Ian Bickley
About Ian M. Bickley
Ian M. Bickley, age 61, has served as an independent director of Brilliant Earth Group, Inc. since 2021 and is nominated to continue as a Class I director through the 2028 annual meeting. He brings deep global brand development and multi-channel retail expertise and currently chairs the Nominating & Corporate Governance Committee and serves on the Audit Committee. The Board has affirmatively determined he is independent under Nasdaq rules.
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tapestry, Inc. (Coach, Kate Spade, Stuart Weitzman) | President, Global Business Development & Strategic Alliances | Jul 2017–Dec 2018 | Led strategic alliances and global expansion initiatives |
| Coach, Inc. | President, International Group | Aug 2013–Jul 2017 | Drove international growth and multi-channel retailing |
| Coach, Inc. | President, Coach International | Feb 2006–Aug 2013 | Oversaw international operations and brand development |
| Coach Japan | President & CEO | Aug 2001–Feb 2006 | Built and scaled Japanese market operations |
| Coach Japan | Vice President | 1997–2001 | Senior leadership; joined Coach in 1993 |
| Natura &Co Holding S.A. | Director | Apr 2019–Apr 2023 | Board oversight at global beauty company |
| The Body Shop International Ltd. | Interim CEO and Director | Apr 2023–Jan 2024 | Departed concurrent with sale to Aurelius; under Aurelius control TBSI entered administration in Feb 2024 (reputational consideration) |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Start Date | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crocs, Inc. | Director | Apr 2015 | Nasdaq-listed casual footwear; interlock with BRLT director Beth J. Kaplan (also on Crocs board) |
| Vera Bradley, Inc. | Director | Nov 2024 | Nasdaq-listed lifestyle brand |
| Mycoworks Inc. | Strategic Advisor | Aug 2021 | Biotechnology company |
Board Governance
- Committee assignments: Audit Committee member; Nominating & Corporate Governance Committee Chair. Audit Committee members (Harris—Chair, Bickley, Jaques); Nominating members (Bickley—Chair, Jaques, Kaplan).
- Independence: Board determined Bickley is independent under Nasdaq rules; board considered stockholder affiliations but found no relationships impairing independent judgment.
- Attendance: Board met 5 times in FY 2024; each director attended at least 75% of Board and committee meetings. Audit Committee met 9 times; Nominating & Corporate Governance met 3 times.
- Lead Independent Director: None; Chair is an executive (controlled company context).
- Controlled company: Mainsail and Just Rocks collectively control >50% voting power; BRLT may avail itself of certain Nasdaq governance exemptions.
- Audit Committee report: Bickley signed the committee’s report recommending inclusion of audited FY 2024 financials in the 10-K.
Fixed Compensation
| Component (2024) | Amount ($) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Annual Cash Retainer | 50,000 | Non-employee director retainer per program |
| Nominating & Corporate Governance Chair Fee | 8,000 | Chair retainer per program |
| Audit Committee Member Fee | — | Program specifies chair retainers; no member fee disclosed |
| Total Cash Paid (Ian M. Bickley) | 58,000 | As reported in 2024 Director Compensation Table |
Performance Compensation
| Equity Component | Grant/Value ($) | Vesting | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual RSU Grant (policy) | 140,000 | Vests on earlier of 1-year anniversary or next annual meeting | Standard annual grant to continuing non-employee directors |
| 2024 Stock Awards (reported) | 142,257 | Time-based (per program) | Aggregate grant-date fair value of RSUs for 2024 |
| Change-in-Control Treatment | — | Accelerated vesting immediately prior to CoC | Applies to director Initial/Annual RSUs and any equity awards |
Retainer RSU election option: Directors may elect RSUs in lieu of all/part of cash retainers; RSUs calculated by dividing retainer dollars by average closing price in prior month; vest as above.
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Company | BRLT Director(s) with Overlap | Interlock Details | Risk/Context |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crocs, Inc. | Ian M. Bickley; Beth J. Kaplan | Both serve on Crocs board | Potential information flow and network influence; monitor for related-party considerations and independence in decisions involving consumer brand partnerships |
Expertise & Qualifications
- Extensive experience in development/transformation of global brands, multi-channel retailing, and emerging market/channel opportunities; long tenure scaling Coach/Tapestry internationally.
- Meets Audit Committee “financial literacy” requirements; Audit Committee independence satisfied; Harris designated “financial expert.”
- Strategic advisory exposure to biotech materials (Mycoworks), adding perspective on innovation and sustainability dimensions.
Equity Ownership
| Holding Category | Quantity | % of Class | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Class A Common Stock (incl. options/RSUs exercisable/vesting within 60 days) | 208,984 | 1.4% | 91,822 shares; 56,451 RSUs vesting within 60 days; 60,711 options exercisable within 60 days |
| Class B Common Stock (incl. LLC Interests vesting within 60 days) | 27,419 | <1% | 26,243 shares; 1,176 LLC Interests vesting within 60 days |
| Class C Common Stock | — | — | None |
| Combined Voting Power | — | <1% | Aggregate voting across classes |
| Unvested RSUs (12/31/24) | 56,451 | — | Outstanding RSUs |
| Options Outstanding (Class A) | 60,711 | — | Options outstanding at year-end |
| Unvested LLC Interests | 2,889 | — | Director award status |
| Hedging/Pledging | Prohibited | — | Insider Trading Policy bans hedging and pledging of Company stock |
Governance Assessment
- Strengths
- Independent director with significant consumer brand/global retail leadership; chairs Nominating & Corporate Governance, indicating board trust in governance oversight.
- Active committee engagement (Audit, Nominating) and acceptable attendance; Audit Committee met 9x in FY24, suggesting substantive oversight cadence.
- Equity-aligned compensation via RSUs and options; anti-hedging/pledging policy enhances alignment and mitigates risk of misaligned incentives.
- Watch items / RED FLAGS
- Controlled company status and absence of a Lead Independent Director reduce minority shareholder protections; monitor for any future use of Nasdaq exemptions.
- Board interlock with Beth J. Kaplan at Crocs could create perceived influence networks; ensure robust conflict screening on any overlapping business matters.
- Prior stewardship at The Body Shop concluded before company entered administration under new owner; reputational context worth monitoring but causality is not implied.
- Personal ownership constitutes <1% combined voting power; while equity awards provide alignment, direct stake is modest.
Related-party framework: BRLT maintains a formal Related Person Transaction Policy overseen by the Audit Committee; directors do not vote on transactions where they are a related person. Bickley’s name does not appear among TRA participants; committee oversight helps mitigate conflict risk.