Holly Berry
About Holly Berry
Holly Berry (age 51) is Chief Human Resources Officer at United Community, serving as an executive officer since 2022; she leads talent strategy and workplace culture and holds a BS from Clemson and an MBA in HR Management from Webster University, plus SPHR/SHRM‑SCP and a Harvard certification in U.S. Health Policy . Company performance during her tenure includes ROAA improving to 1.33% operating in Q3 2025, revenue up 27% year-over-year to $276.8M, and diluted EPS of $0.70 in Q3 2025 . Over 2020–2024, the Company’s cumulative TSR rose to $122 versus $112 for the KBW Nasdaq Regional Banking Index, with 2024 ROAA at 1.09% .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Years | Strategic Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Beverage Solution | Chief Human Resources Officer | Not disclosed | Led HR at a beverage supplier; senior HR leadership experience |
| BELK | Director – Human Resources & Total Rewards | Not disclosed | Directed total rewards; compensation and benefits design |
| Bank of America | Vice President – Global Benefits & Compensation | Not disclosed | Managed global benefits/comp; large-scale HR operations |
| BMW Manufacturing | Manager – HR – Industrial Health & Benefits | Not disclosed | Drove HR in industrial health/benefits; manufacturing context |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Years | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| — | — | — | No external board roles disclosed for Berry in Company filings . |
Fixed Compensation
- Not disclosed for Berry. United’s proxy enumerates base salaries for the CEO, CFO, CBO, CAO/GC, and CRO but does not list Berry’s base salary or target bonus; executive officer base pay is set considering peer data, responsibilities, and performance .
- In September 2024, base salaries and incentive targets were adjusted for certain executive officers to maintain competitiveness; specific changes for Berry are not disclosed .
Performance Compensation
| Metric | Weight | Threshold | Target | Maximum | 2024 Actual | 2024 Result (as % of target payout) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pre-Tax, Pre-Provision EPS | 20.0% | $3.10 | $3.44 | $3.72 | $3.43 | 19.71% |
| Operating EPS | 15.0% | $1.95 | $2.17 | $2.34 | $2.30 | 20.73% |
| Net Charge-Offs / Avg Loans | 15.0% | 0.34% | 0.28% | 0.21% | 0.27% | 16.07% |
| NPAs / Total Assets (percentile vs peers) | 15.0% | 25th | 50th | 75th | 39th percentile | 11.70% |
| Operating Efficiency Ratio | 20.0% | 59.90% | 56.90% | 54.50% | 57.15% | 19.17% |
| Customer Satisfaction Rating | 15.0% | 95.50% | 96.50% | 97.50% | 98.69% | 22.50% |
| Total Payout Achieved | — | — | — | — | — | 109.88% of target |
- Plan coverage and design: Executive officers participate in a Management Incentive Plan with the above criteria; awards interpolate between threshold/target/max and are subject to committee discretion .
- Long-term equity incentives: Annual awards combine 40% time-based RSUs vesting in four equal installments on February 15 each year and 60% performance-based RSUs using peer-relative ROAA across four one-year periods, with a ±25% TSR modifier; maximum PRSU payout is 150% before TSR modifier .
Equity Ownership & Alignment
- Ownership guidelines: CEO 3x base salary; other executive officers (including CHRO) 2x base salary, with a five-year compliance window and requirement to retain 100% of net after-tax vested shares until guideline met .
- Hedging/pledging: Strict anti-hedging policy and prohibition on pledging or holding Company stock in margin accounts; applies to directors and employees including executive officers .
- Insider activity and vesting/tax withholding:
| Date (Trade) | Form 4 URL | Transaction | Shares | Price ($) | Shares Owned After |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-02-15 | https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/857855/000106299324003699/0001062993-24-003699-index.htm | F – Shares withheld for taxes on RSU vesting | 472 | 27.66 | 5,396 |
| 2024-02-15 | https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/857855/000106299324003699/0001062993-24-003699-index.htm | F – Shares withheld for taxes on RSU vesting | 499 | — | 5,868 |
| 2024-02-15 | https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/857855/000106299324003699/0001062993-24-003699-index.htm | A – RSU/award credited | 11,026 | — | — |
| 2025-02-15 | https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1922188/000085785525000047/xslF345X03/wk-form4_1739999162.xml | F – Shares withheld for taxes on RSU vesting | 817 | 33.47 | 7,689 |
| 2025-02-15 | https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1922188/000085785525000047/xslF345X03/wk-form4_1739999162.xml | A/JB – RSU/award credited | 896 | — | 8,506 |
- Options: Company disclosure shows no stock options held by NEOs as of 12/31/2024 and emphasizes RSUs; Berry-specific option holdings are not disclosed .
