Melvina Wong-Zaza
About Melvina Wong-Zaza
Independent director of Kearny Financial Corp. (KRNY); age 60 as of June 30, 2025; appointed to the Board in June 2023 and nominated in 2025 to a two-year term expiring in 2027 to balance board class distribution. Senior Director, Strategic Global Clients at CMA CGM Group, with 30+ years in sales, strategic marketing/pricing, customer service/documentation, and e-commerce across Asia, Europe, and the U.S.; brings leadership and operational effectiveness expertise to the Board .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kearny Financial Corp. & Kearny Bank | Director | Appointed June 2023; term expiring 2025; nominated for two-year term to 2027 | Member, Compensation Committee; focus on review/approval of director and executive pay; eight meetings FY2025 |
| CMA CGM Group | Senior Director, Strategic Global Clients | Ongoing (30+ years career background) | Develops long-term profitable client relationships; expertise in sales and operational effectiveness |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Type | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| CMA CGM Group | Senior Director, Strategic Global Clients | Private company (global shipping) | Executive leadership for global clients in Asia, Europe, USA; sales/operations expertise |
| Public company directorships | — | — | No directors currently serve on other public company boards (KRNY policy disclosure) |
Board Governance
- Independence: Determined independent under Nasdaq rules .
- Committee assignments: Compensation Committee member; not a chair .
- Attendance: All directors attended >75% of Board and committee meetings in FY2025; Board held 18 meetings; two executive sessions .
- Other boards: No KRNY directors serve on other public company boards (limits interlocks and overboarding risk) .
- Governance highlights: Separate Chair/CEO; stock ownership requirements; anti-hedging/anti-pledging policy; annual self-evaluations .
| Governance Item | FY2025 Detail |
|---|---|
| Board meetings | 18; >75% attendance for all directors; two executive sessions |
| Committee membership | Compensation Committee (Aanensen—Chair; Petermann; Wong-Zaza); eight meetings |
| Independence status | Independent director under Nasdaq standards |
| Other public boards | None for any director |
Fixed Compensation
| Component | FY2025 Amount | Calculation/Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Kearny Bank Board quarterly retainer | $15,700 per quarter → $62,800 annually | Fee schedule |
| Kearny Financial Corp. Board quarterly retainer | $11,000 per quarter → $44,000 annually | Fee schedule |
| Compensation Committee membership fee | $1,000 per quarter → $4,000 annually | Fee schedule |
| Total Director cash compensation (Wong-Zaza) | $110,800 | Director Compensation table (no stock/options) |
Performance Compensation
KRNY does not grant equity-based compensation to non-employee directors; Stock Awards and Option Awards for directors were “—” in FY2025, and none of the directors held restricted stock awards; Ms. Wong‑Zaza did not hold any stock options .
| Director Equity/Performance Element | FY2025 Status |
|---|---|
| Stock awards (RSUs) | None (— in Director Compensation table) |
| Option awards granted | None (— in Director Compensation table) |
| Options held (vested/unvested) | Wong-Zaza: none; several other directors hold legacy vested options |
| Performance metrics tied to director pay | Not applicable (only cash retainers/committee fees) |
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Company | Role | Interlock/Conflict Consideration |
|---|---|---|
| None | — | KRNY discloses no directors on other public company boards; reduces potential interlocks |
Expertise & Qualifications
- 30+ years in senior management and executive roles spanning sales, strategic marketing/pricing, customer service/documentation center management, and e-commerce .
- Focus on developing/expanding markets and long-term profitable client relationships; Board contribution described as leadership and operational effectiveness .
Equity Ownership
| Ownership Detail | Amount |
|---|---|
| Beneficially owned shares | 30,410 |
| Shares outstanding (record date Aug 22, 2025) | 64,744,523 |
| Ownership as % of outstanding | ~0.047% (30,410 ÷ 64,744,523) |
| Stock options (exercisable/unexercisable) | None held |
| Pledged shares | None disclosed for Wong-Zaza; only CEO has pledged 8,748 shares |
| Director stock ownership guideline | 3x annual cash retainer market value; Directors comply with guidelines |
Governance Assessment
- Positive signals: Independent status; no other public board commitments; strong attendance; participation on a key committee (Compensation) that met eight times; adherence to anti-hedging/anti-pledging policy; compliance with director stock ownership guidelines .
- Compensation committee quality: Composed entirely of independent directors; engages Pearl Meyer as independent consultant; formal charter and robust pay-for-performance oversight; “Say-on-Pay” garnered 95.65% approval (organizational investor support indicator) .
- Conflicts/related-party exposure: Company discloses no related-party transactions >$120,000 involving directors/officers since prior fiscal year; insider loans governed by policy with Board approval and market terms .
- RED FLAGS: None disclosed specific to Wong‑Zaza (no related party transactions, no pledging, independent status, acceptable attendance). Note that KRNY’s practice of cash-only director pay limits direct equity alignment for directors; however, ownership guidelines are in place and disclosed as met .