Chris Yetter
HYDROFARM HOLDINGS GROUPAbout Chris Yetter
Chris Yetter is a non-employee director of Hydrofarm Holdings Group, appointed October 1, 2025 as a Class III director with an initial term ending at the 2026 annual meeting and a member of the Compensation Committee . He is the Founder and Chief Investment Officer of Dumont Global (since 2018) and has extensive investing experience in health and wellness and U.S.-regulated cannabis; he also serves as a director for Minneapolis Cider Co. (d.b.a. Trail Magic) since 2024 . He is a beneficial owner associated with Dumont entities holding approximately 6.55% of HYFM common stock as of October 2025 .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dumont Global (affiliate of Dumont Master Fund LP) | Founder & Chief Investment Officer | 2018–present | Leads investment strategy; significant HYFM shareholder influence via 6.55% stake |
| Dumont Global Partners LLC / Dumont Fund Partners LLC | Manager / General Partner | Not disclosed | Governance over fund GP entities tied to HYFM holdings |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minneapolis Cider Co. (d.b.a. Trail Magic) | Director | 2024–present | Board oversight in beverage and hemp-derived products |
Board Governance
- Committee assignments: Compensation Committee member (appointed concurrent with board appointment on Oct 1, 2025) .
- Board class and term: Class III director; initial term ends at the 2026 annual meeting .
- Independence status: Company disclosed “non-employee director” status and no Item 404(a) related-party transactions; Nasdaq independence determination for Yetter not explicitly stated in filings .
- Attendance and engagement: Yetter joined in Q4 2025; 2024 board held 7 meetings and committees met 11 times with all directors meeting ≥75% thresholds (pre-Yetter) .
- Governance infrastructure: Audit, Compensation, and Nominating Committee charters publicly available; Compensation Committee policy on consultant pre-approval; Nominating oversees succession and qualifications .
Fixed Compensation
| Component | Amount | Terms | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual cash retainer | $75,000 | Standard for non-employee directors | Chairs receive additional fees: Audit $25k, Compensation $15k, Nominating $10k |
| Pro rata RSU grant (on appointment) | 20,000 RSUs | Granted Oct 1, 2025; scheduled to vest June 9, 2026 | Consistent with director equity policy (annual grants time-vest) |
Performance Compensation
| Performance Metric | Applies to Director Compensation | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| Financial/TSR/ESG metrics | None disclosed | Director equity grants are time-based RSUs; no performance conditions disclosed |
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Company | Type | Role | Start Date | Interlock with HYFM? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Minneapolis Cider Co. (Trail Magic) | Private | Director | 2024 | None disclosed |
| Dumont Master Fund LP and affiliates | Investment fund | Founder/Managing Member (through GP entities) | Ongoing | Significant HYFM shareholder; no related-person transactions requiring disclosure |
Expertise & Qualifications
- Professional investor with domain focus on health & wellness and U.S.-regulated cannabis; adds sector insights to Hydrofarm’s CEA customer base .
- Governance experience via fund leadership and external directorship; capital allocation and shareholder perspective .
- Appointed to Compensation Committee, signaling board intent to leverage investor viewpoint in pay and incentives .
Equity Ownership
| Item | Amount | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Beneficial ownership (aggregate) | 305,000 shares | Shared voting/dispositive power via Dumont Master Fund LP, Dumont Global LP, Dumont Fund Partners LLC, and Chris Yetter; 6.55% of outstanding based on 4,659,020 shares (Aug 4, 2025) |
| RSU holdings (director grant) | 20,000 RSUs | Granted Oct 1, 2025; scheduled to vest June 9, 2026; time-based |
| Pledging/Hedging | Prohibited by HYFM Insider Trading Policy | Directors may not hedge or pledge company stock; pre-clearance required for transactions |
| Director ownership guidelines | 5x annual cash retainer (equity) | Progress monitored; timeline not specified; director-specific compliance not disclosed |
Governance Assessment
- Strengths: Significant “skin-in-the-game” with 6.55% beneficial ownership, aligning interests with shareholders . Sector expertise in cannabis and health/wellness complements Hydrofarm’s CEA end markets .
- Watch items: Board designated him to the Compensation Committee while affiliated with a 5%+ holder; independence determination not explicitly disclosed—monitor for potential investor influence on pay decisions and any related-party exposure (company states none under Item 404(a) at appointment) .
- Policy safeguards: Robust insider trading policy (no hedging/pledging) and a clawback policy that recovers incentive-based compensation upon restatements; mitigates alignment and misconduct risks .
- Controls: Audit Committee pre-approval for related-person transactions ≥$120,000 and explicit policy framework reduce conflict risks; filings report no related-party transactions since 2023 other than Executive Chairman arrangements .
Overall investor confidence signal: A shareholder-representative director with material ownership and Compensation Committee seat can be positive for pay discipline and alignment, but warrants continued monitoring of independence and compensation decisions given fund affiliations; current disclosures indicate no related-party transactions and compliance with HYFM’s governance policies .