Anna Escobedo Cabral
NAVIENTAbout Anna Escobedo Cabral
Anna Escobedo Cabral, age 65, has served on Navient’s Board since December 2014. She is Partner at Cabral Group LLC and formerly served as Treasurer of the United States (2004–2009) and Senior Advisor at the Inter-American Development Bank (2009–2018). Her board credentials emphasize legal/regulatory acumen, corporate social responsibility, executive leadership, and audit oversight, and she is an independent director under Nasdaq and company standards .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| U.S. Department of the Treasury | Treasurer of the United States | 2004–2009 | Senior U.S. financial official; policy and regulatory leadership |
| Inter-American Development Bank | Senior Advisor | 2009–2018 | International development and policy advisory |
| Smithsonian Center for Latino Initiatives | Director | 2003–2004 | Program leadership |
| Hispanic Association on Corporate Responsibility | CEO | 1999–2003 | Nonprofit executive leadership; DEI and stakeholder engagement |
| U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee | Deputy Staff Director & Chief Clerk | 1993–1999 | Legislative process, legal/regulatory expertise |
| U.S. Senate Republican Conference Task Force on Hispanic Affairs | Executive Staff Director | 1991–1999 | Public policy leadership and advocacy |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Public/Private | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lincoln Educational Services Corporation | Independent Director | Current | Public | Current outside public company board |
| Orange County Community Foundation | Member | Current | Nonprofit | Community and philanthropy |
| Jessie Ball duPont Fund | Trustee | Current | Foundation | Governance |
| BBVA Microfinance Foundation | Chair | Current | Foundation | Financial inclusion leadership |
| Comcast NBCU Diversity Advisory Committee | Member | Current | Corporate Advisory | DEI advisory |
| NACD Center for Inclusive Governance Advisory Council | Member | Current | Advisory | Board governance best practices |
Board Governance
- Independence: Affirmatively determined independent in 2024 and 2025; all standing committees (other than Executive Committee) are fully independent .
- Committees (current, as of April 17, 2025): Audit Committee Chair; Executive Committee Member; Compensation & Human Resources Committee Member .
- Committees (2024): Audit Chair; Executive Committee Member; Nominations & Governance Committee Member. Board dissolved Risk Committee after 2024 meeting .
- Attendance: Board met 23 times in 2024; each incumbent director ≥92% attendance; average 98%. All directors attended the 2024 Annual Meeting .
- Leadership structure: Independent Chair; regular executive sessions; majority voting; annual elections .
- Risk oversight: Audit Committee (chaired by Cabral) oversees ERM program, financial reporting, compliance, legal and related-party transaction review .
Fixed Compensation
| Element | 2024 Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Annual Cash Retainer | $100,000 | Standard non-employee director cash retainer |
| Audit Committee Chair Fee | $35,000 | Chair premium |
| Non-chair Committee Member Fee | $10,000 | Applies per non-chair committee (EC members are not eligible) |
| Additional Cash Subtotal (Cabral) | $45,000 | $35k Audit Chair + $10k one non-chair committee = total cash $145,000 |
| Annual Equity Award | $140,000 | Granted as restricted stock; quarterly vesting |
| All Other Compensation | $63 | Company-paid life insurance premium |
| Total 2024 Director Compensation (Cabral) | $285,063 | Sum of cash, equity, other |
- Deferral elections: Cabral elected to receive a credit under the Director Deferred Compensation Plan in lieu of the 2024 equity retainer; invested in a notional Company stock fund (aligns with share performance) .
- Vesting: Director restricted stock vests quarterly beginning at grant; immediate vesting upon death, disability, or change-in-control .
Performance Compensation
- Navient does not provide performance-linked equity (PSUs/options) to non-employee directors; director equity is time-based restricted stock only. No director performance metrics apply to Cabral’s compensation .
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Company | Exchange | Role | Committee Roles | Possible Interlocks/Conflicts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lincoln Educational Services Corporation | — | Independent Director | Not disclosed in NAVI proxy | No NAVI-related transactions disclosed; no related-party exposure noted |
- Director nominees table lists Cabral with one other public board; biography identifies Lincoln Educational Services .
- No disclosed related-party transactions involving Cabral; Audit Committee reviews any such transactions ≥$120,000 .
Expertise & Qualifications
- Skills matrix: Executive leadership, operations/strategic planning, legal/regulatory, human capital/compensation, and ESG/corporate responsibility .
- Biography highlights: Government and public policy, regulatory process, CSR, international development, and financial literacy; nonprofit COO experience .
- Audit leadership: Signed Audit Committee report as Chair for 2024 financial statements (strong engagement in oversight) .
Equity Ownership
| Holder | Shares | Type/Detail | As-of Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Anna Escobedo Cabral | 122,919 | Total beneficial ownership; includes 51,601 deferred stock units in Company-sponsored plan | March 4, 2025 (assuming continuous ownership through April 17, 2025) |
| Director Ownership Guidelines | ≥4x annual cash retainer; minimum increased from $400k to $500k in Nov 2021 | All non-employee directors in compliance or within 5-year window | Policy detail and compliance status |
- Anti-hedging/pledging: Directors prohibited from hedging, pledging, margin accounts, and speculative transactions; directors in compliance in 2024 and as of proxy date .
Governance Assessment
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Strengths:
- Independent director with deep legal/regulatory and CSR background; chairs Audit Committee and demonstrates active risk oversight (signed Audit Committee report) .
- High attendance and board effectiveness; majority independent Board and strong governance practices (clawback policy, anti-hedging/pledging, executive sessions) .
- Director compensation calibrated with role (Audit Chair plus single non-chair committee fee), equity is time-based, and deferral elected into notional stock fund enhances alignment .
- Shareholder support for executive pay (98.4% say-on-pay approval in 2024), indicating investor confidence in overall governance and compensation oversight .
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Potential watch items:
- Committee rotation year-over-year (from NGC in 2024 to Compensation Committee membership in 2025) warrants monitoring for workload and continued independence across sensitive pay oversight areas .
- Sherborne’s 28.5% stake and board agreement terms shape board dynamics; no direct conflict for Cabral disclosed, but overall governance environment requires ongoing vigilance .
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RED FLAGS: None identified related to Cabral.
- No related-party transactions; no hedging/pledging; strong attendance; director pay structure without options or PSUs; compliance with ownership guidelines .
Overall, Cabral’s audit leadership, independence, and attendance underpin board effectiveness and investor confidence, with compensation and ownership practices aligned to shareholder interests .