Roberta Jacobson
Liberty Latin AmericaAbout Roberta S. Jacobson
Ambassador Roberta S. Jacobson (age 64) has served as an independent director of Liberty Latin America Ltd. since May 2022. She is a former U.S. Ambassador to Mexico and Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs, with 30+ years’ diplomatic experience focused on Latin America; she holds a B.A. from Brown University and an M.A. from the Fletcher School at Tufts University . She co-founded Dinámica Americas in September 2023 and previously served as Special Assistant to President Biden and NSC Coordinator for the U.S. southwest border during the Administration’s first 100 days .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| U.S. Department of State | Assistant Secretary (and Acting) for Western Hemisphere Affairs | Jul 2011 – Nov 2015 | Led U.S. diplomacy across Latin America |
| U.S. Department of State | U.S. Ambassador to Mexico | Nov 2015 – May 2018 | Managed bilateral relations on trade, security, immigration, environment, human rights |
| The White House/NSC | Special Assistant to the President; NSC Coordinator for Southwest Border | ~First 100 days of Biden Administration | Coordinated border policy at NSC level |
| Presidential Transition | Agency Review Team Member (State Department) | Nov 2020 – Jan 2021 | Supported transition planning for State Department |
| Dentons Global Advisors/Albright Stonebridge Group | Senior Advisor | Feb 2019 – Aug 2023 | Business strategy advisory; Latin America focus |
| Dinámica Americas | Co-founder | Since Sep 2023 | Advises clients on Americas strategy |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Public/Private | Start | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SoundThinking, Inc. (formerly ShotSpotter) | Director | Public | Jul 2021 – Present | Only public company directorship disclosed |
| Dinámica Americas | Co-founder | Private | Sep 2023 – Present | Advisory firm |
| Dentons Global Advisors/Albright Stonebridge Group | Senior Advisor | Private | Feb 2019 – Aug 2023 | Prior advisory role |
Board Governance
- Independence: Identified as an independent director by LILA’s Board .
- Committee assignments: Member, Nominating & Corporate Governance Committee (Chair: Daniel E. Sanchez) .
- Attendance: In 2024, each director attended at least 75% of Board/committee meetings; 9 of 10 directors attended the 2024 AGM .
- Executive sessions: Independent directors met in two executive sessions in 2024 .
- Board diversity policy: Nominating & Corporate Governance considers diversity; Board states ~half of directors are diverse by race, ethnicity and/or gender .
Fixed Compensation
- Structure (2024):
- Annual cash retainer for non-employee directors: $100,000 .
- Committee fees: Audit/Compensation Chairs $20,000; members $10,000; no fees for Nominating & Corporate Governance committee (her committee) .
- Equity: Annual RSU grant (LILA+LILAK at 1:2 ratio) with combined grant date fair value $150,000; vests in full the following March 15 .
- 2024 Actual for Jacobson:
| Component | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Cash fees | $100,000 | Annual retainer |
| LILA RSU grant (grant-date fair value) | $48,504 | Part of annual $150k director equity |
| LILAK RSU grant (grant-date fair value) | $97,953 | Part of annual $150k director equity |
| Total | $246,457 | Sum of cash + equity |
Directors may elect to receive quarterly fee installments in shares instead of cash; no such election is indicated for Jacobson in 2024 .
Performance Compensation
- Directors do not receive performance-based pay; equity awards are time-vested RSUs (no performance metrics) .
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Company | Sector | Role | Potential Conflict with LILA |
|---|---|---|---|
| SoundThinking, Inc. | Public safety technology | Director | No LILA supplier/customer/competitor interlock disclosed |
No related-party transactions involving Jacobson are disclosed in LILA’s proxy; the only related-party item noted involved a consultant related to a former executive, unrelated to Jacobson .
Expertise & Qualifications
- Latin America public policy, diplomacy, and government relations; deep experience in trade, investment, security, immigration, environment, and human rights across the region .
- Education: B.A. (Brown); M.A. (Tufts Fletcher School) .
- Governance: Service on Nominating & Corporate Governance Committee; strengthens oversight of board independence and governance processes .
Equity Ownership
| Metric | LILA (Class A) | LILAK (Class C) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Beneficial ownership (as of Feb 28, 2025) | 18,502 shares | 37,004 shares | Includes RSUs scheduled to settle within 60 days |
| Outstanding RSUs (12/31/2024) | 7,874 units | 15,748 units | Director RSUs outstanding at year-end |
| Shares pledged | None disclosed | None disclosed | No pledge footnote for Jacobson; (pledge noted only for another director) |
Note: Director stock ownership guidelines are not disclosed; executive ownership guidelines are separate and apply to officers, not directors .
Governance Assessment
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Strengths:
- Independent director with deep Latin America expertise aligned to LILA’s operating footprint .
- Member of Nominating & Corporate Governance, positioning her to influence board composition, independence, and governance standards .
- Solid attendance (Board-wide minimum ≥75%) and regular independent executive sessions support board effectiveness .
- Director pay is primarily fixed cash plus time-vested RSUs, avoiding aggressive risk incentives at the board level .
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Watch items and potential red flags:
- Hedging policy: Company prohibits short sales and requires pre-clearance, but does not specifically prohibit hedging by directors/officers—an alignment gap vs. best practices .
- Aircraft policy allows non-employee directors to use company aircraft for personal flights without charge (subject to availability), which can raise optics/expense scrutiny, though individual usage by Jacobson is not disclosed .
- No disclosure of director share ownership guidelines; while annual RSUs promote alignment, lack of explicit guidelines can be viewed as a governance gap relative to peers .
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Shareholder sentiment:
- Say-on-pay approval at 2024 AGM was ~93%, suggesting constructive investor views on compensation governance broadly (management program; board oversight) .
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Related-party/independence:
- No related-party transactions or proceedings disclosed involving Jacobson; independence affirmed; committee oversight of independence in place .