Jan William Visser
About Jan William Visser
Jan (John) William Visser, 57, has served as an independent director of GigaCloud Technology Inc. since August 2023. He is Executive Vice President of Operations at doTERRA International (since May 2024; previously VP Global Logistics from August 2018) and spent ~19 years at Walmart in international operations leadership. He sits on Brigham Young University’s Global Supply Chain Advisory Board (since 2011) and holds a BA in Spanish Translation (BYU, 1992) and an MBA (Thunderbird, 1996). These credentials underscore deep global logistics, manufacturing, and supply chain expertise relevant to GCT’s marketplace operations .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Walmart, Inc. | Vice President; led strategy, talent development, process efficiency and cost reduction across international markets | ~19 years | Global operations leadership and cost discipline |
| doTERRA International | VP Global Logistics (Aug 2018–May 2024); EVP Operations (since May 2024) | Aug 2018–present | Oversees sourcing, manufacturing, logistics, fulfillment, inventory control, S&OP, trade compliance, data governance |
External Roles
| Organization | Type | Role | Tenure/Scope |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brigham Young University Global Supply Chain Advisory Board | Academic/Advisory | Member | Since 2011; industry-academic advisory engagement |
Board Governance
| Committee | Role | Chair? | Independence Status | 2024 Meetings/Actions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Audit Committee | Member | No (Chair: Zhiwu Chen) | Independent per Nasdaq and Rule 10A‑3 | 6 meetings; 1 unanimous written consent |
| Compensation Committee | Chair | Yes | Independent per Nasdaq | 2 meetings; 2 unanimous written consents |
| Nominating & Corporate Governance | Member | No (Chair: Lorri Kelley) | Independent per Nasdaq | 1 meeting; 2 unanimous written consents |
- Board met 11 times in 2024; each incumbent director attended ≥75% of board and committee meetings; independent directors hold executive sessions at regularly scheduled board meetings .
- Independence: Board determined Visser (and all directors other than Larry Wu and Marshall Bernes) are independent under Nasdaq rules; all committee members are independent .
- Lead Independent Director: Zhiwu Chen leads meetings when the chair is absent, acts as liaison with independent directors, can call independent director meetings, and engages shareholders when requested .
- Anti-hedging/pledging: Company prohibits hedging and pledging of company securities under its Insider Trading Policy (effective Jan 1, 2024) .
Fixed Compensation
| Year | Cash Retainer ($) | Stock Awards ($) | Option Awards ($) | Meeting Fees ($) | Total ($) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 58,000 | 103,500 (fully vested at grant) | — | — | 161,500 |
| 2023 | 25,000 | 25,000 (fully vested at grant) | — | — | 50,000 |
Director compensation program terms:
| Effective | Annual Cash ($) | Annual Equity ($) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 2024 revision | 66,000 | 114,000 | Increased retainer and equity grants per 12‑month term given board workload |
| 2023 program | 50,000 | 100,000 | Standard non‑employee director program per 12‑month term |
Performance Compensation
| Year | Stock Awards ($) | Vesting Schedule | Performance Metrics Tied |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 103,500 | Fully vested upon grant; no unvested RSUs as of 12/31/2024 | None disclosed for directors |
| 2023 | 25,000 | Fully vested upon grant | None disclosed for directors |
No options were granted; director stock awards vest immediately and are not tied to performance conditions .
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Organization | Type | Role | Interlock/Conflict Relevance |
|---|---|---|---|
| None disclosed | Public company board | — | No public company board roles disclosed in proxy biography |
| Brigham Young University Global Supply Chain Advisory Board | Academic/Advisory | Member | Advisory role; no related‑party transactions disclosed with GCT |
- Related party transactions: Audit Committee reviews and must approve related party transactions; no transactions disclosed involving Visser .
Expertise & Qualifications
- Global operations and logistics leader (manufacturing, fulfillment, inventory control, trade compliance, data governance) .
- Prior Walmart international operations leadership (~19 years) focused on cost reduction, process efficiency, and talent development .
- Education: BA Spanish Translation (BYU, 1992) and MBA (Thunderbird School of Global Management, 1996) .
Equity Ownership
| As-of Date | Class A Shares | Class B Shares | Ownership % (Class) | Total Voting Power % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 28, 2025 | 7,970 | — | * | * |
| Feb 29, 2024 | 3,397 | — | * | * |
- Company reports it is not aware of any director or executive officer pledging company shares; anti‑pledging policy in place .
Insider Trades
| Period | Form 4 Transactions | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Not detailed in proxy | Company states all Section 16(a) filing requirements were timely met in 2024 except late filings for Frank Lin; no issues mentioned for Visser |
Governance Assessment
-
Strengths:
- Independent status; chairs Compensation Committee and serves on Audit and Nominating & Governance, indicating broad governance engagement .
- Attendance: Board reports ≥75% attendance by all incumbent directors across board and committee meetings; committees were active (Audit: 6 meetings; Comp: 2; N&G: 1) .
- Alignment: Equity component of director pay increased alongside retainer; 2024 comp mix skews to equity (cash $58k vs stock $103.5k), reinforcing shareholder alignment .
- Risk controls: Anti‑hedging/anti‑pledging policy; Audit Committee oversight of related‑party transactions .
-
Watch‑items / potential red flags:
- Dual CEO/Chair structure persists; mitigated by Lead Independent Director role (Zhiwu Chen), but Concentration of authority remains a governance consideration .
- Director equity grants vest immediately (no performance conditions), which reduces pay‑for‑performance linkage at the board level; however, immediate vesting is common for directors .
- Cayman governance allows directors to vote on matters despite interests (subject to Audit Committee approval for related‑party transactions), requiring strong committee vigilance .
-
Director protections:
- Indemnification agreements for directors consistent with Cayman law and common U.S. practice; SEC notes indemnification for Securities Act liabilities is unenforceable as against public policy .