Paige Robbins
C. H. ROBINSON WORLDWIDEAbout Paige Robbins
Independent director of C.H. Robinson Worldwide, Inc. since May 2024; age 56. Senior Vice President and President, Grainger Business Unit at W.W. Grainger; prior BCG partner/managing director. Holds an MBA from Harvard and MS/BS in Industrial Engineering from Stanford. Serves on CHRW’s Audit Committee; designated an SEC “Audit Committee Financial Expert,” and participates in the Board’s new Technology & Innovation Subcommittee under the Audit Committee .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| W.W. Grainger, Inc. | SVP & President, Grainger Business Unit | 2021–Present | Leads a broad-line distribution business; operational, technology, merchandising, marketing, and strategy leadership |
| W.W. Grainger, Inc. | SVP, Chief Technology, Merchandising, Marketing & Strategy Officer | 2019–2021 | Drove digital and commercial strategy integration |
| W.W. Grainger, Inc. | SVP, Chief Digital Officer | 2017–2019 | Led digital transformation initiatives |
| W.W. Grainger, Inc. | SVP, Global Supply Chain, Branch Network, Contact Centers & Corporate Strategy | 2015–2017 | End-to-end supply chain, operations, and strategy execution |
| W.W. Grainger, Inc. | VP roles in Global Supply Chain & Logistics | 2010–2015 | Supply chain optimization and logistics leadership |
| The Boston Consulting Group | Partner & Managing Director | 2004–2010 | Focused on industrial goods: growth, profit improvement, supply chain optimization, M&A, transformation |
| The Boston Consulting Group | Roles from Associate Consultant to VP & Director | 1992–2004 | Strategy and operations across industrial sectors |
External Roles
| Company | Board/Role | Tenure | Committees |
|---|---|---|---|
| Public company boards | None | — | — |
Board Governance
- Committee assignments: Audit Committee member; appointed effective August 8, 2024 . Member, Technology & Innovation Subcommittee of the Audit Committee formed in 2025 (chaired by Paula Tolliver) .
- Independence: Board determined Robbins is independent; reviewed ordinary-course services between CHRW and W.W. Grainger (her employer) and found payments were <1% of either company’s revenues/operations over last three fiscal years .
- Attendance and engagement: In 2024, the Board held 5 meetings; all directors attended at least 75% of Board and committee meetings; each regularly scheduled Board meeting included executive sessions of non-management directors . Audit Committee held 8 meetings in 2024 .
- Board leadership and governance practices: Independent Chair (Jodee Kozlak); independent committees; strong governance features including proxy access, majority voting (uncontested), clawback policies, no pledging/hedging of company stock .
Committee Roles
| Committee/Subcommittee | Role | Effective date |
|---|---|---|
| Audit Committee | Member; “Audit Committee Financial Expert” | Aug 8, 2024 |
| Technology & Innovation Subcommittee (under Audit) | Member | 2025 |
Fixed Compensation
- Program structure (non-employee directors): Annual cash retainer and annual fully vested RSU award; additional cash retainers for Independent Chair and committee service; directors may elect to receive certain fees in RSUs . For 2025, RSU grants shift to annual timing at the Annual Meeting; Independent Chair retainer increases to $150,000; cash retainer remains $110,000; annual equity $175,000; committee fees unchanged .
2024 Director Compensation – Paige Robbins
| Element | Amount ($) |
|---|---|
| Fees Earned or Paid in Cash | 75,976 |
| Stock Awards (RSUs, fair value per ASC 718) | 112,981 |
| Total | 188,956 |
| Aggregate number of shares subject to stock awards outstanding (vested RSUs, payable after board service) | 1,108 |
Director Fee Schedule (current)
| Compensation Element | Chair ($) | Member ($) |
|---|---|---|
| Independent Chair additional cash retainer | 100,000 (2024); 150,000 (2025) | — |
| Audit Committee | 30,000 | 12,500 |
| Governance Committee | 20,000 | 7,500 |
| Talent & Compensation Committee | 20,000 | 7,500 |
| Annual cash retainer | — | 110,000 (unchanged for 2025) |
| Annual equity award (RSUs) | — | 175,000 (unchanged for 2025) |
- Stock ownership guideline for directors: Minimum of 5x annual cash retainer in company stock within 5 years of joining the Board; includes vested RSUs and beneficial holdings; all directors with ≥5 years tenure are compliant .
Performance Compensation
- Not applicable—no performance-based director compensation (no director PSUs, options, or bonus metrics disclosed; director equity delivered as fully vested RSUs with settlement after board service) .
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Entity | Role | Interlock/Transaction | Assessment |
|---|---|---|---|
| W.W. Grainger, Inc. | SVP & President, Grainger Business Unit | CHRW provides services to Grainger and/or subsidiaries; payments <1% of either company’s revenues/operations over last three fiscal years | Board reviewed and maintained independence; low conflict risk, ordinary-course magnitude |
Expertise & Qualifications
- Deep operational leadership across sales/marketing, technology/digital, and global supply chain/logistics; experienced in business transformation and M&A from executive and consulting roles .
- SEC “Audit Committee Financial Expert” designation; relevant to financial oversight and risk management .
- Education: MBA (Harvard); MS/BS Industrial Engineering (Stanford) .
- Fit with CHRW priorities: Leverages technology, data, and strong supply chains to drive operational results; cited by Board as contributing “immediate and profound” impact since election in 2024 .
Equity Ownership
| Holder | Shares Beneficially Owned | % of Outstanding | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paige K. Robbins | 1,108 | — (immaterial per proxy table) | Beneficial ownership reported in security ownership table; includes vested RSUs payable after board service |
- Hedging/pledging: Prohibited for directors and officers under insider trading policy; quarterly trading windows and pre-clearance required .
- Compliance timeline: 5 years from board appointment to meet guideline (Robbins appointed in 2024) .
Governance Assessment
- Strengths: Independent director with audit financial expertise; placed on Audit Committee and the Technology & Innovation Subcommittee—aligns with CHRW’s focus on digital/logistics execution and cybersecurity oversight . Board-level engagement evidenced by 2024 meeting cadence and executive sessions; Audit Committee active (8 meetings) .
- Alignment: Director pay structure balances cash retainer, committee fees, and equity in RSUs; post-service settlement supports long-term orientation; robust stock ownership guideline enhances alignment .
- Conflicts: Relationship via Grainger assessed and deemed de minimis (<1% revenues/operations), preserving independence; Audit Committee oversees related-party transactions under formal policy .
- Policies: Strong governance features (proxy access, majority voting, clawbacks—including 2025 supplemental policy), no hedging/pledging; supports investor confidence .
- RED FLAGS: None disclosed specific to Robbins. Note routine transactional ties with Grainger (monitored; de minimis) .