Aaron Parker
About Aaron Parker
Aaron J. Parker is Hillman’s Chief People Officer (CPO) since February 2023, after serving as Director then Senior Director of Human Resources from September 2020 to February 2023; he previously held HR roles at Fifth Third Bancorp (2014–2020) and Macy’s, Inc. (2009–2014). He is 40 years old and is listed among Hillman’s executive officers in the 2025 proxy . Company performance context during his Hillman tenure shows cumulative TSR of $98.7 (value of $100 invested at IPO base) in 2024 and Adjusted EBITDA of $241.8M in 2024, with Net Income of $17.3M, reflecting operational progress versus prior years . The 2024 annual incentive program for NEOs paid at ~160% of target on above-target Adjusted EBITDA and leverage improvement, indicating a pay-for-performance posture across leadership .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Years | Strategic Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Hillman Group | Director, then Senior Director, Human Resources | Sep 2020 – Feb 2023 | Not disclosed |
| Fifth Third Bancorp | Various positions in Human Resources | 2014 – 2020 | Not disclosed |
| Macy’s, Inc. | Various positions in Human Resources | 2009 – 2014 | Not disclosed |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Years | Strategic Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| — | None disclosed in company proxies | — | — |
Fixed Compensation
- Not individually disclosed for Parker (non-NEO). Hillman provides detailed annual compensation tables for NEOs only in proxies; Parker is not included in those NEO tables .
- General context (NEO perquisites): car allowance ($700/month for certain NEOs in 2024; Canada president had company car); not specified for Parker .
Performance Compensation
Company executive annual incentive plan design for 2024 (as applied to NEOs; indicative of leadership incentives):
| Metric | Weight (NEOs) | Threshold | Target | Maximum | 2024 Actual/Deemed Achievement | Resulting Payout Factor |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adjusted EBITDA ($000s) | 70% | 219,400 | 235,000 | 260,000 | 248,000 (deemed after normalizing items) | 152.0% |
| Adjusted Leverage Ratio | 30% | 3.3x | 2.9x | 2.5x | 2.6x (deemed after normalizing items) | 179.5% |
Notes:
- For 2024, the Compensation Committee excluded the impact of the True Value bankruptcy (receivable write-off) and the Intex DIY acquisition when determining deemed results, lifting Adjusted EBITDA by $6.2M and improving leverage by 0.2 turns for compensation purposes .
- Annual bonuses for NEOs paid at ~160% of target based on these results (CEO 160.3%, CFO 160.3%, COO 160.3%, etc.) .
Equity award vesting conventions in 2024 grants (NEOs; plan-wide conventions):
- RSUs: 100% vesting on the third anniversary of grant (except a specific CFO grant with a 50%/25%/25% schedule over years 3–5) .
- Stock options: 25% per year over four years, beginning on the first anniversary of grant, exercise price set at grant .
Clawbacks, hedging and pledging:
- Awards are subject to forfeiture/clawback policies, including non-compete, non-solicit, and other restrictive covenants; company policy includes limitations on hedging and pledging and compliance with Section 10D listing standards .
Equity Ownership & Alignment
| Item | Policy/Status | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Stock ownership guideline (Other Executive Officers) | 1x base salary; 5 years to achieve from July 14, 2021 or from designation as executive officer | |
| Hedging/Pledging | Limitations on hedging and pledging apply to award recipients | |
| Clawback policy | Awards and proceeds subject to forfeiture/disgorgement; complies with SEC/Nasdaq clawback standards | |
| Deferred compensation | Nonqualified Deferred Compensation Plan frozen after FY2021; allowed deferrals historically; prior match subject to 5-year vest | |
| Beneficial ownership | Individual holdings for Parker not separately disclosed in 2024/2025 ownership tables; named directors/NEOs’ reported shares not pledged |
Insider selling pressure: We searched for HLMN Form 4s referencing “Aaron Parker” but could not retrieve transactions programmatically; proxies do not list his holdings individually. Recommend monitoring EDGAR Form 4 filings for any future RSU vests/sales.
Employment Terms
| Component | Term | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Employment agreement | No individual employment agreement for Parker disclosed in proxies; no 8-K 5.02 found naming him | |
| Executive Severance Plan | Provides severance (salary continuation), COBRA premiums, and pro-rated bonus if terminated without cause/for good reason; enhanced benefits if within 24 months post-change-in-control | |
| Restrictive covenants | Non-compete and non-solicit incorporated through plan/clawback conditions | |
| Stock ownership guidelines | 1x salary for “Other Executive Officers” with five-year compliance window |
Performance & Track Record (Company context during Parker’s tenure)
| Measure | FY 2020 | FY 2021 | FY 2022 | FY 2023 | FY 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total Shareholder Return (Value of $100) | 103.20 | 105.80 | 72.64 | 92.80 | 98.70 |
| Adjusted EBITDA ($000s) | 221,215 | 207,418 | 210,249 | 219,360 | 241,753 |
| Net Income ($000s) | (24,499) | (38,332) | (16,436) | (9,589) | 17,255 |
Interpretation:
- 2024 showed improved Adjusted EBITDA and positive Net Income versus prior years, supporting above-target incentive payouts to NEOs; these provide useful context for leadership execution under which HR strategy operates .
Compensation Structure Analysis
- Pay-for-performance: Annual incentive design for NEOs weighted 70% Adjusted EBITDA and 30% Adjusted Leverage Ratio; above-target results yielded ~160% payouts, indicating tight linkage to operating performance .
- Equity mix and risk: Use of time-based RSUs (3-year cliff) and stock options (4-year ratable) balances retention and performance leverage; clawback and anti-hedging/pledging policies bolster alignment and governance .
- Ownership alignment: Executives (other than CEO/CFO/COO/divisional presidents) are expected to hold stock equal to 1x salary within five years, encouraging ongoing ownership accumulation for roles like CPO .
Investment Implications
- Alignment: While Parker’s individual pay is not disclosed, ownership guidelines, clawbacks, and hedging/pledging limits apply to executive officers, supporting alignment and risk controls for the people function leader .
- Retention: The Executive Severance Plan (with enhanced change-in-control protection) plus multi-year equity vesting conventions should mitigate near-term retention risk for senior executives, including the CPO role .
- Trading signals: Lack of disclosed individual holdings/transactions limits visibility into potential selling pressure from Parker; monitor Form 4 filings for any RSU vest-driven sales around vesting dates (3-year cliff for typical RSUs; 4-year ratable for options) .
- Execution context: Company-level 2024 financials improved (Adjusted EBITDA and Net Income), and incentive payouts reflect performance momentum; continued delivery on these metrics remains the primary lever for leadership compensation outcomes .