Kevin McGurn
About Kevin McGurn
Kevin McGurn, 52, was nominated as Chief Executive Officer of Sono Group N.V. on September 9, 2025 and engaged via a consulting agreement pending shareholder election as Managing Director; he will serve as CEO and sole member of the Management Board reporting to the Supervisory Board . He holds a BA in History from Ohio Wesleyan University (1998) and has over two decades of revenue leadership across media and technology including Hulu, Vevo, and T-Mobile . FY2025 bonus metrics for McGurn will be set by the Supervisory Board; TSR, revenue growth, and EBITDA growth targets for his incentive plan were not disclosed as of the Sept 9, 2025 8-K .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Years | Strategic Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yorkville Acquisition Corp. | Chief Executive Officer; Director | Mar 2025–present | Principal executive officer; SOX 302/906 certifications filed, leading SPAC operations . |
| New America Acquisition I Corp. | Chairman, CEO, CFO | Jul 2025–present | Oversees SPAC formation and deal strategy . |
| T-Mobile | VP, Advertising Solutions | Oct 2023–Nov 2024 | Led digital/programmatic ad platform initiatives . |
| Vevo LLC | President (Sales & Distribution) | 2019–Oct 2023 | Monetization, sales strategy, global partnerships . |
| Hulu | SVP, Advertising Sales | 2007–2013 | Launched and scaled ad-supported streaming business . |
| Zype, Inc. | Independent Director | Prior to acquisition by Backlight | Video infrastructure oversight; exposure to SaaS media infra . |
| Triller Group | Named CEO (did not assume role) | Oct 2024 | Offer not consummated; no service commenced . |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Years | Notes / Potential Interlocks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trump Media & Technology Group (TMTG) | Advisory capacity | 2025–present | Advises on M&A, SVOD, social platforms (Truth+ and Truth Social) . |
| Revel Partners | Limited Partner; Strategic Advisor | Current | VC focus on B2B SaaS and media innovation . |
| Alpine Meridian | Limited Partner; Strategic Advisor | Current | VC investments across digital media and consumer tech . |
Fixed Compensation
| Component | Interim Period (Sep 9, 2025 → shareholder election) | Employment Period (retroactive to Sep 9, 2025 upon election) |
|---|---|---|
| Base salary | N/A | $400,000 per year, paid biweekly, pro-rated for partial year . |
| Weekly consulting fee | $7,700 per week, paid biweekly in arrears . | N/A |
| Healthcare stipend | $3,500/month taxable stipend until U.S. plan established . | $3,500/month taxable stipend until U.S. plan established . |
| Paid time off | N/A | 6 weeks (240 hours) per year; accrues pro-rata; plus paid German holidays . |
| Benefits | N/A | Eligible for benefits available to employees, including healthcare coverage . |
| Reporting line | Part-time CEO services to Supervisory Board . | CEO; sole Managing Director reporting to Supervisory Board . |
Performance Compensation
| Metric | Weighting/Target | Period | Actual/Payout Mechanics | Vesting/Timing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Annual cash bonus | Target 25% of base ($100,000 full year) | FY2025 | Pro-rated for partial year; payable by Jan 31, 2026; contingent on goal achievement as approved by Supervisory Board and continued service (unless terminated without Cause) . | Cash payment; no equity vesting disclosed . |
| Performance goals | To be agreed and approved by Supervisory Board on or before next EGM . | FY2025 | Not disclosed; will drive bonus determination . | N/A |
No RSUs/PSUs/options or equity-based performance awards were disclosed for McGurn as of the Sept 9, 2025 8-K .
