Linda B. Segre
About Linda B. Segre
Independent director since 2015 (age 64), Segre chairs the Compensation and Management Succession Committee and sits on the Nominating & Corporate Governance Committee. She previously served as EVP, Chief Strategy & People Officer at Diamond Foods (2009–sale in Feb 2016), was Managing Director at Google.org, and VP/Managing Director of BCG’s San Francisco office; earlier, she was a touring golf professional (1981–1985). She holds a BA in Economics (Academic Distinction) and an MBA, both from Stanford University .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diamond Foods, Inc. | EVP, Chief Strategy & People Officer; earlier SVP, Corporate Strategy | 2009 – Feb 2016 (sale) | Senior executive leading strategy and people; public company experience |
| Google.org | Managing Director | Not disclosed | Leadership role at Google’s philanthropic arm |
| The Boston Consulting Group (San Francisco) | Vice President & Managing Director | Not disclosed | Led SF office; corporate strategy expertise |
| Professional Golf | Touring Golf Professional | 1981 – 1985 | Won five tournaments (incl. Irish Open, Reno Open); brings domain perspective |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Since | Committees/Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mission Produce, Inc. (public) | Director; Chair, Compensation Committee | July 2020 | Current public company directorship; comp chair role |
| Pecan Grove Farms, LLC | Director | Not disclosed | Private company board |
| DAFgiving360 (formerly Schwab Charitable) | Director | Not disclosed | Non-profit/charitable board |
Board Governance
- Independence and roles: Segre is independent; Chair, Compensation and Management Succession Committee; Member, Nominating & Corporate Governance Committee . The Board is majority independent; all nominees except the CEO are independent .
- Committee activity and attendance: In 2024 the Board met 7 times; the Compensation Committee met 6 times; Nominating & Corporate Governance met 5 times; all directors attended at least 75% of aggregate Board and committee meetings during their service. Independent directors held executive sessions at 5 of 7 Board meetings .
- Board leadership: Independent Chair (John F. Lundgren); with an independent chair, the Board does not appoint a separate Lead Independent Director .
- Terms and service: Director since 2015; nominee for election in 2025; Board size to be 11 following the 2025 meeting .
Fixed Compensation
Program design for non-employee directors:
- Cash: $100,000 annual base retainer; Committee Chair retainers: Audit $15,000; Compensation $12,500; Nominating & Corporate Governance $10,000; Board Chair receives an additional $50,000. Levels unchanged from 2023 .
- Equity: Annual RSU grant targeted at ~$125,000 grant-date fair value, generally vesting on the first anniversary; 2024 grants were 8,096 RSUs per re-elected director .
- Other: Product allowance/discounts (personal/family use), with value not exceeding $10,000 for any director in 2024 .
2024 compensation for Linda B. Segre:
| Component | Amount/Detail |
|---|---|
| Cash fees | $112,500 (includes $100,000 base + $12,500 Compensation Chair fee) |
| Equity grant (RSUs) | $124,436 grant-date fair value; 8,096 RSUs granted in 2024 (vest on one-year anniversary) |
| Total | $236,936 |
Performance Compensation
- Director equity is service-based (time-vested RSUs); no performance metrics/targets are used in director compensation .
Other Directorships & Interlocks
- Current public board: Mission Produce, Inc.; Chair of Compensation Committee .
- Compensation Committee interlocks: The Company disclosed no compensation committee interlocks in 2024; all members (including Segre) were independent during their service .
Expertise & Qualifications
- Functional expertise highlighted by the Company: finance; human resources/executive compensation; manufacturing; international business; strategic planning; consumer sales/marketing; sell-through retail; M&A; entertainment/hospitality; compliance; ESG. Former professional golfer—unique category expertise .
- Skills matrix evidences broad coverage across finance, HR/compensation, M&A, governance, and consumer products experience (skills grid) .
Equity Ownership
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Beneficial ownership | 67,469 shares beneficially owned as of April 4, 2025; <1% of outstanding shares |
| Unvested RSUs outstanding | 8,096 RSUs at 12/31/2024 (includes accrued dividend equivalents) |
| Ownership guidelines | Non-employee directors: 5x annual retainer; to be achieved within 5 years; as assessed in 2024, all directors were at/above required levels or otherwise in compliance |
| Hedging/pledging | Company policy prohibits hedging, short sales, and pledging of Company stock by directors |
Governance Assessment
Key positives for investor confidence:
- Independence and engagement: Independent status; chairs the Compensation Committee and serves on Nominating & Corporate Governance; Board/committee attendance thresholds met; robust use of executive sessions .
- Say-on-pay and shareholder support: Say-on-pay received ~98% support in May 2024; in May 2025, shareholders again approved say-on-pay (For: 135,582,960; Against: 2,383,329; Abstain: 227,946; broker non-votes: 20,887,471) .
- Pay practices and safeguards: Company compensation practices include no excise tax gross-ups, no single-trigger CIC, clawback policy compliant with SEC/NYSE, stock ownership guidelines, no option repricing without shareholder approval, and anti-hedging/pledging policy .
- Committee process and independence: Compensation Committee comprised entirely of independent directors; used Mercer as independent compensation consultant; the committee assessed and found no consultant conflicts of interest .
- Related-party oversight: Related person transactions >$120,000 require review/approval by Nominating & Corporate Governance (or its Chair under $1.0 million); the proxy’s related-party section includes major shareholder arrangements (e.g., Topgolf merger Stockholders Agreement) but does not list any transaction involving Ms. Segre .
Watch items:
- Equity plan share pool expansion: In May 2025, shareholders approved an increase of 13,500,000 shares under the amended and restated 2022 Incentive Plan; while broadly supported, investors should monitor equity burn and dilution over time .
- Committee composition change: Laura J. Flanagan is not standing for re-election; the Compensation Committee will adjust post-2025 meeting—continuity under Segre’s chair role will be important .
Supplemental reference
- Director compensation benchmarking: Director pay levels are reviewed against the Company’s executive compensation peer group (used as primary source of market data for directors); the 2024 peer set included companies such as Acushnet, Deckers, Columbia Sportswear, Brunswick, Vail Resorts, and others in consumer/active lifestyle/entertainment verticals .