Leslie Turner
ChemoursAbout Leslie M. Turner
Leslie M. Turner, age 67, was appointed as an independent director of The Chemours Company in February 2025. She serves on the Compensation and Leadership Development Committee (CLDC) and the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee (NCG). Turner is a seasoned legal executive, formerly General Counsel of The Hershey Company and Coca-Cola North America, with significant experience in corporate governance, public policy, regulatory oversight, enterprise risk management, and complex litigation. She holds a B.S. from New York University, a J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center, and an LL.M. in Law and Government from American University’s Washington College of Law .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Hershey Company | SVP, General Counsel | 2012–2018 | Led global legal function; advised on governance, risk, and strategic initiatives |
| Coca-Cola North America | General Counsel | 2008–2012 | Oversaw legal, risk, sustainability efforts within supply chain |
| Coca-Cola Bottling Investments Group | Associate General Counsel | 2006–2008 | Supported global operations, regulatory and complex transactions |
| U.S. Dept. of the Interior | Assistant Secretary, Office of Territorial & International Affairs | 1993–1995 | Oversaw global political affairs; intergovernmental coordination |
| U.S. Dept. of the Interior | Associate Counselor to Secretary; Director, Office of Intergovernmental Affairs | 1995–1996 | Policy counsel on geopolitical and regulatory matters |
| Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP | Partner/Of Counsel; Associate | 1986–2006 | Complex litigation and class action matters |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| FirstEnergy Corporation | Director (public company) | Since 2018 | Current public company directorship |
| Georgetown University Law Center | Board of Visitors | Since 2012; Chair 2021–2023 | Legal education leadership |
| Georgetown University | Board of Regents | Since 2019 | University governance |
| Manor College | Board | Since 2021 | Non-profit governance |
| Stillman College | Board | 2017–2023 | Non-profit governance |
| The Bay Park Conservancy | Board | Since 2020 | Community/non-profit stewardship |
Board Governance
- Independence: The Board determined Leslie Turner and all non-employee nominees are independent under NYSE and company standards .
- Committee assignments: CLDC member; NCG member. CLDC held 8 meetings and NCG held 5 in 2024; chairs are Sean D. Keohane (CLDC) and Mary B. Cranston (NCG) .
- Executive sessions: Independent directors hold executive sessions at each regularly scheduled Board meeting .
- Board activity and attendance: The Board met 19 times in 2024; each director (serving during 2024) attended at least 75% of Board and committee meetings, and eight directors attended the 2024 Annual Meeting. Turner joined in 2025; her attendance for 2025 is not yet disclosed .
- Governance policies: Anti-hedging and anti-pledging policies apply to officers and directors; majority voting for directors in uncontested elections with resignation policy; director share ownership guidelines and holding requirements .
Fixed Compensation
| Component | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Annual cash retainer | $105,000 | Non-employee director retainer; may be deferred |
| Annual equity award | $160,000 | Granted in shares or DSUs; valued at grant date; rounding to nearest whole share; DSUs convert to shares upon leaving the Board or selected anniversary; dividend equivalents accrue on DSUs |
| Chair retainers | Audit: $22,500; CLDC: $17,500; NCG: $17,500; EHS&O: $17,500 | Chair fees payable in cash; Turner is not a chair |
| Meeting fees | None | Company does not pay meeting fees; reimburses reasonable Board-related expenses |
| Deferral program | Available | Stock Accumulation and Deferred Compensation Plan permits deferral of cash and equity into notional account or DSUs; unsecured obligation of the Company |
| Ownership guidelines | 6× cash retainer | Directors must hold ≥6x cash retainer in stock/DSUs; 5 years to attain; all directors either meet or are on-track |
Performance Compensation
| Element | Design | Metrics/Structure |
|---|---|---|
| Director equity awards | Time-based shares or DSUs | Director compensation is not performance-conditioned; annual equity awards are granted as time-based common stock or DSUs and may be deferred; no director “bonus” metrics or meeting fees |
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Company | Relationship to CC | Potential Interlock Risk |
|---|---|---|
| FirstEnergy Corporation | Turner is a director | Utility sector; the proxy reports no related person material interest in Company transactions since the start of fiscal 2024 |
Expertise & Qualifications
- Legal and Regulatory: Extensive corporate governance, compliance, complex litigation, and regulatory experience from GC roles and public sector service .
- Strategic Planning and Risk: Led legal strategy aligned with business growth, market entry, supply chain resiliency, and enterprise risk management at large consumer brands .
- Education: B.S. (NYU), J.D. (Georgetown), LL.M. in Law & Government (American University) .
Equity Ownership
| Holder | Direct | Indirect | Right to Acquire (≤60 days) | Total | % of Class |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Leslie M. Turner | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | <1% |
- Policy constraints: Anti-hedging and anti-pledging policy for officers and directors; pledging Chemours securities is prohibited without special exception .
- Ownership alignment: Director guideline requires ≥6x cash retainer in stock/DSUs within 5 years; Turner was appointed February 19, 2025 and, consistent with the guideline, will have five years to attain the threshold .
Governance Assessment
- Board effectiveness signals: Turner’s appointment adds deep legal, regulatory, risk management, and strategic planning expertise directly aligned with oversight responsibilities of the CLDC and NCG, strengthening board governance and succession oversight .
- Independence and conflicts: Confirmed independent; NCG oversees related-party transactions; the proxy states no related person had a material interest in Company transactions since fiscal 2024 began — reducing conflict risk .
- Alignment and incentives: Directors must meet stringent ownership guidelines (6× cash retainer within 5 years) and are subject to anti-hedging/pledging — supportive of shareholder alignment; director compensation is balanced between cash and equity, with no meeting fees .
- Board oversight quality: The Board remediated all previously identified material weaknesses in internal control over financial reporting as of Dec 31, 2024, following Audit Committee-led remediation — a positive governance signal .
- Shareholder confidence: Say-on-pay historically strong (~94–96% approval), and the Board again proposed eliminating supermajority voting requirements — both supportive of investor-friendly governance .
- Watch items: As a newly appointed director, Turner reported no beneficial ownership as of Feb 28, 2025; monitor progress toward ownership guideline compliance, committee engagement, and any potential interlocks via FirstEnergy; no attendance data for her yet due to 2025 start .