Sasha Quinton
SCHOLASTICAbout Sasha Quinton
Executive Vice President; President, Scholastic Children’s Book Group since 2025; previously President, School Reading Events (2023–2025) and President, Scholastic Book Fairs (2020–2023). Age 47; employed by Scholastic since 2020, with prior roles at Barnes & Noble (VP & GMM, Bookstore, 2019) and ReaderLink Distribution Services (SVP and VP, Marketing & Procurement, 2014–2019) . Incentives link heavily to Corporate Operating Income in the STIP, with pay-versus-performance disclosures emphasizing operating income alongside TSR and net income as key measures of alignment . FY2025 STIP was funded at 60.84% of target based on corporate operating income achievement of 80.4% of plan; Quinton’s bonus achievement was 71% of target, reflecting divisional and individual components in addition to corporate metrics .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Years | Strategic Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scholastic | EVP & President, Scholastic Children’s Book Group | 2025–present | Oversees children’s book publishing portfolio; drives growth and product strategy across trade and school channels . |
| Scholastic | EVP & President, School Reading Events | 2023–2025 | Led transformation of school events with profitability focus; alignment to corporate operating income in STIP . |
| Scholastic | EVP & President, Scholastic Book Fairs | 2020–2023 | Managed post-COVID recovery and scaling of book fairs; received supplemental bonus for COVID recovery plan work . |
| Barnes & Noble | VP & GMM, Bookstore | 2019 | Led merchandising and general management across bookstore operations . |
| ReaderLink Distribution Services | SVP, Marketing & Procurement | 2017–2019 | Drove procurement and marketing for large-scale book distribution; operational execution . |
| ReaderLink Distribution Services | VP, Marketing & Procurement | 2014–2017 | Built vendor relationships and optimized category management . |
External Roles
No public company directorships disclosed; prior external corporate roles at Barnes & Noble and ReaderLink noted above .
Fixed Compensation
| Metric | FY2023 | FY2024 | FY2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Base Salary ($) | 614,616 | 745,615 | 725,000 |
| Target Bonus % of Salary | 50% | 70% (increased by HRCC) | 70% |
| Actual STIP Achievement (%) | 137.5% | 23% | 71% |
| STIP Payout ($) | 426,250 | 117,859 | 357,939 |
| All Other Compensation ($) | 20,326 | 23,110 | 23,117 |
Summary Compensation (cash and equity mix):
| Component ($) | FY2023 | FY2024 | FY2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Salary | 614,616 | 745,615 | 725,000 |
| Stock Awards (RSUs/PSUs fair value) | 299,977 | 300,004 | 499,970 |
| Option Awards (fair value) | 200,013 | 199,996 | 0 |
| Non-Equity Incentive (STIP) | 426,250 | 117,859 | 357,939 |
| All Other Compensation | 20,326 | 23,110 | 23,117 |
| Total | 1,561,181 | 1,386,585 | 1,606,027 |
All Other Compensation detail (selected items):
| Item | FY2023 | FY2024 | FY2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 401(k) Matching ($) | 3,126 | 9,560 | 9,029 |
| Life Insurance Premiums ($) | 480 | 480 | 420 |
| Perquisites ($) | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Dividend Earnings on RSUs ($) | 16,720 | 13,071 | 13,668 |
| Relocation & Tax Gross-up (historical) | $175,847 relocation incl. $51,728 gross-up in FY2021 | — | — |
Performance Compensation
STIP design and metrics:
| Year | Weighting (Corp / Div / Individual) | Corporate OI Target ($M) | Corporate OI Actual ($M) | Pool vs Target (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2023 | 50% / 40% / 10% | 106.4 | 106.34 | 100% |
| FY2024 | 65% / 25% / 10% (threshold reduced to 75%) | 100.0 | 44.7 | 38.7% |
| FY2025 | 60% / 30% / 10% (Quinton group) | 44.54 (Target) | 35.82 | 60.84% |
Quinton’s STIP specifics:
| Year | Target Bonus % | Actual Achievement % | Payout ($) |
|---|---|---|---|
| FY2023 | 50% | 137.5% | 426,250 |
| FY2024 | 70% | 23% | 117,859 |
| FY2025 | 70% | 71% | 357,939 |
Equity grants (FY2024 grant cycle; grant date Sept 26, 2023):
| Instrument | # Units | Exercise/Base Price | Close on Grant | Grant Date Fair Value ($) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stock Options | 17,167 | $36.96 | $37.38 | 199,996 |
| RSUs | 8,117 | — | $37.38 | 300,004 |
Vesting and realized value:
| Year | Options Exercised (# / $) | RSUs Vested (# / $) |
|---|---|---|
| FY2023 | 13,206 / $288,352 | 11,592 / $474,562 |
| FY2024 | 0 / $0 | 10,186 / $357,531 |
| FY2025 | 0 / $0 | 8,044 / $248,984 |
Equity Ownership & Alignment
Beneficial ownership:
| Record Date | Common Shares Beneficially Owned |
|---|---|
| July 27, 2023 | 91,255 |
| July 25, 2024 | 91,255 |
| July 23, 2025 | 150,923 |
- Percent of class: less than 1% in each year (asterisk in table) .
