Nicolas G. Schuck
Corporate Vice President, Controller and Chief Accounting Officer at 
HUNTINGTON INGALLS INDUSTRIES
HUNTINGTON INGALLS INDUSTRIESExecutive
About Nicolas G. Schuck
Nicolas G. Schuck is Corporate Vice President, Controller and Chief Accounting Officer at HII, appointed effective August 10, 2015 (age 41 at appointment; joined HII in 2012) . He oversees SEC reporting, tax, government financial relations, benefits accounting, and import/export compliance; he holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in accounting and finance and is a CPA, with prior experience at ManTech, PwC, and Arthur Andersen . He has been listed among HII’s elected officers participating in annual meetings in 2020–2022, evidencing continuing tenure in the CAO role . Company performance context during his tenure includes 2024 revenues of $11.535B, operating income $535M, EBITDAP-based segment operating income $573M, diluted EPS $13.96, and 2024 TSR of −25.7% .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Years | Strategic Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| HII (Corporate) | Corporate Assistant Controller | Jan 2012–Mar 2015 | Corporate accounting leadership; prepared for CAO role |
| HII (Newport News Shipbuilding) | Assistant Controller | Mar 2015–Aug 2015 | Division control; shipyard financial operations exposure |
| HII (Corporate) | Corporate VP, Controller & Chief Accounting Officer | Aug 2015–present (documented through 2022) | Enterprise accounting oversight; SEC reporting; tax; compliance |
| ManTech International | Director, Finance | Dec 2009–Dec 2011 | National security programs finance; federal customer context |
| PwC; Arthur Andersen | Various finance/accounting roles | Prior to 2009 | Big 4/legacy firm training; technical accounting expertise |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Years | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| None disclosed | — | — | No external public-company directorships disclosed in available filings |
Fixed Compensation
- No individual base salary or target bonus disclosures for Schuck (non-NEO) in the latest proxy; HII states executives have no employment agreements and no change-in-control agreements or tax gross-ups .
- Schuck participates in officer retirement plans per his appointment (Officers Retirement Account Contribution Plan) .
Performance Compensation
| Metric | Weighting | Target | Actual | Payout | Vesting |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 RPSR grant (1,131 units) | Not disclosed (RPSR plan uses corporate LTIP metrics) | Performance criteria set by Compensation Committee | Not disclosed for this grant | Vests only if performance criteria met | Target vest date Dec 31, 2017 |
| LTIP RPSR program (2024–2026 cycle) | ROIC 40% | Company-set LTIP goals | Not yet completed | 0%–200% shares vest range | Vests after period if goals met |
| LTIP RPSR program (2024–2026 cycle) | EBITDAP 40% | Company-set LTIP goals | Not yet completed | 0%–200% shares vest range | Vests after period if goals met |
| LTIP RPSR program (2024–2026 cycle) | Relative EBITDAP growth vs SPSIAD 20% | Company-set LTIP goals | Not yet completed | 0%–200% shares vest range | Vests after period if goals met |
- Annual Incentive Plan (AIP) structure: Corporate metrics based on Operating Margin and Operating Cash Flow (90%) plus strategic leadership (10%); Individual Performance Factor 0–1.5 (corporate example for NEOs; similar frameworks typically apply to corporate officers) . 2024 corporate AIP results: OM achieved; OCF not achieved; strategic leadership 186 points; corporate total 65% (for NEOs) .
- Clawback policy applies to performance-based compensation .
Equity Ownership & Alignment
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Latest disclosed ownership | Not separately disclosed for Schuck in beneficial ownership table (covers directors and NEOs only) |
| Section 16 transaction | 2023 report noted Schuck should have reported sale of 7,435 stock units (1,735 equivalent shares) through HII’s Savings Excess Plan; subsequently filed on Form 4 |
| Ownership guidelines | Other elected/appointed officers must hold 1.5× base salary in HII stock/equivalents; methods include direct shares, RSRs, 401(k), Savings Excess Plan |
| Holding requirement | Awards granted before Jan 1, 2024 require holding 50% of shares received for 3 years (or until death/disability); requirement eliminated for awards granted on/after Jan 1, 2024 |
| Hedging/pledging | Prohibited for officers; includes margin/pledging, derivatives, collars, forwards |
Employment Terms
| Provision | Economics/Terms | Trigger/Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Severance Plan (elected/appointed officers) | 1.5× base salary + target bonus in lump sum; 18 months medical/dental premiums; financial planning reimbursement ($30k CEO; $15k others per year for two years); executive physical (up to $4k in year of termination); outplacement up to 15% of base salary | Qualifying termination: involuntary (not for cause/mandatory retirement) or elected termination in lieu of downgrade; requires release |
| Equity vesting (death/disability/retirement) | RPSR prorated/accelerated; RSR accelerated (death/disability); normal payout timing after period end | Applies under 2012/2022 LTIP plan terms |
| Change-in-control treatment | RSRs accelerate; RPSR cycles accelerate at target upon qualifying termination related to CIC under plan terms | HII states no CIC agreements; treatment governed by equity plan |
| Clawback | Executive compensation clawback policy in place | |
| Non-compete / non-solicit | Not disclosed |
Performance & Track Record
- Appointment and expanding remit: Elevated to CAO with enterprise responsibilities for SEC reporting, tax, government financial relations, benefits accounting, and trade compliance .
