Deborah Grant
SOUNDTHINKINGAbout Deborah A. Grant
Deborah A. Grant, age 63, is an independent director of SoundThinking, Inc. (SSTI) since 2021 and was appointed Chair of the Board effective immediately prior to the 2025 annual meeting. She is President & CEO of Corporate Playbook Consulting, LLC (founded 2017); previously President of the GE Foundation and a corporate officer at GE for ~30 years. She holds a B.A. in sociology from Louisiana State University and an M.P.A. from Southern University in Baton Rouge .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| General Electric (GE) | Corporate Officer (various roles) | 2006–2017 (corporate officer); ~30 years total at GE | Senior executive leadership and human capital management experience |
| GE Foundation | President | Oct 2013–Feb 2017 | Led philanthropic arm; strategic leadership |
| Corporate Playbook Consulting, LLC | President & CEO (Founder) | 2017–present | Strategic leadership development |
| Dining with Deb (initiative) | Creator/Curator | Ongoing | Cross-sector networking for women; culture/community impact |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Public/Private | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daniel J. Edelman Holdings | Independent Director | Private | Global communications firm; governance experience |
Board Governance
- Independence: The Board affirmatively determined all directors other than CEO Ralph Clark are independent; Grant is independent .
- Board Chair: The Board appointed Deborah A. Grant as Chair effective immediately prior to the 2025 Annual Meeting, separating Chair and CEO roles to reinforce independent oversight .
- Committees (2024 composition):
- Compensation and Human Capital Committee: Chair (members: Grant, Bratton, Jacobson) .
- Nominating & Corporate Governance Committee: Member (chair: Morial; members: Morial, Grant, Jacobson) .
- Attendance and meetings (2024): Board met 8 times; Audit 4; Compensation 9; Nominating 3. No director attended fewer than 75% of aggregate Board and committee meetings .
- Executive sessions: Regularly scheduled at each regular Board meeting; presided by an independent director .
Fixed Compensation (Director)
| Component (2024) | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Board service retainer (non-chair) | $40,000 | Policy rate for non-employee directors |
| Compensation Committee chair fee | $10,000 | Policy rate for chair |
| Nominating Committee member fee | $3,000 | Policy rate for non-chair member |
| Cash Fees Earned (reported) | $53,000 | Matches sum of component fees |
Performance Compensation (Director)
| Equity Grant (2024) | Grant Date Value | Vesting | Change-in-Control | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Annual RSU Award | $124,998 | Vests on earlier of 1st anniversary or next annual meeting, subject to service | Accelerates in full upon change in control or resignation/removal contingent on change in control as specified | Chair receives additional $25,000 value, offset by committee chair cash; Grant’s 2024 role was not Board Chair |
- Design: Directors receive RSUs (no options); RSUs vest based on service, not performance metrics .
- Deferrals: Directors may elect to defer cash and RSU settlement per policy .
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Company | Overlap/Interlock | Potential Conflict |
|---|---|---|
| Daniel J. Edelman Holdings | None disclosed with SSTI counterparties | None disclosed |
- Related-party transactions: SSTI reports no related-party transactions involving directors since Jan 1, 2023 beyond standard compensation .
Expertise & Qualifications
- Human capital and leadership development, compensation oversight (Compensation Committee chair) .
- Long-tenured corporate executive at GE; philanthropy leadership at GE Foundation .
- Board leadership: appointed independent Chair, with responsibilities for agendas, liaison with management/stockholders, and presiding over board meetings .
Equity Ownership
| Holder | Total Beneficial Ownership (shares) | Components | % of Outstanding |
|---|---|---|---|
| Deborah A. Grant | 19,551 | 10,966 directly; 8,585 RSUs vesting within 60 days of April 10, 2025 | <1% (as indicated by proxy) |
- Stock ownership guidelines: Non-employee directors must hold 3x annual cash retainer; retention requirements apply if below threshold .
- Hedging/Pledging: Prohibited for directors; policy bans hedging, derivatives, short selling, margin, and pledging .
- Pledged shares: None indicated; policy prohibits .
Governance Assessment
- Board effectiveness: Elevation to independent Chair strengthens oversight and investor confidence; separation from CEO underscores governance quality .
- Compensation oversight: As Compensation Committee chair, Grant led program changes contributing to say-on-pay support rising from ~68% (2023) to ~90% (2024), signaling responsive shareholder engagement and improved alignment (changes include formulaic bonus metrics and introducing PSUs for executives) .
- Alignment: Director pay is a balanced cash/equity mix; 2024 equity grant of ~$125k in RSUs with standard service-based vesting aligns director interests with shareholders .
- Attendance: No director fell below 75% attendance in 2024; board/committee cadence indicates active engagement .
- Conflicts: No related-party transactions involving Grant disclosed; independence affirmed .
- Risk indicators:
- Section 16 compliance: One late report for Grant in 2024 among several directors; minor administrative issue, not uncommon but worth monitoring. RED FLAG: administrative lapse in timely insider reporting .
- Hedging/pledging: Prohibited; no pledging disclosed, reducing alignment risk .
- Say-on-pay: Strong 2024 approval (~90%) post program changes supports management credibility and committee oversight .
Overall, Grant’s appointment as independent Chair, leadership of the Compensation Committee, and absence of related-party conflicts are positive governance signals. The late Section 16 filing is a minor procedural flag but not indicative of substantive risk, while her role in enhancing pay-for-performance strengthens investor confidence .
Appendix: Data Citations
- About, tenure, education, external roles:
- Independence and Board Chair appointment:
- Committee memberships:
- Attendance and meetings:
- Executive sessions:
- Director compensation table and components:
- RSU vesting and change-in-control terms; deferral options:
- Beneficial ownership breakdown:
- Ownership guidelines and hedging/pledging policy:
- Related-party transactions statement:
- Say-on-pay results and program changes: