Beth F. Cobert
CBRE GROUPAbout Beth F. Cobert
Independent director of CBRE since May 2017; age 66. Current committee assignments: Audit and Compensation (not chair). Background includes senior public-sector leadership and 25+ years at McKinsey; education: B.A. Princeton, M.B.A. Stanford. Current role: President, Affiliates & Strategic Partnerships, Strada Education Foundation (since Oct 2024). Other public company boards: none .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Strada Education Foundation | President, Affiliates & Strategic Partnerships | Oct 2024–present | Partnerships strategy across workforce development; leverages human capital and operations expertise . |
| Markle Foundation | President; Acting President; COO | Sep 2023–Feb 2024; Sep 2022–Sep 2023; Jul 2020–Sep 2022 | Led Rework America Alliance; focus on workforce mobility and cross-sector collaboration . |
| Markle Foundation (Skillful) | Chief Executive Officer | Jun 2017–Jul 2021 | Built skills-based hiring programs; employer partnerships . |
| U.S. Office of Personnel Management | Acting Director | Jul 2015–Jan 2017 | Federal HR modernization; risk and governance in public sector . |
| U.S. Office of Management & Budget | Deputy Director for Management | Oct 2013–Jul 2015 | Oversight of federal operations; finance, risk management . |
| McKinsey & Company | Senior Partner; Partner (joined as Associate) | 2001–2013; 1990–2001; joined 1984 | Strategy/operations across financial services, healthcare, legal, real estate, telecom; senior leadership . |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Princeton University | Board of Trustees | Current | Governance oversight; higher education network . |
| Colorado Workforce Development Council | Business member | Current | Workforce policy input . |
| National Artificial Intelligence Advisory Council | Committee member | Current | Technology and innovation expertise applied to AI policy . |
| United Way of the Bay Area | Former Director & Chair | Prior | Community impact; prior leadership role . |
| Stanford GSB Advisory Council | Former member | Prior | Academic advisory experience . |
Board Governance
- Independence: CBRE’s Board determined 80% of 2025 nominees are independent; Audit, Compensation, Governance committees composed entirely of independent directors; Cobert is independent .
- Committee assignments (2024 activity/2025 slate): Audit Committee (Chair: Gerardo I. Lopez) and Compensation Committee (Chair: Reginald H. Gilyard); Cobert serves on both (not chair) .
- Attendance and engagement: Board held 8 meetings in 2024; each incumbent director attended ≥75% of Board and applicable committee meetings; all directors attended the 2024 annual meeting .
- Executive sessions: Non-management directors meet in executive session at each regularly scheduled Board meeting (presided by Lead Independent Director, Shira D. Goodman) .
- Overboarding & governance policies: Limits on external public boards; annual majority voting in uncontested elections; strong governance documents (Standards of Business Conduct, related-party policy, whistleblower, securities compliance prohibiting hedging/pledging) .
Fixed Compensation
| Component | 2023 Policy | 2024 Policy | Beth Cobert – Actual 2023 ($) | Beth Cobert – Actual 2024 ($) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Annual Board retainer (cash) | $110,000 | $110,000 | 135,000 (incl. chair fee) | 110,000 |
| RSU grant (annual) | $220,000 (vest earlier of 1-year or next annual meeting) | $220,000 (same vest terms) | 219,976 | 219,993 |
| Lead Independent Director retainer | $75,000 | $75,000 | — (not LID) | — |
| Audit Chair retainer | $30,000 | $30,000 | — | — |
| Compensation Chair retainer | $25,000 | $25,000 | Included in cash total (was Comp Chair) | — (member, not chair) |
| Meeting fees | None disclosed | None disclosed | — | — |
Notes:
- Directors may elect stock in lieu of cash; eligible to defer via Deferred Compensation Plan; expenses reimbursed .
Performance Compensation
| Grant Year | Grant Date | RSUs Granted (shares) | Fair Value per Share ($) | Total Grant Fair Value ($) | Vesting |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | May 17, 2023 | 2,919 | 75.36 | 219,976 | Full vest on earlier of 1-year or next annual meeting |
| 2024 | May 22, 2024 | 2,455 | 89.61 | 219,993 | Full vest on earlier of 1-year or next annual meeting |
- Outstanding RSUs as of 12/31/2024: 2,455 for Cobert (no options outstanding) .
- Equity award timing policy: Annual awards typically in Feb/Mar, effective when trading window opens; other grants on May 1, Aug 1, Nov 1; no stock options granted in recent years .
Other Directorships & Interlocks
- Current public company boards: None .
- Implication: Low risk of interlocks with competitors/suppliers; compliant with CBRE’s overboarding policy .
Expertise & Qualifications
- Skills matrix: Cybersecurity; Finance & Accounting; Global Operations; Human Capital; M&A; Real Estate; Risk Management; Senior Leadership/CEO; Technology & Innovation .
- Board tenure: 8 years (as of 2025 slate) .
- Education: B.A. Princeton; M.B.A. Stanford .
Equity Ownership
| Date (as of) | Common Stock Beneficially Owned Directly/Indirectly | Common Stock Acquirable Within 60 Days (RSUs) | Total Beneficially Owned | % of Outstanding | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 28, 2024 | 20,825 | 2,919 | 23,744 | <1% | Co-trustee of Cioth/Cobert Family Trust (20,825 shares) . |
| Mar 24, 2025 | 23,744 | 2,455 | 26,199 | <1% | Co-trustee of Cioth/Cobert Family Trust (23,744 shares) . |
- Stock ownership requirements: Non-employee directors must hold ≥5x annual stock grant; must retain 100% of net shares until compliant .
- Hedging/pledging: Prohibited by Securities Compliance Policy .
Insider Trades
| Filing Date | Period of Report | Form | Transaction Type | Security | Shares | Price | Resulting Holdings | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 23, 2025 | May 21, 2025 | Form 4 | Gift (by Family Trust) | Class A Common | 2,455 | $0.00 | 26,199 | |
| May 18, 2022 | May 18, 2022 | Form 4 | Gift (by Family Trust) | Class A Common | 2,355 | $0.00 | 18,041 (reported at the time) |
Note: Holdings as of the proxy’s ownership table are presented above; transaction-level holdings reflect contemporaneous Form 4 reporting .
Governance Assessment
- Committee work and effectiveness: Cobert serves on both Audit and Compensation—two critical oversight committees composed entirely of independent directors. Her background in finance, risk, and public-sector operations aligns with CBRE’s risk oversight and pay governance needs .
- Independence & conflicts: Board’s annual independence determination and related-party review found no director-related transactions in 2023; strong policies prohibit hedging/pledging and govern interested-party transactions, reducing conflict risk .
- Attendance & engagement: Meets minimum attendance thresholds and participates in executive sessions, indicating engagement in oversight .
- Pay and alignment: Standard non-employee director pay mix—cash retainer plus time-vested RSUs—supports alignment; RSUs vest at next annual meeting. Year-over-year: 2023 higher cash due to Compensation Chair role; 2024 returned to base retainer as a member, demonstrating role-based pay adjustments .
- Ownership: Beneficial ownership via family trust; total 26,199 shares as of Mar 24, 2025; subject to 5x grant ownership policy—policy structure is strong; no pledging permitted .
- RED FLAGS: None evident—no related-party transactions disclosed; no hedging/pledging permitted; no options repricing; low interlock risk (no other public boards) .
Overall signal: Experienced, independent director with relevant finance, risk, and human capital expertise; active on key committees; compensation and ownership align with investor-preferred governance structures; no material conflict indicators disclosed .