Colin Wilson
About Colin Wilson
Colin Wilson (age 70) joined the Alta Equipment Group Inc. Board on September 1, 2024 and serves as an independent director; he brings 40+ years in materials handling, culminating as President & CEO of Hyster-Yale Group (formerly NACCO Materials Handling Group) from September 2014 until his retirement in January 2020. He holds a BSc in Mechanical Engineering from Sunderland Polytechnic (University of Sunderland) and has broad functional experience spanning production engineering, marketing, product management, and licensing across Europe and North America .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hyster-Yale Group (formerly NACCO Materials Handling Group) | President & CEO | Sep 2014 – Jan 2020 | Led global lift-truck business (> $4B revenues), retired Jan 2020 |
| Hyster-Yale Group | European Sales & Marketing Director (Yale brand); roles of increasing responsibility | 1988 – 2014 | Senior commercial leadership across Europe; industry expertise |
| Coles Cranes (Sunderland, England) | Production Engineering, Marketing, Product Management, Overseas Licensing | Began career in 1970 | Early technical and commercial grounding |
| Compressor company; European lift truck competitor | Various roles | Prior to 1988 | Expanded sector experience in materials handling |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Industrial Truck Association of America (ITA) | Executive Committee & Board of Directors | Not disclosed | Industry standards and advocacy |
| Materials Handling Institute of America (MHI) | Past Chairman; Board Member | Not disclosed | Sector leadership; industry development |
| Material Handling Equipment Distributors Association (MHEDA) | Board of Advisors Member | Not disclosed | Distributor ecosystem insights |
| British Industrial Truck Association (BITA) | President | Not disclosed | UK industry representation |
Board Governance
- Independence: The Board affirmed Wilson is independent under NYSE rules and eligible for Audit and Compensation Committee service .
- Board leadership: CEO Ryan Greenawalt also serves as Chairman; no Lead Independent Director. Audit Chair (Andrew Studdert) presides over executive sessions of independent directors .
- Meetings and attendance: Board met 5 times in 2024; no director attended fewer than 75% of meetings of the Board and relevant committees; all directors at the time attended the 2024 annual meeting .
| Committee | Membership | Chair | 2024 Meetings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Audit | Colin Wilson (Member); Andrew Studdert (Chair); Katherine White; Sidhartha Nair | Studdert | 5 |
| Compensation & Talent Development | Sidhartha Nair (Chair); Andrew Studdert; Daniel Shribman | Nair | 5 |
| Nominating & Corporate Governance | Katherine White (Chair); Daniel Shribman; Colin Wilson | White | 5 |
- Audit Committee qualifications: All members are independent and financially literate; Studdert designated as SEC “audit committee financial expert” .
Fixed Compensation
Alta’s non-employee director program provides a mix of cash and equity to align interests and attract qualified directors; cash is paid quarterly and equity is granted annually at the stockholder meeting .
| Element | Amount | Vesting/Terms |
|---|---|---|
| Annual Board cash retainer | $75,000 | Paid in four installments |
| Committee Chair cash fees | Audit $25,000; Compensation $20,000; Nominating $20,000 | Paid quarterly |
| Committee Member cash fees | Audit $7,500; Compensation $5,000; Nominating $5,000 | Paid quarterly |
| Annual RSU grant (non-employee directors) | $100,000 award value | Issued at annual meeting; vests 1/12 per month, fully vested by next annual meeting; RSUs determined using 20-day VWAP; optional deferral; dividend equivalents on vested RSUs |
Wilson’s 2024 actual director compensation (partial year after Sept 1, 2024):
| Name | Cash Fees ($) | Stock Awards ($) | Total ($) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Colin Wilson | 25,000 | — | 25,000 |
Notes:
- As Wilson joined after the 2024 annual meeting, he did not receive a 2024 annual RSU grant; unvested RSUs outstanding were zero as of year-end .
Performance Compensation
- Directors receive time-based RSUs; no performance-conditioned director equity (no PSU/option program for directors is disclosed). Therefore, no performance metric table applies to director pay .
Other Directorships & Interlocks
- Public company boards: None disclosed for Wilson in ALTG filings .
- Interlocks and related arrangements: No arrangements/understandings leading to Wilson’s selection; not related to any ALTG officer/director; no transactions requiring Item 404(a) disclosure involving Wilson .
Expertise & Qualifications
- Mechanical engineering degree (Sunderland Polytechnic/University of Sunderland); deep operational and commercial expertise in global lift-truck/materials handling .
- Recognized industry leadership via ITA, MHI, MHEDA, BITA roles; Audit Committee member and “financially literate” per NYSE rules .
- Career breadth across engineering, marketing, sales leadership, and CEO-level transformation in materials handling .
Equity Ownership
| Holder | Shares Beneficially Owned | % of Outstanding | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Colin Wilson | — (zero) | 0% | As of April 2, 2025; ALTG had 33,191,065 shares outstanding |
Director RSU status at 12/31/2024:
| Director | Unvested RSUs Outstanding | Vested Deferred Awards |
|---|---|---|
| Colin Wilson | — | — |
Ownership alignment policies:
- Stock Ownership Guidelines: Non‑employee directors must hold 3× annual cash retainer; compliance required by end of the fifth fiscal year following applicability. Counts include unvested time-vesting RSUs and earned PSUs; excludes unearned PSUs and unexercised options .
- Hedging/Pledging: Prohibited for directors, officers, employees and related entities/family members .
Governance Assessment
- Board effectiveness: Wilson strengthens domain expertise in materials handling—a core ALTG segment—supporting oversight of strategic initiatives and OEM partner relationships; his Audit and Nominating memberships enhance financial oversight and board refresh processes .
- Independence & conflicts: Board determined Wilson is independent (including for Audit/Comp committees); no related-party transactions disclosed for Wilson; hedging/pledging prohibited, reducing alignment risks .
- Attendance & engagement: Board/committee cadence was 5 meetings each in 2024; overall directors met the ≥75% attendance expectation; executive sessions regularly held under Audit Chair, promoting independent oversight .
- Compensation alignment: Director pay uses balanced cash retainer and annual RSUs vesting monthly to encourage ongoing engagement; Wilson’s 2024 compensation was partial-year cash only, consistent with his late-year appointment .
- Equity ownership signal: As of April 2, 2025, Wilson had no ALTG share ownership reported; policy allows 5 years to meet 3× retainer guideline, and counts unvested RSUs, mitigating short-term alignment concerns; monitor ownership accumulation post-2025 grant cycles .
RED FLAGS to monitor:
- Near-term ownership shortfall (0 shares as of Apr 2025) until guideline compliance; track future RSU grants and potential elective deferrals .
- No lead independent director; combined CEO/Chair structure—mitigated by independent executive sessions chaired by Audit Chair .
No Wilson-specific related-party transactions, tax gross-ups, or hedging/pledging practices are disclosed; no Section 16(a) delinquency noted for directors in FY2024 .