Bradley Alford
Avery DennisonAbout Bradley A. Alford
Bradley A. Alford (age 68) is an independent director of Avery Dennison, serving since April 2010. He is the retired Chairman & CEO of Nestlé USA (2006-2012) and previously President & CEO of Nestlé Brands Company (2003-2005), bringing 40+ years of consumer goods and packaging experience; he currently serves on the board of Perrigo Company plc and participates in AVY’s Food Advisory Council in a non-fiduciary capacity .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nestlé USA | Chairman & CEO | Jan 2006 – Oct 2012 | Led U.S. operations of a global consumer goods company; deep consumer/packaging experience |
| Nestlé Brands Company (unit of Nestlé USA) | President & CEO | 2003 – Dec 2005 | Drove brand/marketing leadership; senior general management |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Perrigo Company plc | Director | Current | Other committee roles not disclosed in AVY proxy |
Board Governance
- Committee assignments: Compensation Committee Chair; Governance Committee Member .
- Independence: Determined independent under NYSE listing standards; AVY board nominees are 78% independent .
- Board engagement: Member of AVY’s Food Advisory Council (non-fiduciary advisory) .
- Attendance: The board met 5 times in 2024 with average director attendance of 98%; all directors attended ≥75%. Compensation Committee held 5 meetings (avg attendance 89%); Governance Committee held 12 meetings (avg attendance 97%) .
- Executive sessions: Independent directors held executive sessions; robust Lead Independent Director role presiding .
Fixed Compensation
| Component (2024) | Amount/Detail | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Board annual cash retainer | $115,000 | |
| Committee chair retainer | $0 in 2024 (Alford became CC Chair in 2025; 2024 chair retainer attributed to former chair) | |
| Charitable/educational match | $10,000 | |
| Equity – annual RSUs | 844 RSUs granted on May 1, 2024; grant-date fair value $182,043 | |
| Total 2024 director compensation | $307,043 |
Program reference (current levels): RSU target grant-date fair value $185,000; board retainer $115,000; additional retainers: Lead Independent Director $45,000; Audit Chair $35,000; Compensation Chair $25,000; Governance Chair $25,000 .
Performance Compensation
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Performance-linked director pay | None disclosed; non-employee director equity is time-based RSUs that vest on the one-year anniversary; unvested RSUs fully vest upon death/disability/retirement at age 72 or termination within 24 months of change of control |
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Company | Role | Period | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Perrigo Company plc | Director | Current | No AVY-related party transactions disclosed; no pledging; independence maintained per AVY policies |
Expertise & Qualifications
- Consumer goods and packaging: Technical expertise; 40+ years in roles of increasing responsibility relevant to AVY’s Solutions/Materials businesses .
- Functional experience: Technical expertise in marketing; supervisory experience in finance, M&A, and R&D; worked outside the U.S. (Oceania assignments) .
- Governance capability: Current chair of AVY’s Compensation Committee and member of Governance Committee overseeing executive compensation and governance frameworks .
Equity Ownership
| Measure | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Common stock | 25,460 shares | Sole voting/investment power; no shares pledged |
| DSUs (deferred stock units) | 23,319 | Considered beneficially owned for policy/beneficial totals; payable in shares at separation |
| Unvested RSUs (director) | 844 | All non-employee directors serving at YE 2024 held 844 unvested RSUs |
| Total beneficial ownership | 48,779 shares | <1% of outstanding shares |
| Ownership guideline requirement | $500,000 | Director stock ownership policy |
| Guideline compliance | Ownership value 49,623 (policy measure) and 20x multiple achieved; requirement met | |
| Hedging/pledging | Prohibited by insider trading policy; directors complied in 2024 |
Governance Assessment
- Committee leadership and independence: As Compensation Committee Chair and Governance Committee member, Alford directly influences pay-for-performance design, succession planning, talent policies, clawback oversight, and non-employee director compensation; committees meet regularly and maintain NYSE-enhanced independence standards .
- Alignment and skin-in-the-game: He exceeds AVY’s director ownership guideline by 20x and holds DSUs/RSUs, indicating long-term alignment; no pledging/hedging and no related-party transactions disclosed for 2024, reducing conflict risk .
- Director pay structure: Mix is predominantly equity (time-based RSUs) plus modest cash retainer and charitable match, benchmarked to Fortune 350–500 medians; program was modestly increased in 2024, maintaining market competitiveness without performance metrics for directors (consistent with governance best practice) .
- Attendance and engagement: Board and committee attendance metrics indicate strong overall engagement; Alford also contributes in a non-fiduciary Food Advisory Council, deepening domain oversight on strategic priorities .
RED FLAGS
- None disclosed: No related-party transactions, no share pledging/hedging, and strong ownership compliance. Say-on-pay support averaged 95% over the past five years, signaling investor confidence in compensation governance .