Chinh Chu
About Chinh Chu
Chinh Chu, 58, is an independent Class II director of Getty Images Holdings, Inc. (“GETY”) serving since 2022. He is Founder and Senior Managing Director of CC Capital; previously he spent 25 years at Blackstone as Senior Managing Director, Co‑Head of Private Equity and a member of the firm’s Executive Committee. He holds a B.S. in Finance from the University of Buffalo. He currently chairs boards at E2open (NYSE: ETWO) and The Westaim Corporation (TSXV: WED) and serves on the board of Dun & Bradstreet (NYSE: DNB) .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blackstone | Senior Managing Director; Co‑Head of Private Equity; Exec. Committee member | 25 years (ended prior to founding CC Capital in 2015) | Led portfolio operations and PE investments; advised/managing multinational companies |
| Collier Creek Holdings (NYSE: CCH) | Chairman | Until Aug 2020 (transaction formed Utz Brands) | SPAC sponsor; consummated Utz combination |
External Roles
| Organization | Ticker | Role | Since/Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| CC Capital | — | Founder & Senior Managing Director | Founded 2015; led investments in Wilshire, UTZ, ETWO, DNB; incubated Ceres Life Insurance platform |
| E2open Parent Holdings, Inc. | NYSE: ETWO | Chairman of the Board | Current |
| The Westaim Corporation | TSXV: WED | Chairman of the Board | Current |
| Dun & Bradstreet Corporation | NYSE: DNB | Director | Since 2019 |
| M‑3 Brigade Acquisition V Corp. | NASDAQ: MBAV | President | Appointed May 2025; announced business combination with ReserveOne |
Board Governance
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Independence | Board determined Chu is independent under NYSE and SEC rules |
| Board class | Class II; term expires at 2027 Annual Meeting |
| Committees | Compensation Committee member (not chair) |
| Committee chairs | Compensation Committee chaired by Brett Watson (Chu member) |
| Attendance | In 2024, all directors attended ≥75% of board and committee meetings; all directors attended the 2024 Annual Meeting |
| Board meetings (2024) | 7 meetings |
| Compensation Committee activity (2024) | Met 5 times; 2 unanimous written consents |
| Comp consultant | Compensia engaged as independent consultant for executive and director comp; no other services |
| Executive sessions | Independent director executive session held at least annually |
| Leadership | Chair and CEO roles separated; board reviews structure periodically |
Fixed Compensation
| Component | Cash ($) | Equity | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual retainer | — | — | Non‑employee director program provides $40,000 cash retainer for eligible directors, but excludes Mark Getty, Chinh Chu, Patrick Maxwell, Brett Watson, Michael Harris |
| Committee member fees | — | — | Program: Audit $10k; Comp $7.5k; Nominating $5k for eligible directors; Chu excluded |
| Committee chair fees | — | — | Program: Audit chair $20k; Comp chair $15k; Nominating chair $10k for eligible directors; Chu not a chair, excluded |
| Equity grants (RSUs) | — | — | Eligible directors receive $390k grant value RSUs vesting over 4 years; Chu excluded from program |
Chu received no director cash fees or stock awards from GETY in 2024 under the Non‑Employee Directors Annual Compensation Program .
Performance Compensation
No performance‑based director compensation (PSUs or options) disclosed for Chu; sponsor‑affiliated directors (including Chu) are excluded from the non‑employee director program .
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Company | Ticker | Role | Interlock/Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dun & Bradstreet | NYSE: DNB | Director | GETY director James Quella also serves on DNB’s board and its committees, creating a board‑level interlock across GETY and DNB |
Expertise & Qualifications
- M&A and corporate finance expertise; led large‑scale take‑privates and SPAC transactions (e.g., DNB $7.2B take‑private 2019; Utz via Collier Creek) .
- Strategic business planning and operating leadership across multi‑national companies .
- Education: B.S. in Finance, University of Buffalo .
Equity Ownership
| Holder (beneficial) | Shares (#) | % of Outstanding | Structure/Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chinh Chu (through affiliates) | 15,469,230 | 3.7% | Beneficial ownership via CC NB Sponsor 2 Holdings LLC (5,762,560 shares) and CC Capital SP, LP (9,706,670 shares) |
| Shares pledged | Not disclosed for Chu | — | Company policy prohibits director hedging and pledging; no specific pledges disclosed for Chu |
Related‑Party Exposure and Agreements
- Stockholders Agreement: CC Capital entitled to nominate one director to the GETY board; Chu is the current CC Capital nominee, indicating sponsor influence over board composition .
- Significant Stockholder Agreement (Shutterstock merger context): Post‑closing director designation rights, transfer restrictions for significant holders (Getty Family Stockholders, Koch Icon, Mr. Oringer) with thresholds; governance dynamics may shift post‑merger .
- Letter Agreements: CC NB Sponsor 2 Holdings LLC, CC Capital (as well as Getty Family Stockholders, Koch Icon, NBOKS) entered agreements that include expense reimbursements up to $400,000 related to the merger and cooperation obligations; potential perceived conflicts due to reimbursements tied to transactions .
Insider Trades
| Date | Filing | Summary |
|---|---|---|
| Oct 31, 2024 | Form 4 | Proxy references Chu’s beneficial ownership through CC NB Sponsor 2 Holdings LLC and CC Capital SP, LP; specific transaction details not provided in proxy |
Governance Assessment
- Alignment: Material beneficial stake (3.7%) aligns incentives with shareholder value creation; anti‑hedging/anti‑pledging policy strengthens alignment .
- Board effectiveness: Independent status, active Compensation Committee membership, and use of independent comp consultant (Compensia) support governance quality; board met 7 times in 2024 with ≥75% attendance across directors .
- Conflicts/Red Flags: Sponsor nomination rights (CC Capital), interlocks with DNB (with Quella also on DNB’s board), and merger‑related reimbursements present potential perceived conflicts; monitor post‑Shutterstock merger governance changes and any director designation shifts. No material legal proceedings disclosed for directors/officers in past ten years .
- Pay signals: Chu receives no GETY director cash or equity under the non‑employee program, reducing direct compensation‑related conflicts; GETY is an emerging growth/smaller reporting company and is exempt from say‑on‑pay, CEO pay ratio, and pay‑versus‑performance disclosures—limiting external pay feedback mechanisms .