Christine M. Riordan
About Christine M. Riordan
Christine M. Riordan, Ph.D., is an independent director of RE/MAX Holdings and President of Adelphi University. She is age 60 and has served on the RMAX board since 2015, bringing deep expertise in leadership, talent development, strategy, and team performance; she is also a NACD Board Leadership Fellow . The Board has affirmatively determined she is independent under NYSE standards .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adelphi University | President | Not disclosed | CEO-level leadership; strategy and organizational performance expertise |
| Executive coaching across industries | Executive coach/program designer | Not disclosed | Leadership development; career success; team performance |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Commission for Independent Colleges and Universities | Director | Not disclosed | Board service in higher education |
| Adelphi University | Trustee | Not disclosed | University governance oversight |
| NACD | Board Leadership Fellow | Not disclosed | Ongoing director education and credentials |
Board Governance
- Committees: Chair of Nominating & Corporate Governance; Member of Compensation .
- Meetings: Audit (7), Compensation (4), Nominating & Corporate Governance (4) in 2024; Board met 6 times; all directors attended 100% of Board and committee meetings in 2024 .
- Independence: Determined independent under NYSE standards .
- Annual meeting: All directors attended 2024 annual meeting .
- Structure: Separate Chair and CEO; formal Lead Independent Director role; independent directors meet without management; Board and committees fully independent .
Fixed Compensation
| Component (Directors) | Amount ($) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Base retainer | 80,000 | Cash |
| Nominating & Corporate Governance Chair retainer | 15,000 | Cash |
| Compensation Committee member retainer | 6,000 | Cash |
| Annual equity grant (RSUs) | 100,000 | RSUs vest after ~1 year |
| Dividend equivalents paid on vested RSUs (FY2024) | 1,244 | Cash |
| Total FY2024 compensation (Riordan) | 202,247 | Fees earned in cash: 101,000; Stock awards: 100,003; Other: 1,244 |
Performance Compensation
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Performance-based awards | None disclosed for directors; annual RSU grants are time-based |
| Options | None disclosed for directors in 2024 |
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Category | Detail |
|---|---|
| Current public company boards | None disclosed for Dr. Riordan |
| Non-profit/academic boards | Commission for Independent Colleges and Universities (director); Adelphi University (Trustee) |
| Compensation committee interlocks | None for any members; no Item 404 relationships; no interlocks existed |
Expertise & Qualifications
- Leadership, strategy, talent development, and team performance; executive coaching across industries .
- Board governance: NACD Board Leadership Fellow; commitment to ongoing director education; Board conducts annual self-evaluations .
- Broad business exposure including financial services, insurance, real estate, mortgage, franchised businesses, and higher education .
Equity Ownership
| Measure | Value | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Beneficial ownership (Class A shares) | 35,598 | As of record date; “Less than 1%” in proxy table |
| Unvested RSUs outstanding (12/31/2024) | 11,364 | Vests May 1, 2025 |
| Shares outstanding (Class A) | 19,906,921 | As of record date |
| Ownership as % of shares outstanding | ~0.18% | Computed from 35,598 / 19,906,921 |
| Stock ownership guidelines | 3x base cash retainer for non-employee directors | Ownership counted includes beneficial shares and unvested time-based RSUs (with conditions) |
| Indicative alignment vs guideline | Base retainer $80k → 3x = $240k; 35,598 shares × $10.67 = ~$379k (Dec 31, 2024 close) | Suggests guideline met based on disclosed price and share count |
Anti-hedging/pledging: Insider Trading Policy prohibits hedging or pledging without prior Board consent; no consents have been granted .
Governance Assessment
- Board effectiveness: Riordan chairs Nominating & Corporate Governance and serves on Compensation, with 100% attendance—indicates strong engagement and governance influence .
- Independence and risk controls: Independent director; independent committees; clawback policy and compensation risk assessment in place; independent compensation consultant (Meridian) used by the Compensation Committee .
- Ownership alignment: Significant personal holding and unvested RSUs; non-employee director ownership guideline of 3x cash retainer likely met based on disclosed share count and price .
- Conflicts: No related-party transactions disclosed for Riordan; compensation committee interlocks and Item 404 relationships explicitly none for committee members .
- Investor engagement signals: Company conducted outreach to holders representing ~40% of Class A shares and met with ~30%; Board maintains independent Lead Director and separate Chair/CEO .
- Potential red flags (contextual, not director-specific): Classified board; concentrated voting power—RIHI, controlled by David and Gail Liniger, held ~38.73% combined voting power as of record date, which can limit minority shareholder influence .