Trier Bryant
About Trier Bryant
Independent director of Athena Technology Acquisition Corp. II (ATEK) since 2021; age 40 in 2024 and 39 in 2023. Background spans senior HR/DEI leadership and talent acquisition across technology and finance, with earlier service as a U.S. Air Force officer; B.S. in Systems Engineering with minors in Spanish and Leadership from the U.S. Air Force Academy. Serves on ATEK’s Audit Committee (financially literate) and Nominating & Corporate Governance Committee; classified as independent under NYSE American and SEC rules .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alloy Therapeutics (82VS) | General Partner & President (venture creation arm) | Previously (dates not specified) | Supported innovators launching drug discovery companies |
| Astra | First Chief People Officer | Mar 2020 – Jan 2021 | Built HR function for aerospace company building low-orbit rockets |
| SigFig | VP of People & Workplace Experience | Apr 2019 – Mar 2020 | Led people operations at a global FinTech |
| Global Head of Revenue, G&A, University, and Diversity Recruiting | Feb 2016 – May 2018 | Led recruiting across corporate functions and diversity | |
| Goldman Sachs | VP Global Diversity Talent Acquisition; Chief of Staff to Global Head of Talent Acquisition | 2013 – 2016; Chief of Staff 2013–2014 | Built diversity talent pipelines and supported TA leadership |
| U.S. Air Force | Officer | 2006 – 2013 | Pentagon-requested DEI and talent development initiatives for USAFA, USAF, DoD |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure/Start | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| TrierBryant.com | Founder | Not specified | Advises organizations on workplace culture |
| Just Work LLC | Co-founder | Not specified | Professional services firm |
| Pathfinder 1963 LLC | Founder | Feb 2019 | DEI/HR consulting firm |
| Campaign Zero | Board Member | Not specified | Non-profit focused on ending police violence |
| Athena SPACs | Board Member | Not specified | Board role referenced across Athena SPAC franchise |
Board Governance
- Board class: Class I director; term to expire at the 2026 Annual Meeting; served since 2021 .
- Independence: Determined independent under NYSE American/SEC rules; independent directors are a majority of the Board .
- Executive sessions: Non-management directors meet in regular executive sessions per Corporate Governance Guidelines .
- Leadership structure: Combined CEO/Chair; CEO Isabelle Freidheim serves as Chair, with rationale disclosed .
| Committee | Bryant Role | Chair | Engagement |
|---|---|---|---|
| Audit Committee | Member | Sharon Brown‑Hruska | Financially literate; Audit Committee met 6 times in 2022 and 4 times in 2023 |
| Nominating & Corporate Governance | Member (appointed July 2024) | Judith Rodin | Committee did not meet in 2023; purposes include director screening, governance guidelines, board self‑evaluation |
| Compensation Committee | Not a member | Judith Rodin (since July 2024) | Compensation Committee did not meet in 2023; composition changed in July 2024 |
| Attendance Metric | FY 2022 | FY 2023 |
|---|---|---|
| Board/Committee attendance (threshold disclosure) | Each director attended at least 75% of Board and committee meetings | Each director attended at least 75% of Board and committee meetings; five of six directors attended the 2023 annual meeting |
Fixed Compensation
| Component | Amount/Terms | Period |
|---|---|---|
| Cash retainer (non‑employee director) | None; no cash compensation paid to directors prior to initial business combination | |
| Committee fees | None disclosed prior to initial business combination | |
| Meeting fees | None disclosed prior to initial business combination | |
| Reimbursement of expenses | Sponsor, officers, directors reimbursed for out‑of‑pocket expenses; reviewed quarterly by Audit Committee; paid from funds outside trust | |
| Administrative Services Agreement (Sponsor) | $10,000 per month for office space/utilities/admin support to Sponsor |
| Sponsor Payments under Administrative Services Agreement | FY 2022 | FY 2023 | H1 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paid/Incurring Status | $130,000 paid | $120,000 paid by Dec 31, 2023 | $60,000 incurred; $40,000 paid as of June 30, 2024 |
Performance Compensation
| Equity Awards (RSUs/PSUs/Options) | FY 2022 | FY 2023 | FY 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Non‑employee director grants | None disclosed prior to initial business combination | None disclosed prior to initial business combination | None disclosed prior to initial business combination |
- No performance metrics, vesting schedules, or change‑of‑control provisions disclosed for directors prior to an initial business combination .
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Entity | Type | Role | Interlock/Conflict Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Athena Technology Sponsor II LLC | Sponsor | Sponsor holds ~88.4% of outstanding Class A Common Stock; Isabelle Freidheim is managing member with voting/investment discretion | Sponsor’s control can approve proposals unilaterally; affiliate of certain Board members and management; indicates governance concentration risk |
| ATEK Board | Public company | Independent Director (Class I) | Combined CEO/Chair structure; independent director majority; committee independence confirmed |
Expertise & Qualifications
- HR/DEI leadership across Twitter and Goldman Sachs; people leadership at SigFig and Astra; venture company building at Alloy Therapeutics’ 82VS .
- U.S. Air Force officer experience with Pentagon‑requested DEI/talent initiatives; B.S. Systems Engineering (minor in Spanish and Leadership) from USAFA .
- Financially literate per Audit Committee composition; not designated audit committee financial expert (experts are Brown‑Hruska and Trabuco) .
Equity Ownership
| Metric | As of Nov 18, 2024 | As of Aug 21, 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| Shares outstanding (Class A) | 11,122,781 (includes 10,150,293 issued & outstanding + 972,488 underlying private units; 0 Class B) | 10,145,156 Class A; 0 Class B |
| Trier Bryant beneficial ownership (shares) | — (no shares reported) | — (no shares reported) |
| Approximate % of outstanding | — | — |
- Anti‑hedging policy applies to directors, officers, employees, and controlled entities (prohibits hedging/monetization transactions) .
Governance Assessment
- Independence and committee engagement: Bryant is independent and serves on Audit and Nominating & Governance; Audit Committee met 6x in 2022 and 4x in 2023, reflecting engagement; Nominating & Governance did not meet in 2023, which is a process rigor shortfall .
- Attendance: Threshold disclosure indicates she met at least 75% attendance for Board/committees in 2022 and 2023; five of six directors attended the 2023 annual meeting, supporting baseline engagement .
- Ownership alignment: No reported personal beneficial ownership for Bryant in 2024 or 2025; absence of director equity grants pre‑business combination limits “skin‑in‑the‑game” alignment typical in SPACs .
- Control concentration and potential conflicts: Sponsor controls ~88.4% of Class A shares and can unilaterally approve proposals; administrative services and working capital loans to Sponsor create related‑party exposure subject to Audit Committee review—indicative of governance concentration risk and reliance on sponsor arrangements .
- Board structure: Combined CEO/Chair is a governance risk flag for some investors due to reduced independent oversight; mitigants include independent committee chairs and executive sessions of non‑management directors .
RED FLAGS
- Sponsor control (~88.4%) enabling unilateral approval of director elections and charter amendments .
- Combined CEO/Chair structure .
- Nominating & Governance Committee did not meet in 2023 .
- No director equity ownership or grants pre‑business combination, limiting direct alignment .
Overall signal: Bryant’s independence and Audit Committee participation are positives, but ownership non‑alignment and sponsor control concentration pose governance risks to investor confidence until a de‑SPAC transaction establishes a conventional board/compensation structure .