Christopher Adkins
ARCBEST CORP /DE/About Christopher Adkins
Christopher A. Adkins is ArcBest’s Chief Strategy Officer, appointed effective February 1, 2025 after serving as Vice President – Yield Strategy & Management; prior roles include Vice President – Yield Strategy & Analytics and Director of Yield Strategy, having joined ArcBest in 2012 as a Pricing Analyst . He is 35 years old and holds a B.S. in Industrial Engineering from the University of Arkansas . As CSO, Adkins oversees strategy management, product management, project management, data science and process improvement, driving initiatives that optimize operations and enable data‑driven decision‑making . Notable contributions include leading ArcBest’s dynamic LTL pricing initiative and automating volume price quotes and tractor detention charges to improve customer experience and productivity .
Company performance context (2024): Revenues from continuing operations were $4.2B; diluted EPS from continuing operations was $7.28; operating income from continuing operations was $244.4M; the AIP was driven by Adjusted Operating Income and Adjusted ROCE, with 2024 AIP payout at 33.52% of target; one‑year Adjusted ROCE was 12.38% and the pay‑versus‑performance table shows 3‑year average Adjusted ROCE of 23.5% .
| Metric | FY 2024 |
|---|---|
| Revenues from Continuing Operations ($B) | 4.2 |
| Diluted EPS from Continuing Operations ($) | 7.28 |
| Operating Income from Continuing Operations ($M) | 244.4 |
| AIP Payout (% of Target) | 33.52% |
| Adjusted ROCE (1‑Year) | 12.38% |
| Adjusted ROCE (3‑Year Avg, PV&P) | 23.5% |
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Years | Strategic Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| ArcBest | Chief Strategy Officer | Feb 2025 – present | Leads strategy management, product/project management, data science, and process improvement to advance critical initiatives |
| ArcBest | VP – Yield Strategy & Management | Jun 2023 – Jan 2025 | Drove yield strategy execution across pricing and analytics |
| ArcBest | VP – Yield Strategy & Analytics | Jan 2022 – Jun 2023 | Led analytics underpinning yield optimization |
| ArcBest | Director – Yield Strategy | Oct 2020 – Dec 2021 | Built yield strategy function and processes |
| ArcBest | Manager – Engineering & Technology; Pricing Analyst | 2012 – Oct 2020 | Early leadership in engineering/technology and pricing |
External Roles
No public company directorships or external roles disclosed for Adkins in ArcBest filings .
Fixed Compensation
ArcBest’s executive pay architecture balances fixed and variable elements with base salary and significant at‑risk incentives. While Adkins’ individual salary and grant values are not disclosed, the program design is as follows:
| Compensation Element | How Paid | Rationale |
|---|---|---|
| Base Salary | Cash | Ensures minimum pay for retention and risk reduction; set based on role scope, experience, performance, internal equity, and market |
Program governance and policies:
- No employment agreements for Named Executive Officers; independent Compensation Committee oversees design and pay decisions with an independent consultant; robust clawback policy; prohibition on hedging and pledging .
- Executive stock ownership policy requires PEO at 5x salary and other NEOs at 3x salary; as of April 2024, all NEOs met requirements except the newly appointed CFO still in accumulation; Adkins’ compliance status is not disclosed .
Performance Compensation
ArcBest’s performance pay is heavily weighted to profitability and capital efficiency.
Annual Incentive Plan (AIP) metrics:
- Adjusted Operating Income (60% weight) and Adjusted ROCE (40% weight); payout curves harmonized with a 250% cap; 2024 results produced a 33.52% payout of target .
| Metric | Weighting | Target | Actual | Payout | Vesting |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adjusted Operating Income | 60% | Not disclosed (Committee‑set) | $208.9M | 0% for this portion | Cash (no vesting) |
| Adjusted ROCE | 40% | Not disclosed (Committee‑set) | 12.38% | 83.8% for this portion | Cash (no vesting) |
| Total AIP Payout | — | — | — | 33.52% of target | — |
Long‑Term Incentive (C‑LTIP and RSUs):
- C‑LTIP: 3‑year cash incentive weighted 60% 3‑year average Adjusted ROCE and 40% Relative TSR vs peer group; max 250% .
- RSUs: Time‑based, three‑year ratable vesting; grants typically dated 5 business days after quarterly earnings release; no dividends on NEO RSUs .
2022–2024 C‑LTIP performance:
| Component | Result |
|---|---|
| Relative TSR (percentile) | 31.6th (between threshold and target) |
| 3‑Year Avg Adjusted ROCE | 23.46% (above maximum) |
| Aggregate Payout vs Target | 172.4% |
Equity Ownership & Alignment
Policies and practices:
- Stock Ownership Policy: PEO 5x salary; other NEOs 3x salary; sales restricted until thresholds met; RSUs and outright stock count toward compliance; Adkins’ specific ownership not disclosed in principal holders table .
- Anti‑hedging/pledging: Executives and directors are prohibited from hedging and pledging ArcBest stock, reducing misalignment and leverage risk .
- RSU vesting: Three‑year ratable vesting on most grants (e.g., 2024 awards vest on May 7, 2025/2026/2027) .
- Grant timing: Compensation Committee sets fixed‑dollar awards; grant date is typically five business days after quarterly earnings release .
Insider selling pressure: No Form 4 trading disclosures for Adkins in the proxy/prior filings; Section 16(a) compliance reported for 2024; hedging/pledging prohibitions and ownership requirements mitigate forced selling, though routine tax‑related sales may occur at RSU vest dates for executives generally .
Employment Terms
- Employment Agreements: None for Named Executive Officers; executives are subject to clawback and insider trading policies .
- Change‑in‑Control Plan: For certain senior officers, double‑trigger severance applies—CEO at 2x salary plus 2x average annual incentive; other senior officers at 1x salary plus 1x average annual incentive; RSUs accelerate on qualifying termination or if not assumed, and prorated AIP/C‑LTIP per plan; medical COBRA premium lump‑sum; tax gross‑up not provided (best‑net cutback applies) .
- Restrictive covenants: Non‑solicitation of customers and employees for 12 months post‑termination under the CoC plan; misconduct forfeiture provisions in equity plan; Executive Medical coverage forfeited upon joining a competitor; DSA legacy forfeitures/accelerations apply to legacy participants only (Adkins is not listed with legacy DSA/SBP benefits) .
- Clawback: Recoupment for restatements (no‑fault), overpayments due to errors, and misconduct (fraud, theft, policy violations, etc.) .
Investment Implications
- Incentive alignment: Adkins’ mandate spans strategy, pricing, and data science—areas directly levered to ArcBest’s focus on Adjusted ROCE and profitable growth; company incentives weight 60% to ROCE in both AIP and C‑LTIP, embedding capital‑efficiency discipline .
- Retention risk: Absence of employment agreements is offset by double‑trigger CoC protections and meaningful at‑risk pay; clawback and anti‑hedging rules strengthen governance but may reduce perceived personal downside protection .
- Trading signals: No disclosed Adkins transactions; anti‑pledging reduces leverage risk; RSU vesting cadence may lead to periodic tax‑driven sales for executives generally; monitor 8‑K/Section 16 filings for any future activity .
- Execution track record: Documented contributions to dynamic LTL pricing and automation support margin resilience and productivity—beneficial in environments where ArcBest preserved asset‑based OR despite wage inflation and delivered improved operating ratio and ROCE metrics .