Judy Mencher
PLAYSTUDIOSAbout Judy K. Mencher
Independent director at PLAYSTUDIOS, Inc. (MYPS) since June 21, 2021; age 68. Background spans distressed and high-yield investing and board service: founder and CEO of Race Point Investors, former Principal at DDJ Capital Management (AUM $1–3B during her tenure), and director roles at New Millennium Homes (since 1997) and Spiral Water Technologies (since Nov 2018). Education: BA Economics (Tufts); JD and MBA (Boston University). Board-determined independent under SEC/Nasdaq rules; currently serves on Audit and chairs Compensation .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| DDJ Capital Management | Principal; high-yield/distressed investing | 1996–2006 | Firm AUM $1–3B during tenure; finance expertise |
| Race Point Investors, LLC | Founder & CEO | Since March 2018 | Advises PE/hedge funds on distressed investments |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Millennium Homes (CA home builder) | Director | Since 1997 | Board service; committees not disclosed |
| Spiral Water Technologies (NJ water filtration) | Director | Since Nov 2018 | Board service; committees not disclosed |
Board Governance
- Committee assignments: Audit Committee member; Compensation Committee Chair; Nominating & Governance not listed for Mencher .
- Independence: Board determined Mencher is independent (one of three independent directors) .
- Attendance: Board met 5 times in 2024; each incumbent director attended ≥75% of Board and committee meetings on which they served .
- Audit Committee risk flag: Following March 7, 2025 resignation of prior chair, Audit Committee currently functions without a chair; Mencher is one of two members . Mencher co-signed the Audit Committee Report .
- Board leadership: Controlled company under Nasdaq (Andrew Pascal ~77% voting power) but currently not using controlled-company exemptions; lead independent director role in place (Jason Krikorian) .
- Related-party framework: Written policy; Audit Committee pre-approves related party transactions; no additional related person transactions requiring disclosure since last fiscal year beyond those described (none involving Mencher) –.
Fixed Compensation
| Component | Structure/Value | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Annual director cash retainer | $40,000 | Non-employee directors |
| Lead independent director retainer | $15,000 | Not applicable to Mencher |
| Committee membership retainer | $10,000 per committee | Mencher sits on Audit and Compensation |
| Committee chair retainer | $5,000 per chair | Mencher chairs Compensation |
| Annual RSU grant | Target $150,000; vests quarterly over one year | Under 2021 Plan, for directors with ≥6 months’ service |
Director compensation (FY2024 actual):
| Name | Cash Fees ($) | Stock Awards ($) | Total ($) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Judy K. Mencher | 84,355 | 150,000 | 234,355 |
Mix: ~36% cash, ~64% equity (calculated from disclosed amounts) .
Performance Compensation
| Award Type | Grant Value/Units | Vesting | Performance Metrics |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual RSUs | Target $150,000 | Quarterly over 1 year | None disclosed for directors; RSUs are time-based, not performance-based |
Recent director equity awards (Form 4):
| Transaction Date | Type | Shares Awarded | Price | Post-Transaction Ownership | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-08-14 | A — Award | 67,568 | $0.00 | 124,992 | |
| 2025-07-28 | A — Award | 120,000 | $0.00 | 244,992 |
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Category | Detail |
|---|---|
| Other public company boards | None disclosed |
| Private company boards | New Millennium Homes (since 1997); Spiral Water Technologies (since 2018) |
| Potential interlocks | Board includes MGM Resorts executive (Steven J. Zanella); MYPS maintains marketing/IP arrangements with MGM (historic), but no Mencher-specific transactions disclosed |
Expertise & Qualifications
- Finance and distressed investing expertise; prior principal at DDJ Capital Management .
- Governance and compensation oversight experience; current Compensation Committee Chair .
- Educational credentials: BA (Tufts), JD/MBA (Boston University) .
- Audit oversight experience evidenced by signing Audit Committee Report .
Equity Ownership
| Holder | Shares | % of Class A | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Judy K. Mencher (direct) | 124,992 | * (<1%) | Directly held |
| The Judy K. Mencher Trust 2014 | 567,099 | * (<1%) | Mencher is trustee |
| Total beneficial ownership | 692,091 | * (<1%) | Class A shares only |
Policy and alignment:
- Hedging and shorting prohibited for directors; pledging also prohibited under Insider Trading Policy .
- Stock ownership guidelines for directors not disclosed; compliance status not disclosed .
Insider trading compliance:
- Company states no Section 16(a) filing failures for FY2024 .
Governance Assessment
-
Strengths:
- Independent director with deep finance/distressed-investing background; chairs Compensation and serves on Audit .
- Equity-heavy director compensation promotes alignment; RSUs vest quarterly .
- No related-party transactions involving Mencher disclosed; robust related-party approval policy –.
- Prohibitions on hedging and pledging strengthen alignment .
-
Watch items / RED FLAGS:
- Controlled company with CEO holding ~77% voting power; limits minority influence despite current non-use of exemptions .
- Audit Committee currently lacks a chair after March 7, 2025 resignation; potential oversight gap—Mencher is one of two members .
- Board/committee attendance disclosed only as ≥75%; not detailed by director—monitor future proxies for exact attendance .
-
Signals for investors:
- Compensation Committee engages independent consultant (Compensia); no other material services—positive for pay governance .
- Mencher’s recurring RSU awards (2024, 2025) indicate ongoing board engagement and equity alignment .