John L. Stauch
DELUXEAbout John L. Stauch
Independent director of Deluxe Corporation since 2016; age 60. President and CEO (and director) of Pentair plc since 2018; previously EVP & CFO of Pentair (2007–2018), CFO of Honeywell Automation & Control Systems (2005–2007), and senior finance roles at Honeywell/AlliedSignal and PerkinElmer Optoelectronics . Determined independent under NYSE standards; serves as Audit and Finance Committee Chair and member of the Compensation and Talent Committee; designated the board’s “audit committee financial expert” .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pentair plc (NYSE: PNR) | President & CEO; Director | 2018–present | Public-company CEO; deep operating and governance experience beneficial to DLX oversight |
| Pentair plc | EVP & CFO | 2007–2018 | Financial leadership, public-company strategy and operations |
| Honeywell International – Automation & Control Systems | CFO | 2005–2007 | CFO of major operating unit; controls and reporting oversight |
| PerkinElmer Optoelectronics | CFO & IT Director | Not disclosed | Combined finance/IT leadership |
| Honeywell/AlliedSignal | IR, managerial finance roles | 1994–2005 | Broad finance and capital markets exposure |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Start Year | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pentair plc (NYSE: PNR) | Director (in addition to CEO role) | 2018 | Current public board seat; DLX proxy lists him with one other current public board |
Board Governance
- Independence: Board determined Stauch (and all committee members) meets DLX’s Director Independence Standards and NYSE heightened standards for audit/comp committees .
- Committee assignments: Audit & Finance (Chair); Compensation & Talent (member). Audit & Finance held 7 meetings in 2024; Compensation & Talent held 6 .
- Financial expert: Board designated Stauch as the “audit committee financial expert” per SEC rules .
- Attendance: Board met 6 times in 2024; each director attended at least 75% of aggregate board and committee meetings; all directors attended the 2024 annual meeting .
- Governance practices: Independent Chair; regular executive sessions; director ownership guidelines; prohibitions on hedging/pledging; annual evaluations .
- Related-party transactions: Policy requires advance review/approval by Audit & Finance; none requiring disclosure since the beginning of 2024 .
Fixed Compensation (Director)
| Component | Amount ($) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Board Annual Cash Retainer | 85,000 | Standard for non-employee directors |
| Audit & Finance Committee Chair Retainer | 30,000 | Chair premium increased by $2,000 in 2024 |
| Compensation & Talent Committee Member Retainer | 10,000 | Non-chair member fee |
| Cash Fees Earned (2024) | 125,000 | Matches retainer sum reported in director comp table |
| Meeting fees | — | DLX pays no per-meeting fees; site visit/education $1,500 (max 5/year) available |
- 2024 director comp mix policy targets majority equity; FW Cook advises committees and benchmarks director pay to peer median .
Performance Compensation (Director Equity)
| Grant Type | Grant Date | Shares/Units (#) | Grant Date Fair Value ($) | Vesting |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| RSUs (annual director grant) | 2024-04-25 | 7,980 | 159,999 | Vest on 2025 annual meeting (accelerate on CoC, death/disability/retirement); accrue dividend equivalents paid at vesting |
| Options | — | — | — | No option grants to directors in 2024 |
- Directors may elect to receive cash fees in stock or deferred RSUs; RSUs vest on the next annual meeting and accelerate on change-of-control; no director PSUs/performance metrics disclosed (director equity is time-based) .
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Company | Role | Potential Interlock/Conflict | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pentair plc (NYSE: PNR) | Director (and CEO) | Low overlap with DLX’s payments/data/print; no DLX related-party transactions disclosed | Board independence verified; interlock safeguards noted (no comp committee interlocks involving DLX executives) |
Expertise & Qualifications
- Financial leadership: 11 years as public-company CFO and current public-company CEO; designated audit committee financial expert .
- Capital markets and controls: Extensive experience in reporting, internal controls, enterprise risk oversight, and strategy execution .
- Governance: Independent director; chairs Audit & Finance; member Compensation & Talent overseeing pay design and human capital .
Equity Ownership
| Holder | Shares Beneficially Owned (#) | % of Class | Notable Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| John L. Stauch | 67,301 | <1% | Includes 7,980 RSUs outstanding as of 12/31/2024 |
- Director stock ownership guideline: ≥5× annual board retainer within five years; all non-employee directors with ≥5 years service are in compliance (Stauch qualifies) .
- Prohibitions: Directors and officers prohibited from pledging or hedging DLX stock .
Governance Assessment
- Strengths: Independent director; audit chair and SEC-designated financial expert; strong attendance; robust governance (ownership guidelines; anti-hedging/pledging; regular executive sessions); no related-party transactions involving directors in 2024; majority equity in director pay aligns incentives .
- Pay oversight: As a member of the Compensation & Talent Committee, participates in evolving pay-for-performance design; committee uses independent advisor FW Cook; zero consultant conflicts; comprehensive risk-mitigation in comp programs .
- Shareholder signals: Board acknowledged relatively low support for 2024 say-on-pay and executed broad engagement (reached out to holders of ~74% of shares; met with ~42%) leading to changes in AIP/PSU design and disclosure clarity—positive responsiveness; Garcia chaired engagement, with committee participation .
- RED FLAGS: None specific to Stauch identified in 2024–2025 proxy disclosures (no attendance issues; no pledging/hedging; no related-party transactions). Broader program-level caution was prior low say-on-pay support, mitigated by engagement and program changes .
Implications: Stauch’s audit chair role, financial expertise, and independence are positives for board effectiveness and investor confidence. His equity-aligned director pay, compliance with ownership guidelines, and absence of conflicts further support governance quality; ongoing responsiveness to investor feedback on executive compensation reduces reputational and say-on-pay risk .