Ernest Nicolas
About Ernest Nicolas
Independent director at Avient (AVNT) since 2021; age 47. Currently Chief Enterprise Operations Officer at HP Inc. (since 2024), previously HP’s Chief Supply Chain Officer (2022–2024) and senior supply chain/operations leader at Rockwell Automation (2006–2022). Core credentials: deep supply chain, manufacturing operations, strategic sourcing, logistics, enterprise quality, and Asia Pacific manufacturing experience relevant to Avient’s integrated supply chain. Director independence affirmed by the Board; member of the Compensation Committee and Environmental, Health & Safety Committee .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| HP Inc. | Chief Enterprise Operations Officer | 2024–present | Enterprise operations leadership across personal systems, printers, and 3D printing; insights for Avient’s supply chain . |
| HP Inc. | Chief Supply Chain Officer | 2022–2024 | Led global supply chain; relevant to Avient’s integrated supply chain . |
| Rockwell Automation | SVP & Chief Supply Chain Officer | 2020–2022 | Supply chain planning, strategic sourcing, manufacturing, logistics, customer care, quality . |
| Rockwell Automation | SVP, Operations & Engineering Services | 2019–2020 | Operations and engineering services leadership . |
| Rockwell Automation | VP, Global Supply Chain | 2018–2019 | Global supply chain management . |
| Rockwell Automation | VP, Strategic Sourcing & Supply Management | 2015–2018 | Strategic sourcing; procurement leadership . |
| General Motors | Early career | Prior to 2006 | Manufacturing/operations foundation . |
External Roles
| Category | Company/Institution | Role | Status/Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Public company directorships | None | — | No current or prior public company boards disclosed . |
| Former directorships | None | — | None disclosed . |
Board Governance
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Independence | Independent director (affirmed) . |
| Committees | Compensation Committee (member); Environmental, Health & Safety Committee (member) . |
| 2024 Committee Meetings | Audit: 7; Compensation: 5; Governance & Corporate Responsibility: 2; EH&S: 2 . |
| Audit Committee note | All AC members independent; several designated “audit committee financial experts” (Nicolas is not listed as AC member) . |
| Board attendance | 2024: Board met 6 times; each director attended ≥75% of Board and committee meetings; all directors attended the annual meeting . 2023: Board met 7 times; each director attended ≥75%; all directors attended the annual meeting . |
| Evaluation | Annual Board and peer evaluations; Chairman/Lead Director discusses board effectiveness with each director . |
Fixed Compensation
| Year | Cash Retainer ($) | Equity Retainer Target ($) | Fees Earned (Cash) ($) | Stock Awards ($) | Total ($) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 110,000 | 147,500 (raised to 155,000 from Q3 2024) | 110,000 | 143,324 | 253,324 | Nicolas deferred all cash retainer and meeting fees into the Deferred Compensation Plan . |
| 2023 | 110,000 (structure) | 140,000 | 111,000 | 140,030 | 251,030 | Deferred cash retainer and meeting fees; credited with 2,803 common shares under the Deferred Compensation Plan . |
| Meeting fees policy | — | — | Unscheduled meeting: $2,000; significant telephonic: $1,000 (no fees for regular meetings) | — | — | Chair retainers increased in 2024: Audit $25,000; Compensation $20,000; Governance $20,000; EH&S $20,000 (Nicolas is not a chair) . |
Performance Compensation
| 2024 Quarter | Per-Share FMV ($) | Shares Granted (Fully Vested) | Basis |
|---|---|---|---|
| Q1 (Mar 28, 2024) | 43.40 | 808 | Directors receive fully vested common shares quarterly; number determined by dividing dollar value by avg high/low, rounded to whole shares . |
| Q2 (Jun 28, 2024) | 43.65 | 806 | Same methodology . |
| Q3 (Sep 30, 2024) | 50.32 | 775 | Same methodology . |
| Q4 (Dec 31, 2024) | 40.86 | 834 | Same methodology . |
• No director performance metrics (e.g., EPS/TSR targets) apply to non-employee director equity; awards are annual fully vested share grants intended to align directors with shareholders .
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Topic | Detail |
|---|---|
| Compensation Committee service | Member in 2024 (alongside Abernathy, Fearon, Preete (Chair), Wulfsohn) . |
| Interlocks | No compensation committee interlocks during 2024 (none of Avient executives served on other company boards/comp committees that would create interlocks) . |
Expertise & Qualifications
- Supply chain planning, strategic sourcing, manufacturing operations, logistics, customer care, enterprise quality; Asia Pacific manufacturing experience .
- Operational leadership at large technology and industrial companies (HP, Rockwell), providing relevant insight to Avient’s integrated supply chain .
Equity Ownership
| Item | Value | Date/Context |
|---|---|---|
| Beneficial ownership (shares) | 15,452 | As of Feb 28, 2024; includes shares held under the Deferred Compensation Plan for Non-Employee Directors . |
| % of class | <1% | Based on 91,253,130 shares outstanding (Feb 28, 2024) . |
| Fully vested deferred shares (account) | 19,201 | Number of deferred shares credited through year-end 2024, including dividend reinvestment . |
| Stock ownership guideline | 12,500 shares minimum; equivalent to >4x annual cash retainer at $40.86 closing price (Dec 31, 2024) . | |
| Guideline compliance | All directors meet or are on track; 100% retention of shares from company compensation until guidelines met . |
Insider Filings (Form 4) – Summary
| Filing Date | Period Covered | Description/Link |
|---|---|---|
| Apr 2, 2025 | Mar 31, 2025 | Form 4 filed by Ernest Nicolas . |
| Oct 2, 2025 | Sep/Oct 2025 | Form 4 filing (Avient link to PDF) . |
| 2024 filing example | 2024 | SEC EDGAR text record for Nicolas (CIK 0001791766) related to AVNT . |
| SEC XML endpoint | 2025 | SEC Form 4 XML index for AVNT/Nicolas . |
• Notes: Proxy disclosures show director equity grants are fully vested share awards delivered quarterly; Nicolas also defers cash retainer and meeting fees into the Deferred Compensation Plan, accruing company shares (e.g., 2,803 shares credited in 2023) .
Governance Assessment
- Board effectiveness and engagement: Independent status; active committee service (Compensation; EH&S). Board and committee participation thresholds met; annual board and peer evaluations reinforce accountability .
- Pay and alignment: Director pay mix emphasizes equity; quarterly fully vested share grants and deferral elections increase skin-in-the-game. Ownership guidelines (12,500 shares) are robust relative to cash retainer; Nicolas’ deferred share balance (19,201) indicates progress toward/above guideline .
- Conflicts/related-party exposure: No related person transactions in 2023 or 2024; Compensation Committee utilizes independent consultants and assesses consultant independence; hedging and pledging prohibited; NYSE-compliant clawback policy maintained .
- Signals to investors: Service on the Compensation Committee adds responsibility for pay governance; no interlocks mitigate conflict risk . Attendance and independence disclosures support confidence .
- RED FLAGS: None identified in filings regarding related-party transactions, hedging/pledging, attendance shortfalls, or late Section 16 filings for Nicolas (company disclosed one late Form 4 for an executive due to admin error, not related to Nicolas) . Potential watch item: continued monitoring of insider Form 4s for timing/volume, although director grants and deferrals are programmatic .