Financial awards to Sealed Air CEO Dustin Semach, financial chief Kristen Actis-Grande and two other executives are occurring this year, instead of 2026, as a result of the pending $10.3 billion buyout of the Charlotte-based packaging company.
The accelerated bonuses total $1.19 million for Semach and $197,370 for Actis-Grande, according to a securities filing earlier this month. Chief accounting officer and controller Veronika Johnson is getting $162,000 while the payout is $378,00 for Byron Racki, president of the company’s business selling protective equipment, packaging and technical services.
Sealed Air’s board and People & Compensation Committee also approved the accelerated vesting of restricted stock units for the executives.
The early payouts for what the Internal Revenue Service may treat as “excess parachute payments” are aimed at preserving compensation-related corporate income tax deductions for the company, the filing said. They’re also intended to mitigate or eliminate the amount of excise tax potentially payable by the executives.
Sealed Air is going private next year in an all-cash acquisition by private equity firm CD&R. Last month, Sealed Air’s board unanimously approved the sale, which is expected to close in mid-2026.
The company’s headquarters will remain in Charlotte, but it will become privately owned. New York-based Clayton Dubilier & Rice is among the largest U.S. PE firms.
Sealed Air is best known for inventing Bubble Wrap. It also markets Cryovac brand food packaging, Sealed Air brand protective packaging, Liquibox brand liquids system and Autobag brand automated packaging systems. Sealed Air has about 16,400 employees who operate in 117 countries and territories.
