Jennifer A. Barbetta
Artisan Partners Asset ManagementAbout Jennifer A. Barbetta
Independent Director of Artisan Partners Asset Management Inc. (APAM), age 52, serving since October 2020. Background includes 23+ years at Goldman Sachs in Goldman Sachs Asset Management leadership; Senior Managing Director and COO at Starwood Capital Group (2019–2022); currently Managing Director and COO at TA Associates (since 2022). She brings deep investment management, operations, and strategic leadership expertise.
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| TA Associates | Managing Director & Chief Operating Officer | 2022–present | Operational leadership and strategic execution |
| Starwood Capital Group | Senior Managing Director & Chief Operating Officer | 2019–2022 | Led firm-wide operations and COO responsibilities |
| Goldman Sachs (GSAM) | Partner & Managing Director; GSAM leadership roles | 23+ years; concluded 2019 | Leadership across asset management operations and strategy |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Villanova School of Business | Dean’s Advisory Council | Not disclosed | Advisory role |
| Montclair Kimberley Academy | Board of Trustees | Not disclosed | Governance role (non-profit) |
| Queen’s Gambit Growth Capital | Director (former) | Not disclosed | Former public-company SPAC directorship |
Board Governance
- Independence: APAM’s Board determined Barbetta independent under NYSE standards.
- Committees: Member, Compensation Committee; Member, Governance & Sustainability Committee (not a chair).
- Attendance & engagement: Board met 5 times in 2024; Compensation Committee 4; Governance & Sustainability Committee 4; each director attended ≥75% of aggregate Board/committee meetings; all seven directors attended the 2024 annual meeting.
- Current Board leadership context: All standing committees 100% independent; Lead Independent Director role established; committee chairs—Audit: Multani; Compensation: Joerres; Governance & Sustainability: Barger.
Fixed Compensation
| Component (2024) | Amount ($) | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Annual RSU grant | 125,000 | Standard equity under the 2023 Non-Employee Director Compensation Plan; dividend equivalents; shares delivered upon change in control or termination of board service. |
| Cash retainer (Board) | 75,000 | Paid quarterly; Barbetta elected RSUs in lieu of cash (additional RSUs granted Jan 2024; 25% vested each quarter in 2024). |
| Committee chair fees | 0 | Only chairs receive add’l retainers (Audit $50k; Compensation $40k; Governance $40k). Barbetta is not a chair. |
| Total Director Compensation (2024) | 200,000 | Reported as stock awards; no cash paid. |
Performance Compensation
Directors are not paid based on operating or TSR metrics; no performance-conditioned director pay disclosed.
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Company/Entity | Type | Role | Potential Interlock/Conflict |
|---|---|---|---|
| Queen’s Gambit Growth Capital | Public company (SPAC) | Former Director | No APAM supplier/customer linkage disclosed. |
| Villanova School of Business; Montclair Kimberley Academy | Academic/non-profit | Advisory Council; Trustee | Non-commercial roles; no related-party exposure disclosed. |
Expertise & Qualifications
- Investment management operations, strategic leadership, and COO experience across TA Associates, Starwood Capital, and GSAM.
- Governance experience through prior public and non-profit boards.
- Contributes to Compensation and Governance & Sustainability oversight at APAM.
Equity Ownership
| Item | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| RSUs outstanding (12/31/2024) | 18,587 | Per director compensation table footnote. |
| Beneficial ownership (Class A via RSUs; 4/10/2025) | 23,126 | RSUs only; RSUs have no voting rights. |
| Class A shares outstanding (4/10/2025) | 70,744,627 | Reference base for % ownership. |
| Ownership as % of Class A | ~0.0327% | Computed: 23,126 / 70,744,627; RSUs do not carry voting rights. |
Note: RSUs deliver underlying Class A shares on change in control or termination of board service; RSUs carry dividend equivalents but no voting rights.
Compensation Committee Analysis
- 2024 composition: Jeffrey A. Joerres (Chair), Jennifer A. Barbetta, Tench Coxe; each independent and none were officers/employees.
- Consultant: McLagan engaged as independent compensation consultant; Compensation Committee assessed and concluded no conflicts of interest.
- Scope: Committee oversees executive pay plans and recommends director compensation.
- Committee changes post-meeting: Ms. DiMarco to replace Mr. Coxe on the Compensation and Governance & Sustainability Committees after the annual meeting (Barbetta remains a member).
Say-on-Pay & Shareholder Feedback
| Year | Proposal | For | Against | Abstain | Broker Non-Votes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Advisory vote on NEO compensation | 69,249,906 | 1,543,569 | 467,987 | 3,984,197 |
| 2024 | Advisory vote on NEO compensation | ~96% support (votes cast) | — | — | — |
Engagement: APAM reported targeted outreach to top institutional holders; no concerns raised about executive compensation program.
Board & Committee Workload (2024)
| Body | Meetings | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Board | 5 | Executive sessions led by Independent Chair; independent directors meet without management. |
| Audit Committee | 7 | Financial reporting, compliance, cybersecurity, tax/legal; all members financially literate and audit committee financial experts. |
| Compensation Committee | 4 | Executive pay, incentives, director compensation. |
| Governance & Sustainability Committee | 4 | Director nominations, governance guidelines, ESG/DEI oversight, board evaluation. |
Related Party Transactions & Conflicts
- No related-party transactions disclosed involving Barbetta. RPTs highlighted involve legacy IPO agreements with other holders (e.g., Barger, entities associated with Tench Coxe) and employee/partner structures—not Barbetta.
- Policy requires Audit Committee review and approval for any RPT >$120,000; interested directors must recuse.
- Compensation Committee members may invest in APAM funds (mutual funds, private funds, CITs); transactions are disclosed generally, not specific to Barbetta.
Risk Indicators & Policies
- Hedging/Pledging: Directors and employees are prohibited from hedging APAM securities; restrictions on pledging when in possession of MNPI or during blackout periods.
- Clawback: Compensation recovery policy applies to executive officers (mandatory recovery after restatements); not applicable to non-employee director compensation.
- Voting structure: RSUs held by directors have no voting rights; employee equity subject to a stockholders committee proxy—not applicable to non-employee directors’ RSUs.
- Committee independence: Standing committees are fully independent; mitigates management influence.
Governance Assessment
-
Strengths
- Independent director with dual committee service (Compensation; Governance & Sustainability), adding experienced asset management operations oversight.
- Director compensation fully in equity for 2024 (RSUs, including in lieu of cash), aligning interests; deferred delivery until change in control or end of service.
- Strong shareholder support on say-on-pay (96% in 2024; significant “For” votes in 2025), indicating investor confidence in compensation governance.
- Robust governance processes: independent committees, board evaluations, ESG/DEI oversight.
-
Watch items
- Very low personal ownership as % of Class A (RSU-based exposure only; ~0.033%); while structurally aligned via RSUs, direct voting stake is de minimis.
- Compensation Committee members may invest in APAM-sponsored vehicles; while standard in asset management, ongoing monitoring for independence of decisions is prudent.
-
RED FLAGS
- None disclosed regarding Barbetta: no RPTs, legal proceedings, hedging/pledging violations, or attendance shortfalls reported.