Brett Watson
About Brett Watson
Brett D. Watson (age 44) has served as an independent Class II director of Getty Images Holdings, Inc. since February 2019; he is President of Koch Equity Development LLC (since Dec 2020) and previously served as Senior Managing Director at Koch Equity Development . He chairs Getty Images’ Compensation Committee and is considered independent under NYSE and SEC rules; in 2024 each director attended at least 75% of board and applicable committee meetings, and all directors attended the 2024 Annual Meeting . Watson holds a B.S. and an M.B.A. from Binghamton University .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Koch Equity Development LLC | President | Since Dec 2020 | Leads investment origination and execution |
| Koch Equity Development LLC | Senior Managing Director | Prior to Dec 2020 | Senior leadership in equity investments |
| ADT Inc. | Director (former) | Not disclosed | Board oversight (former) |
| Solera Holdings Inc. | Director (former) | Not disclosed | Board oversight (former) |
| Globus | Director (former) | Not disclosed | Board oversight (former) |
| Flint Group | Director (former) | Not disclosed | Board oversight (former) |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Status | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent company of Infor | Director | Current | Serves on parent boards; governance experience |
| Hexagon AB | Director | Current | Public company listed in Stockholm and SWX |
| Transaction Network Services | Director | Current | Board member |
| MI Windows and Doors | Director | Current | Board member |
Board Governance
- Committee assignments: Compensation Committee Chair; not listed on Audit or Nominating & Corporate Governance .
- Independence: Board determined Watson is independent under NYSE and SEC standards and eligible for committees he serves on .
- Attendance and engagement: In 2024 the Board met seven times; each director attended at least 75% of board and applicable committee meetings; all directors attended the 2024 Annual Meeting .
- Committee activity: Compensation Committee met five times and acted by unanimous written consent twice in 2024 .
Fixed Compensation
| Item | Program Parameter | Watson Actual (2024) |
|---|---|---|
| Annual cash retainer | $40,000 per year for eligible non-employee directors | $0 (not eligible) |
| Committee chair fees | $15,000 for Compensation Chair (eligible directors) | $0 (not eligible) |
| Committee member fees | $7,500 for Compensation Committee members (eligible directors) | $0 (not eligible) |
| Equity grant | RSUs valued at $390,000; 4-year vest; grants every four years (eligible directors) | $0 stock awards in 2024 |
Getty’s Non-Employee Directors Annual Compensation Program expressly excludes Mark Getty, Chinh Chu, Michael Harris, Patrick Maxwell, and Brett Watson from eligibility; Watson received no cash fees or equity awards in 2024 .
Performance Compensation
| Component | Metrics | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Director equity (RSUs) | No performance metrics disclosed for directors; time-based vesting over four years | Watson excluded from program; no director performance-conditioned pay applies |
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Entity | Role | Interlock/Ownership Link |
|---|---|---|
| Koch Equity Development/Koch Icon | President; Koch Icon nominee to GETY board | Koch Icon is a significant stockholder (19.5%) with nomination rights; Watson serves as a Koch Icon designee |
| Hexagon AB | Director | No disclosed transactional relationship with GETY |
| Infor (parent) | Director | No disclosed transactional relationship with GETY |
| Transaction Network Services | Director | No disclosed transactional relationship with GETY |
| MI Windows and Doors | Director | No disclosed transactional relationship with GETY |
Expertise & Qualifications
- Financial and corporate governance expertise from senior roles at Koch Equity Development; extensive board experience across technology, industrial, and services sectors .
- Academic credentials: B.S. and M.B.A., Binghamton University .
- Board leadership: Chairs GETY Compensation Committee; engages external independent compensation consultant (Compensia) with no other services provided in 2024 .
Equity Ownership
| Holder | Shares Beneficially Owned | Ownership % |
|---|---|---|
| Brett Watson | — (none disclosed) | <1% (“*”) |
| Koch Icon Investments, LLC | 80,733,607 | 19.5% |
- Anti-hedging and anti-pledging: Company policy prohibits hedging and pledging of GETY equity by directors and covered persons .
- Clawback: Incentive-based compensation recovery policy adopted effective Oct 2, 2023 .
Governance Assessment
- Independence and engagement: Watson is independent and chaired a Compensation Committee that met five times in 2024; board-wide attendance thresholds were met; these support baseline governance quality .
- Compensation governance: The Compensation Committee engages Compensia as an independent consultant and oversees executive and director compensation structure, stock ownership guidelines, and clawback policy, which aligns with investor expectations .
- Ownership alignment: Watson reported no personal beneficial ownership in GETY, while Koch Icon (his nominating stockholder) holds 19.5%; this reflects alignment via sponsor ownership rather than direct “skin-in-the-game” by the director .
- RED FLAGS:
- Compensation Committee chair is a nominee of a significant stockholder (Koch Icon) with board designation rights under the Stockholders Agreement/Significant Stockholder Agreement—potential influence dynamics warrant monitoring .
- No personal GETY share ownership disclosed for Watson—may signal lower direct economic alignment; mitigated in part by company anti-hedging/anti-pledging and clawback policies .
- Say-on-pay context: GETY is an “emerging growth company” and a “smaller reporting company” and is exempt from advisory say-on-pay and certain pay disclosures, reducing direct shareholder feedback signals on compensation .
Appendix: Board, Attendance, and Vote Context
- Class structure and term: Watson is a Class II director with term through the 2027 Annual Meeting .
- 2025 Annual Meeting (Item 5.07): 92.05% quorum; Class III directors elected; audit firm ratified—Watson was not up for election in 2025 (Class II) .