Chad Cohen
About Chad Cohen
Independent director at Grindr Inc. since June 3, 2025; age 50. Founding Partner and CEO of Scala Advisors (since Jan 2024); former CFO/COO at Capella Space (Nov 2022–Jan 2024), CFO at Adaptive Biotechnologies (Aug 2015–Feb 2022), and CFO/Treasurer at Zillow Group (Mar 2011–Aug 2015; nine years at Zillow leading up to Aug 2015, including through its 2011 IPO). Holds a B.S.B.A. in Management with an Accounting concentration from Boston University. Designated by the Board as independent under NYSE rules and as an audit committee financial expert; serves as Audit Committee Chair.
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scala Advisors, LLC | Founding Partner & CEO | Jan 2024–present | Advises public/private companies on finance, operations, IR. |
| Capella Space | CFO & COO | Nov 2022–Jan 2024 | Led finance/operations at satellite EO firm. |
| Adaptive Biotechnologies (Nasdaq: ADPT) | CFO | Aug 2015–Feb 2022 | Took company through 2019 IPO. |
| Zillow Group (Nasdaq: Z) | CFO & Treasurer; prior roles | Mar 2011–Aug 2015; nine years total to Aug 2015 | Led finance through 2011 IPO; multiple leadership roles. |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vacasa, Inc. (Nasdaq: VCSA) | Director | Oct 2020–May 2025 (acquired by Casago) | Audit Chair; member of Compensation and Special Committees. |
| Trupanion, Inc. (Nasdaq: TRUP) | Director | Dec 2015–Jul 2019 | Audit Chair. |
Board Governance
- Independence: Board affirmatively determined Cohen is independent under NYSE listing standards.
- Committee assignments: Audit Committee Chair (members Richardson, Stabler); Audit Committee determined Cohen is an “audit committee financial expert.”
- Appointment timing: Appointed to Board and as Audit Chair effective June 3, 2025; Richardson remains as member.
- Board/committee cadence (context): In 2024, Board held 6 meetings; Audit 4; Compensation 4; Nominating 1; Privacy & Trust 2. (Cohen joined in 2025).
Fixed Compensation (Director)
| Component | Amount (USD) | Effective Date | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual Board Cash Retainer | $40,000 | Jun 3, 2025 | Paid quarterly in arrears. |
| Audit Committee Chair Cash Retainer | $14,000 | Jun 3, 2025 | Paid quarterly in arrears. |
| Total Cash Eligible (Cohen’s roles) | $54,000 | Jun 3, 2025 | Based on Board member + Audit Chair. |
| Annual Board RSU Award | $140,000 | Grant at Annual Meeting | Shares = amount / 20-day avg closing price; vests 25% every 3 months. |
| Audit Committee Chair RSU Award | $56,000 | Grant at Annual Meeting | Shares = amount / 20-day avg closing price; vests 25% quarterly. |
| New Director Prorated RSUs | Prorated | On appointment | Prorated based on months remaining to next annual meeting. |
RSU vesting: Annual awards vest 25% every three months; full vest upon earlier of next annual meeting or change in control, subject to continuous service.
Performance Compensation (Director)
- None disclosed for directors; RSU awards are time-based without performance metrics.
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Company | Potential Interlock/Exposure | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Vacasa (prior) | Travel/lodging platform | No current interlock; tenure ended May 2025 upon acquisition. |
| Trupanion (prior) | Pet insurance | No current interlock. |
Expertise & Qualifications
- Financial leadership and public company governance (CFO experience across tech/health; led IPOs at ADPT and Zillow).
- Audit oversight and capital markets (Audit Chair roles at Vacasa, Trupanion; designated audit committee financial expert at GRND).
- Operator perspective (COO role; finance/operations advisory via Scala).
Equity Ownership
| Holder | Shares Beneficially Owned | % of Outstanding | Composition/Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chad Cohen | 1,391 | <1% | Footnote indicates holdings consist of RSUs vesting within 60 days (1,398 RSUs vesting by Aug 3, 2025); minor discrepancy noted. |
| Shares Outstanding | 196,195,509 | — | As of record date June 4, 2025. |
- Pledging/Hedging: Company policy discourages hedging, prohibits margin/pledging without pre-clearance. No pledging disclosed for Cohen; significant pledging disclosed for other directors (Zage 85,926,333 shares; Lu 26,588,867 shares) creating systemic governance risk if foreclosed.
Governance Assessment
- Strengths: Independent director; Audit Committee Chair; designated audit committee financial expert; compensation mix favors time-based equity and modest cash retainers; newly appointed with relevant public company audit chair experience (Vacasa, Trupanion), enhancing audit oversight capacity.
- Alignment: Beneficial ownership is de minimis (<1%) as a new appointee; RSU awards provide ongoing alignment; no pledging disclosed for Cohen.
- Watch items / potential risks: New tenure implies limited historical attendance/engagement disclosure for GRND; systemic risk from large pledged holdings by other directors (potential volatility/change of control risk upon foreclosure) that could affect audit oversight environment.
- Compensation structure signals: Increased director cash and RSU retainers effective June 3, 2025 (Board cash from $20k to $40k; Board RSUs from $80k to $140k; Audit Chair cash from $9k to $14k; Audit Chair RSUs from $36k to $56k) — competitive refresh but time-based, with quarterly vesting, and full vest on change in control.
No related-party transactions disclosed involving Cohen; no director-specific performance metrics, clawbacks, or tax gross-ups disclosed for directors. Skip where not disclosed.