Ken Mainardis
About Ken Mainardis
Ken Mainardis is Senior Vice President, Editorial at Getty Images, appointed in October 2023 after serving as SVP, Global Content since 2019; he has led Getty’s editorial divisions across sport, entertainment, news, archival, and paid assignment solutions, with responsibility for production and licensing of photography and video globally . He has 20+ years at Getty (joined 2004) and earlier led Reuters Pictures as Global Sports Editor; he currently serves on the board of the News Media Coalition, reflecting industry standing in editorial access and policy . As of April 2024 he was 53 and as of July 2025 he was 54, and he remains listed among executive officers in GETY’s 2024 and 2025 proxies . Company performance over his tenure shows revenues were broadly stable from FY2022–FY2024 (see table below), supporting continued investment in large-scale editorial operations such as Olympic Games coverage where Mainardis oversees execution and technology deployment .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Years | Strategic Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Getty Images | Senior Vice President, Editorial | 2017–present (appointed SVP Editorial in 2017; reaffirmed Oct 2023) | Global leadership of editorial content; oversight of production/licensing across photography/video; execution of major event coverage |
| Getty Images | Senior Vice President, Global Content | 2019–2023 | Added executive responsibility for creative division; integrated editorial and creative sourcing and services |
| Getty Images | Vice President, Sports Imagery and Operations | 2013–2017 | Led global sports imagery operations and event coverage |
| Getty Images | Senior Director, Editorial Services and Events | 2010–2013 | Managed global editorial event operations/services |
| Getty Images | Director of Editorial Photography (EMEA focus) | ~2005–2010 | Directed coverage of major editorial events across EMEA |
| Getty Images | Managing Editor, EMEA | 2004–~2005 | Editorial leadership for EMEA markets |
| Reuters News Agency | Assignments Editor (London) | 1995–2000 | Editorial desk leadership; global news assignments |
| Reuters Pictures | Global Sports Editor | 2000–2004 | Global sports content strategy and execution |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Years | Strategic Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| News Media Coalition | Board Member | Not disclosed | Governance for media access to public-interest events; advocacy on credentialing/rights |
Fixed Compensation
- GETY is an emerging growth and smaller reporting company; as such, proxies disclose compensation only for the CEO and two highest-paid NEOs, not for Mainardis. Therefore, base salary, target bonus %, and actual bonus for Mainardis are not disclosed .
Performance Compensation
- Company bonus framework for executives (NEOs) is informative for pay-for-performance alignment:
- 2023 Annual Cash Bonus Plan used two equally weighted company metrics: revenue and YoY currency-neutral growth of adjusted EBITDA (less capex and before Non-Sales Bonus), and approved no bonus payouts as metrics were not met .
- 2024 Annual Cash Bonus Plan used revenue as the company performance measure; the Compensation Committee exercised discretion and approved NEO payouts reflected in the 2024 Summary Compensation Table (CEO $1,159,791; CTO $275,000; CMO $250,000), while Mainardis-specific payouts are not disclosed .
- Stock awards (PSUs/RSUs) and their metric weighting/targets are disclosed for NEOs but not for Mainardis; thus specific award values/vesting for Mainardis are not available .
Equity Ownership & Alignment
Option Holdings and Vesting
| Derivative Security | Date Exercisable | Expiration | Shares (#) | Exercise Price | Vesting Schedule |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stock Option (Right to Buy) | Fully vested | 02/26/2027 | 23,249 | $3.13 | Fully vested/exercisable |
| Stock Option (Right to Buy) | Fully vested | 03/01/2027 | 83,337 | $3.13 | Fully vested/exercisable |
| Stock Option (Right to Buy) | Fully vested | 12/11/2027 | 255,809 | $1.96 | Fully vested/exercisable |
| Stock Option (Right to Buy) | As scheduled | 04/10/2029 | 959,285 | $2.74 | 25% at 1-year anniversary; remaining 75% vest quarterly in 12 equal installments thereafter |
- Anti-hedging/anti-pledging: Company policy prohibits hedging and pledging by directors and officers, mitigating alignment risks from collateralization or derivatives .
- Clawback: Incentive-based compensation recovery policy adopted October 2, 2023 in line with SEC/NYSE standards .
Insider Selling Pressure (10b5-1 Plan)
| Name/Title | Action | Date Adopted | Rule 10b5-1 | Shares to be Sold | Options to be Exercised & Sold | Plan Expiration |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kenneth Mainardis, SVP Editorial | Adopted | 05/15/2024 | Yes | Up to 137,998 | Up to 1,296,146 | 12/11/2025 |
This indicates potential supply overhang until plan expiry; actual transactions are filed via Forms 4 when executed .
Employment Terms
| Event | Cash Severance | Health/Welfare Benefits | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Termination for “cause” or resignation w/o “good reason” | Accrued rights only (base salary through termination, prior-year unpaid earned bonus, reimbursable expenses, and applicable benefits) | N/A | Applies to NEO agreements; Mainardis-specific terms not disclosed |
| Death or disability | Accrued rights; estate benefits from term life policy intended to pay “base severance” | N/A | As above |
| Termination without “cause” or for “good reason” | Aggregate equal to 150% of base salary + 150% of target annual cash bonus, paid over 18 months (CEO at 200% over 24 months) | Continued health coverage up to 18 months (24 months for CEO) or cash equivalent; ceases if eligible elsewhere | Subject to release of claims and covenant compliance |
| Company elects not to extend employment term | Base severance over 18 months (24 months for CEO) plus Continued Health Benefits, with Accrued Rights | As above | As above |
- Ownership guidelines: Compensation Committee oversees stock ownership guidelines for executives; numerical multiples are not disclosed in the proxies reviewed .
- Non-compete/non-solicit: Specific durations/scopes for Mainardis are not disclosed in public filings reviewed; standard restrictive covenants referenced in NEO agreements .
Performance & Track Record
| Metric | FY 2022 | FY 2023 | FY 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Revenues ($USD) | $926,244,000 | $916,555,000 | $939,287,000 |
| EBITDA ($USD) | $294,877,000* | $262,480,000* | $263,589,000* |
*Values retrieved from S&P Global.
- Editorial execution: Mainardis led Getty’s editorial planning for major global events; in Nov 2025, he announced Getty’s full-venue coverage plan for the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games with 84 photographers/editors and near-real-time transmission technology, underscoring operational scale and technology leverage .
Investment Implications
- Insider supply overhang into Dec 2025: A Rule 10b5-1 plan allows sales up to 137,998 shares and exercises/sales of up to 1,296,146 options, indicating potential selling pressure while the plan is active; monitor Forms 4 for execution cadence .
- Alignment safeguards: Company prohibits hedging/pledging and maintains a clawback policy, reducing key governance red flags in alignment analysis .
- Severance economics: For NEOs, severance is 1.5x salary and target bonus over 18 months (CEO at 2.0x over 24 months) with continued benefits; while Mainardis’s specific terms are not disclosed, the standard framework suggests moderate change-of-control and termination costs with double-trigger style mechanics implied by employment agreements and equity documents .
- Execution credibility: Multi-decade editorial leadership and major-event operations highlight stable delivery capability; revenue stability FY2022–FY2024 supports continuity in content operations under his remit .
- Data gaps: Exact pay mix, bonus targets, PSUs for Mainardis, and beneficial share ownership percentages are not publicly disclosed due to GETY’s smaller reporting company status; analysts should rely on forthcoming proxies and Section 16 filings for updates .