Damien Harmon
Driven Brands HoldingsAbout Damien Harmon
Damien Harmon (age 46) is an independent Class III director of Driven Brands, appointed in January 2024; his current term expires at the 2026 Annual Meeting and his board tenure was 1 year as of April 7, 2025 . He is Senior Executive Vice President, Customer, Channel Experiences & Enterprise Services at Best Buy (since April 2023), previously EVP of Omnichannel (2021–2023), President of Operations (2020–2021), and SVP of Workforce Design (2019–2020); prior executive roles include President, GCR Commercial Tires and COO, Bridgestone Retail Operations; he holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Management from the University of Phoenix .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best Buy Co., Inc. | Senior EVP, Customer, Channel Experiences & Enterprise Services | Apr 2023–present | Leads end-to-end customer experience; Geek Squad leadership |
| Best Buy Co., Inc. | EVP, Omnichannel | 2021–2023 | Established dedicated operations plan for seamless customer experiences |
| Best Buy Co., Inc. | President, Operations | 2020–2021 | Operational leadership |
| Best Buy Co., Inc. | SVP, Workforce Design | 2019–2020 | Workforce strategy |
| Bridgestone Americas Inc. | President, GCR Commercial Tires | Not disclosed | Executive leadership |
| Bridgestone Retail Operations | Chief Operating Officer | Not disclosed | Retail operations leadership |
External Roles
- No other public company directorships disclosed in DRVN’s proxy biography for Mr. Harmon .
Board Governance
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Independence | Independent director; DRVN is a “controlled company” but currently 6 of 10 directors are independent; all committees are chaired/composed solely of independent directors |
| Board Class & Term | Class III; term expires at 2026 Annual Meeting |
| Committee Memberships | Compensation Committee member (committee consists of Halligan, Harmon, Puckett, Stroup, Tomás) |
| Committee Chairs | Audit: Rick Puckett; Compensation: Catherine Halligan; NCGC: Peter Swinburn |
| Meetings & Attendance | FY2024: Board 6 meetings; Audit 8; Compensation 6; NCGC 4; all directors attended ≥75% of Board/committee meetings and attended the 2024 annual meeting |
| Executive Sessions | Regular executive sessions; independent directors meet in private session at least annually |
- Engagement signal: Harmon signed the Compensation Committee Report, evidencing active participation in pay governance .
Fixed Compensation
| Component | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Annual Cash Retainer (2024 policy) | $75,000 | Non-employee director base cash retainer |
| Compensation Committee Member Fee (2024) | $8,000 | Member fee (excluding chair) |
| 2024 Fees Earned (Actual) | $83,000 | Harmon’s total cash fees for FY2024 |
| RSU Annual Grant (2024) | $144,775 fair value | Grant date fair value; annual RSUs to non-employee directors |
| RSU Vesting | 1-year vest from grant date, continuous service required | Program terms |
| 2025 Committee Fee Increases (effective Mar 2025) | Audit Chair $30,000; Audit Member $15,000; Comp Chair $25,000; Comp Member $10,000; NCGC Chair $20,000; NCGC Member $10,000 | Approved by Board |
| 2024 Director Compensation (Actual) | Cash Fees ($) | Stock Awards ($) | Total ($) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Damien Harmon | 83,000 | 144,775 | 227,775 |
Performance Compensation
| Metric | Director Plan Design | Disclosed Targets/Measures |
|---|---|---|
| Equity award type | Time-based RSUs for non-employee directors | No performance metrics; vest on first anniversary |
- No options or PSUs granted to non-employee directors in 2024 per program description; RSUs are time-based to support alignment and retention .
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Person | Other Public Company Boards | Role/Committee | Potential Interlocks/Conflicts Disclosed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Damien Harmon | None disclosed in DRVN proxy | — | No related-party transactions involving Harmon disclosed |
Expertise & Qualifications
- Core expertise: omnichannel retail operations, customer experience, workforce design; leadership of field/service organizations (Geek Squad) .
- Automotive services background through executive roles at Bridgestone’s commercial tire and retail operations .
- Education: Bachelor’s Degree in Management, University of Phoenix .
Equity Ownership
| Item | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Shares Beneficially Owned | 10,614 | As of April 7, 2025; ownership table base 164,274,617 shares outstanding |
| RSUs Outstanding | 10,614 | As of Dec 28, 2024 |
| Stock Options Outstanding | None | As of Dec 28, 2024 |
| Hedging/Pledging | Prohibited for directors under Securities Trading Policy | No hedging or pledging transactions permitted |
Governance Assessment
- Independence and structure: Harmon is independent on a board designated as a controlled company (>50% voting power held by Principal Stockholders), but DRVN maintains independent chairs and membership across Audit, Compensation, and NCGC committees—a positive governance signal .
- Committee effectiveness: Harmon serves on the Compensation Committee; committee authority includes retaining independent advisors, administering clawbacks, and overseeing CD&A; Harmon co-signed the Compensation Committee Report, evidencing involvement in pay governance .
- Attendance and engagement: Board/committee cadence (Board 6; Audit 8; Compensation 6; NCGC 4) with all directors ≥75% attendance and annual meeting attendance; supports baseline engagement standards .
- Compensation alignment: Director pay mix favors equity via annual time-based RSUs (~$145k) with cash fees ($83k received in 2024); no options; RSUs vest annually—alignment with shareholder interests, though not performance-conditioned .
- Ownership and risk controls: Harmon holds 10,614 shares; RSUs 10,614 outstanding; hedging/pledging prohibited—reduces misalignment/leveraged risk; no related-party transactions disclosed involving Harmon; robust RPT policy oversight by Audit Committee .
- RED FLAGS: Structural “controlled company” status reduces requirement for majority independence, though DRVN voluntarily maintains independent committees . No hedging/pledging, no pledging disclosures, and no RPTs tied to Harmon are noted—no direct conflict red flags identified in proxy .