Jamie Beggs
INTERNATIONAL PAPER CO /NEW/About Jamie A. Beggs
Independent director at International Paper (IP) since 2024; age 48. She is Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Avient Corporation (NYSE: AVNT), and is designated as an “audit committee financial expert.” She serves on IP’s Audit & Finance Committee and the Public Policy & Environment Committee. Tenure on IP’s board began May 21, 2024.
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Avient Corporation (NYSE: AVNT) | Senior Vice President & Chief Financial Officer | 2020–present | Oversees finance and investor relations; has overseen IT and corporate communications at times; leads strategy focused on sustainable solutions and growth |
| Hunt Consolidated | Senior Vice President & Chief Financial Officer | 2017–2019 | Finance leadership at diversified holding company |
| Celanese Corporation (NYSE: CE) | Various roles | 2007–2017 | Finance and operational roles at global chemical/specialty materials company |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Other public company boards | None | — | IP proxy lists no other public boards for Ms. Beggs |
Board Governance
- Independence: Board determined all non-employee directors, including Ms. Beggs, are independent under NYSE and IP’s enhanced standards. She is also eligible for Audit, Compensation, and Governance committees under independence standards.
- Committee assignments (2024 activity and attendance context):
- Audit & Finance Committee (member; audit committee financial expert). Committee held 7 meetings; 97% attendance overall.
- Public Policy & Environment Committee (member). Committee held 6 meetings; 100% attendance overall.
- Audit committee financial expert designation: The Board identified Ms. Beggs as one of the audit committee financial experts.
- Engagement/attendance context: Board met 10 times in 2024 with average attendance of 98%; all directors attended the 2024 annual meeting.
- Lead independent director and executive sessions: The independent lead director presides over executive sessions at every board meeting.
Fixed Compensation
| Component | Policy/Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Annual Board Retainer – Cash | $120,000 | Payable monthly; can be converted to equity at a 20% premium on the converted amount |
| Annual Board Retainer – Equity | $163,000 | Granted as restricted stock or deferred as RSUs; 1-year vest; dividends accrue |
| Committee Chair Fees | A&F Chair $25,000; MDCC Chair $20,000; Governance Chair $20,000; PPE Chair $20,000 | Ms. Beggs is not a chair |
| A&F Committee Member Fee | $10,000 | Applies to non-chair A&F members |
| Lead Director Fee | $27,500 | Not applicable to Ms. Beggs |
| Insurance/Indemnification | Life $10,500; travel accident $500,000; D&O insurance | Standard for directors |
Director compensation—fiscal 2024 actuals (SEC format):
- Jamie A. Beggs: Stock awards $290,585; Fees in cash $0; Total $290,585. She joined the Board May 21, 2024 and was granted 7,532 shares.
- Unvested director shares/RSUs outstanding at 12/31/2024: 7,745 units.
Performance Compensation
Directors at IP do not receive performance-based pay; compensation is a mix of cash retainers and time-based equity (restricted stock/RSUs) with one-year vesting for the annual retainer equity. No financial or ESG performance metrics apply to director pay.
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Performance metrics tied to director pay | None (time-based vesting only) |
| Vesting | Restrictions lapse one year from grant for director restricted stock; RSUs settle at separation |
| Dividend treatment | Dividends on restricted stock/RSUs accrue and pay at vest/settlement |
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Related Organization | Relationship to IP | Amount/Details | Materiality/Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| Avient Corporation | Routine sales by IP to Avient while Ms. Beggs serves as Avient CFO | $1,806,791 in 2024; <0.009% of IP net revenue | Determined not material under IP standards; independence not impaired |
- Governance Committee reviewed and cleared this routine commercial relationship under IP’s independence thresholds (materiality threshold: greater of $750,000 or 1.75% of the other company’s revenue).
Expertise & Qualifications
- Financial expertise: Audit committee financial expert; current public-company CFO with deep finance, investor relations, IT and corporate communications oversight experience.
- Industry/functional background: Chemicals/materials, finance leadership, public company reporting and controls.
- Board skills matrix context: Board emphasizes financial expertise, strategic planning, manufacturing, and sustainability among its nominees. Ms. Beggs is identified as a financial expert.
Equity Ownership
| Item | Amount/Status |
|---|---|
| Shares of IP common stock held (beneficial) | 0 shares |
| Stock units (director plan/deferral) | 7,745 units |
| Total beneficial ownership (reportable) | Stock units only, as above |
| Ownership guidelines | 2x annual board retainer ($566,000) |
| Compliance status | New directors (incl. Beggs) have 4 years to comply; as of 12/31/24 Beggs had not yet met guideline (expected for a new director) |
| Hedging/pledging | Strict anti-hedging and anti-pledging for directors |
Governance Assessment
- Board effectiveness: Ms. Beggs brings current CFO experience and is designated an audit committee financial expert, strengthening financial oversight on both Audit & Finance and PPE committees; 2024 committee attendance rates were high (A&F 97%; PPE 100%), and Board attendance averaged 98%, indicating strong engagement.
- Independence and conflicts: Routine IP–Avient sales of $1.81M were reviewed and deemed not material; independence affirmed. No related-party transactions requiring Item 404(a) disclosure involve Ms. Beggs.
- Alignment: Director pay is 58% equity, with optional cash-to-equity conversion at a 20% premium and mandatory ownership guidelines (2x retainer), promoting alignment; new directors have four years to meet ownership—appropriate given her May 2024 start.
- Policies and safeguards: Robust clawback, anti-hedging/pledging, double-trigger CIC equity treatment for officers, and annual board/committee self-evaluations support governance quality. While primarily executive-focused, these practices reinforce the board’s oversight culture.
- RED FLAGS: None identified specific to Ms. Beggs. The Avient commercial relationship was immaterial and vetted; no pledging, loans, or related-party transactions disclosed; attendance context strong.
Overall signal: Ms. Beggs’ financial expertise and lack of material conflicts are positives for investor confidence. The equity-heavy director pay mix and ownership policy further enhance alignment; early-stage ownership status reflects normal onboarding timing.