Suzanne Schulze Taylor
About Suzanne Schulze Taylor
Suzanne S. Taylor is Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary of Hyster‑Yale, Inc. (HY) and of its principal operating subsidiary, Hyster‑Yale Materials Handling, Inc. (HYMH); she is age 62 and has served in these roles since prior to 2020 . As Corporate Secretary and chief legal officer, she regularly signs SEC filings and major financing agreements on behalf of HY and subsidiaries, reflecting a central role in governance, disclosure controls, and capital markets execution . Company performance frameworks that drive senior management incentives (for NEOs) emphasize ROTCE and operational metrics; in 2024, ROTCE achieved 38.6% vs a 32.8% target (payout 148.9%), with short‑term metrics including consolidated operating profit and revenue used to calibrate pay‑for‑performance .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Years | Strategic Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hyster‑Yale, Inc. | Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary | Prior to 2020 – Present | Leads legal, disclosure and governance; presents to Audit Review Committee on financial/legal risk and cybersecurity reporting . |
| Hyster‑Yale Materials Handling, Inc. (HYMH) | Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary | Prior to 2020 – Present | Oversees subsidiary legal affairs; supports strategic and operational governance . |
| Hyster‑Yale corporate group subsidiaries (e.g., Bolzoni, Inc.; Hyster Overseas Capital Corp. LLC) | Secretary/Authorized Signatory | 2025 | Executed the Third Amended & Restated Loan, Security & Guaranty Agreement with a multi‑bank syndicate, supporting global liquidity and capital structure . |
| Hyster‑Yale filings (SEC) | Corporate Secretary (signatory) | 2017–2025 | Signed 8‑Ks covering board appointments and executive compensation actions, evidencing ongoing governance stewardship . |
External Roles
- No public company directorships or outside positions are disclosed for Ms. Taylor in HY’s filings reviewed .
Fixed Compensation
- Not disclosed for Ms. Taylor. HY’s proxy provides detailed compensation only for Named Executive Officers (NEOs) and directors; Ms. Taylor is not listed as an NEO .
Performance Compensation
- Not disclosed for Ms. Taylor. For context, HY’s senior executive incentive architecture (for NEOs) uses annual cash and long‑term equity plans tied to: Lift Truck consolidated operating profit, total revenue, new unit bookings/margins, inventory efficiency, and ROTCE, with caps and a ten‑year holding period on awarded stock; clawbacks apply to incentive‑based pay upon restatements .
Equity Ownership & Alignment
- Individual share ownership for Ms. Taylor is not disclosed in the beneficial ownership tables (NEOs/directors are itemized; other executive officers are included only in group totals) .
- Alignment policies:
- Hedging prohibited for officers and directors; pledging of non‑restricted HY stock requires prior approval from the Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary (Ms. Taylor’s office) .
- Long‑term equity awards for senior executives carry ten‑year transfer restrictions, materially reducing near‑term selling pressure and encouraging long‑term value creation .
- HY has no formal executive stock ownership multiple but the ten‑year hold requirement effectively accumulates exposure over time .
Employment Terms
- Executive governance and policies relevant to Ms. Taylor’s role:
- Insider Trading Policy: maintained by HY and acknowledged by Ms. Taylor; policy governs trading windows and MNPI controls .
- Clawbacks: mandatory recovery of excess incentive‑based compensation upon accounting restatements; supplemental clawback allows board discretion to recoup bonuses tied to misstated financials .
- Change‑in‑control: HY provides limited protections in incentive plans (pro‑rated target awards for the year of a change in control); HY does not provide excise tax gross‑ups .
- Severance: HY notes a broad‑based severance program for U.S. employees; NEOs have no individual employment or change‑in‑control agreements—consistent with HY’s philosophy; terms for Ms. Taylor specifically are not disclosed .
- Related‑party transaction controls: Legal department (under Ms. Taylor) manages processes enabling Audit Review Committee review/approval of related‑person transactions .
Investment Implications
- Governance and retention: As GC/Secretary with long tenure, Ms. Taylor anchors disclosure governance, financing execution and board processes. HY’s anti‑hedging, pledging approval, and long holding periods indicate lower near‑term insider selling pressure and strong alignment, though her personal grants/ownership are not disclosed .
- Compensation risk: HY’s pay program for senior executives emphasizes operational profitability and ROTCE with stringent holding requirements and clawbacks, reducing excessive risk‑taking; NEO say‑on‑pay support was 99% in 2024, signaling investor alignment with pay structures .
- Trading signals: The ten‑year stock transfer restrictions for senior executives dampen timing‑driven sales; monitor future Form 4s for Ms. Taylor to assess any pledge approvals or dispositions given her office’s oversight role .
- Execution track record: Ms. Taylor’s signatures on the multi‑bank amended credit facility and repeated SEC filings reflect operational reliability in capital access and compliance—a positive for HY’s risk management posture .