William B. Plummer
WASTE MANAGEMENTAbout William B. Plummer
William B. Plummer (age 66) is an independent director of WM, serving since August 2019; he chairs the Audit Committee and sits on the Management Development & Compensation (MD&C) Committee, with deep finance, risk management, and public-company experience from prior CFO roles at United Rentals and Dow Jones, and treasury/strategy roles at Alcoa and Mead . He holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in aeronautics and astronautics from MIT and an MBA from Stanford University .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| United Rentals, Inc. | EVP & CFO; Co-led M&A strategy; led safety and data/analytics | 2008–2018 | Drove margin expansion, operational efficiencies, capital allocation discipline |
| Dow Jones & Company, Inc. | EVP & CFO | n/a | Set global finance and corporate strategy policy |
| Alcoa Inc. | VP & Treasurer | n/a | Global treasury policy and capital markets transactions |
| Mead Corporation | President, Gilbert Paper; VP Corporate Strategy & Planning; Treasurer | n/a | Finance, logistics, operational improvement leadership |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Global Payments Inc. | Director | 2017–Present | Public-company governance; finance oversight |
| Mason Industrial Technology, Inc. | Director | Feb 2021–Feb 2023 | SPAC board experience |
| Nesco Holdings, Inc. | Director | Jul 2019–Mar 2021 | Industrial services governance |
Board Governance
- Independence: The Board determined Plummer is independent under NYSE standards; eight non-employee nominees, including Plummer, are independent .
- Committee leadership and expertise: Audit Committee Chair since May 2020; designated audit committee financial expert alongside other members .
- Committee activity: Audit Committee met 8 times in 2024; MD&C Committee met 6 times in 2024 .
- Attendance and engagement: In 2024 the Board held seven regular and six special meetings; each incumbent director attended at least 75% of Board and applicable committee meetings, and all directors attended the 2024 Annual Meeting .
- Compensation committee interlocks: During 2024, MD&C membership included Plummer; no interlocks or insider participation were disclosed .
- Executive sessions: Non-Executive Chair presides over all Board meetings, including executive sessions of non-employee directors .
Fixed Compensation
| Component | Detail | 2024 Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Annual cash retainer | Non-employee director | $120,000 |
| Chair retainer | Audit Committee Chair | $25,000 |
| Total cash fees (2024) | Reported in Director Comp Table | $145,000 |
| Equity grant schedule | Common stock grants, fully vested; directors must hold net shares; typically Jan 15 and Jul 15 | Two grants in 2024 (Jan 15 and Jul 15) |
| Equity grant value (2024) | Grant date fair value | $179,862 |
| Total (cash + equity) | 2024 Director Compensation | $324,862 |
Notes:
- Non-employee director equity awards are fully vested at grant; all net shares must be held during Board tenure .
- No meeting fees; compensation reviewed annually by MD&C with independent consultant; 2024 levels unchanged vs 2022 .
Performance Compensation
| Element | Structure | Metrics | 2024 Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| Director equity awards | Fully vested common stock; holding requirement of all net shares | None (no performance metrics applied to director grants) | $179,862 grant date fair value |
- WM does not use performance-based metrics for non-employee director compensation; stock awards are time-vested and subject to mandatory holding; no stock options for directors were disclosed .
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Company | Relationship to WM | Potential Interlock/Conflict |
|---|---|---|
| Global Payments Inc. | Unrelated payment technology; no disclosed transactions with WM | None disclosed |
| Mason Industrial Technology, Inc. | SPAC; no disclosed WM dealings | None disclosed |
| Nesco Holdings, Inc. | Equipment services; no disclosed WM dealings | None disclosed |
- Related-party transactions: WM’s policy requires review/approval; 2024 disclosures address certain officer family employments, but no transactions involving Plummer were identified; Board independence evaluation found no prohibited relationships .
Expertise & Qualifications
- Finance/audit: Former CFO at United Rentals and Dow Jones; deep capital markets, internal controls, and financial reporting expertise; WM Board-designated audit committee financial expert .
- Risk management: Experience overseeing enterprise risk programs including human capital, climate, cybersecurity/IT; applicable to WM’s ERM and Audit Committee oversight .
- Operations/logistics: Background in logistics and operational improvement; supports oversight of WM’s capital-intensive, regulated operations .
- Education: BS/MS Aeronautics & Astronautics (MIT); MBA (Stanford) .
Equity Ownership
| Holder | Shares Owned | Options Exercisable | Ownership % of Outstanding |
|---|---|---|---|
| William B. Plummer | 6,843 | 0 | 0.0017% (6,843 ÷ 402,332,424) |
| Notes | Of total, 2,474 shares held by TPO Collectibles LLC, wholly-owned/controlled by Plummer and spouse | — | Directors must hold all net shares; hedging of company securities prohibited |
Ownership alignment:
- Stock ownership guideline for non-employee directors: five times annualized cash retainer ($600,000 as of 12/31/2024); as of 3/18/2025, all non-employee directors had met the guideline except two newest (Bené, Chinn), implying Plummer is compliant .
Governance Assessment
- Strengths: Independent director; Audit Chair since 2020 with “financial expert” designation enhances oversight of reporting, controls, auditor independence, and ERM; strong attendance culture (Board/committees active in 2024); director pay tilted to equity with required holding, plus no hedging, supporting long-term alignment .
- Compensation governance: MD&C uses independent consultant FW Cook; independence reviewed with no conflicts; MD&C composition includes Plummer; no interlocks disclosed, reducing conflict risk in pay decisions .
- Potential risks/RED FLAGS: Dual service as Audit Chair and MD&C member concentrates governance influence but is mitigated by full Board independence and robust committee charters; no related-party transactions or pledging disclosed; continued monitoring of time commitments across external boards is governed by Nominating & Governance guidelines .
- Shareholder signals: 2023 say-on-pay support ~94% indicates broad investor alignment on compensation practices WM-wide, which Plummer helps oversee via MD&C .