Maxine Clark is the founder and former CEO of Build-A-Bear Workshop, a company she started in 1997. She led the company as its Chief Executive Bear until 2013, helping to grow it into a well-known brand. With a degree in...

Maxine Clark is the founder and former CEO of Build-A-Bear Workshop, a company she started in 1997. She led the company as its Chief Executive Bear until 2013, helping to grow it into a well-known brand. With a degree in Business Administration from the University of Missouri, Maxine has extensive experience in the retail sector. Before launching Build-A-Bear, she was the President of Payless ShoeSource from 1992 to 1996 and spent over 19 years at The May Department Stores Company in various roles, including marketing and merchandise development. This broad experience has helped her understand what customers want and how to create products that resonate with them. Besides her work in retail, she sits on several boards, including the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) and Barnes-Jewish Hospital. Interestingly, her compensation at Build-A-Bear varied over the years, reflecting the company's performance; it peaked at over $1.8 million in 2010, a mix of salary, bonuses, and stock values. Maxine is also active in philanthropy, serving as the CEO of the Clark-Fox Family Foundation, promoting efforts to support women-owned businesses in St. Louis. Her insider trading activities saw significant fluctuations, peaking with sales reaching up to $3.8 million in June 2021, indicating her strong belief in the company's future and her personal success in the business world.

Quick Links

1. Rivals

2. Holdings

3. Insider Trading

4. Compensation History

5. Other Build-A-Bear Workshop CEOs

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Maxine Clark

Founder and Ex-CEO of Build-A-Bear Workshop

Education

Bachelor of Arts from the University of Georgia

Field of Expertise

Consumer Goods & Retail - Retail

Sector of Economy

Consumer Cyclical

Born

March 6, 1949 - 76 years ago

CEO of Build-A-Bear Workshop for

16 years 5 months (Jan 1997 - Jun 2013)

Previous Experience

Vice President of Payless ShoeSource, Inc.

Rivals

Competitors/colleagues of Maxine Clark

Holdings

See how much did Maxine Clark make over time.

Maxine Clark's holdings in Build-A-Bear Workshop reflect her long-term involvement in the company. At one point, her insider trades saw her selling shares worth over $3.8 million in June 2021, showing confidence in the company's trajectory. Her stock ownership was...

Maxine Clark's holdings in Build-A-Bear Workshop reflect her long-term involvement in the company. At one point, her insider trades saw her selling shares worth over $3.8 million in June 2021, showing confidence in the company's trajectory. Her stock ownership was significant, with numbers indicating varied wealth tied to the company's stock performance, especially around pivotal moments in the business. These fluctuations in her wealth also mirror her steady commitment to the brand's growth over the years, as the value of her shares has risen and fallen with the company’s ups and downs. Through her holdings, Maxine has maintained a notable stake, which ties her personal financial success closely to the health of Build-A-Bear Workshop. She had a peak wealth reflected in insider trades that suggested optimism about future performance.

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Total Stock Sold

$18.07M

BBW

$18.07M

1,400,589 BBW shares

What if they kept their stock?

If Maxine Clark didn't sell their stock, today they would have:
Extra BBW1,400,589 shares worth $2.02M.
This is -88.84% and $16.06M less than what they got when they sold the stock.

Charitable Transactions

BBW

1,186,854 shares

BBW

Recent Charitable Transactions

BBW

3,500 shares

BBW

Mar 9, 2023

Charity

BBW

7,200 shares

BBW

Dec 2, 2022

Charity

BBW

3,600 shares

BBW

Jun 1, 2022

Charity

BBW

37,402 shares

BBW

Feb 23, 2018

Charity

BBW

46,815 shares

BBW

Dec 22, 2017

Charity

BBW

175,000 shares

BBW

Sep 3, 2015

Charity

Insider Trading

See recent insider trades of Maxine Clark.

BBW

$100.31K

BBW at $26.01/share

Mar 9, 2023

Sale

BBW

3,500 shares

BBW

Mar 9, 2023

Charity

BBW

$96.48K

BBW at $25.02/share

Feb 2, 2023

Sale

BBW

$90.09K

BBW at $25.02/share

Dec 2, 2022

Sale

BBW

7,200 shares

BBW

Dec 2, 2022

Charity

BBW

4,090 shares

BBW

Jun 9, 2022

Received

BBW

3,600 shares

BBW

Jun 1, 2022

Charity

BBW

$66.45K

BBW at $18.46/share

May 2, 2022

Sale

BBW

$214.93K

BBW at $22.00/share

Dec 1, 2021

Sale

BBW

$195.65K

BBW at $20.03/share

Nov 22, 2021

Sale

Compensation History

See how much did Maxine Clark make over time.

Maxine Clark's compensation at Build-A-Bear Workshop evolved significantly over her tenure. In 2013, her total pay was around $1.4 million, which included a base salary of $659,200. She received no bonuses that year, as company performance did not meet targets. However, in prior years, her earnings peaked in 2010, reaching over $1.8 million, driven by successful sales targets and stock vesting. The pay system was designed to align her interests with those of shareholders, with a focus on long-term performance metrics. Despite some fluctuations in bonuses related to performance, her steady salary reflected her key role in guiding the company's strategic decisions during its growth period. Her compensation signals both the challenges of retail performance and her leadership role during changing market conditions.

Year

2013

Total Compensation

$2.09M

Salary

$659.20K

Board Justification

The compensation philosophy aims to attract and retain highly qualified executives, motivate them to contribute to long-term success, and align their interests with those of stockholders through performance-based compensation.

Bonus

$377.14K

Board Justification

The bonus for 2013 was prorated based on the number of full calendar weeks Ms. Clark was employed during the fiscal year, with a total payout of 78% of the target bonus due to company performance.

Other

$189.56K

Board Justification

Includes consulting fees paid pursuant to her Consulting Agreement, legal fees reimbursement, and other benefits.

Restricted Stock

$862.35K(111.42K restricted stock)

Board Justification

The total number of time-based restricted shares that vested in 2013, which vest at the rate of 25% per year over four years from the date of grant, beginning on the first anniversary of the grant date.

Performance Metrics

The performance metrics for determining compensation included the achievement of pre-established financial goals related to consolidated pretax income.

Other Build-A-Bear Workshop CEOs

Here are other CEOs of Build-A-Bear Workshop

Sharon Price John

CEO of Build-A-Bear Workshop

June 2013 - Present