Arlene Isaacs-Lowe
Equitable HoldingsAbout Arlene Isaacs-Lowe
Arlene Isaacs-Lowe is an independent director of Equitable Holdings (EQH), serving since July 2022. She is 65, an audit committee financial expert, and brings nearly 40 years of financial services leadership including senior roles at Moody’s, plus investment and real estate finance experience at Equinox Realty Advisors and MetLife Realty Group . The Board has affirmatively determined she is independent under NYSE and SEC standards .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Moody’s Corporation | Special Advisor to the Executive Leadership Team | 2021–2022 | Strategic counsel across global finance and governance |
| Moody’s Corporation | Global Head of Corporate & Social Responsibility; President, Moody’s Foundation | 2017–2021 | Led ESG integration and corporate citizenship programs |
| Moody’s Investors Service | Business development and client relationship management (EMEA/US franchises) | Not disclosed | Built commercial teams across FI, Real Estate, Public, Project & Infrastructure Finance |
| Equinox Realty Advisors | Chief Financial Officer | Not disclosed | Real estate investment advisory leadership |
| MetLife Realty Group | Portfolio Manager | Not disclosed | Investment management in real estate |
External Roles
| Company | Role | Tenure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Xenia Hotels & Resorts, Inc. (NYSE: XHR) | Director | Not disclosed | Current public company board service |
| Compass Group PLC (LSE: CPG) | Director | Not disclosed | Current public company board service |
Board Governance
- Committee assignments: Audit; Compensation & Talent; Nominating & Corporate Governance .
- Audit Committee composition: Daniel G. Kaye (Chair), Arlene Isaacs-Lowe, Craig MacKay; all members designated audit committee financial experts .
- 2024 committee activity (meeting counts):
- Audit: 9 meetings
- Compensation & Talent: 5 meetings
- Nominating & Corporate Governance: 4 meetings
- Independence: Board determined Isaacs-Lowe is independent; Board reviews outside affiliations and overboarding annually (limit of four public company boards; directors in compliance throughout 2024) .
- Attendance & engagement: Directors are expected to attend annual meetings; all directors attended the 2024 annual meeting . Executive sessions are held at each regular Board meeting; independent directors meet at least annually in private session .
Fixed Compensation
| Component | 2024 Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Annual cash retainer (Holdings) | $125,000 | Standard non‑employee director cash retainer; chair and committee chair retainers exist but she did not serve as a chair in 2024 |
| Equity retainer (Holdings common stock) | $175,039 | Annual equity retainer for non‑employee directors set at $175,000 in 2024 |
| Total director compensation (EQH) | $300,039 | Sum of cash and stock awards |
Additional program features:
- 2024 update raised the annual equity retainer to $175,000 for non‑employee directors; Independent Chair receives an additional $105,000 equity retainer .
- Director education reimbursement up to $5,000 per year; business travel accident insurance up to four times annual compensation .
Performance Compensation
| Item | Structure | Vesting/Terms |
|---|---|---|
| Holdings annual equity retainer | Shares of EQH common stock valued at $175,000 for non‑employee directors | Program described; vesting terms not separately disclosed for EQH director stock grants |
| Hedging & pledging policy | Directors prohibited from hedging or pledging Company securities | Applies to all directors; aligns incentives with shareholders |
| Director stock ownership guidelines | 5× annual cash retainer in EQH common stock; retain 50% of shares received until guideline met | Governance alignment requirement |
Note: EQH does not currently grant stock options to directors; compensation changes in 2024 focused on equity retainer calibration, not option awards .
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Entity | Type | Interlock/Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Equitable Financial; Equitable America | EQH subsidiaries | Franchise directorships (do not count separately for overboarding) |
| Compensation & Talent Committee interlocks | EQH governance | No compensation committee interlocks or insider participation disclosed for 2024 |
Expertise & Qualifications
- Audit committee financial expert designation; deep experience overseeing financial reporting, risk management, and ESG integration .
- Capital markets and investment management expertise; leadership across EMEA and U.S. financial franchises at Moody’s .
- Real estate finance background (CFO and portfolio management roles) .
Equity Ownership
| Security | Beneficially Owned | Percent of Class |
|---|---|---|
| EQH common stock | 14,770 shares | <1% (as reported) |
| AB Holding Units | 0 | — |
Policy alignment:
- Stock ownership guideline: 5× annual cash retainer in EQH common stock; 50% retention until met .
- Hedging and pledging of Company securities prohibited for directors .
Governance Assessment
- Positive signals:
- Independence affirmed; multi‑committee service including Audit (financial expert) strengthens oversight of financial reporting, controls, and ESG .
- Strong engagement indicated by service on three key committees with robust 2024 meeting cadence (Audit: 9; Compensation & Talent: 5; Nominating & Corporate Governance: 4) .
- Balanced director pay mix (cash + equity) and ownership guidelines promote alignment; hedging/pledging prohibitions mitigate misalignment risk .
- No compensation committee interlocks; reduces conflict risk in pay decisions .
- All directors attended 2024 annual meeting, reflecting engagement .
- Watch items:
- The amended and restated 2019 Omnibus Incentive Plan raises non‑employee director award limits (Chair up to $1.5M; other directors up to $1.0M), framed as flexibility given dual governance oversight with AB—monitor usage to avoid pay inflation risk .
- External board service at Xenia Hotels & Resorts and Compass Group PLC appears within EQH’s overboarding policy; Board reviews outside affiliations annually and reported compliance in 2024 .
Related-party safeguards: EQH maintains a formal Related Person Transaction Policy with Audit Committee review; Codes of Conduct address conflicts of interest. No related-person transactions involving directors are disclosed in the 2025 proxy, and independence determinations considered immaterial relationships per NYSE standards .