Jimena Almendares
About Jimena Almendares
Independent director of Life Time Group Holdings, Inc. (LTH); age 44; director since 2021 (Class III term expiring at the 2027 annual meeting). Background includes senior digital leadership roles at Decathlon (Global Chief Digital Officer, joined August 2023), Meta (Product Executive, 2020–March 2023), Intuit (VP Global Expansion; prior CEO of Intuit Payments; 2017–2020), and OKCupid (Chief Product Officer, 2014–2016). The Board classifies her as independent under NYSE rules.
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Decathlon | Global Chief Digital Officer | Joined Aug-2023–present | Leads global digital initiatives for a premier sports retailer. |
| Meta Platforms (Facebook) | Product Executive | 2020–Mar-2023 | Product leadership at large-scale consumer tech platform. |
| Intuit | VP Global Expansion; CEO, Intuit Payments; VP, Payments Segment Leader | 2017–2020 (various) | Led payments and international expansion initiatives. |
| OKCupid (Match Group) | Chief Product Officer | 2014–2016 | Led product through IPO as part of Match Group. |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Public Company Board? | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Decathlon | Global Chief Digital Officer | No (employment) | No other public company directorships listed for Ms. Almendares in the proxy. |
Board Governance
- Board structure and tenure: Class III director; term through 2027 annual meeting; Board met 6 times in 2024, and each director attended ≥75% of Board and committee meetings held during their service period.
- Independence: Affirmatively determined independent by the Board; ownership alone does not compromise independence under NYSE rules.
- Committee assignments: As of 2024, no committee roles listed; the Board disclosed it anticipates appointing Ms. Almendares to the Audit Committee promptly following the April 25, 2025 Annual Meeting (replacing Andres Small).
- Attendance at stockholder meetings: Ten of twelve directors attended the 2024 annual meeting; directors are encouraged (but not required) to attend.
- Controlled company status: LTH is a “controlled company” under NYSE rules due to >50% voting power held by principal stockholders; the company utilizes certain exceptions (e.g., Nominating & Corporate Governance and Compensation Committees not entirely independent).
- Policy safeguards: Company prohibits director/officer hedging and pledging of company stock; blackout trading windows and preclearance apply.
Fixed Compensation
- Director fee framework (effective 2024): Annual cash retainer $75,000; Committee member retainers—Audit $15,000; Compensation $10,000; Nominating & Corporate Governance (NCG) $10,000; Committee Chair retainers—Audit $40,000; Compensation $35,000; NCG $25,000; Lead Independent Director retainer $55,000.
- Ms. Almendares’ 2024 cash fees: $75,000.
| 2024 Director Cash Fees | Amount (USD) |
|---|---|
| Board retainer (Almendares) | $75,000 |
| Potential (policy) Audit member retainer | $15,000 (if assigned) |
| Meeting fees | Not disclosed (none listed) |
Performance Compensation
- Annual equity program for eligible non-employee directors: RSUs with grant-date value ~ $155,000, vesting in full the day before the next annual meeting or the first anniversary of grant; accelerates upon change in control.
- Ms. Almendares 2024 equity grant: 10,954 RSUs granted April 26, 2024; grant-date fair value $154,999 based on $14.15 close; unvested at 12/31/2024, scheduled to vest April 24, 2025.
| 2024 Director Equity | Grant date | Units | Fair value | Vesting schedule |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| RSUs (Almendares) | Apr 26, 2024 | 10,954 | $154,999 | Vests in full day before 2025 annual meeting / 1-year; CIC acceleration. |
Note: Director equity awards are time-based (no performance metrics).
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Director | Current Other Public Boards | Committee Interlocks at LTH |
|---|---|---|
| Jimena Almendares | None disclosed in the proxy | Compensation Committee disclosed no interlocks/insider participation; a non-employee subcommittee exists for Section 16(b) purposes. |
Expertise & Qualifications
- Digital/technology leadership: Nearly two decades leading cross-functional teams at public companies and growth startups with significant experience in emerging and digital technologies.
- Sector relevance: Consumer internet, payments, product-led growth—highly relevant to LTH’s digital initiatives (LT digital, MIORA).
Equity Ownership
| Holder | Total Beneficial Ownership | Ownership % | Components / Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jimena Almendares | 65,589 shares | <1% | Includes 54,635 shares held and 10,954 RSUs vesting 4/24/2025. Anti-hedging/pledging policy applies to directors. |
Governance Assessment
- Strengths: Independent status; expected appointment to Audit Committee enhances financial oversight and board effectiveness; company-wide prohibition on director hedging/pledging supports alignment; board/committee attendance thresholds met; Say-on-Pay support was strong in 2025 (For: 189,949,911; Against: 4,258,335).
- Neutral/Context: LTH is a “controlled company,” and its Compensation and Nominating & Corporate Governance Committees are not fully independent, which can constrain minority shareholder influence though a Lead Independent Director structure exists.
- Conflicts/Related-party exposure: Proxy notes purchases from LGP/TPG portfolio companies were <2% of those companies’ revenues and did not affect independence determinations; no related-person transactions disclosed for Ms. Almendares.
- Pay alignment signals (Board-level): Director pay is in line with mid-cap norms—balanced cash retainer and time-based equity; no performance-conditioned director equity, which is typical and avoids short-term risk-taking incentives.