James Park
Kraft HeinzAbout James Park
James Park (age 48) is an independent director of The Kraft Heinz Company, serving since May 2022. He brings deep technology and digital product expertise from founding and leading Fitbit and senior roles at Google, with additional experience in M&A and public company leadership. He currently serves on the Human Capital and Compensation Committee and is designated independent under Nasdaq rules .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Google (Alphabet) | Vice President, Alphabet | Jan 2024–Apr 2024 | Senior executive oversight; technology strategy |
| Google (Alphabet) | VP & GM, Wearables and Health | Aug 2023–Jan 2024 | Led wearables/health platform integration |
| Google (Alphabet) | VP & GM, Fitbit | Feb 2021–Aug 2023 | Led Fitbit business post-acquisition |
| Fitbit, Inc. | Chairman | 2015–Jan 2021 | Governance through scale-up and sale to Google |
| Fitbit, Inc. | Co-Founder, President, CEO, Director | 2007–Jan 2021 | Built category-leading wearables brand; public company leadership |
| CNET Networks | Director of Product Development | 2005–2007 | Consumer digital product development |
| Wind-Up Labs | President & Co-Founder | 2002–2005 | Founded online photo sharing; sold to CNET |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Current public company boards | None | — | No current public boards listed |
| Fitbit, Inc. | Director | 2007–Jan 2021 | Prior public board experience (pre-acquisition) |
Board Governance
- Independence: The Board affirmatively determined Park is independent under Nasdaq rules .
- Committees: Member, Human Capital and Compensation Committee (no chair roles) .
- Attendance and engagement: Each incumbent director attended 100% of Board and applicable Committee meetings in 2024; independent directors held executive sessions at all Board meetings .
- Board leadership and structure: Separate Chair/CEO; strong Lead Independent Director; 100% independent committees; robust governance practices including stockholder engagement, clawback, and anti-hedging/pledging policies .
| Governance Metric | FY 2024 |
|---|---|
| Board meetings held | 5 |
| Compensation Committee meetings | 4 |
| Audit Committee meetings | 9 |
| Governance Committee meetings | 4 |
| Director attendance rate | 100% |
Fixed Compensation
| Year | Fees Earned/Paid in Cash ($) | Committee Chair Fees ($) | Meeting Fees |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 100,000 | 0 (not a chair) | None (no meeting fees) |
- Program overview: Non-employee directors receive cash retainers and annual deferred stock; no meeting fees; additional cash retainers only for Chair, Lead Director, and Committee Chairs .
Performance Compensation
| Year | Stock Awards ($) | Equity Vehicle | Grant-Date Valuation Basis |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 185,032 | Deferred stock with DEUs; distributed six months after board service ends | Closing price $36.72 on May 2, 2024 (ASC 718) |
- Directors do not receive PSUs or performance-linked equity; director equity consists of deferred stock with dividend equivalent units and time-based distribution post-service .
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Category | Detail |
|---|---|
| Current public company boards | None |
| Compensation Committee interlocks | None; all members independent, and no related person transactions requiring disclosure in 2024 |
Expertise & Qualifications
- Skills matrix: Enterprise Leadership; Risk Management; Strategic Transactions; Brand Building; Digital and Technology .
- Board skill coverage indicates strong digital/technology acumen aligned to KHC’s consumer and modernization priorities .
Equity Ownership
| As of | Shares Owned | Shares Acquirable within 60 Days | Deferred Stock (incl. DEUs) | Total | % Outstanding |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 10, 2025 | 596 | — | 11,824 | 12,240 | * (<1%) |
- Director stock ownership guidelines: Non-employee directors must hold 6x annual cash retainer; compliance period 5 years; all current directors are in compliance .
- Anti-hedging/pledging: Company policy prohibits hedging, short-selling, derivatives, margin accounts, or pledging of KHC securities .
Governance Assessment
- Committee assignments and effectiveness: Park serves on the Compensation Committee, which oversees CEO and executive pay design, peer groups, and succession; the committee met four times in 2024 and reported no interlocks/conflicts, supporting independent oversight .
- Independence and attendance: Full independence determination and 100% meeting attendance in 2024 bolster investor confidence in board oversight quality .
- Ownership alignment: While Park’s absolute holdings are modest, KHC’s director ownership policy requires 6x retainer and states all current directors are in compliance; anti-hedging/pledging rules further align director/shareholder interests .
- Director pay structure: Balanced cash retainer and deferred stock without performance-linked metrics for directors; no meeting fees; structure avoids excessive guarantees and is consistent with large-cap staples governance practices .
- RED FLAGS: None disclosed specific to Park—no related-party transactions requiring SEC disclosure for the Compensation Committee; no hedging/pledging permitted; no attendance shortfalls .
- Investor sentiment: Say-on-pay support at ~96% in 2024 indicates broad investor alignment with compensation governance; while focused on executives, it signals confidence in committee oversight, including Park’s committee .