- Compliance status vs ownership guideline: Not disclosed for Berry; Company monitors compliance regularly .
Employment Terms
- Executive officer appointment: Officers are appointed annually by the Board and serve at its discretion .
- Change-in-control economics: Double-trigger change-in-control continuity agreements are in place for the Company’s NEOs (CEO/CFO/CBO/CAO/GC/CRO), providing 2x–3x salary+bonus severance and benefits; Berry’s specific agreement is not disclosed .
- Clawbacks: Bonus recoupment and SEC/NYSE-compliant compensation recovery policies apply to executive officers .
- Non-compete/solicit: Restrictive covenants are specified in NEO agreements; Berry-specific post-termination provisions are not disclosed .
Compensation Structure Analysis
- At-risk pay: At least ~50% of non-CEO NEO pay is performance-based; CEO at-risk ~58%, reflecting strong pay-for-performance design .
- Equity mix: Shift toward RSUs and PRSUs with multi-year vesting and peer-relative ROAA metrics plus a TSR modifier; option repricing prohibited without shareholder approval .
- Governance signals: No tax gross-ups; robust clawbacks; anti-hedging/pledging; annual say-on-pay with strong approval (97.7% in 2024; 2025 advisory vote again approved) .
Compensation Peer Group (Benchmarking)
| Peer Company | Ticker | Assets (2022Y, $000) |
|---|---|---|
| Cadence Bank | CADE | 48,653,414 |
| Cullen/Frost Bankers | CFR | 52,892,376 |
| Synovus Financial | SNV | 59,731,378 |
| SouthState | SSB | 43,918,696 |
| Prosperity Bancshares | PB | 37,689,829 |
| Pinnacle Financial Partners | PNFP | 41,970,021 |
| UMB Financial | UMBF | 38,512,461 |
| Ameris Bancorp | ABCB | 25,053,286 |
| Commerce Bancshares | CBSH | 31,875,931 |
| F.N.B. Corporation | FNB | 43,724,973 |
| … | … | … (see full list in filing) |
Say‑On‑Pay & Shareholder Feedback
| Year | Say-on-Pay Outcome |
|---|---|
| 2024 | 97.7% FOR approval (votes cast basis) |
| 2025 | 94.76M FOR vs 2.95M AGAINST; “One Year” frequency supported (91.54M votes) |
Performance & Track Record
| Metric | Recent Value | Context |
|---|---|---|
| Q3 2025 Revenue | $276.8M | Up 6% sequentially; ~27% YoY growth |
| Q3 2025 Diluted EPS | $0.70 | Up $0.32 YoY; operating EPS $0.75 |
| Q3 2025 ROA (GAAP/Operating) | 1.29% / 1.33% | Improved from 0.67%/1.01% YoY |
| 2024 ROAA | 1.09% | Company-selected measure for pay-versus-performance |
| Cumulative TSR (2019–2024) | $122 | Versus KBW Regional Banks $112 |
- Culture and talent outcomes: UCB climbed to No. 50 on American Banker’s 2025 “Best Banks to Work For” list; Berry highlighted workplace belonging and support in the release .
Equity Award Vesting Mechanics (Company-wide)
| Award Type | Vesting | Performance Metric | Modifier |
|---|---|---|---|
| TRSUs | 25% vest each Feb 15 for four years | None (time-based) | — |
| PRSUs | Four 1-year periods; earned annually | Peer-relative ROAA (25th/50th/75th percentiles) | ±25% TSR based on one-year peer-relative stock performance |
Investment Implications
- Alignment: Strong ownership guidelines, anti-hedging/pledging, and multi-year RSU structures indicate high alignment of executive incentives with sustained performance and shareholder value .
- Retention risk: Berry’s specific employment/severance terms are not disclosed; however, the Company’s broader executive compensation framework and strong culture recognition reduce near-term retention risk indicators .
- Trading signals: Recent Form 4s for Berry reflect routine RSU vesting and tax withholding, not open-market selling; no pledging permitted—reducing insider selling pressure risk .
- Performance linkage: Incentive payouts tied to ROAA, efficiency, credit quality, customer satisfaction, and earnings metrics—with 2024 payouts at ~110% of target—suggest balanced risk-taking and a credible pay‑for‑performance posture .
Note: Where Berry‑specific figures (salary, target bonus, severance multiples) are not disclosed, Company‑level policies and executive program details are provided; items are omitted if not disclosed in filings.