William LaPlante
VIASATAbout William LaPlante
William LaPlante (age 61) joined Viasat’s Board in 2025 and serves as an independent Class III director with a term expiring at the 2026 annual meeting. He is a seasoned defense acquisition leader and technologist, formerly U.S. Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment (Apr 2022–Jan 2025), CEO of Draper Laboratory (Sep 2020–Apr 2022), Senior VP & GM at MITRE National Security, Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics (2014–2017), and a 26‑year veteran of Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Lab. He holds a B.S. in engineering physics (University of Illinois), M.S. in applied physics (Johns Hopkins), and Ph.D. in mechanical engineering (Catholic University of America) .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| U.S. Department of Defense | Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition & Sustainment | Apr 2022–Jan 2025 | Led acquisition, sustainment and industrial base policy for DoD |
| Draper Laboratory | President & CEO | Sep 2020–Apr 2022 | Directed advanced R&D in national security, space, health, energy |
| MITRE National Security | Senior VP & GM | Prior to 2014 | Oversaw operations including NIST support |
| U.S. Air Force | Assistant Secretary for Acquisition, Technology & Logistics | 2014–2017 | Acquisition leadership for Air Force |
| Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Lab | Various roles; led Global Engagement Department | ~26 years | Advanced defense systems; global engagement leadership |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| U.S. Strategic Command Senior Advisory Group | Member | Not disclosed | National security advisory contributions |
| Naval Research Advisory Committee | Member | Not disclosed | Naval R&D advisory |
| Defense Science Board | Member | Not disclosed | Defense science advisory |
Board Governance
- Independence: Board affirmatively determined that all directors except Mark Dankberg and Richard Baldridge are independent under Nasdaq standards; LaPlante is independent .
- Board structure: Combined Chair/CEO with a Lead Independent Director (Sean Pak) to provide independent oversight .
- Committee memberships (FY2025): No standing committee assignment listed for LaPlante in the membership table. Committee meeting counts shown below .
| Committee | Chair | Other Members | FY2025 Meetings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Audit | John Stenbit | Theresa Wise, Michael Paull | 5 |
| Compensation & Human Resources | Theresa Wise | Sean Pak | 7 |
| Nomination, Evaluation & Corporate Governance | Sean Pak | John Stenbit | 6 |
| Banking & Finance | Richard Baldridge | Mark Dankberg, Theresa Wise | 0 |
| Strategic Review Committee | Richard Baldridge (Chair stipend noted below) | Six-member committee; held 3 meetings in FY2025 | 3 |
- Attendance: Board held 12 meetings in FY2025; all directors then serving attended at least 75% of Board and committee meetings; all attended last year’s annual meeting .
Fixed Compensation
| Component | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Annual Board cash retainer (non-employee directors) | $70,000 | Standard cash retainer |
| Lead Independent Director retainer | $25,000 | Additional cash retainer |
| Committee chair fees | Audit: $20,000; Compensation: $15,000; Nominating: $10,000; Strategic Review: $100,000; Other committees: $5,000 | Strategic Review Chair stipend specifically noted (Mr. Baldridge) |
| Committee member fees (non-chair) | Audit: $15,000; Compensation: $10,000; Nominating: $5,000; Other committees: $2,500 | Paid per committee membership |
- Director stock ownership guidelines: Within 5 years of first election, hold Viasat stock valued at ≥3x the annual Board retainer; as of end FY2025, non-employee directors were in compliance with applicable guidelines (statement pertains to FY2025 directors) .
Performance Compensation
- Equity award structure for non-employee directors:
- Initial grant upon Board election: 3,000 RSUs and 9,000 options; vests in three equal annual tranches .
- Annual grant at each annual meeting: 1,600 RSUs and 5,000 options; commencing with the 2025 Annual Meeting, annual awards vest on the earlier of the first anniversary or the next annual meeting (≥50 weeks) .
- Change-in-control, death or disability: Awards subject to accelerated vesting .
- Clawback: All awards under the Restated Equity Plan subject to recoupment per company clawback policies and Rule 10‑D/Nasdaq .
| Award Type | Grant Size | Vesting | Key Terms |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial RSU | 3,000 shares | 3 equal installments on each of first 3 anniversaries | Accelerated upon change-in-control, death or disability |
| Initial Options | 9,000 shares | 3 equal installments on each of first 3 anniversaries | No repricing without stockholder approval under Restated plan |
| Annual RSU | 1,600 shares | Earlier of 1-year or next annual meeting (≥50 weeks) | Accelerated upon change-in-control, death or disability |
| Annual Options | 5,000 shares | Same as annual RSU vesting cadence | Subject to plan limits and clawback |
- Individual grant disclosure (Form 4): On Oct 27, 2025, LaPlante received 6,388 RSUs at $0; RSUs vest and convert on the earlier of the first anniversary or the next annual meeting, subject to continued service. Post-grant derivative holdings: 6,388 RSUs (direct) .
Other Directorships & Interlocks
- Current public company boards: None disclosed in Viasat’s proxy biography for LaPlante .
- Committee roles at other companies: Not disclosed .
- Interlocks with competitors/suppliers/customers: Not disclosed in proxy; related-party transaction reviews are governed by Audit Committee policy (see Related Parties) .
Expertise & Qualifications
- Education: B.S. engineering physics (University of Illinois), M.S. applied physics (Johns Hopkins), Ph.D. mechanical engineering (Catholic University of America) .
- Technical/industry expertise: Defense acquisition, national security, technology development; service on Defense Science Board and other advisory bodies .
- Board contributions: Provides technological, defense, and national security expertise relevant to Viasat’s government and satellite communications operations .
Equity Ownership
| Holder | Shares Beneficially Owned | % Ownership |
|---|---|---|
| William LaPlante (as of Jul 1, 2025) | — | <1% |
- Methodology: Beneficial ownership calculated per SEC rules; includes shares acquirable within 60 days. LaPlante’s table entry shows “—” as of Jul 1, 2025; subsequent RSU grant disclosed on Oct 27, 2025 via Form 4 as derivative securities .
- Pledging/Hedging: Company maintains anti‑hedging and pledging policies; clawback policies in place for awards under the Restated Equity Plan .
Governance Assessment
- Independence and alignment: LaPlante is independent and subject to stock ownership guidelines that promote alignment; his RSU grant and vesting cadence align with standard non-employee director practices .
- Committee engagement: No committee memberships listed for LaPlante in FY2025; monitoring future committee assignments (e.g., Audit, Compensation, Governance) will be relevant for influence on oversight .
- Attendance: Board reported strong attendance (≥75% for all directors in FY2025), supporting engagement; LaPlante’s tenure began in 2025, with director attendance broadly robust .
- Compensation structure: Cash retainers are modest; equity is largely time-based with clear vesting and change-in-control terms; clawback and no-repricing provisions strengthen governance posture .
- Related-party transactions: No LaPlante-specific related-party transactions disclosed; Audit Committee oversees and pre-approves related person transactions >$120,000, reducing conflict risk .
- RED FLAGS: None disclosed specific to LaPlante (no pledging, no insider sales; RSUs granted as Board equity). Broader governance policies (clawback, anti-hedging/pledging, no repricing) mitigate risk .
Implications: LaPlante’s deep defense acquisition background is strategically valuable for Viasat’s government business, while independence and standard director equity grants support alignment. Watch for future committee assignments (especially Audit or Governance) and any government-related conflict disclosures; none are currently reported in the proxy .