Christine Yan
CABOTAbout Christine Y. Yan
Independent director of Cabot Corporation since 2019; age 59; serves on the Compensation Committee. Former Stanley Black & Decker executive with extensive global operations experience in automotive, industrial, and consumer markets, including leadership roles across Asia and the Americas . Cabot’s board determined all non-management directors, including Ms. Yan, are independent under NYSE standards .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stanley Black & Decker | Vice President of Integration | 2018 | Led post-merger integration initiatives |
| Stanley Black & Decker | President, Asia | 2014–2018 | Ran Asia operations; deep international operating experience |
| Stanley Black & Decker | President, Stanley Storage and Workspace Systems | 2013–2014 | P&L leadership in tools/storage |
| Stanley Black & Decker | President, Americas, Stanley Engineered Fastening | 2008–2013 | Led Americas region for engineered fastening |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Modine Manufacturing Company | Director | 2014–present | Thermal management company; public board service |
| onsemi | Director | 2018–present | Semiconductor power/sensing; public board service |
| Ansell Limited | Director | 2019–present | Protective industrial/medical gloves; public board service |
| Ammega Group B.V. | Operating Director | 2023–present | Conveyor and transmission belting; operating oversight |
Board Governance
- Committee memberships: Compensation Committee member (four meetings and one written consent in FY2024) .
- Independence: Non-management directors (including Ms. Yan) are independent under Board guidelines and NYSE rules .
- Attendance and engagement: Board met seven times in FY2024; each director attended at least 75% of aggregate Board and applicable Committee meetings; all directors attended the 2024 Annual Meeting .
- Board leadership: Non-Executive Chair (Michael M. Morrow); executive sessions led by the Chair; robust committee structure (Audit, Compensation, Governance, SHE&S) .
- Related-party policy: Formal Governance Committee review process; no related person transactions since the beginning of fiscal 2024 .
Fixed Compensation
| Component | FY2024 Amount ($) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Annual cash retainer | 95,000 | Non-employee director cash retainer effective Jan 1, 2024 |
| Chair/member fees | 0 | Ms. Yan is not a committee chair; no meeting fees; chair fees apply only to chairs |
| Fees earned (reported) | 95,000 | Director Compensation Table (FY2024) |
| Name | Fees Earned or Paid in Cash ($) | Stock Awards ($) | Change in Deferred Comp Earnings ($) | All Other Comp ($) | Total ($) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Christine Y. Yan | 95,000 | 154,925 | 137 | — | 250,062 |
- Director stock ownership guidelines: Required ownership equal to 5× annual cash retainer, expected within five years; shares from annual grants must be retained for at least three years or until earlier retirement .
Performance Compensation
| Grant | Grant Date | Shares | Grant-Date Price | Grant-Date Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Annual director equity (CY2024) | Jan 11, 2024 | 2,035 | $76.13 | ~$155,000 |
| Annual director equity (CY2025) | Jan 2025 (post–Annual Mtg eligibility) | 1,788 | N/A | $155,000 target |
- Directors receive annual grants of Cabot common stock; awards are time-based under the Directors’ Stock Plan/2024 Director Plan and not tied to performance metrics (no PSUs/options disclosed for directors) .
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Company | Relationship to Cabot | Potential Interlock Considerations |
|---|---|---|
| Modine Manufacturing Company | Thermal management systems | Potential downstream materials user; no Cabot related-party transactions disclosed |
| onsemi | Semiconductors | Adjacent industry; no related-party transactions disclosed |
| Ansell Limited | Protective gloves | Potential specialty materials consumer; no related-party transactions disclosed |
| Ammega Group B.V. | Industrial belting | Industrial customer/supplier ecosystem; no related-party transactions disclosed |
No related-person transactions involving Ms. Yan reported; Governance Committee policy requires review and sets thresholds/pre-approvals .
Expertise & Qualifications
- Global manufacturing and operations, with deep Asia experience and multi-region P&L responsibility .
- Automotive, industrial and consumer markets knowledge; engineering-driven product leadership .
- Governance breadth via multiple public boards; committee work at Cabot’s Compensation Committee .
Equity Ownership
| Holder | Total Beneficial Ownership (Shares) | Percent of Class |
|---|---|---|
| Christine Y. Yan | 14,873 | * (<1%) |
- Deferrals: Ms. Yan elected to defer receipt of 2024 stock awards and has deferred shares outstanding under Cabot’s Non-Employee Directors’ Deferral Plan .
- Hedging/pledging restrictions: Company prohibits hedging/short sales and pledging of Cabot stock by directors (and LTI participants) .
- Clawbacks: Dodd-Frank compliant clawback policy (Section 10D) effective Oct 2, 2023, plus discretionary recoupment for cause/accounting restatements .
Insider Trades
| Date | Filing/Type | Shares | Price | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 14, 2025 | Form 4 – annual director equity grant; auto/accrual | 1,788 | $0 | Annual grant; director deferral mechanics noted in filing |
| May 15, 2025 | Form 4 – RSUs granted | Not stated (RSUs) | N/A | Granted under Amended and Restated Stock Incentive Plan |
| Jan 11, 2024 | Annual director equity issuance | 2,035 | $76.13 | CY2024 annual grant value ~$155,000 |
Tip: Yahoo/TipRanks show these as “Uninformative Buy/Stock Award(Grant) $0” entries consistent with non-employee director equity awards .
Governance Assessment
- Strengths
- Independent director with relevant operating expertise; actively serves on Compensation Committee, contributing to pay design and oversight .
- Solid attendance record and Board engagement; Board met seven times in FY2024; each director ≥75% attendance; directors attended Annual Meeting .
- Alignment features: meaningful annual equity grants; ownership guideline of 5× cash retainer; mandatory 3-year holding on granted shares; prohibitions on hedging/pledging; clawback policies in place .
- No related-party transactions disclosed involving Ms. Yan; robust related-person review policy .
- Shareholder support for pay programs: 98% say-on-pay approval in 2024, indicating positive investor sentiment toward compensation governance .
- Watch items
- Multiple external public boards increase time commitments; Cabot’s Corporate Governance Guidelines address director overboarding, but specific limits not disclosed here .
- Director equity awards are time-based (no performance metrics), which is typical; alignment relies on stock price and ownership guidelines rather than goal-based vesting .
Overall signal: governance-positive. Independence, policy guardrails (clawback/anti-hedging), equity alignment and engagement support investor confidence; no conflicts or attendance issues disclosed .