Compass Diversified (NYSE: CODI) details 2026 proxy, Lugano response and $50.4M fee recovery
Compass Diversified Holdings is holding a virtual 2026 Annual Meeting on May 21, 2026, to elect seven independent directors, hold an advisory Say-on-Pay vote, and ratify Grant Thornton LLP as auditor for 2026. Shareholders of record on March 24, 2026 may vote online, by phone or mail.
The proxy describes serious issues at former subsidiary Lugano and explains Board and Audit Committee actions, including enhanced internal controls, stronger internal audit, added risk oversight and the appointment of two new independent directors. It also outlines CODI’s externally managed structure, the Management Services Agreement, and the Board’s role in overseeing the external manager.
The company restated prior financials, identified $50.4 million of excess management fees paid to the Manager, and is recovering them via reduced future fees, resulting in a $20.8 million receivable at December 31, 2025. The proxy details director compensation, share ownership guidelines, and the compensation framework for the seconded Chief Financial Officer, whose pay is reviewed by the Compensation Committee.
Positive
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Insights
Proxy highlights governance remediation, fee recovery and tighter oversight after Lugano and restatement issues.
Compass Diversified uses this proxy to explain how it responded to 2025 issues at Lugano and the related restatement. The Board and Audit Committee increased time on financial reporting, internal controls, compliance, and enterprise risk management, and added two new independent directors with capital markets and M&A experience.
Oversight changes include strengthening internal audit, expanding monitoring across all subsidiaries, enhancing the Management Services Agreement, and clarifying the full-time commitment of seconded executives. The Board describes expanded Board and committee self-evaluations, director share ownership guidelines, and more structured director recruitment using external search firms.
Financially, restated results led to identifying $50.4 million in excess management fees. Through forbearance-related limits and future offsets, the receivable from the Manager was $20.8 million as of December 31, 2025. These steps modestly de-risk the external management model, but actual longer-term impact will depend on continued execution and future subsidiary performance.
Key Figures
Key Terms
Management Services Agreement financial
Allocation Member financial
profit allocation payment financial
Say-on-Pay vote financial
Director Share Ownership Guidelines financial
Lugano Holding, Inc. financial
Compensation Summary
| Name | Title | Total Compensation |
|---|---|---|
| Stephen Keller |
- Election of seven independent directors
- Advisory Say-on-Pay vote on named executive officer compensation
- Ratification of Grant Thornton LLP as independent auditor for 2026
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☐ | Preliminary Proxy Statement |
☐ | Confidential, for use of the Commission only (as permitted by Rule 14a-6(e)(2)) |
☒ | Definitive Proxy Statement |
☐ | Definitive additional materials |
☐ | Soliciting material pursuant to § 240.14a-11(c) of § 240.14a-12 |

☒ | No fee required. |
☐ | Fee paid previously with preliminary materials. |
☐ | Fee computed on table below per Exchange Act Rules 14a-6(i)(1) and 0-11 |
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01 | A Message from the Chair of our Board | ||
![]() | Larry L. Enterline Chair of the Board |
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02 | 2026 Proxy | ||
Proposal 1: | To elect seven (7) directors, as described in the Proxy Statement, each to serve for a term expiring at the 2027 Annual Meeting of Shareholders; | |||
Proposal 2: | To approve, on a non-binding and advisory basis, the resolution approving the compensation of our named executive officers as disclosed in the Proxy Statement (“Say-on-Pay Vote”); and | |||
Proposal 3: | To ratify the appointment of Grant Thornton LLP to serve as the independent auditor for Compass Diversified Holdings and Compass Group Diversified Holdings LLC for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2026. | |||
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03 | 2026 Proxy | ||
![]() | Carrie W. Ryan Chief Compliance Officer, General Counsel & Secretary |
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Internet | Telephone | Mail | |
• Go to the website proxyvote.com and follow the instructions, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. • You will need the 16-digit control number included on your proxy card in order to vote online. | • From a touch-tone telephone, dial 1-800-690-6903 and follow the recorded instructions, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. • You will need the 16-digit control number included on your proxy card in order to vote by telephone. | • Mark your selections on your proxy card. • Date and sign your name exactly as it appears on your proxy card. • Mail the proxy card in the enclosed postage-paid envelope provided to you. | |
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06 | 2026 Proxy | ||
1 | Letter to Shareholders | ||
2 | Notice of Annual Meeting | ||
4 | Proxy Statement | ||
7 | Organization of Our Business | ||
8 | PROPOSAL 1: Election of Directors | ||
9 | Our Board of Directors | ||
12 | Certain Information Regarding our Directors and Executive Officers | ||
13 | Executive Leadership | ||
14 | Board Composition and Independence | ||
15 | Committees of the Board | ||
18 | Corporate Governance and Board Oversight | ||
20 | Director Share Ownership Guidelines | ||
21 | Nominations of Directors | ||
23 | Board Role in Risk Oversight | ||
26 | Certain Relationships and Related Persons Transactions | ||
31 | Director Compensation | ||
33 | PROPOSAL 2: Advisory Vote Regarding Executive Compensation | ||
34 | Compensation Discussion and Analysis | ||
42 | Pay Versus Performance | ||
46 | Compensation Committee Report | ||
47 | PROPOSAL 3: Ratification of Appointment of Independent Auditor | ||
47 | Our Independent Auditor | ||
48 | Fees Paid to Our Independent Auditor | ||
49 | Audit Committee Report | ||
50 | Our Shareholders | ||
50 | Share Ownership of Directors, Nominees, Executive Officers and Principal Shareholders | ||
52 | Shareholder Proposals for the 2027 Annual Meeting of Shareholders | ||
