Leslie Turner
Director at FE
Board
About Leslie M. Turner
Independent director at FirstEnergy Corp. since 2018; age 67. Former Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary at The Hershey Company (2012–2018); prior senior legal roles at The Coca‑Cola Company; earlier partner at Akin Gump and senior roles at the U.S. Department of the Interior. Education: B.S. (NYU), J.D. (Georgetown University Law Center), LL.M. in Law and Government (American University, Washington College of Law). Current FE committee roles: Audit Committee Chair and Finance Committee member; Board determined she is independent.
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees / Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Hershey Company | Senior Vice President, General Counsel & Corporate Secretary | 2012–2018 | Led legal, government relations, corporate secretary and security; advised on M&A and stakeholder matters |
| The Coca‑Cola Company | Associate General Counsel (Bottling Investment Group); General Counsel, Coca‑Cola North America | Since 2006 (dates not fully disclosed) | Senior legal leadership; corporate governance and policy expertise |
| Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld | Litigation Associate; Partner | Not disclosed | Litigation and partner-level leadership |
| U.S. Department of the Interior | Assistant Secretary, Office of Territorial & International Affairs; Counselor to Secretary; Director, Office of Intergovernmental Affairs | 1993–1996 | Federal policy, governance, and intergovernmental coordination |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Start Date | Committees / Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Chemours Company (NYSE: CC) | Independent Director | Feb 19, 2025 | Nominating & Corporate Governance; Compensation & Leadership Development |
| Georgetown University (Regents Board), Stillman College, Manor College, Bay Park Conservancy | Non‑profit board roles | Various (not fully disclosed) | Governance/community roles (as disclosed by Chemours) |
Board Governance
- Committee assignments: Audit Committee (Chair) and Finance Committee. Audit met 9 times in FY2024 (including two combined sessions with Operations & Safety Oversight); Audit responsibilities include financial reporting integrity, Ethics & Compliance oversight, ERM, internal audit, and cybersecurity risk (with Operations & Safety Oversight). Finance oversees financial resources/strategy.
- Independence and attendance: Board affirmatively determined Turner is independent; overall Board attendance ~94% in 2024, and all directors attended >75% of Board/committee meetings and attended the 2024 Annual Meeting.
- Audit Committee financial experts: Board designated Croom, Boyd, and O’Neil as Audit Committee Financial Experts (Turner chairs; not designated as financial expert in the proxy).
- Lead Independent Director/executive sessions: Independent directors hold executive sessions at each regularly scheduled Board meeting; presided by the Lead Independent Director.
Fixed Compensation
| Component | Amount (USD) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Annual cash retainer | $115,000 | Standard non‑employee director cash retainer in 2024 |
| Audit Committee Chair fee | $25,000 | Additional retainer for Audit Chair |
| Total cash fees (2024 reported) | $140,000 | Fees Earned or Paid in Cash (Leslie M. Turner) |
Performance Compensation
| Component | Grant Date Fair Value (USD) | Form | Vesting/Structure |
|---|---|---|---|
| Equity retainer (2024) | $159,908 | Shares of common stock paid quarterly | Quarterly equity retainer; grant fair values per quarter: $38.33 (Apr 1), $38.48 (Jul 1), $44.41 (Oct 1), $39.99 (Jan 2, 2025) |
- Director compensation is not tied to operational/financial performance metrics; equity retainer aligns director interests with shareholders. No option awards outstanding; no tax gross‑ups for director equity grants.
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Company | Role | Committees | Interlock/Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Chemours Company (NYSE: CC) | Independent Director | Nominating & Corporate Governance; Compensation & Leadership Development | Appointed Feb 19, 2025; no related‑party transactions disclosed by Chemours in 8‑K. |
- FE Compensation Committee interlocks: Board disclosed no interlocks or insider participation for 2024 Compensation Committee members.
Expertise & Qualifications
- Legal/governance leader: Former Hershey SVP GC/CS; senior legal leadership at Coca‑Cola North America; prior Akin Gump partner; senior DOI roles—bringing governance, regulatory, and risk management expertise.
- Education: B.S. (NYU), J.D. (Georgetown), LL.M. in Law and Government (American University).
- Boardroom capabilities: Audit oversight, compliance/ethics programs, and ERM/scoping with internal/external auditors; chairs FE Audit Committee.
Equity Ownership
| Measure | Value |
|---|---|
| Beneficially owned FE shares | 4,497 (as of Mar 17, 2025) |
| Percent of class | <1% (“*” denoted) |
| Director Deferred Stock Units (DDCP) payable in stock | 22,957 units |
| Director share ownership guideline | 6× annual cash retainer ($720,000 in common stock) within five years; minimum 100 shares within 90 days of election. |
| Guideline compliance status | Each director has either attained or is expected to attain within allotted time. |
| Anti‑hedging/anti‑pledging policy | Directors prohibited from short sales, options/derivatives; Designated Insiders prohibited from margin accounts or pledging FE securities. |
Governance Assessment
- Board effectiveness signal: As Audit Chair, Turner leads oversight of financial reporting integrity, compliance/ethics, ERM, and coordinated cybersecurity risk oversight—a critical governance function for FE given legacy HB6 matters; Audit recommended inclusion of 2024 audited financials in FE’s 10‑K.
- Independence and engagement: Board confirmed her independence; overall Board attendance ~94% in 2024 and >75% for all directors, indicating strong engagement.
- Alignment and pay practices: Director pay is a mix of cash retainer and equity; Turner’s 2024 total director compensation was $299,908 (cash $140,000; equity $159,908). Share ownership guidelines and anti‑hedging/pledging policies reinforce alignment.
- Other directorships: Addition to Chemours’ Board (independent; governance and compensation committees) enhances external perspective; SEC 8‑K notes no related‑party transactions tied to her appointment.
- RED FLAGS: None disclosed specific to Turner. FE’s Related Person Transactions Policy is robust; Governance Committee determined no related person transactions for independent directors; director fees standard; no hedging/pledging; no director tax gross‑ups disclosed.
Additional context: FE’s 2024 Say‑on‑Pay passed with over 95% support, and governance practices include independent committee composition, executive sessions, and shareholder engagement—supporting investor confidence.