Alan Connolly
About Alan Connolly
Alan Connolly is Interim Chief Financial Officer of CRH from January 1, 2025 through May 11, 2025, after which he returned to his prior role as Director of Strategic Finance; he previously served four years as CFO of CRH’s Building Products Division and has held multiple finance leadership roles across North America and Europe . He led the finance aspects of CRH’s primary listing transition to the NYSE in 2023; his education includes a BS in Business and a Masters in Accounting; age 56 . During his interim CFO tenure he signed CRH’s Q1 2025 10‑Q and 8‑K and Sarbanes‑Oxley certifications, evidencing principal financial officer responsibilities . Company performance context: CRH’s 2024 Annual Bonus Plan paid at 98.64% of maximum and 2022 PSP awards vested at 98.75% of maximum, reflecting strong cash flow, RONA and EPS outcomes; PSPs include TSR relative to peers as a core metric .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Years | Strategic Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| CRH | Interim Chief Financial Officer | Jan 1, 2025 – May 11, 2025 | Oversaw global finance during CFO transition; executed SEC filings and certifications |
| CRH | Director of Strategic Finance | Prior to Jan 2025; resumed May 2025 | Led finance aspects of moving CRH’s primary listing to NYSE in 2023 |
| CRH – Building Products Division | Chief Financial Officer | Four years | Finance leadership for global division with operations in 19 countries |
| CRH (North America & Europe) | Various finance leadership roles | Not disclosed (multiple roles) | Broad finance leadership across regions |
Fixed Compensation
- Specific 2025 interim-CFO cash compensation (base salary, target/actual bonus) for Alan Connolly is not disclosed in the latest proxy; the 2024 Summary Compensation Table lists NEOs (CEO, COO, Presidents) and does not include Mr. Connolly .
- Employment agreement details for the incoming CFO (Nancy Buese) were disclosed separately and are not applicable to Mr. Connolly; no Alan Connolly employment agreement terms were disclosed in the filings returned .
Performance Compensation
Annual Bonus Plan – Company Metrics and 2024 Outcomes
| Metric | Weighting (%) | Threshold | Target | Maximum | 2024 Performance Achieved | % of Maximum Awarded |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EPS | 25% | 404c | 437c | 470c | 523c | 25.00% |
| Operating Cash Flow | 30% | $3.50bn | $3.79bn | $4.07bn | $4.04bn | 28.64% |
| RONA | 25% | 12.1% | 13.1% | 14.0% | 14.4% | 25.00% |
| Personal/Strategic | 20% | — | — | — | See page 60 | 20.00% |
| Total | 100% | — | — | — | — | 98.64% |
- Structure: For CEO/CFO, 33.3% of earned bonuses are deferred into shares under the 2014 Deferred Share Bonus Plan (DSBP) with typical three-year holding; others defer 25% .
- Note: Company outcomes inform NEO payouts; Alan Connolly’s individual bonus is not disclosed; metrics illustrate the pay‑for‑performance framework he operated under as Interim CFO .
Performance Share Plan (PSP) – Design and Vesting Framework
| Measure | Weighting | Below Threshold (0% payout) | Threshold (25% payout) | Maximum (100% payout) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cumulative Cash Flow (IFRS-adjusted) | 45% | <92.5% of plan | 92.5% of plan | >107.5% of plan |
| TSR vs performance peer group | 20% | < Median | Median | Upper quartile |
| RONA (pre‑impairment, IFRS) | 20% | <92.5% of plan | 92.5% of plan | >107.5% of plan |
| Sustainability Scorecard | 15% | Committee assessment | Committee assessment | Committee assessment |
- Vesting: Three‑year cliff vest; executive directors’ awards carry an additional two‑year post‑vest holding requirement under the 2022 policy; dividend equivalents accrue only on vesting; malus/clawback applies .
- Performance: 2022 PSP awards (three‑year period to Dec 31, 2024) vested at 98.75% of maximum, indicating strong multi‑year performance; executive director awards have further holding through March 2027 .
Equity Ownership & Alignment
| Ownership Element | Detail |
|---|---|
| Beneficial ownership (as of Mar 12, 2025) | 52,341 ordinary shares; <1% of class |
| Hedging/Pledging | Directors and executive officers are prohibited from hedging, short sales, and pledging CRH shares; anti‑hedging/pledging policy in place |
| Share ownership guidelines (effective Jan 1, 2025) | CEO: 6x base salary; other NEOs: 3x base salary; non‑management Directors: 5x retainer; five‑year compliance window; 75% net share retention until met |
| Alignment evidence | Significant portion of NEO pay in equity; balanced metrics; clawback policy; shareholder engagement |
- Note: The Committee indicated NEOs are in compliance or on track for shareholding requirements; specific compliance status for Mr. Connolly is not disclosed; guidelines nonetheless frame executive alignment .
Employment Terms
- Role transition: Alan Connolly served as Interim CFO until May 11, 2025, then returned to Director of Strategic Finance; Nancy Buese became CFO effective May 12, 2025 .
- Contracts/severance: No Alan Connolly‑specific employment agreement, severance multiple, or change‑of‑control terms are disclosed in filings returned; CRH compensation governance features include no single‑trigger vesting, no tax gross‑ups, no option repricing, robust clawback, and risk‑balanced metrics .
- Insider filings: No SEC Forms 3/4 naming Alan Connolly were located in the 2025 document set returned; Form 3s for other insiders (e.g., Nancy Buese, Padraig Ó Ríordáin, Patrick Decker) were filed upon appointment .
Investment Implications
- Pay-for-performance alignment: Connolly operated within CRH’s incentive architecture emphasizing cash flow, RONA, EPS, TSR, and sustainability, with 2024 bonuses near maximum and 2022 PSPs vesting at 98.75%—supportive of value creation discipline .
- Ownership and policy safeguards: His disclosed beneficial ownership and CRH’s strict anti‑hedging/pledging, post‑vest holding, and clawback policies point to strong alignment and reduced governance risk; share ownership guidelines further tighten retention and alignment over a five‑year horizon .
- Retention/role risk: With a permanent CFO (Nancy Buese) appointed and Connolly returning to strategic finance, CFO succession risk is mitigated; absence of disclosed personal severance/CoC economics for Connolly reduces near‑term payout exposure but limits transparency on retention levers for this executive .
- Trading signals: No Alan Connolly Form 4 activity was found in the filings returned, limiting visibility into vesting‑driven selling pressure; monitor future Section 16 filings for any transactions upon vesting or role changes .