DEF 14A of RingCentral, Inc.
Filed Dec 9, 2024 · FY20230001384905-24-000069
NOTICE OF ANNUAL MEETING OF STOCKHOLDERS
| Option Exercises and Stock Vested in 2023 | 45 | | Pension Benefits | 45 | | Non-Qualified Deferred Compensation | 45 | | Hedging Policy | 46 | | Potential Payments upon Termination and upon Termination in Connection with a Change of Control | 46 | | CEO Pay Ratio | 47 | | Pay versus Performance Disclosure | 49 | | SECURITY OWNERSHIP OF CERTAIN BENEFICIAL OWNERS AND MANAGEMENT | 55 | | Equity Compensation Plan Information | 58 | | CERTAIN RELATIONSHIPS AND RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS | 59 | | Limitation of Officer and Director Liability and Indemnification Arrangements | 59 | | Policies and Procedures for Related Party Transactions | 61 | | OTHER MATTERS | 62 | | Delinquent Section 16(a) Reports | 62 | | 2023 Annual Report and SEC Filings | 64 |
Nominees for Director
Nominees for Director Vladimir Shmunis is one of our co-founders and has served as our Chief Executive Officer and Chairman since our inception in 1999, except when he served solely as our Executive Chairman from August 2023 until December 2023. Prior to RingCentral, from 1992 to 1998, Mr. Shmunis served as President and Chief Executive Officer of Ring Zero Systems, Inc., a desktop communications software provider founded by Mr. Shmunis and acquired by Motorola, Inc. From 1982 to 1992, Mr. Shmunis held various software development and management roles with a number of Silicon Valley companies, including Convergent Technologies, Inc. and Ampex Corporation. Mr. Shmunis holds a B.S. in Computer Science and an M.S. in Computer Science from San Francisco State University. Our board of directors believes that Mr. Shmunis possesses specific attributes that qualify him to serve as a director, including the perspective and experience he brings as our Chief Executive Officer and his experience as an executive in the technology industry. Our board of directors also believes that he brings historical knowledge, operational expertise and continuity to the board of directors. Prat Bhatt has served on our board of directors since March 2024. Mr. Bhatt served as the Chief Accounting Officer from July 2009 to July 2023 and as Executive Advisor from August 2023 to January 2024 at Cisco Systems, Inc. (“Cisco”), a global technology company. He previously also held the additional title of Corporate Controller from July 2009 to May 2022. From June 2007 to July 2009, Mr. Bhatt served as Vice President, Finance and Assistant Corporate Controller, and from November 2000 to June 2007 he served in various leadership roles of increasing importance at Cisco. Mr. Bhatt has served on the board of directors of Seagate Technology since December 2020 and is the chair of its audit and finance committee. Since August 2023, Mr. Bhatt has served on the Governing Board of the Center for Audit Quality and is a member of its financial oversight committee. From June 1999 to November 2000, Mr. Bhatt was Director of Financial Operations at Kaiser Permanente and from October 1990 to June 1999 he was Senior Manager with Ernst & Young LLP in the Assurance Practice. Mr. Bhatt has also previously served on advisory committees to the Financial Accounting Standards Board and Public Company Accounting Oversight Board and as chair of the Financial Executives International’s Committee on Corporate Reporting. Mr. Bhatt is a licensed Certified Public Accountant (retired). He holds a B.A. in economics from the University of California, Santa Cruz, and a M.Acc. from the University of Southern California. Our board of directors believes that Mr. Bhatt possesses specific attributes that qualify him to serve as a director, including his professional experience in the areas of finance, accounting and audit oversight and his public company board experience. Mignon Clyburn has served on our board of directors since November 2020. Ms. Clyburn has served as President of MLC Strategies, LLC, a Washington, D.C.-based consulting firm, since January 2019, and previously served as a Fellow at Open Society Foundations, a philanthropic organization, from June 2018 to January 2019. Prior to this, Ms. Clyburn served as a Commissioner of the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (the “FCC”) from August 2009 to June 2018, including as acting chair. While at the FCC, she was committed to closing the digital divide and championed the modernization of the agency’s Lifeline Program, which assists low-income consumers with voice and broadband service. In addition, Ms. Clyburn promoted diversity in media ownership, initiated Inmate Calling Services reforms, supported inclusion in STEM opportunities and fought for an Open Internet. Prior to her federal appointment, Ms. Clyburn served 11 years on the Public Service Commission of South Carolina and worked for nearly 15 years as publisher of the Coastal Times, a Charleston weekly newspaper focused on the African American community. Ms. Clyburn has served as a member of the board of directors of many entities, including Lions Gate Entertainment Corp., an entertainment company, since September 2020 and Charah Solutions, Inc., a provider of environmental and maintenance services to the power generation industry, from March 2019 to July 2023. Ms. Clyburn holds a B.S. in Banking, Finance and Economics from the University of South Carolina. Our board of directors believes that Ms. Clyburn possesses specific attributes that qualify her to serve as a director, including her experience as a regulator of public utilities and as a federal commissioner in the telecommunications sector. Kenneth Goldman has served on our board of directors since June 2017. Between March 2018 and April 2022, Mr. Goldman served as President of Hillspire LLC, a wealth management services provider, where he also previously served as a contractor from September 2017 to March 2018. From October 2012 to June 2017, Mr. Goldman served as the Chief Financial Officer of Yahoo! Inc., an Internet commerce website, where he was responsible for Yahoo’s global finance functions including financial planning and analysis, controllership, tax, treasury and investor relations. From September 2007 to October 2012, Mr. Goldman was the Senior Vice President, Finance and Administration and Chief Financial Officer of Fortinet, Inc., a provider of threat management technologies. From August 2000 until March 2006, Mr. Goldman served as Senior Vice President of Finance and Administration and Chief Financial Officer of Siebel Systems, Inc., a supplier of customer software solutions and services. Previously, Mr. Goldman has been the Chief Financial Officer of Sybase, Inc., an enterprise software and services company (acquired by SAP SE), Excite@Home, an internet access provider, Cypress Semiconductor Corporation, a semiconductor company, and VLSI Technology, Inc., an integrated circuit designer and manufacturer (acquired by Philips Electronics). Mr. Goldman currently serves on the board of directors of GoPro, Inc., a technology company, Zuora Inc., a subscription software company and Fortinet, Inc., a cybersecurity company, and previously served on the boards of directors of NXP Semiconductor N.V., a global semiconductor manufacturer, from August 2010 to June 2022, and TriNet Group, Inc., a human resources management company, from August 2009 to July 2020. He also is a Trustee Emeritus of Cornell University. Mr. Goldman also currently serves on the board of directors of several private companies. From December 1999 to December 2003, Mr. Goldman served on the Financial Accounting Standards Board’s primary Advisory Council (“FASAC”). Between July 2018 and August 2022, Mr. Goldman served on the Sustainability Accounting Standards Board, now a part of The Value Reporting Foundation, and previously served a three-year term on the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board’s Standing Advisory Group (“SAG”). Mr. Goldman holds a B.S. in Electrical Engineering from Cornell University and an M.B.A. from Harvard Business School. Our board of directors believes that Mr. Goldman possesses specific attributes that qualify him to serve as a director, including his experience on the boards of directors of numerous companies, his extensive executive experience and his service as a member of FASAC and SAG. He provides a high level of expertise and significant leadership experience in the areas of finance, accounting and audit oversight.
Nominees for Director
Robert Theis has served on our board of directors since August 2011. Mr. Theis has served as a General Partner, Chief Investment Officer of World Innovation Lab, a venture capital firm, since September 2016. He served as a managing director at Scale Venture Partners, a venture capital firm, from May 2008 to October 2014. Prior to joining Scale Ventures, from July 2000 to April 2008, Mr. Theis served as a general partner with Doll Capital Management, a venture capital firm. From July 1996 to June 2000, Mr. Theis served as executive vice president and served on the board of directors of New Era of Networks, Inc., a supplier of Internet infrastructure software and services. From April 1986 to June 1996, Mr. Theis served as a Managing Director at Sun Microsystems, Inc., a provider of computers and computer components acquired by Oracle Corporation, and from January 1984 to March 1986, as Marketing Manager at Silicon Graphics, Inc., a provider of high-performance computing solutions. Mr. Theis also served on the board of directors of Avaya Holdings Corp., a business communication and cloud solutions company, from November 2020 to October 2022. Mr. Theis holds a B.A. in Economics from the University of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Our board of directors believes that Mr. Theis possesses specific attributes that qualify him to serve as a director, including his substantial experience as a venture capitalist investment professional and as a director of technology infrastructure and applications companies. Amy Guggenheim Shenkan has acted as a Senior Advisor to Altamont Capital Partners since June 2021 and serves on the board of its portfolio company, Hybrid Promotions, LLC, dba Hybrid Apparel and, until its sale in September 2024, also on the board of Byrider Sales of Indiana S, LLC, dba Byrider. Previously, she served as the President and Chief Operating Officer of Common Sense Media from February 2011 to December 2017. Prior to joining Common Sense Media in 2011, Ms. Shenkan was a digital transformation expert with McKinsey & Company, Inc. Ms. Shenkan has served on the board of directors of Zuora, Inc., a subscription software company, since January 2022 and previously served on the board of directors of Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers Incorporated from July 2017 to May 2022. She also currently serves on the Global Advisory Board of Harvard Business School, the board of Silicon Valley Director’s Exchange and The GroundTruth Project, and the board of directors of Pickles Auctions, a private company. Ms. Shenkan holds a B.A. from the University of Michigan and an M.B.A. from Harvard Business School. Our board of directors believes that Ms. Shenkan possesses specific attributes that qualify her to serve as a director, including her extensive executive management and consulting experience, which includes advising companies across various industries on digital and business transformations, as well as her experience serving on public company boards. If you are a record holder and you sign your proxy card or vote by telephone or over the Internet but do not give instructions with respect to the voting of directors, your shares will be voted FOR the election of Messrs. Shmunis, Bhatt, Goldman and Theis, and Mses. Clyburn and Shenkan. RingCentral expects that Messrs. Shmunis, Bhatt, Goldman and Theis, and Mses. Clyburn and Shenkan will accept such nomination; however, in the event that a nominee is unable or declines to serve as a director at the time of the Annual Meeting, the proxies will be voted for any nominee who shall be designated by the board of directors to fill such vacancy. If you wish to give specific instructions with respect to the voting of directors, you may do so by indicating your instructions on your proxy card or when you vote by telephone or over the Internet. If you hold your shares in street name and you do not give voting instructions to your broker, your broker will leave your shares unvoted on this matter.
Considerations in Evaluating Director Nominees
Considerations in Evaluating Director Nominees The nominating committee uses a variety of methods for identifying and evaluating director nominees. In its evaluation of director candidates, the nominating committee will consider the current size and composition of the board of directors and the needs of the board of directors and the respective committees of the board of directors. Some of the qualifications that the nominating committee considers include, without limitation, issues of character, integrity, judgment, diversity (with respect to diversity, such factors as gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, race, ethnicity, differences in professional background, education, skill and other individual qualities and attributes that contribute to the total mix of viewpoints and experience represented on the board of directors), independence, area of expertise, corporate experience, length of service, potential conflicts of interest and other commitments. The nominating committee requires the following minimum qualifications to be satisfied by any nominee for a position on our board of directors, (1) the highest personal and professional ethics and integrity, (2) proven achievement and competence in the nominee’s field and the ability to exercise sound business judgment, (3) skills that are complementary to those of the existing members of our board of directors, (4) the ability to assist and support management and make significant contributions to the Company’s success, and (5) an understanding of the fiduciary responsibilities that are required of a member of our board of directors, and the commitment of time and energy necessary to diligently carry out those responsibilities. Other than the foregoing, there are no stated minimum criteria for director nominees, although the nominating committee may also consider such other factors as it may deem, from time to time, are in our and our stockholders’ best interests. The nominating committee may also take such measures that it considers appropriate in connection with its evaluation of a director candidate, including candidate interviews, inquiry of the person or persons making the recommendation or nomination, engagement of an outside search firm to gather additional information, or reliance on the knowledge of the members of the nominating committee, the board of directors or management. Although the board of directors does not maintain a specific policy with respect to board diversity, the board of directors believes that the board should be a diverse body and is committed to increasing board diversity. Accordingly, the nominating committee considers a broad range of backgrounds, experiences and other factors as it oversees the annual board of director and committee evaluations. After completing its review and evaluation of director candidates, the nominating committee recommends to the full board of directors the director nominees for selection. The foregoing considerations were all applied by our nominating committee during a thorough process to recruit suitable candidates to stand for election to our board of directors. Our nominating committee, with input from our independent directors, Chairman of our board of directors, management, and Russell Reynolds, an executive search firm, identified Ms. Shenkan as a potential candidate and recommended her to our board of directors.
