John Greisch
Lead Independent Director at CARR
Board
About John J. Greisch
John J. Greisch (age 69) serves as Carrier Global’s Lead Independent Director and has been on the Board since 2020, bringing deep operating and financial leadership from prior CEO and CFO roles at large global companies . He is an independent director under NYSE standards and Carrier’s policy, and is a member of the Compensation Committee and Technology & Innovation Committee, with responsibilities that include oversight of CEO performance, succession planning, and board self-evaluation in partnership with the Governance Chair .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hill‑Rom Holdings, Inc. | President & Chief Executive Officer | 2010–2018 | Led transformation and growth; healthcare operating expertise |
| Baxter International, Inc. | CFO; President, International Operations; President, Bioscience | CFO 2004–2006; Intl Ops 2006–2009; Bioscience 2003–2004 | Global finance, P&L leadership, international expansion |
| FleetPride Corporation | President & Chief Executive Officer | 1998–2001 | Distribution operations leadership |
| The Interlake Corporation | Various positions | 1986–1997 | Industrial products operations |
| Price Waterhouse | Various positions | 1978–1985 | Foundational public accounting experience |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Public/Private |
|---|---|---|---|
| Catalent, Inc. | Non‑Executive Chairman | Since 2023 | Non‑public as of 2025 (post‑transaction) |
| Viant Medical | Non‑Executive Chairman | Since 2018 | Non‑public |
| Discovery Life Sciences | Chairman | Since 2024 | Non‑public |
| Cerner Corporation | Director | 2019–2022 | Public (former) |
| Idorsia Pharmaceuticals Ltd. | Director | 2017–2020 | Public (former) |
| Actelion Ltd. | Director | 2013–2017 | Public (former) |
| Hill‑Rom Holdings, Inc. | Director | 2010–2018 | Public (former) |
Board Governance
- Current roles at Carrier: Lead Independent Director; Compensation Committee member; Technology & Innovation Committee member .
- Independence: Board determined Greisch is independent; only the CEO and Max Viessmann are non‑independent .
- Attendance and engagement: Board met 6 times in 2024 with 98% board attendance and 97% committee attendance; each director attended >83% of meetings; independent directors held executive sessions at all six meetings .
- Lead Independent Director remit: Calls and presides over independent sessions, sets Board agendas with Chair, oversees CEO evaluation and succession, co‑leads self‑evaluation with Governance Chair, may call special meetings, and can retain outside advisors .
- Self‑evaluation: Greisch co‑led the 2024 evaluation process with Governance Chair Virginia Wilson, conducting individual director interviews and summarizing effectiveness feedback to the Board .
- Shareholder engagement: As LID, he and the Compensation Chair met with investors following say‑on‑pay, reflecting a focus on transparency and alignment with shareholder interests .
Fixed Compensation
| Component | Cash ($) | DSUs ($) | Total ($) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Base non‑employee director retainer | 124,000 | 186,000 | 310,000 |
| Lead Independent Director premium | 14,000 | 21,000 | 35,000 |
| Audit Chair | 10,000 | 15,000 | 25,000 |
| Compensation Chair | 8,000 | 12,000 | 20,000 |
| Governance Chair | 8,000 | 12,000 | 20,000 |
| Technology & Innovation Chair | 8,000 | 12,000 | 20,000 |
| Director (2024) | Fees Earned Cash ($) | Stock Awards ($) | All Other ($) | Total ($) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| John J. Greisch | — | 345,000 | 3,084 | 348,084 |
DSUs vest on grant but settle after board departure; dividends credited in DSUs; no additional fees for regular meetings; $5,000 cash per special meeting (none in 2024) .
Performance Compensation
- Directors are compensated with cash retainers and DSUs; no performance‑conditioned equity (e.g., PSUs) for non‑employee directors is disclosed, and DSUs settle post‑service to align with long‑term shareholder interests .
Other Directorships & Interlocks
- Public company interlocks at the time of the 2025 proxy include chair role at Catalent (now non‑public), reducing potential live public‑company interlock concerns with Carrier’s direct competitors; Board enhanced oversight of director outside commitments and limited public boards to four, supporting effectiveness and mitigating overboarding risk .
Expertise & Qualifications
- Financial and operational expertise: Former CFO of Baxter and CEO of Hill‑Rom, bringing global financial management and enterprise leadership capabilities .
- Industrial and healthcare domain experience: Broad leadership across healthcare, industrial distribution, and manufacturing, supporting oversight of Carrier’s transformation and risk management .
- Board leadership and governance: LID responsibilities spanning CEO evaluation, succession, agenda setting, and annual self‑evaluation; demonstrated investor engagement during compensation outreach .
Equity Ownership
| Holder | SARs Exercisable Within 60 Days | DSUs Convertible to Shares Within 60 Days | Total Shares Beneficially Owned | Percent of Class |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| John J. Greisch | — | 49,927 | 85,344 | * (less than 1%) |
Ownership guidelines: 5× annual cash retainer for non‑employee directors; Directors exceed or are on track within five years; hedging, short sales, and pledging are prohibited .
Governance Assessment
- Strengths: Robust LID role with explicit authorities; clear independence; strong board and committee attendance; proactive engagement with shareholders; enhanced oversight of outside commitments; rigorous stock ownership alignment via DSUs held until retirement .
- Committee impact: As a member of Compensation and Technology & Innovation, Greisch helps oversee executive pay design, performance metrics, and technology/innovation risk, with 2024 meetings totaling 5 (Compensation) and 3 (Tech & Innovation), respectively .
- Alignment and controls: Clawback policy expanded (for executives), comprehensive ERM oversight, and prohibition of hedging/pledging reinforce investor‑friendly governance posture; directors required to hold company‑granted equity until retirement .
- Watch items: 2024 say‑on‑pay approval fell to ~58%, a signal of shareholder concern; Board—led by LID and Comp Chair—responded with direct outreach and expanded disclosure on supplemental awards and performance rigor, which supports remediation and future confidence .
Overall, Greisch’s credentials and LID engagement indicate a strong governance anchor for Carrier’s board, with independence, attendance, and shareholder alignment measures that generally support investor confidence while continuing to monitor say‑on‑pay feedback integration .