Gerben Bakker
REGAL REXNORDAbout Gerben W. Bakker
Gerben W. Bakker, age 60, was appointed to the Regal Rexnord (RRX) Board effective February 17, 2025, and is standing for election at the April 29, 2025 annual meeting; the Board has determined he is independent under NYSE standards and the Company’s guidelines . Bakker is Chairman, President and CEO of Hubbell Incorporated; he holds an M.S. in Manufacturing Engineering and a B.S. in Industrial Engineering from the University of Rhode Island, and an MBA from University of Bridgeport . He brings public-company CEO leadership, operating P&L accountability, manufacturing/supply chain expertise, M&A experience, and ESG/international experience .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hubbell Incorporated | Chairman, President & CEO | Chairman since May 2021; President & CEO and director since Oct 2020 | Senior operating leadership; global manufacturing and utility solutions oversight |
| Hubbell Incorporated | Chief Operating Officer | Jun 2019 – Oct 2020 | Enterprise operations leadership |
| Hubbell Power Systems | President | 2014 – 2019 | Led segment; manufacturing and supply chain execution |
| Hubbell Wiring Systems | Manufacturing Engineer | Began 1988 | Early technical/operations foundation |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hubbell Incorporated (NYSE: HUBB) | Chairman of the Board, President & CEO; Director | Director since Oct 2020; Chairman since May 2021 | Led portfolio and operating improvement; public remarks highlight margin expansion and M&A track record; external performance credibility |
Note: RRX’s proxy lists Bakker with “Other Public Company Directorships: 1,” consistent with his Hubbell board role .
Board Governance
- Independence: Board affirmatively determined Bakker is independent per NYSE standards and RRX categorical standards .
- Committee assignments: Bakker and Rashida Hodge joined Feb 17, 2025; the Board indicated they would attend committee meetings at April regular meetings and then be appointed to appropriate committees. As of the 2025 proxy, assignments were “to be made at the Board’s April Board meeting” .
- Board structure and refresh: Board increased from 10 to 11 directors effective Feb 17, 2025; retirement age guideline is 72; all directors other than the CEO are independent; no “poison pill”; no “overboarded” directors under ISS/Glass Lewis .
- Committee operations: Compensation and Human Resources Committee (Hilton, Doss, Sachdev) met five times in 2024 and uses Meridian Compensation Partners as independent consultant; Audit Committee (Crandall, Bertsch, Burt) is fully independent per charter/report .
- Attendance: The Board held four meetings in 2024; each director then serving attended ≥75% of applicable Board/committee meetings; all directors then serving attended the 2024 annual meeting (Bakker joined in 2025) .
Fixed Compensation
| Component | Amount/Policy | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Annual cash retainer (director) | $110,000 | Current policy for non-employee directors |
| Chairman retainer (Board chair) | $170,000 | Paid to independent Board chair (not Bakker) |
| Committee chair fees | Audit: $25,000; Compensation: $20,000; Corporate Governance: $15,000 | Chair premiums; all committees composed of independent directors |
| 2024 director cash paid (examples) | $106,250–$276,250 | Range reflects base and chair premiums (Bakker did not serve in 2024) |
| Stock ownership guideline | ≥5× annual cash retainer within 5 years | Hedging and pledging prohibited by policy |
As noted: Bakker and Hodge did not receive compensation from the Company in fiscal year 2024 due to Feb 2025 appointment .
Performance Compensation
| Equity Instrument | Grant Practice | 2024 Grant Detail | Vesting/Performance Conditions |
|---|---|---|---|
| Restricted Stock / RSUs (non-employee directors) | Annual grant designed to align interests | Approx. $170,000 fair value; 1,056 RSUs granted effective May 9, 2024 to directors serving at April 23, 2024 annual meeting (not Bakker) | Proxy does not disclose performance metrics for director equity; options not outstanding for non-employee directors as of 12/31/2024 |
No outstanding option awards for non-employee directors at year-end 2024; director equity is delivered in restricted shares/RSUs .
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Company | Relationship | Role | Potential Interlock/Conflict Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hubbell Incorporated (HUBB) | Public company | Chairman, President & CEO; Director | Board determined Bakker independent at RRX; Item 404(a) related-party transactions not present; company states no “overboarded” directors under ISS/GL |
Expertise & Qualifications
- Public-company CEO leadership, governance experience, operating P&L responsibility, manufacturing/supply chain depth, innovation/R&D, ESG, international experience, digital/eCommerce, M&A, human capital .
Equity Ownership
| Holder | Shares Beneficially Owned (as of Mar 10, 2025) | RSUs (as of Mar 10, 2025) | Ownership % |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gerben W. Bakker | – | – | Each director/officer individually <1%; group <1% |
- Guideline: Must own at least five times the annual cash retainer within five years after election; hedging/pledging prohibited .
- As of Mar 10, 2025, Bakker’s beneficial ownership and RSUs were shown as “–” in the proxy table, consistent with his February 2025 start .
Governance Assessment
- Independence and clean related-party profile: RRX explicitly determined Bakker is independent; Board disclosed no Item 404(a) transactions for Bakker, reducing conflict risk .
- Committee readiness and governance quality: While Bakker had not yet been formally assigned to a committee in the March 2025 proxy, the Board planned April integration, with all committees composed entirely of independent directors and use of independent comp consultants—signals of robust governance processes .
- Alignment mechanisms: Strong director ownership guidelines (5× retainer within five years) and prohibition on hedging/pledging enhance long-term alignment; note that as a new director, Bakker’s ownership was not yet established by Mar 10, 2025 but has a five-year compliance window .
- Board workload/overboarding: Company discloses no “overboarded” directors under ISS/Glass Lewis, mitigating concerns despite Bakker’s concurrent CEO/director role at Hubbell .
- Attendance signal: 2024 attendance metrics were strong for the Board overall; Bakker’s attendance will be assessed from 2025 onward .
RED FLAGS to monitor:
- External CEO commitments: Ongoing Hubbell CEO duties could constrain capacity; however, RRX asserts compliance with ISS/GL overboarding standards and independence .
- Early-stage ownership: No RRX holdings as of March 10, 2025; watch for timely progress toward ownership guideline .
Overall, Bakker adds experienced manufacturing/operator leadership and public-company governance perspective, with a clean related-party profile and strong independence determination. Formal committee placement (post-April) and ownership build will be near-term focal points for assessing board effectiveness and alignment .