Lisa Edwards
COLGATE PALMOLIVEAbout Lisa M. Edwards
Lisa M. Edwards, 57, is an independent director of Colgate-Palmolive (CL) and has served on the Board since 2019. She sits on the Audit and Finance Committees, bringing deep operating experience in governance software, enterprise SaaS, and payments, and formal training in cybersecurity (MS in Cybersecurity Risk and Policy, NYU, 2024). Her profile emphasizes digital transformation, risk/cyber oversight, corporate governance expertise, and finance acumen relevant to CL’s risk, audit, and capital allocation oversight .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure/Timing | Notes/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diligent Institute | Executive Chair | Nov 2022 – Oct 2024 | Governance think tank (owned by Diligent); governance expertise and thought leadership . |
| Diligent Corporation | President & Chief Operating Officer | 2020 – 2022 | Led operations at governance software company; significant digital and data/analytics experience . |
| Salesforce.com, Inc. | EVP, Strategic Business Operations, Customer & Partner Engagement | 2017 – 2020 | Enterprise software operating leadership; digital transformation . |
| Salesforce.com, Inc. | EVP, Finance; Head of Global Corporate Services; Chief Procurement Officer | Joined 2012 | Finance leadership; global corporate services . |
| Visa Inc. | Senior management roles incl. SVP, Head of Global Business Development & IP Strategy | Prior to 2012 | Payments industry experience; global partnerships/IP strategy . |
| Bain & Company / Entrepreneur | Consultant; Entrepreneur | Early career | Strategy foundation and operating perspective . |
| Education | MS, Cybersecurity Risk and Policy, NYU | 2024 | Formal cybersecurity risk training . |
External Roles
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Current public company boards | None . |
| Prior 5-year public boards | None disclosed for Ms. Edwards . |
| Non-profit/academic/private | Diligent Institute (Exec Chair, Nov 2022–Oct 2024) . |
Board Governance
- Independence: CL applies standards stricter than NYSE; Board determined all non-employee directors, including Edwards, are independent; committees are 100% independent .
- Lead Independent Director/Executive sessions: Independent directors meet in executive session at every regularly scheduled Board meeting; Lead Director chairs sessions .
- Attendance and engagement: In 2024, the Board met 7 times; incumbent directors averaged 99% attendance and none attended less than 75% .
- Committee assignments for Edwards and 2024 meeting cadence/leadership:
- Audit Committee: Member; 7 meetings in 2024; Chair: John T. Cahill. All members are independent and are “audit committee financial experts” under SEC rules (applies to Edwards as a member) .
- Finance Committee: Member; 6 meetings in 2024; Chair: Martina Hund‑Mejean .
Fixed Compensation (Non‑Employee Director)
| Component | Amount/Terms | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Annual cash retainer | $75,000 (2024 program) | |
| Committee chair retainers | $10,000 per committee chair (not applicable to Edwards) | |
| Lead Director retainer | $20,000 (not applicable to Edwards) | |
| Meeting fees | Not disclosed; not listed as separate fees in program | |
| Reimbursements/benefits | Travel expense reimbursement; life and travel/accident insurance; charitable match up to $8,000 | |
| Edwards – Fees earned in cash (2024) | $75,000 (50% deferred by election) | |
| Edwards – All other compensation (2024) | $6,847 |
Performance Compensation (Equity-Oriented)
| Component | Amount/Terms | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Annual share grant | $180,000 fixed-value grant of common stock (2024 program) | |
| Stock options | $45,000 fixed-value grant annually (2024 program) | |
| Option terms | Exercise price = close on grant date; 8-year term; vest ratably over 3 years | |
| Edwards – Stock awards (2024) | $179,946 | |
| Edwards – Option awards (2024) | $44,988 | |
| Edwards – Options outstanding at 12/31/2024 | 17,370 options | |
| Deferral | Directors may elect to defer stock/cash compensation into stock unit accounts; Edwards deferred 50% of 2024 cash retainer |
Notes: On average, 71% of non‑employee director compensation was paid in CL equity in 2024, aligning incentives with shareholders .
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Current public boards | None for Edwards . |
| Compensation Committee interlocks | CL discloses no interlocks/insider participation among P&O Committee members in 2024 . |
| Related party transactions | CL reports no related person transactions in 2024 . |
Expertise & Qualifications
- Digital, technology & innovation (eCommerce, data/analytics, digital transformation) from Diligent and Salesforce .
- Risk management & cybersecurity (NYU MS; governance software exposure) .
- Corporate governance (Executive Chair, Diligent Institute; governance software leadership) .
- Enterprise leadership and finance (COO/President roles; EVP Finance at Salesforce; budget oversight) .
Equity Ownership (Alignment)
| Measure (as of March 10, 2025) | Value |
|---|---|
| Shares directly owned | 13,079 |
| Exercisable options (within 60 days) | 13,246 |
| Savings & Investment Plan shares (beneficial) | 943 |
| Ownership as % of CL outstanding | Each person listed (incl. Edwards) <0.25% |
| Director stock ownership guideline | ≥5× annual share grant value; 5-year compliance window |
| Compliance with guideline | All directors in compliance |
| Hedging/pledging policy | Hedging and pledging prohibited; all directors in compliance during 2024 |
Governance Assessment
-
Strengths for board effectiveness and investor confidence:
- Independent director with dual committee roles (Audit and Finance), bringing both cyber risk and finance oversight experience; Audit Committee members are all deemed “financial experts,” enhancing control and risk oversight .
- No other public company boards (reduces overboarding risk/interlocks), and no related‑party transactions in 2024 .
- Director pay is equity‑heavy (71% on average), with robust stock ownership rules (≥5× annual grant) and anti‑hedging/pledging, supporting alignment; Edwards also used deferral elections, further aligning with long‑term value .
- Board attendance and engagement strong (99% average; none below 75%); executive sessions at every regular meeting support independent oversight .
-
Watch items:
- None observed specific to Edwards. CL’s 2024 shareholder proposal for an independent chair received 33.8% support, indicating some investor scrutiny of leadership structure broadly (not director‑specific) .
-
RED FLAGS:
- None identified for Edwards: no related‑party transactions, no hedging/pledging, no overboarding, and full independence maintained .