Jacqueline Travisano
AUTONATIONAbout Jacqueline A. Travisano
Jacqueline A. Travisano, Ed.D., age 55, has served on AutoNation’s Board since April 2018 and currently chairs the Corporate Governance & Nominating Committee. She is Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Wake Forest University (since July 2023), and previously served as COO/CFO at the University of Miami and Nova Southeastern University; she began her career in public accounting at Coopers & Lybrand. The Board has affirmatively determined she is independent under NYSE standards; in 2024 each director attended at least 75% of Board and committee meetings, and the Board held five meetings with four independent executive sessions.
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| University of Miami | Executive VP for Business & Finance and Chief Operating Officer | Jun 2017 – Jun 2023 | Senior operating and financial leadership for a private research university |
| Nova Southeastern University | Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer | 2011 – May 2017 | Senior operating leadership |
| Coopers & Lybrand | Public accounting (began career) | — | Early-career audit/accounting experience |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wake Forest University | Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer | Jul 2023 – Present | Current operating/financial leadership |
| Verger Capital Management | Board of Managers | — | OCIO serving non-profits; governance role |
| Orange Bowl Committee | Lifetime Member | — | Civic/non-profit affiliation |
Board Governance
- Committee assignments (2024-2025): Chair, Corporate Governance & Nominating (CGN). Not listed as a member of Audit or Compensation.
- CGN Committee activity: 5 meetings in 2024; oversees corporate governance practices, board evaluations, committee assignments, and ESG-related programs/policies.
- Independence: Board determined all non-employee directors (including Dr. Travisano) are independent under NYSE and company standards.
- Attendance and engagement: Board met 5 times in 2024; all directors attended ≥75% of Board/committee meetings; independent directors held 4 executive sessions; all directors attended the 2024 annual meeting.
Fixed Compensation (Director)
| Component | Amount/Terms | 2024 Detail |
|---|---|---|
| Annual Board retainer (cash) | $50,000 | Paid to each non-employee director |
| Committee chair retainer (cash) | $15,000 (CGN Chair) | Paid to CGN Chair |
| Cash actually earned (2024) | — | $65,000 (retainer + CGN Chair) |
| Equity – annual RSU grant | $250,000 grant-date value; 1,659 vested RSUs granted Jan 2, 2024 at $150.69 | RSUs vest at grant and settle in shares on first trading day of Feb in the 3rd year after grant; dividend-equivalent RSUs accrue; settlement accelerates in certain circumstances |
| Equity value recognized (2024) | — | $249,995 (grant-date fair value) |
| Expense reimbursement | Business expenses for Board/committee attendance | As incurred |
| Deferred compensation | Eligible to defer retainers under the DCP; no matching for directors | Plan availability disclosed |
Performance Compensation (Director)
| Performance-linked element | Metric(s) | 2024 Structure |
|---|---|---|
| Director pay performance linkage | None disclosed for directors | Annual director equity grants are time-based/vested RSUs with deferred settlement; no performance metrics for director equity awards disclosed |
Note: Performance metrics (e.g., Relative TSR, ROIC) apply to executive long-term incentives, not to non-employee director grants.
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Company/Organization | Public/Private/Non-profit | Role | Interlock/Conflict Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Verger Capital Management | Private/Non-profit OCIO | Board of Managers | No related-party transactions reported with AutoNation since the beginning of 2024 |
| Orange Bowl Committee | Non-profit | Lifetime Member | Civic role; no related-party disclosure |
| Public company boards | — | None disclosed | — |
Expertise & Qualifications
- Credentials: Ed.D.; extensive financial, accounting, and operations leadership across large, complex institutions; began career in public accounting (Coopers & Lybrand).
- Governance skillset: Chairs CGN; oversees governance guidelines, board/committee evaluations, director nominations/assignments, and ESG-related programs.
- Independence and ethics: Covered by Board codes of ethics; company prohibits hedging and short sales by directors.
Equity Ownership
| Item | Value | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Total shares held (incl. vested RSUs) | 7,679 | As of Mar 3, 2025 |
| Fair market value of shares held | $1,346,743 | Based on $175.38 close on Mar 3, 2025 |
| Beneficial ownership breakdown | 2,192 shares directly owned; 5,487 shares acquirable within 60 days (vested RSUs) | As of Mar 3, 2025 |
| RSUs held (aggregate) | 6,182 | RSUs outstanding as of Dec 31, 2024 (director table) |
| Director stock ownership guideline | $750,000 within 5 years of appointment | Company guideline |
| Compliance status | Achieved | As of Mar 3, 2025 |
| Hedging/short sales | Prohibited | Policy applies to directors |
Governance Assessment
- Board effectiveness and engagement: As CGN Chair, Dr. Travisano leads governance policies, board/committee evaluations, director nominations, and ESG oversight; CGN met 5 times in 2024. Her independent status, governance leadership, and attendance support effective oversight.
- Alignment and ownership: She exceeds the $750,000 director ownership guideline with $1.35M in shares/vested RSUs; director pay emphasizes equity ($250k RSUs vs $65k cash in 2024), aligning interests with shareholders.
- Compensation committee/consultant independence (context for overall board governance): The board’s Compensation Committee engages an independent consultant (Meridian) with no conflicts of interest; Say-on-Pay support was 98% in 2024 and 2023, indicating strong shareholder endorsement of pay practices.
- Conflicts/related-party exposure: No related party transactions reported since the beginning of 2024; board maintains a formal related party transaction approval policy.
- Risk indicators and red flags: None evident—no attendance issues disclosed; hedging/short sales prohibited; no pledging disclosure noted; no legal or regulatory proceedings disclosed in the proxy. Independent chair structure and frequent executive sessions further strengthen governance.