Janaki Akella
SOUTHERNAbout Janaki Akella
Dr. Janaki Akella, age 64, has served as an independent director of Southern Company since January 2019. She is a former Digital Transformation Leader at Google (2017–March 2023) with prior senior roles at McKinsey & Company (principal over a 17-year career) and early technical roles at Hewlett-Packard, bringing deep expertise in data analytics, AI, cybersecurity, and technology-driven business transformation . Her education includes a Ph.D. and M.S. in Electrical and Computer Engineering (Carnegie Mellon University and Boston University) and a Bachelor of Engineering from the College of Engineering, Guindy, India .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Google LLC | Digital Transformation Leader | 2017–March 2023 | Led complex technology and new business model challenges, strengthening board oversight on tech disruption |
| McKinsey & Company | Principal; various leadership positions | ~1999–2016 (17 years) | Led/participated in 100+ consulting engagements across regions; deep strategy/operations exposure |
| Hewlett-Packard | System technology technical staff; engineer scientist; technical contributor | Early career | Technical grounding in systems engineering |
| (Education) | Ph.D., M.S., B.Eng. (CMU, BU, Guindy) | — | Technical credentials underpinning cybersecurity/AI oversight |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| SLM Corporation (Sallie Mae) | Director | Current | Audit Committee; Operational and Compliance Risk Committee |
| Fractal Analytics Limited (private AI) | Director | Current | Data/AI oversight; decision support |
| averQ, Inc. (private risk platforms) | Director | Current | Risk management platforms for regulated financial services |
Board Governance
- Committee assignments: Audit Committee member; Chair of the Business Security and Resiliency Committee (BSRC) .
- BSRC responsibilities: oversight of enterprise cyber and physical security, operational resiliency, monitoring significant security events, and governance of AI use and associated risk management; committee attendance 100%; five meetings in 2024 .
- Audit Committee scope: financial reporting, internal controls, ethics/compliance, oversight of external auditor; committee attendance 98%; nine meetings in 2024 .
- Independence: Board determined Dr. Akella is independent; 12 of 13 nominees are independent (only CEO is non-independent) .
- Board attendance: Board met seven times in 2024; all directors attended at least 75% of applicable meetings; average director attendance 98% .
Fixed Compensation
| Component | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Annual cash retainer | $120,000 | Non-employee director cash retainer |
| Chair retainer (non-Audit committees) | $20,000 | Applies to BSRC Chair |
| Chair retainer (Audit Committee) | $25,000 | Not applicable to Akella (not Audit Chair) |
| Lead Independent Director retainer | $35,000 | Not applicable to Akella |
| Meeting fees | $0 | No fees for Board/committee meetings |
| 2024 cash fees received (Akella) | $131,667 | Reflects base plus chair retainer/proration |
Director Deferred Compensation/Equity Deferral
- Annual equity grant: $170,000 in deferred common stock units, distributed after Board service ends; dividends reinvested in additional units .
- Optional deferral: directors may defer up to 100% of remaining compensation into common stock units (dividends reinvested) or at the prime interest rate; distributions in lump sum or up to 10 annual installments per annual election .
Performance Compensation
| Metric | Applicability | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue growth | Not applicable | Directors do not receive performance-based pay; equity is time-deferred |
| Relative TSR | Not applicable | No director performance award metrics disclosed |
| Operational/ESG goals | Not applicable | No director performance awards; governance role only |
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Company | Sector | Role/Committees | Potential Interlocks/Conflicts |
|---|---|---|---|
| SLM Corporation | Financial services | Audit; Operational & Compliance Risk Committees | No related-party transactions affecting independence identified by SO Board review |
| Fractal Analytics Limited | Private AI | Director | Technology overlap enhances cyber/AI oversight; no SO related-party exposure disclosed |
| averQ, Inc. | Private risk tech | Director | Risk governance expertise; no SO related-party exposure disclosed |
Expertise & Qualifications
- Technology & innovation; AI/cybersecurity; data and analytics; digital transformation leadership .
- Industry/regulatory oversight: BSRC chairing cyber/AI risk; Audit Committee financial literacy; enterprise risk governance exposure .
- Education: advanced electrical/computer engineering degrees, supporting technical rigor in oversight .
Equity Ownership
| Holder | Shares Owned Directly/Indirectly | Deferred Common Stock Units | Rights to Acquire within 60 Days | Total Beneficially Owned | Ownership % of SO Common |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Janaki Akella | — | 17,421 | — | 17,421 | ~0.0016% (17,421 / 1,100,193,640) |
- Stock ownership guidelines: non-employee directors must beneficially own at least five times annual cash retainer within five years; all non-employee directors meet or are expected to meet within timeframe .
- Hedging/pledging: company maintains “Restrictions on Hedging or Pledging” policy accessible via investor site; no pledging by Akella disclosed .
- No options listed; beneficial ownership represented by deferred units .
Insider Trades
| Date | Filing | Summary |
|---|---|---|
| 2025-01-02 | Form 4 (SO) | Section 16 filing by Janaki Akella (details in filing) |
| 2025-07-02 | Form 4 (SO) | Form signed by attorney-in-fact; insider activity report (details in filing) |
Note: Specific share counts/types for individual transactions should be reviewed in the cited Form 4 documents.
Governance Assessment
- Strengths: Independent status; chairs cyber/AI oversight with strong technical background; active membership on Audit Committee; robust committee attendance metrics (BSRC 100% across five meetings; Audit Committee 98% across nine meetings); Board-wide high attendance and annual self-evaluations strengthen oversight effectiveness .
- Alignment: Director equity fully deferred until end of service; ownership guidelines require substantial alignment (5x cash retainer); no meeting fees; straightforward cash/equity mix reduces pay complexity and potential misalignment .
- Conflicts/Related Parties: Board’s independence review identified no transactions affecting independence; related person transactions disclosed pertain to certain executives’ family members, not directors; electricity/gas service to directors’ affiliates at ordinary terms noted .
- Shareholder signals: 2024 say-on-pay approval of 95% indicates supportive investor sentiment toward compensation governance; continuing stockholder engagement and transparent political/lobbying disclosures underpin governance credibility .
Red Flags
- None disclosed specific to Akella: no related-party transactions, pledging/hedging flags, or attendance concerns reported; independence confirmed by Board’s February 2025 review .