Ken Jisser
authIDAbout Ken Jisser
Independent director of authID Inc. (AUID) since March 9, 2023; age 47. Founder & CEO of The Pipeline Group, Inc. (TPG), a technology-enabled sales services firm; previously GTM Advisor at Druva Inc., where he rebuilt the global inside sales team. Core credentials: >20 years in technology sales, entrepreneurship, and go-to-market operations focused on pipeline generation and sales execution .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Pipeline Group, Inc. | Founder & CEO | Founded 2017; still serving | Built predictable pipeline capabilities; firm ranked #415 in Inc. 5000 (2021) . |
| Druva Inc. | GTM Advisor | Not disclosed | Rebuilt global inside sales team; GTM process improvements . |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| — | — | — | No other public-company directorships disclosed for Jisser in AUID’s proxies . |
Board Governance
- Board committees: Audit, Compensation, and Governance are standing committees. Jisser is listed as Director without committee memberships or chair roles in 2024–2025 director rosters .
- Attendance: In 2024 the Board held nine meetings; each director attended all Board and relevant committee meetings, except one Board meeting where one director was absent (name not specified) .
- Committee activity (2024): Audit (4 meetings), Compensation (2), Governance (1) .
- Independence: Company states it maintains four independent directors and compliance with Nasdaq and Rule 10A-3; specific individuals are not named. Notably, AUID has a commercial services agreement with TPG (controlled by Jisser), a related-party exposure affecting perceived independence; the proxy does not explicitly classify Jisser’s independence status .
Fixed Compensation
| Year | Cash Retainer ($) | Committee Chair Fee ($) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $8,000 | $0 (not a chair) | August 2024 policy: $8,000 annual cash for directors; $10,000 for chairs, paid quarterly . |
Performance Compensation
| Grant Date | Instrument | Shares/Units | Strike/Grant Price | Vesting Schedule | Grant-date Fair Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 13, 2024 | Stock options | 15,627 | $8.67 | Vests over 12 months | Included in 2024 total; director option value benchmark ~$117,000 . |
| Jun 2023 | Stock options | 3,125 | $5.48 | Vests over 12 months | Part of annual director grant . |
| Mar 2023 | Stock options | 12,500 | $2.64 | Vests one-third after each Annual Meeting over 3 years | Initial director grant . |
| 2024 | Option awards (total) | — | — | — | $113,559 (reported compensation value for 2024) . |
No performance metrics (TSR, revenue, EBITDA) are tied to director pay; awards vest based on service conditions per policy disclosures .
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Entity | Relationship | Nature | Terms/Amounts |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Pipeline Group, Inc. (TPG) | Jisser is Founder & CEO | Outsourced sales services to AUID (related-party transaction) | $70,000/month during current term ending June 2025; AUID paid $994,000 in 2024; $70,000 AP balance at 12/31/2024. Earlier amendments priced services at $98,000/month in late 2023; AUID paid $398,000 in 2023 . |
Expertise & Qualifications
- Go-to-market and sales operations expert; entrepreneurship and pipeline generation focus .
- Prior hands-on rebuild of global inside sales organization at Druva .
- Brings commercialization and growth experience relevant to AUID’s enterprise identity business .
Equity Ownership
| As-of Date | Total Beneficial Ownership (shares) | % of Outstanding | Components | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 5, 2025 | 75,956 | <1% | 51,475 common; options: 12,500 ($2.64), 3,125 ($5.48), 15,627 ($8.67) | 24,481 options will be vested by July 5, 2025 . |
Shareholder Voting Support (2025 Election)
| Candidate | For | Withheld |
|---|---|---|
| Ken Jisser | 3,491,997 | 422,935 |
The relatively higher “withheld” votes versus several peers may indicate some investor reservations; context includes related-party transactions and no committee roles .
Governance Assessment
-
Strengths:
- High board/committee attendance reported for 2024; established committee structure; presence of Lead Independent Director; Audit Committee designated financial expert .
- Clear director compensation policy with modest cash retainers and equity aligned to market value .
-
Concerns / RED FLAGS:
- Related-party transaction: AUID’s paid services to TPG (controlled by Jisser) are material ($994,000 in 2024; ongoing $70,000/month) and continue through mid-2025, posing conflict-of-interest and independence risks .
- Shareholder vote signal: 422,935 withholds in 2025 election for Jisser—higher than several nominees—suggests investor scrutiny .
- Section 16 timeliness: Proxy notes one director filed Form 3 late and another filed two Forms 4 late (names not disclosed), a procedural governance issue to monitor .
-
Mitigants/Actions to monitor:
- Board asserts compliance with Nasdaq independence standards and committee independence; continued disclosure and safeguards around related-party services are essential .
- Equity award grant policy (April 2024) constrains timing to open windows to reduce MNPI/option timing risk .
Overall: Jisser’s GTM/sales expertise is relevant, but the TPG agreement is the dominant governance risk. Investors should watch renewal terms, competitive bidding, and recusal practices to ensure arm’s-length outcomes and protect board effectiveness .