William J. Atkins
Interim Principal Financial Officer and Interim Principal Accounting Officer at 
BJs RESTAURANTS
BJs RESTAURANTSExecutive
About William J. Atkins
William J. Atkins, 63, served as BJ’s Restaurants’ Interim Principal Financial Officer (PFO) from July 28, 2025 until December 14, 2025, and also as Interim Principal Accounting Officer (PAO) from November 8, 2025 until December 14, 2025, during the company’s CFO transition; he executed the company’s Q2 2025 certifications alongside the CEO on August 8, 2025 . Atkins is a partner at FLG Partners and a veteran CFO across technology and data companies (Mobileum, One Concern, Clarify Health, Airobotics, Calix, Intelsat), with prior roles as Senior Partner at Fairfax Partners and Managing Director in Morgan Stanley’s Investment Banking Division . Company performance context during the most recent fiscal year disclosed before his appointment: FY2024 revenues increased 1.8% to $1.4 billion and Adjusted EBITDA was $117.1 million .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Years | Strategic impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| BJ’s Restaurants, Inc. | Interim Principal Financial Officer; Interim Principal Accounting Officer | PFO: Jul 28–Dec 14, 2025; PAO: Nov 8–Dec 14, 2025 | Oversaw finance and accounting during CFO transition; executed SOX CEO/CFO certifications for Q2 2025 |
| FLG Partners, LLC | Partner | Since 2023 | CFO services/board advisory; appointed by BJRI for interim PFO engagement |
| Mobileum, Inc. | Chief Financial Officer | Sep 2022–Jun 2023 | Led finance at telecom software provider |
| One Concern | Chief Financial Officer | Nov 2019–Dec 2021 | Finance lead at climate resilience analytics firm |
| Clarify Health | Chief Financial Officer | — (prior role) | CFO across healthcare data analytics growth phase |
| Airobotics | Chief Financial Officer | — (prior role) | CFO at robotic drone company |
| Calix, Inc. | Chief Financial Officer; Secretary, PFO/PAO | CFO tenure; served as PFO/PAO Mar 27, 2014 | Public-company CFO with SEC filing and control responsibilities |
| Intelsat | Chief Financial Officer | — (prior role) | CFO at satellite services company |
| Fairfax Partners | Senior Partner | — (prior role) | Investing and advisory leadership |
| Morgan Stanley | Managing Director, Investment Banking | — (prior role) | Senior transaction and advisory experience |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Years | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| FLG Partners, LLC | Partner | Since 2023 | CFO services firm retained by BJRI for interim PFO engagement |
Fixed Compensation
| Component | Terms | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Engagement type | Consulting via FLG Partners (not a BJRI employee) | |
| Hourly rate | $650 per hour (billed to BJRI under FLG Consulting Agreement) | |
| Term | Indefinite; terminable by either party upon 30 days’ notice | |
| Indemnification | Company indemnifies Atkins and FLG Partners in connection with services | |
| Start date | Effective as Interim PFO July 28, 2025 | |
| Interim PAO role | Effective November 8, 2025 through December 14, 2025 | |
| End of interim service | Ceased serving as Interim PFO/PAO December 14, 2025 (upon CFO start) |
Performance Compensation
- No BJRI bonus target, AIP participation, or equity awards are disclosed for Atkins in his interim consulting capacity; compensation was hourly under the FLG Consulting Agreement .
- Company executive incentive context for NEOs (not applicable to Atkins): 2024 AIP weighted 70% Adjusted EBITDA and 30% Weekly Sales Average; PSUs vest on 3-year relative TSR vs. peer group (0%–150% payout), with negative TSR capped at 100% .
Equity Ownership & Alignment
- Beneficial ownership: Atkins is not listed among directors/NEOs/5% holders in the 2025 proxy ownership table; no BJRI equity holdings for him are disclosed .
- Hedging/pledging: Company policy prohibits directors, executive officers and certain employees from hedging or pledging BJ’s stock .
- Executive stock ownership guidelines: CEO 3x salary; President/CFO 1.5x; officers have 5 years to comply (policy-level disclosure; not applied to Atkins as a consultant) .
Employment Terms
| Term | Detail | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Capacity | Interim PFO (and later Interim PAO) via FLG Partners consulting engagement; not an employee | |
| Compensation | $650/hour; invoiced under FLG Consulting Agreement | |
| Severance | None disclosed; agreement terminable by either party with 30 days’ notice | |
| Change in control | No special change-in-control economics disclosed for the consulting role | |
| Other provisions | Company indemnification to Atkins/FLG Partners |
Performance & Track Record
- Interim execution at BJRI: Served through the CFO search; signed Section 302/906 certifications for Q2 2025 10-Q filings, indicating responsibility for disclosure controls and internal control over financial reporting during the period .
- Prior value-creation roles: Multiple public/private company CFO positions (Mobileum, One Concern, Clarify Health, Airobotics, Calix, Intelsat) and senior investment banking experience at Morgan Stanley, reflecting depth in capital markets, controls, and operational finance .
- Company performance backdrop: FY2024 revenues +1.8% to $1.4B; Adjusted EBITDA $117.1M ahead of his service period; 2024 AIP paid at 73% of target to applicable NEOs (context) .
Risk Indicators & Red Flags
- Related party and family relationships: The company disclosed no arrangements or family relationships related to Atkins’ appointment beyond the FLG Partners engagement terms; no Item 404 related-party transaction is indicated for Atkins .
- Hedging/pledging: Company prohibits executive hedging/pledging; no exceptions disclosed for Atkins .
- Governance continuity: Permanent CFO Todd Wilson appointed, effective December 15, 2025, with Atkins ceasing interim roles on December 14, 2025 .
Investment Implications
- Compensation alignment: Atkins’ compensation as interim PFO was hourly consulting with no disclosed equity or bonus exposure, implying limited direct pay-for-performance alignment or insider-selling pressure during his tenure .
- Retention risk: Minimal—role explicitly interim and ended upon appointment of permanent CFO Todd Wilson; transition risk now governed by Wilson’s disclosed employment terms and equity plan structure .
- Trading signals: No insider Form 4 activity by Atkins is disclosed in the filings reviewed; combined with lack of equity grants, there are no immediate insider-selling signals tied to his tenure. For ongoing monitoring, focus on new CFO equity grants and any subsequent executive transactions per Section 16 filings .
Notes on company compensation architecture (context for alignment): 2024–2025 executive incentives prioritized Adjusted EBITDA and Weekly Sales Average for AIP, and relative TSR-based PSUs for LTI, with clawback and anti-hedging/pledging policies in place .
Citations:
- Interim appointment/terms/biography/age and FLG Consulting Agreement:
- Interim PAO designation and end of interim service; permanent CFO appointment:
- Q2 2025 CEO/CFO certifications (Atkins as Interim PFO):
- FY2024 performance (revenue, Adjusted EBITDA):
- AIP/PSU structure and 2024 payout context:
- Ownership table (absence of Atkins):
- Hedging/pledging and executive stock ownership policies: