Suzette K. Kent
HANCOCK WHITNEYAbout Suzette K. Kent
Independent director at Hancock Whitney Corporation since 2020; age 57. Former Federal Chief Information Officer of the United States; currently CEO of Kent Advisory Services, LLC. Education: BA in Journalism, Louisiana State University. Expertise spans technology and digital product delivery, cybersecurity and financial crimes, large-scale operations, M&A, and government regulation .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Executive Office of the President (U.S. Federal Government) | Federal Chief Information Officer | Feb 2017 – Jul 2020 | Led technology policy and transformation across Executive Branch agencies; cyber and risk oversight |
| Ernst & Young (EY) | Principal, Financial Services Business Transformation | Nov 2015 – Feb 2017 | Led global banking & capital markets transformation (technology, regulatory, product innovation) |
| J.P. Morgan | Managing Director (Global Project Management – Treasury & Securities Solutions; later Client Solutions Executive – Commercial Banking) | Aug 2008 – Aug 2015 | Treasury/payments operations, liquidity, commercial card; global solution delivery |
| Carreker (now Fiserv) | EVP & President, Global Payments Consulting | Prior to 2008 | Payments strategy and consulting leadership |
| Accenture | Partner, Financial Services Practice | Prior | Financial institutions technology and operations transformation |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kent Advisory Services, LLC | Chief Executive Officer | 2020 – present | Advisory firm leadership |
| LSU Foundation | Board appointment | Not specified | Community service appointment |
| Frisco Family Services | Former nonprofit board service | Not specified | Community engagement |
Board Governance
- Independence: Board determined Ms. Kent and all non-employee directors are independent under NASDAQ rules .
- Committee assignments: Corporate Governance & Nominating Committee – Vice Chair .
- Attendance and engagement: Board held 10 meetings in 2024; each incumbent director attended at least 75% of aggregate Board and committee meetings; all directors attended the 2024 annual meeting .
- Executive sessions: Independent directors convened seven executive sessions in 2024 without management present .
- Board leadership: Independent Chairman of the Board (Jerry L. Levens) .
- Committee meeting counts (2024): Corporate Governance & Nominating – 6; Audit – 9; Compensation – 6; Board Risk – 4; Executive – 3 .
Fixed Compensation
| Component (2024) | Amount/Terms | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Annual Board cash retainer | $50,000 | |
| Corporate Governance & Nominating Committee member retainer | $7,500; Chair additional $10,250; Vice Chair not separately listed | |
| Equity grant (annual) | ~$75,000 grant value in restricted stock; one-year service-based vesting; grant on/about annual meeting | |
| Ms. Kent – Fees Earned (Cash) | $78,333 | |
| Ms. Kent – Stock Awards (Grant-date fair value) | $74,980 | |
| Ms. Kent – Total Director Compensation | $153,313 |
Performance Compensation
Directors do not receive performance-based awards at HWC; equity is time-based restricted stock.
| Grant Type | Grant Date | Shares Granted | Fair Value | Vesting | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Restricted Stock (RSA) | Apr 26, 2024 | 1,630 | $74,980 | 1-year service-based vesting | Annual non-employee director grant; number based on prior-day closing price |
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Current public company directorships | None disclosed for Ms. Kent |
| Prior public company boards | Not disclosed for Ms. Kent |
| Overboarding guardrail | Corporate Governance Guidelines prohibit serving on >3 other public company boards in addition to HWC |
| Compensation committee interlocks | None disclosed among HWC Compensation Committee members; no insider participation |
Expertise & Qualifications
- Technology and digital product delivery; cybersecurity and financial crimes; national/international operations; M&A; government regulation .
- Education: BA in Journalism, LSU .
- Geographic familiarity: Extensive financial services and technology leadership experience; aligns with HWC’s regulated environment .
Equity Ownership
| Metric | Value | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Total beneficial ownership (common) | 6,767 shares | Includes 1,630 RSAs |
| Ownership as % of shares outstanding | ~0.0079% | 6,767 / 86,126,857 shares outstanding as of Feb 28, 2025 |
| Vested vs unvested | 1,630 RSAs outstanding at 12/31/2024 (service-based; likely unvested until ~Apr 2025) | |
| Shares pledged as collateral | None for any directors in 2024 (RED FLAG absent) | |
| Hedging policy | Hedging of HWC stock prohibited for directors/officers/associates | |
| Director stock ownership guidelines | 5x annual Board cash retainer; 5-year compliance window; must retain 50% of shares until compliant | |
| Compliance status | Not individually disclosed for Ms. Kent |
Governance Assessment
- Board effectiveness: Ms. Kent serves as Vice Chair of Corporate Governance & Nominating, positioning her to influence director succession, independence standards, and governance practices; strong alignment with technology/cyber risk oversight needs of a regional bank .
- Independence and engagement: Independent status, participation thresholds met, and executive sessions held frequently support robust oversight .
- Alignment and risk controls: Time-based equity grants, ownership guidelines, hedging prohibition, and no pledging mitigate agency risk; director compensation structure is moderate and consistent with peers via external consultant review .
- Conflicts/related-party exposure: Company discloses insider lending may occur under Regulation O with standard terms; no adverse related-party transactions or director-specific conflicts disclosed for Ms. Kent; Section 16 filings timely with no issues noted for Ms. Kent (one late Form 4 was for a different director) .
- Shareholder confidence signals: Say-on-pay approval 96% in 2024 and independent chair reinforce governance stability; ongoing executive sessions and mandatory retirement policy further support refreshment and accountability .
RED FLAGS: None disclosed for Ms. Kent (no pledging, no hedging, no related-party transactions). Watchpoints: monitor for any future related-party transactions involving Kent Advisory Services, and ongoing progress toward director ownership guideline compliance (company-level rule; individual status not disclosed) .