Aziz Aghili
COLUMBUS MCKINNONAbout Aziz S. Aghili
Independent director of Columbus McKinnon since May 2018; age 66. He serves as Chair of the Corporate Governance & Nomination Committee (since February 2023) and as a member of the Human Capital, Compensation & Succession Committee; he previously served on the Audit Committee (July 2022–February 2023) . Aghili retired in June 2024 as EVP of Dana Incorporated and President of Dana’s Commercial Vehicle Drive & Motion Systems (role held since October 2023) and holds a B.Eng. in mechanical engineering (Teesside Polytechnic) plus graduate diplomas from the University of New South Wales and INSEAD . He is designated independent in CMCO’s proxy and all board committees are composed solely of independent directors .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dana Incorporated | EVP, President – Commercial Vehicle Drive & Motion Systems | Oct 2023 – Jun 2024 | Senior leadership in global operations and drive/motion systems |
| Dana Incorporated | President, Dana Europe; President, Dana Asia-Pacific | Europe (from 2009); Asia-Pacific (from 2010) | Global P&L and regional leadership |
| ArvinMeritor | Various leadership roles incl. VP & GM Body Systems; VP Global Procurement, Commercial Marketing & Biz Dev – Asia Pacific | ~20 years (dates not specified) | Worldwide strategic leadership roles |
| Nissan Motor Company | Early career roles | Not disclosed | Automotive operations experience |
| General Electric Plastics | Early career roles | Not disclosed | Industrial/engineering background |
External Roles
| Company | Role | Start | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Graphic Packaging Holding Co. (NYSE: GPK) | Director | 2022 | Public company directorship |
| NFI Group Inc. (TSX: NFI; OTC: NFYEF; TSX: NFI.DB) | Independent Director | Jan 2025 | Public company directorship |
Board Governance
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Director Since | May 2018 (independent) |
| Current Committees | Chair, Corporate Governance & Nomination; Member, Human Capital, Compensation & Succession |
| Prior Committee Service | Audit Committee (Jul 2022 – Feb 2023) |
| Committee Meeting Cadence (FY25) | Audit: 5; Human Capital, Compensation & Succession: 4; Corporate Governance & Nomination: 4 |
| Attendance & Engagement | Board held 6 meetings in FY25; each director attended ≥75% of Board/committee meetings and attended the 2024 annual meeting |
| Independence | Directors and all committees are independent under Nasdaq rules |
Fixed Compensation
| Component | FY2025 Amount |
|---|---|
| Annual cash retainer | $90,000 |
| Committee chair fee (Corporate Governance & Nomination) | $20,000 |
| Meeting fees | $0 (no additional fees for meeting attendance) |
| Total cash (FY2025 reported) | $110,000 (Aghili) |
Notes: FY2025 cash retainers pro-rated from May 2024; Board Chair and other chair fees listed separately in the program .
Performance Compensation
| Metric/Instrument | FY2025 Grant | Vesting/Deferral | Status/Other |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual equity retainer (non-employee directors) | 3,514 shares of common stock (per director) valued at $130,018 | Vests immediately; directors may elect deferral | Aghili elected to defer 100% of his FY2025 equity award; distribution on Jan 1, 2027 |
| Unvested RSUs (from deferrals) | — | — | Aghili held 10,793 unvested RSUs as of Mar 31, 2025 |
Directors’ compensation program is a mix of cash plus an annual equity grant (immediate vesting); no performance metrics are disclosed for director equity awards, and no meeting fees are paid .
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Item | Disclosure |
|---|---|
| Other current public boards | GPK (since 2022); NFI Group (since Jan 2025) |
| Compensation committee interlocks (FY25) | None; CMCO states no interlocks and all HCCS members are independent, with no Item 404 relationships |
| Committee consultant independence | Meridian engaged as independent compensation consultant for board and director pay reviews |
Expertise & Qualifications
- Senior leadership and corporate governance experience; global manufacturing/operations in motion and electronic drive products; background in operational excellence .
- Skills matrix credits Aghili with M&A, human capital management, operations, global experience, sales/marketing, finance expertise (board skills summary) .
- Education: B.Eng. Mechanical Engineering (Teesside Polytechnic); graduate diplomas in business administration (University of New South Wales) and international management/business administration (INSEAD) .
Equity Ownership
| Measure | Amount / Status |
|---|---|
| Beneficial ownership (as of May 27, 2025) | 11,993 shares; <1% of class |
| Deferred stock not included in beneficial count | 11,001 shares of deferred stock (Aghili, Bohl, Abraham each excluded) |
| Unvested RSUs (director deferral) | 10,793 RSUs as of Mar 31, 2025 |
| Director stock ownership guideline | 5× annual cash retainer within 5 years; all directors in compliance as of Mar 31, 2025 |
| Hedging/pledging | Company policy prohibits hedging and pledging by directors |
Insider Trading / Section 16 Compliance
| Indicator | Disclosure |
|---|---|
| Section 16(a) compliance (FY25) | Company reported compliance, with specified late Form 4s for certain individuals (not naming Aghili) |
Related-Party & Conflicts Check
- Related party transactions: None required to be disclosed for FY2025 per Item 404; Audit Committee oversees related-person transactions under a formal policy .
- Committee independence: Corporate Governance & Nomination and HCCS Committees are fully independent under Nasdaq rules .
Shareholder Signals
- Say-on-Pay: 2024 advisory vote received over 88% support; HCCS considered this an indication of alignment .
- Clawback: Company adopted a clawback policy broader than SEC requirements, including for misconduct; indicates broader governance rigor (applies to executives) .
- Ownership alignment: Director ownership guidelines and anti-hedging/pledging enhance alignment .
Governance Assessment
- Strengths: Independent director with committee leadership (CG&N Chair) and compensation oversight (HCCS member) ; attendance at or above the 75% threshold with structured board/committee cadence (Board 6 meetings; HCCS 4; CG&N 4; Audit 5) ; strong alignment mechanisms (5× retainer ownership guideline; anti-hedging/pledging) ; no related-party transactions disclosed ; robust investor support on Say-on-Pay (88% in 2024) .
- Watch items: Multiple outside public boards (GPK and NFI) could elevate time commitments, though FY25 attendance met requirements and he remains in good standing as independent .
Overall, Aghili’s profile reflects deep global industrial operating expertise and active governance leadership at CMCO, with clear independence and alignment features and no disclosed conflicts or red flags in FY2025 .