Robert Keller
About Robert J. Keller
Robert J. Keller (age 71) is an independent director of ACCO Brands, serving since 2005; he previously served as Chairman (Oct 2008–May 2016) and CEO (Oct 2008–Mar 2013) of ACCO Brands, and earlier was President & CEO and a director at APAC Customer Services and held senior roles at Office Depot culminating as President, Business Services Group . ACCO’s Board has affirmed independence for all current directors except the CEO; Keller is therefore independent under NYSE and the company’s Corporate Governance Principles . As of 2024, all directors met or were on track to meet stock ownership guidelines (5x annual cash retainer within five years), and all attended >85% of Board and committee meetings in 2024 .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| ACCO Brands | Chairman of the Board | Oct 2008 – May 2016 | Led board through governance separation of Chair/CEO roles; institutional knowledge |
| ACCO Brands | Chief Executive Officer | Oct 2008 – Mar 2013 | Operational leadership; subsequent transition to independent chair |
| APAC Customer Services, Inc. | President & CEO; Director | Not disclosed | BPO industry leadership experience |
| Office Depot, Inc. | Various roles; President, Business Services Group | Not disclosed | Deep industry and customer-channel experience |
External Roles
| Company | Role | Current/Past 5 Years | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| — | — | None disclosed | Keller’s nominee biography lists no other current or past-five-year public company directorships |
Board Governance
- Committee assignments: Finance & Planning Committee member; not a chair .
- Independence: Board annually affirms independence; all directors except the CEO are independent .
- Attendance: Each director nominee attended >85% of Board/committee meetings in 2024; executive sessions of non-employee directors occur at each regularly scheduled quarterly meeting .
- 2025 shareholder vote: Keller received 65,507,781 “For”, 1,976,312 “Against”, 1,001,582 “Abstain”; elected for a one-year term .
- Stock ownership guidelines: Non-employee directors must hold 5x annual cash retainer within five years; all directors met or are on track .
- Pledging/hedging policy: Company prohibits hedging, pledging and short sales by directors and executives .
Fixed Compensation (Director Pay)
| Component | Structure | 2024 Keller Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Annual cash retainer | $105,000; paid quarterly; no meeting fees; chair add-ons: Audit $25k, Comp $20k, NGS $15k, Finance & Planning $15k; Independent Chair +$100k | Fees Earned/Paid in Cash: $101,126 |
| Cash deferral (optional) | Deferred Compensation Plan for Directors; phantom stock or fixed income; none elected in 2024 | N/A (none elected) |
Total 2024 Director Compensation (Keller): Cash $101,126; Stock Awards (RSUs grant-date fair value) $125,000; Total $226,126 . Keller’s mix: ~45% cash / ~55% equity (derived from disclosed amounts) .
Performance Compensation (Director Equity)
| Equity Instrument | Grant Value | Vesting / Settlement | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual RSUs (deferred) | $125,000 fair market value | Vest in full on earlier of first anniversary or next annual meeting; payment deferred until within 30 days after end of board service; dividend equivalents accrue | Must receive RSUs until ownership guideline met; then choice of RSUs or unrestricted stock annually |
Performance metrics: None disclosed for director compensation; non-employee director equity is service-based RSUs without performance conditions .
Other Directorships & Interlocks
- Compensation & Human Capital Committee interlocks: Company discloses no interlocks and no relationships requiring Item 404 disclosure for the committee or any director in 2024 .
- Shared directorships with customers/suppliers: Not disclosed; independence affirmed annually .
Expertise & Qualifications
- Board skills matrix indicates Keller’s strengths in Operating Executive, Marketing/Sales/Brand Management, Industry Knowledge, Public Company Director experience, Corporate Strategy, and Risk Management .
Equity Ownership
| Measure | Detail |
|---|---|
| RSUs outstanding (incl. vested/unvested; deferred) | 168,365 RSUs at Dec 31, 2024 |
| Guideline requirement | 5x annual cash retainer within five years; all directors met/on track |
| Hedging/pledging | Prohibited by policy for directors/executives |
Governance Assessment
- Positive indicators: Long tenure with prior Chair/CEO experience provides deep institutional knowledge; independence affirmed; strong attendance; structured committee oversight with Finance & Planning focus on capital structure, liquidity, hedging, and strategic transactions .
- Pay alignment: Majority of director pay in equity via annual RSUs; robust director ownership guidelines; prohibition on hedging/pledging supports alignment with shareholders .
- Shareholder support: Keller’s 2025 election received substantial “For” votes; company-level say-on-pay support strong in 2024 (97.8% approval of 2023 NEO pay) and significant support again in 2025 per vote counts .
- Conflicts/related-party: No Item 404 related-party relationships disclosed; no compensation committee interlocks; Audit Committee reviews/approves related-party transactions .
- Refresh/tenure policy: Board refreshment policy limits nominations after age 74 absent Board determination; balances tenure with renewal .
Notes on Insider Trades
Attempted to retrieve Form 4 insider trading records for “Robert Keller” at ACCO via the insider-trades skill but access was unauthorized (401). Consider reviewing SEC EDGAR for Form 4 filings to confirm any open-market transactions, awards, or holdings updates. Skill usage documented; no transaction data available from tool due to access error.