James Sampel
About James Sampel
James Sampel, age 60, has served as Alico’s Chief Information Officer since December 2015. He holds a B.S. in Electronics Engineering Technology from DeVry University and an M.B.A. in Information Systems from Pace University . Company performance during his recent tenure shows Total Shareholder Return of $87/$78/$88 on a fixed $100 initial value for FY 2022/2023/2024, respectively, with net income of $11.9 million, $1.7 million, and $6.4 million over those years .
| Metric | FY 2022 | FY 2023 | FY 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Shareholder Return (value of $100) | $87 | $78 | $88 |
| Net Income ($000s) | $11,886 | $1,658 | $6,355 |
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Years | Strategic Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alico, Inc. | Chief Information Officer | Dec 2015 – Present | Leads enterprise IT; executive officer role |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Years | Strategic Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Greenwich Associates | CIO & Managing Director | Not disclosed | Led IT for research-based consulting to financial services |
| 454 Life Sciences Corporation | Director of Information Technology | Not disclosed | Early-stage life sciences equipment; IT leadership |
| PerkinElmer | Manager, Advanced & Emerging Technology; prior roles in infrastructure and systems | Not disclosed | Technology leadership at Fortune 200 life sciences/lab equipment manufacturer |
Fixed Compensation
Multi-year summary for James Sampel (NEO):
| Component ($) | FY 2021 | FY 2022 | FY 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Base Salary | $215,000 | $228,860 | $225,760 |
| All Other Compensation (perqs, 401k, insurance) | $20,026 | $20,371 | $20,034 |
| Total Fixed (Salary + All Other) | $235,026 | $249,231 | $245,794 |
Perquisites and benefits detail (latest available):
| Detail | FY 2022 | FY 2023 |
|---|---|---|
| Perquisites & Other Personal Benefits | $2,373 | $1,550 |
| Company Contributions to Retirement Plan | $7,269 | $7,294 |
| Insurance Premiums | $10,729 | $11,190 |
Performance Compensation
Annual discretionary bonuses and equity-linked incentives:
| Component | FY 2021 | FY 2022 | FY 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Discretionary Cash Bonus ($) | $52,500 | $35,000 | $22,500 |
| Stock Awards ($ grant-date) | $15,009 | $17,525 | $— |
Equity awards structure and vesting:
| Award Type | Grant Date | Quantity/Terms | Vesting Conditions | Status/Events |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Restricted Stock Awards | 11/5/2021 | 991 shares (519 vested; 472 unvested) | Time-based: remaining 472 vested on 1/1/2023 | 2023 vesting: 472 shares; value realized $11,267 |
| Incentive Stock Options | 10/11/2019 | 16,000 options; strike $33.96 | Price hurdles: 25% at $35; 25% at $40; 25% at $45; 25% at $50 (20-trading-day consecutive price); change-in-control acceleration | Only first hurdle achieved by 12/31/2022; remainder expired; Sampel exercised 3,000 options in FY 2022; value realized $24,120 |
Notes:
- The company’s Stock Incentive Plan of 2015 includes a clawback provision and prohibits option repricing .
- Performance metric weightings for annual bonuses were discretionary and not disclosed by individual metric .
Equity Ownership & Alignment
| Metric | As of Jan 14, 2022 | As of Jan 13, 2023 |
|---|---|---|
| Shares Beneficially Owned | 4,991 (includes 991 RSAs; 519 vested, 472 vest 1/1/2023; 4,000 vested options at $33.96) | 991; less than 1% of class |
| Options (exercisable) | 4,000 @ $33.96 | Not listed; exercised 3,000 in FY 2022 |
| Unvested RSAs | 472 (scheduled to vest 1/1/2023) | 0 (vested 2023) |
| Pledging/Hedging | Not disclosed | Not disclosed |
Outstanding awards status at FY 2023 year-end: Named Executive Officers table shows no unvested awards listed for Sampel, consistent with completion of RSA vesting and option expirations; 2023 vesting activity disclosed with 472 shares vesting, $11,267 value realized .
Employment Terms
| Item | Term | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Employment Agreement / Severance | Not disclosed for Sampel | No individual severance/change-of-control cash multiple disclosed for Sampel in recent proxies |
| Change-in-Control – Equity | Time-based awards accelerate; performance awards vest pro rata (≥ target or actual) unless replaced | Applies to awards under the 2015 Stock Plan |
| Option Award Acceleration on CIC | Price-hurdle options vest if hurdles are satisfied in connection with a CIC | 10/11/2019 ISO grant terms |
| Clawback | Plan includes clawback; prohibits option repricing | Governance-friendly features |
| Stock Ownership Guidelines | Not disclosed | — |
| Non-compete/Non-solicit | Not disclosed | — |
Investment Implications
- Alignment and selling pressure: Sampel’s equity exposure is modest (<1% beneficial ownership; no current unvested awards after FY 2023), limiting forced selling pressure from vesting events; notable option overhang has largely expired, with 3,000 exercised in FY 2022 and remaining hurdles not achieved by 12/31/2022 .
- Pay-for-performance: His incentives were largely discretionary cash bonuses and time-based RSAs, alongside a price-hurdle option grant that tied vesting to sustained share price thresholds, indicating partial alignment with shareholder returns; plan-level clawback and reprice prohibition improve governance quality .
- Retention risk: Absence of disclosed individual severance economics and the completion/expiration of major equity awards may reduce retention hooks specific to Sampel; however, ongoing executive role and company’s compensation philosophy favoring variable pay suggest continued emphasis on performance-linked incentives at the program level .
- Company performance context: Recent TSR and net income trends provide mixed signals, with improved net income in FY 2024 and TSR closer to par; ongoing strategic transformation of Alico into a diversified land company could shift performance metrics away from citrus operations, potentially influencing future incentive design for technology and systems leadership roles like CIO .