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Howard A. Willard III was the CEO of Altria Group, Inc. from 2018 until his retirement in 2020. He has had a long career with Altria, working there for 28 years and climbing the ladder to become Chief Executive Officer....

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Howard A. Willard III

Ex-CEO of Altria Group

Education

Bachelor's degree in Business Administration from the University of Florida; MBA from the University of Florida

Field of Expertise

Business & Management

Sector of Economy

Consumer Defensive

Born

June 11, 1962 - 62 years ago

CEO of Altria Group for

1 year 10 months (May 2018 - Apr 2020)

Previous Experience

Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of Altria Group, Inc.

Holdings

See how much did Howard A. Willard III make over time.

During his time with Altria, Willard had significant holdings in the company. By 2019, he realized a value of over $2.5 million from stock that vested, reflecting his strong tie to the company’s performance. Notably, after a challenging investment in...

Mar 18, 2025

Total Stock Sold

$1.20M

MO

$1.20M

37,500 MO shares

What if they kept their stock?

If Howard A. Willard III didn't sell their stock, today they would have:
Extra MO37,500 shares worth $1.53M.
This is 27.96% and $335.25K more than what they got when they sold the stock.

Insider Trading

See recent insider trades of Howard A. Willard III.

MO

88,017 shares

MO

Feb 26, 2020

Received

MO

8,311 shares

MO

Feb 11, 2020

Received

MO

69,132 shares

MO

Feb 26, 2019

Received

MO

48,825 shares

MO

May 17, 2018

Received

MO

19,351 shares

MO

Jan 30, 2018

Received

MO

18,987 shares

MO

Jan 30, 2017

Received

MO

28,802 shares

MO

Jan 26, 2016

Received

MO

57,750 shares

MO

Jan 28, 2015

Received

MO

44,930 shares

MO

Jan 28, 2014

Received

MO

48,900 shares

MO

Jan 29, 2013

Received

Compensation History

See how much did Howard A. Willard III make over time.

In 2020, Howard A. Willard III's total compensation amounted to about $10.5 million. His salary was set at $502,838 alongside a pro-rated bonus of $537,900, reflecting his individual and company performance. Notably, he did not receive any bonus in 2019 due to disappointing results. He had stock that vested in 2020, which realized a value of over $2.5 million. Upon retiring, he received cash payments in lieu of stock awards he forfeited, indicating considerable financial support during his transition out of the role. His overall compensation plan was designed to align with company performance, as well as incentivize long-term shareholder value. This structure reflected both the successes and challenges he faced while leading Altria during a time of significant industry change.

Year

2020

Total Compensation

$13.05M

Salary

$502.84K

Board Justification

Altria Group, Inc. aims to align executive compensation with company performance, peer benchmarking, and retention strategies. The compensation structure is designed to deliver total compensation at levels between the 50th and the 75th percentiles of compensation paid to executives in the Compensation Survey Group (CSG).

Bonus

$537.90K

Board Justification

Howard A. Willard III received a pro-rated payment under the 2020 Annual Incentive Award plan, reflecting individual and company performance ratings at target. This was due to his retirement effective April 14, 2020.

Other

$9.48M

Board Justification

Includes security expenses of $4,627, cash payments of $8,775,291 in lieu of the outstanding stock awards granted in 2018 and 2019 that he forfeited upon his retirement, and a cash payment of $600,826 corresponding to accrued dividend equivalents under the PSUs.

Restricted Stock

$2.53M(54.8K RSU)

Board Justification

The stock that vested for Howard A. Willard III in 2020 includes shares acquired on vesting, with a value realized on vesting of $2,531,668.

Performance Metrics

The performance metrics for determining the CEO's compensation in 2020 included adjusted diluted EPS growth and adjusted discretionary cash flow, along with strategic initiatives.