Brian Buchert

About Brian Buchert

Brian Buchert, age 51, is Executive Vice President of Strategy, M&A and Business Partnerships at Church & Dwight (CHD), serving in this role since April 2022 after leading Corporate Strategy and M&A from 2016–2022 and holding various M&A/strategy posts at CHD since 2006 . He has been instrumental in 18 brand acquisitions totaling $5.3B, and he leads CHD’s deal flow and diligence approach within the Executive Leadership Team; management highlights his leadership in rapidly ramping category expertise and disciplined valuation targeting post-synergy “~10x” EBITDA multiples . Company performance over his recent tenure includes TSR of -20.4% (2022), +18.7% (2023), and +12.0% (2024) , alongside rising net sales and EBITDA (see tables below; EBITDA values marked with asterisks are from S&P Global).

Past Roles

External Roles

Fixed Compensation

• CHD’s proxy discloses named executive officers (NEOs) but does not list Buchert among 2024 NEOs; therefore his base salary, target bonus %, and actual bonus are not individually disclosed .
• Company-wide AIP design applies to executive officers: five equally weighted metrics (Net Sales, Relative Gross Margin in 2024, Adjusted Diluted EPS, Cash from Operations, Strategic Initiatives) with a numeric rating scale; the 2024 plan rating was set at 1.2 based on peer EPS growth comparisons .

Performance Compensation

• Long-term incentives for ELT members include stock options, RSUs, and PSUs; PSUs are granted annually with three-year vesting based on relative TSR vs a CHD-selected peer group (0–200% payout) .
• Options vest in full at the three-year anniversary; RSUs vest in equal one-third tranches on each of the first, second, and third anniversaries .

Company AIP metrics and 2024 outcomes (informing executive payouts):

Equity Ownership & Alignment

• Ownership guidelines: CEO 6x, CFO 3x, and all other senior executives 2.5x base salary; guidelines require retention of 50% of net shares until compliant .
• Anti-hedging/pledging: CHD prohibits pledging, short sales, and hedging by employees and directors .
• Beneficial ownership: Buchert is not individually identified in the 2025 beneficial ownership table (which covers directors and 2024 NEOs), so his share count and pledged shares (if any) are not disclosed; CHD notes that none of the listed executive officers/directors had pledged shares as of March 5, 2025 .

Equity vesting schedules:

Employment Terms

• Change in control and severance protection: CHD has adopted change-in-control and severance agreements for executive officers, using a double-trigger structure for equity granted on/after July 30, 2019 (CoC plus qualifying termination) .
• Cash severance upon qualifying termination within two years post-CoC: two times base salary plus target AIP bonus for executive officers (three times for the CEO), plus a prorated target AIP bonus; payments occur six months post-termination .
• Non-CoC termination (without cause or for good reason): lump sum equal to base salary for the year (CEO receives 2x), plus prorated AIP based on actual performance; continued benefits and outplacement; agreements include non-compete, non-solicit, and non-disparagement provisions .
• Clawbacks: CHD maintains Dodd-Frank/NYSE-compliant recoupment policies for excess incentive compensation after material financial misstatements and broader clawback rights in AIP and Omnibus equity plans .

Performance & Track Record

Company performance context relevant to Buchert’s mandate:

Values retrieved from S&P Global.

• indicates values with no citations (S&P Global).

TSR during recent years:

• Management commentary highlights Buchert’s leadership of CHD’s unique M&A process: the ELT “ramps quickly” into categories, emphasizes durable brands, and targets synergy-adjusted valuations reaching ~10x EBITDA; CHD cites >$5B M&A capacity and a disciplined “say no often” posture .

Insider Activity and Selling Pressure

• CHD Item 5. Other Information (Q3 2025 10‑Q): no director or executive officer adopted or terminated any Rule 10b5‑1 or non‑Rule 10b5‑1 trading arrangements during Q3 2025; individual Form 4 data for Buchert was not retrieved here, limiting visibility on recent open-market transactions .
• Anti-hedging/pledging policy reduces misalignment and leverage risk at the executive level .

Governance and Related Parties

• Related party transactions: none disclosable in 2024 .
• Compensation governance: independent Committee uses Semler Brossy as its consultant; no option repricing without shareholder approval; limited perquisites; no excise tax gross-ups .

Investment Implications

• Alignment high: 2.5x salary ownership guideline for senior executives, anti-hedging/pledging, and three-year vesting with double-trigger CoC protections support long-term orientation and reduce forced-selling risk .
• Incentive quality: ELT PSUs are TSR-based over three years with 0–200% payout, driving external performance focus; AIP balances growth, margin, cash, and strategic execution to avoid single-metric gaming .
• Retention risk moderate: executive CoC and severance agreements (two times salary+target bonus; prorated bonus; benefits) offer stability in transitions, while three-year vesting encourages tenure; lack of recent 10b5‑1 adoptions suggests limited near-term pre-planned selling pressure, though absence of Form 4 detail for Buchert is a data gap .
• M&A execution lever: Buchert’s track record (18 acquisitions, $5.3B) and valuation discipline (~10x EBITDA post-synergy) indicate continued inorganic growth capability; investors should monitor deal pace, synergy capture, and PSU outcomes tied to TSR .