Christopher Kuebler
WATERS CORP /DE/About Christopher A. Kuebler
Independent Director at Waters since 2006; age 71. Former Chairman and CEO of Covance Inc., where he led the spin‑off from Corning Pharmaceutical Services and built one of the largest global contract drug development firms. Education: BS in Biology, Florida State University. The Waters Board was named the 2024 NACD New England “Public Company Board of the Year,” underscoring overall board effectiveness .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Covance Inc. and predecessor companies | Chairman (2005); Chairman & CEO | 1994–2004 (CEO); 2005 (Chair) | Led spin‑off from Corning Pharmaceutical Services; scaled global operations in >17 countries |
| Abbott Laboratories; Squibb, Inc.; Monsanto Company | Various roles | Nearly 20 years | Commercial execution expertise across pharma services |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Other public company boards | None | — | No current directorships; none in past 5 years |
Board Governance
- Committee leadership and membership:
- Compensation Committee Chair; 2024 meetings: 3
- Science & Technology Committee member; 2024 meetings: 2
- Independence: Board determined all directors other than the CEO are independent under NYSE standards (includes Kuebler) .
- Attendance and engagement: Board met 11 times in 2024; all directors attended at least 75% of aggregate Board/committee meetings; all directors attended the 2024 annual meeting .
- Governance practices: Majority voting for directors; proxy access; regular executive sessions of independent directors; robust stock ownership requirements .
Fixed Compensation
| Component | FY 2024 Amount | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| Cash fees (Board and committee) | $109,000 | Elected to defer cash retainer into cash‑denominated account under Director Deferred Compensation Plan |
| Restricted stock award (RSA) | $109,759 | 334 shares granted Jan 2, 2024; grant‑date price $328.62; vests Jan 2, 2025 |
| Stock option award | $109,898 | 847 options granted Jan 2, 2024; exercise price $328.62; vest Jan 2, 2025 |
| Total director compensation | $328,657 | Mix of cash, RSAs, and options |
| Deferred Compensation Elections (2024) | Amount/Units |
|---|---|
| Cash fees deferred into cash account | Elected by Kuebler |
| Aggregate stock unit balance at FY-end | 3,278.74 units |
Performance Compensation
| Award Type | Performance Metrics | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Director equity (restricted stock; options) | None (time‑based vesting) | Director compensation does not use performance metrics; RSAs and options granted with time‑based vesting |
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Item | Status | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Current public company boards | None | WAT proxy bio states none |
| Prior public boards (past 5 years) | None | WAT proxy bio states none |
| Compensation committee interlocks | None | WAT discloses no interlocks/insider participation in 2024 |
Expertise & Qualifications
- 30+ years of commercial execution in pharmaceutical services; led Covance’s global expansion and spin‑off, contributing deep operational and growth strategy expertise .
- Financial and business strategy oversight experience; unique perspective on growth implementation and stakeholder expectations .
- Education: BS, Biology, Florida State University .
Equity Ownership
| Component | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Total beneficial ownership | 36,581 shares; <1% of outstanding | As of Mar 24, 2025; percent <1% |
| Direct shares | 15,035 | Directly held |
| Stock units (convertible if service ceases) | 3,279 | Director Deferred Compensation Plan units |
| Options exercisable or vesting within 60 days | 18,267 | Included in beneficial ownership calculation |
| Outstanding director options (all) | 17,449 | As of Dec 31, 2024 |
| Ownership guideline | 5x annual cash retainer within 5 years | Director guideline |
| Guideline compliance | Met | Kuebler is in compliance |
| Hedging/pledging | Hedging, short sales prohibited; no pledging disclosure | Insider Trading Policy prohibits hedging/short sales; no pledging disclosed |
Governance Assessment
- Board effectiveness: Kuebler chairs Compensation, overseeing pay design (with independent consultant Pearl Meyer; no conflicts found), clawback adoption, and strong ownership guidelines—supportive of pay‑for‑performance governance .
- Independence and conflicts: No compensation committee interlocks; Related Party Transactions Policy lists pre‑approved ordinary‑course transactions for entities linked to other directors (Galderma, Avient, Baxter)—none for Kuebler, limiting conflict exposure .
- Engagement and oversight: Active committee cadence (Comp: 3; S&T: 2) and full director attendance threshold met; Board held 11 sessions and regular executive sessions of independent directors—strong oversight signals .
- Shareholder signals: 2024 say‑on‑pay received ~80% approval, indicating acceptable investor support for compensation practices overseen by Kuebler’s committee .
- RED FLAGS: None disclosed specific to Kuebler—no related‑party transactions, interlocks, hedging/pledging issues, or attendance shortfalls identified in filings .