Sherry Aaholm
About Sherry Aaholm
Sherry A. Aaholm, age 62, has served as an independent director of nVent Electric plc since 2023. She is the retired Vice President and Chief Digital Officer of Cummins (2021–2024), previously Cummins CIO (2013–2021), and earlier EVP, Information Technology at FedEx Services (1999–2012). She holds a graduate/master’s degree in sustainability (University of Wisconsin) and brings deep expertise in mission‑critical IT, cybersecurity, digital/IoT, and sustainability to nVent’s board .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cummins, Inc. | VP & Chief Digital Officer | 2021–2024 | Led digital transformation; extensive cybersecurity oversight and standards implementation . |
| Cummins, Inc. | Vice President – Chief Information Officer | 2013–2021 | Oversaw mission‑critical information systems; technology and cyber risk management . |
| FedEx Services | Executive Vice President, Information Technology | 1999–2012 | Enterprise IT leadership; operations, logistics tech enablement . |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Old Dominion Freight Line, Inc. | Director | Since 2018 | Public company directorship disclosed in NVT proxy; committee roles not disclosed there . |
Board Governance
- Committee assignments at nVent: Audit and Finance Committee member; Committee chaired by Herbert K. Parker; members determined independent under SEC/NYSE rules .
- Independence: Board determined Ms. Aaholm is independent (all non‑employee directors are independent except the CEO). Independence review considered her role at Cummins; transactions with Cummins were below NYSE thresholds and did not impede independent judgment .
- Attendance and engagement: Board held 5 meetings in 2024; Audit & Finance 8; average director meeting attendance was 100%, and all directors attended at least 75% of meetings; directors also engaged in shareholder outreach (directors participated in 100% of fall 2024 outreach calls) .
Fixed Compensation
| Component | 2024 Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Board Annual Cash Retainer | $85,000 | Paid quarterly; increased to $90,000 for 2025 . |
| Audit & Finance Committee Membership Retainer | $12,500 | Applies to members; she is a member . |
| Meeting Fees | $0 | Directors do not receive meeting fees . |
| Cash Fees Earned (Aaholm) | $97,500 | 2024 fees earned in cash . |
Performance Compensation
| Component | Grant Value | Vesting | Performance Metrics |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual RSU grant (2024) | $150,019 | Generally vests one year after grant date | None (time‑based; not performance‑based) . |
| Annual RSU grant (2025 policy) | $160,000 | One-year vest typical for directors | None (policy change effective with 2025 grants) . |
| Stock Options (director program) | — | Not granted to non‑employee directors (legacy converted options exist only for another director) | N/A . |
Performance metric table (director compensation): nVent does not tie director pay to revenue/EBITDA/TSR metrics; director equity is time‑vested RSUs. No performance metrics apply to director compensation .
Other Directorships & Interlocks
- Current public board: Old Dominion Freight Line (since 2018) .
- Independence/interlocks review: Board reviewed relationships for independence; Cummins relationship noted, with sales/purchases below the greater of $1 million or 2% of the other company’s revenues in 2022–2024; no impediment to independent judgment .
- Related party transactions: Company reports no related person transactions in 2023 and none currently proposed .
Expertise & Qualifications
- Cybersecurity oversight experience (policy, governance, risk management; third‑party security assessments) .
- Sustainability expertise and graduate degree (University of Wisconsin); advocates diversity and sustainability programs .
- Innovation/digital/technology, operations/manufacturing, international business, M&A; skills matrix highlights cybersecurity, sustainability, strategy, risk management, operations .
Equity Ownership
| Category | Amount | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| Ordinary shares owned | 1,968 | As of March 19, 2025 . |
| Right to acquire within 60 days | 1,875 | Reflects RSUs imminently vesting . |
| Total beneficial ownership | 3,843 | Sum of ordinary and rights to acquire . |
| Ownership % of class | Not reported (<1%) | Individual percentages not shown; group (16) at 1.8% . |
| Unvested RSUs (12/31/2024) | 1,875 | As of year‑end 2024 . |
| Stock ownership guideline status | Not yet met | Directors must hold 5x board retainer within 5 years; Aaholm elected in 2023 and is on track . |
| Hedging/pledging | Prohibited | Company anti‑hedging/anti‑pledging policy applies; exchange funds permitted for non‑management directors but not employees . |
Insider trades (disclosed)
- Form 4 filed May 16, 2025 for Aaholm Sherry A (Statement of changes in beneficial ownership) .
- Reporting owner listing shows Aaholm with 3,111 directly owned shares as of May 19, 2025 (post‑transaction holdings snapshot) .
Governance Assessment
- Board effectiveness: Aaholm strengthens audit oversight with deep IT/cyber risk experience; Audit & Finance committee members are financially literate and chaired by an SEC “audit committee financial expert” (Parker), supporting robust controls and risk oversight including AI/cyber .
- Independence & conflicts: Independence affirmed; Cummins relationship reviewed and below materiality thresholds; no related‑party transactions reported—low conflict risk .
- Engagement & attendance: Board/committee cadence (5 board, 8 audit) with 100% average attendance and active director involvement in shareholder outreach enhances investor confidence .
- Compensation alignment: Director pay is modest and largely equity‑aligned via time‑vested RSUs; 2025 modest increases (cash retainer to $90k; RSU to $160k) are within typical governance practices; no meeting fees or options, reducing pay‑related risk .
- Ownership alignment: She is progressing toward the 5x retainer guideline (on‑track within five years), has unvested RSUs, and is subject to anti‑hedging/pledging—alignment improving with tenure .
- Signals: Executive say‑on‑pay support was high at ~97% in 2024, reflecting broader shareholder confidence in compensation governance; while not directly about directors, it indicates stability in governance structures Aaholm participates in .
- Red flags: None evident specific to Aaholm; note only that ownership guideline not yet met due to 2023 election, which is consistent with policy timelines .