Pamela Kohn
About Pamela K. Kohn
Independent director at Americold Realty Trust, Inc. (COLD) since November 2021; age 60. Career operator with 25+ years in merchandising, supply chain, logistics, and retail operations across Walmart, Dollar Tree/Family Dollar, The Fresh Market, Sally Beauty, and Rite Aid; BA in Sociology from Northwestern University. Core credentials: large-scale merchandising and sourcing, food/retail supply chains, and real estate exposure (former President of Walmart US Realty). Currently serves on the board of High Liner Foods (HLF-Canada).
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rite Aid Corporation | Chief Merchandising Officer | Joined 2023 (previously served) | Led merchandising for national retail pharmacy; food/retail category exposure |
| Sally Beauty Holdings (NYSE: SBH) | Chief Merchandising Officer | Oct 2019 – Jun 2022 | Merchandising leadership for specialty retail |
| Dollar Tree – Family Dollar (NASDAQ: DLTR) | Chief Merchandising & Marketing Officer | Sep 2017 – Jun 2019 | Multi-banner merchandising/marketing oversight |
| The Fresh Market (formerly NASDAQ: TFM) | Chief Merchandising Officer | Jan 2016 – Jan 2017 | Specialty food retail merchandising |
| Walmart Inc. (NYSE: WMT) | SVP Merchandising; SVP Global Food Sourcing; EVP Merchandise Services; President, Walmart US Realty | 13 years | Global sourcing, operations, and real estate leadership at scale |
| Stop & Shop | SVP Merchandising & Marketing | Prior to Walmart | Grocery merchandising and marketing leadership |
| Food Lion | SVP Merchandising | 9 years | Grocery merchandising leadership |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| High Liner Foods, Inc. (HLF-Canada) | Director | Current (as of 2025) | Leading North American value-added frozen seafood processor |
Board Governance
- Independence: The board determined Ms. Kohn is independent under NYSE standards; all directors except the CEO are independent.
- Committees (2024): Audit Committee (member); Compensation Committee (member). Not a designated “audit committee financial expert” (those are Alburger, Barrett, Power).
- Committee meetings in 2024: Audit (4), Compensation (6); Board held 6 meetings. Each director attended >75% of board and applicable committee meetings; all directors attended the 2024 annual meeting.
- Leadership structure: Roles of Chairman and CEO are separated; Chairman is independent (Mark R. Patterson).
| Committee | Role | 2024 Meetings |
|---|---|---|
| Audit | Member | 4 |
| Compensation | Member | 6 |
Fixed Compensation
- Director compensation program (2024): Annual cash retainer $80,000 (Chair of the Board $175,000); annual equity award $175,000 (Chair $225,000) in RSUs or OP Units (director’s election), one-year vesting. Committee retainers: Audit ($25,000 chair; $12,500 member), Compensation ($20,000 chair; $10,000 member), Nominating ($15,000 chair; $7,500 member), Investment ($25,000 chair; $12,500 member).
- Reimbursement of reasonable board-related out-of-pocket expenses.
| Item (CY2024) | Amount |
|---|---|
| Fees earned/paid in cash | $102,500 |
| Equity (grant-date fair value) | $175,000 |
| All other compensation (dividend equivalents/distributions) | $11,774 |
| Total | $289,274 |
Notes: “All other compensation” reflects dividend equivalents on RSUs under the 2017 Plan and distributions on OP Units, as applicable.
Performance Compensation
- Structure: Non-employee directors receive time-based RSUs or OP Units (director-elected form) with a one-year vest; no performance metrics apply to director equity.
| Award Type | 2024 Value | Vesting | Performance Metrics |
|---|---|---|---|
| RSUs or OP Units (annual grant) | $175,000 | One-year vesting | None (time-based) |
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Company | Role | Potential Interlocks / Conflicts |
|---|---|---|
| High Liner Foods, Inc. (HLF-Canada) | Director | No related-party transactions disclosed by COLD for 2024; Audit Committee pre-approves related-party matters under policy. |
Related-party review: Company reports no transactions since Jan 1, 2024 ≥$120,000 involving directors, officers, 5% holders, or their affiliates/family members.
Expertise & Qualifications
- Food and retail supply chain and merchandising expertise (Walmart, Food Lion, Stop & Shop; global food sourcing leadership at Walmart).
- Real estate exposure (President, Walmart US Realty).
- Senior leadership across multi-format retail and specialty beauty (Family Dollar, Sally Beauty).
- Board experience in food processing (High Liner Foods).
- Education: Northwestern University, BA in Sociology.
Equity Ownership
- Beneficial ownership: 20,027 total (consisting of 6,018 common shares; 7,092 vested OP Units; and 6,917 RSUs/OP Units vesting within 60 days). Ownership <1% of COLD outstanding.
- Stock ownership guidelines: Non-employee directors must hold ≥5x annual cash retainer; Ms. Kohn has until May 2026 to comply (new directors have five years from election).
- Anti-hedging/pledging: Company policy prohibits hedging/pledging by directors and executives.
| Component | Amount / Status |
|---|---|
| Common shares | 6,018 |
| Vested OP Units (convertible) | 7,092 |
| RSUs/OP Units vesting within 60 days | 6,917 |
| Total beneficial ownership | 20,027 (<1% of outstanding) |
| Ownership guideline | 5x annual cash retainer; deadline May 2026 |
| Hedging/Pledging | Prohibited by policy |
Governance Assessment
- Positives:
- Independent director serving on Audit and Compensation Committees; broad operator experience aligns with COLD’s food/retail customer base and logistics footprint.
- Strong attendance and engagement; >75% of meetings attended and present at 2024 annual meeting.
- Director pay mix includes meaningful equity (time-based RSUs/OP Units) supporting alignment; company prohibits hedging/pledging.
- No related-party transactions disclosed for 2024; related-party policy overseen by Audit Committee.
- Watch items:
- Ownership alignment still ramping: has until May 2026 to meet 5x retainer guideline; monitor progress.
- Not designated an “audit committee financial expert” (committee has three, but she is not one); maintain adequate financial literacy and oversight load across members.
Overall: Independence, multi-committee service, and sector-relevant operating background support board effectiveness. No disclosed conflicts or attendance concerns; equity-based director compensation and anti-hedging/pledging policies bolster investor alignment.