54 | Attending and Voting at the Annual Meeting | ||
55 | Voting By Proxy | ||
56 | Appointment of Proxy | ||
56 | Revocation of Proxy | ||
57 | Approval of Proposals and Solicitation | ||
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Name | Age | Position | ||||
Larry L. Enterline | 73 | Chair of the Board, Independent Director | ||||
Harold S. Edwards | 60 | Independent Director | ||||
Eugene L. Kim | 61 | Independent Director | ||||
Heidi Locke Simon | 58 | Independent Director | ||||
Nancy B. Mahon | 61 | Independent Director | ||||
Glenn R. Richter | 64 | Independent Director | ||||
Teri R. Shaffer | 64 | Independent Director | ||||
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![]() Larry L. Enterline | Larry L. Enterline has served as Chair of our Board since July 2022 and as a director of the Company since July 2019. Mr. Enterline has been the chief executive officer of Vulcan Holdings Inc., a private investment holding and consulting services company he founded, since 2010. Previously, Mr. Enterline was the executive chair of Greentech Environmental, an air purification systems provider from August 2021 to December 2022. Prior to that, Mr. Enterline was the chief executive officer and a director of Fox Factory Holding Corp. (NASDAQ: FOXF), a former subsidiary of the Company, from 2011 through 2019, and served as its executive chair from 2019 through 2021. Mr. Enterline served in various executive and management roles earlier in his career, including chief executive officer of COMSYS IT Partners Inc., an IT staffing and solutions company, senior vice president of worldwide sales and service organization at Scientific-Atlanta Inc., a Georgia-based manufacturer of cable television, telecommunications and broadband equipment. Mr. Enterline is a graduate of Case Western Reserve University and the Monte Ahuja College of Business at Cleveland State University. |
![]() Harold S. Edwards | Harold S. Edwards has served as a director of the Company since April 2006. Mr. Edwards has been the president and chief executive officer of Limoneira Company (NASDAQ: LMNR), since 2003. Previously, Mr. Edwards was the president of Puritan Medical Products, a division of Airgas Inc. Prior to that, Mr. Edwards held management positions with Fisher Scientific International, Inc., Cargill, Inc., Agribrands International and the Ralston Purina Company. Mr. Edwards is currently a member of the board of directors of Limoneira Company. Mr. Edwards served on the boards of directors of Calavo Growers, Inc. (NASDAQ:CVGW) from 2005 to 2022 and Inventure Foods, Inc. (NASDAQ:SNAK) from 2014 to 2017. Mr. Edwards is a graduate of Lewis and Clark College and The Thunderbird School of Global Management at Arizona State University. |
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![]() Eugene L. Kim | Eugene L. Kim has served as a director of the Company since March 2026. Mr. Kim is the managing partner of Compass LKL, an independent advisory firm. Prior to founding Compass LKL in 2015, Mr. Kim was a managing director at Compass Partners International, a European-based private equity firm, from 2004 until 2014. Neither Compass LKL nor Compass Partners International are affiliated with Compass Diversified. Earlier in his career, Mr. Kim held investment banking roles at Goldman Sachs International and UBS/Warburg Dillon Read. Mr. Kim has served on the Harvard Business School Fund Council since 2024 and has been a trustee of the Williams College Foundation UK since 2016. He served on the board of DBM Group from 2004 until 2011 and on the board of Flakt Woods Group from 2005 until 2007. Mr. Kim is a graduate of Williams College and the Harvard Business School. |
![]() Heidi Locke Simon | Heidi Locke Simon has served as a director of the Company since July 2023. Previously, Ms. Locke Simon was a partner at Bain & Company, a global management consulting organization, where she worked from 1993 to 2012. Prior to this, she was an investment banking analyst at Goldman, Sachs & Co. Ms. Locke Simon has served as a director of Teekay Corporation Ltd. (NYSE:TK) since September 2017, and as its chair from December 2024 to present, and as chair of Teekay Tankers Ltd. (NYSE:TNK) from December 2024 to present. She also currently serves as the chair of Teekay Corporation Ltd.’s audit committee and as a member of Teekay Tankers Ltd.’s audit committee. She is a National Association of Corporate Directors (NACD) Certified Director and holds the CERT Cybersecurity Governance Certification from Carnegie Mellon. Ms. Locke Simon is a graduate of Middlebury College and the Harvard Business School. |
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![]() Nancy B. Mahon | Nancy B. Mahon has served as a director of the Company since May 2023. Ms. Mahon has been the chief sustainability officer of The Estée Lauder Companies Inc. since January of 2023. Previously, Ms. Mahon was the senior vice president, global corporate citizenship and sustainability at Estée Lauder, from April 2016 to January 2023. Prior to that, she served as the senior vice president, social initiatives, MAC Cosmetics, Bobbi Brown & La Mer, from July 2011 to March 2016. She has served as a trustee of the New York University School of Law Foundation since October 2018. She also served as a director for TPG Pace Beneficial Finance Corporations I and II (NYSE: TPGY-UN and YTPG), from October 2020 to April 2023. Ms. Mahon was the chair of The Presidential Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS (PACHA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services from December 2011 to December 2016. She completed the Rock Center for Corporate Governance Directors’ College executive education program at Stanford Law School. She received a certificate in brand marketing from The Wharton School, certification as a woman on boards of directors from Yale School of Management, and is admitted to the State Bar of California, the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, and the United States District Court for the Northern District of California. Ms. Mahon is a graduate of Yale University and the New York University School of Law. |
