RingCentral Inc
For the period ended Dec 31, 2023. Filed Feb 22, 2024.
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FY2023 · Filed Feb 22, 2024
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Item 11. Executive Compensation
Compensation Discussion and Analysis
This Compensation Discussion and Analysis provides an overview of our executive compensation philosophy, the material principles governing executive compensation policies and decisions, and the material elements of compensation awarded to, earned by or paid to our named executive officers. In addition, we explain how and why the independent compensation committee determines the specific compensation elements that made up our 2023 executive compensation program.
Our named executive officers for fiscal 2023 were:
Vladimir Shmunis, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer (“CEO”);
Tarek Robbiati, former CEO;
Mo Katibeh, former President and Chief Operating Officer (“COO”);
Sonalee Parekh, Chief Financial Officer (“CFO”); and
John Marlow, Chief Administrative Officer, Senior Vice President, Corporate Development, General Counsel and Secretary (“CAdO”).
The information in this Compensation Discussion and Analysis provides perspective and narrative analysis relating to, and should be read along with, the executive compensation tables.
During the period from August 28, 2023 through December 7, 2023, Mr. Robbiati 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. Mr. Shmunis’s transition to Executive Chairman and his return as Chairman and CEO did not have any effect on his compensation arrangements with the Company.
Mr. Katibeh resigned from the Company effective as of August 15, 2023.
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.
Compensation Philosophy and Objectives
The overall objective of our executive compensation program is to tie executive compensation to the performance of our Company. Our executive compensation is designed with a mix of short-term and long-term components, cash and equity elements and fixed and contingent payments in proportions that we believe provide appropriate incentives to retain and motivate our named executive officers, and other senior executives and management team and help to achieve success in our business.
Our future success depends, in part, on our ability to continue to attract and retain highly skilled personnel. Our executive compensation program seeks to achieve this objective by ensuring that we can:
Reward talented executives, who possess the proven experience, knowledge, skills, and leadership criteria;
Motivate our executive officers by giving them a stake in our growth and prosperity and encouraging the continuance of their services with us; and
Align the interests of stockholders and named executive officers without creating an incentive for inappropriate risk-taking.
Based on this philosophy, we have designed our executive compensation program to encourage the achievement of strong overall financial results, particularly revenue growth and Non-GAAP operating margin.
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-Setting Process
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 Management
In carrying out its responsibilities, the compensation committee works with members of our management, including our CEO, President and COO (prior to his resignation), and CAdO. Typically, these members of management and our CFO assist the compensation committee in developing the annual bonus plans based on metrics that contain attainable target levels that are achievable through the commitment and leadership of our executive officers. Our CEO provides recommendations on compensation matters for our employees in general and all of his direct reports, including our executive officers. The CEO, President and COO (prior to his resignation), CAdO and CFO usually attend compensation committee meetings. No members of management participate in discussions or decisions regarding their own compensation and none of them are present when their own compensation is determined.
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
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):
| Box | Five9 | Splunk |
|---|---|---|
| CrowdStrike | HubSpot | The Trade Desk |
| Datadog | MongoDB | Twilio |
| DocuSign | Okta | Veeva Systems |
| Dropbox | Paycom Software | Zoom Video Communications |
| Dynatrace | ||
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
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 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.
| Name | 2023Base Salary | 2022Base Salary | Percent Increase/(Decrease) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vladimir Shmunis | $ 500,000 (1) | $500,000 | — |
| Tarek Robbiati | $850,000 | — | — |
| Mo Katibeh | $ 600,000 (2) | $600,000 | — |
| Sonalee Parekh | $ 500,000 (3) | $500,000 | — |
| John Marlow | $ 450,000 (4) | $450,000 | — |
(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
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
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:
| 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
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 services revenues and other revenues, each as defined in this Form 10-K. 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:
| 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% |
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.
