Julia Hunter
About Julia Hunter
Independent director of European Wax Center (EWCZ), age 40, serving since August 2024; nominated for re‑election as a Class I director at the June 3, 2025 annual meeting. Managing Partner at Westview Ventures, and former CEO of Jenni Kayne (2015–2024) with prior roles at Elizabeth and James, J.Crew, Louis Vuitton, and Loeffler Randall; B.A. in Economics from UC San Diego. The Board determined she is independent under Nasdaq rules and she serves on the Nominating & Governance Committee.
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jenni Kayne | Chief Executive Officer | 2015–2024 | Led luxury California lifestyle brand operations and growth |
| Elizabeth and James | Various roles | Prior to 2015 | Consumer/fashion operating experience |
| J.Crew | Various roles | Prior to 2015 | Consumer/retail operating experience |
| Louis Vuitton | Various roles | Prior to 2015 | Luxury brand operating experience |
| Loeffler Randall | Various roles | Prior to 2015 | Fashion brand operating experience |
| Revolution Partners | Investment Banking Analyst | Career start | Finance/transactions grounding |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Focus |
|---|---|---|---|
| Westview Ventures | Managing Partner | Current | Growth and e‑commerce marketing, product strategy, brand development |
Board Governance
- Board structure: Classified board (three classes); Hunter is Class I, term expiring at 2025 meeting with nomination for a term through 2028.
- Independence: Board determined Hunter is independent under Nasdaq listing standards.
- Committee assignment: Nominating & Governance Committee member; chair is Andrew Crawford.
- Attendance: Board met nine times in 2024; each director attended at least 75% of Board and committee meetings.
- Board/committee activity counts: Audit (8), Compensation (6), Nominating & Governance (5) meetings in 2024.
- Hedging/pledging: Directors prohibited from hedging, short sales, derivatives, and pledging/margining EWCZ stock.
Fixed Compensation
| Component | 2024 Actual ($) | Structure/Terms |
|---|---|---|
| Cash retainer | 20,833 | Annual cash retainer $50,000 paid quarterly (pro‑rated for initial year) |
| Committee chair fee | — | Only Audit Chair receives $20,000; Hunter is not a chair |
| RSUs (stock awards) | 167,466 | Initial one‑time RSU grant valued at $62,500 (8 equal quarterly vesting) and annual RSU grant valued at $125,000 (pro‑rated first year; 4 equal quarterly vesting) |
Performance Compensation
| Performance Metric Tied to Director Pay | Disclosure |
|---|---|
| Performance conditions for director equity | Not disclosed; director RSUs vest time‑based quarterly (no performance metrics) |
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Category | Disclosure |
|---|---|
| Current public company boards | None disclosed for Hunter in EWCZ proxy biography |
| Committee roles at other public companies | None disclosed |
| Shared directorships with competitors/suppliers/customers | None disclosed |
Expertise & Qualifications
- Consumer and luxury retail leadership and e‑commerce strategy experience (CEO Jenni Kayne; roles at J.Crew, Louis Vuitton, Loeffler Randall, Elizabeth and James).
- Financial/transaction grounding (Investment Banking Analyst at Revolution Partners).
- Education: B.A. in Economics, UC San Diego.
Equity Ownership
| Ownership Detail | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Class A common stock beneficially owned | 26,920 | As of April 7, 2025 |
| Ownership % of outstanding | — | Not presented; indicates <1% if blank in table context |
| Unvested RSUs outstanding | 19,637 | As of January 4, 2025 |
| Shares pledged as collateral | Prohibited by policy | Company prohibits pledging/margining of securities |
Insider Trades
| Item | Disclosure |
|---|---|
| Section 16(a) compliance (2024) | No delinquent filings noted for Hunter; only one delinquent Form 4 for an officer (O’Connor) was reported and subsequently filed |
| Form 4 transactions (Hunter) | Not disclosed in proxy materials; no mention of Hunter transactions |
Governance Assessment
- Independence and committee role: Hunter is independent and sits on the Nominating & Governance Committee, aligning with board oversight of governance/ESG and director nominations; this supports investor confidence in board effectiveness.
- Engagement: Board and committee activity were robust in 2024, and all directors met minimum attendance thresholds; Hunter’s mid‑2024 appointment indicates pro‑rated participation with required engagement.
- Pay alignment: Director pay mix emphasizes time‑based RSUs and standard cash retainer with no performance metrics—typical for non‑employee directors; vesting promotes continued service without short‑term incentives.
- Conflicts/related party: No related‑party transactions involving Hunter disclosed; the company maintains formal related‑person transaction policies overseen by the Audit Committee.
- Board control context: General Atlantic retains nomination rights and certain consent rights at defined ownership thresholds, shaping broader board dynamics; not specific to Hunter but relevant to governance environment.
Red Flags
- None disclosed specific to Hunter (no related‑party transactions, no pledging/hedging, no delinquent insider filings).