Emma Pollard
About Emma Pollard
Emma Pollard (age 51) is Chief People and Sustainability Officer at Coronado Global Resources (CODQL), serving in this role since March 2022 after prior leadership posts in People & Culture and Human Resources since 2018 . She holds a B.A. (Hons) in Business Administration from the University of Sunderland and a Post‑Graduate Diploma in Human Resource Management from the University of Northumbria . Company performance context during her tenure includes 2023 revenue of $2,891 million and net income of $156 million, followed by a 2024 net loss of $108.9 million; the company’s TSR proxy tracking shows $101 in 2023 vs $40 in 2024 for a hypothetical $100 investment, underscoring a more challenging backdrop for incentive outcomes .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Years | Strategic Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Coronado Global Resources | Chief People & Sustainability Officer | Mar 2022–Present | Leads global HR and sustainability programs; drives emission reductions and cultural initiatives |
| Coronado Global Resources | Vice President, People & Culture | Oct 2018–Feb 2022 | Mitigated industrial relations risks; refined HR practices and global consistency/localization |
| Coronado Global Resources | General Manager, Human Resources (Australia) | Jan 2018–Oct 2018 | Built foundational HR processes pre‑VP promotion |
| Wesfarmers (prior to Coronado acquisition) | General Manager, People & Sustainability | Not disclosed | Led people and sustainability initiatives prior to integration |
| Mylan NV | Head of HR, European Operations | Jan 2015–Sep 2017 | Led HR across EU; talent strategies for generics/specialty pharma |
| Mylan NV | Senior Director, Talent Acquisition & Development (Europe) | Aug 2013–Jan 2015 | Built talent acquisition and development frameworks |
| Alphapharm Pty Limited (Mylan subsidiary) | Director, Human Relations (Australia & NZ) | 2011–2013 | Regional HR leadership across ANZ |
| Capral Aluminum | Executive General Manager, Human Resources | 2005–2011 | HR leadership at industrial manufacturer |
External Roles
No public-company board roles or external committee positions disclosed in the proxy .
Fixed Compensation
Multi-year NEO compensation for Emma Pollard (USD):
| Metric | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Salary ($) | $314,367 | $320,976 | $355,310 |
| Stock Awards ($) | $66,719 | $208,810 | $155,878 |
| Incentive Compensation ($) | $187,881 | $173,902 | $207,227 |
| All Other Compensation ($) | $17,008 | $16,917 | $17,515 |
| Total ($) | $585,975 | $720,605 | $735,930 |
Notes:
- All Other Compensation reflects Australian superannuation contributions (compulsory defined contribution), $17,515 in 2023 and $16,917 in 2022 .
Performance Compensation
Short‑Term Incentive (STI) – 2023
Company STI metrics for 2023 (50% of total STI opportunity) and results:
| Metric | Weighting | Entry | Target | Stretch | Results | % Achieved |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Group Safety (Combined TRIR) | 25% | 2.04 | 1.94 | 1.84 | 0.77 | 100% |
| Group Free Cash Flow (EBITDA – Capex) | 25% | $381m | $507m | $634m | $154m | 0% |
Pollard’s 2023 STI and payout:
| NEO | Max Opportunity (% of fixed pay) | Max Payout (USD) | Actual Payout (USD) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Emma Pollard | 75% | $279,080 | $207,227 |
Notes:
- Pollard’s 2023 STI was paid in cash without deferral; deferral applied only to certain other NEOs .
Long‑Term Incentive (PSUs)
Scorecards emphasize Safety (TRIFR/TRIR), TSR vs peer group, and Cash Flow. TSR payout scale: 0% below 50th percentile, 50% at 50th, up to 100% at ≥75th percentile .
Key Pollard PSU outcomes:
| Grant Year | Performance Period | PSUs Earned (Shares) | Vesting Date/Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 LTI | Jan 1, 2020–Dec 31, 2022 | 60,476 | Vested Feb 16, 2024 |
| 2021 LTI | Jan 1, 2021–Dec 31, 2023 | 127,886 | Scheduled to vest Feb 14, 2025 (service‑based) |
Peer groups used for TSR during these periods included Warrior Met Coal, CONSOL Energy, Arch, Whitehaven, Alpha Metallurgical, New Hope, Peabody, Teck, Cleveland‑Cliffs, Fortescue, Champion Iron, and South32 .