In December 2023, the compensation committee approved a similar plan governing 2024 bonuses. Each year the compensation committee will assess whether to continue the KEEB.
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
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 10 th percentile up to the 25 th percentile, 25% of the target number of PSUs allocated to that tranche, (ii) if the Company’s TSR ranks from the 25 th percentile up to the 50 th percentile, 50% of the target number of PSUs allocated to that tranche, (iii) if the Company’s TSR ranks from the 50 th percentile up to the 75 th percentile, 100% of the target number of PSUs allocated to that tranche, (iv) if the Company’s TSR ranks from the 75 th percentile up to the 90 th percentile, 150% of the target number of PSUs allocated to that tranche, and (v) if the Company’s TSR ranks at the 90 th 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.
“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.
| 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 |
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 52 nd 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 andprovided 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.
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.
Welfare and Other Employee Benefits
Our named executive officers are eligible to participate in the same group insurance and employee benefit plans generally available to our other salaried employees in the U.S. These benefits include medical, dental, vision, and disability benefits and other plans and programs made available to other eligible employees. We have a qualified defined contribution plan under Code Section 401(k) covering eligible employees, including our named executive officers. All participants in the plan, including each named executive officer, are eligible to make pre-tax contributions. We provide a Company 401(k) plan matching program of 50% of the employee’s contributions up to the lesser of 6% of employee cash compensation and $4,050 per year. All participant 401(k) contributions and earnings, as well as all matching contributions and earnings, are fully and immediately vested.
Perquisites
We do not view perquisites or other personal benefits as a significant component of our executive compensation program. Accordingly, we do not regularly provide special plans or programs for our named executive officers.
All practices with respect to perquisites or other personal benefits will be subject to review and approval by the compensation committee.
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.
Executive Employment Arrangements
The initial terms and conditions of employment for each of our executive officers (including our named executive officers that remain with us) are set forth in a written employment agreement. Each of these agreements was approved on our behalf by our board of directors or the compensation committee, as applicable.
We develop competitive compensation packages to attract qualified candidates in a highly-competitive labor market. We believe that these arrangements helped the named executive officers maintain continued focus and dedication to their responsibilities to help maximize stockholder value if there is a potential transaction that could involve a change in control of our Company.
Vladimir Shmunis
We entered into an executive employment letter with Mr. Shmunis, our CEO, dated September 13, 2013. The executive employment letter with Mr. Shmunis provides for a three-year employment term and may be extended by mutual agreement at the end of the term, but either we or Mr. Shmunis may terminate the employment relationship with us at any time.
If, outside of the period beginning three months prior to and ending 12 months after a change of control of the Company (such period, the “Change of Control Period”), Mr. Shmunis’s employment was terminated without “cause” (excluding by reason of death or “disability”) or he resigned for “good reason” (as such terms are defined in the executive employment letter), he was eligible to receive the following payments and benefits if he timely signed and did not revoke a release agreement with us:
continued payment of base salary for a period of 12 months; and
reimbursement of COBRA premiums to continue health insurance coverage for him and his eligible dependents for up to 12 months, or taxable monthly payments for the equivalent period in the event reimbursement of COBRA premiums would violate applicable law.
If, within the Change of Control Period, his employment was terminated without cause (excluding by reason of death or “disability”) or he resigned for good reason, he was entitled to the following payments and benefits if he timely signed and did not revoke a release agreement with us:
a lump sum payment equal to (i) 18 months of his annual base salary, plus (ii) 1.5x the greater of his target annual bonus for the year of the change of control or the year of his termination;
reimbursement of COBRA premiums to continue health insurance coverage for him and his eligible dependents for up to 18 months, or taxable monthly payments for the equivalent period in the event reimbursement of COBRA premiums would violate applicable law; and
100% accelerated vesting of all outstanding equity awards.
