Angela A. Knight
ENCORE CAPITAL GROUPAbout Angela A. Knight
Angela A. Knight CBE is an independent non-employee director of Encore Capital Group (ECPG) serving since September 2019. She is 74 and holds a BSc in Chemistry from Bristol University; her background spans executive leadership in UK financial services, public policy, and board service in highly regulated industries, including time as a UK Member of Parliament and Economic Secretary to HM Treasury (1995–1997). Her credentials emphasize governance in regulated financial institutions, risk oversight, and international board experience .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Energy UK | Chief Executive Officer | 2012–2014 | Led UK energy industry trade body |
| British Bankers’ Association | Chief Executive Officer | 2007–2012 | Led UK banking trade association |
| Association of Private Client Investment Managers and Stockbrokers | Chief Executive Officer | 1997–2006 | Industry leadership; governance |
| Office of Tax Simplification (UK Treasury sponsored) | Chairman | until Mar 2019 | Oversight of UK tax simplification |
| Brewin Dolphin plc | Senior Independent Non-Executive Director; Chair of Dublin subsidiary | 2007–2017 (subsidiary chair until Dec 2018) | Senior governance and subsidiary chair roles |
| TP ICAP plc (formerly Tullett Prebon) | Non-Executive Director | Sep 2011–May 2021 | Market infrastructure oversight |
| Taylor Wimpey plc | Non-Executive Director | Nov 2016–Apr 2022 | Public company governance |
| UK Parliament (Erewash) | Member of Parliament; Economic Secretary to HM Treasury | MP 1992–1997; Ministerial role 1995–1997 | Economic policy and financial sector oversight |
| Cook & Knight (Metallurgical Processors) | Joint Managing Director | 1977–1988 | Co-founder; operational leadership |
| Air Products and Chemicals | Development Engineer / Project Leader | early career | Technical/industrial background |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Since | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arbuthnot Banking Group plc | Non-Executive Director | Sep 2023–present | UK-listed bank |
| Arbuthnot Latham & Co Ltd (subsidiary) | Non-Executive Director | Jun 2016–present | UK private bank |
| Pool Reinsurance Company Ltd (PoolRe) | Non-Executive Chair | Nov 2021–present | UK terrorism reinsurer; chair role |
| Astana Financial Services Authority | Deputy Chairman | current | Kazakhstan regulator under English law/UK standards |
| Vanquis plc (formerly Provident Financial plc) | Non-Executive Director | Aug 2018–Jan 2025 | UK consumer finance; ended Jan 2025 |
Board Governance
- Committee assignments: Compensation Committee member; Nominating & Corporate Governance (NCG) Committee member. The Compensation Committee’s 2024/2025 composition lists Angela Knight among its members; Ash Gupta is Chair .
- Independence: The Board determined all directors except the CEO (Masih) are independent under Nasdaq standards (includes Knight) .
- Attendance: In 2024, each incumbent director attended at least 75% of Board and applicable committee meetings; Board met 6 times; Committees met: Audit 9, Compensation 5, NCG 4, Risk 4 .
- Annual meeting engagement: The company encourages attendance; each current director attended the 2024 annual meeting .
- 2025 shareholder vote signal: Knight’s election received 19,262,906 For vs 512,335 Withhold; broker non-votes 937,589—consistent with strong support .
| 2024 Meeting Counts | Board | Audit | Compensation | NCG | Risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Meetings held | 6 | 9 | 5 | 4 | 4 |
| 2025 Annual Meeting – Knight Vote | For | Withhold | Broker Non-Votes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Votes | 19,262,906 | 512,335 | 937,589 |
Fixed Compensation (Director)
| Component | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Board annual cash retainer (2024 program) | $75,000 | Paid quarterly; prorated |
| Non-Executive Chair retainer | $120,000 | Not applicable to Knight |
| Committee Chair retainer (per committee) | $25,000 | If serving as chair |
| Committee member retainer (per committee) | $10,000 | For committee service |
| Additional committee service fee | $1,000 | Per meeting starting with 7th meeting in a year |
| Angela A. Knight – Fees earned (2024) | $110,000 | Cash paid for Board/committee roles |
Performance Compensation (Director)
- Annual equity retainer: $155,000 grant-date fair value; directors elected DSUs (deferred stock units) in 2024; awards are fully vested at grant. Knight received DSUs; 3,829 DSUs granted in 2024 to each non-employee director (Knight included) .
