Elisha Finney
ViatrisAbout Elisha Finney
Elisha W. Finney (age 64) is an independent director of Viatris (VTRS) since 2022, serving on the Audit Committee and Finance Committee. She is the former EVP and CFO of Varian Medical Systems (CFO 1999–2017; joined Varian in 1988), bringing deep finance, accounting, capital markets, risk oversight, and healthcare industry expertise to the board . The board has determined she is independent under NASDAQ rules .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Varian Medical Systems, Inc. | Executive Vice President | 2012–2017 | Oversaw corp. accounting, IR, internal audit, risk management, tax/treasury, and information systems |
| Varian Medical Systems, Inc. | Chief Financial Officer | Apr 1999–May 2017 | Led finance during significant growth; public company management and capital markets leadership |
| Varian Medical Systems, Inc. | Senior Vice President | 2005–2012 | Leadership over finance functions |
| Varian Medical Systems, Inc. | Vice President of Finance | 1999–2005 | Finance leadership (joined Varian in 1988) |
External Roles
| Company | Role | Tenure | Committees |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mettler-Toledo International Inc. (NYSE: MTD) | Director | Since 2017 | Chair, Audit Committee |
| ICU Medical, Inc. (NASDAQ: ICUI) | Director | Since 2016 | Chair, Nominating & Governance; Member, Audit & Compliance |
Selected former public company directorships:
- NanoString Technologies (Director; Audit Chair), 2017–2024
- iRobot (Director; Audit; Compensation & Talent), 2017–2021
- Cutera (Director; Audit Chair; Enterprise Risk member), 2017–2019
- Altera (Director; Audit Chair), 2011–2015 (acquired by Intel)
- Thoratec (Director; Audit Chair), 2007–2013
Board Governance
- Committee assignments at Viatris: Audit Committee member and Finance Committee member; not a chair at Viatris .
- Independence: Board determined Ms. Finney to be independent under NASDAQ rules .
- Attendance and engagement: All directors standing for re‑election attended >75% of 2024 board/committee meetings; same >75% through Oct 20, 2025; Board met 7 times in 2024 and 9 times YTD through Oct 20, 2025; independent directors held 5 executive sessions in 2024 and 6 YTD 2025, chaired by the independent Board Chair .
- Committee activity levels: Audit Committee met 7 times in 2024 and 8 times by Aug 14, 2025; Ms. Finney is listed on the Audit Committee report signature block, evidencing active participation .
- Risk oversight linkage: Audit Committee oversight includes internal controls, financial reporting, auditor oversight, related‑party transactions, and disclosure controls . Finance Committee covers capital structure, financings, and capital deployment (repurchases/dividends) .
Fixed Compensation
Viatris non‑employee director compensation framework (2025 structure; unchanged from 2024):
| Element | Amount |
|---|---|
| Board Member Retainer (cash) | $150,000 |
| Board Chair Additional Cash | $225,000 |
| Vice Chair Additional Cash | $50,000 |
| Committee Chair Fee | $25,000 |
| Executive Committee Member Fee | $25,000 |
Ms. Finney’s 2024 actual director fees:
| Year | Fees Earned (Cash) | All Other Compensation (Matching Gifts) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $150,000 | $20,000 | Matching Gift Program up to $20,000 per director per calendar year |
Ownership Guidelines: Directors must hold stock worth 5× the annual cash retainer within five years of start date; unvested RSUs count toward compliance. With a 2022 board start, Ms. Finney’s five‑year window runs to 2027 .
Performance Compensation
Viatris compensates non‑employee directors with time‑based RSUs (no options currently granted).
| Year | Equity Type | Grant Date Fair Value | Vesting |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | RSUs | $225,001 | 2024 RSUs vested Mar 4, 2025 |
| Policy | RSUs (no options) | — | Company typically grants awards in Q1 after results; does not currently grant stock options or SARs |
Unvested RSUs at 12/31/2024: Ms. Finney held 18,977 unvested RSUs (before the March 4, 2025 vest) .
Performance metrics: None apply to director equity; director RSUs are time‑based with no TSR/financial metric conditions (company’s equity award grant practices disclose no current use of options/SARs) .
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Type | Detail |
|---|---|
| Current public boards | Mettler‑Toledo (Audit Chair); ICU Medical (NGC Chair; Audit & Compliance member) |
| Compensation committee interlocks | None during 2024 (for Viatris’ Compensation Committee); Ms. Finney is not a Viatris Compensation Committee member |
| Related‑party transactions | Proxy discloses related‑party context for another director (Mr. Malik); no related‑party transactions disclosed involving Ms. Finney |
Expertise & Qualifications
- Finance, accounting, capital markets, public company management; risk oversight; healthcare industry; human capital; information security experience from her Varian leadership roles .
- Current leadership in external audit and governance committees (Audit Chair at MTD; NGC Chair and Audit & Compliance member at ICUI) adds depth in financial reporting and governance best practices .
Equity Ownership
| As of | Beneficial Ownership (Shares) | Options Exercisable within 60 Days | Percent of Class | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 20, 2025 | 37,832 | — | <1% | Address of record c/o Viatris; ownership per SEC rules |
| Dec 31, 2024 | Unvested RSUs: 18,977 | — | — | 2024 RSUs vested Mar 4, 2025 |
Policy constraints and alignment:
- Anti‑hedging and anti‑pledging policy: Directors are prohibited from hedging and pledging company securities; limited exceptions may be approved by the Compensation Committee with stringent conditions .
- Share ownership guidelines: 5× retainer within five years; unvested RSUs count toward compliance .
Governance Assessment
- Strengths: Former public‑company CFO with extensive finance and risk oversight; active service on Viatris Audit and Finance Committees; independence; and consistent board/committee attendance above the 75% threshold bolster board effectiveness and investor confidence .
- Alignment: Director pay mix emphasizes equity ($225k annual RSUs vs. $150k cash), with anti‑hedging/pledging restrictions and robust ownership guidelines (5× retainer in five years) supporting alignment with shareholders; Ms. Finney’s 2024 total compensation = $395,001 (cash $150k; RSUs $225,001; matching gift $20k) .
- Conflicts/related‑party exposure: No related‑party transactions involving Ms. Finney disclosed; Viatris’ policy requires Audit Committee review of such matters, mitigating conflict risk .
- Engagement indicators: Audit Committee met frequently (7× in 2024; 8× YTD Aug 14, 2025) with Ms. Finney among the signatories of the Audit Committee report; independent directors met in executive session 5× in 2024 and 6× YTD 2025 .
RED FLAGS / Watch items:
- Multi‑board workload: Concurrent leadership roles at Mettler‑Toledo (Audit Chair) and ICU Medical (NGC Chair; Audit & Compliance) plus Viatris Audit and Finance membership imply a meaningful time commitment; however, no attendance issues are disclosed (>75% threshold met) .
- Ownership concentration: Beneficial ownership <1% is typical for directors, with guidelines allowing unvested RSUs to count; compliance status not explicitly stated, but five‑year window runs to 2027 based on 2022 start .