Jit Kee Chin
About Jit Kee Chin
Independent trustee of CubeSmart since 2022, Dr. Jit Kee Chin is a senior operating executive focused on strategy, analytics, and technological infrastructure; she serves as Chief Data & Innovation Officer at Suffolk Construction and co‑founded Suffolk Technologies . She was 45 as of the 2024 proxy and is affirmed independent under NYSE standards; she attended at least 75% of 2024 board/committee meetings and trustees attended the 2024 annual meeting . The Board has designated her an Audit Committee financial expert .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Suffolk Construction Corporation | Chief Data and Innovation Officer | Focus on strategy, analytics, technological infrastructure |
| Suffolk Technologies | Co‑founder | Venture/innovation platform affiliated with Suffolk Construction |
| McKinsey & Company | Senior Expert in analytics; Associate Principal | Prior management consulting experience |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Public/Private |
|---|---|---|
| STAG Industrial, Inc. | Board member | Public industrial REIT |
Board Governance
- Committee assignments (2024/2025): Audit Committee member; the Board determined Dr. Chin is an “audit committee financial expert.” Audit Committee met 5 times in 2024 .
- Not a member of the Compensation Committee or the Corporate Governance & Nominating Committee (2024/2025 rosters show other members/chairs) .
- Independence: Board affirmed independence for all trustees except the CEO .
- Attendance and engagement: Board held 7 meetings in 2024; each trustee attended ≥75% of Board and committee meetings on which they served; trustees attended the 2024 annual meeting .
- Board leadership: Independent Chair (Deborah R. Salzberg) since May 2022; executive sessions of independent trustees occur at each regular meeting and are chaired by the Independent Chair .
- Share ownership guidelines for trustees: 5× annual base cash retainer within five years; all trustees with requisite service were in compliance .
Fixed Compensation
- Structure (2024): $80,000 base cash retainer; supplemental retainers: Audit Committee member $12,000; Audit Chair $30,000; Compensation Committee member $10,000; CG&N Committee member $7,750; Board Chair $70,000. Independent trustees received a 2024 annual equity award targeted at $120,000 in time‑vested restricted shares. Trustees may elect to receive cash retainers in restricted shares; a deferred compensation plan is available .
- 2024 equity grant mechanics: 2,832 restricted shares to each independent trustee on May 21, 2024 (grant‑date fair value $122,937); vest on the earlier of one year or the 2025 annual meeting; dividends paid on unvested shares .
| Year | Fees Earned (Cash) | Equity Awards (Grant‑date fair value) | All Other (dividends) | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $92,000 | $122,937 | $5,542 | $220,479 |
| 2023 | $81,000 | $117,721 | $4,997 | $203,718 |
Performance Compensation
- Directors have no performance‑based pay. Equity is time‑vested restricted stock (no PSU program for directors) .
- Annual director equity grants: | Grant date | Shares | Grant‑date fair value | Vesting | |---|---:|---:|---| | May 21, 2024 | 2,832 | $122,937 | Earlier of 1 year or 2025 annual meeting; dividends paid on unvested shares | | May 16, 2023 | 2,601 | $117,721 | Earlier of 1 year or 2024 annual meeting; dividends paid on unvested shares |
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Company | Overlap/Interlock | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| STAG Industrial, Inc. | Separate public board service | Within CUBE policy limiting other public boards to a reasonable number not exceeding three . |
- Related‑party transactions: Company reported no related‑party transactions during 2023; CG&N Committee oversees related‑party procedures .
- Conflicts controls: Hedging and pledging of company stock are prohibited for trustees; compensation clawback policy adopted in compliance with Dodd‑Frank/NYSE .
Expertise & Qualifications
- Technology, data/analytics, and innovation leadership; senior executive in construction (Suffolk) .
- Audit and financial oversight: designated Audit Committee financial expert .
Equity Ownership
| Date (record) | Common shares beneficially owned | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| March 21, 2025 | 6,682 | <1%; trustee guideline = 5× base retainer within five years of appointment |
| March 22, 2024 | 3,850 | <1% |
- Pledging/hedging: Prohibited for trustees under company policy .
- Trustee ownership guideline compliance: Board reports all trustees with requisite service are in compliance (Dr. Chin joined in 2022; guideline period is five years) .
Governance Assessment
- Positives: Independent trustee with relevant data/technology expertise; Audit Committee financial expert; consistent meeting attendance; simple, market‑standard director pay mix with a meaningful equity component and robust guardrails (clawback; no hedging/pledging; 5× retainer ownership guideline) .
- Watch items: Time commitments manageable but noteworthy (full‑time executive plus two public boards); remains within CUBE’s limit of no more than three other public boards for trustees; no related‑party transactions disclosed for 2023 .
- Broader shareholder sentiment: Say‑on‑pay support was 94% in 2024, indicating no acute governance friction with investors at the company level .