Dev Stahlkopf
Director at NEE
Board
About Dev Stahlkopf
Deborah L. “Dev” Stahlkopf (age 55) is an independent director of NextEra Energy, Inc. (NEE) since 2023. She serves on the Audit Committee and the Compensation Committee, bringing deep legal, technology, privacy/cybersecurity, and public policy expertise from senior roles at Cisco and Microsoft. Education: JD (University of Arizona), MA Philosophy (Duke University), BA English & Philosophy (University of Washington) . The Board affirmatively determined she is independent under NYSE standards and NEE’s Governance Guidelines .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cisco Systems, Inc. | Executive Vice President & Chief Legal Officer | Joined August 2021; current | Leads legal strategy across IP, privacy/security, internet governance, cross‑border data, geopolitical and public policy priorities |
| Microsoft Corporation | Corporate VP, General Counsel & Corporate Secretary, Corporate, External & Legal Affairs | Apr 2018 – Jul 2021 | Senior leadership of legal and corporate affairs |
| Microsoft Corporation | VP & Deputy General Counsel | Dec 2015 – Apr 2018 | Legal leadership |
| Microsoft Corporation | Associate General Counsel | Dec 2010 – Dec 2015 | Legal counsel |
| Perkins Coie; Cooley Godward | Attorney (employment & labor; corporate/tech transactions) | Prior to Microsoft | Focus on employment law and corporate/technology transactions |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cisco Systems, Inc. | Executive Vice President & Chief Legal Officer | Aug 2021 – present | Executive role; not disclosed as a public company directorship at NEE |
No other public company directorships disclosed for Ms. Stahlkopf in NEE’s proxy .
Board Governance
- Committee assignments: Audit Committee member; Compensation Committee member .
- Independence: Board determined Ms. Stahlkopf (and all 11 non‑employee directors) are independent under NYSE and NEE standards .
- Attendance: In 2024, the Board met 6 times and each current director attended 100% of Board and assigned committee meetings .
- Lead Independent Director: Amy B. Lane (since May 2024); executive sessions of independent directors occur at each regularly scheduled Board meeting .
- Risk oversight alignment: Audit Committee charter amended Feb 2025 to include company AI risk oversight; the committee also receives regular cybersecurity updates—areas aligned with Ms. Stahlkopf’s legal/technology background .
Fixed Compensation (Non‑Employee Director)
| Component | 2024 Amount/Detail | 2025 Structure |
|---|---|---|
| Annual cash retainer | $145,000 (paid to each non‑employee director) | $145,000 cash retainer effective Jan 1, 2025 |
| Equity retainer (annual grant) | $185,555 grant date fair value; 3,240 shares granted on Feb 15, 2024 at $57.27 per share | $185,000 equity value; 2,700 shares granted Feb 13, 2025 (shares determined by $185,000 ÷ grant‑date price, rounded to nearest ten) |
| Committee chair/Lead Director retainers | Not applicable to Ms. Stahlkopf (not a chair/lead) | Chair retainers: Audit/Nuclear $25,000; other committees $20,000; Lead Director $40,000 |
| Meeting fees | None; meeting fees eliminated beginning in 2023 | |
| Deferral elections | Directors may defer cash/equity; specific 2024 deferrals noted for other directors (no deferral for Ms. Stahlkopf indicated) |
Director compensation was not increased from 2023 levels .
Performance Compensation (Director Equity Mechanics)
| Award Type | Grant Date | Shares / Value | Vesting/Transferability | Dividend Treatment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Common stock (annual director grant) | Feb 15, 2024 | 3,240 shares; $185,555 fair value ($57.27/share) | Shares generally not transferable until director meets stock ownership guidelines | Dividends paid in cash; if deferred, credited to the deferred account |
| Common stock (annual director grant) | Feb 13, 2025 | 2,700 shares for each non‑employee director (based on $185,000 ÷ price) | Same ownership guideline transferability limits | Cash/credited as above |
Note: Director equity awards are not performance‑conditioned (no PSU metrics); they are annual common stock grants structured for ownership alignment .
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Category | Detail |
|---|---|
| Current public company boards | None disclosed for Ms. Stahlkopf |
| Committee roles at other companies | Not disclosed |
| Interlocks with NEE competitors/suppliers/customers | None disclosed; Related Person Transactions section does not identify transactions involving Ms. Stahlkopf |
| Notable board relationships flagged by NEE | NEE disclosed a family employment relationship for another director (Camaren), but not for Ms. Stahlkopf |
Expertise & Qualifications
- Legal strategy across IP, privacy/security, internet governance, cross‑border data, geopolitics, and public policy; extensive labor and employment expertise—relevant to Audit oversight of compliance, cyber, and AI risk .
- Senior leadership experience at global technology firms (Cisco, Microsoft), adding technology and governance skills to the Board .
- Education: JD (University of Arizona); MA (Duke); BA (University of Washington) .
Equity Ownership
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Shares owned | 7,490 shares (beneficially owned) as of March 25, 2025 |
| Shares acquirable within 60 days | 0 |
| Total beneficial ownership | 7,490 |
| Phantom/deferred shares | 0 (none reported) |
| Pledged shares | None; NEE discloses no shares are pledged by directors/executives as a group |
| Director ownership guideline | 7× the annual cash retainer within 6 years of joining the Board |
| Compliance status | As of March 25, 2025, all directors except Ms. Henry (joined 2023), Ms. Stahlkopf (joined 2023), and Mr. Martha (joined 2024) meet the guideline (i.e., Ms. Stahlkopf is within the six‑year compliance window) |
Governance Assessment
- Independence and oversight: Independent director since 2023 with 100% attendance in 2024; serves on both Audit and Compensation—key gatekeeper committees for financial reporting, risk, and pay practices .
- Skill alignment: Her technology, privacy/cyber, and policy expertise is well‑matched to the Audit Committee’s expanded mandate to oversee AI risk (charter amended Feb 2025) and ongoing cybersecurity oversight .
- Ownership alignment: Received standardized director equity grants; required to reach ownership equal to 7× cash retainer within six years; not yet at guideline as a 2023 appointee, which is typical early‑tenure .
- Conflicts and related‑party exposure: No related‑party transactions involving Ms. Stahlkopf disclosed; Board concluded she is independent; policy prohibits hedging/short sales/margin accounts .
Director Compensation (Detail for 2024)
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Fees earned or paid in cash | $145,000 |
| Stock awards (grant date fair value) | $185,555 |
| Options / Non‑equity incentive comp / Pension changes / Other comp | $0 / $0 / $0 / $0 |
| Total | $330,555 |
Structural notes: 2025 retainers remain $145,000 cash plus $185,000 equity (share count varies with grant‑date price); no meeting fees; chair and lead retainers as specified; deferral program available .