Eric Benhamou
About Eric Benhamou
Independent director (age 70) serving on Grid Dynamics’ board since 2015; nominated as a Class III director for a term through the 2028 annual meeting. Former CEO of 3Com (1990–2000) and Palm (2000–2003), founder of Benhamou Global Ventures (BGV) in 2003, with advanced engineering degrees from Stanford and ENSAM Paris. Independence affirmed under Nasdaq rules; strong attendance (95% of board and committee meetings in FY2024).
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bridge Communications | Co-founder | 1981–1987 | Built early computer networking specialist |
| 3Com | CEO; later Chairman | CEO 1990–2000; Chairman to 2010 | Led US Robotics/Palm acquisition; scaled networking franchise |
| Palm, Inc. | CEO | 2000–2003 | Led spinout from 3Com; mobile computing leadership |
| Cypress Semiconductor | Chairman | ~2007–2017 | Long-tenured governance in semiconductors |
| Finjan Holdings | Director | 2013–Jul 2020 | Cybersecurity governance experience |
| Silicon Valley Bank | Director | 2004–Oct 2024 | Financial services oversight experience |
| Enterprise 4.0 Technology Acquisition Corp (SPAC) | Director | May 2021–Sep 2023 | Public markets/transaction readiness |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Status | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Benhamou Global Ventures (BGV) | Founder (2003) | Active | VC leadership across cloud/AI/cybersecurity/mobile |
| Evinced | Director | Private | AI-powered digital accessibility; product/AI expertise |
| Blendid | Director | Private | AI robotics in food service; automation focus |
| Virtana (Virtual Instruments) | Director | Private | IT infrastructure performance; ops analytics |
| 6dbytes | Director | Private | Food robotics; commercialization insight |
| Source Defense | Director | Private | Cybersecurity; risk management |
| Covu | Director | Private | InsureTech AI; data science |
Board Governance
- Committee assignments: Audit Committee member; Compensation Committee chair; Nominating & Corporate Governance Committee member.
- Independence: Determined independent under SEC and Nasdaq rules.
- Attendance: Each director attended 95% of the aggregate board and committee meetings in FY2024.
- Election: Nominated as Class III director for election at the 2025 Annual Meeting.
Fixed Compensation
| Year | Component | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Cash fees | $80,000 | Annual retainer + committee fees under Outside Director Compensation Policy |
| 2024 | RSU awards (grant-date fair value) | $74,982 | Annual RSU grant; service-based vesting |
| 2024 | Total | $154,982 | Mix: ~51.6% cash / ~48.4% equity |
- Policy updates effective Jan 1, 2025: Additional RSU grants for chair roles ($40,000) and committee members ($30,000); non-executive chair and lead outside director RSU add-ons increased to $30,000.
- Policy revision effective Dec 23, 2025: Outside directors default to receiving RSUs in lieu of cash retainers/fees unless they elect otherwise, aligning director pay more fully with equity. Annual director pay capped at $600,000.
Performance Compensation
- Non-employee director equity is service-based RSUs; no performance-vested director equity metrics disclosed.
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Person | Connection | Potential Interlock |
|---|---|---|
| Eric Benhamou | Founder of BGV | Direct ties to BGV portfolio/partners |
| Marina Levinson | Partner at BGV (since Apr 2014) | Board member; shared VC affiliation (BGV) |
| Shuo Zhang | China Advisory Partner for BGV | Board member; shared VC affiliation (BGV) |
- Historical Stockholders’ Agreement at business combination included BGV as a “Voting Party,” alongside Teamsun/ASL affiliates; director designation rights were structured by ownership thresholds (some since lapsed). Audit Committee reviews related party transactions over $120,000.
- Major shareholder network: Beijing Teamsun group (via ASL/Teamsun affiliates) holds ~16.4% of common stock, with two directors from Teamsun/ASL lineage on the board (Weihang Wang, Yueou Wang), highlighting a concentrated shareholder presence.
Expertise & Qualifications
- Deep operating history in networking, mobile computing, and cybersecurity; leadership in venture investing across cloud, AI, and mobile.
- Education: M.S. (Stanford School of Engineering); Diplôme d’Ingénieur & Doctorate (ENSAM, Paris).
- Academic engagement: Taught entrepreneurship (INSEAD, Stanford, IDC Herzliya); advisory and governance roles at Stanford Engineering and Ben Gurion University.
Equity Ownership
| Holder | Shares Owned | Ownership % | Breakdown |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eric Benhamou | 305,377 | <1% (*) | 78,205 direct; 23,500 Eric Benhamou Living Trust; 200,000 Grantor Retained Annuity Trust; 3,672 RSUs vesting within 60 days of 11/4/2025 |
- Company policy prohibits hedging and pledging of company stock for directors and employees, supporting alignment.
Governance Assessment
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Strengths:
- Independent director with robust operating and governance background; chairs Compensation Committee and serves on Audit and Nominating & Governance, indicating broad oversight capability.
- Strong attendance (95% in FY2024).
- Director pay increasingly equity-based (Dec 2025 revision), improving alignment; equity cap mitigates excess.
- Comprehensive related-party review policy under Audit Committee; explicit anti-hedging/pledging rules.
- Executive pay oversight evidenced by use of independent consultant (Pearl Meyer), rigorous peer benchmarking, and performance-based PSU mix for NEOs; say-on-pay approval at 98% in 2024 signals investor support.
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Watch items / potential conflicts:
- BGV affiliations among multiple directors (Benhamou, Levinson, Zhang) create network interlocks that may influence information flows; governance frameworks should continue to guard against conflicts in any transactions implicating BGV or portfolio companies.
- Concentrated ownership by Beijing Teamsun/ASL group (~16.4%) with board representation (Weihang Wang; Yueou Wang) necessitates continued vigilance on related-party matters and strategic decisions affecting this shareholder.
- Reputation considerations from long tenure on Silicon Valley Bank’s board (through Oct 2024); no GDYN-specific issues disclosed, but investors may assess risk perception independently.
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Overall: Board structure and policies (independence, clawback/recovery regimes, anti-hedging/pledging, related-party oversight) are supportive of investor confidence. Interlocks and concentrated shareholder presence warrant ongoing transparency and robust committee oversight when conflicts could arise.