Colleen Repplier
About Colleen C. Repplier
Independent director of Kimball Electronics (KE) since 2014 (Class I; current term ends 2027). Age 64. Veteran operating executive across industrial, energy and commercial building sectors; retired in 2018 from Johnson Controls as VP/GM of a $4.5B global HVAC products portfolio overseeing 20,000 employees. BS in Electrical Engineering (University of Pittsburgh), MBA (University of Central Florida), and certified Six Sigma Master Black Belt; prior roles include Westinghouse Electric, Bechtel, GE, Home Depot, HD Supply, and President of Tyco Fire Protection (pre‑JCI acquisition) .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure/Timing | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Johnson Controls (JCI) | VP & GM, Global HVAC product businesses ($4.5B, ~20,000 employees) | Through June 2018 | Led large global portfolio; operational and P&L leadership |
| Tyco | President, Tyco Fire Protection | Joined Tyco in 2007; until JCI acquisition | Led fire protection business; operational transformation experience |
| Home Depot; HD Supply | Senior leadership positions; company officer | Pre‑2007 | Commercial/industrial distribution leadership |
| General Electric | Engineering, process improvement, product management, sales, GM | Early career | Six Sigma/operations grounding |
| Bechtel Corporation | Construction design | Early career | Engineering/project expertise |
| Westinghouse Electric | Engineering and marketing | Early career | Energy industry foundations |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Public/Private | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| PGH KKSP Acquisition Holdings | Director; Compensation Committee Chair | Private | Current role; compensation governance experience |
| Other public company directorships | — | — | Number of other public boards: 0 |
Board Governance
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Independence | Independent director (Board majority independent) |
| Committees | Member: Nominating & ESG (NESG); Member: Talent, Culture & Compensation (TCC) |
| Committee chairs | NESG Chair: Holcomb; TCC Chair: Van Deursen; Audit Chair: Vadaketh (Repplier is not a chair) |
| Committee meeting cadence (FY2025) | Audit 9; NESG 4; TCC 6 |
| Attendance | Board met 7 times; each director attended ≥75% of aggregate Board+Committee meetings; all directors attended the last annual meeting |
| Executive sessions | Independent directors meet after each Board meeting |
| Board structure | Independent Chairperson (Bob Phillippy); classified board (three classes) |
Fixed Compensation (Non‑Employee Director Pay – FY2025)
| Component | Amount/Value | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Annual cash retainer | $65,000 | Standard director annual retainer |
| Committee member retainers | $7,500 (NESG); $7,500 (TCC) | Paid per committee |
| Committee chair retainers | N/A | Not a chair |
| Fees earned in cash (actual) | $80,000 | FY2025 total cash fees for Repplier |
| Equity retainer (grant) | $125,000 | 6,548 shares at $19.09 (11/15/2024 reference price) |
| Cash-in-stock election | 4,191 shares | Elected to receive retainer in stock at $19.09; deferred under Deferral Plan |
Performance Compensation
| Component | Performance Metric(s) | Weight | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual director equity retainer (shares) | None (no performance conditions disclosed) | — | Paid in shares under 2023 Equity Incentive Plan and/or deferred under Directors Stock Compensation Deferral Plan |
No director meeting fees or option grants disclosed; structure is simple: cash retainer + fixed‑value equity retainer with elective stock/deferred elections to enhance alignment .
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Category | Detail |
|---|---|
| Public company boards | None (0) |
| Private/other boards | PGH KKSP Acquisition Holdings – Director & Comp Committee Chair |
| Committee interlocks | TCC members (incl. Repplier) had no interlocks or insider participation; none ever employed by KE |
Expertise & Qualifications
- Electrical engineer (BS), MBA; Six Sigma Master Black Belt .
- 30+ years in operations, supply chain, and P&L leadership across diversified manufacturing; led JCI’s $4.5B HVAC portfolio and Tyco Fire Protection .
- Brings operational planning, process improvement, and industrial systems expertise aligned with EMS sector needs .
Equity Ownership
| Metric | Value | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Beneficial ownership (as of 9/15/2025) | 87,254 shares | Includes shares credited under Directors Stock Compensation Deferral Plan that may be distributable within 60 days after Board service ends |
| % of shares outstanding | <1% | Individual totals for listed directors are less than 1% |
| FY2025 equity retainer | 6,548 shares ($125,000) | Valued at $19.09 on 11/15/2024; Repplier elected to defer |
| FY2025 cash‑in‑stock election | 4,191 shares | Elected stock in lieu of cash; deferred |
| Ownership guidelines | Directors must hold ≥3x annual cash retainer; retain 100% of net shares until met; target within ~5 years | |
| Hedging/pledging | Prohibited for directors; no pledging/hedging allowed |
Governance Assessment
- Strengths for investor confidence
- Independent director with deep industrial operations expertise; member of both NESG and TCC, contributing to sustainability/governance oversight and pay/talent oversight .
- Strong alignment: meaningful beneficial ownership, elected to take fees in stock and defer equity, plus robust ownership guidelines and mandatory hold‑until‑met policy .
- Policy safeguards: anti‑hedging/pledging policy; “no‑fault” clawback covering incentive compensation; high say‑on‑pay support (97% in 2024), signaling shareholder alignment on compensation governance .
- No related‑party transactions reported in FY2025; no TCC interlocks or insider participation .
- Attendance expectations met (≥75% threshold; all directors attended last annual meeting) .
- Watch items
- Classified board structure can be viewed as entrenchment by some investors, though the Board articulates rationale and notes Indiana statutory context; ongoing board refreshment (independent average tenure 7.6 years) partly mitigates this concern .
- Tenure since 2014 underscores experience; continued refreshment and balanced committee composition remain important .
RED FLAGS: None disclosed regarding related‑party transactions, hedging/pledging, attendance shortfalls, or pay anomalies for this director in FY2025 .