Farha Aslam
Director at GPRE
Board
About Farha Aslam
Independent director at Green Plains Inc. (GPRE); age 56; director since 2021. Managing Partner at Crescent House Capital; prior roles include Managing Director at Stephens Inc (led Food & Agribusiness equity research), Vice President at Merrill Lynch, and risk management advisor at UBS. Education: MBA, Columbia University; BA in Economics, University of California .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stephens Inc | Managing Director, Food & Agribusiness equity research | Not disclosed | Led sector research team |
| Merrill Lynch | Vice President | Not disclosed | Financial/investor expertise |
| UBS | Risk Management Advisor | Not disclosed | Risk management advisory |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Public/Private | Committees |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pilgrim’s Pride (PPC) | Director | Public | Audit; Sustainability |
| Calavo Growers (CVGW) | Director | Public | Not disclosed |
| AdvanSix (ASIX) | Director | Public | Audit; Compensation |
| Farmers Fridge | Director | Private | Not disclosed |
| Packers Sanitation Services, Inc. | Director | Private | Not disclosed |
| Saffron Road | Director | Private | Not disclosed |
Board Governance
- Independence: Board has a majority of independent directors (100% of director nominees independent); GPRE confirms all current non‑employee directors meet NASDAQ/SEC independence standards .
- Committee assignments: Compensation Committee member (not Chair); Compensation Committee held 8 meetings in 2024 .
- Executive sessions: Board met in executive session at each regularly scheduled meeting in 2024 .
Attendance (2024):
| Director | Board Meetings Attended | Compensation Committee Meetings Attended |
|---|---|---|
| Farha Aslam | 18 of 19 | 8 of 8 |
Shareholder support (2025 election results):
| Nominee | For | Withheld |
|---|---|---|
| Farha Aslam | 40,328,348 | 1,095,036 |
Fixed Compensation (Director)
| Component | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Annual Cash Retainer | $90,000 | Standard non‑employee director retainer; unchanged since Aug 2022 |
| Restricted Stock (Annual) | $135,000 | 6,687 shares granted on May 9, 2024; one‑year vest |
| Committee Chair Fees | $10,000 (Comp), $20,000 (Board Chair/Audit), $15,000 (NGC) | Aslam is not a chair |
2024 Total (Aslam):
| Fees Earned (Cash) | Stock Awards (fair value) | Total |
|---|---|---|
| $90,000 | $135,000 | $225,000 |
Performance Compensation (Director)
| Performance Metric | Weighting/Target | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| None (director equity is time‑based RSAs; no options or PSUs for directors) | N/A | N/A |
Director pay at GPRE consists of fixed cash retainers and time‑based restricted stock; no performance‑linked metrics are disclosed for directors .
Other Directorships & Interlocks
- Public boards: PPC, CVGW, ASIX (committees as above) .
- Sector overlap: PPC’s protein/poultry end‑markets could interface with GPRE’s feed ingredient strategy; no related‑party transactions disclosed by GPRE in 2024 .
- Board refresh dynamics: 2025 cooperation agreement with Ancora added three independent directors and formed a Strategic Planning Committee; two tenured directors retired at 2025 AGM .
Expertise & Qualifications
- Skills noted by GPRE: Industrial Manufacturing & Ingredient Production; Commodity Markets/Marketing; Strategy Development; International Business; M&A/Partnerships; Capital Markets; Audit/Risk/Cybersecurity; Legal/Regulatory/Government Relations; Public Company/Corporate Governance/ESG; Executive Leadership; Executive Compensation .
- Financial and investor expertise from prior banking and equity research roles .
Equity Ownership
| Holder | Shares Beneficially Owned | % of Class | As‑of Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Farha Aslam | 14,268 | <1% | April 11, 2025 |
Ownership alignment policies and status:
- Stock ownership guideline: Directors must hold 5x annual cash retainer; compliance window is 3 years from joining .
- Compliance: Aslam is not currently in compliance; she is prohibited from selling shares while not in compliance .
- Hedging/pledging: Hedging and pledging are prohibited for directors; no board member is known to have pledged shares (policy clarified in 2024 for certain family member pledges with disclaimed beneficial ownership) .
Governance Assessment
- Board effectiveness: Active Compensation Committee participation (8/8 meetings) and strong overall attendance (18/19 board) indicate engagement .
- Independence and skills: Independent status and broad governance/finance skills support committee effectiveness .
- Ownership alignment: Non‑compliance with director stock ownership guideline is a notable red flag for alignment; restrictions on share sales remain until compliant .
- Conflicts/related‑party exposures: No related‑party transactions in 2024; insider trading policy robust; no pledging reported .
- Shareholder confidence: Strong “For” vote at 2025 election; say‑on‑pay advisory approved (votes: For 36,314,605; Against 4,966,445; Abstain 142,334) .
- Compensation governance: Independent consultant (Pay Governance) engaged; clawback policy updated in 2023 to comply with Rule 10D‑1; compensation committee members are independent .
Overall: Aslam brings deep agribusiness and capital markets expertise and strong attendance, but current shortfall vs ownership guideline is a governance alignment risk to monitor until resolved .
Notes
- Committee Memberships: Compensation Committee member (not Chair) .
- Executive sessions: Board held executive sessions at each regular meeting in 2024 .
- Ancora cooperation & board refresh: Agreement includes standstill, voting commitments, and Strategic Planning Committee formation; three new independent directors added in April 2025; two tenured directors retired at the June 6, 2025 meeting .