Sandra Beach Lin
About Sandra Beach Lin
Sandra Beach Lin, age 67, has served as an independent director of Avient Corporation since 2013. She is a retired President and CEO of Calisolar (now Silicor Materials) and previously held senior executive roles at Celanese (Executive Vice President/Corporate EVP, 2007–2010), Avery Dennison, Alcoa, and Honeywell, bringing deep specialty chemicals, operations, and international experience. She is designated an Audit Committee financial expert and currently serves on Avient’s Audit Committee and Governance & Corporate Responsibility Committee .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Calisolar, Inc. (now Silicor Materials) | President, CEO, Director | 2010–2011 | Led solar silicon firm through operational leadership |
| Celanese Corporation | Executive VP; Corporate Executive VP | 2007–2010 | Senior leadership at global hybrid chemical company |
| Avery Dennison | Global senior executive roles | Not disclosed | Materials/packaging operating leadership |
| Alcoa | Global senior executive roles | Not disclosed | Metals industry operations and international exposure |
| Honeywell International | Global senior executive roles | Not disclosed | Diversified industrial operations and strategy |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure |
|---|---|---|
| American Electric Power Company, Inc. | Director | Current |
| Trinseo PLC | Director | Current |
| Ripple Therapeutics (privately held) | Director | Current |
| WESCO International, Inc. | Director | Former |
Board Governance
| Governance Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Independence | Board determined Lin is independent under NYSE and Avient categorical standards |
| Committee Memberships | Audit Committee – Member (Audit Committee financial expert); Governance & Corporate Responsibility Committee – Member |
| Committee Meeting Counts (2024) | Audit: 7; Compensation: 5; Governance & Corporate Responsibility: 2; Environmental, Health & Safety: 2 |
| Executive Sessions | Independent directors regularly hold executive sessions; Non-Executive Chair presides |
| Attendance | In 2024, each director attended at least 75% of Board and committee meetings on which they served; all directors attended the annual meeting |
| Board Leadership | Non-Executive Chairman structure (Richard H. Fearon) with defined oversight duties |
Fixed Compensation
| Component | 2024 Amount ($) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Cash Retainer | 110,000 | Standard non-employee director cash retainer |
| Stock Awards (Fully Vested Shares) | 143,324 | Annual equity retainer, paid quarterly in fully vested common shares |
| Total | 253,324 | Sum of cash and stock awards |
Director fee structure and changes:
- Standard non-employee director retainer targeted at $257,500 in 2024, consisting of $110,000 cash and $147,500 equity; effective Q3 2024, equity retainer increased to $155,000; chair retainers increased (Audit: $25,000; Compensation/G&CRC/EH&S: $20,000). No regular meeting fees; unscheduled meetings: $2,000 (in-person) or $1,000 (telephonic) .
- Quarterly share values used to calculate shares granted: Mar 28, 2024 $43.40 (808 shares); Jun 28, 2024 $43.65 (806); Sep 30, 2024 $50.32 (775); Dec 31, 2024 $40.86 (834) .
Performance Compensation
- Not applicable to directors. Avient’s director equity is granted as fully vested common shares; no director PSUs, options or performance-linked equity awards are disclosed for non-employee directors in 2024 .
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Compensation Committee Interlocks | 2024 Compensation Committee members: Abernathy, Fearon, Nicolas, Preete (Chair), Wulfsohn; no interlocks disclosed; Lin is not on the Compensation Committee . |
| Related Person Transactions | None in 2024; transactions >$120,000 require Audit Committee approval under policy . |
Expertise & Qualifications
- Skills highlighted across Board skills matrix and prior proxy summaries include: Financial; International; Industry (specialty chemicals); Regulatory; Technology; Human Capital; Operations; Sustainability/Environmental; Corporate Governance .
Equity Ownership
| Metric | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Total Beneficial Ownership (shares) | 50,848 | As of Feb 28, 2025; includes deferred shares under director plan |
| % of Shares Outstanding | <1% | As reported; based on 91,532,542 shares outstanding |
| Deferred Shares (fully-vested, in plan) | 45,469 | As of year-end 2024; includes dividend reinvestment |
| Director Ownership Guideline | 12,500 shares | Must be met within five years; all directors either meet or are on track |
| Retention Policy | Retain 100% of shares acquired from Avient compensation until guideline met |
Governance Assessment
- Board effectiveness: Lin contributes deep specialty materials and operating expertise, serves as an Audit Committee financial expert, and is active on Governance & Corporate Responsibility, aligning with Avient’s risk and ESG oversight framework. Committee independence and clearly defined roles support robust governance .
- Alignment: Material director equity paid in shares and significant deferred share holdings (45,469) indicate long-term alignment with shareholders; she meets/on track for the 12,500-share guideline .
- Engagement: Attendance met the Company’s threshold (≥75% for Board/committee meetings) with full annual meeting participation; executive sessions regularly held under independent chair oversight .
- Conflicts and related-party exposure: No related person transactions in 2024; Board reconfirms independence annually under categorical standards. External public boards (AEP, Trinseo) are disclosed; no compensation committee interlocks or Avient-related transactions reported .
- Shareholder signals: Prior “Say-on-Pay” support was strong (over 96% approval at 2024 meeting), indicating constructive investor sentiment toward Avient’s pay practices and governance approach; committee consultant independence affirmed (Willis Towers Watson; no conflicts) .
RED FLAGS
- None disclosed: no related-party transactions, no pledging/hedging issues disclosed for directors, and no compensation interlocks involving Lin .