Tyler Sickmeyer
LIVE VENTURESAbout Tyler Sickmeyer
Independent director at Live Ventures since 2014; age 38 as of the 2025 proxy. Founder and CEO of Fidelitas Development (since 2008) with specialization in marketing, brand development efficiencies, and eCommerce; co-founded the San Diego Sharks minor league basketball team in 2022 and oversees operations. Studied business at Robert Morris University and Lincoln Christian University; the Board cites his marketing and entrepreneurial background as core credentials for service.
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fidelitas Development | Founder & CEO | 2008–present | eCommerce/marketing expertise; efficiencies for developing brands |
| Various companies (consulting) | Advisor/Consultant | Ongoing | Applied marketing/brand efficiency expertise; thought leadership (global presentations) |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Scope/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Diego Sharks (minor league basketball) | Co-founder; oversees operations | 2022–present | Team operations oversight; entrepreneurial leadership |
Board Governance
- Committee memberships (FY 2024): Audit (member; Audit met 5x), Compensation (member; met 2x), Governance & Nominating (member; met 2x). Audit Chair: Dennis (De) Gao; Butler chairs Compensation and Governance; all committee members, including Sickmeyer, were independent and financially literate per Nasdaq/SEC rules.
- Independence and attendance: Board determined Sickmeyer is independent under Nasdaq Rule 5605(a)(2); Board met 4x in FY 2024, and no director attended fewer than 75% of Board/committee meetings.
- Audit Committee report affirms oversight of financial reporting and auditor independence; Sickmeyer is listed as a committee member.
- Board leadership: CEO Jon Isaac also serves as Chairman; Board has no Lead Independent Director; committees of independent directors provide risk oversight.
| Committee | Chair | Members (incl. Sickmeyer) |
|---|---|---|
| Audit | Dennis (De) Gao | Butler; Sickmeyer |
| Compensation | Richard D. Butler, Jr. | Gao; Sickmeyer |
| Governance & Nominating | Richard D. Butler, Jr. | Gao; Sickmeyer |
| Annual Meeting Vote (Tyler Sickmeyer) | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| Votes For | 2,345,585 | 2,370,601 |
| Votes Withheld | 53,909 | 26,329 |
| Broker Non-Votes | 305,125 | 272,503 |
Fixed Compensation
Directors receive uniform cash retainers; no meeting fees.
| Metric | FY 2023 | FY 2024 |
|---|---|---|
| Annual Cash Retainer (Fees Earned) | $30,000 | $30,000 |
| Meeting Fees | None | None |
| All Other Compensation (Tyler Sickmeyer) | $— | $— |
Notes:
- Monthly cash compensation for non-employee directors is $2,500 ($30,000 annually).
- No separate compensation for attending Board/committee meetings.
Performance Compensation
No equity or incentive compensation disclosed for directors in FY 2023–2024.
| Metric | FY 2023 | FY 2024 |
|---|---|---|
| Stock Awards | $— | $— |
| Option Awards | $— | $— |
| Non-Equity Incentive Plan Compensation | $— | $— |
| Nonqualified Deferred Compensation Earnings | $— | $— |
Other Directorships & Interlocks
- Proxy biography discloses entrepreneurial roles (Fidelitas; San Diego Sharks) but no other public company directorships for Sickmeyer.
- Other LIVE directors (not Sickmeyer) serve at ALT5 Sigma/JanOne (e.g., Tony Isaac; Richard D. Butler, Jr.), indicating board-level external interlocks not involving Sickmeyer.
Expertise & Qualifications
- Extensive background in marketing, brand development efficiencies, and eCommerce; global thought leadership presentations.
- Determined by the Board to be “financially literate” with accounting/related financial management experience (committee qualification).
- Board concluded he is qualified due to marketing/brand development and entrepreneurial experience.
Equity Ownership
| Metric | As of June 9, 2023 | As of May 9, 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| Beneficial Ownership (Shares) | — | — |
| Ownership % of Class | —% | —% |
Context:
- Company hedging policy prohibits transactions designed to mitigate declines in value of Company securities granted/awarded; an Insider Trading Policy applies to directors.
- Equity compensation plan available securities: 240,000 remaining as of 9/30/2024; 60,000 outstanding options/warrants/rights (weighted average exercise price $26.04).
Governance Assessment
- Strengths: Independent director with service across all three standing committees, contributing to audit, compensation, and governance oversight; Audit Committee report evidences active financial oversight. High shareholder support for his election in 2024 and 2025.
- Alignment concerns: No disclosed stock ownership by Sickmeyer as of 2023–2025 proxies—potential “skin-in-the-game” gap versus best-practice director ownership norms. Company has a hedging prohibition, but no director stock ownership guidelines disclosure found.
- Board structure risk: CEO also serves as Chairman and is a 51.2% beneficial owner (including ICG), with no Lead Independent Director—heightened reliance on independent committees for checks and balances.
- Compensation Committee practice: No benchmarking and historically no outside compensation consultants; committee oversees executive and director pay, which may elevate subjectivity in pay decisions (mitigated by small-company context).
- Related-party transactions: Multiple transactions with Isaac Capital Group and seller notes (Flooring Liquidators/PMW/Central Steel) reviewed under Audit Committee procedures; no related-party transactions disclosed involving Sickmeyer personally.
- Shareholder sentiment: 2025 say-on-pay passed with strong support (2,320,358 for; 27,083 against; 49,489 abstentions), and a three-year frequency was selected—indicative of investor comfort with compensation governance.
RED FLAGS
- Zero share ownership as of latest disclosures—weak direct ownership alignment for a multi-year independent director.
- CEO dual role and majority control with no Lead Independent Director—potential oversight concentration risk requiring vigilant committee engagement.