Robin Diamonte
Director at MORN
Board
About Robin Diamonte
Robin Diamonte (age 60) has served as an independent director of Morningstar since December 2015 (10 years of tenure) . She is Chief Investment Officer of RTX Corp., previously serving as VP and CIO at United Technologies since 2004 and earlier spending 13 years at Verizon Investment Management from research analyst to managing director . She holds both an MBA and a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from the University of New Haven .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| United Technologies Corporation | Vice President & Chief Investment Officer | 2004–2020 | Oversaw retirement assets; deep finance and governance expertise |
| Verizon Investment Management Corporation | Research Analyst → Managing Director | ~1994–2007 (13 years) | Asset management leadership; early Morningstar product user since 1994 |
| PBGC Advisory Committee | Member and Chair | Appointed 2013; 6 years | Chaired federal advisory committee on pension issues |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| RTX Corp. | Chief Investment Officer | 2020–present | CIO overseeing pension investments and fiduciary governance |
| CIEBA | Board member | Ongoing | Represents >100 large private retirement funds on fiduciary/investment issues |
| Awards/Recognition | Various | 2023–2024 | Lifetime Achievement (With Intelligence 2023); P&I Most Influential Women in Investing; CIO Hall of Fame (2024); Power 100 CIO allocators |
Board Governance
- Committee assignments: Audit Committee member; Nominating & Corporate Governance Committee (NCGC) member .
- Independence: Board determined Diamonte is independent under Nasdaq listing rules; all committee members are independent .
- Attendance/Engagement: Board held 5 meetings in 2024; each director attended at least 75% of Board and applicable Committee meetings; executive sessions are held at end of every Board/Committee meeting and led by independent Chairs .
- Committee focus:
- Audit: Financial reporting integrity, internal controls, auditor oversight, related-party transaction review, and risk oversight including cybersecurity, data privacy, and AI; 9 meetings in 2024 .
- NCGC: Board composition/refreshment, conflicts review, stock ownership guideline monitoring, CEO succession, governance trends; 4 meetings in 2024 .
- Risk oversight: Audit Committee highlighted segment reporting implementation, pledging review, and cybersecurity as 2024 focus areas .
Fixed Compensation
| Component | Policy/Amount | 2024 Amount for Diamonte | Vesting/Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual cash retainer | $50,000 for non-employee directors | $50,000 | N/A |
| Committee membership retainer | $5,000 per committee (non-chair) | $10,000 (Audit + NCGC) → Total cash $60,000 | N/A |
| Committee chair fees | Audit Chair $25,000; Comp Chair $15,000; NCGC Chair $15,000 | N/A (not a chair) | N/A |
| Equity retainer (RSUs) | ~$190,000 grant value (raised from $165,000 in 2023) | $189,949 grant date fair value | RSUs vest pro rata over 3 years |
| Travel reimbursement | Reimbursed as applicable | As applicable | Policy |
Total 2024 director compensation for Diamonte: $249,949 (cash $60,000; stock awards $189,949) .
Performance Compensation
| Metric | Applicability to Directors | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Performance-based equity (PSUs/MSUs) | Not applicable | Non-employee director equity is time-vested RSUs; no performance metrics disclosed for directors |
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Category | Disclosure |
|---|---|
| Other public company boards | None listed for Diamonte in the director table |
| Independence review | Board reviewed relationships and determined independence; committees composed entirely of independent directors |
| Related-party exposure | Audit Committee reviews related-party transactions; none reportable since Jan 1, 2024 |
Expertise & Qualifications
- Retirement industry CIO with oversight of >$115 billion in global retirement assets; customer perspective on Morningstar products for 25+ years .
- Skills matrix: Accounting/Finance/M&A, Governance & Regulatory Compliance, CEO/Leadership, Asset Management & Advisory, Retirement industry .
- Education: MBA and BSEE from University of New Haven .
Equity Ownership
| Holder | Shares Beneficially Owned | % of Shares Outstanding | Unvested RSUs (12/31/24) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Robin Diamonte | 8,129 | <1% of 42,833,130 shares; approx 0.019% (8129/42,833,130) | 1,445 | RSUs are time-vested; stock awards rounded down to whole shares |
| Director stock ownership guideline | Hold $5,000,000 of shares OR ≥25% of pre-tax vested RSUs granted since becoming a director | Company-wide director guideline; individual compliance not disclosed |
Section 16(a) compliance: Based on Morningstar’s review, all directors filed timely in 2024 except specific individuals listed (not including Diamonte) .
Governance Assessment
- Strengths
- Independent, financially literate director on Audit and NCGC; engaged in executive sessions; clear risk oversight remit including AI/cyber .
- Strong ownership alignment via RSU grants and rigorous director stock ownership guidelines (high bar at $5M or 25% of vested RSUs) .
- Consistent attendance (≥75%), robust committee schedules (Audit 9; NCGC 4) .
- No related-party transactions reportable since Jan 1, 2024; independence affirmed by Board .
- Potential conflicts/monitoring points
- External executive role as CIO of RTX: NCGC reviews potential conflicts and Board independence annually; no adverse findings disclosed .
- Pledging risk: Audit Committee formally reviews pledging arrangements; only Joe Mansueto reported a pledge and committee concluded it does not pose substantial risk; no other pledges reported (implies none for Diamonte) .
- Compensation structure signals
- Increased equity retainer to $190,000 (from $165,000) in 2024; compensation mix predominantly equity (~76%), consistent with long-term alignment and governance best practices .
RED FLAGS: None disclosed for Diamonte regarding attendance, delinquent filings, pledging, related-party transactions, or performance-insensitive guaranteed pay beyond standard director retainers .