Jeri Finard
About Jeri Finard
Jeri Finard, 65, is an independent director of Bolt Projects Holdings, Inc. (BSLK) serving since the August 2024 Business Combination; she was nominated as a Class I director in the 2025 proxy to serve through 2028 if elected. She is a seasoned consumer-products executive with prior CEO and global brand leadership roles; she holds a B.A. in Politics from Brandeis University and an MBA from Columbia University .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Godiva Chocolatier, N.A. | Chief Executive Officer | 2012–2014 | Led luxury confectionery retailer operations |
| Avon, Inc. | Global Brand President | Jul 2008–Jan 2012 | Drove multinational cosmetics/skincare brands |
| Mondelez International, Inc. | Global CMO; EVP/GM Beverages; EVP/GM Desserts | Jul 1986–Jun 2007 | Senior P&L leadership across divisions |
| Lykos Capital Partners | Managing Partner | Feb 2018–present | Advisory for emerging consumer-facing companies |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frontier Communications | Director | Mar 2005–May 2014 | Former public company directorship |
| Private company (name undisclosed) | Director | Current | Active board service (privately held) |
Board Governance
- Committee assignments: Audit Committee member; Nominating & Corporate Governance Committee Chair .
- Independence: Board determined Ms. Finard qualifies as “independent” under Nasdaq rules .
- Attendance: In 2024, each incumbent director then serving attended at least 75% of Board and committee meetings; Board met 4x; Audit 3x; Compensation 1x; Nominating & Governance 1x .
- Executive sessions: Independent directors meet in private session regularly, at least twice per year .
- Leadership: CEO serves as Board Chair; Corporate Governance Guidelines permit election of a Lead Independent Director when Chair is not independent (role defined; no specific Lead disclosed) .
Fixed Compensation
| Year | Cash Fees ($) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 19,373 | Pro-rated after Business Combination; paid under non-employee director arrangements |
Director Compensation Program rates (for context): Annual cash retainer $40,000; Audit Chair $15,000; Compensation Chair $12,000; Nominating & Governance Chair $8,000; Audit Committee member (non-chair) $8,000; paid quarterly and pro-rated .
Performance Compensation
| Grant Date | Award Type | Shares/Units | Grant-Date Fair Value ($) | Vesting |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 25, 2024 | Stock Options (Initial Award) | 1,125 | Included in 2024 total option value $9,377 | One-third on each of first three anniversaries of Aug 13, 2024, subject to service |
| Nov 25, 2024 | Stock Options (Annual Award) | 750 | Included in 2024 total option value $9,377 | Vests in full on the earlier of first anniversary of Aug 13, 2024 or next annual meeting, subject to service |
Program design calls for RSUs (Initial: 1,125; Annual: 750) with identical vesting mechanics; 2024 grants to Ms. Finard were options instead of RSUs (observed mix variance) .
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Company | Overlap/Interlock | Potential Conflict |
|---|---|---|
| Frontier Communications (past) | None disclosed with BSLK counterparties | Not indicated |
| Private company (current) | Name undisclosed | No related-party transactions disclosed |
Nomination pathway: Ms. Finard was recommended to the nominating & governance committee by a security holder who had previously served on a board with her (network linkage) .
Expertise & Qualifications
- Senior consumer-brands leadership (Godiva, Avon, Mondelez) with deep P&L and marketing experience .
- Governance experience from prior public company board (Frontier Communications) .
- Current chair responsibility (Nominating & Governance) and Audit Committee membership; Board deems Audit Committee members financially literate (Finard is a member; designated “financial expert” status was assigned to other members) .
- Education: BA Brandeis; MBA Columbia .
