Eugene Bullis
ONE Group HospitalityAbout Eugene Bullis
Independent director (Class II) at The ONE Group Hospitality, Inc. since August 12, 2014; age 79. Former CFO and audit partner with deep finance, audit, and regulatory experience; designated as the Board’s “audit committee financial expert.” Education: A.B. in Business Administration, Colby College (1967). Current Class II term expires at the 2027 annual meeting; Board considers him independent under NASDAQ rules .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Hanover Insurance Group, Inc. | Executive Vice President & Interim Chief Financial Officer | Nov 2015 – Nov 2016 | Senior finance leadership |
| The Hanover Insurance Group, Inc. | Executive Vice President & Chief Financial Officer | 2007 – 2010 | Senior finance leadership |
| Conseco, Inc. | Executive Vice President & Chief Financial Officer | May 2002 – May 2007 | Senior finance leadership |
| Wang Laboratories, Inc. | Chief Financial Officer | N/A | Senior finance leadership |
| Ernst & Young LLP (predecessor firm) | Audit Partner | N/A | Advanced to partner; audit background |
| Ambac Financial Group, Inc. | Audit Committee Chair (Director) | May 2013 – May 2016 | Audit leadership, public company experience |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Doctors Company | Lead Independent Director; Director | Since 2010 | Board leadership at major physician-owned insurer |
Board Governance
- Independence: The Board determined Bullis is an independent director under NASDAQ standards .
- Tenure/classification: Class II director since 2014; term expires at the 2027 annual meeting .
- Committee assignments (2024 activity shown):
- Audit Committee: Chair; 4 meetings in 2024; all members independent; Bullis designated “audit committee financial expert” .
- Compensation Committee: Member; 1 meeting in 2024; all members independent; independent consultant FW Cook engaged by and reporting to the committee .
- Nominating & Governance Committee: Member; 1 meeting in 2024; all members independent .
- Attendance and engagement: Board met 10 times and committees met 6 times in 2024; each director attended more than 75% of Board/committee meetings; Bullis attended the 2024 annual meeting .
- Executive sessions: Non-employee director executive sessions held at each regularly scheduled quarterly Board meeting .
- Risk oversight: Audit Committee report reflects oversight of financial reporting, auditor independence, and litigation/tax matters; recommended inclusion of audited financials in the 10-K .
- Related-party oversight: Audit Committee reviews/approves related-party transactions >$120,000; Chair may act in some cases; members with an interest must recuse .
Fixed Compensation (Director)
| Year | Annual Board Retainer | Chair Fee (Audit) | Cash Paid | Stock Award | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $175,000 (40% cash / 60% stock) | $12,500 | $82,500 | $105,000 | $187,500 |
| 2023 | $175,000 (40% cash / 60% stock) | $12,500 | $82,500 | $105,000 | $187,500 |
Notes: Retainer split is fixed at 40% cash / 60% stock; chair fees paid in cash; company reimburses reasonable travel expenses .
Performance Compensation (Director)
- No performance-based metrics or option awards disclosed for non-employee directors; equity compensation is granted as stock awards with fixed grant-date fair value; no meeting fees disclosed .
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Company | Type | Current/Past | Role/Committee | Interlock/Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Doctors Company | Private/Mutual | Current | Lead Independent Director | None disclosed |
| Ambac Financial Group, Inc. | Public | Past | Audit Committee Chair | None disclosed |
Note: No current public-company directorships disclosed for Bullis; no interlocks with STKS competitors/suppliers/customers disclosed .
Expertise & Qualifications
- Financial expertise: Former public-company CFO; audit partner background; designated Audit Committee “financial expert” .
- Governance and risk: Experience chairing audit committees (Ambac), lead independent director role (The Doctors Company) .
- Sector breadth: Finance, compliance, regulatory in insurance, technology, and professional services .
Equity Ownership
| As-of Date | Shares Beneficially Owned | % of Outstanding | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 24, 2025 | 198,560 | <1% (“*”) based on 31,026,865 SO | |
| Sep 30, 2025 (post-transaction) | 224,377 | N/A (Form 4 position) | https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1399520/000125673925000004/0001256739-25-000004-index.htm |
- Beneficial ownership table shows no options/RSUs for directors counted within 60 days; Bullis listed with 198,560 shares at record date; no pledging disclosed .
- Policy: Hedging, pledging, and short sales of company stock are prohibited; company maintains a clawback policy .
Recent Insider Trades (Form 4)
Signal: One open-market purchase (19,000 shares at $5.26 on 2024-05-22) indicates incremental alignment; subsequent increases reflect periodic equity awards per director compensation program (see Fixed Compensation) and Form 4 links above.
Related-Party and Conflict Controls
- Audit Committee (chaired by Bullis) oversees related-party transactions >$120,000; members with interests recuse; Chair may approve in certain circumstances .
- Example of RPT oversight context: management services agreement with CEO-owned entity (Rivershore Bar & Grill); Audit Committee policy governs such reviews .
- Hedging/pledging prohibited; clawback policy in place; independent committees across audit, compensation, nom-gov .
Say-on-Pay & Shareholder Feedback (Context)
- Say-on-pay support: 94% approval at the 2024 meeting; previously 78% at the 2023 meeting—trend supportive of compensation governance .
- Independent compensation consultant (FW Cook) engaged directly by the Compensation Committee .
Governance Assessment
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Strengths
- Long-tenured finance leader and designated audit committee financial expert; chairs fully independent Audit Committee .
- Strong independence posture; executive sessions each quarter; hedging/pledging prohibitions and clawback policy enhance alignment .
- Board/committee attendance thresholds met; active annual-meeting participation .
- Clear RPT oversight framework with recusals; Audit Committee report evidences active oversight of auditor independence and financial reporting .
- Director pay mix includes meaningful equity; one open-market purchase in 2024 supports “skin-in-the-game” (Form 4 links above).
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Watch items
- Tenure and age may prompt ongoing refresh/succession considerations typical for governance best practices, though the Board remains majority independent and diversified by expertise .
- Share ownership guidelines for directors not disclosed in the 2025 proxy; inability to assess guideline compliance specifically for Bullis (no guideline language found) [Search No Hits in 2025 DEF 14A].
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Overall
- Evidence supports high board effectiveness in financial oversight with Bullis as Audit Chair and financial expert, strong independence, and transparent RPT controls—factors supportive of investor confidence .