- Tenure continuity: Recognized as CAO in annual meeting proceedings in 2020–2022, indicating role stability .
- Company performance context (2024): Revenues $11.535B; operating margin 4.6%; net earnings $550M; diluted EPS $13.96; free cash flow $40M; 1-year TSR −25.7%; $368M returned via dividends/repurchases .
- Pay program alignment: HII’s say-on-pay received 96% approval in 2024, indicating shareholder support for pay-for-performance structures .
Expertise & Qualifications
- Education: Bachelor’s and master’s in accounting and finance; Certified Public Accountant .
- Technical expertise: Corporate accounting, SEC reporting, government financial relations, international trade compliance .
- Industry experience: Defense contractor finance (ManTech); shipbuilding/divisional finance (NNS); Big 4/legacy firms .
Compensation Structure Analysis
- Equity-heavy incentives with multi-year metrics (ROIC, EBITDAP, relative growth) suggest alignment with long-term value creation and cash discipline .
- No employment or CIC agreements and presence of clawback and anti-hedging/pledging policies reduce shareholder risk of misaligned payouts .
- Stock ownership guidelines and pre-2024 holding requirements reinforce alignment, though Schuck’s specific compliance level is not disclosed .
Risk Indicators & Red Flags
- Section 16(a) delinquent reporting: Schuck and a director had delayed Form 4 filings; Schuck’s involved plan stock units/equivalents sale; subsequently corrected. Administrative lapse but limited trading signal given plan nature .
- No disclosed pledging/hedging; policy prohibits such actions .
- No executive employment or CIC agreements; no tax gross-ups—shareholder-friendly posture .
- 2024 TSR decline (−25.7%) may heighten scrutiny of payout outcomes and future metric calibration .
Equity Ownership & Alignment (Detail)
| Component | Data |
|---|---|
| Savings Excess Plan activity | Sale of 7,435 stock units (1,735 equivalent shares) reported belatedly on Form 4; plan-based, not open-market |
| Beneficial ownership % outstanding | Not disclosed for Schuck; NEOs/directors collectively <1% of shares; total shares outstanding 39,235,568 as of Feb 28, 2025 |
| Policy compliance | Hedging/pledging prohibited; stock ownership guideline of 1.5× base salary for officers not reporting directly to CEO |
Employment Terms (Detail)
| Term | Specifics |
|---|---|
| Severance multiple | 1.5× base + target bonus; benefits and services per plan |
| CIC equity | RSRs accelerate; RPSRs accelerate at target upon qualifying termination; no CIC agreements |
| Equity holding | 50% post-vest holding for pre-2024 awards; eliminated for awards on/after Jan 1, 2024 |
| Clawback | Performance compensation subject to clawback |
Investment Implications
- Alignment: Strong policy framework—ownership guidelines, holding requirements (pre-2024), clawback, anti-hedging/pledging—supports long-term alignment; Schuck’s remit in accounting/compliance further mitigates risk of aggressive financial engineering .
- Retention: Participation in the officer Severance Plan and standard LTIP structures (RPSR/RSR) reduce voluntary departure risk; absence of guaranteed employment/CIC agreements preserves flexibility and limits shareholder downside .
- Trading signals: Only notable insider activity was a corrected plan-based Form 4; limited pressure signal. Monitor future Form 4s for open-market sales as RPSR cycles pay out (e.g., 2022–2024 LTIP paid 109% for NEOs) .
- Pay-for-performance calibration: Given 2024 TSR decline and mixed AIP results (corporate OCF miss), continued scrutiny on LTIP metric targets and adjustments (COVID-era adjustments noted) is warranted; Schuck’s control function is central to credible non-GAAP reconciliations and payout integrity .
Note: Where Schuck-specific dollar amounts (salary, target bonus, ownership totals) are not disclosed for non-NEOs, program-level terms and documented transactions are provided. All claims are sourced from HII filings and transcripts.