Ram Menghani
authIDAbout Ram Menghani
Ram Menghani (age 64) was elected to the authID (AUID) Board on June 26, 2025. He brings 30+ years of global leadership in unified communications, product innovation, and digital transformation, including senior roles at NEC in product management and development and as President of NEC Enterprise Communication Technologies, Inc. .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| NEC Enterprise Communication Technologies, Inc. | President | 2020–2025 | Forged partnerships with Microsoft and Oracle; modernized legacy systems to cloud; guided startups to exits |
| NEC Corporation of America | Various roles in product management and development | 2001–2020 | Product strategy and innovation leadership |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| NEC (Corporate) | Executive Advisor | 2025–present | Ongoing advisory role following NEC Enterprise presidency |
Board Governance
- Committee assignments and chair roles: The 2025 proxy identifies committee membership markers for nominees; Ram Menghani is listed without committee designations, and no chair role is indicated for him at nomination time .
- Lead Independent Director: Michael L. Koehneman serves as Lead Independent Director; the Board currently separates CEO and Board leadership roles .
- Independence status: authID states compliance with Nasdaq independence standards; the Board determined four independent directors, including all members of the Audit and Compensation committees and a majority of the Governance Committee (determination pre-Annual Meeting) .
- Attendance/engagement: In 2024, the Board held nine meetings; each director attended all Board and relevant committee meetings apart from one Board meeting missed by one director. Ram was not yet a director in 2024; 2025 attendance not disclosed .
- Shareholder vote signal: Ram Menghani received 3,900,826 “For” votes and 14,106 “Withheld” at the June 26, 2025 Annual Meeting, indicating strong support .
Fixed Compensation
| Component | Amount/Terms | Timing/Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Annual cash retainer (non-employee directors) | $8,000 | Paid quarterly; policy amended August 2024 |
| Committee chair fee | $10,000 | Paid quarterly; policy amended August 2024 |
| Meeting fees | Not disclosed | No per-meeting fees disclosed in proxy |
Context: Ram’s 2025 cash compensation would align with the non-employee director policy; exact 2025 amounts paid to him are not itemized in the 2025 proxy .
Performance Compensation
| Equity Element | Value/Structure | Grant Timing | Vesting / Exercise Terms |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stock options (non-employee directors) | Options equivalent to $117,000 value | To be granted following Annual Meeting (subject to shareholder approval and insider window) | Exercise price equals closing market price on grant date; annual director grants effective within 3 business days post-Annual Meeting in open window |
| Illustrative prior director grants (Aug 13, 2024) | 15,627 options at $8.67 per director | Granted under policy for 2024 year | Vests over 12 months |
Note: The proxy does not disclose Ram’s specific 2025 grant size, strike price, or vesting schedule; the policy indicates option awards are service-based with grant price set at market close on grant date .
Other Directorships & Interlocks
- Public company directorships: None disclosed for Ram .
- Potential interlocks: Biography cites partnerships with Microsoft and Oracle at NEC; no authID-related business dealings or shared directorships are disclosed for Ram .
Expertise & Qualifications
- 30+ years in unified communications and digital transformation; deep product strategy and global markets experience .
- Delivered cloud modernization and forged strategic tech partnerships; scaling expertise applicable to authID’s enterprise go-to-market .
Equity Ownership
| Item | Disclosure |
|---|---|
| Total beneficial ownership (shares) | Not listed in the May 5, 2025 beneficial ownership table; Ram was a nominee, not a director at the record date |
| Ownership as % of shares outstanding | Not disclosed |
| Vested vs. unvested breakdown | Not disclosed for Ram |
| Pledging/hedging of company stock | No pledging or hedging disclosures specific to Ram; general restrictions on resale and governance policies are described elsewhere |
Governance Assessment
- Strong shareholder mandate: Ram was elected with 3,900,826 “For” vs. 14,106 “Withheld,” signaling investor confidence in his appointment .
- Independence and oversight context: The Board maintains Nasdaq independence compliance and employs a Lead Independent Director structure, which supports checks-and-balances in governance .
- Committee engagement: No committee assignment disclosed for Ram at nomination; future committee placement will determine his direct role in audit/compensation oversight .
- Related-party exposure: No related-party transactions involving Ram are disclosed. Notably, a commercial agreement exists between authID and The Pipeline Group (led by director Ken Jisser)—$994,000 paid in 2024 at $70,000/month—underscoring the Board’s need for robust conflict oversight; Ram is not party to this arrangement .
- Shareholder votes & incentives alignment: Director pay policy balances modest cash retainers with equity options, aligning non-employee directors with long-term shareholder value creation; Ram is expected to follow this structure post-election .
RED FLAGS: None disclosed specific to Ram regarding conflicts, legal proceedings, pledging/hedging, or attendance. The Board-level related-party engagement with The Pipeline Group (another director) warrants continued monitoring though it does not implicate Ram .