Telisa L. Yancy
DELUXEAbout Telisa L. Yancy
Independent director at Deluxe Corporation (DLX) since 2021; age 58. Currently Group President at American Family Insurance, with prior roles as President, Direct to Consumer (2021–2023), Chief Operating Officer, Agency Business (2019–2021), and Chief Marketing Officer (2015–2019). Her operating, marketing, and digital ecosystem background aligns with DLX’s shift toward payments and data; she serves on the Audit & Finance and Compensation & Talent Committees. Independent under NYSE standards.
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| American Family Insurance | Group President | Jan 2023–present | Operations leadership across customer service, operations, marketing, technology, and sales initiatives |
| American Family Insurance | President, Direct to Consumer | 2021–2023 | Led direct-to-consumer business |
| American Family Insurance | Chief Operating Officer, Agency Business | 2019–2021 | Agency operations leadership |
| American Family Insurance | Chief Marketing Officer | 2015–2019 | Enterprise marketing leadership |
| Various companies | General management, sales, marketing, operations roles | Not disclosed | Multisector operating exposure |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| American Family Insurance | Director | Not disclosed | Not disclosed |
| American Property and Casualty Insurance Association (APCIA) | Director | Not disclosed | Not disclosed |
| Other current public company boards | — | 0 public boards | — |
Board Governance
- Current DLX committees: Audit & Finance; Compensation & Talent (not a chair). Independent.
- 2024 meeting cadence and attendance: Board met 6 times; Audit & Finance met 7 times; Compensation & Talent met 6 times. Each director attended at least 75% of aggregate Board and committee meetings; all directors attended the 2024 annual meeting.
- Board leadership: Independent Chair structure maintained since 2005; Cheryl Mayberry McKissack has served as Independent Chair since 2019. Regular executive sessions of independent directors.
- Director independence and conflicts controls: Board determined all nominees except the CEO are independent; related-person transactions are reviewed by Audit & Finance under a written policy; none required disclosure since the beginning of 2024.
- Shareholder engagement and responsiveness: Following relatively low 2024 say-on-pay support, DLX conducted outreach to holders representing ~74% of shares; engaged with ~42%; made PSU design and disclosure changes.
Committee Assignments (current)
| Director | Audit & Finance | Compensation & Talent | Corporate Governance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Telisa L. Yancy | Member | Member | — |
Fixed Compensation (Director)
| Component | 2024 Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Board retainer (cash) | $85,000 | Paid quarterly; directors may elect stock/deferral |
| Audit & Finance member fee | $15,000 | Non-chair member |
| Compensation & Talent member fee | $10,000 | Non-chair member |
| Meeting/site visit/education fees | Up to $1,500 each, max 5/yr | If applicable |
| 2024 fees earned or paid in cash (reported) | $110,002 | Ms. Yancy elected to receive compensation in stock |
Performance Compensation (Director Equity)
| Grant Type | Grant Date | Shares/Units | Grant Date Fair Value | Vesting | Performance Metrics |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RSUs (annual grant) | Apr 25, 2024 | 7,980 | $159,999 | Vests at 2025 annual meeting (Apr 24, 2025) | None (time-based) |
| Equity in lieu of cash fees | Quarterly | Not disclosed by shares | Equal to fees foregone | Per election/deferral terms | None (time-based/deferral) |
Notes:
- Non-employee directors received RSUs; no options were granted in 2024. Change-in-control or death/disability/retirement triggers accelerated vesting under director program terms.
- No director performance-conditioned equity is disclosed; performance metrics do not apply to director awards.
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Item | Status |
|---|---|
| Current public company boards | 0 |
| Private/non-profit boards | Director, American Family Insurance; Director, APCIA |
| Compensation committee interlocks | None; committee composed entirely of independent directors; no insider participation or cross-board interlocks disclosed. |
| Independent compensation consultant | FW Cook retained; assessed independent, no conflicts. |
Expertise & Qualifications
- Operating, marketing, and digital ecosystem leadership; guidance on cross-sell, customer service, operations, marketing, technology, and sales initiatives.
- Governance relevance: service on Audit & Finance and Compensation & Talent supports financial oversight and pay/human capital governance.
Equity Ownership
| Holder | Beneficial Ownership (Shares) | Percent of Class | RSUs Included | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Telisa L. Yancy | 38,758 | <1% | 7,980 RSUs | Beneficial ownership as of Feb 24, 2025 |
- Director stock ownership guideline: 5x annual board retainer to be achieved within 5 years; all directors with ≥5 years service are in compliance; others are on track.
- Hedging/pledging: Prohibited for directors; pre-approval requirements and share retention/holding periods apply.
- Section 16 reporting: Proxy reports one late Form 4 for another officer; no director-specific delinquencies disclosed.
Governance Assessment
- Alignment positives: Independent; dual service on Audit & Finance and Compensation & Talent; attended ≥75% of Board/committee meetings; elected to receive compensation in stock; subject to robust ownership guidelines and hedging/pledging prohibitions.
- Board/committee process: Independent Chair structure, regular executive sessions; independent consultant (FW Cook) for compensation; formal RPT policy with no transactions requiring disclosure since 2024.
- Shareholder confidence: Board responded to low 2024 say-on-pay support with extensive outreach (74% contacted; 42% engaged) and changes to PSU design/disclosure; supports iterative governance responsiveness.
- Potential watch items: Senior operating role at American Family Insurance may create time-commitment considerations; no related-party exposure disclosed; continue monitoring for any DLX/American Family transactions under the related-person policy.