![]() Glenn R. Richter | Glenn R. Richter has served as a director of the Company since March 2026. Mr. Richter most recently served as chief financial and business transformation officer of International Flavors & Fragrances Inc (NYSE: IFF), a global ingredients company, from 2021 to 2024. Prior to IFF, Mr. Richter held a series of senior leadership roles at TIAA and its subsidiary Nuveen Investments, from 2006 until 2021, including chief operating officer of Nuveen from 2006 to 2015, chief administrative officer of TIAA from 2017 to 2018, culminating as senior executive vice president and chief financial officer from 2019 to 2021. Before joining Nuveen, Mr. Richter served as chief financial officer of: RR Donnelley from 2005 to 2006, and Sears, Roebuck & Co. from 2000 to 2005. Earlier in his career, Mr. Richter held finance and operating roles at PepsiCo’s Frito-Lay and McKinsey & Company. Mr. Richter has served as a director and audit committee chair of Samsonite International S.A. (SEHK: 1910) since 2025 and as a director of TruStage since 2023. He served on the board of Sears Canada from 2004 to 2005. Mr. Richter is a graduate of George Washington University and The Fuqua School of Business at Duke University. |
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![]() Teri R. Shaffer | Teri R. Shaffer has served as a director of the Company since July 2022. She also serves as a director for the Federal Home Loan Bank Office of Finance, since April 2025. Previously, Ms. Shaffer was the Americas and Regional financial audit information technology leader for Ernst & Young from 2016 to July 2022 and served in various other leadership roles at Ernst & Young since 1984. She is a National Association of Corporate Directors (NACD) Certified Director, a Harvard Business School Certified Director, Qualified Risk Director (QRD), a Certified Public Accountant, and a Certified Information Security Manager. She holds the CERT Cybersecurity Governance Certification from Carnegie Mellon. Ms. Shaffer is a graduate of Oklahoma State University and the Hult International Business School. |
Director | Age | Serving as Officer or Director Since | Position(s)/Committee(s) | ||||||||
Larry L. Enterline Independent Director | 73 | 2019 | Board Chair | ||||||||
Harold S. Edwards Independent Director | 60 | 2006 | Compensation Committee (Chair) | ||||||||
Eugene L. Kim Independent Director | 61 | 2026 | Audit and Compensation Committees | ||||||||
Heidi Locke Simon Independent Director | 58 | 2023 | Audit and Compensation Committees | ||||||||
Nancy B. Mahon Independent Director | 61 | 2023 | Nominating/Governance Committee (Chair) | ||||||||
Glenn R. Richter Independent Director | 64 | 2026 | Audit and Nominating/Governance Committees | ||||||||
Teri R. Shaffer Independent Director | 64 | 2022 | Audit (Chair) and Nominating/Governance Committees | ||||||||
Elias J. Sabo (1) Director and Officer | 55 | 2018 | Chief Executive Officer | ||||||||
Stephen Keller Officer | 51 | 2024 | Chief Financial Officer | ||||||||
(1) | Mr. Sabo is the Allocation Member’s appointed director and is not standing for election at the 2026 Annual Meeting. |
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The following describes the experience, education and other qualifications of our Chief Executive Officer, who is also the director appointed by our Allocation Member to serve as a member of our Board again for fiscal year 2026. As the Allocation Member’s appointed director, Mr. Sabo is not standing for election at the Annual Meeting. | ||||
![]() Elias J. Sabo | Elias J. Sabo has served as Chief Executive Officer of the Company and as a director since May 2018. Mr. Sabo is one of the founding partners of our Manager and has been instrumental in guiding the organization’s strategic growth since 1998. As a member of the Manager’s Investment Committee, he plays a critical role in identifying and evaluating transaction opportunities, applying the investment principles established by the Company. Mr. Sabo also directs the financing activities of the Company and, together with the executive leadership team, develops and implements the organization’s strategic vision. Mr. Sabo previously served as a director and as the chair of the board of Fox Factory Holding Corp. (NASDAQ: FOXF), a former CODI subsidiary from 2007 to 2017. Previously, Mr. Sabo was with CIBC Oppenheimer, Boundary Partners and Colony Capital. Mr. Sabo is a graduate of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. | |||
The following describes the experience, education and other qualifications of our Chief Financial Officer. | ||||
![]() Stephen Keller | Stephen Keller has served as Chief Financial Officer of the Company and Executive Vice President of the Company’s Manager since August 31, 2024. He is an observer to the boards of directors of all our subsidiary companies. Prior to joining us in 2024, Mr. Keller served as interim chief financial officer and vice president of investor relations at Envista Holdings Corporation (NYSE: NVST), one of the leading suppliers of dental solutions globally. During his time at Envista, he also served as vice president strategy and business development, as well as vice president and general manager of Nobel Biocare’s Prosthetics Business Unit. Mr. Keller was employed by Envista from July 2019 through August 2024. Prior to Envista, Mr. Keller worked at Avery Dennison Corporation (NYSE: AVY), a global materials science company. Mr. Keller is a graduate of the University of Iowa and the Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University. | |||
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• | selecting, retaining, terminating and overseeing our independent auditor; |
• | assisting our Board in fulfilling its oversight responsibilities relating to the integrity of our financial statements, our compliance with legal and regulatory requirements, our adherence to policies regarding ethics and business practices and our enterprise risk-management practices; |
• | approving, or pre-approving, all audit and permissible non-audit services of our independent auditor; |
• | reviewing, in conjunction with management and our independent auditor the effectiveness of our accounting and internal control functions and procedures; |
• | reviewing the Company’s quarterly and annual audited financial statements and reports from internal and external auditors and recommending inclusion of such financial statements in the periodic reports filed with the SEC; |
• | overseeing the processes and procedures for the receipt, retention and treatment of submissions received by the Company regarding accounting, internal accounting controls over financial reporting or auditing matters; |
