Company: FWDI
Filing Date: 2025-06-20
Form Type: DEF 14A
Source: 0001683168-25-004653
Chunk: 13

Company: Forward Industries, Inc.
Filing Date: 2025-06-20
Form: DEF 14A
Chunk 13
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 board of directors of Amergent Hospitality
Group Inc. (“Amergent”) and as chairman of its audit committee and a member of its compensation committee. Mr.
Johnson was selected as a director because of his board experience and his strong accounting background.

| 8 |

Executive Officers of Forward Industries, Inc.

| Name              | Age | Position                        | Appointed |
| Michael Pruitt    |  65 | Interim Chief Executive Officer | May 2025  |
| Kathleen Weisberg |  54 | Chief Financial Officer         | July 2023 |

Michael Pruitt. Mr. Pruitt was appointed interim Chief Executive Officer on May 16, 2025. Mr. Pruitt also served on the Board from January 28, 2025 to May 16, 2025. Mr. Pruitt founded Avenel Financial Group, a boutique financial services firm concentrating on emerging technology company investments in 1999. In 2001, Mr. Pruitt formed Avenel Ventures, a technology investment and private venture capital firm. In February 2005, Mr. Pruitt formed Chanticleer Holdings, Inc., then a public holding company (now known as Sonnet BioTherapeutics Holdings, Inc.), and he served as Chairman of the Board of Directors and Chief Executive Officer until April 1, 2020, at which time the restaurant operations of Chanticleer Holdings were spun out into a new public entity, Amergent Hospitality Group, Inc., where Mr. Pruitt continues to serve as its Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. Since October 2020, Mr. Pruitt has been a member of the Board of Directors of IMAC Holdings, Inc. (OTCQB: BACK) and currently serves on its Compensation Committee and as Chair of its Audit Committee. Since July 2023, Mr. Pruitt has served as the Interim Chief Executive Officer of Amaze Holdings, Inc. (NYSE American: AMZE) (Formerly, Fresh Vine Wine, Inc.) (“Amaze”), a commerce platform company. Mr. Pruitt also has served as a director of Amaze since December 2021. Mr. Pruitt also served as a director on the board of Hooters of America, LLC from 2011 to 2019. Mr. Pruitt received a B.A. degree from Coastal Carolina University. Mr. Pruitt currently sits on the Board of Visitors of the E. Craig Wall Sr. College of Business Administration, the Coastal Education Foundation Board, and the Athletic Committee of the Board.

Kathleen We