Alexander Buehler
About Alexander Buehler
Alexander Buehler (age 49) is LiqTech International’s independent Chairman of the Board since June 23, 2023, and a director since August 11, 2017. He chairs the Governance & Nominating Committee and presides over executive sessions of independent directors. He holds a B.S. in Civil Engineering from West Point and an MBA in Finance from Wharton; his background spans leadership, corporate governance, M&A, operations, and water/energy/manufacturing industries .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| LiqTech International, Inc. | Interim Chief Executive Officer | Mar 17, 2022 – Sep 12, 2022 | Service <1 year; independence restored post-interim service (compensation <$120k) |
| Brock Group | President & Chief Executive Officer | Feb 2021 – Dec 2021 | Industrial services leadership |
| Intertek | EVP, Global Resources | Prior to Brock | Operations/finance leadership |
| Energy Maintenance Services | President & Chief Executive Officer | Prior tenure (dates not specified) | Operations leadership |
| Energy Recovery | Chief Financial Officer | Prior tenure | Finance leadership; later became director at Energy Recovery |
| Insituform Technologies | Executive roles, most recently VP Europe | Prior tenure | International operations |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Integrated Water Services, Inc. | President & CEO | Since May 2023 | Design-build water/wastewater systems; MBR technologies |
| Energy Recovery | Director | Current | Public company board service |
| Viscount Systems | Director | Prior | Former board service |
Board Governance
- Board leadership: Independent, non-executive Chairman (Buehler) with separate CEO role (Fei Chen). Governance & Nominating reviews leadership structure annually .
- Independence: Board determined Buehler independent under Nasdaq standards post interim-CEO stint; he presides over executive sessions of independent directors .
- Committee assignments (FY2024 structure):
- Audit Committee: Richard Meeusen (Chair), Peyton Boswell, Martin Kunz .
- Compensation Committee: Peyton Boswell (Chair), Richard Meeusen, Alexander Buehler, Martin Kunz .
- Governance & Nominating Committee: Alexander Buehler (Chair), Richard Meeusen, Peyton Boswell, Martin Kunz .
- Meeting cadence and attendance:
- Board meetings: 14 in FY2024; each incumbent director attended >75% of combined board and committee meetings .
- Committee meetings: Audit Committee met 4 times in FY2024 ; Governance & Nominating met 2 times in FY2024 . (Compensation Committee met 3 times in FY2023) .
Fixed Compensation
| Metric | FY2023 | FY2024 |
|---|---|---|
| Chairman of the Board annual cash fee | $47,250 (Buehler’s cash received as director; full chairman rate $63,000) | $63,000 |
| Non-executive director annual cash fee | $31,500 | $31,500 |
| Audit Committee Chair fee (if applicable) | $11,000 | $11,000 |
| Compensation Committee Chair fee (if applicable) | $6,500 | $6,500 |
| Director cash and stock actually reported for Buehler | Cash: $47,250; Stock awards: $36,750; Total: $84,000 | Cash: $63,000; Stock awards: $73,500; Total: $136,500 |
Notes:
- Company states it has not entered into any agreements with directors for special compensation upon retirement, resignation, change-of-control, or other departure events .
Performance Compensation
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Annual equity grant for Chairman | $73,500 stock grant in January, vests over one year |
| Annual equity grant for non-executive directors | $36,750 stock grant in January, vests over one year |
| Performance metrics tied to director equity | Not disclosed; director equity described as time-based vesting |
| Clawback policy | Adopted per SEC/Nasdaq rules; applies to incentive-based compensation for Section 16 executive officers upon an “Accounting Restatement” (three prior fiscal years) |
| Equity Plan governance features | No option/SAR repricing without shareholder approval; max 10-year option/SAR term; no tax gross-ups; no single-trigger acceleration; independent oversight by Compensation Committee |
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Company | Role | Potential Interlock/Consideration |
|---|---|---|
| Energy Recovery | Director | Water industry adjacency; no related-party transactions disclosed at LiqTech |
| Integrated Water Services | President & CEO | Water sector operator; no related-party transactions disclosed at LiqTech |
| Viscount Systems | Former Director | Historical |
Expertise & Qualifications
- Board qualifications: Leadership, corporate governance, strategic planning, new product development, M&A, operations management, manufacturing process optimization, sales management, and administration; deep experience across global water, energy, infrastructure, and manufacturing .
- Education: B.S., United States Military Academy (West Point); MBA, Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania .
Equity Ownership
| Holder | Shares Beneficially Owned | % of Outstanding | As-of Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alexander Buehler | 467,623 | 4.9% | April 8, 2025 |
- Company notes no known arrangements, including pledges, among named persons that could result in a change of control of the company .
Insider Trades (Form 4)
| Transaction Date | Filing Date | Type | Shares Acquired | Post-Transaction Ownership | Link |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-01-07 | 2025-01-13 | Award (A) | 53,030 | 467,623 | https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1307579/000143774925000916/0001437749-25-000916-index.htm |
| 2024-01-03 | 2024-01-08 | Award (A) | 20,940 | 414,593 | https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1307579/000143774924000882/0001437749-24-000882-index.htm |
- Delinquent Section 16(a) filings: Buehler filed a late Form 4 on Jan 8, 2024 for a Jan 3, 2024 transaction .
Governance Assessment
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Strengths
- Independent Chair with clear separation from CEO; presides over executive sessions of independent directors .
- Active committee leadership: Chair of Governance & Nominating; member of Compensation; robust board and committee cadence (Board: 14 meetings FY2024; Audit: 4; Governance: 2), with >75% attendance compliance for all directors .
- Meaningful ownership (4.9%), aligning interests with shareholders .
- Clawback policy adopted per SEC/Nasdaq requirements; equity plan features avoid repricing and single-trigger acceleration; no tax gross-ups .
- No related-party transactions during the period; audit committee reviews any such transactions per policy .
-
Watch items / RED FLAGS
- No policy against hedging company stock by employees and directors is disclosed—a governance gap that can weaken alignment and risk controls .
- Late Section 16 filing in January 2024 (minor process/timeliness issue) .
- External executive role (CEO of Integrated Water Services) and public board service (Energy Recovery) are industry-adjacent; while no related-party transactions are disclosed, monitor for potential conflicts or business overlaps over time .
-
Compensation structure signals
- As Chairman, Buehler’s director pay increased to a larger equity and cash mix in 2024 (cash $63,000; stock $73,500) versus 2023 (cash $47,250; stock $36,750), reflecting role elevation and standard chairman stipends; equity vests over one year, not performance-based .
- Company states no special director payouts for change-of-control or retirement—shareholder-friendly posture .
-
Attendance/engagement
- Board-level engagement was high in 2024 (14 meetings); all directors met the >75% attendance threshold .
- Governance & Nominating met 2 times; Audit met 4 times in FY2024; Compensation Committee activity is documented at 3 meetings in FY2023, demonstrating regular oversight cycles .