Allie Lin
Brighthouse FinancialAbout Allie Lin
Allie Lin, 47, is Executive Vice President and General Counsel of Brighthouse Financial (BHF). She became GC in December 2022 and has been with BHF since March 2018 after prior legal leadership at AXA Equitable Life Insurance Company . In 2024 she drove legal support for capital/liquidity and reinsurance transactions, advised product/distribution launches (Shield II, SmartCare enhancements, BlackRock LPP), built AI governance, and strengthened cybersecurity/privacy response plans . Her annual bonus for 2024 paid at 106% of target ($695,625), aligned to BHF’s STI metrics (Corporate Expenses, Sales, Normalized Statutory Earnings) and company performance factor of 106% .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Years | Strategic Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brighthouse Financial | Executive Vice President & General Counsel | Dec 2022 – present | Lead legal for capital/liquidity and reinsurance transactions; product/distribution strategy; AI governance; cyber/privacy enhancements . |
| Brighthouse Financial | Head of Litigation & Employment Law | Feb 2021 – Dec 2022 | Oversaw litigation/employment risk and disputes . |
| Brighthouse Financial | Lead Litigation & Employment Attorney | Sep 2019 – Feb 2021 | Led litigation/employment matters . |
| Brighthouse Financial | Corporate Counsel, Litigation Attorney | Mar 2018 – Sep 2019 | Supported litigation for BHF post-spin . |
| AXA Equitable Life Insurance Company | Senior Director and Counsel | Oct 2013 – Mar 2018 | Senior legal counsel at a major life insurer . |
Fixed Compensation
| Metric | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| Base Salary ($) | $525,000 | $590,000 (effective Mar 1, 2025) |
| Target STI (% of Base) | 125% | 125% |
| Actual STI Paid ($) | $695,625 | — |
Performance Compensation
2024 Short-Term Incentive (STI) – Company Scorecard
| Metric (weight) | Threshold | Target | Maximum | Actual | Payout % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Corporate Expenses (40%) | $910M | $870M | $840M | $820M | 150% |
| Sales – Annuity (80% of Sales) | $6.4B | $9.4B | $11.4B | $10.0B | 116% |
| Sales – Life (20% of Sales) | $70M | $113M | $140M | $120M | 111% |
| Normalized Statutory Earnings (20%) | $(1.0)B | $300M | $600M | $(1.3)B | 0% |
| Company Performance Factor | 106% |
- Individual payout: Lin’s 2024 STI payout was 106% of target, or $695,625 .
Long-Term Incentive (LTI) Design and Lin’s 2024 Grants
- Mix and metrics:
- PSUs 60% (3-year, cliff vest), metrics: Net Cash Flow to Holding Company (60%) and Statutory Expense Ratio (40%), with a relative TSR modifier ±10 percentage points .
- RSUs 40% (ratable vest 1/3 annually over 3 years) .
| Award (Grant date 3/1/2024) | # Units | Grant Date Value ($) | Vesting/Performance |
|---|---|---|---|
| PSUs (target) | 11,942 | $551,242 | 2024–2026; metrics as above with rTSR modifier . |
| RSUs | 7,961 | $367,479 | 1/3 on each of 3/1/2025, 3/1/2026, 3/1/2027 . |
- Prior PSU cycle: 2022–2024 PSUs paid at 82% of target, reflecting Statutory Expense Ratio 94% payout and Net Cash Flow to Holding Company 64% payout .
Equity Ownership & Alignment
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Beneficial Ownership (Record Date Apr 14, 2025) | 6,451 shares; <1% of outstanding . |
| Unvested RSUs at 12/31/2024 | 308 ($14,796), 3,798 ($182,456), 7,961 ($382,446), valued at $48.04/share . |
| Unearned PSUs at 12/31/2024 (at target) | 756 ($36,318), 12,820 ($615,873), 11,942 ($573,694), valued at $48.04/share . |
| Stock Options | None outstanding for Lin . |
| Stock Ownership Guidelines | 1x base salary; status: Achieved (threshold $590,000) . |
| Hedging/Pledging | Prohibited for all employees/directors under insider trading policy . |
| Vests/Selling Pressure | RSUs vest annually in March; PSUs cliff-vest after 3 years, which can create periodic liquidity windows . |
| 2024 Stock Vested | 3,687 shares vested; $170,192 value . |
| Deferred Compensation | 2024 contributions: VDCP $236,433; Auxiliary Plan company contribution $86,569; VDCP year-end balance $452,844 . |
Employment Terms
- Severance (involuntary, not-for-cause): Illustrative payout shows $3,459,427 total, composed of 1x base salary ($525,000), 1x target STI ($1,312,500), equity at plan value (RSUs $579,699; PSUs at target $1,028,632), and limited miscellaneous benefits .
- Change of Control (double-trigger): Upon CoC and qualifying termination, illustrative payout $4,642,773 (base $1,050,000; target STI $1,968,750; equity values and miscellaneous benefits), consistent with double-trigger vesting of equity .
- Clawbacks: Mandatory recoupment for restatements and misconduct; robust recovery policies .
- Tax gross-ups: No excise tax gross-ups on CoC benefits .
- Hedging/Pledging: Prohibited .
- Severance/CoC plans: Governed by company executive severance and CoC plans referenced in filings .
Note: On November 6, 2025, BHF announced an Agreement and Plan of Merger with an Aquarian affiliate; legal notices in the agreement are directed to Allie Lin (and others), highlighting her central role; CoC provisions may become relevant if the transaction closes .
Performance Compensation Details (Metrics and Weighting)
| Plan | Metric | Weight | Targeting/Definition | Vest/Modifier |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| STI (2024) | Corporate Expenses | 40% | Company-level expense discipline and operating model | Annual cash payout . |
| Sales (Annuity 80% / Life 20%) | 40% | Annuity deposits and life premiums/sales mix | Annual cash payout . | |
| Normalized Statutory Earnings | 20% | Key capital metric linked to distributions and hedging efficacy | Annual cash payout . | |
| LTI (2024–2026 PSUs) | Net Cash Flow to Holding Co. | 60% | Measures net capital distributions to parent | PSUs cliff-vest at 3 years; rTSR ±10 pts . |
| Statutory Expense Ratio | 40% | Operating efficiency (expenses/premiums and fees) | PSUs; rTSR modifier ±10 pts . |
External Roles
No external public company board roles for Lin are disclosed in the 2024 10-K executive officers table or 2025 proxy NEO sections .
Investment Implications
- Pay-for-performance alignment: Lin’s cash bonus flexed down/up with scorecard (0% on normalized statutory earnings offset by expense/sales outperformance; net 106% payout), and 60% of LTI is PSU-tied to multi-year capital return and expense efficiency with an rTSR modifier—direct linkage to balance sheet strength and shareholder value creation .
- Retention risk: Multi-year PSU cliff vesting and annual RSU vesting schedule create ongoing retention hooks; double-trigger CoC protection reduces flight risk through transaction uncertainty .
- Trading/pledging risk: Company-wide hedging/pledging prohibitions and ownership guidelines (achieved) lower misalignment/forced-sale risks; however, annual RSU vest dates can still produce predictable selling windows for liquidity/taxes .
- Downside sensitivity: Beneficial ownership <1% indicates moderate direct equity exposure; deferred comp usage provides an additional long-term alignment lever without requiring open-market sales .
- Governance/say-on-pay backdrop: 2024 say-on-pay support ~98.9% underscores broad investor approval of the incentive framework, reducing compensation-policy overhang risk .