Maya Peterson
MOVADO GROUPAbout Maya Peterson
Independent Director at Movado Group, Inc. since 2022; age 45 (as of the 2025 proxy). Background in brand strategy and cultural advisory spanning two decades, including Vice President, Insights & Strategy at Universal Music Group for Brands (2020–2024) and senior marketing roles at ViacomCBS; advisory roles at Good Information, Inc. and YMCA Global Alliance Youth Solutions. She currently consults for civic initiatives and consumer brands, including The Stories of Us project .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Universal Music Group for Brands | Vice President, Insights & Strategy | 2020–2024 | Led consumer insights and strategy for brand partnerships . |
| ViacomCBS | Senior Marketing Roles | 2013–2020 | Led brand strategy across media and consumer sectors . |
| Various consumer/media companies | Brand/Marketing Roles | Pre-2013 (not specified) | Marketing and audience engagement experience . |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good Information, Inc. | Advisory Board Member | Since 2021 | Governance/communications advisory; not disclosed as a public company directorship . |
| YMCA Global Alliance | Youth Solutions Advisory Council Member | Since 2018 | Youth engagement advisory . |
| The Stories of Us | Consultant | Current | Public art/storytelling project . |
Board Governance
- Independence: The Board determined all directors except Efraim and Alex Grinberg are independent; Peterson is independent .
- Committee assignments (current, FY2025): Member, Nominating, Governance & Corporate Responsibility Committee; Chair is Ann Kirschner. Not on Audit or Compensation committees .
- Committee assignments (FY2024): Member, Nominating, Governance & Corporate Responsibility Committee .
- Attendance: FY2025 Board met 11 times; Audit (5), Compensation & Human Capital (7), Nominating (4). All directors attended in excess of 75% of Board and applicable committee meetings .
- Executive sessions: Non-management directors hold quarterly executive sessions chaired by the lead director .
- Lead Independent Director: Alan H. Howard; coordinates independent directors and chairs Compensation & Human Capital .
Fixed Compensation
| Component | FY2024 | FY2025 | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual cash retainer | $85,000 | $90,000 | Cash retainer increased in FY2025. |
| Committee membership fee | $5,000 (Nominating member) | $5,000 (Nominating member) | Committee member fees unchanged YoY. |
| Committee chair fee | N/A | N/A | Not a chair . |
| Lead director fee | N/A | N/A | Not applicable to Peterson . |
| Meeting fees | None disclosed | None disclosed | No meeting fees disclosed . |
| Watch allowance (Company products) | Up to $6,000 retail value; Peterson utilized $1,500 | Up to $6,000 retail value; Peterson utilized $423 | Annual allowance; amounts reflect Company cost . |
| Total cash and other | $91,500 (cash + allowance used) | $95,423 (cash + allowance used) | Derived from fees earned and other compensation . |
Performance Compensation
| Equity Component | FY2024 | FY2025 | Vesting | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Annual stock award (RSUs) | $125,000; 4,369 shares granted | $125,000; 4,500 shares granted | One-year cliff vest | Annual grants made after prior FY results; no PSUs or options for directors . |
| Director ownership guideline | $250,000 market value | $250,000 market value | Ongoing | Compliance status not disclosed . |
No director performance metrics (e.g., revenue/EBITDA/TSR) are tied to Peterson’s compensation; director equity is time-based RSUs vesting after one year .
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Category | Detail |
|---|---|
| Current public company boards | None disclosed for Peterson . |
| Compensation committee interlocks | Company states no interlocks; Compensation & Human Capital Committee comprised entirely of independent directors in FY2024–FY2025 . |
| Shared directorships with customers/suppliers | None disclosed . |
Expertise & Qualifications
- Domain expertise: Consumer insights, cultural strategy, storytelling, media marketing to Millennial/Gen Z .
- Board qualification themes: Marketing and digital engagement experience aligned with Movado’s investments in online marketing and technology .
- Education: Not disclosed in proxy .
Equity Ownership
| Metric | FY2024 | FY2025 | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Common shares beneficially owned | 7,655 | 12,155 | Direct ownership; Class A not held . |
| Ownership as % of outstanding | <1% | <1% | Company denotes “less than one percent.” |
| Common shares outstanding (reference) | 15,726,641 | 15,778,552 | Record date shares for voting. |
| Unvested director RSUs | 4,369 (FY2024 director grant) | 4,500 (FY2025 director grant) | One-year cliff vest; outstanding at fiscal year-end . |
| Shares pledged | Not disclosed; no pledging policy noted for directors . |
Governance Assessment
- Strengths:
- Independent director with consumer-marketing expertise; sits on the Nominating, Governance & Corporate Responsibility Committee (a governance-critical committee comprised entirely of independent directors) .
- Attendance: Board met 11 times in FY2025; all directors attended in excess of 75% of Board and committee meetings, indicating engagement .
- No related-party transactions involving Peterson disclosed; related-party items involve Grinberg family, reviewed by disinterested directors, mitigating conflict risk .
- Shareholder alignment: Director compensation is modest, with time-based RSUs and a stock ownership guideline of $250,000, though individual compliance is not disclosed .
- Watch items / potential red flags:
- Company disclosed a material weakness and restatement in April 2025; Compensation & Human Capital Committee suspended FY2025 AICP payouts for executives, and clawback policy assessed no recoupment due to non-payment and pending PSUs—positive remedial action, but restatement is a governance overhang to monitor .
- Director ownership guideline compliance for Peterson not disclosed; her reported beneficial ownership is below the guideline by market value inference, but the company does not state compliance status—monitor future disclosures .
- No delinquent Section 16 filings noted for Peterson; late filings were noted for certain executives in FY2025 and FY2024, not including her .
SAY-ON-PAY CONTEXT
- Shareholder support for executive compensation was strong: ~97% of votes represented and 99% of votes cast in favor at 2024 annual meeting, indicating investor confidence in compensation governance .
RELATED POLICY NOTES
- Insider trading policy prohibits short sales and trading in puts, calls and other derivatives of Company stock; no specific anti-hedging practice beyond prohibitions disclosed .
- Quarterly executive sessions of non-management directors support independent oversight .
Overall: Peterson’s independent status, committee role in governance oversight, and consistent engagement are positives for board effectiveness. The Company’s 2025 restatement requires continued scrutiny of oversight rigor and internal controls, but the board/committee response on executive incentives and clawback policy was aligned with shareholder interests .