Non-Employee Director Compensation
Non-Employee Director Compensation Our board of directors has approved a compensation program for non-employee directors to attract, retain and reward its qualified directors and align the financial interests of the non-employee directors with those of our stockholders. The compensation committee has the primary responsibility for reviewing and approving the compensation paid to non-employee directors. The compensation committee reviews at least annually the type and form of compensation paid to our non-employee directors, which includes a market assessment and analysis by our independent compensation consulting firm, Compensia, Inc. (“Compensia”) regarding practices at comparable companies. As part of this analysis, Compensia reviews non-employee director compensation trends and data from companies comprising the same executive compensation peer group used by the compensation committee in connection with its review of executive compensation. Based on this review, the compensation committee has made adjustments to the non-employee director compensation program, most recently in May 2024, in an effort to provide competitive compensation opportunities for our non-employee directors. Pursuant to this compensation program, each non-employee director received cash and equity compensation for board services in 2023 as described below. In addition, we reimburse our non-employee directors for expenses incurred in connection with attending board and committee meetings as well as continuing director education.
Equity Compensation
| Name | Fees Earned or Paid in Cash ($) | Stock Awards ($)(1) | All Other Compensation ($) | Total ($) | | Mignon Clyburn (2) | 50,000 | 299,988 | — | 349,988 | | Arne Duncan (3) | 49,731 | 299,988 | — | 349,719 | | Kenneth Goldman (4) | 77,500 | 299,988 | — | 377,488 | | Michelle McKenna (5) | 3,750 | — | — | 3,750 | | Ned Segal (6) | 544 | — | — | 544 | | Sridhar Srinivasan (7) | — | — | — | — | | Robert Theis (8) | 106,458 | 299,988 | — | 406,446 | | Allan Thygesen (9) | 70,000 | 299,988 | — | 369,988 | | Neil Williams (10) | 80,000 | 299,988 | — | 379,988 |
2023 Executive Compensation Highlights
2023 Executive Compensation Highlights Consistent with our compensation philosophy and objectives, the compensation committee took the following actions with respect to the compensation of our named executive officers for 2023: •Base Salary—Maintained base salary amounts for our existing named executive officers, with a portion of their base salaries paid in the form of fully vested restricted stock units (“RSUs”), as described in the “Base Salary” section below; •Non-Equity Incentive Plan Compensation—Approved a bonus plan for our named executive officers that paid out only if we achieved quarterly revenue and Non-GAAP operating margin goals that were set to be aggressive and achievable with strong leadership from our executive team described in the “Annual Incentive Compensation” section below. Payouts under the plan for the first quarter were made in the form of RSUs that were fully vested upon grant in order to conserve cash resources and further align the interests of our stockholders and our executive officers, as described in the “Annual Incentive Compensation” section below. Payouts under the plan for the remaining quarters were in cash; •Annual Equity Compensation—Granted time-based RSUs and performance-based RSUs (“PSUs”) as part of our annual compensation in an effort to retain our named executive officers, provide incentives for them to continue to grow our business and enhance the link between their interests and the interests of our stockholders, as described in the “Equity Compensation” section below; and •Other Equity Compensation—Granted (i) an equity award of 17,144 RSUs to Mr. Shmunis in April 2023 (effective in May 2023) in lieu of payment of $494,530 of his base salary for the period April 1, 2023 through March 31, 2024, and (ii) equity awards to Mr. Robbiati in connection with his hire.
Executive Compensation Policies and Practices
Executive Compensation Policies and Practices We endeavor to maintain compensation policies and practices that are consistent with sound governance standards. We believe it is important to provide competitive compensation packages and a high-quality work environment in order to hire, retain and motivate key personnel. Our compensation committee evaluates our executive compensation program on an ongoing basis to ensure that it is consistent with our short-term and long-term goals given the nature of the market in which we compete for key personnel. The following policies and practices were in effect during 2023: •Independent Compensation Committee. Our compensation committee is comprised solely of independent directors who have established effective means for communicating with each other and with stockholders, and implementing their executive compensation ideas, as well as addressing concerns; •Compensation Consultant. Our compensation committee engaged its own compensation consultant, Compensia, to assist with its 2023 compensation reviews. Compensia performed no other consulting or other services for us; •Annual Executive Compensation Review. Our compensation committee conducts an annual review and approval of our compensation strategy, including a review of our compensation peer group used for comparative purposes; •Performance-Based Compensation. Our executive compensation program is designed so that a significant portion of compensation is performance-based, and therefore “at risk,” dependent upon corporate performance, as well as equity-based to align the interests of our executive officers with our stockholders. The overall performance and contribution of the executive is also considered in determining each individual’s compensation; •Minimal Perquisites and Special Benefits. The members of our executive team are eligible to participate in broad-based Company-sponsored retirement, health and welfare benefits programs on the same basis as our other full-time, salaried employees. At this time, we do not regularly provide any perquisites or other personal benefits to the members of our executive team; •No “Golden Parachute” Tax Reimbursements. We do not provide any tax reimbursement payments (including “gross-ups”) on any tax liability that our executive officers might owe as a result of the application of Sections 280G or 4999 of the Internal Revenue Code (the “Code”); •No Hedging and Pledging. Our Insider Trading Policy prohibits our employees, including our executive officers and the members of our board of directors, from hedging any Company securities and from pledging any Company securities as collateral for a loan; •No “Single-Trigger” Change-in-Control Arrangements; “Double-Trigger” Change-in-Control Arrangements. There are no payments and benefits that are payable solely as a result of a change-in-control in the Company. All change-in-control payments and benefits are based on a “double-trigger” arrangement (that is, they require both a change-in-control of our Company plus an involuntary termination of employment before payments and benefits are paid); and •Stockholder Advisory Votes on Named Executive Officer Compensation. Our stockholders have an opportunity to cast an advisory vote to (i) approve our named executive officers’ compensation and (ii) approve the frequency of the vote to approve the named executive officers’ compensation. Our stockholders have voted in favor of annual advisory votes on the named executive officers’ compensation. At the 2023 annual meeting of stockholders, approximately 64% of the votes cast voted to approve our named executive officers’ compensation. We will consider the results from this year’s and future years’ stockholder advisory votes on named executive officer compensation when making decisions about our executive compensation program.
Compensation Committee
Compensation Committee Each year, our compensation committee conducts a review of our executive compensation program and related policies and practices. At the beginning of each year, the compensation committee assesses the prior year performance and establishes bonus targets and metrics for the current year and annual equity award grants for our named executive officers. In addition, the compensation committee reviews and determines the base salary of our named executive officers. In determining the compensation of the members of our executive team, including our named executive officers, for 2023, our compensation committee reviewed the compensation arrangements, including base salary, target bonus and equity compensation, of our executive officers and considered an analysis of competitive market data presented by the compensation committee’s advisor, Compensia, a national compensation consulting firm that provides executive compensation advisory services, as well as our overall strategic business plan. Market data was used primarily as a reference point for measuring the competitive marketplace, and was one factor among others, used by the compensation committee in determining executive compensation. Other factors the compensation committee considers in making its executive compensation decisions include: input from our CEO, COO (prior to his resignation), and CAdO (except regarding their own compensation), past individual performance and expected future performance, vesting status and value of existing equity awards, and internal pay equity based on the impact of business and performance.
Role of Compensation Consultant
Role of Compensation Consultant Compensia has been engaged by and serves as the compensation committee’s compensation consultant. Compensia reviews the compensation arrangements of the members of our executive team and generally assists the compensation committee in analyzing executive officer and employee compensation, and the compensation of non-employee members of our board of directors. Compensia provides support for the compensation committee by attending meetings of the compensation committee, providing recommendations regarding the composition of our compensation peer group, analyzing compensation data and formulating recommendations for executive and non-employee director compensation. Our compensation committee also works directly with Compensia from time to time to obtain additional information or clarity regarding data provided by Compensia, and also requests specific analyses to assist the compensation committee in the design and structure of our executive and non-employee director compensation programs. The compensation committee has determined that the work of Compensia does not give rise to any “conflict of interest” in accordance with Item 407(e)(3)(iv) of Regulation S-K and the listing standards of the NYSE.
Competitive Positioning
Competitive Positioning In setting executive compensation, our compensation committee uses publicly-available data on the compensation policies and practices of comparable publicly-traded companies as a reference to understand the competitive market for executive talent. With respect to decisions regarding the 2023 compensation of the members of our executive team, including the named executive officers, our compensation committee reviewed an analysis prepared by Compensia of competitive market data derived from the companies in the following compensation peer group (which was approved by our compensation committee in January 2023):
Competitive Positioning
| Box | Five9 | Splunk | | CrowdStrike | HubSpot | The Trade Desk | | Datadog | MongoDB | Twilio | | DocuSign | Okta | Veeva Systems | | Dropbox | Paycom Software | Zoom Video Communications | | Dynatrace | | |
Competitive Positioning
In selecting the companies that comprised the compensation peer group, the compensation committee focused primarily on public companies in the same or similar country or countries of operation, industry group and financial comparability, which include revenue and market capitalization. The companies that comprise the peer group are our competitors in the labor and capital markets and have similar growth and performance potential. This competitive market data was used as a reference in the course of our compensation committee’s review and evaluation of our executive compensation program and decisions regarding executive compensation in 2023. The competitive market data is useful to understand market practice and to provide a general context for its decisions. The compensation committee determines the nature and the extent of the use of market data, which varies by executive. Actual compensation is based on individual performance, experience, responsibilities and other criteria selected by our compensation committee. While the compensation committee does not target any component of our executive compensation program to a particular level versus the competitive market, our compensation committee generally refers to a range of the 50th to the 75th market percentile when making its executive compensation decisions. The competitive market data was not used to benchmark the compensation for our named executive officers.
Compensation Overview
Compensation Overview Our executive compensation program for 2023 consisted of the following principal compensation elements: •Base salary, with Mr. Shmunis receiving an equity award in lieu of substantially all of the amounts that would have otherwise been paid as base salary and our other named executive officers (except Mr. Robbiati) receiving a portion of their base salaries in the form of fully vested RSUs; •Annual incentive compensation paid if earned in the form of RSUs for the first quarter and in cash for the other three quarters; and •Long-term incentive compensation in the form of (i) annual grants of time-based RSUs and PSUs and (ii) equity awards granted in connection with the hire of Mr. Robbiati. We are committed to providing appropriate cash and equity incentives to compensate our named executive officers in a manner that our compensation committee determines is reasonable and appropriate to motivate and retain key talent.
Base Salary
Base Salary Base salary is a customary, fixed element of compensation intended to attract and retain our named executive officers and compensate them for their day-to-day efforts. Our board of directors and/or the compensation committee reviews base salary every year, as well as at the time of a promotion or other change in responsibilities, and considers each executive officer’s performance, prior base salary level, the competitive market data, breadth of role, and the other factors described in the “Compensation Setting Process-Compensation Committee” section above. Our board of directors and the compensation committee do not target base pay at any particular level versus the competitive market data. In April 2023, our compensation committee determined that no adjustments should be made to the base salaries of our then-named executive officers. Mr. Robbiati’s base salary was determined through arm’s-length negotiation. In November 2022, our compensation committee approved the 2023 NEO Equity Compensation Program (the “NEO Equity Compensation Program”), which provided each then-named executive officer (other than Mr. Shmunis) the opportunity to receive all but $60,000 of his or her base salary for 2023 in the form of awards of fully vested RSUs to be granted under the 2013 Plan on January 3, February 15, May 15, August 15, and November 15 of 2023. The number of RSUs a participating named executive officer received on each grant date equaled the portion of his or her salary for the applicable period (as noted below) that was to be paid in RSUs divided by the closing price of a share of our Class A common stock on the grant date. Messrs. Katibeh and Marlow and Ms. Parekh elected to participate in the NEO Equity Compensation Program. The following table sets forth the 2023 base salary for each of our named executive officers.
