Graciela Monteagudo
About Graciela I. Monteagudo
Independent director at ACCO Brands since 2016; age 58. She chairs the Nominating, Governance & Sustainability Committee and serves on the Compensation & Human Capital Committee, with core credentials spanning operating leadership, marketing/brand management, human capital, international market development, and governance/sustainability. Prior roles include CEO of LALA U.S. (2017–2018) and SVP & President, Americas at Mead Johnson Nutrition (2015–2017); she holds ESG board education certificates from UC Berkeley (2022) and Diligent (2024). ACCO’s Board has affirmatively determined her independence under NYSE and Company standards; she attended over 85% of Board/committee meetings in 2024.
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| LALA U.S. | Chief Executive Officer | Mar 2017–Dec 2018 | Led a consumer dairy company focused on drinkable yogurts and specialty milks. |
| Mead Johnson Nutrition | SVP & President, Americas | Jul 2015–Feb 2017 | Ran North and Latin America businesses; senior operating executive experience. |
External Roles
| Company | Role | Tenure | Committees |
|---|---|---|---|
| WD‑40 Company | Director | Since Jun 2020 | Nominating/Governance; Compensation; Finance. |
| iHeartMedia | Director | Since Jul 2021 | Audit. |
Board Governance
- Committee assignments: Chair, Nominating, Governance & Sustainability; Member, Compensation & Human Capital.
- Independence: Board determined all directors except the CEO are independent; Monteagudo is independent.
- Attendance: Board met 8 times; each director attended >85% of Board/committee meetings in 2024; annual meeting attendance in 2024 was 100% of then-serving nominees.
- Committee activity: Compensation & Human Capital Committee held 5 meetings; Nominating, Governance & Sustainability held 4; Audit held 8; Finance & Planning held 5.
- Board structure/policies: Independent Chairman; declassified board; majority voting; executive sessions of non‑employee directors at each regularly scheduled quarterly meeting; no poison pill; stock ownership guidelines for directors; hedging/pledging/short sales prohibited.
- Director stock ownership guidelines: Non‑employee directors must hold ≥5× annual cash retainer within 5 years; as of Dec 31, 2024 all directors met or were on track.
Fixed Compensation
| Component | 2024 Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Annual cash retainer | $105,000 | Standard non‑employee director retainer; no meeting fees. |
| Committee chair fee | $15,000 | Nominating, Governance & Sustainability Committee chair. |
| Cash fees earned (reported) | $116,126 | Actual cash paid in 2024 for Monteagudo. |
| Equity grant (RSUs fair value) | $125,000 | Annual RSU grant; typically at annual meeting. |
| Total director compensation | $241,126 | Cash + equity for 2024. |
Additional program features:
- Equity form and vesting: Director RSUs vest in full on the earlier of first anniversary of grant or the next annual meeting; payment deferred until service conclusion under the Deferred Plan; dividend equivalents accrue as additional RSUs.
- Deferred compensation elections: No director deferred cash in 2024; no phantom fixed income or stock unit balances.
- Charitable match: Up to $5,000 per director annually; three directors participated in 2024; Monteagudo reported no “All Other Compensation.”
Performance Compensation
Directors do not receive performance‑based pay; awards are time‑vested RSUs intended to align interests via ownership and retention.
| Instrument | Grant Timing | Grant Date Fair Value | Vesting | Performance Metrics | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RSUs | Typically at annual meeting | $125,000 | Vest in full at earlier of first anniversary or next annual meeting; settlement deferred until end of service | None (time‑based only) | Dividend equivalents accrue as RSUs. |
Other Directorships & Interlocks
- External boards: WD‑40 Company (Nom/Gov, Comp, Finance), iHeartMedia (Audit).
- Compensation committee interlocks: None; no relationships requiring Item 404 disclosure; no reciprocal comp committee/director overlaps with ACCO executives.
Expertise & Qualifications
- Skill matrix: Operating Executive; Marketing/Sales/Brand Management; Human Capital Management; Public Company Director; International Market Development; Corporate Governance & Sustainability.
- ESG education: UC Berkeley “ESG: Navigating the Board’s Role” (2022); Diligent Climate Leadership Certification (2024).
Equity Ownership
| Holder | Common Shares | Options (exercisable ≤60 days) | RSUs (vested/unvested; may vest ≤60 days) | Total | Beneficial Ownership % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Graciela I. Monteagudo | 0 | 0 | 149,766 | 149,766 | <1% |
- Director RSU outstanding count at Dec 31, 2024 (includes deferred awards): 149,766.
- Ownership policy alignment: Directors must hold ≥5× cash retainer within 5 years; all directors met or are on track.
- Hedging/pledging/short sales: Prohibited for directors and executive officers.
Insider Trades (Form 4 RSU Credits)
| Filing Date | Transaction Date | Security | Quantity | Price | Post‑Transaction Derivative Holdings | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 20, 2025 | Jun 18, 2025 | RSUs (dividend equivalent) | 4,050 | $0.00 | 189,269.65 RSUs | Routine dividend‑equivalent accrual under Deferred Plan. |
| Sep 10, 2025 | Sep 10, 2025 | RSUs (dividend equivalent) | 3,575 | $0.00 | 192,845 RSUs (reported by dataset) | Dividend‑equivalent RSUs; grant price $0.00 per share. |
Governance Assessment
- Board effectiveness: As an independent committee chair (Nominating, Governance & Sustainability) and Compensation Committee member with >85% attendance, Monteagudo is positioned to influence board refreshment, committee composition, director evaluations, and human capital oversight—key levers for investor confidence.
- Alignment: Her director pay mix is balanced (cash retainer plus equity RSUs), with RSUs deferred until end of service and stringent ownership/anti‑hedging policies—supporting long‑term alignment rather than short‑term incentives.
- Interlocks/conflicts: No compensation committee interlocks or related‑party relationships disclosed; external boards (WD‑40, iHeart) are in distinct sectors, reducing potential commercial conflicts with ACCO.
- Engagement signals: Executive sessions each quarterly meeting; robust governance practices (independent Chair; declassified board; majority voting; no poison pill) and strong 2024 say‑on‑pay support (97.8%) underpin governance quality.
- RED FLAGS: None evident—no pledging/hedging, no related‑party transactions flagged, attendance above threshold, and routine RSU accruals only in insider filings.