Shandell M. Szabo
Magnolia Oil & GasAbout Shandell M. Szabo
Independent director of Magnolia Oil & Gas (MGY), age 50, serving since May 2024. A licensed professional geologist in Texas with 26+ years in upstream oil and gas, she held senior exploration leadership roles at Anadarko after starting her career at Exxon Mobil. She currently also serves on the board of Talos Energy. Degrees: B.S. (University of Michigan) and M.S. (Texas Christian University), both in Environmental Science with a concentration in Geology .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Magnolia Oil & Gas | Independent Director | May 2024–present | Audit Committee member; committee met 4x in 2024; oversight of financial reporting, controls, auditor engagement |
| Anadarko Petroleum | Vice President, U.S. Exploration | 2018–2019 | Led U.S. exploration strategy; senior leadership in E&P |
| Anadarko Petroleum | Vice President, Onshore Exploration | 2016–2018 | Led onshore exploration portfolio |
| Anadarko Petroleum | Director, Investor Relations | 2015–2016 | Capital markets and corporate communications leadership |
| Anadarko Petroleum | GM, Development (Eaglebine/Base Assets) | 2013–2015 | Asset development leadership in East Texas |
| Anadarko Petroleum | Geoscience Development Manager (ETX/N. LA) | 2011–2013 | Geoscience team leadership |
| Anadarko Petroleum | Regional Geology Manager (Gulf of Mexico Exploration) | 2008–2010 | Deepwater exploration leadership |
| Exxon Mobil | Subsurface and geoscience positions | Began 1998 (early career) | Technical geoscience roles across U.S. onshore/Gulf of Mexico |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Talos Energy (NYSE:TALO) | Independent Director | Feb 2023–present | Compensation; Safety, Sustainability & Corporate Responsibility; Co-chair Technical Committee |
| EnVen Energy (private; acquired by Talos) | Director | Feb 2020–Feb 2023 | Chair, Risk Committee; Governance Committee |
| United Way of Greater Houston | Advisory Council Member | Ongoing | Community engagement |
| Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (Montgomery County) | Executive leadership; Chair, Student Visionary of the Year Campaign | Ongoing | Philanthropy leadership |
Board Governance
- Independence and role: Board determined Szabo is independent under NYSE rules; she serves on the Audit Committee (not as chair) .
- Attendance: In 2024, the Board met 3 times; all incumbent directors attended all Board and committee meetings .
- Committee structure: All Board committees are fully independent; Audit met 4 times in 2024 (Larson chair; members include Khani, Ropp, Smith, Szabo) .
- Board leadership: Independent non-executive chairman (Dan F. Smith); non-employee directors meet regularly in executive session .
Fixed Compensation
| Component | Program Terms (2024) | Ms. Szabo 2024 Actual |
|---|---|---|
| Annual Cash Retainer | $85,000 paid quarterly; pro‑rated for partial year service | Fees earned in cash: $58,599 (reflects pro‑ration and any supplemental retainers) |
| Audit Committee Member Retainer | $5,000 annually for members (non‑chair) | Included in “Fees earned in cash” |
| Expense Reimbursement | Business travel and meeting expenses reimbursed | As incurred (not itemized) |
Performance Compensation
| Equity Element | Grant Date | Units | Grant-Date Price/Fair Value | Vesting | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Annual RSU award | May 7, 2024 | 6,364 RSUs | $25.80 per share grant-date fair value | Vests in full on May 6, 2025, contingent on continued service; settles in Class A shares | Non-employee directors are eligible for dividend equivalents on outstanding RSUs |
Non-employee directors do not receive performance-based equity (no PSUs or options); director RSUs are time‑based only .
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Company/Connection | Type | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| Talos Energy | Public company board | Compensation; Safety/Sustainability/Corporate Responsibility committees; co‑chairs Technical Committee |
| EnVen Energy (pre‑Talos acquisition) | Private company board | Chair Risk Committee; Governance Committee |
| Prior employer overlap | Network/interlock | Szabo (Anadarko senior roles) and MGY director James R. Larson (former Anadarko CFO) share prior-company experience, potentially enhancing information flow on upstream operations and controls |
Expertise & Qualifications
- Licensed professional geologist (Texas) with deep geologic/technical expertise across U.S. onshore and deepwater Gulf of Mexico .
- Senior leadership in exploration, development, finance/IR, and corporate communications at Anadarko; early technical grounding at Exxon Mobil .
- Academic credentials in Environmental Science (Geology concentration), B.S. and M.S. .
Equity Ownership
| Holder | Shares Beneficially Owned | Ownership % | Components/Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shandell M. Szabo | 6,364 | Less than 1% | Includes 6,364 RSUs scheduled to vest May 6, 2025 (within 60 days of record date), counted per SEC beneficial ownership rules |
| Stock Ownership Guideline | Requirement | Status | Notes |
| Non-employee Director | 5x annual retainer within 5 years | In compliance or expected to comply within the time period | Unvested time-based RSUs count toward guidelines; PSUs do not |
Governance Assessment
- Strengths: Independent status; Audit Committee appointment aligns with upstream operating experience, while committee retains multiple designated financial experts; strong attendance record; anti‑hedging/anti‑pledging policy; clawback applies to incentive awards; robust stock ownership guidelines for directors and executives .
- Compensation alignment: For directors, mix is cash retainer plus annual time‑based RSUs; no options; no performance equity—limits risk and focuses on long‑term alignment. 2024 say‑on‑pay support of 98% for MGY’s executive comp signals broad investor confidence in broader governance and pay practices .
- Potential conflicts: No related‑party transactions disclosed involving Szabo; MGY’s related‑party items primarily involve EnerVest legacy holders and are overseen via Audit Committee policy. Hedging and pledging of company stock are prohibited without consent, mitigating misalignment risk .
- RED FLAGS: None disclosed specific to Szabo (no pledging, no related‑party transactions, no low attendance). Note that Szabo is not designated as an Audit Committee “financial expert”; committee coverage of financial expertise comes from other members, which is acceptable under SEC rules .