Base Salary
(1)Mr. Shmunis received (i) an award of 4,769 RSUs in lieu of payment in cash of $494,530 of his salary for the period from April 1, 2022 through March 31, 2023, and (ii) an award of 17,144 RSUs in lieu of payment in cash of $494,530 of his salary for the period from April 1, 2023 through March 31, 2024. (2)Under the NEO Equity Compensation Program, Mr. Katibeh received (i) an award of 1,952 RSUs in lieu of payment in cash of $67,500 of his salary for the period from January 1, 2023 through February 15, 2023, (ii) an award of 2,789 RSUs in lieu of payment in cash of $135,000 of his salary for the period from February 16, 2023 through May 15, 2023, and (iii) an award of 4,754 RSUs in lieu of payment in cash of $135,000 of his salary for the period from May 16, 2023 through August 15, 2023. (3)Under the NEO Equity Compensation Program, Ms. Parekh received (i) an award of 1,591 RSUs in lieu of payment in cash of $55,000 of her salary for the period from January 1, 2023 through February 15, 2023, (ii) an award of 2,273 RSUs in lieu of payment in cash of $110,000 of her salary for the period from February 16, 2023 through May 15, 2023, (iii) an award of 3,874 RSUs in lieu of payment in cash of $110,000 of her salary for the period from May 16, 2023 through August 15, 2023, (iv) an award of 3,675 RSUs in lieu of payment in cash of $110,000 of her salary for the period from August 16, 2023 through November 15, 2023, and (v) an award of 1,809 RSUs in lieu of payment in cash of $55,000 of her salary for the period from November 16, 2023 through December 31, 2023. (4)Under the NEO Equity Compensation Program, Mr. Marlow received (i) an award of 1,410 RSUs in lieu of payment in cash of $48,750 of his salary for the period from January 1, 2023 to February 15, 2023, (ii) an award of 2,015 RSUs in lieu of payment in cash of $97,500 of his salary for the period from February 16, 2023 through May 15, 2023, (iii) an award of 3,434 RSUs in lieu of payment in cash of $97,500 of his salary for the period from May 16, 2023 through August 15, 2023, (iv) an award of 3,257 RSUs in lieu of payment in cash of $97,500 of his salary for the period from August 16, 2023 through November 15, 2023, and (v) an award of 1,604 RSUs in lieu of payment in cash of $48,750 of his salary for the period from November 16, 2023 through December 31, 2023. The actual base salaries paid to our named executive officers during 2023 are set forth in the Summary Compensation Table below. As described above and in the footnotes to the Summary Compensation Table, portions of the salaries for our named executive officers were paid in the form of RSUs that are listed in the Grants of Plan-Based Awards in 2023 table below.
Annual Incentive Compensation
Annual Incentive Compensation The compensation committee establishes annual incentive compensation opportunities under our bonus plan (the “Bonus Plan”). Consistent with our historical practices, bonuses for 2023 under the Bonus Plan were designed to motivate and reward our named executive officers, to perform to the best of their abilities and to achieve our objectives.
Target Annual Incentive Opportunities
Target Annual Incentive Opportunities In February 2023, the compensation committee reviewed the target annual incentive opportunities of our then-named executive officers, taking into consideration each named executive officer’s total annual compensation opportunity, the competitive market data with an emphasis generally on the 50th through 75th percentile of total target cash compensation opportunities, breadth of responsibilities and the other factors described in the “Compensation Setting Process-Compensation Committee” section above. Following this review, our compensation committee determined that no adjustments should be made to the annual incentive opportunities of our then-named executive officers. Mr. Robbiati’s target annual incentive opportunity was determined through arm’s-length negotiation when he was hired. The target annual incentive opportunities of our named executive officers for 2023 were:
Target Annual Incentive Opportunities
| Name | 2023 Target Bonus Opportunity (as a % of 2023 Base Salary) | 2023 Target Bonus Opportunity | | Vladimir Shmunis | 100% | $500,000 | | Tarek Robbiati | 100% | $276,164 | | Mo Katibeh | 100% | $600,000 | | Sonalee Parekh | 100% | $500,000 | | John Marlow | 100% | $450,000 |
2023 Bonus Plan Design and Achievement
2023 Bonus Plan Design and Achievement For 2023, there are four quarterly performance periods, ending on March 31, June 30, September 30, and December 31. The bonus pool under the Bonus Plan funds based on our achievement against the quarterly target levels established by the compensation committee of the following performance metrics (weighted 50% each): (i) revenues and (ii) Non-GAAP operating margin. These metrics have the following meanings under the Bonus Plan: •“revenues” means the Company’s net revenues generated from third parties, including both subscriptions revenues and other revenues, each as defined in the Form 10-K filed for the calendar year ended December 31, 2023, as amended. Net revenue is defined as gross sales less any pertinent discounts, refunds, or other contra-revenue amounts, as presented on the Company’s press release reporting the applicable quarterly financial results. •“Non-GAAP operating margin” means the Company’s Non-GAAP income from operations divided by its “revenues.” Non-GAAP income from operations means the Company’s “revenues” less cost of revenues and operating expenses, excluding share-based compensation expense, amortization of acquisition related intangibles, legal settlement related charges and as adjusted for certain acquisitions, as presented on the Company’s press release reporting the applicable quarterly financial results. With respect to revenues, for 100% of the bonus pool for any particular quarter to fund, 100% of the quarterly revenues target established by the compensation committee was to be achieved. For each 0.1% of revenues that was achieved above the 100% of the quarterly revenues target established by the compensation committee, the bonus pool with respect to revenue would be increased by 1% (up to a maximum bonus pool equal to 150% of the target amount), and for each 0.1% of revenue that was achieved below 100% of the quarterly revenues target established by the compensation committee, the bonus pool with respect to revenues would be reduced by 1%. With respect to Non-GAAP operating margin, for 100% of the bonus pool for any particular quarter to fund, the quarterly Non-GAAP operating margin must be within 0.5 points of the 100% of the quarterly Non-GAAP operating margin target established by the compensation committee (this 1.0-point range, the “quarterly Non-GAAP operating margin target range”). For each 0.1 points that was achieved above the quarterly Non-GAAP operating margin target range, the bonus pool with respect to Non-GAAP operating margin would be increased by 1% (up to a maximum bonus pool equal to 150% of the target amount), and for each 0.1 points that was below the quarterly Non-GAAP operating margin target range, the bonus pool with respect to Non-GAAP operating margin would be reduced by 1%. For the bonus pool under the Bonus Plan to fund for any particular quarter, we had to achieve (i) quarterly revenues at least equal to revenues expected by analyst consensus estimates after we publicly disclosed our guidance for such quarter, and (ii) quarterly Non-GAAP operating margin at least equal to Non-GAAP operating margin expected by analyst consensus estimates after we publicly disclosed our guidance for such quarter. The following chart sets forth our 2023 quarterly targets against each metric under the Bonus Plan, actual achievement against those targets, and the corresponding percentage payouts to the named executive officer each quarter:
2023 Bonus Plan Design and Achievement
| | Revenue | | | | Non-GAAP Operating Margin | | | | | | Q1 | Q2 | Q3 | Q4 | Q1 | Q2 | Q3 | Q4 | | Target (in millions) | $529.8 | $540.9 | $554.9 | $574.4 | 17.2% | 17.1% | 19.6% | 21.9% | | Achievement (% of Target) | 100.7% | 99.7% | 100.6% | 99.5% | 100.0% | 113.6% | 97.8% | 93.6% | | Payout (% of Target) | 107.0% | 97.1% | 105.8% | 94.6% | 100.0% | 118.3% | 100.0% | 91.2% |
2023 Bonus Plan Design and Achievement
Based upon our actual financial performance as measured against the approved performance metrics and the formula under the Bonus Plan, the payout percentages for each of the four quarters in 2023 were as follows: 103.5% (Q1), 107.7% (Q2), 102.9% (Q3), and 92.9% (Q4). In November 2022, our compensation committee approved the 2023 Key Employee Equity Bonus Plan (the “KEEB”), which provided that the then-named executive officers would receive any quarterly bonus achieved and payable under the Bonus Plan for 2023 in the form of RSUs granted under the 2013 Plan. The number of RSUs each named executive officer would receive was to be equal to the dollar value of the quarterly bonus divided by the lower of the closing price of a share of our Class A common stock (i) on the first trading day of the quarter for which the quarterly bonus is assessed or (ii) on the first trading day on or after May 15, August 15, November 15 or February 15 (or for the RSUs granted to Mr. Shmunis in payment of his bonuses for the first, second, third, and fourth quarters of 2023, the first trading day on or before May 19, August 19, November 19, or February 19) following the quarter for which the quarterly bonus is assessed. The RSUs issued to our named executive officers would be fully vested upon grant. The bonuses paid to our named executive officers for the first quarter of 2023 were in the form of RSUs under the KEEB. However, in August 2023, our compensation committee suspended the KEEB for our Section 16 officers for the second through fourth quarters of 2023, and as a result, the bonuses paid to our named executive officers for these quarters were paid in cash. The aggregate dollar values of the bonuses earned by our named executive officers under the Bonus Plan for 2023 are listed in the “Non-Equity Incentive Compensation” column of the Summary Compensation Table. As described above and in the footnotes to the Summary Compensation Table, each bonus earned for the first quarter of 2023 was paid in the form of RSUs that are listed in the Grants of Plan-Based Awards in 2023 table below.
