Maria G. Henry
NEXTERA ENERGYAbout Maria G. Henry
Independent director at NextEra Energy, Inc. since 2023; age 58. Former CFO of Kimberly‑Clark (2015–2022, senior advisor until retirement in Sept 2022). Holds a BS in Finance from the University of Maryland. Currently serves on NEE’s Audit and Finance & Investment Committees; independence affirmed by the Board under NYSE standards .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kimberly‑Clark Corp. | Chief Financial Officer; later EVP & Senior Advisor | CFO Apr 2015–Apr 2022; Advisor Apr–Sept 2022 | Oversight of finance, treasury, IR, strategy, real estate, accounting; experience overseeing IT and cyber risk |
| Hillshire Brands (formerly Sara Lee) | EVP & CFO; CFO North American Retail & Foodservice | 2011–2014 | Senior finance leadership across consumer/manufacturing businesses |
| Clayton, Dubilier & Rice portfolio cos. (incl. Culligan Int’l) | Senior leadership in finance & strategy; CFO of Culligan | Prior to 2011 | PE-backed operating finance roles |
| General Electric | Early career in finance | Not disclosed | Foundational finance experience |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| General Mills, Inc. | Board Director | Since 2016 | Public company board service |
| NIKE, Inc. | Board Director | Since May 2023 | Public company board service |
Board Governance
- Committee memberships: Audit; Finance & Investment
- Independence: Board determined Maria Henry is independent (among 11 non‑employee directors)
- Attendance: Board met 6x in 2024; all current directors attended 100% of Board and their assigned committee meetings. Audit Committee held 8 meetings; Finance & Investment held 9 .
- Board leadership: Independent Lead Director; regular executive sessions at each Board meeting; committee executive sessions after each scheduled meeting .
- Risk oversight: Audit Committee oversees financial reporting, compliance, risk management; in Feb 2025 Charter amended to include oversight of AI risks and developments .
- Director time commitments: Governance Guidelines amended in Oct 2024 to expressly address director time commitments annually .
Fixed Compensation
| Component | Amount (2024) | Detail/Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Annual cash retainer | $145,000 | Effective 1/1/2025 schedule confirms retainer; no increase from 2023 levels |
| Equity retainer (annual grant) | $185,555 | 3,240 shares granted on Feb 15, 2024 at $57.27 per share |
| Meeting fees | $0 | Eliminated beginning in 2023 |
| Committee chair fees | N/A | Audit/Nuclear $25,000; other committees $20,000; Henry not listed as chair |
| Total 2024 director comp | $330,555 | Sum of cash + equity for Maria G. Henry |
Performance Compensation
| Performance Metric | Applicable to Director Pay? | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Financial/Operational targets | No | Non‑employee director compensation consists of cash retainers and time‑based stock grants; no performance metrics apply |
Other Directorships & Interlocks
- Current public boards: General Mills; NIKE .
- Interlocks/related parties: No related‑person transaction disclosures involving Maria Henry; related persons noted elsewhere (e.g., Camaren’s family employment) do not implicate Henry .
- Consultant conflicts: FW Cook engaged as independent comp consultant; independence affirmed; no conflicts indicated (executive comp context) .
Expertise & Qualifications
- Deep finance and strategy leadership across global public and PE‑backed companies; oversight of finance, treasury, IR, strategy, and accounting .
- Experience overseeing IT and cyber risk—aligned with Audit Committee charter expansion to AI oversight .
- Industry exposure across consumer, technology, manufacturing, distribution .
Equity Ownership
| Metric (as of March 25, 2025) | Value |
|---|---|
| Shares owned | 6,930 |
| Shares acquirable within 60 days | 0 |
| Total beneficial ownership | 6,930 |
| Phantom/deferred shares | 0 |
| Ownership as % of shares outstanding | <1% (directors and officers as a group <1%) |
| Hedging/Pledging | Prohibited by Trading Policy |
| Director ownership guideline | 7x annual cash retainer; within 6 years of initial election |
| Compliance status | Not yet met (new director in 2023; allowed time to comply) |
Insider Trades (NEE equity awards and reported grants)
| Date | Transaction | Shares | Price/share | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 12, 2023 | Director stock award (grant) | 3,240 | $0.00 (award) | MarketWatch profile indicating award date/volume |
| Feb 15, 2024 | Annual director stock grant | 3,240 | $57.27 | NEE 2025 Proxy director equity grant detail |
| Feb 13, 2025 | Annual director stock grant | 2,700 | $0.00 (award) | NEE director compensation & 2025 grant shares |
Note: Beneficial ownership totals reflect shares held as of March 25, 2025; awards are subject to standard director grant schedules and transfer restrictions until ownership guideline is met .
Governance Assessment
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Strengths
- Independence affirmed; dual committee service in Audit and Finance & Investment supports robust oversight of financial reporting, risk, capital allocation .
- Perfect attendance in 2024 across Board and committee meetings (all directors) enhances board effectiveness .
- Relevant expertise includes CFO experience and oversight of IT/cyber risk; Audit Committee charter expanded to AI oversight, aligning with skillset .
- Ownership alignment: holds NEE equity; hedging and pledging prohibited; director ownership guideline in place (7x cash retainer) .
-
Watch items / potential investor confidence considerations
- Multi‑board service (NIKE, General Mills) increases time‑commitment demands; Governance Guidelines now require annual review of director time commitments (positive mitigating control) .
- Ownership guideline not yet met (new director; six‑year compliance window); monitor progression toward guideline to strengthen alignment .
- No related‑party transactions disclosed for Henry; continue to monitor interlocks and supplier/customer relationships given NEE’s broad operations .
-
Compensation structure signals
- Director cash retainer and equity retainer unchanged from 2023—no pay inflation signal; equity grants are time‑based, not performance‑linked .
- No meeting fees; chair premia exist but not applicable to Henry—comp structure is standard for large‑cap utilities .
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Overall: Maria Henry’s independent status, committee assignments (Audit; Finance & Investment), and 100% attendance support board effectiveness. Her finance and risk oversight background aligns with NEE’s expanded Audit remit (AI/cyber). Time‑commitment oversight and ownership progress should be tracked, but no conflicts or red flags are disclosed in the proxy .