Debra Bradford
About Debra Bradford
Debra Bradford (age 66) is an independent Class II director at International Money Express (Intermex/IMXI), serving on the Board since January 7, 2022. She retired on March 28, 2025 as President, Merchant Services at First American Payment Systems, where she had served as President and Chief Financial Officer since 2008 after joining the company in 2001. She holds a B.S. in Business Administration—Accounting from the University of Texas at Austin, is a Certified Public Accountant, and is a member of the Texas Society of CPAs. The Board has determined she is independent under Nasdaq rules.
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees / Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| First American Payment Systems | President, Merchant Services; formerly President & CFO | 2001–2025 (President & CFO since 2008; retired Mar 28, 2025) | Led merchant services; senior finance leadership at a global merchant acquiring/payments firm |
| ACE Cash Express | SVP & CFO | Prior to 2001 | Executive financial leadership in consumer financial services retailing |
| First Data (IPS Card Solutions/NTS, Inc.) | Various roles incl. Chief Operating Officer | Prior to ACE tenure | Operating leadership in card issuing/processing division of First Data |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees |
|---|---|---|---|
| Triumph Financial, Inc. (NASDAQ: TFIN) | Director | Current | Audit Committee; Risk and Compliance Committee; Asset & Liability Committee |
Board Governance
- Committee assignments (IMXI): Chair, Compensation Committee (since June 23, 2024 transition); Member, Nominating & Corporate Governance Committee; Member, 2024 Strategic Alternatives Committee (special committee; Purcell chair).
- Independence: The Board determined Ms. Bradford is independent under Nasdaq listing standards.
- Attendance and engagement: In 2024 the Board held 10 meetings plus 4 unanimous written consents; directors attended 98% of aggregate Board/committee meetings and all directors attended the 2024 Annual Meeting. Individual attendance by director was not separately disclosed.
- Board structure: Classified board (three classes) maintained for stability and continuity; Bradford is a Class II director.
- Risk oversight linkage: As Compensation Committee Chair, oversees executive pay design, stock ownership/retention policy, and the clawback policy; the Committee uses FW Cook as independent consultant and reported no consultant conflicts in 2024.
Fixed Compensation
- Director program (structure): In 2024, independent directors received a cash retainer ($60,000 H1; $65,000 H2) and annual equity grant ($145,000 H1; $150,000 H2). Additional retainers: Lead Independent Director ($50,000 cash + $50,000 equity), Committee Chairs (Audit $12,500 cash + $12,500 equity; Compensation $10,000 + $10,000; Nominating & Corporate Governance $8,000 + $8,000). Non-chair members received cash retainers (Audit $12,500; Compensation $10,000; Nominating & Corporate Governance $8,000).
| Component | H1 2024 | H2 2024 |
|---|---|---|
| Annual Cash Retainer (Independent Directors) | $60,000 | $65,000 |
| Annual Equity (Independent Directors) | $145,000 | $150,000 |
| Lead Independent Director Retainer | $50,000 cash; $50,000 equity | $50,000 cash; $50,000 equity |
| Audit Chair | $12,500 cash; $12,500 equity | $12,500 cash; $12,500 equity |
| Compensation Chair | $10,000 cash; $10,000 equity | $10,000 cash; $10,000 equity |
| Nominating/Gov Chair | $8,000 cash; $8,000 equity | $8,000 cash; $8,000 equity |
| Audit member (non-chair) | $12,500 cash | $12,500 cash |
| Compensation member (non-chair) | $10,000 cash | $10,000 cash |
| Nominating/Gov member (non-chair) | $8,000 cash | $8,000 cash |
- 2024 actual compensation (Bradford): $105,500 cash (includes $35,000 for Strategic Alternatives Committee service), $160,000 stock awards; total $265,500.
| Director | Cash Fees ($) | Stock Awards ($) | Total ($) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Debra Bradford | 105,500 | 160,000 | 265,500 |
Performance Compensation
- Instrument and vesting: Independent directors held 7,336 unvested RSUs at 12/31/2024, vesting on June 19, 2025; director equity grants vest time-based (no performance metrics).
| Equity Instrument | Shares Outstanding (12/31/2024) | Vesting Schedule | Performance Conditions |
|---|---|---|---|
| RSUs (Director annual grant) | 7,336 | Vests June 19, 2025 | None (time-based only) |
Other Directorships & Interlocks
- Current public company board: Triumph Financial, Inc. (TFIN); committees: Audit; Risk & Compliance; Asset & Liability. No IMXI-disclosed related-party transactions involving Ms. Bradford or TFIN. Compensation Committee reports no interlocks or insider participation.
- Shared directorships with IMXI competitors/suppliers/customers: None disclosed.
Expertise & Qualifications
- Accounting/finance credentials: CPA; B.S. in Accounting (UT Austin); financial literacy designated by the Board.
- Industry expertise: Fintech, payments, retail financial services; prior COO experience in card solutions at First Data and CFO roles at ACE Cash Express.
- Governance/committee leadership: Chair of IMXI Compensation Committee; director on TFIN with multiple risk/finance-related committees.
Equity Ownership
| Holder | Beneficially Owned Shares | % of Outstanding | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Debra Bradford | 23,975 | <1% | Includes 7,336 RSUs vesting within 60 days of 4/21/2025; excludes 196 RSUs vesting >30 days out. Anti-hedging and anti-pledging policy applies to directors. |
| Ownership guidelines (Directors) | 5x annual base retainer required; company reports all non-management directors are in compliance or on retention path. | — | Applies to non-management directors; reviewed annually by Compensation Committee. |
- Section 16(a) compliance: No delinquency noted for Ms. Bradford in 2024; late filings were reported for Messrs. Aguilar, Bende, Hunt, and Lisy.
- Hedging/pledging: Company policy prohibits hedging and pledging by directors.
Governance Assessment
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Strengths:
- Independent director with deep payments and financial leadership experience; serves as Compensation Committee Chair and Nom/Gov member, signaling board trust in her governance acumen.
- Robust governance policies under her committee’s purview: stock ownership and retention policy for directors (5x retainer) with compliance; SEC/Nasdaq-aligned clawback adopted in 2023; anti-hedging/anti-pledging policy.
- Use of independent compensation consultant (FW Cook) with no 2024 conflicts, and defined annual/long-term incentive metrics for executives (Adj. EBITDA for AIP; 3-year cumulative Adjusted EPS for PSUs), suggesting structured oversight of pay-for-performance.
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Potential watch items:
- External board at a financial institution (TFIN) overlaps sectorally with IMXI’s payments/remittance ecosystem; no related-party transactions disclosed, but investors may monitor for any future commercial links that could require recusals.
- Board remains classified; while intended for continuity, some investors prefer annual elections; this is a board-level consideration rather than Bradford-specific.
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Red flags: None identified specific to Ms. Bradford—no related-party transactions, no Section 16(a) delinquencies, and no hedging/pledging permitted.
Overall, Ms. Bradford’s finance and payments background, independent status, and leadership of the Compensation Committee support governance quality and alignment safeguards (ownership guidelines, clawback, anti-hedging/pledging). Continued transparency around compensation design and any potential sector interactions with TFIN should sustain investor confidence.