Ron Lombardi
About Ron Lombardi
Ron Lombardi (age 61) has served as an independent director of ACCO Brands since 2018. He is Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of Prestige Consumer Healthcare, Inc. (public company) and previously served as Prestige’s Chief Financial Officer, bringing deep operating, financial, and branded consumer experience to ACCO. He is the Audit Committee Chair and has been determined by the Board to be an “audit committee financial expert.” Attendance exceeded 85% of Board and committee meetings in 2024, and the Board affirms his independence under NYSE standards .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Prestige Consumer Healthcare, Inc. | Chief Financial Officer | Dec 2010 – Nov 2015 | Built finance leadership foundation for subsequent CEO/Chair roles |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Prestige Consumer Healthcare, Inc. | Chairman; President & CEO; Director | Chairman since May 2017; CEO/Director since June 2015 | Public company leader in consumer healthcare; adds current operator perspective |
Board Governance
- Committee assignments: Audit Committee (Chair); Finance & Planning Committee (Member) .
- Independence: Board determined all non-employee nominees, including Lombardi, are independent under NYSE and company standards .
- Audit Chair responsibilities: oversees financial reporting, auditor independence, internal audit; pre-approves audit/non-audit services; reviews related-party transactions; each Audit member (including Lombardi) deemed an “audit committee financial expert” .
- Meetings/attendance: Board met 8 times in 2024; all nominees attended >85% of Board and relevant committee meetings; Audit Committee held 8 meetings; Finance & Planning held 5 meetings .
- Board leadership: Independent Chairman (E. Mark Rajkowski); executive sessions of non-employee directors at each regular quarterly Board meeting .
Fixed Compensation (Director)
| Component (2024) | Amount |
|---|---|
| Cash fees earned | $126,126 |
| Equity grant (RSUs, grant-date fair value) | $125,000 |
| All other compensation (charitable match) | $5,000 |
| Total | $256,126 |
| Cash retainer policy | $105,000 annual retainer; plus $25,000 additional annual retainer for Audit Committee Chair; no meeting fees |
| Equity policy | Annual director equity (RSUs or common stock) valued at $125,000; typically granted at annual meeting; RSUs vest by next annual meeting and are deferred until service ends |
Performance Compensation (Director)
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Performance-based components | None; director equity is time-based RSUs (no performance metrics) |
| RSU vesting | Vest in full on earlier of first anniversary or next annual meeting; delivery deferred until service concludes; dividend equivalents accrue and pay only upon vesting |
| Deferral | Directors may elect to defer cash into a phantom account; no deferrals in 2024 |
Other Directorships & Interlocks
- Current public company board: Prestige Consumer Healthcare, Inc. (Chairman; President & CEO; Director) .
- Compensation committee interlocks: None in 2024; no insider participation issues disclosed .
- Related-party transactions: None in 2024 meeting Item 404 thresholds; Audit Committee oversees related-party review policy .
Expertise & Qualifications
- Skills matrix highlights for Lombardi: Operating Executive; Financial Executive; Marketing/Sales/Brand Management; Public Company Director; IT/Cybersecurity; Corporate Strategy .
- Audit financial expertise: Board designated Audit Committee members, including Lombardi, as audit committee financial experts .
Equity Ownership
| As of March 1, 2025 | Shares Owned | Options (exercisable by 4/30/2025) | RSUs (vested/vesting by 4/30/2025) | Total Beneficial Ownership | % of Outstanding |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ronald M. Lombardi | 134,951 | 0 | 106,004 | 240,955 | <1% |
- Director stock ownership guidelines: 5x annual cash retainer within five years; all directors either met or are on track as of 12/31/2024 .
- Hedging/pledging: Prohibited for directors under insider trading policy .
Governance Assessment
-
Strengths
- Independent director with current operator experience (public company CEO/Chair) and prior CFO background; enhances financial oversight and strategy input .
- Audit Committee Chair and designated financial expert; committee met 8 times in 2024; strong attendance (>85%) supports engagement .
- Clear alignment mechanisms: annual RSU grant; director ownership guideline (5x retainer) with compliance/on-track status; hedging/pledging prohibited .
- No related-party transactions and no comp committee interlocks disclosed; mitigates conflict risk .
- Independent Board Chair; regular executive sessions bolster independent oversight .
-
Potential considerations
- Dual role as a sitting public-company CEO/Chair (Prestige) while serving as ACCO’s Audit Chair increases time demands; 2024 attendance and committee workload do not indicate issues (>85% attendance; Audit met 8x), but ongoing monitoring of engagement is prudent .
-
Signals for investors
- High Say-on-Pay support (97.8% in 2024) reflects a generally favorable governance climate, though it pertains to executive pay rather than director pay .
- Audit oversight scope includes related-party review and cybersecurity oversight via the Audit Committee, aligning with current risk priorities .
RED FLAGS: None disclosed regarding related-party transactions, hedging/pledging, low attendance, or interlocks in 2024 .