Lauren Knausenberger
EnerSysAbout Lauren Knausenberger
Independent director at EnerSys since 2024; age 44; Class II director with term expiring at the 2027 annual meeting. Executive Vice President and Chief Innovation Officer at SAIC (since Oct 2023); previously U.S. Air Force CIO (2020–2023), Chief Transformation Officer (2019–2020), and Director of Cyberspace Innovation (2017–2019). Holds a B.S. in Decision & Information Sciences (University of Maryland) and an MBA (Wharton); recognized as ORBIE Global CIO of the Year (2023) and awarded two Exceptional Civilian Service medals, among 20+ technology leadership awards. The Board has determined she is independent under NYSE standards; no material relationships with EnerSys disclosed .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| SAIC | EVP & Chief Innovation Officer | Oct 2023–present | Technology leadership supporting defense/space/civilian/Intel markets; innovation and AI focus |
| U.S. Air Force | Chief Information Officer | Aug 2020–Jun 2023 | Led digital modernization, cybersecurity, AI initiatives; awarded ORBIE Global CIO of Year (2023) and multiple service medals |
| U.S. Air Force | Chief Transformation Officer | Jun 2019–Aug 2020 | Enterprise transformation; technology change management |
| U.S. Air Force | Director of Cyberspace Innovation | Jun 2017–Jun 2019 | Cyber innovation and modernization programs |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Colossal Biosciences, Inc. | Executive Advisory Board member | Current | Biotechnology/genetic engineering advisory role |
| Other public company boards | — | — | None disclosed |
Board Governance
- Committees
- Audit Committee member (since Aug 1, 2024); Committee met 5 times in FY2025; Board designated her (and other directors) as “audit committee financial expert” for FY2025 .
- Technology Advisory Committee member; Committee met 4 times in FY2025; membership includes directors and management (roster updated May 23, 2025) .
- Independence and structure
- Board determined all directors except the CEO are independent under NYSE standards; no material relationships; no familial relationships among directors/executives .
- Board leadership: Independent Non‑Executive Chair; no Lead Director currently; quarterly risk oversight includes cybersecurity and AI .
- Attendance and engagement
- Board met 5 times in FY2025; each director attended at least 75% of Board and applicable committee meetings for the period served; 9 of 10 directors and two director nominees attended the 2024 annual meeting .
Fixed Compensation
| Element | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Annual Board retainer (cash) | $90,000 | Effective post‑2024 annual meeting; unchanged YoY |
| Committee meeting fee | $1,500 per meeting | Applies to each committee meeting attended |
| Audit/Comp/NomGov Chair fee | $15,000 per year | For respective committee chairs |
| Independent Chair premium | $150,000 per year (50% DSUs / 50% cash) | Paid half in deferred stock units |
| FY2025 – Lauren Knausenberger cash fees | $64,088 | From director compensation table |
| FY2025 – Lauren Knausenberger stock awards (fair value) | $160,134 | ASC 718 grant‑date fair value |
| FY2025 – Lauren Knausenberger total compensation | $224,222 | 71.4% equity / 28.6% cash (computed from cited amounts) |
Stock ownership guidelines and restrictions:
- Directors expected to beneficially own shares equal to 5× annual Board cash retainer within 5 years; each non‑employee director has achieved or is on target (FY2025) .
- Hedging and pledging of company stock are prohibited for directors .
Performance Compensation
| Feature | Detail | Metric/Trigger | Vesting/Payout |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual DSU grant (non‑employee directors) | Grant date fair value $155,000 per director (FY2025) | Not performance‑based | DSUs immediately vested; payable in common shares 6 months after termination of service unless further deferred |
| Director Plan – cash fee deferral | Directors may defer cash fees into investment or stock unit account | Not performance‑based | Deferred stock units vest immediately; payable in shares; investment account tracks 401(k) options |
| Director Plan – matching contribution | 20% match on stock unit deferrals, in form of RSUs | Not performance‑based | RSUs vest quarterly over 1 year; 100% vesting upon change in control |
| Dividend equivalents | Credited on stock unit accounts per equity awards policy | Dividend record dates | Payable as additional DSUs; vest concurrent with underlying units |
Lauren Knausenberger – FY2025 director equity detail:
- Unvested RSUs under Director Plan: 63 units .
- Stock unit deferrals and match credited to Director Plan: 315 underlying DSUs added, 63 matching RSUs added (20% of deferral) .
No options or PSUs were granted to non‑employee directors in FY2025; no non‑equity incentive plan compensation for directors .
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Category | Status |
|---|---|
| Current public company directorships | None |
| Compensation Committee interlocks | None; no member was an officer/employee or had relationships requiring SEC disclosure (FY2025) |
| Board service limits | Corporate Governance Guidelines cap non‑management directors at ≤4 public boards (inclusive of EnerSys); all directors compliant |
Expertise & Qualifications
- Domain expertise in technology, digital modernization, cybersecurity, and artificial intelligence across public and private sectors; recognized with ORBIE Global CIO of the Year (2023) and multiple service medals .
- Audit Committee Financial Expert designation for FY2025; financially literate per NYSE standards .
- Educational credentials: B.S. Decision & Information Sciences (University of Maryland); MBA (Wharton) .
Equity Ownership
| Holder | Number of Shares | Percent of Class | Ownership Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lauren Knausenberger | 2,419 | * | Includes 2,041.2715 deferred stock units (no voting/investment power) and 378 vested RSUs deferred under Director Plan; excludes 63 unvested RSUs |
Additional alignment and restrictions:
- Directors may defer DSU payouts; all stock units payable in shares of common stock; director plan is non‑qualified and an unsecured company obligation .
- Hedging/pledging prohibited; no pledging of EnerSys shares is permitted .
Insider Trades (Form 4) – Summary
| Date (Filed) | Transaction | Quantity | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 16, 2025 | DSUs received in lieu of cash fees; immediately vested under Director Plan | 206 | Reported on Form 4; credited per plan election |
| Sep 26, 2025 | DSUs credited as dividend equivalents on vested DSUs | — | Form 4 explains DSUs tied to dividend paid Sept 26, 2025; vested and payable concurrent with underlying DSUs |
| Jun 27, 2025 | Form 4 filed (director status update/plan‑related units) | — | Filing available via EDGAR; details in primary document |
Note: EnerSys reports Section 16(a) filings were timely in FY2025 and FY2024 .
Governance Assessment
- Strengths
- Independence confirmed; no related‑party transactions or material relationships; audit financial expert designation bolsters oversight credibility .
- High equity share in FY2025 compensation (≈71%) through DSUs and RSUs; director stock ownership guideline of 5× retainer with progress “on target,” aligning incentives with shareholders .
- Active on Audit and Technology Advisory Committees; Board’s risk oversight explicitly includes cybersecurity and AI—areas core to her expertise .
- Hedging/pledging prohibited; timely Section 16 filings—reduces alignment and compliance risk .
- Watchpoints
- Director equity awards are not performance‑conditioned (DSUs/RSUs vest by time); while standard for directors, this offers limited pay‑for‑performance linkage versus PSUs; nonetheless, equity weighting supports alignment .
- External executive role at SAIC (defense/IT) could present situational conflicts if customer/supplier relationships with EnerSys emerge; currently no related‑party transactions disclosed and independence affirmed .
- Overall
- Governance signals are constructive: strong independence, cyber/AI oversight capabilities on Audit/Tech committees, equity‑heavy compensation, and compliance discipline. No red flags identified in attendance, filings, hedging/pledging, or related‑party transactions for FY2025/FY2024 .