Laura K. Easley
About Laura K. Easley
Laura K. Easley (age 60) is an independent director of Triumph Financial, Inc. (TFIN) since 2020, serving as Chair of the Risk & Compliance Committee and as a member of the Nominating & Corporate Governance Committee. She is a retired Chief Operating Officer of Transportation Insight (2012–2019) and holds a B.S. in Industrial Engineering and Management from Oklahoma State University. Her background spans senior operating roles in logistics and transportation technology, with prior positions at Menlo Worldwide, The Complete Logistics Company, and ABF Freight Systems .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Transportation Insight | Chief Operating Officer | 2012–2019 | Led enterprise logistics operations and technology-enabled solutions |
| Transportation Insight | Chief Business Development Officer; Chief Solutions Officer | 2005–2019 | Built commercialization and solutions capability across network services |
| Menlo Worldwide; The Complete Logistics Company; ABF Freight Systems | Various roles | Not disclosed | Deep operational experience in freight/logistics |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Type | Tenure/Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| OSU Cowboy Academy of Industrial Engineering and Management | Director | Academic/Non-profit | Board service noted; timing not specified |
| Other public company boards | — | — | None disclosed for Easley |
Board Governance
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Independence status | Independent under SEC and Nasdaq rules (all current directors except CEO Aaron P. Graft and Davis Deadman) |
| Board tenure | Director since 2020 |
| Committees | Risk & Compliance (Chair); Nominating & Corporate Governance (Member) |
| Committee scopes (relevant to chair role) | RCC oversight of enterprise risk program, IT/cybersecurity and AI, regulatory compliance, and Board risk updates |
| Meeting cadence (2024) | Board: 4 meetings; Committees: 21 total; Audit: 5; Compensation: 4; NCGC: 4; RCC: 4 |
| Attendance | Each director attended at least 75% of Board and committee meetings for which they served during 2024 |
| Annual meeting attendance | 10 of 11 then-serving directors attended the 2024 annual meeting |
| Board leadership | Separate Chair (Carlos M. Sepulveda, Jr.) and CEO (Aaron P. Graft) structure to enhance independent oversight |
Fixed Compensation
| Component (2024) | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Board cash retainer (member) | $40,000 | Standard member retainer |
| Risk & Compliance Committee – Chair cash fee | $30,000 | RCC chair fee |
| Nominating & Corporate Governance Committee – member cash fee | $3,000 | NCGC member fee |
| Total Triumph Financial cash fees (sum) | $73,000 | Matches reported cash fees for Easley |
| Other cash compensation (TBK Bank/affiliates) | Included in “All Other Compensation” | See Director Compensation table |
Performance Compensation
| Equity Component (2024) | Amount | Structure/Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Director stock awards (TFIN) | $94,827 | Director equity awards granted fully vested; target Board member stock $75,000, typically split on Feb 1 and Jul 1; reported grant date fair values reflect closing prices |
| Grant timing convention | Feb 1 and Jul 1 (target split) | Director equity grants generally issued half on each date |
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Company/Entity | Relationship | Potential interlock/conflict assessment |
|---|---|---|
| TBK Bank, SSB or subsidiaries | Board/committee service (cash), reflected in “All Other Compensation” ($20,000) | Internal subsidiary governance roles; no adverse related-party exposure disclosed |
| Related party transactions | None disclosed for Easley | Company policy requires NCGC review; disclosed related-party items involve other insiders (e.g., Jordan Graft, HPI Corporate Services) not Easley |
Expertise & Qualifications
- Senior leadership in logistics/transportation and payments; technology/cyber oversight capabilities aligned with RCC mandate .
- Industrial engineering education supporting operational risk, process control, and systems thinking .
- Board-level skills matrix identifies her strengths in senior leadership, diversity, transportation/payments, and technology/cybersecurity .
Equity Ownership
| Holder | Shares directly/indirectly owned | Notes | Percent of common |
|---|---|---|---|
| Laura K. Easley | 9,543 | Includes 1,895 shares as trustee of Easley Family Trust; disclaims beneficial ownership except to pecuniary interest | <1% |
| Ownership guidelines | Non-employee directors: 5x annual cash retainer | Company states each director is in compliance or expected to be by measurement date | |
| Hedging/pledging | Hedging prohibited; pledging restricted (pre-approved exceptions, cannot count toward ownership) | No pledging disclosed for Easley; CEO Graft disclosed pledged shares separately |
Governance Assessment
- Committee leadership: As RCC Chair, Easley oversees enterprise risk, regulatory compliance, and cybersecurity/AI risks—highly relevant given TFIN’s payments network and freight ecosystem; her logistics and technology background strengthens risk oversight and board effectiveness .
- Independence and attendance: Independent under SEC/Nasdaq; directors met attendance threshold; supported by a board structure separating Chair and CEO, enhancing investor confidence in oversight .
- Compensation and alignment: Director pay mixes cash retainers with fully vested equity; Easley’s 2024 total director compensation was $187,827 (cash $73,000; stock $94,827; other $20,000), with stock ownership guidelines at 5x cash retainer and company disclosure of compliance/expected compliance—positive alignment signal .
- Conflicts/related parties: No Easley-specific related-party transactions disclosed; company enforces NCGC approval for such dealings and robust policies on insider trading, hedging, and pledging—low conflict risk .
- RED FLAGS: None identified specific to Easley (no pledging, no related-party transactions, independence intact). Company-wide items like CEO share pledging and family-related arrangements involve other insiders, not Easley .