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    George Arison

    CEO and Director at Grindr Inc
    Board
    Since October 19, 2022
    Age
    46 years
    Education
    Holds a bachelor's degree from Middlebury College.
    Tenure
    Joined GRND as Chief Executive Officer and Director on October 19, 2022, following a brief role as CEO of Legacy Grindr from October 2022 to November 2022.

    Also at Grindr Inc

    A"B
    Austin "AJ" Balance
    Chief Product Officer
    DIW
    Daniel I. Weinstein
    Chief Accounting Officer

    About

    George Arison was born in Georgia and initially built his career as a policy analyst and political campaigner, authoring a book on the political transition in his native country. He pursued higher education at Middlebury College, which laid the groundwork for his entry into the corporate world.

    He accumulated a wealth of professional experience working at renowned firms such as Boston Consulting Group and Google, and co-founded initiatives like Taxi Magic (now Curb) that later became part of a larger corporation. His entrepreneurial journey continued as he founded Shift Technologies, where he served as CEO, Chairman, and Director, and co-founded Pulsar AI, further bolstering his reputation in the technology and startup sectors.

    At GRND, his extensive background in leadership and strategic innovation was recognized when he assumed the role of CEO and Director on October 19, 2022, following a short period as CEO of Legacy Grindr. His proven track record in transforming industries and driving growth positions him as an influential leader, steering the company toward continued innovation and success.

    $GRND Performance Under George Arison

    Past Roles

    OrganizationRoleDate RangeDetails
    Legacy Grindr Chief Executive Officer October 2022 - November 2022 Served briefly before assuming current roles at GRND
    Shift Technologies, Inc. (Nasdaq: SFT) Founder and Chief Executive Officer December 2013 - September 2022 Co-founded the company and led as CEO; also served as board member until August 2023
    Pulsar AI Co-founder Until 2018 Acquired by Impel in 2018
    Alphabet Inc. (Nasdaq: GOOG) Various Positions 2010 - 2013 Worked in multiple roles
    Taxi Magic (now known as Curb) Co-founder 2007 - 2010 Acquired by Verifone
    Boston Consulting Group (BCG) Various Capacities 2005 - 2007 Worked in various roles

    External Roles

    OrganizationRoleDate RangeDetails
    Shift Technologies, Inc. (Nasdaq: SFT) Board Member Active Continues to serve as a board member
    Various Startups Investor Active Invests in startups including Shipper, Carrot, Fathom, and AutoLeap

    Fixed Compensation

    Data from  FY 2023
    Component NameAmountPayment ScheduleAdditional Details
    Base Salary$1,000,000 AnnualSet in the employment agreement; unchanged from 2022
    Severance PaymentNot detailed N/AProvisions exist for accelerated RSU vesting upon termination, but no explicit severance amount is provided

    Performance Compensation

    Data from  FY 2023

    2023 Annual Cash Bonus

    MetricValueDetails
    Performance Metrics40% EBITDA Margin, 25% YoY Revenue Growth Metrics tied to corporate performance
    Target Bonus Opportunity$1,000,000 As specified in the employment agreement
    Actual Bonus Earned$1,300,000 Adjusted based on achieving corporate goals
    Vesting ScheduleN/ACash bonus – no vesting applies
    Evaluation Period2023Bonus finalized in March 2024 after evaluation

    2023 Performance RSU Award Arrangement

    MetricValueDetails
    Performance MetricsKPI-based (specific KPIs determined by the compensation committee) KPIs tied to company performance goals for 2023
    Target Value Range$1,500,000 to $3,000,000 RSU award target range based on KPI achievement
    Awarded Shares247,898 RSUs Fully vested upon grant based on performance; share count determined by target value divided by VWAP
    Vesting ScheduleFully vested upon grant No further vesting required once granted
    Grant DateDecember 19, 2023 RSUs issued on the grant date
    Fair Value / Stock PriceNot explicitly provided Calculated using the 90 trading days volume-weighted-average price (VWAP)

    2023 KPI Arrangement (RSU-based)

    MetricValueDetails
    Performance MetricsDerived from KPIs determined by the compensation committee Specific thresholds and goals not detailed
    RSU VestingFully vested upon grant RSUs granted based on KPI achievement
    Grant DateDecember 19, 2023 Same as the performance RSU award arrangement
    Target Value$1,500,000 to $3,000,000 Value range for RSUs based on performance; similar to the Performance RSU Award Arrangement

    *These performance compensation components reflect the incentive structure for 2023, combining a cash bonus and share-based awards tied to specific corporate and performance KPIs. *