William C. Goings
ENCORE CAPITAL GROUPAbout William C. Goings
Independent director of Encore Capital Group (ECPG) since September 2022; age 67; MBA from Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University. Career spans senior leadership at TD Bank Group (EVP; President of TD Insurance 2010–2012; SVP; President & COO of TD Insurance 2009–2010), Genworth Financial (2004–2009), and GE Capital (1996–2004), with experience in strategic planning, international business development, e-business, and corporate banking. Current board roles include TrueBlue, Inc., The Penn Mutual Life Insurance Company, and AARP Services Inc. He is a NACD member. ECPG’s Board has determined he is independent under Nasdaq standards.
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| TD Bank Group / TD Insurance | EVP; President (TD Insurance) | 2010–2012 | Led insurance business; senior oversight |
| TD Bank Group / TD Insurance | SVP; President & COO (TD Insurance) | 2009–2010 | Operations leadership |
| Genworth Financial | Business leadership and operational roles | 2004–2009 | Strategic planning; global operating experience |
| GE Capital | Various regional/global roles | 1996–2004 | Corporate banking; international business development |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Public/Private/Non-Profit | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| TrueBlue, Inc. | Director | Public | Staffing/services; potential interlock monitoring |
| The Penn Mutual Life Insurance Company | Director | Private (mutual) | Insurance; no disclosed transactions with ECPG |
| AARP Services Inc. | Director | Non-profit/affiliate | Consumer services; no disclosed transactions with ECPG |
Board Governance
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Independence | Independent under Nasdaq rules; all non-CEO directors are independent |
| Tenure | Director since September 2022 |
| Committee Memberships | Compensation Committee (member); Nominating & Corporate Governance (member) |
| Committee Chair Roles | None (Compensation Committee chaired by Ash Gupta) |
| Attendance | Each incumbent director attended ≥75% of Board/committee meetings during their service in 2024 |
| Meetings Held (2024) | Board: 6; Compensation: 5; NCG: 4 |
| Executive Sessions | Independent directors meet without management after regularly scheduled Board meetings |
| Board Leadership | Separate non-executive Chairman and CEO |
Fixed Compensation
| Component | 2024 Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Cash Fees | $95,000 | Based on Board ($75,000) and committee service retainers; actual mix per roles |
| Equity Award (DSUs) | $154,998 | Annual grant fully vested at grant; most directors elected DSUs; 3,829 DSUs granted in 2024 |
| Total | $249,998 | Sum of cash and equity |
Director Fee and Equity Structure (Program):
- Board annual cash retainer: $75,000; Committee chair: $25,000 per committee; Committee member: $10,000 per committee; extra $1,000 per meeting starting with the 7th meeting of a single committee in a year .
- Annual director equity grant: $155,000, fully vested at grant (as common stock or DSUs, granted post-annual meeting) .
Performance Compensation
- Not applicable for non-employee directors: ECPG director equity grants are time-based and fully vested at grant; no performance-linked director awards or bonus metrics disclosed.
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| External Board | Sector Overlap with ECPG | Potential Conflict/Interlock Notes |
|---|---|---|
| TrueBlue, Inc. | Low (staffing vs. receivables management) | No related-party transactions disclosed; monitor information flow |
| Penn Mutual Life | Medium (financials/insurance) | No related-party transactions disclosed |
| AARP Services Inc. | Low | No related-party transactions disclosed |
Expertise & Qualifications
- Financial services operations leadership (TD Insurance; Genworth; GE Capital) .
- Strategic planning, international expansion, corporate banking, e-business .
- MBA (Kellogg); NACD member .
- Governance experience across multiple boards .
Equity Ownership
| Holder | Shares Beneficially Owned | Percent of Class | Ownership Form |
|---|---|---|---|
| William C. Goings | 8,934 | * Less than 1% | Fully vested deferred RSUs/DSUs; distributed upon leaving Board |
Additional Ownership/Alignment Policies:
- Director stock ownership guideline: 5x annual Board cash retainer; all directors met requirements .
- Hedging and pledging of Company stock prohibited by insider trading policy .
Governance Assessment
- Board effectiveness and engagement: Independent status, regular executive sessions, and ≥75% attendance support strong oversight. Committee cadence (Comp: 5; NCG: 4) indicates active engagement on pay and governance .
- Compensation governance tone: High say-on-pay support (98% in 2024) and use of independent consultant (FW Cook) reflect responsiveness to shareholder alignment; negative discretion applied to executive bonuses in 2024 underscores conservatism in pay-for-performance, though director pay is fixed/vested .
- Conflicts/related-party exposure: Audit Committee maintains a robust related-person transactions policy; 2025 proxy discloses only standard indemnification agreements and no related-party dealings involving Goings—no red flags .
- Ownership alignment: DSU usage and compliance with director ownership guidelines enhance long-term alignment; pledging/hedging prohibitions reduce misalignment risk .
- Compensation Committee oversight: Goings serves on Compensation Committee; no interlocks reported; FW Cook deemed independent; committee met 5 times in 2024—appropriate rigor and independence .
RED FLAGS: None disclosed related to attendance shortfalls, related-party transactions, pledging/hedging, or committee interlocks for William C. Goings in the latest proxy .