Tonia Pankopf
About Tonia Pankopf
Tonia Pankopf (age 57) is an independent director at WisdomTree, Inc., serving since June 2023; she is Managing Partner of Pareto Advisors, LLC (founded 2005) and brings 30+ years in investment research, valuation and capital markets. She previously held senior analyst roles at Goldman Sachs and Merrill Lynch, served as a director at 180 Degree Capital (2020–2023), Landec/Lifecore Biomedical (2012–2022), and Oxford Square Capital (2003–2017), and holds a B.A. summa cum laude from the University of Maryland and an M.S. from the London School of Economics; she is a NACD Board Leadership Fellow . The Board is majority independent (all except the CEO), with 99% aggregate attendance in 2024 and 13 Board meetings; all directors attended at least 75% of meetings .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pareto Advisors, LLC | Managing Partner | 2005–present | Strategic/financial advisory; capital investment |
| Goldman Sachs & Co. | Vice President/Senior Equity Analyst | Earlier career (dates not disclosed) | Research/valuation coverage |
| Merrill Lynch & Co. | Vice President/Senior Equity Analyst | Earlier career (dates not disclosed) | Research/valuation coverage |
| Palladio Capital Management | Managing Director | 2003–2005 | Investment advisory leadership |
| P.A.W. Capital Partners, L.P. | Hedge Fund Portfolio Management | 2001–2003 | Portfolio management |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| 180 Degree Capital Corp. (NASDAQ: TURN) | Director | Aug 2020–May 2023 | Closed-end investment company board oversight |
| Landec Corp. / Lifecore Biomedical, Inc. | Director | Nov 2012–Nov 2022 | Pharma CDMO board oversight |
| Oxford Square Capital Corp. (NASDAQ: OXSQ) | Director | Nov 2003–Jul 2017 | Closed-end investment company board oversight |
| University System of Maryland Foundation | Director | 2006–2012 | Non-profit governance |
Board Governance
- Independence: Pankopf is independent under NYSE standards; WT’s Board separation has an independent Chair (Smita Conjeevaram) and a separate CEO, with regular executive sessions of independent directors .
- Committees: Audit Committee member and designated “audit committee financial expert”; joined Oct 2024. Also member of the Nominating & Governance Committee .
- Committee activity: Audit met 8 times in 2024; Nominating & Governance met 4 times in 2024 .
- Attendance and engagement: Board held 13 meetings in 2024; each director attended at least 75% of Board and committee meetings; aggregate Board/committee attendance 99% .
- Shareholder support: In the June 17, 2025 meeting, Pankopf received 116,804,782 “For,” 943,652 “Against,” 60,668 “Abstain,” equating to 99.19% of votes cast; quorum was 84.19% of voting power .
Fixed Compensation
| Component | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Annual Board Cash Retainer | $100,000 | Paid quarterly |
| Committee Cash Retainer – Audit (Member) | $12,500 | 2024 schedule |
| Committee Cash Retainer – Nominating & Governance (Member) | $7,500 | 2024 schedule |
| Technology Strategy Committee (Member) | $7,500 (schedule) | No 2024 payments; formed Jan 2025 |
| 2024 Cash Fees Paid (Pankopf actual) | $115,000 | FY2024 actuals |
| Annual Equity Award | $100,000 grant-date value | Restricted stock or DRSUs at director’s election; 1-year vest |
| 2024 Equity Award (Pankopf actual) | $99,997 | 10,152 restricted shares granted on June 12, 2024 |
| 2024 Total Director Compensation (Pankopf) | $214,997 | Fees + stock award |
Performance Compensation
| Equity Type | Grant Date | Units | Vesting | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Restricted Stock (Pankopf) | June 12, 2024 | 10,152 | Vests one year from grant date | $99,997 grant-date fair value |
- WT does not disclose performance-conditioned director awards (e.g., PSUs) for non-employee directors; annual director equity is time-vested restricted stock or DRSUs valued at $100,000 and vests in one year .
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Current Public Company Boards | Committee Roles | Interlocks/Conflicts |
|---|---|---|
| None disclosed currently | N/A | No related-party transactions involving directors since Jan 1, 2024; Audit Committee reviews related-person transactions |
| Prior Public Company Boards | Sector | Potential Interlock Exposure |
|---|---|---|
| 180 Degree Capital (TURN) | Investment management | None indicated by WT; no related-person transactions |
| Landec/Lifecore Biomedical | Pharma CDMO | None indicated by WT; no related-person transactions |
| Oxford Square Capital (OXSQ) | Investment management | None indicated by WT; no related-person transactions |
Expertise & Qualifications
- Financial reporting/audit expertise: Designated “audit committee financial expert”; deep accounting and capital markets background .
- Investment and valuation: 30+ years researching/valuing securities; hedge fund portfolio management and advisory leadership .
- Governance credentials: NACD Board Leadership Fellow; decades of public company board service .
- Education: B.A. summa cum laude (University of Maryland); M.S. (London School of Economics) .
Equity Ownership
| Measure | Amount |
|---|---|
| Beneficial Ownership (shares) | 24,814 |
| Ownership % of Outstanding | <0.1% (asterisk in table) |
| Includes | 10,152 restricted shares vesting within 60 days of record date |
| Ownership Guidelines | 5x base retainer for non-employee directors |
| Compliance Status (Nov 30, 2024) | Not yet met; among new directors listed; sale restrictions apply until compliance (limited exceptions for taxes/exercises) |
| Hedging/Pledging Policy | Prohibits pledging, hedging, short sales, derivative transactions; margin holding requires Audit Committee approval |
Governance Assessment
-
Positives
- Strong shareholder support for director election (99.19% votes cast “For”) and high say-on-pay support (89.76%) signal investor confidence .
- Committee placement aligns with expertise; audit financial expert designation enhances oversight of financial reporting, cybersecurity, and related-party review .
- Board structure and practices (independent Chair, executive sessions, majority independent, majority voting) support accountability and effective oversight .
- Non-employee director pay mix balanced with equity that vests over one year; clear fee schedule and absence of excessive perquisites .
-
Watchouts and red flags
- Ownership guideline not yet met as of Nov 30, 2024 due to recent appointment; however, selling restrictions apply until compliance, mitigating alignment risk .
- No current public-company board interlocks disclosed; continued monitoring warranted for any future overlapping directorships that could create conflicts; Audit Committee oversees related-party transactions and reported none since Jan 1, 2024 .
-
Shareholder signals
- 2025 voting outcomes: strong ratification of auditor (99.38% “For”) and say-on-pay approval (89.76% “For”), reflecting support for governance and pay practices .