Humera Kassem
Dave & Buster's EntertainmentAbout Humera Kassem
Humera Kassem, 49, has served as Chief People Officer at Dave & Buster’s since December 2023, with prior HR leadership roles across consumer, retail, and technology; she holds a B.A. in Communications (USC) and an M.A. in Organization Management (Dallas Baptist University) . During fiscal 2024, the company’s revenue declined 3.3%, Adjusted EBITDA fell to $506.2 million from $555.6 million, and net income was $58.3 million; cumulative TSR (from a 2020 base) stood at $62.22 versus $124.98 in 2023 .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Years | Strategic Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sabio, Inc. | Chief People Officer | 2023 | Led HR for ad-tech; organizational scaling and talent strategy |
| Kassem Consulting | Owner & Executive HR Consultant | 2019–2023 | Advised on HR strategy, organizational design, and change management |
| Jamba Juice | Chief Human Resources Officer | 2017–2018 | Modernized HR for QSR; talent and culture initiatives |
| Good Smoke (Jim N’ Nicks BBQ, Dinosaur BBQ) | Chief People Officer | 2016–2017 | Built HR capability across restaurant brands |
| Mr. Cooper | Vice President, Human Resources | 2013–2016 | Led HR in mortgage services; scaled talent operations |
| J.C. Penney | Director of Human Resources | 2006–2013 | Retail HR leadership spanning store and corporate functions |
| GE Commercial Finance | HR Generalist | 2004–2006 | HR support for finance businesses |
| Delta Air Lines | Human Resources Advisor | 2002–2004 | HR advisory for airline operations |
| The Coca-Cola Company | Human Resources Administrator | 1996–2002 | HR administration across beverages/bottling |
Fixed Compensation
| Component | FY2024 | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Base Salary | Not disclosed | Kassem is not a Named Executive Officer (NEO); proxy reports NEO pay only |
| Target Bonus % | Not disclosed | Executive Incentive Plan applies to key employees, but individual targets for Kassem not disclosed |
| Actual Bonus Paid | Not disclosed | NEO bonuses paid at 0% for FY2024; no disclosure for Kassem |
Performance Compensation
| Metric | Weighting | FY2024 Target | FY2024 Actual | Payout | Vesting/Timing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Incentive Adjusted EBITDA | 60% | $609.0M | $524.9M | 0% | Annual cash bonus under Executive Incentive Plan |
| Total Revenue | 15% | $2,330.0M | $2,132.7M | 0% | Annual cash bonus |
| Comparable Store Sales Growth | 25% | 3.3% | (7.2)% | 0% | Annual cash bonus |
Long-term incentive design (company-wide): RSUs vest in equal installments over three years; options vest in equal annual installments over three years; PSUs vest after a three-year performance period tied to Adjusted EBITDA CAGR with 4.5% threshold, 9.0% target, and 13.5% maximum payout levels . Select officers also have 5-year stock-price PSUs (200%/300% price hurdles) with amended interim vesting mechanics to enhance retention; applicability to Kassem is not disclosed .
Equity Ownership & Alignment
- Personal beneficial ownership, vested/unvested breakdown, options, and pledged shares for Kassem are not disclosed; aggregate executive officers and directors (15 persons) held 697,534 shares (2.02%) as of April 21, 2025 .
- Insider trading policy prohibits hedging and pledging of company stock; strict blackout periods are enforced . Compensation practices emphasize no hedging/pledging, dividend equivalents only on vested awards, and clawbacks on variable pay .
- Stock ownership guidelines require multiples of salary (CEO 6x; CFO/COO 3x; other senior VPs 2x), with five years to achieve; specific requirement and compliance status for Kassem are not disclosed .
- Clawback policy (adopted Oct 2023) mandates recovery of erroneously awarded incentive-based compensation following qualifying accounting restatements, regardless of fault, covering the prior three fiscal years .
Employment Terms
- Employment agreement terms (base, bonus multiple, non-compete/non-solicit, severance) for Kassem are not disclosed .
- Company practice for certain executives (Harper, Bautista, Mulleady, Wehner) includes one-year non-compete, two-year non-solicit/non-hire, auto-renewal, and severance upon involuntary termination (12 months salary, pro rata bonus, 12 months COBRA payments), subject to a release; not disclosed for Kassem specifically .
- Plan-level change-of-control treatment: options/RSUs/PSUs may accelerate or convert to time-based vesting under defined conditions; repricing of options/SARs without shareholder approval is prohibited .
Company Performance During Kassem’s Tenure
| Metric | FY2023 | FY2024 |
|---|---|---|
| Net Income ($MM) | 126.9 | 58.3 |
| Adjusted EBITDA ($MM) | 555.6 | 506.2 |
Additional FY2024 highlights: revenue of ~$2.1B (down 3.3% YoY), comparable store sales down 7.2%, 14 new venues opened (including first franchise in Bengaluru, India) .
Compensation Committee & Governance Context
- Compensation Committee comprised independent directors (Chambers—Chair, Griffith, Storms) and engaged FW Cook as its independent consultant; pay philosophy centers on pay-for-performance, market competitiveness, and sustained value creation .
- 2025 Omnibus Incentive Plan approved (4,000,000 shares); includes best-practice guardrails: no liberal share counting, no option repricing without shareholder approval, no excise tax gross-ups, no single-trigger vesting, director award cap, and clawback .
- Shareholders approved say-on-pay with 95% support at the 2024 annual meeting; continued annual advisory votes .
Investment Implications
- Alignment features (no hedging/pledging, clawback, ownership guidelines, strict plan governance) mitigate agency risk and support long-term value orientation for executives including the CPO .
- FY2024 underperformance drove 0% EIP payouts for NEOs; if Kassem participates in the same corporate EIP, cash bonus pressure likely mirrors company results, reducing near-term selling incentives tied to bonus vesting; her individual payout is not disclosed .
- Retention initiatives (2025 Omnibus Plan, contingent retention awards) and broadened equity eligibility may strengthen executive retention; monitoring future Form 4 filings and grant disclosures will be key to assessing Kassem-specific selling pressure and ownership alignment .