Steve Bonnell
IZEA WorldwideAbout Steve Bonnell
Steve Bonnell was appointed Executive Vice President of Account Management at IZEA on July 14, 2025, with a mandate to strengthen strategic partnerships with enterprise and high-potential clients . He brings 25+ years of global client leadership, having led McDonald’s worldwide at Publicis Groupe and Samsung’s global business at Leo Burnett, with double‑digit growth cited for both accounts . IZEA highlighted recruiting Bonnell as part of Q3 2025 enterprise progress; the company reported $8.1 million revenue and “extended profitability momentum,” alongside wins at Amazon, General Motors, and Owens‑Corning . Education, age, and specific compensation terms for Bonnell are not disclosed in the 2025 proxy; he is listed as an executive in public profiles but does not appear among named executive officers in the 2025 DEF 14A .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Years | Strategic Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Publicis Groupe | Led McDonald’s global account across all Publicis agencies | Not disclosed | Grew McDonald’s account double digits |
| Leo Burnett | Oversaw Samsung global business; Managing Director roles in international offices | Not disclosed | Grew Samsung account double digits and built agency operations |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Years | Strategic Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Not disclosed | — | — | — |
Fixed Compensation
| Component | 2025 Status | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Base Salary | Not disclosed | Bonnell is not listed among Named Executive Officers in the 2025 DEF 14A; executive cash salaries disclosed pertain to CEO/CFO and former NEOs |
| Target Bonus % | Not disclosed | Company’s short-term incentive program (2024) for officers used Revenue and Adjusted EBITDA, each at 50% weighting; Bonnell’s specific targets are not disclosed |
| Actual Bonus Paid | Not disclosed | No Bonnell bonus reported in the 2025 proxy |
Performance Compensation
| Metric | Weighting | Target | Actual | Payout | Vesting |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue (Company STIP design for officers, 2024) | 50% | Not disclosed for Bonnell | Not disclosed for Bonnell | Not disclosed for Bonnell | Cash; framework disclosed, individual terms not disclosed for Bonnell |
| Adjusted EBITDA (Company STIP design for officers, 2024) | 50% | Not disclosed for Bonnell | Not disclosed for Bonnell | Not disclosed for Bonnell | Cash; framework disclosed, individual terms not disclosed for Bonnell |
Note: The 2025 DEF 14A outlines company-wide incentive metrics for 2024 officers but does not provide Bonnell-specific targets, outcomes, or payouts .
Equity Ownership & Alignment
| Item | Status | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| Total beneficial ownership | Not disclosed for Bonnell | Bonnell is not listed in the 2025 DEF 14A beneficial ownership table; executives/directors listed exclude him |
| Ownership as % of shares outstanding | Not disclosed for Bonnell | Record date shares outstanding: 17,050,205; Bonnell not listed among holders |
| Vested vs unvested shares | Not disclosed for Bonnell | No RSU/option disclosure for Bonnell in 2025 proxy |
| Shares pledged as collateral | Prohibited | Company insider trading policy prohibits pledging and hedging transactions for directors and employees |
| Hedging | Prohibited | Company insiders barred from transactions designed to hedge or offset declines in market value |
| Stock ownership guidelines | Not disclosed | No executive ownership guideline disclosure identified for Bonnell |
| Inducement/equity plans applicable to new hires | Available at company level | 2023 Inducement Plan authorizes up to 1,800,000 shares for RSU grants to new employees; no Bonnell grant disclosed |
Employment Terms
- Appointment: IZEA announced Bonnell as EVP, Account Management on July 14, 2025, focused on strengthening enterprise partnerships and scalable client solutions .
- Employment agreement terms: Not disclosed for Bonnell in the 2025 DEF 14A; CEO/CFO agreements provide context on company practices (base salary, bonus targets, severance, change-of-control), but Bonnell-specific economics are not filed .
- Non-compete / non-solicit: Not disclosed for Bonnell; company agreements for other executives define “cause,” “good reason,” severance and CoC terms, but no Bonnell exhibit is available in 2025 filings .
- Clawbacks and gross-ups: Not disclosed for Bonnell; proxy does not present executive clawback specifics or tax gross-ups for him .
Performance & Track Record
| Period | Indicator | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| Q3 2025 | Enterprise momentum | IZEA cited new business from Amazon, General Motors, Owens‑Corning and “extended profitability momentum,” noting recruitment of Steve Bonnell to lead enterprise accounts |
| Company TSR (context) | FY 2024 | Value of an initial fixed $100 investment (Company TSR) was $51; not specific to Bonnell but relevant backdrop prior to his appointment |
| Revenue (context) | Q3 2025 | Total revenue $8.1 million |
Board Governance (context for compensation oversight)
| Committee | Members | Chair | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Compensation Committee | Antonio Bonchristiano; Lindsay A. Gardner; Daniel R. Rua | Daniel R. Rua | Reviews/approves executive compensation policies; administers equity plans; retains independent consultants |
| Anti-hedging/pledging policy | — | — | Prohibits pledging and hedging by directors and employees |
Say‑on‑Pay & Shareholder Feedback
- 2025 annual meeting includes a non-binding advisory vote to approve compensation paid to named executive officers; Bonnell is not among NEOs in this filing .
Compensation Structure Analysis (Company framework; Bonnell-specific terms not disclosed)
- Short-term incentives for officers in 2024 were equally weighted between Revenue and Adjusted EBITDA, with payout curves from 50% to 150% of target, signaling pay-for-performance alignment at the company level; Bonnell’s individual plan is not disclosed .
- Equity programs: Company’s Equity Incentive Plan and 2023 Inducement Plan facilitate RSU awards (time- and performance-based) for employees; Bonnell awards are not disclosed in 2025 filings .
Investment Implications
- Enterprise growth lever: Hiring Bonnell, with deep global account leadership, aligns with IZEA’s push into enterprise accounts; management tied his recruitment to Q3 2025 wins and profitability momentum, a potential positive for bookings and revenue trajectory .
- Alignment and risk: Anti‑hedging/pledging policy reduces alignment red flags (e.g., pledging pressure); however, Bonnell’s ownership, vesting schedules, and severance/CoC terms are not yet disclosed—monitor upcoming Form 4s and the next DEF 14A for grant details, vesting cadence, and potential selling pressure from tax withholding transactions .
- Compensation oversight: An independent Compensation Committee with authority over plans and consultants suggests disciplined governance; watch for any changes to incentive metrics (e.g., adding TSR or multi‑year EBITDA goals) that could affect pay‑for‑performance calibration for senior hires like Bonnell .
- Near‑term catalysts: Track enterprise bookings, margin progression, and disclosures in 8‑Ks/DEF 14A; Bonnell’s impact should be visible in large‑account retention/expansion metrics and commentary in earnings communications through 2026 .