Debra Sandler
Keurig Dr PepperAbout Debra Sandler
Debra Sandler (age 65) has served as an independent director of Keurig Dr Pepper (KDP) since March 2021; she is President and CEO of La Grenade Group, LLC and founder and former CEO of Mavis Foods, LLC, with prior senior roles at Mars (Chief Health and Wellbeing Officer; Chief Consumer Officer; President, Mars Chocolate North America), Johnson & Johnson (Worldwide President, McNeil Nutritionals), and PepsiCo; she holds a BA from Hofstra University and an MS in Marketing from NYU . KDP’s Board has affirmatively determined Ms. Sandler is independent under Nasdaq rules .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mars, Incorporated | Chief Health and Wellbeing Officer; Chief Consumer Officer; President, Mars Chocolate North America | Not disclosed | Leadership in consumer brands and health/wellbeing strategy |
| Johnson & Johnson | Worldwide President, McNeil Nutritionals LLC | Not disclosed | Senior leadership in nutritionals; consumer/retail insights |
| PepsiCo, Inc. | Senior leadership roles over ~a decade | Not disclosed | Consumer packaged goods operating experience |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Archer-Daniels-Midland Company (ADM) | Director | Not disclosed | Not disclosed |
| Dollar General Corporation | Director | Not disclosed | Not disclosed |
| Gannett Co., Inc. | Director | Not disclosed | Not disclosed |
| Pharmavite, LLC (Otsuka subsidiary) | Board of Advisors | Not disclosed | Advisory role |
| Hofstra University | Trustee | Not disclosed | Governance/education oversight |
Board Governance
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Independence status | Independent director (Nasdaq standards) |
| Committee memberships | Remuneration and Nomination Committee (RemCo) member |
| Committee chair roles | None disclosed for Sandler (RemCo chaired by Pamela Patsley) |
| Board meeting attendance | Board met 10 times in 2024; all current directors attended ≥75% of meetings/committees while serving, except Paul Michaels (health) |
| Years of service on KDP board | Director since March 2021 |
| Lead Independent Director | Role held by Pamela Patsley since Dec 2024 (not Sandler) |
| Executive sessions | Regular executive sessions of independent/non-employee directors |
| Board refresh | Ongoing; added independent directors in 2025; plan to form standalone Nomination and Governance Committee |
Fixed Compensation
| 2024 Director Compensation Elements | Amount |
|---|---|
| Annual Board Retainer (cash) | $110,000 |
| Audit & Finance Committee Chair Retainer | $40,000 |
| Remuneration & Nominating Committee Chair Retainer | $30,000 |
| Lead Director Retainer | $40,000 |
| Annual Equity Award (RSUs) | $175,000; vests in full on the 5th anniversary; pro rata if granted within one year of termination |
| Debra Sandler – 2024 Compensation | Fees Earned or Paid in Cash ($) | Stock Awards ($) | All Other Compensation ($) | Total ($) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $213,750 | $151,733 | $0 | $365,483 |
- Special committee fees: Sandler received an additional $105,000 in cash for service on a special committee in 2024 .
- Director compensation emphasizes equity alignment; awards sized by dividing the approved dollar value by grant-date closing price; director RSUs vest after five years .
Performance Compensation
- KDP discloses no performance-based equity or cash elements for non-employee directors; director equity grants are time-based RSUs with five-year vesting (i.e., no director performance metrics are disclosed) .
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Company | Relationship to KDP | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| ADM; Dollar General; Gannett | External public company boards | Sandler currently serves on all three |
| Interlocks/related parties | None identified for Sandler | KDP reviewed related-party transactions; independence affirmed; Brown-Forman ordinary-course dealings were considered for Lawson Whiting, not Sandler |
Expertise & Qualifications
- Extensive consumer behavior and evolving retail/e-commerce understanding; proven track record building leading consumer brands (Mars, J&J, PepsiCo) .
- Strategic planning experience and regular speaker on D&I, multicultural business development, and health/wellbeing in CPG .
- Education: BA (Hofstra); MS in Marketing (NYU) .
Equity Ownership
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Beneficial ownership (shares; % outstanding) | Not listed for Sandler in beneficial ownership table (below 1% and/or not reported) |
| Outstanding RSUs (as of 12/31/2024) | 17,399 RSUs |
| Director ownership guideline | Directors must hold equity ≥5x annual cash retainer |
| Hedging/Pledging | Hedging prohibited; pledging requires pre-clearance and is prohibited for speculative purposes |
Governance Assessment
- Strengths: Independent status; active RemCo membership on a fully independent committee; strong consumer/brand/retail expertise; attendance threshold met; director ownership guidelines promote alignment; hedging prohibited and pledging restricted; clawbacks and strong governance practices broadly at KDP .
- Watch items: Sandler serves on four public company boards (including KDP), which is the maximum permitted under KDP’s governance policy—monitor workload and continued attendance/engagement; 2024 attendance threshold broadly met, but sustained performance bears watching .
- Compensation alignment: Mix of cash and long-dated RSUs; Sandler’s 2024 mix approximately 59% cash and 41% equity, consistent with alignment objectives; director RSUs vest after five years, reinforcing long-term focus .
- Conflicts/related-party exposure: No Sandler-specific related-party transactions disclosed; KDP maintains a formal Related Person Transactions Policy with Board/Audit oversight .
RED FLAGS (none acute): At-cap board count (4) may increase time-commitment risk; maintain monitoring of attendance/committee engagement .