John North
XPELAbout John North
Independent director at XPEL since August 2023; age 47 in 2025. Background spans CEO/director of Lazydays Holdings (Sep 2022–Sep 2024) and CFO roles at Copart, Avis Budget Group, and Lithia Motors; B.S. in Finance (Santa Clara University), CPA and CFA charterholder . His automotive and finance leadership experience positions him as a technically capable, governance-minded director .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lazydays Holdings (Nasdaq: GORV) | Chief Executive Officer; Director | Sep 2022–Sep 2024 | Led RV retail operations; board service |
| Copart (Nasdaq: CPRT) | SVP & Chief Financial Officer | Oct 2020–Sep 2022 | Finance leadership at global vehicle remarketer |
| Avis Budget Group (Nasdaq: CAR) | Chief Financial Officer | Mar 2019–Aug 2020 | Global CFO for rental/car sharing leader |
| Lithia Motors (NYSE: LAD) | CFO (2017–2019); Chief Accounting Officer (2016); multiple leadership roles | ~2002–2019 | Financial leadership at public auto retailer |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Start/End | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grindr Inc. (NYSE: GRND) | Chief Financial Officer | Oct 1, 2025–present | Press release states North serves as Chair of XPEL’s Compensation Committee and financial expert on XPEL’s Audit Committee |
Board Governance
- Committee assignments: Audit Committee member; Compensation Committee Chair; not on Nominating & Corporate Governance .
- Independence: Determined independent under Nasdaq and Exchange Act rules; all Audit, Compensation, and Nominating committee members are independent .
- Attendance: In 2024, Board (5), Audit (5), Compensation (5), Nominating (5) meetings; each director attended ≥75% of Board and applicable committee meetings; majority attended the June 5, 2024 annual meeting .
- Executive sessions: Non-management director executive sessions held at each in-person board meeting; presided by director Klonne .
- Compensation committee practices: Uses independent consultant FW Cook; retains authority to hire advisors; submits executive comp decisions to independent board members .
Fixed Compensation
- Policy (approved Feb 2024): Annual cash retainer $60,000; Lead Director fee $25,000; Committee Chair annual fees—Audit $17,500, Compensation $12,500, Governance $10,000. Directors may elect to receive retainer/chair fees in stock; in 2024, all directors except North elected cash (implies North elected stock for fees) .
| Item | Amount | Vesting/Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Annual Director Retainer | $60,000 | Cash or stock election |
| Lead Director Fee | $25,000 | Cash or stock election |
| Committee Chair – Compensation | $12,500 | In lieu of member fee |
| Committee Chair – Audit | $17,500 | In lieu of member fee |
| Committee Chair – Governance | $10,000 | In lieu of member fee |
| John North – Director Compensation | 2023 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|
| Fees Earned or Paid in Cash/Stock ($) | $20,000 | $71,365 |
| Stock Awards ($) | $58,740 | $80,000 |
| Total ($) | $78,740 | $151,365 |
Performance Compensation
- Director equity: Annual RSU grant of $80,000, vesting quarterly over one year . Current non-employee directors each had 1,060 unvested restricted shares at Dec 31, 2024 .
| Equity Grant | 2024 |
|---|---|
| RSUs – Grant Date Fair Value ($) | $80,000; vest quarterly over 1 year |
- Company LTIP performance metrics (for executives; informs Compensation Committee’s pay-for-performance framework): | Measure | Threshold (50% payout) | Target (100%) | Stretch (200%) | |---|---|---|---| | 3-Year Avg Revenue Growth (FY23–FY25) | 10.8% | 16.6% | 18.9% | | Cumulative 3-Year Revenue Threshold | $1.0 billion | — | — | | 3-Year Avg ROIC (FY23–FY25) | 26.1% | 30.2% | 31.7% |
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Company | Role | Overlap/Interlock Risk |
|---|---|---|
| XPEL (Nasdaq: XPEL) | Director; Comp Committee Chair; Audit Committee member | Core board role |
| Lazydays Holdings (Nasdaq: GORV) | CEO; Director (past) | Prior board; no XPEL-related party exposure disclosed |
| Grindr Inc. (NYSE: GRND) | CFO | Distinct industry; time-commitment consideration; press release notes governance roles at XPEL |
Expertise & Qualifications
- Financial and automotive expertise; senior CFO/CEO roles across public companies .
- Santa Clara University B.S. Finance; licensed CPA; CFA charterholder .
- Active involvement in audit and compensation oversight; experienced with public company reporting and governance .
Equity Ownership
- Beneficial ownership at XPEL (Apr 15, 2025): 7,617 shares; less than 1%; none pledged as security .
- Unvested director RSUs at Dec 31, 2024: 1,060 shares (each non-employee director) .
- Director stock ownership guidelines: 3× annual cash retainer; as of Jan 31, 2025, all non-employee directors were in compliance (North included); in 2024, all except North were compliant—indicating subsequent alignment .
| Ownership Item | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Beneficial Shares | 7,617 (<1%) | As of Apr 15, 2025; none pledged |
| Unvested RSUs | 1,060 shares | As of Dec 31, 2024 |
| Ownership Guideline | 3× annual retainer | Compliant as of Jan 31, 2025 |
Insider Trades
| Date | Type | Shares | Price | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 8, 2024 | Open-market purchase | 3,000 | $32.17 | $96,510 | |
| Jun 14, 2024 | RSU award filing | — | — | — |
Signal: Open-market buy is positive alignment; RSU awards align with standard director equity practices .
Governance Assessment
-
Strengths:
- Independent director; chairs Compensation and serves on Audit, enhancing oversight across pay and financial controls .
- Uses independent compensation consultant (FW Cook); clear charters and authority to retain advisors .
- Attendance met governance thresholds in 2024; executive sessions facilitate independent oversight .
- Ownership alignment improved: compliance with director ownership guidelines by Jan 31, 2025; none of his shares are pledged .
-
Watch items:
- External CFO role at Grindr (from Oct 2025) increases time demands; risk mitigated by distinct industry (no related-party exposure disclosed) but warrants monitoring for attendance and committee engagement continuity .
- Audit Committee “financial expert” designation resides with Klonne (not North) despite his finance credentials; composition remains balanced .
-
Compensation mix and signals:
- North elected stock for fees in 2024 while others elected cash—positive alignment; annual RSU grants vest time-based, not performance-based, typical for directors .
- Company’s executive LTIP uses rigorous multi-year revenue growth and ROIC metrics—supports pay-for-performance culture overseen by his committee .
RED FLAGS (none disclosed):
- No related-party transactions requiring disclosure for Compensation Committee members; no pledging of stock; directors filed Section 16 reports timely per proxy disclosures .