Connie D. McDaniel
GLOBAL PAYMENTSAbout Connie D. McDaniel
Independent director at Global Payments (GPN) since 2019, age 66, former Lead Independent Director; she chairs the Governance and Nominating Committee and serves on the Audit Committee, where the board has designated her an Audit Committee Financial Expert under SEC rules . Current external role includes Chair of the Virtus Mutual Funds Board (since 2025; member since 2021); career highlights include senior finance leadership at The Coca-Cola Company (Chief of Internal Audit 2009–2013; VP Global Finance Transformation 2007–2009; VP & Controller 1999–2007), and she holds an ESG certification from Competent Boards, with notable alumni awards from Georgia State University . She is categorized as an independent director under NYSE listing standards and stands for annual election with board refreshment discipline in place .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Coca-Cola Company | Vice President & Chief of Internal Audit | 2009–2013 | Led internal audit oversight at a Fortune 100 company, deep risk and controls expertise |
| The Coca-Cola Company | Vice President, Global Finance Transformation | 2007–2009 | Drove finance transformation initiatives, process optimization |
| The Coca-Cola Company | Vice President & Controller | 1999–2007 | Financial reporting leadership and accounting policy oversight |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtus Mutual Funds Board | Chair (member since 2021) | Chair since 2025 | Governance leadership at a large mutual fund complex |
| North Florida Land Trust (non-profit) | Director | Not disclosed | Land preservation oversight; community engagement |
Board Governance
- Committee assignments: Chair, Governance & Nominating Committee; Member, Audit Committee; both committees comprise independent directors .
- Audit Committee financial expert: Board determined Ms. McDaniel qualifies as an Audit Committee Financial Expert; all Audit members are financially literate .
- Independence: Board annually reviews relationships and determined Connie McDaniel is independent per NYSE standards; all Audit/Comp/Governance committee members must be independent .
- Attendance and engagement: Board met 5 times in 2024; Governance & Nominating met 4 times; Audit met 5 times. Each director attended at least 75% of meetings and all directors attended the 2024 annual meeting .
- Governance remit: As Governance chair, she oversees director qualifications, board refreshment, committee composition, governance guidelines, shareholder communications, related-party policy administration, and annual board/committee effectiveness assessments .
- Risk oversight via Audit: Oversees financial reporting, internal audit, ERM, vendor risk, insurance, cybersecurity/privacy, compliance, and approves related party transactions; meets privately with CFO, Chief Audit Executive, General Counsel, and auditor .
Committee Summary (2024)
| Committee | Role | Meetings (2024) |
|---|---|---|
| Governance & Nominating | Chair | 4 |
| Audit | Member | 5 |
Fixed Compensation
| Year | Fees Earned or Paid in Cash ($) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $205,000 | Annual cash retainers paid in advance and considered fully earned when paid; cash reflects basic retainer plus supplemental retainers for leadership roles, per program |
Director cash compensation schedule (shareholder year beginning April 2024): base $125,000; supplemental $30,000 for chairs of non-Audit committees; $40,000 for Audit chair; $50,000 for Lead Independent Director; $100,000 for Independent Chair .
Performance Compensation
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Annual Stock Retainer (FMV) | $229,956 granted April 26, 2024; fully vested on grant date; number of shares based on closing price on grant date |
| Unvested Stock Awards | None outstanding for independent directors as of Dec 31, 2024 |
| Option Awards Outstanding | 11,394 options outstanding as of Dec 31, 2024 |
Plan protections and alignment features: Double-trigger change-in-control vesting for assumed awards; prohibition on repricing; award limits for non-employee directors ($600k, or $850k for Chair/Lead Director); clawback applicability; no liberal share recycling; no discounted options/SARs .
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Entity | Type | Role | Tenure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Virtus Mutual Funds Board | Public mutual fund complex | Chair | Since 2025 (member since 2021) | External fiduciary leadership; within outside board service limits |
| Other public boards (past five years) | Public company | None | N/A | Proxy discloses none in past five years |
- Outside service limits: All directors are within guidelines (max 4 public boards; Audit members max 3 audit committees) as reviewed annually by Governance .
- Potential interlocks/conflicts: No disclosed related-party transactions involving Connie; Audit and Governance committees oversee and approve related-party transactions .
Expertise & Qualifications
- Substantial financial and accounting expertise from Fortune 100 audit leadership; risk management, audit oversight, and regulatory risk experience .
- M&A and international business experience; service as director in public companies and mutual funds .
- ESG credential from Competent Boards; community leadership via non-profit board service .
- Audit Committee Financial Expert designation by GPN’s board .
Equity Ownership
| Holder | Shares Beneficially Owned (Sole Power) | Shares Issuable Upon Exercise of Options | Total | % of Class |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Connie D. McDaniel | 23,229 | 11,394 | 34,623 | * (below 1%) |
- Stock ownership guidelines for directors: 500% of annual cash retainer within five years; all non-employee directors were in compliance as of record date .
- Hedging/pledging: Company prohibits hedging or pledging of stock; repricing of options not permitted .
- Deferred compensation: Directors may elect to defer up to 100% of annual cash retainer; only one director (Marshall) participated in 2024; no above-market interest .
Governance Assessment
- Positive signals: Independence, committee leadership, and Audit Committee Financial Expert status bolster investor confidence; active oversight of ERM, cybersecurity, compliance, and related-party transactions strengthens risk governance .
- Alignment: Equity retainer fully vested at grant aligns director interests with shareholders; ownership guidelines (500% of cash retainer) and prohibition of hedging/pledging further align incentives; Connie’s reported ownership and options indicate long-standing equity alignment .
- Engagement/attendance: Board/committee attendance thresholds met and annual meeting attended, evidencing engagement; structured board refreshment and outside service limits reduce overboarding risk .
- Compensation reasonableness: Connie’s 2024 mix ($205k cash; $229,956 equity; total $434,956) sits within program limits and standard ranges for committee chairs; aggregate annual cap remains at $600k (or $850k for Chair/Lead Director) .
- Shareholder context: Say-on-pay support was ~88% in 2024 for 2023 executive compensation, indicating broader investor support for compensation governance practices (though directed at NEOs rather than directors) .
RED FLAGS: None disclosed specific to Connie D. McDaniel. No related-party transactions disclosed involving her; hedging/pledging prohibited; options repricing prohibited; attendance thresholds met; within outside board service limits .