• | assisting our Board in fulfilling its oversight responsibilities with respect to cybersecurity threats and developments and the Company’s cybersecurity risk programs, policies, practices and risk mitigation strategies; |
• | overseeing the Company’s internal audit function; and |
• | reviewing and approving the calculation of any Profit Distribution payment due to the holders of the Company’s allocation interests. |
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• | reviewing, modifying and approving the Company’s goals and objectives relevant to compensation and other remunerations; |
• | evaluating the performance of our Manager and reviewing the calculation of the management fees and expense reimbursements payable to our Manager under the Management Services Agreement; |
• | approving the compensation paid to the Company’s Chief Financial Officer and any members of his or her staff; |
• | administering the Company’s Clawback Policy; |
• | considering the results of shareholder advisory votes on Say-on-Pay and Say-on-Frequency of Say-on-Pay and making recommendations to the Board as appropriate; |
• | reviewing the Company’s compensation plans and arrangements to assess whether they encourage excessive risk-taking, evaluating any disclosures relating to risk-taking that may be required under Item 402(s) of Regulation S-K; |
• | evaluating and making recommendations concerning the total compensation package for directors, including the terms and awards of any equity compensation, as well as reimbursement of directors’ expenses; |
• | monitoring compliance by directors with the Company’s Director Share Ownership Guidelines; |
• | reviewing and discussing with management the Compensation Discussion and Analysis and recommending its inclusion in the Company’s annual report on Form 10-K and proxy statement; |
• | selecting, retaining, or obtaining the advice of compensation and other consultants; and |
• | approving, modifying, overseeing and administering any long-term incentive plans adopted by the Company. |
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• | evaluating the size and composition of the Board and the membership on each committee and making recommendations to the Board, as appropriate; |
• | identifying and evaluating individuals qualified to become members of the Board, recommending to the Board the director nominees for each annual shareholders’ meeting, other than the Allocation Member’s appointed director(s); |
• | overseeing compliance with our corporate governance guidelines, code of ethics, anti-corruption policy, and human rights and labor policy, and conduct by officers and directors with respect to each; |
• | monitoring developments in the law and practice of corporate governance and recommending or providing director training, as appropriate; |
• | monitoring the performance of the Board and its individual members, reviewing Board processes, self-evaluations and policies; and |
• | reviewing and approving related person transactions, including transactions with our Manager and its affiliates; and assisting and overseeing management with respect to developing and maintaining the Company’s environmental, social and governance policies. |
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• | Added two (2) new independent directors in 2026. |
• | Adopted certain modifications to our Director Share Ownership Guidelines for non-employee directors. |
• | Amended our Corporate Governance Guidelines to: |
• | implement mandatory minimum meeting attendance standards for our directors; |
• | refine Board membership criteria for selecting, evaluating, and recommending director candidates. |
• | Decreased average Board tenure. |
• | Amended Insider Trading Policy to prohibit margin accounts and pledging of Shares as collateral for loans by directors and our executive officers. |
• | Amended our Audit Committee Charter to strengthen oversight of cybersecurity. |
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• | Financial/Accounting Expertise: Current or former senior executives with financial acumen who could also serve on the Board’s Audit Committee, including an understanding of financial reporting, internal controls, and accounting standards; |
• | M&A/Subsidiary Oversight: Experience leading or overseeing holding company structure measurement of subsidiary/portfolio businesses performance, establishment of long-term strategies and goals for varied operating subsidiaries, experience within the consumer and/or industrial sectors; |
• | Corporate Governance: Familiarity with governance best practices, board and committee functions, and ethical standards; |
• | Risk Management & Oversight: Ability to identify, assess, and mitigate significant financial, legal, and operational risks; and |
• | Strategic Leadership: Proven ability to lead during financial volatility, manage reputational damage, and foster |
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• | the shareholder’s name and address as they appear on the share register of the Trust, as well as the name and address of the beneficial owner, if any, on whose behalf the nomination is made; |
• | the class and number of shares of the Trust which are owned beneficially and of record by such shareholder and a representation that such shareholder will notify the Trust in writing of the class and number of such shares owned of record and beneficially as of the record date for the meeting within five (5) business days after the record date for such meeting; |
• | a description of any agreement or arrangement with respect to such nomination, and a representation that the proposing shareholder will notify the Trust in writing of any such agreement or arrangement in effect as of the record date for the meeting within five (5) business days after the record date for such meeting; |
• | a description of any agreement or arrangement by or on behalf of the proposing shareholder, the effect or intent of which is to mitigate loss to, manage risk or benefit of share price changes for, or increase or decrease the voting power of such person or any of their affiliates or associates with respect to shares of the Trust, and a representation that the proposing shareholder will notify the Trust in writing of any such agreement or arrangement in effect as of the record date for the meeting within five (5) business days after the record date for such meeting; |
