Donald Snyder
WESTERN ALLIANCE BANCORPORATIONAbout Donald D. Snyder
Retired business executive and community leader; age 77; independent director of Western Alliance Bancorporation since 1997 (founding). He currently chairs the Governance Committee and serves on the Compensation Committee. Education: B.S. in Business Administration, University of Wyoming; Graduate School of Credit & Financial Management, Stanford University. Co‑founder of Western Alliance via the establishment of Bank of Nevada (f/k/a BankWest Nevada). Core credentials: extensive leadership, banking and regulatory expertise, and deep understanding of WAL’s strategy and organization .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Interstate Bank of Nevada | Chairman and CEO | 1987–1991 | 22 years at First Interstate (1969–1991) across retail, corporate, international and real estate banking |
| Fremont Street Experience LLC | President & CEO | 1992–1996 | Led a major public/private redevelopment initiative in Downtown Las Vegas |
| Boyd Gaming Corporation | President | 1997–2005 | Joined board Apr 1996; joined management Jul 1996 |
| University of Nevada, Las Vegas | Dean, Executive Dean, President; Presidential Advisor | 2010–2019 | Senior leadership roles including Dean (2010–2013) and President (2014–2015) |
| The Smith Center for the Performing Arts | Chairman of the Board | 1999–2024 | Long‑tenured board leadership of major cultural institution |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tutor Perini Corporation (NYSE: TPC) | Director; Compensation Committee Chair; Corporate Governance & Nominating Committee Member | 2008–2019 | Chaired Comp; member of Governance |
| NV Energy | Director | 2005–2013 | Board oversight at Nevada utility |
| Switch, Inc. (public until 2022 acquisition) | Lead Independent Director; Governance Committee Chair; Compensation Committee Member | LID 2017–2022; service through 2022 acquisition | Led board independence; chaired Governance; served on Comp |
Board Governance
- Committee assignments: Chair, Governance Committee; Member, Compensation Committee .
- Committee activity: Governance Committee held 7 meetings in 2024; the full Board held 9 meetings with 5 executive sessions of independent directors; each current director attended at least 75% of Board and committee meetings in 2024 .
- Independence: The Board determined all 2025 director nominees are independent except the CEO (Kenneth Vecchione), confirming Snyder’s independence .
- Board leadership and practices: Independent Board Chair (Bruce D. Beach); annual board and committee self‑evaluations with a third‑party facilitator in 2024; director over‑boarding limits (≤3 outside public boards, or ≤2 if serving as a public‑company executive) .
- Governance Committee remit (Snyder as Chair): Oversees Corporate Governance Guidelines, Code of Conduct, Insider Trading Policy, Stock Ownership Guidelines, director training, board succession planning and evaluations, ESG initiatives, board/committee composition and nominations .
Fixed Compensation
| Director | Year | Fees Earned or Paid in Cash ($) | Stock Awards ($) | All Other Compensation ($) | Total ($) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Donald D. Snyder | 2024 | 80,000 | 235,005 | 6,043 (primarily dividends on unvested grants) | 321,048 |
| 2024 Director Cash Program Element | Amount ($) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Annual Board service retainer | 50,000 | All non‑employee directors |
| Committee membership retainer – Compensation | 10,000 | Per committee |
| Committee membership retainer – Governance | 10,000 | Per committee |
| Committee chair retainer – Governance | 10,000 | Chairs of standing committees |
| Board Chair incremental cash retainer | 80,000 | Applies only to the Board Chair, not Snyder |
- Structural note: Retainers held at 2023 levels; equity share count was increased in 2024 to preserve grant value amid a lower stock price, per Compensation Committee review with Willis Towers Watson as independent consultant .
Performance Compensation
| Equity Grant (Non‑Employee Directors) | Details |
|---|---|
| Award type | Restricted stock (time‑based) |
| Shares granted (per director) | 4,056 shares |
| Grant date | Feb 6, 2024 |
| Grant date fair value | $235,005 |
| Vesting | Feb 6, 2025 (one‑year vest) |
| Dividends on unvested | Paid; reflected in “All Other Compensation” |
| Performance metrics | None disclosed for director equity (time‑based vesting) |
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Category | Detail |
|---|---|
| Current public company directorships | None disclosed in Snyder’s 2025 WAL proxy biography |
| Prior public company boards | Tutor Perini (Director; Comp Chair; Governance/Nominating); NV Energy (Director); Switch, Inc. (Lead Independent Director; Governance Chair; Comp Member) |
| Potential interlocks/conflicts | No director‑specific related‑party transactions above $120,000 disclosed for 2024; Governance Committee oversees any related‑party approvals under policy |
Expertise & Qualifications
- Leadership, banking, and regulatory expertise; strong understanding of WAL’s strategy, history, and organization; extensive board service across industry and community organizations .
- Education: B.S. Business Administration (University of Wyoming); Graduate School of Credit & Financial Management (Stanford) .
- Founding‑era institutional knowledge as co‑founder via Bank of Nevada (WAL’s first bank subsidiary) .
Equity Ownership
| Holder | Shares Beneficially Owned | Percent of Class |
|---|---|---|
| Donald D. Snyder | 104,055 | <1% (asterisked in proxy) |
- Director stock ownership guidelines: Minimum value equal to 5× annual cash compensation; 5‑year compliance window for new directors; in 2024, each director was in full compliance .
- Hedging/pledging policy: Prohibits hedging and pledging of Company stock by directors and executives, with limited legacy/financial‑capacity exceptions; any pledged shares are excluded from required ownership levels and subject to caps .
- No pledging was disclosed for Snyder in the beneficial ownership table (pledge footnote identified only for another insider) .
Governance Assessment
-
Positives for investor confidence:
- Independence affirmed; chairs a critical committee (Governance) overseeing board composition, policies, and ESG; active committee cadence (7 Governance meetings in 2024) .
- Strong alignment: Meaningful direct ownership (104,055 shares) and robust director ownership policy (5× cash retainer), with company‑wide compliance and prohibitions on hedging/pledging .
- Board effectiveness practices include annual self‑assessments and use of an independent third party in 2024; independent Board Chair structure maintained .
- Director compensation mix is balanced (cash + time‑based equity), with retainers held flat and share count calibrated to maintain grant value; Compensation Committee supported by an independent consultant with no conflicts .
-
Watch items / potential red flags:
- Long tenure (director since 1997) can raise refreshment concerns; the Board discloses active refreshment efforts and third‑party evaluations to balance institutional knowledge with new skills .
- No Snyder‑specific related‑party transactions or pledging disclosed for 2024; policy oversight resides with Snyder’s Governance Committee, which must approve transactions >$120,000 if any arise .
- Attendance disclosed only as “≥75%” on an aggregate basis; no director‑specific percentage provided (Board met 9 times; 5 independent‑only sessions) .