Christopher Wiese
About Christopher Wiese
Christopher K. Wiese is President of EV Labs at Energy Vault Holdings (NRGV), appointed in July 2024 after serving as Chief Operating Officer from October 2021 to June 2024 and Vice President of Engineering from March to September 2021 . He is 64 and holds a B.S. and M.S. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Wisconsin; his career includes senior roles in operations, engineering, and global procurement across Zebra Technologies, Danaher, Spirent Communications, and Bell Labs . No company TSR, revenue growth, or EBITDA growth metrics are disclosed for his tenure; the proxy focuses on role history rather than performance outcomes .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Years | Strategic Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Energy Vault (EV Labs) | President | Jul 2024–present | Leads EV Labs, bringing engineering and operations depth to product and technology execution |
| Energy Vault | Chief Operating Officer | Oct 2021–Jun 2024 | Ran global operations, execution, and scaling of solutions |
| Energy Vault | Vice President of Engineering | Mar–Sep 2021 | Led engineering during early commercialization |
| Zebra Technologies | Vice President of Global Procurement | 2015–2019 | Drove supply chain and procurement optimization |
| Danaher | Senior Vice President of Engineering | 2013–2014 | Led engineering within Danaher’s technology platforms |
| Spirent Communications plc | Chief Operating Officer | 2007–2013 | Oversaw operations in telecom network infrastructure |
| Bell Labs | Engineering/R&D roles | From 1988 | Progressively senior roles across R&D, Engineering, and Supply Chain |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Years | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zebra Technologies | VP Global Procurement | 2015–2019 | Public company (Nasdaq: ZBRA); global supply chain leadership |
| Danaher | SVP Engineering | 2013–2014 | Fortune 100 industrial/technology leader |
| Spirent Communications plc | COO | 2007–2013 | London-listed telecom testing firm |
| Bell Labs | Engineer/Manager | From 1988 | Foundational technical experience |
Fixed Compensation
| Component | Amount | Terms | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Base Salary (Offer Letter, VP Eng) | $210,000 (annual) | Bi-weekly payroll; at-will employment | |
| Signing Bonus | $8,077 (one-time) | Paid at start; standard withholding | |
| Target Bonus | 40% of base salary | Annual performance bonus eligibility |
Notes: The 2021 VP Engineering offer letter set initial cash compensation; no subsequent Wiese-specific base salary disclosures are provided in later proxies (he is not a named executive officer in 2024/2025 filings) .
Performance Compensation
| Metric | Weighting | Target | Actual/Payout | Vesting/Timing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Annual Bonus (Company/Individual goals) | Not disclosed | 40% of base salary (target) | Not disclosed | Annual; terms per company bonus plan |
Company-wide bonus frameworks and objective categories for named executive officers are disclosed, but Wiese-specific bonus outcomes are not reported (he is not a named executive) .
Equity Ownership & Alignment
- Initial equity award (Offer Letter): Option to purchase 25,000 shares; vesting schedule and fair value not disclosed in the offer letter text extract .
- General equity plan mechanics: Options/RSUs administered under 2017/2020/2022 plans; typical vesting and change-in-control treatments defined at plan level, not individual to Wiese in public filings .
- Hedging/Pledging: Company’s Insider Trading Policy prohibits hedging; pledging requires compliance officer approval, applicable to all directors, officers, and employees .
- Beneficial ownership: Wiese is not listed in the 2024 or 2025 beneficial ownership tables; named executive officers and directors only are disclosed .
Employment Terms
- Employment start date (NRGV): Offer letter dated February 11, 2021 for VP Engineering, employment beginning March 1, 2021; employment is at-will with arbitration provisions .
- Contract term/expiration: At-will; no fixed term disclosed .
- Severance/change-of-control: Not disclosed for Wiese; severance/change-in-control economics are provided for named executive officers, but Wiese-specific terms are not in the proxy materials .
- Clawback: Company adopted a Dodd-Frank compliant clawback policy in 2023 administered by the Compensation Committee; applies to current/former executive officers broadly (policy-level disclosure) .
- Non-compete/non-solicit: Not disclosed for Wiese; standard confidentiality/IP assignment referenced across company agreements and equity plans, with further specifics provided for other executives in Swiss agreements (not applicable to Wiese’s U.S. offer letter) .
Investment Implications
- Retention/Alignment: Wiese’s compensation structure (base + target bonus + initial option grant) provides baseline alignment with company performance; however, absence of disclosed individual severance or CIC protections suggests lower guaranteed retention economics vs. named executive officers, limiting potential “golden parachute” risk and pay-for-non-performance concerns .
- Execution signal: Progressive role elevation (VP Eng → COO → President EV Labs) indicates management confidence in operational leadership; the company-wide anti-hedging/pledging policy and clawback adoption bolster governance and alignment practices affecting insiders (including Wiese) .
- Data gaps: No Wiese-specific bonus outcomes, multi-year equity grant detail, or beneficial ownership disclosure in proxies; analysts should monitor future Form 4 filings and proxies for insider transactions and updated grants (not available in the provided filings) .
Sources: Executive officer biographies and role history ; 2021 VP Engineering offer letter ; governance policies (insider trading, clawback) ; proxy compensation and ownership sections (named executive officers only) .