John Francis
IZEA WorldwideAbout John Francis
John Francis is IZEA’s Vice President of Sales and Marketing Operations, recruited in 2025 to strengthen IZEA’s go‑to‑market strategy and support enterprise account growth; he is also listed as a press contact on investor communications . Prior to IZEA, he led demand generation and marketing operations at MERGE and Red Ventures, with a BA from UC Santa Barbara . Company performance during his first year included improved profitability: Q3 2025 net income of $0.1M and adjusted EBITDA of $0.4M amid a strategic shift toward recurring enterprise clients . Age and tenure dates beyond these disclosures are not reported in SEC filings or company releases.
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Years | Strategic Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| MERGE | VP & Interim Head of Marketing; prior Demand Gen Director | 2020–2025 | Led demand generation and marketing operations; ABM/AI integration to accelerate pipeline |
| Red Ventures | Digital Marketing Director | 2019–2020 | Directed performance marketing programs focused on enterprise growth |
| Sunbelt Rentals | Digital Marketing Manager (Demand Gen) | 2017–2019 | Built demand gen and marketing operations capabilities |
| The Business Journals | National Director, Digital Marketing → Demand Gen Director | 2013–2017 | Scaled B2B digital acquisition; analytics-driven growth |
| Competitor Group | Audience Development Director | 2010–2013 | Audience growth and subscription optimization |
External Roles
No public company directorships or committee roles disclosed.
Fixed Compensation
Not disclosed for John Francis (he is not a Named Executive Officer in IZEA’s proxy; only CEO and CFO are listed as executive officers/NEOs with compensation detail) .
Performance Compensation
Not disclosed for John Francis. Company-wide officer short-term incentives in 2024 were tied to Revenue and Adjusted EBITDA, each weighted 50% (payouts 50–150% of target based on thresholds) .
| Metric | Weighting | Target Framework | Actual/Payout Reference | Vesting/Payment Timing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue | 50% | Annual targets set by Board/Comp Committee | Officer payouts varied by achievement in 2024 | Quarterly and annual cash bonuses; RSUs per agreements |
| Adjusted EBITDA | 50% | Annual targets set by Board/Comp Committee | Officer payouts varied by achievement in 2024 | Quarterly and annual cash bonuses; RSUs per agreements |
Equity Ownership & Alignment
- Beneficial ownership: John Francis is not listed among directors/NEOs in the 2025 beneficial ownership table; no Form 4s referenced in proxy for him .
- Anti‑hedging/pledging: IZEA prohibits directors and employees from pledging stock and engaging in hedging transactions, reinforcing alignment with long‑term shareholder value .
- Clawback: IZEA maintains a Nasdaq Rule 5608‑compliant clawback policy for executive officers, requiring recovery of erroneously awarded incentive compensation upon an accounting restatement .
Employment Terms
- Appointment/role: Recruited as VP Sales & Marketing Operations to strengthen the go‑to‑market strategy amid a focus on enterprise clients .
- Employment agreement: No individual employment agreement for John Francis is filed in 8‑K Item 5.02 or DEF 14A; severance, non‑compete, and change‑of‑control terms are not disclosed for him .
- Policies applicable to executives: Anti‑hedging/pledging and executive clawback policy (per Nasdaq Rule 5608) are in place company‑wide .
Performance & Track Record
- Role contribution context: IZEA cited recruiting John Francis in Q3 2025 to enhance marketing and revenue operations as part of a transformation toward profitable, recurring enterprise business .
- Company performance around tenure:
| Metric ($USD Millions unless noted) | Q4 2024 | Q1 2025 | Q3 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Revenue | $11.0 | $8.0 | $8.1 |
| Net Income (Loss) | $(4.6) | $(0.1) | $0.1 |
| Adjusted EBITDA | $(1.5) | $(0.1) | $0.4 |
- Strategy highlights: Shift toward recurring enterprise clients; shedding non‑recurring, less profitable projects; AI‑powered platform enhancements; new wins from Amazon, GM, Owens‑Corning; production work for Kellogg’s, Clorox, Nestlé, Danone .
Compensation Structure Analysis
- Pay‑for‑performance alignment: Company’s officer STIs use Revenue and Adjusted EBITDA, consistent with the 2024 program . Lack of disclosure on John’s compensation limits direct assessment of his cash/equity mix.
- Governance safeguards: Anti‑hedging/pledging and clawback policy mitigate misalignment and restatement risk .
- Disclosure gap: Absence of NEO status and filed employment terms for John limit visibility into vesting schedules, severance, and change‑of‑control economics .
Risk Indicators & Red Flags
- Hedging/pledging: Prohibited by policy (reduces alignment concerns) .
- Clawback: In place for executive officers (mitigates restatement risk) .
- Insider selling pressure: No beneficial ownership or option/RSU schedules disclosed for John in proxy; thus current insider sale pressure cannot be assessed from filings .
- Leadership transitions: 2024 separation agreements for prior CEO and COO included immediate vesting of all outstanding equity and cash severance; not directly related to John but indicative of board’s approach to transitions .
Say‑on‑Pay & Shareholder Feedback
- Annual say‑on‑pay proposal is part of the 2025 meeting agenda; GP Parties agreed to vote with Board recommendations (17.6% of shares), supporting approval .
Expertise & Qualifications
- Education: BA, UC Santa Barbara .
- Technical expertise: Demand generation, marketing operations, ABM, AI‑driven revenue ops .
- Industry experience: B2B marketing and operations across agency (MERGE) and enterprise settings (Red Ventures, Sunbelt Rentals) .
Work History & Career Trajectory
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Notable Responsibilities |
|---|---|---|---|
| IZEA | VP Sales & Marketing Operations; Press Contact (IR email listed) | 2025–present | Go‑to‑market strategy, marketing/revenue ops; press contact on Q3 2025 investor release |
| MERGE | VP & Interim Head of Marketing; Demand Gen Director | 2020–2025 | Led demand gen and marketing ops; ABM/AI initiatives |
| Red Ventures | Digital Marketing Director | 2019–2020 | Performance marketing leadership |
| Sunbelt Rentals | Digital Marketing Manager (Demand Gen) | 2017–2019 | Demand generation, marketing operations |
| The Business Journals | Digital Marketing/Audience Development leadership | 2013–2017 | B2B growth and analytics |
Compensation Committee Analysis
- Committee activity: Compensation Committee met ten times in 2024 and oversees executive pay, equity plans, and consultant engagements .
- Short‑term incentive design: Revenue and Adjusted EBITDA as balanced metrics for officers underscore profitability focus .
Investment Implications
- Alignment and retention: Policies (anti‑hedging/pledging; clawback) support pay‑for‑performance culture; however, absence of disclosed compensation/equity terms for John limits direct assessment of retention levers or potential insider‑selling pressure .
- Execution signal: Hiring a senior growth operator to lead Sales & Marketing Operations coincides with improved profitability and enterprise focus; monitor future proxies and 8‑Ks for any promotion to “executive officer” status that would trigger detailed compensation disclosure .
- Trading signals: With no disclosed holdings or vesting schedules for John, near‑term insider trading indicators are unavailable; continue tracking SEC filings (Form 3/4/5) and upcoming DEF 14A for updates .