José González
Equitable HoldingsAbout José González
José Ramón González, age 58, is Chief Legal Officer and Secretary of Equitable Holdings, leading Legal and Compliance and serving on the Management Committee; he joined EQH in March 2021 after senior legal roles at CNA, QBE North America, Torus Insurance, and AIG, and began his career at Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP . Company performance during his tenure has been strong: 2024 Non-GAAP Operating Earnings were $2.0B, cash generation was $1.5B, AUM/A reached $1,019B, and capital returns were $1.3B to shareholders . EQH achieved a three-year total shareholder return of 57.8% for the performance period ended December 31, 2024 (used for PSU payouts) .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Years | Strategic Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| CNA | Executive Vice President and General Counsel | 2019–Mar 2021 | Led legal function at a major insurer; governance and regulatory leadership |
| QBE North America | Chief Legal Officer and Corporate Secretary | 2014–2019 | Oversaw legal and corporate secretary functions; compliance and governance |
| Torus Insurance | Group General Counsel and Corporate Secretary | 2011–2014 | Group-level legal leadership; supported corporate governance |
| AIG | Various leadership roles in the legal function | ~12 years | Senior legal leadership across large global insurance operations |
| Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP | Corporate Associate | Early career | Foundational corporate law experience |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Years | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| — | — | — | No external directorships disclosed in the proxy for González |
Fixed Compensation
Not disclosed for José Ramón González (he is an executive officer but not a Named Executive Officer in the proxy’s compensation tables) .
Performance Compensation
Company incentive design (not specific to González):
- Short-Term Incentive Compensation (STIC) metrics and weightings: Non-GAAP Operating Earnings 25%, Value of New Business 25%, Cash Flow 25%, Strategic Initiatives 25% .
- Long-Term Incentive mix and vesting (for EQH equity programs): RSUs 40% (three annual tranches vesting Feb 28, 2025/2026/2027), TSR Performance Shares 30% (three-year cliff vest Feb 28, 2027; payout 0–200% based on relative TSR), Non-GAAP EPS Performance Shares 30% (three-year cliff vest Feb 28, 2027; payout 0–200% based on annual EPS targets averaged over the period) .
| Metric | Weight | Targeting/Payout | Vesting |
|---|---|---|---|
| Non-GAAP Operating Earnings (STIC) | 25% | Threshold/Target/Max set annually; aligns with profitability of ongoing ops | Annual cash (one-year program) |
| Value of New Business (STIC) | 25% | Economic value of new business; threshold/target/max set annually | Annual cash (one-year program) |
| Cash Flow (STIC) | 25% | Net dividends/distributions to Holdings less holding company expenses | Annual cash (one-year program) |
| Strategic Initiatives (STIC) | 25% | Qualitative goals for stakeholders, growth engines, efficiency, capital optimization | Annual cash (one-year program) |
| RSUs | 40% of LTI | Time-based equity; dividend equivalents; share price aligned | 1/3 on Feb 28 in 2025/2026/2027 |
| TSR Performance Shares | 30% of LTI | Payout 0–200% based on relative TSR vs peer group; linear interpolation | Cliff vest Feb 28, 2027 |
| Non-GAAP EPS Performance Shares | 30% of LTI | Payout 0–200% based on annual EPS targets averaged over 3 years | Cliff vest Feb 28, 2027 |
Equity Ownership & Alignment
| Item | Value | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Total beneficial ownership (EQH common) | 148,021 shares | As of March 24, 2025 |
| Ownership as % of shares outstanding | ~0.048% | Calculated as 148,021 / 306,828,703 shares outstanding |
| Unvested EQH Performance Shares | 57,100 shares | Explicit footnote (1) for González |
| Options (exercisable within 60 days) | — | No option footnote for González in table; not disclosed |
| AB Holding Units (AllianceBernstein) | — | No units listed for González |
| Stock ownership guideline | 3x base salary for Management Committee members; 75% retention of net shares until met | Applies to González as a Management Committee member |
| Hedging/pledging | Prohibited for employees and directors | Zero-cost collars, forward sales, and pledging banned |
Employment Terms
| Provision | Details | Applicability/Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Severance Plan (company-wide) | Temporary income based on service or base salary; capped at lesser of 52 weeks and $300,000; requires release | Available to eligible employees; executive-specific coverage for González not separately disclosed |
| Supplemental Severance Plan (executive) | For EQH Program Participants other than CEO: 2x base salary + short-term incentive upon job elimination or good reason within 12 months post change in control | Program Participants named are Pearson, Raju, Hurd, Lane; coverage for González not disclosed |
| Equity award restrictive covenants | Non-compete and non-solicit; violations trigger immediate forfeiture and clawback of vested/unvested shares and gains; 12-month clawback window for post-termination solicitation violations | Applies to holders of EQH equity awards |
| Clawback policy | SEC/NYSE-compliant; mandatory recovery for restatements; discretionary recovery for misconduct causing reputational/financial harm | Applies to executive officers (Section 16 officers) |
| Tax gross-ups | Company does not provide excise tax gross-ups upon change in control | Governance practice |
| Hedging/pledging | Prohibited for employees and directors | Alignment safeguard |
| Rule 10b5-1 plans | Permitted under insider trading policy | Facilitates orderly trades |
Investment Implications
- Alignment: González holds 148,021 EQH shares, including 57,100 unvested performance shares, providing direct equity exposure and retention incentives; company policy prohibits hedging and pledging, reinforcing alignment with shareholders .
- Retention and vesting: While José’s individual grant details are not disclosed, EQH’s equity programs vest over multi-year horizons (RSUs over three years; PSUs cliff vest at three years with performance conditions), which typically mitigates near-term selling pressure and supports retention .
- Compensation disclosure limits: As a non-NEO executive, José’s base salary/bonus targets and specific severance/change-in-control protections are not disclosed; investors should monitor future proxies and 8-Ks for any updates to his employment terms .
- Execution track record: EQH delivered 2024 Non-GAAP Operating Earnings of $2.0B, cash generation of $1.5B, $1.3B returned to shareholders, and 3-year TSR performance of 57.8%—supportive backdrop for governance/legal oversight effectiveness under González’s remit .
- Governance quality: Strong say-on-pay support (96.1%), robust stock ownership guidelines (3x salary for MC), and clawbacks/anti-hedging policies reduce governance risk and align management incentives with shareholder value creation .