Louis Hobson
Knight-Swift Transportation HoldingsAbout Louis Hobson
Louis Hobson, age 44, is an independent director of Knight-Swift Transportation Holdings Inc. (KNX) who has served on the Board since 2021, with approximately four years of tenure as of the 2025 proxy period . He is President of StreamLabs (since 2024) and Senior Vice President, North America Flood Insurance (since 2019) at Chubb Insurance, with prior roles including CEO of National Flood Services (2017–2018) and EVP at Aon National Flood Services (2015–2017); he holds a B.S. in Electrical Engineering and an MBA from Stanford University .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chubb Insurance, Ltd. | President, StreamLabs | Since 2024 | Executive leadership in connected water solutions |
| Chubb Insurance, Ltd. | SVP, North America Flood Insurance | Since 2019 | P&C insurance executive overseeing flood portfolio |
| National Flood Services | President & CEO | 2017–2018 | Led business process services in flood insurance |
| Aon National Flood Services | Executive Vice President | 2015–2017 | Financial services/insurance operations |
| Boston Consulting Group | Principal and roles 2004–2013 | 2004–2013 | Advised Fortune 500 C-suites on competition, growth, turnaround, talent |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| American Red Cross of Illinois | Board Member | 2022–present | Board Development and Bio Medical Services Committees |
| American Red Cross of Chicago & Northern Illinois | Board Member | 2017–2018 | Non-profit governance |
Board Governance
- Committee memberships: Audit Committee, Nominating & Corporate Governance Committee, and Finance Committee (all composed entirely of independent directors) .
- Committee activity: Audit met 8 times in 2024; Nominating & Corporate Governance met 4 times; Finance met 4 times .
- Independence: Hobson is classified as an independent director under NYSE standards and Exchange Act Rule 10A-3 .
- Attendance: The Board held seven meetings in 2024; all directors attended at least 75% of the aggregate Board and committee meetings during their service periods .
- Annual Meeting attendance: All then-incumbent directors attended the 2024 Annual Meeting .
- Executive sessions: Independent directors met five times without management present and four times with the Executive Chairman present in 2024 .
Fixed Compensation
| Compensation Element | Member | Chair/Lead | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Board Service Cash Retainer | $90,000 | +$25,000 for Lead Independent Director (LID) | Base retainer of $220,000 total, minimum $130,000 in equity; directors may elect up to full retainer in equity |
| Equity Award (Annual) | $130,000 | — | Grant date fair value measured at closing price on date of grant (2024 Annual Meeting) |
| Audit Committee Retainer | $10,000 | $15,000 | — |
| Compensation Committee Retainer | $7,500 | $12,500 | — |
| Nominating & Corporate Governance Retainer | $6,000 | $10,000 | — |
| Finance Committee Retainer | $5,000 | $6,000 | — |
| Meeting Fees | None | None | Travel expense reimbursement allowed |
| Director (2024) | Fees Earned or Paid in Cash | Stock Awards (Grant-date fair value) | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Louis Hobson | $91,000 | $149,974 | $240,974 |
- Mix and alignment: Hobson’s 2024 compensation was approximately 62% equity ($149,974) and 38% cash ($91,000), consistent with KNX’s equity-forward director pay design that allows full-retainer equity election .
Performance Compensation
- Non-employee director compensation does not include performance-based bonuses or PSUs; annual director equity grants are delivered as stock (grant-date fair value methodology) and meeting fees are not paid .
Other Directorships & Interlocks
- Public company directorships: None disclosed for Hobson .
- External executive role: Current Chubb executive (P&C insurer) — monitor for potential vendor relationships; no related-party transactions with Hobson disclosed in KNX’s proxy .
Expertise & Qualifications
- Education: B.S. Electrical Engineering and MBA, Stanford University .
- Executive/industry experience: Insurance leadership across flood insurance operations and IoT water solutions; prior consulting to Fortune 500 firms on growth/turnaround .
- Board skills matrix indicates coverage across core governance areas (e.g., financial reporting, information security/privacy, risk management, corporate governance, strategy), supporting committee assignments in Audit, Nominating & Corporate Governance, and Finance .
Equity Ownership
| Holder | Shares Beneficially Owned | Percent of Class | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Louis Hobson | 4,902 | <1% | Beneficial ownership as of March 17, 2025 record date |
- Ownership guidelines: Non-employee directors must own KNX stock valued at the lesser of 3x annual cash retainer or $140,000 within five years of appointment (Hobson appointed 2021); KNX states all directors and officers are currently in compliance .
Governance Assessment
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Strengths
- Independent director with multi-committee roles (Audit, Nominating & Corporate Governance, Finance), aligning skills to oversight of financial reporting, governance, and capital deployment .
- Documented Board attendance compliance; Board held seven meetings in 2024 and all directors met at least 75% participation; independent directors held executive sessions without management .
- Equity-forward director pay design and stock ownership guidelines bolster alignment; KNX states directors and officers comply with ownership requirements .
- KNX maintains robust governance policies: anti-pledging/hedging (Designated Persons prohibited), clawback policy, independent committees, majority-independent Board, and separation of Chair and CEO roles .
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Potential risk indicators and mitigants
- External executive role at Chubb Insurance could create perceived vendor exposure; however, KNX’s related-party review process (Audit Committee oversight) shows no related-party transactions involving Hobson disclosed for 2024 .
- Pledging exists only for Kevin and Gary Knight under grandfathered arrangements; Designated Persons (including non-employee directors like Hobson) are prohibited from pledging/hedging under KNX policy, reducing alignment risks for Hobson specifically .
- Committee workload is material (Audit 8 meetings; Finance and Nominating & Corporate Governance 4 each), supporting engagement and oversight breadth .
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Director compensation perspective
- 2024 director pay for Hobson ($240,974 total; $149,974 stock; $91,000 cash) reflects equity-heavy mix and no meeting fees, consistent with KNX’s policy to emphasize long-term alignment without incentivizing short-term risk-taking .
Overall, Hobson presents as an engaged, independent director with relevant financial, risk, and governance expertise, serving on three key independent committees, and with equity ownership within KNX’s guideline framework; no Hobson-specific conflicts or related-party transactions are disclosed, and KNX’s policies limit hedging/pledging to protect alignment .