Long Yi
About Long Yi
Long (Leo) Yi, age 49, is an independent director of Professional Diversity Network, Inc. and serves as Audit Committee Chair; he is designated an “audit committee financial expert” under Item 407 of Regulation S‑K . He is currently Chief Financial Officer of Lakeside Holdings Limited (Nasdaq: LSH) since June 2024 and is a certified public accountant in Illinois . Yi holds master’s degrees in accounting and finance from McGill University (2006) and the University of Rotterdam (2004), and a bachelor’s degree in accounting from Northeastern University in Shenyang, China (1998) . The Board has affirmatively determined Yi is independent under Nasdaq rules .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bit Brother Limited (formerly Urban Tea Inc.) (Nasdaq) | Chief Executive Officer | Jan 2018 – Jul 2021 | Led company operations at a Nasdaq-listed issuer |
| Baiyu Holdings, Inc. (formerly China Commercial Credit Inc.) (Nasdaq: BYU) | Chief Financial Officer | Nov 2012 – Jan 2018 | Public company finance leadership |
| AEM Components | Senior Group Financial Manager | 2010 – 2012 | Financial management experience |
| SUTOR Technology Group | Accounting Manager | 2008 – 2010 | Accounting leadership |
External Roles
| Organization | Listing | Role | Tenure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lakeside Holdings Limited | Nasdaq: LSH | Chief Financial Officer | Jun 2024 – Present | Current public company CFO; CPA (Illinois) |
Board Governance
- Committee assignments: Audit Committee Chair and member; Compensation Committee member; not on Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee .
- Audit Committee composition (post-5/26/2025): Long Yi (Chair), Eloisa Sultan, and Cheung Wai Kee; Nominating Committee added Cheung and Song Tai; Eloisa Sultan appointed Compensation Committee Chair .
- Attendance: Each director attended at least 75% of Board and applicable committee meetings in FY2024; Board met 3 times; Audit Committee met 4 times; Compensation Committee met once; Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee met once .
- Independence: Board determined Yi is independent under Nasdaq Rule 5605(a)(2) .
- Board leadership: All five directors were determined independent; no lead independent director designated given board structure and size .
Fixed Compensation
| Component | Amount | Vesting/Timing | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual Board Cash Retainer ($) | 5,000 | Annual | Non-employee director cash retainer |
| Audit Committee Chair Cash Retainer ($) | 4,000 | Annual | Additional retainer for Chair role |
| Audit Committee Member Cash Retainer ($) | 1,000 | Annual | Not additive when Chair (Chair fee replaces member fee) |
| Compensation Committee Member Cash Retainer ($) | 500 | Annual | Committee membership retainer |
| Nominating & Corporate Governance Committee Member Cash Retainer ($) | 500 | Annual | Yi not a member as of proxy date |
Performance Compensation
| Equity Component | Grant Value ($) | Instruments | Vesting | Performance Metrics |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Annual Director Equity Grant | 25,000 | RSUs | One-year vest | No performance metrics disclosed; time-based vesting only |
The Company and the Compensation Committee have not engaged external compensation consultants; director equity awards are granted under the 2023 Equity Compensation Plan with time-based vesting .
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Company | Type | Role | Interlock/Relationship to IPDN |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lakeside Holdings Limited (LSH) | Public company | CFO | No IPDN-related party transactions disclosed; no cross-company dealings noted |
Expertise & Qualifications
- Accounting and finance expertise; CPA (Illinois) and designated Audit Committee financial expert .
- Public company executive experience at Nasdaq-listed issuers (CFO/CEO roles) .
- Advanced degrees in accounting and finance (McGill University; University of Rotterdam) .
Equity Ownership
| Holder | Shares Beneficially Owned | % of Class | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Long (Leo) Yi | — | — | No beneficial ownership reported as of April 15, 2025; footnote indicates RSUs scheduled to vest on June 15, 2025 are included where applicable |
Governance Assessment
- Strengths: Yi is independent and the Audit Committee Chair, designated as a financial expert, enhancing oversight of financial reporting and auditor independence; Audit Committee met four times in 2024, indicating active oversight .
- Alignment considerations: No beneficial ownership reported for Yi as of the record date, which may limit immediate shareholder alignment until RSU vesting occurs .
- Conflicts/related-party: No related-party transactions involving Yi were disclosed; the Audit Committee reviews related-party transactions ≥$120,000 as part of its charter responsibilities .
- Committee continuity: Post-May 2025 changes added new directors to Audit and Nominating committees and elevated Eloisa Sultan to Compensation Chair; Yi remains Audit Chair, sustaining financial oversight continuity .
- Shareholder signals: 2025 Say-on-Pay passed with 1,122,556 votes for vs. 1,181 against, and shareholders selected annual Say-on-Pay frequency (1,059,697 for “1 year”), indicating strong support for compensation practices; auditor ratification also passed (1,332,612 for) .
Related Data (Company-wide governance signals)
| Proposal (2025 Annual Meeting) | For | Against | Abstain | Broker Non-Votes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Election of Directors – Long Yi | 1,122,476 | 1,262 | — | 210,059 |
| Say-on-Pay (Advisory) | 1,122,556 | 1,181 | 1 | 210,059 |
| Auditor Ratification (Sassetti, LLC) | 1,332,612 | 520 | 665 | — |
| Say-on-Frequency – 1 Year | 1,059,697 | 63,303 | 43,695 | — |
RED FLAGS to monitor
- Low personal share ownership as of record date (no beneficial ownership reported) may be a near‑term alignment concern until RSUs vest .
- Dual commitments as CFO of LSH could create time‑allocation risk; no conflicts disclosed, but continued monitoring for intercompany dealings is warranted .