Christopher Uhlick
About Christopher Uhlick
Christopher M. Uhlick, age 37, was appointed Chief Accounting Officer of Safehold Inc. effective July 7, 2025. He is a CPA in New York and holds both a B.B.A. and M.B.A. from Pace University. Prior experience includes senior accounting policy and financial reporting roles at SL Green Realty Corp. (2021–2025), W. P. Carey (2017–2021), and Ernst & Young (2011–2017). As of his Form 3 filing on July 8, 2025, he reported no beneficial ownership of SAFE securities; company pay-for-performance disclosures indicate 2024 TSR value of a $100 investment at $50.68 and Net Income of $105,800k, providing context to the governance environment he joins .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Years | Strategic Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| SL Green Realty Corp. | Senior Vice President, Accounting Policy & Financial Reporting | 2021–2025 | Led accounting policy and financial reporting functions |
| W. P. Carey, Inc. | Senior Manager, Financial Reporting | 2017–2021 | Financial reporting responsibilities for listed REIT |
| Ernst & Young | Began career in assurance/advisory | 2011–2017 | Audit/financial reporting foundation across clients |
External Roles
| Disclosure | Detail |
|---|---|
| Public company directorships | None disclosed in SAFE filings reviewed for Mr. Uhlick |
Fixed Compensation
| Component | Value | Effective Date | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Base Salary | $270,000 | July 7, 2025 | Annual base salary set on appointment |
| Target Bonus % | — | — | Eligible under Company’s incentive plan; specific % not disclosed |
| Actual Bonus Paid (2025) | — | — | Not disclosed; annual bonus timing per Company program |
Performance Compensation
Annual Incentive Plan (Company-level funding framework in 2024)
| Metric | Weight | Threshold | Target | High | Actual Result | Outcome (0–3) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ground Lease Gross Originations | 30% | $200m | $500m | $650m | $225m | 0.2 |
| Credit Rating | 25% | Downgrade | S&P BBB+ or Fitch A- | S&P BBB+ and Fitch A- | S&P BBB+ and Fitch upgrade to A- | 3.0 |
| CARET Valuation (min $15m sale) | 20% | No Sale | $2.0B | $2.25B | No Sale | 0.0 |
| Core G&A (annualized, ex-bonus/stock comp/Star fee) | 15% | $39.1m | $36.1m | $34.6m | $34.6m | 3.0 |
| Employee Engagement Score | 10% | 70% | 77% | 80% | 76.5% | 1.9 |
| AIP Pool Funding | 100% | $10.2m | $13.2m | $16.2m | $11.5m approved; pool funded at reduced target $13.2m | — |
Notes: In July 2024, the Compensation Committee reduced AIP threshold/target/high funding from $11.7m/$14.7m/$17.7m to $10.2m/$13.2m/$16.2m to reflect personnel realignment and lower headcount . NEO awards for 2024 were paid 79% stock/21% cash; specifics for Mr. Uhlick are not disclosed, as he was not a 2024 NEO .
Long-Term Incentives (Mr. Uhlick)
| Award Type | Grant Date | Grant Value | Vesting | Number of Units |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| RSUs (one-time award under 2009 LTIP) | July 7, 2025 | $125,000 | Cliff vest on March 31, 2028 | Not disclosed in 8-K |
Equity Ownership & Alignment
| Item | Status | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| Beneficial Ownership (Form 3) | None | “No securities are beneficially owned” as of 07/07/2025 |
| Stock Ownership Guidelines | In force | Non-employee directors: 5x annual cash retainer; CEO: 10x base salary; CFO and other CEO direct reports: 3x base salary. Officers have five years from appointment to comply . |
| Hedging/Pledging | Prohibited | No hedging; no pledging or margin accounts except with prior board-approved guidelines . |
| Clawback | In force | NYSE-compliant policy to recover erroneously awarded incentive comp from Section 16 officers upon accounting restatement; additional misconduct-related recoupment within two years . |
| Insider Trading Controls | In force | Quarterly blackout periods; pre-clearance required; policy attached to 2024 10-K . |
| Power of Attorney for SEC filings | Executed | POA dated June 24, 2025 appointing attorney-in-fact for Forms 3/4/5, 13D/13G, and 144 . |
Employment Terms
| Provision | Company Policy | Applicability/Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Employment Agreement | None | Executives are at-will; no guaranteed employment; no “golden parachute/coffin” arrangements . |
| Severance Plan | Available to salaried employees | Provides separation benefits upon termination without cause; for NEOs at 12/31/2024 illustrated as 6 months’ salary, AIP proxy (100% of 2023 award), and 6 months employer portion of COBRA. Mr. Alvarado received none upon resignation . |
| Change-in-Control | RSU acceleration (NEOs) | NEO RSUs fully accelerate upon a change in control; values calculated using $18.48 closing price on 12/31/2024 (NEO illustration). Award agreement terms govern for non-NEOs . |
| Equity Grant Practices | Governance | No option grants to NEOs in 2024; equity awards not timed around MNPI . |
Investment Implications
- Alignment/Retention: A one-time $125k RSU grant with 3/31/2028 cliff vest creates strong retention incentives and materially limits near-term selling pressure; Form 3 shows zero beneficial ownership as of appointment, implying minimal overhang until vesting .
- Governance Safeguards: Robust clawback, anti-hedging/pledging, blackout/pre-clearance, and five-year ownership guideline window support alignment and reduce governance risk; absence of employment agreements limits guaranteed payouts .
- Bonus Linkage: Company AIP funding ties to strategic metrics (originations, credit rating, G&A efficiency, engagement); while individual targets for Mr. Uhlick are not disclosed, eligibility under the program suggests cash/equity AIP exposure to enterprise performance .
- Severance Economics: Company-wide severance framework exists for salaried employees; NEO illustrations show modest cash severance plus benefits, with equity acceleration varying by scenario—suggesting limited cash severance risk and award-agreement-driven equity outcomes .
- Trading Signals: With hedging/pledging prohibited and initial nil ownership, watch for future Form 4 filings as RSUs accumulate or if open-market purchases occur (positive alignment signal); 2024 TSR and net income context underscore a performance reset into which the new CAO steps .