Julia Steyn
Garrett MotionAbout Julia Steyn
Independent director since April 2021; age 49. Chair of the Talent Management & Compensation Committee and member of the Audit Committee. Background includes mobility, automotive, investment banking, and corporate development; education: BA (Oberlin College) and MBA in Finance & Accounting (University of Chicago). Current operating role: Chief Commercial Officer at VectoIQ (since Sep 2020); recognized for financial expertise and experience in transportation and emerging technologies .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| General Motors | Founder & CEO, Maven (shared mobility marketplace); VP, Corporate Development & Global M&A | 2012–2019 (joined GM in 2012; led Maven during tenure) | Built and led GM’s Maven; led global M&A and corporate development |
| Bolt Mobility | Chief Executive Officer | Dec 2019 – Aug 2020 | Operated a personal transportation company |
| Bolt Mobility (Board) | Director | Aug 2020 – Jun 2021 | Board oversight during post-CEO period |
| Alcoa | VP & Co–Managing Director, Corporate Development Group | Prior to 2012 | Led corporate development at a global aluminum company |
| Goldman Sachs | Investment banking roles (London, Moscow, New York) | Earlier career | Executed banking assignments across geographies |
| A.T. Kearney | Business Analyst | Early career | Strategy/consulting foundation |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| VectoIQ LLC | Chief Commercial Officer | Sep 2020 – Present | Mobility/innovation-focused investment firm |
| McKinsey & Company | Senior Advisor | May 2019 – Present | Focus on mobility and corporate innovation |
| Commonwealth Rolled Products (private) | Director | Oct 2022 – Present | Aluminum rolled products manufacturer |
| Oxa Autonomy Limited (private) | Director | Oct 2024 – Present | Autonomous vehicle software company |
| FirstGroup plc (public) | Non‑Executive Director | May 2019 – Jul 2022 | Multinational transport operator (UK/US/Canada/Ireland) |
Board Governance
- Committee assignments: Chair, Talent Management & Compensation (TMC); Member, Audit .
- Committee activity: TMC held 8 meetings in 2024; Audit held 11 meetings in 2024, indicating active cadence .
- Independence: Steyn is an independent director; all members of the Audit and TMC committees are independent under Nasdaq rules (heightened requirements met for Audit and Compensation) .
- Compensation Committee leadership: As Chair, she signed the TMC Report recommending inclusion of CD&A in the 10‑K/proxy .
- Interlocks: No TMC member was an officer/employee; no compensation committee interlocks disclosed for 2024 .
- Attendance: Board/committee attendance was highly engaged—incumbents averaged >97%, with each at least 85% during 2024 .
- Governance policies: Anti‑hedging/anti‑pledging policy; clawback policy for executive officers; annual board self‑evaluations and executive sessions of non‑employee directors .
Fixed Compensation (Director)
| Component | 2024 Amount/Structure | 2025 Update |
|---|---|---|
| Annual Cash Retainer | $90,000 | $100,000 |
| Committee Chair Retainer (TMC) | $20,000 | Unchanged in table (no separate 2025 change disclosed beyond base) |
| Audit Committee Member Retainer | $10,000 | Unchanged (member retainer schedule unchanged in disclosure) |
| Cash Earned by Steyn (2024) | $120,000 (sum aligns with role/committee fees) | N/A |
| DSU Deferral Program | May elect to receive 50%/100% of retainers in DSUs; DSUs settle at change‑in‑control or 6 months post‑board service | Non‑Executive Chair retainer settled in DSUs in 2025 (program detail) |
Director compensation actually received by Steyn in 2024: cash $120,000; stock awards $139,998; total $262,498 .
Performance Compensation (Director Equity)
| Element | Grant Target/Value | Vesting | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual RSUs (2024 program) | Target $140,000 grant‑date value | Vest on earlier of one‑year anniversary, death/disability, removal in connection with change in control, or next annual meeting | Annual grant on shareholder meeting date |
| Annual RSUs (2025 program) | Target increased to $150,000 | As above | No performance metrics—time‑based RSUs for directors |
As of Dec 31, 2024, each current non‑employee director held 15,927 RSUs outstanding (time‑based) .
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Company | Type | Role | Interlock/Conflict Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| FirstGroup plc | Public | Former NED (2019–2022) | No interlocks disclosed with Garrett committees |
| Commonwealth Rolled Products | Private | Director (since Oct 2022) | No related‑party transactions disclosed with Garrett |
| Oxa Autonomy Limited | Private | Director (since Oct 2024) | No related‑party transactions disclosed with Garrett |
No Steyn‑related related‑party transactions were disclosed; RPT policy routes reviews to the Audit Committee, and 2024 RPTs disclosed involved Trane (linked to another director’s prior employer) .
Expertise & Qualifications
- Financial expertise; deep experience in transportation, mobility, and emerging technologies; current commercialization role at VectoIQ; prior leadership at GM Maven and corporate development leadership at GM/Alcoa; investment banking background at Goldman Sachs. Educational credentials: BA (Oberlin) and MBA (Chicago Booth) .
Equity Ownership
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Beneficial ownership (3/14/2025) | 37,854 shares; <1% of outstanding shares (204,546,908 shares outstanding) |
| Unvested RSUs held (12/31/2024) | 15,927 RSUs (each current non‑employee director) |
| Pledged/Hedged | None of directors’/officers’ shares are pledged; company prohibits hedging/pledging by directors/officers |
| Director ownership guideline | ≥5× annual base cash retainer; retention of 50% of shares until met |
| Compliance status | As of 12/31/2024, all eligible non‑employee directors other than two new 2024 appointees (Drees, Camuti) met guidelines—implying Steyn is in compliance |
Governance Assessment
- Strengths: Independent director; Chairs an all‑independent Compensation Committee with an independent advisor (Meridian); active committee cadence (8 TMC; 11 Audit); strong shareholder alignment with 98% Say‑on‑Pay support in 2024; robust anti‑hedging/anti‑pledging and clawback frameworks; no Steyn‑related RPTs disclosed; board/committee attendance robust (each director ≥85%; aggregate ~97%) .
- Compensation alignment (as TMC Chair): Program features include no single‑trigger cash severance/equity vesting, no option repricing, no excise tax gross‑ups—shareholder‑friendly posture; board raised director equity retainer for 2025, keeping mix balanced between cash and equity .
- Red flags: None disclosed—no pledging; no Steyn‑related related‑party transactions; TMC interlocks specifically negated for 2024 .