Christine LaSala
James River Group HoldingsAbout Christine LaSala
Christine LaSala, 74, joined the JRVR board on July 5, 2024 and has served as Non‑Executive Chairperson since February 2025. She previously chaired Willis Towers Watson North America Inc. (retired 2016), spent 10 years as President & CEO of the World Trade Center Captive Insurance Company, and 25 years at Johnson & Higgins (only woman partner; President of J&H New York). She holds a B.A. in Philosophy from the College of New Rochelle .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Willis Towers Watson North America Inc. | Chair (subsidiary of Willis Group Holdings plc) | 2014–2016 | Led North America operations; retired 2016 |
| World Trade Center Captive Insurance Company | President & CEO | ~10 years | Managed liability insurance for NYC and 100+ contractors |
| Johnson & Higgins (acquired by Marsh & McLennan) | Partner; President, J&H New York | ~25 years | Senior leadership in insurance brokerage |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sedgwick | Director | Since Oct 2021 | Claims management, loss adjusting; board service |
| Beazley plc | Director; Senior Independent Director; Interim Chair | ~2016–Apr 2024 | Multiple board leadership roles; stepped down Apr 2024 |
| FCC Services Captive Insurance Company | Director | Jan 2020–Jul 2022 | Board service |
Board Governance
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Board role | Non‑Executive Chairperson (since Feb 2025) |
| Independence | Board determined LaSala is independent (Nasdaq standards) |
| Committees | Audit (member; identified “audit committee financial expert”), Compensation & Human Capital (member), Nominating & Corporate Governance (member) |
| Attendance | In 2024, all directors attended ≥75% of aggregate board/committee meetings; AGM attendance by all nominees |
| Risk oversight | Audit oversees financial risks, internal controls, cybersecurity, and related‑party approvals; Comp Committee oversees pay and alignment; NomGov handles director qualifications and searches |
Fixed Compensation
| Component | Policy (Non‑Employee Directors) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Annual cash retainer | $125,000 per year | Payable quarterly in advance |
| Committee chair fees | Audit Chair: $25,000; Comp Chair: $12,500; NomGov Chair: $12,500 | Applies to committee chairs (LaSala not chair of these committees) |
| Christine LaSala 2024 Director Compensation | Amount ($) |
|---|---|
| Fees earned or paid in cash | 61,141 |
| Stock awards (RSUs, grant‑date fair value) | 37,107 |
| All other compensation | — |
| Total | 98,248 |
Performance Compensation
| Component | Policy | Vesting/Performance |
|---|---|---|
| Annual RSU grant (standard directors) | $50,000 grant‑date fair value in RSUs | Vests in full on first anniversary of grant |
| Annual RSU grant (Chair) | $100,000 grant‑date fair value in RSUs | Vests in full on first anniversary of grant |
| Instrument used | Company awards RSUs under Non‑Employee Director Incentive Plan; historically RSUs only | No performance metrics; service‑based vesting |
| Christine LaSala 2024 RSU Details | Value |
|---|---|
| Grant date | July 25, 2024 |
| RSUs granted (shares) | 4,460 |
| Grant‑date fair value | $37,107 |
| Vesting | Vests on first anniversary of the date RSUs were granted to continuing directors that year (pro‑rata grant convention) |
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Other public company boards | Beazley plc (prior; leadership roles); no current U.S. public company board disclosed besides Sedgwick (private) |
| Compensation committee interlocks | 2024 committee membership disclosed; no executive officer interlocks with other companies’ boards/comp committees in past year |
Expertise & Qualifications
- Audit committee financial expert designation; deep P&C insurance, risk management, governance experience .
- Board skills matrix lists insurance expertise, risk management, corporate governance, operations among board skills; LaSala included in those categories .
Equity Ownership
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Beneficial ownership (common shares) | 33,585 shares (as of Sep 3, 2025) |
| % of shares outstanding | Less than 1% (45,922,507 common shares outstanding) |
| Ownership guidelines | Non‑employee directors must own ≥3x annual cash retainer within 5 years; 100% of net‑after‑tax shares retained for 1 year; retain 75% of net‑after‑tax shares until compliant |
| Hedging/pledging | Prohibited by insider trading policy (no pledging or hedging; no short sales/options) |
Governance Assessment
- Strengths: Independent Non‑Executive Chair; audit committee financial expert; multi‑decade insurance leadership; service on key committees enhances oversight of financial reporting, compensation, and nominations .
- Alignment: Director equity paid in RSUs with mandatory retention and ownership guidelines (≥3x retainer); anti‑hedging/pledging improves alignment with shareholders .
- Attendance/engagement: ≥75% meeting attendance in 2024 across directors; full AGM participation by nominees indicates engagement .
- Conflicts/related‑party exposure: Proxy discloses related‑party transactions with Gallatin Point/Cavello Bay, not involving LaSala; Audit Committee pre‑approves and oversees related‑party transactions . No Sedgwick‑JRVR transactions disclosed in the proxy .
- Compensation oversight signal: As a 2024 Compensation & Human Capital Committee member, LaSala was part of a committee that applied discretion to adjust STI metrics for management due to strategic actions (LPT/ADC, retention awards). While justified as outside management control, investors should note this use of discretion and resulting payouts (e.g., group leaders at 77.1% of target) .
RED FLAGS: None directly tied to LaSala disclosed (no related‑party transactions, no pledging/hedging). Monitor ongoing committee discretion in incentive metrics as a governance consideration .