John A. Sunny
KRONOS WORLDWIDEAbout John A. Sunny
John A. Sunny is Executive Vice President and Chief Information Officer (CIO) of Kronos Worldwide, Inc. (KRO). He has served as EVP since 2022 and as CIO since 2015; prior roles include Senior Vice President (2020–2022), Vice President (2015–2020), and Vice President, Information Technology (2013–2015). He also holds CIO and executive roles across Contran-affiliated companies (Valhi, NL, CompX, Contran) and has served in information technology positions with these related companies since 2003. Sunny is 62 years old, per the latest proxy executive officer roster .
Company performance context during his CIO tenure (selected metrics):
| Metric | FY 2022 | FY 2023 | FY 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kronos TSR (Base $100 Dec-2019) | 83 | 95 | 98 |
| Peer Group TSR | 168 | 179 | 111 |
| Net Income ($USD Millions) | 104.5 | (49.1) | 86.2 |
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Years | Strategic Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kronos Worldwide | Executive Vice President & CIO | Since 2022 (EVP), since 2015 (CIO) | Enterprise IT leadership for KRO |
| Kronos Worldwide | Senior Vice President | 2020–2022 | Senior IT/operations oversight |
| Kronos Worldwide | Vice President | 2015–2020 | IT leadership and modernization |
| Kronos Worldwide | Vice President, Information Technology | 2013–2015 | Enterprise systems and infrastructure |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Years | Strategic Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Valhi, Inc. | Executive Vice President & CIO | Current | Group-level IT leadership within controlled structure |
| NL Industries, Inc. | Executive Vice President & CIO | Current | IT leadership across affiliate operations |
| CompX International Inc. | Executive Vice President | Current | Technology oversight supporting manufacturing subsidiaries |
| Contran Corporation | Senior Vice President & CIO | Current | Centralized IT strategy across controlled affiliates |
Fixed Compensation
| Component | FY 2022 | FY 2023 | FY 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Salary (ISA charge attributable to Sunny’s services) | $802,000 | $933,000 | $954,000 |
| Bonus | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Notes:
- KRO compensates Contran for executive services under an Intercorporate Services Agreement (ISA); amounts shown represent KRO’s portion of Contran’s employment costs allocated to the company based on expected time devoted to KRO. Charges are not dependent upon KRO’s financial performance .
- Section 162(m) tax disallowance impacts on charges over $1.0 million are absorbed by Contran, not KRO .
Performance Compensation
- No equity-based compensation (stock options/RSUs/PSUs) is granted to executive officers; no plan-based awards were made in 2024 or 2023; no outstanding equity awards at year-end; no option exercises or stock vesting occurred .
- KRO states it did not use specific financial performance measures to link NEO compensation to company performance for 2024; “compensation actually paid” equals Summary Compensation Table values for the period presented .
- While certain “key employees” may receive discretionary bonuses based on management evaluation, Sunny’s bonus was $0 in 2022–2024 per NEO disclosure .
Equity Ownership & Alignment
| Item | Sunny Detail |
|---|---|
| Beneficial ownership (KRO common) | -0- shares |
| Percent of class | * (less than 1%) |
| Vested vs. unvested shares | None held; no restricted shares outstanding |
| Options (exercisable/unexercisable) | None; KRO has never granted stock options to NEOs |
| Shares pledged as collateral | Not disclosed in proxy (no pledging noted for NEOs in cited sections) |
| Management ownership guidelines | None; stock ownership guidelines apply only to non-employee directors |
| Insider trading policy | Adopted; filed as Exhibit 19.1 to KRO’s FY 2024 Form 10-K |
Security ownership context (record date): 115,036,316 shares outstanding; controlled group (Harold C. Simmons Family Trust No. 2, Lisa K. Simmons) beneficially owns 93,346,984 shares (81.1%) through Valhi, NLKW and Contran .
Employment Terms
| Term | Disclosure |
|---|---|
| Employment basis | Services provided via Contran ISA; KRO pays Contran a fee for executive services allocated by expected time devoted to KRO |
| Contract term | ISA is board-approved annually; no individual employment contract terms for Sunny disclosed |
| Severance / Change-of-control | No executive severance/co‑c terms for Sunny disclosed in the proxy sections reviewed [Search scope in 2025/2024 DEF 14A] |
| Clawbacks | Not disclosed for executives in proxy sections reviewed |
| Pension/SERP | No defined benefit plans; no nonqualified deferred compensation owed to NEOs |
| Equity plans | No executive equity grants; only non-employee directors receive annual stock grants under 2012 Director Stock Plan |
Compensation Committee Analysis
- Committee members (2024/2025): R. Gerald Turner (Chair), Cecil H. Moore, Jr., John E. Harper (2025 list); previously included Thomas P. Stafford through March 2024 .
- No compensation consultants engaged by the board, committee, or management .
- Say-on-Pay: 2024 advisory approval 87.3%; KRO made no material changes in response .
Investment Implications
- Alignment: Sunny holds no KRO shares and receives no equity-based awards, reducing direct TSR alignment and eliminating classic insider selling pressure from vesting events; compensation flows through Contran ISA and is not performance-based .
- Retention risk: Cross-affiliate executive roles (Valhi, NL, CompX, Contran) suggest retention levers reside within the controlled corporate group rather than KRO-specific equity incentives; continued tenure since 2015 as CIO indicates institutional knowledge and systems continuity .
- Pay-for-performance: KRO discloses no specific performance metrics or weightings linking NEO pay to results; “compensation actually paid” mirrors ISA charges while TSR and net income vary materially year-to-year, indicating potential misalignment for external minority shareholders seeking performance-linked incentives .
- Governance: Controlled-company structure with Contran (81.1% ownership) shapes oversight and strategic direction; management’s incentives are described as aligned with long-term interests of stockholders within the controlled framework, but external investors should calibrate expectations for equity-linked executive incentives accordingly .