Cassia J. Beierle
About Cassia J. Beierle
Cassia J. Beierle, Esq. is Executive Vice President and General Counsel of Kearny Financial Corp. and Kearny Bank since July 2025; she previously served as Senior Vice President and General Counsel from August 2022. She is 43 years old (as of June 30, 2025), holds a J.D. from Brooklyn Law School and a B.A. from Columbia University, and is admitted in New Jersey and New York . Company performance context during her legal leadership tenure: FY2025 GAAP net income was $26.1 million, PPNR per share reached $0.53 versus $0.51 target, and cumulative TSR based on a $100 initial investment was 100.67 in 2025 (following 89.85 in 2024) .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Years | Strategic Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kearny Financial Corp./Kearny Bank | EVP & General Counsel | Jul 2025–present | Oversees legal function; strategic counsel across governance, regulatory compliance, risk management, employment law |
| Kearny Bank | SVP & General Counsel | Aug 2022–Jul 2025 | Built in‑house legal leadership; cross-functional legal support |
| Investors Bank | Deputy General Counsel | 2021–Apr 2022 | Cross-functional legal operations; role concluded at acquisition in Apr 2022 |
| Investors Bank | Assistant General Counsel | 2018–2021 | Institutional legal support in financial services |
| Private Practice | Attorney | N/A | Early-career experience in private practice serving financial institutions |
External Roles
No public company directorships or external board roles disclosed for Ms. Beierle .
Fixed Compensation
- Specific base salary, target bonus percentage, and actual annual bonus for Ms. Beierle are not disclosed in the proxy. Eligibility for the Executive Management Incentive Program is limited to executives recommended by the CEO and approved by the Compensation Committee each year; program details and governance are described, but individual participation lists are not disclosed .
Performance Compensation
- Not individually disclosed for Ms. Beierle. Company program features include: annual corporate goals and individual goals; funding gate requiring positive operating earnings; Committee discretion to adjust payouts; payout cap ≤200% of base salary; vesting/eligibility treatment for terminations, disability, death, retirement, and change-in-control; clawback policy applicability .
Equity Ownership & Alignment
| As-of Date | Instrument | Quantity | Vesting/Terms | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 1, 2025 | Common Stock (Direct) | 23,246 | Includes RSUs vesting 33% per year commencing Aug 7, 2023/2024/2025 | |
| Jul 1, 2025 | ESOP (Indirect) | 1,046 | ESOP holdings reported as indirect | |
| Aug 7, 2025 (reported Aug 8, 2025) | RSUs (grant) | 10,167 | RSUs vest 33% annually | |
| Aug 7, 2025 (reported Aug 8, 2025) | Common Stock transaction | 1,393 @ $5.86 | Transaction reported in Form 4 (nature not specified) |
- Equity plan and vesting terms applicable company-wide: under the 2021 Equity Incentive Plan, RSUs include time-based awards vesting 33% annually and performance-based awards vesting after a three-year period subject to performance gates; awards vest upon death/disability or involuntary termination post change-in-control as defined in the plan .
- Anti-hedging and anti-pledging policy prohibits executive hedging or pledging (exceptions only by Board/NCG approval). Proxy disclosed only CEO Montanaro has pledged 8,748 shares; no other pledged shares by executives are reported, implying no pledging by Ms. Beierle .
Employment Terms
| Topic | Terms | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Employment agreement | No individual employment or change-in-control agreement for Ms. Beierle is disclosed in filings reviewed | |
| Incentive plan eligibility | Executive Management Incentive Program requires CEO recommendation and Compensation Committee approval; terms include funding gate, corporate/individual goals, proration rules; Committee discretion | |
| Equity plan acceleration | 2021 Plan provides vesting upon death/disability and involuntary termination for cause/good reason following a change-in-control per plan definitions | |
| Clawback | SEC/Nasdaq-compliant clawback policy applies to executive incentive-based compensation and equity awards; also SOX 304 forfeiture where applicable | |
| Anti-hedging/pledging | Executives are prohibited from hedging/pledging Company stock, subject to rare exceptions; only CEO’s pledged shares disclosed |
Performance & Track Record
| Metric | FY2023 | FY2024 | FY2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| GAAP Net Income ($000) | 40,811 | (86,667) | 26,075 |
| PPNR Per Share ($) | 0.85 | (1.19) | 0.53 |
| Company TSR (Value of $100 Investment) | 96.65 | 89.85 | 100.67 |
- Company highlighted FY2025 corporate incentive metrics: PPNR per share achieved $0.53 vs $0.51 target (104.91% of target) and non-interest expense ratio 1.58% vs 1.55% target (98.11% of target) .
- Executive team listing at the 2025 Annual Meeting included Ms. Beierle, evidencing her role within senior management and strategic forums .
Governance & Ownership Policies (company context)
- Compensation best practices: no excise tax gross-ups in employment/CIC agreements; no single-trigger CIC severance; independent consultant; clawback; anti-hedging/pledging; stock ownership guidelines for NEOs and Directors (3x salary CEO, 2x salary other NEOs; 3x cash retainer for Directors) .
- Compensation peer group (context for pay benchmarking at KRNY): 19 regional banks between ~$4B–$14.5B assets (e.g., OceanFirst, Provident, ConnectOne, Flushing, NBT, Lakeland, Northfield, etc.) .
Risk Indicators & Red Flags
- Hedging/pledging: company policy prohibits; only CEO reported pledged shares; no pledging disclosed for Ms. Beierle .
- Legal/SEC matters: no investigations or proceedings disclosed related to Ms. Beierle in reviewed filings .
- Equity award modifications/repricings: none disclosed; company prohibits repricing/exchanges without stockholder approval .
Investment Implications
- Alignment: Ms. Beierle holds common shares (direct and via ESOP) and RSUs with multi-year vesting; anti-hedging/pledging policy underscores alignment, with no pledging reported for her .
- Retention: 33% annual RSU vesting cadence supports retention; a new RSU grant reported Aug 2025 indicates ongoing equity-based incentives and progressive vesting over 2025–2027 .
- Selling pressure: one reported 1,393-share transaction at $5.86 in Aug 2025 appears limited; monitor future vesting dates (Aug 7 annually) for potential tax-related dispositions or sales .
- Contract economics: no bespoke employment/CIC agreement disclosed for Ms. Beierle; equity plan change-in-control, death/disability vesting provides baseline protection, but absence of guaranteed severance multiples suggests lower immediate CIC cash exposure versus NEOs with defined agreements .
Note: Specific cash compensation and individual incentive metrics for Ms. Beierle are not disclosed in the proxy or 8‑Ks reviewed; conclusions focus on disclosed equity awards, plan governance, insider filings, and company performance context.
Sources
- KRNY 2025 DEF 14A (executive officer bio, governance, incentives, ownership and policies):
- KRNY 8‑K exhibits (Executive Management Incentive Program; CIC agreements for other executives):
- Annual Meeting materials listing executive team:
- SEC EDGAR – Form 3 (Initial statement of beneficial ownership for Cassia J. Beierle, 07/08/2025):
- SEC EDGAR – Form 4 index (08/08/2025):
- Summary of Form 4 details (RSUs and transaction):