Equity Compensation
Equity Compensation We use time-based RSUs to deliver long-term incentive compensation opportunities to our named executive officers. In addition, in 2023, we introduced PSUs into our executive compensation program, in order to more strongly align our named executive officers’ compensation with the Company’s performance. The PSUs will provide value to our named executive officers only if the Company achieves specific operational and financial goals since the PSUs will become eligible to vest only if these goals are achieved. As a result, the annual equity awards we granted to our then-named executive officers in May 2023 were a mix of time-based RSUs and PSUs, as described further below. Consistent with our compensation objectives, we believe this approach helps to ensure that the interests of the members of executive team are aligned with those of our stockholders and that we are able to attract and reward our top talent. The compensation committee does not target equity compensation at any particular level versus the competitive market data, although it uses the range of the 50th percentile to the 75th percentile as a reference point during the course of its deliberations. RSUs serve as a retention tool as they vest based on continued service over time. Our compensation committee approved annual equity awards (consisting of time-based RSUs and PSUs) to Messrs. Katibeh and Marlow and Ms. Parekh in March 2023 and to Mr. Shmunis in April 2023 to reward them for our strong corporate performance and their individual performance and to ensure that the equity awards they held were sufficient to continue to provide them with appropriate incentives to continue to grow our business. The RSU award granted to Mr. Shmunis vests as to 1/12th of the RSUs every three months after February 20, 2023, in each case, subject to his continued service as of each vesting date. The RSU award granted to Mr. Katibeh vests as to 17,550 RSUs on May 20, 2023, and as to 1/15th of the remaining RSUs every three months afterwards, in each case, subject to his continued service as of each vesting date. Each of the RSU awards granted to Ms. Parekh and Mr. Marlow vests as to 1/16th of the RSUs every three months after February 20, 2023, in each case, subject to the applicable named executive officer’s continued service as of each vesting date. For each of the PSU awards granted to these named executive officers, the PSUs are evenly allocated to four separate tranches, which vest independently from one another. The PSUs for a tranche become eligible to vest according to the time-based vesting schedule described below (“achieved PSUs”) based on the achievement of a specified performance goal, as follows: •the first tranche becomes eligible to vest based on the Company’s annualized exit monthly recurring subscriptions for 2023; •the second tranche becomes eligible to vest based on the Company’s unlevered adjusted free cash flow margin for 2023; •the third tranche becomes eligible to vest based on the Company’s net promoter score for the fourth quarter of 2023; and •the fourth tranche becomes eligible to vest based on the Company’s total shareholder return (“TSR”) during the performance period beginning on April 1, 2023, and ending on December 31, 2023, relative to the TSRs of the companies that are a component of the Bessemer Cloud Index or any successor index on the last day of the performance period and were also a component of such index on the first day of the performance period. For the first tranche, the number of PSUs that will become achieved PSUs will be equal to the following: (i) if the Company’s annualized exit monthly recurring subscriptions for 2023 is equal to the threshold of $2,091,221,000, 1% of the target number of PSUs allocated to that tranche, (ii) if the Company’s annualized exit monthly recurring subscriptions for 2023 is equal to the target of $2,321,000,000, 100% of the target number of PSUs allocated to that tranche, (iii) if the Company’s annualized exit monthly recurring subscriptions for 2023 is equal to $2,529,890,000, 190% of the target number of PSUs allocated to that tranche, and (iv) if the Company’s annualized exit monthly recurring subscriptions for 2023 is $2,627,900,000 or more, 200% of the target number of PSUs allocated to that tranche. For the second tranche, the number of PSUs that will become achieved PSUs will be equal to the following: (i) if the Company’s unlevered adjusted free cash flow margin for 2023 is equal to the threshold of 7.5%, 80% of the target number of PSUs allocated to that tranche, (ii) if the Company’s unlevered adjusted free cash flow margin for 2023 is between 9.5% and 10.5%, 100% of the target number of PSUs allocated to that tranche, and (iii) if the Company’s unlevered adjusted free cash flow margin for 2023 is 15.5% or more, 200% of the target number of PSUs allocated to that tranche. For the third tranche, the number of PSUs that will become achieved PSUs will be equal to the following: (i) if the Company’s net promoter score for the fourth quarter of 2023 is equal to the threshold of -4, 10% of the target number of PSUs allocated to that tranche, (ii) if the Company’s net promoter score for the fourth quarter of 2023 is equal to the target of 5, 100% of the target number of PSUs allocated to that tranche, and (iii) if the Company’s net promoter score for the fourth quarter of 2023 is 15 or more, 200% of the target number of PSUs allocated to that tranche. For the fourth tranche, the number of PSUs that will become achieved PSUs will be equal to the following: (i) if the Company’s TSR ranks from the 10th percentile up to the 25th percentile, 25% of the target number of PSUs allocated to that tranche, (ii) if the Company’s TSR ranks from the 25th percentile up to the 50th percentile, 50% of the target number of PSUs allocated to that tranche, (iii) if the Company’s TSR ranks from the 50th percentile up to the 75th percentile, 100% of the target number of PSUs allocated to that tranche, (iv) if the Company’s TSR ranks from the 75th percentile up to the 90th percentile, 150% of the target number of PSUs allocated to that tranche, and (v) if the Company’s TSR ranks at the 90th percentile or greater, 200% of the target number of PSUs allocated to that tranche. For each tranche, none of the PSUs allocated to that tranche will become achieved PSUs if the actual level of achievement is below the threshold level of performance for the tranche, and if the actual level of achievement is above the threshold level of performance and falls between the performance levels described above, the actual percentage of the target number of PSUs that will become achieved PSUs will be determined by linear interpolation. The metrics used to measure performance under the PSU awards have the following meanings: •“annualized exit monthly recurring subscriptions” means the monthly value of all customer recurring charges at the end of a given month multiplied by 12. •“unlevered adjusted free cash flow margin” means (i) net cash provided by (used in) operating activities as stated in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States, plus (subtract) cash paid (received) for one-time/non-recurring items, plus interest paid, less capitalized expenditures, divided by (ii) revenue. •“net promoter score” measures customer loyalty by asking how likely buyers are to become repeat customers or recommend products and services to their friends (on a scale of 1 to 10), and the Company’s net promoter score will be determined as (i) the percentage of customers who score 9 or 10 minus (ii) the percentage that score 6 or lower, with the actual results determined by weighting the scores based on a segment’s contribution to total revenue and expressed as a number from -100 to 100.
Equity Compensation
•“total shareholder return” of any particular company means (i) the company’s closing stock price on December 31, 2023 (plus all dividends paid between April 1, 2023 and December 31, 2023) divided by (ii) the company’s closing stock price on April 1, 2023. 1/3rd of any achieved PSUs vest on February 20, 2024 for Ms. Parekh and February 21, 2024 for Messrs. Shmunis and Marlow, and 1/8th of the remaining achieved PSUs vest every three months afterwards, in each case, subject to the applicable named executive officer’s continued service as of each vesting date. If a change in control occurred before January 1, 2024, the number of achieved PSUs would be equal to the target number of PSUs. If a change in control occurs after December 31, 2023, the number of achieved PSUs will be determined based on actual achievement. In either case, any achieved PSUs would continue to vest under the time-based vesting schedule described above. In addition, each PSU award is subject to the vesting acceleration provisions in our Equity Acceleration Policy and, for our named executive officers that remain with us, our Change of Control and Severance Policy, which are described in the “Post-Employment Compensation” section below. In determining the size of these awards, the compensation committee took into consideration each executive officer’s current vested and unvested equity holdings, competitive market data, and the other factors described in the “Compensation Setting Process-Compensation Committee” section above. The intended values of the RSU awards and the intended target values of the PSU awards granted to the named executive officers in May 2023 are listed below, and each of these values was converted into the number of shares (or in the case of the PSU awards, the target number of shares) covered by the award by dividing the value by the average closing price of a share of our Class A common stock during the month of April 2023.
Equity Compensation
| Name | Intended Value of RSUs | Intended Target Value of PSUs | | Vladimir Shmunis | $9,000,000 | $9,000,000 | | Mo Katibeh | $5,850,000 | $5,700,000 | | Sonalee Parekh | $4,550,000 | $4,550,000 | | John Marlow | $4,000,000 | $4,000,000 |
Equity Compensation
Our achievement of the performance goals for these PSU awards was follows: (i) our annualized exit monthly recurring subscriptions for 2023 was $2.3 billion, (ii) our unlevered adjusted free cash flow margin for 2023 was 14.8%, (iii) our net promoter score for the fourth quarter of 2023 was 5, and (iv) our TSR ranked at the 52nd percentile. Based on these levels of achievement, 123.1% of the target number of PSUs for the PSU awards granted to Mr. Shmunis, Ms. Parekh, and Mr. Marlow became achieved PSUs. For purposes of the accelerated vesting of Mr. Katibeh’s equity awards that he received under his separation agreement (which is discussed below), the performance goals for his PSU award were deemed to be achieved at target levels. In addition, in April 2023, we granted Mr. Shmunis a special equity award of 17,144 RSUs (effective in May 2023) in lieu of payment in cash of $494,530 of his salary for the period from April 1, 2023 through March 31, 2024, in order to conserve cash resources and to enhance the link between Mr. Shmunis’s interest and those of our stockholders. These RSU awards vest 1/4th every three months after May 20, 2023, and become fully vested one year after that date, subject to Mr. Shmunis’s continued service as of each vesting date. In connection with his hire, Mr. Robbiati was granted the following equity awards in August 2023: (i) an initial grant of time-based RSUs covering shares of the Company’s Class A common stock having an initial value of $8,000,000 (the “Initial Time-Based RSUs”); and (ii) an initial grant of performance-based RSUs covering shares of the Company’s Class A common stock having an initial value of $8,000,000 (the “Initial Performance-Based RSUs”). Additionally, because Mr. Robbiati forfeited substantial unvested equity awards at his prior employer as a result of his resignation to become the Company’s CEO, Mr. Robbiati was granted the following additional equity awards in August 2023: (i) a grant of time-based RSUs covering shares of the Company’s Class A common stock having an initial value of $9,000,000 (the “Buyout Time-Based RSUs”) and (ii) a grant of performance-based RSUs covering shares of the Company’s Class A common stock having an initial value of $9,000,000 (the “Buyout Performance-Based RSUs”). The actual number of RSUs granted under each of these awards was equal to the initial value of the award divided by the average closing price of a share of the Company’s Class A common stock (as quoted on the New York Stock Exchange) during the trading days that occurred in July 2023. The Initial Time-Based RSUs were scheduled to vest as to 1/16th of the RSUs on each quarterly vesting date beginning on November 20, 2023 over a four-year period, provided Mr. Robbiati remained a service provider of the Company through each applicable vesting date. The Initial Performance-Based RSUs were scheduled to vest as to 1/3rd of the RSUs on February 20th of each of 2025, 2026, and 2027, with all vesting contingent on the Company achieving the performance objectives determined by our board of directors or the compensation committee and provided Mr. Robbiati remained a service provider of the Company through each applicable vesting date. The performance goals for the Initial Performance-Based RSUs had not been determined before Mr. Robbiati’s resignation from the Company. The Buyout Time-Based RSUs were scheduled to vest as to 1/8th of the RSUs on each quarterly vesting date beginning on November 20, 2023 over a two-year period, provided Mr. Robbiati remained a service provider of the Company through each applicable vesting date. The Buyout Performance-Based RSUs were scheduled to vest as to 2/8th of the RSUs on February 20, 2024, 4/8th of the RSUs on February 20, 2025, and 2/8th of the RSUs on February 20, 2026, in each case contingent on the Company achieving the applicable performance-based goals and provided Mr. Robbiati remained a service provider of the Company through each applicable vesting date. For the first tranche of the Buyout Performance-Based RSU the performance-based goals were the same as those that apply to PSUs granted to other named executive officers for 2023. The performance goals for the second and third tranches of the Buyout Performance-Based RSUs had not been determined at the time of his resignation. In 2023, Mr. Katibeh received the following RSU awards under our NEO Equity Compensation Program: (i) in January 2023, an award of 1,952 RSUs in lieu of payment in cash of $67,500 of his salary for the period from January 1, 2023 to February 15, 2023, (ii) in February 2023, an award of 2,789 RSUs in lieu of payment in cash of $135,000 of his salary for the period from February 16, 2023 through May 15, 2023, and (iii) in May 2023, an award of 4,754 RSUs in lieu of payment in cash of $135,000 of his salary for the period from May 16, 2023 through August 15, 2023. In 2023, Ms. Parekh received the following RSU awards under our NEO Equity Compensation Program: (i) in January 2023, an award of 1,591 RSUs in lieu of payment in cash of $55,000 of her salary for the period from January 1, 2023 to February 15, 2023, (ii) in February 2023, an award of 2,273 RSUs in lieu of payment in cash of $110,000 of her salary for the period from February 16, 2023 through May 15, 2023, (iii) in May 2023, an award of 3,874 RSUs in lieu of payment in cash of $110,000 of her salary for the period from May 16, 2023 through August 15, 2023, (iv) in August 2023, an award of 3,675 RSUs in lieu of payment in cash of $110,000 of her salary for the period from August 16, 2023 through November 15, 2023, and (v) in November 2023, an award of 1,809 RSUs in lieu of payment in cash of $55,000 of her salary for the period from November 16, 2023 through December 31, 2023. In 2023, Mr. Marlow received the following RSU awards under our NEO Equity Compensation Program: (i) in January 2023, an award of 1,410 RSUs in lieu of payment in cash of $48,750 of his salary for the period from January 1, 2023 to February 15, 2023, (ii) in February 2023, an award of 2,015 RSUs in lieu of payment in cash of $97,500 of his salary for the period from February 16, 2023 through May 15, 2023, (iii) in May 2023, an award of 3,434 RSUs in lieu of payment in cash of $97,500 of his salary for the period from May 16, 2023 through August 15, 2023, (iv) in August 2023, an award of 3,257 RSUs in lieu of payment in cash of $97,500 of his salary for the period from August 16, 2023 through November 15, 2023, and (v) in November 2023, an award of 1,604 RSUs in lieu of payment in cash of $48,750 of his salary for the period from November 16, 2023 through December 31, 2023. In addition, each named executive officer is entitled to certain vesting acceleration benefits upon a qualifying termination, as described in the “Post-Employment Compensation” section below. The grant date fair values of these equity awards granted to our named executive officers in 2023 are listed in the “Stock Awards” column of the Summary Compensation Table and in the Grants of Plan-Based Awards in 2023 table below. As discussed above, we also issued RSUs to our named executive officers under the KEEB in settlement of their incentive payments under the Bonus Plan for the first quarter of 2023. These RSUs are listed in the Grants of Plan-Based Awards in 2023 table below.
Equity Compensation
In addition, in May 2022, we granted an award of 26,713 RSUs to each of Mr. Katibeh and Ms. Parekh. These awards vest as to 1/4th of the RSUs on February 20, 2023 for Mr. Katibeh and May 20, 2023 for Ms. Parekh, and as to 1/16th of the RSUs every three months afterwards, subject to the applicable named executive officer’s continued service as of each vesting date. However, if our board of directors established performance‑based metrics on or before the date of our release of first quarter 2023 earnings, the vesting of any portion of the performance-based new hire award scheduled to vest after May 20, 2023, would be contingent on the Company achieving such performance-based metrics. No such performance-based metrics were established by our board of directors.
