Joshua Schechter
About Joshua E. Schechter
Independent Chairman of the Board of Pursuit Attractions and Hospitality, Inc. (PRSU); age 52; director since 2015. Background includes extensive public company board leadership, audit and governance committee work, and prior roles in capital markets and transactions; identified Board skills include corporate governance, capital markets, acquisitions, and multi-industry transaction experience .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steel Partners Ltd. | Managing Director | 2001–2013 | Corporate governance, capital markets and acquisitions experience |
| Steel Partners Japan Asset Management, LP | Co‑President | 2008–2013 | Investment services leadership in Japan |
| Aderans Co., Ltd. | Director | 2008–2015 | Oversight of multinational hair-related business |
| Aderans America Holdings, Inc. | Executive Chairman | 2008–2015 | Holding company leadership |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lifecore Biomedical, Inc. (NASDAQ: LFCR; formerly Landec) | Director | Since Oct 2020 | Audit Committee; Chair of Nominating & Governance 2022–2024 |
| Bed Bath & Beyond Inc. (formerly NASDAQ: BBBY) | Director | May 2019–Jun 2023 | Audit Committee member |
| Support.com (merged with Greenidge Generation, NASDAQ: GREE) | Director; Chairman | Jun 2016–Sep 2021 | Audit; Nominating & Corporate Governance Committees |
| Sunworks, Inc. (formerly NASDAQ: SUNW) | Director; Chairman | Apr 2018–Jan 2020 | Nominating & Corporate Governance; Audit Committees |
| Genesco Inc. (NYSE: GCO) | Director | Apr 2018–Jun 2019 | Strategic Committee member |
Board Governance
- Board leadership: Roles of Chair and CEO are separated; Mr. Schechter serves as independent Chairman with responsibilities including leading peer reviews, shareholder engagement, crisis leadership, CEO advisory and performance review, and presiding over Board and executive sessions .
- Committees and independence: Schechter is a member of the Audit Committee and the Corporate Governance & Nominating Committee; all committee members are independent under NYSE/SEC standards .
- Committee meeting cadence (2024): Audit 8; Corporate Governance & Nominating 5; Human Resources 8 .
- Attendance and engagement: The Board held 17 meetings in 2024; all directors attended more than 75% of Board and committee meetings; all then‑serving directors attended the 2024 annual meeting; Schechter presides over non‑management executive sessions .
- Shareholder voting (2025): All director nominees were elected; say‑on‑pay was approved (For: 25,591,612; Against: 528,948; Abstain: 7,458; Broker non‑votes: 980,451) .
- Governance practices: No hedging or pledging permitted; majority voting for uncontested elections; director stock ownership guidelines; regular exec sessions and evaluations .
Fixed Compensation
| Year | Fees Earned or Paid in Cash ($) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 120,000 | Components disclosed: annual retainer $65,000; independent chairman retainer $100,000; committee member retainers (Audit $25,000; Governance $15,000); per‑meeting $1,500 beyond 8 meetings (structure; individual mix not itemized) |
Performance Compensation
| Grant | Grant Date | Units / Value | Vesting | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Annual RSU grant | Mar 1, 2024 | 3,376 RSUs @ $37.03 FV per unit; aggregate $125,013 | One‑year cliff vest from grant date | Standard non‑employee director grant; full vesting upon termination if criteria met |
| Unvested RSUs (as of Dec 31, 2024) | — | Directors held 3,376 unvested RSUs (Bright 2,162) | — | Stock ownership note also references 3,149 unvested RSUs for certain directors including Schechter (ownership table methodology) |
No performance metrics (e.g., TSR, EBITDA) apply to director equity grants; RSUs for directors are time-based with defined vesting and ownership guidelines .
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Current public boards | Lifecore Biomedical (Audit; prior Nominating & Governance Chair) |
| Interlocks | HR Committee Interlocks: none requiring disclosure; no officer directors on HR Committee |
| Investor designation dynamics | Crestview Parties retain rights to designate Board nominees under a Stockholders Agreement (currently two nominees); governance consideration for board independence balance |
Expertise & Qualifications
- Corporate governance, capital markets, acquisitions, and transactions across multiple industries .
- Extensive audit and governance committee experience at retail, health/biotech, tech services, and energy companies .
- Independent Chairman role with defined oversight and shareholder engagement responsibilities .
Equity Ownership
| Holder | Beneficial Ownership (Shares) | % of Outstanding | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Joshua E. Schechter | 52,699 | Less than 1% (based on 28,199,647 shares outstanding) | No shares pledged; directors must meet 5x retainer ownership; Schechter exceeds guideline as of 12/31/2024 |
| Unvested RSUs (not included in beneficial ownership) | 3,149 for certain directors including Schechter | N/A | Ownership table excludes RSUs vesting beyond 60 days |
Policies and alignment:
- Stock ownership guidelines: Non‑employee directors must hold 5.0x annual retainer; Schechter exceeds guideline .
- Hedging/pledging: Prohibited for directors; no pledges reported for named individuals .
Governance Assessment
-
Positive signals:
- Independent Chairman with robust oversight remit; regular executive sessions; separated Chair/CEO roles .
- Strong committee independence; Audit and Governance membership; cybersecurity oversight embedded in Audit Committee .
- Attendance and engagement standards met; high annual meeting participation; majority voting and resignation policy .
- Director pay structure balanced (cash + equity) and aligned via ownership guidelines; Schechter exceeds guideline; hedging/pledging banned .
- Say‑on‑pay support at 2025 annual meeting (25.6M For vs 0.53M Against) indicating shareholder confidence in compensation governance .
-
Potential watch items:
- Crestview designation rights (two nominees while thresholds persist) may influence board composition; ongoing need to preserve independence balance across committees and leadership .
- Multiple historical board commitments across sectors; ensure adequate bandwidth and continued attendance and engagement (Board tracked >75% attendance in 2024) .
-
Conflicts/related‑party exposure:
- Company reports no related person transactions since Jan 1, 2024 .
- HR Committee interlocks requiring disclosure: none .
- Section 16(a) compliance issues: none noted for Schechter; one late Form 4 for another director (Coll) due to administrative oversight .