Equity Ownership
| Metric | Jul 11, 2025 | Oct 10, 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| Total Beneficial Ownership (shares) | 9,948 | 9,948 |
| Ownership (% of outstanding) | <1% (asterisked “Less than one percent”) | <1% |
| Direct Shares | 8,823 | 8,823 |
| Options Exercisable within 60 days | 1,125 | 1,125 |
| Aggregate Director Awards Outstanding (as of Dec 31, 2024) | 1,875 options | — |
Shares pledged/hedged: Company’s Insider Trading Policy includes anti-hedging prohibitions; pledging is not disclosed. Anti-hedging and clawback policies are in place company-wide .
Governance Assessment
-
Positives
- Independent status; active committee leadership and Audit membership indicate engagement in core governance controls .
- Attendance threshold met across Board/committees in 2024; executive sessions held regularly, reinforcing independent oversight .
- Company policies: anti-hedging and Dodd-Frank clawback policy adopted; Audit Committee reviews related-party transactions—robust governance infrastructure .
- Alignment signal: participated as a Purchaser in the Nov 25, 2024 securities purchase agreement at $6.80/share alongside executives/insiders, supporting capital formation and skin-in-the-game (aggregate 52,938 shares sold; individual allocation not disclosed) .
-
Watch items / potential red flags
- Award mix variance: Director Compensation Program contemplates RSUs, but Ms. Finard received options in 2024; consistency of future grants vs program design should be monitored .
- Related-party oversight: her participation in company financings is subject to the Related Person Transaction Policy and Audit Committee review; ensure ongoing transparency on terms and approvals .
- Broader company risk context (listing compliance and financing dependence) increases demands on governance quality; while not director-specific, it elevates the importance of committee effectiveness (Audit; Nominating & Governance) .
-
Compensation Committee independence and consultant usage: Compensation Committee (not including Finard) uses Compensia as independent consultant; conflicts-of-interest review found none—supports pay governance quality .
Director Compensation (detail)
| Year | Fees Earned ($) | Stock Awards ($) | Option Awards ($) | Total ($) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 19,373 | — | 9,377 | 28,750 |
Vesting mechanics for 2024 director awards: Initial Awards vest one-third annually over three years from Aug 13, 2024; Annual Awards vest on the earlier of first anniversary or next annual meeting; change-in-control vesting protection if director does not continue on successor board .
Committees (current composition reference)
| Committee | Members | Chair |
|---|---|---|
| Audit | Christine Battist; Jeri Finard; Sami Naffakh; Gail Zauder | Christine Battist |
| Compensation | Ransley Carpio; Jerry Fiddler | Jerry Fiddler |
| Nominating & Corporate Governance | Sami Naffakh; Lorne Lucree; Jeri Finard | Jeri Finard |
Related Party Transactions (Finard-specific)
- Nov 25, 2024 securities purchase agreement: company sold 52,938 shares at $6.80/share to Purchasers including Jeri Finard; aggregate proceeds ~$360,000 (individual allocations not disclosed) .
- Policy: Related Person Transaction Policy requires Audit Committee review for transactions over the lesser of $120,000 or 1% of total assets while a smaller reporting company .
Attendance & Engagement
| 2024 Meetings | Count | Attendance |
|---|---|---|
| Board | 4 | Each incumbent director attended ≥75% of meetings |
| Audit Committee | 3 | Committee meetings held post-merger; members financially literate |
| Nominating & Governance | 1 | Chaired by Finard |
| Compensation Committee | 1 | — |
Policies impacting alignment
- Anti-hedging: prohibits hedging transactions in company securities .
- Clawback: Dodd-Frank compliant recovery of erroneously awarded incentive compensation upon restatement .
- Insider Trading Policy: governs trading by directors/officers; policy posted in filings .
Summary: Finard brings deep consumer-brand expertise and serves as Chair of Nominating & Governance and member of Audit, with confirmed independence and adequate attendance. Equity holdings are modest (<1%) but augmented by option awards and participation in company financing. Governance infrastructure (anti-hedging, clawback, related-party oversight) is in place; monitor consistency of director award design (RSUs vs options) and transparency for any related-party participation in future financings .