Daniel Comas
FortiveAbout Daniel Comas
Independent director of Fortive Corporation with deep finance and corporate development experience from nearly three decades at Danaher, including Executive Vice President (2005–2020) and Chief Financial Officer through 2018; currently an advisor to Danaher and adjunct professor at Georgetown University. Education: BA in Economics, Georgetown University; MBA, Stanford University. Current external public board: Veralto Corporation (water and product quality solutions), since 2023 .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Danaher Corporation | Executive Vice President; Chief Financial Officer (through 2018); prior roles in corporate development, treasury, finance, risk | EVP 2005–2020; CFO through 2018; joined 1991 | Led finance, capital allocation, M&A; foundation for Fortive Business System principles and continuous improvement knowledge |
| Danaher Corporation | Advisor | Since 2019 | Ongoing strategic advisory to global science and technology company |
| Georgetown University | Adjunct Professor | Current | Academic engagement in finance/management topics |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Veralto Corporation | Director | Since 2023 | Public company oversight in water/product quality solutions |
Board Governance
- Independence: Board determined Comas is independent under NYSE listing standards (Fortive 2024 and 2025 proxies) .
- Committees: Member, Compensation Committee; Member, Finance Committee (not a chair) .
- Attendance: In 2023 the Board met 9 times; all directors attended at least 75% of Board and committee meetings; directors attended the virtual 2023 Annual Meeting . In 2024 the Board met 7 times; all directors attended at least 75% and attended the virtual 2024 Annual Meeting .
- Executive sessions and leadership: Independent Chair leads executive sessions following regularly scheduled meetings; independent directors meet in executive session at least annually .
- Risk oversight framework: Detailed committee oversight of enterprise risk, cybersecurity, sustainability, HCM, and succession .
Fixed Compensation
| Component | Policy Terms | Comas (2023) | Comas (2024) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual Director Retainer (cash or RSUs) | $105,000; election under Deferred Compensation Plan | $105,000 base + $20,000 committee member retainers = $125,000 fees earned | $105,000 base + $20,000 committee member retainers = $125,000 fees earned |
| Committee Membership Fee | $10,000 per non-chair member (Compensation, Nominating & Governance, Finance); Audit non-chair $15,000 | Compensation: $10,000; Finance: $10,000 (total $20,000) | Compensation: $10,000; Finance: $10,000 (total $20,000) |
| Chair Fees (for context) | Audit $25,000; Compensation $20,000; Nominating & Governance $20,000; Finance $10,000 | Not applicable (Comas is not chair) | Not applicable (Comas is not chair) |
| Director Education Reimbursement | Up to $10,000 per year | Policy provision | Policy provision |
Performance Compensation
- Annual equity mix: Target $200,000; 75% RSUs, 25% options (options fully vested at grant; RSUs vest upon earlier of 1-year anniversary or next annual meeting) .
- Deferred compensation elections: Cash vs RSUs deferral available; RSUs settle upon death or a specified time after retirement (7 months, 1, 3, or 5 years) .
- Vesting/holding: Options fully vested at grant; RSUs time-based vesting; no performance metrics for director equity .
| Metric | 2023 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|
| Stock Awards (Grant-Date Fair Value) | $153,338 | $143,712 |
| Option Awards (Grant-Date Fair Value) | $59,275 | $57,412 |
| Total Director Compensation (reported) | $337,613 | $326,123 |
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Company | Relationship | Potential Interlock/Exposure |
|---|---|---|
| Veralto Corporation (NYSE: VLTO) | Director since 2023 | Water/product quality solutions; no related-party transactions disclosed between Fortive and Veralto |
| Danaher Corporation | Advisor since 2019; prior EVP/CFO | Historic linkage as Fortive was separated from Danaher; no related-party transactions disclosed involving Comas |
Expertise & Qualifications
- Finance and capital allocation; corporate development; accounting; risk management; human capital oversight; directly familiar with Fortive Business System principles via Danaher leadership .
- Strategic M&A and corporate finance experience; board-level public company experience .
Equity Ownership
| Metric | As of Apr 8, 2024 | As of Apr 7, 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| Beneficially Owned Shares | 48,590 (incl. 7,840 options; excludes 2,290 unvested RSUs and 4,355 vested RSUs; includes 75 trust and 1,721 spouse shares, which Comas disclaims) | 52,550 (incl. 9,830 options; excludes 4,355 vested RSUs; includes 75 trust and 1,721 spouse shares, which Comas disclaims) |
| Options Exercisable within 60 days | 7,840 | 9,830 |
| Unvested RSUs Outstanding (year-end prior) | 2,290 (12/31/2023) | 1,970 (12/31/2024) |
| Vested RSUs (not counted as beneficial until settled) | 4,355 | 4,355 |
| % of Class | <1% | <1% |
Policies reinforcing alignment:
- Director stock ownership guidelines: minimum 5x annual retainer within 5 years (time-based RSUs count; options do not) .
- Absolute prohibition on pledging and hedging company stock for directors and executives .
- Insider trading policy applies to directors (bans derivatives, short sales, etc.) .
Governance Assessment
- Committee influence: As Compensation Committee member, Comas participates in executive pay design and oversight, including clawback policy enhancements, stock ownership compliance, and shareholder engagement regarding compensation; Pearl Meyer serves as the independent consultant; no consultant conflicts; no interlocks reported for committee members .
- Independence and attendance: Independent status and at least 75% attendance across 2023–2024 periods support engagement and effectiveness .
- Director pay and equity: Cash fees reflect base plus two committee memberships; equity grants are time-based with transparent vesting; no performance-linked director awards—appropriate governance norm .
- Ownership alignment: Material share and option holdings, with strict anti-pledging/hedging and a 5x retainer ownership guideline, indicate alignment; exact compliance status is not disclosed .
- Related-party transactions: No transactions involving Comas disclosed; other directors had immaterial arm’s-length sales to affiliated entities, each <0.2% of revenues, reviewed under policy—no issues flagged for Comas .
- Shareholder signals: Say-on-pay support in 2024 was 92.06% in favor, reflecting constructive investor sentiment toward pay practices overseen by the committee on which Comas serves .
RED FLAGS: None disclosed for Comas. No pledging/hedging; no related-party transactions; no committee interlocks; independent status maintained .
Positive indicators: Strong finance/M&A expertise; service on compensation and finance committees; structured pay governance (clawback, ownership rules, independent consultant); regular shareholder engagement framework .