David Kong
URANIUM ENERGYAbout David Kong
David Kong, 78, has served on UEC’s Board since January 2011. He is an independent director, the Audit Committee Chair and the Board-designated “audit committee financial expert,” with prior service as Lead Independent Director from June 2016 to May 2024. A CPA (Canada) with a Bachelor in Business Administration, he was a partner at Ellis Foster (1981–2004) and a partner at EY (2005–2010), and holds the ICD.D director credential. His board tenure and financial expertise position him as a core governance leader for audit, risk oversight, and financial reporting integrity at UEC .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| UEC | Lead Independent Director | Jun 2016 – May 2024 | Led independent director oversight; continued as independent director thereafter . |
| Ellis Foster, Chartered Accountants | Partner | 1981 – 2004 | Audit/accounting leadership; foundation of financial expertise . |
| EY (Ernst & Young LLP), Vancouver | Partner | 2005 – 2010 | Senior audit/assurance leadership; public company experience . |
External Roles
| Company | Role | Tenure | Listing |
|---|---|---|---|
| GoldMining Inc. | Director | Oct 2010 – Present | TSX, NYSE American . |
| Silvercorp Metals Inc. | Director | Nov 2011 – Sep 2023 | TSX, NYSE American . |
| New Pacific Metals Corp. | Director | Nov 2010 – Dec 2022 | TSX, NYSE American . |
Interlock note: UEC CEO Amir Adnani is a founder and Co-Chairman of GoldMining Inc., while Mr. Kong serves as a GoldMining director—an interlock worth monitoring for potential perceived influence; UEC’s board nonetheless classifies Mr. Kong as independent under NYSE American rules .
Board Governance
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Independence | Classified independent (NYSE American) . |
| Committees | Audit (Chair), Compensation (member), Corporate Governance & Nominating (member), Sustainability (member) . |
| Financial Expert | Identified by Board as Audit Committee Financial Expert (Item 407(d)(5)) . |
| Attendance (FY2024) | 100% Board and 100% of all assigned committees . |
| Lead Independent Director | Held role from Jun 2016 to May 2024 . |
| Board Meetings (FY2024) | Board held 6 meetings; committee activity as disclosed . |
| Policies (relevant) | Clawback compliant with Rule 10D-1 ; Anti-hedging/pledging policy prohibits pledging and hedging . |
| Say-on-Pay Feedback | 2024 say-on-pay support ~97% (signals general investor support for pay program) . |
| Legal/Regulatory | No disqualifying legal proceedings disclosed for directors (10-year lookback) . |
Fixed Compensation (Director; FY2024)
| Component | Amount (USD) |
|---|---|
| Cash fees | $68,000 . |
| RSU grant (grant date fair value) | $54,999 (granted July 26, 2024; RSUs vest over 36 months) . |
| Stock option grant (grant date fair value) | $54,574 (granted July 26, 2024; Black-Scholes; 5-year life; exercise price $5.49; vests over 24 months) . |
| Total | $177,573 . |
Director retainer schedule (reference):
- Non-executive director retainer: $33,000 in FY2024; $38,000 in FY2025 .
- Audit Committee Chair retainer: $10,000 (FY2024); $12,500 (FY2025); Audit Committee member retainer including Chair: $5,000 (FY2024); $7,500 (FY2025) .
- Other committee member retainers (including Chairs of Comp, CGN, Sustainability): $5,000 (unchanged for FY2025), plus incremental Chair fees where applicable .
Performance Compensation (Director Equity Design and Metrics)
| Item | Terms |
|---|---|
| RSUs (FY2024 director grants) | Granted 7/26/2024; vest in equal installments over 36 months; grant date fair value per director award shown above . |
| Stock Options (FY2024 director grants) | Granted 7/26/2024; exercise price $5.49; 5-year expected life; vest over 24 months; fair value per Black-Scholes; no performance conditions . |
| Performance metrics | No performance-conditional equity disclosed for non-employee directors; director equity is time-vested . |
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Company | Relationship to UEC | Interlock/Notes |
|---|---|---|
| GoldMining Inc. | UEC CEO is Co-Chairman; Mr. Kong is a director | Governance interlock; monitor for perceived influence; Board deems Mr. Kong independent . |
Expertise & Qualifications
- CPA (Canada), accounting/audit partner experience (Ellis Foster; EY), and ICD.D certification; designated Audit Committee Financial Expert by the Board .
- Public company board experience across mining issuers (GoldMining Inc., Silvercorp Metals, New Pacific Metals) .
- Skill matrix shows strengths in accounting/financial reporting, capital markets, mining, governance/ESG .
Equity Ownership
| Metric (as of May 28, 2025 unless noted) | Amount |
|---|---|
| Total beneficial ownership | 328,029 shares/rights in the 60-day look-forward construct (Rule 13d-3) . |
| Ownership % of outstanding | <1% (Company table denotes “*” less than one percent) . |
| Direct/indirect common shares | 158,952 . |
| Options exercisable or becoming exercisable within 60 days | 165,738 . |
| RSUs vesting within 60 days | 3,339 . |
| Anti-hedging/pledging | Policy prohibits hedging and pledging of Company securities . |
Governance Assessment
- Strengths: Independent director with deep audit/accounting credentials; Audit Chair and designated financial expert; perfect attendance; strong governance infrastructure (clawback; anti-hedging/pledging) .
- Alignment: Meaningful personal holdings via common stock, options, and RSUs; director equity is time-vested, supporting long-term alignment; no pledging permitted under policy .
- Shareholder signals: Robust 2024 say-on-pay support (~97%) indicates investor confidence in pay program and, by extension, board oversight; continued monitoring warranted as company scales .
- Watch items: Board interlock via GoldMining (CEO is Co-Chairman; Mr. Kong is a director) could create perceived influence; Board nevertheless affirms independence; ongoing disclosure and recusals (as appropriate) help mitigate .
- No disclosed red flags: No adverse legal/regulatory findings for directors in 10-year lookback; no related-party transactions involving Mr. Kong identified in the proxy period .