- Stock Ownership Guidelines: NEOs must hold 2x base salary; phase-in over six years. Quinton was in year 3 (FY2023), year 4 (FY2024), and year 5 (FY2025) toward compliance; compliance percentage not disclosed for her .
- Pledging/Hedging: No pledging disclosed for Quinton; a director (Barge) disclosed pledged shares separately, indicating pledging is reported when present .
- Deferred compensation (MSPP): No contributions/balance for Quinton in FY2023–FY2025 .
Outstanding equity and vesting schedule (as of May 31, 2025):
| Grant | Type | Exercisable / Unexercisable | Strike | Expiration | Unvested RSUs (# / $ MV) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3/17/2020 | Options | 28,493 / 0 | $26.51 | 3/17/2030 | — |
| 9/22/2020 | Options | 50,188 / 0 | $20.63 | 9/22/2027 | — |
| 9/22/2021 | Options | 25,809 / 0 | $33.63 | 9/22/2028 | — |
| 9/20/2022 | Options | 11,319 / 5,660 | $42.28 | 9/20/2029 | 2,365 / $40,844 |
| 9/26/2023 | Options | 5,722 / 11,445 | $36.96 | 9/26/2030 | 5,412 / $93,465 |
| 10/01/2024 | RSUs | — | — | — | 9,730 / $168,037 |
| 10/01/2024 (PSUs) | PSUs | — | — | — | 6,487 / $112,030 |
Vesting conventions:
- Options granted in FY2021–FY2024 generally vest 33⅓% annually with seven-year terms; Quinton’s 3/17/2020 grant vests 33⅓% annually with ten-year term .
- RSUs granted (2022, 2023, 2024) vest in 33⅓% annual tranches; PSUs include three one-year performance periods vesting on third anniversary (for FY2025 proxy) .
Employment Terms
Potential payments upon termination or change-in-control (as of May 31, 2024):
| Scenario | Total ($) | Components (high-level) |
|---|---|---|
| Voluntary Termination | 1,109,415 | 2011 options ($1,063,819) + 2021 options ($45,596); RSUs 0 |
| Termination for Cause | 0 | — |
| Involuntary (Not for Cause) | 1,109,415 | 2011 options ($1,063,819) + 2021 options ($45,596); RSUs 0 |
| Death/Disability | 1,706,199 | 2021 RSUs ($573,986); 2021 options ($68,394); 2011 options ($1,063,819) |
| Change-in-Control (assumes HRCC accelerates) | 1,706,199 | Same components as Death/Disability; acceleration discretionary under plan |
Plan mechanics:
- No general severance policy for most NEOs; benefits for Quinton are limited to equity plan terms unless separately negotiated .
- Change-in-control does not automatically accelerate awards; HRCC has discretion to accelerate vesting and convert RSUs/PSUs to shares; tables assume acceleration .
- Clawback policy not detailed in retrieved sections; no tax gross-ups for parachutes disclosed; prior relocation tax gross-up occurred in FY2021 .
Compliance and Section 16:
- FY2024 proxy disclosed late Section 16 filings including Form 4s for several officers, including Quinton; administrative timing issue noted .
Investment Implications
- Pay-for-performance alignment: Quinton’s cash bonus is tightly linked to Corporate Operating Income and divisional performance, with target increased to 70% upon expanded responsibility in FY2024—alignment strengthened via higher corporate weighting in FY2024 and continued emphasis in FY2025 .
- Selling pressure and vesting overhang: Zero option exercises in FY2024–FY2025; meaningful RSU vesting continues annually. Outstanding options from 2020–2023, plus unvested RSUs/PSUs from 2022–2024, create scheduled supply but no pledging and limited recent exercises suggest manageable near-term selling pressure .
- Ownership alignment: Beneficial ownership increased from 91,255 (FY2023/FY2024) to 150,923 shares (FY2025); she is in year five of a six-year path to 2x salary guideline, indicating increasing skin-in-the-game expectations .
- Change-in-control economics: No automatic acceleration; HRCC discretion governs vesting, reducing unconditional golden parachute risk; Quinton lacks contractual severance, so equity is the primary lever—lower fixed guarantees, higher at-risk equity .
- Execution track record: FY2023 bonus above target (137.5%) signals divisional delivery; FY2024 downturn (23% bonus) and FY2025 recovery (71%) mirror corporate operating income cycles—variable pay is sensitive to macro and execution in School Reading Events/Children’s Book Group .
Overall, compensation design promotes alignment through corporate and divisional profitability metrics, with equity grants vesting over time and limited evidence of hedging/pledging. Watch annual vesting calendars (Sep/Oct tranches) and STIP funding versus corporate operating income—key near-term signals for realized pay and potential share supply .