Annette Rippert
HARTFORD INSURANCE GROUPAbout Annette Rippert
Annette Rippert (age 59) is an independent director of The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. (HIG), appointed January 6, 2025 and effective February 18, 2025; she serves on the Board’s Finance, Investment and Risk Management Committee (FIRMCo) . She is the retired CEO of Accenture’s Strategy & Consulting group, where she led a $15 billion portfolio and drove growth through technology, data and AI; she holds a bachelor’s in electrical engineering and computer science and a master’s in management from Northwestern University, where she serves on the Board of Trustees .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Accenture plc | Chief Executive Officer, Strategy & Consulting | 2020–2022 | Led transformation of a $15B advisory portfolio by accelerating use of technology, data and AI; executed strategic acquisitions and human-capital strategies . |
| Accenture plc | Roles of increasing responsibility in technology, communications, and media | 1986–2020 | Led North America Technology (largest market) and Technology & Innovation for Accenture Federal Services; focused on growth in digital, cloud and emerging tech . |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Open Text Corporation | Director | 2024–present | Other public company board disclosed; committee roles not disclosed in HIG filings . |
| Northwestern University | Trustee, Board of Trustees | Current | Ongoing commitment to education and leadership development . |
Board Governance
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Independence | Board determined Rippert meets NYSE and company independence; no direct/indirect interest in related-party transactions under Item 404(a) . |
| Committees | Finance, Investment and Risk Management Committee (FIRMCo) starting Feb. 18, 2025 . |
| Chair Roles | None disclosed for Rippert; current FIRMCo chair is Larry De Shon . |
| Years of Service | Director since 2025 . |
| Attendance | In 2024 the Board met 6 times; each director attended ≥75% of Board/committee meetings; Rippert joined in 2025 (2024 attendance not applicable) . |
| Executive Sessions | Non-management directors held six executive sessions in 2024 . |
| Lead Independent Director | Trevor Fetter (Lead Director since 2017); powers include agenda approval, executive session leadership, shareholder availability . |
| Board focus areas (2024) | Technology, data and AI deep dives; external engagements with tech leaders; composition refresh added Rippert and Kathleen Winters . |
| Succession planning | Robust CEO/senior leadership succession; elevated Mo Tooker to President in 2025 . |
Fixed Compensation
| Component | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Annual Board cash retainer | $115,000 | Standard non-management director cash retainer for 2024–2025 Board year . |
| Annual equity grant (RSUs) | $190,000 | RSUs vest at end of Board service year; dividend equivalents credited and paid upon vesting . |
| Committee Chair retainers | Audit: $35,000; FIRMCo: $35,000; Compensation: $30,000; Nominating: $25,000 | Applies to committee chairs; none disclosed for Rippert . |
| Lead Director retainer | $50,000 | Applies to Lead Director role . |
| Insurance/perqs | $100,000 group life; $750,000 AD&D/PTD coverage; travel reimbursement | Provided to all directors . |
| Director compensation cap | $750,000 | Aggregate cash + equity per calendar year cap under 2025 LTI Plan (exceptions possible in extraordinary circumstances) . |
Rippert’s pro rata compensation for remainder of 2024–2025 Board year:
| Item | Amount | Timing/Mechanics |
|---|---|---|
| Pro rata cash retainer | $29,300 | For service starting Feb. 18, 2025 . |
| Pro rata RSU grant | $48,300 | RSUs valued at grant; granted on second trading day after 2024 10-K filing based on closing price . |
Performance Compensation
| Incentive Element | Structure | Metrics |
|---|---|---|
| Director equity (RSUs) | Time-based RSUs vest at end of Board service year; dividend equivalents credited and paid only upon vesting | No performance metrics; director equity is not performance-conditioned . |
| Grant timing policy | Equity awards granted on the second trading day following filing of Form 10-K/10-Q | Aligns grants with most current public data . |
| Clawback and forfeiture | Awards subject to company clawback policy; forfeiture on termination for cause; double-trigger vesting on change of control if awards assumed/replaced | Clawback in LTI plan and policy; change-of-control protections structured to avoid single-trigger vesting . |
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Company | Relationship to HIG | Potential Conflict/Interlock |
|---|---|---|
| Open Text Corporation (Director) | Enterprise software company; no related-party transactions disclosed by HIG | HIG disclosed no transactions requiring review in 2024; Board confirmed no Item 404(a) related-party interest for Rippert . |
Expertise & Qualifications
- Visionary leadership in technology, data and AI; drove differentiated growth and acquisitions at Accenture Strategy & Consulting .
- Led North America Technology (largest market) and innovation initiatives for Accenture Federal Services; experience in digital, cloud, emerging tech .
- Education: B.S. in electrical engineering and computer science; M.S. in management, Northwestern University; current Northwestern Trustee .
- Board’s 2024 innovation emphasis on AI/data aligns with Rippert’s domain expertise, supporting Board oversight of tech investments and risk .
Equity Ownership
| Measure | Value |
|---|---|
| Total beneficial ownership (shares) | 667 |
| Ownership as % of shares outstanding | ~0.0002% (667 / 285,395,412 shares outstanding ) |
| Vested vs. unvested | Not itemized in proxy; director totals include RSUs/performance shares at target where applicable . |
| Hedging/pledging | Prohibited for directors under insider trading policy; transactions only in pre-cleared windows or via 10b5-1 plans . |
| Stock ownership guideline | 5x total annual cash retainer (including chair/Lead Director retainers) within 3 years of appointment; all directors ≥3 years met as of 12/31/24 |
Governance Assessment
- Strengths: Independent status; no related-party exposure; deep technology/AI expertise enhances Board’s oversight of innovation and FIRMCo’s review of tech/data/AI investments; robust governance (Lead Director, executive sessions, board/committee evaluations) .
- Alignment: Director equity in RSUs, ownership guideline (5x cash retainer), prohibition on hedging/pledging, clawback on awards, prudent grant timing reduce governance risk and improve alignment with shareholders .
- Attendance/engagement: Board-level attendance strong (≥75% in 2024); directors attend executive sessions; annual shareholder engagement (reached out to holders of ~55% of shares; feedback from holders of ~49%) strengthens governance .
- Compensation environment: 2024 Say-on-Pay support ~91% indicates investor confidence in pay governance; LTI plan maintains double-trigger vesting and no repricing, with director cap .
- Watch items: Initial ownership is small given new tenure; monitor progress toward 5x retainer guideline over 3 years (standard for new directors); over-boarding policy tightened to three boards for non-CEOs—Rippert currently holds two public boards (HIG, Open Text), within policy .
Overall signal: Addition of a technology/AI-focused independent director to FIRMCo is a positive governance and strategy signal for HIG’s ongoing digitization/analytics initiatives, with no disclosed conflicts and strong alignment mechanisms in place .