Adrienne Williams
COLUMBUS MCKINNONAbout Adrienne Williams
Adrienne M. Williams (age 49) is Senior Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer at Columbus McKinnon, joining in June 2021 and promoted to SVP in July 2022 after a 15-year career at Compass Group North America leading inclusion and HR programs . During fiscal 2025, CMCO reported $965M in net sales, $150.5M Adjusted EBITDA, $46M operating cash flow and a net loss of $5.1M driven by non-cash items and acquisition-related expenses; CMCO’s cumulative TSR at March 31, 2025 equated to $72.26 per $100 initial investment, reflecting a difficult year following a strong FY2024 .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Years | Strategic Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Compass Group North America | Vice President, Inclusion & Human Resources | 2016–2021 | Led inclusion and HR programs; progressed through senior HR roles |
| Compass Group North America | Senior Director/Director, HR | Not disclosed | Built HR operations; precursor to VP role |
| Liberty Commons | Director, HR | Not disclosed | Early HR leadership experience |
External Roles
No public company directorships or external board roles disclosed for Williams .
Fixed Compensation
| Metric | FY 2025 |
|---|---|
| Base Salary ($) | $400,000 |
| Target Bonus (% of Salary) | 55% |
| Target Bonus ($) | $220,000 |
| Actual Annual Incentive Paid ($) | $103,565 |
| Annual Salary Increase (%) | +7% (merit + market adjustment) |
Performance Compensation
Annual Incentive Plan Design and Results (FY 2025)
| Component | Weighting | Threshold | Target | Maximum | Result/Achievement | Payout vs Target |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adjusted EBIT | 37.5% | $101.8M | $127.3M | $146.4M | $101.9M | 50% |
| Free Cash Flow | 37.5% | $48.0M | $56.5M | $65.0M | $24.2M | 0% |
| Strategic Goals | 25.0% | 0–200% scale | 0–200% scale | 0–200% scale | Average 98% | 98% |
| Overall Payout (Williams) | — | — | — | Cap 200% | Individualized | 47% of Target; 26% of Salary |
Equity Awards and Vesting (FY 2025 LTI grants)
| Award Type | Grant Date | Quantity | Terms |
|---|---|---|---|
| Performance Stock Units (PSUs) | 07-22-2024 | 6,328 | 3-year performance period (FY2025–FY2027); 50% sales growth and 50% EBITDA margin improvement; annual and cumulative measurement; payout 50–200% based on thresholds (Target: 5% sales growth, +50 bps EBITDA margin; Max: 9% sales growth, +80 bps) |
| Time-based RSUs | 05-20-2024 | 2,545 | Vest 33% annually over 3 years starting ~1 year from grant; dividends reinvested until vest |
| Non-Qualified Stock Options | 05-20-2024 | 6,422 | Exercise price $45.34; vest 33% annually; 10-year term to 05-20-2034 |
FY2025 PSU Vesting from Prior Cycles
- FY2023 PSUs (company-wide program) vested at 63.3% based on ROIC of 5.8% for FY2025; vesting occurred in FY2026, not reflected in FY2025 “Stock Vested” table .
FY2025 Realized Equity
| FY 2025 Stock Vested | Shares | Value Realized ($) |
|---|---|---|
| Williams | 3,995 | $179,204 |
Equity Ownership & Alignment
| Ownership Detail | Amount |
|---|---|
| Total Beneficial Ownership (Shares) | 18,285 |
| Directly Owned (Shares) | 8,067 |
| Unvested RSUs (Shares) | 10,218 |
| Ownership as % of Outstanding | <1% (company-wide calculation) |
| Latest Options Granted | 6,422 @ $45.34 (05-20-2024), 10-year term |
| Outstanding Grants (Illustrative) | Multiple tranches from 2021–2024; latest RSUs/PSUs/Options detailed above |
| Stock Ownership Guidelines (NEOs) | 3x salary; 50% after-tax retention until guideline met |
| Compliance with Retention Guideline | NEOs currently subject to retention requirement (individual status not separately disclosed) |
| Hedging/Pledging | Prohibited (no hedging, no pledging, no margin accounts) |
Employment Terms
| Provision | Term |
|---|---|
| Severance Plan (non-CIC) | 1x base salary; equity treated per “Retirement” rules under plan; 1 year health at active rates; outplacement up to $15,000, subject to release |
| Change-in-Control (Double Trigger) | Up to 3x salary + greater of current/prior target bonus; 36 months COBRA cash payment; 3-year pension equivalent accrual; full vesting of options/RSUs/PSUs unless award terms specify otherwise; additional specified payments |
| Clawback | Policy broader than SEC requirements; restatements and misconduct triggers (cash and equity incentives) |
| Say-on-Pay | 2024 shareholder support >88% |
| Deferred Compensation (FY2025) | Employee deferral $89,845; company $13,184; earnings $12,839; balance $276,188 |
| Perquisites (FY2025) | Executive financial planning reimbursement $7,063; 401(k) contributions $21,046 |
| Section 16(a) Compliance | Late Form 4 filings noted including Ms. Williams for May 20, 2024 option grant and May 22, 2024 RSU vest (administrative) |
Compensation Structure Notes
- Pay mix emphasizes at-risk pay: base salary $400k, target annual incentive 55% of salary, LTI target 110% of salary via 50% PSUs, 25% RSUs, 25% options, aligned to profitability and cash generation .
- Annual plan weights tie payouts to Adjusted EBIT and Free Cash Flow with strategic goals; FY2025 FCF miss drove lower payouts despite strategic execution .
- No excise tax gross-ups upon change in control; no hedging/pledging; independent compensation consultant Meridian engaged; custom industrial peer group used for benchmarking .
Investment Implications
- Alignment: Strong pay-for-performance architecture links cash incentives to Adjusted EBIT and FCF and LTI to multi-year sales growth and EBITDA margin expansion; hedging/pledging prohibited and stock ownership guidelines enforce retention, supporting alignment with shareholders .
- Near-term selling pressure: FY2025 vesting realized $179k for Williams; RSU and option tranches from 2024/2023/2022 vest 33% annually, creating periodic liquidity events but mitigated by retention requirements and anti-hedging/pledging policy .
- Retention and CIC economics: Executive Severance Plan (1x salary) and robust double-trigger CIC (up to 3x salary+bonus and accelerated vesting) reduce retention risk through potential corporate events; clawback posture and no tax gross-ups are governance positives .
- Performance signal: FY2025 FCF shortfall and EBIT at threshold yielded a 26% of salary bonus for Williams, evidencing discipline; investors should monitor PSU trajectory versus 2025–2027 sales growth and margin targets and integration of Kito Crosby for LTI outcomes and dilution/governance impacts from preferred financing .