• | a representation that such shareholder is a holder of record of shares of the Trust entitled to vote at the meeting and intends to appear in person or by proxy at the meeting to nominate the person or persons specified in the notice; |
• | a representation whether the proposing shareholder intends to deliver a proxy statement and/or form of proxy to holders of at least the percentage of the outstanding shares required to approve the nomination and/or otherwise to solicit proxies from shareholders in support of the nomination; and |
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• | any other information relating to such shareholder and beneficial owner, if any, required to be disclosed in a proxy statement or other filings required to be made in connection with solicitations of proxies for, as applicable, the proposal and/or for the election of directors in an election contest pursuant to and in accordance with Regulation 14A under the Exchange Act (including Rule 14a-19). |
• | the candidate’s name, age, business address and residence address; |
• | the candidate’s principal occupation or employment; |
• | the number of shares of Trust common stock that are beneficially owned by the candidate; |
• | any other information relating to such candidate that would be required to be disclosed in solicitations of proxies for election of directors under the federal securities laws, including Regulation 14A of the Exchange Act; and |
• | a written statement and agreement executed by each such candidate acknowledging that such person: |
• | consents to being named in the proxy statement as a nominee and to serving as a director if elected; |
• | intends to serve as a director for the full term for which such person is standing for election; and |
• | makes the following representations: |
• | that the candidate is not and will not become a party to any agreement, arrangement or understanding with, and has not given any assurance to, or made any commitment to, any person or entity as to how such person, if elected as a director, will act or vote on any issue or question (a “Voting Commitment”) that has not been disclosed or any Voting Commitment that could limit or interfere with such person’s ability to comply, if elected, as a director, with such person’s fiduciary or other duties; and |
• | that the candidate is not and will not become a party to any agreement, arrangement or understanding with any person or entity with |
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• | Outsourcing the organization’s internal audit function to a qualified third-party service provider to support risk assessment, testing, and monitoring activities and to provide additional resources and expertise; |
• | Re-evaluating the organization’s investment processes, parameters, risk assessment and governance requirements over subsidiaries; |
• | Supplementing the organization’s post-acquisition onboarding processes; |
• | Evaluating and enhancing the organization’s risk and compliance functions, including the effectiveness of implementation and monitoring of risk management and controls at the subsidiary level and the program(s) established for employees (and others) to report concerns; |
• | Enhancing processes for identifying and assessing risks at operating subsidiaries, including procedures designed to identify and evaluate industry-specific risks and practices, and to incorporate those risks into the organization’s control design and monitoring activities; |
• | Implementing additional management review and monitoring procedures focused on areas of elevated risk across operating subsidiaries, refining the level of precision of such monitoring controls, and including processes intended to improve the timeliness and effectiveness of escalation of control issues and other indicators of risk to senior management and the Audit Committee; and |
• | Continuing to evaluate and update policies, procedures, and governance practices relating to subsidiary oversight and financial reporting. |
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• | our Chief Executive Officer and/or Chief Financial Officer; |
• | our directors; and |
• | other members of the management team involved in the oversight of the day-to-day operations of the Company and its subsidiaries. |
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• | require our Manager to repay any overpaid management fees, absent the Company’s written consent; |
• | provide that, if the Company outsources certain services to third-party providers other than the Manager, the management fees otherwise payable to the Manager will be reduced on a dollar-for-dollar basis; |
• | require individuals seconded from the Manager to the Company, including the Company’s Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, to serve on a substantially full-time basis and not devote material time and attention to other business activities without the Company’s approval; |
• | provide the Board with authority to prohibit any individual or entity from providing services to the Company based on the Board’s good faith judgment that doing so is in the best interests of the Company; |
• | provide that no employee, delegate or appointee of the Manager may bind, or represent to third parties that he or she has authority to bind, the Company or any of its subsidiaries without due authorization of the Company; and |
• | require the Manager to indemnify the Company to substantially the same extent that the Company indemnifies the Manager under the Management Services Agreement. |
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• | such subsidiary’s contribution-based profit, which generally will be equal to such subsidiary’s aggregate contribution to the Company’s profit during the period such subsidiary is owned by the Company; and |
• | the Company’s cumulative gains and losses to date. |
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Annual cash retainer | $100,000 | ||||
Annual equity retainer (1) | $120,000 | ||||
Annual Nominating/Governance Committee chair cash retainer (2) | $10,000 | ||||
Annual Compensation Committee chair cash retainer (2) | $10,000 | ||||
Annual Audit Committee Chair cash retainer (2) | $40,000 | ||||
Annual Independent Board Chair cash retainer | $157,500 | ||||
Annual Independent Board Chair equity retainer (1) | $132,500 |
