William H. King
About William H. King
William H. King (age 57) is a Class I director of Veralto (VLTO) since 2023; he is a retired Senior Vice President–Strategic Development at Danaher and previously Vice President–Strategic Development, with earlier general management roles in sales, marketing and business development . He is not listed among Veralto’s independent directors under NYSE standards, implying non‑independence; the Board identified nine other directors as independent in 2025 . King’s board term runs through the 2027 annual meeting under the classified structure adopted pre‑separation . He joined the board with deep M&A and strategy experience tied to Veralto’s post‑Danaher operating model (VES continuous improvement), and he has served as a director of W.L. Gore Inc. since January 2025 (private, family‑owned) .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Danaher Corporation | Senior Vice President – Strategic Development | 2014–Feb 2025 | Led M&A and strategy; deep VES continuous improvement familiarity |
| Danaher Corporation | Vice President – Strategic Development | 2005–2014 | Led corporate development; capital allocation and strategy |
| Danaher Corporation | Various general management/functional roles (sales, marketing, business development) | 1998–2005 | Commercial and business development leadership |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| W.L. Gore Inc. (private) | Director | Jan 2025–present | Family‑owned medical/industrial products company; strategic oversight |
| Public company directorships | None | — | No other public boards listed for King |
Board Governance
- Committee assignments: None; King is not on Audit, Compensation, or Nominating & Governance committees .
- Independence: Not listed among independent directors (Board affirmed independence for Filler, Colpron, Wallis‑Lage, Kambeyanda, Lohr, Mitts, Sankaran, Schwieters, Williams) .
- Attendance: 100% attendance; Board met 7 times in 2024; all directors attended all Board and relevant committee meetings .
- Years of service: Director since 2023; Class I term expires at 2027 annual meeting .
Fixed Compensation
| Component | Amount (USD) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Annual cash retainer | 105,000 | 2024 fees earned |
| Committee chair/member fees | 0 | No committee roles |
| Meeting fees | Not disclosed | No separate meeting fees disclosed |
Performance Compensation
| Component | Grant-Date Fair Value (USD) | Structure | Vesting |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stock awards (RSUs) | 81,859 | Annual equity retainer split between RSUs and options | |
| Option awards | 82,510 | Options fully vested at grant; Black‑Scholes inputs disclosed | |
| RSU distribution timing | — | RSUs vest at 1 year or immediately prior to next annual meeting; share issuance deferred until death or 7 months post‑Board retirement |
- No performance‑based director metrics (e.g., PSUs) are used; equity is time‑based and aligned to shareholder value via stock exposure .
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Person/Company | Relationship | Overlap/Committee Roles | Conflict Considerations |
|---|---|---|---|
| William H. King – Danaher (former) | Long‑tenured Danaher executive | Strategy/M&A; retired Feb 2025 | Prior affiliation with former parent; not independent at Veralto |
| Daniel L. Comas – Fortive director; former Danaher EVP/CFO | VLTO Class II director; Fortive comp committee | M&A, finance expertise; Danaher advisor | Former Danaher EVP; not listed as independent |
| Walter G. Lohr, Jr. – former Danaher director | VLTO Nominating & Governance Chair | Long Danaher board service across committees | Historic ties to Danaher; independent at Veralto |
| Linda Filler – Danaher director, Carlyle Group director | VLTO independent Chair; VLTO Compensation member | Governance leadership; brand/strategy expertise | Independent at Veralto |
Board composition includes multiple former Danaher leaders; Veralto is actively declassifying the Board and eliminating supermajority provisions to enhance governance; all committees are fully independent .
Expertise & Qualifications
- Skills: Global/International; Water Quality segment; Product Quality & Innovation segment; Product Innovation; Corporate Strategy, Capital Allocation & M&A; Public company CEO/President category (skills matrix) .
Equity Ownership
| Metric | Value | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Beneficial ownership (shares) | 10,483 | Includes 3,595 options |
| Ownership % of shares outstanding | <1% | Represented as less than 1% |
| Options outstanding (fully vested) | 3,595 | Director options fully vested at grant |
| Unvested RSUs | 842 | As of Dec 31, 2024 |
| Pledging/Hedging | Prohibited | Anti‑pledging/hedging policy for directors/officers |
| Director stock ownership guideline | 5x annual cash retainer | Must comply within 5 years of appointment |
Insider Trades
| Date Range | Person | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 2024-01-01 to 2025-11-20 | William H. King | No Form 4 transactions found (insider‑trades skill query, filing date filter) |
Governance Assessment
- Board effectiveness: King brings significant strategy/M&A depth aligned with Veralto’s acquisition‑driven growth and VES culture; however, he holds no committee roles, limiting direct oversight in audit/comp/nom‑gov processes .
- Independence and potential conflicts: King is not classified as independent; prior senior executive role at Danaher (former parent) may raise perceived alignment concerns, partially mitigated by an independent Chair, fully independent committees, and related‑party transaction oversight .
- Alignment and incentives: Director pay is balanced (~$105k cash; ~$164k equity) with equity exposure and strong anti‑pledging/hedging policy; RSU deferral until post‑retirement enhances long‑term alignment; no performance‑linked director metrics or PSUs .
- Attendance/engagement: 100% attendance in 2024 underscores engagement; Board conducted seven meetings, plus committee sessions and executive sessions .
- RED FLAGS
- Non‑independent director status due to background; investor sensitivity given multiple ex‑Danaher leaders on the board .
- Concentration of Danaher ties may create perceived interlocks or influence; continued governance enhancements (declassification, removal of supermajority) are positives .
Overall: King’s deep strategy/M&A expertise is valuable for Veralto’s acquisition oversight, but lack of independence and committee assignments should be monitored. Strong attendance, independent Chair, and robust policies (anti‑pledging, related‑party oversight) support investor confidence despite perceived legacy ties .