Daniel J. Englander
About Daniel J. Englander
Daniel J. Englander (age 56) is the founder and managing partner of Ursula Capital Partners and has served as an independent director of CKX since 2018. He brings financial and investment acumen with prior investment banking experience at Allen & Company (1994–2004) and public board experience at America’s Car‑Mart (director since 2007) and Copart (director since 2006) . The CKX Board deems him independent under NYSE American rules and specifically independent for Audit and Compensation Committee service .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Allen & Company (merchant bank) | Investment Banker | 1994–2004 | Capital markets and advisory background |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ursula Capital Partners | Founder & Managing Partner | Not stated | Investment management firm |
| America’s Car‑Mart, Inc. (NASDAQ) | Director | Since 2007 | Public company directorship |
| Copart, Inc. (NASDAQ) | Director | Since 2006 | Public company directorship |
Board Governance
- Independence: Board determined Englander is independent (Board overall and for Audit and Compensation Committees) .
- Committee assignments: Compensation Committee Chair; Audit Committee member (Audit Chair: E.T. Minvielle) .
- Attendance: Board met 5 times in 2024; Englander attended fewer than 75% of the aggregate Board and committee meetings for his memberships; he engaged between meetings and voted by proxy when absent (as permitted) . Audit Committee held 4 meetings in 2024; Compensation and Nominating Committees held 0 meetings .
- Lead Independent Director: E.T. Minvielle serves as Lead Independent Director (appointed in 2022); independents met in executive session once in 2024 .
| Governance Aspect | Detail |
|---|---|
| Board independence status | Independent director |
| Committees | Compensation (Chair) ; Audit (Member) |
| 2024 Board meetings | 5 total; Englander <75% attendance |
| 2024 Committee meetings | Audit: 4; Compensation: 0; Nominating: 0 |
| Lead Independent Director | E.T. Minvielle; one independent executive session in 2024 |
Fixed Compensation
| Meeting Fee Schedule (Directors) | Chairperson | Member Attending | Member Non‑Attending |
|---|---|---|---|
| Board of Directors (per regular meeting) | $1,000 | $600 | $200 |
| Audit Committee (per regular meeting) | $1,000 | — | — |
| Compensation Committee | — | — | — |
| Nominating Committee | — | — | — |
| Daniel J. Englander – Director Fees | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total fees paid | $800 | $800 | $600 |
Notes:
- Fees are paid only for each regular Board meeting; there were no committee meeting fees beyond Audit Chair fees, and the Compensation and Nominating Committees did not meet in 2024 .
Performance Compensation
| Performance‑Linked Components for Directors | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Equity/Options/Performance awards tied to metrics | Not disclosed for directors (director table shows meeting fees only) | Not disclosed for directors (meeting fees only) | Not disclosed for directors (meeting fees only) |
- The Compensation Committee did not meet in 2024 and has no charter; the company cites simplicity and modest pay levels as the rationale . No director performance metric framework (e.g., TSR, EBITDA) is disclosed for director compensation .
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Company | Role | Potential Interlock/Conflict |
|---|---|---|
| America’s Car‑Mart, Inc. | Director | No CKX‑disclosed related‑party ties with Englander |
| Copart, Inc. | Director | No CKX‑disclosed related‑party ties with Englander |
- CKX related‑party disclosures for 2024 highlight transactions related to the President (Stream) and MSM/Stream Wetlands; no transactions involving Englander are identified .
Expertise & Qualifications
- Financial/investment expertise (founder of investment firm; decade in investment banking) .
- Public company governance experience (director at Copart and America’s Car‑Mart) .
- Considered independent for Audit and Compensation Committee service under NYSE American and Rule 10A‑3 .
Equity Ownership
| Holder | Shares Beneficially Owned | % of Class | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daniel J. Englander | 0 | 0.0% | As of April 4, 2025; based on 2,027,032 shares outstanding (plus 26,097 issuable for vested RSUs of executives) |
Policy/Restrictions:
- Hedging/derivatives prohibited for insiders; CKX bars transactions in CKX‑based derivative securities (options, collars, puts/calls) and prohibits hedging transactions .
Governance Assessment
- Strengths:
- Independent director with deep capital markets and public board experience; chairs Compensation and serves on Audit .
- Presence of Lead Independent Director and at least one independent executive session in 2024; Audit Committee chaired by an “audit committee financial expert” (Minvielle) .
- Clear insider trading policy with prohibitions on hedging and CKX‑based derivatives .
- Watch items / RED FLAGS:
- Attendance below 75% of aggregate Board/committee meetings in 2024; although he engaged between meetings and voted by proxy as permitted, the sub‑75% statistic is a notable governance signal .
- Compensation Committee (which he chairs) has no charter and held no meetings in 2024; while CKX cites simplicity and low pay, lack of formalization can be viewed as weak compensation governance for some investors .
- Zero CKX share ownership as of April 4, 2025 may be viewed as limited alignment, though ownership requirements for directors are not disclosed .
- Combined Chair/President roles (Stream) persist; partially mitigated by Lead Independent Director structure .
Say‑on‑Pay & Shareholder Feedback
| Proposal (Annual Meeting May 8, 2025) | For | Against | Abstain | Broker Non‑Votes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Advisory vote on NEO compensation | 842,390 | 129,163 | 56,667 | 427,641 |
- Directors (including Englander) were re‑elected; Englander received 885,915 For vs. 142,306 Withheld; broker non‑votes 427,641 .
Related‑Party Transactions (Conflict Scan)
- 2024 related‑party disclosures involve Stream Wetlands Services (lease/contingent payments) and MSM administrative services (no compensation). No related‑party transactions are disclosed involving Englander .
- Surface revenue from a related party (Gulf Coast Sequestration) was $5,978 in 2024 .
Director Compensation Detail (Context)
| Director (2024) | Fees Paid |
|---|---|
| Daniel J. Englander | $600 |
Peer context (select): Minvielle $6,400; Hart $2,400; Boyer $2,900; Werner $2,000; LaMure $2,400; Duplechin $2,400; Stream $0 (declined) .
Attendance & Engagement
- Board held 5 meetings in 2024; Englander attended fewer than 75% of his total Board and committee meetings; he reviewed materials and voted by proxy where absent, as permitted by Louisiana law and CKX governing documents .
- Audit Committee met 4 times; Compensation and Nominating did not meet in 2024 .
Summary Implications for Investors
- Englander brings valuable finance and public board oversight, but 2024 attendance below 75% and the dormant/no‑charter Compensation Committee he chairs are governance watch items. Zero CKX share ownership reduces perceived alignment; hedging is prohibited, which is positive. Overall, investors may seek improved meeting participation, formalization of Compensation Committee governance, and increased ownership alignment to bolster confidence .