Eric Green
Director at ECL
Board
About Eric Green
Eric M. Green (age 55) is an independent director at Ecolab (ECL) since 2022. He is Chairman, President and CEO of West Pharmaceutical Services (NYSE: WST), and previously held senior roles at Sigma-Aldrich, bringing nearly 30 years of healthcare and life sciences operating experience. He holds a bachelor’s degree in chemistry (Bethel University, MN) and an MBA from Washington University in St. Louis (Olin Business School) .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. | Chairman | 2022–present | Oversees strategy and governance at WST |
| West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. | President & CEO | 2015–present | Global operations in life sciences, regulated markets |
| Sigma-Aldrich Corporation | EVP & President, Research Markets | 2013–2015 | Led global commercial/operational roles over 20 years |
External Roles
| Company | Role | Public Board Status | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. | Director (Chairman), President & CEO | Current | Public company directorship; life sciences packaging |
Board Governance
- Committee assignments: Chair, Compensation & Human Capital Management Committee; Member, Governance Committee .
- Independence: Board determined Eric Green is independent under NYSE/SEC standards; all Comp Committee members are independent .
- Attendance: Directors attended 100% of Board and committee meetings in 2024; Board held six meetings .
- Committee activity and oversight:
- Compensation & HCM Committee (5 meetings in 2024): oversees director remuneration, executive compensation programs, incentive plans, clawbacks, stock ownership guidelines .
- Governance Committee (5 meetings in 2024): leads board refreshment, evaluations, independence determinations, related-party review .
- Executive sessions: Independent directors meet in executive session at each Board and committee meeting .
Fixed Compensation
| Component (2024) | Amount (USD) | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| Fees Earned or Paid in Cash | $138,242 | Annual cash retainer + applicable committee fees; amount deferred by Director in 2024 |
| Stock Awards (Deferred Stock Units) | $135,000 | Credited quarterly to DSU account; paid in shares after board service ends |
| Option Awards | $60,000 | Director options granted after annual meeting; vest 25% at 3/6/9/12 months |
| Total | $333,242 | Sum of cash, DSUs, options |
Additional Board service retainers (schedule):
- Lead Director: $40,000; Committee Chair: Compensation $20,000; Audit Chair $25,000; Finance/Governance/SH&E Chair $20,000; Audit Committee Member: $10,000 .
Plan mechanics:
- DSUs: credited quarterly, include dividend equivalents, paid in shares upon cessation of service per director’s election .
- Options: 10-year term; vest 25% at the end of each three-month period; exercise price set at grant date; pro rata rules for mid-year appointments .
Performance Compensation
- Ecolab does not use performance-vesting equity for non-employee directors; director equity consists of DSUs and time-vested options. No revenue/EPS/TSR metrics apply to director pay; therefore, no performance metric table is disclosed for directors .
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Entity | Relationship | Interlock/Conflict Assessment |
|---|---|---|
| West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. | Green is Chairman, President & CEO; public company board | Governance Committee reports no related-person transactions since 2004; Compensation Committee reports no interlocks/insider participation issues in the last fiscal year . |
- Related-party exposure: Governance Committee determined no related-person transactions with directors or executives since 2004; none anticipated .
- Compensation committee interlocks: None; no Ecolab executive officer serves on boards of companies where Ecolab directors are executive officers .
Expertise & Qualifications
- CEO experience; industry (life sciences) expertise; global operations; human capital management; supply chain/manufacturing competencies .
- Committee leadership (Compensation Chair) aligns with experience in talent management and competitive technical markets .
Equity Ownership
| Ownership Category (as of 03/11/2025) | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Beneficially Owned Shares | 5,484 | Includes shares plus options exercisable within 60 days and stock units payable in shares |
| Options (exercisable within 60 days) | 2,898 | Counted in beneficial ownership under SEC rules |
| Stock Units (2001 Plan) | 2,586 | DSUs; no voting rights; payable in shares post-service |
Stock ownership alignment:
- Directors must own Ecolab stock worth ≥5x annual retainer; until met, retain 100% of net shares from option exercises; all directors compliant (either met or retaining per policy) .
- Hedging/Pledging: Prohibited under Insider Trading Policy; directors may not pledge shares or engage in hedging .
Shareholder Voting Signals
| Item | Votes For | Against | Abstain | Broker Non-Vote | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Election of Eric M. Green (May 8, 2025) | 223,038,306 | 13,160,493 | 336,843 | 15,576,671 | Re-elected; strong support signal |
| Say-on-Pay (2025) | 210,313,975 | 24,005,420 | 2,216,247 | 15,576,671 | Advisory approval passed |
| Say-on-Pay (2024) | — | — | — | — | 90% approval of total votes cast (company disclosure) |
Stockholder engagement:
- 2024 outreach: contacted 32 investors (52% outstanding shares); held 17 discussions (42% outstanding), with topics including governance, executive compensation, sustainability, human capital; Lead Independent Director participated in conversations representing ~37% of shares .
Governance Assessment
- Strengths: Independent status; Chair of Compensation Committee; 100% attendance; robust board processes (executive sessions, evaluations); strong stock ownership guidelines with hedging/pledging bans; no related-party transactions; say-on-pay support .
- Potential conflicts: External CEO/chair role at West (supplier/customer adjacency in life sciences); however, Ecolab discloses no related-party transactions and reports no committee interlocks; Governance Committee reviews and monitors such matters .
- Investor confidence: High re-election support and say-on-pay approvals, coupled with ongoing investor engagement, indicate constructive governance posture .
Overall, Eric Green’s committee leadership and independence, combined with full attendance and strong equity alignment, support board effectiveness. Absence of related-party transactions and interlocks, plus robust ownership and clawback/insider policies, mitigate conflict risk .