Chris Kreidler
About Chris Kreidler
R. Chris Kreidler (age 61) has served as an independent director of TrueBlue, Inc. since July 2020. He sits on the Audit, Corporate Governance and Nominating, and Innovation & Technology committees, and is designated by the Board as an “audit committee financial expert.” His background includes CFO roles and deep strategic, operational, and transactional expertise across global companies, with current advisory roles in strategy and executive coaching. Independence was reaffirmed by the Board on March 27, 2025.
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| McKinsey & Company | Senior advisor | 2016–current | Strategy advisory |
| Sysco Corporation | EVP & CFO | — | Finance leadership |
| C&S Wholesale Grocers | EVP, CFO & Chief Customer Officer | — | Finance and commercial leadership |
| Yum! Brands, Inc. | Multiple senior leadership roles | — | Global operating experience |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Status | Committees/Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alyasra Foods | Director | Private | — |
| Soul Foods | Special Advisor to the Board | Private | — |
| Aimia Inc. | Director; Audit Committee Chair | Public (prior) | Audit leadership |
| BradyIFS, Wok Holdings, P.F. Chang’s China Bistro | Director (prior) | Private (prior) | — |
Board Governance
- Independence: Yes (as of Mar 27, 2025)
- Committees and meeting cadence in 2024:
- Audit Committee: Member; 8 meetings; Board determined Kreidler qualifies as an “audit committee financial expert.”
- Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee: Member; 5 meetings
- Innovation & Technology Committee: Member; 4 meetings
- Board meetings: Board met 7 times in 2024; all directors attended at least 75% of Board and committee meetings; 8 of 9 directors attended the 2024 Annual Meeting
- Executive sessions: Independent directors meet in executive session at a regularly scheduled portion of each Board meeting
- Leadership structure: Separate Chair and CEO; lead independent director used when needed
- Related-person transactions: None in 2024
- Compensation committee interlocks: None in 2024
Fixed Compensation (Director)
| Component (2024) | Amount | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| Fees Earned (Cash) | $99,500 | Per Non-Employee Director Compensation Table |
| Stock Award Grant Date Fair Value | $107,111 | RSUs valued at grant-date closing price ($11.25) |
| Total (Cash + Stock Award Fair Value) | $206,611 | FY2024 total for Kreidler |
| Annual RSU Target Value (Policy) | $135,000 | Standard for non-employee directors (Board Chair $175,000; committee chair add-ons as applicable) |
- Director cash retainer schedule (policy): Board retainer $77,000; committee retainers: Audit $12,500; Compensation $12,500; Governance $5,000; I&T $5,000; committee chair supplement $15,000 per committee (if applicable). Kreidler was not disclosed as a committee chair.
Performance Compensation (Director)
| Equity Term | Condition/Metric | Vesting/Settlement |
|---|---|---|
| RSU vesting (2024 grants) | Time-based | Vested on Sept 30, 2024 |
| RSU vesting (2025 onwards) | Time-based | Fully vests on 1-year anniversary of grant date |
| Deferral election (2024) | Elective deferral under Director Equity Plan | Deferred settlement of 100% equity retainer into 9,521 RSUs until 90 days post Board separation |
| Optional election to receive portion as options | Up to 50% of equity retainer may be stock options | If elected; not disclosed for Kreidler |
No performance-linked metrics apply to director equity grants; RSUs are time-based.
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Company | Shared Relationships/Notes |
|---|---|
| Compensation committee interlocks | None disclosed in 2024 |
| Related party transactions | None in 2024; Governance Committee reviews and must approve any such transactions ≥$120,000 |
Expertise & Qualifications
- Former public-company CFO (Sysco) and senior finance roles; strategic planning, operations, and transactional expertise; global experience (Yum! Brands)
- Audit Committee financial expert designation by the Board; financially literate per NYSE standards
Equity Ownership
| Measure | Value |
|---|---|
| Total beneficial ownership (as of Mar 14, 2025) | 57,815 shares (includes RSUs and deferred shares per proxy methodology) |
| Percent of class | * (as reported in proxy’s Security Ownership table) |
| Deferred RSUs | 9,521 RSUs under Director Equity Plan (settlement 90 days post Board separation) |
| Stock ownership guidelines | 5x base annual cash retainer; all non-employee directors met guidelines or are within 5 years and on track |
| Anti-hedging/pledging | Hedging prohibited; pledging discouraged |
Governance Assessment
- Positive signals: Independent status; Audit Committee financial expert designation; regular committee engagement and attendance; time-based equity with ownership guidelines; anti-hedging and clawback policies; say-on-pay support (91% in 2024) indicating investor confidence in compensation governance.
- Compensation alignment: Director pay combines cash retainers with RSUs; Kreidler’s deferral of 9,521 RSUs increases alignment via long-dated exposure.
- Conflicts and related-party exposure: None reported in 2024; Governance Committee oversees any related-person transactions.
- Oversight robustness: Active role across Audit, Governance, and I&T (cyber/AI) committees; committee meeting cadence indicates engaged oversight during a challenging operating environment.