Julia Vander Ploeg
About Julia Vander Ploeg
Julia Vander Ploeg (age 55) is an independent director of Extra Space Storage Inc. (EXR) with four years of board service since joining in November 2020. She brings 25+ years of leadership in digital, e‑commerce, technology, AI/data monetization, customer experience, and cybersecurity, and is NACD‑certified in Cyber‑Risk Oversight; she holds an MBA from Northwestern University (Kellogg) and a BA in Marketing from Michigan State University . During 2024, she attended at least 90% of Board and committee meetings; in 2023 she attended at least 75% while the Board met nine times including M&A integration work .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hyatt Hotels Corporation | SVP & Global Head of Digital (led e‑commerce, digital, IT across ~1,200 hotels in 75 countries) | 2018–Jul 2022 | Advanced guest experience via digital/IT; global scope |
| Volvo Car Group | VP, Digital & Business Transformation | 2017–2018 | Led digital/business transformation initiatives |
| McDonald’s Corporation (U.S.) | VP of Digital | 2014–2017 | Drove U.S. digital strategy and execution |
| Kellogg School of Management (Northwestern) | Adjunct Professor, Executive Education | Current | Executive education in digital/technology topics |
| McKinsey & Company | Senior Advisor | Current | Advises on digital/AI/customer experience |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ahold Delhaize (Netherlands) | Supervisory Board Member | Current | Public company board; oversight role |
| Neighborly Inc. | Director | Current | Board service |
| Radio Systems Corporation | Director (prior) | Prior | Prior board experience |
Board Governance
- Committee assignments: Compensation Committee Chair; Audit Committee Member; Independent director .
- Independence: Board determined nine of ten directors are independent; all Audit, Compensation, and Nominating & Governance & Corporate Responsibility members are independent .
- Attendance and engagement: In 2024, Board held five meetings; each director attended ≥90% of Board/committee meetings; independent directors meet in regular executive sessions; quarterly cyber briefings to the full Board .
- Governance policies: Majority voting in uncontested elections; proxy access; clawback policy; prohibition on hedging and stringent limits on pledging; separate Chair/CEO; independent lead director with defined responsibilities .
| Year | Committee | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Compensation | Chair |
| 2024 | Audit | Member |
Fixed Compensation
| Element | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Director Cash Retainer (2024 policy) | $90,000 | Effective May 23, 2024 |
| Compensation Committee Chair Supplemental | $25,000 | 2024 policy |
| Audit Committee Member Supplemental | $10,000 | Non‑chair committee member supplemental |
| Lead Independent Director Supplemental (policy ref) | $35,000 | Policy reference; not applicable to Vander Ploeg |
| Year | Fees Earned or Paid in Cash | Stock Awards | All Other Compensation | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $122,500 | $200,000 (1,402 RS) | $8,584 (dividends on unvested stock) | $331,084 |
| 2023 | $107,500 | $160,000 (1,093 RS) | n/a disclosed | $267,500 |
Performance Compensation
| Award Type | Grant Date | Shares/Units | Grant-Date Fair Value | Vesting |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Annual Director Restricted Stock | May 23, 2024 | 1,402 shares | $200,000 | Vests on first anniversary, subject to continued service |
| Annual Director Restricted Stock | May 25, 2023 | 1,093 shares | $160,000 | Vests on first anniversary, subject to continued service |
- Director equity awards are time‑based (no performance conditions), aligning directors with shareholders via ownership and vesting; dividends are paid on unvested shares .
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Company | Type | Shared Interlocks with EXR (Potential Conflicts) |
|---|---|---|
| Ahold Delhaize | Public (EU) | None disclosed; no related‑party transactions noted |
| Neighborly Inc. | Private | None disclosed |
| Radio Systems Corporation (prior) | Private | None disclosed |
- Compensation Committee Interlocks: None existed in 2024 (no executive officer cross‑service interlocks) ; same in 2023 .
Expertise & Qualifications
- Digital, e‑commerce, technology, AI, data monetization, customer experience; risk management including operations to cybersecurity .
- NACD certification in Cyber‑Risk Oversight; Board benefits from quarterly cybersecurity updates and director education; four Board members have cybersecurity experience in 2025 .
- Public company executive and board experience; corporate governance and compensation expertise .
Equity Ownership
| As of | Restricted Stock Held | Beneficial Ownership (Shares) | % of Shares Outstanding |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 24, 2025 | 1,402 | 4,815 | <1.0% |
| Mar 26, 2024 | 1,093 | 3,413 | <1.0% |
- Director stock ownership guideline: 5x annual cash retainer within five years; each non‑employee director met the guideline or is on track as of Dec 31, 2024 .
- Hedging prohibited; pledging tightly limited and requires Compensation Committee approval; no pledges disclosed for Vander Ploeg (pledge footnote pertains to Mr. Woolley) .
Governance Assessment
- Strengths: Independent Compensation Chair with deep technology/cyber and customer‑centric expertise; robust attendance; alignment via ownership guidelines; strong governance framework (majority voting, proxy access, clawback, hedging prohibition) .
- Shareholder signals: High say‑on‑pay approval (97% in 2024; 96% in 2023) indicates investor confidence in compensation oversight under her chairship .
- Conflicts/related party: No related‑party transactions disclosed; Compensation Committee interlocks absent; stringent pledging/hedging policies reduce alignment risk .
- Workload/overboarding: Company policy limits non‑executive directors to ≤3 boards in addition to EXR; her disclosed roles fit within this guardrail .
- Red flags: None evident; monitor evolving responsibilities across external boards and continued independence; maintain oversight on compensation consultant independence (Meridian deemed independent) .
Compensation Committee Analysis
- Committee responsibilities include total compensation philosophy, CEO evaluation/comp decisions, equity plan monitoring, administration of compensation recovery (clawback) policy; retained Meridian (independent) for market benchmarking and design; five meetings in 2024 .
- Benchmarking comparator group (indicative of pay‑level discipline and potential inflation risk): AvalonBay, Boston Properties, CubeSmart, Crown Castle, Digital Realty, Equinix, Equity Residential, Essex, Hilton, Invitation Homes, MAA, Public Storage, Realty Income, SBA Communications, Simon Property Group, Sun Communities, Welltower, Chipotle Mexican Grill; EXR near median enterprise value as of Dec 31, 2024 .
Say‑on‑Pay & Shareholder Feedback
- Say‑on‑pay approval: 97% at 2024 Annual Meeting; 96% at 2023 Annual Meeting, with proactive investor engagement and governance disclosures .
Risk Indicators & Policies
- Clawback policy compliant with SEC/NYSE; mandatory recovery of erroneously awarded incentive compensation for covered executives .
- Insider trading policy strengthened with 90‑day cooling‑off, prohibits overlapping/single‑trade 10b5‑1 plans .
- Cybersecurity oversight embedded (Audit Committee and full Board briefings; IRP; third‑party assessments) — relevant to her cyber expertise .
Insider Trades
- Form 4 transaction data is not provided in the proxy; beneficial ownership is disclosed above. No insider trading transactions by Julia Vander Ploeg are disclosed in the DEF 14A materials reviewed .