Post-Employment Compensation
Post-Employment Compensation Our employment arrangements with Messrs. Shmunis, Katibeh and Marlow and Ms. Parekh provided for certain payments and benefits in the event of a qualifying termination of employment, including a termination of employment in connection with a change in control of the Company. We believed that these agreements enabled our named executive officers to maintain their focus and dedication to their responsibilities to help maximize stockholder value by minimizing distractions due to the possibility of an involuntary termination of employment or a termination of employment in connection with a potential change in control of the Company. We also believed that these arrangements furthered our interest in encouraging retention among our named executive officers. In addition, our named executive officers were participants in the Company’s Equity Acceleration Policy which contains provisions providing for double-trigger vesting upon certain changes in control, as described in the “Equity Acceleration Policy” section below. We believed this policy provided important retention incentives for our key contributors through and following a change in control. Except for Mr. Katibeh, the severance and change in control provisions under these employment arrangements and our named executive officers’ participation agreements under the Equity Acceleration Policy were superseded and replaced by the Company’s Change of Control and Severance Policy (the “Severance Policy”), which is described below. In connection with their resignations, we entered into separation agreements with Messrs. Robbiati and Katibeh, which are described below.
Equity Acceleration Policy
Equity Acceleration Policy Our named executive officers were eligible to participate in our Equity Acceleration Policy. Pursuant to our Equity Acceleration Policy, on a termination of an eligible employee’s employment either (i) by the Company (or any of its subsidiaries) other than for “cause,” death, or “disability” or (ii) by the eligible employee for “good reason” (as such terms are defined in the Equity Acceleration Policy or individual participation agreement), in either case, during the period beginning 60 days prior to a “change of control” (as defined in the Equity Acceleration Policy) and ending 12 months following a change of control, then, subject to the eligible employee’s signing and not revoking a release, the then‑unvested shares subject to each of the eligible employee’s then-outstanding equity awards will immediately vest and, in the case of equity awards that are stock options and stock appreciation rights, will become exercisable as to (A) in the cases of Mr. Shmunis, Ms. Parekh, and Mr. Marlow, 100% of his or her then-outstanding unvested equity awards (other than Ms. Parekh’s performance-based new hire award), or (B) in the cases of Messrs. Katibeh and Agarwal, 50% vesting acceleration of his then-outstanding unvested equity awards (other than the performance-based award Mr. Katibeh received in connection with his appointment as President), in each case subject to the terms and conditions of the Equity Acceleration Policy. If any payment or benefit that an eligible employee would receive from the Company or any other party whether in connection with the Equity Acceleration Policy or otherwise would constitute a “parachute payment” within the meaning of Code Section 280G and could be subject to the related excise tax, the eligible employee would be entitled to receive either full payment of the payments and benefits under or such lesser amount which would result in no portion of the benefits being subject to the excise tax, whichever results in the greater amount of after-tax benefits to the eligible employee. The provisions of the Equity Acceleration Policy superseded any double-trigger equity acceleration provisions of any offer letter, employment agreement or equity award. In March 2020, our compensation committee determined that for the awards of RSUs granted to Mr. Shmunis, in the event of the termination without “cause”, termination “for good reason” (as such terms are defined in the Equity Acceleration Policy) or death or disability of Mr. Shmunis, the vesting of any awards of RSUs granted to him in fiscal 2020 that would have vested had he remained employed with the Company through the date that is 12 months following his effective last day with us would be accelerated (other than in connection with a death or disability from high-risk activities such as skydiving or free climbing).
Change of Control and Severance Policy
Change of Control and Severance Policy In August 2023, our compensation committee adopted the Severance Policy, which applies to our Section 16 officers as designated by the administrator of the Severance Policy from time to time. Each of our named executive officers that remain with us is a participant in the Severance Policy, and prior to their respective resignations, Mr. Robbiati and Ms. Parekh were participants in the Severance Policy. Pursuant to the Severance Policy, if the Company terminates a participant’s employment other than for cause, death or disability or the participant resigns for good reason on or within 3 months before or 12 months following a change of control (the change in control period), then, subject to the conditions described below, such participant may be eligible to receive the following severance benefits, less applicable tax withholdings, as applicable: •A salary severance payment of 12 months (or 18 months for Messrs. Shmunis and Robbiati) of the participant’s applicable annual base salary. •For Messrs. Shmunis and Robbiati only, a bonus severance payment equal to 150% of such participant’s annual target bonus. •100% of the participant’s outstanding equity awards will vest and, to the extent applicable, become immediately exercisable. •Payment or reimbursement of continued health coverage for the participant and the participant’s dependents under COBRA for 12 months (or 18 months for Messrs. Shmunis and Robbiati). Further, under the Severance Policy, if we terminate a participant’s employment other than for cause, death or disability or such participant resigns for good reason at any time other than during the change in control period, then, subject to the conditions described below, such participant will be eligible to receive the following severance benefits, less applicable tax withholdings: •Continued payments totaling 12 months of the participant’s applicable annual base salary over a period of 12 months. •1 year of vesting of the participant’s outstanding equity awards. •Payment or reimbursement of continued health coverage for the participant and the participant’s dependents under COBRA for a period of up to 12 months. To receive the severance benefits upon a qualifying termination, either in connection with or not in connection with a change of control, a participant must sign and not revoke the Company’s separation agreement and release of claims within the timeframe set forth in the Severance Policy and continue to adhere to the restrictive covenants in that release.
Separation Agreements
Separation Agreements Tarek Robbiati In connection with his resignation, Mr. Robbiati entered into a separation agreement with the Company. Under the terms of this agreement, Mr. Robbiati received a lump sum cash payment of $9.75 million, an amount materially consistent with the benefits that would be due to him under his offer letter and the Severance Policy. Mr. Robbiati forfeited all of his then-unvested equity awards upon his termination of employment. Mo Katibeh In connection with his resignation, Mr. Katibeh agreed to serve as an advisor to our CEO until November 15, 2023, and entered into a separation agreement and release of claims with the Company, including a non-competition agreement that applies until August 15, 2024. If Mr. Katibeh complies with the terms of such separation agreement, he was entitled to (i) the benefits set forth in the Severance Policy for a resignation with good reason other than during the change in control period, (ii) $200,000, which was paid in 3 equal monthly installments during the period he served as a special advisor, and (iii) a payment of $400,000 at the end of the period covered by the non-competition agreement.
Equity Award Grant Policy
Equity Award Grant Policy Our equity award grant policy formalizes our process for granting equity-based awards. Under our equity award grant policy, our board of directors or the compensation committee may grant equity awards at any time. It is our policy to not time equity award grants in relation to the release of material non-public information. Under the policy, the compensation committee has delegated limited authority to a committee consisting of our CEO and a member of the compensation committee to grant equity awards to employees below the level of Vice President and certain other service providers other than the members of our board of directors.
Tax Considerations
Tax Considerations We have not provided any of our named executive officers with a gross-up or other reimbursement for tax amounts the individual might pay pursuant to Code Sections 280G, 4999 or 409A. Code Sections 280G and 4999 provide that named executive officers, directors who hold significant stockholder interests and certain other service providers could be subject to significant additional taxes if they receive payments or benefits in connection with a change in control of our Company that exceeds certain limits, and that we or our successor could lose a deduction on the amounts subject to the additional tax. Code Section 409A also imposes significant taxes on the individual in the event that an executive officer, director or other service provider receives “deferred compensation” that does not meet the requirements of Code Section 409A. Under Code Section 162(m), we are subject to limits on the deductibility of executive compensation. Deductible compensation is limited to $1 million per year for the CEO and certain of our current and former highly compensated executive officers. While we cannot predict how the deductibility limit may impact our compensation program in future years, we intend to maintain an approach to executive compensation that strongly links pay to performance. In addition, although we have not adopted a formal policy regarding tax deductibility of compensation paid to our named executive officers, the compensation committee may consider tax deductibility under Code Section 162(m) as a factor in its compensation decisions.
Summary Compensation Table
Summary Compensation Table The following table provides information regarding the compensation of our named executive officers during fiscal 2023.
Summary Compensation Table
| Name and Principal Position | Year | Salary ($) | Bonus ($) | Stock Awards ($) (1) | Non-Equity Incentive Plan Compensation ($) (2) | All Other Compensation ($) (3) | Total ($) | | Vladimir Shmunis Chief Executive Officer | 2023 | 5,470 (4) | — | 20,616,162 | 508,722 (5) | 10,733 | 21,141,087 | | | 2022 | 5,470 | — | 19,288,954 | 517,280 | 373,493 | 20,185,197 | | | 2021 | 5,175 | — | 18,439,095 | 776,713 | 828 | 19,221,811 | | Tarek Robbiati Former Chief Executive Officer | 2023 | 304,902 (6) | 1,000,000 | 26,945,715 (7) | 80,810 | 9,752,890 | 38,084,317 | | | 2022 | — | — | — | — | — | — | | | 2021 | — | — | — | — | — | — | | Mo Katibeh Former President and Chief Operating Officer | 2023 | 37,500 (8) | — | 11,225,239 | 316,768 (9) | 6,162,844 | 17,742,351 | | | 2022 | 206,250 | — | 20,373,657 | 563,000 | 214,322 | 21,357,229 | | | 2021 | — | — | — | — | — | — | | Sonalee Parekh Former Chief Financial Officer | 2023 | 60,000 (10) | — | 10,620,399 | 508,728 (11) | 7,583 | 11,196,710 | | | 2022 | 147,500 | — | 10,666,699 | 298,609 | 192,348 | 11,305,156 | | | 2021 | — | — | — | — | — | — | | John Marlow Chief Administrative Officer, Senior Vice President, Corporate Development, General Counsel and Secretary | 2023 | 60,000 (12) | — | 9,339,843 | 457,844 (13) | 6,188 | 9,863,875 | | | 2022 | 60,000 | — | 6,010,755 | 422,193 | 134,826 | 6,627,774 | | | 2021 | 204,375 | — | 12,006,768 | 416,753 | 45,828 | 12,673,724 |
Summary Compensation Table
