Reginald Love
About Reginald Love
Reginald L. Love, 42, has served as an independent Class I director of Blade Air Mobility since September 2021. He is currently a Senior Advisor at Apollo Global Management (since February 2020), holds a B.A. from Duke University, and an M.B.A. from Wharton; earlier he served as personal aide to President Barack Obama (2009–2011) . As of March 13, 2025, his beneficial ownership is 100,363 shares (<1%), comprising 57,537 shares held plus 42,826 RSUs vesting within 60 days; he meets Blade’s stock ownership guidelines for directors .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| RON Transatlantic EG | Partner | 2012–Feb 2020 | International financial holding company experience across financial services, logistics, energy, industrial, beer; global perspective |
| The White House | Personal aide to President Barack Obama | 2009–2011 | High-level coordination, long/medium-term planning; government affairs and public policy exposure |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apollo Global Management | Senior Advisor | Feb 2020–Present | Alternative investment expertise; capital markets perspective |
| Cox Media Group (private) | Director | Not disclosed | Media sector oversight; private company board governance |
| National Summer Learning Association (non-profit) | Director | Not disclosed | Education-focused governance; nonprofit oversight |
Board Governance
- Committee assignments: Chair, Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee (NCGC); members Affeldt and Borthwick; mandate includes board/management evaluations, director selection, and committee appointments .
- Independence: The Board determined Mr. Love is independent under Nasdaq and Exchange Act Rule 10A‑3 (Mr. Affeldt is the exception) .
- Attendance & engagement: In 2024, the Board met 5 times; Audit 4; Compensation 5; NCGC 2; each director attended at least 75% of aggregate meetings on their committees; independent directors meet regularly in executive session .
- Board structure: Classified board; Class I (including Love) up for election at 2025 meeting .
Fixed Compensation
| Component | FY2024 Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Cash fees | $57,500 | Includes base and elected cash components per August 2024 program |
| Stock awards (RSUs, grant-date fair value) | $128,906 | RSU valuation based on 30-day average closing price to July 30, 2024 |
| All other compensation (Blade services) | $25,379 | Flight/car transportation under Flight Benefit Policy |
| Total | $211,785 |
Director compensation program (approved Aug 2024): $150,000 RSU annual director grant plus $50,000 at director’s election (cash or RSUs); committee chair/member fees at election: NCGC Chair $10,000; NCGC Member $5,000; Audit Chair $20,000/Member $10,000; Compensation Chair $15,000/Member $7,500; Board Chair $50,000 .
Performance Compensation
| Feature | Detail |
|---|---|
| Performance metrics tied to director pay | None disclosed; director RSUs are time-vesting (not PSU) . |
| RSU valuation basis | 30-day average closing price to July 30, 2024 . |
| RSU vesting schedule | 100% vest on date of 2025 Annual Meeting, subject to continued service . |
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Company | Type | Potential Interlock/Conflict Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Cox Media Group | Private | No Blade-related transactions disclosed; board independence affirmed by company . |
| National Summer Learning Association | Non-profit | No conflicts disclosed . |
- Related-party governance: Audit Committee pre-approves and reviews all related-party transactions over $120,000; directors recuse from votes where they have an interest .
- Nomination rights context (not tied to Love): Sponsor-designated directors and prior RedBird nomination agreement for Lauck; RedBird rights terminated in 2024 .
Expertise & Qualifications
- Leadership and investment: Senior advisor at Apollo; prior partner role across multiple sectors .
- Government affairs and policy: White House service with executive coordination responsibilities .
- Education: Duke University (undergraduate), Wharton MBA .
- Board qualifications: Experience in legislative/public policy, international business; chairing governance committee overseeing board evaluation and succession planning .
Equity Ownership
| Metric | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Beneficial ownership (shares) | 100,363 (<1%) | Indicates less than 1% outstanding |
| Direct shares held | 57,537 | |
| RSUs vesting within 60 days (as of Mar 13, 2025) | 42,826 | Director base award outstanding |
| Ownership guidelines | 5x maximum potential annual cash retainer for directors; RSUs count; options/unearned PSUs excluded | |
| Compliance status | None of directors/officers out of compliance as of Dec 31, 2024 | |
| Anti-hedging/anti-pledging policy | Prohibits hedging, short sales, and pledging/margin purchases for directors/officers |
Governance Assessment
- Committee leadership: Chairing NCGC is a positive signal for board effectiveness—drives director selection, evaluations, and succession planning oversight .
- Independence & engagement: Independent under Nasdaq/Rule 10A‑3, with at least 75% meeting attendance and regular executive sessions among independents—supports investor confidence .
- Ownership alignment: Holds 100,363 shares including time-vesting RSUs; meets robust ownership guidelines; anti-hedging/pledging policy strengthens alignment and risk controls .
- Compensation structure: Mix of cash ($57.5K) and RSUs ($128.9K) aligned to standard director program; committee chair/member fees modest; RSUs vest annually at meeting—no performance-based director equity, reducing pay-for-performance linkage but consistent with market practice .
- Potential conflicts: Current role at Apollo (external) noted; Company affirms independence and discloses process for related-party transactions; no related-party transactions involving Love disclosed—monitor but no current red flags .
- Section 16 compliance: Company indicates timely insider filings for directors in FY2024–Mar 24, 2025 (exception disclosed pertains to an officer, not Love) .
RED FLAGS: None disclosed specific to Love. No pledging/hedging permitted; no related-party transactions involving him; attendance meets thresholds; director equity is time-vesting only (not performance-based), which modestly weakens direct pay-performance linkage but conforms to common director pay practice .