Navtej Singh Sunner
About Navtej Singh Sunner
Navtej Singh Sunner, 54, has served as an independent director of Motorsport Games Inc. since January 12, 2023. He is a seasoned video game industry lawyer and commercial executive with prior roles as Head of Legal at Codemasters, General Counsel at Mastertronic, Co‑Head of Interactive Entertainment at Osborne Clarke, Head of Computer Games at Wiggin, and Commercial Director for a games studio at Microsoft; he has also served on the board of esports company EGL and currently advises Reality Games and Radical Forge alongside his consultancy “Navatron.” He holds an LLM in Intellectual Property Law (King’s College London, 1996), Professional Legal Qualifications (Inns of Court School of Law, 1994), and an LLB (University of Wolverhampton, 1993) .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pinsent Masons | Lawyer (qualified) | Not disclosed | Legal foundation |
| Codemasters | Head of Legal | Not disclosed | Video game IP/commercial expertise |
| Mastertronic Group | General Counsel | Not disclosed | Legal leadership |
| Osborne Clarke | Co‑Head of Interactive Entertainment | Not disclosed | Games industry legal practice |
| Wiggin | Head of Computer Games | Not disclosed | Sector specialization |
| GREE (Japan) | Business roles (worked with) | Not disclosed | Mobile/online games exposure |
| Microsoft (games studio) | Commercial Director | Not disclosed | Commercial operations |
| EGL (esports) | Board member | Not disclosed | Esports governance |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Navatron | Principal (consultancy) | Current | Video game consultancy |
| Reality Games | Advisory Board Member | Current | Mobile games studio |
| Radical Forge | Advisory Board Member | Current | Console games developer |
| EGL (esports) | Board Member | Prior | Esports governance/industry network |
Board Governance
- Independence: The Board determined Sunner is independent under Nasdaq Listing Rule 5605(a)(2); all members of Audit, Compensation, and Nominating committees are independent .
- Committee assignments: Member, Audit Committee; Member, Compensation Committee; Chair, Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee .
- Committee activity: Audit Committee held 4 meetings; Compensation Committee held 2 meetings; Nominating Committee held 1 meeting in FY 2024 .
- Board activity/attendance: Board held 53 meetings; all directors attended at least 75% of the aggregate of Board and committee meetings in 2024; none of the directors attended last year’s annual meeting of stockholders .
- Board leadership: Chairman of the Board is John Delta; CEO is separate (Stephen Hood) .
- Audit oversight: Audit Committee report signed by John Delta (chair), Andrew P. Jacobson, and Navtej Singh Sunner; oversight includes financial reporting, auditor independence, and cybersecurity risk reporting .
Fixed Compensation
| Component | Policy Amount | 2024 Cash Paid | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual Board Retainer (cash) | $25,000 | Included in total | Paid quarterly in arrears |
| Audit Committee — Member fee | $8,000 | Included in total | Member fee (chair is $16,000) |
| Compensation Committee — Member fee | $2,000 | Included in total | Member fee (chair is $5,000) |
| Nominating Committee — Chair fee | $5,000 | Included in total | Chair fee (members $2,000) |
| Total Cash Fees (2024) | N/A | $40,000 | Reported total for Sunner |
Based on the disclosed policy and his roles, Sunner’s $40,000 cash fees in 2024 are consistent with the sum of $25,000 (board retainer) + $8,000 (Audit member) + $2,000 (Comp member) + $5,000 (Nominating chair) .
Performance Compensation
| Equity Award Term | Detail | 2024 Recognition |
|---|---|---|
| Annual stock option award value basis | $75,000 divided by closing price on grant date | Option awards ($) for directors shown as “–” (none recognized) |
| Vesting | One year from grant date | Policy term |
| Change‑of‑control | All director stock option awards immediately vest upon certain corporate events, including change of control | Policy term |
| Clawback | All awards subject to any company clawback policy (incl. Dodd‑Frank requirements) | Policy term |
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Company Type | Entity | Role | Public Company? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Video games | Reality Games | Advisory board | Not disclosed as public |
| Video games | Radical Forge | Advisory board | Not disclosed as public |
| Esports | EGL | Board member (prior) | Not disclosed as public |
The proxy biography lists private/advisory roles; no current public company directorships are disclosed for Sunner .
Expertise & Qualifications
- Legal and IP expertise within video games; former Head of Legal (Codemasters), GC (Mastertronic), and senior roles at leading legal firms focused on interactive entertainment .
- Commercial operations experience at Microsoft games studio; board governance experience in esports (EGL) and advisory roles across mobile/console studios .
- Academic credentials in Intellectual Property Law (LLM) and formal legal qualifications .
Equity Ownership
| Metric | Aug 28, 2024 | Dec 31, 2024 | Mar 11, 2025 | Aug 27, 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Class A shares beneficially owned | 13,158 | — | 13,158 | 13,158 |
| Total voting power (%) | <1% | — | <1% | <1% |
| Composition (per footnote) | Options exercisable within 60 days | — | Options exercisable within 60 days | Options exercisable within 60 days |
| Options Detail | Dec 31, 2024 |
|---|---|
| Vested option awards outstanding | 13,158 (vested) |
No stock awards disclosed for Sunner; beneficial ownership is via stock options exercisable within 60 days per footnotes .
Governance Assessment
- Independence and multi‑committee engagement: Sunner is an independent director and serves on all three standing committees (Audit, Compensation, Nominating), chairing Nominating—a strong governance signal on board refreshment and oversight .
- Attendance and activity: The Board met 53 times in 2024 with all directors at or above 75% attendance; however, no directors attended the prior annual meeting, which may be viewed negatively by some investors regarding shareholder engagement .
- Compensation alignment: 2024 director pay for Sunner was fully cash ($40,000) with no option award recognized that year, while policy contemplates annual option grants—low disclosed ownership (<1%) suggests modest alignment; options do vest on change‑of‑control and are subject to clawback policy .
- Potential conflicts/related party exposure: No related‑party transactions involving Sunner are disclosed; broader related‑party arrangements exist with the majority stockholder Driven Lifestyle (credit line, lease), but these do not implicate Sunner per provided disclosures .
- Audit oversight: As an Audit Committee member, Sunner signed the committee’s 2024 report; the committee’s financial expert designation is held by the chair (John Delta), not Sunner—appropriate composition but without Sunner as the designated expert .
Overall: Sunner’s independence and committee leadership are positives for board effectiveness. Limited disclosed equity ownership and non‑attendance at the prior annual meeting are modest governance concerns from an investor‑alignment and engagement perspective, while no Sunner‑specific related‑party issues are disclosed .