Alice Wong
HECLA MINING CO/DE/About Alice Wong
Alice Wong, ICD.D, is an independent director of Hecla Mining Company (HL) since 2021 and currently chairs the Governance and Social Responsibility Committee. She is 65, served more than 35 years at Cameco Corporation in senior roles across safety, environment, HR, IT, cyber risk, and corporate affairs, and was recognized as a Catalyst Honours Champion in 2021 for inclusive leadership. She is also a member of Hecla’s Audit, Compensation, and Health, Safety, Environmental & Technical (HSET) Committees, with the Board affirming her independence under NYSE standards .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cameco Corporation | Senior Advisor to the CEO | Jun–Oct 2024 | Advisory to executive leadership post-SVP tenure |
| Cameco Corporation | SVP & Chief Corporate Officer (oversight of HR, safety, health, environment, quality, regulatory relations, IT/cyber, supply chain, internal audit, ethics) | Jul 2011–Jun 2024 | Enterprise oversight across ESG, risk, digital transformation |
| Cameco Corporation | VP, Safety, Health, Environment, Quality & Regulatory Relations | 2008–2011 | Corporate EH&S and regulatory strategy |
| Cameco Corporation | VP, Investor, Corporate & Government Relations | 2005–2008 | Capital markets, stakeholder engagement |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Precision Drilling Corporation | Director (public company) | Since 2024 | Current public company directorship |
| SaskEnergy Corporation | Director | 2016–2023 | Provincial energy crown corporation board service |
| Mining Association of Canada | Board/Industry governance | 2016–2024 | Sector policy and ESG participation |
| Canadian Nuclear Association | Board/Industry governance | 2013–2024 | Nuclear sector leadership |
| Saskatchewan Mining Association | Board/Industry governance | 2013–2024 | Provincial mining policy |
Board Governance
- Independence: The Board has affirmatively determined seven of eight current directors are independent, including Wong .
- Committee leadership and memberships: Wong is Chair of the Governance and Social Responsibility Committee; member of Audit, Compensation, and HSET Committees. The Audit Committee notes she is financially literate and serves on one other public company Audit Committee .
- Attendance: In 2024, there were nine Board meetings; all directors other than late-year joiners (Satre in Oct, Krcmarov in Nov) attended 100% of Board and relevant committee meetings. Each committee reported 100% attendance in 2024 .
| Committee | Role | 2024 Meetings | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Governance & Social Responsibility | Chair | 4 | 100% |
| Audit | Member | 10 | 100% |
| Compensation | Member | 6 | 100% |
| Health, Safety, Environmental & Technical (HSET) | Member | 4 | 100% |
Fixed Compensation
- Structure (non-management directors): Annual Board retainer $105,000; Committee chair fee $15,000; Annual equity grant $125,000; No meeting fees .
- 2024 actuals for Wong: Fees earned $120,000 (includes $105,000 Board retainer + $15,000 Governance Chair fee); Stock retainer grant-date fair value $122,619 (24,281 shares granted June 24, 2024 at $5.05 close); Total $242,619 .
| Component | Policy Value | 2024 Actual (Wong) | Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual Board Retainer (cash) | $105,000 | $105,000 | Paid quarterly |
| Committee Chair Fee (cash) | $15,000 | $15,000 | Governance Chair |
| Equity Retainer (annual) | $125,000 | $122,619 | 24,281 shares granted; grant date 06/24/2024; priced at $5.05 |
| Meeting Fees | None | None | Not paid |
| Total 2024 Compensation | — | $242,619 | Fees + equity fair value |
Director Stock Plan mechanics:
- Min 25% of annual equity contributed to a grantor trust; delivery upon death, disability, Board retirement/cessation, change-in-control, or at an elected time with ≥2-year holding; 2,039,789 shares remained available as of 12/31/2024 .
Performance Compensation
- Directors do not participate in STIP/LTIP or PSU performance programs; Hecla’s performance-based incentives apply to NEOs, not non-management directors .
| Performance Metric (Directors) | Applicability | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Short-term targets (STIP) | Not applicable | Director compensation excludes STIP |
| PSUs/TSR-based awards | Not applicable | PSUs are for NEOs; directors receive stock retainers under Director Stock Plan |
| LTIP (3-year units) | Not applicable | LTIP discontinued in 2024 and historically for executives only |
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Item | Status |
|---|---|
| Current public boards | Precision Drilling Corporation (since 2024) |
| Shared directorships/Interlocks impacting HL | None disclosed; no related-party transactions in 2024 |
| Audit Committee cross-service | Wong serves on one other public company Audit Committee; Audit Committee affirmed all members are independent and financially literate |
Expertise & Qualifications
- ESG, safety, and regulatory oversight from SVP roles at Cameco; enterprise functions including HR, IT, cyber risk, supply chain, internal audit, and ethics .
- Corporate governance credentials: ICD.D from Rotman Director’s Education Program; recognized as Catalyst Honours Champion in 2021 .
- Hecla Board skills matrix emphasizes governance, risk, industry operations, and cybersecurity experience; Wong contributes to Board diversity (38% women) and refreshment .
Equity Ownership
- Beneficial ownership (as of 03/26/2025): 98,581 shares (indirect via grantor trust under Director Stock Plan); <1% of outstanding shares .
- Stock ownership guidelines: Directors must hold shares equal to 3x annual cash retainer within five years; Wong met the guideline as of 12/31/2024 .
- Hedging/pledging: Prohibited for directors and officers under Insider Trading Policy .
| Holder | Shares | Nature | % of Class |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alice Wong | 98,581 | Indirect (trust under Director Stock Plan) | <1% (of 632,310,356 shares) |
Insider Trading & Compliance
| Item | Status | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Section 16(a) filings | All timely for CY2024 | No delinquent reports |
| Related-party transactions (2024) | None | Proxy disclosure |
| Hedging/pledging policy | Prohibited for directors/officers | Insider Trading Policy |
Governance Assessment
- Strengths: Independent director; Governance Committee Chair; multi-committee engagement (Audit/Comp/HSET); 100% attendance; meets stock ownership guideline; robust insider trading prohibitions; no related-party transactions—supports board effectiveness and investor alignment .
- Considerations: Hecla maintains anti-takeover features (classified board, inability to call special meetings, supermajority provisions) and did not include proposals to amend them in 2025 after repeated shareholder vote failures—ongoing governance dialogue remains prudent; as Governance Chair, Wong is central to future review and shareholder engagement on these topics .
- Compensation context: Say-on-Pay support declined to ~69–70% in 2024, prompting program changes (eliminated qualitative STIP discretion; discontinued LTIP; tightened CEO CIC multiples)—positive signal of responsiveness, but continued monitoring of pay-for-performance alignment advisable; Wong sits on Compensation Committee that endorsed CD&A inclusion .
- Red flags: None directly tied to Wong disclosed; no attendance gaps, no conflicts, no pledging, and no related-party exposure. Potential portfolio interlock risk via Precision Drilling appears minimal with no transactions disclosed; continue to monitor for any supplier/customer relationships that could emerge (none disclosed for 2024) .
Overall, Alice Wong’s chair role, independence, and comprehensive ESG/operational oversight background bolster board effectiveness and investor confidence. Ongoing governance reforms around legacy anti-takeover provisions and continued responsiveness to shareholder feedback on executive pay will remain key areas where her leadership can further enhance alignment.