DeLu Jackson
ADTAbout DeLu Jackson
DeLu Jackson is ADT’s Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer (EVP & CMO), a role he has held since February 2023 after joining ADT as SVP & CMO in September 2021. He is 52 and brings 25+ years of brand and performance marketing experience across Conagra Brands, Kellogg, McDonald’s, Audi, Nissan, and Subaru; he holds an MBA from NYU Stern and a BA in Politics from Princeton. Under ADT’s current operating model, performance anchors on recurring revenue and retention; in 2024, ADT delivered 5% revenue growth, record year-end recurring monthly revenue (RMR) of $359M, a 12.7% gross revenue attrition rate, and a 2.2-year revenue payback period, with significant marketing-led initiatives such as the ADT+ platform, Trusted Neighbor, and expanded virtual service all supporting customer acquisition efficiency and retention .
| Key point | Detail |
|---|---|
| Current role | EVP & CMO (Feb 2023–present) |
| Age | 52 (as of April 7, 2025) |
| Tenure at ADT | Joined as SVP & CMO (Sep 2021), promoted to EVP & CMO (Feb 2023) |
| Education | MBA (NYU Stern); BA in Politics (Princeton) |
| Recent ADT performance context (FY2024) | Revenue +5% YoY; RMR $359M; gross revenue attrition 12.7%; revenue payback 2.2 years |
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Years | Strategic impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conagra Brands | Vice President, Precision Marketing | 2017–2021 | Led integrated marketing, e‑commerce, brand strategy, and advertising |
| Kellogg Company | Senior marketing roles | Not disclosed | Global consumer brand management experience |
| McDonald’s | Senior marketing roles | Not disclosed | Scaled brand and performance marketing |
| Audi | Senior marketing roles | Not disclosed | Premium brand positioning |
| Nissan | Senior marketing roles | Not disclosed | Automotive brand and demand generation |
| Subaru | Senior marketing roles | Not disclosed | Automotive brand and demand generation |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Years | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Latham Group, Inc. | Board member | Not disclosed | Current public company directorship |
Fixed Compensation
- Not disclosed for Mr. Jackson in ADT’s 2025 proxy because he was not a Named Executive Officer (NEO). Company design: executives receive base salary reviewed annually for role scope, market alignment, and performance .
Performance Compensation
- Annual Incentive Program (AIP) design (company-wide executive framework): Two weighted financial metrics with threshold/target/maximum, with the Compensation Committee retaining negative discretion. For FY2024, NEO payouts were 95% of target based on outcomes below; structure is indicative for senior executives, though Mr. Jackson’s specific payout is not disclosed .
| FY2024 AIP metric | Weight | Target | Actual | Performance vs Target | Weighted performance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adjusted EBITDA ($M) | 50% | 2,577 | 2,578 | 100.05% | 51% |
| Ending RMR ($M) | 50% | 361.5 | 359.5 | 99.45% | 44% |
| Total business performance | — | — | — | — | 95% |
- Long-Term Incentives (2024+): Company shifted the annual LTIP to 100% non-qualified stock options to heighten pay-for-performance alignment; options vest 1/3 annually over 3 years, 10-year term, exercise price at grant-date close. NEO award sizes are disclosed; the structure applies broadly to executives (Mr. Jackson’s grant details are not disclosed) .
| LTIP element | Term | Vesting | Strike price | Design intent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Non-qualified stock options | 10 years | 1/3 per year (service-based) | Closing price on grant date | Value only if stock price rises; strengthens alignment |
- Clawback: Dodd-Frank compliant incentive compensation clawback policy (accounting restatement), plus separate misconduct-based recoupment policy .
Equity Ownership & Alignment
| Policy/Practice | Detail |
|---|---|
| Stock ownership guidelines | Executive Officers and CEO management direct reports: 2x base salary; CFO 3x; CEO 6x; Independent directors 5x cash retainer |
| Hedging/short sales | Prohibited for all personnel |
| Pledging/margin | Prohibited for all personnel (grandfathered pledges pre-July 2021 allowed) |
| Trading windows/10b5‑1 | Pre-approval required; trading limited to open windows; Rule 10b5‑1 plans allowed with cooling-off and no amendments without consent |
- Beneficial ownership: Not disclosed for Mr. Jackson in the Security Ownership table (table covers >5% holders, directors, and NEOs). Apollo’s shares are pledged under a non-recourse margin loan (LTV ~5.2% as of March 11, 2025), which is separate from individual executive pledging restrictions; company personnel pledging remains prohibited (with 2021 grandfathering) .
