Sarah Pohmer
HUNTINGTON BANCSHARES INC /MD/About Sarah Pohmer
Sarah E. Pohmer, age 49, is Senior Executive Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO) at Huntington Bancshares Incorporated (HBAN). She joined Huntington as incoming CHRO in May 2024 and became a member of the Executive Leadership Team in August 2024 . Huntington’s executive incentive framework ties annual bonuses to adjusted EPS, adjusted PPNR earnings growth, and adjusted operating leverage; PSUs are measured on adjusted ROTCE. For 2024, HBAN achieved adjusted EPS of $1.25, adjusted PPNR earnings growth of 2.04%, adjusted operating leverage of 4.2%, and adjusted ROTCE of 16.0% . As context on value creation, HBAN’s five‑year total shareholder return (TSR) increased cumulative value from $100 to $138 over 2019–2024, compared with $197 for the S&P 500 and $133 for the KBW Bank Index .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Years | Strategic Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Huntington Bancshares Inc. | Incoming Senior EVP & CHRO | May 2024–Aug 2024 | Transitioned into CHRO role; joined ELT in Aug 2024 |
| JPMorgan Chase & Co. | Managing Director, Head of HR for Consumer Bank | Jul 2022–May 2024 | Led HR for Consumer Bank business |
| JPMorgan Chase & Co. | Managing Director, Head of HR for Card & Connected Commerce | Oct 2021–Jul 2022 | Led HR for card and connected commerce units |
| JPMorgan Chase & Co. | Head of HR for Business Banking and CCB support functions | Jul 2011–Oct 2021 | HR leadership across Business Banking and CCB support |
| JPMorgan Chase & Co. | Various HR leadership positions | 2000–2011 | Progressive HR leadership roles |
External Roles
- No public company board or external directorships disclosed in retrieved HBAN filings .
Fixed Compensation
- Specific base salary, target bonus %, and actual bonus for Ms. Pohmer are not disclosed in the 2025 proxy; she is not listed among the named executive officers (NEOs) for 2024 .
Performance Compensation
Huntington’s executive incentives use clearly defined financial metrics and long-term equity:
| Metric | Plan Component | Weighting | Target | Actual | Payout | Vesting |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adjusted EPS | Annual Incentive (MIP) | Not disclosed for executives | Not disclosed | $1.25 | Company MIP performance certified at 105.2% of target | Annual cash award timing per MIP |
| Adjusted PPNR Earnings Growth | Annual Incentive (MIP) | Not disclosed for executives | Not disclosed | 2.04% | Company MIP performance certified at 105.2% of target | Annual cash award timing per MIP |
| Adjusted Operating Leverage | Annual Incentive (MIP) | Not disclosed for executives | Not disclosed | 4.2% | Company MIP performance certified at 105.2% of target | Annual cash award timing per MIP |
| Adjusted ROTCE | PSUs (LTIP) | PSUs comprise 50% of LTI for other NEOs in 2024 | Not disclosed | 16.0% | PSU vesting based on performance vs targets | 2024 PSU awards vest based on performance as of Dec 31, 2026, subject to service |
| Time‑vesting RSUs | RSUs (LTIP) | RSUs comprise 50% of LTI for other NEOs in 2024 | N/A | N/A | N/A | Vests 50% on 3rd anniversary and 50% on 4th anniversary of grant |
- Governance constraints: No single‑trigger vesting upon change in control; no dividend equivalents paid on equity grants prior to vesting; robust recoupment policies (misconduct and financial restatement) .
Equity Ownership & Alignment
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Section 16 status | Officer (SEVP‑CHRO) per Form 3 |
| Beneficial ownership (direct) | 133,739.866 shares of common stock as of 08/06/2024 |
| Shares outstanding (record date) | 1,460,753,955 shares |
| Ownership as % of shares outstanding | ~0.0092% (133,739.866 ÷ 1,460,753,955), calculated from cited figures |
| Derivative securities | None listed on Form 3 (Table II empty) |
| Stock ownership guidelines | 3x salary for senior EVPs; 10x for CEO; executives generally have five years to meet |
| Hedging/Pledging | Prohibited for executives and Directors |
| Annual LTI grant practice | Awards made on pre‑established date to avoid MNPI concerns |
Note: Our document retrieval identified Ms. Pohmer’s initial Form 3; no Form 4 transactions were found in retrieved filings, which is not comprehensive proof of absence but indicates no reported trades in the materials reviewed .
Employment Terms
| Term | Details |
|---|---|
| Appointment & tenure | Incoming CHRO from May 2024; CHRO and ELT member since Aug 2024 |
| Change‑in‑control treatment | Double‑trigger required for equity vesting; no excise tax gross‑ups |
| Severance | Transition Pay Plan available generally to salaried colleagues for specified terminations (disclosed for NEOs; plan is broad across salaried colleagues) |
| Clawbacks | Misconduct Recoupment Policy and Financial Restatement Compensation Recoupment Policy (adopted Oct 2023) apply to executive officers |
| Ownership & conduct policies | Significant stock ownership policy; hedging and pledging prohibitions; annual risk assessment of incentive plans |
| Perquisites | Limited perquisites disclosed as program practice |
Compensation Peer Group (Benchmarking)
| Peer Banks (2023 & 2024) |
|---|
| Citizens Financial Group (CFG); Comerica (CMA); Fifth Third (FITB); KeyCorp (KEY); M&T Bank (MTB); PNC (PNC); Regions Financial (RF); Truist (TFC); U.S. Bancorp (USB); Zions Bancorporation (ZION) |
Performance & Track Record (Company Context)
| Index | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| HBAN | $100 | $89 | $113 | $108 | $103 | $138 |
| S&P 500 | $100 | $118 | $152 | $125 | $157 | $197 |
| KBW Bank Index | $100 | $90 | $124 | $98 | $97 | $133 |
- 2024 compensation metric results used for incentive certification: adjusted EPS $1.25, adjusted PPNR earnings growth 2.04%, adjusted operating leverage 4.2%; adjusted ROTCE 16.0% underpinning PSU design .
Investment Implications
- Pay‑for‑performance alignment: Incentives tied to core banking profitability metrics (EPS, PPNR, operating leverage) and ROTCE for PSUs; 2024 performance exceeded targets (MIP certified at 105.2%), supporting variable pay linkage to shareholder value drivers .
- Retention and selling pressure: Initial Form 3 shows a direct stake of 133,739.866 shares; no derivative holdings listed and no Form 4 trades observed in retrieved filings, suggesting limited near‑term selling pressure from scheduled option exercises; RSUs/PSUs vesting schedules and double‑trigger CIC reduce windfall risk .
- Alignment safeguards: Strict stock ownership guidelines (3x salary), hedging/pledging prohibition, and robust clawbacks mitigate agency risk and improve governance quality signals .
- Execution risk: Recent onboarding (Aug 2024) implies initial period of organizational integration; Huntington’s broader 2024 results and top‑quartile risk metrics provide supportive backdrop for human capital strategies under the CHRO remit .