Jim Grube
Director at GME
Board
About Jim Grube
Independent director since 2021; age 54. Audit Committee Chair and member of the Compensation Committee, designated by the Board as an “audit committee financial expert.” Former CFO of Rad Power Bikes; prior CFO roles at Vacasa (2019–2020) and Chewy (2015–2018), SVP Finance at Hilton (2009–2015), and Finance Director at Amazon (2007–2009). Education: BS in Industrial Engineering (Purdue), master’s degree from MIT .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rad Power Bikes | Chief Financial Officer | Most recent (dates not disclosed) | Oversaw cybersecurity readiness assessments, risk reviews, and control effectiveness |
| Vacasa (NASDAQ: VCSA) | Chief Financial Officer | 2019–2020 | Senior finance leadership |
| Chewy (NYSE: CHWY) | Chief Financial Officer | 2015–2018 | Senior finance leadership |
| Hilton (NYSE: HLT) | SVP Finance | 2009–2015 | Senior finance leadership |
| Amazon (NASDAQ: AMZN) | Director of Finance | 2007–2009 | Finance leadership |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Job&Talent (UK-based) | Independent Board Member | Not disclosed | Audit Committee Chair |
| Carewell (Miami-based) | Independent Board Member | Not disclosed | Board member |
| Friends of the Columbia Gorge (non-profit) | Director | Not disclosed | Finance committee member |
Board Governance
- Committees and roles: Audit Committee Chair; Compensation Committee member .
- Independence: Determined independent under NYSE and SEC rules; Audit, Compensation, and Nominating committees composed of independent directors in FY2024 .
- Attendance and engagement: Board met 5 times in FY2024; Audit met 4; Compensation met 4; Nominating met 3. Each incumbent director attended at least 75% of Board/committee meetings; all then-incumbent directors attended the 2024 annual meeting virtually .
- Lead Independent Director: Alan Attal .
- Executive sessions: Independent and non-management directors hold regular executive sessions without management .
- Related-party oversight: As Audit Chair, committee reviews and approves related-party transactions; the Audit Committee approved the 2024 PSA/Collectors collaboration (Nat Turner affiliated) as in stockholders’ best interests .
Fixed Compensation
| Component | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Annual cash retainer | $0 | Board eliminated all compensation for non‑employee directors beginning with the 2024 annual meeting |
| Committee membership fees | $0 | No cash fees |
| Committee chair fees | $0 | No chair fees |
| Meeting fees | $0 | No meeting fees |
| Expense reimbursement | Reasonable expenses reimbursed | Travel/meeting expense reimbursement continues |
Performance Compensation
| Component | Structure | FY2024 Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| Equity grants (directors) | Historically time‑vested RSUs sized at $200,000 / 30‑day avg price; vested by next annual meeting | Eliminated starting 2024 annual meeting; no equity awards to non‑employee directors |
| Performance-linked awards | None disclosed for directors | None |
Note: The Board’s equity ownership policy still requires non‑employee directors to hold stock (see Equity Ownership) .
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Category | Detail |
|---|---|
| Current public company boards | None |
| Private/non‑profit boards | Job&Talent (Audit Chair); Carewell; Friends of the Columbia Gorge (finance committee) |
| Board‑level interlocks | Multiple GME directors share Chewy ties: Grube (former CFO, 2015–2018), Attal (former CMO/COO), Cheng (first investor in CHWY). This network linkage is factual; no compensation committee interlocks requiring disclosure were reported . |
Expertise & Qualifications
- Finance/accounting leadership spanning public retail/e‑commerce, hospitality, and technology; oversight of treasury, tax, procurement .
- Board‑designated “audit committee financial expert” (SEC definition) .
- Cybersecurity readiness, risk review, and control effectiveness oversight in CFO/Audit Chair contexts .
- Education: Purdue (BS Industrial Engineering), MIT (master’s) .
Equity Ownership
| Holder | Shares Beneficially Owned | % of Outstanding | Pledged? | Ownership Guideline | Compliance Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jim Grube | 23,864 | <1% | No pledge disclosure specific to Grube (pledges disclosed for Cohen and Attal) | $275,000 required for non‑employee directors | As of Feb 1, 2025, all non‑employee directors were in compliance or within the 5‑year grace period |
Governance Assessment
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Strengths
- Independent director; Audit Committee Chair with “financial expert” designation; multi‑industry finance background .
- Documented attendance (≥75%) across Board/committee meetings; participation in executive sessions .
- No director cash or equity pay since 2024; alignment via stock ownership with formal guidelines and anti‑hedging/clawback policies .
- Audit Committee oversight of related‑party transactions; 2024 PSA/Collectors collaboration was reviewed and approved .
- No delinquent Section 16(a) filings reported for Grube in FY2024 (exceptions disclosed for Nat Turner and Dan Moore) .
-
Watch items / potential red flags
- Company‑wide pledging policy permits pledges up to 50% loan‑to‑value with quarterly reporting and committee risk assessments; while no pledge is disclosed for Grube, pledging by other insiders exists and can introduce margin‑call risks in volatile markets .
- Board network ties to Chewy across multiple directors (including Grube’s prior CFO role) may concentrate professional networks; compensation committee interlock disclosures report no relationships requiring Item 404/407 reporting .