Rob Duchscher
About Rob Duchscher
Rob Duchscher (age 64) is SunOpta’s Chief Information Officer, overseeing information technology alongside customer service and payroll; he joined the company in March 2017 after serving as CIO at Starkey Hearing Technologies and earlier as VP of Software Engineering and R&D PMO at Starkey . During his tenure, SunOpta’s adjusted EBITDA from continuing operations rose to $88.7 million in 2024 from $75.9 million in 2023, while year-end TSR value of $100 invested on 12/28/2019 increased to $313.65 by year-end 2024 . The company reported no material cybersecurity breach in 2024, with Board-level oversight of cyber and AI risk—areas directly linked to the CIO’s remit .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Years | Strategic Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starkey Hearing Technologies | Chief Information Officer | 2010–2017 | Led transformation of IT and software engineering functions |
| Starkey Hearing Technologies | VP, Software Engineering and R&D PMO | 2002–2010 | Built software engineering and PMO capability underpinning product development |
| SunOpta Inc. | Chief Information Officer | 2017–Present | Oversees IT, customer service, and payroll; executive leadership in risk/cyber programs |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Years | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| None disclosed | — | — | No reporting-issuer board service in past five years |
Fixed Compensation
- Individual CIO pay is not disclosed (Duchscher is not an NEO); SunOpta’s executive pay mix uses base salary plus variable pay aligned to adjusted EBITDA (STIP) and performance-based LTIP (PSUs, RSUs, options) .
- Stock ownership guidelines apply to senior leaders: CEO 5x salary; other NEOs 2x; other Senior Leadership Team 1x salary; five-year compliance window with equity-for-bonus if short .
Performance Compensation
- SunOpta’s STIP covers managers and above (including senior leaders) with half paid in PSUs and half in cash; the company component in 2024 was adjusted EBITDA (threshold/target/max below), and PSUs vested April 4, 2025 .
| Measure | Threshold (50% payout) | Target (100% payout) | Maximum (200% payout) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adjusted EBITDA ($ millions) | $80.55 | $89.5 | $107.5 |
- LTIP structure (executives generally): PSUs based on Revenue CAGR and ROIC for most NEOs; options vest ratably over 3 years (10-year term); RSUs vest ratably over 3 years . 2022 LTIP PSUs vested at 117% in May 2025 based on relative TSR; 2024 STIP PSUs granted April 4, 2024 vested April 4, 2025 .
Equity Ownership & Alignment
- Hedging/pledging: Officers and directors are prohibited from hedging (and pledging is likewise disallowed), formal policy effective Feb 2018 .
- Ownership guidelines: Senior Leadership Team must hold stock equal to 1x base salary; five-year transition period; equity delivery increases if not compliant after five years .
- Beneficial ownership: Duchscher’s initial Form 3 (Mar 2017) reported no securities beneficially owned at that time; ongoing holdings for CIO are not separately disclosed in proxies (non-NEO) .
Employment Terms
| Term | Detail |
|---|---|
| Employment start date | March 2017 (CIO appointment) |
| Employment agreement | Executed February 22, 2017; agreement listed as Exhibit 10.5 in 2017 10-Q; includes restrictive covenants |
| Non-compete / Non-solicit | Agreement includes reasonable-in-scope/duration non-compete and non-solicit; courts may blue-pencil; violations extend covenant duration; Minnesota law governs; Hennepin County jurisdiction; arbitration venue Hennepin County |
| Severance / CIC | Company-wide framework: double-trigger equity vesting for executives (immediate vest for options/RSUs; PSUs vest if hurdles met) and severance multiples upon termination within 12 months post-CIC; specifics disclosed for NEOs, not individually for CIO |
Performance & Track Record
- Company operational/cyber risk: No material cybersecurity breach in 2024; CIO leads defense-in-depth program with quarterly ERM reporting to the Board and Audit Committee .
- Pay-for-performance framework: Variable pay weighted to adjusted EBITDA and multi-year revenue growth/ROIC/TSR; clawback policy enforced after financial statement revisions affecting 2022–2023 STIPs .
- Company performance (continuing ops) during Duchscher’s tenure (illustrative investor metrics):
| Metric | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year-end value of $100 invested on 12/28/2019 in STKL | $468.67 | $279.12 | $338.96 | $219.68 | $313.65 |
| Net Income (Loss) ($ millions) | $82.4 | $(1.2) | $(6.4) | $(25.2) | $(11.5) |
| Adjusted EBITDA ($ millions) | $58.7 | $60.6 | $82.1 | $75.9 | $88.7 |
Risk Indicators & Red Flags
- Restatement-driven clawbacks to executives’ 2022–2023 STIPs (tight governance signal); policy extends recovery to prior three years .
- Hedging/pledging prohibited; no pledging disclosed—an alignment-positive .
- No director roles or interlocks disclosed for Duchscher; no related-party transactions disclosed involving him .
Compensation Peer Group (context)
- 2024 peer set used for benchmarking includes 16 food/CPG names (e.g., BellRing, TreeHouse, Utz, Vital Farms); pay targeted around market median with heavy variable pay components .
Say-on-Pay & Shareholder Feedback (context)
- 2024 say-on-pay approval ~94% in favor, indicating investor support for executive pay design .
Investment Implications
- Alignment: CIO role sits under robust anti-hedging/pledging and stock-ownership guidelines; absence of disclosed pledging hedges insider-alignment risk .
- Retention: Long tenure, enforceable non-compete/non-solicit, and company-wide double-trigger CIC protections suggest moderate retention risk and structured transition safeguards .
- Trading signals: No Form 4 activity surfaced for Duchscher; initial Form 3 reported no holdings in 2017, and current individual ownership not disclosed—limits insider signal visibility for CIO specifically .
- Execution: Company-level EBITDA improvement in 2024 and no material cyber incidents point to effective operational and IT risk management under CIO oversight, reducing execution risk in digital/plant systems critical to manufacturing .