Chair |
| Audit | None | — |
| Compensation | None | — |
| Board | Chair of the Board | Yes |
Fixed Compensation
| Year | Cash Retainer ($) | Committee/Chair Fees ($) | Stock Awards ($) | Total ($) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | — | — | — | — |
Notes:
- Non-employee directors not affiliated with Summit receive $50,000 cash retainer and $100,000 in RSUs (1-year vesting), plus committee fees; Summit-affiliated directors (including Mr. Dean) receive no director compensation.
Performance Compensation
- No performance-based director compensation is disclosed for Mr. Dean (no RSUs/PSUs/options granted to Summit-affiliated directors).
Other Directorships & Interlocks
- Summit rights: Summit has a Director Nomination Agreement enabling it to designate Board nominees and proportionate committee participation; the Board cannot change its size without Summit’s consent until termination thresholds are met.
- Controlled company structure: Summit controls >50%; the company relies on NYSE exemptions for committee independence (Nominating Committee not fully independent and chaired by Mr. Dean).
- Related party transactions: 2024 disclosures include registration rights and stockholder agreements with Summit/founder investors; no director-specific related-party transactions involving Mr. Dean are disclosed.
Expertise & Qualifications
- Education: B.A. (University of Notre Dame); MBA (Harvard Business School).
- Sector experience: Consumer/eCommerce and technology investing; prior roles at Morgan Stanley, J.H. Whitney & Co., Sun Microsystems.
- Board qualifications cited: Prior directorship experience; deep knowledge of the Company’s business and opportunities.
Equity Ownership
| Holder | Shares Beneficially Owned | % of Shares Outstanding |
|---|---|---|
| Christopher J. Dean | — (indicated as none) | * (<1%) |
| New Excelerate, L.P. (Summit-controlled) | 6,053,693 | 56.6% |
Policy signals:
- Hedging/pledging: Prohibited for directors, officers, employees.
Governance Assessment
-
Strengths
- Separation of Chair/CEO roles; regular executive sessions led by the Chair.
- Audit Committee composed entirely of directors meeting heightened independence standards; two members designated “financial experts.”
- Clawback policy adopted effective October 2, 2023; no recoveries in 2024.
- Transparent disclosure of controlled company status and reliance on certain NYSE exemptions.
-
Risks and RED FLAGS
- Controlled company with Summit holding 56.6% and strong nomination/committee participation rights; Board size changes require Summit consent. This concentrates governance power with the sponsor.
- Nominating & Corporate Governance Committee not fully independent and chaired by Mr. Dean (Summit-affiliated), elevating potential conflict in board composition and succession planning.
- Board deems Mr. Dean “independent” despite his senior role at Summit; investors may question practical independence given sponsor influence.
- Alignment gap: Mr. Dean receives no director cash/equity compensation and reports no personal share ownership; alignment is via Summit’s stake, not personal “skin-in-the-game.”
-
Engagement/Attendance
- Meets the “≥75%” attendance threshold; all directors attended the 2024 annual meeting.
-
Compensation Committee oversight
- Compensation Committee uses independent consultant (Exequity LLP); Committee assessed and found no conflicts; consultant fees in 2024 totaled $122,926.
RED FLAG summary: Sponsor-controlled board processes (nomination, committee composition, board size); Nominating chair is sponsor-affiliated; practical independence concerns; no personal ownership or equity-based director pay for Mr. Dean, potentially diluting direct alignment with minority shareholders.