Gregory Aliff
CALIFORNIA WATER SERVICEAbout Gregory E. Aliff
Independent director of California Water Service Group since 2015; age 71; currently Chair of the Audit Committee and a member of the Finance & Capital Investment and Enterprise Risk Management, Safety, and Security Committees. Former Vice Chairman and Senior Partner at Deloitte LLP (U.S. Energy & Resources) with deep utility-sector audit and regulatory expertise; CPA; B.S. in Accounting and MBA from Virginia Tech; NACD Board Leadership Fellow and NACD CERT Certificate in Cybersecurity Oversight .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Deloitte LLP | Vice Chairman & Senior Partner, U.S. Energy & Resources | 2002–2013 | Led audits and advisory for major utilities; strategy, ERM, and regulatory expertise |
| Deloitte LLP | Vice Chairman & Senior Partner, U.S. Sustainability Services | 2012–2015 | Focused on industrial/commercial water and energy management; sustainability oversight |
| Various non-profits | Board member (former) | n/a | Governance and community service roles |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Status | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Jersey Resources Corp | Director | Current | Public company directorship |
| SCANA Corporation | Director | Previous | Former public company directorship |
Board Governance
- Independence: Board determined Aliff is independent under NYSE and CWT standards; 10 of 11 director nominees independent in 2025 .
- Committees: Chair, Audit; Member, Finance & Capital Investment; Member, Enterprise Risk Management, Safety, and Security .
- Audit expertise: Identified as “audit committee financial expert”; Audit Committee oversees financial reporting, internal controls, cybersecurity, compliance, and auditor independence .
- Attendance/engagement: In 2024, the Board met 10 times; committees met 16 times; all incumbent directors attended ≥75% of applicable meetings; average director attendance 96% . Audit (4 meetings; 4 executive sessions), Finance (4; 1), ERM (3; 3), Nominating (2; 2), Organization & Compensation (3; 3) .
- Board structure: Combined Chair/CEO with a Lead Independent Director (Scott L. Morris), independent committee structure; regular executive sessions .
- Overboarding safeguards: Directors limited to ≤4 public boards (including CWT); all directors in compliance .
Fixed Compensation
| Component | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Annual Board retainer (cash) | $118,000 | Non-employee director base retainer (2024) |
| Lead Independent Director retainer | $40,000 | Not applicable to Aliff |
| Committee Chair – Audit | $25,000 | Aliff is Audit Chair |
| Equity – Annual RSA (grant-date value) | $115,500 | 2024 grant on June 5, 2024; fully vested March 5, 2025 |
| Director | 2024 Cash Fees ($) | 2024 Stock Awards ($, FASB ASC 718) | 2024 Total ($) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gregory E. Aliff | 143,000 | 123,455 | 266,455 |
Additional terms: Directors may defer cash fees under the deferred compensation plan .
Performance Compensation
- Directors receive time-based restricted stock (RSAs) as annual equity; no director option awards disclosed for 2024; annual RSA grants (2024) vested fully by March 5, 2025 .
- Clawback: Company maintains an executive incentive compensation recovery policy aligned with NYSE Rule 10D-1; primarily applies to executives, not directors .
- Hedging/Pledging: Directors prohibited from hedging or pledging CWT stock (alignment safeguard) .
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Category | Detail |
|---|---|
| Current public boards | New Jersey Resources Corp |
| Prior public boards | SCANA Corporation |
| Compensation committee interlocks | Not disclosed in director bio; see proxy section titled “Organization and Compensation Committee Interlocks and Insider Participation” for overall disclosure (not specific to Aliff) . |
Expertise & Qualifications
- Accounting/audit and financial reporting expertise; utility-sector specialization; audit committee financial expert designation .
- Strategy, ERM, and regulatory affairs from decades advising major utilities .
- Credentials: CPA; NACD Board Leadership Fellow; NACD CERT cybersecurity oversight certificate; B.S. Accounting and MBA (Virginia Tech) .
Equity Ownership
| Metric | Value | As-of / Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Common stock beneficially owned | 23,193 shares | As of April 16, 2025 |
| RSAs held (aggregate) | 18,688 shares | At 12/31/2024 |
| Ownership as % of outstanding | <1.0% | No director >1%; all directors/executives as group ~1.0% |
| Pledged shares | None permitted | Hedging/pledging prohibited by policy |
Stock Ownership Guidelines (alignment): Non-employee directors must hold stock equal to 5x annual base retainer and retain 75% of net after-tax shares until compliant; all non-employee directors are in compliance .
Governance Assessment
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Strengths:
- Independent Audit Chair with deep utility-audit credentials and “financial expert” status enhances financial reporting oversight and credibility .
- Strong engagement evidenced by high board/committee meeting cadence and high attendance; executive sessions regularly held .
- Robust alignment policies (5x retainer ownership, retention requirements; anti-hedging/pledging) and beneficial ownership by Aliff support investor alignment .
- Shareholder support: 96% Say-on-Pay in 2024 indicates broad investor approval of compensation governance .
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Potential risk indicator (mitigated):
- Auditor relationship optics: CWT’s auditor is Deloitte & Touche LLP, and Aliff is Deloitte’s former U.S. Energy & Resources Vice Chair. However, CWT’s independence standards include a three-year lookback regarding auditor affiliations; Aliff’s Deloitte tenure ended in 2015, outside the lookback, and the Board affirms his independence. Audit Committee independence and oversight of auditor selection further mitigate perceived conflicts .
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Other safeguards:
- Overboarding limits; annual independence determinations; annual evaluations; prohibition on hedging/pledging; clawback policy; independent Lead Director structure .
Overall, Aliff’s audit and utility expertise, independence status, and leadership of the Audit Committee are positives for board effectiveness and investor confidence, with appropriate safeguards addressing potential perceived conflicts tied to his prior Deloitte career .