Jennifer M. Bazante
About Jennifer M. Bazante
Jennifer M. Bazante (age 60) is an independent director of United Community Banks, Inc. (UCB), serving since 2021, with deep expertise in marketing, brand strategy, customer experience, and digital transformation, supported by senior leadership roles at Humana, Visa, and Colgate-Palmolive . She holds a master’s in international business administration from the University of South Carolina’s Darla Moore School of Business and a bachelor’s degree from Florida State University . On UCB’s board, she serves on the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee and the Talent and Compensation Committee, and the Board has affirmatively determined she is independent under NYSE standards .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Humana Inc. | Chief Marketing and Communications Officer | 2014–2024 | Oversaw brand/reputation, customer acquisition/engagement; led launch of CenterWell across pharmacy, primary care, and home health . |
| Visa Inc. | Head of Global Brand and Product Marketing; Global Sponsorship Marketing; Global Merchant Marketing | ~14 years (prior to Humana) | Led global brand/product initiatives and sponsorships; merchant marketing leadership . |
| Colgate-Palmolive | Brand/category leadership in South America; innovation in NY | Early career | Led multiple product categories; developed innovative product bundles . |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| — | None disclosed (no other public company boards) | — | Other Public Boards: 0 . |
Board Governance
- Committee assignments: Nominating and Corporate Governance (member); Talent and Compensation (member) .
- Independence: Affirmed by Board; independent under NYSE and UCB guidelines .
- Attendance: Board met 7 times in 2024; each incumbent director attended at least 75% of aggregate Board/committee meetings; all directors at the time attended the 2024 Annual Meeting .
- Committee meetings held in 2024: Nominating and Corporate Governance (4); Talent and Compensation (6) .
- Governance practices: Lead Independent Director; executive sessions of independent directors at each regular Board meeting; strict anti-hedging and no-pledging policy; director stock ownership guidelines .
| Committee | Role | 2024 Meetings | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nominating and Corporate Governance | Member | 4 | Oversees Board composition, director selection criteria, governance policies, self-assessments, ownership guidelines . |
| Talent and Compensation | Member | 6 | Oversees executive pay philosophy, incentive plans, equity awards; recommends director compensation; consultant independence . |
Fixed Compensation
Director fee structure adjustments in 2024 preserved alignment near peer median.
| Cash Component | Jan 1–Aug 31 2024 | Sep 1–Dec 31 2024 |
|---|---|---|
| Directorship annual retainer | $50,000 | $60,000 |
| Nominating & Corporate Governance – Member | $7,500 | $8,750 |
| Talent & Compensation – Member | $7,500 | $8,750 |
| 2024 Actual Director Compensation | Amount ($) |
|---|---|
| Fees Earned or Paid in Cash | $69,166 (Bazante elected to defer her 2024 annual director cash compensation) . |
| Stock Awards (RSUs) | $65,006 . |
| Total | $134,172 . |
Performance Compensation
Directors receive time-based RSUs; no performance-vesting metrics for directors.
| Equity Component | Grant Date | Shares/Units | Grant Price | Fair Value | Vesting |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Time-based RSUs | May 15, 2024 | 2,413 | $26.94/share | $65,006 | Vest the day before the 2025 Annual Meeting; outstanding at 12/31/2024 . |
| Equity compensation framework | Sept 1, 2024 (program update) | — | — | Annual director equity increased to $75,000 for grants after 9/1/2024 | Program change effective for post-9/1 grants . |
Director stock ownership guidelines: Nonemployee directors must hold shares equal to ≥3x annual cash retainer within five years of election; must retain 100% of vested shares until the target is met .
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Category | Detail |
|---|---|
| Current public company boards | None (Other Public Boards: 0) . |
| Compensation Committee interlocks | None; no insider participation reported for 2024 . |
| Potential interlocks/conflicts | None disclosed for Bazante; no related-party transactions involving her in 2024 . |
Expertise & Qualifications
- Board qualifications matrix highlights: executive/C-suite leadership; strategic planning/oversight; corporate governance; technology/cybersecurity; banking industry experience; retail/marketing; M&A; corporate social responsibility .
- Recognitions: Top 100 Women in Brand Marketing; frequent evaluator of best-in-class marketing/advertising work .
Equity Ownership
| Holder/Form | Shares Beneficially Owned | Percent of Class | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jennifer M. Bazante Revocable Trust (Bazante as Trustee) | 4,104 | <1% | Shares held via the Jennifer Mumby Bazante Revocable Trust dated Aug 26, 2021 . |
- Anti-hedging/pledging: Directors are prohibited from pledging UCB securities or engaging in hedging transactions per insider trading policy .
- RSUs outstanding: 2024 director RSUs were outstanding at year-end; vest prior to 2025 Annual Meeting .
Governance Assessment
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Strengths:
- Independent director with consumer brand, digital, and customer experience credentials valuable to bank strategy and marketing effectiveness .
- Active governance roles on Nominating & Corporate Governance and Talent & Compensation; contributes to board refreshment, evaluation, and pay oversight; committee independence confirmed .
- Director pay mix balanced between cash and equity; equity holding guidelines and anti-hedging/anti-pledging policies align interests with shareholders .
- No related-party transactions involving Bazante; Board-wide independence maintained, with disclosed third-party fee review for a different director (Wilkins) below thresholds .
-
Monitoring points:
- Ownership guideline compliance is monitored by the Talent & Compensation Committee; Bazante beneficial ownership is disclosed but individual compliance status is not stated (five-year window from 2021 applies) .
- Attendance disclosed at the aggregate level (≥75%); individual attendance percentages are not reported; committee meeting cadence suggests regular engagement (4 Nom/Gov; 6 Comp in 2024) .
-
Red flags:
- None disclosed for Bazante: no related-party transactions, tax gross-ups, or hedging/pledging; compensation structure unchanged in form, with modest market-competitive increases effective Sept 2024 .