(1)The amounts in the “Stock Awards” column represent the aggregate fair market value of RSUs and PSUs granted in the applicable year and calculated in accordance with ASC Topic 718. As required by SEC rules, the amounts shown exclude the impact of estimated forfeitures related to service-based vesting conditions. See Note 12 of the notes to the consolidated financial statements included in Part II, Item 8 of our annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023, filed with the SEC on February 22, 2024, for a discussion of assumptions made in determining the grant date fair market value. (2)Amounts in this column represent (i) the aggregate fair market value of RSUs granted under our Key Employee Equity Bonus Plan, in lieu of a cash bonus earned for each quarter of 2021 and 2022 and the first quarter of 2023, which is calculated in accordance with ASC Topic 718, and (ii) the bonuses earned under our Bonus Plan for the second through fourth quarters of 2023 that were paid in cash. These RSUs were fully vested upon grant. (3)For each of Messrs. Shmunis and Marlow, the amount reported in this column for 2023 represents the portion of the premium paid by the Company with respect to life insurance for the benefit of the named executive officer. For Mr. Robbiati, the amount reported in this column for 2023 represents (i) the portion of the premium paid by the Company with respect to life insurance for his benefit, which was $2,890, and (ii) the lump sum cash payment of $9.75 million that Mr. Robbiati received under his separation agreement. For Mr. Katibeh, the amount reported in this column for 2023 represents the portion of the premium paid by the Company with respect to life insurance for his benefit, which was $1,175, and the following payments and benefits he is entitled to receive under his separation agreement: (i) the benefits set forth in the Severance Policy for a resignation with good reason other than during the change in control period, which consists of 12 months of his base salary (equal to $600,000), 1 year of vesting of his equity awards (which has a value of $4,929,608), and reimbursement of his COBRA premiums for up to 12 months (which has a value of $32,061), (ii) $200,000, which was paid in 3 equal monthly installments during the period he served as a special advisor, and (iii) a payment of $400,000 at the end of the period covered by the non-competition agreement. For Ms. Parekh, the amount reported in this column for 2023 represents (i) the portion of the premium paid by the Company with respect to life insurance for her benefit, which was $3,533, and (ii) the Company’s matching contribution to the 401(k) plan in the amount of $4,050. (4)This amount represents the $5,470 of cash salary actually paid to Mr. Shmunis in 2023. Mr. Shmunis received (i) an award of 4,769 RSUs in lieu of payment in cash of $494,530 of his salary for the period from April 1, 2022 through March 31, 2023, and (ii) an award of 17,144 RSUs in lieu of payment in cash of $494,530 of his salary for the period from April 1, 2023 through March 31, 2024, and this amount does not include the portion of this $494,530 of salary attributable to the period from January 1, 2023 through March 31, 2023 and the portion of this $494,530 of salary attributable to the period from April 1, 2023 through December 31, 2023. (5)Consists of (i) 4,171 RSUs that were fully vested upon grant, all of which were granted in fiscal 2023, and (ii) $379,338 of bonuses earned under our Bonus Plan in fiscal 2023, which were paid in cash. (6)This amount represents (i) the $45,148 of cash compensation under our non-employee director compensation program earned by Mr. Robbiati in 2023 and (ii) the $259,772 of cash salary actually paid to Mr. Robbiati for his service as our CEO. (7)This amount represents (i) $576,137 in equity awards that were granted to Mr. Robbiati for his service as a non-employee director and (ii) $26,369,578 in equity awards that were granted to Mr. Robbiati for his service as our CEO. (8)This amount represents the $37,500 of cash salary actually paid to Mr. Katibeh in 2023. Mr. Katibeh received (i) an award of 1,952 RSUs in lieu of payment in cash of $67,500 of his salary for the period from January 1, 2023 through February 15, 2023, (ii) an award of 2,789 RSUs in lieu of payment in cash of $135,000 of his salary for the period from February 16, 2023 through May 15, 2023, and (iii) an award of 4,754 RSUs in lieu of payment in cash of $135,000 of his salary for the period from May 16, 2023 through August 15, 2023. (9)Consists of (i) 5,467 RSUs that were fully vested upon grant, all of which were granted in fiscal 2023, and (ii) a $161,505 bonus earned under our Bonus Plan in fiscal 2023, which was paid in cash. (10)This amount represents the $60,000 of cash salary actually paid to Ms. Parekh in 2023. Ms. Parekh received (i) an award of 1,591 RSUs in lieu of payment in cash of $55,000 of her salary for the period from January 1, 2023 through February 15, 2023, (ii) an award of 2,273 RSUs in lieu of payment in cash of $110,000 of her salary for the period from February 16, 2023 through May 15, 2023, (iii) an award of 3,874 RSUs in lieu of payment in cash of $110,000 of her salary for the period from May 16, 2023 through August 15, 2023, (iv) an award of 3,675 RSUs in lieu of payment in cash of $110,000 of her salary for the period from August 16, 2023 through November 15, 2023, and (v) an award of 1,809 RSUs in lieu of payment in cash of $55,000 of her salary for the period from November 16, 2023 through December 31, 2023. (11)Consists of (i) 4,556 RSUs that were fully vested upon grant, all of which were granted in fiscal 2023, and (ii) $379,338 of bonuses earned under our Bonus Plan in fiscal 2023, which were paid in cash. (12)This amount represents the $60,000 of cash salary actually paid to Mr. Marlow in 2023. Mr. Marlow received (i) an award of 1,410 RSUs in lieu of payment in cash of $48,750 of his salary for the period from January 1, 2023 through February 15, 2023, (ii) an award of 2,015 RSUs in lieu of payment in cash of $97,500 of his salary for the period from February 16, 2023 through May 15, 2023, (iii) an award of 3,434 RSUs in lieu of payment in cash of $97,500 of his salary for the period from May 16, 2023 through August 15, 2023, (iv) an award of 3,257 RSUs in lieu of payment in cash of $97,500 of his salary for the period from August 16, 2023 through November 15, 2023, and (v) an award of 1,604 RSUs in lieu of payment in cash of $48,750 of his salary for the period from November 16, 2023 through December 31, 2023. (13)Consists of (i) 4,100 RSUs that were fully vested upon grant, all of which were granted in fiscal 2023, and (ii) $341,404 of bonuses earned under our Bonus Plan in fiscal 2023, which were paid in cash.
Grants of Plan-Based Awards in 2023
Grants of Plan-Based Awards in 2023 The following table sets forth information regarding grants of awards made to our named executive officers during fiscal 2023. We did not grant any cash awards under our 2013 Plan during fiscal 2023.
Grants of Plan-Based Awards in 2023
| | | | Estimated Future Payouts Under Equity Incentive Plan Awards | | | | | | Name | Grant Date | Approval Date | Threshold (#) | Target (#) | Maximum (#) | All Other Stock Awards: Number of Securities Underlying Restricted Stock Units (#) | Grant Date Fair Value of Stock Awards ($)(1) | | Vladimir Shmunis | 5/20/2023 | 4/25/2023 | — | — | — | 4,171 | 129,384 | | | 5/19/2023 | 5/11/2023 | 90,478 (2) | 311,993 (3) | 623,986 (4) | — | 10,458,793 | | | 5/19/2023 | 5/11/2023 | — | — | — | 311,993 | 9,678,023 | | | 5/1/2023 | 4/25/2023 | — | — | — | 17,144 | 479,346 | | | 2/20/2023 | 2/2/2023 | — | — | — | 932 | 34,456 | | Tarek Robbiati | 8/28/2023 | 8/8/2023 | — | 210,746 | — | — | 6,200,147 | | | 8/28/2023 | 8/8/2023 | 17,189 (2) | 59,272 (3) | 118,544 (4) | — | 1,762,749 | | | 8/28/2023 | 8/8/2023 | — | 177,817 (5) | — | — | 5,231,376 | | | 8/28/2023 | 8/8/2023 | — | — | — | 210,746 | 6,200,147 | | | 8/28/2023 | 8/8/2023 | — | — | — | 237,089 | 6,975,158 | | | 6/1/2023 | 6/1/2023 | — | — | — | 8,448 | 299,988 | | | 2/24/2023 | 2/24/2023 | — | — | — | 7,949 | 276,148 | | Mo Katibeh | 5/19/2023 | 5/11/2023 | 57,303 (2) | 197,596 (3) | 395,192 (4) | — | 4,596,978 | | | 5/19/2023 | 5/11/2023 | — | — | — | 202,796 | 6,290,732 | | | 5/15/2023 | 4/25/2023 | — | — | — | 4,754 | 135,014 | | | 5/15/2023 | 4/25/2023 | — | — | — | 5,467 | 155,263 | | | 2/15/2023 | 2/2/2023 | — | — | — | 2,859 | 138,404 | | | 2/15/2023 | 2/2/2023 | — | — | — | 2,789 | 135,015 | | | 1/3/2023 | 1/2/2023 | — | — | — | 1,952 | 67,500 | | Sonalee Parekh | 11/15/2023 | 4/25/2023 | — | — | — | 1,809 | 55,012 | | | 8/15/2023 | 4/25/2023 | — | — | — | 3,675 | 110,030 | | | 5/19/2023 | 5/11/2023 | 45,742 (2) | 157,730 (3) | 315,460 (4) | — | 5,287,499 | | | 5/19/2023 | 5/11/2023 | — | — | — | 157,730 | 4,892,785 | | | 5/15/2023 | 4/25/2023 | — | — | — | 3,874 | 110,022 | | | 5/15/2023 | 4/25/2023 | — | — | — | 4,556 | 129,390 | | | 2/15/2023 | 2/2/2023 | — | — | — | 2,273 | 110,036 | | | 2/15/2023 | 2/2/2023 | — | — | — | 2,424 | 117,346 | | | 1/3/2023 | 1/2/2023 | — | — | — | 1,591 | 55,017 | | John Marlow | 11/15/2023 | 4/25/2023 | — | — | — | 1,604 | 48,778 | | | 8/15/2023 | 4/25/2023 | — | — | — | 3,257 | 97,515 | | | 5/19/2023 | 5/11/2023 | 40,213 (2) | 138,664 (3) | 277,328 (4) | — | 4,648,364 | | | 5/19/2023 | 5/11/2023 | — | — | — | 138,664 | 4,301,357 | | | 5/15/2023 | 4/25/2023 | — | — | — | 3,434 | 97,526 | | | 5/15/2023 | 4/25/2023 | — | — | — | 4,100 | 116,440 | | | 2/15/2023 | 2/2/2023 | — | — | — | 2,015 | 97,546 | | | 2/15/2023 | 2/2/2023 | — | — | — | 2,144 | 103,791 | | | 1/3/2023 | 1/2/2023 | — | — | — | 1,410 | 48,758 |
Grants of Plan-Based Awards in 2023
(1)The amounts in the “Grant Date Fair Value of Stock Awards” column represent the grant date fair market value of RSUs and PSUs granted in fiscal 2023 and calculated in accordance with ASC Topic 718. See Note 12 of the notes to consolidated financial statements included in Part II, Item 8 of our annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023, filed with the SEC on February 22, 2024, for a discussion of assumptions made in determining the grant date fair market value. (2)For each PSU award, the PSUs are evenly allocated to four tranches. For the tranche that becomes eligible to vest based on the Company’s annualized exit monthly recurring subscriptions for 2023, the threshold number of PSUs is (i) 780 for Mr. Shmunis, (ii) 148 for Mr. Robbiati, (iii) 494 for Mr. Katibeh, (iv) 394 for Ms. Parekh, and (v) 347 for Mr. Marlow. For the tranche that becomes eligible to vest based on the Company’s unlevered adjusted free cash flow margin for 2023, the threshold number of PSUs is (i) 62,398 for Mr. Shmunis, (ii) 11,854 for Mr. Robbiati, (iii) 39,519 for Mr. Katibeh, (iv) 31,546 for Ms. Parekh, and (v) 27,733 for Mr. Marlow. For the tranche that becomes eligible to vest based on the Company’s net promoter score for the fourth quarter of 2023, the threshold number of PSUs is (i) 7,800 for Mr. Shmunis, (ii) 1,482 for Mr. Robbiati, (iii) 4,940 for Mr. Katibeh, (iv) 3,943 for Ms. Parekh, and (v) 3,467 for Mr. Marlow. For the tranche that becomes eligible to vest based on TSR during the performance period relative to the TSRs of the indexed companies, the threshold number of PSUs is (i) 19,500 for Mr. Shmunis, (ii) 3,705 for Mr. Robbiati, (iii) 12,350 for Mr. Katibeh, (iv) 9,858 for Ms. Parekh, and (v) 8,666 for Mr. Marlow. (3)For each tranche, the target number of PSUs is approximately (i) 77,998 for Mr. Shmunis, (ii) 14,818 for Mr. Robbiati, (iii) 49,399 for Mr. Katibeh, (iv) 39,433 for Ms. Parekh, and (v) 34,666 for Mr. Marlow. (4)For each tranche, the maximum number of PSUs is approximately (i) 155,997 for Mr. Shmunis, (ii) 29,636 for Mr. Robbiati, (iii) 98,798 for Mr. Katibeh, (iv) 78,865 for Ms. Parekh, and (v) 69,332 for Mr. Marlow. (5)This reflects the second and third tranches of Mr. Robbiati’s Buyout Performance-Based RSUs. The first tranche of the Buyout Performance-Based RSUs is reported in footnotes (2) through (4).
Outstanding Equity Awards at Fiscal Year-End
Outstanding Equity Awards at Fiscal Year-End The following table presents information concerning equity awards held by our named executive officers at the end of fiscal 2023.
