David H. Long
Director at ES
Board
About David H. Long
David H. Long, age 64, has served as an independent Trustee of Eversource Energy since 2019, and is a member of the Compensation Committee and the Governance, Environmental and Social Responsibility Committee . He is Chairman of the Board at Liberty Mutual Holding Company Inc., previously serving as President (2010), Chief Executive Officer (2011–2022), and Chairman (2013) . Long holds a B.A. from Hartwick College (1983) and an M.S. in finance from Boston College (1989), and has over 35 years of experience in financial services with extensive accounting, financial, and reporting expertise in a regulated industry, plus significant leadership experience; the Board determined he should continue to serve based on these qualifications .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Liberty Mutual Holding Company Inc. | Chairman of the Board | 2013–present | Oversight of a large regulated financial services enterprise |
| Liberty Mutual Holding Company Inc. | Chief Executive Officer | 2011–2022 | Led operations and strategy in a regulated industry |
| Liberty Mutual Holding Company Inc. | President and Director | 2010 | Senior executive leadership and governance |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hartwick College | Board/civic role | Not disclosed | Serves on numerous boards/civic organizations |
| Massachusetts General Hospital & President’s Council | Board/President’s Council | Not disclosed | Chair of annual fundraiser “Aspire” |
| Ford’s Theatre | Board/civic role | Not disclosed | Board-level engagement |
| Massachusetts Competitive Partnership | Member | Not disclosed | Business leadership group |
| Boston College Board of Governors | Member | Not disclosed | University governance |
| Chief Executives Club of Boston | Member | Not disclosed | Executive forum |
| MIT President’s CEO Advisory Board | Member | Not disclosed | Advisory capacity |
| Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce | Member | Not disclosed | Business community role |
| Jobs for Massachusetts, Inc. | Member | Not disclosed | Civic engagement |
| Tamarack Technologies | Board/civic role | Not disclosed | Board service |
| The Common Room (non-profit) | Director and officer | Not disclosed | Non-profit governance |
The proxy biography does not list any current public company directorships for Mr. Long beyond Eversource .
Board Governance
- Committee assignments: Member, Compensation Committee; Member, Governance, Environmental and Social Responsibility Committee .
- Independence: Board affirmatively determined Long is independent under SEC/NYSE and corporate guidelines (Audit and Compensation enhanced criteria) .
- Committee activity: Compensation Committee met 4 times in 2024; Governance, Environmental and Social Responsibility met 4 times in 2024 .
- Board meetings: 8 meetings in 2024; 4 included executive sessions of independent Trustees; each Trustee attended at least 75% of aggregate Board and Committee meetings; all Trustees attended the May 1, 2024 Annual Meeting .
| Item | 2024 Value | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Board meetings held | 8 | Four sessions were independent-only |
| Compensation Committee meetings | 4 | All members independent |
| Governance, Environmental & Social Responsibility Committee meetings | 4 | All members independent |
| Attendance threshold met | ≥75% | Long met minimum like all Trustees; annual meeting attended |
Fixed Compensation
- Structure (2024): Annual cash retainer $120,000; annual stock retainer $165,000; no meeting attendance fees; chair retainers at committee level (not applicable to Long as a non-chair) .
- 2025 adjustments: Effective Jan 1, 2025, cash retainer increased to $125,000; stock retainer basis increased to $175,000; Finance and Governance Committee chair retainers increased by $5,000 (Long is not a chair) .
| Component | David H. Long (2024) | Company Policy/Structure (2024) |
|---|---|---|
| Fees Earned or Paid in Cash ($) | $120,000 | Annual cash retainer $120,000 |
| Board/Committee Meeting Fees | $0 | None |
| Chair Fees | $0 | Committee chair retainers per committee (varies) |
| Total Cash | $120,000 | As per structure |
- Other: Trustees may elect to defer cash compensation; some Trustees did so in 2024, but Long is not listed among deferrals; deferred funds earn market-based returns under the Deferred Compensation Plan (no above-market earnings) .
