Elena Verbinskaya
About Elena Verbinskaya
Elena Verbinskaya is Chief Accounting Officer at Howard Hughes Holdings Inc. (HHH), responsible for accounting, financial reporting, treasury, and tax. She joined HHH in January 2023 and was designated Principal Accounting Officer on October 3, 2023; she is age 47 and holds a Masters in Accounting, Analysis and Audit (Far Eastern State University), is a U.S. CPA, and an FCCA in the U.K. . Company performance context during her tenure includes record FY2024 results across key segments (see table below) .
Company Performance Context (FY 2024)
| Metric | FY 2024 |
|---|---|
| Net income from continuing operations per diluted share | $5.73; up 241% YoY |
| Master Planned Communities (MPC) Earnings Before Taxes | $349.1 million (record) |
| Operating Assets Net Operating Income (NOI) | $257.0 million (record) |
| Condominium revenues | $778.6–$779.0 million (record) |
| Pre-sales backlog (condos, HI & TX) | $533.4 million (HI towers) and $336.9 million (TX Ritz-Carlton Residences) |
| Financing closed | $862 million (construction loans and refinancings) |
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Years | Strategic Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| TMK Group | Chief Accounting Officer | 2010–2020 | Led accounting for a global steel pipe supplier to oil & gas |
| IPSCO Tubulars Inc. (TMK North America) | VP, Financial Reporting & Accounting Integration | Not disclosed | Drove reporting and integration for North American division |
External Roles
No external board roles or public company directorships are disclosed in HHH filings for Ms. Verbinskaya; filings describe professional certifications and education only .
Fixed Compensation
- No additional compensation was granted upon designation as Principal Accounting Officer on October 3, 2023 .
- Ms. Verbinskaya is not listed among Named Executive Officers (NEOs) in HHH’s 2024 or 2025 proxy statements; therefore base salary, bonus target, and equity grant details are not disclosed at the NEO level .
Performance Compensation
- Company-wide executive compensation policies apply to executive officers: pay-for-performance philosophy, multi-year vesting, and performance-based equity components in long-term awards (e.g., NAV/share growth for NEOs since 2023) .
- Executive compensation recoupment (clawback) policy applies to current and former executive officers and covers restatements due to misconduct and material noncompliance, with recovery of incentive-based compensation as required by listing rules .
Equity Ownership & Alignment
- Individual beneficial ownership for Ms. Verbinskaya is not separately disclosed in the Directors and Executive Officers tables in the 2024/2025 proxies .
- Alignment safeguards: HHH prohibits hedging, pledging, short sales, margin accounts, and limit orders in Company securities for executive officers; equity awards do not vest/pay dividends before vesting .
- Stock ownership guidelines are specified for CEO, President, CFO, and General Counsel; proxies do not specify CAO guidelines .
Employment Terms
- Designated Principal Accounting Officer on October 3, 2023; assumed the role from CFO Carlos Olea (who remains CFO and Principal Financial Officer) .
- No arrangements/understandings tied to her designation; no family relationships requiring disclosure; not party to related-party transactions requiring disclosure .
- Announcement via press release on October 3, 2023; responsibilities include oversight of accounting and reporting across HHH’s national portfolio .
Investment Implications
- Governance quality: Strong executive policies (clawback, hedging/pledging prohibitions, multi-year vesting) reduce misalignment and mitigate risk of value-destructive behaviors; these apply to executive officers including the CAO .
- Retention risk assessment: Tenure since 2023 with elevation in 2023 suggests continuity in the accounting function; however, absence of disclosed individual compensation/vesting details limits granularity on retention incentives .
- Trading signals: Without Form 4 transaction data disclosed in the proxies and with hedging/pledging prohibited, there is no evidence of selling pressure tied to hedging or pledging; further monitoring of Section 16 filings would be required for real-time signals .
- Execution context: FY2024 company performance was strong across MPC, Operating Assets NOI, and condominium revenues, indicating a supportive operating backdrop during her tenure .
Note: Items such as base salary, bonus targets, individual equity grant sizes, vesting schedules, severance, and change-of-control terms are not disclosed for Ms. Verbinskaya in available filings. All conclusions rely solely on cited company documents.