Christopher Braun
WINNEBAGO INDUSTRIESAbout Christopher J. Braun
Christopher J. Braun, age 65, is an independent Class I director at Winnebago Industries and has served on the Board since 2015. He brings over 30 years of leadership experience across manufacturing, finance, and sales, including prior CEO roles in the RV and modular buildings sectors and senior leadership at Fleetwood and PACCAR, aligning closely with WGO’s operating profile. He currently serves on the Audit Committee and the Nominating and Governance Committee; he is not a committee chair. The Board has affirmatively determined him to be independent under NYSE rules.
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Teton Buildings, LLC | Founder & Chief Executive Officer | 2008–2013 | Led manufacturing operations; CEO experience relevant to WGO’s RV/manufacturing oversight |
| Teton Homes | Chief Executive Officer | Not disclosed | RV sector CEO experience; strategic and operational oversight |
| Fleetwood Enterprises | Executive Vice President – RV Group | Not disclosed | Industry operating leadership; RV portfolio management |
| PACCAR Inc. | Senior management roles | Not disclosed | Heavy vehicle manufacturing perspective (Kenworth/Peterbilt) |
| Self‑employed | Management consultant | 2014–Feb 2020 | Advisory and operational improvement experience |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Type | Tenure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| — | — | — | — | No current other public company boards disclosed for Braun |
Board Governance
- Committees: Audit (member), Nominating & Governance (member). Braun is not a chair.
- Independence: The Board affirmed all non-employee directors (including Braun) are independent under NYSE rules.
- Attendance: Board met 8 times in FY2025; all directors attended at least 75% of Board and committee meetings during their tenure; independent directors hold executive sessions each regular Board meeting.
- Committee activity: Audit met 5 times; Nominating & Governance met 7 times in FY2025.
- Board leadership: Independent, non-employee chair (David W. Miles).
Fixed Compensation
| Element | Fiscal 2025 Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Annual Board Cash Retainer | $90,000 | Standard non-employee director cash retainer |
| Annual Equity Retainer (RSUs) | $150,000 | Valued at $58.87 per share on Oct 15, 2024 grant date |
| Committee Chair Fees | $0 | Braun is not a chair (Audit chair $20k; other chairs $15k) |
| Total Director Compensation (Braun) | $240,000 | Fees earned: $90,000; Stock awards: $150,000 |
| Vesting | ~1 year from grant date | Director RSUs vest approximately one year after grant |
Performance Compensation
| Metric | Target | Actual | Payout | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Director performance metrics | N/A | N/A | N/A | WGO does not use performance-based equity for directors; director awards are time-based RSUs with ~1-year vesting |
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Company | Role | Committee Interlocks/Notes |
|---|---|---|
| None disclosed | — | Human Resources Committee disclosed no interlocks or insider participation; Braun is not an HR Committee member |
Expertise & Qualifications
- Skills matrix designation: Global Experience; Operations Optimization; Channel Development.
- RV industry leadership: Former CEO roles at Teton Homes and Teton Buildings; EVP RV Group at Fleetwood.
- Heavy vehicle/manufacturing: Senior roles at PACCAR (Kenworth/Peterbilt).
Equity Ownership
| Metric | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Shares owned outright | 28,690 | As of Oct 21, 2025 |
| Exercisable stock options (60-day window) | — | None disclosed |
| Winnebago stock units (Directors’ Deferred Plan) | — | None disclosed for Braun |
| Beneficial ownership % | <1% | Based on 28,207,219 shares outstanding |
| Unvested restricted stock awards/units | 7,288 | As of Aug 30, 2025 |
| Pledged shares | Prohibited | Company policy bans hedging and pledging by directors |
| Director ownership guidelines | ≥500% of annual cash retainer | All non-employee directors met or are on track within 5 years |
Governance Assessment
- Committee effectiveness: Braun contributes industry-operating insight through Audit and Nominating & Governance roles; Audit scope includes expanded finance oversight after Finance Committee dissolution (capital structure, allocation, M&A finance, tax). He is not designated as an “audit committee financial expert,” which is held by others (e.g., Bryant, Pack).
- Independence and attendance: Independent status affirmed; Board reports strong attendance and routine executive sessions of independents—supportive of robust oversight cadence.
- Compensation alignment: Standard mix of cash retainer plus time-based RSUs; no performance-linked director pay (reduces pay-risk), vesting ~1 year, and stock ownership guidelines promote alignment; anti-hedging/pledging strengthens investor alignment.
- Conflicts/related-party exposure: No related-party transactions disclosed involving Braun; FY2025 related-party transactions were limited to an executive (Donald Clark) and were reviewed/approved under policy.
- Signals to investor confidence: Stable governance practices (independent chair; director overboarding limits; clawback policies); strong shareholder support on say-on-pay (97.6%) indicates constructive investor sentiment toward pay/governance design.
RED FLAGS: None disclosed specific to Braun (no pledging/hedging, no related-party transactions, attendance at least per Board standard).
Positive Signals: Long-tenured independent director with deep RV/manufacturing experience; clear committee service; equity ownership and guidelines compliance/on-track; robust anti-hedging/anti-pledging policies.