Joseph Longo
CHURCH & DWIGHT CO INC /DE/About Joseph Longo
Joseph J. Longo, 54, is Vice President, Controller and Chief Accounting Officer at Church & Dwight (CHD), serving in this role since September 2020 after joining the company in June 2020 as Vice President, Accounting . He previously held senior accounting, investor relations, and FP&A roles at Tyco International, and served as Corporate Controller at Pinnacle Foods and Dorman Products, after starting his career at KPMG; he has also held senior accounting positions at Prudential Financial and JPMorgan Chase . Company performance during 2024—under which his controllership responsibilities sit—included $6.1 billion net sales, 45.7% gross margin, $3.44 adjusted diluted EPS, $1.16 billion cash from operations, and 12.0% TSR, aligning incentive frameworks with results . Longo also signs periodic reports as principal accounting officer (e.g., CHD’s 10‑Q, May 2, 2024) .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Years | Strategic impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Church & Dwight | VP, Controller & Chief Accounting Officer | Sep 2020–present | Principal accounting officer overseeing external reporting, controls, and accounting policy . |
| Church & Dwight | VP, Accounting | Jun 2020–Sep 2020 | Brought in ahead of CAO transition; comp at levels consistent with position; no related-party arrangements . |
| Dorman Products | VP & Corporate Controller | Dec 2019–Jun 2020 | Led corporate controllership at public auto‑parts supplier . |
| Pinnacle Foods | VP & Corporate Controller | Jan 2017–Aug 2019 | Managed public company controllership for branded foods . |
| Tyco International | Roles across accounting, IR, and BU FP&A | Sep 2007–Dec 2016 | Broad finance leadership spanning reporting, investor relations, and planning . |
| KPMG US LLP | Audit (early career) | — | Foundational audit experience . |
| Prudential Financial; JPMorgan Chase | Senior accounting positions | — | Senior accounting roles at large financial institutions . |
External Roles
- No external public company directorships disclosed in the company’s 2025 proxy; Longo appears only among executive officers (not directors) .
Fixed Compensation
- Longo is not a named executive officer (NEO) in the 2024 compensation tables; individual base salary, target bonus %, and payouts were not disclosed in the 2025 proxy (NEOs listed exclude Longo) .
Performance Compensation
CHD’s executive incentive design (applies company-wide; NEO specifics shown here for program illustration):
- Annual Incentive Plan (AIP): Five equally weighted metrics—Net Sales, Relative Gross Margin (moved to absolute Gross Margin for 2025), Adjusted Diluted EPS, Cash from Operations, and Strategic Initiatives; 2024 corporate performance yielded a 1.39 rating (vs 1.20 plan baseline) .
| Metric (20% each) | Threshold | Target (at 1.2 rating) | Max | Actual (as adjusted) | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Net Sales ($mm) | $5,858 | $6,102 | $6,346 | $6,122 | 1.27 |
| Relative Gross Margin (percentile) | <25th | 55th | 80th | 44th | 0.82 |
| Adjusted Diluted EPS ($) | $3.28 | $3.42 | $3.56 | $3.47 | 1.51 |
| Cash from Operations ($mm) | $927 | $1,030 | $1,133 | $1,159 | 2.00 |
| Strategic Initiatives (scorecard) | 0.75–1.50 scale | 0.75–1.50 scale | 0.75–1.50 scale | 0.75–1.50 scale | 1.34 |
- Long‑Term Incentives (executive officers): 75% stock options, 15% PSUs (3‑yr relative TSR), 10% RSUs (3‑yr ratable), based on percent of salary; options vest on 3rd anniversary; 10‑yr term .
| Vehicle | Typical weight | Vesting/Term | Performance basis |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stock options | 75% | 3‑year cliff; 10‑year term; strike at grant FMV | Stock price appreciation |
| PSUs | 15% | 3‑year performance period | Relative TSR |
| RSUs | 10% | 3 annual installments starting 1 year after grant | Time‑based |
Governance guardrails (apply to executives company‑wide):
- Robust clawbacks (Dodd‑Frank/NYSE and broader cause/financial misstatement/restrictive covenant violations) .
- No hedging, pledging, or short sales by employees or non‑employee directors; no option repricing without stockholder approval .
Equity Ownership & Alignment
Insider transactions (Form 4):
| Date | Action | Shares | Price | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024‑11‑22 | Option exercise (M) and same‑day sale (S) | 7,780 exercised at $73.87; 7,780 sold at $112.4408 (WA) | $112.4408 (WA) | |
| Holdings post‑transaction (as reported in Form 4 tables) | Common stock | 382 D; 400 D; 109.7595 I (Profit Sharing/Savings Plan Trust) | — | |
| Additional reference | Prior Form 4 filing (Mar 8, 2024) | — | — |
Vesting constructs and change‑in‑control mechanics:
| Topic | Provision | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Option vest timing | Options vest as to all underlying shares on 3rd anniversary; 10‑yr term | |
| CIC equity vesting | For grants on/after July 2019 to EVP/CEO, double‑trigger acceleration upon qualifying termination within 24 months of CIC (at target for performance awards) | |
| Stock ownership guidelines (executives) | CEO 6.0x salary; CFO 3.0x; EVP 2.5x; VP multiple not specified in proxy | |
| Hedging/pledging | Hedging, pledging, short sales prohibited for employees and directors | |
| Pledging status (disclosed group) | “None of the shares held by directors and executive officers included in the table are pledged as security.” |
Ownership note: Longo is not individually listed in the proxy ownership table; his ongoing beneficial holdings are evidenced via Form 4 filings (above) .
Employment Terms
- Appointment and compensation: CHD’s June 5, 2020 8‑K announced Longo’s hiring as VP, Accounting, with compensation and benefits “consistent with his position and scope of responsibility”; no related‑party transactions disclosed .
- Role status: All executive officers serve at the Board’s discretion (Longo serves at the CEO’s discretion) .
- NEO CIC/severance framework (context for senior executives; not specific to Longo): Double‑trigger CIC severance; cash = 2x (CEO 3x) base salary + target AIP, plus prorated target AIP; health/life benefits continuation (24 months for executives; CEO 36 months); no excise tax gross‑ups (best‑net cutback); also non‑CIC severance = base salary (CEO 2x) plus prorated AIP and benefits; non‑compete, non‑solicit, and non‑disparagement apply .
- Clawbacks: Company maintains robust recoupment policies applicable to executive officers .
Investment Implications
- Alignment: Prohibitions on hedging/pledging, robust clawbacks, and equity‑heavy LTI mix create strong alignment with shareholders and reduce governance risk .
- Selling pressure: Longo’s November 2024 option exercise-and-sale (7,780 shares) indicates occasional liquidity events around vesting/option maturity; his reported residual holdings are modest, limiting ongoing insider selling overhang from his account .
- Retention/continuity: While NEO severance/CIC terms are competitive and double‑triggered, Longo’s individual severance terms are not disclosed; however, the three‑year vesting cadence for options/RSUs and multi‑year PSU cycles support retention incentives typical for senior finance officers .
- Execution risk: As principal accounting officer during 2024, controllership sat amid solid operating execution—company delivered $6.1B net sales, 45.7% gross margin, $1.16B CFO, 12% TSR—and strong Say‑on‑Pay support of ~88.6%, suggesting investor confidence in governance and pay‑performance alignment .