Walter J. Lynch is the former CEO of American Water Works, taking the top spot on April 1, 2020. He built his career in the utilities sector and has been with the company since 2001. Lynch served in various executive...

Walter J. Lynch is the former CEO of American Water Works, taking the top spot on April 1, 2020. He built his career in the utilities sector and has been with the company since 2001. Lynch served in various executive roles before becoming CEO, showing a commitment to effective leadership in regulated operations. Under his guidance, the company focused on operational excellence and risk management. In 2022, Lynch retired, with his last reported compensation reflecting $2.6 million, primarily from vested stock grants based on performance. His time in charge included a significant spike in his holdings, peaking at approximately $23.8 million in late 2021. His insider trading activities indicated a pattern of strong investment, with values fluctuating significantly during his tenure, showing confidence in the firm’s performance. Though he stepped down, his influence and leadership style set a foundation for ongoing success in the utilities space.

Quick Links

1. Rivals

2. Holdings

3. Insider Trading

4. Compensation History

5. Other American Water Works CEOs

A

Walter J. Lynch

Ex-CEO of American Water Works

Field of Expertise

Energy & Utilities - Utilities

Sector of Economy

Utilities

Born

January 1, 1962 - 63 years ago

CEO of American Water Works for

1 year 10 months (Apr 2020 - Feb 2022)

Previous Experience

Chief Operating Officer of Regulated Operations

Rivals

Competitors/colleagues of Walter J. Lynch

A

Robert J. Sprowls

CEO of American States Water

2023 Compensation

Stock

$1.51M

Salary

$924.52K

Bonus

$300.00K

Other

$29.52K

Total Holdings

$14.44M

C

Patricia Kessler Poppe

CEO of CMS Energy

2023 Compensation

Stock

$0.00

Salary

$1.24M

Bonus

$1.95M

Other

$23.85K

Total Holdings

$26.21M

G

Ron L. Fleming

CEO of Global Water Resources

2023 Compensation

Stock

$393.00K

Salary

$350.00K

Bonus

$175.00K

Other

$18.73K

Total Holdings

$149.34K

E

Christopher H. Franklin

CEO of Essential Utilities

2023 Compensation

Stock

$2.47M

Salary

$985.58K

Bonus

$0.00

Other

$20.56K

Total Holdings

$11.88M

Holdings

See how much did Walter J. Lynch make over time.

Walter J. Lynch experienced significant fluctuations in his stock holdings during his tenure at American Water Works. His holdings peaked at around $23.8 million in August 2021 and showed a steady increase leading up to that point, reflecting strong confidence...

Walter J. Lynch experienced significant fluctuations in his stock holdings during his tenure at American Water Works. His holdings peaked at around $23.8 million in August 2021 and showed a steady increase leading up to that point, reflecting strong confidence in the company's growth. After his retirement, his holdings have decreased, currently hovering around $19 million, signaling a drop in value but still showing notable wealth. During his time, Lynch's investments reflected his belief in the company's long-term direction, especially as he bought into the stock at several points, indicating a strong alignment with shareholder interests.

Mar 17, 2025

A

shares

AWK @ $144.82

Total Stock Sold

$28.39M

AWK

$28.39M

388,781 AWK shares

What if they kept their stock?

If Walter J. Lynch didn't sell their stock, today they would have:
Extra AWK388,781 shares worth $49.47M.
This is 74.26% and $21.08M more than what they got when they sold the stock.

Insider Trading

See recent insider trades of Walter J. Lynch.

AWK

10,846 shares

AWK

Jan 31, 2022

Received

AWK

$4.27M

AWK at $173.42/share

Nov 19, 2021

Sale

AWK

7,427 shares

AWK

Feb 16, 2021

Received

AWK

13,369 shares

AWK

Jan 22, 2021

Received

AWK

$1.26M

AWK at $148.82/share

Aug 10, 2020

Sale

AWK

4,060 shares

AWK

Apr 1, 2020

Received

AWK

2,255 shares

AWK

Feb 11, 2020

Received

AWK

12,723 shares

AWK

Jan 22, 2020

Received

AWK

$876.69K

AWK at $126.91/share

Aug 30, 2019

Sale

AWK

$380.70K

AWK at $112.90/share

Jun 4, 2019

Sale

Compensation History

See how much did Walter J. Lynch make over time.

Walter J. Lynch's compensation during his time as CEO was tied closely to his performance metrics and long-term stock plans. In 2022, after retiring on February 2, he recorded a total compensation of $2.6 million, primarily from vested stock awards based on performance. Prior to that, in 2021, his total comp was substantially higher at about $7.4 million, including a base salary of $994,616 and other performance-based incentives. His compensation strategy focused on aligning pay with company success, emphasizing long-term value creation over short-term gains. The metrics guiding these awards included total shareholder returns and operational performance, ensuring that Lynch's interests as a leader were in sync with those of investors.

Year

2022

Total Compensation

$3.64M

Salary

$1.00M

Board Justification

The compensation philosophy is designed to align executive pay with company performance, focusing on long-term value creation and competitive compensation to attract and retain top talent.

Bonus

$0.00

Board Justification

Mr. Lynch did not receive a bonus for 2022 due to his retirement on February 2, 2022.

Other

$0.00

Board Justification

No additional compensation was reported for Mr. Lynch in 2022 as he retired on February 2, 2022.

Restricted Stock

$2.64M(16.45K RSU)

Board Justification

The stock awards that vested in 2022 were part of the Long-Term Performance Plan (LTPP) and were based on performance metrics achieved during the performance period.

Performance Metrics

The performance metrics for the LTPP included total shareholder return and compounded EPS growth.

Other American Water Works CEOs

Here are other CEOs of American Water Works

Susan N. Story

Ex-CEO of American Water Works

April 2013 - April 2020

M. Susan Hardwick

CEO of American Water Works

February 2022 - Present