e-Rewards Issues $6.75m in Options, Incentives

US-based panel company e-Rewards has issued $6.75m worth of stock options and incentives to a number of its directors and executive officers.

e-Rewards runs 'by-invitation-only' opinion panels comprising millions of panellists who collect rewards for participating in surveys. Last December, the firm completed its £85.1m acquisition of UK-headquartered online panel specialist Research Now.

The deal saw Research Now's CEO Chris Havemann assume overall management responsibility for the enlarged e-Rewards Group as CEO, alongside Research Now Chairman Geoff Westmore. e-Rewards founder Hal Brierley continues to serve as Chairman of the Board.

According to an SEC filing, the stock options and other incentive awards have been granted to A. Bruce Johnston and Harry Taylor of TA Associates (which in 2008, invested $60m in e-Rewards); Bryce Youngren of Polaris; David Anderson and Harold Brierley of Sutter Hill; and Donald Carty, the retired Chairman of American Airlines.

Others named in the Reg D filing include Havemann, CFO David Mellinger, CMO William Russo and COO Stephen Davis.

Web sites: www.e-rewardsresearch.com and www.researchnow.co.uk .