Maria Vilchez Lowrey
About Maria Vilchez Lowrey
Maria Vilchez Lowrey is Chief Growth Officer (CGO) at Direct Digital Holdings (DRCT), appointed in August 2022; she is 43 years old and holds a B.S. in Management Information Systems from Texas A&M University . As CGO, she leads business development, channel development, and brand marketing integration across DRCT’s portfolio, bringing 20+ years of senior leadership experience in energy, home services, and steel, focused on scaling customer acquisition and forging B2B/B2B2C strategic partnerships . Company performance context during her tenure: DRCT’s revenue grew in 2023 then declined in 2024 amid a sell-side customer disruption, with management attributing the 2024 decline to a temporary pause and subsequent volume reset on the sell-side platform .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Years | Strategic Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Just Energy Group (OTC: JE), incl. Amigo Energy, Tara Energy, Terrapass | SVP, Direct Sales & Partnerships | Dec 2016 – Aug 2022 | Diversified direct sales channels; launched first national retail partnership with a major global retailer . |
| NRG Energy (NYSE: NRG) | Various senior roles across sales leadership, BD, operations, project management | 2007 – 2016 | Built new go-to-market sales channels and developed strategic partnerships with well-known national brands . |
| Steel industry (global supply chain) | Global supply chain transportation & procurement manager | Not disclosed (prior to 2007) | Managed supply chain for large multinational consumer companies . |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Years |
|---|---|---|
| Homemade Hope | Non-profit board member | Not disclosed . |
| Houston Arts Alliance | Advisory board member | Not disclosed . |
| Dress for Success Houston | Advisory board member | Not disclosed . |
Fixed Compensation
- Base salary, target bonus %, and actual bonus paid for Ms. Lowrey are not disclosed in DRCT’s proxy or 10-K filings. The April 2025 proxy identifies only the CEO, President, and CFO as named executive officers for compensation disclosure .
Performance Compensation
- Annual incentive program for DRCT executives (as disclosed for named executive officers) pays 0–150% of target based on Revenue and EBITDA performance; 2024 had no payouts; 2023 payouts were 85% of target and delivered in 2024 (cash for 2024, unrestricted stock for 2023) . While Ms. Lowrey’s specific targets and payouts are not disclosed, she is eligible for long-term incentives under the 2022 Omnibus Incentive Plan, consistent with executive status .
Equity Ownership & Alignment
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Stock options granted (since plan inception) | 40,515 shares underlying options to Maria Vilchez Lowrey . |
| RSU/Option vesting cadence (plan-level) | RSUs and options generally vest in equal annual installments over 3 years, subject to continued employment per award terms . |
| Beneficial share ownership, pledging/hedging | Not disclosed for Ms. Lowrey in Item 12 ownership tables; no pledging/hedging disclosure for her found . |
Employment Terms
| Topic | Key Terms | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Executive employment agreement | Effective as of August 22, 2022 between DDH LLC and Maria Vilchez Lowrey (agreement exists; specific terms not excerpted in filings) | |
| At-will status; position; benefits | Company’s executive employment agreement form (May 2025) codifies at-will employment; executive benefits/perquisites; D&O coverage; indemnification; reimbursement per policy | 4(b)–(d) |
| Annual cash bonus & LTI eligibility | Executive eligible for annual bonus (Committee discretion on goals) and participation in the 2022 Omnibus Incentive Plan | (3)(b),(c) |
| Good Reason definition (form) | Includes material adverse change in title/duties, material breach, base salary reduction beyond permissible range, relocation >50 miles, and—within two years post-change-in-control—reduction in target bonus; notice/cure requirements apply | (a)(iv) |
| Severance—no CIC | If terminated without Cause or resigns for Good Reason, 12 months base salary continuation, subject to a release; no duty to perform during severance period; not reduced if executive takes other employment (subject to post-employment covenants) | (b) |
| Severance—within two years of CIC | 24 months base salary continuation plus lump-sum payment equal to two times target annual bonus opportunity, subject to a release; non-compete duration extended | |
| Post-employment covenants | Non-compete and non-solicit 12 months post-termination; 18 months if termination occurs upon/within two years following CIC; breach triggers termination and clawback of severance payments |
Note: DRCT’s April 2025 proxy describes similar severance mechanics (12 months base, extended to 24 months plus target bonus in CIC) for named executive officers (CEO, President, CFO) . Ms. Lowrey’s original agreement is on file (Aug 22, 2022), and company-wide executive agreement forms were restated in May 2025; the form terms above reflect current template provisions used for executive officers .
