Paul Ballew
Hyatt HotelsAbout Paul D. Ballew
Paul D. Ballew, age 61, has served on Hyatt’s Board since March 2017 and is currently Chief Data and Analytics Officer for the National Football League; prior roles include senior analytics leadership at Loblaw (2019–2021) and Ford (2014–2019), with earlier analytics/economist positions at Dun & Bradstreet, Nationwide, GM, JD Power, and the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago . He is an independent director under NYSE/SEC standards and stands for re‑election to a term ending at the 2028 annual meeting .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| National Football League | Chief Data & Analytics Officer | Current | Data strategy and analytics leadership |
| Loblaw Companies Limited | SVP, Data, Insights & Analytics | Apr 2019–Aug 2021 | Customer analytics and data operations |
| Ford Motor Company | Global Chief Data & Analytics Officer | Dec 2014–Apr 2019 | Global data operations; analytics strategy |
| Dun & Bradstreet; Nationwide; GM; JD Power | Senior roles in data/customer analytics | Prior (dates not disclosed) | Customer analytics, operations, strategy |
| Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago | Research Officer & Senior Economist | Prior (dates not disclosed) | Economic analysis; financial sophistication |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| NeuStar, Inc. | Director | Jun 2015–Jun 2017 | Prior public company directorship |
Board Governance
- Committee assignments: Audit Committee member; Audit Committee chaired by Cary D. McMillan; Ballew is named as a signatory to the Audit Committee Report .
- Independence: Determined independent under SEC/NYSE standards; independence review considers relationships and ordinary‑course transactions; Ballew included among independent directors .
- Attendance and engagement: In 2024, no incumbent director attended fewer than 75% of Board/committee meetings; all directors attended the 2024 annual meeting .
- Election results: Re‑elected Class I director at the May 21, 2025 annual meeting; votes for Paul D. Ballew: For 568,331,100; Withheld 805,693; Broker non‑votes 4,353,301 .
- Term: Class I term through the 2028 annual meeting .
Fixed Compensation
Policy framework for non‑employee directors:
- Annual cash retainer (Annual Fee): $100,000 .
- Annual Equity Retainer (fully vested shares in arrears at annual meeting): $190,000 grant date value; shares calculated using closing price on grant date .
- Committee fees (annual cash): Audit member $15,000; Audit chair $30,000; Talent & Compensation member $12,500; chair $25,000; Nominating & Corporate Governance member $10,000; chair $20,000; Finance member $10,000; chair $20,000 .
2024 actual compensation paid to Paul D. Ballew:
| Component | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Fees Earned or Paid in Cash | $115,062 | Includes Annual Fee and committee fees (standard Audit member retainer $15,000) |
| Stock Awards | $177,411 | Grant date fair value of Annual Equity Retainer; Ballew elected deferral into RSUs |
| Total | $292,473 |
Additional policy details:
- Directors may elect to receive the Annual Fee in Class A shares; pro‑rated/refunded if not full quarter .
- Annual Equity Retainer fully vested at grant; pro‑rated and paid in cash if service ends before annual meeting .
Performance Compensation
- Options, PSUs, and performance‑conditioned awards: Not part of non‑employee director compensation; equity grants are fully vested time‑based shares or deferred RSUs; no disclosed performance metrics tied to director compensation .
- Anti‑hedging/anti‑pledging: Company policy prohibits hedging and pledging by directors .
| Item | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Performance metrics in director pay | None disclosed | |
| Options awards (director) | None disclosed | |
| Clawback on director equity | Not disclosed in director section | — |
| Hedging/Pledging | Prohibited by policy |
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Company | Type | Role | Overlap/Interlock Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| NeuStar, Inc. | Public | Director (prior) | No current interlocks disclosed |
| Various non‑profits/companies (general) | General | Not specified for Ballew | Board considered that some directors serve with organizations that may transact with Hyatt (e.g., accommodations); relationships reviewed and independence maintained |
Expertise & Qualifications
- Deep expertise in data analytics, customer insights, technology operations; provides perspectives on innovation, management development, and global challenges; financially sophisticated .
- Audit Committee service supports oversight of financial reporting, internal controls, cybersecurity, and related‑party review processes .
Equity Ownership
| Holder | Class A Shares Beneficially Owned | % of Class A | RSUs (Director Deferred Compensation Plan) End‑of‑Year Balance | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paul D. Ballew | 5,589 | <1% | 8,686 | RSUs credited during 2024: 1,189; dividend equivalents paid in cash since 2019 |
| Director Ownership Guidelines | Value ≥ 5× Annual Fee ($500,000 in 2024) | — | — | Company states all non‑employee directors meet or are expected to meet within 5 years |
| Hedging/Pledging | Prohibited by policy | — | — | No pledging disclosed |
Governance Assessment
- Strengths: Independent status, high re‑election support (568.3M votes), Audit Committee engagement including cybersecurity and related‑party oversight, strong data/technology and financial skillset relevant to Hyatt’s strategy and risk oversight .
- Alignment: Mix of cash/equity with equity retainer and RSU deferral indicates long‑term alignment; ownership guidelines at 5× Annual Fee and anti‑hedging/pledging policies mitigate misalignment risk .
- Attendance: No incumbent director below 75% and full annual meeting attendance in 2024, supporting engagement quality .
- Conflicts/Related‑party exposure: Board annually reviews relationships; while directors’ affiliated entities may transact with Hyatt in ordinary course (e.g., rooms/meetings), independence maintained under NYSE/SEC standards; no Ballew‑specific related‑party transactions disclosed .
- RED FLAG (structural): Hyatt’s dual‑class share structure and voting agreements concentrate voting power (~92.7% total voting power held by Class B; agreements obligate voting with Board recommendations), which can disenfranchise public Class A holders and affect investor confidence; shareholders voted down a proposal to eliminate multi‑class structure in 2025 .
Overall, Paul D. Ballew’s audit oversight experience and analytics background support board effectiveness; compensation/ownership policies show alignment. Structural governance risks are company‑level (dual‑class and voting agreements) rather than director‑specific, but they frame the context in which independent directors operate .