Christopher C. Womack
InvescoAbout Christopher C. Womack
Christopher C. Womack (age 67) is an independent, non-executive director of Invesco Ltd. since 2021 (tenure: 4 years) and serves on the Audit, Compensation, and Nomination & Corporate Governance Committees . He is Chairman, President & CEO of Southern Company (CEO since 2023; previously Chairman, President & CEO of Georgia Power 2021–2023), and holds a B.A. from Western Michigan University and an M.A. from The American University . The Board affirms his independence under NYSE standards .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Southern Company | Chairman, President & CEO | 2023–Present | Director of Southern Company |
| Georgia Power (Southern Company subsidiary) | Chairman, President & CEO | 2021–2023 | Led overall operations |
| Southern Company (Corporate) | EVP & President, External Affairs | Pre-2021 | Led external positioning and branding |
| Southern Company Generation | SVP & Senior Production Officer | Not specified | Responsible for coal, gas and hydro generation for Georgia Power and Savannah Electric |
| Southern Company (Corporate) | SVP, HR & Chief People Officer | Not specified | Human capital leadership |
| Alabama Power (Southern Company subsidiary) | SVP, Public Relations & Corporate Services | Not specified | Corporate services oversight |
| U.S. House of Representatives | Staff to Rep. Leon Panetta | Pre-1988 | Public policy experience |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Public/Private | Committees/Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Southern Company | Director | Public | Current directorship |
| Georgia Ports Authority | Board Member | Public authority | Current board service |
| The First Tee | National Board Member | Non-profit | Youth development focus |
| East Lake Foundation | Past Chair of the Board | Non-profit | Community development |
Board Governance
- Committee assignments: Audit; Compensation; Nomination & Corporate Governance (member, not chair) .
- Independence: Board determined Womack independent under NYSE rules .
- Attendance: In 2024 the Board met 12 times; each then-serving director attended at least 75% of Board and committee meetings; all directors attended the 2024 AGM; independent directors hold at least quarterly executive sessions .
- Committee activity (2024 meetings): Audit (10); Compensation (6); Nomination & Corporate Governance (3) .
- Board leadership: Independent Chair (separate from CEO); executive sessions presided by Chair .
Fixed Compensation
| Component | 2024 Terms/Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Annual cash retainer | $120,000 | Paid quarterly in arrears; no meeting fees |
| Equity grant (time-based shares) | $194,986 grant date fair value; 11,955 shares | Paid in advance; one-year vesting |
| Committee chair fees | N/A to Womack | Audit Chair $50,000; Comp and Nominating Chairs $20,000 (Womack not a chair) |
| Board Chair fee | N/A to Womack | Chair receives +$230,000 (applies to Chair, not Womack) |
| Total reported 2024 | $314,986 | Sum of cash and share award in Director Compensation Table |
| 2025 changes | No changes to NED pay levels | 2025 program unchanged |
- Ownership guideline for non-executive directors: 4× basic cash fee (i.e., 4×$120,000), with 5 years to comply; until met, must retain 100% of pre-policy shares and at least 50% of shares granted after the policy date .
Performance Compensation
- Non-executive director equity is time-based with one-year vesting; no performance-based metrics or option grants are disclosed for directors .
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Company | Ticker | Role | Interlock/Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Southern Company | — | Director | Also serves as Chairman, President & CEO at Southern Company |
- Board policy notes none of IVZ’s current directors serves on more than four public company boards (including IVZ’s Board) .
- The proxy discloses no related-person transactions involving Womack; Compensation Committee members (including Womack) had no insider participation/conflicts requiring disclosure in 2024 .
Expertise & Qualifications
- Public company executive; Executive strategy and execution; Technology; Marketing and client focus; Regulatory/government and legal (skills matrix attribution in IVZ bio) .
Equity Ownership
| Item | Amount | Reference/Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Common shares beneficially owned (2/18/2025) | 39,077 | As of record date for the proxy |
| Deferred share awards | — | None shown for Womack |
| Shares held (12/31/2024) | 27,122 | As reported in NED ownership table |
| % of shares outstanding (based on 447,413,586 shares) | ~0.009% (39,077 / 447,413,586) | Denominator from shares outstanding; numerator from beneficial ownership |
| Shares pledged as collateral | None (no shares pledged by directors/officers) | Proxy states no shares are pledged as security |
| Valuation context for guideline | $17.48 year-end price used by IVZ for guideline status (12/31/2024) | Policy requires 4× cash retainer within 5 years |
Governance Assessment
- Strengths: Independent status; full membership across key committees (Audit, Compensation, Nom/Gov) enhances oversight breadth; Board and committee activity is robust (12 Board meetings; Audit 10; Compensation 6; Nom/Gov 3), and all directors met the ≥75% attendance threshold, supporting engagement .
- Alignment: NED pay mixes cash ($120k) with a larger equity component ($195k; ~62% of total), with mandatory ownership guidelines (4× retainer) and retention requirements, supporting long-term alignment .
- Potential risks/considerations: As a sitting Chairman/President/CEO of Southern Company, time commitments warrant monitoring, though IVZ caps outside board service and Womack’s disclosed roles remain within policy; no committee chair roles at IVZ mitigate concentration of influence .
- Conflicts/related parties: The proxy reports no disclosable related-person transactions involving Womack, and Compensation Committee interlocks show no insider participation or former officer status among members, lowering conflict risk .
- Overall signal: Governance profile supports investor confidence—independence, broad committee participation, equity-heavy director pay, and ownership policy—with no red flags disclosed for attendance, pledging, or related-party exposure .
RED FLAGS: None disclosed specific to Womack in 2024 (no pledging, no related-party transactions, no attendance issues) .