J. Simon Xue
CBAK Energy TechnologyAbout J. Simon Xue
Dr. J. Simon Xue is an independent director of CBAK Energy Technology, Inc., serving since February 1, 2016, and is age 71 as of the record date for the 2025 annual meeting . He holds a Ph.D. in Solid State Chemistry from McMaster University (completed in 1992) and has ~40 years of experience across nuclear chemistry, solid state chemistry, superconductivity, and lithium-ion battery materials, including 21 years specifically in lithium-ion battery R&D . He has authored or co-authored over 50 scientific articles and 12 patents in battery chemistry/materials, and remains a member of the energy storage strategic division of the Expert Committee for the Chinese Industrial Association of Power Sources .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Altair Nanotechnologies Inc. | Director | Aug 2011 – Apr 2012 | Board service at a battery/nanotech company |
| Yintong Energy Co., Ltd. (subsidiary of Canon Investment Holdings) | Chief Executive Officer | 2010 – 2011 | Led operations in battery/energy segment |
| Ultralife | Various roles (not specified) | Not disclosed | Lithium battery industry experience |
| Duracell | Various roles (not specified) | Not disclosed | Battery industry experience |
| B&K Electronics Co., Ltd. | Various roles (not specified) | Not disclosed | Battery/electronics value chain exposure |
| Valence Energy-Tech (Suzhou) Co. | Various roles (not specified) | Not disclosed | Lithium battery materials/cell manufacturing exposure |
| A123 Systems Inc. | Various roles (not specified) | Not disclosed | Advanced lithium-ion technology experience |
| International Battery Inc. | Various roles (not specified) | Not disclosed | Battery manufacturing and testing expertise |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Scope |
|---|---|---|
| Chinese Industrial Association of Power Sources – Expert Committee | Member, energy storage strategic division | Advisory capacity on energy storage strategy |
Board Governance
- Board composition: Five members; board operates without a designated Chair, using a collegial structure with rotating presiding directors .
- Independence: Board determined Xue (and committee peers Agee, He) are independent under SEC and NASDAQ rules; no transactions/relationships affecting independence were considered .
- Attendance: In FY2024, Board held two meetings and acted by unanimous written consent four times; each director attended at least 75% of Board and committee meetings they served on; two directors attended the 2024 annual meeting .
- Committees and roles:
- Audit Committee: Members Agee (Chair, financial expert), Xue, He; 4 meetings and one unanimous written consent in FY2024 .
- Compensation Committee: Members Agee, Xue (Chair), He; no meetings, two unanimous written consents in FY2024 .
- Nominating & Corporate Governance Committee: Members Agee, Xue, He (Chair); no meetings, one unanimous written consent in FY2024 .
- Risk oversight: Board and committees oversee risks including financial reporting, compensation program risk, governance/ethics; Audit Committee reviews related-party transactions .
Committee Summary
| Committee | Membership | Chair | FY2024 Activity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Audit | Martha C. Agee; J. Simon Xue; Jianjun He | Martha C. Agee | 4 meetings; 1 unanimous consent |
| Compensation | Martha C. Agee; J. Simon Xue; Jianjun He | J. Simon Xue | 0 meetings; 2 unanimous consents |
| Nominating & Corporate Governance | Martha C. Agee; J. Simon Xue; Jianjun He | Jianjun He | 0 meetings; 1 unanimous consent |
Fixed Compensation
| Year | Annual Director Cash Retainer ($) | Meeting Fees | Committee Chair Fees | Total Cash ($) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 20,000 | Not disclosed | Not disclosed | 20,000 |
- 2024 non-employee director compensation for Xue: cash fees $20,000 and option award grant-date fair value $3,900 (ASC 718), total $23,900 .
Performance Compensation
| Award Type | Grant Date | Shares/Options | Vesting Schedule | Status Through FY2024 | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RSUs | Apr 11, 2023 | 10,000 RSUs | Vest 50% on Jun 30, 2023; 50% on Dec 31, 2023 | Fully vested in 2023 | Independent directors each received 10,000 RSUs |
| Stock Options | Apr 11, 2023 | 20,000 options | Four equal semi-annual installments; first 5,000 on Jun 30, 2024; second 5,000 on Dec 31, 2024; third 5,000 on Jun 30, 2025 | 10,000 vested in 2024 | Independent directors each received this grant; fourth installment date not explicitly enumerated in proxy beyond semi-annual structure |
- 2024 option award value recognized for each non-employee director: $3,900 .
- Strike price and expiration terms for independent director options were not specified in the proxy excerpt; performance metrics are not indicated for these director equity awards (time-based vesting described) .
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Company | Current/Recent | Role | Overlap/Interlock Risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| Altair Nanotechnologies Inc. | Prior (2011–2012) | Director | No current interlocks disclosed; no other public company directorships in past five years |
- Proxy states no director has held any directorship during the past five years with any other public company, indicating no current public-company interlocks for Xue .
Expertise & Qualifications
- Lithium-ion battery domain expert with 21 years in R&D; broad end-to-end product chain reputation across materials, equipment, cell manufacturing, and testing .
- Academic credentials: Ph.D. in Solid State Chemistry (McMaster University, 1992) .
- Scholarly output: >50 scientific articles, 12 patents; frequent presenter/host at >30 battery/materials conferences .
- Governance competencies: Chairs Compensation Committee; serves on Audit and Nominating committees, each comprised entirely of independent directors .
Equity Ownership
| Holder | Shares Beneficially Owned | % of Outstanding | Basis/Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| J. Simon Xue | 55,000 | ~0.06% (55,000 / 88,645,836) | Denominator per Record Date shares outstanding; proxy denotes “<1%” |
- Beneficial ownership calculations include any securities exercisable within 60 days of the Record Date per SEC rules .
- No pledging or hedging of company stock was disclosed in the proxy excerpts provided .
Governance Assessment
- Independence and committee leadership: Xue is an independent director per SEC/NASDAQ standards and chairs the Compensation Committee, signaling arm’s-length oversight of executive pay .
- Attendance and engagement: Board and committees reported at least 75% attendance per director; Audit Committee met four times in 2024, but Compensation and Nominating committees relied solely on written consents (no meetings), which could indicate lower formal engagement in those areas relative to audit oversight (RED FLAG: limited committee meeting cadence) .
- Pay and alignment: Director compensation is modest (cash $20,000; option award value $3,900 for 2024), with time-based equity vesting supporting ongoing alignment; ownership is small (~0.06%), which may temper direct financial alignment with shareholders .
- Conflicts/related-party: Audit Committee reviews related-party transactions; proxy independence statement notes no relationships/arrangements impacting independence for Xue; related-party disclosure centers on entities linked to a former CEO, not Xue (no specific related-party transactions involving Xue disclosed) .
- Governance structure: Absence of an appointed Board Chair; directors rotate presiding duties, which can support collegiality but may diffuse accountability for agenda-setting and performance oversight .
Signals to monitor: Compensation and Nominating committees’ reliance on written consent over regular meetings in FY2024; continued disclosure around director equity award terms (strike, expiration), ownership guideline policies, and any related-party transactions to sustain investor confidence .