Jeffrey Beck
INTESTAbout Jeffrey A. Beck
Jeffrey A. Beck, age 62, is Vice Chairperson of the Board at InTest and an independent director since June 2019. He is a former CEO of Soft Robotics Incorporated (2021–2024), an experienced operating executive across industrial technology, and holds a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering (NJIT) and an MBA (Boston University); the Board recognizes him as having prior public company board experience and as an audit committee financial expert . The Board determined he is independent under NYSE American rules .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Soft Robotics Incorporated | Chief Executive Officer | Feb 2021 – Jan 2024 | Led VC-funded robotics automation; food processing and production applications |
| Artemis Capital Partners | Operating Partner | May 2018 – Dec 2021 | Industrial tech focus; portfolio operating support |
| Tekscan Corporation | Executive Chairman | Aug 2020 – present | Private equity-owned tactile force/pressure sensing; governance leadership |
| Astrodyne TDI Corporation | President & CEO | Oct 2015 – Apr 2018 | Semicon, aerospace, medical power systems |
| Presstek, iRobot, AMETEK, Danaher, Emerson | Various management positions | Not specified | Industrial/automation operating roles |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| SunEdison Semiconductor Limited (Nasdaq) | Director | Prior service (dates not specified) | Audit Committee; Nominating & Governance Committee |
| Tekscan Corporation (private) | Executive Chairman | Aug 2020 – present | Board leadership in private PE context |
The proxy notes “no director serves on more than one other public company board,” limiting interlock risk and overboarding concerns .
Board Governance
- Committee assignments: Audit Committee member (Audit Committee recognizes him as an “audit committee financial expert”) and Chair of the Compensation Committee; not on Nominating & Corporate Governance Committee .
- Board leadership: Vice Chairperson of the Board since April 2025 .
- Independence: Board determined all non-management directors, including Beck, are independent .
- Attendance and engagement: Board held 10 meetings in 2024; each director attended at least 75% of applicable meetings; all directors except Beck attended the 2024 Annual Meeting (held virtually) .
- Executive sessions: Regular sessions excluding management; Chair and CEO roles are separated .
Fixed Compensation
| Component (2024) | Amount | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| Annual director retainer (cash) | $25,000 | Standard non-employee director retainer |
| Compensation Committee Chair fee | $13,750 | Chair premium |
| Audit Committee member fee | $10,000 | Committee membership |
| Total cash fees | $48,750 | Sum of above |
| Equity grant (RS) | 9,000 shares; grant-date value $101,970 | Granted March 2024; fair value at $11.33/share |
| RS vesting (2024 grant) | 25% on Mar 31, Jun 30, Sep 30, Dec 31, 2024 | Time-vested quarterly in 2024 |
Total 2024 director compensation for Beck: $150,720 (cash fees + equity grant FMV) .
Performance Compensation
| Item | Disclosure |
|---|---|
| Performance metrics used in director compensation | None disclosed; director equity grants are time-vested restricted stock (no performance conditions) |
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Company | Public/Private | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| SunEdison Semiconductor Limited | Public (Nasdaq) | Director | Prior role; served on Audit and Nominating & Governance Committees |
| Tekscan Corporation | Private | Executive Chairman | PE-owned manufacturer; current role |
Policy statement: “No conflicts with other Board service commitments and no director serves on more than one other public company board” .
Expertise & Qualifications
- Industrial technology and automation leadership across PE-owned and public-company contexts; prior public board and audit/N&G committee work .
- Board-designated audit committee financial expert (skills in finance/accounting oversight) .
- Education: B.S. Mechanical Engineering (NJIT); MBA (Boston University) .
Equity Ownership
| Item | Value | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Shares beneficially owned (as of Apr 21, 2025) | 67,500 | Includes restricted shares per SEC rules |
| Restricted shares included | 9,000 | Directors’ Restricted Shares vest on one-year anniversary of grant date |
| Shares outstanding | 12,494,760 | Record date Apr 21, 2025 |
| Ownership as % of outstanding | ~0.54% | 67,500 / 12,494,760 |
| Director stock ownership guideline | 5x annual cash retainer | Approved Jan 14, 2019 |
| Guideline compliance (as of Apr 1, 2025) | In compliance (all non-employee directors) | Sales allowed only after target; limited exceptions |
| Hedging/pledging policy | Prohibited (hedging, margin, pledging, short sales, options) | Applies to directors and officers |
Governance Assessment
- Strengths:
- Independent Vice Chair; serves as Compensation Committee Chair and Audit Committee member; designated audit committee financial expert .
- Use of independent compensation consultant (Radford); committee independence and no consultant conflicts disclosed .
- Robust committee activity (Audit: 15 meetings; Compensation: 4; NCGC: 2; Board: 10 in 2024), indicating active oversight cadence .
- Director ownership guidelines (5x retainer) with compliance; no hedging/pledging permitted .
- No related-party transactions reported for 2024/2025; clean Section 16(a) compliance for directors (late Form 4 noted only for a former officer) .
- Watch items / RED FLAGS:
- Missed attendance at the 2024 Annual Meeting (though overall meeting attendance ≥75%) .
- Equity is time-based for directors (no performance conditions); alignment relies on ownership guidelines rather than performance-linked director equity .
- Broader company-level clawback enforcement noted in 2024 due to a restatement; not specific to directors but reflects pay governance context .
Related-party exposure: None reported above SEC thresholds; Board explicitly states absence of related-person transactions for the period reviewed .