Jacques Perold
MSCIAbout Jacques P. Perold
Independent director at MSCI since 2017; Age 66. Former President of Fidelity Management & Research Company (until his retirement in 2014) and former President of Geode Capital Management (2001–2009). Holds a BA in economic history and BA (Honors) in sociology from the University of Cape Town. Current roles include trustee of New York Life Insurance Company’s NYLI mutual funds, trustee of Partners in Health, and co-founder/Chairman of CapShift; also serves on the board of Allstate Corporation (since Dec 2015). Committees at MSCI: Chair, Compensation, and member, Strategy. Independence: determined independent under NYSE rules.
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fidelity Management & Research Company | President | Until 2014 | Led investments and operations at a global investment firm; oversight of compensation programs and goals |
| Geode Capital Management, LLC | President | 2001–2009 | Sub-advisor to Fidelity; leadership in strategy and operations |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Allstate Corporation | Director | Dec 2015–present | Current public company directorship |
| NYLI mutual funds (New York Life Insurance Company) | Trustee | Current | Oversight role in mutual funds governance |
| Partners in Health | Trustee | Current | Non-profit governance |
| CapShift | Co-founder & Chairman | Current | Focused on enabling impact investments from donor-advised funds and foundations |
Board Governance
- Committee assignments: Chair, Compensation, Talent and Culture Committee; Member, Strategy and Finance Committee. Both committees’ members are independent under NYSE rules.
- Committee meeting cadence: Compensation Committee met 7 times in 2024; Strategy and Finance Committee met 7 times in 2024.
- Board attendance: The Board held 8 meetings in 2024 plus executive sessions after each; each director attended at least 75% of Board and committee meetings on which they served. All directors on the Board at the time attended the 2024 annual meeting.
- Independence status: MSCI Board determined Perold is independent; all members of Compensation and Strategy committees meet heightened NYSE independence standards where applicable.
- Compensation Committee focus areas (2024): Oversight of executive compensation programs, succession/progression planning, design of the MSCI Inc. 2025 Omnibus Incentive Plan, and monitoring performance culture/engagement.
Fixed Compensation
| Component (2024) | Amount (USD) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Fees Earned or Paid in Cash | $125,000 | Annual Board/committee retainers; no per-meeting fees disclosed |
| All Other Compensation | $2,773 | Not itemized in proxy footnotes for directors |
Performance Compensation
| Equity Award | Grant details | Vesting | Performance metrics |
|---|---|---|---|
| RSUs (2024 Board term) | 450 RSUs; grant date value $209,606 (price basis $465.79) | Annual grant on May 1; vests on May 1, 2025 (one-year) | None; director RSUs are time-based, not tied to performance goals |
- Director equity grants carry dividend equivalents and accelerate upon death, disability or change in control; generally non-transferable.
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Company | Role | Committee/Interlock Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Allstate Corporation | Director | Interlocks: MSCI discloses no compensation committee interlocks and no related-person transactions involving Perold. |
Expertise & Qualifications
- 30+ years leading investments/operations at major asset managers (Fidelity, Geode), giving deep insight into MSCI’s asset management client segment.
- Senior leadership experience overseeing compensation programs and goals—aligned with current role as Compensation Committee Chair.
- Education in economic history and sociology; global perspective.
Equity Ownership
| Ownership detail (as of Feb 28, 2025) | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Shares beneficially owned | 5,049 | Percent of class: less than 1% (table shows “—”) |
| RSUs outstanding (scheduled to vest May 1, 2025) | 450 | Annual director RSU grant structure; dividend equivalents eligible |
| Pledged/Hedged shares | None indicated; anti-hedging/anti-pledging policy applies to directors | |
| Director stock ownership guideline status | In compliance (all directors) | Guideline requires sum of “net shares” from vesting of RSUs over last five years |
Governance Assessment
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Strengths
- Independent director; chairs Compensation Committee with clear remit over pay-for-performance alignment, succession planning, and equity plan design, including 2025 Omnibus Incentive Plan.
- Board/committee engagement robust: 8 Board meetings with executive sessions; each director met ≥75% attendance threshold; Compensation/Strategy committees met 7 times each.
- Shareholder alignment signals under Compensation Committee oversight: lowered PSU max payout from 300% to 200% in 2024; strong say‑on‑pay support (97.3% of votes cast in 2024).
- No related‑party transactions involving Perold; MSCI maintains a formal Related Person Transactions Policy administered by the Governance Committee.
- Director equity compensation emphasizes ownership mindset via annual RSUs and robust anti‑hedging/anti‑pledging policy; directors are compliant with ownership guidelines.
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Watch items
- External time commitments: ongoing Allstate directorship plus trustee/chair roles; mitigated by MSCI policy limiting multiple public board commitments and observed attendance compliance.
- Individual meeting attendance rates are not disclosed; only aggregate compliance (≥75%); monitor future proxies for any variance.
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Overall view
- Governance posture supports investor confidence: independent leadership of compensation, transparent equity plan updates, strong shareholder support on pay, and no disclosed conflicts related to Perold.