Ash Gupta
ENCORE CAPITAL GROUPAbout Ash Gupta
Ashwini (Ash) Gupta, age 72, is an independent director of Encore Capital Group (ECPG) who has served on the Board since September 2015. He retired from American Express after 40 years, including as Chief Risk Officer and later President – Global Credit Risk & Information Management (2016–2018), and holds an MBA from Columbia University and a bachelor’s in Engineering from IIT Delhi . The Board has determined that all directors other than the CEO are independent under Nasdaq rules, which includes Mr. Gupta .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| American Express Company | President – Global Credit Risk & Information Management; prior Chief Risk Officer | 2016–2018 (President); 40 years total at AmEx | Guided AmEx through the Great Recession (risk leadership) |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure/Notes | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Corridor Platforms Inc. | Board member and Chair | Current | Board leadership chair role |
| Oliver Wyman | Advisor | Current | Risk/analytics advisory |
| Big Brothers Big Sisters of New York | Non-profit board member | Current | Community engagement |
| NACD New York Chapter | Non-profit board member | Current | Governance community involvement |
| South Asian Youth Action (SAYA!) | Advisory board | Current | Youth advocacy |
Board Governance
- Committee assignments and roles
- Compensation Committee: Chair
- Risk Committee: Member
- Independence and leadership
- Independent director (Board determined all except CEO are independent)
- Board separates Chair and CEO; Non-executive Chairman is Michael P. Monaco
- Independent directors meet in executive session following regularly scheduled Board meetings
- Attendance and engagement
- Board met 6 times in 2024; committees met Audit (9), Compensation (5), Nominating & Corporate Governance (4), Risk (4). Each incumbent director attended at least 75% of applicable Board/committee meetings during his/her service period .
- Evaluation and ESG oversight
- Annual board and committee self-evaluations; periodic third-party facilitation
- NCG Committee oversees ESG strategy; updates provided to the Board
Fixed Compensation (Director)
| Component (2024) | Amount (USD) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Board Annual Retainer | $75,000 | Standard non-employee director cash retainer |
| Committee Chair Fee (per committee) | $25,000 | Compensation Committee Chair applies to Mr. Gupta |
| Committee Member Fee (per committee) | $10,000 | Risk Committee member fee applies to Mr. Gupta |
| Additional Committee Service Fee (per mtg ≥7) | $1,000 | If applicable; per-committee, per meeting beyond 6 in a year |
| Fees Earned (Ash Gupta, 2024) | $110,000 | Reported total cash fees for 2024; consistent with $75k + $25k + $10k |
Performance Compensation (Director)
| Element | Structure | 2024 Value/Units | Key Terms |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual Equity Retainer | DSUs (fully vested at grant) | $154,998; 3,829 DSUs | Granted on 5th business day after annual meeting; fully vested; most directors elected DSUs |
| Cash Deferral to Equity | DSUs (from cash retainer deferral) | 2,291 DSUs (Ash Gupta) | Mr. Gupta elected to defer portions of cash into DSUs in 2024 |
| Performance Metrics | None for directors | N/A | Director equity awards are time-based/fully vested; no performance conditions |
No performance metrics tie to non-employee director compensation; equity is fully vested at grant, emphasizing alignment over pay-for-performance for directors .
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Current U.S. public company boards | None disclosed for Mr. Gupta in ECPG’s 2025 proxy (bio lists private/non-profit roles) |
| Compensation Committee interlocks | None for any Compensation Committee member in 2024 |
Expertise & Qualifications
- Deep risk management, credit analytics, and information management expertise from American Express (including CRO and global credit risk leadership) .
- MBA (Columbia University); Engineering degree (IIT Delhi) .
- Not designated as an “audit committee financial expert” (those designated are Stovsky, Hilzinger, Monaco, and Hannam) .
- Service on ECPG Risk Committee reinforces risk oversight expertise .
Equity Ownership
| Ownership Metric | Amount/Status | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Beneficially owned shares | 52,210 | As of April 11, 2025; “<1%” of outstanding shares |
| Percent of class | <1% | Beneficial ownership table designation “*” indicates <1% |
| Fully vested deferred issuance RSUs/DSUs included in beneficial ownership | 3,396 | Included because underlying shares distributable upon board service end (standard deferral) |
| Additional DSUs not included in beneficial ownership | 44,699 | Separate deferral election: shares distributed within 10 business days after the 5th anniversary post Board service end |
| Outstanding RSUs/DSUs (director program) | 47,366 | Aggregate number of shares underlying outstanding RSUs/DSUs as of 12/31/2024 |
| Director stock ownership guideline | 5x annual Board cash retainer | All directors have met the guideline |
| Hedging/pledging policy | Prohibited | Insider trading policy prohibits pledging and hedging Company stock |
Governance Assessment
- Strengths
- Independent director; chairs Compensation Committee and serves on Risk Committee, aligning with his risk/analytics background .
- Compensation Committee engages an independent advisor (FW Cook); assessed as independent and free of conflicts .
- Strong shareholder alignment signals: 2024 say-on-pay support ~98% and Committee exercised negative discretion on annual bonuses amid weak GAAP earnings; PSUs did not vest for 2022 grants (ROIC and TSR), reflecting rigor in long-term incentives .
- Director equity taken largely as DSUs (including Mr. Gupta’s cash deferral into DSUs), and all directors met ownership guidelines, enhancing alignment .
- Potential concerns/monitoring points
- Tenure (on Board since 2015) warrants routine refresh evaluation, but the Board conducts annual evaluations and refresh assessments; no attendance concerns disclosed (≥75% attendance for all incumbents) .
- No related-party transactions or compensation committee interlocks disclosed for Mr. Gupta (reduces conflict risk) .
No red flags identified: no related-party transactions, no interlocks, no pledging/hedging, and strong ownership/compensation governance practices are in place .