Sean Valashinas
ALBANY INTERNATIONAL CORP /DE/About Sean Valashinas
Sean C. Valashinas is Vice President – Controller and Principal Accounting Officer of Albany International, appointed effective June 9, 2025; he is 53, a CPA, holds a B.S. in Accounting from the University of Scranton, and an MBA with High Honors from Boston University Questrom School of Business . He brings 30+ years in accounting leadership across public companies and medical technology manufacturing, with prior roles at Resonetics (VP Accounting, Treasury & Tax), Standex International (VP, Chief Accounting Officer & Assistant Treasurer), and The Hershey Company (Manager, M&A and Plant Controller) . Company performance context: 2024 net sales were $1,230.6M, operating income $131.4M, and net income $87.6M; diluted EPS was $2.80 . The Compensation Committee certified 2024 AIN Adjusted EBITDA at $232.0M, and updated the LTIP to include Adjusted EBITDA, ROIC, and relative TSR (each one-third) from 2025, reinforcing pay-for-performance alignment .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Years | Strategic impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Resonetics | Vice President, Accounting, Treasury & Tax | Feb 2024–May 2025 | Led accounting, treasury, and tax for advanced engineering and micromanufacturing in medtech/life sciences . |
| Standex International | VP, Chief Accounting Officer & Assistant Treasurer | 2007–2024 | Senior finance leadership at a diversified industrial manufacturer serving EV, health, refrigeration, space, and solar end markets . |
| The Hershey Company | Manager, M&A and Special Project Accounting | 2005–2007 | Transaction accounting and special projects for a global consumer products maker . |
| The Hershey Company | Plant Controller | 2002–2005 | Site-level controllership and financial operations . |
External Roles
No public company directorships or committee roles were disclosed in his appointment filing .
Fixed Compensation
| Component | Value | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Base salary | $335,000 | Initial annual rate; subject to customary executive review (committee in Feb, changes in Apr) . |
| Benefits | n/a | Eligible for executive benefit plans, including relocation, 401(k), healthcare, vision, life, disability; 4 weeks’ vacation . |
| Employment term | At will | Terminable by either party at any time . |
Performance Compensation
Short‑Term Incentive (cash)
| Feature | Detail |
|---|---|
| Target opportunity | 30% of base salary, pro‑rated from hire; payout range 0–200% based on performance . |
| Metrics | Adjusted EBITDA, Free Cash Flow, Safety (TRIR) . |
| Measurement period | FY2025; payout in early 2026 . |
Long‑Term Incentive (equity)
| Award type | Target | Metrics/Weighting | Vesting/Payout |
|---|---|---|---|
| PSUs | 20% of base salary, pro‑rated from hire | Adjusted EBITDA, ROIC, relative TSR; metrics weighted one‑third each under the 2025 LTIP structure . | Three‑year performance period; earned 0–200% of target; paid in shares early 2028 . |
| RSUs | 20% of base salary, pro‑rated from hire | n/a | Vests one‑third on each of the first three anniversaries of the grant date; settled in shares . |
| Special RSU (sign‑on) | $180,000 grant‑date value | n/a | Vests 50% on first anniversary, 25% on second, 25% on third; settled in shares . |
Company incentive framework and recent changes
- 2025 program name change: Short‑Term Incentive Plan replaces “APP Performance Award”; LTIP consists of RSUs and PSUs with revised PSU metrics (Adjusted EBITDA, ROIC, rTSR at equal weighting) .
- Historical NEO annual plan calibration used TRIR and segment Adjusted EBITDA/FCF with demonstrated certification discipline (e.g., 2024 AIN Adjusted EBITDA certified at $232.0M; MC at $239.3M; AEC at $60.9M) .
Equity Ownership & Alignment
| Item | Status |
|---|---|
| Initial beneficial ownership | Form 3 filed June 10, 2025 indicates no securities owned at appointment (“noSecuritiesOwned=1”) . |
| Hedging/pledging | Company prohibits hedging and pledging of Company securities for officers, directors, and employees . |
| Ownership guidelines | Board has stock ownership guidelines for CEO (5x salary) and other NEOs (2x salary); the Committee does not believe adoption for other officers is warranted at this time . |
Implication: As a newly appointed Section 16 officer with zero initial holdings, equity alignment will build as RSUs/PSUs vest; the prohibition on hedging/pledging reduces misalignment risks .
Employment Terms
- Employment at will; eligible for standard executive benefits and relocation .
- The Company broadly uses severance agreements for executive officers (other than CEO’s bespoke agreement), including salary continuation and COBRA if terminated without cause; however, Mr. Valashinas’s 8‑K terms did not disclose any individual severance arrangement .
Investment Implications
- Pay‑for‑performance alignment: Cash STI linked to Adjusted EBITDA/FCF/TRIR and equity LTIP PSUs tied to Adjusted EBITDA, ROIC, and rTSR (equal weighting) should align the Principal Accounting Officer’s incentives with cash generation, capital efficiency, and shareholder returns .
- Retention and selling pressure: Three‑year RSU vesting and the $180k sign‑on RSU (50/25/25 schedule) create staggered vest events (years 1–3), promoting retention while potentially timing future Form 4 activity; hedging/pledging prohibitions limit risk‑enhancing behaviors .
- Ownership build: Form 3 shows zero initial holdings; equity grants and vesting will drive compliance with internal alignment expectations even though formal NEO ownership multiples do not apply to non‑NEO officers .
- Execution risk: As PAO, his role is central to control environment and reporting quality; Albany maintains a formal insider trading policy and clawback framework, which the Board may enforce following restatements or misconduct, supporting governance quality and lowering headline risk .
Appendix: Company performance (context)
| Metric (USD) | FY2022 | FY2023 | FY2024 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Net Sales | 1,034.9M | 1,147.9M | 1,230.6M |
| Operating Income | 181.0M | 167.9M | 131.4M |
| Net Income (to Company) | 95.8M | 111.1M | 87.6M |
| Diluted EPS ($) | 3.04 | 3.55 | 2.80 |
| Adjusted EBITDA (certified) | — | — | 232.0M |