Leslie Starr
About Leslie Starr
Leslie Starr, 64, is an independent Class III director at Westrock Coffee Company (WEST) since 2022. She is an Operating Advisor for Clayton, Dubilier & Rice with 35 years in consumer products and supply chain leadership, including senior roles at PepsiCo/Frito-Lay and Advance Auto Parts; she holds a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering (Virginia Tech) and an MBA (Georgia State) . At WEST, she serves on the Compensation Committee and the Nominating & Corporate Governance Committee, and is deemed independent under Nasdaq rules .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clayton, Dubilier & Rice | Operating Advisor | Current | Advises boards on compliance, organizational effectiveness, governance |
| Advance Auto Parts | EVP, Supply Strategy & Transformation | Mar 2017 – Dec 2018 | Led supply strategy and transformation |
| PepsiCo / Frito-Lay NA | SVP Supply Chain; previously SVP Commercialization & Supply Chain | 2008 – 2017; with PepsiCo >31 years | Responsible for North American supply chain |
| Procter & Gamble | Early career | Not disclosed | Foundational operations experience |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees |
|---|---|---|---|
| SunOpta, Inc. | Chairman of the Board; Director | Since Jul 2019 | Audit; Corporate Governance |
| Chesapeake Energy Corporation | Director | Sep 2017 – Feb 2021 | Not disclosed |
| Riverview Acquisition Corp. | Independent Director | Not disclosed | Not disclosed |
Board Governance
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Independence | Independent director under Nasdaq rules |
| WEST Board Tenure | Director since 2022; Class III term expiring at 2025 annual meeting |
| Committee Assignments | Compensation; Nominating & Corporate Governance (member, not chair) |
| Committee Activity (2024) | Compensation Committee met 5 times ; Nominating & Corporate Governance met 3 times |
| Board Meetings (2024) | Board met 7 times; all directors attended at least 75% of board and committee meetings served |
| Annual Meeting Attendance | All directors then serving attended the 2024 annual meeting |
| Governance Practices | Separate Chair/CEO; Lead Independent Director; independent Vice Chair; executive sessions of non-management directors; phase-out of classified board by 2028; hedging and unapproved pledging prohibited |
Fixed Compensation
| Component | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Annual Cash Retainer ($) | $60,000 | Standard non-employee director retainer; cash column includes any chair/meeting fees |
| Committee Chair Fees ($) | $0 | Not a committee chair; chair fees are $20k (Audit), $15k (Comp), $15k (N&CG) |
| Annual Equity Retainer ($) | $89,492 | RSUs; aggregate grant-date fair value |
| Equity Units (RSUs) | 8,523 unvested | Vesting on Jun 6, 2025 if serving on vest date |
| Total 2024 Director Comp ($) | $149,492 | Cash + equity |
| Perquisites | None; no post-retirement director benefits |
Performance Compensation
| Metric | Target | Actual | Payout |
|---|---|---|---|
| Director performance-conditioned awards | N/A | N/A | None; equity retainer vests time-based |
WEST’s non-employee director pay structure comprises fixed cash and time-based RSUs; no performance metrics or options are disclosed for directors .
Other Directorships & Interlocks
- SunOpta chair role suggests strong governance exposure in adjacent food/ingredients verticals .
- Riverview Acquisition Corp (RVAC) directorship is notable given Westrock’s business combination with Riverview and RVAC-related investor designation rights on WEST’s board; Lead Director R. Brad Martin chaired and led RVAC .
Expertise & Qualifications
- Mechanical Engineering (Virginia Tech); MBA (Georgia State) .
- Deep supply chain and commercialization leadership (PepsiCo/Frito-Lay; Advance Auto) .
- Board-level governance adviser; current chair experience (SunOpta) with audit and governance committee participation .
Equity Ownership
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Beneficial Ownership | 109,603 shares; <1% voting power |
| Unvested RSUs | 8,523 vesting Jun 6, 2025 |
| Hedging/Pledging | Company prohibits hedging and unapproved pledging; currently no pledged shares by directors |
| Shares Outstanding Reference | 94,638,899 common; 23,510,527 Series A preferred outstanding as of Apr 7, 2025 |
Governance Assessment
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Strengths:
- Independent director with relevant operational and supply chain expertise; active service on Compensation and Nominating & Corporate Governance committees .
- Strong engagement indicators: WEST board met 7x in 2024; all directors (including Starr) attended ≥75% of board/committee meetings; attendance at the 2024 annual meeting .
- Alignment: Mix of cash retainer and equity RSUs; unvested RSUs scheduled to vest contingent on continued service; no hedging/pledging permitted and none currently by directors .
- Compensation Committee independence and no interlocks reported (past year), mitigating pay-setting conflicts .
-
Watch items and potential conflicts:
- RED FLAG (potential interlock): Prior RVAC directorship in context of Westrock’s SPAC combination and investor designation rights; combined with RVAC-linked board leadership (Brad Martin), this network tie warrants monitoring of committee independence in related-party matters .
- Concentrated shareholder base and related-party environment (e.g., Ford family relationships; use of aircraft owned by Westrock Group; convertible notes purchased by significant holders) increases sensitivity to conflicts, though transactions are overseen under a Related Party Transactions Policy and were Audit & Finance Committee–approved .
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Overall: Starr’s independent status, committee roles, and governance experience are positives for board effectiveness. The RVAC network tie is notable but does not, on its own, negate independence; continued scrutiny of related-party approvals and committee leadership dynamics is appropriate .