Timothy Go
CelaneseAbout Timothy Go
Timothy Go, 58, is an independent director of Celanese Corporation and has served on the Board since 2024; he is currently the President and CEO of HF Sinclair Corporation and holds a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from the University of Texas at Austin . At Celanese, he serves on the Stewardship Committee and the newly formed Finance and Business Review Committee; the Board affirms his independence under NYSE standards, with overall Board attendance in 2024 above 99% and all incumbent directors meeting at least the 75% attendance threshold . His core credentials include deep operational leadership in complex manufacturing, M&A integration, and risk management .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| ExxonMobil Corporation | Various operational and strategic supply chain roles | 1989–2008 | Built downstream operations expertise and global supply-chain rigor |
| Koch Industries | Managing Director, Operations Excellence | 2008–2011 | Led operations excellence initiatives across diversified industrial portfolio |
| Flint Hills Resources (Koch subsidiary) | Vice President, Operations; Vice President, Operations Excellence | 2011–2015 | Advanced plant safety, reliability, and manufacturing performance |
| Calumet Specialty Products Partners | Chief Executive Officer | 2016–2020 | Led specialty hydrocarbon products strategy and operations |
| HF Sinclair Corporation | EVP & COO → President & COO → President & CEO | 2020–Present | Completed transformational transactions (HollyFrontier/Holly Energy Partners), integrated assets, expanded pipelines/storage, enhanced earnings power |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| HF Sinclair Corporation (NYSE: DINO) | Director (and CEO) | 2023–Present | Strategic oversight and industry leadership in petroleum/renewable fuels |
| Koch Pipeline Co. | Director | 2008–2015 | Oversight of pipeline operations and safety |
| University of Texas Engineering Advisory Board | Member | Not disclosed | Academic/industry advisory engagement |
| Ronald McDonald House of Dallas | Board | Not disclosed | Community/non-profit governance |
Board Governance
- Committee assignments: Member, Stewardship Committee; Member, Finance and Business Review Committee .
- Independence: Board affirmatively determined Go is independent under NYSE standards .
- Attendance and engagement: 2024 Board held six meetings; committees held 23; overall attendance above 99%; all incumbent directors met ≥75% participation; directors expected to attend annual meeting (all did in 2024) .
- Board capacity policy: CEOs of other public companies generally limited to their employer’s board plus Celanese; additional boards require approvals; no exceptions exercised to date .
Fixed Compensation
| Component | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Annual cash retainer (non-employee directors) | $125,000 | Paid quarterly |
| Committee chair fees | $15,000 (NCG; Stewardship); $20,000 (CMDC); $25,000 (Audit) | Applies only to chairs; Go is not a chair |
| Lead Independent Director fee | $40,000 | Increased from $35,000 effective July 2024; replaced by Independent Chair structure in 2025 |
| Independent Chair (effective 2025) | $75,000 cash + $100,000 RSUs | Board moved to independent Chair from Lead Independent Director |
Director-specific 2024 compensation (Celanese):
| Metric | 2024 |
|---|---|
| Fees Earned or Paid in Cash ($) | $93,750 |
| Stock Awards ($) | $174,853 |
| Total ($) | $268,603 |
Performance Compensation
| Equity Instrument | Grant Details | Vesting | Quantity/Valuation |
|---|---|---|---|
| RSUs (annual grant) | Granted under 2018 Global Incentive Plan (2018 GIP) | One-year, time-based vesting | 1,114 RSUs granted in May 2024 to each non-management director; grant-date fair value $156.96 per RSU; total $174,853 for Go |
| Deferred Compensation | Eligible for 2008 Deferred Compensation Plan | Deferrals on cash and RSUs; no above-market earnings | Plan participation noted for certain directors; Go not listed among 2024 deferrals |
- Performance metrics: Director equity is time-based (no revenue/EBITDA/TSR targets for directors’ RSUs) .
- Options: No option awards disclosed for non-management directors in 2024 .
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| External Company | Role | Relationship with Celanese | Materiality |
|---|---|---|---|
| HF Sinclair Corporation | CEO and Director | Routine purchases from HF Sinclair | Amounts did not exceed the greater of $1,000,000 or 2% of other entity’s revenues in any of last three fiscal years; categorical independence maintained |
Expertise & Qualifications
- M&A and financial transactions: Led HF Sinclair’s combination with HollyFrontier/Holly Energy Partners and subsequent optimization/integration, enhancing earnings power and network reach .
- Operations/safety/reliability: Decades of complex manufacturing leadership in refining and specialty chemicals, with demonstrated renewable energy production experience .
- Sustainability: Perspective from leading a large renewable fuels company and prior specialty hydrocarbons leadership, relevant to alternative fuels and stewardship oversight .
- Risk management: Senior operations roles implementing risk strategies; contributes to Board oversight of financial and operational risk via Stewardship and Finance Committees .
Equity Ownership
| Metric (as of March 1, 2025 unless noted) | Value |
|---|---|
| Common Stock Beneficially Owned | — (no direct shares reported) |
| Rights to Acquire (RSUs exercisable/vesting within 60 days of March 17, 2025) | 1,114 |
| Total Beneficial Ownership | 1,114 |
| Ownership % of Shares Outstanding | Less than 1% |
| Hedging/Pledging | Company policy prohibits hedging/pledging; footnote indicates none of directors’ beneficially owned shares are hedged or pledged |
| Director Stock Ownership Guideline | Minimum 5× annual retainer ($625,000 equivalent in Common Stock value); 5-year compliance window for newly elected directors; five newer directors (joined within last five years) on-track for compliance as of Dec 31, 2024 |
Governance Assessment
- Positive signals: Independence affirmed; strong Board/committee attendance; anti-hedging/anti-pledging policy; rigorous director ownership guidelines; RSUs align director incentives with shareholder value; no related-party “interested transactions” approved or required in 2024 .
- Potential conflicts: Routine commercial relationship with HF Sinclair (Go is CEO) flagged and assessed under categorical independence standards; amounts below materiality thresholds for the last three fiscal years .
- Workload/board capacity: Celanese policy limits public company CEOs’ external board service; Board evaluates capacity annually—relevant to Go’s concurrent CEO role .
- Committee impact: Placement on Stewardship (EHS/cyber/product quality) and Finance & Business Review (capital structure, cash flow, deleveraging, margin) leverages his operational and finance experience in oversight of risk and financial strategy .
- Compensation alignment: 2024 director pay evenly split between cash retainer and time-based RSUs; no meeting fees or above-market deferral earnings; chair fees not applicable to Go .
RED FLAGS: None material identified by the company regarding related-party transactions in 2024; the HF Sinclair commercial relationship is disclosed and categorized as immaterial under Board independence standards . Directors are prohibited from hedging/pledging company stock, mitigating alignment risks .
Appendix: Committee Scope References
- Stewardship Committee: Oversees environmental, health, safety, cybersecurity, product quality, sustainability impacts .
- Finance & Business Review Committee: Reviews capital structure, liquidity, forecasts, margins, cash flow, working capital, capex, dividend/buyback policy, growth opportunities, and business operations .