John Muleta
About John B. Muleta
Independent director at NextNav (NN), age 60, serving since January 2024. Background spans FCC Wireless Telecommunications Bureau Chief, founding and leading wireless broadband ventures, and advising spectrum and public safety communications; appointed Lead Independent Director effective May 2025, underscoring board trust in his governance leadership .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Federal Communications Commission (FCC) | Chief, Wireless Telecommunications Bureau | Feb 2003–Mar 2005 | Led spectrum allocation and wireless policy |
| Venable LLP | Partner and Co-Chair, Communications Group | Mar 2005–Apr 2006 | Telecom regulatory advisory |
| M2Z Networks, Inc. | Founder, CEO and Director | Dec 2005–Oct 2010 | Built wireless broadband provider |
| NaviSite, Inc. | EVP, International Markets & Business Development | Jan 2000–Jan 2001 | Growth and global expansion |
| PSINet | President, Ventures; President, Global Facilities; President, India/Middle East/Africa | Jan 1998–Jan 2000 | Multi-regional operations leadership |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| ATELUM LLC | Chief Executive Officer | Oct 2010–present | Technology transfer in mobile/Internet |
| SNR Wireless Management LLC | Managing Member | Aug 2014–present | Spectrum-focused wireless investment/operations |
Board Governance
- Committee assignments: Chair, Nominating & Corporate Governance Committee; Member, Compensation & Human Capital Committee .
- Lead Independent Director: Board elected Muleta to serve effective May 2025, with defined responsibilities over agendas, executive sessions, and stockholder liaison; strengthens oversight with combined CEO/Chair structure .
- Independence: Board determined Muleta is independent and meets Nasdaq’s additional test for compensation committee independence (Section 5605(d)(2)) .
- Attendance: In 2024, directors attended at least 75% of Board and committee meetings; Muleta attended the 2024 annual meeting .
- Executive sessions: Independent directors meet regularly in executive session per Corporate Governance Guidelines .
Fixed Compensation
| Component | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Annual Board retainer (non-employee director) | $45,000 | Effective from May 16, 2024 until next annual meeting |
| Committee membership retainer | $5,000 per committee | Applies when serving as member (not chair) |
| Committee chair retainer (Nominating) | $10,000 | Chair fee in lieu of member fee |
| Lead Independent Director | $100,000 | Role-specific annual retainer |
| Meeting fees | None | No per-meeting fees; travel reimbursed |
2024 Director Compensation (actual, disclosed):
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Fees earned or paid in cash | $45,542 |
| Stock awards (grant-date fair value) | $200,931 |
| Total | $246,472 |
Mix: Approximately 82% equity and 18% cash in 2024 (calculated from disclosed amounts) .
Performance Compensation
Annual and new director equity:
| Grant Type | Grant Date | Shares/Units | Grant-Date Fair Value | Vesting |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New director pro-rated restricted stock | Jan 16, 2024 | 11,343 | $44,011 | Vested in full May 1, 2024 |
| Annual director restricted shares | May 17, 2024 | 17,740 | $143,694 | Vests May 1, 2025 |
Notes
- Directors receive time-based restricted stock; no performance metrics are tied to director equity grants .
- No meeting fees; equity grants align director incentives with stockholder outcomes .
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Company | Role | Interlock/Note |
|---|---|---|
| None disclosed | — | The proxy does not list Muleta on other public company boards . |
| Board candidate sourcing | Recommender | Muleta recommended Admiral H. Wyman Howard III and Admiral Lorin Selby for Board roles (both appointed effective May 1, 2025), indicating network influence from national security/defense domains . |
| Fellow director financing tie | — | Convertible notes/warrants purchased by entities affiliated with director Neil S. Subin and Fortress; no Muleta involvement disclosed in these related-party financings . |
Expertise & Qualifications
- Wireless policy and spectrum allocation expert; public safety communications innovation; scaling emerging wireless/Internet companies; board and governance experience .
Equity Ownership
| Holder | Shares Beneficially Owned | % of Outstanding | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| John B. Muleta | 31,093 | <1% | Includes 13,353 common shares; 17,740 restricted shares vesting within 60 days of Record Date . |
Additional alignment and risk controls
- Anti-hedging and anti-pledging: Company policy prohibits directors, officers and related persons from hedging, short sales, derivatives, margin purchases, borrowing against company securities, or pledging as collateral .
Insider Trades
| Date | Form | Transaction | Shares | Price | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| — | Form 4 | — | — | — | No Form 4 transactions for Muleta found in available tool results (ListDocuments returned zero Form 4 filings for NN) [ListDocuments result]. |
Governance Assessment
- Strengths: Independent status; chair of Nominating drives governance standards; Lead Independent Director role centralizes agenda control and executive session leadership; strong attendance; equity-heavy director compensation aligns interests .
- Potential signals: Muleta’s recommendations of defense-sector leaders broaden board expertise but increase his influence over board composition; monitor for over-concentration of nominating power even with committee process .
- Conflicts/related-party exposure: No Muleta-specific related-party transactions disclosed; company’s policy routes such reviews through Audit Committee; recent financings involved Fortress and Subin-affiliated entities, not Muleta .
- Risk controls: Anti-hedging/pledging policy reduces alignment risks; independent director majority and regular executive sessions support oversight .