Barbara Burger
Bloom EnergyAbout Barbara Burger
Barbara Burger, age 64, is an independent Class II director of Bloom Energy, appointed in August 2024, and serves on the Nominating, Governance and Public Policy Committee (member). She spent 30+ years at Chevron, including President of Chevron Technology Ventures (since 2013) and Vice President, Innovation (since 2020), and is trained as a scientist with a PhD in chemistry, bringing deep expertise in energy innovation and sustainability aligned with Bloom’s strategy. She also sits on the public company board of Heliogen, Inc.
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chevron Corporation | President, Chevron Technology Ventures; Vice President, Innovation; prior management roles across International Marketing, Chemicals, Technology Marketing, Lubricants, Ventures, Innovation | 1987–2022 | Led efforts to identify, invest in, and scale emerging technologies (renewables integration, carbon capture, digital innovation); bridged technology with strategy to advance energy transition |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure/Start Date | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Heliogen, Inc. | Director | Current | Public company directorship |
| Milestone Environmental Services | Board of Managers | Since Feb 2024 | Energy/environmental services |
| Revterra | Director | Since Nov 2023 | Energy-related technology |
| Greentown Labs | Director | Jun 2022 – Aug 2024 | Climate tech incubator |
| Emerald Technology Ventures Advisory Council | Advisor | Since Apr 2022 | Energy tech venture advisory |
| Energy Impact Partners | Advisor | Since Apr 2023 | Investment firm; energy transition focus |
| Epicore Biosystems | Advisor | Since Jul 2022 | Wearable biosensors; energy-adjacent innovation |
| Lazard Ltd. | Advisor | Since Oct 2022 | Strategic advisory exposure |
| Marunouchi Innovation Partners | Advisor | Since Oct 2023 | Venture advisory |
| Sparkz, Inc. | Advisor | Since Apr 2023 | Battery/energy tech |
| Syzygy Plasmonics | Advisor | Since Jun 2022 | Hydrogen/chemical tech |
| MIT Energy Initiative | Leadership Council member | Current | Sustainability/energy policy engagement |
| National Renewable Energy Laboratory | Advisory Council member | Current | Energy policy/tech oversight |
| Caltech Resnick Sustainability Institute | Strategic Advisory Board member | Current | Sustainability strategy |
| Rice University | Corporate Innovation Advisory Board | Current | Corporate innovation |
| University of Rochester | Board of Trustees | Current | Academic governance; River Campus Libraries National Council |
Board Governance
- Committee assignments: Nominating, Governance and Public Policy Committee member; 2024 members were Eddy Zervigon (Chair), Michael J. Boskin, Barbara Burger, CJ Warner; all members independent under NYSE rules; the committee met 4 times in 2024 and oversees board composition/refreshment, governance, sustainability, stockholder engagement, and public policy matters.
- Independence: The Board determined Dr. Burger is independent under NYSE and SEC rules; all Audit, Compensation, and Nominating committee members satisfy committee-specific independence requirements.
- Attendance and engagement: In 2024, all directors attended at least 75% of Board/committee meetings; average attendance was 97% (exception: Boskin at 73.3%). The Board held 6 meetings; Audit 5; Compensation 5; Nominating 4; independent directors met in executive session at every regularly scheduled Board meeting, chaired by the Lead Independent Director.
- Lead Independent Director: Jeffrey Immelt (Compensation Committee Chair) serves as Lead Independent Director.
Fixed Compensation
| Element | Amount ($) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Board service annual cash retainer | 70,000 | Paid quarterly; unchanged from 2023 |
| Nominating Committee member fee | 5,000 | Chair: $15,000; member: $5,000 |
| Audit Committee fees | Chair $30,000 (Bush $40,000 grandfathered); Member $15,000 | Committee fees schedule |
| Compensation Committee fees | Chair $20,000; Member $10,000 | Committee fees schedule |
| 2024 Director Compensation (Barbara Burger) | Amount ($) |
|---|---|
| Fees Earned or Paid in Cash | 31,250 |
| Stock Awards (RSUs, grant-date fair value) | 350,000 |
| Option Awards | — |
| All Other Compensation | — |
| Total | 381,250 |
Performance Compensation
| Equity Award | Grant-Date Fair Value | Structure | Vesting |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial equity award for new directors (Barbara Burger) | 350,000 | Choice of RSUs or stock options (Black-Scholes valuation); Dr. Burger elected RSUs | Vests in three equal installments on anniversary of grant date |
| Annual non-employee director RSU grant (2024 program) | 200,000 | RSUs (Lead Independent Director receives additional $25,000 RSUs) | Vests on date of next Annual Meeting, subject to continued service |
| 2024 one-time election | N/A | Directors could elect options in lieu of half/all RSUs at 2 options per RSU; same vesting schedule | Program-wide feature (Burger did not elect options) |
Outstanding equity awards at year-end: Dr. Burger held 28,000 RSUs outstanding as of December 31, 2024.
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Company | Role | Potential Interlock/Exposure |
|---|---|---|
| Heliogen, Inc. | Director | Not disclosed as a Bloom counterparty; no related-party transactions reported involving Dr. Burger |
Expertise & Qualifications
- Energy, sustainability, and emerging technologies: 30+ years at Chevron across both oil/gas and renewables; leadership in scaling transformative technologies (renewables integration, carbon capture, digital innovation).
- Science/technology: PhD in chemistry; technology and product development expertise supporting Bloom’s fuel cell platform and applications (CCUS, CHP).
- Governance/public policy: Active roles in MIT Energy Initiative, NREL Advisory, Caltech Resnick Institute; work informs oversight of sustainability and regulatory trends.
Equity Ownership
| Holder | Shares Beneficially Owned (as of Feb 28, 2025) | % of Class A | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Barbara Burger | — | — | Beneficial ownership table shows no shares; outstanding 28,000 RSUs (unvested) as of Dec 31, 2024 |
Stock ownership policy for non-employee directors: minimum holdings equal to at least 4x annual cash retainer; must retain 100% of net settled shares until requirement is met; deferred stock under the Deferred Compensation Plan counts toward compliance; reported 100% director compliance as of end of 2024.
Governance Assessment
- Independence and committee fit: Burger is independent and placed on the Nominating Committee, which has been actively refreshing the board and overseeing governance and sustainability—her energy-transition expertise strengthens committee oversight.
- Attendance and engagement quality: Board and committees met frequently in 2024 (Board 6; Nominating 4), with robust attendance and executive sessions led by the Lead Independent Director—supports board effectiveness; Burger joined in August 2024 within this active cadence.
- Director compensation mix and alignment: Burger elected RSUs rather than options; combined with time-based vesting and the 4x retainer ownership policy (100% compliance reported), this indicates alignment with long-term shareholder value through equity exposure.
- Related-party/conflict posture: No related-party transactions disclosed involving Burger; the Audit Committee pre-approved and oversees transactions with SK ecoplant, and the Nominating Committee screens for conflicts and overboarding during nominee evaluation.
- Shareholder sentiment signals: 2025 say-on-pay received 96,604,726 For, 58,902,183 Against, 277,935 Abstentions—approved; proposal to add officer exculpation failed to meet two-thirds supermajority (140,082,245 For; 15,331,081 Against; 371,518 Abstentions), reflecting mixed appetite for expanded protections.
RED FLAGS: None disclosed specific to Burger (no related-party transactions, independence affirmed). Observation: beneficial ownership shows no shares as of Feb 28, 2025 while 28,000 RSUs were outstanding—monitor equity vesting and ownership guideline compliance disclosures in subsequent filings for alignment continuity.