M. Christian Mitchell
About M. Christian Mitchell
Independent director at Columbia Banking System (appointed September 2025 following Columbia’s acquisition of Pacific Premier Bancorp). Previously Lead Independent Director at Pacific Premier; Audit Committee Chair; senior advisor at Marshall & Stevens; retired Deloitte senior partner who led Mortgage Banking/Finance Companies practice and helped found Deloitte Consulting USA’s board. Age 70; director at Pacific Premier since 2018; appointed to Columbia’s board effective August 31, 2025 .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pacific Premier Bancorp, Inc. | Lead Independent Director; Audit Committee Chair; Director | 2018–2025 | Chaired Audit; served on Enterprise Risk and Nominating/Governance; recognized by NACD for governance leadership . |
| Grandpoint Capital, Inc. | Lead Independent Director | Prior to acquisition | Chaired Audit and Risk Committees . |
| Deloitte | National Managing Partner, Mortgage Banking/Finance Companies; Founding board member, Deloitte Consulting USA | Prior years | Led industry practice; governance leadership experience . |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marshall & Stevens | Senior Advisor | Current | Valuation and financial advisory oversight . |
| University of Redlands | Adjunct Accounting Professor (2006–2010); Guest Lecturer (2010–2017) | Past | Academic governance engagement . |
| University of Alabama, Culverhouse College of Business | Board of Visitors | Current | Advisory board member . |
Board Governance
- Columbia committee assignments: Audit Committee member and Enterprise Risk Management Committee member (effective at merger close) .
- Independence: Columbia’s standing committees are comprised of independent directors per Board determination (committee membership requires independence under Nasdaq rules) . His prior Pacific Premier service was as Lead Independent Director, reinforcing independence credentials .
- Attendance: Columbia’s Board met seven times in 2024 and all directors met at least 75% attendance; he joined Columbia in September 2025, so Columbia attendance metrics for him are not yet disclosed .
Fixed Compensation
| Component | Amount (2025–2026 year of service) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Annual cash retainer | $85,000 | Prorated for service from Sep 1, 2025 to next annual meeting . |
| Committee member retainer – Audit | $15,000 | . |
| Committee member retainer – Enterprise Risk | $10,000 | . |
| Other standing committees (if applicable) | $7,500 | Not applicable to Mitchell’s initial assignments . |
| Annual equity retainer (restricted stock) | $85,000 | RS grant under Columbia’s 2024 Equity Plan; vests May 15, 2026 . |
- Columbia director compensation previously (2024–2025 year) was $57,000 cash retainer and $85,000 equity retainer; committee retainers as shown in table; Columbia maintained these through 2024–2025 before later adjustments .
Performance Compensation
- Not applicable: Columbia’s non-employee director equity is service-based restricted stock with annual vesting; no performance metrics are tied to director grants .
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Company | Role | Overlap/Interlock |
|---|---|---|
| Pacific Premier Bancorp, Inc. (NASDAQ: PPBI) | Lead Independent Director; Audit Chair; Director | Joined Columbia’s board post-acquisition; integration interlock may facilitate information flow and risk oversight continuity . |
| Grandpoint Capital, Inc. | Lead Independent Director; Audit/Risk Chair | Prior experience; no current interlock . |
- Columbia’s 8-K expressly states there are no related-party transactions involving Mitchell requiring Item 404(a) disclosure at appointment .
Expertise & Qualifications
- Audit committee financial expertise; extensive accounting/audit leadership; retired Deloitte senior partner; mortgage banking/finance specialization .
- Board leadership (Lead Independent Director); governance best-practice recognition by NACD; risk oversight experience (Audit and Enterprise Risk committees) .
- Valuation advisory (Marshall & Stevens); academic engagement (University of Redlands; University of Alabama Board of Visitors) .
Equity Ownership
- Grant type and vesting: Annual restricted stock award of $85,000 for 2025–2026 year of service vests May 15, 2026; prorated for partial year; no options or performance shares for directors .
- Stock ownership guidelines: Columbia requires non-employee directors to hold shares equal to five times the annual Board cash retainer (guideline assessed annually); hedging and pledging are prohibited under Columbia’s Insider Trading Policy .
- Deferred compensation: Directors may elect to defer up to 100% of fees via Umpqua Bank Nonqualified Deferred Compensation Plan (UB DCP) .
Governance Assessment
- Strengths: Deep audit/risk expertise; immediate committee placement (Audit and ERM) supports board effectiveness in financial reporting and enterprise risk oversight . Prior Lead Independent Director role and audit chair tenure at Pacific Premier indicate strong independence and governance proficiency .
- Alignment: Director pay mix balances cash and time-vested equity; Columbia’s 5× cash retainer ownership guideline and anti-hedging/pledging reinforce skin-in-the-game .
- Conflicts: Columbia’s 8-K discloses no related-party transactions for Mitchell at appointment; committee independence standards apply .
- Signals: The post-merger board refresh added Pacific Premier directors including Mitchell; integration experience and prior audit oversight should enhance risk governance during consolidation and brand unification .
Insider Trades
- No Columbia Form 4 transactions for Mitchell disclosed at appointment; Columbia’s Insider Trading Policy requires pre-clearance and prohibits hedging/pledging by directors .