Outstanding Equity Awards at Fiscal Year-End
| | Option Awards | | | | | Stock Awards | | | | | Number of Securities Underlying Unexercised Options (#) | | Option Exercise Price ($) | Option Expiration Date | Number of Shares or Units of Stock that Have Not Vested (#) | Market Value of Shares or Units of Stock that Have Not Vested ($)(1) | | Name | Grant Date | Exercisable | Unexercisable | | | | | | Vladimir Shmunis | 4/1/2020 | — | — | — | — | 5,176 (2) | 175,725 | | | 5/1/2021 | — | — | — | — | 17,624 (3) | 598,335 | | | 4/1/2022 | — | — | — | — | 77,879 (4) | 2,643,992 | | | 5/1/2023 | — | — | — | — | 8,572 (5) | 291,019 | | | 5/19/2023 | — | — | — | — | 384,161 (6) | 13,042,266 | | | 5/19/2023 | — | — | — | — | 233,995 (7) | 7,944,130 | | Tarek Robbiati (8) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | | Mo Katibeh (9) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | | Sonalee Parekh | 5/30/2022 | — | — | — | — | 16,696 (10) | 566,829 | | | 5/30/2022 | — | — | — | — | 66,782 (11) | 2,267,249 | | | 5/19/2023 | — | — | — | — | 194,221 (6) | 6,593,803 | | | 5/19/2023 | — | — | — | — | 128,156 (12) | 4,350,896 | | John Marlow | 4/1/2020 | — | — | — | — | 1,294 (13) | 43,931 | | | 5/1/2021 | — | — | — | — | 11,750 (14) | 398,913 | | | 3/14/2022 | — | — | — | — | 25,960 (15) | 881,342 | | | 5/19/2023 | — | — | — | — | 170,739 (6) | 5,796,589 | | | 5/19/2023 | — | — | — | — | 112,665 (16) | 3,824,977 |
Outstanding Equity Awards at Fiscal Year-End
(1)This amount reflects the closing price of our Class A common stock on December 29, 2023 (which was $33.95), multiplied by the amount shown in the column for Number of Shares or Units of Stock That Have Not Vested. (2)The shares underlying this RSU award vest, subject to Mr. Shmunis’s continued role as a service provider to us, in 16 equal quarterly installments commencing May 20, 2020. Under the Severance Policy, 100% of the shares underlying this RSU award are subject to accelerated vesting in the event of termination of employment under certain circumstances. (3)The shares underlying this RSU award vest, subject to Mr. Shmunis’s continued role as a service provider to us, in 16 equal quarterly installments commencing May 20, 2021. Under the Severance Policy, 100% of the shares underlying this RSU award are subject to accelerated vesting in the event of termination of employment under certain circumstances. (4)The shares underlying this RSU award vest, subject to Mr. Shmunis’s continued role as a service provider to us, as to 1/8 of the underlying shares on May 20, 2022 and as to 1/16 of the underlying shares each quarter thereafter. Under the Severance Policy, 100% of the shares underlying this RSU award are subject to accelerated vesting in the event of termination of employment under certain circumstances. (5)The shares underlying this RSU award vest, subject to Mr. Shmunis’s continued role as a service provider to us, as to 1/4 of the underlying shares on August 20, 2023 and as to 1/4 of the underlying shares each three-month period thereafter. Under the Severance Policy, 100% of these RSU awards are subject to accelerated vesting in the event of termination of employment under certain circumstances. (6)This reflects the number of PSUs granted to the named executive officer that became achieved PSUs based on the achievement of the performance goals. 1/3rd of the achieved PSUs vest on February 20, 2024 for Ms. Parekh and February 21, 2024 for Messrs. Shmunis and Marlow, and 1/8th of the remaining achieved PSUs vest every three months afterwards, in each case, subject to the named executive officer’s continued service as of each vesting date. (7)The shares underlying this RSU award vest, subject to Mr. Shmunis’s continued role as a service provider to us, in 12 equal quarterly installments commencing May 20, 2023. Under the Severance Policy, 100% of the shares underlying this RSU award are subject to accelerated vesting in the event of termination of employment under certain circumstances. (8)Mr. Robbiati resigned from his position as Chief Executive Officer on December 8, 2023. In connection with his resignation, Mr. Robbiati forfeited all of his then-unvested equity awards. (9)Mr. Katibeh resigned from his position as President and Chief Operating Officer on August 15, 2023. In connection with his resignation, Mr. Katibeh received the vesting acceleration benefits set forth in the Severance Policy for a resignation with good reason other than during the change in control period and forfeited the remainder of his then-unvested equity awards. (10)Prior to Ms. Parekh’s resignation, the shares underlying this RSU award were scheduled to vest, subject to Ms. Parekh’s continued role as a service provider to us, as to 1/4 of the underlying shares on May 20, 2023 and as to 1/16 of the underlying shares each quarter thereafter. Under the Severance Policy, 100% of the shares underlying this RSU award were subject to accelerated vesting in the event of termination of employment under certain circumstances. (11)Prior to Ms. Parekh’s resignation, the shares underlying this RSU award were scheduled to vest, subject to Ms. Parekh’s continued role as a service provider to us, as to 1/4 of the underlying shares on May 20, 2023 and as to 1/16 of the underlying shares each quarter thereafter. Under the Severance Policy, 100% of the shares underlying this RSU award were subject to accelerated vesting in the event of termination of employment under certain circumstances. (12)Prior to Ms. Parekh’s resignation, the shares underlying this RSU award were scheduled to vest, subject to Ms. Parekh’s continued role as a service provider to us, in 16 equal quarterly installments commencing May 20, 2023. Under the Severance Policy, 100% of the shares underlying this RSU award were subject to accelerated vesting in the event of termination of employment. (13)The shares underlying this RSU award vest, subject to Mr. Marlow’s continued role as a service provider to us, in 16 equal quarterly installments commencing May 20, 2020. Under the Severance Policy, 100% of the shares underlying this RSU award are subject to accelerated vesting in the event of termination of employment under certain circumstances. (14)The shares underlying this RSU award vest, subject to Mr. Marlow’s continued role as a service provider to us, in 16 equal quarterly installments commencing May 20, 2021. Under the Severance Policy, 100% of the shares underlying this RSU award are subject to accelerated vesting in the event of termination of employment under certain circumstances. (15)The shares underlying this RSU award vest, subject to Mr. Marlow’s continued role as a service provider to us, as to 1/8 of the underlying shares on May 20, 2022 and as to 1/16 of the underlying shares each quarter thereafter. Under the Severance Policy, 100% of the shares underlying this RSU award are subject to accelerated vesting in the event of termination of employment under certain circumstances. (16)The shares underlying this RSU award vest, subject to Mr. Marlow’s continued role as a service provider to us, in 16 equal quarterly installments commencing May 20, 2023. Under the Severance Policy, 100% of the shares underlying this RSU award are subject to accelerated vesting in the event of termination of employment under certain circumstances.
Option Exercises and Stock Vested in 2023
Option Exercises and Stock Vested in 2023 The following table sets forth the number of shares of common stock acquired during fiscal 2023 by our named executive officers upon the exercise of stock options and the vesting of RSU awards and the value realized upon such exercise or vesting.
Option Exercises and Stock Vested in 2023
| | Option Awards | | Stock Awards | | | Name | Number of Securities Acquired on Exercise (#) | Value Realized on Exercise ($) | Number of Securities Acquired on Vesting (#)(1) | Value Realized on Vesting ($)(2) | | Vladimir Shmunis | — | — | 172,274 | 5,370,616 | | Tarek Robbiati | — | — | 42,807 | 1,297,480 | | Mo Katibeh | — | — | 240,961 | 7,310,006 | | Sonalee Parekh | — | — | 99,861 | 3,112,178 | | John Marlow | — | — | 73,794 | 2,355,181 |
Option Exercises and Stock Vested in 2023
(1)Reflects the aggregate number of shares of Class A common stock underlying the RSU awards that vested in fiscal 2023. (2)Calculated based by multiplying (i) the fair market value of Class A common stock on the vesting date, which was determined using the closing price on the NYSE of a share of Class A common stock on vesting date, by (ii) the number of shares of Class A common stock acquired upon vesting.
Pension Benefits
Pension Benefits Aside from our 401(k) plan, we do not maintain any pension plan or arrangement under which our named executive officers are entitled to participate or receive post-retirement benefits.
Non-Qualified Deferred Compensation
Non-Qualified Deferred Compensation We do not maintain any non-qualified deferred compensation plans or arrangements under which our named executive officers are entitled to participate.
Potential Payments upon Termination and upon Termination in Connection with a Change of Control
Potential Payments upon Termination and upon Termination in Connection with a Change of Control
Potential Payments upon Termination Apart from a Change of Control
Potential Payments upon Termination Apart from a Change of Control The following table sets forth quantitative estimates of the benefits that would have accrued to each of our named executive officers that remained employed with us on December 31, 2023, pursuant to the Severance Policy, if (i) the named executive officer experiences a qualifying termination of his or her employment (as described in the “Executive Compensation─Compensation Discussion and Analysis─Post-Employment Compensation─Executive Employment Arrangements” section above), on December 31, 2023, and outside of the period beginning 3 months prior to and ending 12 months following a “change of control” (as defined in our Severance Policy) and (ii) such named executive officer signs and does not revoke a release agreement with us. The benefits consist of (i) 12 months of his or her base salary; (ii) reimbursement of his or her COBRA premiums for up to 12 months; and (iii) 1 year vesting of his or her outstanding equity awards in accordance with the Severance Policy.
Potential Payments upon Termination Apart from a Change of Control
| | Cash Severance ($)(1) | Value of Accelerated Equity Awards ($)(2) | Continuing Health Coverage ($)(3) | Total ($) | | Vladimir Shmunis | 500,000 | 13,406,074 | 22,478 | 13,928,552 | | Sonalee Parekh | 500,000 | 6,318,638 | 27,715 | 6,846,353 | | John Marlow | 450,000 | 5,361,961 | 32,061 | 5,844,022 |
Potential Payments upon Termination Apart from a Change of Control
(1)Represents the portion of each named executive officer’s base salary to be paid to such named executive officer upon a termination apart from a change of control. (2)For each named executive officer, the estimated value of accelerated equity awards was calculated by multiplying (x) the amount of unvested RSUs subject to acceleration held by the applicable named executive officer and (y) the closing price of our Class A common stock on December 29, 2023 (which was $33.95). (3) Represents the value of the COBRA premium reimbursements to be provided to such named executive officer upon a termination apart from a change of control.
Potential Payments upon Termination in Connection with a Change of Control
Potential Payments upon Termination in Connection with a Change of Control The following table sets forth quantitative estimates of the benefits that would have accrued to each of our named executive officers that remained employed with us on December 31, 2023, pursuant to the Severance Policy, if (i) the named executive officer experiences a qualifying termination of his or her employment (as described in the “Executive Employment Arrangements” and “Other Change in Control Provisions” subsections of the “Executive Compensation─Compensation Discussion and Analysis─Post-Employment Compensation” section above) on December 31, 2023, and within the period beginning 3 months prior to or 12 months following a “change of control” (as defined in our Severance Policy) and (ii) such named executive officer signs and does not revoke a release agreement with us.
Potential Payments upon Termination in Connection with a Change of Control
| | Cash Severance ($)(1) | Value of Accelerated Equity Awards ($)(2) | Continuing Health Coverage ($)(3) | Total ($) | | Vladimir Shmunis (4) | 1,500,000 | 24,695,468 | 33,716 | 26,229,184 | | Sonalee Parekh (5) | 500,000 | 13,778,777 | 27,715 | 14,306,492 | | John Marlow (6) | 450,000 | 10,945,752 | 32,061 | 11,427,813 |
Potential Payments upon Termination in Connection with a Change of Control
(1)Represents the portion of each named executive officer’s (a) base salary and (b) 2023 target bonus, as applicable to be paid to such named executive officer upon a termination in connection with a change of control. (2)For each named executive officer, the estimated value of accelerated equity awards was calculated by multiplying (x) the amount of unvested RSUs subject to acceleration held by the applicable named executive officer and (y) the closing price of our Class A common stock on December 29, 2023 (which was $33.95). (3)Represents the value of the COBRA premium reimbursements to be provided to such named executive officer upon a termination in connection with a change of control. (4)Mr. Shmunis will receive (i) 18 months of his base salary plus 150% his 2023 target bonus, (ii) 100% acceleration of his outstanding equity awards (which to the extent applicable, will become immediately exercisable) and (iii) reimbursement of his COBRA premiums for up to 18 months, in accordance with the Severance Policy. (5)Ms. Parekh was eligible to receive (i) 12 months of her base salary, (ii) 100% acceleration of her outstanding equity awards (which to the extent applicable, will become immediately exercisable) and (iii) reimbursement of her COBRA premiums for up to 12 months, in accordance with the Severance Policy. (6)Mr. Marlow will receive (i) 12 months of his base salary, (ii) 100% acceleration of his outstanding equity awards (which to the extent applicable, will become immediately exercisable) and (iii) reimbursement of his COBRA premiums for up to 12 months, in accordance with the Severance Policy. As noted above, in connection with their resignation, Messrs. Robbiati and Katibeh entered into separation agreements with the Company. Under the terms of Mr. Robbiati’s separation agreement, Mr. Robbiati received a lump sum cash payment of $9.75 million, an amount materially consistent with the benefits that would be due to him under his offer letter and the Severance Policy. If Mr. Katibeh complies with the terms of his separation agreement, he is entitled to (i) the benefits set forth in the Severance Policy for a resignation with good reason other than during the change in control period, which consists of 12 months of his base salary (equal to $600,000), 1 year of vesting of his equity awards (which has a value of $4,929,608), and reimbursement of his COBRA premiums for up to 12 months (which has a value of $32,061), (ii) $200,000, which was paid in 3 equal monthly installments during the period he served as a special advisor, and (iii) a payment of $400,000 at the end of the period covered by the non-competition agreement.
