Benjamin Kortlang
Enphase EnergyAbout Benjamin Kortlang
Benjamin Kortlang (age 49) is an independent director of Enphase Energy, serving since May 2010; he currently chairs the Nominating & Corporate Governance Committee and sits on the Audit Committee . He is a Partner at G2VP, LLC and previously was a Partner at Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, with a career focused on alternative energy investing and growth-stage technology . The Board reports that each director attended at least 75% of Board and applicable committee meetings in 2024, and that Mr. Kortlang is independent under Nasdaq rules .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| G2VP, LLC | Partner | Aug 2016–present | Growth-stage VC focus in alternative energy technologies |
| Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers | Partner | Feb 2008–Apr 2020 | Energy/industrial tech investor |
| Goldman Sachs | Co-head, Alternative Energy Investing; Vice President, Special Situations Group; prior VP (IB) Industrials/Natural Resources | Jul 2000–Jan 2008; VP SSG Jun 2005–Feb 2008 | Built alternative energy investing platform |
| A.T. Kearney, Inc. | Associate | Jan 1996–Aug 1998 | Strategy/operations in energy, manufacturing, logistics, telecom |
| National Australia Bank | Business Analyst | Feb 1993–Jul 1994 | Strategic planning and macro forecasting |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Current public company boards | — | — | None |
| Luminar Technologies, Inc. | Director | 2019–2021 | Prior public board |
Board Governance
- Committee assignments: Audit Committee member; Chair, Nominating & Corporate Governance Committee .
- Independence: Board determined Mr. Kortlang is independent under Nasdaq and SEC definitions .
- Attendance: Each director attended at least 75% of Board/committee meetings in 2024; Board met 4 times .
- Committee activity levels: Audit Committee (Gomo-Chair, members include Kortlang and Mora) met 5 times in 2024; Nominating & Corporate Governance Committee (members included Kortlang; independent) met 4 times in 2024 and oversees board composition, director evaluations, and sustainability strategy .
- Audit Committee financial expert designation: Board designated Gomo and Mora as “audit committee financial experts” (not Mr. Kortlang) .
- Stockholder engagement: Board/committees reviewed feedback from outreach to top holders in late 2024/early 2025 .
Fixed Compensation
Policy framework and 2024 actuals for non-employee directors (including Mr. Kortlang):
| Cash Component | Policy ($) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Annual Board retainer | 50,000 | Paid quarterly |
| Audit Committee member | 15,000 | Additional retainer |
| Nominating & Corporate Governance Committee chair | 10,000 | Additional retainer |
| Strategic Committee member | 10,000 | Additional retainer; all directors participate |
| Director | 2024 Fees Earned ($) | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Benjamin Kortlang | 85,000 | Reflects roles and policy above; paid quarterly |
Performance Compensation
Directors receive annual equity retainers in RSUs (time-based; no performance metrics):
| Equity Component | Policy | Vesting | 2024 Reported Value ($) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual RSU grant (non-employee directors) | $250,000 value at grant | Quarterly over 12 months | 249,993 (Kortlang) |
Additional equity details:
- Director equity grants are determined using the closing price on grant date; Lead Independent Director/Chair receives an extra $20,000 RSU (not applicable to Kortlang) .
- No option grants were made to directors in 2024 under current policy; company emphasizes RSUs .
Other Directorships & Interlocks
- Current public directorships: None .
- Prior public board: Luminar Technologies (2019–2021) .
- Compensation Committee interlocks: Company discloses none; Kortlang is not a member of the Compensation Committee .
- Related-party transactions: None involving Mr. Kortlang were disclosed for 2024–2025; the company disclosed a relationship involving Mr. Rodgers and Complete Solaria, but not involving Mr. Kortlang .
Expertise & Qualifications
- Board-identified strengths: Venture capital investing with focus on alternative energy, acquisitions, and building alternative energy businesses; valuable industry perspective for Enphase .
- Education: Bachelor of Business (Economics & Finance) from RMIT; Bachelor of Commerce and Honors in Econometrics from University of Melbourne; MBA from University of Michigan .
Equity Ownership
Beneficial ownership and awards (as of March 20, 2025 unless noted):
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Beneficial ownership | 206,294 shares; less than 1% of outstanding |
| Components of beneficial ownership | 2,475 options exercisable within 60 days; 542 RSUs vesting within 60 days; 203,277 shares held directly |
| Outstanding awards at 12/31/2024 | Options exercisable: 2,475; Unvested RSUs: 1,083 |
| Stock ownership guidelines | Directors must hold ≥5x annual cash retainer ($250,000); all non-employee directors met the requirement as of Dec 31, 2024 |
| Hedging/pledging | Policy prohibits hedging/pledging; exceptions disclosed for Mr. Rodgers (margin account) and the CEO (credit line), with no exception disclosed for Mr. Kortlang |
Governance Assessment
- Independence and oversight: Independent director with long tenure since 2010; chairs Nominating & Corporate Governance and serves on Audit, positioning him at the center of board refreshment, governance policy, and risk oversight processes .
- Engagement and attendance: Board-level disclosure indicates all directors, including Mr. Kortlang, met at least 75% attendance; committees were active (Audit met 5x; Nominating met 4x), and the board continued structured investor outreach in 2024/2025 .
- Pay and alignment: Cash/equity mix follows a standardized, shareholder-aligned model (cash retainers by role; $250k annual RSU vesting quarterly), with Mr. Kortlang’s 2024 totals of $85,000 cash and $249,993 stock aligning to his committee responsibilities and policy .
- Ownership and policies: He exceeds ownership guidelines (all directors met requirements) and has no pledging exception disclosed; insider trading policy prohibits hedging/pledging, supporting alignment and risk controls .
- Conflicts/interlocks: No related-party transactions disclosed involving him; not on Compensation Committee and no interlocks reported, mitigating conflict risk .
RED FLAGS
- None disclosed related to Mr. Kortlang (no pledging exception, no related-party transactions, no delinquent Section 16 filings noted for him) .
Notes:
- Insider trades table: The proxy does not enumerate Form 4 transactions for individual directors; the company notes timely Section 16 filings except for one Gomo filing; no delinquency noted for Mr. Kortlang .