Stephanie Cox
ALLIANT ENERGYAbout Stephanie L. Cox
Stephanie L. Cox, age 56, has served as an independent director of Alliant Energy Corporation (LNT) and its utility subsidiaries since 2023; her current term expires in 2027. She brings 30+ years of energy-sector operating leadership across strategic planning, P&L, HR, manufacturing, supply chain, and global operations, including senior roles at Wood Group and Schlumberger. She also founded Blue Sky Ambition in 2024 and serves on the board of Technip Energies N.V.
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| John Wood Group PLC | Executive President of Operations | Oct 2020 – Jul 2022 | Led global operations; energy/materials consulting and engineering |
| Wood Group (Americas) | CEO, Asset Solutions | Oct 2019 – Oct 2020 | Regional leadership across asset services |
| Schlumberger Limited (SLB) | President, North America Land Drilling; VP HR; President North America; President Asia; leadership in IT/HR/Manufacturing/Supply Chain | Various (28-year career spanning 2009–2019 roles referenced) | Large-scale operations, HR strategy, international business management |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Technip Energies N.V. (Euronext Paris) | Director | Since 2023 | Committee assignments not disclosed in LNT proxy |
| Blue Sky Ambition | Founder (executive coaching/leadership training) | Founded 2024 | Private enterprise; no LNT related-party transactions disclosed |
Board Governance
- Independence: Board affirmed Cox has no material relationship that would impair independent judgment; Audit/Compensation/Nominating committees comprised only of independent directors .
- Committee assignments (2025): Compensation and Personnel; Operations. Not a committee chair .
- Meeting cadence: Board met seven times in 2024; each director attended ≥75% of aggregate Board/committee meetings during their tenure. Operations Committee held eight meetings; Compensation and Personnel held five meetings in 2024 .
- Lead Independent Director: Carol P. Sanders served as Lead Independent Director; the Board moved to an independent Chair post-2025 Annual Meeting .
Fixed Compensation
| Year/Component | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Annual cash retainer (2024) | $280,000 | Non-employee directors; quarterly in advance |
| Annual cash retainer (2025) | $290,000 | Increased for 2025 service |
| Committee chair fees (2024) | Audit $25,000; Comp $20,000; N&G $17,500; Ops $17,500 | Cox not a chair |
| Committee chair fees (2025) | Audit $25,000; Comp $20,000; N&G $20,000; Ops $20,000 | Cox not a chair |
| Audit committee member fee | $5,000 | Cox is not an Audit member |
| Meeting fees | None | No additional pay for attendance |
| 2024 Fees Earned (Cox) | $280,000 | Reported director compensation |
| 2024 All Other Compensation (Cox) | $833 | Matching gifts/nominal items; no perquisites beyond program rules |
| 2024 Total (Cox) | $280,833 | Sum of reported items |
Performance Compensation
| Element | Status | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Performance-based director equity | Not disclosed/none | Directors encouraged to receive fees in stock or defer into stock accounts; no director PSUs/RSUs reported as annual director grants |
| Stock options | None | Company states it does not issue stock options and has none outstanding |
| Equity receipt mechanics | Available | Directors may elect to receive retainer/fees in common stock under the Omnibus Plan; encouraged to use 55% of cash retainer to purchase shares |
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Entity | Sector Relationship to LNT | Potential Interlock/Conflict |
|---|---|---|
| Technip Energies N.V. | Energy engineering/services vendor category, not a regulated utility peer | No related-person transactions reported; Board policy requires pre-notice for new public boards to evaluate conflicts/time commitments |
| Blue Sky Ambition | Private coaching firm | No related-person transactions reported |
Expertise & Qualifications
- Strategic leadership, financial literacy, operations, customer perspective, human capital management, risk management, technology systems, environmental and safety .
- Deep energy industry operating experience across U.S. and Asia; large-scale P&L and supply chain leadership .
Equity Ownership
| Holder | Shares Beneficially Owned | Unvested RSUs | Total | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stephanie L. Cox | 12,688 | — | 12,688 | Includes shares held via deferred compensation; none pledged |
| Total LNT shares outstanding (Mar 10, 2025) | 256,866,523 | — | — | Reference for ownership % |
- Ownership as % of outstanding: ~0.0049% (12,688 / 256,866,523) .
