Liren Chen
ARROW ELECTRONICSAbout Liren (Lawrence) Chen
Liren Chen, age 54, joined Arrow Electronics’ board in December 2024 and is an independent director serving on the Audit Committee. He is President & CEO and a director of InterDigital, Inc., with 25 years at Qualcomm in senior engineering and IP leadership roles; he holds 28 U.S. patents and over 120 worldwide, underscoring deep technology and intellectual property expertise . The Board has affirmatively determined his independence under NYSE standards and noted financial literacy for Audit service; he signed Arrow’s standard indemnification agreement .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| InterDigital, Inc. | President, CEO, and Director | 2021–present | Leads global R&D in wireless, video, AI; public-company leadership |
| Qualcomm Inc. | SVP, Global Head of IP, Legal Counsel | 2019–2021 | Oversaw global IP portfolio; led technology/licensing strategy |
| Qualcomm Inc. | Senior roles including SVP Engineering | 1996–2019 | Technology, product management, ecosystem development |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure |
|---|---|---|
| U.S. Chamber of Commerce China Advisory Committee | Member | Since 2022 |
| USPTO Council for Inclusive Innovation | Member | Since 2024 |
| InterDigital, Inc. (NASDAQ:IDCC) | Director | Since 2021 |
Board Governance
- Committee assignments: Audit Committee member (no chair roles) .
- Independence: Board determined all nominees except the CEO are independent; Chen specifically meets NYSE independence and audit committee independence criteria .
- Time-commitment/overboarding controls: Arrow limits public boards to ≤4 for directors, ≤3 for Board Chair, and ≤2 for public-company executive officers. All 2025 nominees comply; Chen is a public-company CEO and remains compliant (InterDigital + Arrow) .
- Attendance: In 2024, the Board met 4 times; Audit 8; Compensation 4; Corporate Governance 4. All directors attended ≥75% of meetings. Independent directors met in 4 executive sessions. Chen joined in December 2024; 2024 attendance statistics reflect the full Board and committees rather than his individual record .
- Audit Committee oversight areas include related-person transactions, data privacy/cybersecurity, internal controls, ethics/compliance, and ESG metric controls .
Fixed Compensation (Independent Director)
| Item | Amount/Detail |
|---|---|
| Annual cash retainer (rate) | $110,000 (independent directors) |
| Committee chair fees (rates) | Audit Chair $30,000; Compensation Chair $25,000; Governance Chair $15,000 |
| 2024 cash paid to Chen (prorated) | $9,163 (joined Dec 11, 2024) |
Notes:
- Pearl Meyer advises on independent director compensation; company determined no consultant conflicts of interest .
Performance Compensation (Equity for Independent Directors)
| Grant Type | Grant Date | Units | Grant Date Fair Value | Vesting/Settlement |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| RSUs (standard annual; prorated) | Dec 11, 2024 | 626 | $77,100 | Vests on the day before the 2025 annual meeting, contingent on continuous service; directors elect settlement timing per plan rules |
Program features:
- Independent director RSUs vest time-based (no performance metrics), with settlement per irrevocable election options; anti-hedging and anti-pledging policy applies .
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Company | Role | Potential Interlock/Exposure |
|---|---|---|
| InterDigital, Inc. | CEO & Director | No Arrow-related party transactions disclosed; Audit Committee oversees any related-person matters |
- Arrow disclosed no related party transactions requiring SEC disclosure since Jan 1, 2024; the 8-K appointing Chen states none exist between Chen and Arrow .
Expertise & Qualifications
- Technology and cybersecurity oversight; AI/wireless/video technical leadership; IP licensing strategy and complex global ecosystem development .
- Patents: 28 U.S.; 120+ worldwide; strengthens board’s technical depth and innovation oversight .
- Financial literacy for Audit Committee service; public-company CEO experience .
Equity Ownership
| Holder | Currently Owned | Common Stock Units | Acquirable within 60 days | Total Ownership | % Outstanding |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liren (Lawrence) Chen | — | — | 626 | 626 | <1%* |
- Director RSU balances as of Dec 31, 2024: Unvested RSUs 626; Deferred RSUs — .
- Director stock ownership guidelines increased from 3x to 5x annual retainer in Dec 2024; all directors either meet or are accumulating to meet the new threshold. Chen, as a new director, is accumulating in line with the heightened guideline .
Governance Assessment
Strengths
- Independence and audit-committee service with explicit board determination; financially literate and technology/IP expert, bolstering oversight of cybersecurity, data privacy, and related-party review .
- No related-party transactions involving Chen; company-wide disclosure controls and Audit Committee review of related-person transactions enhance conflict oversight .
- Clear director equity alignment via annual RSUs and heightened 5x retainer stock ownership guidelines; anti-hedging/anti-pledging policies strengthen alignment .
- Board-level engagement, refreshment, and overboarding limits; all nominees comply, including public-company executive officer cap applicable to Chen .
Watch items / potential risks
- Dual role as a public-company CEO (InterDigital) implies time-commitment risk; mitigated by Arrow’s strict outside board limits and annual time-commitment reviews, but remains a monitoring area for Audit workload and engagement .
- Director equity is time-based RSUs (no performance metrics); alignment depends on stock ownership guideline compliance and continued service—appropriate for independent directors, but investors should track guideline attainment pace for recent appointees .
Signals affecting investor confidence
- Board-wide attendance (≥75%) and multiple independent director executive sessions; Audit Committee active oversight on cybersecurity and disclosure controls .
- Recent board refreshment adds technology expertise (Chen) aligned with Arrow’s strategic focus; supports oversight effectiveness during cyclical industry conditions .
RED FLAGS: None disclosed for Chen (no related-party transactions; independent status affirmed; compliant with outside-directorship limits). Maintain monitoring of time commitments as a sitting CEO and ongoing equity guideline build-up as a new director .