Debra Dial
HUBBELLAbout Debra L. Dial
Independent director of Hubbell Incorporated since 2023; age 64. Former Senior Vice President, Chief Accounting Officer and Controller of AT&T Inc. (also SVP & Controller 2016–2023), with prior 10-year audit career at KPMG. Designated “Audit Committee Financial Expert,” currently serves on the Audit and Finance Committees; also a director of Dow Inc. (since 2021) and Booz Allen Hamilton Holding Corporation (since Jan 2025) .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| AT&T Inc. | Senior VP, Chief Accounting Officer & Controller | 2022–2023 | Led accounting, reporting, controls; senior finance leadership |
| AT&T Inc. | Senior VP & Controller | 2016–2023 | Corporate controller; prior VP Finance roles incl. AT&T Capital Mgmt.; CFO for CIO/CTO orgs |
| KPMG | Auditor | ~10 years | External audit; foundational accounting/audit expertise |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Start | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dow Inc. | Director | 2021 | Materials science manufacturer |
| Booz Allen Hamilton Holding Corp. | Director | Jan 2025 | Advanced technology/AI/cyber solutions to national missions |
Board Governance
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Independence | Independent director; Board is majority independent (9 of 10) |
| Committee assignments | Audit Committee (member, designated Audit Committee Financial Expert); Finance Committee (member) |
| Committee activity/attendance | Audit: 8 meetings in 2024; committee attendance 100%. Finance: 4 meetings in 2024; committee attendance 100% |
| Board meeting cadence | Board held 8 meetings in 2024; average director attendance 98% |
| Lead independent director context | Independent Lead Director role in place (currently Anthony J. Guzzi) to balance combined Chair/CEO; independent directors meet regularly in executive sessions |
| Voting standard update | Board recommending adoption of majority voting in uncontested director elections (moving from plurality) |
Fixed Compensation (Non-Employee Director)
| Component | Company Program (2024) | Dial 2024 Actual |
|---|---|---|
| Annual Board retainer (cash) | $100,000 (effective May 7, 2024; previously $90,000) | Included in cash fees below |
| Committee retainers (member) | Audit $10,000; Finance $5,000 | Included in cash fees below |
| Committee chair retainers | Audit $20,000; Compensation $15,000; Finance $13,000; NCGC $13,000 (if chair) | N/A – not a chair |
| Meeting fees | None | None |
| Fees earned/paid in cash (total) | — | $111,511 |
| All other compensation | — | $10,000 (charitable match under Hubbell Foundation) |
Performance Compensation (Director Equity)
| Element | Grant/Design | Dial 2024 Detail |
|---|---|---|
| Annual restricted share grant | $160,000 grant date value (increased from $145,000 as of May 7, 2024); vests at next Annual Meeting (or earlier on death/change in control) | $159,645 grant date fair value; 409 shares granted May 7, 2024 |
| Deferral election (Directors’ Deferred Plan) | May defer cash retainers to stock/cash accounts and/or defer restricted shares into RSUs; dividend equivalents accrue; distributions post-service; RSUs retain same vesting as deferred stock | Elected to defer entire 2024 restricted stock grant; held 413 RSUs at 12/31/24 under the plan |
| Options/Performance link | No option grants or performance metrics in director equity program | None |
Note: Director equity is time-based; no performance metrics apply to non-employee director compensation .
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Current Public Boards | Potential Interlocks/Conflicts |
|---|---|
| Dow Inc. (since 2021); Booz Allen Hamilton Holding Corp. (since Jan 2025) | Company discloses no related-party transactions with directors; NCGC reviewed director-affiliated transactions and found none requiring disclosure or impairing independence . Directors generally limited to no more than three other public company boards; policy in place and Dial remains within limit . |
Expertise & Qualifications
- Audit Committee Financial Expert; deep finance and accounting leadership (AT&T CAO/Controller), M&A, strategy, risk management; 10 years KPMG audit experience .
- Governance practices support independence and risk oversight: prohibition on hedging/pledging by directors/officers; annual risk and compensation risk assessments; board self-evaluations; strong independent committee structure .
Equity Ownership
| Metric | Amount |
|---|---|
| Beneficial ownership (common shares) | 589 shares (sole voting/investment power unless noted) |
| Options/SARs exercisable | 0 |
| Deferred/Unvested units | 413 restricted stock units at 12/31/24 (from deferral of 2024 grant) |
| “Total ownership” incl. units (as reported) | 1,002 (589 shares + 413 RSUs) |
| Ownership as % of shares outstanding | ~0.0011% (589 / 53,573,359 shares outstanding on Mar 7, 2025) |
| Director ownership guideline | Must own ≥5x annual cash retainer within 5 years of first annual grant; Company states all Directors satisfy ownership requirements |
| Pledging/Hedging | Prohibited under policy for directors/officers |
Governance Assessment
- Strengths for investor confidence: Independent director with Audit Committee Financial Expert designation serving on Audit and Finance—highly relevant to financial integrity and capital allocation oversight; committees posted 100% attendance in 2024 and board average attendance was 98% . No related-party transactions disclosed; independence affirmed annually by NCGC .
- Alignment signals: Director pay balanced toward equity (2024: $111,511 cash; $159,645 equity), with full deferral of equity into RSUs, enhancing long-term alignment; director ownership guidelines (5x cash retainer) and prohibition on hedging/pledging further align interests; Company notes all directors meet ownership requirements .
- Program changes and governance enhancements: In 2024 the Board increased director cash retainer to $100,000 and equity grant to $160,000; the Board is also moving to a majority voting standard for uncontested elections, a shareholder-friendly practice .
- Watch items: Multi-board commitments (Dow Inc., Booz Allen Hamilton) warrant routine monitoring but remain within Hubbell’s policy limits; no interlocks or related-party transactions disclosed .