(1) | Each director may elect to receive this amount in cash. |
(2) | This is in addition to the annual director cash and equity retainers payable to all non-management directors. |
Annual cash retainer | $100,000 | ||||
Annual equity retainer (1) | $120,000 | ||||
Annual Nominating/Governance Committee chair cash retainer (2) | $15,000 | ||||
Annual Compensation Committee chair cash retainer (2) | $20,000 | ||||
Annual Audit Committee Chair cash retainer (2) | $40,000 | ||||
Annual Audit Committee Member cash retainer (2) | $10,000 | ||||
Annual Independent Board Chair cash retainer | $157,500 | ||||
Annual Independent Board Chair equity retainer (1) | $132,500 |
(1) | Each director may elect to receive this amount in cash. |
(2) | This is in addition to the annual director cash and equity retainers payable to all non-management directors. |
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Director Name | Fees Earned or Paid in Cash ($) (1) | Total ($) | ||||||
Current Directors | ||||||||
Larry L. Enterline | $290,000 | $290,000 | ||||||
Harold S. Edwards (2) | $230,000 | $230,000 | ||||||
Eugene L. Kim | — | — | ||||||
Heidi Locke Simon | $220,000 | $220,000 | ||||||
Nancy B. Mahon (3) | $230,000 | $230,000 | ||||||
Glenn R. Richter | — | — | ||||||
Elias J. Sabo | — | — | ||||||
Teri R. Shaffer (4) | $260,000 | $260,000 | ||||||
Former Directors | ||||||||
Alexander S. Bhathal | $220,000 | $220,000 | ||||||
James J. Bottiglieri | $220,000 | $220,000 | ||||||
Gordon M. Burns (5) | $62,630 | $62,630 |
(1) | The annual “equity retainer” for non-management directors in respect of the service period from the 2025 annual meeting to the 2026 annual meeting was accrued in full in May 2025. Although payment of that retainer was postponed and made in 2026, the amount was treated as earned in 2025 and is therefore reflected in the “Fees Earned or Paid in Cash” column for 2025. No common shares were purchased by the Company on behalf of directors in respect of the 2025 equity retainer. |
(2) | Includes $10,000 annual cash retainer for serving as chair of the Board’s Compensation Committee. |
(3) | Includes $10,000 annual cash retainer for serving as chair of the Board’s Nominating/Governance Committee. |
(4) | Includes $40,000 annual cash retainer for serving as chair of the Board’s Audit Committee. |
(5) | Reflects payments in respect of service period from January 1, 2025 through June 7, 2025. |
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1 | Does not include subsequent adjustments to the $74.8 million paid in 2024 as a result of Overpaid Management Fees during such period. |
2 | See footnote 1. |
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Salary | Bonus | Stock Awards | Option Awards | Non-Equity Incentive Plan Compensation | Change in Pension Value and Nonqualified Deferred Compensation Earnings | All Other Compensation | Total | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Name/Title | Year | ($) | ($) | ($) | ($) | ($) | ($) | ($) | ($) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Elias J. Sabo, CEO(1)(2) | 2025 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||||||||||||||||||
2024 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||||||||||||||||||||
2023 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||||||||||||||||||||
Stephen Keller, Current CFO (2) | 2025 | 600,000 | 300,000 | — | — | — | — | 103,598 (3) | 1,003,598 | ||||||||||||||||||||
2024 | 200,000 | 250,000 | — | — | — | — | 40,866 (3) | 490,866 |
(1) | Mr. Sabo, our Chief Executive Officer, who is seconded to us by our Manager, does not receive compensation for his services directly from us. During 2025, 2024 and 2023, Mr. Sabo also provided other services to our Manager and our Manager does not compensate Mr. Sabo specifically for his services to us. We pay our Manager a quarterly management fee and Mr. Sabo, as an equity member of our Manager, receives periodic cash distributions from our Manager after payment of operating costs, compensation and other expenses related to our Manager’s employees and its other members. The amount of such distribution, which relates not only to the management fee paid by us but also the Manager’s other income, is derived by the Manager and is not within our control. Accordingly, no compensation information for Mr. Sabo is reflected in the above summary compensation table. We incurred approximately $17.9, $74.8, and $67.9 million of management fees under the Management Services Agreement during each of 2025, 2024 and 2023, respectively. See the section titled “Certain Relationships and Related Person Transactions – Relationships with Related Persons – Management Services Agreement” for additional information about the Management Services Agreement. |
(2) | Mr. Sabo and Mr. Keller did not participate in any Company sponsored stock award, stock option, non-equity incentive or nonqualified deferred stock compensation plans during 2025, 2024 or 2023. |
(3) | For 2025 and 2024, respectively, includes the below payments paid on behalf of Mr. Keller: |
Year | Healthcare Contributions ($) | Insurance Premiums ($) | 401(K) Contributions ($) | Housing Allowance ($) | Total ($) | ||||||||||||
2025 | $38,579 | $4,019 | $28,000 | $33,000 | $103,598 | ||||||||||||
2024 | $12,156 | $1,110 | $27,600 | — | $40,866 |
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Summary compensation table total | Compensation actually paid (CAP) | Value of initial fixed $100 investment | Net income/(loss) (000’s)(6) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Year | PEO(1) | Avg. non- PEO NEOs(2) | PEO(1) | Avg. non- PEO NEOs(3) | Company TSR(4) | Peer group TSR(5) | |||||||||||||||||
2025 | $ | $ | $ | $ | ($ | ||||||||||||||||||
2024 | $ | $ | $ | $ | ($ | ||||||||||||||||||
2023 | $ | $ | $ | $ | $ | ||||||||||||||||||
2022 | $ | $ | $ | $ | ($ | ||||||||||||||||||
2021 | $ | $ | $ | $ | $ | ||||||||||||||||||
(1) |
(2) | Our current Chief Financial Officer and former Chief Financial Officer, Ryan Faulkingham, were the Company’s only non-PEO named executive officer(s) compensated by the Company for the periods reported in this table. Accordingly, the amounts reported in these columns reflect the average summary compensation table totals and the average compensation actually paid to Mr. Keller and Mr. Faulkingham for fiscal year, 2024, the only year in which both were employed as non-PEO NEOs by the Company. For all fiscal years other than 2024, only one (1) non-PEO NEO is represented in this table (Keller for 2025, and Faulkingham for 2021-2023). The average summary compensation and average compensation actually paid to non-PEO NEOs for the 2024 fiscal year includes, for Mr. Faulkingham, our former CFO, $ |
