Donald L. Hawks III
SelectQuoteAbout Donald L. Hawks III
Donald L. Hawks III (age 50) is the independent, non‑executive Chairman of SelectQuote’s Board, serving as a director since 2014 and as Chair since February 2020. He is President and Managing Director of Brookside Equity Partners LLC (since its formation in 2012). He holds an undergraduate degree from Georgetown University and an MBA from The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| SelectQuote, Inc. | Director (Class III); Chairman of the Board (independent) | Director since 2014; Chair since Feb 2020 | Presides over Board and executive sessions; separates CEO/Chair roles for governance effectiveness |
| Brookside Equity Partners LLC | President and Managing Director | Since 2012 (firm formation) | Investor/board advisor to portfolio companies |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cash Management Solutions Limited (private) | Director | Not disclosed | Private company directorship |
| Rockefeller Family Fund | Investment Committee member | Not disclosed | Investment oversight role |
| Fresh Air Fund | Board Member | Not disclosed | Non‑profit governance |
Board Governance
- Independence and leadership
- The Board classifies Hawks as independent under NYSE standards; he serves as independent non‑executive Board Chair, separate from the CEO role .
- As independent Chair, Hawks presides over executive sessions of non‑management and independent directors, reinforcing independent oversight .
- Committee assignments (FY2025)
- Nominating & Corporate Governance Committee: Chair; met 3 times in FY2025 .
- Compensation and Talent Development Committee: Member; met 4 times in FY2025 .
- Healthcare Oversight Committee: Member; met 4 times in FY2025 .
- Not a member of the Audit Committee .
- Attendance and engagement
- In FY2025 the Board held 4 meetings; each director attended at least 75% of Board and applicable committee meetings. All directors attended the 2024 Annual Meeting .
Fixed Compensation (Director Pay – FY2025)
| Component | Amount (USD) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Annual Board retainer | $50,000 | Standard non‑employee director cash retainer |
| Non‑executive Chair retainer | $22,500 | Incremental cash retainer for Board Chair |
| Compensation Committee member | $5,000 | Annual committee member fee |
| Nominating & Corporate Governance Committee member | $5,000 | Annual committee member fee |
| Healthcare Oversight Committee member | $5,000 | Annual committee member fee |
| Nominating & Corporate Governance Committee Chair | $7,500 | Committee chair fee |
| Total cash fees (FY2025) | $95,000 | Sum of cash components for Hawks in FY2025 |
| Total director pay (cash + equity) | $224,999 | FY2025 total (cash $95,000; stock awards $129,999) |
The company does not pay per‑meeting fees; reasonable out‑of‑pocket expenses are reimbursed .
Performance Compensation (Equity for Directors)
| Equity Type | Grant Date | Units | Grant‑Date Fair Value | Vesting |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| RSU – annual director grant | Nov 12, 2024 | 52,631 | $129,999 | Vests on the next Annual Meeting date, subject to continued service |
- Program design and cadence
- Annual equity retainer target value: $130,000 in RSUs, granted at the annual meeting; RSUs vest at the following annual meeting, contingent on continued service .
- Initial equity grant for new directors: $130,000 in RSUs vesting ratably over 3 years (not applicable to Hawks in FY2025) .
- As of June 30, 2025, Hawks had 52,631 unvested RSUs outstanding; he had no stock options outstanding .
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Category | Detail |
|---|---|
| Public company boards | None disclosed for Hawks in past five years . |
| Private company boards | Director of multiple private companies, including Cash Management Solutions Limited . |
| Investor affiliation | President/Managing Director of Brookside Equity Partners; entities associated with Brookside beneficially own 17,678,757 SLQT shares (10.1%) . |
| Board representation from same sponsor | Raymond F. Weldon (Brookside co‑founder/Managing Director) also serves as SLQT director and Audit Chair, indicating two Brookside‑affiliated directors on the Board . |
| Historical designation right | Hawks originally appointed under the Series D Investors’ Rights and Stockholders Agreement; those rights (other than certain info/registration rights) terminated at IPO (May 2020) . |
Expertise & Qualifications
- Investor/operator with extensive experience as an investor and advisor to companies via Brookside; governance experience as independent Board Chair .
- Education: B.A. Georgetown University; MBA, The Wharton School .
Equity Ownership (Alignment and Restrictions)
| Holder | Shares Beneficially Owned | % Outstanding | Composition/Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Donald L. Hawks III | 513,214 | <1% | 460,583 shares held directly; 52,631 shares subject to stock awards vesting within 60 days of 9/20/2025 . |
| Ownership guidelines | Directors must hold shares equal to ≥5x the annual Board cash retainer; directors must retain 100% of net vested shares until the guideline is met; as of the record date, all directors met the guideline . | ||
| Hedging/pledging | Directors are prohibited from hedging, short selling, and pledging SLQT stock (limited case‑by‑case pledging exceptions require pre‑approval); no exception disclosed for Hawks . |
Board Governance
| Topic | Key Points |
|---|---|
| Committee memberships | Hawks: Chair, Nominating & Corporate Governance; Member, Compensation & Talent Development; Member, Healthcare Oversight . |
| Independence | Board determined Hawks is independent; he serves as independent, non‑executive Chair . |
| Attendance | FY2025: Board met 4 times; each director attended ≥75% of Board and applicable committee meetings; all directors attended the 2024 Annual Meeting . |
| Executive sessions | Independent directors meet regularly without management; Hawks presides . |
Related‑Party Exposure (Conflict Considerations)
- Brookside ownership and representation
- Entities associated with Brookside Equity Partners beneficially own 10.1% of SLQT; Hawks (Brookside President/MD) and Raymond F. Weldon (Brookside co‑founder/MD) both sit on SLQT’s Board, creating potential influence/interlock considerations for investors despite the Board’s independence determination for Hawks .
- Historical investor rights
- Hawks’ original appointment tied to the Series D agreement; the material appointment/put rights under that agreement were terminated at IPO, mitigating ongoing governance constraints from that instrument .
- Related‑party policy
- The Audit Committee must pre‑approve material related‑party transactions; policy emphasizes fairness to stockholders and use of external counsel/auditors as needed .
Governance Assessment
- Strengths
- Independent, non‑executive Chair structure with Hawks presiding over executive sessions; clear separation of Chair/CEO roles .
- Robust committee engagement (Chair of Nominating & Corporate Governance; member of Compensation and Healthcare Oversight); active committee meeting cadence .
- Strong director pay mix emphasizes equity alignment (cash $95,000; equity $129,999 in FY2025) and stock ownership guidelines met by all directors .
- Comprehensive anti‑hedging/shorting/pledging policy for directors .
- Watch‑items / potential red flags
- Sponsor influence risk: Brookside is a 10.1% holder with two affiliated directors (Hawks and Weldon). While both are deemed independent, dual representation warrants monitoring of independence-in-fact in conflicted matters .
- Preferred investor rights (Bain/Morgan Stanley) add consent rights over certain corporate actions (not specific to Hawks), a governance overhang that the Board (including Hawks as Chair) must balance relative to common stockholder interests .
Overall, Hawks brings experienced investor governance, serves as an independent Chair with multi‑committee responsibilities, holds equity consistent with SLQT’s ownership guidelines, and operates under strong trading/pledging restrictions. The main investor‑relevant consideration is Brookside’s 10.1% ownership and dual Board presence, which merits continued monitoring for potential conflicts in major strategic or related‑party decisions .