In the event any of the amounts provided for under the executive employment letter or otherwise payable to Mr. Shmunis would constitute “parachute payments” within the meaning of Code Section 280G and could be subject to the related excise tax, Mr. Shmunis would have been entitled to receive either full payment of benefits under the executive employment letter or such lesser amount which would result in no portion of the benefits being subject to the excise tax, whichever resulted in the greater amount of after-tax benefits to Mr. Shmunis. The executive employment letter did not require us to provide any tax gross-up payments.
Tarek Robbiati
In connection with his appointment as CEO, we entered into an executive employment offer letter with Tarek Robbiati on August 2, 2023. The offer letter did not have a specific term and provided that Mr. Robbiati was an at-will employee. Under the offer letter, Mr. Robbiati was entitled to an initial annualized base salary of $850,000 and a quarterly management-by-objective bonus opportunity equal to 100% of Mr. Robbiati’s quarterly base salary, subject to the terms of the Company's Executive Incentive Plan.
The offer letter provided for the Initial Time-Based RSUs, Initial Performance-Based RSUs, Buyout Time-Based RSUs, and Buyout Performance-Based RSUs described above. The offer letter also provided for a sign-on bonus in the aggregate amount of $3,000,000, with $1,000,000 to be paid within 30 days of the effective date of Mr. Robbiati’s appointment as CEO and $2,000,000 to be paid no later than March 15, 2024. In the event that Mr. Robbiati was terminated by the Company for “cause” (as defined in the Severance Policy), but not for death or “disability” (as defined in the Severance Policy) or Mr. Robbiati voluntarily resigned from the Company without “good reason” (as defined in the Severance Policy), in either case, within two years of the effective date of his appointment as CEO, Mr. Robbiati was required to reimburse the Company for the total gross amount of the sign-on bonus actually received within 120 days following the employment termination date.
Mr. Robbiati was a participant in the Severance Policy, as described below.
Mo Katibeh
We entered into an executive employment offer letter with Mr. Katibeh, our former President and Chief Operating Officer, dated January 4, 2022, which was subsequently amended on May 9, 2022. The offer letter had no specific term and provided for at-will employment.
If Mr. Katibeh’s employment was terminated by the Company without cause (including by reason of death or “disability” (as defined in the offer letter)) or he resigned for good reason, he was eligible to receive the following payments and benefits if he timely signed and did not revoke a release agreement with us:
cash severance equal to his then-current base salary for a period of (i) six months if such termination was by us other than for cause, death, or disability or by him for good reason or (ii) twelve months if such termination was by us due to his death or disability;
reimbursement of COBRA premiums through the earlier of (i) the 12‑month anniversary of the date of the termination of employment or (ii) the date on which Mr. Katibeh or his eligible dependents, as applicable, ceased to be eligible for COBRA continuation coverage, provided that if we determined that we could not make these COBRA reimbursements without potentially violating applicable law, Mr. Katibeh would instead have received a taxable lump sum payment of $30,000 in lieu of such COBRA reimbursements; and
the following equity award vesting acceleration benefit:
if such termination occurred during the period beginning 90 days prior to a “change of control” (as defined in the Equity Acceleration Policy) and ending 12 months following a change of control, then under the Equity Acceleration Policy, 50% acceleration of vesting of any of his then-outstanding and unvested equity awards subject to time-based vesting conditions, subject to the terms and conditions of the Equity Acceleration Policy, or
if such termination occurred outside of the period described in the previous bullet, acceleration of vesting of the portion of any of his then-outstanding and unvested equity awards subject to time based vesting conditions that would have vested if he had remained employed with us through the date that is 6 months following his effective last day with us.
Mr. Katibeh was a participant in the Equity Acceleration Policy, as described below.
Sonalee Parekh
We entered into an executive employment offer letter with Ms. Parekh, our CFO, dated April 26, 2022. The offer letter has no specific term and provides for at-will employment.
