Houman Akhavan
Outdoor HoldingAbout Houman Akhavan
Independent director of Outdoor Holding Company (NASDAQ: POWW) elected August 29, 2025; age 47 . Seasoned e‑commerce and digital marketing executive: CEO of GCheck.com since 2023; former Chief Marketing Officer at CarParts.com (2019–2023), where he led platform consolidation, mobile-first transformation, and scalable marketing infrastructure; recognized by Similarweb for fastest growth in the automotive aftermarket. Sits on the Board of Directors at CDON Group (Nasdaq Stockholm: CDON.ST). Studied Computer Information Technology at Mt. Sierra College .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| CarParts.com (NASDAQ: PRTS) | Chief Marketing Officer | 2019–2023 | Led platform consolidation, mobile-first transformation, and scalable marketing infrastructure; Similarweb recognition for fastest-growing e-commerce in auto aftermarket . |
| GCheck.com | Chief Executive Officer | 2023–Present | Technology-driven provider in pre-employment background checks . |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Public/Private | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| CDON Group (CDON.ST) | Director | Public | Nordic online marketplace; current board service . |
Board Governance
- Election mandate: Strong support at 2025 annual meeting (For: 57,142,368; Against: 1,251,147; Abstain: 229,149) .
- Independence: Board determined Akhavan would be an independent director under Nasdaq standards .
- Board composition/independence post-2025 AGM: 5 directors, 4 independent .
- Leadership: CEO and Chair roles combined (Steve Urvan); independent directors hold regular executive sessions (4 in FY2025) .
- Committees: Audit, Compensation, Nominations & Corporate Governance exist with published charters; FY2025 committee membership listed for incumbents. Akhavan’s committee assignments were not disclosed in the proxy or subsequent 8‑K election results .
- Meetings and attendance (FY2025): Board 13; Audit 5; Compensation 3; Nominating 19. Each incumbent director attended ≥75% of meetings; Akhavan was not yet on the Board during FY2025 .
- Policies: Hedging and pledging of Company stock prohibited for directors and officers . Related Party Transactions Policy adopted June 6, 2024; Audit Committee review required . Clawback policy compliant with SEC/Nasdaq; ongoing recovery analysis related to FY2022–FY2024 restatements .
Shareholder votes (context)
| Proposal (Aug 29, 2025) | For | Against | Abstain | Broker Non-Votes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elect Houman Akhavan as Director | 57,142,368 | 1,251,147 | 229,149 | 25,265,892 |
| Say-on-Pay (advisory) | 55,334,796 | 2,188,895 | 1,098,973 | 25,265,892 |
| Say-on-Pay Frequency | 1 Year: 30,477,445 | 2 Years: 426,341 | 3 Years: 26,847,437 | 871,441; Broker: 25,265,892 |
Fixed Compensation (Director)
| Component | Detail | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Annual director equity | 60,000 shares of Common Stock granted in FY2025 to each director; aggregate fair value per director: $162,600 | |
| Cash fees | Quarterly cash payments for Board/committee service (amount varies by role/workload) | |
| Recent grant to Akhavan | 15,000 shares on 11/15/2025 as quarterly Board grant (no cash paid; equity at $0 grant price) |
Notes: The Company’s 2025 LTIP was approved by shareholders at the 2025 annual meeting .
Performance Compensation (Director)
| Metric | Applies to Non-Employee Directors? | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Performance-based metrics (e.g., revenue, EBITDA, TSR) | No | Director compensation is composed of cash fees and time-based stock grants; no performance metrics disclosed for directors . |
Other Directorships & Interlocks
- Current public company board: CDON Group (CDON.ST). No related-party transactions involving Akhavan are disclosed in POWW’s proxy or related-party section .
- No disclosed interlocks with POWW competitors/suppliers/customers.
Expertise & Qualifications
- E-commerce and online marketplaces, performance marketing, customer acquisition, and digital strategy (deemed “unique, accretive, and much-needed” perspective for the Board) .
Equity Ownership
| Item | Detail | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Beneficial ownership at proxy record date (6/30/2025) | Not listed (not yet a director) | |
| Insider transaction | 15,000 shares acquired via Board grant on 11/15/2025 | |
| Hedging/pledging | Prohibited for directors and officers | |
| Stock ownership guidelines | Not disclosed for directors in the 2025 proxy |
Governance Assessment
-
Positives:
- Independence confirmed; strong shareholder mandate at election .
- Skill fit: deep e‑commerce/marketplace expertise aligned with GunBroker.com strategy .
- Alignment: recurring equity grants to directors; hedging/pledging prohibited .
- Shareholder engagement: Say‑on‑Pay approved; frequency set to annual .
- Nasdaq compliance regained following the 2025 annual meeting (all proposals approved) .
-
Watch items / potential red flags (company-level context):
- Recent accounting restatements and Special Committee findings on prior periods; clawback process ongoing (governance remediation in progress) .
- CEO/Chair duality persists; no disclosed Lead Independent Director; committee assignments for newly elected directors (including Akhavan) not yet disclosed in filings .
- Significant related-party and settlement arrangements involving the CEO (e.g., warrants/notes under the 2025 settlement) increase sensitivity to independent oversight, though no such transactions are disclosed for Akhavan .
-
Attendance/engagement:
- FY2025 attendance threshold (≥75%) was met by incumbents; Akhavan joined post‑FY2025—no attendance data yet .
-
Director compensation mix:
- FY2025 structure blended cash (e.g., committee workload) and equity (60,000 shares). Akhavan’s initial Form 4 confirms quarterly 15,000 share grants, consistent with policy .
Related-Party Transactions (Akhavan)
- None disclosed for Akhavan in the latest proxy’s Related Party Transactions section; Company policy requires Audit Committee approval for covered transactions .
Say‑on‑Pay & Shareholder Feedback
- 2025 Say‑on‑Pay approved (For: 55,334,796; Against: 2,188,895; Abstain: 1,098,973); Say‑on‑Pay votes to be held annually per shareholder preference .
Appendix – Board/Committee Structure (FY2025 reference)
- Committees with charters: Audit, Compensation, Nominations & Corporate Governance .
- FY2025 committee meeting counts: Audit (5), Compensation (3), Nominations (19) .
- NACD membership for continuing education .
Notes on data availability: Committee assignments for Akhavan were not disclosed in the July 14, 2025 proxy or the August 29, 2025 8‑K vote results . Insider Form 4 confirms initial equity grant on 11/15/2025 .