Julie Bowerman
MIDDLEBYAbout Julie Bowerman
Julie M. Bowerman (age 56) is an independent director of The Middleby Corporation, appointed in 2025 and effective February 24, 2025, and serves on the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee. She is Chief Marketing Officer at Kellanova (Kellogg spinoff, 2023) with prior senior roles at Kellogg, Hain Celestial, and over 20 years at The Coca-Cola Company focused on digital commerce and marketing. Her stated credentials emphasize revenue growth, profit generation, and omnichannel go-to-market expertise in consumer products.
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kellanova | Chief Marketing Officer | 2023–present | CMO of post-spinoff Kellanova, leading brand and growth strategy. |
| Kellogg Company | Chief Marketing & Ecommerce Officer | 2021–2023 | Led integrated marketing and eCommerce; global consumer/customer experience from 2019–2023. |
| Kellogg Company | Chief Global Digital Consumer & Customer Experience Officer | 2019–2023 | Drove digital transformation and customer experience at scale. |
| Hain Celestial Group | SVP, Digital Engagement & eCommerce | ~2017–2019 | Built digital engagement and eCommerce capabilities. |
| The Coca-Cola Company | Global VP, eCommerce, Shopper Marketing & Digital | 2015–2017 | Led global digital commerce and shopper marketing initiatives. |
| The Coca-Cola Company | VP & GM, eCommerce North America | 2013–2015 | P&L and commercialization of eCommerce in NA. |
| Consumer products portfolio | Various leadership roles (20+ years at Coca-Cola) | Prior to 2013 | Experienced operator across digital and brand strategies. |
Noted impact: “development and implementation of revenue growth and profit generation via physical and digital commerce, marketing, and go-to-market strategies” contributing to Board oversight of strategy execution.
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brixmor Property Group Inc. | Director; Chair, Nominating & Corporate Governance Committee | Since 2019 | Nominating & Corporate Governance Committee Chair. |
Board Governance
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Committee Assignment | Member, Nominating & Corporate Governance Committee, effective February 24, 2025. |
| Independence | Independent; Middleby states nine of ten directors are independent and all committees are fully independent. |
| Board Attendance | FY2024 Board held 4 in-person and 7 virtual meetings; overall attendance 97% at Board and 98% including committees; independent directors held six executive sessions. (Bowerman joined 2025; FY2024 attendance is aggregate.) |
| Continuing Education | NACD membership required; company funds ongoing director education and orientation. |
| Audit Committee Limits | Policy: no director may serve on more than two other public company audit committees concurrently. |
| Stockholder Engagement | 2025 outreach to top 30 holders (~87% of shares), engaged with holders representing ~63% of shares. |
| Related Party Transactions | None material since start of FY2024; Audit Committee reviews and approves as needed. |
| Governance Structure | Independent Chair; separate Chair/CEO roles; majority vote standard; clawback policy; no hedging/pledging permitted. |
Fixed Compensation
| Type of Compensation | How Paid | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Annual cash retainer (non-employee directors) | Cash, quarterly | $100,000 |
| Additional cash – Chairman of the Board | Cash, quarterly | $25,000 |
| Committee Chair cash (Audit, Compensation, NCGC) | Cash, quarterly | $25,000 |
| Committee Member cash – Audit | Cash, quarterly | $12,500 |
| Committee Member cash – Compensation, NCGC | Cash, quarterly | $7,500 |
| Equity – Annual RSU grant | RSUs awarded in March, one-year vest | $175,000 grant date value (based on close price on grant date) |
- Directors do not receive meeting fees.
- Director Stock Ownership Guidelines: 5x annual cash compensation; unvested time-based RSUs count; 5-year compliance window for new directors.
- As of December 28, 2024, all non-employee directors exceeded the minimum ownership requirements (Bowerman joined in 2025; guideline applies prospectively).
Performance Compensation
| Component | Design | Metrics | Vesting/Modifiers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Director equity (RSUs) | Time-based; annual grant | None (time-based only) | One-year vest; no dividends paid or accumulated on unvested RSUs/PSUs. |
Middleby’s performance-based equity and cash incentive metrics apply to executives, not directors. Director compensation is fixed cash plus time-based RSUs with one-year vesting.
Other Directorships & Interlocks
- Current public company board: Brixmor Property Group Inc.; Chair of Nominating & Corporate Governance Committee.
- Compensation Committee Interlocks: None.
Expertise & Qualifications
- Deep experience in sales, marketing, branding, social/digital engagement, and omnichannel commerce across leading consumer products companies.
- Track record of revenue growth and value creation via physical and digital commerce strategies, informing Board oversight of strategy and go-to-market execution.
- International exposure through roles at Coca-Cola and Kellogg/Kellanova.
Equity Ownership
| Holder | Shares Beneficially Owned | Percent of Class | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Julie Bowerman | — | — | No beneficial ownership reported as of March 17, 2025 record date. |
| Directors’ Ownership Policy | — | — | 5x annual cash compensation; 5-year window to comply; unvested time-based RSUs count; stock options excluded. |
| Hedging/Pledging | — | — | Prohibited for directors under Insider Trading Compliance Program. |
Governance Assessment
- Strengths: Independent director with consumer brand and digital commerce expertise; joins NCGC reinforcing governance, succession, and sustainability oversight; Board maintains independent Chair, fully independent committees, robust policies (clawback, no hedging/pledging), and active shareholder engagement (87% Say-on-Pay support in 2024).
- Alignment: Director ownership guidelines (5x cash retainer) and annual RSU grants promote alignment; all non-employee directors exceeded ownership requirements as of 12/28/24 (Bowerman to comply within 5 years).
- Attendance/Engagement: Board held 11 meetings in FY2024 with 97% attendance and 6 independent executive sessions; NACD education requirement and formal orientation enhance effectiveness.
- Conflicts/Red Flags: No material related party transactions reported since FY2024 start; hedging/pledging prohibited; Bowerman’s executive role at Kellanova (a food manufacturer) represents industry adjacency but no reported related-party dealings; beneficial ownership not yet reported as of 3/17/25, typical for a new director under guideline timeline.