Eric Cantor
Moelis &About Eric Cantor
Eric Cantor (age 61) is Managing Director, Vice Chairman of Moelis & Company and a Director since September 2014. He previously served as U.S. House Majority Leader and represented Virginia’s 7th Congressional District (2001–2014). He holds a B.A. (George Washington University), J.D. (William & Mary), and M.A. (Columbia University). His background spans public policy, international business, and investment banking, which the Board cites as core credentials for his role .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| U.S. House of Representatives | Representative, VA-7; House Majority Leader | 2001–2014 | Led House public policy agenda; focus on pro-growth policies |
| Moelis & Company | Managing Director; Vice Chairman | Sept 2014–present | Senior leadership in advisory; governance perspective from policy/economy |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bipartisan Policy Center | Executive Council on Infrastructure, Member | Not disclosed | Infrastructure policy engagement |
| Harvard Kennedy School | Visiting Fellow | Not disclosed | Public policy scholarship/practice |
| U.S. Department of Defense | Policy Board, Member | 2017–2020 | Defense policy advisory |
Board Governance
- Independence and committee structure: The Board has a majority of independent directors; all three standing committees (Audit, Compensation, Nominating & Corporate Governance) are comprised entirely of independent directors. Cantor is not listed on any committee, consistent with committees being fully independent; committee chairs are Shropshire (Audit), Worrell (Compensation), and Mirrer (Nominating) .
- Lead Independent Director: Kenneth L. Shropshire is Lead Independent Director (since March 2022) and Audit Chair .
- Attendance: In 2024, each director attended at least 75% of Board and committee meetings; all directors attended the 2024 annual meeting .
- Nomination rights/conflicts: Under a Stockholders Agreement with Partner Holdings (controlled by Chairman/CEO Kenneth Moelis), Partner Holdings designates nominees (currently Moelis and Cantor). While the company is no longer a “controlled company” under NYSE rules, Partner Holdings retains nomination rights subject to Class B/Secondary Class B Conditions. Certain provisions of this agreement were held invalid by the Delaware Court of Chancery (order effective July 18, 2024) .
- Dual class voting: Mr. Moelis controls Class B shares (10:1 voting). Independent oversight is maintained via majority-independent board and fully independent committees .
Fixed Compensation
| Component | Detail | Period/Terms | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Base Salary | $400,000 | Employment agreement as Vice Chairman & MD | |
| Target Bonus % | Not disclosed | Eligible for annual discretionary performance bonus | |
| Director Fees | None as employee-director | Employee/executive directors don’t receive director compensation | |
| Non-Compete | 90 days (voluntary termination other than for good reason) | Post-termination restriction | |
| Non-Solicit | 1 year post-termination | Employees/contractors/consultants/suppliers (with limited exception) | |
| Confidentiality/Non-Disparagement | Included | Employment agreement protections |
Performance Compensation
| Metric/Instrument | Specifics | Vesting/Settlement | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| RSUs (Quarterly RSUs) | $400,000 incentive RSUs granted in quarterly installments (2015); annual $400,000 Quarterly RSUs (2016–2019) | Same vesting as other MD incentive RSUs; forfeiture if terminated for cause or certain voluntary terminations; exceptions for government service after 2 years | |
| Cash Bonus | Discretionary | Not disclosed | |
| Performance Metrics | Not disclosed for Cantor’s awards | Firm’s broader philosophy aligns NEO pay with strategic/financial performance; clawback and hedging prohibitions apply to employees |
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Category | Detail | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Public company boards | None disclosed | |
| Compensation Committee interlocks | None; no executive officers served on other entities’ boards/comp committees with cross-membership |
Expertise & Qualifications
- Education: B.A. (GWU), J.D. (William & Mary), M.A. (Columbia) .
- Skill profile: Executive/strategic leadership; finance/accounting/auditing; media/branding/marketing; IT/cybersecurity oversight; risk management; law/public policy/regulatory (Board skills matrix shows Cantor with multiple competencies) .
- Tenure on Board: Since 2014 .
Equity Ownership
| Holder | Class A Shares | % of Class A | Class B Shares | % Combined Voting Power | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eric Cantor | 218,805 | 0.3% | 0 | 0.2% | Excludes LP Units/RSUs; ownership based on 74,183,429 Class A and 4,324,418 Class B outstanding; beneficial ownership per SEC rules . |
Insider Trades (Form 4 summary – recent)
| Transaction Date | Type | Security | Quantity | Price | Post-Transaction Ownership | SEC Filing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-09-18 | Award (A) | 2023 Incentive RSUs | 221.02 | $0.00 | 26,658.28 | https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1596967/000119312525209336/0001193125-25-209336-index.htm |
| 2025-09-18 | Award (A) | 2022 Incentive RSUs | 215.48 | $0.00 | 25,990.31 | https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1596967/000119312525209336/0001193125-25-209336-index.htm |
| Data retrieved via Insider Trades skill (Form 4), filtered for Eric Cantor, 2024-01-01 to 2025-11-20; more records available upon request. |
Governance Assessment
- Strengths:
- Majority-independent Board; fully independent Audit, Compensation, and Nominating committees and active Lead Independent Director function .
- Director attendance at or above 75% and full attendance at the 2024 annual meeting, indicating engagement .
- Clear anti-hedging and anti-pledging policies for employees (including executive directors), clawback policy consistent with SEC/NYSE rules .
- Risks/Red Flags:
- Cantor is not an independent director, serving concurrently as a senior executive (Vice Chairman/MD), which may constrain committee participation and raise conflict-of-interest concerns in certain board deliberations .
- Stockholders Agreement gives Partner Holdings (controlled by CEO/Chair) ongoing nomination and significant approval rights under conditions; certain provisions ruled invalid by Delaware Chancery Court—ongoing governance overhang and potential influence on board composition (Cantor designated by Partner Holdings) .
- Dual-class voting structure concentrates control with the Chair/CEO, potentially limiting minority shareholder influence despite independent committees .
Implications: For investors, Cantor’s policy and geopolitical expertise bring strategic value; however, his non-independent status, combined with concentrated control mechanisms (dual-class, nomination rights), increases reliance on independent committees and the Lead Independent Director to mitigate conflicts and safeguard minority shareholder interests .