Neal Sharma
EvergyAbout Neal Sharma
Neal A. Sharma (age 48) is an independent director of Evergy, Inc. since 2023. He serves on the Audit, Finance, and Operations Committees, and is designated an “audit committee financial expert.” Sharma co-founded Digital Evolution Group (DEG), served as its CEO through 2022 after its sale in 2018, and is President of Dentsu Shop; he also advises startups and serves on non-profit boards at MRI Global and the Truman Library Institute. He holds a B.A. from American University (1998) and an MBA from the University of Kansas (2001).
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Digital Evolution Group (DEG) | Co-founder; Chief Executive Officer | 2018–2022 | DEG was sold in 2018; Sharma continued as CEO through 2022 |
| Dentsu Shop | President | Since Jan 2022 | Solutions-oriented advisory role |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| MRI Global | Board member (non-profit) | Not disclosed | Science/technology governance exposure |
| Truman Library Institute | Board member (non-profit) | Not disclosed | Civic/community leadership |
| Startup companies | Advisor/investor | Ongoing | Digital commerce, risk management, customer experience insights |
Board Governance
| Area | Details |
|---|---|
| Independence | The Board determined all directors except the CEO are independent; Sharma is independent |
| Attendance | In 2024, each incumbent director nominee attended >75% of aggregate Board and committee meetings |
| Committee Assignments | Audit Committee member; Finance Committee member; Operations Committee member |
| Audit Committee Financial Expert | Sharma is designated an “audit committee financial expert” by SEC definition |
| Committee Activity (2024) | Audit: 6 meetings, 100% attendance; Finance: 4 meetings, 94% attendance; Operations: 6 total meetings across pre-merge committees and combined, 100% attendance |
| Governance Practices | Majority voting, proxy access, special meeting rights, executive sessions; no hedging/pledging; SEC-compliant clawback |
Fixed Compensation
| Category | 2024 Amount ($) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Annual cash retainer | 115,000 | Base cash retainer for non-employee directors |
| Committee chair fees | 0 | Sharma is not a committee chair |
| Meeting fees | 0 | Not part of director compensation structure |
| All other compensation | 0 | No perquisites or other personal benefits >$10,000 |
| Total cash (fees earned) | 115,000 | Fees earned or paid in cash |
Performance Compensation
| Category | 2024 Amount ($) | Structure |
|---|---|---|
| Equity retainer (Common Stock) | 155,361 | Annual grant paid following May 8, 2024 meeting; fair value per ASC 718 |
| Options | N/A | No stock options granted to directors |
| Deferral elections | Eligible | Directors may defer cash to DCP or convert to DSUs; may defer equity to DSUs under LTIP |
| Clawback policy | In place | SEC-compliant clawback policy; applies broadly |
Notes: Evergy’s program does not use performance metrics (e.g., TSR hurdles) for non-employee director pay; equity retainers are time-based common stock/DSUs, and there are no meeting fees or option awards in 2024.
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Type | Entity | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Public company boards | None disclosed | — | No other public company directorships disclosed in Sharma’s biography |
| Private/non-profit boards | MRI Global | Board member | As disclosed |
| Private/non-profit boards | Truman Library Institute | Board member | As disclosed |
| Potential interlocks | None identified | — | No related-party transactions requiring disclosure; independence affirmed |
Expertise & Qualifications
- Management and leadership across digital marketing and commerce; substantial financial and accounting expertise; risk management and customer experience.
- Self-assessed Board core competencies include strategy development, accounting/finance, risk management, operational oversight, customer experience, and ESG among others.
- Audit Committee Financial Expert designation, supporting financial reporting oversight and internal control rigor.
Equity Ownership
| Metric | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Beneficially owned shares | 2,864 | As of March 4, 2025 |
| Share equivalents to be settled in stock (DSUs) | — | None disclosed in table |
| Total share interest | 2,864 | Beneficially owned + share equivalents |
| Ownership as % of shares outstanding | <1% | Denoted “*” in table (less than one percent) |
| Ownership guidelines | 5x cash retainer within 5 years | Non-employee directors must meet 5× cash retainer guideline |
| Guideline compliance | In compliance as of 12/31/2024 | All non-employee directors in compliance |
| Hedging/pledging | Prohibited | Company policy prohibits hedging and pledging by directors |
Governance Assessment
- Board effectiveness: Sharma sits on three key committees (Audit, Finance, Operations), reinforcing oversight across financial reporting, capital allocation, and operational/cyber risks; Audit Committee Financial Expert designation strengthens audit oversight.
- Independence and attendance: Independent under Nasdaq standards; attended >75% of Board/committee meetings; committees reported high attendance (Audit/Operations 100%).
- Alignment and incentives: 2024 director pay comprised $115,000 cash and $155,361 equity, with DSU deferral available; no options or meeting fees; stock ownership guideline compliance as of year-end.
- Conflicts and related-party exposure: No Item 404 related-party transactions in FY2024; hedging/pledging prohibited; strong governance practices (majority voting, proxy access, clawback).
- Shareholder signals: 2024 Say-on-Pay support ~96% indicates investor confidence in compensation governance.
RED FLAGS
- None disclosed for Sharma: no related-party transactions, no hedging/pledging, no tax gross-ups, no option repricing; independence affirmed.
Contextual Benchmarks
- Non-employee director pay targeted around the 50th percentile of Evergy’s peer group; compensation overseen by independent committee with Meridian as consultant.