Laura Bishop
Director at KFY
Board
About Laura M. Bishop
Independent director at Korn Ferry since 2021; age 63. Former EVP and CFO at USAA, prior CFO at Luby’s Inc., and Senior Manager at Ernst & Young; certified public accountant and designated by the Board as an Audit Committee financial expert. Currently serves as Trustee and Audit Committee Chair of Fidelity Fixed Income & Asset Allocation (FIAA) Funds and Audit Committee Chair of private company Pie Group Holdings, Inc.
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| USAA | Executive Vice President; Chief Financial Officer | EVP (Jun 2014–Dec 2020); CFO (Jun 2014–Sep 2020) | Enterprise CFO overseeing treasury, capital management, controller, tax, planning/forecasting; governance and oversight for investment strategy and capital markets activities |
| Luby’s Inc. | Senior Vice President; Chief Financial Officer | 1992–2000 | Public company CFO experience |
| Ernst & Young LLP | Senior Manager | 1983–1992 | Directed audits of public and private companies; CPA credential |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fidelity FIAA Funds (registered investment company) | Trustee; Audit Committee Chair | Advisory Trustee since Sep 2022; Trustee since Oct 2023; Audit Chair since Oct 2024 | Oversight of fund audit and financial reporting |
| Pie Group Holdings, Inc. (private) | Audit Committee Chair | Current | Audit governance leadership |
Board Governance
- Committee assignments: Audit Committee member; Compensation & Personnel Committee member .
- Audit Committee: 7 meetings in FY2025; Bishop deemed “financially literate” and designated as an Audit Committee financial expert by the Board .
- Independence: Board determined Bishop is independent under NYSE standards .
- Attendance and engagement: Board held 5 meetings in FY2025; all incumbent directors attended at least 75% of Board and committee meetings; all directors attended the 2024 annual meeting .
- Board leadership: Independent, non-executive Chair; regular executive sessions of independent directors .
Fixed Compensation (Director)
| Component (FY2025) | Amount | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| Annual cash retainer | $95,000 | Standard director fee |
| Audit Committee membership fee | $10,000 | Member fee (raised to $12,000 beginning FY2026) |
| Total cash fees | $105,000 | Summation of cash components |
| Annual equity grant (RSUs) | $184,748 | Approx. $185,000 target value; 2,550 RSUs for FY2025; increased to $200,000 beginning FY2026 |
| All other compensation | $5,046 | Dividends on unvested RSUs |
| Total FY2025 director compensation | $294,794 | Cash + equity + other |
Performance Compensation (Director)
- Director pay is not performance-based; non-employee directors receive time-based RSUs vesting the day before the next annual meeting (FY2025 RSUs vest Sep 17, 2025). Bishop elected to defer settlement of her RSUs until retirement from the Board .
| RSU Detail (FY2025) | Units | Grant-Date Fair Value | Vesting | Deferral Election |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Annual RSU grant | 2,550 | $184,748 | Vests Sep 17, 2025 | Deferred until retirement |
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Company | Type | Role | Potential Interlocks / Conflicts |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fidelity FIAA Funds | Public (registered investment company) | Trustee; Audit Chair | No Korn Ferry-related party transactions involving Bishop disclosed |
| Pie Group Holdings, Inc. | Private | Audit Committee Chair | No Korn Ferry-related party transactions involving Bishop disclosed |
Expertise & Qualifications
- Deep financial leadership: Enterprise CFO at USAA with oversight of banking, insurance, treasury, capital markets, securitizations, and reinsurance programs .
- Audit and accounting: CPA; EY audit background; Board-designated audit committee financial expert .
- Governance experience: Fund trustee and audit chair; private company audit chair .
Equity Ownership
| Item | Amount / Status |
|---|---|
| Total beneficial ownership | 12,340 shares; <1% of outstanding |
| Included RSUs | 2,550 RSUs vesting Sep 17, 2025; settlement deferred until retirement |
| Ownership guidelines | Directors required to own 3x annual cash retainer in Company stock |
| Hedging/pledging | Company policies prohibit hedging, speculative trading, and pledging by directors/officers |
Governance Assessment
- Board effectiveness: Bishop adds robust financial oversight and audit expertise; Audit Committee financial expert designation strengthens controls and reporting quality .
- Independence and attendance: Independent, with documented engagement (≥75% attendance); supports investor confidence in oversight rigor .
- Pay alignment: Director pay emphasizes equity RSUs with annual vesting and permitted deferral, aligning interests with shareholders; standard cash retainer and committee fees with no performance bonuses for directors .
- Conflicts and related parties: No related-party transactions involving Bishop above $120,000 since FY2025; broader related-party oversight in place via formal policy and Audit Committee review .
- Additional signals: Strong governance framework (independent Chair; executive sessions; clawback policy; stock ownership policy; anti-hedging/pledging) enhances alignment and mitigates red flags .
- Say-on-pay context: 97% approval at 2024 annual meeting indicates broad shareholder support for compensation governance (contextual positive signal for Board credibility) .