Brett Bruggeman
SENSIENT TECHNOLOGIESAbout Brett W. Bruggeman
Independent director of Sensient Technologies Corporation since 2024; age 58; serves on the Finance, Nominating & Corporate Governance, and Scientific Advisory Committees. He is Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer at Land O’Lakes, Inc. and holds a B.S. in Agricultural Studies from Iowa State University, bringing transnational agricultural and sustainability experience with broad management, sales, and operations credentials .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Land O’Lakes, Inc. | Executive Vice President & Chief Operating Officer | 2023–present | Senior operating leadership with food/ag focus |
| WinField United (Land O’Lakes) | President; Senior VP, Marketing | 2018–present; 2015–2018 | Commercial execution and marketing leadership |
| United Suppliers | Vice President, Crop Protection & Seed | 2007–2015 | Portfolio and go-to-market leadership |
| FMC Corporation | Director, North Latin America/Mexico & Central America; Director, Sales Marketing NA | 2005–2007; 2003–2005 | Regional P&L and commercial management |
| BASF Corporation | Various sales and product management roles (Soybean & Corn, Strategic Accounts) | 1992–2003 | Product strategy and key account management |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Croplife America Inc. | Director | 2018–present | Industry advocacy and standards in crop inputs |
| GreenPoint AG, LLC | Director | 2018–present | Retail/ag supply chain governance |
| Public company boards | None | — | No interlocks on public boards disclosed |
Board Governance
- Committee memberships: Finance Committee (member; joined after 2024 Annual Meeting), Nominating & Corporate Governance Committee (member; joined after 2024 Annual Meeting), Scientific Advisory Committee (all directors participate) .
- Independence: Board determined Bruggeman is independent under NYSE/SEC rules and company criteria .
- Attendance and engagement: Board met 6 times in 2024; Bruggeman attended 100% of Board and committee meetings for which he served (only one director missed one Executive Committee meeting) .
- Executive sessions: Independent directors held four executive sessions in 2024; Lead Director is Dr. Joseph Carleone .
- Governance environment: CEO also serves as Chairman; Board employs a Lead Director structure and has a majority of independent directors (8 of 10) .
Fixed Compensation
| Component | FY 2024 Amount/Note |
|---|---|
| Annual cash retainer (program level) | $91,600 (unchanged since 2018) |
| Committee retainers (program ranges) | Chair: $8,000–$25,500; Member: $2,000–$13,500 (varies by workload/meetings) |
| Lead Director retainer (program) | $25,000 (not applicable to Bruggeman) |
| Fees earned in cash (Bruggeman actual) | $68,239 |
| Deferred compensation plan | Available; directors may defer retainer into Common Stock equivalents |
Performance Compensation
- Equity structure: Non-employee director equity is time-based restricted stock granted annually; no options or performance-linked metrics for directors .
- Vesting: Director restricted stock vests one-third at each of the first, second, and third annual meetings after grant; required to hold at least 75% of future net shares until board separation, with limited tax sale exception .
- Hedging/pledging: Prohibited for directors and employees; no short sales, hedging, or pledging of company securities .
| Equity Award Detail (Bruggeman) | FY 2024 |
|---|---|
| Stock awards (grant date fair value) | $100,003 |
| Grant date (directors) | April 25, 2024 |
| Unvested restricted shares outstanding (12/31/2024) | 1,436 |
| Options outstanding | None |
| Vesting cadence | One-third at each of the next three annual meetings |
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Relationship | Nature | Disclosure |
|---|---|---|
| Employment at Land O’Lakes | EVP & COO | Company sold products to Land O’Lakes, Inc. in 2024; Board still deems Bruggeman independent |
| Public board interlocks | None | No current public company boards |
Expertise & Qualifications
- Transnational business and extensive agricultural background with food companies and sustainability emphasis; broad management, sales, marketing, operations, acquisitions, and business development experience .
- Financial literacy and risk management experience noted by Board skills matrix; age 58; one year board tenure at Sensient .
Equity Ownership
| Metric | As of |
|---|---|
| Beneficial ownership (shares) | 1,459 (Feb 14, 2025) |
| Ownership as % of outstanding | Less than 1% (no director ≥1%) |
| Unvested restricted stock (12/31/2024) | 1,436 |
| Options (exercisable/unexercisable) | 0/0 |
| Pledged or hedged shares | Prohibited by policy |
| Director stock ownership guidelines | Must hold shares equal to ≥5x annual retainer within 5 years; hold 75% of future net shares until separation |
| Compliance status | Not specifically disclosed |
Governance Assessment
-
Positives
- Independent director with 100% meeting attendance and active roles on Finance and Nominating & Corporate Governance committees; SAC participation enhances technical oversight .
- Strong alignment policies: time-based equity with hold-to-retirement requirement; robust anti-hedging/pledging; director compensation reviewed annually and aligned with peers .
- Board structure includes Lead Director and frequent executive sessions; majority independent; say-on-pay support was 92.6% in 2024, signaling investor confidence in governance and pay practices .
-
RED FLAGS / Monitoring Items
- Related-party proximity: Company sold products to Land O’Lakes where Bruggeman is COO, a potential conflict channel; Board disclosed and maintained independence determination—monitor transaction scope and committee oversight to ensure recusal where appropriate .
- Combined CEO/Chair governance model persists; mitigated by Lead Director and executive sessions but remains a structural consideration for board independence optics .
- Ownership alignment maturity: Early tenure with modest disclosed beneficial holdings; guidelines require build-up to 5x retainer over 5 years—track progress and adherence to hold-to-retirement policy .