Christopher Guzowski
About Christopher Guzowski
Christopher Guzowski, age 40, has served as an independent non‑executive director of IREN since December 2019. He brings 15+ years of international renewable energy project development experience across Europe and Australia, with founding and leadership roles in wind, solar PV, and battery storage, plus sector exposure to digital currency and blockchain. He holds a Bachelor of Business from the University of Technology Sydney and an MBA in Energy Management from Vienna University of Economics and Business .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Baltic Wind | Founder; developed large-scale wind projects from greenfield to operations | Not disclosed | Led development from inception through operations; sector expertise in renewables |
| Mithra Energy (Poland) | Founder; Wind, Solar PV, BESS projects | Since 2012 | Multi-technology development; European market execution |
| Photon Energy (Australia) | Project Development Director and commercial development partner | Not disclosed | Built major solar PV portfolio; operational scale-up |
| ADCCA (Australian Digital Currency Commerce Association) | Founding Director | Not disclosed | Early digital currency industry leadership |
| ABA Technology | Founder | 2014 | Technology venture creation |
| PricewaterhouseCoopers | Early career | Not disclosed | Finance and professional services foundation |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Public/Private | Interlock Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Angel/tech startup investor (various) | Investor | Ongoing | Private | No public company directorships disclosed beyond IREN |
No other current public company boards or committee roles were disclosed for Mr. Guzowski in the latest proxy .
Board Governance
- Independence: The Board determined Mr. Guzowski is independent under Nasdaq rules; Audit & Risk and Compensation Committees are fully independent .
- Committees: Audit & Risk Committee member; Compensation Committee member; not a chair .
- Board and committee activity: FY2025 Board held 7 meetings; Audit & Risk held 6 meetings; Compensation held 3 meetings .
- Attendance: Each incumbent director attended at least 75% of Board and committee meetings during FY2025 .
- Nominating: No standing nominating committee; a majority of independent directors (including Guzowski) recommend nominees per Nasdaq Rule 5605(e) .
- Leadership: Independent Chair of the Board is David Bartholomew; Co‑CEOs are separate from Chair role .
Fixed Compensation
| Component | FY2025 Amount |
|---|---|
| Annual cash retainer | $60,000 |
| Committee chair fees | None (not a chair) |
| Meeting fees | Not disclosed |
| Total cash | $60,000 |
Performance Compensation
| Equity Component | Grant/As‑of Detail | Quantity/Value | Vesting/Terms |
|---|---|---|---|
| Director RSUs (DRSUs) | FY2025 grant-date fair value | $135,006 | Standard director award; specific vesting for Guzowski not disclosed |
| Options | As of June 30, 2025 | 59,576 options | Footnote details for Guzowski’s option vesting not disclosed; other directors’ options vest in annual tranches |
| DRSUs outstanding | As of June 30, 2025 | 11,958 DRSUs | Vested/unvested split for Guzowski not disclosed; Bartholomew’s DRSUs vest on Sept 1 dates (for reference) |
No performance metrics (e.g., TSR, EBITDA) are tied to non‑employee director compensation; director equity is described as DRSUs with grant-date value and standard vesting; performance metrics apply to executives, not directors .
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Company | Role | Committee Roles | Potential Interlocks/Conflicts |
|---|---|---|---|
| None disclosed beyond IREN | N/A | N/A | No public company interlocks disclosed; Board confirms independence after reviewing relationships and related party transactions . |
Expertise & Qualifications
- Renewable energy development across wind, solar PV, and BESS; international project execution in Europe and Australia .
- Digital currency and blockchain ecosystem leadership (ADCCA, ABA Technology) .
- Business and energy management academic credentials (UTS; Vienna University of Economics and Business) .
- Financial literacy: All Audit & Risk Committee members are financially literate under SEC and Nasdaq rules .
Equity Ownership
| Holder | Ordinary Shares | % of Ordinary Shares | B Class Shares | % of B Class | Voting Power |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Christopher Guzowski | 57,351 | <1% | – | – | <1% |
- Director equity holdings: 59,576 options; 11,958 DRSUs as of June 30, 2025 .
- Ownership guidelines: Not specifically disclosed for directors; Omnibus Incentive Plan provides standard award structures and clawback applicability .
- Hedging/pledging: Directors are prohibited from hedging; pledging requires Board pre‑approval; no pledging by Guzowski disclosed .
Governance Assessment
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Strengths:
- Independent status and dual committee membership (Audit & Risk; Compensation) support robust oversight .
- Attendance at or above 75% indicates baseline engagement; Board and committees met regularly in FY2025 .
- Audit oversight: Committee directly oversees external auditor; all members financially literate; two “financial experts” on committee (Bartholomew, Parasuraman), which enhances the group’s effectiveness .
- Compensation governance includes independent consultant FW Cook and clawback frameworks (Restatement Clawback Policy; recovery provisions in STIP/LTIP; Omnibus clawback) .
- Related party transactions: None >$120,000 since July 1, 2024; policy requires Audit & Risk Committee or shareholder approvals, enhancing conflict control .
-
Alignment signals:
- Mix of cash ($60,000) and annual director equity ($135,006 DRSUs) provides ownership exposure alongside fixed pay .
- Beneficial ownership present, albeit small relative to float (<1%), plus additional options and DRSUs outstanding .
-
Watch items / Red flags:
- Compensation Committee (including Guzowski) approved modifications converting certain CEO PRSUs to purely time‑based vesting in May 2025 to support retention, which reduces pay‑for‑performance stringency at the executive level; investors may scrutinize rationale and precedent despite stated macro/structural headwinds .
- Restatement in FY2025 (cash flow classification of Bitcoin sales) triggered clawback analysis (no recovery required), but remains a governance sensitivity area for financial reporting rigor .
Overall, Guzowski’s independence, committee participation, and renewable/digital asset expertise are positives for board effectiveness; monitoring executive award design changes and any future related‑party exposure remains prudent .