Danita Ostling
About Danita K. Ostling
Danita K. Ostling, age 64, is an independent director of nVent Electric plc (NVT) since 2022 and serves on the Audit and Finance Committee; the Board designates her as an “audit committee financial expert.” Her background includes 32 years at Ernst & Young LLP with senior leadership in professional practice (U.S. East Region Professional Practice Director 2015–2021; prior Deputy Director, Global Assurance Professional Practice – Accounting, London), plus leadership roles at Citigroup and the Financial Accounting Standards Board. She also serves as a director at Dover Corporation (since 2023) and at Circle Internet Financial Limited (since 2021), and brings explicit experience in cybersecurity policy/governance and incident oversight to the Board.
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ernst & Young LLP (EY) | Partner; Professional Practice Director, U.S. East Region | 2015–2021 (Director role; EY career spanned 32 years) | Led complex accounting/audit consultations; standards and risk oversight |
| Ernst & Young LLP (EY) | Deputy Director, Global Assurance Professional Practice – Accounting (London) | Prior 8 years before 2015 (within 32-year EY career) | Global technical accounting leadership; complex issues advisory |
| Citigroup, Inc. | Leadership roles (accounting/finance) | Not specified | Regulatory and accounting policy exposure |
| Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) | Leadership roles | Not specified | Standard-setting perspective; accounting policy expertise |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Start | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dover Corporation (NYSE: DOV) | Director | 2023 | Public company board service |
| Circle Internet Financial Limited | Director | 2021 | Global financial technology firm (private) |
Board Governance
- Independence: The Board affirmatively determined Ms. Ostling (and all non-employee directors) are independent under NYSE standards and nVent’s categorical standards.
- Committee assignments and expertise: Member, Audit and Finance Committee; Board determined that each member is independent and that Ms. Ostling qualifies as an “audit committee financial expert.”
- Meeting cadence and attendance: 2024 meetings held—Board: 5; Audit & Finance Committee: 8. All directors attended at least 75% of meetings; the Board reported a 100% average attendance, and all directors attended the 2024 AGM.
| Governance Area | Detail |
|---|---|
| Independence status | Independent director (Board-affirmed) |
| Committee(s) | Audit & Finance (member) |
| Financial expert designation | Audit committee financial expert (Board determination) |
| 2024 Board meetings | 5 meetings held |
| 2024 Audit & Finance meetings | 8 meetings held |
| 2024 attendance | All directors ≥75%; Board average 100% |
| AGM attendance | All directors attended 2024 AGM |
Fixed Compensation
| Component | 2024 Policy/Amount | 2025 Update |
|---|---|---|
| Board annual cash retainer | $85,000 | Increased to $90,000 (approved December 2024) |
| Audit & Finance Committee member retainer | $12,500 | Not changed in disclosure |
| Meeting fees | None (no attendance fees) | No change disclosed |
| Lead Director premium (context) | $30,000 (not applicable to Ostling) | No change disclosed |
| Director-Specific Cash in 2024 | Amount |
|---|---|
| Fees Earned or Paid in Cash – Danita K. Ostling | $97,500 (Board retainer + Audit & Finance member retainer) |
Performance Compensation
| Equity Element | 2024 Policy/Grant | Vesting/Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Annual equity grant (RSUs) | $150,000 grant-date fair value (time-based RSUs) | Generally vest one year after grant; dividend equivalent units accrued and paid at vest |
| Options | Not granted to non-employee directors; only legacy options noted for one director (Burris) | N/A |
| Director-Specific Equity in 2024 | Amount/Units |
|---|---|
| Stock Awards – Danita K. Ostling (grant-date fair value) | $150,019 |
| Unvested RSUs outstanding as of 12/31/2024 | 1,875 units |
There are no performance-conditioned director awards (no PSU metrics for directors); director equity is time-vested RSUs.
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Company | Relationship to nVent | Interlock/Transaction Disclosed |
|---|---|---|
| Dover Corporation | None disclosed | None disclosed; independence affirmed by Board |
| Circle Internet Financial Limited | None disclosed | None disclosed |
- Related person transactions: The company reported no related person transactions during 2023 and none proposed; the Governance & Sustainability Committee oversees a formal related-party policy.
Expertise & Qualifications
- Accounting and audit expert with decades advising large global companies on complex accounting, auditing, risk, regulatory and securities matters; former EY professional practice leader.
- Audit committee financial expert designation by the Board.
- Cybersecurity oversight experience (policy/governance, risk management, control evaluation, incident management), supporting Board oversight of cyber and AI risk.
- Multinational and standards-setting perspective via FASB/Citigroup roles; public company board experience at Dover.
Equity Ownership
| Ownership Detail | Amount |
|---|---|
| Ordinary shares owned (beneficial) | 4,505 |
| Right to acquire within 60 days (e.g., vesting equity/options) | 1,875 |
| Total counted in beneficial ownership table | 6,380 |
| Shares pledged | Prohibited by anti-hedging/anti-pledging policy |
| Director ownership guideline | 5x annual Board retainer within 5 years |
| Compliance status (as of 12/31/2024) | All directors met guideline except Ms. Aaholm; thus Ms. Ostling met guideline |
Governance Assessment
-
Strengths for investor confidence:
- Independent director, Audit & Finance Committee member, and Board-designated audit committee financial expert—supports robust financial oversight.
- Strong engagement indicators: Board average attendance 100%; all directors ≥75% and attended the 2024 AGM.
- Ownership alignment: time-based RSU grants; director stock ownership guideline of 5x retainer met by Ms. Ostling; anti-hedging/anti-pledging policy in place.
- Transparent, modest director pay structure (no meeting fees; cash retainer + committee retainer + RSUs).
- No related-party transactions disclosed; formal policy and committee oversight to prevent conflicts.
- Broader shareholder alignment signal: 2024 Say-on-Pay support ~97% (while executive-focused, it reflects compensation governance credibility).
-
Watch items:
- External board service at Dover and Circle noted but Board confirms independence; no interlocks/transactions disclosed. Continue routine monitoring for potential future related-party exposure.
-
RED FLAGS
- None disclosed in the proxy related to Ms. Ostling: no attendance shortfalls, no related-party transactions, no hedging/pledging, no option repricing, and ownership guideline met.