Judy Krandel
Beam GlobalAbout Judy Krandel
Independent director at Beam Global since December 2023; age 60 as of August 25, 2025. She serves as Audit Committee Chair and is designated the Board’s “qualified financial expert,” with prior CFO and investment management experience; education includes a finance degree from Wharton and an MBA in finance and accounting from Chicago Booth .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nephros, Inc. (NASDAQ: NEPH) | Chief Financial Officer | Current (as of 2025) | Public-company CFO; capital markets and investor relations expertise |
| Recruiter.com Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: RCRT) | Chief Financial Officer | Jun 2020–Sep 2023 | Public-company finance leadership |
| PeerStream, Inc. | Chief Financial Officer; later Senior Business Development Consultant | Nov 2016–Dec 2019 | Operating and BD roles at a tech company |
| Juniper Investment Company | Portfolio Manager (small-cap hedge fund) | Mar 2012–Nov 2016 | Investment management; capital allocation |
| Various firms | Equity analyst and portfolio manager (early career) | Not specified | Small-cap public equities focus |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lincoln First Bancorp | Director (past) | Not disclosed | Prior board service |
| Snap Interactive (NASDAQ: PALT) | Director (past) | Not disclosed | Prior board service |
| Cynergistek | Director (past) | Not disclosed | Prior board service (healthcare cybersecurity) |
Board Governance
- Committee assignments: Audit (Chair and financial expert), Compensation, Nominating & Governance, and Equity Oversight; all committees comprise independent directors under NASDAQ standards .
- Independence: Board has four directors, three are independent per NASDAQ Capital Market criteria, with no family or vendor relationships; committee members (including Compensation and Nominating & Governance) are independent .
- Attendance: In 2024, Board met 3 times; each director attended at least 75% of aggregate Board and committee meetings for their service period .
- Leadership: CEO also serves as Chair; Board appointed Anthony Posawatz as Lead Independent Director; independent directors hold executive sessions at least annually .
Fixed Compensation
| Component | Amount/Rate | Period | Detail |
|---|---|---|---|
| Base Board Retainer (cash) | $15,000 per quarter | Policy (2024) | Payable in arrears; continued service condition |
| Audit Chair fee (cash) | $5,000 per quarter | Policy (2024) | Additional to base retainer |
| Compensation Chair fee (cash) | $3,750 per quarter | Policy (2024) | Additional if chair (not applicable to Krandel) |
| Nominating & Governance Chair fee (cash) | $2,500 per quarter | Policy (2024) | Additional if chair (not applicable to Krandel) |
| Judy Krandel – 2024 Director Compensation | Amount (USD) |
|---|---|
| Cash Fees Earned/Paid | $80,000 |
| Restricted Stock Awards (grant-date fair value) | $125,000 |
| Total | $205,000 |
The $80,000 cash reflects $60,000 retainer + $20,000 Audit Chair fees based on the quarterly policy rates and her Audit Chair role , consistent with the reported total .
Performance Compensation
| Instrument | Grant Policy | Grant Timing | Vesting | 2024 Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Restricted Common Stock | Annual grant sized at $125,000 divided by prior month’s average daily closing price; rounded up to nearest 100 shares | January each year | Vests quarterly in four equal installments | $125,000 grant-date fair value in 2024 |
| Options | Not disclosed for directors | N/A | N/A | Not listed in 2024 director compensation table |
- Notable filing event: Directors (including Krandel) filed late Form 4s for restricted stock awards granted on July 31, 2024, reported August 5, 2024 (administrative timeliness issue) .
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Company | Role | Interlock/Considerations |
|---|---|---|
| Nephros, Inc. (NASDAQ: NEPH) | CFO | Executive role at another public company; Board independence criteria note directors/officers do not serve at companies conducting vendor/service business with Beam, mitigating related-party risk |
| Snap Interactive (NASDAQ: PALT), Lincoln First Bancorp, Cynergistek | Past Director | Prior board service; no Beam-related transactions disclosed |
Expertise & Qualifications
- Financial leadership and capital markets: CFO roles at multiple public companies; portfolio management experience; investor relations expertise .
- Audit Committee “financial expert” per Item 407(d)(5)(ii), reinforcing oversight of reporting and controls .
- Education: Wharton (finance); Chicago Booth MBA (finance, accounting) .
Equity Ownership
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Total Beneficial Ownership (shares) | 61,442 |
| Percent of Shares Outstanding | * (less than 1%) |
| Unvested/Subject to Forfeiture (RSAs) | 20,226 |
| Vested (derived: total minus unvested) | 41,216 |
| Shares Outstanding Reference Date | 17,638,153 (as of Aug 25, 2025) |
| Pledging/Hedging | Not disclosed in proxy |
Insider Trades (Form 4 filings)
| Date | Form | Transaction | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 5, 2024 (reported) | Late Form 4 | Restricted stock award granted Jul 31, 2024 | Reported late by directors including Judy Krandel |
| Dec 7, 2023 (reported) | Form 4 | Restricted stock award granted Dec 4, 2023 | Initial grant following appointment |
Governance Assessment
-
Strengths
- Audit Committee chair and designated financial expert; breadth across all key committees increases oversight leverage .
- Clear equity component in director pay; quarterly vesting promotes year-round engagement .
- Independence affirmed under NASDAQ standards; Board utilizes a Lead Independent Director in a combined CEO/Chair structure .
-
Concerns / RED FLAGS
- Late Section 16 filings for director equity grants (administrative compliance lapse) .
- Combined CEO/Chair structure may concentrate power; mitigated by Lead Independent Director and independent committee chairs .
- Concurrent CFO role at another public company raises time-commitment considerations; proxy independence criteria reduce related-party risk, but ongoing monitoring advisable .
-
Signals for investors
- Compensation mix (cash + time-based restricted stock) aligns director incentives with equity value creation but lacks explicit performance metrics (e.g., TSR/EBITDA hurdles) for directors; oversight quality relies on committee rigor rather than pay-for-performance mechanics .
- Ownership of 61,442 shares with 20,226 unvested suggests meaningful “skin-in-the-game” tied to continued service; position is under 1% of shares outstanding, typical for independent directors .