William A. Linton
BRUKERAbout William A. Linton
William A. Linton, Ph.D. (age 77) has served as an independent director of Bruker Corporation since 2000 and has been the Board’s Lead Independent Director since March 2004. He is the Founder, Chairman, President, and CEO of Promega Corporation (founded 1978), a privately held life-science supply company. He holds a B.S. from UC Berkeley (1970) and honorary doctorates from Hannam University (2004) and the University of Wisconsin–Madison (2015). He is independent under Nasdaq rules.
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Promega Corporation | Founder, Chairman, President & CEO | 1978–present | Built a global life-science supply leader; executive experience in international operations, strategy, governance, and compensation matters |
External Roles
| Organization | Type | Role | Tenure/Status | Notes/Committees |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eppendorf AG (Hamburg) | Private life sciences | Supervisory Board Member | Current | Private company; life-science tools peer ecosystem |
| ALDA (Analytical, Life-Science & Diagnostics Association) | Industry association | Director | Current | Industry leadership role |
| Heffter Research Institute | Non-profit | Director | Current | Research non-profit |
| Usona Institute | Non-profit | Founder & Executive Director | Current | Medical research organization |
| BioPharmaceutical Technology Center Institute | Non-profit | President | Current | Non-profit leadership |
Board Governance
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Independence | Independent director under Nasdaq standards; only CEO (F.H. Laukien) is non-independent on the Board |
| Lead Independent Director | Serves as Lead Director (since March 2004); will be succeeded by Richard A. Packer at the 2025 Annual Meeting. Responsibilities include setting agendas with Chair/CEO, chairing executive sessions, and acting as liaison for independent directors |
| Committees | Nominating & Governance Committee (member). Post-2025 Annual Meeting, N&G Committee will include Anderson, Linton, Packer (Chair), and Perkins |
| Attendance | In 2024, every director attended at least 92% of Board and committee meetings (during periods of service). Board holds executive sessions at each regularly scheduled meeting |
| Board structure | Combined Chair/CEO with a Lead Independent Director and three standing committees (Audit; Compensation; Nominating & Governance) |
Fixed Compensation
| Component | Policy Amount (2024) | Linton 2024 Cash Received |
|---|---|---|
| Annual Board Retainer (cash) | $72,500 | |
| Nominating & Governance Committee Member Fee | $5,000 | |
| Lead Director Fee | $25,000 | |
| Total Cash Fees | $102,500 | |
| Annual Director RSU Grant (value) | $165,035 (time-based RSUs; annual grant) | $165,035 |
Notes:
- Annual 2024 grant: 2,377 RSUs on January 5, 2024; vested in full on January 5, 2025 .
- Non-employee directors receive a mix of cash retainers/committee fees and annual RSUs; no per-meeting fees disclosed .
Performance Compensation
Bruker does not use performance-conditioned equity for directors; annual RSUs are time-vested.
| Grant Date | Award Type | Units | Grant-Date Fair Value | Vesting Schedule | Status as of 12/31/2024 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 5, 2024 | RSU | 2,377 | $165,035 | Vests 100% on Jan 5, 2025 | Unvested RSUs outstanding: 2,377 |
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Category | Disclosure |
|---|---|
| Current public-company boards | None disclosed for Dr. Linton in Bruker’s proxy biography |
| Notable external roles | Supervisory Board member at Eppendorf AG (private), Director at ALDA, Director at Heffter Research Institute, Founder/ED of Usona Institute, President of BioPharmaceutical Technology Center Institute |
Expertise & Qualifications
- Extensive executive leadership in life sciences tools as Founder/CEO of Promega; international operations and strategic planning experience .
- Governance and compensation expertise; long-tenured Lead Independent Director of Bruker .
- Academic and non-profit leadership roles in scientific research ecosystems, augmenting sector knowledge and networks .
Equity Ownership
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Total Beneficial Ownership (4/1/2025) | 55,425 shares; includes options to purchase 10,000 shares exercisable within 60 days; <1% of shares outstanding |
| Vested Options (12/31/2024) | 52,000 vested options (director table) |
| Unvested RSUs (12/31/2024) | 2,377 RSUs (the Jan 5, 2024 grant, vesting Jan 5, 2025) |
| Stock Ownership Guidelines | Non-employee directors: 5x annual retainer; must hold 50% of shares from option exercises/RSU vests until compliant. Company discloses that all directors meet guidelines |
| Hedging/Pledging | Company prohibits hedging and pledging of Bruker securities by directors |
| Section 16 Compliance | Company states all directors complied with Section 16(a) in 2024 except one late Form 4 for CEO Frank H. Laukien; no issues noted for Dr. Linton |
Related-Party Transactions and Conflicts
- Policy and review: Bruker maintains a formal Related-Person Transactions (RPT) Policy; transactions over specified thresholds are reviewed by the CFO and/or Audit Committee, with recusals as needed .
- 2024–2025 RPT disclosures list transactions involving other insiders (e.g., leases with entities of Laukien family, sales with Quantum Analytics and Asahi Kasei, and a 2025 Gauss Fusion share purchase by the CEO). No transactions involving Dr. Linton, Promega Corporation, or Eppendorf AG were disclosed .
Governance Assessment
-
Positives
- Long-serving independent Lead Director with deep sector expertise; strong attendance culture (≥92% in 2024) and regular executive sessions chaired by the Lead Director support oversight quality .
- Clear director pay structure with modest cash retainers and annual time-based RSUs; ownership guidelines at 5x annual retainer and company-wide prohibitions on hedging/pledging align director/shareholder interests .
- No related-party transactions disclosed involving Dr. Linton or his affiliated organizations in 2024–2025; formal RPT policy with Audit Committee oversight mitigates conflict risks .
-
Watch items
- Lead Director transition: Richard A. Packer will succeed Dr. Linton as Lead Director at the 2025 Annual Meeting; investors may monitor continuity of independent Board leadership and Nominating & Governance oversight through the transition .
- External affiliations: Supervisory Board role at Eppendorf AG (private life-science tools) and CEO role at Promega (private life-science supply) create potential for industry overlap; however, no Bruker-related transactions with these entities were disclosed in 2024–2025 .
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RED FLAGS
- None disclosed specific to Dr. Linton: no related-party transactions, no hedging/pledging, no Section 16 issues reported for him .