Jaime Mateus-Tique
LIQUIDITY SERVICESAbout Jaime Mateus‑Tique
Co‑founder of Liquidity Services, Inc., Jaime Mateus‑Tique has served as a director since April 2000. He is age 58, previously served as President & Chief Operating Officer from April 2000 until retiring from management in September 2009, and is currently a PhD candidate in Biomedical Science at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. Education: Master in Biomedical Science (Icahn School of Medicine), MBA (Kellogg/Northwestern), B.S. in Mathematics and Master in Management (HEC Paris) . The Board elects not to treat him as independent due to his prior executive role despite noting he would otherwise qualify under Nasdaq standards .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Liquidity Services, Inc. | Co‑founder; President & COO | Apr 2000 – Sep 2009 | Senior operating leader during formative growth period |
| McKinsey & Company | Senior Engagement Manager | Sep 1995 – Mar 2000 | Strategy consulting prior to co‑founding LQDT |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai | PhD Candidate, Biomedical Science | Current | Academic commitment disclosed in proxy |
| Other public company boards | — | — | No current other U.S. public company board service disclosed; skill matrix shows no U.S. public board experience for Mateus‑Tique |
Board Governance
- Classification and term: Class II director; director since April 2000; last elected in 2023 with 94% votes for; current term expires 2026 .
- Independence: Not independent by company election due to former executive role (though would otherwise qualify under Nasdaq standards) .
- Committees and chair roles: No current committee memberships; no chair roles .
- Attendance and engagement: Board met 6 times in fiscal 2024; each director attended at least 75% of Board and relevant committee meetings; five directors attended the 2024 annual meeting .
- Board leadership: Combined Chair/CEO structure with a Lead Independent Director (responsibilities listed; currently Beatriz V. Infante) .
Fixed Compensation (Director)
| Element | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Annual cash retainer (Board) | $45,000 | Paid quarterly in advance . |
| Committee/lead retainers | $0 | No committee service/chair roles in 2024; therefore no additional retainers . |
| Equity grant (RSUs) | $165,000 | 2024 director equity delivered 100% as RSUs; program shifted to RSUs‑only for 2024 . |
| 2024 total (cash + equity) | $210,000 | Reported for Mateus‑Tique in director comp table . |
Grant detail:
- Grant date and size: 9,306 RSUs granted on March 11, 2024 (value $165,000 ÷ $17.73 closing price); scheduled to vest on March 11, 2025, subject to continued service .
- Director stock ownership guideline: 5x annual cash retainer ($45k), with five years to comply; each non‑employee director has satisfied or is on track .
Performance Compensation (Director)
- Structure: No performance‑based elements for non‑employee directors in 2024; equity is time‑based RSUs vesting on the one‑year anniversary of grant .
| 2024 Director Equity Grant | Instrument | Grant Date | Number of Units/Shares | Vesting | Performance Metrics |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Annual equity retainer | RSU | Mar 11, 2024 | 9,306 | 100% on Mar 11, 2025 | None (time‑based only) |
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Company/Organization | Role | Overlap/Interlock |
|---|---|---|
| None disclosed | — | No other U.S. public company directorships disclosed for Mateus‑Tique; skill matrix shows no U.S. public board experience for him . |
Expertise & Qualifications
- Key skills: Industry experience/company knowledge; senior leadership; financial/accounting expertise; media & technology experience (as identified by Board skill matrix) .
- Education: Master in Biomedical Science (Icahn), MBA (Kellogg), B.S. Mathematics & Master in Management (HEC Paris) .
Equity Ownership
| Ownership Component | Amount | % Outstanding | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total beneficial ownership | 635,130 shares | 2.0% | As of record date Jan 2, 2025 . |
| Direct | 3,660 shares | — | Directly held . |
| Trusts | 531,470 shares | — | 163,208 (Jaime Mateus‑Tique 2005 Irrevocable Trust) + 368,262 (Em El 2007 Irrevocable Trust) . |
| Spouse | 100,000 shares | — | Held by spouse; counted as beneficially owned . |
| Unvested RSUs (director grant) | 9,306 units | — | Outstanding at 9/30/2024 for each non‑employee director; not scheduled to vest within 60 days of the 1/2/2025 record date . |
| Options | None within 60 days | — | No options exercisable within 60 days disclosed for Mateus‑Tique . |
| Pledging/hedging | None disclosed for Mateus‑Tique | — | Directors prohibited from hedging; policy in place. Pledging disclosed only for CEO with Board approval; no such disclosure for Mateus‑Tique . |
Governance Assessment
- Independence and tenure:
- RED FLAG: Not independent by company election due to former executive role (co‑founder and former President & COO). While compliant, this can raise perceived oversight risk when combined with a combined Chair/CEO structure .
- Watch item: Very long tenure (director since 2000) can contribute to entrenchment perceptions; balanced by deep company knowledge .
- Committee influence:
- Neutral: No committee assignments or chair roles, which reduces direct influence over audit/comp/nom‑gov levers; also limits potential conflicts in sensitive committees .
- Alignment and conduct:
- Positive: Significant stock ownership (2.0% of shares outstanding) aligns incentives with shareholders; director ownership guidelines in place and met/on‑track; anti‑hedging policy applies to directors .
- Positive: No related‑party transactions involving Mateus‑Tique disclosed for fiscal 2024‑2025 proxy period .
- Positive: Attendance metric satisfied (≥75% of meetings) in FY2024 .
- Broader governance signals:
- Neutral/positive: 2024 say‑on‑pay support at ~98% indicates broad shareholder support for compensation program design; not director‑specific but speaks to governance stability .
Overall: High equity alignment and clean related‑party profile are positives. The primary governance risk is independence optics given founder status and long tenure, particularly alongside a combined Chair/CEO structure; presence of a Lead Independent Director and absence from key committees partially mitigate this .