Hope B. Woodhouse
About Hope B. Woodhouse
Independent director since 2017 (age 68), Woodhouse serves as Compensation Committee Chair and Audit Committee member at Granite Point Mortgage Trust (GPMT). She is designated an “audit committee financial expert” and has deep operating and investment leadership experience as former COO at Bridgewater Associates, Soros Fund Management, and senior roles at Tiger Management and Salomon Brothers; education includes an MBA from Harvard and AB from Georgetown . The Board has affirmatively determined she is independent; directors held nine full Board meetings in 2024 and each director attended at least 75% of Board and committee meetings and the 2024 annual meeting .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bridgewater Associates | Chief Operating Officer | 2005–2009 | Senior operating leadership; finance and HR oversight |
| Auspex Group | President & COO | 2003–2005 | Firm operations leadership |
| Soros Fund Management | Chief Operating Officer | Not specified | Investment firm operations; management |
| Tiger Management | Treasurer | Not specified | Treasury/finance leadership |
| Salomon Brothers | Managing Director | Not specified | Senior capital markets executive |
External Roles
| Company | Role | Tenure | Committees |
|---|---|---|---|
| Two Harbors Investment Corp. (NYSE: TWO) | Director; Audit Committee Chair; Risk Oversight Committee member | 2012–present | Audit Chair; Risk Oversight |
| Acadia Realty Trust (NYSE: AKR) | Trustee; Nominating & Governance Committee member | 2023–present | Nominating & Governance |
| Monro, Inc. (NASDAQ: MNRO) | Director; Compensation and Audit Committees member | 2023–present | Compensation; Audit |
| Atomyze | Director | 2020–2022 | Not disclosed |
| Piper Jaffray (NYSE: PJC) | Director | 2011–2014 | Not disclosed |
| Seoul Securities | Director | 2001–2003 | Not disclosed |
Board Governance
- Committee assignments: Compensation Committee Chair; Audit Committee member; designated “audit committee financial expert” .
- Independence: Affirmed by the Board under NYSE standards .
- Attendance: Board met 9 times in 2024; committees met Audit 8, Compensation 10, Nominating & Corporate Governance (N&CG) 5; each director attended ≥75% of meetings and the June 2024 annual meeting .
- Board structure and practices: Independent Board Chair (Kasnet); all committees fully independent; majority voting and resignation policy; regular executive sessions of independent directors .
- Director education: Formal policy with up to $5,000 reimbursement per director; 2024 topics included cybersecurity, succession planning, AI, compensation and governance trends .
- Commitments policy: Non-CEO directors limited to ≤3 other public boards; Audit Committee members may not serve on >2 other public company audit committees . Woodhouse currently sits on TWO (Audit Chair) and MNRO (Audit member) in addition to GPMT’s Audit Committee—at the charter cap but compliant .
Fixed Compensation
| Component (2024) | Amount ($) | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| Cash fees | 111,250 | Comprised of Board cash retainer ($100,000), Compensation Chair cash retainer ($6,250), Audit member cash retainer ($5,000) |
| Stock awards (RSUs) | 111,250 | Matching RSU amounts for Board ($100,000), Compensation Chair ($6,250), Audit member ($5,000); one-year vest, with DERs on dividends |
| Total | 222,500 | 2024 director compensation reported in proxy table |
Notes:
- RSUs vest on the one-year anniversary of grant; prorated vesting if departure before one year; DERs pay on dividends for outstanding RSUs .
- No meeting fees disclosed; compensation paid as equal mix of cash and equity per policy .
Performance Compensation
| Element | Metrics | Vesting/Earnout | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Performance-based equity for directors | None disclosed | Not applicable | GPMT’s director pay structure uses time-based RSUs; no performance metrics for directors |
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Linkage | Observation |
|---|---|
| Two Harbors (TWO) | Historical linkage: GPMT spun out from Two Harbors in 2017; several executives have prior TWO experience; Woodhouse chairs TWO’s Audit Committee. No related-party transactions disclosed for 2024 beyond customary indemnification agreements; Audit Committee oversees related person transactions . |
| Sector overlap | AKR is a retail REIT; MNRO is automotive services; TWO is mortgage REIT—limited direct operating conflicts with GPMT’s focus on senior floating-rate CRE loans; no transaction disclosures involving these entities in 2024 . |
Expertise & Qualifications
- Real estate/REIT governance: Longstanding director at TWO; trustee at AKR .
- Finance/accounting: Audit committee financial expert; senior finance roles at leading hedge funds and sell-side institutions .
- Operations & management: COO experience at multiple major investment firms; HR oversight .
- Capital markets/strategic transactions: Experience across M&A and capital markets from prior directorships and management roles .
- Education: MBA (Harvard), AB (Georgetown) .
Equity Ownership
| Security | Amount | Percent Outstanding | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Common stock | 78,440 shares | <1% | Beneficial ownership as of March 15, 2025 |
| Preferred (7.00% Series A) | — | — | No preferred shares beneficially owned |
| Unvested RSUs (as of 12/31/2024) | 35,657 units | — | Director RSUs subject to one-year vest; DERs on dividends |
Ownership alignment policies:
- Director stock ownership guidelines: Minimum holding equal to 3x annual cash retainer; RSUs count; 5 years to comply; if below, must retain at least 50% of shares from equity settlements until compliant .
- Hedging/pledging prohibited under Insider Trading Policy and governance highlights .
Governance Assessment
- Board effectiveness: Woodhouse anchors compensation oversight (Chair) and audit literacy (financial expert) on a fully independent committee structure, with majority voting, executive sessions, and ongoing director education—positive signals for governance rigor .
- Compensation oversight signal: As Compensation Chair, she oversaw off-cycle supplemental RSUs for executives in 2024, shifting the LTIP mix to ~37% PSUs / ~63% RSUs to address retention amid CRE stress; the Board conducted investor outreach and received general support—balanced signal prioritizing retention with engagement, though reduced performance linkage may concern some investors .
- Attendance and engagement: Directors met frequently in 2024 and each met ≥75% attendance and attended the annual meeting—supports board engagement .
- Conflicts/related party: No related-party transactions involving Woodhouse disclosed for 2024; Audit Committee reviews and must approve any >$120,000 related person transactions—low conflict risk under policy .
- Risk indicators and RED FLAGS:
- Overboarding/audit load: She serves on TWO and MNRO audit committees in addition to GPMT’s, reaching the GPMT charter cap of two other audit committees—operational bandwidth risk if issues arise concurrently, but compliant with policy .
- Interlocks: Two Harbors governance tie could raise perceived influence concerns given historical linkage; no transactions disclosed—monitor but not a current red flag .
- Hedging/pledging: Prohibited for directors—reduces alignment risk .
Overall, Woodhouse brings seasoned operating and audit oversight capabilities aligned with GPMT’s needs; compensation oversight decisions in 2024 reflected market stress and retention priorities, tempered by investor engagement. Continued monitoring of audit committee workloads and any Two Harbors-related interactions is prudent .