Paola Gonzalez
ABBOTT LABORATORIESAbout Paola Gonzalez
Independent director at Abbott Laboratories since 2021; age 53. Currently Vice President, Global FP&A at The Clorox Company (since June 2023), with prior senior finance roles in treasury, investor relations, and divisional finance; earlier finance experience at American Airlines in Latin America. Her core credentials emphasize multinational corporate finance, financial reporting, and treasury leadership; she is designated independent per NYSE standards and serves on Audit and Nominations & Governance committees .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Clorox Company | Vice President, Global FP&A | Jun 2023–present | Provides financial leadership across businesses and business development |
| The Clorox Company | Vice President & Treasurer (treasury, IR, real estate) | 2018–2023 | Corporate finance, capital markets, IR accountability |
| The Clorox Company | Vice President of Finance, Household & Lifestyle Segments | 2010–2017 | Segment-level financial leadership |
| The Clorox Company | Vice President of Finance, Global Strategic Initiatives | 2008–2010 | Strategic projects finance |
| The Clorox Company | Various finance leadership roles | 1997–2008 | Progressive finance responsibilities |
| American Airlines (Latin America) | Finance roles | Prior to 1997 | Regional finance experience |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Clorox Company | Vice President, Global FP&A | Jun 2023–present | Financial leadership across all businesses |
No other public company board service is disclosed in her proxy biography .
Board Governance
| Attribute | Details |
|---|---|
| Independence | Determined independent under NYSE standards; board found no relationships impairing independence |
| Committee Assignments | Audit; Nominations & Governance (member; not chair) |
| Committee Meeting Counts | 2023: Audit 8; Nominations & Governance 4; Public Policy 4; Executive 0 |
| 2024 Committee Meeting Counts | 2024: Audit 7; Compensation 3; Nominations & Governance 4; Public Policy 4; Executive 0 |
| Board Meetings & Attendance | Board held 7 meetings in 2023; each director nominee attended 100% of board and committee meetings; all directors attended the annual meeting |
| Executive Sessions | Independent directors hold executive sessions at each regularly scheduled board meeting, led by the Lead Independent Director |
| Committee Independence | Audit, Compensation, Nominations & Governance, and Public Policy are fully independent; Audit members financially literate |
Fixed Compensation
| Year | Fees Earned or Paid in Cash ($) | Stock Awards ($) | Option Awards ($) | All Other Compensation ($) | Total ($) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 132,000 | 199,960 | 0 | 25,000 | 356,960 |
| 2024 | 132,000 | 199,892 | 0 | 25,000 | 356,892 |
- Fee Plan structure: Non-employee directors earn $10,500 per month; Audit Committee members (non-chair) receive $500 per month; chair monthly fees: Audit $2,500; Compensation $2,083.33; Nominations & Governance $1,250; Public Policy $1,250; Lead Independent Director $3,333.33. Effective May 1, 2025, Nominations & Governance and Public Policy chair fees increase to $2,083.33 . In 2023, chair fees were set as Audit $2,500; Compensation $2,083.33; Nominations & Governance $1,250; Public Policy $1,250; Lead Independent Director $3,333.33, with updated structure from May 1, 2023 .
- Equity grants: Each non-employee director elected at the annual meeting receives vested RSUs valued at $200,000 (rounded down); in 2023 this was 1,816 units .
- “All Other Compensation” reflects charitable matching grants (eligible up to $25,000 annually) .
Performance Compensation
| Component | Disclosure | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Performance-linked equity (PSUs) | Not used for non-employee directors | Annual director equity is vested RSUs (fixed value), not performance-based |
| Cash bonuses tied to metrics | Not used for non-employee directors | Director cash compensation is monthly fees, not performance-based |
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Organization | Role | Overlap/Interlock | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| — | — | — | No other public company directorships disclosed; biography lists executive roles, not board service |
- Competitor board restriction: Directors may not serve on the board of an Abbott competitor; new public company board offers must be disclosed to the Chair and N&G Committee for conflict evaluation .
Expertise & Qualifications
- Financial leadership at a multinational public company; expertise in financial statements, corporate finance, and accounting matters .
- Committee alignment: Audit (accounting, controls, cybersecurity, major financial risks) and N&G (board composition, governance) .
Equity Ownership
| As of Jan 31, 2025 | Shares Beneficially Owned | Stock Options (exercisable within 60 days) | Stock Equivalent Units | Ownership % of Shares Outstanding | Pledged Shares |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paola Gonzalez | 5,284 | 0 | 4,125 | <1% (no director >1%) | None (no pledging by directors/officers) |
- RSUs are vested at grant; one share delivered per unit upon termination/retirement/change-in-control; cash dividends paid on units at shareholder rate .
- Director ownership guideline: within five years, own Abbott shares equal to five times annual director fees; all directors with five years’ tenure meet/exceed guidelines; Ms. Gonzalez (director since 2021) is within the five-year compliance window .
- Hedging/pledging prohibited for directors and officers .
Governance Assessment
- Board effectiveness: Independent committee membership (Audit and N&G), full attendance in 2023, and robust executive sessions indicate strong independence and oversight; Audit Committee addresses cybersecurity and major financial risks .
- Alignment and incentives: Director pay mix is balanced—fixed monthly cash fees plus fixed-value RSUs; absence of performance-based director pay reduces risk of short-termism; charitable match transparent and capped .
- Ownership alignment: RSU grants and five-year ownership guidelines strengthen alignment; no pledging and hedging permitted .
- Conflicts: Ms. Gonzalez is a current Clorox executive; the board’s independence review considered relationships with companies that do business with Abbott and concluded no impairment; policy requires pre-clearance of new outside boards and prohibits competitor boards—mitigating interlock risk .
- Shareholder signals: Company maintains fully independent committees, strong governance processes, and has achieved ≥90% Say-on-Pay support each of the past five years—supportive of investor confidence .