Julio Quintana
SM EnergyAbout Julio M. Quintana
Julio M. Quintana is SM Energy’s independent Chairman of the Board (since 2023), a director since 2006, age 65, with a BS in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Southern California . His 40+ year energy career includes CEO/COO roles at Tesco Corporation, senior leadership at Schlumberger, and ~20 years at Unocal, emphasizing upstream operations, risk management/hedging, and drilling/asset management technologies .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tesco Corporation (NASDAQ: TESO) | President & CEO | 2005–2015 | Senior executive leadership; compensation/HR decision experience |
| Tesco Corporation | EVP & COO | 2004–2005 | Operations management expertise |
| Schlumberger (SLB) | VP Integrated Project Management; VP Marketing (Americas) | 1999–2004 | Upstream operations; drilling/asset management tech expertise |
| Unocal Corporation | Operational and managerial roles | ~20 years | Exploration & production industry experience; enterprise risk management and hedging experience |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Newmont Mining Company (NYSE: NEM) | Director | 2015–present | One current other public company board |
| California Resources Corporation (NYSE: CRC) | Director | 2020–2024 | Prior public company board |
| Basic Energy Services (NYSE: BAS) | Director | 2016–2021 | Prior public company board |
Board Governance
- Roles: Chairman of the Board and member of the Executive Committee .
- Independence: With the exception of the CEO, SM’s Board is entirely independent under SEC/NYSE standards; all standing committees (Audit, Compensation, Governance & Sustainability) are solely independent directors .
- Leadership structure: SM has separated Chair and CEO roles since 2007; Quintana has served as independent Chair since 2023 .
- Attendance and engagement: Board met 19 times in 2024; no director attended <90% of Board meetings or missed >1 meeting; all directors attended 100% of committee meetings for committees on which they served; independent directors held five executive sessions; current directors (except Venkatraman, then not yet appointed) attended the 2024 Annual Meeting .
- Committee assignments: Quintana is not listed as a member of Audit, Compensation, or Governance & Sustainability committees in the committee membership tables; those committees’ members are enumerated without him .
- Risk oversight: The Chair role is designed to facilitate communication between management and the Board; SM’s ERM and FRM processes report regularly to the Board and Audit Committee .
Fixed Compensation
| Component | Amount | Details/Date |
|---|---|---|
| Cash Retainer | $95,000 | Standard non-employee director cash retainer for 2024–2025 service period |
| Equity Retainer | $185,031 | 3,850 shares granted May 24, 2024; restrictions lifted December 31, 2024 |
| Non-Executive Chair Retainer (equity) | $140,000 | Paid in shares (2,914) granted May 24, 2024; additional to director compensation |
| Stock Awards Total | $325,078 | 6,764 shares (equity retainer + chair retainer) at grant-date fair value on May 24, 2024 |
| All Other Compensation | $8,867 | Matching charitable contributions under company program |
| Total | $428,945 | Aggregate 2024 non-employee director compensation |
Grant detail references:
- 6,764 shares to Quintana on 5/24/2024 valued at $325,078; restrictions on 2024 director shares expired 12/31/2024 .
- Director program: $95,000 cash retainer, $185,000 equity retainer (3,850 shares), with committee chair fees for Audit ($25k), Compensation ($20k), and Governance & Sustainability ($15k) paid to respective chairs; Quintana’s non-executive Chair retainer was $140,000 paid in stock (2,914 shares) .
Performance Compensation
| Metric | Value | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Option Awards | $— | No director stock options issued in 2024; none outstanding since December 2004 |
| Non-Equity Incentive Plan Compensation | $— | Directors do not receive STIP payments |
Director award cap and plan provisions:
- Annual cap: Non-employee director awards plus cash fees cannot exceed $800,000 in total value; independent directors may make exceptions for a non-executive chair, and the recipient may not participate in the decision .
- No dividends on unvested equity; any permitted dividend equivalents remain subject to vesting .
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Number of other public company boards | One (Newmont Mining Company) |
| Compensation Committee interlocks (FY2024) | None |
Expertise & Qualifications
- Senior executive leadership; corporate governance; executive compensation and HR experience; cybersecurity, data analytics, and technology exposure .
- Extensive exploration & production industry experience with operations management, ERM and hedging, and drilling/asset management technologies .
- Education: BS, Mechanical Engineering, University of Southern California .
Equity Ownership
| Metric | Value | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Shares Beneficially Owned | 95,792 | As of March 24, 2025 |
| Percent of Shares Outstanding | <1% | Based on 114,461,934 shares outstanding |
| RSUs held | — | Directors do not hold RSUs |
| PSUs held | — | Directors do not hold PSUs |
| Director Stock Ownership Guideline | 5× annual cash retainer | Established by Compensation Committee; directors allowed time to comply; not required to buy in open market |
| Hedging/Pledging | Prohibited | Directors cannot hedge, hold in margin, pledge, trade derivatives, or short SM stock per policy |
Governance Assessment
- Board effectiveness signals: Independent Chair with separated CEO/Chair roles since 2007; committees composed solely of independent directors; strong director attendance and regular executive sessions .
- Alignment and safeguards: Director equity retainer plus Chair retainer paid in stock; robust director ownership guideline (5× cash retainer); strict prohibitions on hedging/pledging; director award cap with governance controls for Chair exceptions .
- Potential conflicts/related-party exposure: No related-party transactions disclosed involving Quintana; only item noted pertains to a different executive’s spouse and was Audit Committee-approved; no Compensation Committee interlocks in FY2024 .
- RED FLAGS: None disclosed relating to Quintana (no hedging/pledging, no options/repricings, no related-party transactions, strong attendance) .