William Anderson
About William J. Anderson
William J. Anderson (age 49) is a non‑independent director of Complete Solaria, Inc. (CSLR), serving on the board since 2022; he previously served as CSLR’s Chief Executive Officer (Nov 2022–Dec 2023) and earlier led Complete Solar (2010–2022) . Anderson holds a B.S. in Managerial Sciences from MIT and an M.B.A. from Stanford Graduate School of Business, with earlier roles spanning fintech (Risk Allocation Systems CEO, 2007–2009) and venture consulting (Partner, SVE Partners, 2009–2010) .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Complete Solaria, Inc. | Chief Executive Officer | Nov 2022 – Dec 2023 | Transition CEO post-business combination; succeeded by other CEOs in 2024 . |
| Complete Solar | Chief Executive Officer | 2010 – 2022 | Led predecessor operations pre-FACT combination . |
| Risk Allocation Systems, Inc. | Chief Executive Officer | 2007 – 2009 | Led auto lending platform . |
| SVE Partners | Partner | 2009 – 2010 | Boutique consulting for tech start-ups and VC investors . |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Details / Potential Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| SameDay Solar (private) | Chief Executive Officer; 60% owner | Not disclosed | CSLR previously entered commercial agreements; CSLR paid ~$1,065,833 since Jan 1, 2024; Anderson received ~$15,000 remuneration; SameDay benefits from CSLR equipment pricing even for projects not involving CSLR or its customers (conflict exposure) . |
Board Governance
- Independence: The Board affirmatively determined Anderson is not independent under Nasdaq standards, alongside T.J. Rodgers, Antonio Alvarez, and Chris Lundell .
- Committee assignments: No committee membership is disclosed for Anderson; current committees list Audit (Pasek—Chair, Gishen, Maier), Compensation (McCranie—Chair, Whatley, Thiam; Alvarez resigned Apr 2025), Nominating & Corporate Governance (Pasek—Chair, Gishen) .
- Attendance and engagement: Board met 11 times in FY 2024; Audit 5; Compensation 1; Nominating & Corporate Governance 0; each director attended ≥75% of applicable meetings .
- Board size and slate: 2025 slate lists 11 nominees (including Anderson) for one-year terms to the 2026 meeting .
Fixed Compensation (Director)
| Component | 2023 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|
| Annual retainer (cash) | None disclosed for Anderson in director compensation table . | Company-wide: no director cash compensation paid in 2024 . |
| Committee chair/member fees | None disclosed for Anderson . | Not paid (no director compensation) . |
| Meeting fees | None disclosed for Anderson . | Not paid (no director compensation) . |
Performance Compensation (Director)
| Metric / Instrument | 2023 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|
| Annual director equity grants (options/RSUs) | None disclosed for Anderson in director compensation table; other directors received options that fully vest in one year . | Company-wide: no director equity awards issued in 2024 . |
| Performance metrics tied to director pay (TSR, EBITDA, etc.) | Not disclosed for directors . | Not disclosed; no director compensation . |
Note: Anderson held significant executive equity awards during his executive tenure (see Equity Ownership), but CSLR did not disclose performance metrics linked to director compensation .
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Company | Role | Public/Private | Interlock / Related-Party Detail |
|---|---|---|---|
| SameDay Solar | CEO; 60% owner | Private | CSLR paid ~$1,065,833 since Jan 1, 2024; Anderson received ~$15,000 remuneration; SameDay benefits from CSLR equipment pricing even for certain non-CSLR projects (potential conflict) . |
| Other public company boards | — | — | None disclosed in proxy biographies . |
Expertise & Qualifications
- Founding/CEO experience in solar and residential energy services, including leading Complete Solar (2010–2022) and CSLR during post-SPAC integration (Nov 2022–Dec 2023) .
- Technical/financial background via prior fintech CEO role and venture consulting; formal training at MIT (B.S. Managerial Sciences) and Stanford GSB (MBA) .
Equity Ownership
| Metric | Oct 25, 2024 | Apr 30, 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| Beneficial ownership (shares) | 3,077,084 | 2,691,833 |
| % of common outstanding | 5.7% (based on 53,985,937) | 3.9% (based on 65,781,061) |
| Common shares | 983,047 | 934,751 |
| Options exercisable within 60 days | 1,467,559 | 1,615,895 |
| RSUs exercisable/settleable within 60 days | 529,661 | — (not disclosed) |
| Warrants exercisable within 60 days | 141,817 | 141,187 |
Potential Conflicts & Related-Party Exposure
- SameDay Solar transactions: CSLR paid ~$1,065,833 to SameDay since Jan 1, 2024; Anderson received ~$15,000 remuneration; SameDay receives CSLR equipment pricing including for projects not involving CSLR or its customers, elevating conflict risk despite “ordinary course” characterization .
- Independence: Board explicitly categorizes Anderson as non‑independent under Nasdaq rules, reflecting recent executive role and related‑party ties .
Risk Indicators & RED FLAGS
- Related‑party transactions: Material dealings with SameDay Solar where Anderson is CEO and 60% owner; pricing benefits on non‑CSLR projects present misalignment and conflict risk. RED FLAG .
- Late Section 16 filings: Anderson filed late Forms 4 related to RSU exercise and stock option grants dated Feb 1, 2024 and Apr 10, 2024. RED FLAG (controls/filings timeliness) .
- Governance structure context: Combined Chair/CEO roles (Rodgers) and limited committee meeting cadence in 2024 (Compensation met once; Nominating did not meet) heighten reliance on strong independent oversight; Anderson is not independent and holds no committee roles .
Governance Assessment
- Committee effectiveness: Anderson holds no Audit/Comp/Nominating committee roles, limiting direct involvement in key oversight domains (audit, pay, nominations) amid control weaknesses previously disclosed at the company level .
- Independence and conflicts: Non‑independent status with active related‑party exposure (SameDay Solar) is a clear governance concern; while transactions are described as ordinary course, the pricing benefit even for non‑CSLR projects amplifies conflict risk and potential investor skepticism .
- Attendance and alignment: Anderson met the ≥75% attendance threshold in FY 2024, and his sizable beneficial holdings and in‑the‑money instruments suggest meaningful economic alignment; however, RSUs/options/warrants are legacy executive awards rather than director‑specific pay, and late filing incidents detract from governance confidence .
- Overall signal: Elevated conflict/independence red flags warrant close monitoring of related‑party transactions, disclosure quality, and adherence to insider trading/reporting policies; absence of director compensation in 2024 removes pay‑for‑performance concerns at the director level but does not mitigate conflict risk .