James Quella
About James Quella
Independent Class I director since July 2022; age 75. Serves on Getty Images’ Audit Committee and is designated an “audit committee financial expert.” Prior roles include Senior Managing Director and Head of Portfolio Operations at Blackstone’s Private Equity Group (retired 2013) and Managing Director/Senior Operating Partner at DLJ Merchant Banking. Education: B.A. in International Studies (University of Wisconsin–Madison) and MBA with Dean’s Honors (University of Chicago) .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blackstone Private Equity Group | Senior Managing Director; Senior Operating Partner; Head of Portfolio Operations | 2003–2013 | Led portfolio operations; PE value creation |
| DLJ Merchant Banking | Managing Director; Senior Operating Partner; Head of Portfolio Operations | 2000–2003 | Operational leadership across portfolio |
| Michaels Companies, Inc. | Chairman; previously Lead Independent Director | 2019–2021 | Board leadership during public company phase |
| Fidelity & Guaranty Life Insurance | Director | 2017–2020 | Board service at insurance company |
| CC Neuberger Principal Holdings II (SPAC) | Director | Aug 2020–Jul 22, 2022 (Closing) | SPAC director prior to Getty business combination |
External Roles
| Company | Role | Tenure | Committees |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dun & Bradstreet (NYSE: DNB) | Director | Since Apr 2019 | Compensation and Audit Committees |
Board Governance
- Committee assignments: Audit Committee member; Audit Committee chaired by Tracy Knox; members include Quella and Hilary Schneider .
- Financial expert: Board determined Quella qualifies as an “audit committee financial expert” and meets NYSE financial sophistication .
- Independence: Board determined all directors other than Craig Peters and Mark Getty are independent, which includes Quella .
- Attendance: In 2024, the Board held seven meetings; each director attended at least 75% of Board and applicable committee meetings; all directors attended the 2024 Annual Meeting .
- Executive sessions: Non-management directors meet regularly; independent directors hold at least one executive session per year .
- Anti-hedging/pledging: Company policy prohibits directors from hedging or pledging company stock .
- Clawback: Incentive-based compensation recovery policy adopted Oct 2, 2023, per SEC/NYSE rules .
Fixed Compensation
| Component (USD) | 2023 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|
| Annual Board Retainer (Cash) | $40,000 | $40,000 |
| Audit Committee Member Fee (Cash) | $10,000 | $10,000 |
| Committee Chair Fees | N/A (not a chair) | N/A (not a chair) |
| Meeting Fees | Not disclosed | Not disclosed |
| Total Cash Earned | $50,000 | $50,000 |
Notes:
- Non-employee director program: Eligible directors receive cash retainers plus RSUs with grant value $390,000 and four-year vesting; chairs receive additional cash retainers (Audit $20k; Compensation $15k; Nominating $10k); members receive Audit $10k; Compensation $7.5k; Nominating $5k .
Performance Compensation
| Equity Metric | 2023 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|
| RSUs Outstanding (#) | 57,128 RSUs | 38,086 RSUs |
| Options Outstanding (#) | None disclosed | None disclosed |
| RSU Grant Program Terms | Initial grant value $390,000; 4-year vest (25% at 1-year, then quarterly) | Same program, ongoing vesting |
No performance-based director equity disclosed; RSUs vest time-based per policy .
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Entity | Nature | Relevance |
|---|---|---|
| CC Neuberger Principal Holdings II (SPAC for Getty) | Quella served as director until business combination closing (Jul 22, 2022) | Prior affiliation with SPAC sponsor group; optics for independence monitored; Board affirms independence |
| Stockholders Agreement (Dec 9, 2021) | Defines board composition with nominations by Getty Investments, Koch Icon, CC Capital; lock-up provisions included founders incl. Quella in 2024 disclosure | Indicates governance rights of major holders; Quella part of founder lock-up group historically; now an independent director |
Expertise & Qualifications
- Deep operations/value-creation experience in private equity portfolio companies (Blackstone/DLJ) .
- Public company governance across multiple sectors; current DNB Audit and Compensation Committee service .
- Audit committee financial expert designation at Getty .
- MBA (Chicago Booth) and B.A. (UW–Madison) .
Equity Ownership
| Metric | Apr 15, 2024 | Jul 14, 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| Class A Shares Beneficially Owned (#) | 68,564 | 92,367 |
| RSUs included in beneficial ownership (vesting within 60 days) (#) | Not indicated in footnote | 4,760 |
| Ownership % of Outstanding | <1% | <1% |
| Pledged Shares | Not disclosed for Quella; company prohibits pledging | Not disclosed for Quella; company prohibits pledging |
Governance Assessment
- Strengths: Independent status; audit committee financial expert; consistent meeting attendance; anti-hedging/pledging and clawback policies; diversified external board experience (DNB) .
- Alignment: Receives modest cash fees ($50k in 2024) and long-vesting RSUs per program ($390k grant value over 4 years), supporting long-term alignment without short-term performance gaming .
- Potential Red Flags: Prior role with CCNB SPAC and inclusion in founder share lock-up group pre-combination (optics of sponsor ties); however, no related-party transactions involving Quella disclosed and Board affirms independence . Board composition influenced by stockholder nomination rights (Getty Investments, Koch Icon, CC Capital), which can constrain independence dynamics broadly .
Say-on-pay: Company is an emerging growth/smaller reporting company; exempt from advisory say-on-pay votes; thus no historical say-on-pay percentages disclosed .
Attendance and engagement: 2024 Board met seven times; all directors ≥75% attendance; executive sessions held at least annually, supporting oversight quality .
Compensation consultant: Compensia engaged independently by Compensation Committee (executive/director comp); no other services, mitigating consultant conflicts .
Related parties: No Quella-specific related-party transactions disclosed; overall related-party framework and approvals via independent directors in place .