Laura Newman Olle
ENCORE CAPITAL GROUPAbout Laura Newman Olle
Independent director of Encore Capital Group (ECPG), age 72, serving since February 2014. Former Chief Enterprise Risk Officer at Capital One; prior senior IT leadership at Freddie Mac and Marriott; early career in consulting at Arthur Young. Former Certified Public Accountant with deep enterprise risk management and information technology governance experience; ECPG Board-determined independent under Nasdaq rules. Serves on Compensation and Risk Committees.
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Capital One Financial Corporation | Chief Enterprise Risk Officer; joined as SVP of IT Systems Development | Retired 2007; joined 1999 | Led enterprise risk; regulatory engagement; IT modernization |
| Freddie Mac | SVP, Information Systems and Services | Not disclosed | Oversaw systems; operational risk and tech governance |
| Marriott Corporation | Key information technology positions | Not disclosed | IT leadership; systems development |
| Arthur Young & Company | Management consultant | Not disclosed | Advisory; controls/process improvement |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Morgan Stanley Bank, N.A. (MSBNA) | Board member | Current | U.S. bank subsidiary of Morgan Stanley |
| Morgan Stanley Private Bank, National Association (MSPBNA) | Board member | Current | U.S. bank subsidiary of Morgan Stanley |
Board Governance
- Committee assignments (2024): Compensation Committee member; Risk Committee member. Not a chair. Committee meetings held in 2024: Audit 9, Compensation 5, NCG 4, Risk 4; Board met 6 times. Each incumbent director attended at least 75% of Board and applicable committee meetings.
- Independence: Board determined all directors other than CEO Ashish Masih are independent under Nasdaq rules; all members of Audit, Compensation, and NCG Committees are independent.
- Leadership/Engagement: Separate non-executive Chairman and CEO; independent directors hold executive sessions after regular Board meetings; all current directors attended the 2024 annual meeting.
- Compensation Committee governance: Uses independent consultant FW Cook; no compensation committee interlocks; members included Ash Gupta (Chair), William Goings, Angela Knight, and Laura Newman Olle.
Fixed Compensation (Non-Employee Director – 2024)
| Component | Amount | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| Board Annual Cash Retainer | $75,000 | Standard retainer |
| Committee Service Retainers | $20,000 | $10,000 per committee; Olle served on Compensation and Risk |
| Cash Fees Earned | $95,000 | Reported 2024 cash fees |
| Equity Retainer (Grant-Date FMV) | $154,998 | Annual equity award; she elected shares, not DSUs |
| Shares Granted | 3,829 | Fully vested common shares at grant |
| Total 2024 Director Compensation | $249,998 | Cash + equity |
| Additional Committee Meeting Fee | $1,000 per meeting ≥7 | Program design (not specific to Olle’s receipt) |
Notes:
- In 2024, all directors except Olle elected DSUs; Olle elected to receive the annual equity retainer in shares of common stock.
- Director equity awards are fully vested on the grant date.
Performance Compensation
- None disclosed for non-employee directors (no options, PSUs, or cash performance incentives apply to directors). The Company does not use stock options in current programs.
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Company | Role | Potential Interlock/Conflict |
|---|---|---|
| Morgan Stanley Bank, N.A.; Morgan Stanley Private Bank, N.A. | Board member | No related-party transactions disclosed between ECPG and these entities; Audit Committee oversees related-person transactions; none reported. |
Expertise & Qualifications
- Enterprise risk management leadership at complex financial institutions; IT governance and systems development; extensive regulatory interface; former CPA.
- Not designated by ECPG as “audit committee financial expert” (the Board identified others as audit committee financial experts).
Equity Ownership
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Beneficial Ownership (Shares) | 32,381 |
| Percent of Class | <1% (asterisked in filing) |
| Vested Deferred RSUs/DSUs | 24,531 (underlying shares distributed upon separation from Board) |
| Director Ownership Guideline | 5x annual Board cash retainer; all directors met requirements |
| Hedging/Pledging | Prohibited under Insider Trading Policy |
Governance Assessment
- Strengths: Independent status; dual service on Compensation and Risk aligns with her ERM/IT background; no committee interlocks; independent comp consultant; robust director ownership guidelines met; anti-hedging/anti-pledging policy enhances alignment.
- Engagement: Attendance threshold met across the Board and committees; directors attended 2024 annual meeting; independent executive sessions support Board effectiveness.
- Compensation signals: Director pay structure mixes cash with fully-vested equity; Olle’s choice of shares rather than DSUs differentiates liquidity preference but remains aligned with shareholder returns; overall director pay targeted around peer median.
- Conflicts/red flags: No related-person transactions disclosed; pledging/hedging prohibited; no option repricings; compensation committee interlocks absent. No specific red flags identified.
Company context for investor confidence: 2024 Say-on-Pay approval was ~98%, and the Compensation Committee applied negative discretion to executive bonuses in light of GAAP results—indicating pay discipline and shareholder alignment (company-level governance signal).