William J. Davis
LAUREATE EDUCATIONAbout William J. Davis
William J. Davis, age 57, is an independent director of Laureate Education, Inc. and has served on the Board since 2024. He is CEO of ABC Fitness Solutions (since 2019), a former CFO across multiple technology and education technology companies, a certified public accountant, and has Audit Committee Financial Expert designation at Laureate, reflecting deep finance, audit, and operating expertise . He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Accounting from the University of Cincinnati and an MBA from Northwestern University (Kellogg) .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| ABC Fitness Solutions, LLC | Chief Executive Officer | 2019–present | CEO of technology/services provider for fitness industry |
| Paycor, Inc. | Chief Financial Officer | 2017–2018 | HCM/payroll provider CFO |
| Blackboard, Inc. | Chief Financial Officer | 2012–2016 | Global enterprise edtech CFO |
| Veradigm, Inc. (formerly Allscripts) | Chief Financial Officer | 2002–2012 | Healthcare IT CFO |
| Lante Corporation | Chief Financial Officer | 1999–2002 | Technology consulting CFO |
| PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP | Member, Technology Group | 1991–1999 | Audit/technology practice experience (CPA) |
| Catamaran Corporation | Board Member; Audit Committee Chair (prior role) | Not disclosed (prior to last 5 years) | Chaired Audit Committee |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| ABC Fitness Solutions | Director | Current | Board service at portfolio company |
| Eptura, Inc. | Director | Current | Board service at workplace software company |
| Health & Fitness Association (HFA) | Director | Current | Industry association governance |
| The Jack & Jill Late Stage Cancer Foundation | Director | Current | Non-profit board |
| University of Cincinnati Foundation | Vice Chairman, Board of Trustees | Current | Advancement/governance leadership |
| Current U.S. public company boards | None | — | None listed |
| Prior U.S. public company boards (past 5 years) | None | — | None listed |
Board Governance
- Independence: The Board determined Mr. Davis is independent under Nasdaq rules (all nominees independent except CEO) .
- Committee assignments: Audit & Risk Committee member; designated “audit committee financial expert” (with George Muñoz) .
- Attendance and engagement: In 2024, the Board held 7 meetings and committees held 30 meetings; all directors attended at least 75% of applicable meetings and attended the 2024 annual meeting .
- Committee activity levels (2024): Audit & Risk (9), Compensation (6), Nominating & Corporate Governance (5), Education (4) meetings .
Fixed Compensation
| Component | Policy/Structure | 2024 Amount for Davis |
|---|---|---|
| Annual Board Retainer | $200,000 (paid $75,000 cash / $125,000 RSUs) | Prorated cash for partial-year service included in $52,912 cash total |
| Committee Retainers | Audit & Risk: Member $15,000; Chair $25,000. Compensation: Member $10,000; Chair $15,000. N&CG: Member $7,500; Chair $15,000. Education: Member $10,000; Chair $15,000. Paid in cash | Included in cash total (member, prorated) |
| Independent Chairman Retainer | $125,000 ($75,000 cash / $50,000 RSUs), in addition to Board retainer | N/A to Davis (not Chair) |
| 2024 Director Compensation (Davis) | Value ($) |
|---|---|
| Fees Earned or Paid in Cash | 52,912 |
| Stock Awards (RSUs) | 73,770 |
| Total | 126,682 |
Notes: Mr. Davis was elected at the May 30, 2024 annual meeting; his 2024 compensation reflects amounts from May 30–Dec 31, 2024 .
Performance Compensation
| Element | Structure | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Director equity | Time-based RSUs | Prorated grant of 4,696 RSUs on May 30, 2024; RSUs vested ratably in three installments at the end of Q2, Q3, and Q4 2024, subject to continued Board service on vesting dates |
| Performance metrics tied to director pay | Not applicable | Non-employee director equity is time-based; no performance metrics disclosed for director awards |
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Current U.S. public company boards | None |
| Private/association/non-profit boards | ABC Fitness Solutions; Eptura, Inc.; Health & Fitness Association; The Jack & Jill Late Stage Cancer Foundation; University of Cincinnati Foundation (Vice Chair) |
| Potential interlocks/conflicts | None disclosed with Laureate competitors/suppliers/customers |
| Related-party transactions | No transactions involving Mr. Davis disclosed; the 2024–2025 related-party items involve Wengen/Snow Phipps share repurchases and a Wengen tax payment—reviewed/approved by Audit & Risk Committee |
Expertise & Qualifications
- Financial and audit expertise (CPA; Audit Committee Financial Expert designation) .
- Senior operating and finance leadership across technology, edtech, HCM, and health IT sectors (CEO and multi-company CFO) .
- Education: B.S. Accounting (University of Cincinnati); MBA (Northwestern University) .
Equity Ownership
| Holder | Shares Beneficially Owned | % of Shares Outstanding | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| William J. Davis | 4,696 | ~0.003% (4,696 ÷ 149,152,936) | Based on March 25, 2025 record; less than 1% |
| Shares outstanding (for % calc) | 149,152,936 | — | As of March 25, 2025 |
Stock ownership guidelines: Non-employee independent directors are expected to own ≥5x the cash portion of the annual board retainer (5 × $75,000 = $375,000). Until compliant, directors are expected to retain 75% of net profit shares from awards . Hedging/pledging: The company prohibits employees, executive officers, and directors from hedging or pledging Laureate securities .
Governance Assessment
- Strengths: Independent director with deep audit/finance expertise; designated Audit Committee Financial Expert; active Audit & Risk Committee member; full Board met 7x and all directors ≥75% attendance in 2024, supporting board effectiveness and oversight .
- Alignment: Director compensation structure is conventional (cash + time-based RSUs) and subject to stock ownership guidelines; anti-hedging/pledging policy enhances alignment with shareholder interests .
- Potential watch items: As a recent appointee, current ownership is small by count; progress toward meeting director ownership guideline bears monitoring, though no fixed timeline is prescribed (retention of 75% net profit shares until compliance) .
- Conflicts/related-party: No related-party transactions involving Mr. Davis disclosed; the company operates a formal related-person transaction review process via the Audit & Risk Committee, which also oversees related-party approvals .
RED FLAGS: None identified specific to Mr. Davis (no pledging/hedging allowed; no related-party exposure disclosed; strong independence and audit credentials) .