Luis G. Marconi
About Luis G. Marconi
Luis G. Marconi (age 59) has served as an independent director of American Outdoor Brands (AOUT) since June 2022. He brings 37+ years of consumer packaged goods leadership across the United States, Latin America, and Southern Europe, with prior senior roles at Hormel Foods and Quaker Oats. He holds NACD directorship certification and earned an Industrial Engineering degree (Pontifical Xavierian University), an MBA (Icesi University), and an Executive MBA program credential from the University of Minnesota’s Carlson School of Management .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hormel Foods | Leader of ~$3B Grocery Products division; earlier sales/marketing roles | More than 22 years; joined in 2000 | Board roles at MegaMex Foods, Carapelli USA, and Hormel–Cargill JV; led international brand growth |
| The Quaker Oats Company | International marketing leadership (managed Quaker Oats brand in Andean region) | Pre-2000; several years | Led regional flagship brand activities |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oleificio Zucchi S.p.A (Italy; private) | Independent Board Member | Not disclosed | Olive & seed oils manufacturer |
| Mama Lycha Foods | Executive Chairman | Not disclosed | Food manufacturer |
| The James Beard Foundation | Board Member | Jan 2024 – Feb 2025 | Non-profit focused on U.S. food culture |
| NACD Florida Chapter | Board Member | Since Mar 2024 | Governance community leadership |
Board Governance
- Independence: Board deemed Marconi independent under Nasdaq and SEC rules .
- Committee assignments:
- Audit Committee member; designated “audit committee financial expert” .
- Nominations & Corporate Governance Committee chair .
- Sustainability Sub-Committee member .
- Board effectiveness and engagement:
- FY25 meetings: Board (8); Audit (4); Compensation (5); Nominations (6); Sustainability (3) .
- Attendance: No director attended fewer than 75% of combined Board and committee meetings; all directors attended the 2024 Annual Meeting .
- Executive sessions: Independent directors meet in regular executive sessions; Chairman presides .
- Hedging/pledging: Directors/officers prohibited from derivatives trading, hedging, and pledging/margining company stock .
- Stock ownership guidelines (non-employee directors): 3x cash retainer or 13,125 shares; five-year compliance horizon; failure may preclude stock-based pay or nomination eligibility .
Fixed Compensation
| Component | FY25 Amount (USD) | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Fees Earned (Cash) | $106,466 | Annual director retainer $70,000; plus chair/member fees (Audit chair $25,000; Compensation chair $25,000; Nominations chair $25,000; committee members $8,000; Sustainability Sub-Committee members $8,000); $1,500 per committee meeting beyond 10/year; actual cash reflects role mix and meeting cadence |
| Stock Awards (Grant-date Fair Value) | $88,254 | RSUs; initial ~$85,000 value at appointment and ~$85,000 following each annual meeting; vest monthly for 12 months |
| Total | $194,720 | |
| Mix (Cash %) | 54.7% (computed from above) | |
| Mix (Equity %) | 45.3% (computed from above) |
Director fee schedule: Chairman +$55,000; Audit/Comp/Nominations chairs +$25,000 each; non-chair committee members +$8,000; Sustainability Sub-Committee members +$8,000; $1,500 per committee meeting >10/year; travel reimbursed; employees receive no additional director pay .
Performance Compensation
| Instrument | Grant Value (USD) | Vesting | Performance Metrics |
|---|---|---|---|
| RSUs (Director grants) | $88,254 (FY25 grant-date fair value) | Monthly vest over 12 months | None; director awards are time-based (no PSUs/options for directors disclosed) |
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Company/Organization | Type | Role | Potential Interlock/Conflict |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oleificio Zucchi S.p.A | Private | Independent Director | No related-party transactions disclosed with AOUT |
| Mama Lycha Foods | Private | Executive Chairman | No related-party transactions disclosed with AOUT |
| James Beard Foundation | Non-profit | Board Member (Jan 2024–Feb 2025) | None disclosed |
| NACD Florida Chapter | Association | Board Member | Governance ecosystem role; no conflict disclosed |
Expertise & Qualifications
- 37+ years in CPG Food & Beverage across U.S., Latin America, and Southern Europe; deep brand growth, strategy, M&A, JVs, and governance experience .
- Audit Committee Financial Expert designation (SEC rules) .
- NACD Directorship Certification; governance involvement via NACD Florida Chapter .
- Education: Industrial Engineering (Pontifical Xavierian University), MBA (Icesi University), Executive MBA program (University of Minnesota Carlson) .
Equity Ownership
| Item | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Beneficial Ownership (shares) | 36,276 | Includes 1,596 RSUs to vest/deliver within 60 days |
| RSUs Deliverable ≤60 days | 1,596 | Director grants vest monthly |
| Shares Outstanding (record date) | 12,656,774 | Record date Sept 2, 2025 |
| Ownership % of Outstanding | ~0.29% (36,276 / 12,656,774) | Calculated from disclosed totals |
| Pledging/Hedging | Prohibited by policy | Alignment safeguard |
| Ownership Guidelines (Directors) | 3x cash retainer or 13,125 shares | 5-year compliance window; share-based threshold approach |
| Guideline Compliance | Meets shares-based threshold (36,276 > 13,125) | Based on disclosed holdings |
Governance Assessment
- Committee leadership and expertise: Marconi chairs Nominations & Corporate Governance and is deemed an “audit committee financial expert,” enhancing board oversight quality and succession/governance processes .
- Independence and engagement: Independent under Nasdaq/SEC rules; Board/committee cadence shows robust governance workload; no attendance shortfall; present at annual meeting, supporting investor confidence .
- Pay and alignment: Balanced cash/equity mix with time-based RSUs; strong ownership guidelines and anti-hedging/pledging policy promote alignment; Marconi meets share-based ownership guideline threshold .
- Conflicts/related-party: Proxy discloses procedures and audit committee oversight for related-party transactions; no transactions involving Marconi disclosed—no red flags identified .
- Additional governance signals: Regular executive sessions; independent chair; fully independent key committees; clawback policy in place (company-wide) .
RED FLAGS: None disclosed (no related-party transactions, no attendance issues, anti-hedging/pledging policy). Continued monitoring of external private roles is prudent, but no conflicts are reported in the proxy .