Amala Duggirala
KELLY SERVICESAbout Amala Duggirala
Independent director at Kelly Services (KELYA) since 2022; age 50; serves on the Audit and Corporate Governance & Nominating Committees. Executive Vice President and Chief Information Officer at USAA (2022–present). Education: MS Technology Management (Columbia University), MBA International Business (University of Nebraska at Omaha), BS Electronics & Communications Engineering (Osmania University). Recognized for digital transformation and cybersecurity leadership, including the 2022 “Outstanding 50 Asian Americans in Business” award .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Regions Financial Corporation | Senior EVP, Chief Operations & Technology Officer | 2017–2021 | Led operations and technology; large-scale transformation and cybersecurity oversight |
| Techbridge, Inc. | Director | 2016–2020 | Nonprofit tech ecosystem leadership |
| Innovation Depot | Director | 2021 | Nonprofit innovation hub governance |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| USAA | EVP & Chief Information Officer | 2022–present | Enterprise IT, data, cybersecurity leadership |
| Techbridge, Inc. | Director | 2016–2020 | Technology nonprofit governance |
| Innovation Depot | Director | 2021 | Innovation nonprofit governance |
Board Governance
- Independence and tenure: Affirmed independent (Feb 12, 2025); director since 2022; tenure 3 years; age 50 .
- Committee assignments: Audit Committee member; Corporate Governance & Nominating Committee member. Audit Committee held 4 meetings in 2024; Governance & Nominating held 4 meetings in 2024 .
- Committee oversight scope relevant to her expertise:
- Audit: financial reporting integrity; internal controls; ERM; cybersecurity, AI risk; related-party transaction approval .
- Corporate Governance & Nominating: board composition, director succession, governance principles, ESG oversight .
- Board engagement: Board held 12 meetings in 2024 with average attendance of 96.9%; majority of directors attended 100% of Board/committee meetings; independent directors held at least five executive sessions; all directors attended the 2024 Annual Meeting .
- Board leadership: Independent Chairman (Terrence B. Larkin); separate CEO/Chair roles; Lead Director provision not needed while Chair is independent .
- Controlled company context: Despite controlled status via Trust K (>90% voting power), board voluntarily complies with Nasdaq independence standards; all committees are fully independent .
Fixed Compensation
| Component | Amount | Detail | Date/Period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cash retainer (non-employee director) | $100,000 | Base retainer; Duggirala deferred $100,000 of cash retainer in 2024 | |
| Equity retainer (Class A shares) | $150,000 | Granted 6,811 shares at $22.02 fair value per share; Duggirala deferred 100% into deferred common stock units | Grant on May 9, 2024 |
| Committee chair fees | N/A | Only chairs receive additional retainers (Audit $20k; Comp $15k; Governance $15k); Duggirala not a chair | 2024 design |
| Mix policy | 60% equity / 40% cash | Non-employee director base retainer mix; Chairman has higher levels | Effective after May 9, 2024 |
| Retainer changes (YoY) | +$25,000 | Base retainer increased from $225,000 to $250,000 for non-employee directors in 2024 | Effective May 9, 2024 |
Performance Compensation
- No performance-linked director compensation disclosed; director equity is retainer-based, not tied to operating metrics .
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Type | Company | Role | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Public company board | None disclosed | — | — |
| Nonprofit/other boards | Techbridge, Inc.; Innovation Depot | Director | Past roles |
- Compensation Committee interlocks: None in 2024 (no insider participation or reciprocal interlocks reported) .
Expertise & Qualifications
- Core skills: Executive leadership; transformations; innovation; technology/digitization; cybersecurity; financial acumen; risk management; legal/corporate governance; ESG; M&A .
- Board matrix: Tagged for Technology, Digitization & Cybersecurity; Risk Management; Financial Acumen; Legal/Corporate Governance .
Equity Ownership
| Security | Beneficial Ownership | % of Class | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Class A Common Stock | 24,883 shares | <1% | Includes 24,883 shares indirectly held via Non-Employee Directors Deferred Compensation Plan; reflects deferral elections |
| Class B Common Stock | 0 | — | No Class B holdings |
| Ownership guidelines | $400,000 minimum FMV | Compliant | Requirement equals 4× cash portion of base retainer; all directors compliant; new directors expected to meet within 5 years |
| Hedging/pledging | Prohibited | — | Policies prohibit short-sales, hedging, pledging, margin accounts |
| Insider filings | No delinquent filings noted | — | One late Form 4 in 2024 was for a different director (Leslie A. Murphy) |
Governance Assessment
- Board effectiveness: Duggirala’s technology and cybersecurity background aligns tightly with Audit Committee oversight of AI and cyber risk, and Governance oversight of ESG—valuable in a staffing business increasingly leveraging digital platforms and data .
- Independence and conflicts: Affirmed independent; Company reports no related-party transactions with board or senior management; Audit Committee controls related-party transaction approvals—low conflict risk .
- Alignment signals: Full deferral of both cash and equity retainers in 2024 plus meaningful deferred stock holdings indicate long-term alignment; directors subject to robust ownership guidelines and anti-hedging/pledging policies .
- Engagement: Committee participation (Audit and Governance) with defined meeting cadence and broad risk/governance scopes, and strong overall board attendance metrics support effective oversight .
- Controlled-company mitigants: Despite concentrated voting power via Trust K, the board voluntarily adheres to full Nasdaq independence standards and maintains independent committees—mitigating governance concerns for minority shareholders .
- Shareholder feedback: 2024 Say-on-Pay received 99% approval, indicating strong investor support for compensation practices and broader governance framework, though directed at executives .
RED FLAGS: None identified in disclosures—no related-party transactions, no hedging/pledging, no interlocks, and solid attendance metrics .