Stacie Schulz
About Stacie Schulz
Stacie Schulz, 46, was appointed Chief Accounting Officer (CAO) of Methode Electronics (MEI) effective September 11, 2025, reporting to CFO Laura Kowalchik . She previously served as VP & CAO at Superior Industries (2024–2025), held senior accounting leadership roles at Tenneco and Federal‑Mogul, and began her career at Deloitte; she holds BA and MS degrees in Accounting from Michigan State University and is a CPA . Her appointment coincides with a turnaround period at MEI; fiscal 2025 saw company TSR decline (value of $100 investment to $27), net loss of $62.6 million, and EBITDA of $30.4 million, with management refocusing on execution and program launches .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Years | Strategic Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Methode Electronics (MEI) | Chief Accounting Officer (reports to CFO) | Sep 2025–present | Oversees accounting and financial reporting; supports internal control and SEC reporting cadence |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Years | Strategic Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Superior Industries International | Vice President & Chief Accounting Officer | May 2024–Aug 2025 | Led corporate accounting and reporting at NYSE‑listed auto supplier |
| Tenneco, Inc. | Executive Director & Assistant Controller, Accounting & Reporting | Mar 2020–May 2024 | Directed global consolidation and external reporting at diversified auto supplier |
| Tenneco, Inc. | Executive Director, Accounting & Reporting | May 2019–Mar 2020 | Advanced reporting processes during post‑merger integration phases |
| Federal‑Mogul LLC | Director, Accounting & Reporting | 2015–2019 | Led divisional accounting and SEC‑adjacent reporting for auto components supplier |
| Deloitte & Touche LLP | Audit Senior Manager | 2002–2015 | Managed audits of large industrials; foundation in GAAP/ICFR |
Fixed Compensation
| Component | Terms |
|---|---|
| Base Salary | $350,000 annually |
| Target Annual Bonus | 50% of base salary |
| Annual LTI Value | $150,000 under MEI’s 2026 LTI Program; 50% time‑based RSUs, 50% performance‑based RSUs (PSUs) |
Performance Compensation
| Incentive | Metric | Weighting | Target | Actual/Payout | Vesting/Measurement |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Annual Bonus | Not disclosed for CAO | — | 50% of salary target | Not disclosed | Annual, metrics not specified in appointment 8‑K |
| PSUs (company grants in FY2025) | ROIC | 60% | Company‑set targets | Earned at 0–200% of target | 3‑year cumulative performance through FY2028 |
| PSUs (company grants in FY2025) | Annualized TSR | 40% | Company‑set targets | Earned at 0–200% of target | 3‑year cumulative performance through FY2028 |
| RSUs | Time‑based | 50% of CAO LTI | n/a | Vests per schedule | Vests 1/3 on each of the first, second, and third anniversaries of award date |
Note: Schulz’s 8‑K specifies her LTI structure but not the precise PSU metrics applicable to the 2026 LTI Program. MEI’s FY2025 disclosures indicate PSUs granted on Aug 8, 2025 use ROIC (60%) and TSR (40%) over a 3‑year period; these illustrate program design but are not explicitly attributed to Schulz’s grant .
Equity Ownership & Alignment
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Beneficial Ownership (direct) | 11,460 shares (reported on Form 3) |
| Ownership as % of Shares Outstanding | ~0.03% (11,460 ÷ 35,217,142 shares outstanding as of Jul 24, 2025) |
| Vested vs Unvested | RSUs scheduled to vest 1/3 on each of the first three anniversaries of award date (expected: 9/11/2026, 9/11/2027, 9/11/2028) |
| Options | None disclosed |
| Hedging/Pledging | Prohibited for executives under Insider Trading Policy |
| Ownership Guidelines | Executives must hold stock equal to 3× salary; 50% compliance within 3 years, 100% within 5 years; retain 75% of net shares until in compliance |
| Insider Trading Activity | No Form 4 filings found post‑appointment (as of latest search) — indicates no reported sales/purchases [SearchDocuments none for Form 4] |
Employment Terms
| Provision | Terms |
|---|---|
| Appointment effective | September 11, 2025 |
| Severance (without cause) | Cash equal to 0.5 × (annual salary + target bonus) and company‑paid COBRA for up to 6 months |
| Change‑of‑Control | Not disclosed for CAO in 8‑K; MEI maintains double‑trigger CIC agreements for named executive officers (CEO and other NEOs) without excise tax gross‑ups |
| Clawback | Incentive Compensation Recovery Policy applies to executive officers in case of material restatement |
| Benefits | Participation in company benefit plans per similarly situated employees |
Investment Implications
- Alignment and retention: Modest cash comp with meaningful equity mix (50% RSUs/50% PSUs) supports retention and pay‑for‑performance; RSUs vesting on annual tranches can create predictable, near‑term selling/withholding events, though MEI’s policy requires retention of 75% of net shares until guideline compliance, reducing selling pressure .
- Downside protection in separation: CAO severance (0.5× salary+bonus and 6 months COBRA) is conservative versus NEO constructs, limiting shareholder exposure while offering baseline retention economics .
- Governance signals: Prohibitions on hedging/pledging and an active clawback policy reduce alignment red flags; recent Say‑on‑Pay passed with 96% approval, indicating investor acceptance of MEI’s comp framework despite transformation challenges .
- Program risk factors: Company‑wide PSU metrics tied to ROIC/TSR over three years embed market and execution beta; given FY2025 loss and muted TSR, performance realization will hinge on turnaround delivery (EBITDA and cash improvements) and industrial program launches .
Monitoring: Watch for first RSU vest (expected Sep 2026) and any Form 4 activity; review 2026 proxy for CAO inclusion and detailed PSU metrics/targets; track progress on EBITDA/free cash flow metrics given their historic use in annual incentives .