Jake Francis
About Jake Francis
Jake Francis, age 43, was appointed Chief Operating Officer of High Roller Technologies (NYSE: ROLR) effective November 12, 2025, after consulting for the company starting October 2025. He holds an MBA in Business Strategy (Temple University – Fox School), a BS in Marketing (Lehigh University), and is a Certified Six Sigma Black Belt (CSSBB) . Company performance context at appointment: Q3 2025 revenue was $6.281M, Adjusted EBITDA $622K (10% margin), and the company achieved its first quarterly profit as a public company; nine-month 2025 revenue was $19.988M with near break-even net income .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Years | Strategic Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| BlueBet | Senior Vice President of Operations | Mar 2022 – Mar 2025 | Led operations; brings technical, regulatory, and operational experience . |
| Hard Rock Hotel & Casino (Atlantic City) | Director, Internet Gaming Compliance | Feb 2018 – Mar 2019 | Directed iGaming compliance in a regulated environment . |
| NYX Gaming Group | Risk Management | Nov 2014 – Feb 2018 | Managed risk in online gaming operations . |
| Penn Entertainment | Senior Director, Operations | Mar 2007 – Jan 2014 | Operated large-scale gaming business units . |
| Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board | Auditor, Bureau of Gaming Operations | Starting 2007 | Regulatory auditing; foundation in compliance and controls . |
External Roles
- No public company board memberships or external directorships disclosed for Francis .
Fixed Compensation
- Compensation terms for Jake Francis (base salary, target bonus %, actual bonus, perquisites) were not disclosed in the appointment 8-K or the latest proxy; no compensatory arrangements were described specific to Francis in Item 5.02 .
Performance Compensation
- No RSU/PSU or option award details, performance metric weightings, targets, or vesting schedules were disclosed for Francis at appointment .
- Company plan framework: the 2024 Equity Incentive Plan allows stock options, RSUs, SARs, and performance awards; performance goals may be absolute or relative and can be adjusted for non-recurring items, accounting changes, FX, etc. Change-in-control does not automatically accelerate vesting unless specified in award agreements .
- Share reserve increased proposal: total shares available under the Plan increased (subject to stockholder approval) to 4,200,000; as of December 31, 2024, 672,708 shares remained available before the amendment .
Equity Ownership & Alignment
- Total beneficial ownership for Jake Francis, vested/unvested share breakdown, and any pledging/hedging were not disclosed at appointment and he is not listed among beneficial owners in the 2025 proxy’s ownership table .
- Governance mechanisms supporting alignment:
- Compensation Clawback Policy adopted in March 2024 (applies to current/former executive officers for restatements) .
- Insider Trading Policy with trading windows and prohibition on trading with MNPI; 10b5-1 plans allowed; equity award timing controls to avoid MNPI misuse .
Employment Terms
- Appointment: COO effective November 12, 2025; previously served as consultant since October 2025 .
- No arrangements/understandings for appointment, no family relationships with directors/executives, and no material interest in related party transactions disclosed for Francis under Item 404(a) .
- Severance, change-of-control provisions, non-compete/non-solicit, or garden leave terms for Francis were not disclosed in available filings .
Performance & Track Record
Company operating context (oldest → newest for comparability):
| Metric | Q3 2024 | Q3 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue ($USD Thousands) | $7,516 | $6,281 |
| Net Income ($USD Thousands) | $(501) | $3,667 |
| Adjusted EBITDA ($USD Thousands) | $40 | $622 |
| Adjusted EBITDA Margin (%) | 1% | 10% |
| Metric | 9M 2024 | 9M 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue ($USD Thousands) | $19,826 | $19,988 |
| Net Income ($USD Thousands) | $(3,854) | $(201) |
| Adjusted EBITDA ($USD Thousands) | $(1,675) | $(1,539) |
Additional Q3 2025 highlights: first-ever quarterly profit as a public company; achieved positive adjusted EPS ($0.07) and operating income ($80K); cash and cash equivalents ~$3.5M (including restricted cash) .
Compensation Committee Analysis
- Compensation Committee members: Kristen Britt (Chair), Jonas Martensson, David Weild IV; all independent under NYSE American and SEC rules .
- Responsibilities include reviewing exec compensation, approving changes (other than CEO for board approval), and administering equity plans .
Investment Implications
- Management alignment: Francis’ compliance and operations pedigree fits ROLR’s emphasis on disciplined financial management and regulated market expansion; governance guardrails (clawback, insider trading windows) mitigate misalignment risk .
- Near-term disclosure gap: Lack of disclosed compensation terms and equity grants for Francis limits pay-for-performance analysis; monitor subsequent 8-Ks/Form 4s and the next proxy for grant details, vesting schedules, and ownership data .
- Equity incentives pipeline: The proposed increase to 4.2M Plan shares signals capacity for meaningful performance-linked awards to drive execution; watch for performance metrics chosen (EBITDA/NGR, TSR) and any accelerated vesting/change-in-control terms in award agreements to assess retention and selling pressure risk .
- Operating backdrop: Company’s pivot to profitability in Q3 2025 and cost discipline provide a constructive platform for an operations-focused COO; execution risk remains tied to regulated market launches (e.g., Ontario) and sustaining margin improvements .