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Mark J. Bonney

Director at TILE SHOP HOLDINGS
Board

About Mark J. Bonney

Independent director since July 2020; currently Audit Committee Chair, Compensation Committee member, and Chair of the Independent Transaction Committee. President & CEO of On Board Advisors, LLC; prior CEO/CFO experience across multiple public companies. Education: B.S. in Business (Central Connecticut State University) and MBA in Finance (University of Hartford) .

Past Roles

OrganizationRoleTenureCommittees/Impact
MRV Communications, Inc.President & CEO; DirectorDec 2014–Aug 2017; Director Apr 2013–Aug 2017Led sale of company; public company CEO and board experience
RhythmOne plcPresident & CEO; Interim CFO; DirectorMay 2018–Apr 2019; Interim CFO Feb–Apr 2019Digital advertising operator; operational turnaround leadership
SeaChange International, Inc.Director; Executive Chair & PEO; Independent ChairmanAug 2017–Dec 2019; Exec Chair Apr–Oct 2019; Indep Chair Oct–Dec 2019Governance and strategic oversight in software
Zix CorporationDirectorJan 2013–Dec 2021Cloud email security; long-tenured public board service
Sigma Designs, Inc.DirectorAug 2012–Aug 2015Semiconductor board experience
Direct Brands, Inc.EVP & CFO2010–2012Finance leadership in DTC media
JDS Uniphase (JDSU)VP & GM, Authentication Solutions2008–2010Business unit leadership; optical/telecom sector
American Bank Note HolographicsDirector; EVP & CFODirector 2003–2005; EVP & CFO 2005–2008Corporate finance; acquired by JDSU
Axsys Technologies, Inc.President, COO, Director1999–2002Operations in aerospace/defense components
Zygo CorporationCFO1993–1999Semiconductor/industrial components finance

External Roles

OrganizationRoleTenureCommittees/Notes
Plug Power Inc.DirectorSince July 2023Public company board in green hydrogen
Zix CorporationDirectorJan 2013–Dec 2021Prior public board (merged)
SeaChange International, Inc.Director; Executive Chair; Independent ChairAug 2017–Dec 2019Executive leadership on board
MRV Communications, Inc.DirectorApr 2013–Aug 2017Telecom equipment
Sigma Designs, Inc.DirectorAug 2012–Aug 2015Smart home SoC

Board Governance

  • Independence: Board determined Bonney is independent under SEC and Nasdaq rules .
  • Committee assignments (as of April 2025): Audit Chair; Compensation member; Governance not listed; Independent Transaction Committee Chair .
  • Attendance: Board met 11 times in 2024; each incumbent director attended at least 75% of Board and committee meetings. All directors attended the 2024 Annual Meeting .
  • Transaction Committee: Formed of independent directors; retained GuideCap Partners LLC for fairness opinion; members receive $10,000 quarterly fee .
  • Compensation Committee activity: Met six times in 2024; oversees executive and director compensation .

Fixed Compensation

ComponentFY 2023FY 2024
Annual Board retainer (cash unless elected as stock)$100,000 policy $100,000 policy
Audit Committee chair fee$40,000 policy $40,000 policy
Independent Transaction Committee quarterly fee$10,000 per quarter (members) $10,000 per quarter (members)
Compensation/Governance chair fee (if applicable)$15,000 policy $15,000 policy
Fees earned or paid in cash (Bonney)$55,000 $70,000
Director stock awards grant-date fair value (Bonney)$77,224 $73,727
  • Equity election mechanics: Non-employee directors may elect 50% or 100% of annual compensation in restricted stock; shares granted based on 30-day average closing price before grant .
  • Bonney’s elections and share counts:
    • June 2023: elected 50% stock; received 14,092 restricted shares; vesting risk lapsed June 13, 2024 (earlier of Annual Meeting) .
    • June 2024: elected 50% stock; received 10,593 restricted shares; risk of forfeiture lapses June 3, 2025 (earlier of Annual Meeting or June 18, 2025), subject to continued service .

Performance Compensation

ItemDisclosure
Performance metrics tied to director compensationNone disclosed; director equity awards are time-based restricted stock, not PSU/options with performance conditions
Options/PSUs for directorsNot part of director compensation program; equity is restricted stock per policy
Clawbacks/tax gross-ups for directorsNot disclosed for director compensation (company-wide clawback policy not referenced in director section)

Director pay is primarily retainer plus time-based restricted stock; no performance conditions are disclosed for non-employee director awards .

Other Directorships & Interlocks

CompanyRelationship to TTSHPotential Interlock/Conflict
Plug Power Inc. (public)No disclosed supplier/customer relationship with TTSHNo interlock disclosed
Prior boards (Zix, SeaChange, MRV, Sigma Designs, RhythmOne)Historical roles across technology/mediaNo TTSH related-party transactions disclosed from these affiliations
  • Related-party transactions: Audit Committee reviews related person transactions; no Bonney-related transactions disclosed in proxies reviewed .

Expertise & Qualifications

  • Financial and operating expertise: Former CFO (Zygo, American Bank Note Holographics, Direct Brands); former CEO (MRV, RhythmOne); extensive public-company governance .
  • Domain experience: Technology, telecom, software, advertising, semiconductors; strategic and financial oversight .
  • Qualifications cited by TTSH for Bonney’s board service: Significant CEO/CFO experience; substantial public board experience .

Equity Ownership

MetricAs of Apr 22, 2024As of Apr 8, 2025
Beneficial ownership (shares)105,221 115,814
Ownership % of outstanding<1% <1%
Restricted stock held (context)14,092 granted Jun 2023; vested Jun 13, 2024 10,593 granted Jun 2024; scheduled to vest Jun 3, 2025
Pledging/hedgingCompany policy prohibits hedging and pledging (without prior CFO approval) and margin accounts; pre-clearance required for trades
Ownership guidelinesNon-employee directors required to hold ≥3x annual retainer; compliance by Feb 28, 2026 (or 5 years from initial election, whichever later); retain ≥50% of shares until compliance

Governance Assessment

  • Committee leadership and expertise: Bonney’s Audit Chair role and prior CFO/CEO background support board effectiveness on financial reporting, risk oversight, and controls. His leadership on the independent Transaction Committee adds process credibility to complex corporate actions .
  • Independence and engagement: Affirmed independent under SEC/Nasdaq; met attendance thresholds; Compensation Committee met six times in 2024, suggesting active governance cadence .
  • Director compensation and alignment: Mix of cash plus restricted stock (50% elected in 2023 and 2024) aligns director incentives with shareholder outcomes; stock ownership guidelines and anti-hedging/pledging policy strengthen alignment. Bonney’s beneficial ownership is modest (<1%), but guidelines require increased holding by 2026, with retention requirements until met .
  • Potential conflicts and signals:
    • Going-dark Transaction: Independent Transaction Committee (Bonney and Solheid) recommended the reverse/forward split and deregistration; members receive $10,000 quarterly fees. While standard for special committees, investors should note additional compensation and the high insider ownership (directors/executives 36.9%) planning to vote “FOR,” which concentrates influence on a decision that reduces disclosure and liquidity. A fairness opinion supports the $6.60 cash-out price .
    • Post-Transaction reporting: After deregistration, Section 16 reporting ends and public disclosure decreases, reducing transparency on insider trades and governance; the company intends to continue audited financials for shareholders but with less public information .
  • RED FLAGS to monitor:
    • Reduced transparency and liquidity post-deregistration, including cessation of SEC filings and exchange listing .
    • Concentrated insider ownership influencing votes on the Transaction .
    • Any related-party transactions (none disclosed for Bonney), and adherence to anti-pledging policy .