Deborah L. Hall Lefevre
WINTRUST FINANCIALAbout Deborah L. Hall Lefevre
Independent director since 2019; age 57 at the 2025 annual meeting. Executive Vice President and Chief Technology Officer at Starbucks, with prior senior IT leadership at Circle K and McDonald’s, bringing deep technology and cybersecurity oversight expertise. Serves as Chair of Wintrust’s Information Technology & Information Security (IT/IS) Committee and as a member of the Nominating and Executive Committees; the Board is majority independent and holds regular executive sessions, with each director attending >90% of Board and committee meetings in 2024 .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starbucks Corporation | EVP, Chief Technology Officer | May 2022 – Present | Global technology strategy and execution; cybersecurity oversight across 40,000+ locations |
| Alimentation Couche‑Tard / Circle K | EVP, Chief Technology Officer | 2017 – 2022 | Global technology and digital strategy across ~15,500 locations |
| McDonald’s Corporation | Corporate VP, Global Enterprise Solutions & Business Transformation; CIO U.S. Segment; VP IT Enterprise | 2008 – 2017 | Enterprise IT leadership; transformation, cybersecurity risk management |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Public Company Board? | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starbucks Corporation | EVP, Chief Technology Officer | No disclosure of board role | Operating executive, not disclosed as director in WTFC proxy |
Board Governance
- Independence: Board determined Deborah L. Hall Lefevre is independent under Nasdaq standards (only Crane and Wehmer are non‑independent) .
- Committee assignments (2025 slate): IT/IS Committee (Chair), Nominating Committee (Member), Executive Committee (Member) .
- Executive sessions: Regular executive sessions of independent directors at each Board and committee meeting .
- Attendance: Board met six times in 2024; each member attended >90% of Board and committee meetings on which they served .
- Stock ownership guidelines: Directors must hold stock equal to 4× annual Board retainer ($160,000 in 2024 → $640,000 guideline), to be met within four years; all non‑employee directors either meet or are expected to meet .
- Hedging/pledging: Prohibited for directors and insiders .
Fixed Compensation
| Component (2024) | Amount | Basis/Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Annual Board Fee Retainer | $160,000 | Payable in cash or common stock; Lefevre elected stock |
| Annual Committee Fee Retainer | $20,000 | $10,000 per committee (Nominating + IT/IS; Executive excluded) |
| Committee Chair Fee | $25,000 | IT/IS Committee Chair |
| Total Fees Earned | $205,000 | Matches role mix above |
| All Other Compensation | $22,479 | Dividends on deferred units and subsidiary board/service fees, per plan |
Compensation trend:
- 2023: Fees earned $180,300; all other compensation $15,960 (dividends on deferred units) .
- 2024: Increase to $205,000 reflects 2024 program changes (higher board retainer, addition of committee fee retainer, removal of most meeting fees) .
Performance Compensation
| Element | Status | Metric Details |
|---|---|---|
| Performance‑based equity (PSUs) | Not granted to directors | No director PSUs disclosed; stock awards/option awards columns show “—” for directors |
| Options | Not granted to directors | No option awards disclosed |
| Meeting‑based variable fees | Limited | Only payable if >6 Board or >5 committee meetings; none itemized for Lefevre in 2024 |
WTFC’s director pay is predominantly fixed retainer and committee chair fees; no director‑specific performance metrics or option awards are disclosed .
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Category | Detail |
|---|---|
| Other public company boards | None disclosed for Lefevre in WTFC proxy |
| Compensation committee interlocks | None during FY2024 (company‑wide disclosure) |
| Related‑party transactions | None identified since Jan 1, 2024 beyond ordinary‑course banking at market terms; related‑party approvals governed by Audit & Nominating Committees |
Expertise & Qualifications
- Technology and cybersecurity oversight: Leads Board‑level IT/IS oversight including cyber risk, data management, incident response, and third‑party program assessments .
- Large‑scale digital and operations execution across global retail footprints (Starbucks, Circle K), relevant to bank technology resilience and customer digital experience .
- Governance participation in Nominating Committee, contributing to board composition, independence evaluations, and ESG oversight .
Equity Ownership
| Metric | Dec 31, 2023 | Record Date (Mar 24, 2025) |
|---|---|---|
| Beneficially owned common shares | — | — |
| Deferred stock units (Director Plan) | 11,615 Units | 13,874 Units |
| Total ownership (incl. RSUs/deferred) | 11,615 | 13,874 |
| Ownership % of outstanding | <1% | <1% |
| Hedging/pledging | Prohibited | Prohibited |
Note: Directors may elect to receive fees in stock and defer into Units accruing dividend‑equivalent Units; Units have no voting rights and are payable post‑retirement per plan .
Governance Assessment
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Strengths:
- Clear independence and strong attendance; leadership of IT/IS enhances Board oversight of cyber and technology risks .
- Alignment signals: elected to take director fees in stock and to defer, increasing skin‑in‑the‑game under robust ownership guidelines and anti‑hedging/pledging policy .
- No interlocks or related‑party conflicts identified; committee structures and charters are robust; shareholder support for compensation program remains high (say‑on‑pay ~98% in 2024 proxy; ~95% in 2023 proxy) .
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Watch items / potential conflicts:
- Senior operating role at Starbucks: while not a board interlock, monitor any future WTFC banking/vendor relationships with Starbucks or affiliates; current proxy discloses no related‑party transactions beyond ordinary‑course banking at market terms .
- Ownership guideline compliance is reported at the Board level; individual compliance timeline not disclosed—continue to track progress toward the $640,000 director guideline .
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Overall signal: Board effectiveness supported by independent chair structure, regular executive sessions, and rigorous IT/IS oversight under Lefevre’s chairmanship, with no disclosed conflicts and strong attendance—positive for investor confidence .