Kimberly Briskey
About Kimberly Briskey
Kimberly Briskey, age 38, has served as an independent director of Datavault AI Inc. (DVLT) since June 2024 . She is currently Brand CFO of Eddie Bauer at SPARC Group LLC (joined August 2020), leading finance and accounting for an ~$800M multichannel business, with prior senior finance roles at SPARC, Lucky Brand, Beyond Yoga, J Brand, and GUESS? INC. . The Board has affirmatively determined she is independent under Nasdaq rules; she chairs the Audit Committee and is designated the Audit Committee Financial Expert . She holds a BS in Global Business and Marketing from Arizona State University and a professional designation in Product Development from FIDM .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| SPARC Group LLC | Sr. Director of DTC Finance & Company Planning | Not disclosed | Led planning and FP&A for DTC; predecessor to Brand CFO role |
| Lucky Brand; Beyond Yoga; J Brand; GUESS? INC. | Senior finance roles | Not disclosed | Drove financial efficiencies and profitability across retail and e-commerce channels |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Start Date | Scope/Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eddie Bauer (SPARC Group LLC) | Brand CFO | Aug 2020 | Leads finance/accounting; ~$800M multichannel business |
Board Governance
- Committee assignments: Audit Committee Chair and Audit Committee Financial Expert; member of Audit Committee alongside Sriram Peruvemba and Wendy Wilson .
- Independence: Independent under Nasdaq rules; Board majority independence noted, with non-independent directors identified as Bradley, Moyer, Kristensen, and Howitt .
- Attendance: In FY2024, Board held 4 meetings; no incumbent director attended fewer than 75% of aggregate Board and committee meetings .
- Lead independent director: Company does not have a lead independent director .
- Risk oversight: Audit Committee responsibilities cover financial reporting, internal controls, risk policies including cybersecurity, and related party transaction review .
- Insider policy: Company prohibits insiders from engaging in hedging transactions .
Fixed Compensation
| Component | FY2024 Amount ($) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Cash fees | 15,000 | Director fees earned/paid in cash |
| Stock awards (grant-date fair value) | 31,903 | Aggregate grant-date fair value (FASB ASC 718) |
| Total | 46,903 | Sum of cash fees and stock awards |
Director Equity Grants (2024)
| Grant Date | Award Type | Shares | Vesting Start | Vesting Cadence | Vesting End |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 30, 2024 | Restricted common stock | 7,541 | Dec 20, 2024 | Equal installments every 3 months | Dec 20, 2027 |
| Nov 12, 2024 | Restricted common stock | 7,422 | Mar 15, 2025 | Equal installments every 3 months | Mar 15, 2028 |
No meeting fees, committee membership fees, or chair fees are disclosed for directors; equity awards vest based on service, not performance criteria .
Performance Compensation
| Performance Metric | Target/Definition | Disclosure |
|---|---|---|
| Performance-based director metrics | N/A | No director performance metrics disclosed; awards are service-vested restricted stock |
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Category | Disclosure |
|---|---|
| Current public company boards | None disclosed in biography |
| Prior public company boards | None disclosed in biography |
| Interlocks (competitors/suppliers/customers) | None disclosed for Briskey; related-party transactions disclosed for other directors (EOS/Bradley; Hansong/Kristensen; Meriwether/Howitt) |
Expertise & Qualifications
- Growth-oriented finance leader with expertise in FP&A, long-range budgeting, and operational oversight across retail/e-commerce; serves as Audit Committee Financial Expert .
- Education: BS, Global Business & Marketing (ASU); Professional Designation, Product Development (FIDM) .
Equity Ownership
| Metric | Value | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Total beneficial ownership (shares) | 115,669 | As of Oct 14, 2025 |
| Ownership as % of shares outstanding | <1% | Shares outstanding: 279,716,319 as of Oct 14, 2025 |
| Options held | None disclosed for directors in FY2024 compensation | Director compensation table reports stock awards only |
| Stock ownership guidelines (directors) | Not disclosed | No director ownership guideline disclosure in proxy |
Insider Trades
| Item | Disclosure |
|---|---|
| Section 16(a) compliance (FY2024) | Company believes all required reports were filed on a timely basis |
Governance Assessment
- Strengths
- Independence and role: Independent director serving as Audit Committee Chair and designated Audit Committee Financial Expert; central to oversight of financial reporting, internal controls, cybersecurity risk, and related-party transactions .
- Engagement: No incumbent director fell below 75% attendance in 2024; Audit Committee held four virtual meetings covering annual and quarterly SEC filings .
- Alignment: Director compensation includes meaningful equity with service-based vesting through 2027–2028, supporting longer-term alignment .
- Elevated oversight burdens and potential red flags
- No lead independent director; combined CEO and Chair roles separated but leadership structure lacks a lead independent counterbalance, increasing reliance on Briskey’s audit leadership for investor confidence (RED FLAG) .
- Compensation Committee did not meet in 2024 (actions via unanimous written consent) and does not use an independent compensation consultant, which may signal limited committee engagement or external benchmarking rigor (RED FLAG) .
- Significant related-party exposure to EOS (CEO control person; spouse in EOS management), with notes and conversion activity; Audit Committee’s related-party oversight is critical to mitigate conflict risks (RED FLAG) .
- Dilution/control risks: Scilex transaction involves 15,000,000 shares and a Pre-Funded Warrant for 263,914,094 shares at $0.0001 exercise price; requires share authorization increase to 2,020,000,000 and may constitute a change of control under Nasdaq rules (RED FLAG for dilution/control) .
- Share increase amendment explicitly acknowledges potential adverse effects, including EPS dilution and reduced equity/voting rights; audit oversight and disclosure quality will be scrutinized (RED FLAG) .
Implication: As Audit Committee Chair and financial expert, Briskey’s effectiveness in overseeing related-party transactions (EOS) and major financing/dilution actions (Scilex, authorized share increase) is a key signal for governance quality and investor confidence .