DeAnne Aguirre
Hercules CapitalAbout DeAnne Aguirre
DeAnne Aguirre is an Independent Director at HTGC, age 64, serving since 2022 with her current Class III term expiring in 2025; she has been nominated for re-election at the June 18, 2025 annual meeting and, if elected, will serve until the 2028 annual meeting . Her background includes serving as North America Managing Partner and Health Industries Leader at Strategy& (PwC) and senior leadership roles at Booz & Co./Booz Allen Hamilton; she holds an MS in Business Administration from Stanford University and a BS in Mathematics (Computer Science emphasis) from Fort Hays State University, and is a member of NACD and Women Corporate Directors .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Booz & Co./Booz Allen Hamilton | Global Board Director | 1998–2007 | Oversight and governance at a global strategy consultancy |
| Booz & Co./Booz Allen Hamilton | Technology Leader, Southern Cone; Co-leader, Organization & Strategic Leadership | Not disclosed | Regional technology leadership; organization and leadership strategy |
| Stanford University | Sloan Advisory Board Director | 1994–2005 | Advisory role to graduate management program |
| Catalyst | Global Advisory Board Director | 2011–2013 | Diversity and inclusion advisory |
| Catalyst | Western Region Advisory Board Director | 2005–2011 | Regional leadership on gender equity initiatives |
External Roles
| Company/Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees |
|---|---|---|---|
| EPAM Systems, Inc. (NYSE: EPAM) | Director | Since 2023 | Nominating & Corporate Governance Committee |
| Cisive (private) | Director | Since 2022 | Not disclosed |
Board Governance
- Independence: Determined independent under NYSE and 1940 Act; annual independence review considers financial, commercial, and family relationships; Audit, Compensation, and Governance Committees are fully independent .
- Committees: Member of Compensation and Nominating & Corporate Governance Committees; not a chair .
- Attendance and engagement: All directors attended ≥75% of Board and committee meetings in 2024; all then-serving directors attended the 2024 annual meeting .
- Board activity: 2024 committee meetings—Audit (5), Compensation (5), Governance (4); Board held 4 regular and 3 special meetings in 2024 .
- Board structure: Class III director; nominated for election at the 2025 annual meeting for a term through 2028 .
- Practices: Lead Independent Director role, regular executive sessions, stock ownership guidelines for directors and officers, anti-hedging and anti-pledging policies, clawback policy, majority voting with resignation policy; 2024 say-on-pay approval was 90.3% (votes cast) .
Fixed Compensation
| Component (2024) | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Annual Director Retainer (cash) | $100,000 | Standard for Independent Directors |
| Additional Annual Retainer (cash or shares at election) | $105,000 | She elected to receive shares (see Performance Compensation) |
| Committee Chair Premiums | $0 | Not a chair; chair premiums: Board $60k, Audit/Comp $25k, Governance $15k |
| Fees Earned or Paid in Cash (reported) | $205,000 | Total cash column in proxy table for 2024 |
Performance Compensation
| Equity/Item | Grant Date | Shares | Fair Value | Vesting |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Additional Retainer paid in Shares | 2024 (date not disclosed) | 5,660 | $105,000 (value of shares in lieu of cash) | Not applicable (retainer shares) |
| Unvested Restricted Stock Awards (RSA) outstanding | As of 12/31/2024 | 1,693 | Not disclosed | Not disclosed |
| Stock Awards (annual grant) | Not granted to Aguirre in 2024 | — | — | — |
Director compensation is retainer-based; no performance metrics (TSR/ROE/ESG) are disclosed for Independent Director pay. Performance metrics in the proxy pertain to NEO compensation, not directors .
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Company | Sector | Relationship to HTGC | Interlock/Conflict Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| EPAM Systems, Inc. | IT services/product engineering | No disclosed customer/supplier relationship to HTGC | No related-party transaction required disclosure; member of EPAM’s governance committee |
| Cisive | Compliance solutions (private) | No disclosed relationship to HTGC | No related-party transaction required disclosure |
Expertise & Qualifications
- Leadership/Strategy: Extensive executive and director experience with operational scope in investments and finance .
- Finance/IT/Operations: Experience spanning commercial lending, sales and marketing, and key business processes .
- Governance: Experienced with corporate governance and executive compensation in public and private companies .
- Strategic Planning & M&A: Senior-level strategic planning and both target evaluation and post-merger integration experience .
Equity Ownership
| Item | Amount | As of/Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Total Beneficial Ownership (shares) | 13,875 | As of April 17, 2025 |
| % of Shares Outstanding | <1% | Based on 175,420,455 shares outstanding |
| Restricted Shares included in beneficial total | 1,693 | Also disclosed as unvested RSAs at 12/31/2024 |
| Shares held via family trust | 12,182 (Aguirre Family 2004 Trust) | She disclaims beneficial ownership except to pecuniary interest |
| Dollar Range of HTGC securities owned | Over $100,000 | As of April 17, 2025 |
| Pledging/Hedging | Prohibited by Corporate Governance Guidelines | Company-wide policy |
| Ownership Guidelines (Directors) | Guidelines exist (details for directors not specified in proxy) | NEO specifics provided separately; director multiples not disclosed |
Governance Assessment
- Board effectiveness: Independent status, committee service on Compensation and Governance, and ≥75% meeting attendance support strong engagement and oversight; committee structure and regular executive sessions strengthen shareholder-aligned governance .
- Pay and alignment: She elected to receive the $105,000 additional retainer in shares (5,660), increasing equity exposure; holds 13,875 shares with unvested RSAs (1,693), indicating skin-in-the-game while avoiding options complexity .
- Conflicts: No related-party transactions requiring disclosure and no compensation committee interlocks; BDC restrictions and the Company’s related-person transaction policy reduce conflict risk; anti-hedging/pledging policy further aligns incentives .
- Shareholder signals: 2024 say-on-pay approval of 90.3% suggests investor support for compensation governance; majority voting with a resignation policy adds accountability .
- RED FLAGS: None disclosed specific to Aguirre. Monitoring items include dual service on another public board (EPAM) for potential information-flow conflicts, though no related-party ties are disclosed; track any changes in director equity grants or retainer structure that might reduce at-risk alignment .