Daniel Avitabile
About Daniel Avitabile
Daniel M. Avitabile, 51, is Assistant Vice President and President & Chief Risk Officer of MBIA Insurance Corporation; he has been an executive officer since September 2017 and has worked at MBIA since 2000 across portfolio management, remediation, corporate strategy, and structured finance, after prior roles at The Chase Manhattan Bank and State Street Bank . Company performance drivers relevant to his pay include total shareholder return (TSR) and Adjusted Book Value (ABV); MBIA’s 2024 annual incentive scorecard paid at 79% of target, ABV per share declined to $13.79 vs a $16.54 target, and GAAP net income was a loss of $447 million, underpinning below-target outcomes and forfeiture of certain performance shares .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Years | Strategic Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| MBIA Insurance Corporation | President & Chief Risk Officer | Appointed Feb 13, 2018; executive officer since Sep 2017 | Leads remediation of distressed insured exposures and runoff portfolio management at MBIA Insurance |
| MBIA Inc. | Managed Special Situations Group; prior roles across insured portfolio management, remediation, corporate strategy, structured finance new business | At MBIA since 2000; CRO since Mar 11, 2016 | Oversaw commutations and recoveries; supports value creation via runoff and remediation |
| The Chase Manhattan Bank | Various roles | Not disclosed | Pre-MBIA financial services experience |
| State Street Bank | Various roles | Not disclosed | Pre-MBIA financial services experience |
External Roles
No public company directorships or external board roles disclosed; prior industry roles at The Chase Manhattan Bank and State Street Bank (titles and years not specified) .
Fixed Compensation
| Metric ($) | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Base Salary | $325,000 | $325,000 | $366,667 |
| All Other Compensation | $124,575 | $4,318,018 | $106,308 |
| – Pension/401(k) company contributions (included in All Other) | — | — | $50,250 |
| – Non‑qualified plan company contributions (included in All Other) | — | — | $56,058 |
Notes:
- No perquisites paid to NEOs in 2024; “All other” comprised retirement plan contributions and no severance for Avitabile .
Performance Compensation
Annual Cash Incentive
| Metric | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Non‑equity incentive (paid) | $357,000 | $395,500 | $316,000 |
| 2024 Target % of Salary | — | — | 107% |
| 2024 Target ($) | — | — | $400,000 |
| 2024 Actual as % of Target | — | — | 79% |
2024 Annual Incentive Scorecard (company-wide framework that drives NEO outcomes):
| Area | Weight | Outcome vs Target |
|---|---|---|
| National (portfolio management & remediation) | 31% | 75% of target |
| MBIA Insurance Corporation (portfolio management & remediation) | 15% | 77% of target |
| Corporate Segment (liquidity) | 8% | 138% of target |
| Enterprise Objectives (ABV, expenses, people) | 46% | 74% of target |
| Overall Formulaic Outcome | — | 79% of target |
ABV and expense drivers:
- ABV per share fell to $13.79 from $17.66 and below the $16.54 target; consolidated operating expenses modestly exceeded plan .
Equity Awards
Grants of plan‑based awards in 2024:
| Grant Date | Type | Shares (#) | Grant Date Fair Value ($) | Vesting |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 20, 2024 | Time‑based (dividend-equivalent shares tied to 2021 performance grant) | 7,713 | $52,216 | Follows March 4, 2021 performance grant schedule: first third vested Mar 2024; remaining vest on 4th and 5th anniversaries of Mar 4, 2021, subject to service |
| Mar 4, 2024 | Time‑based restricted shares | 75,348 | $487,500 | Equal installments on 3rd/4th/5th anniversaries of grant, subject to service |
Outstanding equity awards (unvested as of Dec 31, 2024):
| Footnote | Award | Unvested Shares (#) | Market Value ($) |
|---|---|---|---|
| (3) | Time‑based RS (granted Nov 8, 2018; cliff vests Mar 3, 2025) | 333,333 | $2,153,331 |
| (4) | Time‑based RS (granted Mar 3, 2020; vests at 5 years) | 6,830 | $44,122 |
| (5) | Performance‑based RS (target, 2023 grant; interim TSR basis) | 16,702 | $107,895 |
| (6) | Time‑based RS (Mar 3, 2022; 3/4/5 year vesting) | 14,425 | $93,186 |
| (7) | Performance‑based RS (Mar 3, 2023; 0–200% TSR schedule) | 28,524 | $184,265 |
| (8) | Time‑based RS (Mar 3, 2022; 3/4/5 year vesting) | 12,200 | $78,812 |
| (9) | Time‑based RS (Mar 3, 2023; 3/4/5 year vesting) | 13,042 | $84,251 |
| (10) | Performance‑based RS (Mar 3, 2022; forfeited due to threshold miss) | 20,789 | $0 |
| (11) | Dividend‑equivalent RS (Feb 20, 2024) | 5,142 | $33,217 |
| (12) | Time‑based RS (Mar 4, 2024; 3/4/5 year vesting) | 75,348 | $486,748 |
Performance share outcomes:
- 2021/2022 cycles: 2022 performance-based restricted shares were forfeited in full as absolute TSR threshold was not met; 2021 performance shares (issued in early 2022) likewise failed threshold and were forfeited; prior cycles earned below target in most years (0%, 176%, 92%, 118%, 0% for 2018–2022 grants) .
