Ciaran Long
About Ciaran Long
Ciaran Long (age 52) is Chief Executive Officer of a.k.a. Brands Holding Corp., appointed January 13, 2025; he previously served as Interim CEO (since March 2023) and CFO (April 2021–January 2025). He is a qualified Irish Chartered Accountant and previously held senior finance roles at Walmart/Sam’s Club (including CFO of Samsclub.com) and co-founded CleanGrow; earlier roles include finance leadership at CBS, CNET Networks and KPMG . Under his leadership, the company returned to net sales growth with three consecutive quarters of double‑digit U.S. sales expansion and a meaningful year-over-year increase in adjusted EBITDA (per company release) .
Revenue and EBITDA context (fiscal years):
| Metric (USD) | FY 2022 | FY 2023 | FY 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Revenues | $611,738,000* | $546,258,000* | $574,697,000* |
| EBITDA | $22,802,000* | $4,652,000* | $11,774,000* |
*Values retrieved from S&P Global.
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Years | Strategic impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| a.k.a. Brands | CEO | Jan 2025–present | Elevated from Interim CEO; drives portfolio expansion and profitability initiatives |
| a.k.a. Brands | Interim CEO; CFO | Mar 2023–Jan 2025 (Interim CEO); Apr 2021–Jan 2025 (CFO) | Led turnaround to net sales growth and higher adjusted EBITDA; stabilized finance org |
| Samsclub.com (Sam’s Club/Walmart) | CFO, Samsclub.com; VP Finance (Membership, Marketing, Supply Chain) | Nov 2017–2021 | Scaled omnichannel operations; led finance for growth programs |
| Walmart eCommerce | VP Finance (Merchandising; Supply Chain, Customer Care, Payments) | Sep 2014–2017 | Financial leadership across core eCommerce functions |
| CleanGrow | Co‑founder/Executive | 2009–2014 | Built sensor technology venture; led operations/finance |
| CBS, CNET Networks, KPMG | Finance leadership roles | (prior to 2009; years not disclosed) | Broad media and audit/assurance foundation |
Fixed Compensation
2023–2024 compensation outcomes:
| Component | FY 2023 | FY 2024 |
|---|---|---|
| Base salary (year-end rate) | $431,215 | $500,000 (as of 12/31/24) |
| Target annual bonus (% salary) | 50% | 80% |
| Annual bonus earned (performance) | $0 (targets not achieved) | $300,000 (75% of target) |
| Interim CEO service bonus | $50,000 | $50,000 |
| Retention bonus (paid in 2024, for 2023 retention) | $250,000 | $250,000 |
| Stock awards (grant-date fair value) | $149,414 | $960,238 (includes PSUs at $612,800 grant-date value) |
Current (2025) CEO compensation terms:
| Item | 2025 Terms |
|---|---|
| Base salary | $525,000 |
| Target annual bonus | 100% of base salary |
| Severance (termination without cause) | 12 months base salary + 12 months COBRA; unpaid earned bonus, subject to release |
Performance Compensation
Annual incentive (cash):
| Element | 2024 Design | 2024 Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| Metrics and weighting | Company goals weighted between Sales and EBITDA; plus individual performance | Overall payout at 75% of target for CEO ($300,000) |
| Target opportunity | 80% of salary | — |
Long-term incentives and vesting:
- RSUs: Standard vest in eight equal quarterly installments; CEO unvested RSUs 37,686 shares at 12/31/24 (market value $705,482 at $18.72 close) .