(3) | Our Chief Financial Officers did not and do not participate in any Company sponsored defined benefit or actuarial pension plans, or any Company sponsored stock award, stock option, non-equity incentive or nonqualified deferred stock compensation plans. Therefore, the compensation actually paid to our Chief Financial Officers was equal to the summary compensation table totals for each of 2025, 2024, 2023, 2022, and 2021, respectively. |
(4) | Our total shareholder return assumes the investment of $100 in our common stock on the last trading day before the earliest fiscal year in the above table through and including the end of the fiscal year for which total shareholder return is depicted. |
(5) | Represents total shareholder return for NYSE Financial Sector Index. |
(6) | Net income/(loss) as restated in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K/A filed on December 8, 2025 and reported in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K as filed on February 27, 2026. |
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FY 2025 | FY 2024 | |||||||
Audit Fees (1) | $12,423,770 | $6,179,716 | ||||||
Audit-Related Fees (2) | — | — | ||||||
Tax Fees (3) | $17,201 | $19,015 | ||||||
All Other Fees (4) | — | — | ||||||
Total | $12,440,971 | $6,198,731 |
(1) | “Audit Fees” are the aggregate fees billed by Grant Thornton LLP for professional services rendered in connection with the audit of our consolidated financial statements included in our annual reports on Form 10-K and for the review of financial statements included in our quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, or for services that are normally provided by the auditors in connection with statutory and regulatory filings or engagements. |
(2) | “Audit-Related Fees” are the aggregate fees billed by Grant Thornton LLP for assurance and related services that are reasonably related to the performance of the audit or review of our financial statements and are not reported under “Audit Fees” above. |
(3) | “Tax Fees” are the aggregate fees billed by Grant Thornton LLP for professional services rendered in connection with tax compliance, advice and planning for one or more Company subsidiaries. |
(4) | “All Other Fees” are the aggregate fees billed by Grant Thornton LLP for any other products and services provided. |
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Name and Address of Beneficial Owner | Amount and Nature of Beneficial Ownership | Percent of Shares Outstanding | ||||||
5% Beneficial Owners: | ||||||||
CGI Magyar Holdings LLC (1) | 7,241,510 | 9.63% | ||||||
ADW Capital Partners, L.P. (2) | 5,750,000 | 7.64% | ||||||
American Century Investment Management, Inc. (3) | 4,957,634 | 6.60% | ||||||
Allspring Global Investments (U.S.) (4) | 4,789,892 | 6.37% | ||||||
Directors, Nominees and Executive Officers: | ||||||||
Harold S. Edwards | 76,539 | * | ||||||
Larry L. Enterline | 32,886 | * | ||||||
Eugene L. Kim | 0 | * | ||||||
Heidi Locke Simon | 22,288 | * | ||||||
Nancy B. Mahon | 10,523 | * | ||||||
Glenn R. Richter | 0 | * | ||||||
Teri R. Shaffer (5) | 15,423 | * | ||||||
Elias J. Sabo (6) | 1,007,375 | * | ||||||
Stephen Keller | 11,840 | * | ||||||
All Directors, Nominees and Executive Officers as a Group | 1,176,874 | 1.6% |
* | Less than 1%. |
(1) | The Trust common shares (the “Shares”) are owned directly by CGI Magyar Holdings LLC., (“CGI Magyar”) a Delaware LLC with its principal offices at 301 Riverside Avenue, First Floor, Westport, CT 06680. CGI Magyar was formed for the purpose of holding the CODI shares and on December 31, 2023, CGI Magyar ownership was transferred from The Kattegat Trust to The Stevns Trust, without consideration or payment, as a charitable donation. CGI Magyar is owned 99.6% by The Stevns Trust and 0.04% by Anholt Services (USA), Inc. The Stevns Trust is a Bermudian charitable trust, engaged in the principal business of distributing income for charitable purposes, with its principal offices at Wessex House, 5th Floor, 45 Reid St., Hamilton HM12. The Co-Trustees of the Trust are Kattegat Private Trustees (Bermuda) Limited (“KPTBL”) and Hamilton Trust Company Limited (“HTCL”), Bermudian trust companies each with its principal offices at Wessex House 5th Fl., 45 Reid Street, Hamilton HM12, Bermuda. Path Spirit Limited is the trust protector for The Stevns Trust. KPTBL is wholly owned by The Lund Purpose Trust, a Bermudian purpose trust with its principal offices at Thistle House, 4 Burnaby Street, Hamilton HM 11, Bermuda, formed for the sole purpose of holding the shares of KPTBL. HTCL is owned 60% by |
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(2) | The address for ADW Capital Partners, L.P. is 6431 Allison Road, Miami Beach, FL 33141. This information is based on a Schedule 13D filed by ADW Capital Partners, L.P., ADW Capital Management, LLC and Adam D. Wyden on February 25, 2026. (i) ADW Capital Partners, L.P. has shared voting power and shared dispositive power with respect to 5,750,000 shares, (ii) ADW Capital Management, LLC has shared voting power and shared dispositive power with respect to 5,750,000 shares, and (iii) Adam D. Wyden has shared voting power and shared dispositive power with respect to 5,750,000 shares, the share amounts in (i), (ii), (iii) include 2,000,000 shares that may be acquired by the reporting persons within sixty (60) days upon the exercise of call options to purchase shares. |
(3) | The address for American Century Investment Management, Inc. is 4500 Main Street 9th Floor, Kansas City, Missouri, 64111. This information is based on a Schedule 13G/A filed by American Century Investment Management, Inc. on November 14, 2025. (i) American Century Capital Portfolios, Inc. has sole voting and dispositive power with respect to 3,265,000 shares, (ii) American Century Investment Management, Inc. has sole voting power with respect to 4,775,275 shares and sole dispositive power with respect to 4,957,634 shares, (iii) American Century Companies, Inc. has sole voting power with respect to 4,775,275 shares and sole dispositive power with respect to 4,957,634 shares, and (iv) Stowers Institute for Medical Research has sole voting power with respect to 4,775,275 shares and sole dispositive power with respect to 4,957,634 shares. American Century Companies, Inc. (“ACC”) is controlled by the Stowers Institute for Medical Research, that is a beneficial owner of these shares. American Century Investment Management, Inc. is a wholly-owned subsidiary of ACC. |
