Radhika Papandreou
About Radhika Papandreou
Independent director of Equity LifeStyle Properties (ELS) since February 6, 2024. She is President of North America at Korn Ferry (appointed May 2024), previously Managing Partner of Korn Ferry’s Chicago office (2021–May 2024), Senior Client Partner (2019–2021), and earlier led hospitality/leisure board search at another firm (2016–2019) following investment banking roles (1998–2016). She serves on ELS’s Compensation, Nominating & Corporate Governance Committee; the Board affirms her independence (all directors except the CEO are independent). Beneficial ownership: 2,529 ELS shares as of February 14, 2025 .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Korn Ferry | President, North America | May 2024–present | Leads North American travel, hospitality & leisure; core member of Board & CEO Services |
| Korn Ferry | Managing Partner, Chicago | 2021–May 2024 | Senior leadership of office; executive/board placements |
| Korn Ferry | Senior Client Partner | 2019–2021 | Executive and board placements |
| Executive search firm (prior employer) | Managing Director; Global Head, Hospitality & Leisure; core partner in board practice | 2016–2019 | Led large-scale mandates including bankruptcies, turnarounds, spin‑offs, M&A |
| Investment banking industry | Various roles | 1998–2016 | Transactional and capital markets experience |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Public Company Board? | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Korn Ferry | President, North America | No | Sector practices; board/CEO services |
| Other public company boards | — | None disclosed | No other public company directorships disclosed in proxy |
Board Governance
- Committee memberships: Compensation, Nominating & Corporate Governance Committee (member; Chair is David Contis). Committee met 5 times in 2024 .
- Independence: Board determined all directors except the CEO are independent .
- Attendance: Board held 4 meetings in 2024; each director attended at least 75% of Board and committee meetings of which they were members .
- Executive sessions: Non‑management directors held 4 executive sessions in 2024, led by the Lead Director .
- Engagement: Papandreou is a signatory to the Compensation Committee Report, indicating active participation .
Fixed Compensation
| Component | 2024 Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Annual cash retainer | $76,250 | Annual fee increased from $65,000 to $80,000 effective April 1, 2024; paid amount reflects timing |
| Total cash compensation | $76,250 | — |
Performance Compensation
ELS does not disclose performance‑based compensation for non‑executive directors; equity grants are time‑based Restricted Stock or elected options (some directors elected options; Papandreou took Restricted Stock) .
| Equity Award | Grant Detail | Grant Date Price | Vesting | 2024 Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Annual director Restricted Stock | 2,405 shares | $60.29 (NYSE close 4/30/2024) | 1/3 on 11/1/2024; 1/3 on 5/1/2025; 1/3 on 5/1/2026 | $145,000 |
| Committee membership Restricted Stock (Comp Committee) | 124 shares | $60.29 | 100% on 5/1/2025 | $7,500 |
| Total equity compensation (fair value in 2024) | — | — | — | $152,473 |
| Options | None elected | — | — | — |
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Company | Role | Potential Interlock/Relationship |
|---|---|---|
| None disclosed | — | No other public boards disclosed; no compensation committee interlocks in 2024 (Papandreou joined the Compensation Committee April 30, 2024) |
Expertise & Qualifications
- Executive/board search expertise; led large-scale mandates (bankruptcies, turnarounds, spin‑offs, M&A) .
- Sector leadership in travel, hospitality & leisure; core member of Korn Ferry Board & CEO Services .
- Investment banking background (1998–2016) .
Equity Ownership
| Item | Amount/Status | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Beneficial ownership | 2,529 shares as of 2/14/2025 | |
| Ownership % of outstanding | ~0.00132% (2,529 / 191,142,869 shares outstanding on 2/14/2025) | |
| Unvested director RS as of 12/31/2024 | 1,728 shares | |
| Options | None | |
| Hedging/pledging | Prohibited under policy | |
| Director ownership guidelines | 3× annual retainer; 4‑year compliance window | |
| Guideline status | Exception noted: all Directors/NEOs exceeded minimums except Papandreou (appointed Feb 2024; within window) |
Governance Assessment
-
Positives
- Independence affirmed; serves on key Compensation, Nominating & Corporate Governance Committee overseeing executive pay, succession, governance policies, and political contributions review .
- Attendance meets threshold; active committee engagement (5 meetings; signed committee report) supports board effectiveness .
- Strong governance framework (lead independent director, separate Chair/CEO, compensation recovery policy, prohibition on hedging/pledging) bolsters investor alignment .
- Say‑on‑Pay support of 94.7% in 2024 suggests broader investor confidence in governance/compensation practices .
-
Potential conflicts/risks to monitor
- Dual role at Korn Ferry and membership on the Compensation, Nominating & Corporate Governance Committee could present perceived conflicts if Korn Ferry provides services to ELS (no such related‑party transactions disclosed; company has a formal related‑party review process) .
- Ownership alignment: currently below guideline minimum (permitted exception for new directors); monitor progress toward 3× retainer within four years .
- Concentration of influence from Chai Trust affiliates on the Board (general context in biographical disclosures), though independence of directors and committee structures are affirmed .
Overall: Papandreou brings relevant human capital and board search expertise valuable to succession planning and governance. Current ownership is within the grace period; continued transparency on any Korn Ferry engagements and adherence to recusals would mitigate conflict perceptions, while existing ELS policies (recovery, trading, independence) provide guardrails .