- PSUs (granted May 15, 2024): 150,000 PSUs in 10 tranches vest upon stock price hurdles achieved over a 30-trading-day average or at Change of Control if price threshold met; performance period through May 15, 2029 . | Tranche | Price goal | Shares vesting | |---|---:|---:| | 1 | $15 | 10,000 | | 2 | $20 | 10,000 | | 3 | $25 | 12,500 | | 4 | $30 | 12,500 | | 5 | $45 | 15,000 | | 6 | $60 | 15,000 | | 7 | $75 | 17,500 | | 8 | $90 | 17,500 | | 9 | $105 | 20,000 | | 10 | $120 | 20,000 |
Legacy Incentive Units (profit interests; economically option-like):
| Type | Status/Vesting | Conditions/Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Time-based units | 397,043 vested Apr 8, 2022; 33,193 vest monthly for 35 months thereafter; final 29,381 vest May 8, 2025; unvested accelerate on “sale transaction” | |
| Performance-based units | Vest in full upon “liquidity event” if investors achieve ≥3.0x returns | |
| Outstanding (CEO at 12/31/24) | 1,459,212 vested; 128,959 unvested time-based; 529,390 unearned performance-based (classified as options for disclosure) |
Clawback: NYSE/SEC-compliant policy effective Oct 2, 2023; recover erroneously awarded incentive-based pay upon required restatements (no recoupments in 2024) .
Equity Ownership & Alignment
| Ownership detail | Data |
|---|---|
| Beneficial ownership | 61,007 shares (<1% of 10,690,842 outstanding as of 4/15/25) |
| Unvested RSUs | 37,686 (market value $705,482 at $18.72 on 12/31/24) |
| PSUs outstanding | 150,000 (price-hurdle vesting; $2,808,000 illustrative payout value at $18.72 close in table methodology) |
| Incentive Units (economically option-like) | 1,459,212 vested; 128,959 unvested time-based; 529,390 performance-based unearned |
| Hedging/pledging | Company policy prohibits hedging and pledging; no margin accounts permitted |
| Ownership guidelines | Not disclosed in 2025 proxy |
Section 16 compliance note: One late Form 4 was reported for Mr. Long in May 2024 (grant reporting) .
Employment Terms
| Term | Details |
|---|---|
| Employment agreement | Effective January 13, 2025; initial 4-year term; auto-renews annually unless notice of non-renewal |
| Base salary / Target bonus | $525,000 / 100% of salary |
| Benefits | Eligible for standard executive benefits; 401(k) with match |
| Severance (no cause) | 12 months base salary + 12 months COBRA; earned/unpaid bonus; subject to release |
| Restrictive covenants | Confidentiality (perpetual), IP assignment, non-compete (during employment), non-disparagement (mutual for CEO), non-solicit of business relations and employees (during employment; 1 year post-termination for employee/contractor non-solicit) |
| Change-in-control treatment | PSUs vest if price goals achieved or CoC price meets hurdles during performance period ; Incentive Units: time-based units accelerate on “sale transaction”; performance-based units vest on “liquidity event” with ≥3.0x investor returns |
Investment Implications
- Pay-for-performance alignment: 2025 target bonus raised to 100% of salary and 2024 PSU grant with aggressive price hurdles create strong equity leverage; quarterly RSU vesting adds steady but modest selling cadence versus large cliff events .
- Vesting/supply dynamics: Watch for PSU price-hurdle achievements (notably $15–$30 tranches already near recent trading ranges historically), which could trigger meaningful share vesting; time-based Incentive Units fully accelerate upon a sale transaction, potentially creating a one-time supply overhang around M&A .
- Retention risk: 2024 retention bonus suggests prior turnover risk; however, sizable unvested equity (RSUs/PSUs/unvested TBU) and 12‑month CEO severance reduce near-term departure risk .
- Governance/controls: Hedging and pledging prohibitions support alignment; a minor late Form 4 is a process blip but not indicative of broader issues; Compensation Committee uses an independent consultant (Exequity; $122,926 paid in 2024) and reviews incentives for risk-taking .
- Performance backdrop: Revenues improved in 2024 after 2023 declines, and EBITDA recovered, aligning with management’s turnaround messaging; continued delivery on sales and EBITDA targets should support incentive payouts and reduce compensation controversy risk (e.g., no 2023 bonuses due to misses) .
Sources: 2025 DEF 14A (April 24, 2025) ; 2024 DEF 14A (April 24, 2024) ; 2023 DEF 14A (April 25, 2023) ; 2022 DEF 14A (April 19, 2022) ; 8‑K (January 13, 2025) appointment/terms and press release .