(4) | The address for Allspring Global Investments (U.S.) is 1415 Vantage Park Drive, Charlotte, 28203, North Carolina. This information is based on a Schedule 13G/A filed by Allspring Global Investments (U.S.) on April 15, 2025. Allspring Global Investments (U.S.) has sole dispositive power over 4,789,892 shares, shared dispositive power over 0 shares, sole voting power over 4,504,109 shares and shared voting power over 0 shares. |
(5) | 1,320 of these shares are beneficially owned by Ms. Shaffer and directly by the Shaffer Living Trust of which Ms. Shaffer and her spouse are trustees and beneficiaries. |
(6) | 331,826 of these shares are owned by our Manager and Mr. Sabo is the managing and controlling member of our Manager. Mr. Sabo disclaims beneficial ownership of these shares, except to the extent of his pecuniary interest. |
Number of Interests(1) | Percent of Class | |||||||
Sostratus LLC | ||||||||
allocation interests(2) | 1,000 | 100% | ||||||
trust interests | — | — | ||||||
Compass Diversified Holdings(3) | ||||||||
allocation interests | — | — | ||||||
trust interests | 75,235,966 | 100% |
(1) | Compass Group Diversified Holdings LLC has two classes of equity interests: allocation interests and trust interests. |
(2) | Mr. Sabo may be deemed to be the beneficial owner of allocation interests as he indirectly shares in the proceeds of distributions made with respect to the allocation interests, see, Compensation Discussion and Analysis - Compensation Information from Our Manager and the Allocation Member – for the Allocation Member’s estimate of the amounts reasonably associated with Mr. Sabo’s services to us. Mr. Keller may be deemed to be the beneficial owner of allocation interests as he indirectly shares in the proceeds of distributions made with respect to the allocation interests. |
(3) | Each beneficial interest in the Trust corresponds to one underlying trust interest of the Company. Unless the Trust is dissolved, it must always remain the sole holder of 100% of the trust interests and the Company will have outstanding the identical number of trust interests as the number of outstanding shares of stock of the Trust. As a result of the corresponding interests between shares of stock of the Trust and trust interests, each holder of shares identified in the table above relating to the Trust is deemed to beneficially own a correspondingly proportionate interest in the Company. |
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• | to elect seven (7) directors named in the Proxy Statement to serve for a term expiring at the 2027 Annual Meeting; |
• | to approve, on a non-binding and advisory basis, the resolution approving the compensation of our named executive officers as disclosed in the Proxy Statement (“Say-on-Pay Vote”); |
• | to ratify the appointment of Grant Thornton LLP to serve as the independent auditor for the Company and the Trust for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2026; and |
• | to transact such other matters as may properly come before the meeting and any postponement(s) or adjournment(s) thereof. |
Important Notice Regarding Availability of Proxy Materials for the Annual Meeting to be Held on May 21, 2026: | |||||
The Proxy Materials are available at: www.proxyvote.com. | Enter the 16-digit control number located on the Notice or proxy card. | ||||
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• | Go to the website www.proxyvote.com and follow the instructions, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. |
• | You will need the 16-digit control number included on your proxy card or Notice to vote online. |
• | From a touch-tone telephone, dial 1-800-690-6903 and follow the instructions, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. |
• | You will need the 16-digit control number included on your proxy card or Notice to vote by telephone. |
• | Mark your selections on the proxy card that accompanies this Proxy Statement. |
• | Date and sign your name exactly as it appears on your proxy card and mail the proxy card in the provided postage paid envelope. |
• | Any shareholder can attend the Annual Meeting via live audio webcast at: www.virtualshareholdermeeting.com/CODI2026. |
• | We encourage you to access the Annual Meeting online prior to its start time. |
• | The Annual Meeting starts at 12:00 p.m. Eastern Time on Thursday, May 21, 2026. |
• | Shareholders may vote and electronically submit questions while attending the Annual Meeting on the live audio webcast. |
• | Please have the control number that appears on the proxy card or Notice that you have been provided in order to join the Annual Meeting. |
• | Instructions on how to attend and participate via live audio webcast are posted at: www.virtualshareholdermeeting.com/CODI2026. |
• | If you encounter any difficulties accessing the Annual Meeting, please call the technical support number posted on the virtual meeting platform log-in page. |
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PLEASE RETURN YOUR PROXY CARD TO US IN THE ACCOMPANYING ENVELOPE, OR SUBMIT YOUR VOTE BY TELEPHONE OR ONLINE, NO LATER THAN 11:59 P.M., EASTERN TIME, ON MAY 20, 2026. IF WE DO NOT RECEIVE YOUR PROXY CARD OR VOTE BY THAT TIME, YOUR PROXY WILL NOT BE VALID. IN THIS CASE, UNLESS YOU ATTEND AND VOTE YOUR SHARES ELECTRONICALLY AT THE ANNUAL MEETING, YOUR VOTE WILL NOT BE REPRESENTED. | ||
• | a vote FOR ALL seven (7) directors, as described in the Proxy Statement, each to serve for a term expiring at the 2027 Annual Meeting of Shareholders (Proposal 1); |
• | a vote FOR the approval, on a non-binding and advisory basis, the resolution approving the compensation of our named executive officers as disclosed in the Proxy Statement (“Say-on-Pay Vote”) (Proposal 2); and |
• | a vote FOR the ratification of the appointment of Grant Thornton LLP to serve as the independent auditor for Compass Diversified Holdings and Compass Group Diversified Holdings LLC for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2026 (Proposal 3). |
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