Lisa Neal-Graves
COHERENTAbout Lisa Neal‑Graves
Independent director of Coherent (COHR) since 2021; Class Two; age 62 as of August 31, 2025. Former CEO of Aurora Wellness Community; prior senior roles include Chief Innovation Officer for the Colorado Attorney General, General Counsel/CMO at Universal Plasma, VP/GM for Zayo Group’s Cloud Strategic Product Group, and multiple roles at Intel (including CIO Counsel), with earlier executive roles at Unisys, Serviceware, Chase, and AT&T/Bell Labs . Education: B.S. in Applied Mathematics & Computer Science (Hampton University), M.S. in Computer Science with AI emphasis (Michigan State), Master of Engineering Management (University of Colorado Boulder), and J.D. (University of Colorado School of Law) . She is an independent director per NYSE rules and the company’s determination; all directors other than the CEO are independent .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aurora Wellness Community (University of Colorado School of Medicine nonprofit) | Chief Executive Officer | Not disclosed | Health-care nonprofit leadership; community partnership focus |
| Office of the Colorado Attorney General | Chief Innovation Officer | Not disclosed | Technology innovation in public sector; policy execution |
| Universal Plasma, LLC | General Counsel and Chief Marketing Officer | Not disclosed | Early-stage antenna tech; legal/policy and commercialization |
| Zayo Group | Vice President & General Manager, Cloud Strategic Product Group | Not disclosed | Cloud strategic product management and operations |
| Intel Corporation | CIO Counsel; long-range tech/research planning roles | Not disclosed | Semiconductor/technology strategy and planning |
| Unisys | Vice President/General Manager | Not disclosed | Executive leadership (technology/operations) |
| Serviceware | Chief Technology Officer | Not disclosed | Technology leadership |
| Chase | Senior Vice President/General Manager | Not disclosed | Business/technology leadership |
| AT&T/Bell Labs | General Manager | Not disclosed | Telecom technology/operations |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Type | Tenure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Center for Improving Value in Health Care (CIVHC) | Director | Nonprofit | Not disclosed | Board service |
| Rocky Mountain Public Media | Director | Nonprofit | Not disclosed | Board service |
| BEN Colorado | Director | Nonprofit | Not disclosed | Board service |
| Other public company boards (past five years) | None | — | — | No public company directorships disclosed |
Board Governance
- Committee assignments: Member, Nominating & Corporate Governance (NCG) Committee; the NCG Committee met 4 times in FY2025 (Chair: Joseph Corasanti; members include Neal‑Graves) .
- Board/committee attendance: Each director attended at least 75% of Board and committee meetings in FY2025; the Board met 6 times; Audit & Risk met 7 times; Compensation & Human Capital met 6 times; NCG met 4 times .
- Independence: Listed as “Independent Director”; Board determined all directors other than the CEO are independent under NYSE rules .
- Board leadership: Chair and CEO roles are separated; Independent Board Chair (Enrico DiGirolamo); executive sessions of independent directors held regularly; all directors attended last year’s annual meeting .
- Resignation/retirement policies: Conditional resignation policy for any director receiving more “AGAINST” than “FOR” votes; mandatory resignation tendered at 76 (Board discretion to accept) .
Fixed Compensation (Non‑Employee Director – FY2025)
| Component | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Board annual cash retainer (member) | $90,000 | Role-based, not per-meeting |
| NCG Committee member retainer | $10,000 | Member; Chair would be $20,000 |
| Total cash fees (reported) | $100,000 | As disclosed for Neal‑Graves |
- Director compensation is reviewed periodically by the Compensation & Human Capital Committee with an independent compensation advisor; role-based (no meeting fees) .
Performance Compensation (Non‑Employee Director – FY2025)
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Annual equity grant (RSUs) – nominal value | $220,000 (reported grant-date fair value: $220,025) |
| Grant sizing methodology | Dollar value divided by grant-date closing price; rounded |
| Vesting | Generally vests in one year; does not automatically vest upon departure; Board may approve vesting at departure if in good standing |
| Options in FY2025 | None (no option awards reported for directors) |
| Outstanding RSUs as of 6/30/2025 | 2,831 units (Neal‑Graves) |
Note: Coherent’s director equity program uses time-based RSUs; no performance‑conditioned metrics are disclosed for director equity awards .
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Category | Detail |
|---|---|
| Current public company boards | None (past five years) |
| Nonprofit boards | CIVHC; Rocky Mountain Public Media; BEN Colorado |
| Related‑party transactions | None in FY2025 under SEC rules (Item 404) |
| Hedging/pledging | Prohibited for directors and executive officers |
Expertise & Qualifications
- Technology executive with deep experience in semiconductors, telecommunications, cloud, data science, and technology policy; global product management experience (China, Italy, U.K.) .
- Skills matrix highlights board diversity of skills; Neal‑Graves’ profile supports IT/cybersecurity/privacy, legal/regulatory, technology/IP, and strategy capabilities valued by the Board .
Equity Ownership
| Measure (as of dates noted) | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Beneficial ownership (8/31/2025) | 12,682 shares; <1% of outstanding | None of these shares were pledged as security |
| RSUs not vesting within 60 days of 8/31/2025 | 2,272 units (for each non‑employee director listed, including Neal‑Graves) | |
| Outstanding RSUs (6/30/2025) | 2,831 units | Director equity awards outstanding table |
| Director ownership guideline | 5× annual Board cash retainer (current threshold $450,000) within five years; directors on track; prior program ($150,000/3 years) met by all 3+ year directors | |
| Anti‑hedging/pledging | Hedging and pledging prohibited for directors; policy also bars margin accounts |
Governance Assessment
- Strengths: Independent status; active NCG committee member; Board/committee attendance threshold met; equity‑heavy director pay mix ($220k RSUs vs $100k cash) aligning with shareholders; robust stock ownership guideline (5× retainer) with progress reported; anti‑hedging/pledging policy; no related‑party transactions; all directors attended prior annual meeting; independent chair and regular executive sessions; director‑led shareholder engagement program .
- Potential risks/RED FLAGS: None identified in FY2025 disclosures—no Section 16(a) filing delinquencies, no pledging, no related‑party transactions, and no option repricing; Board also responded to shareholder feedback on executive severance (cap at 3× base salary + target bonus) indicating attention to governance concerns (executive compensation context) .
Director Compensation Detail (FY2025)
| Component | Lisa Neal‑Graves |
|---|---|
| Fees Earned or Paid in Cash ($) | $100,000 |
| Stock Awards ($) | $220,025 |
| Option Awards ($) | — |
| Total ($) | $320,025 |
Committee Service Snapshot (FY2025)
| Committee | Role | Meetings (FY2025) |
|---|---|---|
| Nominating & Corporate Governance | Member | 4 |
Board Activity & Independence
- Board meetings in FY2025: 6; each director attended ≥75% of Board and relevant committee meetings .
- Independence: All directors other than the CEO deemed independent under NYSE rules; Neal‑Graves listed as Independent Director .
- Annual meeting/Executive sessions: All directors attended last annual meeting; regular executive sessions of independent directors; Independent Board Chair in place .