William Feehery
Director at WST
Board
About William F. Feehery
William F. Feehery, Ph.D., age 54, is an independent director of West Pharmaceutical Services (WST) and has served on the Board since 2012. He is the Chief Executive Officer of Certara, Inc. (2019–present), and holds a Ph.D. in chemical engineering and an MBA from MIT, was a Churchill Scholar at Cambridge, and earned a BSE in chemical engineering from the University of Pennsylvania; he is currently on leave until June 2025 from serving as a Trustee of the Winston Churchill Foundation .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| DuPont (E.I. du Pont de Nemours & Company) | Multiple business unit leadership roles | 2002–2019 | R&D management, commercialization of advanced technologies; international supply chain and global manufacturing oversight; business development incl. M&A, partnerships, divestitures |
| Boston Consulting Group | Management Consultant | Not disclosed | Strategy and operations experience |
| Venture Capital | Investor/VC engagement | Not disclosed | Early-stage investing exposure |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Certara, Inc. (public company) | Chief Executive Officer; public company director | 2019–present | Only independent WST director serving as a current public company CEO, enhancing Board capabilities |
| Winston Churchill Foundation | Trustee (on leave) | On leave until June 2025 | Governance and philanthropic engagement |
Board Governance
- Committee memberships: Audit, Compensation, and Finance; not a committee chair (Audit Chair: Thomas W. Hofmann; Compensation Chair transitioned to Molly E. Joseph effective April 2025; prior Chair Robert F. Friel ended April 2025) .
- Independence: Board-classified “Independent”; all Audit and Compensation Committee members are independent under NYSE standards and WST Corporate Governance Principles .
- Attendance and engagement: Audit Committee met 6 times in 2024; Compensation Committee met 5 times; “Virtually all” directors attended 100% of combined Board and committee meetings and all directors attended at least 90% in 2024; average director support from shareholders was 95.5% .
- Related party transactions: “No related person transactions required to be reported” under SEC rules; anti-hedging and pledging policies prohibit hedging/short sales and pledging, and no exceptions have ever been granted .
Fixed Compensation
| Component (2024) | Amount ($) |
|---|---|
| Fees Earned or Paid in Cash | 100,000 |
| Stock Awards (grant-date fair value) | 220,000 |
| All Other Compensation | 38,660 |
| Total | 358,660 |
- Compensation structure (standard director program): Board retainer $100,000; Lead Independent Director fee $40,000; Audit Chair $25,000; Compensation Chair $20,000; other committee chairs $15,000; annual RSU grant target ~$220,000 .
- Mix signal: Equity comprised ~61% of Feehery’s 2024 total director compensation (calculated from disclosed values) .
Performance Compensation
| RSU Grant Detail (2024) | Value/Count | Vesting | Deferral | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Annual RSU grant (Apr 23, 2024) | 564 RSUs; $390.20 per share grant-date FMV | Fully vests on date of next Annual Meeting if director remains in service | Feehery elected to defer (exceptions were Buthman, Hofmann, Joseph, Lockhart) | Stock-settled; dividends credited as additional shares if deferred |
- Outstanding director stock awards at YE 2024: Vested annual stock awards 29,958; Unvested annual deferred stock/stock-settled RSUs 565; Total outstanding 30,523 .
- No options outstanding for directors per proxy .
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Company | Role | Current/Prior | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Certara, Inc. | Director | Current | No other public company directorships in prior 5 years |
- Conflict screening: WST reports no related person transactions requiring disclosure; related-person transactions are subject to NCGC review under policies (pre-approval for certain employment-related transactions and permitted charitable contributions that do not impair independence) .
Expertise & Qualifications
- Comprehensive healthcare industry experience via Certara CEO role; executive leadership background as CEO of a publicly traded company and senior roles at a multinational .
- Scientific and technical credentials: Ph.D. in chemical engineering; significant R&D management and technology commercialization experience .
- International supply chain knowledge with direct responsibility for global manufacturing .
- Marketing and commercial experience; active in business development including M&A, partnerships, and divestitures .
- Board role context: Only independent WST Board member currently serving as a public company CEO, which enhances Board capabilities .
Equity Ownership
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Beneficial ownership (Feb 28, 2025) – common shares | 29,977 |
| Options exercisable within 60 days | — |
| Percent of class | Less than 1% (“*”) |
| Outstanding director stock awards at YE 2024 | 30,523 total; 29,958 vested; 565 unvested |
| Ownership guidelines (Directors) | ≥5x annual retainer within 3 years; directors elected prior to 2022 meet requirement (Feehery elected 2012) |
| Hedging/Pledging | Prohibited; no exceptions ever granted |
Governance Assessment
- Strengths: Independent director with deep healthcare, scientific, and operational expertise; serves on Audit and Compensation Committees with strong independence standards; Board/committee attendance across directors was near-perfect in 2024; robust anti-hedging/pledging and stock ownership policies, and average shareholder support for directors at 95.5% in 2024 .
- Alignment: Material equity-based pay (~$220k RSUs) with annual vesting and ability to defer into stock units with dividend equivalents; beneficial ownership and outstanding deferred/vested awards suggest meaningful exposure to WST equity; directors elected prior to 2022 meet the 5x retainer guideline, capturing Feehery .
- Potential watch items: Dual role as a sitting public company CEO (Certara) increases time commitments; however, Board-level attendance was strong across directors and no related-party transactions were reportable under SEC rules for 2024, mitigating conflict concerns .
- Other signals: “All Other Compensation” includes $15,000 charitable donation made at Feehery’s request as part of WST’s director compensation disclosures; no outstanding options reduce risk of option repricing concerns .
Fixed Compensation
| Item | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Board Retainer (standard) | $100,000 | Annual retainer; paid quarterly |
| Committee Chair Fees (standard) | $15,000–$25,000 | Audit Chair $25k; Compensation Chair $20k; other chairs $15k (Feehery is not a chair) |
| Lead Independent Director (standard) | $40,000 | Additional annual fee; role exists on Board |
Performance Compensation
| Program Feature | Detail |
|---|---|
| Annual Director RSUs | Target ~$220,000 grant-date fair value; 564 RSUs granted Apr 23, 2024 at $390.20 per share (Feehery received this grant) |
| Vesting | 100% on next Annual Meeting date if in service; unvested equity generally forfeits upon termination, with pro-rata vesting in retirement year at mandatory age |
| Deferral | Eligible to defer RSUs and cash fees; Feehery deferred his 2024 RSUs; director deferred accounts receive dividend equivalent units (DEUs) |
| Distribution | Shares upon vesting or deferred payout (lump sum or up to 10 annual installments; deferred stock units credited with DEUs; cash balances earn prime rate) |
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Organization | Interlock/Relationship | Risk Note |
|---|---|---|
| Certara, Inc. | External public company CEO/director | No related-person transactions at WST requiring report; anti-hedging/pledging policies in place |
Equity Ownership
| Category | Shares/Units |
|---|---|
| Common stock beneficially owned (Feb 28, 2025) | 29,977 |
| Outstanding director stock awards at YE 2024 | 29,958 vested; 565 unvested; 30,523 total |
| Options | None outstanding/exercisable within 60 days |
| Ownership guidelines | Directors expected to hold ≥5x annual retainer; directors elected prior to 2022 meet (Feehery falls within that cohort) |
| Hedging/Pledging | Prohibited; no exceptions granted |
RED FLAGS: None disclosed in WST’s proxy regarding related-person transactions, hedging/pledging exceptions, option repricings, or low shareholder support; monitor time-commitment risk given external CEO role, though attendance metrics for 2024 were strong across directors .