Employment Terms
- Appointment/tenure: SVP & CMO (Sep 2021), promoted to EVP & CMO (Feb 2023) .
- Individual employment agreement, severance, and change-in-control terms: Not disclosed for Mr. Jackson. Company NEO frameworks include (for context): salary continuation, pro‑rata bonus, and benefits continuation on certain terminations; equity features include retirement vesting treatment and double‑trigger vesting upon qualifying termination within 24 months of a change in control (these specifics are disclosed for NEOs; applicability to Mr. Jackson is not specified) .
Company Results Context Relevant to Marketing Execution
| Metric (FY2024) | Value |
|---|---|
| Revenue growth YoY | 5% |
| Year-end RMR | $359M |
| Gross revenue attrition | 12.7% |
| Revenue payback period | 2.2 years |
| Strategic initiatives | ADT+ platform rollout; Trusted Neighbor; >50% service requests handled virtually; first national implementation of AVS-01 |
Vesting Schedules and Insider Selling Pressure
| Indicator | Evidence |
|---|---|
| Lock-up commitments during secondary offerings | Mr. Jackson was a signatory on lock-up agreements tied to multiple Apollo-led secondary offerings/repurchases (Mar 2024; Oct 2024; Mar 2025), indicating periods where he agreed not to sell shares, reducing near-term selling pressure from his account . |
| Equity vesting cadence (company LTIP) | Options vest 1/3 annually; any stock price appreciation would increase in-the-money value over time; exact award sizes for Mr. Jackson are not disclosed . |
Compensation Structure Analysis
- Mix and risk: ADT moved from RSUs to 100% stock options for executive annual grants in 2024 and 2025, increasing at-risk equity sensitivity to share price performance and strengthening alignment with shareholders (higher upside/downside vs. time-vested RSUs) .
- Short-term metrics discipline: AIP is based on Adjusted EBITDA and Ending RMR with clear thresholds/targets/caps; FY2024 paid at 95% of target—demonstrating a rules-based plan with no discretionary uplift .
- Governance safeguards: Anti-hedging/pledging, trading pre-approval/windows, and clawback policies mitigate misalignment and reputational risk; ownership guidelines require meaningful “skin in the game” for executive officers (2x salary) .
Say-on-Pay & Shareholder Feedback
| Year | Say-on-Pay approval |
|---|---|
| 2024 | ~99% of votes cast in favor |
Expertise & Qualifications
- Technical/functional: Precision/performance marketing, digital, e‑commerce, integrated brand strategy across CPG and automotive sectors .
- Education: MBA (NYU Stern), BA in Politics (Princeton) .
- External directorship: Latham Group, Inc. .
Investment Implications
- Alignment and incentives: The shift to 100% stock options for executives paired with stringent anti-hedging/pledging and ownership guidelines creates a strong pay-for-performance tether; while Mr. Jackson’s individual grants are undisclosed, his participation in the program suggests high beta to ADT’s equity performance .
- Selling pressure risk: Repeated lock-up agreements around Apollo secondaries in 2024–2025 indicate periods of restricted selling for Jackson, reducing near-term insider supply; absence of disclosed Form 4 activity here prevents a direct read on his trading posture beyond these lock-ups .
- Execution vector: Company-level marketing and product initiatives (ADT+ platform, Trusted Neighbor, remote service) coincided with improved efficiency (2.2-year payback) and record RMR—areas within the CMO remit that suggest operational traction; sustained retention (12.7% gross attrition) remains a key KPI to watch under his marketing leadership .
Note: Specific base salary, target bonus percentage, individual equity grant sizes, and personal share ownership details for Mr. Jackson were not disclosed in the 2025 proxy because he was not a Named Executive Officer. All quantitative figures provided above are from ADT’s 2025 proxy statement (filed April 7, 2025) and related SEC filings. References: .