James Fu Bin Lu
About James Fu Bin Lu
James Fu Bin Lu, 43, is Grindr’s independent Chairperson and director, serving since November 2022 (previously Chair of Legacy Grindr from June 2020 to November 2022). He holds master’s degrees in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science from the University of Michigan, summa cum laude, and has senior operating experience at Amazon Advertising and Baidu, alongside founding and product leadership roles at Yoolin and Chegg. Grindr’s board has affirmatively determined Lu is independent under NYSE listing standards .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Amazon Marketing Services (Amazon Advertising) | Global Head | 2011–2015 | Led advertising branch execution and growth |
| Baidu, Inc. | VP, Content Ecosystems | 2015–2017 | Oversaw content ecosystem initiatives |
| Chegg, Inc. | Founding member; Director of Product Management | 2007–2011 | Early product leadership at textbook rental |
| Yoolin | Founder & CEO | 2006–2007 | Built social network platform |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure |
|---|---|---|
| Longview Capital Holdings LLC | Chairman & CEO | Since Jan 2008 |
| Life Concepts Holdings Limited | Director; Chairman & CEO | Oct 2018–Jun 2023 |
| Fusion Media Limited | Director | Since Feb 2021 |
| Global Commerce Technology Limited | Director | Since Feb 2022 |
| CreateAI Holdings, Inc. | Director | Since Dec 2022 |
| Joffre Capital | Managing Partner & Co‑Founder | Since 2018 |
| TuSimple Holdings, Inc. | Director | Since Dec 2022 (listed in 2024 proxy) |
Board Governance
- Roles: Independent Chairperson; Chair of the Nominating & Corporate Governance Committee; Member of the Compensation Committee .
- Independence: Affirmed under NYSE standards; no disqualifying relationships noted .
- Meetings and engagement: Board held 6 meetings in 2024; committee meetings: Audit (4), Compensation (4), Nominating (1), Privacy & Trust (2). In 2023, each director attended at least 75% of the aggregate board/committee meetings .
- Executive sessions: Board periodically meets in executive session without management; a non‑management director presides .
Fixed Compensation
2025 director compensation policy change vs prior policy (positions relevant to Lu):
| Position | Cash Retainer – Prior Policy ($) | Cash Retainer – 2025 Second Restated ($) | RSU Award – Prior Policy ($) | RSU Award – 2025 Second Restated ($) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Non‑Employee Board Member | 20,000 | 40,000 | 80,000 | 140,000 |
| Nominating & Corporate Governance Chair | 5,000 | 2,000 | 20,000 | 8,000 |
| Compensation Committee Member | — | 1,000 | — | 4,000 |
Notes:
- Annual cash retainers paid quarterly; 2025 pro‑rated from June 3, 2025 .
- Annual RSUs grant at annual meeting date; 2025 policy vests quarterly and accelerates on change‑in‑control; supplemental RSUs were approved June 3, 2025 to true‑up continuing directors to the increased policy (excluding Mr. Cohen), vesting July 19, 2025 .
2024 actual director compensation (Lu):
| Year | Fees Earned or Paid in Cash ($) | Stock Awards ($) | Total ($) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 25,000 | 101,394 | 126,394 |
Performance Compensation
- Grindr’s non‑employee director compensation is time‑based (quarterly vesting RSUs) without disclosed performance metrics for directors. No director performance pay metrics tied to revenue, EBITDA, or TSR are disclosed for directors .
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Relationship | Detail |
|---|---|
| Joffre Capital | Lu is Managing Partner & Co‑Founder; Nathan Richardson (fellow Grindr director) is Partner since 2021, creating a board‑level relationship linkage (potential interlock) . |
| Registration Rights Agreement | Amended and Restated Registration Rights Agreement parties include entities controlled by Lu, Zage, and Gearon, providing coordinated resale registration rights for significant holders . |
Expertise & Qualifications
- Technical and product leadership (Amazon Advertising; Baidu content; Chegg; Yoolin) .
- AI/technology board roles (CreateAI Holdings) and digital media/internet publishing (Fusion Media) .
- Capital allocation and governance via Longview family office and private equity (Joffre) .
- Academic credentials: Master’s degrees in EECS, University of Michigan, summa cum laude .
Equity Ownership
| Category | Shares | % of Outstanding | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Beneficial ownership (Lu) | 26,591,512 | 13.6% | Includes 26,588,867 shares held by Longview Grindr and 2,645 RSUs vesting on/before Aug 3, 2025 . |
| Pledged shares (Longview Grindr) | 26,588,867 | 13.6% | Pledged to lenders; foreclosure risk disclosed as potential ownership/price volatility event . |
| Outstanding RSUs (as of Dec 31, 2024) | 6,567 | n/a | Aggregate number of shares underlying outstanding RSUs for Lu . |
Insider trades and transactions:
| Date | Instrument/Action | Quantity/Ratio | Resulting Shares Issued | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 14, 2025 | Cashless exercise of warrants | 1,336,124 warrants at 0.361 shares/warrant | 482,340 | 853,784 shares withheld; executed ahead of company warrant redemption . |
Governance Assessment
- Independence and leadership: Lu is an independent Chairperson with defined responsibilities to coordinate committee agendas, preside over independent director meetings, and liaise with the CEO—supports oversight balance .
- Committee influence: As Chair of Nominating & Corporate Governance and member of Compensation, Lu is central to director selection, governance standards, and pay policy—key for board effectiveness .
- Ownership alignment vs concentration: Significant 13.6% stake aligns incentives but, combined with pledged shares, introduces financing/foreclosure risk that could drive volatility and ownership shifts if covenants are breached. RED FLAG: 26.6M shares pledged as collateral; foreclosure could cause major changes in control and stock price dislocations .
- Interlocks/conflicts: Relationship linkage through Joffre Capital with director Nathan Richardson warrants monitoring for potential perceived influence and independence considerations in committee deliberations .
- Director pay trajectory: 2025 policy materially increases board cash (to $40k) and equity (to $140k) vs prior policy, with added RSU values for committee roles; signals intent to retain and compensate directors competitively, but increases guaranteed compensation and lowers at‑risk mix for non‑employee directors relative to prior policy .
- Attendance/engagement: Board and committee cadence is regular; 2023 attendance at least 75% for all directors indicates baseline engagement; 2024 meeting frequency documented though director‑specific attendance not disclosed .
RED FLAGS:
- Pledging of 13.6% of shares by Longview Grindr (Lu‑controlled), with explicit foreclosure risk disclosure .
- Insider cashless warrant exercise ahead of redemption (timing benign but reflects active capital structure activity) .
- Board‑level relationship linkage via Joffre Capital (monitor for potential influence in compensation/governance decisions) .