Performance & Track Record
Company-level financial trajectory over Ms. Lowrey’s tenure:
| Metric | FY 2022 | FY 2023 | FY 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue ($USD Millions) | $89.4 | $157.1 | $62.3 |
| Gross Profit ($USD Millions) | $29.3 | $37.6 | $17.4 |
- Management attributed the 2024 decline to a temporary May 2024 pause by a sell-side customer and subsequent lower resumed volumes, impacting sell-side revenues and margins . DRCT unified its buy-side businesses under Orange 142, where Ms. Lowrey is a public-facing leader; the buy-side serves ~230 clients through multiple DSPs to drive ROI across OTT/CTV, video, display, in-app, native, audio, social, and search . In Nov 2025, Orange 142 and ReachTV announced a travel-media partnership; Ms. Lowrey emphasized unlocking value across the traveler journey—illustrating her role in strategic channel partnerships .
Compensation Structure Analysis
- Equity emphasis: Ms. Lowrey has been granted options (40,515 shares underlying) under the 2022 Omnibus Plan, with standard 3-year vesting—aligning pay with longer-term outcomes and executive retention .
- Plan-level structure: DRCT relies on revenue and EBITDA metrics for annual cash bonuses, with variable payouts 0–150% of target; 2024 had no payouts, reflecting discipline amid a challenging year .
- Executive protections: Company executive agreements provide enhanced CIC severance (24 months base + 2x target bonus; extended restrictive covenants), which balances retention with shareholder costs during strategic events .
Risk Indicators & Red Flags
- Going-concern and capital structure risks: Management disclosed substantial doubt about continuing as a going concern in 2024; liquidity constraints and Nasdaq listing compliance were active monitoring areas through early 2025 .
- Customer concentration and short-pay: A single sell-side customer represented significant revenue and AR concentration; a 2023 short-pay led to charges and revenue restatement, elevating operational/credit risk .
- Litigation and reputation: Consolidated securities class actions filed in 2024 and defamation-related litigation were disclosed, with potential reputational and financial impacts .
- Internal controls: Material weaknesses identified for 2023 persisted into 2024 (partially remediated), increasing reporting and control risk .
Equity Ownership & Alignment (Plan Mechanics)
| Element | Plan Treatment |
|---|---|
| RSU taxation & company deduction | Ordinary income to participant at vest/settlement; company deduction equals participant’s income (subject to Code §162(m), reasonableness, reporting) . |
| Cash-based awards | Taxed as ordinary income when received; company deductibility subject to standard limits . |
Board Governance (Context)
- Compensation Committee: Independent directors Richard Cohen, Antoinette R. Leatherberry, and chair Mistelle Locke oversee executive compensation philosophy, plans, goals, and awards (five meetings in 2024) .
- Nominating & Corporate Governance: Independent oversight of board composition and governance practices (four meetings in 2024) .
Investment Implications
- Alignment: Options granted and 3-year vesting cadence suggest multi-year alignment; however, Maria-specific base/bonus details and share ownership are not disclosed, limiting precision of pay-for-performance analysis at the individual level .
- Retention: Executive agreement templates provide robust CIC protections (24 months base + 2x target bonus; extended non-compete), potentially reducing turnover risk in strategic events but increasing change-of-control costs .
- Execution risk: Company-level risks—sell-side volume sensitivity, customer concentration, control remediation, litigation, and capital needs—dominate performance outcomes and could constrain incentive realizations and equity value during Ms. Lowrey’s tenure .
- Strategic upside: Ms. Lowrey’s partnership track record (e.g., ReachTV collaboration) aligns with DRCT’s Orange 142 growth thesis of ROI-focused, multi-channel execution for SMB and travel sectors, a potential lever as sell-side normalizes and buy-side scales .