Stephen Skaggs
COHERENTAbout Stephen A. Skaggs
Independent director at Coherent (COHR), age 63, serving since 2022 with current term expiring in 2026. He chairs the Audit and Risk Committee and sits on the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee; the Board has determined he is independent under NYSE rules. Background includes 25+ years in semiconductors with CEO/CFO roles (Lattice), SVP & CFO at Atmel (2013–2016), prior Bain & Company experience, and prior service on the Coherent, Inc. board starting in 2013. Education: B.S. Chemical Engineering (UC Berkeley) and MBA (Harvard Business School) .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Atmel Corporation | Senior Vice President & Chief Financial Officer | 2013–2016 | Led finance through sale to Microchip Technology |
| Lattice | President, Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer; Director (prior) | Not disclosed | Executive and board leadership in semiconductors |
| Bain & Company | Management Consultant | Not disclosed | Specialized in product strategy, M&A, restructurings |
| Coherent, Inc. | Director | Began 2013 | Board experience prior to 2022 acquisition |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ouster, Inc. | Director | Since 2024 | Current public company board |
| IDEX Biometrics ASA | Director | 2019–2024 | Prior public board within past five years |
Board Governance
| Governance Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Board independence status | Independent director; Board majority independent per NYSE rules |
| Class/Term | Class Three; Director since 2022; term expires 2026 |
| Committees | Audit and Risk (Chair); Nominating and Corporate Governance (Member) |
| Financial Expert | Qualifies as an audit committee “financial expert” (SEC definition) |
| Board meetings FY2025 | 6 meetings; each director attended at least 75% of Board and committee meetings |
| Audit & Risk Committee meetings FY2025 | 7 meetings |
| Nominating & Corporate Governance Committee meetings FY2025 | 4 meetings |
| Key Audit & Risk Committee responsibilities | Oversees financial reporting, internal controls, auditors, pre-approves audit services, related party transactions/conflict oversight, ERM |
Fixed Compensation
| Director Cash Fee Schedule (FY2025) | Member ($) | Chair ($) |
|---|---|---|
| Full Board retainer | 90,000 | 180,000 |
| Audit & Risk Committee | 15,000 | 30,000 |
| Compensation & Human Capital Committee | 10,500 | 21,000 |
| Nominating & Corporate Governance Committee | 10,000 | 20,000 |
| FY2025 Director Compensation – Stephen A. Skaggs | Amount ($) |
|---|---|
| Fees Earned or Paid in Cash | 130,000 |
| Stock Awards (grant-date fair value) | 220,025 |
| Option Awards | — |
| Non-Equity Incentive Comp | — |
| All Other Compensation | — |
| Total | 350,025 |
Performance Compensation
| Element | Detail |
|---|---|
| Annual bonus / performance cash | None for non-employee directors |
| Equity grant nominal value (FY2025) | $220,000; RSU count determined by grant-date closing price (rounded) |
| RSU vesting | Generally time-based, one-year vest; no automatic vesting on departure; Board may approve vesting if departing director is in good standing |
| Performance metrics tied to director pay | None; director program is role-based (cash) plus time-based RSUs |
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Company | Relationship to COHR | Potential Interlock/Conflict Considerations |
|---|---|---|
| Ouster, Inc. (current) | No related party transactions disclosed in FY2025 | Audit & Risk Committee reviews related party transactions; none reported for FY2025 |
| IDEX Biometrics ASA (prior) | No related party transactions disclosed in FY2025 | Same as above |
Expertise & Qualifications
- Financial leadership (former CFO, CEO) in semiconductors; M&A and strategy expertise; prior Bain & Company experience .
- Audit committee “financial expert” designation supports robust oversight of reporting and controls .
- Degrees: B.S. Chemical Engineering (UC Berkeley); MBA (Harvard Business School) .
Equity Ownership
| Ownership Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Beneficial ownership (as of Aug 31, 2025) | 23,836 shares; less than 1% |
| RSUs outstanding (as of Jun 30, 2025) | 3,039 units |
| Options outstanding | None |
| Shares pledged | None of the shares in the table were pledged |
| Shares outstanding (for context) | 156,917,911 shares (Aug 31, 2025) |
| Director stock ownership guideline | Must own ≥5× annual Board cash retainer (currently $450,000) within five years of joining; Board indicates satisfactory progress toward compliance |
Governance Assessment
- Strengths: Independent director; chairs Audit & Risk; designated financial expert; oversight remit includes related party transactions and ERM—critical for investor confidence in controls and reporting .
- Engagement: FY2025 Board met 6 times; Audit met 7; NCG met 4; disclosure that each director attended ≥75% suggests consistent participation, though individual attendance rates are not provided .
- Alignment: Mix of cash and time-based RSUs; RSU vesting not automatic upon departure; no options outstanding; beneficial ownership present; no pledged shares—generally positive alignment signals .
- Conflicts/Related Parties: Company reports no related person transactions in FY2025; Audit Committee formally oversees conflicts and related party approvals—no red flags disclosed .
- RED FLAGS: None disclosed regarding pledging, related-party transactions, option repricing, or director-specific attendance shortfalls; note that attendance threshold disclosure is aggregate (“≥75%”) rather than director-level detail .