James P. Kavanaugh
STIFEL FINANCIALAbout James P. Kavanaugh
Independent director of Stifel Financial Corp. (SF) since 2022; age 62; Co‑Founder & CEO of World Wide Technology (WWT), a $17 billion information technology systems integrator with nearly 9,000 employees; B.A. from St. Louis University . The Board has determined he is independent under NYSE and SEC rules .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| World Wide Technology (WWT) | Co‑Founder & CEO | 1990–present | Leads complex technical solutions and systems integration; WWT is a $17B IT integrator with ~9,000 employees |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Privoro (cybersecurity) | Investor and Board Member | Not disclosed | Cybersecurity firm governance exposure |
| Business Roundtable | Member | Not disclosed | National CEO policy forum participation |
| St. Louis City SC (MLS) | Co‑Founder and Owner | Not disclosed | Sports franchise ownership |
| St. Louis Blues (NHL) | Owner and Investor | Not disclosed | Sports franchise ownership |
| St. Louis University | Trustee | Not disclosed | Academic board role |
Board Governance
- Committee assignments: Member, Compensation Committee; not Chair .
- Compensation Committee met 6 times in 2024; no interlocks or insider participation in 2024 .
- Board met 9 times in 2024; attendance by continuing directors (board and all committees served) exceeded 80% .
- Executive sessions of independent directors occurred quarterly in 2024; David A. Peacock serves as Lead Independent Director .
- Independence: Board affirmed Kavanaugh as independent under NYSE & SEC rules, including Compensation Committee independence .
Director election vote (2025 Annual Meeting):
| Director | For | Withhold |
|---|---|---|
| James P. Kavanaugh | 87,536,999 | 953,037 |
Fixed Compensation
Non‑employee director compensation (FY 2024):
| Component | Amount |
|---|---|
| Annual cash retainer | $100,000 |
| Stock unit award (RSUs; grant date fair value) | $150,000 |
| Total | $250,000 |
- RSUs vest quarterly over one year .
- Committee chair fee ($30,000) and Lead Independent Director fee ($30,000) apply only to those roles; Kavanaugh is not a chair/LID .
Performance Compensation
- SF does not disclose performance‑based components for non‑employee director pay; equity is time‑based RSUs vesting quarterly over one year . | Equity Detail | Value/Units | |---|---| | RSU grant (2024; grant date fair value) | $150,000 | | Stock units outstanding but not yet converted (12/31/2024) | 1,914 units |
Other Directorships & Interlocks
- Other public company directorships: None disclosed for Kavanaugh in SF’s proxy .
- Compensation Committee: “During 2024, there were no interlocks or insider participation” among members (which include Kavanaugh) .
Expertise & Qualifications
- Proven leadership in large‑scale IT systems integration (WWT), cybersecurity exposure (Privoro), and organizational growth; brings CEO‑level experience and digital/technology perspective to compensation oversight .
- Education: B.A., St. Louis University .
Equity Ownership
| Ownership Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Beneficially owned common shares (as of 4/7/2025) | 7,014; less than 1% of outstanding |
| Stock units outstanding (as of 12/31/2024) | 1,914 |
| Director stock ownership guideline | Non‑employee directors generally to reach ≥$400,000 market value in SF common shares |
| Hedging/pledging | Company prohibits hedging/short selling; directors and executive officers hold no shares in margin accounts and have pledged no shares to third parties |
Insider trades (Form 4; sorted oldest→newest):
| Filing Date | Transaction Date | Type | Security | Qty | A/D | Post-Txn Ownership | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-06-07 | 2024-06-05 | A (Award) | Phantom Stock Units | 1,914 | A | 4,418 | https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/720672/000095017024070759/0000950170-24-070759-index.htm |
| 2024-06-07 | 2024-06-07 | M (Exempt) | Phantom Stock Units | 2,504 | D | 1,914 | https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/720672/000095017024070759/0000950170-24-070759-index.htm |
| 2024-06-07 | 2024-06-07 | M (Exempt) | Common Stock | 2,504 | A | 5,100 | https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/720672/000095017024070759/0000950170-24-070759-index.htm |
| 2025-06-06 | 2025-06-04 | A (Award) | Phantom Stock Units | 1,875 | A | 3,789 | https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/720672/000095017025083189/0000950170-25-083189-index.htm |
| 2025-06-06 | 2025-06-05 | M (Exempt) | Phantom Stock Units | 1,914 | D | 1,875 | https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/720672/000095017025083189/0000950170-25-083189-index.htm |
| 2025-06-06 | 2025-06-05 | M (Exempt) | Common Stock | 1,914 | A | 7,096 | https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/720672/000095017025083189/0000950170-25-083189-index.htm |
Governance Assessment
- Independence and committee role: Kavanaugh is an independent director serving on the Compensation Committee, which met 6 times in 2024 with no interlocks or insider participation—supportive of robust, independent pay oversight .
- Shareholder confidence signals: Strong say‑on‑pay support in 2025 (For: 85,449,454; Against: 2,850,576; Abstain: 190,006) alongside proxy disclosure of >97% support in prior year, indicating broad investor alignment with compensation governance .
- Alignment policies: Strict anti‑hedging/anti‑pledging, double‑trigger change‑of‑control provisions for executives, and director stock ownership guidelines promote long‑term alignment; directors and executives have no pledged shares .
- Conflicts/related party exposure: Proxy describes banking relationships with directors/officers conducted on market terms; no Kavanaugh‑specific related‑party transactions are discussed in the “Certain Relationships and Related Transactions” section .
- Engagement/attendance: Board held 9 meetings in 2024, with independent executive sessions quarterly and overall attendance exceeding 80% for continuing directors, supporting active oversight .