Alfred Lin
AirbnbAbout Alfred Lin
Independent Class III director at Airbnb since November 2012; age 52. Partner at Sequoia Capital Operations LLC since October 2010, with deep operating experience scaling technology companies (Zappos COO and Chairman; Tellme Networks VP Finance & BD; LinkExchange VP Finance & Administration). Education: BA in Applied Mathematics (Harvard) and MS in Statistics (Stanford). Audit committee financial expert; serves as Chair of the Audit, Risk and Compliance Committee and member of the People and Compensation Committee .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| LinkExchange (acquired by Microsoft) | VP Finance & Administration | 1996–1998 | Finance leadership in early internet advertising |
| Venture Frogs, LLC | Co‑Founder & General Manager | 1999–2014 | Seed investing in Ask Jeeves, OpenTable, Tellme, Zappos |
| Tellme Networks (acquired by Microsoft) | VP Finance & Business Development | 2001–2005 | Voice services platform growth, strategic BD |
| Zappos (acquired by Amazon) | Chairman of the Board & Chief Operating Officer | 2005–2010 | Operations scaling and culture-building |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sequoia Capital Operations LLC | Partner | Since Oct 2010 | Represents Sequoia on select boards |
| DoorDash, Inc. (public) | Director | Since 2014 | Board service at food-delivery/logistics platform |
| Houzz Inc. (private) | Director | Since 2011 | Online home design and furnishings platform |
Board Governance
- Committee assignments: Chair, Audit, Risk and Compliance Committee; Member, People and Compensation Committee .
- Independence: Board determined Alfred Lin is independent under Nasdaq rules; also deemed an “audit committee financial expert” .
- Attendance and engagement: Board met 4 times in 2024; audit committee met 8; compensation committee met 5. All directors attended at least 75% of aggregate board and committee meetings in 2024 .
- Board structure: Classified board; Lin is in Class III with term expiring at the 2026 annual meeting .
- Lead independent director: Kenneth Chenault (not Lin) .
- Related-party oversight: As Audit Chair, reviews and approves related-party transactions, with quarterly ratification by the committee .
Fixed Compensation
| Component | Airbnb Policy/Role | Amount (2024) |
|---|---|---|
| Annual Board Retainer (cash) | Non-employee director | $50,000 |
| Audit Committee Chair Retainer (cash) | Chair of Audit, Risk & Compliance | $40,000 |
| People & Compensation Committee Member Retainer (cash) | Non-chair member | $15,000 |
| Total Fees Earned or Paid in Cash | Sum of above | $105,000 |
All non-employee directors may elect to receive cash fees in RSUs; Alfred Lin elected RSUs in lieu of cash for 2024 (727 RSUs granted against fees) .
Performance Compensation
Airbnb provides time-based RSUs (not performance-conditioned) to directors; awards vest on service anniversaries, with full vesting upon a change in control.
| Award Type | Grant Date | Shares | Fair Value | Vesting Schedule | Change-in-Control Treatment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Annual Director RSU | May 25, 2024 | 2,076 RSUs | $299,950 | Vests in full on first anniversary of grant, subject to service | Director RSUs vest in full on change in control |
| RSUs in lieu of cash fees | May 2024 | 727 RSUs | Derived from foregone cash fees | Vests on next May 25 following grant, subject to service | Director RSUs vest in full on change in control |
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Company | Relationship to Airbnb | Alfred Lin Role | Potential Interlock/Conflict Considerations |
|---|---|---|---|
| DoorDash, Inc. | Marketplace platform; no direct disclosed transactions with Airbnb | Director since 2014 | Information-flow interlock across consumer internet; no related-party transactions disclosed with Airbnb |
| Sequoia Capital Funds (5% stockholder group) | Beneficial owner of Airbnb shares | Lin is a partner at Sequoia; does not have beneficial ownership of Sequoia’s Airbnb shares | Audit Chair role reviewing related-party transactions; board affirmed independence; policy requires chair approval and quarterly audit committee ratification |
Expertise & Qualifications
- Financial expertise: Board-designated audit committee financial expert; deep finance/operations background (Zappos COO, Tellme VP Finance/BD, LinkExchange VP Finance) .
- Technology scaling and venture: Partner at Sequoia with multi-decade early-stage and growth investing experience; governance on tech marketplace platforms .
- Quantitative training: Applied Mathematics (Harvard) and Statistics (Stanford) .
Equity Ownership
| Item | Detail | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Total beneficial ownership (Class A) | Shares at April 7, 2025 (includes estate planning vehicle & near-term RSU vesting) | 457,776 shares (Class A) |
| Ownership as % of shares outstanding | Class A | <1% (“*” in table) |
| RSUs outstanding (unvested at 12/31/2024) | Director RSUs | 2,803 RSUs |
| Options outstanding | Director options | 0 (none outstanding) |
| Hedging/Pledging | Company policy prohibits hedging; pledging restricted and requires board approval, limited to ≤5% of holder’s company securities and ≤$50M loan | Policy disclosed; no pledges by Lin disclosed |
| Stock ownership guideline | Non-employee directors must hold ≥5× annual cash retainer | Guideline applies; compliance status not individually disclosed |
Governance Assessment
- Strengths: Independent director with designated audit financial expertise; chairs a robust audit function (8 meetings in 2024) and participates in compensation oversight; strong attendance culture (≥75% threshold met by all directors) . Ownership alignment via annual RSUs and election to receive fees in stock; director stock ownership policy in place .
- Potential conflicts and mitigants: Lin is a Sequoia partner while Sequoia is a significant Airbnb stockholder (beneficially owns Class A and B); however, Lin does not beneficially own Sequoia’s Airbnb shares, the board affirmed his independence, and the Audit Chair (Lin) must approve and the committee ratify related-party transactions under a written policy—key mitigants but still a perception risk given his dual role and audit oversight of RPTs .
- Signals: Election to take fees in RSUs indicates alignment with long-term shareholder value; time-based director equity (no performance metrics) is standard practice. No hedging/pledging by directors permitted absent constrained approval; no pledges disclosed for Lin, reducing alignment risk .
Attendance, independence, committee leadership, and equity-based compensation structure support board effectiveness; the Sequoia affiliation necessitates continued transparency in RPT oversight and clear recusals as applicable to maintain investor confidence .