Laila Worrell
Moelis &About Laila Worrell
Laila J. Worrell, 57, is an independent director of Moelis & Company, serving since January 2023. She brings 30+ years of executive leadership across technology, media, and business services, including CEO roles at Aricent/Altran Americas, Material Plus (Blackstone/Tailwind portfolio), and HBR Global; she holds a BA from The University of Texas at Austin and an MBA from Harvard Business School . The Board has determined she is independent under NYSE standards, with no relationships that impair judgment .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aricent (KKR-owned) | COO; later CEO | Began 2017; led sale to Altran for $2.1B | Key leadership in $2.1B sale to Altran forming largest product design/engineering company |
| Altran Americas | CEO | To 2020; led sale to Capgemini for $5.5B | Led division through $5.5B acquisition by Capgemini |
| Boston Consulting Group (PIPE practice) | Partner & Managing Director | Not disclosed | Principal Investing & Private Equity expertise |
| CDPQ | Senior Advisor & Operating Partner | Not disclosed | PE portfolio leadership/advisory roles |
| Accenture | Regional Lead (NY Metro $2B) and North America Growth & Strategy ($13B) | Not disclosed | Senior leadership roles driving growth strategy |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Material Plus (Blackstone & Tailwind Capital-owned) | CEO | Current | Marketing services leadership; PE-backed context |
| HBR Global | CEO | Current | Appointed following HBS Executive Fellow role |
| American Museum of Natural History | Advisory Council Member | Since 2012 | Governance/advisory role |
| Harvard Business School Club of New York | Board Member | Since 2013 | Community/business network governance |
| Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts | Corporate Advisory Board; Women’s Leadership Council | Prior service | Cultural institution advisory leadership |
| Susan G. Komen Greater NYC | Board Chair | 2007–2014 | Non-profit board leadership |
Board Governance
- Independence: The Board determined Worrell is independent; all Board committees are fully independent .
- Committee assignments:
- Compensation Committee: Chair (fully independent since Feb 2015) .
- Audit Committee: Member; designated Audit Committee financial expert under SEC rules .
- Nominating & Corporate Governance Committee: Member (independent since Apr 19, 2021) .
- Attendance and Engagement:
- 2024 meeting cadence: Board (6), Audit (5), Compensation (8), Nominating & Corporate Governance (8) .
- Each director attended at least 75% of Board and committee meetings in 2024 .
- Board leadership and process: Lead Independent Director role defined (Shropshire is Lead Independent Director), with responsibilities spanning agendas, information oversight, evaluations, and crisis management .
- Skills matrix: Worrell brings CEO-level experience, finance/auditing, financial services (non-IB), media/branding/marketing, compensation, IT/cyber oversight, risk management, and additional board experience .
- Shareholder support: At the June 6, 2024 annual meeting, Worrell received 91,065,343 votes For, 15,817,674 Against, 19,406 Abstain; broker non-votes 6,378,591 .
Fixed Compensation
| Component | Amount ($) | Structure/Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Annual director compensation | 200,000 | $100,000 RSUs; $100,000 elective in cash, RSUs, or combination |
| Committee Chair fee (for Comp. Committee) | 20,000 | $5,000 RSUs + $15,000 elective cash/RSUs annually |
| Cash payment cadence | — | Paid quarterly in arrears |
| RSU vesting (annual grants) | — | Annual RSU grants generally vest upon grant; settled after the 2nd anniversary |
| RSU vesting (elective RSUs) | — | Vest 25% quarterly over one year starting July 1; settled within 60 days post-vesting |
| Reimbursement | — | Expense reimbursement for Board/committee meeting attendance |
Director actual compensation (FY 2024):
| Name | Fees Earned or Paid in Cash ($) | Stock Awards ($) | Total ($) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Laila J. Worrell | 57,500 | 171,363 | 228,863 |
Unvested/vested RSUs at 12/31/2024:
| Director | Unvested RSUs | Vested RSUs |
|---|---|---|
| Laila J. Worrell | 809 | 4,454 |
Performance Compensation
Directors do not receive performance-based pay (no options/PSUs or financial/ESG performance metrics tied to director compensation). RSU grants vest on a time basis as detailed; no TSR/revenue/EBITDA metrics apply to director compensation .
| Performance Metric | Applies to Director Pay? | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| TSR percentile | No | Director RSUs are time-vested; no TSR metrics disclosed |
| Revenue/EBITDA growth | No | No performance linkage disclosed for directors |
| ESG goals | No | Not part of director compensation framework |
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Company | Type | Role | Interlock/Relationship |
|---|---|---|---|
| Public company boards | — | — | None disclosed in proxies |
| Non-profit/academic | AMNH Advisory Council; HBS Club of NY; Lincoln Center advisory; Susan G. Komen Greater NYC | Member/Board Chair (prior for Komen) | Disclosed external civic roles; no related-party transactions disclosed involving Worrell |
Expertise & Qualifications
- Executive and strategic leadership; CEO-level experience across technology/media/services .
- Finance/accounting/auditing expertise and Audit Committee financial expert designation .
- Compensation oversight as Chair of Compensation Committee .
- IT/cybersecurity oversight; risk management; additional board experience per skills matrix .
- Education: BA (University of Texas at Austin), MBA (Harvard Business School) .
Equity Ownership
| Category | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Class A common stock beneficially owned | 4,211 shares; <0.1% of Class A | As of April 9, 2025; excludes unvested RSUs/LP units |
| Class B common stock | 0 | — |
| RSUs (12/31/2024) | 809 unvested; 4,454 vested | Director RSU balances disclosed |
| Shares outstanding basis | 74,183,429 Class A; 4,324,418 Class B | Record Date reference for ownership table |
Ownership alignment policy:
- Non-employee directors who have served multiple years own equity representing >2.5x annual retainer (Board highlight; individual compliance not detailed per director) .
Governance Assessment
- Strengths:
- Independence affirmed; triple committee membership (Audit, Compensation, Nominating & Corporate Governance) with Compensation Committee Chair role — strong governance involvement .
- Audit Committee financial expert designation supports financial oversight quality .
- 2024 attendance threshold met, with high committee activity (8 Compensation and 8 Nominating meetings) indicating engagement .
- Strong shareholder support in director election (91.1M votes For) .
- Pay and alignment:
- Balanced cash/equity mix with RSUs that vest/time-settle; chair fee provides accountability for committee leadership .
- Beneficial ownership disclosed; RSU holdings evident; policy encourages meaningful director ownership, though individual compliance status vs guideline not disclosed .
- Potential conflicts/RED FLAGS:
- No related-party transactions involving Worrell disclosed; Audit Committee oversees related party approvals .
- No pledging/hedging or tax gross-ups disclosed for directors; no option repricing evident for directors .
- Dual-class voting and Partner Holdings rights center around CEO control, but Board independence criteria maintained; context for governance environment, not Worrell-specific .
Overall, Worrell’s committee leadership (Compensation Chair), audit financial expertise, and documented independence/attendance support board effectiveness and investor confidence, with no disclosed conflicts or related-party exposure tied to her external roles .