- Share ownership guidelines: Non-employee directors target ownership equal to 2x annual retainer ($560,000 for 2024); five-year compliance window. Directors who joined in last five years are on track; hedging/pledging prohibited .
Governance Assessment
- Strengths:
- Independent status and placement on Compensation and Operations committees central to pay oversight and operational risk review .
- Strong shareholder support for director elections (2024: Cox received 194,190,395 For vs 4,511,369 Against) and Say-on-Pay approval >95% (2024), reaffirmed in 2025 (193,099,366 For) indicating investor confidence in governance/pay frameworks .
- Ownership alignment via stock receipt/deferred stock and robust ownership guidelines; explicit prohibition on hedging/pledging; no pledges disclosed .
- No related-person transactions since the beginning of 2024; committee oversight policies in place .
- Watch items:
- None disclosed specific to Cox; monitor external board (Technip Energies) for any future supplier/customer relationships with LNT utilities that could trigger related-person review under policy .
- RED FLAGS:
- None identified in filings for Cox (no attendance shortfalls; no related-party transactions; no pledging/hedging; no committee interlocks) .
Director Compensation Details (Cox)
| Component (2024) | Detail |
|---|---|
| Fees Earned/Paid in Cash | $280,000 |
| Deferred into Company Stock Account | $280,000; 5,320 shares credited |
| Change in Pension Value / NQDC Earnings | $0 reported for director line; above-market interest applies only to NQDC where applicable (not shown for Cox in director table) |
| All Other Compensation | $833 (matching gifts/nominal incremental items) |
Committee Work and Compensation Oversight
- Compensation and Personnel Committee membership (independent-only): Cox participated in five meetings in 2024; the committee oversees CEO/NEO pay, ownership guidelines, consultant independence (Pay Governance), and risk assessments of compensation design .
- Operations Committee membership (independent-only): Eight meetings in 2024; oversight spans safety, environmental compliance, customer satisfaction, capital budgets, reliability/resiliency, and operational risk .
Shareholder Voting and Engagement Signals
| Item | 2025 Vote Outcome |
|---|---|
| Say-on-Pay | 193,099,366 For; 7,164,262 Against; 1,078,767 Abstain; broker non-votes 25,154,313 |
| Director Elections (2025 slate; Cox was not up) | All nominees elected; indicates continued support for Board’s governance processes |
| Item | 2024 Vote Outcome |
|---|---|
| Director Election – Stephanie L. Cox | 194,190,395 For; 4,511,369 Against; 416,192 Abstain; broker non-votes 25,109,598 |
| Say-on-Pay (advisory) | 189,645,167 For; 8,498,044 Against; 974,745 Abstain; broker non-votes 25,109,598 |
| Company disclosure on Say-on-Pay | More than 95% approval in 2024; continuing review of program design |
Related-Party Transactions & Conflicts Policy
- Written policy defines and reviews related-person transactions; Nominating & Governance Committee approval required; no related-person transactions since the beginning of 2024; independence standards applied per Nasdaq .
Compensation Structure Analysis (Board—non-employee directors)
- Year-over-year cash retainer increase from $270,000 (2023; as set at Cox’s appointment) to $280,000 (2024) and $290,000 (2025), consistent with market benchmarking by independent consultant; meeting fees eliminated; equity receipt via stock election/deferred stock supports ownership alignment .
- No stock options; directors may elect stock receipt of fees; emphasis on ownership guidelines rather than performance-conditioned director equity awards—appropriate for regulated utility governance .
Equity Ownership & Alignment Policies
- Director ownership guideline: 2x annual retainer; five-year compliance window; directors joining within five years are on track; dividend equivalents and deferrals support accumulation; hedging and pledging strictly prohibited for all insiders .
Governance Conclusion
Cox’s governance profile aligns with investor confidence: independent status; active roles on Compensation and Operations committees tied to pay oversight and operational risk; strong election results; and clear ownership alignment via stock deferrals and guidelines. No related-party transactions or alignment red flags are disclosed; continued monitoring of external board service (Technip Energies) is prudent under LNT’s conflict-review policy .