Jimmy D. McDonald
About Jimmy D. McDonald
Independent director at OrthoPediatrics Corp. (KIDS), age 64, appointed to the Board in October 2022 and currently in the class of directors with terms expiring at the 2027 annual meeting . He retired from TE Connectivity in December 2022 as Vice President and Chief Supply Chain Officer and remains a member of TE’s Operating Committee; earlier roles include VP Strategic Sourcing at Honeywell Aerospace and 24 years at General Motors in global operations . Education: B.S. in Business Administration (Oakland University) and Executive Development Program at Kellogg School of Management (Northwestern) .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| TE Connectivity | Vice President and Chief Supply Chain Officer; member of Operating Committee | Through Dec 2022 (retired); continues as Operating Committee member | Operating Committee oversees and guides the overall operation of the organization |
| Honeywell Aerospace | Vice President, Strategic Sourcing | Prior to 2013 | Led strategic sourcing initiatives |
| General Motors | Various roles in global operations | 24 years | Progressive responsibilities across global operations |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| TE Connectivity | Operating Committee Member | Current | Continues post-retirement; committee oversees company operations |
| TE Foundation | Board Member | Current | Philanthropic arm affiliation |
| TE African Heritage ERG | Founding Member and Co-Executive Sponsor | Historical/current | DEI leadership role |
Board Governance
- Independence: The Board determined Mr. McDonald is independent under Nasdaq listing standards .
- Board and committee activity/attendance:
- Board met 7 times in 2024; no director attended fewer than 75% of aggregate Board and committee meetings during their service period .
- Annual meeting attendance: all directors except Pelizzon, Dyer, and Schlotterback attended the 2024 annual meeting (implies McDonald attended) .
- Board leadership: Chairman (Throdahl) and Lead Independent Director (Schlotterback); independent directors meet in executive session at least twice per year .
| Committee | Role | Chair? | 2024 Meetings | Independence |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Compensation | Member | No | 3 | Independent |
| Corporate Governance | Member | No | 2 | Independent |
Additional governance context:
- Compensation Committee members (Schlotterback – Chair, Dyer, McDonald) issued the CD&A report recommendation in the 2025 proxy .
- Clawback policy adopted November 2023, compliant with SEC/Nasdaq rules .
- Anti-hedging and anti-pledging policy applies to directors .
Fixed Compensation
| Year | Cash Retainer | Committee Chair Fees | Meeting Fees | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $90,000 | $0 (no chair roles) | Structure allows $22,500 per regular meeting as an alternative to retainer | Company program: non-employee directors receive $90k cash retainer or $22.5k per regular meeting |
Performance Compensation
| Year | Equity Grant (Grant-Date Value) | Instrument | Vesting | Performance Conditions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $90,000 | Restricted Stock | Vests over 3 years from grant (annual meeting grant) | None disclosed for director equity; time-based vesting |
- Anti-hedging/pledging prohibitions reinforce alignment and risk control for directors .
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Current public company boards | None disclosed in company biography |
| Private/non-profit/academic boards | TE Foundation (Board Member) |
| Potential interlocks with KIDS suppliers/customers/competitors | None disclosed for McDonald; related-party transactions involve Squadron affiliates (Structure Medical; Vilex license; Tawani mortgage), not McDonald |
Expertise & Qualifications
- Global supply chain and operations leadership (TE Connectivity CSCO; Honeywell strategic sourcing; 24 years GM) .
- Governance and oversight experience via TE Operating Committee and TE Foundation board .
- DEI leadership (founding member and co-exec sponsor of TE African Heritage ERG) .
- Education in business administration plus executive program at Kellogg (Northwestern) .
Equity Ownership
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Total beneficial ownership (shares) | 4,731 (<1%) |
| Restricted shares included in total | 4,076 (voteable but transfer-restricted until vest) |
| Pledged shares | None disclosed; pledging prohibited by policy |
| Director stock ownership guideline | $225,000 to be met within 3 years of becoming a director |
| Appointment date (for guideline timing) | October 2022 (3-year window implies through October 2025) |
Governance Assessment
-
Strengths
- Independent director with deep supply chain/operations expertise; serves on Compensation and Corporate Governance committees—roles directly relevant to oversight of pay structures, talent, and board composition .
- Solid engagement signals: at least 75% meeting attendance; attended 2024 annual meeting; on committees that met regularly (Comp: 3x; Gov: 2x) .
- Shareholder support for compensation program remains strong (≈99% Say-on-Pay approval at 2024 meeting for FY23 pay), indicating investor confidence in compensation governance under current committee composition .
- Risk controls: clawback policy in place; hedging/pledging prohibited for directors; executive sessions led by a Lead Independent Director .
-
Watch items
- Board-level related-party exposure primarily via Squadron (27.8% beneficial owner) and affiliates (supplier payments to Structure Medical: $1.0M in 2024; Vilex license; Tawani mortgage), which heightens governance sensitivity to conflicts—though no ties are disclosed for McDonald specifically .
- Executive employment agreements approved Oct 2024 include relatively generous severance terms (30 months base salary plus 2.5x average bonus; CoC benefits if terminated or title changed within 12 months), which the Compensation Committee (on which McDonald serves) oversees—an area investors often scrutinize for pay-for-performance alignment .
- Ownership alignment: McDonald holds 4,731 shares including 4,076 restricted; director guideline is $225k within 3 years—monitor progress toward the October 2025 guideline date given market volatility .
-
Additional notes
- No late Section 16 filings reported for McDonald in 2024 (only a late Form 4 noted for another director), supporting compliance discipline .
- No director-chair roles for McDonald; thus no additional chair fees or concentrated influence—consistent with balanced committee composition .
Overall: McDonald brings valuable large-scale supply chain and operations expertise with clean independence and adequate engagement. Principal governance sensitivities relate to broader Board related-party relationships and executive severance design—both areas to monitor via the Compensation and Corporate Governance committees on which he serves .