Stacy Polley
About Stacy Polley
Independent Class III director at Blue Owl Capital Inc. since May 2021; age 56. Senior advisor to Blackstone Inc. (since March 2022), and former Goldman Sachs partner with 25+ years in finance and commercial leadership (1994–2019). Education: BS in Finance and MIS (SUNY Albany) and MBA in Finance (Wharton). Core credentials include audit oversight and client standards leadership; currently serves on Blue Owl’s Audit Committee.
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blackstone Inc. | Senior Advisor | Mar 2022 – Present | Advisory role to a major alternative asset manager |
| Goldman Sachs | Partner; Global Head of Client Relationship Management & Strategy | Aug 1994 – Mar 2019; Head role Sept 2014 – Dec 2018 | Partnership Committee (2008–2016); Founding member of Client and Business Standards Committee; Co-Chair (Securities Division CBSC 2008–2015); Americas Diversity Committee (2012–2015) |
| EY | Consultant, Information Technology Practice | Aug 1989 – Jul 1992 | IT consulting foundation |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| HighPost Capital | Board Advisor | Nov 2019 – Present | Consumer-focused growth equity firm |
| New York City Center | Board Member | Sep 2012 – Present | Non-profit arts institution |
Board Governance
- Director class and tenure: Class III; director since May 2021; independent per NYSE standards .
- Committee memberships: Audit Committee member; Audit Committee chaired by Claudia Holz .
- Attendance and engagement: Board held 9 meetings and Audit Committee held 10 in 2024; all directors attended at least 75% of meetings; all directors attended the 2024 Annual Meeting .
- Independence status: Board determined Polley is independent; firm is a controlled company (Principals hold 80% voting power), exempt from certain NYSE governance requirements (e.g., majority independent board; independent compensation committee) .
- Executive sessions: Board holds sessions where independent directors meet without management .
Fixed Compensation
| Component (Director) | Amount | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| Annual cash retainer | $150,000 | Standard independent director cash retainer |
| Audit Committee member retainer | $25,000 | Additional cash for committee service (non-chair) |
| Total cash fees (2024) | $175,000 | As disclosed for Polley |
| Annual RSU grant | $200,000 | Increased from $100,000 to $200,000 effective Apr 23, 2024; 10,887 RSUs granted May 9, 2024 vest May 15, 2025 |
| 2024 RSU grant fair value | $192,809 | ASC 718 grant-date fair value |
| 2024 Director total | $367,809 | Fees + stock awards for Polley |
Performance Compensation
| Metric | Structure | Disclosure |
|---|---|---|
| Director equity | Time-based RSUs | Annual RSUs vest fully in the year following grant, subject to continued service; no performance metrics tied to director pay |
Other Directorships & Interlocks
- Senior Advisor to Blackstone Inc.; Blue Owl operates in alternative asset management where Blackstone is a major peer—potential information-flow interlock to monitor for conflicts in deal flow or strategic initiatives (no specific related-party transaction disclosed with Polley) .
- Board advisor at HighPost Capital and trustee at New York City Center .
Expertise & Qualifications
- Finance and risk oversight: Audit committee member; long tenure in financial services .
- Client standards and ethics: Founding member and co-chair roles on Goldman Sachs’ Client and Business Standards Committee post-financial crisis .
- Diversity and leadership: Service on Goldman’s Americas Diversity Committee .
- Degrees: BS (Finance/MIS) and MBA (Wharton) .
Equity Ownership
| Item | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Class A Shares beneficially owned | 38,575 | Includes 27,688 directly held and 10,887 to be received upon vesting on May 15, 2025 |
| Unvested RSUs (as of 12/31/2024) | 10,887 | Director annual grant vesting in 2025 |
| % of Class A outstanding | ~0.0062% | 38,575 / 625,652,391 Class A Shares outstanding at Record Date |
| Pledges | None disclosed | No pledge footnote for Polley; pledge disclosures apply to certain executives elsewhere |
Insider Trades (Form 4)
| Filing Date | Transaction Date | Type | Security | Shares Transacted | Post-Transaction Ownership | Price | Link |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-05-09 | 2025-05-08 | A (Award) | Class A Shares | 10,905 | 49,480 | $0 | https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1823945/000095017025068075/0000950170-25-068075-index.htm |
| 2024-05-13 | 2024-05-09 | A (Award) | Class A Shares | 10,887 | 38,575 | $0 | https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1823945/000095017024058712/0000950170-24-058712-index.htm |
| 2023-05-15 | 2023-05-11 | A (Award) | Class A Shares | 9,485 | 27,688 | $0 | https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1823945/000089924323012922/0000899243-23-012922-index.htm |
Governance Assessment
- Positives
- Independent director with deep finance and risk credentials; active Audit Committee participation supports financial reporting and cybersecurity oversight .
- Strong attendance record across Board and committee meetings; presence at the Annual Meeting indicates engagement .
- Director equity grants (time-based RSUs) support alignment; incremental increase to $200,000 annual RSU in 2024 enhances ownership mix .
- Insider Trading Policy prohibits hedging/shorting; pledging only with audit committee approval; firm-wide clawback policy compliant with NYSE Section 10D .
- Watch items / RED FLAGS
- Controlled company status: Principals retain 80% voting power, reducing independent oversight leverage (no independent compensation committee; no nominating committee) .
- Senior advisor role at Blackstone (peer in alternatives): monitor for potential conflicts or related-party exposure; none disclosed specific to Polley, but adjacency warrants scrutiny in GP stakes or acquisitions .
- Independent directors may invest in firm products; Polley invested $129,919 alongside funds—allowed within thresholds, but ongoing monitoring advisable for conflicts or preferential terms .
Attendance and Say-on-Pay context: Board (9) and Audit Committee (10) meetings in 2024; ≥75% attendance by all directors; firm conducts say-on-pay every three years; majority support in 2022, with next vote on 2024 NEO pay at 2025 Annual Meeting .
Director compensation structure (2024): Cash fees $175,000; RSU grant fair value $192,809; total $367,809 for Polley, consistent with increased equity retainer for alignment .
Committee focus: Audit Committee charter includes financial reporting oversight, regulatory examination review, code of conduct and cybersecurity risk—Polley’s committee role is central to investor confidence on controls .