Equity Ownership & Alignment
| Item | Status |
|---|---|
| Beneficial ownership (shares) | Not disclosed for McGurn in the July 24, 2025 proxy; he was not an executive at that record date . |
| Equity awards (RSUs/PSUs/options) | None disclosed in the consulting agreement or term sheet . |
| Ownership guidelines | Dutch governance requires General Meeting approval for management board compensation in the form of shares or rights to shares (Article 21.3) . |
| Pledging | No pledging by McGurn disclosed; proxy discussed pledges related to SVSE LLC and Yorkville, not McGurn . |
| Alignment notes | Absence of disclosed equity grants suggests near-term pay tilted to cash; any future equity plans would require shareholder approval under Article 21.3 . |
Employment Terms
| Term | Interim Period | Employment Period (upon election as Managing Director) |
|---|---|---|
| Structure | Independent contractor via McGurn Advisors LLC; part-time CEO services . | Service agreement (not Dutch “employment” contract); CEO and sole Managing Director . |
| Term | Effective Sep 9, 2025 to EGM date . | Initial Term retroactive to Sep 9, 2025 until end of elected term; extendable by mutual agreement . |
| Termination notice | For Cause: immediate termination; otherwise requires 90-day notice by either party . | |
| Severance (without Cause) | If terminated for Cause during Interim: ineligible for employment . | If without Cause during Initial Term: severance equals base salary plus 100% of cash bonus for remainder of Initial Term, with minimum of three months salary if termination occurs after month nine; during extensions: three months salary; subject to release and ongoing compliance . |
| Cause definition | Dishonesty, fraud, fiduciary dereliction, felony/moral turpitude, unauthorized disclosure, substance use at work, material policy violation, acts adverse to Company, refusal to substantially perform duties (with disability exception); substantially similar for service agreement . | |
| Confidentiality & IP | Broad confidentiality; assignment of inventions and “works made for hire”; assistance in IP protection . | |
| Non-solicit | One-year post-termination non-solicit of customers and employees . | |
| Non-compete | Not specified; parties state McGurn not bound by external non-compete; employment term sheet does not include a non-compete clause . | |
| Choice of law | Consulting governed by Florida law; service agreement choice of law “leaning towards Dutch or German,” to be finalized . | |
| Travel/location | Travel expected, including to Germany, at Company expense . |
Performance & Track Record
- Media/tech monetization: Led ad-supported streaming monetization at Hulu as SVP Advertising Sales (2007–2013) .
- Global partnerships: President at Vevo with responsibility for monetization, sales strategy, and partnerships (2019–Oct 2023) .
- Telecom ad tech: VP Advertising Solutions at T-Mobile (Oct 2023–Nov 2024) .
- SPAC leadership: CEO/Director at Yorkville Acquisition Corp. and Chairman/CEO/CFO at New America Acquisition I Corp. (2025) .
Board Governance
- Role at Sono Group N.V.: CEO and sole member of the Management Board; reports to Supervisory Board .
- Supervisory Board context: Compensation policy for Management Board set by General Meeting; share-based pay requires shareholder approval (Article 21.3) .
- No committee memberships for McGurn disclosed; he is not listed as a Supervisory Director .
Investment Implications
- Pay-for-performance calibration pending: FY2025 bonus metrics will be set by the Supervisory Board; near-term incentives are cash-based with pro-rated payout by Jan 31, 2026, leaving limited disclosure on performance alignment until metrics are published .
- Retention economics: Severance is robust in the Initial Term (salary plus 100% of bonus for the remaining term, with floor after month nine); this supports continuity but raises fixed-cost risk if strategy pivots or if performance underwhelms .
- Alignment and selling pressure: No equity grants disclosed; with share-based awards needing shareholder approval, insider selling pressure from vesting is likely muted near-term, but equity alignment is also limited unless future grants are proposed and approved .
- External commitments: Concurrent SPAC roles and advisory engagements (e.g., TMTG) suggest broad networks, but time-allocation and reputational risk should be monitored; Company disclosed no related-party transactions and no selection arrangements with other parties .
- Governance considerations: Dutch articles centralize shareholder approval for equity compensation and specify strict cause definitions, confidentiality/IP controls, and non-solicit provisions—providing structural safeguards but not a non-compete .