Daniella Ballou-Aares
About Daniella Ballou-Aares
Independent director of IBEX since March 2018; age 50. CEO of Leadership Now Project (since 2019), former partner at Dalberg Advisors, Senior Advisor for Development to the U.S. Secretary of State (2012–2017), and consultant at Bain & Company. Education: MBA (Harvard Business School), MPA (Harvard Kennedy School), BS in Operations Research & Industrial Engineering (Cornell). Serves on IBEX’s Audit Committee; Board determined she is independent under Nasdaq rules .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Leadership Now Project | CEO | Since 2019 | Civic and policy leadership; governance perspective |
| Dalberg Advisors | Partner; founding team; first Regional Director for the Americas | 2003–2012; 2017–2019 | Global growth, strategy, emerging markets expertise |
| U.S. Department of State | Senior Advisor for Development to the Secretary of State | 2012–2017 | Private investment in emerging markets; policy |
| Bain & Company | Management Consultant (US, UK, South Africa) | Not specified | Operations and strategy toolkit |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Public Company? | Committees/Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Leadership Now Project | CEO | No | Membership org focused on renewing democracy |
| Other public boards | — | None | — |
Board Governance
- Independence: Board determined Ballou-Aares is independent; 5 of 8 directors independent as of AGM slate .
- Committee assignments: Audit Committee member; Audit Committee chaired by Fiona Beck; members are Beck (Chair), Ballou-Aares, McGinnis .
- Attendance: Each director attended ≥75% of Board and committee meetings in FY2025; Board held 10 meetings; Audit held 5, Compensation 2, Corporate Governance 1 .
- Controlled company status ended: TRGI’s holdings dropped to ~13%; IBEX phased out controlled company exemptions by June 16, 2025 .
- Board leadership: Chair is Mohammed Khaishgi; CEO is Robert Dechant; if combined, Board would designate a lead independent director .
Fixed Compensation (Director)
| Component | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Annual cash retainer | $75,000 | Payable monthly |
| Committee membership fees | Not disclosed | No standard membership fee disclosed; see chair fee below |
| Committee chair fee (Audit) | +$15,000 (effective post-AGM) | For Audit Chair only; Ballou-Aares is not chair |
| Meeting fees | None disclosed | — |
2025 Non-Employee Director Compensation (individual):
| Name | Cash Fees ($) | Stock Awards ($) | Total ($) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daniella Ballou-Aares | 75,000 | — | 75,000 |
Performance Compensation (Director)
- Annual equity policy: Board approved annual grants (post-AGM) to align with peers: Chairman 4,500 RSUs; tenured directors 4,166 units; new directors pro-rata; 50% RSUs and 50% PSUs; PSUs based on IBEX’s Total Shareholder Return vs peer companies .
- FY2025 grants: Discretionary 5,000 RSUs to new directors (Batungbacal, McGinnis, Zhuang) on Feb 14, 2025; 25% vest quarterly starting Apr 1, 2025 .
Performance metric design (Directors’ PSUs):
| Metric | Structure | Performance Periods | Payout Range/Caps |
|---|---|---|---|
| TSR vs peer group | Relative TSR vs specified peer indices; PSUs eligible to vest based on percentile | 1-year (Jul 1, 2024–Jun 30, 2025); 2-year (to Jun 30, 2026); 3-year (to Jun 30, 2027); vests one-third each on Sep 30, 2025/2026/2027 | Up to 2x target units over 3 years; aggregate vest value capped at 5x grant-date fair value |
Governance guardrails in A&R 2020 LTIP:
- Repricing prohibition: No repricing/cash exchange of underwater options/SARs without shareholder approval .
- Change-in-control: Time-based awards accelerate; performance awards vest at target; double-trigger acceleration for terminations without cause within 2 years post-CoC for continued/assumed awards .
- Clawback revisions and dividend restrictions (no dividends/dividend equivalents prior to vesting) .
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Person/Entity | Relationship | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Other public boards (Ballou-Aares) | None | No other public company directorships |
| TRGI appointment history | Originally appointed by TRGI; reappointed by IBEX Board after TRGI revoked its designated appointments on Dec 31, 2024 | |
| Mohammed Khaishgi | IBEX Chair; CEO of TRGI and chair of TRG Pakistan | Potential influence linkage; Board independence assessed; Ballou-Aares deemed independent |
Expertise & Qualifications
| Attribute | Details |
|---|---|
| Education | MBA (Harvard Business School); MPA (Harvard Kennedy School); BS ORIE (Cornell University) |
| Domain expertise | Executive leadership, global operations, growth/economics; emerging/frontier markets |
| Board skill | Audit oversight participation; governance perspective from policy/civic leadership |
Equity Ownership
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Total beneficial ownership | 15,060 shares; <1% of outstanding |
| Composition | 12,994 common shares; 2,066 shares via vested stock options |
| Outstanding stock awards (as of 6/30/25) | None (no RSUs/PSUs outstanding) |
| Hedging/pledging | Prohibited by IBEX Insider Trading Policy (hedging, margin accounts, pledging, derivatives) |
| Section 16 compliance | No delinquent filings reported for Ballou-Aares; late filings noted for others (Dawson, Wilkens, Zhuang) |
Governance Assessment
- Board effectiveness: Ballou-Aares contributes global growth and public policy experience; sits on independent Audit Committee alongside an “financial expert” chair (Beck), supporting robust financial oversight .
- Independence and attendance: Board affirmatively determined independence; ≥75% attendance threshold met; strengthens investor confidence in engagement .
- Pay mix and alignment: FY2025 director pay for Ballou-Aares was 100% cash ($75k) with no equity outstanding; however, Board-approved policy introduces annual RSUs/PSUs (tenured directors: 4,166 units; 50% PSUs tied to TSR), enhancing pay-for-performance and alignment going forward .
- Conflicts/related party exposure: Historical TRGI appointment linkage and TRGI’s ongoing related-party arrangements (office sublease; benefit plan participation) present monitoring considerations; nevertheless, IBEX is no longer a controlled company and Ballou-Aares is independent per Board review .
- Risk indicators: Strong clawback language, anti-repricing safeguards, and dividend restrictions pre-vesting in the A&R LTIP reduce governance risk; prohibition of hedging/pledging deters misalignment .
RED FLAGS: Historical TRGI influence (board appointment dynamics) warrants continued vigilance, particularly given interlocks via the Chair; ensure Audit Committee continues strict oversight of related-party transactions .
Positive signals: Transition from controlled-company status, majority independence, TSR-linked PSUs for directors, and strengthened LTIP governance provisions support investor confidence .