Paul G. Alexander
About Paul G. Alexander
Independent director of Johnson Outdoors (JOUT) since 2021; age 64. Currently Chief Marketing Officer for Boston University’s Questrom School of Business, with prior senior brand and communications roles at Eastern Bank (2015–June 2021), Liberty Mutual (EVP & Chief Communications Officer), Campbell Soup (VP Global Advertising & Design), and Procter & Gamble (Director of Advertising Development and Brand Manager). He serves on the ANA Board Executive Committee (Treasurer; Finance Chair) and chairs The Partnership, Inc. Board. The Board has determined he is independent under Nasdaq standards.
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eastern Bank | Chief Marketing & Communications Officer | 2015–June 2021 | Led brand, marketing, communications |
| Liberty Mutual Insurance | EVP & Chief Communications Officer | Not disclosed | Corporate brand marketing, advertising, PR, events, sponsorships |
| Campbell Soup Company | VP Global Advertising & Design | Not disclosed | Global advertising and design leadership |
| Procter & Gamble | Director of Advertising Development; Brand Manager | Not disclosed | Brand management and advertising development |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boston University Questrom School of Business | Chief Marketing Officer | Current | Leads marketing/communications strategy |
| Association of National Advertisers (ANA) | Board Executive Committee; Treasurer; Finance Chair | Current | Executive committee leadership |
| The Partnership, Inc. | Chair, Board of Directors | Current | Non-profit leadership |
Board Governance
- Independence: Identified as independent; JOUT is a “Controlled Company” (Johnson family >50% voting power), but eight of nine nominees are independent, including Alexander.
- Committee assignments (FY2024): Nominating & Corporate Governance Committee (Member). Not listed on Audit, Compensation, or Executive Committees.
- Meetings/attendance (FY2024): Board met 7x; Audit 7x; Compensation 4x; NCGC 3x; Executive 0x. Each director attended at least 75% of Board and applicable committee meetings. All incumbent directors attended the Feb 28, 2024 annual meeting.
- Lead Independent Director: John M. Fahey, Jr. (also NCGC Chair).
Fixed Compensation
| Component (FY2024) | Amount | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| Annual cash retainer | $60,000 | Standard outside director retainer |
| NCGC member retainer | $5,000 | Committee member (non-chair) fee |
| Total cash (FY2024) | $65,000 | Equals disclosed “Fees Earned or Paid in Cash” |
Program design notes (FY2024): Committee chair retainers—Audit $25,000; Compensation $15,000; NCGC $10,000. No meeting fees. Lead Independent Director receives $50,000 additional retainer.
Performance Compensation
| Equity Award (FY2024) | Grant Date | Instrument | Shares | Fair Value | Vesting |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Annual director equity grant | 2/29/2024 | Restricted Stock | 2,409 | $110,007 | Vests on first anniversary (March 1, 2025) |
- Mix and structure: Director equity paid as time-based restricted stock (no options granted in FY2024 to directors).
- Estimated mix FY2024 (cash vs. equity): ~$65,000 cash (37%) / $110,007 equity (63%).
Other Directorships & Interlocks
- Public company boards: None disclosed for the past five years in his biography (JOUT includes such listings when applicable).
- Notable affiliations: ANA Board Executive Committee; The Partnership, Inc. (non-profit). No disclosed interlocks with JOUT competitors, suppliers, or customers.
Expertise & Qualifications
- Core skills: Branding, marketing, communications strategy, advertising, public relations, sponsorships; senior operating experience across financial services and consumer/CPG.
- Governance relevance: Brings customer insights, brand and digital communications expertise to NCGC’s work on board composition, governance processes, and stakeholder communications.
Equity Ownership
| Metric | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Class A shares beneficially owned | 4,611 | <1% of Class A shares outstanding |
| Included unvested restricted shares | 2,409 | Vest March 1, 2025; voting power prior to vest; transfer restricted |
| Class B shares | — | None |
| Stock ownership guidelines | In effect since June 3, 2022; five-year compliance window for non-employee directors (to June 3, 2027) | |
| Hedging/pledging | Directors prohibited from hedging, short sales, and margin accounts; no pledges disclosed for Alexander |
Governance Assessment
- Strengths
- Independent, with relevant go-to-market expertise; serves on NCGC overseeing director nominations, board/committee evaluation, and governance policies.
- Solid engagement: Board and committees met regularly in FY2024; each director attended ≥75%; all incumbents attended annual meeting.
- Alignment: Equity-heavy director pay (≈63% equity) and adopted stock ownership guidelines encourage longer-term focus.
- Risk controls: Robust insider trading policy (no hedging/shorting/margin) reduces misalignment/optics risk.
- Considerations
- Controlled company structure centralizes voting power with the Johnson family; while eight of nine directors are independent, investors may weigh independent oversight in this context.
- No specific red flags identified for Alexander (no related-party transactions; no pledging disclosed; not on Audit/Compensation committees). Company-level related-party transactions involve Johnson family entities, not Alexander.
- Investor sentiment signal
- Say-on-Pay received ~99% support at the 2024 annual meeting, suggesting broad shareholder confidence in compensation governance (contextual to overall governance climate).
Board Governance (Detail)
| Committee | Role | FY2024 Meetings | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nominating & Corporate Governance | Member | 3 | Identifies director nominees; leads board/committee evaluations; shapes governance policies |
| Audit | Not a member | 7 | Current members: Lang (Chair), Stevens, Stutz, Sheahan |
| Compensation | Not a member | 4 | Current members: Button Bell (Chair), Fahey, Sheahan, Zipfel |
| Executive | Not a member | 0 | Members: Johnson-Leipold, Fahey |
Director Compensation (FY2024)
| Item | Amount | Source/Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Fees Earned or Paid in Cash | $65,000 | Aligns with $60,000 base + $5,000 NCGC member |
| Stock Awards (Restricted Stock) | $110,007 | 2,409 shares granted 2/29/2024 |
| Total | $175,007 |
Potential Conflicts / Related-Party Exposure
- Related-party transactions disclosed involve Johnson family-controlled entities (e.g., headquarters lease, services), not Alexander. Audit Committee reviews and approves related-party transactions. FY2024 total related-party services ≈$1.538 million.
- No loans, family transactions, or payments to entities controlled by Alexander disclosed.
Say-on-Pay & Shareholder Feedback
- Advisory “Say on Pay” support ≈99% at the 2024 annual meeting; Company conducts annual say-on-pay; independent consultant (Pearl Meyer) engaged with no conflicts reported.
Compensation Committee (Context)
- Composition independent under Nasdaq; uses independent consultant; performs annual risk assessment; maintains clawback policy (amended June 30, 2023).
Risk Indicators & Red Flags (Screen)
- Hedging/margin prohibited; director attendance adequate; no pledging or related-party ties for Alexander disclosed; no legal proceedings or SEC investigations cited in the proxy.