Kiersten Medvedich
About Kiersten Medvedich
Kiersten Medvedich is Gaia’s Chief Executive Officer (appointed June 27, 2025), previously President (since June 2023), Executive Vice President of Content (since June 2020), and a long-time content executive who joined Gaia in November 2016 after 15 years at Sony Pictures Television, bringing national broadcast experience and production leadership to Gaia’s content strategy . She is 52 years old and reports to Executive Chairman Jirka Rysavy . Company performance context: Gaia’s cumulative TSR (initial fixed $100) rose from $37.35 (2022) to $103.24 (2023) and $118.12 (2024), while net losses were $3.595 million (2022), $5.595 million (2023), and $5.398 million (2024) .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Years | Strategic Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gaia | CEO | Jun 2025–present | Leads growth and operations; initiatives include AI personalization and a new community platform . |
| Gaia | President | Jun 2023–Jun 2025 | Oversaw day-to-day operations and content, aligning with mission-driven programming . |
| Gaia | EVP, Content; Office of President | Jun 2020–Jun 2023 (EVP); Nov 2020–Jun 2023 (Office) | Led content strategy and production across key channels . |
| Gaia | SVP/VP/Senior Director, Content | Nov 2016–Jun 2020 | Built production capabilities; brought national broadcast expertise to Gaia . |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Years | Strategic Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sony Pictures Television | Production executive (oversaw Emmy-nominated programming) | ~15 years | National broadcast expertise; oversight of high-quality programming . |
Fixed Compensation
| Metric | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Base Salary ($) | 322,885 | 377,500 | 416,615 |
| Bonus ($) | 200,100 | 67,000 | 95,236 |
| All Other Compensation ($) | 4,770 | 4,800 | 3,300 |
| Total ($) | 527,755 | 449,300 | 515,152 |
Performance Compensation
RSUs – Grants and Vesting Schedule
| Vesting Date | RSUs (#) | Market Value of Unvested RSUs ($) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 31, 2024 | 12,403 | 33,488 | Vested if still employed/director on vesting date . |
| Mar 31, 2026 | 34,688 | 155,749 (as of 12/31/2024) | Time-based vesting, continued service requirement . |
| Mar 15, 2028 | 106,012 | 475,994 (as of 12/31/2024) | Time-based vesting, continued service requirement . |
Stock Options – Outstanding and Terms
| Options Exercisable (#) | Strike Price ($) | Expiration | Vesting/Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10,000 | 7.40 | Nov 1, 2026 | Fully exercisable; historical options policy required at/above market strike . |
Annual Incentive Structure (Program-Level, Not Individual Targets)
- Bonus potential range: approximately 0%–100% of base salary, subject to role and annual committee discretion .
- Performance considerations include EPS, profitability, revenue growth, and business-unit operational/financial performance; stock price is not used .
Equity Ownership & Alignment
| Component | Detail |
|---|---|
| Total beneficial ownership | 44,806 Class A equivalent (34,806 owned + 10,000 options currently exercisable); less than 1% of Class A . |
| Vested vs. unvested | Options are exercisable; RSUs are time-based with future vest dates in 2026 and 2028 . |
| Hedging/derivatives | Prohibited for directors and executive officers; pledging prohibited . |
| Ownership guidelines | Not disclosed in available filings. |
| Equity plan dilution | 2019 LTI Plan increased to 2,500,000 authorized shares; outstanding time-vesting RSUs were typical; performance awards available under plan . |
Employment Terms
| Topic | Disclosure |
|---|---|
| Employment agreement | Company states it currently has no employment agreements with executive officers . |
| Severance | No agreements to make payments upon termination disclosed . |
| Change-in-control | No agreements to pay upon a change-in-control disclosed . |
| Non-compete | Two-year non-compete required upon receipt of stock options/RSUs, commencing on departure . |
| Clawback | Compensation recovery policy adopted (effective Oct 2, 2023); 2023 restatement reviewed with no recovery obligation; policy maintained in 2024–2025 . |
| CEO appointment & pay | Appointed CEO effective June 27, 2025; compensation unchanged from April 8, 2025 proxy disclosure . |
| Benefits & perquisites | Participates in broad-based 401(k) (company match up to $3,000 annually) and standard health programs; cell phone allowance included in All Other Compensation . |
Investment Implications
- Alignment: Significant unvested RSUs vesting in 2026 (34,688) and 2028 (106,012) create multi-year retention incentives aligned with service-contingent vesting; hedging/pledging prohibitions further align executive and shareholder interests .
- Supply/overhang: Upcoming RSU vesting and 10,000 options expiring in 2026 could introduce episodic selling pressure around vest and expiration windows; monitor Form 4 activity near those dates .
- Governance and pay risk: Absence of employment, severance, or change-in-control agreements reduces parachute risk; however, the incentive plan permits award amendments (including potential repricing), a governance flag to monitor if used in practice amid stock volatility .
- Execution focus: Medvedich’s elevation to CEO emphasizes content, AI personalization, and community engagement—key levers for subscriber growth and engagement; track quarterly KPIs and TSR trajectory alongside pay outcomes to assess pay-for-performance integrity .