Kareem Yusuf
RESIDEO TECHNOLOGIESAbout Kareem Yusuf
Dr. Kareem Yusuf, 53, has served as an independent director of Resideo since 2021. He is a senior IBM executive with more than 25 years of leadership across AI-enabled software, IoT, sustainability solutions, product management, and M&A, and holds a B.S. in Civil Engineering (University of Berlin), an M.S. in Structural Engineering (University of Manchester), and a Ph.D. in Civil Engineering (University of Leeds). He currently serves as Senior Vice President, Ecosystem, Strategic Partners & Initiatives in IBM’s Software unit and previously led IBM Sustainability Software and Watson IoT—credentials that align directly with Resideo’s technology and product roadmap.
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| IBM Software (International Business Machines) | SVP, Ecosystem, Strategic Partners & Initiatives | 2025–present | Leads IBM’s mission to expand partnerships and scale new business; responsible for global ecosystem strategy |
| IBM | SVP, Product Management and Growth | 2023–2024 | Oversaw product portfolio strategy and growth initiatives |
| IBM Sustainability Software | General Manager | 2020–2023 | Led sustainability initiative; responsible for Corporate Environmental Affairs and IBM’s global sustainability performance |
| IBM Watson IoT | General Manager | 2018–2020 | Led IoT platform/business for enterprise operations |
| IBM Watson Customer Engagement | Chief Product Officer & Chief Technology Officer | 2016–2018 | Product/technology leadership across SaaS operations |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| IBM | Senior executive (multiple roles culminating in SVP) | 1998–present | AI/Software, IoT, sustainability leadership; author of “Enterprise Messaging Using JMS and IBM WebSphere” |
| Other public company boards | — | — | None |
Board Governance
- Independence: The Board determined all non-employee directors, including Dr. Yusuf, are independent under NYSE standards and Company guidelines.
- Committee assignments (2024): Compensation & Human Capital Management (member); Innovation & Technology (member).
- Committee purview: CHCM oversees CEO/NEO pay, equity usage, stock ownership guidelines, talent/human capital; I&T oversees major tech strategy, product/solution roadmaps, and platform investments—areas where Dr. Yusuf’s AI/IoT and sustainability expertise are directly relevant.
- Board/committee activity levels (2024): Board 8 meetings; Audit 7; CHCM 6; Nominating & Governance 7; Finance 13; Innovation & Technology 5.
- Attendance: Each director attended at least 75% of Board/committee meetings in 2024.
- Board structure: Independent Chairman; all committees composed entirely of independent directors; robust governance policies (majority voting, proxy access, hedging/pledging prohibitions, clawback).
Fixed Compensation
| Component | 2024 Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Cash fees (retainers and committee membership fees) | $105,625 | Actual cash received/earned in 2024 per director comp table |
| Standard annual Board cash retainer | $90,000 | Program rate |
| Committee member retainers (program rates) | CHCM $10,000; I&T $7,500 | I&T member retainer increased from $5,000 to $7,500 effective July 1, 2024 |
| Meeting fees | $0 | The Company does not pay meeting fees |
| Other benefits | Business travel accident insurance $350,000 | Standard for non-employee directors |
Notes:
- Directors may elect to defer cash retainers into DSUs or defer RSUs under the Director Deferred Compensation Plan; distributions occur after Board service ends, enhancing alignment.
Performance Compensation
| Award Type | Grant Date | Shares Granted | Fair Value/Share | Total Grant-Date Fair Value | Vesting / Performance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Annual RSU grant | Jun 5, 2024 | 7,600 | $21.05 | $159,980 | Time-based; generally vests on first anniversary; also vests upon death/disability or removal at change-in-control |
- Non-employee director equity is time-based (no performance metrics or options), designed for alignment rather than incentive risk-taking.
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Company | Public/Private | Role | Interlocks/Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| None | — | — | No other public company board service disclosed |
- CHCM interlocks: The Company discloses no compensation committee interlocks or insider participation; no officers serve on other companies’ compensation committees with reciprocal ties to Resideo.
Expertise & Qualifications
- AI/Software and IoT leadership (IBM Software, Watson IoT), sustainability and ESG operating expertise, product management at scale, M&A, SaaS operations—directly relevant to Resideo’s Innovation & Technology oversight and human capital strategy.
- Technical credentials: Ph.D. in Civil Engineering; published author on enterprise messaging; long-tenured IBM leadership roles.
Equity Ownership
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Common shares owned (beneficial) | 940 |
| DSUs (deferred share units) | 19,508 |
| Outstanding equity awards (unvested RSUs) as of 12/31/2024 | 27,108 |
| Rights to acquire within 60 days | — (none reported) |
| Beneficial ownership % | <1% (individual line shows “*”) |
| Shares pledged | None permitted under policy prohibiting pledging |
| Hedging policy | Hedging prohibited |
| Director stock ownership guideline | 5× annual cash retainer ($450,000) within 5 years; as of 12/31/2024, all directors were in compliance (Sleeper/Stroup deemed satisfied via CD&R holding) |
Insider Trades and Section 16 Compliance
| Person | 2024 Section 16(a) Filings Noted as Late | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Kareem Yusuf | None mentioned | Company states all directors/officers timely except for a late Form 4 by Lazar (cash retainer in stock) and Carlet (tax withholding on vesting) |
Governance Assessment
- Strengths: Independent director with deep enterprise software/AI/IoT and sustainability credentials; sits on Innovation & Technology and CHCM committees where his domain expertise is accretive to oversight of technology strategy and human capital/compensation design. Attendance met policy thresholds; alignment reinforced by meaningful equity retainers, DSU/RSU deferrals, and ownership guideline compliance.
- Pay structure quality: Director compensation mix is balanced (cash + time-based RSUs), no meeting fees, no options, no hedging/pledging, and deferral features—shareholder-friendly with limited risk incentives.
- Conflicts/related parties: No related-party transactions involving Dr. Yusuf disclosed; broader related-party items pertain to CD&R’s investment and designated directors, not Yusuf.
- Shareholder sentiment context: 2024 Say-on-Pay approval ~80.5% and responsive program changes (adding ROIC alongside rTSR for 2025 PSUs) indicate active CHCM oversight; Yusuf is a member of this committee.
RED FLAGS: None identified specific to Dr. Yusuf (no attendance issues disclosed, no related-party transactions, no Section 16 issues, no hedging/pledging).