Rena Nigam
About Rena Nigam
Rena Nigam (age 51) is an independent director of Esquire Financial Holdings, Inc. (ESQ) since 2024; she is Founder and CEO of Meytier Inc., an AI-enabled hiring and talent intelligence platform, with 25 years of experience across technology innovation, financial services technology, and payments. She brings expertise from prior roles as President and Board Member at Incedo Inc. (2015–2018) and Co-Founder of Aspark (2011–2014; acquired by Liquidhub, now part of Capgemini). The Board has determined all directors except the CEO are independent under Nasdaq rules .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meytier Inc. | Founder & CEO | 2019–present | AI-enabled hiring; talent intelligence platform serving multiple sectors |
| Incedo Inc. | President & Board Member | 2015–2018 | Technology innovation; executive leadership |
| Aspark (acquired by Liquidhub → Capgemini) | Co-Founder | 2011–2014 | Technology innovation; venture creation |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Public company boards | None disclosed | — | No public company directorships disclosed in ESQ proxy |
| Incedo Inc. | Board Member | 2015–2018 | Private company board service |
Board Governance
- Board independence: All directors except CEO (Andrew Sagliocca) are independent under Nasdaq .
- Board meetings and attendance: Board met 8 times in 2024; no director attended fewer than 75% of Board and committee meetings; nine directors attended the May 30, 2024 annual meeting .
- Standing committees and 2024 composition:
- Audit: Powers (Chair), Coelho, Waterhouse .
- Compensation: Mitzman (Chair), Coelho, Deutsch .
- Corporate Governance & Nominating: Waterhouse (Chair), Coelho, Mitzman .
- Nigam is not listed on Audit, Compensation, or Corporate Governance & Nominating committees in the 2025 proxy .
- Leadership structure: Non-executive Chairman (Anthony Coelho); CEO and Chairman roles separated; independent executive sessions occur regularly .
Fixed Compensation (Director)
| Component | 2024 Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Fees Earned or Paid in Cash | $55,000 | Annual director cash retainer is $50,000; committee chair/member retainers exist though individual allocation not disclosed |
| Stock Awards (Restricted Stock) | $80,024 | Annual director equity grant; awarded Dec 3, 2024 at $77.92/share fair value |
| Option Awards | $0 | No option award expense in 2024 |
| Total | $135,024 | Sum of cash and equity |
- Director fee structure: annual cash retainer $50,000; additional chair/member retainers (Audit Chair $15,000; Compensation Chair $12,000; Nominating Chair $10,000; committee member $5,000 each; additional retainers for Loan, Strategic, Technology committees) .
Performance Compensation (Director)
| Element | Design | Metrics/Targets | Vesting |
|---|---|---|---|
| Director equity grants | Restricted stock (annual grant) | No director performance metrics disclosed | Unvested RSAs outstanding; specific vesting schedule not disclosed for directors |
ESQ’s detailed pay-for-performance metrics (ROAA, EPS, asset quality, supervisory rating, strategic goals) apply to NEO AIP/PSU programs, not to directors . Directors receive time-based restricted stock.
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Company | Type | Role | Potential Interlock Risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| None disclosed (public) | — | — | No public company interlocks disclosed |
Expertise & Qualifications
- Technology and AI: Founder/CEO of an AI-enabled talent platform; prior roles in tech innovation .
- Financial services tech and payments: 25 years’ experience across FS technology and payments .
- Diversity and advocacy: Advocate for advancing women in technology and finance .
Equity Ownership
| Metric | Amount | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| Total beneficial ownership (common) | 1,867 shares | As of March 27, 2025; less than 1% of outstanding |
| Unvested restricted stock | 1,027 shares | Included in beneficial ownership footnote |
| Options (exercisable/unexercisable) | 0 | No options reported outstanding for Nigam |
| Shares pledged as collateral | 0 | Company states no director or executive officer has pledged shares |
| Anti-hedging policy | Prohibits hedging/derivatives | Applies to directors; cashless option exercise not deemed short sale |
Insider Trades
| Date | Transaction | Shares | Price | Value | Post-Transaction Holdings | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 9, 2024 | Open-market purchase | 640 | $77.50 | $49,600 | 1,867 (as subsequently reported) |
Governance Assessment
- Independence and engagement: Nigam is independent; Board maintains robust independence and executive sessions; attendance across directors met thresholds in 2024, supporting effective oversight .
- Committee leverage: Not seated on Audit/Comp/Nominating per the proxy; her AI/technology background could be leveraged on Technology or Strategic committees, but composition is not disclosed—monitor future committee assignments for influence on risk and strategy .
- Ownership alignment: Modest but positive alignment—open-market buy in Dec 2024 and unvested RSAs; no pledging; anti-hedging policy reduces misalignment risk .
- Conflicts/related party: No related-party transactions disclosed; insider lending halted as policy, with $0 extensions of credit and commitments to insiders at year-end 2024, mitigating conflict risk .
- Pay structure: Director compensation is balanced cash plus restricted stock and benchmarked to peers; no performance-linked director pay; monitor equity grant practices for dilution or repricing (none indicated) .
Red Flags
- None identified specific to Nigam: no pledging, no hedging, no related-party transactions, and no Section 16 delinquency noted for her (proxy flags late filings for other insiders only) .
Signals to Watch
- Future committee assignments (e.g., Technology, Strategic) to harness her AI/FS tech expertise .
- Additional open-market purchases or equity guideline disclosures to assess ownership alignment trajectory .
- Annual meeting outcomes/Say-on-Pay trends; no 5.07 8-Ks found, so track future proxies for vote data [ListDocuments: none].