Brian Cassidy
About Brian Cassidy
Brian P. Cassidy (age 51) is an independent Class II director of Pursuit Attractions and Hospitality, Inc. (PRSU), serving on the Board since 2020; his current term, if elected, will expire at the 2027 annual meeting. He is President and Partner at Crestview Partners, leading the firm’s media strategy, with prior roles in private equity at Boston Ventures (including acting CFO of a portfolio company) and investment banking at Alex, Brown & Sons, bringing deep M&A, corporate finance, and capital markets expertise to PRSU’s Board .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crestview Partners | President & Partner; Head of Media Strategy; Member, Investment Committee | Joined 2004 | Leads media investing strategy; senior deal oversight |
| Boston Ventures | Private equity investor; Acting CFO at ec-Content (portfolio company) | Prior to Crestview | Operational finance experience; transaction execution |
| Alex, Brown & Sons | Investment banking analyst (consumer and business services) | Prior to Boston Ventures | Capital markets and M&A advisory experience |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Camping World Holdings | Director | Since Mar 2011 | Compensation Committee (current); previously Governance Committee (2016–2020) and Audit Committee (2016) |
| WideOpenWest (WOW!) | Director | Since Dec 2015 | Nominating & Corporate Governance Committee since 2018 |
| Journey Beyond | Director | Since Jul 2024 | — |
| Saber Interactive | Director | Since Sep 2024 | — |
| Congruex Holdings | Director | Since Nov 2017 | — |
| Framestore/Company 3 | Director | Since Dec 2020 | — |
| Hornblower Holdings | Director | Since Apr 2018 | — |
| Digicomm | Director | Since Aug 2022 | — |
| The Gersh Agency | Director | Since Apr 2023 | — |
Board Governance
- Committee assignments: Human Resources Committee member (independent); the HR Committee met 8 times in 2024 .
- Independence: The Board states all nominees other than the CEO are independent under NYSE/SEC standards; Cassidy is nominated as an independent director .
- Attendance and engagement: The Board held 17 meetings in 2024; all directors attended more than 75% of Board and committee meetings and all then-serving directors attended the 2024 annual meeting .
- Board leadership: Independent Chair (Joshua E. Schechter); regular executive sessions of non-management directors at every regular Board meeting .
- Shareholder rights and governance practices include majority voting, director resignation policy, stock ownership guidelines, and prohibitions on hedging/pledging .
Fixed Compensation
| Component | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Annual cash retainer | $65,000 | Paid quarterly in arrears |
| HR Committee membership retainer | $20,000 | Member (not chair) |
| Per-meeting fee (beyond 8 Board mtgs) | $1,500 per mtg | Applied only above 8 mtgs |
| 2024 cash fees earned | $85,000 | Matches base + HR membership |
Performance Compensation
| Equity Award | Grant Date | Shares/Units | Grant-Date FV per Unit | Total Grant-Date FV | Vesting | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Annual RSU grant | Mar 1, 2024 | 3,376 | $37.03 | $125,013 | Vests 100% after 1 year | RSUs held on behalf of Crestview Advisors, L.L.C. |
PRSU grants time-based RSUs to non-employee directors; no director performance metrics are disclosed for equity awards. The HR Committee has sole authority to approve non-employee director equity grants .
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Area | Detail |
|---|---|
| Public company boards | Camping World Holdings (Comp Committee) ; WOW! (Nominating & Corporate Governance Committee) |
| Interlocks | PRSU reports no HR Committee interlocks or insider participation requiring disclosure in 2024 |
| Major shareholder designation | Crestview Parties (21.2% owned as of Mar 25, 2025) may designate two Board nominees as long as ownership thresholds are met; Cassidy is a Crestview designee |
Expertise & Qualifications
- M&A execution, corporate finance, capital markets, and media/entertainment sector expertise from Crestview leadership and prior roles; contributes transaction savvy and investor perspective .
- Board and committee experience across multiple companies, including compensation and governance committees (Camping World, WOW!) .
Equity Ownership
| Metric | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Beneficial ownership (common) | — | “Less than 1%” indicated; RSUs/award shares assigned to Crestview Advisors |
| Ownership % of outstanding | <1% | Based on 28,199,647 shares outstanding |
| Unvested director RSUs held | 3,376 (assigned to Crestview Advisors) | Awarded Mar 1, 2024 |
| Stock ownership guidelines | Directors: 5x annual retainer | As of Dec 31, 2024, Cassidy (as assigned to Crestview) exceeded guidelines |
| Pledging/hedging | Prohibited by policy | Company notes no pledges for named individuals to its knowledge |
Governance Assessment
- Strengths
- Independent director on fully independent committees; strong attendance expectations met across Board and committees in 2024 .
- Clear prohibitions on hedging/pledging; robust stock ownership guidelines and majority voting standard support alignment and accountability .
- Cassidy’s extensive transaction expertise and committee experience (Comp/Gov) likely enhances HR Committee oversight of executive pay and human capital management .
- Potential conflicts and investor caution signals
- Crestview Parties hold 21.2% of PRSU and retain designation rights for Board nominees; Cassidy is Crestview’s president/partner and RSUs are held on behalf of Crestview Advisors, which may raise perceived sponsor influence and alignment questions versus individual ownership .
- PRSU reports no related person transactions since Jan 1, 2024, mitigating direct conflict risk; HR Committee reports no interlocks or insider participation requiring disclosure in 2024 .
- Engagement/attendance
- Board met 17 times in 2024; directors attended >75% and the annual meeting, supporting board effectiveness and engagement .
Summary: Cassidy is an independent director and HR Committee member with deep PE/M&A credentials and broad board experience. While governance practices are strong (independent chair, ownership guidelines, anti-hedging), Crestview’s significant ownership and designation rights, combined with Cassidy’s Crestview leadership and award assignment to Crestview Advisors, warrant ongoing monitoring for sponsor influence and alignment with minority shareholders .