Karen Dougherty Buchholz
WSFS FINANCIALAbout Karen Dougherty Buchholz
Karen Dougherty Buchholz (58) is an independent director of WSFS Financial Corporation, serving since 2019 with her current term expiring at the 2025 Annual Meeting. She is Executive Vice President of Administration at Comcast Corporation (May 2020–present), previously serving as Chief Diversity Officer (Dec 2019–Oct 2020) and Senior Vice President of Administration (2014–May 2020). She holds a bachelor’s degree from Dickinson College and a master’s in Organizational Dynamics from the University of Pennsylvania .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Comcast Corporation | EVP, Administration | May 2020–present | Public company oversight, technology and markets expertise |
| Comcast Corporation | Chief Diversity Officer | Dec 2019–Oct 2020 | DEI leadership |
| Comcast Corporation | SVP, Administration | 2014–May 2020 | Enterprise operations leadership |
| Beneficial Bank | Trustee | 2009–2014 | Banking oversight; ties to Beneficial Bancorp (former public company) |
| Beneficial Bancorp, Inc. | Director (former) | Not specified | Prior public company directorship |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| FS Credit Real Estate Income Trust | Director | Not specified | Board role; investment oversight |
| Drexel University | Trustee | Not specified | Academic governance |
| Women in Cable Telecommunications | Global Board Director | Not specified | Industry network and governance |
| Philadelphia Convention and Visitors Bureau | Chair, Board of Directors | Not specified | Civic leadership |
| The Philadelphia Orchestra and Ensemble Arts | Board member | Not specified | Non-profit governance |
Board Governance
| Attribute | Details |
|---|---|
| Independence | Board determined independent (Nasdaq standards) |
| Years of service | Director since 2019 |
| Board attendance | All directors attended ≥75% of Board and committee meetings in 2024; Board met 7 times; all directors attended the prior Annual Meeting |
| Committees (2024) | Governance & Nominating (Vice Chair; 4 meetings), Leadership & Compensation (Member; 6 meetings), Risk (Member; 6 meetings), Wealth Management Fiduciary Committee (Member; 6 meetings) |
| Committee responsibilities (selected) | Governance & Nominating oversees director nominations, Board compensation, evaluation, succession, and related-party transactions ; Leadership & Compensation oversees executive pay, CD&A, and compensation risk ; Risk oversees ERM, capital/liquidity, cybersecurity ; Wealth Mgmt Fiduciary Committee oversees trust/wealth strategy and fiduciary risk |
Fixed Compensation
| Component | 2024 Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Board cash retainer | $60,000 | Paid in July |
| Equity retainer (common stock) | $60,000 | Issued annually based on Nasdaq closing price on Aug 9, 2024 |
| Committee membership fees | $30,000 | Governance & Nominating $7,500; Leadership & Compensation $7,500; Risk $7,500; Wealth Mgmt Fiduciary Committee $7,500 |
| Committee chair fees | $0 | Vice Chair roles not compensated; chair fees apply only to chairs |
| Total cash paid (2024) | $90,000 | Matches director compensation table |
| Total stock awarded (2024) | $60,000 | Matches director compensation table |
| Total 2024 director compensation | $150,000 | Fees + stock awards |
Performance Compensation
| Element | Disclosure |
|---|---|
| Performance-linked director pay | None disclosed; non-employee director compensation is retainer and fixed-value equity. No options or PSUs for directors are described in Board compensation section . |
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Company/Institution | Role | Public/Private | Potential WSFS Interlock/Conflict |
|---|---|---|---|
| FS Credit Real Estate Income Trust | Director | Not disclosed | No WSFS-related transaction disclosed |
| Beneficial Bancorp, Inc. (former) | Director | Public (former) | Historical link: WSFS acquired Beneficial; signals banking oversight experience |
| Comcast Corporation | EVP (management role) | Public | No WSFS related-party transactions disclosed; Governance Committee (where she is Vice Chair) oversees any related-party transactions |
| Drexel University; Women in Cable Telecommunications; Philadelphia CVB; Philadelphia Orchestra/Ensemble Arts | Trustee/Director/Chair | Non-profit | No related-party transactions disclosed |
Expertise & Qualifications
- Public company oversight, technology and market expertise from senior leadership at Comcast; experience beyond financial services enhances Board diversity of skills .
- Banking oversight from Beneficial trustee/director roles; regional market familiarity .
- Education: Bachelor’s (Dickinson); Master’s in Organizational Dynamics (UPenn) .
Equity Ownership
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Shares beneficially owned (Mar 14, 2025) | 27,595 shares |
| Director ownership guideline | Minimum 5,000 shares (independent directors) |
| Compliance status | Exceeds guideline (owns 27,595 vs. 5,000 required) |
| Shares outstanding (Record Date) | 58,000,798 shares |
| Ownership as % of outstanding | ~0.048% (27,595 / 58,000,798) |
| Pledged/hedged shares | Hedging prohibited for insiders; no pledging disclosed for directors in proxy |
Governance Assessment
- Strengths: Independent status; multi-committee engagement including Vice Chair of Governance & Nominating (oversees nominations, Board pay, and related-party reviews), plus roles on Compensation, Risk, and Wealth Fiduciary committees—indicative of broad governance influence and risk oversight continuity .
- Attendance & engagement: Board met 7 times; all directors attended ≥75% of Board and committee meetings and were present at the Annual Meeting—supports board effectiveness and accountability .
- Alignment: Exceeds director stock ownership guideline; compensation mix balances cash and equity with transparent committee fees; no director options/PSUs—reduces misalignment risk and complexity for directors .
- Conflicts: Proxy reports no Regulation O loans to related parties in 2024 and has a formal Related Party Transaction Policy reviewed by Governance & Nominating; her Comcast role is disclosed, with committee-level oversight of related-party matters—mitigates conflict risk; no specific related-party transactions disclosed .
- Shareholder signals: 2024 say-on-pay passed with over 87% approval, indicating broad investor support for WSFS’s compensation governance framework overseen by the Leadership & Compensation Committee (of which she is a member) .
Red flags: None disclosed regarding low attendance, related-party transactions, hedging/pledging, or director pay anomalies. The Board maintains independence majority, formal clawback (executive incentives), and robust committee structures; classified board and combined Chair/CEO are mitigated by a Lead Independent Director and cumulative voting provisions .