Cameron Bready
About Cameron M. Bready
Cameron M. Bready, age 53, has served as an independent director of Crawford & Company since his appointment on September 13, 2022. He is the Chief Executive Officer of Global Payments, Inc., with prior roles as President & COO (2019–2023) and CFO (2014–2019); he previously served as EVP & CFO of ITC Holdings Corp. . The Board has determined he is independent under NYSE standards and designated him an Audit Committee Financial Expert .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Global Payments, Inc. | CEO; previously President & COO; previously CFO | CEO current; 2019–2023 President & COO; 2014–2019 CFO | Global finance, operations, risk management; broad tech/finance expertise relevant to audit oversight |
| ITC Holdings Corp. | EVP & CFO | Prior to Global Payments CFO role | Electric utility finance leadership; strengthens risk and controls perspective |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Notes/Interlocks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Global Payments, Inc. | Director | Current | CEO and board member; no related-party transactions disclosed at Crawford in 2024 |
| Woodruff Arts Center | Trustee | Current | Non-profit role |
| Pace Academy | Trustee | Current | Non-profit role |
| Electronic Transaction Association | Director | Current | Industry association |
| Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce | Director | Current | Regional business chamber |
Board Governance
- Independence: The Board determined all director nominees except the CEO (Rohit Verma) are independent; Bready is independent and an Audit Committee Financial Expert .
- Committees: Member, Audit Committee; Audit met 10 times in 2024 . Bready is listed among the signatories of the Audit Committee Report, indicating active participation .
- Attendance and engagement: The Board met 5 times in 2024; each current director attended at least 75% of Board and applicable committee meetings. Independent directors held 5 executive sessions (non-management), chaired by the Non-Executive Board Chair .
- Leadership structure and oversight: Chair and CEO roles separated to enhance oversight and independence. Board reviews ERM and delegates risk oversight (financial reporting, internal controls, privacy/cybersecurity) to the Audit Committee .
- Governance environment: The Crawford family maintains controlling interest via Class B shares; Jesse C. Crawford beneficially owns 67.7% of Class B (plurality voting). This control is a structural governance consideration for independent directors .
Committee Assignments and Roles
| Committee | Role | 2024 Meetings | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Audit Committee | Member; Audit Committee Financial Expert | 10 | Oversees financial reporting integrity, internal controls, auditor independence; reviews related-party transactions |
| Other committees | — | — | Not listed as member of Executive, Governance, or Compensation & Human Capital Committees |
Fixed Compensation (Director)
| Metric | 2024 Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Fees Earned or Paid in Cash ($) | $72,500 | Includes annual cash retainer and meeting fees |
| Stock Awards – Grant Date Fair Value ($) | $89,990 | Non-Employee Director Stock Plan; time-based vesting |
| Option Awards ($) | — | No option grants to directors |
| Nonqualified Deferred Compensation Earnings ($) | — | Not applicable |
| All Other Compensation ($) | — | Not applicable |
| Total ($) | $162,490 | Sum of cash and stock awards |
Director compensation structure (2024):
- Annual cash retainer $50,000; Restricted share award $90,000; Board and Committee meeting fees $1,500 per meeting; Chair fees vary by committee; Board Chair receives $100,000 quarterly (not applicable to Bready) .
- Restricted share awards granted to Directors in 2024 vested in full on December 31, 2024 .
Performance Compensation
- No performance-based elements are disclosed for non-employee directors; equity grants are time-vested restricted shares (no PSUs/TSR metrics for directors) .
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Company/Entity | Relationship to Crawford & Co. | Conflict/Exposure |
|---|---|---|
| Global Payments, Inc. | External CEO and director | No related-party transactions reported by Crawford in 2024; Audit Committee reviews any such transactions per policy |
| Industry/Community Boards (ETA, Metro Atlanta Chamber, Woodruff Arts Center, Pace Academy) | External non-profit/association roles | No Crawford-related transactional disclosures |
- Related-party transactions: Crawford reported no related-party transactions in 2024; the Audit Committee administers a policy to review and approve any such transactions to eliminate conflicts of interest .
Expertise & Qualifications
- Deep finance and accounting expertise from CFO roles (Global Payments; ITC Holdings), global operations leadership, and enterprise risk management exposure, underpinning Audit Committee Financial Expert designation .
- Technology and payments industry experience contributes to oversight of cybersecurity and data privacy risks within the Audit Committee scope .
Equity Ownership
| Security | Shares Beneficially Owned | Percent of Class |
|---|---|---|
| Class A Common Stock | 36,676 | <1% (no percentage specified) |
| Class B Common Stock | — | — |
- Director stock ownership guidelines: Non-employee directors must own shares equal in value to $200,000 or 25,000 shares (2024). All current non-employee directors are in compliance except Donner (until November 2, 2025) and Murphy (until June 25, 2026); Bready is in compliance .
- Hedging and pledging: Directors are prohibited from hedging or pledging Company securities; transactions in margin accounts are barred, supporting alignment .
- Section 16 compliance: The Company believes all officers and directors complied timely with beneficial ownership reporting in 2024 .
Governance Assessment
- Board effectiveness: Bready’s Audit Committee role and financial expert designation are positive signals for oversight quality. Audit Committee activity (10 meetings), recent auditor transition to KPMG for FY2025, and clean auditor disagreement history indicate engaged financial governance .
- Independence and engagement: Independent status, participation in executive sessions, and meeting attendance at or above 75% support investor confidence in oversight rigor .
- Alignment: Compliance with director ownership guidelines and prohibition on hedging/pledging demonstrate skin-in-the-game and shareholder-friendly policies .
- Potential conflicts: While Bready is CEO/director at Global Payments, Crawford disclosed no related-party transactions in 2024 and maintains an Audit Committee-reviewed related-party policy—mitigating conflict risk .
- Structural considerations: The controlling Class B stake held by the Crawford family (67.7%) creates a governance context where independent directors’ oversight and committee work are particularly important to minority shareholders; separation of Chair and CEO roles partly offsets this concentration .
Signals for Investors
- Strong audit oversight and expert designation; robust committee cadence; clear related-party policy with no transactions reported in 2024 .
- Transparent, modest director pay with majority comprising fixed cash retainer and time-vested equity; Bready’s 2024 total compensation $162,490 (cash $72,500; stock $89,990) .
- Ownership alignment via guideline compliance and anti-hedging/pledging policies .
- Contextual vigilance warranted due to controlling shareholder; independent directors’ effectiveness (including Bready’s audit role) is a key governance safeguard .