Steven Goldberg
About Steven Goldberg
Steven H. Goldberg, age 72, has served on Solid Power’s Board since 2019 and is classified as an independent director. He holds a B.S. and M.S. in Electrical Engineering from Washington University in St. Louis and a Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from UC Santa Barbara; his background spans venture investing and operating roles in early-stage technology companies . Board tenure is six years as of April 10, 2025 .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| DYDX Capital (f/k/a Finistere Ventures) | Partner | 2021–present | Venture investing; technology company oversight |
| Air Access | President | 2020–present | Operating leadership |
| Venrock | Operating Partner | 2009–2020 | Growth-stage operating guidance |
| Early-stage tech companies | CEO/Director (various) | 2000–present | Leadership across emerging tech firms |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| — | — | — | No other public company directorships disclosed for Goldberg . |
Board Governance
- Committee assignments: Chair, Human Resources & Compensation Committee (HRC); Member, Governance & Corporate Responsibility Committee .
- Committee meetings (2024): HRC (4); Governance (4) .
- Independence: Board determined Goldberg is independent under Nasdaq/SEC rules .
- Attendance: Board met 4 times in 2024; each director attended at least 75% of aggregate Board and committee meetings; all directors attended the 2024 annual meeting .
- HRC responsibilities (selected): approves executive/director pay; oversees equity grants; succession planning; clawback policy administration; compensation risk oversight .
- Governance committee responsibilities (selected): director nominations; independence review; ESG oversight; annual Board/committee evaluations and director education .
Fixed Compensation
| Component | Amount | Detail/Applicability | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual Board cash retainer | $50,000 | Outside director cash retainer | |
| HRC Committee chair fee | $15,000 | Annual cash fee for chair | |
| Governance Committee member fee | $7,500 | Annual cash fee for member (not chair) | |
| Meeting fees | None disclosed | Not part of policy | |
| 2024 Fees Earned (Goldberg) | $72,500 | Matches $50k + $15k + $7.5k |
Performance Compensation
| Equity Component | Grant Value / Fair Value | Vesting | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual RSU Award (policy) | $145,000 Grant Value | Vests by 1-year anniversary or day before next annual meeting | Granted at annual meeting for outside directors |
| Initial RSU Award (policy, for new directors) | $250,000 Grant Value | 12 equal quarterly installments over 3 years | For first-time outside directors |
| 2024 Stock Awards (Goldberg) | $139,197 (grant-date fair value) | Per Annual Award vesting schedule | As reported for 2024 |
Performance metrics: Director equity is time-based; no performance (TSR/financial) metrics are tied to director compensation. Stock ownership guidelines apply (see below) .
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Topic | Disclosure | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Other public company boards (current) | None listed for Goldberg | |
| Compensation committee interlocks | None; no SLDP executive served on another company’s compensation committee whose executive served on SLDP’s HRC/Board |
Expertise & Qualifications
- Technical: Electrical engineering (Ph.D.) with extensive technology company oversight .
- Skills matrix flags: Audit/Financial; Automotive Industry; HR Management; IT/Cybersecurity; International Ops; Manufacturing & Operations; M&A/Strategic Planning; Risk/Legal/Regulatory; Sustainability; Tenure 6 years .
- Governance credentials: HRC chair; independence; participation in annual evaluations and director education programs .
Equity Ownership
| Date (as-of) | Beneficial Ownership (shares) | % Outstanding | Breakdown | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 24, 2025 | 1,050,985 | Less than 1% | 968,620 options exercisable within 60 days; 82,365 RSUs scheduled to vest within 60 days | |
| May 27, 2025 (post-trade) | 118,808 | N/A | After sale of 82,365 common shares at weighted avg $1.6206; Table I shows non-derivative holdings remaining 118,808 shares |
Ownership alignment and policies:
- Director stock ownership guideline: 5× annual cash retainer; compliance or on-track as of Dec 31, 2024 .
- Hedging/pledging: Prohibited for directors .
- Insider trading policy: Pre-clearance and quarterly blackouts; 10b5‑1 plan governance .
Insider Trades
| Trade Date | Security | Action | Shares | Price | Post-Trade Common Shares | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 29, 2024 | Common | Sale | 59,197 | $1.45 | 82,365 | |
| May 27, 2025 | Common | Sale | 82,365 | $1.6206 (weighted avg) | 118,808 |
Note: The May 2025 sale aligns temporally with RSUs scheduled to vest within 60 days of Mar 24, 2025 per proxy footnote, suggesting settlement-to-sale dynamics typical for director equity .
Governance Assessment
- Strengths: Independent HRC chair overseeing pay, succession, and clawbacks; documented committee charters and annual evaluations/education enhance board effectiveness . Attendance thresholds met; participation at annual meetings confirms engagement .
- Alignment: Stock ownership guidelines with retention requirements and no hedging/pledging improve alignment; director equity is time-based, limiting incentive for short-term financial engineering .
- Conflicts/related-party exposure: No transactions disclosed involving Goldberg; major related-party transactions limited to BMW and Ford and approved under policy; BMW nominee is another director (Feurer), not Goldberg .
- Signals/Red Flags:
- Insider selling: Goldberg sold vested shares in Aug 2024 and May 2025; sales were modest relative to options/RSUs disclosed and appear routine around vesting; not inherently a governance red flag absent pledging/hedging (both prohibited) .
- Interlocks: None disclosed; reduces compensation conflicts .
- Attendance and independence: Positive; no issues flagged .
Overall, Goldberg’s committee leadership and independence support pay-for-performance governance. Recent insider sales likely reflect equity vesting mechanics; ownership guidelines and anti-hedging/pledging policies mitigate alignment risks .