Colin Parris
AptivAbout Colin J. Parris
Colin J. Parris, age 63, has served as an independent director of Aptiv since December 2017. He is the former Senior Vice President and Chief Technology Officer at GE Digital (May 2020–April 2024), and previously held senior roles at IBM, including Vice President, Systems Research (2013–2014) and General Manager, Power Systems (2010–2013). Dr. Parris holds a B.S. in Electrical Engineering (Howard University), M.S. degrees in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (UC Berkeley), an M.S. in Management (Stanford University), and a Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering (UC Berkeley), with deep expertise in software, digital transformation, and artificial intelligence; he currently chairs Aptiv’s Innovation and Technology Committee and serves on the Audit Committee .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| GE Digital | Senior Vice President & Chief Technology Officer | May 2020 – Apr 2024 | Led technology strategy; digital transformation focus |
| IBM | Vice President, Systems Research (T.J. Watson Research) | 2013 – 2014 | Drove advanced systems research priorities |
| IBM | General Manager, Power Systems | 2010 – 2013 | Led IBM’s Power Systems business |
| GE | Vice President, GE Software Research | 2014 (joined GE) | Software research leadership |
External Roles
| Company | Role | Tenure/Status |
|---|---|---|
| Diebold Nixdorf, Incorporated | Director | Current |
| Corebridge Financial, Inc. | Director | Current |
Board Governance
| Governance Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Independence | Independent director under NYSE standards |
| Committee Assignments | Audit Committee member; Innovation & Technology Committee Chair |
| Committee Responsibilities (ITC) | Oversight of technology roadmaps, product cybersecurity, engineering talent retention/development |
| Board Meetings | 8 meetings in 2024; all directors attended >75% of Board and committee meetings |
| Committee Meetings (2024) | Audit: 5; Innovation & Technology: 5 |
| Executive Sessions | Independent directors meet in executive session at every regular Board and committee meeting |
| Ownership Policy | Non-employee directors must hold $600,000 in Aptiv shares (5x max cash retainer); no hedging/pledging |
| Overboarding Limits | Non-CEOs limited to 4 public company boards; Audit Committee members limited to 3 audit committees |
Fixed Compensation
| Component | Amount/Terms |
|---|---|
| Annual Director Compensation | $300,000 (cash and time-based RSUs; directors may elect 60%, 80%, or 100% in RSUs) |
| Committee Chair Fee (Innovation & Technology) | $20,000 |
| Committee Membership Fees | No additional fees beyond chair fees; cash paid quarterly; RSUs granted on Annual Meeting date |
| 2024 Compensation (Parris) | Fees Earned/Paid in Cash: $128,000; Stock Awards (grant-date fair value): $192,066; Total: $320,066 |
| Unvested Director RSUs (Parris, 12/31/2024) | 2,690 RSUs; all director RSUs vest in full on April 22, 2025 |
Performance Compensation
| Equity Type | Grant Date | Shares/Units | Vesting |
|---|---|---|---|
| Time-based RSUs (Director annual grant) | April 25, 2024 | 2,690 (Parris, unvested at year-end) | Vests in full on April 22, 2025; director equity is time-based (no performance metrics) |
Other Directorships & Interlocks
- Current public boards: Diebold Nixdorf, Incorporated; Corebridge Financial, Inc. .
- Related-party/transactions: No related party transactions identified in 2024 .
- Overboarding: Within Aptiv’s policy (Parris serves on three public company boards including Aptiv, below the limit of four for non-CEOs) .
Expertise & Qualifications
- Advanced technology and AI/software expertise; leadership of digital transformations .
- Academic credentials: B.S. EE (Howard), M.S. EE & CS (UC Berkeley), M.S. Management (Stanford), Ph.D. EE (UC Berkeley) .
- Committee leadership in technology/cyber oversight (ITC Chair), plus Audit Committee experience .
Equity Ownership
| Holder | Shares Owned | RSUs Vesting Within 60 Days | Total | % of Class |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Colin J. Parris | 13,149 | 2,690 | 15,839 | <1% |
- Stock ownership guidelines for directors: $600,000 in Aptiv shares; as of 2024 measurement, all non-employee directors except Vasumati P. Jakkal (joined 2024) and Merit E. Janow (joined 2021) met or exceeded the requirement (Parris in compliance) .
- No hedging or pledging permitted under Aptiv’s Insider Trading Policy (applies to directors and employees) .
Governance Assessment
- Strengths: Independent status; chair of Innovation & Technology Committee with remit over product cybersecurity and technology roadmaps; Audit Committee membership; strong attendance (>75%); robust director ownership and prohibition on hedging/pledging .
- Board quality signals: 9 of 10 directors independent; annual evaluations; independent committees; Lead Independent Director structure; annual say-on-pay supported by ~90% of votes in 2024 (shareholder alignment culture) .
- Compensation alignment: Director pay includes time-based RSUs with one-year vest; Parris’s 2024 mix shows meaningful equity exposure; director ownership guideline of $600,000 supports alignment .
- Conflicts/Red Flags: No related-party transactions disclosed for 2024; within overboarding limits; Audit Committee financial expert designation not indicated for Parris (not a red flag, but noted) .