John D. Leahy
About John D. Leahy
Independent director of The Vita Coco Company, Inc. (COCO) since 2019; age 71. Former President & COO of KIND, President of Nature’s Bounty, and senior CPG executive at Nestlé, J&J, and Edgewell; B.S. in Business Administration from Villanova University. Leahy is classified as independent under Nasdaq rules and is re-confirmed as independent by the Board; he attended 100% of Board and committee meetings in 2024. He currently serves on the Audit Committee and the Compensation Committee, bringing deep CPG operating and governance experience .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| KIND, LLC | President & Chief Operating Officer | Jan 2010 – Jun 2019 | Scaled snack brand operations; senior P&L leadership |
| Nature’s Bounty Co. | President | Jun 2006 – Feb 2009 | Led vitamins/nutrition manufacturer |
| Blacksmith Applications (TABS Group) | Senior Advisor | Aug 2009 – Apr 2010 | CPG analytics advisory |
| Nestlé S.A.; Johnson & Johnson; Edgewell Personal Care | Various roles | Not disclosed | Progressive senior roles in CPG |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kvella Foods | Strategic Advisor | Not disclosed | Startup CPG advisor |
| GoodPops | Strategic Advisor | Not disclosed | Frozen treats advisor |
Board Governance
- Board class and tenure: Class II director; director since 2019 .
- Independence: Determined independent (Nasdaq); originally designated by significant shareholder Verlinvest but reclassified by Nominating & ESG Committee as an independent director .
- Committee assignments (2024–2025):
- Audit Committee member; Audit met 12 times in 2024 (incl. 5 executive sessions and 4 special meetings) .
- Compensation Committee member; Comp met 4 times in 2024 (incl. 1 special) .
- Attendance: 100% of Board and applicable committee meetings in 2024 .
- Lead Independent Director: Eric Melloul (context for independent oversight) .
Fixed Compensation
| Element | 2024 Actual ($) | Policy/Rate in Effect | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual Board Cash Retainer | 55,113 | 60,000 (effective Dec 4, 2024) | 2024 “Fees Earned or Paid in Cash” for Leahy; policy retainer set Dec 2024 |
| Audit Committee Member Fee | — (included above) | 10,000 | Member fee per policy |
| Compensation Committee Member Fee | — (included above) | 5,000 | Member fee per policy |
| Meeting Fees | None disclosed | None | Policy specifies retainers and member/chair fees; no per-meeting fees |
Notes:
- Non-employee directors are reimbursed for reasonable travel/Board expenses; no health, life, or retirement benefits for directors .
- All directors attended the 2024 Annual Meeting .
Performance Compensation
| Instrument | Grant Date | Shares/Units | Vesting | 2024 Grant-Date Fair Value ($) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| RSUs (Annual) | Jun 4, 2024 | 2,490 | Vest in full before next annual meeting or 1-year anniversary | Included in total below |
| RSUs (Off-cycle) | Dec 4, 2024 | 629 | Same vesting construct as above | Included in total below |
| Total Stock Awards (2024) | 2024 | — | — | 93,028 (Leahy) |
- Director equity is time-based RSUs only; no options, no performance metrics for directors, and full vest on change-in-control if awards are not assumed/continued/replaced .
- No discretionary or performance cash bonuses for directors disclosed .
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Category | Detail |
|---|---|
| Current public company boards | None disclosed for Leahy |
| Compensation Committee interlocks | None; all Comp Committee members (incl. Leahy) are non-employees; no executive officer interlocks reported |
| Significant holder designation history | Originally designated by Verlinvest under Investor Rights Agreement; status reclassified by Nominating & ESG as independent |
Expertise & Qualifications
- CPG operating leadership (KIND COO; Nature’s Bounty President) and sales/marketing experience across large consumer companies (Nestlé; J&J; Edgewell) .
- Governance and committee experience (Audit, Compensation) at COCO; Board emphasizes financial literacy and risk oversight in Audit .
- Academic credentials: B.S. in Business Administration, Villanova University .
Equity Ownership
| Measure | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Total Beneficial Ownership (shares) | 40,564 | As of Apr 7, 2025; less than 1% of outstanding |
| Percent of Shares Outstanding | <1% | “*” in table denotes <1% |
| Shares owned outright | 10,774 | Common stock (fn 8) |
| Options exercisable | 27,300 | Fully vested/exercisable (fn 8) |
| RSUs vesting within 60 days | 2,490 | Will vest within 60 days of Apr 7, 2025 (fn 8) |
| Pledging/Hedging | Prohibited | Company prohibits hedging; company states no pledging or hedging of Company stock |
| Director stock ownership guideline | 5x annual cash retainer | Applies to non-employee directors |
| Guideline compliance | In compliance | All non-exec directors meet guidelines except Melloul (RSUs transferred to Verlinvest under nominee agreement) |
Governance Assessment
- Strengths
- Independent, highly engaged director: 100% attendance in 2024; active on two key committees (Audit and Compensation) .
- Strong CPG operating pedigree (KIND, Nature’s Bounty) aligned with COCO’s category; contributes to strategy, sales, and operational oversight .
- Ownership alignment: uses time-based RSUs and meets stock ownership guidelines (5x retainer); anti-hedging/anti-pledging stance supports alignment .
- Risk and controls: Audit Committee involvement; committee oversaw 12 meetings in 2024, including executive and special sessions .
- Potential Watch Items (noted, but mitigated)
- Originally designated to the Board by significant shareholder Verlinvest; Nominating & ESG Committee reclassified his status as independent after Verlinvest’s stake reduction and review, which mitigates perception of influence .
- Director equity is time-vested RSUs (no performance conditions); common market practice, but less performance-sensitive than PSUs—however, vesting tied to continued service and share price exposure, and change-in-control treatment is standard .
- Conflicts/Related-Party
- No Leahy-specific related-party transactions disclosed; Company maintains Audit Committee pre-approval and related party policies; any historical distributor arrangement (Reignwood) terminated 12/31/2024 and not connected to Leahy .
RED FLAGS: None identified specific to Leahy (no low attendance; no related-party transactions; no hedging/pledging; no interlocks). Monitor independence optics given past designation by Verlinvest (mitigated by reclassification and current independence determination) .
Appendix: Director Compensation Context (COCO Policy)
- Non-employee director compensation effective Dec 4, 2024:
- Cash: $60,000 retainer; Committee member fees: Audit $10,000; Compensation $5,000; Nominating & ESG $5,000; Committee chairs: Audit $35,000; Comp $10,000; Nominating & ESG $10,000 .
- Equity: $115,000 in RSUs annually; vest in full before next annual meeting or first anniversary; accelerate upon change-in-control if awards not assumed/continued/replaced .
- 2024 (actual): Leahy received $55,113 in cash fees and $93,028 in stock awards (2,490 RSUs on Jun 4, 2024 and 629 RSUs on Dec 4, 2024) .