Maria Contreras-Sweet
ZIONS BANCORPORATION, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION /UT/About Maria Contreras-Sweet
Maria Contreras-Sweet, age 69, has served as an independent director of Zions Bancorporation, N.A. since 2021. She is the former Administrator of the U.S. Small Business Administration (Obama Cabinet, Apr. 7, 2014–Jan. 20, 2017) and founding executive chairwoman of ProAmerica Bank; since 2017 she has been managing member of Contreras Sweet Companies and Rockway Equity Partners . The Board classifies her as independent under Nasdaq and Zions’ Corporate Governance Guidelines .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| U.S. Small Business Administration | 24th Administrator (Cabinet) | Apr. 7, 2014–Jan. 20, 2017 | Led national small business policy; federal oversight credentials |
| ProAmerica Bank | Founding Executive Chairwoman | Not disclosed | Banking leadership and regulatory insight |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Contreras Sweet Companies | Managing Member | Since 2017 | Marketing and research solutions; private sector operator |
| Rockway Equity Partners | Managing Member | Since 2017 | Private equity leadership |
| TriNet Group, Inc. | Director | Current | Chair, Risk Committee; Member, Nominating & Governance Committee |
| Regional Management Corporation | Director | Current | Chair, Nominating & Governance Committee; Member, Compensation Committee |
| Bipartisan Policy Center | Director | Current | Non-profit governance |
Board Governance
- Independence: Zions’ Board has determined 9 of 11 nominees are independent; all standing committees other than Executive are fully independent; Contreras-Sweet is independent .
- Committee assignments at Zions: Audit Committee member; Nominating & Corporate Governance Committee member .
- Attendance: In 2024, the Board met 7 times and total Board/committee meetings were 33; all directors attended at least 75% of meetings; independent directors held three executive sessions .
- Lead Independent Director: Stephen D. Quinn; presides over executive sessions and fulfills robust duties .
| Committee | 2024 Meeting Count | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Audit Committee | 12 | Member | Committee composed entirely of independent directors; financial expert oversight; regular executive sessions |
| Nominating & Corporate Governance | 3 | Member | Oversees director succession, governance practices, and corporate responsibility reporting |
Fixed Compensation
| Component (Director Compensation Structure) | Amount | Timing/Details |
|---|---|---|
| Annual cash retainer (nonemployee directors) | $75,000 (Jan. 1–Apr. 25, 2024); $80,000 (Apr. 26–Dec. 31, 2024) | Paid quarterly |
| Committee member fees | Audit $22,000; Nominating $10,000 | Annual; excludes chair premiums |
| Meeting fees | $0 | No meeting fees |
| RSUs (annual grant) | $120,000 grant value | Grant value divided by closing price; rounded shares |
| Director | Fees Earned/Paid in Cash ($) | Stock Awards ($) | Option Awards ($) | Change in Pension/Deferred Comp ($) | All Other ($) | Total ($) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maria Contreras-Sweet | 104,500 | 120,018 | — | — | — | 224,518 |
| RSU Grant Detail | Shares | Grant Date | Vesting |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual RSU grant | 2,874 | Apr. 26, 2024 | Vested immediately; fair value $41.76/share at grant |
- Deferred compensation: Nonemployee directors may elect to defer cash and/or equity into a rabbi trust; settlement in cash based on market value .
Performance Compensation
- Zions does not use performance-based equity for directors; 2024 director RSUs vested immediately at grant and are not subject to performance metrics . | Performance Metric | Weight | Target/Threshold | Application to Directors | |---|---|---|---| | None (Directors) | — | — | Director equity grants are time-based and immediately vested in 2024 |
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Company | Sector | Role | Committee Interlocks/Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| TriNet Group, Inc. | HR/payroll services | Director | Chair, Risk; Member, Nominating & Governance |
| Regional Management Corporation | Consumer finance | Director | Chair, Nominating & Governance; Member, Compensation |
| Bipartisan Policy Center | Non-profit | Director | Policy governance |
- Compensation Committee Interlocks at Zions: None reported among Zions Compensation Committee members; no related-party relationships requiring disclosure beyond ordinary course loans .
Expertise & Qualifications
- Financial services and regulatory: Banking, regulation, and financial services marketplace expertise; extensive small- and mid-sized business experience .
- Board skills matrix: C-suite leadership, cyber/tech/data, financial services, operations, regulatory/compliance, risk management, sales/marketing, strategic planning .
Equity Ownership
| Holder | Common Shares Beneficially Owned | % of Class | Pledged Shares |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maria Contreras-Sweet | 11,033 | Less than 1% | None disclosed; pledging restricted under policy |
- Unvested awards: No directors had outstanding stock options or unvested restricted stock as of Dec. 31, 2024; annual director RSUs vested immediately .
- Ownership and retention policies: Robust stock ownership guidelines and anti-hedging policy; pledging restricted, subject to approval; hedging prohibited .
Governance Assessment
- Strengths: Independent director with risk and regulatory expertise; service on Audit and Nominating committees enhances oversight of controls and governance; Board reports no material related party transactions with directors; anti-hedging/pledging restrictions support alignment; director overboarding risk flagged as “None” per ISS/Glass Lewis guidelines; say‑on‑pay support ~96% in 2024 indicates investor confidence in compensation governance .
- Potential watch items: Ordinary course loans to insiders are monitored under Reg O (aggregate $2.3 million outstanding across insiders as of Mar. 3, 2025; none unfavorable) — no specific exposure disclosed to Contreras-Sweet; combined Chair/CEO structure offset by Lead Independent Director and executive sessions .
- Overall: Her committee placements and external board risk leadership experience (TriNet Risk Committee chair) are additive to Zions’ risk oversight; compensation structure (cash + time-based RSUs) is standard and aligned with peer practices; no conflicts identified beyond ordinary banking relationships .