Stock vested in 2024 (realized):
| Shares Vested (#) | Value Realized ($) |
|---|---|
| 66,724 | $439,458 |
Equity Ownership & Alignment
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Beneficially owned common shares | 580,085 |
| % of shares outstanding | 1.15% (out of 50,370,625 shares) |
| Stock options exercisable | 0 |
| Unvested time/performance shares (see above) | As listed in Outstanding awards table |
| Non‑qualified deferred compensation balance (12/31/24) | $1,429,496; 2024 executive contributions $15,108; company contributions $56,058; earnings $129,626 |
| Stock ownership guidelines | 3× base salary for NEOs (CEO 7×); majority of NEOs exceeded as of Mar 12, 2025 (individual compliance not enumerated) |
| Hedging/pledging | Prohibited without Legal approval; no approvals in over 10 years; short sales and derivatives prohibited |
| Post‑retirement holding | Upon retirement, permitted to sell one‑third immediately, one‑third after one year, final third after two years |
Alignment signals:
- Heavy equity mix with multi‑year vesting and explicit ownership/holding rules; pledging/hedging prohibition lowers misalignment risk .
Employment Terms
| Provision | Details |
|---|---|
| Employment contracts | MBIA does not offer employment contracts; relies on pay‑for‑performance and retention tools |
| Clawback policy | Updated July 2023 to comply with listing standards; applies to current/former executive officers; supplemental policy for Managing Directors; no clawback actions in 2024 |
| Change‑of‑control | Double‑trigger policy; retention awards vest on death/disability or termination without cause by successor in CoC; dividends on equity paid only when awards vest (plan updated) |
| Severance economics | No cash severance; potential payments are equity acceleration only (time‑based and performance‑based RS) |
| Potential payments (as of 12/31/24) | Time‑based RS: $2,940,450; Performance‑based RS: $325,371; Total: $3,265,821 for termination following change‑in‑control, involuntary termination, or death/disability; $0 on voluntary termination |
| Retention awards (Feb 2025) | One‑time cash award of $1,950,000; cliff vests Mar 1, 2028; vests on qualifying termination (death/disability or no‑cause termination by successor in CoC) |
Compensation Structure Analysis
- Year‑over‑year mix: 2024 total comp of $1.33M (stock awards $540k; bonus $316k) vs 2023 total $5.53M with unusually high “all other compensation” ($4.32M) and stock awards $487.5k; cash salary modestly increased to $366.7k in 2024 .
- Shift in LTI: Since 1Q24, long‑term incentives granted entirely as time‑based shares vesting on years 3/4/5; performance‑based awards in 2022 cycle were forfeited at 0% payout, consistent with pay‑for‑performance .
- Bonus discipline: 2024 annual incentive capped at 2× target; formulaic outcome 79% reflective of ABV underperformance and losses at National/PREPA .
- Governance enhancements: Dividends on equity released only when underlying awards vest; clawback policy updated; explicit prohibition on hedging/pledging .
Performance Compensation (Detailed Metrics Table)
| Metric | Weighting | Target | Actual/Outcome | Payout Impact | Vesting/Timing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Annual incentive – National (portfolio remediation) | 31% | Goal‑based | 75% of target | Contributes to 79% overall bonus factor | Paid Feb 28, 2025 for 2024 year |
| Annual incentive – MBIA Insurance (portfolio remediation) | 15% | Goal‑based | 77% of target | As above | As above |
| Corporate – Liquidity | 8% | Goal‑based | 138% of target | Raises composite payout | As above |
| Enterprise – ABV per share | 15% within Enterprise | $16.54 | $13.79 | Below target | As above |
| Enterprise – Consolidated Operating Expenses | 8% within Enterprise | Plan | Modestly exceeded Plan | Below target | As above |
| Enterprise – People Management | 23% within Enterprise | Goal‑based | Above target | Raises composite payout | As above |
| Overall annual incentive | — | — | 79% of target | Paid per individual target % | Paid Feb 28, 2025; Avitabile target 107%, target $400,000, paid $316,000 |
| LTI – Time‑based RS (Mar 4, 2024) | — | — | 75,348 shares; $487,500 | N/A (time‑based) | Vests years 3/4/5 |
| LTI – Dividend‑equiv RS (Feb 20, 2024) | — | — | 7,713 shares; $52,216 | N/A (time‑based) | Follows 2021 perf grant schedule (3/4/5 installments) |
| LTI – Perf RS (Mar 3, 2022) | — | Absolute TSR threshold | Threshold not met | 0% payout (forfeited) | N/A |
| LTI – Perf RS (Mar 3, 2023) | — | 0–200% TSR over 12/31/22–12/31/25 | Interim TSR −3.1% through 12/31/24; payout currently 0% (subject to final year) | TBD at end of cycle | Earned shares vest years 3/4/5 if any |
Equity Ownership & Alignment (Expanded)
| Component | Detail |
|---|---|
| Upcoming vesting catalyst | 333,333 time‑based RS cliff vest on March 3, 2025, creating potential near‑term supply if shares are sold (subject to ownership/holding policies) |
| 2024 realized equity | 66,724 shares vested, $439,458 realized |
| Ownership limits | After achieving ownership guideline, permitted to sell up to 25% of excess holdings in any 12‑month period while employed; staged sales post‑retirement (one‑third tranches over two years) |
Investment Implications
- Retention and continuity: A $1.95M cash retention award vesting in 2028, combined with no cash severance, strongly ties Avitabile’s economics to remaining through key runoff and remediation milestones; change‑of‑control vesting is double‑trigger and limited to equity acceleration .
- Pay‑for‑performance discipline: Forfeitures on performance shares (0% for 2022 cycle; interim 0% for 2023 cycle) and 79% annual incentive outcome align with ABV underperformance and losses at National; reduces overpayment risk but highlights execution challenges (PREPA, Zohar recoveries) .
- Trading signals: March 3, 2025 cliff vest of 333,333 shares may create short‑term selling pressure; mitigants include ownership guidelines, holding requirements, and anti‑pledging/hedging policies .
- Alignment: 1.15% ownership and heavy use of time‑based equity with multi‑year vesting support alignment; absence of employment contract and cash severance curbs windfall risk in adverse scenarios .