Eric Christian
About Eric Christian
Eric Christian is Chief Marketing Officer at Saga Communications (SGA), employed since June 19, 2019 and promoted to VP of Digital Strategies in July 2020 and to CMO in February 2023. Education, age, and formal biography are not disclosed in available filings. Company-level performance metrics (TSR, revenue growth, EBITDA growth) linked specifically to Christian’s compensation are not disclosed; SGA’s incentive framework for named executive officers is primarily time-based restricted stock with three-year pro‑rata vesting and change‑of‑control acceleration, but Eric Christian is not listed among named executive officers receiving those awards in the disclosures cited below .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Years | Strategic Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Saga Communications, Inc. | Director of Digital Strategies | Jun 19, 2019 – Jul 2020 | Board approved hiring into digital role . |
| Saga Communications, Inc. | Vice President of Digital Strategies | Jul 2020 – Feb 2023 | Board approved promotion; entered Change‑in‑Control Agreement on Jul 6, 2020 . |
| Saga Communications, Inc. | Chief Marketing Officer | Feb 2023 – present | Board approved promotion to CMO . |
External Roles
No public company directorships or external board roles are disclosed for Eric Christian in the cited filings .
Fixed Compensation
| Metric | FY 2019 | FY 2020 | FY 2021 | FY 2022 | FY 2023 | FY 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aggregate salary + bonus ($USD) | $81,615 | $144,648 | $152,884 | $195,000 | $193,000 | $195,000 |
Notes:
- Filings disclose aggregate salary+bonus; base salary, target bonus %, and actual bonus split are not separately disclosed for Eric Christian in these documents .
Performance Compensation
- Company framework: SGA’s incentive plans have primarily granted restricted stock to named executive officers with three‑year pro‑rata vesting; awards accelerate on change of control; officers must retain 50% of net shares until leaving the company .
- For Eric Christian specifically, filings do not disclose any RSU/PSU or option grants, strike prices, performance metrics, weightings, targets, or payouts; thus no Eric‑specific performance compensation table can be produced from available documents .
Equity Ownership & Alignment
- Beneficial ownership: Eric Christian is not listed in the “Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management” tables; individual share counts for him are not disclosed in the cited proxies .
- Family influence: The Edward K. Christian Trust (co‑trustees Judith A. Christian and Michael L. Dallaire) is a >10% shareholder; the estate held approximately 16% in FY 2022–2023 disclosures and ~14.6% by FY 2024 per later filings, indicating continuing significant family ownership—alignment and potential influence considerations for governance .
- Pledging/hedging: No pledging or hedging by Eric Christian is disclosed in cited filings .
- Ownership guidelines: Officers must retain 50% of net restricted stock awards until departure under SGA’s incentive plan documents .
Employment Terms
| Term | Details | Citation |
|---|---|---|
| Change‑in‑Control Agreement | Effective date July 6, 2020; signed by Eric Christian . | |
| CIC definition (legacy clause) | (a) Any person/group becomes beneficial owner of >30% voting power and Mr. Edward K. Christian ceases to be Chairman and CEO; (b) merger where pre‑deal shareholders own ≤50% post‑deal; (c) shareholder approval of complete liquidation or sale of substantially all assets . | |
| CIC cash severance | Lump sum within 45 days of 1.5× average of last 3 full calendar years’ base salary plus annual cash bonus . | |
| 280G excise tax gross‑up | Company pays additional amount so executive receives full lump sum before taxes (gross‑up) . | |
| Continued employment condition | Company/survivor may require up to 6 months of continued employment post‑CIC as condition to payment; salary/benefits continue; lump sum paid upon completion; failure to remain (absent specified exceptions) forfeits payment . | |
| Pre‑CIC termination protection | If terminated without cause within 6 months prior to CIC, lump sum paid within 45 days of CIC . | |
| Clawback | The 2005 Incentive Compensation Plan includes a clawback provision for awards; plan updated/replaced by 2023 plan, but 2005 awards continue under their terms . | |
| Non‑compete / Non‑solicit | No Eric‑specific non‑compete/non‑solicit terms disclosed in cited filings . |
Investment Implications
- Pay‑for‑performance transparency is limited: filings disclose Eric’s aggregate salary+bonus by year, but do not provide base vs. bonus breakdown or performance targets/metrics tied to his compensation—reducing visibility into incentive alignment for the CMO role .
- CIC economics and gross‑up are shareholder‑unfriendly: 1.5× cash severance (3‑year average base+bonus) plus 280G excise tax gross‑up and potential 6‑month continued employment condition elevate change‑of‑control costs; gross‑ups are a governance red flag and can influence deal dynamics and perceived retention risk around strategic transactions .
- Equity alignment data is sparse for Eric: no disclosed individual grants or ownership totals; however, company‑wide officer retention requirements (50% net shares) support alignment when awards are granted. Lack of Eric‑specific equity data limits assessment of vesting‑related selling pressure or guideline compliance .
- Governance context: The family trust’s >10% ownership indicates ongoing family influence; while not Eric’s direct ownership, this context can affect governance, compensation oversight, and potential related‑party perceptions—important for evaluating execution risk and information flow .