Jon-Al Duplantier
About Jon-Al Duplantier
Independent Class II director (age 57) serving since 2022. Former senior oil & gas executive and corporate counsel with Conoco/ConocoPhillips and Parker Drilling; JD from Louisiana State University and BS from Grambling State University. Chairs Stellar’s Corporate Governance & Nominating Committee and serves on the Compensation Committee, bringing deep governance, legal, compliance, and international operating experience to the board .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parker Drilling Company | President, Rental Tools & Well Services | Apr 2018 – Jul 2020 | Led multi-country operations across legal, compliance, internal audit, HR, EHS, procurement |
| Parker Drilling Company | Executive leadership roles | 2009 – 2018 | Oversaw governance and compliance; company filed prearranged Chapter 11 in Dec 2018, providing restructuring experience |
| ConocoPhillips | Legal and management roles | 2002 – 2009 | Energy sector legal and operational exposure |
| Conoco Inc. | Roles of increasing responsibility | 1995 – 2002 | Early career progression in oil & gas |
External Roles
| Company | Role | Committees |
|---|---|---|
| Sitio Royalties Corp. (NYSE: STR) | Director | Compensation Committee member |
| AltaGas Ltd. (TSX: ALA) | Director | Human Resources & Compensation; Governance Committee member |
| Kodiak Gas Services, Inc. (NYSE: KGS) | Director | Chair, Nominating, Governance & Sustainability; Personnel & Compensation member |
Board Governance
- Committees: Chair, Corporate Governance & Nominating; Member, Compensation (independent) .
- Independence: Board affirmatively determined Duplantier is independent under NYSE/SEC rules .
- Attendance and executive sessions: Board held five meetings in 2024; independent directors held four executive sessions; all directors except one met ≥75% combined Board/committee attendance; 12 directors attended the 2024 annual meeting .
- Governance initiatives: As CG&N Chair, oversaw shareholder engagement and recommended significant governance updates adopted in Feb 2025—declassification proposal, director resignation policy (majority vote fallback), shareholders’ right to call special meetings at 25%, shareholder bylaw amendment rights, and adoption of stock ownership guidelines .
Fixed Compensation
| Fee Component | Amount (USD) |
|---|---|
| Annual cash retainer | $40,000 |
| Lead Independent Director retainer (if applicable) | $15,000 |
| Committee chair (Audit/Comp/Risk) | $10,000 |
| CG&N chair | $7,500 |
| Committee member (Audit/Comp/Risk) | $7,500 |
| CG&N member | $5,000 |
| Meeting fee (Board and all committees) | $750 per meeting |
| Director (2024) | Cash Fees | Stock Awards | All Other | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jon-Al Duplantier | $67,750 | $60,000 (restricted stock) | $1,335 (dividends on RS at vest) | $129,085 |
Performance Compensation
| Equity Award | Grant Date | Shares | Target Value | Vesting |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Restricted stock (annual director grant) | Jun 1, 2024 | 2,660 | $60,000 | Vests May 1, 2025, subject to continued service |
- Directors receive time-based restricted stock; no performance metrics are tied to director equity awards (performance-share metrics apply to executives, not directors) .
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Entity | Nature of Relationship | Potential Interlock Risk |
|---|---|---|
| STR, ALA, KGS | External public boards (energy) | No STEL-related party transactions disclosed; independence affirmed. Monitor energy sector exposure due to Houston market context . |
Expertise & Qualifications
- Governance, legal, compliance, internal audit, and global operations leadership (across >12 countries) .
- Energy industry domain knowledge; contributes to board’s targeted skills set (regulatory/risk mgmt; governance/legal; public company board experience) .
Equity Ownership
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Beneficial ownership (as of Mar 26, 2025) | 8,278 shares (<1%) |
| Breakdown | 5,618 direct; 2,660 unvested restricted stock |
| Pledged shares | None disclosed for Duplantier (pledging noted for other directors only) |
| Director stock ownership guidelines (adopted Feb 26, 2025) | Minimum 5x cash retainer; 5-year accumulation period |
Governance Assessment
-
Positive signals:
- Independent director; chairs CG&N; serves on Compensation; independence confirmed .
- Led governance enhancements: declassification proposal, director resignation policy, enhanced shareholder rights, and adoption of ownership guidelines—aligns board structure with best practices .
- Strong say-on-pay outcomes indicate shareholder support for compensation and governance (96.5% in 2024; 92.3% in 2023) .
- No related-party transactions or pledging disclosed for Duplantier; Section 16 filings were timely for 2024 (late items pertained to other officers) .
-
Watch items:
- Multiple external public boards in energy sector increase time commitments; ensure continued full attendance and engagement (board noted attendance standards and executive sessions) .
- Prior association with Parker Drilling’s 2018 Chapter 11 is a restructuring experience signal rather than a current risk; monitor for potential conflicts if counterparties become STEL banking clients (none disclosed) .
Overall assessment: Duplantier strengthens board effectiveness through governance leadership and independence, with strong alignment actions (ownership guidelines). No director-specific conflicts flagged. Continued monitoring of time commitments and energy sector interlocks is prudent for investor confidence .