Bhupen B. Amin
About Bhupen B. Amin
Bhupen B. Amin, 54, is an independent director of BayCom Corp (BCML). He has served on the bank subsidiary’s board since 2011 and joined the BayCom Corp (Company-level) Board effective November 1, 2024; he is General Counsel and Chief Operating Officer of Lotus Hotels and Investments, holding legal and operating responsibilities across hospitality and real estate assets. He earned a J.D. from UC Davis and a B.S. from the Haas School of Business at UC Berkeley, and is active in industry and community governance roles including CH&LA and AH&LA committees, as well as pro tem service in Alameda County Superior Courts and board service for Brookside Health Center .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lotus Hotels & Investments (Walnut Creek, CA) | General Counsel & Chief Operating Officer | Not disclosed | Oversees development, management, financing, and operations across hotels, shopping centers, and self-storage |
| Law Offices of Bowles & Verna | Attorney | Prior to Lotus | Legal practice in Walnut Creek, CA |
| Alameda County Superior Courts | Pro tem judge | Active | Judicial pro tem service |
| Brookside Health Center (non-profit FQHC) | Board member | Active | Community healthcare governance |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| California Hotel & Lodging Association (CH&LA) | Nominating Committee; former Chairman (first Indian-American elected) | Active | Industry governance; state association leadership |
| American Hotel & Lodging Association (AH&LA) | Governmental Affairs Committee member | Active | Policy engagement in Washington, D.C. |
| Other public company boards | None disclosed | — | — |
Board Governance
- Board service and tenure: Bank director since 2011; BayCom Corp director effective Nov 1, 2024; current Board size nine; Amin is among nine nominees for one-year terms in 2025 .
- Independence: The Board determined Amin (and Kendall, Chaudhary, Guida, Laverne, Magid) is independent under NASDAQ rules; independence review considered ordinary-course loans/deposits maintained with the Bank .
- Committee assignments: As of 2024/2025, Amin is not listed on the Audit, Compensation, or Corporate Governance & Nominating Committees; committee chairs are Kendall (CGN), Chaudhary (Audit), Laverne (Compensation) .
- Attendance and engagement: In 2024, no incumbent Company director attended fewer than 75% of combined Board and committee meetings; Company Board held five regular and five special meetings; Bank Board held 11 regular meetings .
- Annual meeting attendance: Directors are expected to attend annual shareholder meetings, and all directors at that time attended the prior meeting .
Fixed Compensation
| Component | 2024 Amount | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Cash fees | $41,250 | Paid at Bank level; includes monthly Board retainer of $2,250; no chair fees applicable to Amin |
| Equity (restricted stock) | $27,000 grant-date fair value | 1,327 restricted shares granted July 1, 2024; scheduled to vest one year from grant; forfeited if director retires before vest (Camp example) |
| Total | $68,250 | Sum of cash and equity |
- Director fee schedule: Monthly Board retainer $2,250; Chairman additional $2,500/month; Audit Committee $250/month; Audit Chair +$850/month; Compensation Committee $250/quarter; Compensation Chair +$500/quarter; RS awards granted to non-employee directors; fees paid at Bank level .
Performance Compensation
- Directors do not receive option awards or performance-conditioned equity; RS awards vest on time schedules (one-year for director grants), with no performance metrics attached .
- The Omnibus Incentive Plan permits performance shares/units for participants, but director awards are limited and structured with governance constraints (no option repricing, minimum vesting, double-trigger CIC vesting) .
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Company/Entity | Relationship | Potential Interlock/Conflict Notes |
|---|---|---|
| United Business Bank (subsidiary) | Director since 2011 | Identical membership to Company Board except two directors; ordinary banking relationships with directors reviewed; loans/deposits subject to standard terms and regulatory restrictions |
| Lotus Hotels & Investments | Executive role (GC & COO) | No related-party transactions disclosed with Company; Bank engages ordinary-course transactions with directors and affiliates on market terms |
Expertise & Qualifications
- Legal and operational expertise spanning hospitality and real estate development; strategic leadership and financing across asset classes .
- Governance experience through CH&LA (nominating committee, former chair) and AH&LA governmental affairs; community healthcare governance via Brookside Health Center; judicial pro tem experience .
- Education: J.D. (UC Davis), B.S. Business (UC Berkeley Haas) .
Equity Ownership
| Holder | Shares Beneficially Owned | % of Common Stock Outstanding | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bhupen B. Amin | 21,206 | <1% (asterisk denotes less than 1%) | Footnote indicates inclusion of restricted shares for certain individuals; Company outstanding shares 11,029,265 as of record date |
- Pledging/hedging policy: Company prohibits directors, officers, and employees from pledging Company stock or engaging in hedging transactions (e.g., collars, swaps), supporting alignment and risk control .
Governance Assessment
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Board effectiveness and independence: Amin is independent under NASDAQ rules and adds legal-operational depth from hospitality/real estate, policy engagement through CH&LA/AH&LA, and community governance; however, he currently holds no committee seat, limiting direct oversight influence versus peers on Audit/Compensation/CGN .
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Attendance/engagement: Company reports strong attendance (>75%) and an active meeting cadence; directors expected to attend annual meetings with demonstrated compliance, reinforcing engagement .
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Compensation alignment: Director pay mix combines modest cash retainers with time-vested RS grants; absence of performance-conditioned director equity and prohibition on pledging/hedging reduces misalignment risks; director awards are bounded by annual limits and minimum vesting under the 2024 Omnibus Plan .
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Related-party exposure: The Bank maintains ordinary-course loans/deposits with directors and affiliates ($18.3M loans; $13.8M deposits at 12/31/2024), on market terms with regulatory oversight; no specific related-party transactions disclosed for Amin, but aggregate exposures warrant routine monitoring and disclosure continuity .
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Shareholder signals: Say-on-Pay approval around 96% in the prior year indicates broad investor support for compensation practices, indirectly reflecting governance confidence; annual say-on-pay cadence adopted post-2024 frequency vote .
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RED FLAGS
- None disclosed specific to Amin: no pledging/hedging, no related-party transactions beyond ordinary-course lending/deposits overseen by regulators, and no attendance shortfalls reported .
- Monitoring: Absence of committee assignments reduces direct oversight footprint; continued tracking of Bank-level related-party lending aggregates and any future committee appointments is prudent .