Louise F. Brady
COMCASTAbout Louise F. Brady
Louise F. Brady (age 60) is an independent director of Comcast Corporation, serving since October 2023. She is Co‑Founder and Managing Partner of Piedmont Capital Partners, LLC (and affiliated investment entities) and sits on the Audit Committee of Comcast’s Board. She also serves as a director of Travel + Leisure Co. . Comcast’s Board is 90% independent, and Ms. Brady is among its nine independent nominees .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Piedmont Capital Partners, LLC / Piedmont Capital Partners II, LLC / Piedmont Capital Investments, LLC | Co‑Founder and Managing Partner | 2013 / 2019 / 2020 – Present | Venture investor in emerging technologies; capital allocation and portfolio oversight |
| Blue Current, Inc. | President and Director | President 2014–2024; Director since 2014 | Led battery technology development; operating leadership |
| Wells Fargo Advisors Financial Services | Vice President of Investments | 1996–2013 | Investment management; client advisory |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Scope |
|---|---|---|---|
| Travel + Leisure Co. | Director | Current | Public company directorship |
| Piedmont Triad Partnership | Board Member | Current | Regional economic development |
| The Bryan Foundation | Board Member | Current | Philanthropy and community impact |
| UNC–Chapel Hill Shuford Program in Entrepreneurship | Advisory Board Member | Current | University entrepreneurship advisory |
| Shift_Ed | Co‑Chair, Board of Directors | Current | Education and workforce development |
Board Governance
- Committee assignments: Audit Committee member (Audit met 8 times in 2024) . She is not the Audit Chair; Jeffrey A. Honickman is Chair, and Audit Financial Expert designations are held by Honickman and Asuka Nakahara .
- Independence: The Board determined all nonemployee directors, including Ms. Brady, are independent under Comcast guidelines and Nasdaq rules. Transactions with organizations associated with certain directors were below 1% of recipient revenues (well below Nasdaq’s 5% threshold) .
- Attendance: In 2024 there were 6 Board meetings and 19 committee meetings; each director attended >75% of the aggregate Board and relevant committee meetings. All directors then in office attended the 2024 annual meeting except Ms. Lucas; Ms. Brady attended .
- Executive sessions: Independent directors met in executive session at each regularly scheduled Board meeting; committee executive sessions are chaired by committee chairs .
- Board refresh: Ms. Brady joined in October 2023 as part of recent refresh; independent director average tenure is 9.4 years .
Fixed Compensation
2024 Comcast nonemployee director program and Ms. Brady’s actual compensation:
| Component | Amount (USD) | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| Annual cash retainer | $120,000 | Directors may elect to receive in shares; deferrable |
| Committee member fee (Audit) | $15,000 | Chair $40,000; Member $15,000 |
| Total fees earned/paid (Ms. Brady) | $135,000 | 2024 actual cash fees |
| Annual equity grant (FMV in shares of CMCSA Class A) | $225,000 program value | Fully vested upon grant; deferrable |
| Stock awards (Ms. Brady – grant date fair value) | $225,010 | 2024 grant fair value |
| Other compensation (courtesy services; incremental guest travel costs) | $15,430 (Ms. Brady) | Comcast-provided courtesy services (internet/video/voice/home security), guest travel incremental costs |
Director stock ownership policy: Nonemployee directors must hold Comcast stock equal to 5x annual cash retainer, with a 5‑year compliance period; all nonemployee directors met requirements in 2024 .
Performance Compensation
Nonemployee directors do not have performance‑based pay at Comcast. The annual stock grant is fully vested on grant (no PSU metrics or option vesting conditions for directors). Insider hedging/pledging is prohibited .
| Performance Element | Structure | Metrics/Conditions |
|---|---|---|
| Annual director equity grant | Fully vested upon grant; may be deferred | No performance metrics (not PSUs); no dividend equivalents prior to vesting apply only to executives |
| Meeting fees | None beyond standard retainers | N/A |
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Company | Industry Linkage to Comcast | Potential Interlock Risk |
|---|---|---|
| Travel + Leisure Co. | Travel/leisure adjacent to Comcast’s theme parks business | Board independence review considered director‑related organizations; all transactions/donations/services were <1% of the recipient’s revenues and below Nasdaq thresholds; independence maintained |
Expertise & Qualifications
- Expertise: Executive leadership, technology, and financial/accounting skills; venture capital investor with transformative investments in emerging tech; operating leader in battery technology; prior investment roles at Wells Fargo Advisors and Bank of America .
- Audit oversight relevance: Financial literate for audit committee service; Audit Committee oversees financial reporting, internal control, ERM, cybersecurity, and business continuity risks .
- Board skills matrix: Ms. Brady’s disclosed competencies include Executive Leadership, Technology, and Financial/Accounting .
Equity Ownership
| Holder | Class A Shares Beneficially Owned | % of Class | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Louise F. Brady | 16,290 | Less than 1% (*) | Includes shares to be paid in stock at a future date under deferred comp plans (directors may defer grants) |
| Hedging/Pledging | Prohibited for directors (no margin accounts or pledges; no hedging) | — | Policy applies to executive officers and directors |
| Ownership guideline compliance | Met (5x annual cash retainer requirement; all nonemployee directors satisfied in 2024) | — | Compliance reviewed by Compensation Committee |
Insider Trades
| Item | Status |
|---|---|
| Section 16(a) filings (2024) | All directors and executive officers made required filings on a timely basis (no delinquencies reported) |
Governance Assessment
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Strengths for investor confidence:
- Independent director, serving on the Audit Committee with focus on financial controls, ERM, and cybersecurity; Audit met eight times in 2024 . Attendance and engagement thresholds met, and annual meeting participation disclosed .
- Strong alignment through stock ownership guidelines (5x cash retainer) with compliance met; prohibition on hedging/pledging reduces misalignment risk .
- Independence determinations explicitly reviewed transactions with director‑related entities; all were immaterial (<1% of recipient revenues), supporting independence .
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Monitoring points:
- External directorship at Travel + Leisure Co. is adjacent to Comcast’s theme parks ecosystem; Comcast’s policy and independence review mitigate conflict risk, but investors may monitor any future related‑party transactions or business ties involving NBCUniversal theme parks .
- Courtesy services and guest travel incremental costs are disclosed and modest; continued transparency on perquisites supports governance quality .
No red flags identified in independence status, attendance, hedging/pledging, or related‑party exposure for Ms. Brady based on the latest DEF 14A .