Robin Beery
UMB FINANCIALAbout Robin C. Beery
Robin C. Beery, age 57, has served as an independent director of UMB Financial Corporation since 2015. She brings 30+ years in financial services and asset management, including senior executive roles at Janus Capital Group (now Janus Henderson) where she led U.S. distribution and served as CEO/President of the Janus Mutual Funds business; she has specialized expertise in B2B/B2C distribution, brand strategy, product marketing, and reputation management. Beery is currently Chair of UMBF’s Compensation Committee and a member of the Risk Committee; the Board has determined she is independent under SEC and NASDAQ rules. Her background includes fund board trusteeships at Hartford funds and a senior leadership role at ArrowMark Partners, adding deep investment distribution and governance experience to UMBF’s board.
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Janus Capital Group (Janus Henderson Investors) | Executive Vice President, Head of U.S. Distribution; CEO & President, Janus Mutual Funds | Sep 2009 – Aug 2014 | Oversight of sales, client service, product, marketing, corporate communications; member of Janus Executive Committee (2003–2014) |
| Janus Capital Group | Executive Vice President, Chief Marketing Officer | Apr 2003 – Sep 2009 | Led brand and product marketing strategy |
| Janus Foundation | President | 2000 – 2014 | Led philanthropic and community relations initiatives |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hartford Multi-Factor ETFs (formerly Lattice Strategies) | Independent fund board trustee | Since Dec 2014 | Investment Committee member; Chair, Nominating & Governance Committee |
| Hartford Exchange-Traded Funds | Independent fund board trustee | Since Dec 2016 | Investment Committee member; Chair, Nominating & Governance Committee |
| Hartford Mutual Funds | Independent fund board trustee | Since May 2017 | Investment Committee member; Chair, Nominating & Governance Committee |
| Hartford Schroders Private Opportunities Fund | Independent fund board trustee | Since Jul 2023 | Investment Committee member; Chair, Nominating & Governance Committee |
| ArrowMark Partners | Senior business leader | Since Mar 2015 | Investment management boutique leadership; alternative credit and small cap equity expertise |
Board Governance
- Independence: The Board determined Beery is independent; UMB’s independent directors comprise more than three-quarters of the Board. The Board reviewed banking relationships for independent directors and concluded none require disclosure under SEC rules or impair independent judgment.
- Committees: Chair—Compensation Committee (members: Beery (Chair), Davidson, Lansford III, Lazo, T. Murphy, L. Williams Jr.). Member—Risk Committee (members include Robbins (Chair), Beery, Gallagher, Henderson, Hopkins, Lazo, S. Murphy, Peterman, Sosland, L. Williams Jr.).
- Attendance and engagement: In 2024, the Board met six times; Audit met five, Compensation four, Governance three, Risk three. Each director attended at least 75% of the Board and committee meetings on which they served; the independent directors met in executive session three times and all but one director attended the 2024 annual meeting (virtual).
- Board size/tenure: UMBF Board set at 16 directors; Beery has served since 2015 and is nominated for re-election with a term ending at the 2026 annual meeting.
Fixed Compensation
| Component (2024) | Amount ($) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Annual cash retainer (non-employee director) | 60,000 | Paid quarterly in arrears |
| Compensation Committee Chair retainer | 20,000 | Committee chair cash retainer |
| Risk Committee member retainer | 10,000 | Non-chair member cash retainer |
| Meeting fees | 0 | No separate fee for Board meeting attendance |
| Reported cash fees (Beery) | 90,064 | Includes stub cash portion of equity retainer paid in 2025 |
| Equity retainer (policy) | 80,000 | Fully vested UMB stock; annual grant value at grant date |
| Reported stock awards (Beery) | 64,954 | Grant-date fair value for equity retainer earned in 2023, issued Feb 2, 2024 |
| Total reported compensation (Beery) | 155,018 | Sum of reported cash fees and stock awards |
- Director grant timing: Annual director equity awards typically granted first Friday following Q4 earnings release (late Jan/early Feb); the company does not currently grant stock options to directors or employees.
Performance Compensation
Directors do not receive performance-based pay (no PSUs or option awards for directors; equity retainer is fully vested stock). The Compensation Committee administers performance-based programs for executive officers, not directors.
| Performance Metric Category (Directors) | Metric Detail | Applicable to Beery |
|---|---|---|
| Short-term incentives | None for directors | Not applicable |
| Long-term performance awards (PSUs/options) | Not currently granted to directors | Not applicable |
| Equity vesting conditions | Annual equity retainer is fully vested | Applicable |
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Entity | Type | Role | Potential Interlocks/Considerations |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hartford ETFs, Mutual Funds, Schroders Private Opportunities Fund | Registered funds | Independent trustee; Investment Committee; Chair of Nominating & Governance | Adds fund governance and distribution expertise; no UMBF-related transactions disclosed |
| ArrowMark Partners | Private investment manager | Senior business leader | Investment management role; no UMBF-related transactions disclosed |
- The Board’s independence review considered director or related-person banking relationships (deposits, credit, trust, investment services) and concluded these were on market terms and did not require Item 404 disclosure or impair independence.
Expertise & Qualifications
- Asset management leadership, distribution oversight (sales, client service, product, marketing, corporate communications), and brand strategy; executive committee-level governance experience.
- Fund governance: Investment Committee member and Nominating & Governance Chair across Hartford fund complexes; enhances board process rigor and oversight discipline.
- Alternative credit and small-cap equity exposure via ArrowMark Partners; relevant to risk/credit perspectives for a financial institution.
Equity Ownership
| Holder | Shares Beneficially Owned | % of Class |
|---|---|---|
| Robin C. Beery | 7,357 | <1% |
- Ownership guidelines: Directors must own UMB stock with market value equal to five times the annual non-employee equity retainer; all directors and NEOs are in compliance as of the proxy date. Options do not count; service-based RSUs and half of unvested performance-based units count for executives.
- Hedging/derivatives policy: Directors are prohibited from short-selling, options, hedging, or similar speculative transactions in UMB securities.
Governance Assessment
- Committee leadership: As Compensation Committee Chair, Beery oversees CEO/NEO compensation, director pay recommendations, succession planning for key personnel, equity plan administration, stock ownership guidelines, and shareholder say-on-pay matters—core to pay-for-performance alignment and governance quality.
- Compensation practices: UMB employs independent consultants, significant stock ownership guidelines (CEO 6x salary; NEOs 3x; directors 5x equity retainer), clawback policy compliant with SEC/NASDAQ, and avoids single-trigger CIC, tax gross-ups, hedging, and excessive perquisites—signal strong pay governance.
- Attendance and engagement: Beery met at least the 75% threshold; Board/committees had regular meetings and independent executive sessions (three in 2024), supporting oversight cadence.
- Alignment: Beery’s annual equity retainer (fully vested stock) and beneficial ownership (7,357 shares) support alignment; her 2024 total director compensation was $155,018, consistent with chair and committee roles.
- Conflicts/related party exposure: No related-party transactions involving Beery are disclosed; broader company related-party billboard lease with an entity controlled by the CEO and family was approved by the Audit Committee on market terms—ongoing oversight mitigates governance risk.
RED FLAGS: None disclosed specific to Beery (no pledging/hedging, no related-party transactions). Monitor ongoing director independence and any evolving relationships with ArrowMark/Hartford fund complexes; Board’s policy review indicates no current impairments.