If Ms. Parekh’s employment was terminated by the Company without cause (including by reason of death or “disability” (as defined in the offer letter)) or she resigned for good reason, she was eligible to receive the following payments and benefits if she timely signed and did not revoke a release agreement with us:
cash severance equal to her then-current base salary for a period of (i) six months if such termination was by us other than for cause, death, or disability or by her for good reason or (ii) twelve months if such termination was by us due to her death or disability;
reimbursement of COBRA premiums through the earlier of (i) the 12‑month anniversary of the date of the termination of employment or (ii) the date on which Ms. Parekh or her eligible dependents, as applicable, ceased to be eligible for COBRA continuation coverage, provided that if we determined that we could not make these COBRA reimbursements without potentially violating applicable law, Ms. Parekh would instead have received a taxable lump sum payment of $30,000 in lieu of such COBRA reimbursements; and
the following equity award vesting acceleration benefit:
if such termination occurred during the period beginning 90 days prior to a “change of control” (as defined in the Equity Acceleration Policy) and ending 12 months following a change of control, then under the Equity Acceleration Policy, 100% acceleration of vesting of any of her then-outstanding and unvested equity awards subject to time-based vesting conditions, subject to the terms and conditions of the Equity Acceleration Policy, or
if such termination occurred outside of the period described in the previous bullet, acceleration of vesting of the portion of any of her then-outstanding and unvested equity awards subject to time based vesting conditions that would have vested if she had remained employed with us through the date that is 6 months following her effective last day with us.
Ms. Parekh was a participant in the Equity Acceleration Policy and currently is a participant in the Severance Policy, as described below.
John Marlow
We entered into an executive employment offer letter with John Marlow, our current Chief Administrative Officer, Senior Vice President, Corporate Development, General Counsel and Secretary, dated September 13, 2013. The executive employment offer letter has no specific term and provides for at-will employment.
In the event we terminated Mr. Marlow’s employment without “cause” (as such term is defined in his offer letter) and excluding by reason of death or disability, he was eligible to receive severance equal to three months of his base salary, payable in installments in accordance with our payroll procedures, subject to his signing and not revoking a release agreement with us.
Mr. Marlow was a participant in the Equity Acceleration Policy and currently is a participant in the Severance Policy, as described below.
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
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 his resignation, Mr. Robbiati was a participant 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
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.
Other Compensation Policies
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.
Compensation Recovery Policy
We have adopted a clawback policy, effective as of October 2, 2023, that complies with the new SEC rules under the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act and also permits us to seek to recover incentive compensation from executive officers and certain other employees who are determined to have engaged in, or in some cases to have been aware of or willfully blind to, significant misconduct.
Insider Trading Policies and Procedures; Derivatives Trading; Hedging and Pledging Policy
We maintain insider trading policies and procedures governing the purchase, sale, and other dispositions of our securities that are applicable to RingCentral and all of our directors, officers, and employees. Our insider trading policies and procedures are reasonably designed to promote compliance with insider trading laws, rules and regulations, and the NYSE listing standards. Pursuant to our insider trading policy, our employees, including the members of our executive team and the members of our board of directors, are prohibited from engaging in transactions involving derivative securities or otherwise that would hedge the risk of ownership of our equity securities and from pledging our equity securities as collateral for a loan.
Tax and Accounting 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 (collectively “covered employees”). 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.
Accounting Considerations
We take financial reporting implications into consideration in designing compensation plans and arrangements for the members of our executive team, other employees and members of our board of directors. These accounting considerations include ASC Topic 718, the standard which governs the accounting treatment of stock-based compensation awards.
Compensation-Related Risk
Our board of directors is responsible for the oversight of our risk profile, including compensation-related risks. Our compensation committee monitors our compensation policies and practices as applied to our employees to ensure that these policies and practices do not encourage excessive and unnecessary risk-taking. In cooperation with management, our compensation committee reviewed our 2023 compensation programs. Our compensation committee believes the mix and design of the elements of such programs do not encourage our employees to assume excessive risks and accordingly are not reasonably likely to have a material adverse effect on our Company. We have designed our compensation programs to be balanced so that our employees are focused on both short-term and long-term financial and operational performance. In particular, the weighting towards long-term incentive compensation discourages short-term risk taking. Goals are appropriately set with targets that encourage growth in the business.
