Karin A. Risi
SEI INVESTMENTSAbout Karin A. Risi
Independent director appointed to SEI’s Board on July 22, 2025, serving in the class of directors whose term expires at the 2028 Annual Meeting. She brings 30 years of leadership across wealth management, enterprise strategy, product development, marketing, and communications, most notably at Vanguard, where she led the $2.5 trillion Personal Investor and Wealth Management businesses and launched Vanguard’s hybrid advisory platform. At SEI, she serves on the Compensation and Nominating & Governance Committees; she also holds nonprofit roles as Trustee for Episcopal Academy and Business Advisor for Unite for HER, and is an Independent Director for HarbourVest Partners. Age and formal education were not disclosed in SEI documents.
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vanguard | Executive leadership overseeing enterprise strategy, global investment product development, marketing & communications; led Personal Investor and Wealth Management businesses; launched hybrid advisory platform | Not disclosed | Led large-scale client advisory innovation (hybrid platform) and revenue-generating businesses |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| HarbourVest Partners | Independent Director | Not disclosed | Private markets investment firm board service |
| Episcopal Academy | Trustee | Not disclosed | Nonprofit governance oversight |
| Unite for HER | Business Advisor | Not disclosed | Nonprofit advisory support |
Board Governance
- Committee assignments: Compensation Committee member and Nominating & Governance Committee member (appointed July 22, 2025).
- Committee structure and independence: SEI’s Nominating & Governance Committee consists solely of independent directors; the Compensation Committee is composed of independent directors. Independent directors meet regularly in executive sessions chaired by the Lead Independent Director (Kathryn M. McCarthy).
- Attendance culture: The Board held nine meetings in 2024; each director attended more than 75% of Board and committee meetings. Risi joined in July 2025; her personal 2024 attendance is not applicable.
- Lead Independent Director: Role established and chairs executive sessions; independent directors hold sessions without management present.
Fixed Compensation
| Component | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Annual cash retainer (non-employee directors) | $70,000 | 2024 program detail; Risi will receive compensation consistent with other non-employee directors going forward. |
| Committee member annual retainer – Audit | $10,000 | Committee member retainer (Audit) |
| Committee member annual retainer – Compensation | $7,500 | Risi is a Compensation Committee member |
| Committee member annual retainer – Nominating & Governance | $5,000 | Risi is a Nominating & Governance Committee member |
| Committee chair fees – Audit | $20,000 | Not applicable to Risi (not a chair) |
| Committee chair fees – Compensation | $15,000 | Not applicable to Risi (not a chair) |
| Committee chair fees – Legal & Regulatory Oversight | $15,000 | Not applicable |
| Committee chair fees – Nominating & Governance | $5,000 | Not applicable |
| Lead Independent Director annual retainer | $15,000 | Held by Kathryn M. McCarthy, not Risi |
Performance Compensation
| Equity Type | Grant Size | Vesting | Performance Link |
|---|---|---|---|
| RSUs (onboarding grant, July 22, 2025) | 2,076 RSUs | Vest annually in equal installments on the first three anniversaries of July 22, 2025, service-contingent as a director | Time-based; no performance metrics |
| RSUs (annual grant to non-employee directors, 2024 program) | 2,175 RSUs | Time-based; RSUs granted in 2024 were not performance-based | Time-based; no performance metrics |
- Directors did not receive option grants in 2024; RSUs were time-based rather than performance-based.
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Company | Role | Public/Private | Potential Interlock/Conflict Indicator |
|---|---|---|---|
| HarbourVest Partners | Independent Director | Private | No related-party transactions disclosed by SEI; none proposed since Jan 1, 2024. |
| Episcopal Academy | Trustee | Nonprofit | Not applicable |
| Unite for HER | Business Advisor | Nonprofit | Not applicable |
- SEI reported no related-party transactions with any director or executive officer since January 1, 2024; Risi has no transactions requiring disclosure under Item 404(a).
Expertise & Qualifications
- 30 years leading revenue-generating businesses and strategic enterprise functions.
- Wealth management domain expertise: led Vanguard’s Personal Investor and Wealth Management businesses; launched hybrid advisory platform.
- Governance experience through board roles (HarbourVest Partners) and nonprofit trusteeship/advisory.
Equity Ownership
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Initial RSU grant | 2,076 RSUs under the 2024 Omnibus Equity Compensation Plan on appointment (July 22, 2025). |
| Vesting schedule | Equal annual installments over three years on each anniversary of July 22, 2025, contingent on continued Board service. |
| Stock ownership policy (directors) | Required to own equity equal to 5× annual cash retainer; at least 50% must be direct share ownership; compliance within five years of election/appointment. |
| Hedging policy | Directors, executive officers, and covered employees are prohibited from hedging transactions in SEI securities. |
Note: As of March 20, 2025 beneficial ownership disclosures did not include Risi (appointed July 22, 2025); her direct shareholdings beyond the RSU grant were not disclosed.
Governance Assessment
-
Strengths:
- Appointment to Compensation and Nominating & Governance—both independent-committee roles—signals Board confidence in her independence and governance judgment.
- Deep wealth management and enterprise strategy experience from Vanguard aligns with SEI’s client and platform transformation priorities.
- Director compensation structure uses time-based RSUs and reasonable cash retainers; ownership policy (5× retainer) enhances alignment; hedging prohibited.
-
Potential Risks/Monitoring:
- New to SEI’s Board (appointed July 22, 2025); effectiveness will be evidenced through committee engagement and future attendance disclosures.
- External board seat at HarbourVest Partners (private markets) warrants normal oversight for potential overlaps; SEI reports no related-party transactions and none for Risi.
-
Board-wide signals relevant to Risi’s context: Independent directors meet in executive sessions; Board held nine meetings in 2024 with >75% attendance by each director, indicating engagement culture she enters into.
-
Red flags: None disclosed for Risi—no related-party exposure, hedging prohibited, and no director-specific pledging reported. SEI disclosed pledging by other individuals in beneficial ownership footnotes but not for Risi.