Anthony Coelho
About Anthony Coelho
Anthony “Tony” Coelho, age 82, is the independent, non-executive Chairman of Esquire Financial Holdings, Inc. and Esquire Bank; he has served on the board since 2010 and was appointed Chairman in August 2018 . A former U.S. Congressman (1978–1989) and principal author of the Americans with Disabilities Act, his background spans corporate board service, public policy, and financial services, including CEO of Wertheim Schroder Investment Services; he has also chaired the Advisory Board of Bender Consulting Services since 2002 . The Board has determined he is independent under Nasdaq rules; Esquire separates the Chairman and CEO roles, with Coelho serving as non-executive Chair .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| U.S. House of Representatives | Member | 1978–1989 | Authored ADA; governance/public policy expertise |
| Wertheim Schroder Investment Services | Chief Executive Officer | Not disclosed | Financial services/leadership experience |
| Service Corporation International | Lead Independent Director (prior) | Not disclosed | Board leadership; independence experience |
| American Association of People with Disabilities | Chair and Board Member (prior) | Not disclosed | Advocacy/governance oversight |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Start | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bender Consulting Services | Chair, Advisory Board | 2002 | Current |
Board Governance
- Role: Non-executive Chairman; CEO and Chairman are separated .
- Independence: Board determined all directors except the CEO (Sagliocca) are independent; Coelho is independent .
- Committee assignments: Audit Committee (member), Corporate Governance & Nominating Committee (member), Compensation Committee (member). Chairs are Powers (Audit), Waterhouse (Governance), and Mitzman (Compensation) .
- Meetings/attendance: Board met eight times in 2024; no director attended fewer than 75% of Board and committee meetings on which they served . Nine directors attended the May 30, 2024 annual meeting .
- Engagement signals: Coelho regularly speaks in Company communications, emphasizing strategic expansion (e.g., new HQ lease and LA banking office) and culture-building—indicative of active governance leadership .
| Committee | Role | Chair? | 2024 Meetings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Audit | Member | No (Chair: Powers) | 9 |
| Corporate Governance & Nominating | Member | No (Chair: Waterhouse) | 5 |
| Compensation | Member | No (Chair: Mitzman) | 4 |
| Board of Directors | Non-executive Chairman | Chair of Board | 8 |
Fixed Compensation
| Component | 2024 Amount ($) |
|---|---|
| Fees Earned or Paid in Cash | 207,000 |
Director fee schedule (person-agnostic; reflects 2024 policy):
- Annual cash retainer (non-employee director): $50,000
- Committee member (each committee): +$5,000
- Committee chair retainers: Audit $15,000; Compensation $12,000; Nominating & Corporate Governance $10,000; Loan $15,000; Strategic $12,000; Technology $10,000
- Non-Executive Board Chair: +$125,000 cash retainer and $115,010 restricted stock award
Performance Compensation
| Equity Component | Grant Date | Fair Value ($) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual director restricted stock award | Dec 3, 2024 | 80,024 | Standard annual equity for non-employee directors; grant-date fair value per RS award footnote |
| Non-Executive Board Chair restricted stock | Not disclosed | 115,010 | Chair-specific equity retainer |
| Total 2024 stock awards (sum of above) | Not disclosed | 195,034 | Reported in director compensation table |
- Vesting terms for director equity awards are not explicitly disclosed in the proxy. No options granted to directors in 2024 (option awards column for directors is “-”) .
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Company/Organization | Role | Committee Roles | Interlock Risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| Service Corporation International | Lead Independent Director (prior) | Not disclosed | No ESQ-related interlock disclosed |
| American Association of People with Disabilities | Chair and Board Member (prior) | Not disclosed | None |
| Bender Consulting Services | Advisory Board Chair (current) | Not disclosed | None |
Expertise & Qualifications
- ADA author and former U.S. Representative; deep public policy and stakeholder advocacy background .
- Financial services leadership (ex-CEO); board leadership experience at large public company (SCI) .
- Provides “valuable perspective on general business oversight” and strategic initiatives per Company disclosures .
Equity Ownership
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Beneficial ownership (shares) | 119,180 |
| Percent of shares outstanding | 1.4% |
| Unvested restricted stock | 20,373 |
| Options exercisable (presently) | 42,231 |
| Shares pledged as collateral | None; Company states no director or executive officer has pledged shares |
| Anti-hedging policy | Hedging prohibited for directors, officers, employees |
Governance Assessment
- Board effectiveness and role clarity: Separation of Chair and CEO, independent Chair, and independent key committees align with governance best practices; Coelho’s non-executive Chair role supports oversight and risk governance .
- Engagement: Frequent public statements tied to strategic expansion and recognition awards signal active Chair oversight and investor communication .
- Independence and attendance: Independent status affirmed; attendance at least 75% threshold met per board-wide disclosure .
- Compensation alignment: Director pay is a mix of fixed cash and time-based equity; Chair receives additional cash and equity retainers. No director performance metrics are disclosed, reducing pay-for-performance linkage at the board level, but consistent with market practice for non-executive directors .
- Conflicts/related-party transactions: Related-party transaction policy overseen by Governance & Nominating Committee; as of Dec 31, 2024, aggregate extensions of credit to directors/executives and related interests were $0; Bank ceased new insider lending as of April 29, 2021—low related-party exposure .
- RED FLAGS: None observed specific to Coelho. No pledging; anti-hedging policy in place; Section 16(a) timeliness issues noted for other individuals (Zises, Kornhaber) but not Coelho .
Implications: Coelho’s independence, non-executive Chair role, and multi-committee service support investor confidence in oversight. Compensation is straightforward and transparent; lack of performance conditions for director equity is typical but means alignment relies on share ownership and equity retainer scale. Low related-party exposure and explicit anti-hedging provisions further mitigate governance risk .