Alan Lowe
QorvoAbout Alan S. Lowe
Alan S. Lowe (age 63) joined Qorvo’s Board in November 2024 and is an independent director serving on the Compensation Committee. He is the former President and CEO of Lumentum Holdings (2015–Feb 2025) with prior senior leadership roles at Viavi Solutions, Asyst Technologies, and Read‑Rite Corporation, bringing extensive optics, telecom, and semiconductor automation expertise .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lumentum Holdings Inc. | President & CEO | Jul 2015 – Feb 2025 | Led strategic transformation and operations of optical components company |
| Viavi Solutions Inc. (formerly JDSU) | SVP, Lasers; EVP & President, communications & commercial optical products | Sep 2007 – 2015 | Led optical products franchise and business unit execution |
| Asyst Technologies, Inc. | SVP, Customer Solutions Group | Prior to 2007 | Focused on automation of semiconductor and FPD fabs |
| Read‑Rite Corporation | President & CEO | 2000 – 2003 | Managed thin‑film recording heads manufacturer |
| Read‑Rite Corporation | President & COO; SVP, Customer Business Units | 1989 – 2000 | Progressive P&L leadership and customer management |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lumentum Holdings Inc. | Director (public company directorship) | Current (disclosed as of 2025 proxy) | Not disclosed in QRVO proxy |
Board Governance
- Independence: The Board determined Lowe satisfies Nasdaq “independent director” standards; all three standing committees comprise independent directors .
- Committee assignments: Compensation Committee member (current members: Rhines–Chair, Clemmer, Lowe, Spradley) .
- Attendance and engagement: All directors then in office attended the 2024 annual meeting; in FY2025, all directors attended at least 75% of aggregate Board/committee meetings (Board 15, Audit 7, Compensation 8, Governance & Nominating 9) .
- Executive sessions: Independent directors met in executive session at all regularly scheduled Board meetings .
- Lead Independent Director: Chair of the Board Walden C. Rhines serves as Lead Independent Director and presides over executive sessions .
Fixed Compensation
| Component | FY2025 Details | Vest/Schedule |
|---|---|---|
| Cash fees (pro‑rated) | $36,916 (Alan Lowe) | Standard annual retainers: Board $95,000; Chair of Board $110,000; Audit Chair $30,000; Compensation Chair $20,000; Governance Chair $15,000 |
| Stock awards (RSUs) | $169,544 grant‑date fair value (Alan Lowe) | Director RSUs vest on the earlier of one year from grant or the day before the first annual meeting after grant, subject to service |
| RSUs granted (units) | 2,410 units (Alan Lowe) | As above (service‑based vesting) |
Performance Compensation
| Component | Performance Metric | FY2025 Treatment |
|---|---|---|
| Equity awards (non‑employee directors) | None disclosed; director grants are service‑based RSUs | Director RSUs vest with time; no performance metrics disclosed for director equity |
Other Directorships & Interlocks
- Current public company board: Lumentum Holdings Inc. .
- Related‑party transactions: Qorvo reported no related‑person transactions requiring disclosure since March 30, 2024, and the Governance & Nominating Committee oversees conflicts per policy .
- Hedging/pledging: Company policy prohibits directors from hedging or pledging Qorvo securities .
Expertise & Qualifications
- Telecom/optics operations and strategy expertise from CEO tenure at Lumentum and senior leadership at Viavi; semiconductor automation understanding via Asyst .
- Broad P&L, product development and customer solutions background across communications hardware ecosystems .
- Relevant for QRVO’s end markets (wireless/optical ecosystem familiarity) and compensation oversight (Compensation Committee service) .
Equity Ownership
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Beneficial ownership (as of May 30, 2025) | “–” (no shares beneficially owned; under 1%) |
| Outstanding director RSUs | 2,410 units (granted FY2025) |
| Shares pledged as collateral | None; company states no directors/officers have pledged Qorvo stock |
| Ownership guidelines | Directors must own shares equal to 5x annual cash retainer within 5 years of first becoming a director |
| Hedging/pledging policy | Hedging and pledging prohibited for directors |
Governance Assessment
- Strengths:
- Independent status, with no related‑party transactions disclosed; Compensation Committee fully independent and uses an independent consultant (Compensia) with no conflicts in FY2025 .
- Strong board processes: majority independent directors, annual elections, robust ownership guidelines (directors: 5x retainer), executive sessions at every regular meeting, and anti‑hedging/pledging policy .
- Director equity awards capped ($750k total value including cash in any 12 months) and no option/SAR repricing without stockholder approval—limits pay inflation and prevents shareholder‑unfriendly practices .
- Potential concerns/monitoring points:
- RED FLAG: No beneficial ownership reported as of May 30, 2025 (newly appointed in Nov 2024), implying early in 5‑year guideline window; monitor progress toward ownership guideline for alignment .
- External role at Lumentum (optical components) warrants routine conflict screening for any prospective commercial ties; Board reaffirmed independence and reported no related‑person transactions, mitigating current conflict risk .
- As a Compensation Committee member, alignment with shareholder perspectives should continue to be evidenced through director equity being service‑based and adherence to anti‑hedging/pledging and clawback frameworks .