Christina Van Tassell
About Christina Van Tassell
Independent director of Empire State Realty Trust since 2023; age 54. Former EVP & CFO of John Wiley & Sons (2021–Oct 2024), CFO of Dow Jones (2017–2021), CFO of Xaxis (2013–2017), and CFO of Centurion Holdings (2004–2013); 12-year tenure at PwC in global capital markets/M&A. Holds MBAs from Columbia University and London Business School, and a BA in accounting and business administration from Muhlenberg College .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| John Wiley & Sons, Inc. (NYSE: WLY) | EVP & CFO | 2021–Oct 2024 | Oversaw FP&A, accounting, IR, internal audit, treasury, tax |
| Dow Jones & Company, Inc. | CFO | 2017–2021 | Oversight across WSJ, Barron’s, Factiva |
| Xaxis (WPP Plc) | CFO | 2013–2017 | Finance leadership at global ad tech company |
| Centurion Holdings LLC | CFO | 2004–2013 | Investment/advisory finance leadership |
| PricewaterhouseCoopers | Senior roles (Global capital markets, M&A) | ~12 years | Accounting/financial literacy foundation |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| News Literacy Project (non-profit) | Board member | Recent | National educational nonprofit |
| Unruly (video ad tech) | Board member | Prior | Leading provider of video advertising technology |
Board Governance
- Independence: Board determined all directors other than the CEO are independent; all members of standing committees are independent per NYSE rules . She serves on Audit and Nominating & Corporate Governance (NGC) committees; designated an Audit Committee Financial Expert .
- Committees and activity:
- Audit Committee: Member; 12 meetings in 2024 .
- Nominating & Corporate Governance Committee: Member; 4 meetings in 2024 .
- Attendance: Aggregate attendance across 2024—Board 98%, Audit 98%, Compensation 100%, Finance 95%, NGC 97%; each director attended at least 75% of meetings of the board/committees served .
- Shareholder support: Re-elected at 2025 annual meeting; votes For 174,120,982; Against 1,169,780; Abstained 236,851; broker non-votes 9,643,719 .
Fixed Compensation
| Component | 2024 Amount | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| Annual base retainer (independent director) | $200,000 | 60% equity ($120,000) vests over 4 years; remaining 40% at director election: cash $80,000 (Option 1), fully vested equity $80,000 (Option 2), or 3-year vest equity at 120% face ($96,000) (Option 3) |
| Committee membership fees | $20,000 | Audit membership $12,500; NGC membership $7,500 (cash) |
| Meeting fees | $0 disclosed | $1,500 per meeting only after 8 meetings/year threshold and >30 minutes; none itemized for her |
2024 director compensation received:
| Name | Fees Earned/Paid in Cash ($) | Stock Awards ($) | Total ($) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Christina Van Tassell | 100,000 | 120,002 | 220,002 |
Program notes:
- All directors elected LTIP units over Restricted Shares for equity .
- Compensation consultant: Ferguson Partners engaged; independence assessed Feb 2024 and confirmed .
Performance Compensation
| Performance-Linked Pay Elements | Status |
|---|---|
| Performance stock/PSUs for directors | None disclosed (director equity is time-based LTIP units) |
| Options | None disclosed for directors |
| Metrics tied to director compensation (TSR/EBITDA/ESG) | Not disclosed for directors |
Equity grant details (program-wide):
- Time-based LTIP units: grant-date fair value $120,000; vest annually over 4 years; per-unit fair value $8.95 (May 10, 2024 grants) .
- Option 3 grants (3-year vest at 120%): per-unit fair value $8.84 (not elected by Van Tassell) .
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Counterparty | Relationship | Potential Interlock/Conflict |
|---|---|---|
| None public company boards disclosed | — | No public interlocks identified for Christina |
Company-level related party highlights for context:
- Transactions with the Malkin Group (executive-affiliated entities) vetted under Related Party Transactions Policy; 2023 Westport property sale to CEO-affiliated entity; independent review and loan fully repaid .
- Tenant relationship: Director Hannah Yang’s sister leads a tenant; no similar disclosures for Van Tassell .
- Policy: NGC reviews related party transactions >$120k; fairness/comparable terms required and ongoing monitoring .
Expertise & Qualifications
- Finance leadership across publishing and media, advertising technology, and investment/advisory; deep accounting/financial reporting literacy from PwC tenure .
- Audit Committee Financial Expert designation .
- Digital media and commerce, cybersecurity/technology, risk management, human capital oversight experience .
Equity Ownership
| Item | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Class A shares | 0 | — |
| Class B shares | 0 | — |
| Operating partnership/LTIP units beneficially owned | 3,375 | Vested LTIP units |
| Unvested LTIP units | 23,533 | As of 12/31/2024 |
| Ownership as % of outstanding | <1% | Footnote indicates less than 1% |
| Time-based LTIP units: Vested/Total awarded | 3,375 / 26,908 | No performance LTIPs disclosed |
| Pledging/Hedging status | Hedging prohibited; pledging requires pre-approval for holdings >$1M | No pledging by Van Tassell disclosed |
Stock ownership guidelines:
- Independent directors must hold shares/OP units/LTIP units with market value ≥ 5x the cash-eligible portion of annual base retainer, to be achieved within 5 years of election (applies to Van Tassell; elected 2023) .
Governance Assessment
-
Strengths:
- Independent director with CFO credentials across public-company environments; Audit Committee Financial Expert—supports robust financial oversight .
- Active on Audit and NGC committees with strong board/committee attendance across 2024; re-elected with high “For” votes, indicating shareholder support .
- Director compensation mix balanced toward equity (60%), aligning interests; program uses independent consultant and market benchmarking .
- Clear policies on clawbacks, hedging/pledging, and director stock ownership—enhances alignment and risk control .
-
Potential watch items:
- Ownership level currently immaterial (<1%); monitor progress toward director ownership guideline within 5 years of election (by 2028) .
- Company-level related party transactions exist (CEO-affiliated entities); though no exposure tied to Van Tassell is disclosed, continued independent committee oversight remains key .
-
RED FLAGS: None disclosed specific to Van Tassell (no related-party transactions, hedging/pledging, tax gross-ups, option repricings, or low attendance) .