David Lemmon
About David J. Lemmon
Independent director at SunOpta (STKL), age 57, appointed to the Board on September 16, 2024; serves on the Corporate Governance and Compensation Committees. He is CEO of Hunter Amenities International (2023–present), and previously served as CEO of Enterra Feed Corporation (2021–2022) and spent over 20 years at The J.M. Smucker Company in senior roles across Pet Food & Snacks, Away-From-Home, International, and Canada. He holds a B.A. in Business from Brock University (Ontario) and is based in Ontario, Canada. As of March 27, 2025, he beneficially owned 1,129 common shares (<1%) of STKL; the Board has determined he is independent under NASDAQ/CSA standards .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hunter Amenities International Ltd. | Chief Executive Officer | 2023 – Present | Leads a top manufacturer and distributor of hotel amenities |
| Enterra Feed Corporation | President & Chief Executive Officer | 2021 – 2022 | Company later entered receivership (Nov 8, 2022) after his tenure ended in Oct 2022 |
| The J.M. Smucker Company | President, Pet Food & Pet Snacks; President, U.S. Away-From-Home; International & Canada; GM Canada | 1994 – 2019 | Drove transformational change and innovation across pet, away‑from‑home, and international businesses |
External Roles
| Category | Role/Entity | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Public company directorships | None | No current public or Canadian listed company directorships |
| Private company leadership | CEO, Hunter Amenities International | 2023–present |
Board Governance
- Committee assignments: Corporate Governance (member) and Compensation (member); not a chair .
- Independence: Board deems Lemmon independent; 7 of 8 directors independent; all standing committees fully independent .
- Attendance and engagement: In 2024 the Board held 9 meetings; each incumbent director attended ≥78% of Board meetings; Corporate Governance and Compensation Committees recorded 100% attendance by members during their service periods; no director was below 75% combined Board+committee attendance. All directors attended the 2024 annual meeting virtually .
- Board leadership: Independent Chair (Leslie Starr); committees chaired by independent directors; independent director executive sessions held regularly .
Fixed Compensation
- Director compensation structure (effective May 2024): $70,000 annual cash retainer; $5,000 per non‑Audit committee membership ($8,000 for Audit); Chair retainers: Board $90,000; Audit Chair $20,000; Compensation Chair $15,000; Corporate Governance Chair $10,000. Annual RSUs valued at $110,000 with a 12‑month vest. Directors may elect stock in lieu of cash and can defer equity under the Non‑Employee Director Stock Deferral Plan .
- 2024 actual compensation (partial year): | Name | Fees Earned (Cash) $ | Stock Awards $ | Total $ | |---|---:|---:|---:| | David J. Lemmon | 2,857 | 76,849 | 79,706 |
Note: Includes an election to receive $1,429 of shares in lieu of cash retainers .
Performance Compensation
| Element | Terms | Performance Metrics |
|---|---|---|
| Director RSUs | Annual grant valued at $110,000; 12‑month time‑based vest | None (time‑based only) |
| Deferrals | Optional deferral of director equity per plan | N/A |
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Item | Status |
|---|---|
| Current public company boards | None |
| Compensation Committee interlocks | None; no officer/employee service by committee members; no executive cross‑board interlocks disclosed |
Expertise & Qualifications
- Food & Beverage, Senior Leadership, Strategy/Operations, Talent/Compensation, ESG, Investor Relations, and Risk Management; skills matrix reflects broad alignment with STKL’s business needs .
- Career track record includes scaling branded and international businesses (Smucker), and current CEO experience (Hunter) .
Equity Ownership
| Holder | Common Shares | Vested Options | Vested RSUs/PSUs | Total Beneficial Ownership | % of Shares Outstanding |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| David J. Lemmon | 1,129 | 0 | 0 | 1,129 | <1% |
- Ownership policy: Independent directors must hold ≥5x annual cash retainer within 5 years; as of March 27, 2025, 4 of 7 independent directors were compliant and the others were within the transition period .
- Hedging/pledging: Prohibited; company not aware of any director hedging; policy forbids hedging and pledging of company stock .
Related-Party & Conflicts Check
- Related‑party transactions: Audit Committee reviews any such transactions; no specific related‑party transactions involving Lemmon were disclosed .
- Independence confirmed; no family relationships among directors/executives .
Compensation Committee & Pay Governance Context
- Lemmon serves on Compensation; committee entirely independent and supported by independent consultant Pearl Meyer; scope covers CEO pay, broader compensation policies, equity plans, and risk assessment .
- Company maintains a clawback policy; in 2025 it enforced clawbacks following prior‑period financial statement revisions (impacting executive STIPs), evidencing discipline in pay governance .
Say‑on‑Pay & Shareholder Feedback
- 2024 say‑on‑pay approval ~94% (advisory), indicating broad shareholder support for pay programs .
Risk Indicators & RED FLAGS
- Enterra Feed receivership: Lemmon led Enterra Feed (left Oct 2022); company entered receivership in Nov 2022. Not a disqualifier but relevant to assess turnaround/credit risk experience versus outcome; disclosed under “Penalties and Sanctions and Personal Bankruptcies” section .
- Low current personal ownership: 1,129 shares (<1%); alignment expected to increase given mandatory 5‑year ownership guideline of 5x cash retainer for independent directors .
- Positive mitigants: Independent status, independent committee structure, strong attendance norms, anti‑hedging/pledging policy, and active clawback enforcement support governance quality .
Governance Assessment
- Strengths: Independent director with deep CPG/food domain and P&L experience; serves on key governance and compensation committees; board/committee independence and high attendance; robust ownership guidelines, anti‑hedging/pledging, and clawback enforcement enhance investor alignment and accountability .
- Watch items: Prior leadership of a company that later entered receivership (contextual risk signal); current STKL ownership is modest but subject to ramp under guidelines .
- No disclosed related‑party transactions or interlocks; independence affirmed, reducing conflict risk .