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Monica S. Digilio

Director at Sunstone Hotel Investors
Board

About Monica S. Digilio

Independent director since April 30, 2020; age 61. Founder and CEO of Compass Advisors LLC with 30+ years of C‑suite experience in hospitality, gaming, entertainment, and real estate. Former EVP/CHRO at Caesars Entertainment (2018–2020), Montage International (6 years), and Kerzner International (12 years); began career at ITT Sheraton (10 years) and led HR integration in the 1997 Starwood merger. Holds M.S. and B.S. from Ithaca College; active in WCD and NACD; Advisory Board Member at Cornell’s Pillsbury Institute for Hospitality Entrepreneurship .

Past Roles

OrganizationRoleTenureCommittees/Impact
Caesars Entertainment (NASDAQ: CZR)EVP & Chief Human Resources Officer; led HR and Corporate Social Responsibility (ESG oversight)2018–2020 Oversaw HR, CSR/ESG programs
Montage InternationalEVP & Chief Human Resources Officer~6 years Senior executive HR leadership
Kerzner International (Atlantis, One&Only)EVP, Global HR & Administration~12 years Global HR administration across hospitality assets
ITT SheratonVP, HR North America & Franchise Divisions~10 years Led HR integration for Starwood merger (1997)

External Roles

OrganizationRoleTenure/StatusCommittees/Impact
Compass Advisors LLCFounder & CEOCurrent Strategic advisory in HR, talent, leadership, org development
The Venetian Resort Las VegasDirectorCurrent Board oversight for major resort asset
CopperPoint Insurance CompaniesDirectorCurrent Insurance sector governance
Seaport Entertainment Group (NYSE: SEG)DirectorCurrent Public company board experience
Cornell Pillsbury Institute for Hospitality EntrepreneurshipAdvisory Board MemberCurrent Academic advisory in hospitality entrepreneurship
WCD Foundation; NACDMemberCurrent Director networks and governance credentials

Board Governance

  • Committee assignments: Chair, Compensation Committee; Member, Nominating & Corporate Governance Committee .
  • Independence: Board determined all directors except the CEO are independent under NYSE standards; Digilio is independent .
  • Attendance: In 2024, all directors attended 100% of Board meetings (6) and 100% of their committee meetings; Board also acted by written consent three times .
  • Committee activity and governance cadence:
    • Compensation Committee: Independent; 4 meetings in 2024; charter responsibilities include NEO/director pay, succession planning, clawback policy oversight, human capital programs, and CD&A review .
    • Nominating & Corporate Governance: Independent; 4 meetings in 2024; responsibilities include director nominations, governance guidelines, Board evaluation, conflict approvals, and oversight of Corporate Responsibility/ESG .
  • Executive sessions: Independent directors meet in executive session at least quarterly; Chairman Douglas M. Pasquale presides .

Fixed Compensation

ComponentAmount/PolicyNotes
Annual cash retainer (Independent directors)$70,000 (effective 2024 term) Increased from $60,000; paid quarterly in arrears
Committee chair fees$20,000 per committee (Audit, Compensation, NCG) Digilio chairs Compensation
Committee member fees$10,000 per committee Digilio is member of NCG
Meeting fees$1,500 per meeting in excess of 8 per year (Board or each Committee) Only if thresholds exceeded
Reimbursements/perquisitesUp to $5,000 annually for room/tax at company hotels; up to $5,000 matching charitable gifts Standard non-cash benefits

2024 Independent Director Compensation (actual):

NameCash Fees ($)Stock Awards ($)Matching Charitable Contributions ($)Total ($)
Monica S. Digilio97,500 100,942 198,442

Equity retainer valuation mechanics: Annual equity retainer granted as fully vested stock; 2024 grant value $105,000; the number of shares is computed by dividing the grant value by the average closing price over the 20 trading days ending three trading days prior to the grant date . Beginning in 2025, the annual equity retainer increased to $115,000 .

Performance Compensation

  • Structure: Independent director equity awards are fully vested upon grant; no performance‑vesting, options, or PSU metrics apply to directors .
  • Company performance metrics (for NEO pay program context, not director pay): Relative TSR, AFFO/share, and Capital Recycling used in 2024 NEO compensation design .

Other Directorships & Interlocks

CompanyMarket/TypePotential Interlock/Conflict Relevance
The Venetian Resort Las VegasPrivate resort assetHospitality governance experience; no related-party transactions disclosed at SHO
CopperPoint Insurance CompaniesInsuranceUnrelated sector; no related-party transactions disclosed at SHO
Seaport Entertainment Group (NYSE: SEG)Public companyEntertainment; disclosure of external public board; no SHO related-party transactions disclosed
  • Related-party transactions: SHO reports no related-party transactions ≥$120,000 since the start of FY2024; NCG Committee must approve related party transactions involving directors/officers/employees or entities with ≥5% interests .

Expertise & Qualifications

  • Skills matrix highlights: Corporate governance/IR, Executive leadership, HR/Compensation, Hotels/Operations, Hotel/Real Estate investments, ESG/Corporate Responsibility, Risk management .
  • Education and credentials: M.S. and B.S. from Ithaca College; memberships in WCD and NACD .

Equity Ownership

ItemValue
Beneficial ownership (common shares)50,568 shares (as of March 5, 2025)
Shares outstanding (reference)201,198,892 shares (as of March 5, 2025)
Ownership as % of outstanding≈0.025% (50,568 ÷ 201,198,892; calculated from cited figures)
Director ownership guidelinesIndependent directors must hold ≥5× annual cash retainer
Compliance statusAs of Jan 1, 2025, each applicable independent director met or exceeded ownership requirements
Pledging/hedgingNo pledging or hedging disclosures noted; no related-party transactions disclosed

Governance Assessment

  • Strengths: Independent status; chairs Compensation Committee with explicit charter oversight of clawback policy and human capital; 100% attendance; multi‑asset hospitality experience; compliance with stock ownership guidelines .
  • Compensation alignment: Director pay is market‑benchmarked (FPC Board Compensation Report) with modest increases (cash retainer to $70k, equity retainer to $115k in 2025); equity grants are fully vested, standard for REIT boards; no options or performance‑vesting implying lower risk of misaligned incentives for directors .
  • Conflicts: Founder/CEO of Compass Advisors LLC; SHO reports no related‑party transactions since FY2024 and requires NCG approval for any conflicts—mitigating risk .
  • Shareholder signals: 2025 Say‑on‑Pay support strong (For: 169,901,185; Against: 7,995,968; Abstain: 254,666; Broker non‑votes: 6,128,371) . Amendment to the 2022 Incentive Award Plan approved (For: 167,941,820; Against: 9,982,396; Abstain: 227,603; Broker non‑votes: 6,128,371) .

RED FLAGS: None disclosed regarding related-party transactions, option repricings, tax gross‑ups, or low attendance. Director equity is fully vested on grant—common practice, but investors may prefer some deferral or holding requirements; SHO’s 5× retainer guideline mitigates alignment concerns .