C. William Griffin
About C. William Griffin
C. William (“Bill”) Griffin, age 74, is an independent Class II director at New Fortress Energy (NFE), serving since January 2019 with his current term expiring at the 2027 annual meeting; he has more than 45 years of financial services experience, currently serving as Executive Chairman of ServiceMac, a privately held mortgage sub-servicer, and holds a BBA from the University of Georgia . The Board has affirmatively determined Mr. Griffin is independent under Nasdaq standards .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| ServiceLink, LLC | Executive Vice President, Enterprise Strategy | Jan 2017 – mid‑2019 | Delivered end‑to‑end solutions to large financial institutions |
| Black Knight Financial Services | Executive Vice President | Jan 2014 – Dec 2016 | Senior leadership at major mortgage/fintech services provider |
| Lender Processing Services | EVP, Sales & Marketing | Nov 2011 – Dec 2013 | Commercial leadership at mortgage tech/services firm |
| Lender Processing Services | President & CEO | 2002 – 2003 | Led firm at time of acquisition by Fidelity National Financial |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| ServiceMac | Executive Chairman | Current | Private company (mortgage sub‑servicing) |
Board Governance
- Independence: Board determined Griffin qualifies as an independent director .
- Classification: Class II director; term expires at the 2027 annual meeting .
- Attendance: In 2024, the Board held nine meetings; no director attended fewer than 75% of Board and committee meetings; Audit met four times, Compensation met once, Regulatory Compliance met four times .
- Board leadership: CEO also serves as Chair; Company has no Lead Independent Director, though an independent director may preside over executive sessions .
| Committee | Role | Chair? | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Audit Committee | Member | No (Chair: Katherine E. Wanner) | Committee has an SEC-defined “financial expert” (Wanner); Griffin affirmed independent |
| Compensation Committee | Member | Not specified | As of Oct 1, 2024, fully independent (Grain, Griffin, Jay) |
Fixed Compensation
| Year | Annual Cash Retainer ($) | Committee Chair Fee ($) | Equity Grants | Total ($) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 100,000 | 0 (Audit chair fee $10k applicable to Wanner, not Griffin) | None; directors held no unvested equity as of 12/31/24 | 100,000 |
Performance Compensation
| Element | Detail |
|---|---|
| Equity / Options | None for non‑employee directors in 2024; no unvested awards outstanding |
| Performance Metrics | Not applicable to director pay (Company cites Adjusted EBITDA and Net Income in pay‑versus‑performance for executives) |
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Company | Role | Committees |
|---|---|---|
| No other public company directorships disclosed in NFE proxy for Griffin | N/A | N/A |
Additional committee interlocks disclosure: “Compensation Committee Interlocks and Insider Participation: None” .
Expertise & Qualifications
- 45+ years in financial services, including senior leadership in mortgage servicing/technology (ServiceMac, ServiceLink, Black Knight, Lender Processing Services) .
- Education: BBA, University of Georgia .
- Brings leadership and extensive financial experience; Board cites his background as adding significant value .
Equity Ownership
| Holder | Shares Beneficially Owned | % of Class | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| C. William Griffin | 344,805 | <1.0% | Beneficial ownership includes shares convertible/exercisable within 60 days; directors had no unvested equity at 12/31/24 |
Policy context:
- Hedging/pledging: Insider trading policy prohibits hedging, margining or pledging of Company securities by insiders (including directors), subject to limited exceptions with prior approval .
Governance Assessment
- Committee assignments: Griffin serves on both Audit (with an independent chair and financial expert) and Compensation Committees; both committees are fully independent, supporting governance quality and oversight .
- Independence & engagement: Affirmed independent; 2024 attendance met ≥75% threshold; Audit Committee holds executive sessions during the year, enhancing oversight .
- Director pay structure: Cash-only retainer with no director equity grants in 2024; while simple, this reduces automatic equity alignment relative to peers; Griffin’s personal share ownership mitigates alignment concerns .
- Shareholder signals: 2024 Say‑on‑Pay for executives passed with ~99.5% support, indicating strong investor confidence in compensation governance (contextual to overall governance climate) .
- Related‑party exposure: No Griffin‑specific related‑party transactions disclosed; broader related‑party transactions largely involve founder‑affiliated entities (FIG LLC, FEP Holdco, aircraft charter, leases), subject to independent director review policies .
Red flags and watch items:
- Absence of a Lead Independent Director under a combined CEO/Chair structure; monitor effectiveness of executive sessions and committee oversight .
- Founder Entities retain designation and registration rights per the Shareholders’ Agreement; while NFE ceased being a “controlled company” in Oct 2024, founder influence remains a structural consideration for board independence and refreshment .
- Directors did not attend the 2024 annual meeting (no attendance policy); not a standalone red flag but notable for investor engagement optics .
Overall, Griffin’s independence, committee roles on Audit and Compensation, and substantial financial-services background support board effectiveness; alignment is primarily via personal share ownership given the cash-only director pay structure .