Joseph Burton
About Joseph B. Burton
Joseph Burton (age 60) is an independent director of ACCO Brands, serving since 2022. He is CEO of Reputation (since Oct 2023), previously CEO of Telesign (Jan 2021–Sep 2023), and CEO/director of Plantronics (now Poly) from 2016–2020. Burton brings technology and cybersecurity expertise and serves as an Audit Committee financial expert; he attended >85% of Board/committee meetings in 2024 .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plantronics (Poly) | CEO and Director | Mar 2016 – Feb 2020 | Public company leadership; audio communications sector |
| Telesign Corporation | CEO | Jan 2021 – Sep 2023 | Digital identity and programmable communications |
| Reputation | CEO | Oct 2023 – Present | Enterprise SaaS for online reputation management |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reputation | CEO | Oct 2023 – Present | Operational leader; no ACCO related-party transactions disclosed |
| Other public boards | None disclosed | — | No current public company directorships cited |
Board Governance
- Committee memberships: Audit Committee member; Compensation & Human Capital Committee member (not a chair) .
- Audit Committee: 8 meetings held in 2024; all members independent and designated “audit committee financial expert,” including Burton .
- Compensation & Human Capital Committee: 5 meetings held in 2024; all members independent .
- Independence: ACCO confirms all directors except CEO are independent; independence criteria prohibit material relationships and specify objective thresholds .
- Attendance: Each director attended >85% of Board/committee meetings in 2024; annual meeting attendance for nominees in 2024 was full .
- Executive sessions: Non-employee director executive sessions held at each regularly scheduled quarterly Board meeting .
Fixed Compensation
| Component | 2023 | 2024 | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual cash retainer ($) | $95,000 | $105,000 program; Burton received $101,126 actual | No meeting fees; committee chair fees apply only to chairs |
| Committee chair fees ($) | N/A (not chair) | N/A (not chair) | Chair fees: Audit $25k; Comp $20k; NGS/Finance $15k |
| All other comp ($) | $0 | $0 | Matching charitable available; Burton did not receive |
Performance Compensation
| Equity Grant Terms (Director) | Value ($) | Vesting | Deferral |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual RSUs/common stock | $125,000 per year | RSUs vest on earlier of first anniversary or next annual meeting | RSUs for directors deferred until 30 days after conclusion of service; dividend equivalents accrue |
| Company AIP Metrics (executive plan Burton oversees) | Weight | Definition |
|---|---|---|
| Adjusted Operating Income | 40% | Operating income adjusted for restructuring, impairments, transaction/integration, incentive comp |
| Net Sales | 20% | Net trade sales per GAAP |
| Working Capital Efficiency | 20% | 13‑month avg net working capital / annual net sales (%) |
| Strategic Measures | 20% | Growth/new product, cost savings/organization, ESG progress |
| Company PSU Metrics (2024–2026 LTIP metrics Burton oversees) | Measure Weight | TSR Modifier |
|---|---|---|
| Adjusted EPS | 50% | +/‑20% vs peer TSR percentile (>=75th=120%, <=25th=80%) |
| Free Cash Flow | 30% | See TSR modifier above |
| Adjusted Gross Margin % | 20% | See TSR modifier above |
Other Directorships & Interlocks
- Compensation Committee interlocks: None; no relationships requiring Item 404 disclosure .
- Related-party transactions: None meeting review thresholds in 2024 .
- Shared directorships with ACCO competitors/suppliers/customers: None disclosed .
Expertise & Qualifications
- Technology and cybersecurity expert; Audit Committee receives regular briefings; Burton contributes domain expertise .
- Experience includes operating executive, marketing/sales/brand management, industry knowledge, public company director, IT/cybersecurity per Board skills matrix .
- Designated Audit Committee financial expert and financially literate .
Equity Ownership
| Holding Type | Amount | Date |
|---|---|---|
| RSUs outstanding | 39,748 (Dec 31, 2023) | 12/31/2023 |
| RSUs outstanding | 67,579 (Dec 31, 2024) | 12/31/2024 |
- Director stock ownership guidelines: 5× annual cash retainer within five years; all directors met or were on track as of Dec 31, 2024 .
- Hedging/pledging/short sales prohibited for directors .
Governance Assessment
- Strengths: Independence; strong attendance; dual roles on Audit and Compensation committees; audit financial expert designation; cybersecurity expertise; clear prohibition on hedging/pledging; robust clawback and double-trigger CIC features in executive plans; strong say‑on‑pay support (97.8% in 2024) .
- Alignment: Director equity is deferred RSUs with annual vesting tied to continued service; stock ownership guideline compliance supports skin‑in‑the‑game .
- Conflicts/Red Flags: No related‑party transactions; no committee interlocks; pledging/hedging prohibited; no repricing; no excise tax gross‑ups; no poison pill .
- Engagement Signals: Active participation on two core committees; oversight of financial controls, cyber risk, and pay‑for‑performance frameworks; board executive sessions enhance independent oversight .