Performance Compensation
- RSU grant mechanics (Trustees): RSUs are granted annually at the tenth business day of the year based on the stock retainer amount; generally vest the next business day; distribution may be deferred, subject to ownership guidelines .
- 2025 RSU grant reflecting 2024 service: 3,092 RSUs granted to each Trustee on Jan 15, 2025 at $55.98/share; grant date fair value $154,372.32; RSUs vested Jan 16, 2025 .
| Metric | Value | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Annual stock retainer basis (2024) | $165,000 | Used to calculate RSU count |
| RSUs granted to Long (Jan 15, 2025) | 3,092 units | Same for all Trustees |
| Grant-date price | $55.98 | NYSE closing price on grant date |
| Grant-date fair value | $154,372.32 | RSU value for Long |
| Vest date | Jan 16, 2025 | Standard next-business-day vesting |
| Deferral election | Not disclosed | Trustees may elect deferral subject to guidelines |
| Dividends on unvested awards | Prohibited | No dividends before vesting |
- Policies and controls: No hedging or pledging of company shares by Trustees; no option repricing; payout limitations; independent compensation consultant engaged; double-trigger change-in-control for executives (context) .
Other Directorships & Interlocks
- Compensation Committee interlocks: None—no Eversource executive officers serve on boards of companies where ES Compensation Committee or Board members are executive officers; no Compensation Committee member is employed by Eversource or its subsidiaries .
- Public company boards: No current public company directorships disclosed for Long in the proxy biography .
Expertise & Qualifications
- Financial services tenure: Over 35 years with comprehensive accounting, financial, and reporting experience in a regulated industry (Liberty Mutual), plus significant management and leadership skills; Board determined he should continue as Trustee based on these qualifications .
- Education: B.A., Hartwick College (1983); M.S. in finance, Boston College (1989); honorary doctorates from Hartwick (2014), Bentley (2017), Merrimack (2018) .
- Committee-aligned expertise: Governance oversight experience and ESG/human capital oversight via committee membership .
Equity Ownership
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Beneficial ownership as of Feb 24, 2025 | 15,988 shares (includes RSUs/deferred shares and dividend equivalents; no voting/investment power over these units) |
| RSUs held (aggregate at Dec 31, 2024) | 12,896 units |
| Ownership % of outstanding shares | Not separately disclosed (Trustees and executives as a group own <1%) |
| Pledging/hedging | Prohibited by policy for Trustees |
- Trustee ownership guidelines: Required to attain ownership equal to at least five times the then-current annual cash retainer; Trustees must defer or hold all shares awarded as annual stock compensation retainers until guidelines are met .
Governance Assessment
- Board effectiveness: Long serves on two core governance committees—Compensation and Governance/ESR—both fully independent and active (four meetings each in 2024), aligning with his financial and leadership background .
- Independence and conflicts: Independence reaffirmed January 29, 2025; Board review found no related person transactions involving Trustees (including Long); utility service relationships deemed immaterial to independence .
- Engagement and attendance: Board held 8 meetings with 4 executive sessions; Long met the “at least 75%” attendance threshold; all Trustees attended the May 1, 2024 Annual Meeting—supportive of engagement .
- Compensation alignment: Mix of cash and equity (RSUs) with immediate vesting and holding/deferral requirements until guideline compliance; no meeting fees; no hedging/pledging; no tax gross-ups on spousal travel expenses—shareholder-friendly features .
- Investor sentiment signal: 2024 Say-on-Pay approval was 85.59%, suggesting broad support for executive pay governance overseen by the Compensation Committee on which Long serves (contextual governance read-through) .
RED FLAGS: None identified in the proxy for Long—no related party transactions, no hedging/pledging, and compliance oversight mechanisms in place; monitor beneficial ownership composition (substantial RSUs/deferred shares) versus outright share ownership for long-term alignment, though Trustee guidelines require a 5x retainer threshold and holding until met .