CEO Pay Ratio
CEO Pay Ratio Under SEC rules, we are required to provide information regarding the relationship between the total annual compensation of Mr. Shmunis, our Chief Executive Officer as of December 31, 2023 (which is the date we selected to identify the median employee, as discussed below), and the total annual compensation of our median employee (other than Mr. Shmunis). For our last completed fiscal year, which ended December 31, 2023: •The median of the total annual compensation of all employees (other than Mr. Shmunis) of ours (including our consolidated subsidiaries) was $121,657. •Mr. Shmunis’s total annual compensation, as reported in the Summary Compensation Table included in this proxy statement, was $21,141,087. •Based on the above, for fiscal 2023, the ratio of Mr. Shmunis’s total annual compensation to the median of the total annual compensation of all employees was 173.8 to 1. This pay ratio is a reasonable estimate calculated in a manner consistent with Item 402(u) of Regulation S-K under the Securities Act and based upon our reasonable judgment and assumptions. The SEC rules do not specify a single methodology for identification of the median employee or calculation of the pay ratio, and other companies may use assumptions and methodologies that are different from those used by us in calculating their pay ratio. Accordingly, the pay ratio disclosed by other companies may not be comparable to our pay ratio as disclosed above. The methodology we used to calculate the pay ratio is described below. •We determined the median of the total annual compensation of all of our employees as of December 31, 2023. As of December 31, 2023, we (including our consolidated subsidiaries) had approximately 4,080 full-time, part-time and temporary employees, approximately 2,179 out of the 4,080 (or approximately 53%) are U.S. employees, and approximately 1,901 out of the 4,080 (or approximately 47%) are located outside of the United States. •We then compared the sum of (i) the total annual cash compensation earned by each of these employees for fiscal 2023 as reflected in our payroll records plus (ii) the fair value of equity awards (as determined in accordance with footnote 1 of the fiscal Summary Compensation Table) granted to these employees in fiscal 2023, to determine the median employee, without annualizing the compensation of any employees who started their employment with us in fiscal 2023 but did not work for us or our consolidated subsidiaries for the entire year. Compensation paid in foreign currency was converted to U.S. dollars using currency conversion ratios in effect as of January 1, 2024. In determining the median total compensation of all of these employees, we did not make any cost of living adjustments to the wages paid to any employee outside of the U.S. Once we identified our median employee, we estimated the median employee’s total annual compensation in accordance with the requirements of Item 402(c)(2)(x) of Regulation S-K, yielding the median total annual compensation disclosed above. With respect to Mr. Shmunis’s total annual compensation, we used the amount reported in the “Total” column of our fiscal Summary Compensation Table included in this proxy statement.
Pay Versus Performance Disclosure
Pay Versus Performance Disclosure As required by Section 953(a) of the Dodd-Frank Act, and Item 402(v) of Regulation S-K, we are providing the following: (1) tabular compensation and performance disclosure for our fiscal years 2020, 2021, 2022, and 2023; (2) a list of performance measures that the Company considers to be its most important measures used to align compensation actually paid to the named executive officers in 2023 to Company performance; and (3) additional disclosure relative to the relationship between the “Compensation Actually Paid” set forth in the Pay Versus Performance Table and each of the financial measures set forth in the Pay Versus Performance Table and between the Company’s and the Peer Group TSR, in each case over fiscal years 2020, 2021, 2022, and 2023. For further information concerning our pay-for-performance philosophy and how we align executive compensation with our performance, please refer to the “Compensation Discussion and Analysis.”
Pay Versus Performance Disclosure
| Pay Versus Performance | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Value of Initial Fixed $100 Investment Based On: | | | | | Year (1) | Summary Compensation Table Total for Current PEO (2) | Compensation Actually Paid to Current PEO (3) | Summary Compensation Table Total for Former PEO (2) | Compensation Actually Paid to Former PEO (3) | Average Summary Compensation Table Total for Non-PEO NEOs (2) | Average Compensation Actually Paid to Non-PEO NEOs (4) | RingCentral Total Shareholder Return (5) | Peer Group Total Shareholder Return (6) | Net Loss (thousands) | Company- Selected Measure: Revenue (thousands) (7) | | 2023 | $21,141,087 | $24,173,595 | $38,084,317 | $12,436,082 | $13,609,967 | $10,987,583 | $20 | $221 | $(165,240) | $2,202,429 | | 2022 | $20,185,197 | $(7,839,699) | $— | $— | $12,722,121 | $4,141,713 | $21 | $133 | $(879,166) | $1,988,330 | | 2021 | $19,221,811 | $(6,373,237) | $— | $— | $24,461,378 | $(4,012,450) | $111 | $207 | $(376,250) | $1,594,754 | | 2020 | $19,059,431 | $61,476,737 | $— | $— | $9,846,112 | $25,937,641 | $225 | $150 | $(82,996) | $1,183,657 |
Pay Versus Performance Disclosure
(1)Vladimir Shmunis served as the Company’s Principal Executive Officer (our “Current PEO”) for the entirety of fiscal 2020, 2021, and 2022. During fiscal 2023, from August 28, 2023 through December 7, 2023, Mr. Robbiati (our “Former PEO”) served as our CEO and Mr. Shmunis was solely our Executive Chairman. Effective as of December 8, 2023, Mr. Shmunis succeeded Mr. Robbiati as CEO. The Company’s other named executive officers (the “Reported NEOs”) for the applicable years were as follows: – 2023: Mo Katibeh, Sonalee Parekh, and John Marlow – 2022: Mo Katibeh, Sonalee Parekh, John Marlow, and Vaibhav Agarwal – 2021: Anand Eswaran, Mitesh Dhruv, John Marlow, and Praful Shah – 2020: Anand Eswaran, Mitesh Dhruv, John Marlow, and Praful Shah (2)Amounts reported in these columns represent (i) the total compensation reported in the Summary Compensation Table for the indicated fiscal year in the case of our Current and Former PEOs and (ii) the average of the total compensation reported in the Summary Compensation Table for the Reported NEOs in the indicated year for such years. (3)Amounts reported in these columns represent the compensation actually paid to our Current PEO and Former PEO in the indicated fiscal year, as calculated under Item 402(v) of Regulation S-K based on their total compensation reported in the Summary Compensation Table for the indicated fiscal years. For fiscal 2023, the adjustments made to total compensation to calculate compensation actually paid are shown in the tables below:
Pay Versus Performance Disclosure
| PEO Current | | | | | | 2023 | | | Summary Compensation Table - Total Compensation | $21,141,087 | | - | Grant Date Fair Value of Stock Awards and Option Awards Granted in Fiscal Year | $20,616,162 | | + | Fair Value at Fiscal Year End of Outstanding and Unvested Stock Awards and Option Awards Granted in Fiscal Year | $21,277,314 | | + | Change in Fair Value of Outstanding and Unvested Stock Awards and Option Awards Granted in Prior Fiscal Years | $(145,985) | | + | Fair Value at Vesting of Stock Awards and Option Awards Granted in Fiscal Year That Vested During Fiscal Year | $2,773,226 | | + | Change in Fair Value as of Vesting Date of Stock Awards and Option Awards Granted in Prior Fiscal Years For Which Applicable Vesting Conditions Were Satisfied During Fiscal Year | $(255,885) | | - | Fair Value as of Prior Fiscal Year End of Stock Awards and Option Awards Granted in Prior Fiscal Years That Failed to Meet Applicable Vesting Conditions During Fiscal Year | $— | | = | Compensation Actually Paid | $24,173,595 |
Pay Versus Performance Disclosure
| Former PEO | | | | | | 2023 | | | Summary Compensation Table - Total Compensation | $38,084,317 | | - | Grant Date Fair Value of Stock Awards and Option Awards Granted in Fiscal Year | $26,945,715 | | + | Fair Value at Fiscal Year End of Outstanding and Unvested Stock Awards and Option Awards Granted in Fiscal Year | $— | | + | Change in Fair Value of Outstanding and Unvested Stock Awards and Option Awards Granted in Prior Fiscal Years | $— | | + | Fair Value at Vesting of Stock Awards and Option Awards Granted in Fiscal Year That Vested During Fiscal Year | $1,297,480 | | + | Change in Fair Value as of Vesting Date of Stock Awards and Option Awards Granted in Prior Fiscal Years For Which Applicable Vesting Conditions Were Satisfied During Fiscal Year | $— | | - | Fair Value as of Prior Fiscal Year End of Stock Awards and Option Awards Granted in Prior Fiscal Years That Failed to Meet Applicable Vesting Conditions During Fiscal Year | $— | | = | Compensation Actually Paid | $12,436,082 |
Pay Versus Performance Disclosure
Equity award values are calculated in accordance with FASB ASC Topic 718, and the valuation assumptions used to calculate fair values did not materially differ from those disclosed at the time of grant. (4)Amounts reported in this column represent the compensation actually paid to the Reported NEOs in the indicated fiscal year, as calculated under Item 402(v) of Regulation S-K based on the average total compensation for such NEOs reported in the Summary Compensation Table for the indicated fiscal year. For fiscal 2023, the adjustments made to total compensation to calculate compensation actually paid are shown in the table below:
Pay Versus Performance Disclosure
| Reported NEO Average | | | | | | 2023 | | | Summary Compensation Table - Total Compensation | $13,609,967 | | - | Grant Date Fair Value of Stock Awards and Option Awards Granted in Fiscal Year | $11,070,815 | | + | Fair Value at Fiscal Year End of Outstanding and Unvested Stock Awards and Option Awards Granted in Fiscal Year | $6,855,014 | | + | Change in Fair Value of Outstanding and Unvested Stock Awards and Option Awards Granted in Prior Fiscal Years | $(59,200) | | + | Fair Value at Vesting of Stock Awards and Option Awards Granted in Fiscal Year That Vested During Fiscal Year | $2,646,245 | | + | Change in Fair Value as of Vesting Date of Stock Awards and Option Awards Granted in Prior Fiscal Years For Which Applicable Vesting Conditions Were Satisfied During Fiscal Year | $(200,845) | | - | Fair Value as of Prior Fiscal Year End of Stock Awards and Option Awards Granted in Prior Fiscal Years That Failed to Meet Applicable Vesting Conditions During Fiscal Year | $792,783 | | = | Compensation Actually Paid | $10,987,583 |
Pay Versus Performance Disclosure
Please see footnote 1 for the Reported NEOs included in the average for fiscal 2023. Equity award values are calculated in accordance with FASB ASC Topic 718, and the valuation assumptions used to calculate fair values did not materially differ from those disclosed at the time of grant. (5)Pursuant to Item 402(v) of Regulation S-K, the comparison assumes $100 was invested in our common stock on December 31, 2019, using the closing stock price on that date. Historic stock price performance is not necessarily indicative of future stock price performance. (6)The TSR Peer Group is the NASDAQ Computer Index, an independently prepared index that includes companies in Technology excluding Telecommunications Equipment, which is the peer group we used for the stock performance graph required by Item 201(e) of Regulation S-K included in our annual report for the year ended December 31, 2023, filed with the SEC on February 22, 2024. This calculation assumes that $100 was invested in this index on December 31, 2019 (aligned with the period used in footnote #5 above). (7)“Revenues” means the Company’s net revenues generated from third parties, including both subscriptions revenues and other revenues, each as defined in the Form 10-K filed for the calendar year ended December 31, 2023, as amended. Net revenue is defined as gross sales less any pertinent discounts, refunds, or other contra-revenue amounts, as presented on the Company’s press release reporting the applicable quarterly financial results. The charts below graphically demonstrate the relationship between compensation actually paid and the listed performance measures and between the Company’s total shareholder return and the peer group’s total shareholder return.