Report of the Compensation Committee
The following Report of the compensation committee shall not be deemed to be “soliciting material” and should not be deemed “filed” and shall not be deemed to be incorporated by reference in future filings with the SEC, except to the extent that the Company specifically incorporates it by reference into a document filed under the Securities Act or the Exchange Act.
The compensation committee has reviewed and discussed with management the Compensation Discussion and Analysis provided above. Based on its review and discussions, the compensation committee recommended to the board of directors that the Compensation Discussion and Analysis be included in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Respectfully submitted by the members of the compensation committee of the board of directors:
Allan Thygesen (Chair)
Robert Theis
Summary Compensation Table
The following table provides information regarding the compensation of our named executive officers during fiscal 2023.
| 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 RobbiatiFormer 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 KatibehFormer 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 ParekhChief 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 |
(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 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) $341,404 of bonuses earned under our Bonus Plan in fiscal 2023, which were paid in cash.
Grants of Plan-Based Awards in 2023
The following table sets forth information regarding grants of awards made to our named executive officers during fiscal 2023. We did not grant any cash awards under our 2013 Plan during fiscal 2023.
| Estimated Future Payouts Under Equity Incentive Plan Awards | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Name | Grant Date | Approval Date | Threshold(#) | Target(#) | Maximum(#) | All Other Stock Awards: Number of Securities Underlying Restricted Stock Units (#) | Grant Date Fair Value of Stock Awards ($)(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 | |
(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 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
The following table presents information concerning equity awards held by our named executive officers at the end of fiscal 2023.
| 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 | ||||||||
(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)These shares underlying this RSU award 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 are subject to accelerated vesting in the event of termination of employment under certain circumstances.
(11)These shares underlying this RSU award 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 are subject to accelerated vesting in the event of termination of employment under certain circumstances.
(12)The shares underlying this RSU award 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 are 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
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 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 |
(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
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
We do not maintain any non-qualified deferred compensation plans or arrangements under which our named executive officers are entitled to participate.
Hedging Policy
Pursuant to our Insider Trading Policy, our directors, officers (as defined in Rule 16a-1(f) of the Exchange Act) and other employees subject to blackout periods or pre-clearance requirements under such policy are prohibited from engaging in transactions in publicly-traded options, such as puts and calls, and other derivative securities with respect to the Company’s securities, including hedging their ownership of Company securities or similar transactions designed to decrease the risks associated with holding Company securities. Stock options, stock appreciation rights and other securities issued pursuant to our benefit plans or other compensatory arrangements with us are not subject to this prohibition.
Potential Payments upon Termination and upon Termination in Connection with 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.
| 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 |
(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 $33.95).
(3) Represents the value of the COBRA premium reimbursements to be provided to such named executive officer upon a termination apart from a change of control.
Potential Payments upon Termination in Connection with a Change of Control
The following table sets forth quantitative estimates of the benefits that would have accrued to each of our named executive officers that remained employed with us on December 31, 2023, pursuant to the Severance Policy, if (i) the named executive officer experiences a qualifying termination of his or her employment (as described in the “Executive Employment Arrangements” and “Other Change in Control Provisions” subsections of the “Executive Compensation─Compensation Discussion and Analysis─Post-Employment Compensation” section above) on December 31, 2023, and within the period beginning 3 months prior to or 12 months following a “change of control” (as defined in our Severance Policy) and (ii) such named executive officer signs and does not revoke a release agreement with us.
| Cash Severance ($)(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 |
(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 will 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 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
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 Annual Report on Form 10-K, 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 Annual Report on Form 10-K.
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