Equity Ownership & Alignment
- Options: Pollard holds 850 options (per-share basis; 1 share = 10 CDIs) granted Oct 23, 2018, exercisable, with a $24.35 exercise price and expiry Oct 23, 2028 .
- Unvested PSUs at 12/31/2023 (shares and market values):
- 2021 grant: 20,267 unvested ($243,985)
- 2022 grant: 31,089 unvested ($374,270)
- 2023 grant: 21,188 unvested ($255,077)
- Options/CDIs exercisable within 60 days: 8,503 CDIs (consistency with 2018 options) .
- Pledging/Hedging: Company policy prohibits hedging of unvested awards and hedging while securities are subject to plan restrictions; no pledging disclosed for Pollard in the proxy .
- Ownership guidelines: Not disclosed in proxy for Pollard .
Employment Terms
- Agreement dates and role: Employment agreement dated Oct 18, 2018 (for VP People & Culture; now CPSO), with termination clause updated Mar 11, 2020 to align with other Australia‑based NEOs .
- Notice period: Three months’ written notice by either party; company may pay in lieu of notice .
- Severance: Six months’ total employment cost lump sum upon termination without cause or resignation for good reason (Australia‑based terms) .
- Redundancy: Eligibility aligned to Australian national employment standards, capped at 12 weeks of fixed salary (reducing to 10 weeks after 10 years of service) .
- Non‑compete/Non‑solicit: 12 months post‑termination .
- Change‑in‑control: Pro‑rata vesting of performance‑based equity subject to scorecard certification at change‑in‑control per plan discretion; non‑equity incentives may be paid at Board discretion .
- Clawback: PSUs subject to broad clawback triggers; STI clawback explicitly applies to certain NEOs (CEO, former CEO, CFO, COO) and was not listed for Pollard’s STI .
Performance & Track Record
- 2023 corporate performance: Revenues $2,891 million; Net Income $156 million; Group liquidity $489 million; progress on emission reduction projects across operations .
- 2024 corporate performance: Net loss of $108.9 million; Capex $249.9 million (+9.7% YoY); operating cash flow $74.0 million; liquidity sources totaled $467.9 million .
- Pay‑versus‑performance TSR index (illustrative $100): 2023 $101 vs 2024 $40; peer TSR $365 vs $317 respectively, indicating relative underperformance in 2024 .
Governance, Say‑on‑Pay, and Peer Benchmarking
- Say‑on‑Pay approval: 97.5% in 2024; 92.4% in 2023 .
- Compensation peer benchmarking: Conducted by Guerdon Associates; multi‑industry resource/industrial peer lists used across years (e.g., Warrior Met Coal, Peabody, Evolution Mining, BlueScope, Whitehaven, Yancoal, etc.); no fixed target percentile disclosed .
Risk Indicators & Insider Activity
- Section 16 compliance: One late Form 4 for Pollard in 2024 (admin error), noted in the proxy’s delinquent filings section .
- Hedging/pledging: Hedging pre‑vesting prohibited; no pledging disclosures for Pollard .
- Equity award cadence: Multiple PSU tranches with safety, TSR, and cash flow metrics; concentrated vesting windows may create periodic liquidity/selling pressures (e.g., Feb 2025 and Feb 2026) .
Investment Implications
- Alignment: Pollard’s incentives emphasize safety, cash flow, and TSR, aligning with operational discipline and shareholder outcomes; PSUs earned and vest over multi‑year windows, reinforcing retention and long‑term focus .
- Near‑term selling pressure: Vests scheduled Feb 14, 2025 and Feb 12, 2026 (from 2021 and 2022 PSU scorecards) may increase insider activity around those dates; a prior 2024 vest from the 2020 LTI already occurred .
- Risk controls: Robust clawback for equity awards and strict hedging policy mitigate misconduct and misalignment risks; however, Pollard’s STI was not covered by the clawback list, which modestly reduces recovery levers for cash bonuses .
- Remuneration support: Strong say‑on‑pay outcomes (92–97%) suggest low shareholder friction on compensation design; continued monitoring warranted given 2024 losses and TSR stress on future PSU payouts .