Amy Tiliakos
Synchrony FinancialAbout Amy Tiliakos
Amy Tiliakos is Senior Vice President, Chief Accounting Officer and Controller of Synchrony Financial (SYF), appointed effective August 1, 2024; she is 43, a Certified Public Accountant, and holds a B.S. in Accounting from the University of Connecticut . Prior to SYF, she spent 2013–2024 at American Express in progressively senior accounting and reporting roles . During her tenure start year (2024), SYF reported net earnings of $3.5B, ROA of 2.9%, purchase volume of $182.2B, EPS growth from $5.19 (2023) to $8.55 (2024), and capital returns of $1.4B; efficiency ratio was 30% .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Years | Strategic Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Synchrony Financial | SVP, Chief Accounting Officer & Controller | 2024–present | Principal accounting leadership for SEC/regulatory reporting; stepped into CAO role post-retirement of predecessor |
| American Express Company | U.S. Regulatory Reporting VP | 2023–2024 | Led U.S. bank/regulatory reporting; strengthened controls and compliance |
| American Express Company | External Reporting VP | 2021–2023 | Oversaw external financial reporting; disclosure quality and governance |
| American Express Company | Global Consumer Services Group Segment Controller VP | 2019–2021 | Segment-level controller; drove financial rigor across consumer segment |
| American Express Company | Various finance roles | 2013–2019 | Progressive accounting/finance leadership experience |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Years | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| — | Certified Public Accountant (CPA) | — | Professional credential (jurisdiction not specified) |
Fixed Compensation
| Component | 2024 Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Base salary | Not disclosed | Company stated she “will receive an annual base salary” |
| Target bonus % (AIP) | Not disclosed | Eligible to receive non‑equity incentive comp under AIP |
| Actual bonus paid | Not disclosed | NEO AIP paid at 105% of target for 2024; individual CAO payout not disclosed |
| Sign‑on cash | Not disclosed | Eligible for sign‑on cash in consideration of forfeited prior comp |
| Perquisites | Not disclosed | Executive program includes financial counseling, exams; details for CAO not disclosed |
Performance Compensation
| Plan/Metric | Weight | Target | Actual | Payout Factor | Vesting |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Annual Incentive Plan (Company factors) – PPNR minus Charge‑Offs | 50% | $4,850 | $4,773 | 96.6% metric → 48.1% weighted | Cash; annual |
| Annual Incentive Plan – Average Receivables Growth | 30% | 10.0% | 7.3% | 56.3% metric → 16.9% weighted | Cash; annual |
| Annual Incentive Plan – Strategy & Culture | 20% | MDCC framework | Achieved goals (incl. $802M after‑tax gain on sale of Pets Best; Fortune GPTW rank to #5) | 200% metric → 40.0% weighted | Cash; annual |
| Annual Incentive Plan – Total Company Payout | — | — | — | 105.0% of target | — |
| Long‑Term Incentive – RSUs | 45% of LTI mix | — | — | — | 1/3 per year over 3 years |
| Long‑Term Incentive – PSUs (Cumulative Diluted EPS) | 50% of PSU | Challenging/achievable band (0–150%) | — | — | 3‑yr performance (2024–2026); relative TSR modifier ±20% |
| Long‑Term Incentive – PSUs (Average ROE) | 50% of PSU | Higher than prior grant ROE | — | — | 3‑yr performance; relative TSR modifier ±20% |
Notes:
- Amy is eligible for AIP and LTI; individual grant values/targets for the CAO are not disclosed. Above AIP/PSU constructs reflect SYF’s executive programs broadly and NEO plan metrics/outcomes for 2024 .
Equity Ownership & Alignment
| Item | Status |
|---|---|
| Beneficial ownership (shares) | Not disclosed for Amy in 2025 proxy ownership table |
| Shares pledged as collateral | Prohibited by policy (anti‑pledging) |
| Hedging of company stock | Prohibited by policy (anti‑hedging/shorting/options) |
| Ownership guidelines | CEO 6x salary; EVPs 3x salary; guideline for SVP CAO not specified; unearthed PSUs excluded from counting |
| Clawback policies | NYSE/Exchange Act §10D restatement clawback + misconduct clawback; applies to current/former executive officers |
Employment Terms
| Term | Detail |
|---|---|
| Appointment | Named SVP, Chief Accounting Officer & Controller on June 28, 2024; effective August 1, 2024 |
| Interim principal accounting officer coverage | CFO served interim PAA July 2–July 31, 2024 |
| Compensation eligibility | Annual base salary; eligible for annual equity and non‑equity incentives (AIP, LTIP) |
| Sign‑on awards | Eligible sign‑on cash and equity (make‑whole for forfeited prior comp) |
| Indemnification | Standard SYF indemnification agreement |
| Employment agreement | Company policy: no employment agreements for executive officers |
| Severance | SYF maintains Executive Severance and CIC Severance Plans; specific CAO multiples not disclosed. CIC equity is double‑trigger |
| Equity vesting on separation | Executives with >20 years service continue vesting for awards ≥1 year; death/disability immediate vest; retirement rules age 60+3 years. CAO’s service/eligibility not disclosed |
| Insider trading | Covered by SYF Insider Trading Policy |
Compensation Structure Analysis
- Equity‑heavy programs with PSU metrics (EPS, ROE) and TSR modifier link pay to multi‑year performance; cash AIP includes PPNR‑CO and receivables growth, balancing profitability and growth with qualitative culture/strategy outcomes .
- No hedging/pledging and robust clawbacks strengthen alignment and reduce governance red flags .
- Company‑wide changes to peer group (added Block, Voya; removed regional banks) reflect market for talent post >$100B assets threshold, influencing pay levels and retention dynamics .
Say‑on‑Pay & Shareholder Feedback
- 2024 Say‑on‑Pay support was 63% (down from 93% in 2023); MDCC conducted extensive engagement and enhanced disclosures (peer rationale, CEO pay glide path, goal‑setting rigor, succession planning) .
Investment Implications
- Alignment: Anti‑hedging/pledging and clawbacks, plus PSU metrics with TSR modifier, reduce misalignment risk and encourage long‑term value creation .
- Retention: CAO sign‑on make‑whole awards and eligibility for AIP/LTI indicate commitment to attract and retain accounting leadership amid heightened regulatory standards (> $100B assets) .
- Governance signal: 2024’s 63% Say‑on‑Pay highlights investor sensitivity to pay/peer group; monitor continued disclosure improvements and MDCC responses to avoid overhang .
- Trading/overhang: No disclosed pledging; insider selling pressure unknown due to lack of CAO ownership disclosure in proxy. Company‑wide AIP payout (105%) and PSU 2022–2024 outperformance (175.5% payout) support incentive realizations for senior executives; watch vesting calendars and grant timing for potential supply dynamics .
Data gaps: Amy‑specific base salary, bonus targets, grant values, and share ownership were not disclosed; conclusions above leverage company‑wide policies and NEO program outcomes.