John Gehre
About John Gehre
John Gehre, 54, is an independent director of Tandy Leather Factory (TLF). He was nominated in the 2025 proxy and subsequently elected at the June 10, 2025 annual meeting; his background spans senior merchandising, supply chain, and manufacturing leadership roles in specialty retail and consumer goods . Since November 2024 he has served as a Strategy Consultant to Bass Pro Shops; prior roles include EVP Chief Merchandising Officer at Michaels (Sept 2022–Sept 2024) and EVP Chief Merchandising Officer, Supply Chain and Manufacturing at The Container Store (May 2018–Sept 2022) .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Michaels Stores, Inc. | EVP Chief Merchandising Officer, Global Sourcing, Inventory and Space | Sept 2022 – Sept 2024 | Led merchandising and sourcing; consumer products expertise highlighted |
| The Container Store | EVP Chief Merchandising Officer, Supply Chain and Manufacturing | May 2018 – Sept 2022 | Oversaw merchandising, supply chain, manufacturing; retail operations expertise |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bass Pro Shops | Strategy Consultant | Since Nov 2024 | Ongoing advisory role; brings consumer products/retail insights |
The proxy notes Mr. Gehre “brings…experience serving on multiple boards of directors,” but does not specify which entities; no public-company interlocks are disclosed in the proxy .
Board Governance
- Independence: The Board determined non‑employee directors, including John Gehre, are independent under Nasdaq listing requirements .
- Committee assignments: As of the 2025 proxy, committee membership listed Audit (Cantrell, Patel; Saadeh‑Jajeh as Chair), Compensation (Sullivan as Chair; Saadeh‑Jajeh; Gramm), Nominating & Governance (Cantrell as Chair; Gramm; Sullivan). Gehre was not shown as a member or chair of any committee at that time .
- Board attendance (context): In fiscal 2024, the Board held 4 regular and 2 special meetings; all directors who served in 2024 attended ≥75% of Board and committee meetings and attended the 2024 annual meeting. Gehre did not serve in 2024, so no attendance data applies to him for that year .
- Leadership structure: CEO and Chair roles are separated (CEO Johan Hedberg; Chair Jefferson Gramm). Three Board committees are comprised solely of independent directors; the Board currently consists of five independent and one non‑independent member .
Fixed Compensation
| Component | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Annual cash retainer (non‑employee directors) | $16,000 | Board determines director pay; Gramm and Sullivan currently decline cash |
| Committee Chair fee (Audit, Compensation, Nominating/Governance) | $3,000 per committee | Paid in addition to base retainer |
| Audit Committee member retainer | $2,000 (including Chair) | Additional to base retainer |
| Expense reimbursement | Reasonable expenses reimbursed | Standard practice |
The 2024 Director Compensation table does not include Gehre (he was a 2025 nominee/elected); therefore, his actual 2025 cash fees and equity grants are not disclosed in the proxy. Policy amounts above reflect standard structure .
Performance Compensation
| Equity Grant | Value | Vesting | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual RSUs | ~$14,000 grant-date fair value | Vests equally over 4 years from grant date, conditioned on continued Board service | 2024 RSUs were granted in June 2024 to all non‑employee directors except Gramm and ex‑director Speron (both declined) |
- Performance metrics: Director RSUs are time‑based; the proxy does not tie director equity to operating/TSR/ESG metrics (performance metrics apply to executive equity, not directors) .
- Clawbacks/COC terms: The proxy discusses change‑in‑control vesting for executive RSUs (no automatic vesting absent Committee decision), but does not specify director‑specific clawback or COC provisions; no director clawback terms are disclosed .
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Category | Detail |
|---|---|
| Public company boards | Not specified for Gehre in the proxy; only a general statement that he has served on multiple boards |
| Interlocks | None disclosed for Gehre; Board context includes large shareholders (Bandera Partners via Chair Gramm ~33.7%; JCP Investment Management ~10%) represented on the Board (Gramm, Sullivan), but no related‑party transactions reported |
Expertise & Qualifications
- Retail and merchandising leadership across Michaels and The Container Store; supply chain and manufacturing oversight .
- Consumer products and sourcing; strategy consulting in outdoor retail via Bass Pro Shops .
- Brings board experience and operational credentials relevant to TLF’s specialty retail business .
Equity Ownership
| Holder | Shares Beneficially Owned | % of Class | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| John Gehre | 0 | <1% | Proxy notes that, to the company’s knowledge, none of reported shares (across named holders) are pledged; Gehre listed with zero shares |
Governance Assessment
- Effectiveness and independence: Gehre is confirmed independent, with deep retail/merchandising and supply chain expertise aligned to TLF’s operations; absence from committees at proxy time suggests onboarding phase, with potential future committee placement to leverage domain skills .
- Alignment: As of the proxy, Gehre held zero TLF shares; standard director RSU grants (~$14k, 4‑year vest) support long‑term alignment but actual 2025 grants for him are not disclosed. Low initial ownership is a watch item until equity awards accumulate .
- Conflicts and related‑party exposure: The company reports no related‑party transactions over the last two fiscal years, and the Nominating & Governance Committee reviews any such matters. No conflicts are disclosed for Gehre; Board maintains executive sessions for non‑employee directors .
- Shareholder sentiment: 2025 say‑on‑pay passed with 4,887,870 For vs 842,264 Against (3,370 abstentions; 1,144,094 broker non‑votes), indicating supportive investor posture toward compensation governance; all six directors, including Gehre, were elected with strong “For” votes (4.91M For; 0.82M withheld) .
Signals and red flags
- Positive: Independence; relevant operating expertise; Board’s independent committee structure and executive sessions; no related‑party transactions disclosed .
- Watch: Zero share ownership at time of proxy; clarity on 2025 director equity grant timing/size for Gehre; committee assignment and attendance updates post‑election .