Bradley Keywell
About Bradley A. Keywell
Bradley A. Keywell (age 55) has served as a director of TKO Group Holdings, Inc. since January 23, 2024. He is founder and Executive Chairman of Uptake Technologies (CEO 2015–2019), founder/Executive Chairman & CEO of SkillHero Corp. (since 2023), and founder of 1+1 Ventures; he previously co-managed Lightbank (2012–2020), and founded MediaOcean (f/k/a MediaBank), Echo Global Logistics (founding CEO; Chairman), and served on Groupon’s board. He holds a B.B.A. from University of Michigan Ross and a J.D. from University of Michigan Law, is an Adjunct Professor at University of Chicago Booth, and has been recognized as EY World Entrepreneur of the Year (2019), a WEF Technology Pioneer, and Chicago Innovation Hall of Fame inductee .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Uptake Technologies, Inc. | Founder; Executive Chairman; CEO (2015–2019) | Exec Chair: 2015–present; CEO: 2015–2019 | Built AI software for industrial operators |
| SkillHero Corp. | Founder; Executive Chairman & CEO | 2023–present | Workforce tech for skilled trades |
| 1+1 Ventures | Founder | Not specified | Family office incubation/investment/acquisitions platform |
| Lightbank | Co-founder; Co-Managing Director | 2012–2020 | Venture/growth investing platform |
| MediaOcean LLC (f/k/a MediaBank) | Founding CEO | Not specified | Integrated media procurement technology |
| Echo Global Logistics, Inc. (Nasdaq) | Founding CEO; Chairman of Board | Not specified | Logistics technology; prior public company leadership |
| Groupon, Inc. (Nasdaq) | Director | Not specified | Prior public company directorship |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| University of Chicago Booth School of Business | Adjunct Professor | Not specified | Academic affiliation; technology/entrepreneurship expertise |
| Uptake Technologies, Inc. | Executive Chairman | 2015–present | AI/ML industrial analytics |
| SkillHero Corp. | Executive Chairman & CEO | 2023–present | Workforce technology leadership |
| 1+1 Ventures | Founder | Not specified | Investment/incubation activities |
Board Governance
- Independence: The Board determined Keywell qualifies as “independent” under NYSE rules and TKO’s bylaws .
- Committee assignments: Keywell is not listed on any standing committees (Audit, Compensation, Nominating) based on the committee roster disclosed; the Audit Committee is chaired by Carrie Wheeler; Compensation Committee is chaired by Steven R. Koonin; Nominating is chaired by Mark Shapiro .
- Governance agreement/designation: He serves as an Endeavor Group Holdings (EGH) designee under the Governance Agreement (EGH entitled to designate seven directors until the Sunset Date) .
- Controlled company status: TKO is a “controlled company” under NYSE rules due to EGH’s >50% voting power and elects certain governance exemptions (e.g., Nominating Committee not entirely independent), which can reduce independent director influence .
- Attendance: In 2024, the Board met 7 times; Audit and Compensation each met 4 times; all incumbent directors met at least 75% attendance except Dwayne Johnson (Keywell met the threshold) .
- Executive sessions: Independent directors hold at least annual executive sessions without management .
Fixed Compensation (Non-Employee Director)
| Component | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Annual cash retainer (policy) | $107,000 | Non-employee director fee per policy |
| Committee fees (policy) | Audit Chair: $15,000; Audit member: $21,000; Comp Chair: $20,000; Comp member: $10,000; Nominating Chair: $15,000; Nominating member: $7,500 | Earned quarterly; applies if serving on those committees |
| Fees earned in cash (2024) | $100,184 | Keywell’s cash fees reported for FY2024 |
| Committee fee payments (2024) | Not disclosed (none apparent) | No committee service listed; compensation table shows only cash fees and stock awards for Keywell |
Performance Compensation (Equity)
| Award Type | Grant Date | Number of Shares | Grant-Date Fair Value | Vesting | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RSUs (annual non-employee director grant, policy) | Annual | Not specified (value-based) | $182,000 (policy grant-date value) | Vests in full at next annual shareholder meeting; accelerates on change in control per 2023 IAP | |
| RSUs (FY2024 actual for Keywell) | 2024 | Not disclosed | $289,978 | Unvested RSUs outstanding at 12/31/2024 vest at 2025 meeting date | ASC 718 fair value; vesting footnote confirms 2025 meeting vest |
| Unvested RSUs (12/31/2024) | — | 1,700 | — | Vests on date of 2025 stockholder meeting | Outstanding RSUs disclosed for directors |
- Performance metrics for director equity: None disclosed; director RSUs are time-based, not linked to operational metrics .
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Company | Role | Status | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Echo Global Logistics, Inc. (Nasdaq) | Founding CEO; Chairman of Board | Prior | Logistics technology; indicates prior public company leadership |
| Groupon, Inc. (Nasdaq) | Director | Prior | Prior public company board service |
- TKO board designation: Keywell is among the seven EGH designees under the Governance Agreement (potential perception of alignment with controlling stockholder) .
Expertise & Qualifications
- Technology/AI: Founder and Executive Chairman of Uptake (industrial AI), founder/CEO of SkillHero (workforce tech) .
- Venture/Capital formation: Co-founder/co-MD at Lightbank; founder of 1+1 Ventures; multiple company formation track record .
- Public company experience: Prior roles at Echo Global Logistics and Groupon .
- Academic credentials: B.B.A. (Michigan Ross), J.D. (Michigan Law); Adjunct Professor at Chicago Booth .
- Recognition: EY World Entrepreneur of the Year (2019); WEF Technology Pioneer; Chicago Innovation Hall of Fame .
Equity Ownership
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Class A shares beneficially owned | 2,888 (less than 1% of Class A) |
| Included RSUs vesting within 60 days of April 17, 2025 | 1,700 |
| Ownership as % of voting power | <1% (star denotation) |
| Notes | Beneficial ownership table includes rights to acquire within 60 days; numbers based on 81,739,666 Class A and 116,158,615 Class B outstanding as of April 17, 2025 |
Governance Assessment
- Board independence and attendance: Positive—Keywell is affirmed independent under NYSE/bylaws and met attendance thresholds in 2024 .
- Committee engagement: Neutral/Negative—He is not listed on Audit, Compensation, or Nominating committees, limiting direct oversight involvement versus peers serving as chairs/members .
- Controlled company governance: Red flag—TKO relies on NYSE “controlled company” exemptions; Nominating Committee is not fully independent and did not meet in 2024, diminishing conventional governance safeguards .
- Alignment via ownership/compensation: Mixed—Director pay skews to equity (FY2024 RSU fair value $289,978 vs cash $100,184), but absolute ownership is de minimis (<1%), reducing “skin-in-the-game” signaling .
- Designation influence: Potential risk—As an EGH designee, Keywell’s board presence reflects controlling stockholder designation under the Governance Agreement, which can constrain independent director influence until the Sunset Date .
- Related-party exposure: No Keywell-specific related-party transactions are indicated in the director compensation/ownership sections reviewed; note broader Endeavor-related pledging under margin loan pertains to EGH interests, not Keywell personally .