Serge Dumont
EAST WEST BANCORPAbout Serge Dumont
Serge Dumont (age 65) is an independent director of East West Bancorp (EWBC) since 2022, serving on the Compensation and Nominating/Corporate Governance Committees. He is Co‑Founder and Vice Chairman of ImpactWayv, Inc., and previously held senior leadership roles at Omnicom Group, including Vice Chairman and Chairman, Asia Pacific. He is FT Directorship Certified and a member of the Association of LGBTQ+ Corporate Directors, with recognition for contributions in business, philanthropy, health, culture, and education .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Omnicom Group, Inc. | Vice Chairman; Chairman, Asia Pacific | 2011–2018 | Led global marketing/communications in APAC; deep geopolitical and international business expertise |
| Interasia Group | Founder | Began 1985 | First independent communications group in China; established early China market leadership |
| United Nations UNAIDS | Goodwill Ambassador | Prior role | Global public health advocacy; international stakeholder engagement |
| World Health Organization; Beijing Municipal Government | Senior Advisor | Prior role | Policy advisory; cross-border government relations |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Status | Focus/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| ImpactWayv, Inc. | Co‑Founder & Vice Chairman | Current | Social impact tech and communications |
| Asia Society France | Founding Chairman; President Emeritus | Current | Cultural diplomacy; Asia‑Europe engagement |
| Synergos (New York) | Board Member | Current | Philanthropy and systems change |
| Association of LGBTQ+ Corporate Directors | Member | Current | Governance community participation |
Board Governance
- Committee Assignments: Compensation; Nominating/Corporate Governance (no chair roles) .
- Independence: Determined independent under Nasdaq rules; all members of the Compensation and Nominating/Corporate Governance Committees are independent .
- Attendance: In 2024, the Board held 4 regular meetings and a multi‑day retreat; committees met 20 times. All director nominees attended all Board and their committee meetings, and the retreat (i.e., 100% participation) .
- Skills Matrix Highlights: High-level financial expertise; senior leadership; broad international/geopolitical exposure; social/corporate governance; innovation/technology; risk oversight experience .
- Stock Ownership Guidelines: Directors must hold 3× annual cash retainer within five years; no hedging or pledging permitted .
Fixed Compensation
| Component | 2024 Amount/Detail |
|---|---|
| Annual Cash Retainer | $133,768 |
| Equity Grant (Common Stock) | $133,732 |
| Total Director Compensation | $267,500 |
| Grant Specifics | 1,818 shares granted on May 28, 2024; grant date price $73.56; grant‑date fair value computed per ASC 718 |
Notes:
- Director compensation structure: cash + stock; reviewed biennially by Compensation Committee using Meridian Compensation Partners peer benchmarking .
- Committee chair fees exist but not applicable to Dumont (Audit/Comp/Risk: $27,500; Nominating: $22,500 to chairs) .
Performance Compensation
- Non‑employee director pay at EWBC has no performance‑metric based cash or equity; directors receive annual common stock grants (not options/PSUs) and cash retainers .
- No options outstanding reported for directors; director equity is common stock grants aligned to service .
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Current U.S. Public Company Boards | None disclosed for Dumont in EWBC proxy; other directors list their public boards, Dumont not among them |
| Interlocks | No shared public company directorships disclosed involving Dumont; Board states independence across committees |
Expertise & Qualifications
- International/geopolitical expertise; Asia market leadership (Omnicom APAC; Interasia founder) .
- High-level financial expertise and senior executive leadership experience .
- Corporate governance and social impact credentials; FT Directorship Certified .
- Committee experience: Compensation; Nominating/Corporate Governance .
Equity Ownership
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Beneficial Ownership (Common Shares) | 6,427 shares; <1% of class |
| Ownership Guidelines | 3× annual cash retainer required (within 5 years) |
| Hedging/Pledging | Prohibited by EWBC Insider Trading Policy |
| Vested vs Unvested | Beneficial ownership table excludes RSUs expected to vest within 60 days; directors’ RSUs not included |
| Indicative Value vs Guideline | Approx. $616k value at $95.76 closing price on 12/31/2024 vs ~$401k guideline (3× $133,750 retainer); company does not disclose individual compliance, but holdings at that price exceed guideline threshold |
Governance Assessment
- Board Effectiveness: Dumont’s dual committee service (Compensation; Nominating/CG), 100% attendance, and deep international/geopolitical background strengthen oversight of talent strategy, governance, and stakeholder engagement .
- Independence & Alignment: Confirmed independent; director ownership guidelines and annual stock grants support alignment; hedging/pledging ban reduces misalignment risk .
- Conflicts/Related Party Exposure: EWBC reported no related party transactions requiring approval in 2024; loans to directors or affiliated entities, when made, follow ordinary‑course banking standards and presented no problem loans at year‑end .
- Compensation Signals: Simple, balanced director pay (cash + stock) with regular external benchmarking; no meeting fees or options; chair fees targeted to roles—no anomalies or red flags for Dumont .
- RED FLAGS: None identified for Dumont—no attendance issues, no pledging/hedging, no reported related‑party transactions or tax gross‑ups impacting director pay .
Overall, Dumont presents as an engaged, independent director with relevant global experience and committee responsibilities that contribute to board oversight quality; no material conflicts or pay anomalies disclosed that would impair investor confidence .