Robert P. Beech
About Robert P. Beech
Independent director of LSI Industries (LYTS) since July 2013; age 72. Currently President of PentaBeech, LLC; formerly Executive Chairman and co-founder of Eccrine Systems, Inc.; Entrepreneur-in-Residence (life sciences) at CincyTechUSA (2013–2020); senior executive at Precigen/Intrexon (2004–2012); and CEO/founder of Digineer, Inc. (1986–2002). At LSI, he chairs the Nominating & Corporate Governance Committee and serves on the Audit Committee .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| PentaBeech, LLC | President | Current (dates not disclosed) | Strategy and innovation advisory (private) |
| Eccrine Systems, Inc. | Executive Chairman; Co-founder | 2013–former | Cincinnati-based biotech; leadership of private company |
| CincyTechUSA | Entrepreneur-in-Residence (Life Sciences) | 2013–2020 | Venture/startup commercialization support |
| Precigen, Inc. (formerly Intrexon) | Senior Executive | 2004–2012 | Senior leadership in biotech (private in that period) |
| Digineer, Inc. | Chief Executive Officer; Founder | 1986–2002 | Led international healthcare IT software/services firm |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| — | — | — | No other public company directorships disclosed in proxy biography |
Board Governance
| Committee | Role | Meetings (FY2025) | Independence | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nominating & Corporate Governance | Chair | 5 | Committee composed of independent directors under NASDAQ; all members independent | |
| Audit | Member | 4 | All members independent and financially literate; chair designated “financial expert” (Hanson) |
- Attendance and engagement: Each director attended at least 75% of aggregate Board and committee meetings; all directors in office attended the 2024 Annual Meeting .
- Board structure: 7 directors, 6 non-employee independent; independent Chairman (Wilfred T. O’Gara); independent directors meet in executive session .
- Director elections: One-year terms; seven current members nominated for re-election at 2025 Annual Meeting .
Fixed Compensation
| Metric | FY2024 | FY2025 |
|---|---|---|
| Fees Earned or Paid in Cash | $73,500 | $73,500 |
| Stock Awards | $75,000 | $75,000 |
| Option Awards | — | — |
| Non-Equity Incentive Comp | — | — |
| All Other Compensation | — | — |
| Total | $148,500 | $148,500 |
- Non-employee director annual program (FY2025): $135,000 total, of which $75,000 equity (common shares) and remainder in cash; Committee Chair retainers: Audit $17,500; Compensation $15,500; Nominating & Corporate Governance $13,500; independent Chairman retainer $50,000 .
- Effective FY2026: Increase equity portion by $15,000 and annual cash by $10,000 (broader director pay mix shift to equity) .
Performance Compensation
| Component | FY2025 | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Performance-based Stock/Options | N/A | Director equity is a quarterly stock retainer (Common Shares), not performance-based; no options granted |
| Non-Equity Incentives | N/A | None for directors |
| Performance Metrics | N/A | No director-specific performance metrics disclosed |
Other Directorships & Interlocks
- Other public company boards: None disclosed for Beech in LYTS proxy biography .
- Interlocks: No Compensation Committee member is an executive officer of another entity where an LYTS executive serves on the board; no Compensation Committee member participated in any related-person transaction in the most recent fiscal year .
Expertise & Qualifications
- Technology/biotech and healthcare IT operating experience as CEO/senior executive; venture/startup commercialization (EIR) .
- Board identifies his leadership of high-technology ventures as qualification; currently chairs Nominating & Corporate Governance and serves on Audit .
Equity Ownership
| Holder | Common Shares Beneficially Owned | Percent of Shares Outstanding | As of |
|---|---|---|---|
| Robert P. Beech | 98,775 | <1% | Sept 9, 2025 |
- Stock ownership guidelines (non-employee directors): Increased in 2025 from 3x to 5x annual cash retainer; five-year compliance window; all non-employee directors in compliance .
- Hedging/pledging: Insider trading policy prohibits hedging and pledging/margin; no Board member or executive officer implemented any pledges or hedging transaction .
Governance Assessment
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Strengths for investor confidence:
- Long-tenured independent director since July 2013 with deep operating experience across biotech and healthcare IT; consistent leadership roles on key governance and audit oversight committees .
- Demonstrated engagement: ≥75% attendance; participation in Annual Meeting; board has independent chair and majority independent composition with executive sessions .
- Alignment mechanisms: director equity paid quarterly in stock; ownership guidelines raised to 5x cash retainer with compliance; hedging/pledging prohibited and not utilized by directors .
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Pay structure observations:
- Beech’s cash equals the $60,000 cash component of the standard $135,000 retainer plus $13,500 Nominating Chair fee (consistent with the disclosed structure); FY2026 plan shifts more compensation to equity, modestly increasing at-risk alignment for directors .
-
Conflicts and related-party exposure:
- No Compensation Committee interlocks or related-person transactions reported for committee members; related-person transaction reviews routed through Audit Committee per policy .
-
RED FLAGS: None identified in filings reviewed (director attendance threshold met; independence affirmed at the committee level; hedging/pledging barred and not used) .