Jorge L. Benitez
About Jorge L. Benitez
Independent director at Fifth Third Bancorp since May 2015; former Chief Executive Officer for North America at Accenture (2011–2014) with prior tenure as Chief Operating Officer of Accenture’s Products Operating Group (2006–2011). He holds a BS in Accounting with a minor in Economics from the University of Florida and is currently age 65, per public profiles and board biographies .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Accenture plc | Chief Executive, North America | Aug 2011–Aug 2014 | Led North America operations and strategy execution |
| Accenture Products Operating Group | Chief Operating Officer | Sep 2006–Aug 2011 | Oversaw operational excellence across automotive, travel, industrials, life sciences, infrastructure/transport sectors |
| Accenture LLP | Senior leadership roles | 1981–2011 | Large-scale transformation and enterprise systems leadership |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Start | Committees/Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Interpublic Group (NYSE: IPG) | Independent Director | Aug 31, 2023 | Board biography confirms accession and credentials |
| World Kinect Corporation (NYSE: WKC) | Independent Director | Jan 5, 2015 | Technology & Operations and Governance Committees |
| U.S. Chamber of Commerce; Accenture Foundation | Director/Board Member | — | Non-profit governance roles |
Board Governance
- Independence: The Board determined all 2025 director nominees are independent under Nasdaq standards except the CEO; Benitez is independent .
- Committee memberships (2024):
- Audit Committee (member; Chair: Eileen A. Mallesch) .
- Finance Committee (member; Chair: Gary R. Heminger) .
- Human Capital & Compensation Committee (member; Chair: Michael B. McCallister) .
- Nominating & Corporate Governance Committee (member) .
- Engagement indicators (2024 meeting cadence):
- Audit Committee: 10 meetings .
- HCC Committee: 6 meetings .
- Risk & Compliance Committee: 11 meetings, incl. one special .
- Finance Committee: 2 meetings .
- Director since 2015; appointment press release confirms accession and prior experience .
Fixed Compensation
| Element | Position | 2023 Amount ($) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual cash retainer | Board Member | 100,000 | Paid quarterly in arrears |
| Annual equity retainer (RSUs) | Board Member | 140,000 | RSUs vest upon end of board service; grant at AGM or on joining |
| Lead Independent Director additional retainer | LID | 90,000 | Converted to full cash retainer in 2023 |
| Committee chair retainers | Audit; Risk & Compliance | 45,000 | Per chair; member fee $15,000 |
| Committee chair retainers | Finance | 55,000 | Per chair |
| Committee chair retainers | HCC; Technology; Nominating | 25,000 | Per chair |
| Deferred compensation plan (directors) | Cash/RSUs deferrals | — | Directors may elect to defer 50–100% of cash; RSUs also deferrable; earnings based on elected mutual funds; no preferential rates |
Y/Y change: In 2023 the Board approved a $10,000 increase to overall director compensation, split equally between cash and equity retainers .
Performance Compensation
| Component | Design | Metrics | Vesting/Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Options | Not granted | — | No option awards to directors per proxies (e.g., 2019–2024) |
| Non-equity incentive | Not applicable | — | Directors do not receive non-equity incentive compensation |
| RSUs (director equity) | Time-based | None | RSUs vest when board service ends; deferral elections permitted |
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Company | Sector | Role | Start | Committee roles |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Interpublic Group (IPG) | Advertising/Marketing | Independent Director | 2023 | Not disclosed in citation; board bio confirms role |
| World Kinect (WKC) | Energy distribution/Payments | Independent Director | 2015 | Technology & Operations; Governance Committees |
| Fifth Third (FITB/FITBI) | Regional banking | Independent Director | 2015 | Audit; Finance; HCC; Nominating & Corporate Governance |
Shareholder vote signal: Benitez was re-elected in 2025 ASM; shareholders also approved advisory vote on executive compensation and auditor ratification .
Expertise & Qualifications
- Former Accenture North America CEO; deep experience in strategy execution, large-scale transformations, change management, and enterprise systems across consumer, industrials, and transportation sectors .
- Board governance exposure across financial services (Fifth Third), advertising/marketing (IPG), and energy distribution/payments (World Kinect), adding risk oversight and operational modernization perspectives .
Equity Ownership
| Metric | As of Dec 31, 2023 | As of Dec 31, 2024 |
|---|---|---|
| Beneficially owned shares | 39,034 (.0057% of class) | 40,111 (.0060% of class) |
| RSUs outstanding (director) | 42,808 | 48,167 |
| Deferred RSUs (units elected to defer) | 3,774 | 8,056 |
Stock ownership guideline: Non-employee directors must own stock equal to 6× the annual cash retainer within 5 years; as of Dec 2024 all directors met or were on pace to meet guidelines (with automatic dividend reinvestment for appointments after June 1, 2020) .
Governance Assessment
- Committee work: Active membership on Audit, Finance, HCC, and Nominating & Corporate Governance aligns with his operational and risk credentials; no chair roles indicated for Benitez in 2024 (Audit Chair: Mallesch; Finance Chair: Heminger; HCC Chair: McCallister) .
- Independence and conflicts: Board confirms independence; “Certain Transactions” section outlines oversight of related-person transactions by the HCC Committee; no Benitez-specific related-party transactions are noted in cited disclosures .
- Ownership alignment: RSU holdings and deferrals demonstrate long-term alignment; compliance with stringent 6× retainer ownership standard is board-wide .
- Multi-board service: External roles at IPG and WKC create information flow benefits without apparent direct competitive conflicts to regional banking; audit committee service limits are codified to prevent over-boarding on audit committees at other public companies .
RED FLAGS
- None disclosed regarding pledging/hedging, tax gross-ups, option repricing, or related-party transactions tied to Benitez in reviewed materials .
Notes on Compensation Program and Shareholder Feedback
- Director pay program: Cash + RSU retainers reviewed annually; deferral options for cash and RSUs without preferential earnings .
- 2025 advisory vote: Shareholders approved executive compensation (say-on-pay), reinforcing overall governance support .