CleanSpark's 2026 proxy statement records both of his terms in the job: "Since co-founding CleanSpark in 2014, he served as a director and CEO until October 2019, when he transitioned to the role of Executive Chairman. Mr. Schultz resumed his position as CEO in August 2025." The same document dates the handover precisely: on 10 August 2025 co-founder and chief executive Zachary K. Bradford resigned as an officer and director, and the board appointed Schultz.
The company he co-founded was not a mining company. The proxy describes his first tenure as leading CleanSpark "as an alternative energy generator focused on converting biomass into energy using patented gasifier technology", then into software for distributed energy systems and demand response programs, including work at Camp Pendleton. Bitcoin mining came later, through the December 2020 purchase of ATL Data Centers.
He is the only non-independent member of the board, and holds the chairman and chief executive roles together. He signed the company's Form 10-K for the year to 30 September 2025 as principal executive officer.