Jeffrey M. Kottkamp
About Jeffrey M. Kottkamp
Independent director of World Kinect Corporation (WKC). Appointed April 23, 2025; age 64; retired Senior Partner at Deloitte & Touche LLP (partner for 29 years) with extensive U.S. and global audit leadership roles; Certified Public Accountant; B.S. in Accounting (Highest University Honors), Southern Illinois University–Carbondale . Expected to be appointed to the Audit Committee following the 2025 Annual Meeting; independence affirmed under NYSE standards .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Deloitte & Touche LLP (U.S.) | Vice Chair of Deloitte U.S. Audit Firm | 2018–2023 | Top leadership of U.S. Audit; oversight of audit quality and operations . |
| Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Ltd. | Global Audit & Assurance Quality Leader | 2021–2022 | Global quality leadership for audit and assurance . |
| Deloitte (Global) | Senior Partner, Global Financial Services Audit Practice | 2018–2020 | Led global FS audit clients and quality initiatives . |
| Deloitte (U.S.) | Northeast Region U.S. Audit Managing Partner | 2009–2011 | Regional leadership, client service and risk oversight . |
| Deloitte (U.S.) | U.S. Board of Directors; Chair, Finance & Audit Committee | Board 2011–2015; Chair 2013–2015 | Board governance; chaired finance/audit oversight . |
| Deloitte (U.S.) | Senior Audit Client Service Partner; earlier roles | 1983–2023 | Four decades of audit, financial reporting, regulatory compliance experience . |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good Shepherd Services (non-profit, NYC) | Director; Chair, Audit Committee | 2009–2018 | Led audit committee; community services governance . |
Board Governance
- Independence: Board states all directors other than the CEO are independent under NYSE standards; includes Mr. Kottkamp .
- Committee alignment: Expected appointment to the Audit Committee following the Annual Meeting—fit with accounting/audit background .
- Board structure: Lead Independent Director (Stephen K. Roddenberry) presides over executive sessions and sets agendas for independent directors .
- Attendance: In 2024 the Board met 4 times; each director (serving then) attended at least 75% of Board and committee meetings; policy expects directors to attend shareholder meetings .
- Audit Committee standards: Members must be financially literate, independent, and qualify as audit committee financial experts; Audit reviews financial reporting, controls, and cyber risk oversight jointly with Tech & Operations Committee .
Fixed Compensation
| Component | Amount/Terms | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Annual cash retainer (non-management directors) | $100,000 | |
| Lead Independent Director additional fee | $40,000 | |
| Committee membership fees | Audit: $15,000; Compensation/Tech & Ops/Sustainability & CSR: $10,000 each; Nominating Subcommittee: $5,000 | |
| Committee chair fees | Audit Chair: $35,000; Compensation & Tech/Ops Chairs: $30,000; Governance & Sustainability/CSR Chairs: $20,000; Nominating Subcommittee Chair: $15,000 | |
| 2024–2025 equity for non-management directors | $175,000 in RSUs per director; +$10,000 in RSUs for Governance Committee members; extra RSUs for committee chairs (e.g., Audit Chair +$15,000; other Chairs +$10,000) | |
| Mr. Kottkamp initial grant (pro‑rated) | 862 RSUs vesting the day prior to the 2025 Annual Meeting (appointed April 23, 2025) | |
| RSU vesting convention (directors) | Vests on the earlier of day prior to next annual meeting or one year from grant; 100% of shares issued at vest |
Notes: Mr. Kottkamp will also receive standard cash retainers and any applicable committee fees pro‑rated for service after April 23, 2025 .
Performance Compensation
| Element | Metrics/Structure | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Director equity | Time-based RSUs (no performance metrics) | Director grants are service-based; no options granted in 2024 . |
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Company | Type | Current/Past | Potential Interlock Considerations |
|---|---|---|---|
| Public company boards | — | None disclosed | No disclosed public company directorships as of the 2025 proxy/8‑K . |
| Deloitte U.S. Board | Private/professional | Past (2011–2015) | Auditor of WKC is PwC (not Deloitte), reducing conflict risk . |
| Good Shepherd Services | Non-profit | Past (2009–2018) | Non-profit; non-issuer . |
Expertise & Qualifications
- CPA; deep audit, financial reporting, regulatory and audit quality leadership; significant experience with financial services audits and audit committee governance .
- Skills tagged by WKC: Accounting/Finance; Corporate Governance; Investment Banking/Capital Markets; Legal & Regulatory; Management .
- Education: B.S. Accounting, Southern Illinois University–Carbondale (Highest University Honors) .
Equity Ownership
| Holder | Beneficial Ownership (as of Apr 10, 2025) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Jeffrey M. Kottkamp | 0 shares; <1% | Newly appointed; subject to initial RSU grant of 862 units vesting before/at the 2025 Annual Meeting . |
| Director stock ownership guideline | ≥5x annual Board fee within 5 years (i.e., $500,000) | Vested RSUs and deferred units count toward guideline . |
| Hedging/Pledging | Hedging and short sales prohibited; pledging discouraged and requires pre-approval; pledged shares don’t count toward ownership | . |
Related-Party, Conflicts, and Legal
- Item 404(a) related-person transactions: None for Mr. Kottkamp disclosed in his appointment 8‑K . Company reported no related person transactions in 2024 .
- Indemnification: Entered into standard director indemnification agreement; advancement of expenses; D&O insurance maintained; limitations include statutory exclusions (e.g., improper personal benefit) .
- Auditor independence: PwC is independent auditor; Audit fees and pre-approval policy detailed; supports strong financial reporting oversight .
Governance Assessment
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Strengths
- Audit-centric expertise aligned with expected Audit Committee assignment; enhances financial reporting and controls oversight .
- Clean conflicts profile (no Item 404 related-party transactions; not affiliated with WKC’s auditor) .
- Director pay structure balanced between cash and time-based equity; robust ownership guideline and anti-hedging policy support alignment with shareholders .
- Board refreshment evidenced by addition since 2020; his appointment continues refresh efforts and broadens accounting/regulatory experience on the Board .
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Watch items
- New appointee (April 2025) with limited WKC-specific track record; monitor attendance, committee contributions, and accumulation toward ownership guideline over next 12–24 months .
- Broad indemnification (standard for peers) warrants continued focus on accountability via Audit and Governance Committee practices .
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Contextual signals
- Shareholder engagement and say-on-pay support improved to ~91% in 2024, indicating constructive governance dialogue environment into which he joins .