John Kristoff
About John Kristoff
John D. Kristoff is Senior Vice President, Corporate Communications and Investor Relations at ETHZilla (ETHZ), appointed October 16, 2025; he reports to the Chairman & CEO and leads communications and IR strategy . He previously served as VP of Investor Relations at EXL Service, held senior communications/IR roles at Adtalem Global Education, and spent 25+ years at Diebold Nixdorf culminating as Chief Marketing & Communications Officer; he holds a BA in Public Relations (Kent State University) and an MBA (Ashland University) . As ETHZ’s IR head, he introduced the Q3 2025 earnings call and manages forward‑looking disclosures and non‑GAAP presentation logistics . During Q3 2025 (first period under the ETHZ brand), the company generated $4.1 million in revenue and ended the quarter with $559 million of cash and equivalents; management guided to positive adjusted EBITDA in Q4 2025 .
ETHZ recent performance context
| Metric | Q3 2025 |
|---|---|
| Revenue ($USD Millions) | $4.1 |
| Cash and Cash Equivalents ($USD Millions) | $559 |
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Years | Strategic Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| EXL Service | Vice President, Investor Relations | Not disclosed | Repositioned company as a leader in data and AI services for insurance, banking, and payments |
| Adtalem Global Education | Senior communications/IR roles | Not disclosed | Led strategic communications and IR |
| Diebold Nixdorf | Various leadership roles; ultimately Chief Marketing & Communications Officer | 25+ years | Contributed to corporate strategy, M&A initiatives, and brand transformation |
External Roles
No public company directorships or external board roles for Kristoff were disclosed in ETHZ’s press materials or the September/November 2025 proxy statements reviewed .
Fixed Compensation
Not disclosed for Kristoff. The October 16, 2025 appointment press release and the September/November 2025 proxy statements reviewed do not provide salary or bonus terms for his role .
Performance Compensation
Not disclosed for Kristoff. However, ETHZ’s approved and proposed equity plans provide the framework for executive awards (options/RSUs) and their treatment under various scenarios:
- 2025 Option Incentive Plan (approved July 2025) and 2025 Supplemental/Second Supplemental Option Plans (stockholder approval sought) govern stock options/awards; recent grants to other executives/directors in 2025 typically used 6- and 12‑month split-vesting schedules (illustrative of plan practice, not specific to Kristoff) .
Equity Ownership & Alignment
| Item | Policy/Status | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Beneficial ownership listing | Kristoff is not listed in beneficial ownership tables of the Sept 5 (record date Aug 20, 2025) or Nov 4 (record date Oct 17, 2025) proxies—consistent with his Oct 16, 2025 appointment timing | |
| Stock ownership guidelines | Company states it does not have a policy on equity ownership at this time | |
| Anti‑hedging/shorts | Executives, directors, and employees are prohibited from derivatives, short sales, and similar hedging transactions involving company stock | |
| Pledging/margin | Pledging or holding in margin accounts is prohibited unless the pledgor has clear capacity to repay without resort to pledged shares | |
| Rule 10b5‑1 plans | Executives/directors are encouraged to transact via 10b5‑1 trading plans; blackout windows apply |
Employment Terms
| Topic | Provision | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Appointment | ETHZ appointed John D. Kristoff as SVP, Corporate Communications & IR (reports to CEO) on Oct 16, 2025 | |
| At‑will status | Plan documents state service is at‑will and do not confer employment rights | |
| Clawback | Board adopted an SEC‑compliant clawback policy (effective Oct 2, 2023) requiring recovery of erroneously awarded incentive compensation from “Covered Officers” after an accounting restatement, regardless of misconduct | |
| Termination for Cause | Unvested/unexercised equity forfeited; post‑termination gains may be disgorged for competitive activity, per plan terms | |
| Involuntary termination (no Cause) | Vested options typically exercisable for a limited window (e.g., 30 days), unvested awards forfeited unless otherwise set in award agreement | |
| Change‑in‑Control (CIC) | If an award is honored/assumed with substantially equivalent or better terms, no automatic payout. If employment is involuntarily terminated without Cause or for Good Reason within 24 months post‑CIC, unvested alternative awards vest in full; value delivered in cash or marketable shares per plan determination (double‑trigger) |
Performance & Track Record
- ETHZ leadership highlighted Kristoff’s three decades of experience and relationships with the investment community as reasons for his hiring to “elevate” ETHZ’s public profile during its DeFi/tokenization pivot .
- As IR lead, he introduced ETHZ’s Q3 2025 earnings call and coordinated the company’s forward‑looking commentary, including non‑GAAP reconciliations .
- Company context during his arrival: ETHZ raised ~$931 million across PIPE/convertible financings in Aug–Sept 2025, began deploying ETH into restaking with ~7.5% yield on deployed ETH, and announced a $250 million repurchase authorization—narratives he is responsible for communicating to investors .
Investment Implications
- Compensation transparency and alignment: Kristoff’s individual salary/bonus/equity awards are not yet disclosed, and he is not listed in recent beneficial ownership tables due to timing; this limits visibility into his “skin‑in‑the‑game” and potential selling pressure from vesting schedules until future filings (e.g., the next annual proxy) .
- Policy safeguards: ETHZ’s clawback, anti‑hedging, and restricted pledging policies support shareholder alignment; equity plan mechanics are standard with double‑trigger CIC vesting and cause‑related forfeitures, which moderate upside asymmetry and discourage misconduct .
- Execution and retention: As the newly appointed IR/communications lead amid significant capital markets activity and strategic repositioning, Kristoff’s tenure is early; monitoring forthcoming SEC disclosures (next proxy and any option/RSU grants) and any Rule 10b5‑1 sales will be important to assess compensation structuring, retention incentives, and trading signals .