William Scannell
Director at IONQ
Board
About William Scannell
William Scannell (age 62) is an independent Class III director of IonQ, appointed in February 2024; his current term runs through the 2027 annual meeting. He is President, Global Sales & Customer Operations at Dell Technologies (since September 2016) and holds a B.S. in business management from Northeastern University . He brings extensive software and hardware sales and operations experience, including prior global sales leadership roles at EMC before its acquisition by Dell .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dell Technologies | President, Global Sales & Customer Operations | Sep 2016–present | Oversees global sales and customer operations |
| Dell Technologies | Oversaw Global Enterprise Sales & Customer Operations (prior to current role) | Pre-2016 | Enterprise sales leadership |
| EMC Corporation | Global Sales leadership | 1986–2016 | Long-tenured sales and operations leader |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Public/Private | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dell Technologies | President, Global Sales & Customer Operations | Public | Senior operating executive; no external public company directorships disclosed |
Board Governance
- Independence: Determined independent under NYSE standards (six of eight directors independent; Scannell included) .
- Committee assignments: Member, Compensation Committee; chair is Kathryn Chou . Scannell was appointed to the Compensation Committee on July 23, 2024 .
- Attendance: In 2024, the Board met 9 times; each director attended at least 75% of Board and committee meetings during their service periods . Compensation Committee met 8 times in 2024 .
- Lead Independent Director: Inder M. Singh (not Scannell) .
Fixed Compensation
| Component | Amount | Period/Grant | Vesting/Terms |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cash fees (Board/Committee) | $31,801 | 2024 | Quarterly retainers; policy revised Oct 22, 2024 to $50,000 base for non-employee directors, $15,000 for comp chair, $6,000 for comp members; lead independent and non-executive chair at $70,000 |
| Initial equity grant (Feb 2024 appointees) | $209,978 (options) | 2024 | Options vest over 3 years, one-third annually; initial grants in 2024 split equally between RSUs and options totaling $400,000 for new directors |
| Initial equity grant (Feb 2024 appointees) | $392,103 (RSUs) | 2024 | RSUs vest over 3 years, one-third annually |
| Total director compensation | $633,882 | 2024 | Sum of cash, option, and stock awards |
Policy detail:
- As of Oct 22, 2024: non-employee director annual base retainer $50,000; Compensation Committee member retainer $6,000; Compensation Committee chair retainer $15,000; directors may elect RSUs in lieu of cash; director stock ownership guideline = 5x annual cash retainer, to be achieved within five years .
Performance Compensation
| Program | Metrics | Weighting/Targets | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Director equity awards | None disclosed (time-based vesting) | Annual RSU grants ($220,000 under current policy) vest in full at next AGM or one year; initial 2024 new director awards split RSU/options, vesting one-third annually over three years |
No performance-linked metrics apply to non-employee director compensation; vesting is service/tenure-based .
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Company | Role | Potential Interlock/Conflict |
|---|---|---|
| Dell Technologies | Senior operating executive | Monitor for customer/supplier interactions; no related-person transactions disclosed involving Scannell |
- No current public company directorships for Scannell disclosed; therefore no public board interlocks identified in the proxy .
Expertise & Qualifications
- Core expertise: Global sales leadership, customer operations, enterprise hardware/software go-to-market .
- Education: B.S., Northeastern University .
- Board qualifications: Brings operating rigor and sales execution experience relevant to scaling commercialization of advanced technology platforms .
Equity Ownership
| Holder | Shares Beneficially Owned | % of Outstanding | Composition | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| William Scannell | 108,035 | ≈0.044% (108,035 / 243,231,951) | 8,773 options exercisable within 60 days; 99,262 shares held directly | Denominator: 243,231,951 shares outstanding as of Mar 31, 2025 |
Outstanding director awards (Scannell) at 12/31/2024:
- Options outstanding: 26,320
- Stock awards outstanding: 41,981
Policy constraints enhancing alignment:
- Hedging, derivatives, short selling, margin and pledging prohibited under Insider Trading Policy .
- Director ownership guideline: 5x annual Board cash retainer within five years .
Governance Assessment
- Committee role and independence: Scannell serves on the independent Compensation Committee, which met 8 times in 2024; independence affirmed under NYSE rules . This supports robust pay governance.
- Attendance/engagement: Board-wide attendance ≥75% and structured executive sessions led by the Lead Independent Director contribute to effective oversight .
- Compensation alignment: Director pay structure combines modest cash retainers with equity that vests based on continued service; optional RSU-in-lieu of cash supports ownership alignment .
- Ownership/skin-in-the-game: Beneficial ownership is modest in percent terms but subject to ownership guidelines and anti-hedging/pledging policies, which mitigate misalignment risk .
- Potential conflicts/related-party exposure: Scannell’s senior role at Dell warrants monitoring for commercial relationships; the proxy discloses indemnification agreements and a related-person transaction review policy, with no specific related-person transactions reported involving Scannell .
- RED FLAGS: None disclosed regarding low attendance, hedging/pledging, or related-person transactions. Note: As a sitting member of Compensation Committee while being a senior executive at a large tech vendor, sustained independence vigilance is appropriate; NYSE independence affirmed and committee comprised solely of independent directors .
Insider reporting compliance:
- Delinquent Section 16(a): The company reports full compliance for directors in 2024; one late Form 4 involved the CFO, not Scannell .
Director compensation details (for context):
| Item | 2024 Value |
|---|---|
| Fees Earned or Paid in Cash ($) | $31,801 |
| Option Awards ($) | $209,978 |
| Stock Awards ($) | $392,103 |
| Total ($) | $633,882 |
Committee structure reference:
- Compensation Committee: Members—Kathryn Chou (Chair), William Scannell; independent; 8 meetings in 2024 .
- Audit Committee: Singh (Chair), Thomas, Toledano; all independent; 13 meetings in 2024 .
- Nominating & Corporate Governance Committee: Singh, Toledano; independent; 9 meetings in 2024 .
Overall signal: Scannell’s independent status, active compensation governance role, and adherence to ownership and anti-hedging policies support investor confidence. Monitoring for any Dell–IonQ transactions remains prudent, but no related-party items are disclosed for him in the proxy .