Céline Dufétel
About Céline Dufétel
Céline Dufétel (age 44) was appointed to the Fiserv (FI) Board of Directors effective January 1, 2026 as an independent director and will serve on the Audit Committee . She is currently Chief Financial Officer at Bridgewater Associates (since May 2025), with prior senior roles as President at Checkout.com (2021–2024) and CFO/COO at T. Rowe Price (2017–2021), bringing deep finance and operating expertise to FI’s board .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| T. Rowe Price | Chief Financial Officer; later CFO & COO | 2017–2021 | Led finance and operations at a large, regulated asset manager |
| Checkout.com | President (various roles 2021–2024) | 2021–2024 | Executive leadership at a global payments platform |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bridgewater Associates, LP | Chief Financial Officer | Since May 2025 | Current position at a major investment management firm |
Board Governance
- Independence: The board determined Ms. Dufétel is independent under exchange rules and SEC regulations .
- Committee assignments: Audit Committee member (effective Jan 1, 2026) .
- Director indemnity + deferral eligibility: On appointment, she will enter FI’s Non-Employee Director Indemnity Agreement and be eligible for the Non-Employee Director Deferred Compensation Plan .
- Attendance context: FI’s board held 7 meetings in 2024; all directors attended 100% of board and committee meetings, and non-management directors met in executive session at each regular meeting .
| Governance Item | Status/Detail | Citation |
|---|---|---|
| Independence | Independent director | |
| Board Committee | Audit Committee (member) | |
| Meeting Attendance (Board context) | 100% attendance by all directors in 2024 | |
| Executive Sessions | Held at each regular board meeting | |
| Indemnity Agreement | Will enter standard Non-Employee Director Indemnity Agreement | |
| Deferred Comp Plan | Eligible for Non-Employee Director Deferred Compensation Plan |
Fixed Compensation
FI’s standard non-employee director compensation program (applicable to Ms. Dufétel upon appointment) emphasizes a mix of cash retainers and equity RSUs with additional fees for committee service and chair roles .
| Element | Amount | Notes | Citation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual Board Cash Fee | $100,000 | Paid quarterly; eligible for deferral | |
| Annual Equity Award (RSUs) | $230,000 | RSUs valued at grant-date closing price; vest earlier of 1-year or just before next AGM | |
| Committee Membership Fee | $15,000 | Per committee | |
| Audit Committee Chair Fee | $25,000 | In addition to committee fee | |
| Other Committee Chair Fee (Nominating, Risk, Compensation) | $20,000 | In addition to committee fee | |
| Lead Director Equity Award | $75,000 | Additional RSUs for Lead Director |
Stock ownership policy for directors: Must accumulate and hold FI common stock valued at $1,320,000 within five years (4x board cash fee + standard equity award); all non-employee directors were in compliance as of the proxy publication .
Performance Compensation
Directors do not receive performance-based pay; annual equity grants are RSUs that vest based on time, not performance metrics .
| Component | Metric | Weight | Vesting | Citation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Director Equity | None (time-based RSUs) | N/A | RSUs vest 100% on the earlier of first anniversary or immediately prior to next AGM |
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Company | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| None disclosed | — | FI’s 8-K announcing her appointment does not list other public company directorships; board determined independence and noted no Item 404(a) related-party transactions for her |
Expertise & Qualifications
- Senior finance leadership: CFO at Bridgewater Associates; previously CFO and COO at T. Rowe Price .
- Payments/fintech operating experience: Executive leadership at Checkout.com .
- Audit oversight relevance: Audit Committee membership at FI aligns with finance background .
Equity Ownership
- Initial beneficial ownership: Not disclosed at appointment; directors receive time-based RSUs under the standard program .
- Hedging/pledging: FI policy prohibits directors from hedging or pledging FI stock; short sales are also prohibited .
- Ownership guidelines: Directors must reach $1,320,000 within five years; compliance is assessed excluding unvested options and PSUs (RSUs count when vested/held) .
Related Party Transactions & Conflicts
- Review framework: FI’s Audit Committee must review/approve related person transactions under Item 404(a); compensation matters for directors are reviewed by the Talent & Compensation Committee .
- Ms. Dufétel: No related-party transactions disclosed in FI’s appointment 8-K; board affirmed independence .
Compensation Committee & Say-on-Pay Context
- Committee independence: All committee members are independent; chairs are independent .
- Say-on-Pay 2024: 91% approval of NEO compensation, signaling strong shareholder support for governance and compensation practices .
Governance Assessment
- Positive signals: Independent appointment with Audit Committee membership; strong finance and operating credentials relevant to FI’s risk and reporting oversight .
- Alignment: Director pay structure is equity-heavy (RSUs) with rigorous stock ownership guidelines; hedging/pledging prohibited .
- Engagement/attendance norms: FI demonstrates robust board processes and 100% meeting attendance in 2024; executive sessions each regular meeting .
- Conflicts/RED FLAGS: No related-party transactions disclosed for Ms. Dufétel; independence affirmed. No hedging/pledging permitted. No disclosed consultant conflicts at the committee level .
Overall, Ms. Dufétel’s profile and committee placement suggest strong board effectiveness in financial oversight with low apparent conflict risk, supporting investor confidence .