Archie Deskus
GLOBAL PAYMENTSAbout Archana “Archie” Deskus
Archana “Archie” Deskus was appointed to Global Payments’ board on September 24, 2025 and is described by the company as an independent director. She is a veteran technology executive, most recently EVP and Chief Technology Officer at PayPal, with prior CIO roles at Intel, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, Baker Hughes, Ingersoll Rand, Timex, and Carrier. She holds a B.S. from Boston University and an MBA from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute . On appointment, her SEC Form 3 reported no beneficial ownership of GPN stock .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| PayPal Holdings, Inc. | EVP, Chief Technology Officer | Not disclosed | Led global technology, product engineering, innovation, infrastructure, and operations |
| Intel Corporation | Chief Information Officer | Not disclosed | Oversaw enterprise-scale digital transformation |
| Hewlett Packard Enterprise | Chief Information Officer | Not disclosed | Led complex technology modernization |
| Baker Hughes | CIO | Not disclosed | Enterprise digital transformation |
| Ingersoll Rand | CIO | Not disclosed | Technology modernization |
| Timex | CIO | Not disclosed | Technology leadership |
| Carrier | CIO | Not disclosed | Technology modernization |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Notes / Interlocks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cognizant Technology Solutions | Director | Current | IT services; no related-party transactions with GPN disclosed |
| East West Bancorp | Director | Current | Banking; no related-party transactions with GPN disclosed |
| DataStax | Director | Prior | Prior board service |
Board Governance
- Independence: Appointed as an independent director .
- Appointment and board size: Board expanded from 10 to 12 with Deskus and Watson; an additional mutually agreed independent director planned by/following the 2026 meeting .
- Committee assignments: Not disclosed as of the September 29, 2025 8‑K; the board established an ad‑hoc Integration Committee to oversee Worldpay integration with membership drawn from new and existing directors . Standing committees (Audit, Compensation, Governance & Nominating, Technology) are fully independent and met 4–6 times in 2024/2023 .
- Attendance: Company-wide, each director attended ≥75% of board/committee meetings in 2024; Deskus joined in 2025, so her attendance is not yet disclosed .
- Overboarding limits: GPN guidelines cap service at 4 public boards (3 audit committees); Deskus’ current board count (GPN + Cognizant + East West Bancorp = 3) is within limits .
Fixed Compensation
Global Payments pays non-employee directors via annual cash and fully vested stock retainers (no per‑meeting fees), pro‑rated for partial-year appointments.
| Component | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Annual basic cash retainer | $125,000 | Payable in advance after annual meeting or on appointment date (prorated) |
| Annual stock retainer (FMV) | $230,000 | Granted as fully vested shares; number of shares based on market price on grant date |
| Supplemental cash – Independent Chair | $100,000 | If serving as Independent Chair |
| Supplemental cash – Audit Chair | $40,000 | If serving as Audit Chair |
| Supplemental cash – Other Committee Chairs | $30,000 | If serving as chair of other committees |
| Meeting fees | None | No per‑meeting fees; expenses reimbursed |
Year-over-year changes: Director cash retainer increased from $120,000 (2023) to $125,000 (2024); annual stock retainer increased from $220,000 to $230,000; Audit Chair supplement rose from $35,000 to $40,000 .
Performance Compensation
Non-employee director pay is not performance-based. Annual stock retainers are fully vested at grant and are not tied to performance metrics; GPN “doesn’t” permit hedging or pledging of stock and does not reprice options .
| Metric Category | Applicability to Directors | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Short-term incentive (cash bonus) | Not applicable | Directors receive fixed retainers; no bonuses disclosed |
| PSUs/TSR metrics | Not applicable | Director equity is time-based fully-vested stock; PSUs apply to executives |
| Options | Limited/historical | Some legacy options outstanding for certain directors historically; current director grants are stock, fully vested |
| Hedging/Pledging | Prohibited | Company prohibits hedging/pledging of stock |
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Company | Sector | Potential Interlock/Conflict Considerations |
|---|---|---|
| Cognizant | IT services | No related person transactions requiring disclosure; routine vendor/customer relationships not indicated |
| East West Bancorp | Banking | No related person transactions requiring disclosure; monitor for payments partnerships |
Expertise & Qualifications
- Deep technology and cyber-security leadership across Fortune 200 companies; extensive experience in large-scale digital transformation, enterprise modernization, and payments platform engineering .
- Boardroom experience at technology and banking companies; complements GPN’s Technology Committee oversight focus on information security and cyber-risk .
Equity Ownership
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Initial beneficial ownership | Form 3 filed September 30, 2025: “No securities are beneficially owned.” |
| Stock ownership guideline | Within 5 years, beneficially own shares equal in value to 500% of the annual cash retainer (i.e., 500% × $125,000 = $625,000 target value) |
| Counting rules | Owned stock, unvested RSUs/deferred shares count; unexercised options and unearned PSUs do not count |
| Hedging/pledging | Prohibited under compensation practices |
Insider Trades
| Date | Form | Key Disclosure |
|---|---|---|
| 09/30/2025 | Form 3 | Initial statement of beneficial ownership; “No securities are beneficially owned.” |
Governance Assessment
- Strengths: Independence; elite technology/cyber credentials aligned with GPN’s significant cyber and technology oversight needs; addition made amid governance enhancements (Integration Committee) and activist collaboration, signaling increased board focus on execution and oversight of strategic transactions . Board structure and practices include independent chair, fully independent standing committees, proxy access, majority voting, and robust stock ownership requirements for directors .
- Alignment/watch items: Initial zero ownership increases reliance on future equity accumulation; guideline requires ~$625k ownership within 5 years—monitor progress to compliance. Multiple-board service currently within GPN limits; continue monitoring workload/attendance once disclosed. Company disclosed no related-person transactions with Deskus at appointment, mitigating immediate conflict risk, but banking and technology board roles warrant ongoing oversight for potential related-party or interlock issues as GPN executes payments partnerships and integrations .
- Shareholder confidence signals: 2024 say-on-pay approval of 88% and shareholder engagement on political spending led to adoption of a Political Activity Policy, reflecting responsiveness to investor feedback—positive governance tone (though not director-specific) .