Robert Savage
About Robert Savage
Robert Savage (age 57) is an Independent Director of Bridger Aerospace Group Holdings, Inc. (BAER), serving since January 2023. He is Co-Founder and President of KSH Capital L.P. and previously co-founded and led KTR Capital Partners in industrial real estate, with earlier roles at Hudson Bay Partners and Merrill Lynch’s Investment Banking Division. He holds an A.B. in Business Economics and Urban Studies from Brown University. The Board has affirmatively determined he is independent under Nasdaq rules .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| KSH Capital L.P. | Co-Founder & President | 2015–present | Co-head of capital deployment and portfolio management |
| KTR Capital Partners | Co-Founder & President | 2005–2015 | Co-head of Investment Committee; led operating company in industrial property sector |
| Hudson Bay Partners, L.P. | Partner | Not disclosed | Private equity investments in real estate-intensive operating businesses |
| Merrill Lynch & Co. (IB Division) | Investment Banking | Not disclosed | Corporate finance and M&A advisory for REITs, PE funds, hospitality |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Status/Tenure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Environmental Waste International Inc. (TSX: EWS) | Director | Until April 2023 | Prior public board role |
| New Senior Investment Group (NYSE; acquired by VTR Sep 2021) | Chairman of the Board | Prior | Company acquired; prior chair role |
| Mount Sinai | Board of Trustees | Current | Trustee |
| The Taft School | Board of Trustees | Current | Trustee |
| VolunteerMatch.org | Chairman of the Board | Current (as of 2024 proxy) | Non-profit; largest volunteer network |
Board Governance
- Classification and tenure: Class II Director; on the BAER Board since January 2023 .
- Independence: Board determined Savage is independent under Nasdaq rules .
- Attendance: Board met 6 times in 2024 and 10 times in 2023; each director attended more than 75% of Board and applicable committee meetings in those years .
- Committee assignments: Not listed as a member of Audit, Compensation, or Nominating & Corporate Governance Committees in 2024 or 2025 .
- Board leadership: Executive Chair (Jeffrey Kelter) as of 2025; Non-Executive Chair in 2024—a shift that may signal increased chair engagement .
- Policies supporting governance: Prohibition on hedging and pledging of company securities for directors and employees .
Fixed Compensation
| Year | Cash Retainer ($) | Committee/Chair Fees ($) | Meeting Fees ($) | Total Cash ($) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 100,000 | Not disclosed | Not disclosed | 100,000 |
| Policy | 100,000 annual retainer for non-employee/non-affiliated directors | Not disclosed | Not disclosed | — |
Performance Compensation
| Year | Instrument | Grant Date | Shares/Units | Grant-Date Fair Value ($) | Vesting |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Equity grant (RSUs/stock) | Sep 2024 | 38,887 shares (per director cohort) | 95,273 (Savage’s reported grant value) | Vesting schedule not disclosed for 2024 director grant |
| Note | EGC scaled exec comp disclosures; director equity reported as grant-date fair value; no performance metrics tied to director equity disclosed |
Other Directorships & Interlocks
- Co-founders on BAER Board: Savage and Executive Chairman Jeffrey Kelter are both co-founders of KSH Capital—an interlock that can increase influence and information flow; independence affirmed by Board .
- No disclosed related-party transactions involving Savage in BAER’s related-person transaction section; transactions primarily involve former executives and founders (e.g., Timothy and Matthew Sheehy) .
Expertise & Qualifications
- Capital deployment, portfolio management, and capital markets expertise from KTR and KSH .
- Investment banking background advising REITs and PE funds on corporate finance and M&A .
- Public and non-profit governance experience (EWS, New Senior; Mount Sinai; Taft; VolunteerMatch) .
Equity Ownership
| Holder/Vehicle | Type | Shares/Warrants | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Robert F. Savage (direct) | Common + warrants | 267,111 common; 470,000 warrants | Direct holdings |
| 656 Investors LLC | Common + warrants | 527,800 common; 2,350,000 warrants | Shared voting/disposition authority |
| Madeleine Savage 2021 Trust | Common | 50,505 | Shared authority |
| Sophie Savage 2021 Trust | Common | 50,505 | Shared authority |
| Total beneficial ownership | Common + warrants | 3,715,921 shares; 6.46% of outstanding | As of April 24, 2025 (54,742,646 shares outstanding) |
| Pledging/Hedging | Policy | Prohibited by company policy | Alignment-positive policy constraint |
Governance Assessment
- Alignment signals: Material beneficial ownership (6.46%) aligns interests with shareholders; hedging/pledging prohibitions reduce misalignment risk .
- Engagement: >75% meeting attendance in 2024 and 2023 indicates baseline engagement .
- Committee role: No committee assignments—limits direct oversight influence (audit/compensation/nominating); mitigated by Board’s independence determinations and overall committee activity .
- Interlocks and potential conflicts: Co-founder ties with the Executive Chairman (KSH Capital) elevate influence and may raise perceived conflict risks; however, the Board explicitly affirmed independence after review of relationships and beneficial ownership .
- Related-party exposure: No related-person transactions disclosed for Savage; disclosed related-party activities center on former executives (e.g., PC-12 leases, bond holdings, training expenses) .
RED FLAGS to monitor:
- Concentrated influence via KSH co-founder interlock with the Executive Chair—track independence practices and any transactions involving KSH affiliates .
- Changes in committee composition that could reduce independent oversight; Savage currently not on core committees .
- Any future related-party transactions or special issuances involving directors (e.g., registered offerings) should be reviewed for fairness and process rigor .