- No performance-based equity or bonus structures disclosed for directors (director equity is time-based and fully vested) .
| 2024 Director Equity Grant | Type | Shares/Units | Grant-Date Fair Value | Vesting |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Angela A. Knight | DSUs | 3,829 | $154,998 | Fully vested at grant |
Other Directorships & Interlocks
- Current boards: Arbuthnot Banking Group plc; Arbuthnot Latham & Co Ltd; PoolRe (Chair); Astana Financial Services Authority (Deputy Chair) .
- Former boards (recent): Vanquis plc (to Jan 2025); Taylor Wimpey plc; TP ICAP plc; Brewin Dolphin plc .
- Potential interlocks/conflicts: No related-party transactions disclosed in the proxy; Audit Committee reviews related person transactions per charter . Knight’s roles are in UK/regulated financial institutions; no disclosed transactions with ECPG .
Expertise & Qualifications
- Financial services regulation and risk oversight; leadership in industry trade bodies (BBA, Energy UK) .
- Public policy and economic governance (Economic Secretary to HM Treasury) .
- International board experience and governance in regulated industries .
- Technical/industrial background; entrepreneurial leadership (Air Products; Cook & Knight) .
Equity Ownership
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| RSU/DSU holdings (12/31/2024) | 20,265 shares underlying RSUs/DSUs (Knight) |
| Director stock ownership guidelines | 5× annual Board cash retainer; DSUs and RSUs count; unearned PSUs/options excluded |
| Compliance status | All directors have met stock ownership requirements |
| Hedging/pledging policy | Prohibits hedging/pledging for employees, officers, and directors |
Governance Assessment
- Board effectiveness: Knight is an engaged independent director with Compensation and NCG committee roles, contributing to pay oversight and governance processes; committee structures and annual evaluations are established, with independent consultant FW Cook advising on compensation .
- Alignment: Director equity uses DSUs with immediate vesting; directors have robust ownership guidelines (5× retainer) and a prohibition on hedging/pledging, supporting alignment with shareholders .
- Shareholder signals: Strong 2025 vote support for Knight; say‑on‑pay votes historically strong (≈98% approval in 2024), indicating shareholder confidence in compensation governance .
- Compensation committee quality: No interlocks; use of independent consultant; peer benchmarking; clawback policies in place for executives; risk assessment finds no material adverse effects from compensation policies .
RED FLAGS / Watch items
- Time commitments: Multiple external roles (including chair/deputy chair positions) may require careful monitoring for bandwidth; the NCG process explicitly considers director time availability, and 2024 attendance thresholds were met .
- Performance linkage for directors: Equity grants are fully vested DSUs (no performance metrics), which is typical but offers limited direct performance conditioning compared to PSUs; mitigated by ownership guidelines and market-aligned retainers .
Say‑on‑Pay & Shareholder Feedback
- 2024 say‑on‑pay approval ≈98% of votes cast, reflecting broad support for the executive compensation framework administered by the Compensation Committee (member: Knight) .
- 2025 say‑on‑pay: 19,168,015 For; 489,661 Against; 117,565 Abstain; 937,589 broker non-votes—continued high support .
Compensation Committee Analysis
- Members: Ash Gupta (Chair), William C. Goings, Angela Knight, Laura Newman Olle; met 5 times in 2024 and engages FW Cook as independent advisor .
- Practices: Peer group benchmarking; stock ownership rules; clawback policies; prohibition on hedging/pledging; annual risk reviews found no material adverse effects from comp policies .