David Park
About David Park
David Park, age 49, has served as an independent director of GEN Restaurant Group, Inc. (GENK) since July 2024. He brings over two decades of capital markets and M&A experience, is the founder and Chief Investment Officer of Alpha Park Partners (since 2021), previously a Managing Director at Tiger Asia Management, LLC (now known as Archegos Capital Management, LP), and holds an MBA from The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania . The Board has determined he is independent under Nasdaq rules, and he qualifies as an “audit committee financial expert” .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alpha Park Partners | Founder & Chief Investment Officer | 2021–present | Long-term oriented investment fund; capital markets expertise |
| Tiger Asia Management, LLC (now Archegos Capital Management, LP) | Managing Director | 2011–2021 (until founding Alpha Park Partners) | Senior investment role; extensive M&A experience |
| Rockwood Capital; AEW Capital; Maverick Capital | Senior roles (public equity and private equity M&A analysis) | Not specified | Finance and corporate strategy contributions |
| Goldman Sachs | Investment Banking Division | Not specified | Transaction execution experience |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alpha Park Partners | Founder & Chief Investment Officer | 2021–present | External investment management role; no related-party dealings with GENK disclosed |
Board Governance
- Committee assignments: Audit Committee member; Compensation and Human Capital Committee (not a member); Nominating and Governance Committee (not a member) .
- Audit Committee chair: Jonathan Gregory; members (Gregory, Michael B. Cowan, David Park) all designated “audit committee financial experts” and independent under SEC Rule 10A‑3 and Nasdaq standards .
- Independence: The Board determined all directors are independent except David Kim (CEO) and Jae Chang (former Co‑CEO, current director) .
- Attendance: In 2024, Board met 4 times; Audit Committee 4; Compensation Committee 1; Nominating and Governance Committee 1. All directors attended all Board and committee meetings on which they served, and all directors attended the 2024 annual meeting .
- Leadership: Chairperson of the Board is David Kim; lead independent director is Michael B. Cowan .
| Governance Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Audit Committee | Member (David Park); Chair: Jonathan Gregory; all members independent and “financial experts” |
| Compensation Committee | Not a member (committee members: Cowan [Chair], Gregory) |
| Nominating & Governance Committee | Not a member (committee includes David Kim [Chair], Jae Chang due to controlled company status) |
| Independence | Independent director under Nasdaq rules |
| 2024 Attendance | 100% for Board and served committees; Board=4, Audit=4, Comp=1, Nom/Gov=1 (Park served on Audit) |
| Lead Independent Director | Michael B. Cowan |
Fixed Compensation
| Component | 2024 | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Annual cash retainer / fees | $0 | No formal director cash retainer; Park received no cash fees in 2024 |
| Equity – RSUs (#) | 6,000 RSUs | Granted July 2024; non-employee director annual grant |
| Equity – RSUs ($ fair value) | $50,000 | Stock awards reported for Park in 2024 Director Compensation |
| Vesting schedule | One-year vesting | RSU grants vest over one year |
| Meeting fees | $0 | No meeting/travel/project fees; rare exceptions none in 2024 |
| Policy limit (non-employee director comp) | $150,000 annual cap ($200,000 for first year/chair/lead director) | 2023 Plan limits |
Performance Compensation
- No performance-linked metrics disclosed for non-employee director compensation; RSUs vest time-based over one year .
| Performance Metric | Target | Actual | Payout Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| None disclosed for directors | — | — | No performance-conditioned awards disclosed |
Other Directorships & Interlocks
- Public company boards: None disclosed for David Park in the proxy biography .
- Shared directorships with competitors/suppliers/customers: None disclosed .
- Controlled company context: Nominating & Governance Committee includes insiders (Kim, Chang), not fully independent under Nasdaq controlled company exemption .
Expertise & Qualifications
- Capital markets and M&A execution; senior roles across hedge funds and private equity firms .
- Audit oversight capability; designated “audit committee financial expert” .
- MBA from The Wharton School (University of Pennsylvania) .
Equity Ownership
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Beneficial ownership (Record Date: Apr 21, 2025) | David Park not listed among individual ownership entries; directors listed include Croal (36,364 Class A), Cowan (4,167 Class A), Gregory (4,167 Class A) |
| Director RSU grant | 6,000 RSUs (July 2024), one-year vest |
| Hedging/pledging | Directors prohibited from hedging or pledging company stock; pre-clearance required for transactions |
Governance Assessment
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Positives:
- Independent director with deep finance/M&A expertise; designated audit committee financial expert, strengthening financial oversight .
- Full attendance; active engagement on Audit Committee; board holds executive sessions, and lead independent director structure supports independent oversight .
- Equity-heavy director compensation (RSUs) aligns interests, modest total ($50k), within plan limits .
- Robust insider trading policy and clawback policy (executive-focused) enhance governance hygiene .
-
Watch items / potential investor confidence sensitivities:
- Controlled company status with insiders on Nominating & Governance Committee limits independent influence on nominations/succession; Park is not on that committee .
- Company-level related party transactions primarily involve founders/insiders (Ignite Consulting, Pacific Global Distribution, Wise Universal; administrative services to restaurants owned by David Kim), underscoring oversight importance for audit committee members like Park .
- Tax Receivable Agreement (TRA) obligations and potential early termination payments are substantial and can affect liquidity; continued audit oversight is critical .
- Biography notes prior role at Tiger Asia Management, LLC (now known as Archegos Capital Management, LP); while no issues are disclosed in the proxy, investors may monitor external perceptions of such affiliations .
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Overall: Park’s independence, attendance, and audit expertise are positives for board effectiveness, particularly amid controlled company dynamics and related-party transaction oversight needs .