Jaime Fickett
About Jaime Fickett
Jaime Fickett, age 46, is Chief Financial Officer of Synergy CHC Corp., appointed Interim CFO on December 6, 2024 and permanent CFO on March 27, 2025; she previously served as Senior Vice President of Finance & Operations since January 2015, CFO of Factor Nutrition Labs (2006–2015), and as an auditor (1999–2006). She holds a B.S. in Accounting from the University of Maine and an M.S. in Accounting from Southern New Hampshire University . During the period encompassing her finance leadership, Synergy delivered eight consecutive profitable quarters through year-end 2024; 2024 revenue was $34.8M (down 19% YoY) and EBITDA was $6.5M (down from $10.8M in 2023), with net income of $2.1M vs. $6.3M in 2023 .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Years | Strategic Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Synergy CHC Corp. | SVP Finance & Operations | 2015–2024 | Led finance/operations through brand expansion and retailer footprint growth highlighted in 10-K (distribution and growth initiatives) |
| Factor Nutrition Labs, LLC | Chief Financial Officer | 2006–2015 | Finance leadership at a dietary supplements developer |
| Public Accounting (auditor) | Auditor | 1999–2006 | External audit experience underpinning controls and reporting |
External Roles
No public company directorships or external board roles disclosed for Fickett .
Fixed Compensation
| Metric (USD) | 2023 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|
| Base Salary | $379,493 | $379,493 |
| Bonus Paid | — | — |
| Health Insurance Allowance | $13,712 | $13,737 |
| Total Compensation | $393,204 | $393,230 |
Notes:
- No employment agreement in place for Ms. Fickett .
- CEO consulting arrangement exists separately; not applicable to Fickett .
Performance Compensation
No company-disclosed performance metric weightings, targets, or payouts for Fickett (e.g., revenue, EBITDA, TSR). Equity awards outstanding are options, not PSUs/RSUs; no new RSUs/PSUs disclosed for Fickett .
Option Awards (as of 12/31/2024)
| Award Type | Exercisable (#) | Unexercisable (#) | Strike Price | Expiration | Vesting Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stock Options | 84,034 | — | $7.74 | 12/14/2025 | Vested (exercisable) |
Implication: Near-dated option expiry (Dec 14, 2025) may create time-bound exercise/sale decisions; no performance hurdles disclosed for these options .
Equity Ownership & Alignment
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Beneficial Ownership (Common) | Not disclosed for direct share ownership; options to purchase 84,034 shares reported |
| Ownership % of Outstanding | Less than 1% |
| Vested vs. Unvested | 84,034 options vested; no unvested awards disclosed |
| Pledging/Hedging | Hedging prohibited; pledging generally prohibited with rare exceptions; margin purchases prohibited |
| 10b5-1 Plans | Company authorizes 10b5-1 plans; as of record date, one director had a plan (no disclosure regarding Fickett) |
| Stock Ownership Guidelines | No formal executive stock ownership guidelines; committee satisfied that holdings align interests |
Employment Terms
- Appointment: Interim CFO effective Dec 6, 2024; CFO effective Mar 27, 2025 .
- Employment Agreement: None; company states no employment agreement with Fickett .
- Severance / Change-of-Control: Not disclosed; under the 2024 Equity Incentive Plan, CIC acceleration occurs only if specified in award agreements; default is no automatic acceleration .
- Clawback: Executive incentive compensation clawback applies upon material financial restatement; recovery covers cash and equity awards predicated on financial results .
Performance & Track Record
Company operating results across the latest fiscal years:
| Metric | 2023 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue (USD) | $42,777,633 | $34,834,243 |
| Gross Margin % | 75.0% | 67.9% |
| EBITDA (USD) | $10,841,596 | $6,464,070 |
| Net Income (USD) | $6,338,750 | $2,124,976 |
| TSR ($100 initial investment) | $0 | $0 |
Highlights:
- Eight consecutive profitable quarters through Q4 2024; rebranding/de-inventorying headwinds in late 2024; 2025 focus on growth and GLP-1 support product launches .
Compensation Structure Analysis
- Cash vs. Equity Mix: For Fickett, compensation is predominantly fixed cash (salary + allowances); no annual cash bonus disclosed; equity exposure via legacy options only (no RSUs/PSUs disclosed) .
- Shift in Incentives: No disclosed move toward RSUs/PSUs for Fickett; options outstanding from prior grants .
- Clawbacks: Robust clawback implemented; recovery without finding of misconduct required upon restatement .
- Repricing: 2024 Plan prohibits option/SAR repricing or cancellation-for-regrant without shareholder approval .
Related Party Transactions (Context for CFO Oversight)
- Extensive related-party arrangements with CEO-owned entities (Kenek consulting; BoomBod receivable $4.38M at 12/31/2024; rent waivers), and significant debt to Knight Therapeutics (12% interest, $1M quarterly principal due during 2025; consolidated amendments in 2024) . While not linked to Fickett personally, these require strong finance governance.
Compensation Committee Analysis
- Members: Nitin Kaushal (Chair), J. Paul SoRelle, Scott Woodburn; each deemed independent under Nasdaq rules .
- Responsibilities: Approves CEO goals/incentives; determines executive compensation; administers equity plans .
- Consultants: Use of independent compensation consultants not disclosed .
Investment Implications
- Alignment: Fickett’s vested options (84,034 @ $7.74, expiring 12/14/2025) provide equity alignment but are small (<1% ownership), and with near-term expiry may create potential selling pressure depending on stock performance .
- Retention: Long internal tenure (since 2015) supports continuity; absence of an employment agreement or disclosed severance/CIC protections reduces lock-in but also limits change-in-control costs .
- Governance/Risk: No executive ownership guidelines; hedging/pledging constrained; robust clawback is a positive; however, concentrated control (CEO >50% voting power) and sizable related-party transactions plus high-cost debt to Knight present governance and financial risk requiring disciplined CFO oversight .
- Performance Levers: Company aims to reaccelerate growth in 2025 (new Flat Tummy SKUs, expanded retail partnerships); finance leadership’s execution on debt service milestones ($1M quarterly principal payments) and working capital discipline will be key signals .
Sources: Company DEF 14A (April 28, 2025) ; Form 8-K (Dec 6, 2024; Mar 31, 2025) ; 10-K FY2024 (Mar 31, 2025) .