Amrita Ahuja
AirbnbAbout Amrita Ahuja
Amrita Ahuja, age 45, is a Class II independent director of Airbnb, Inc. (ABNB), serving since December 2021. She is CFO (since Jan 2019) and COO (since Feb 2023) of Block, Inc.; previously CFO of Blizzard Entertainment and senior finance/strategy roles at Activision Blizzard, Fox Networks Group, Walt Disney Company, and Morgan Stanley. She holds a BA from Duke University and an MBA from Harvard Business School. She is nominated to continue as a director through the 2028 annual meeting and is designated an “audit committee financial expert.”
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Block, Inc. | Chief Financial Officer; Chief Operating Officer | CFO: Jan 2019–present; COO: Feb 2023–present | Senior operator in fintech/payments; relevant finance and risk expertise |
| Blizzard Entertainment (Activision Blizzard division) | Chief Financial Officer | Mar 2018–Jan 2019 | Gaming operator finance leadership |
| Activision Blizzard, Inc. | SVP Investor Relations; VP Finance & Operations; VP Strategy & Business Development | 2010–2018 | Capital markets, operations, strategy experience |
| Fox Networks Group | Director of Business Development | Prior to 2010 | Media business development |
| Walt Disney Company | Strategic Planning | 2003–2005 | Corporate strategy experience |
| Morgan Stanley | Investment Banking | 2001–2003 | Capital markets and advisory foundation |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Public/Private | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Discord, Inc. | Director | Jan 2022–present | Private | Voice/video/text platform; complements tech consumer insights |
Board Governance
- Independence: Board determined Ahuja is independent under Nasdaq rules; she is an audit committee financial expert under Item 407(d)(5) of Reg S-K.
- Committee assignments: Member, Audit, Risk and Compliance Committee; not shown as member of People & Compensation, Nominating, or Stakeholder committees. Audit chair is Alfred Lin.
- Attendance: Board met 4 times in FY2024; all directors attended at least 75% of Board and committee meetings; Audit Committee met 8 times; People & Compensation Committee met 5 times in 2024.
- Lead Independent Director: Kenneth Chenault serves as lead independent director (liaison, agendas, executive sessions).
- Classified board structure: Three classes; Class II (Ahuja) term up at 2025 meeting with nomination to 2028.
Fixed Compensation (Non-Employee Director Policy – 2024)
| Component | Amount ($) | Basis/Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Annual Board Retainer (cash) | $50,000 | Standard non-employee director annual cash retainer |
| Audit Committee Member Fee | $17,500 | Non-chair member retainer (Audit, Risk & Compliance) |
| Total Cash Fees Earned (Ahuja 2024) | $67,500 | Matches director compensation table for 2024 |
| Meeting Fees | — | Not specified in policy; not disclosed |
Directors may elect to receive RSUs in lieu of cash fees; Ahuja elected RSUs in lieu of cash in 2024 (see Performance Compensation).
Performance Compensation (Equity Awards – 2024)
| Award Type | Grant Date | Quantity (RSUs) | Grant-Date Fair Value ($) | Vesting | Performance Metric Ties |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Annual RSU award | May 25, 2024 | 2,076 | $299,920 | Vests in full on first anniversary of grant date (time-based) | None; annual director RSUs are time-based (no performance conditions) |
| RSUs in lieu of cash fees | May 2024 | 467 | Cash-equivalent value of $67,500 | Granted and vest same manner as annual award (time-based) | None; elected as equity instead of cash |
| Change-of-control treatment | — | — | — | All RSUs for directors vest in full upon change in control (single-trigger) | — |
2023 context: Ahuja received 2,873 RSUs on May 25, 2023 ($299,999 grant-date fair value) and 646 RSUs in lieu of cash fees; consistent time-based vesting.
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Company | Relationship to ABNB | Potential Interlock/Conflict Considerations |
|---|---|---|
| Block, Inc. (Ahuja is CFO/COO) | Payments industry overlap with Airbnb’s platform payments | No related-party transactions disclosed involving Ahuja; Audit Committee Chair reviews all related-party transactions quarterly under policy. |
| Discord, Inc. | No direct disclosed dealings with Airbnb | No conflicts disclosed. |
Expertise & Qualifications
- Finance and Operations leadership at large-scale consumer tech and fintech companies; designated audit committee financial expert (reading and understanding consolidated financial statements).
- Education: BA Duke University; MBA Harvard Business School.
- Technology, gaming, media, and payments sector experience offers risk oversight and financial acumen aligned with Audit Committee remit.
Equity Ownership
| Holder | Class A Shares Beneficially Owned | % of Voting Power | RSUs Outstanding (12/31/2024) | Options Outstanding |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amrita Ahuja | 10,779 | * (<1%) | 2,543 | — |
| Citations |
Non-Employee Director Stock Ownership Policy requires holdings equal to five times the annual cash retainer (i.e., 5x $50,000). Compliance status vs guideline not disclosed.
Governance Assessment
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Positive signals:
- Independence and audit financial expertise; active Audit Committee service and robust committee cadence (8 meetings in 2024) enhance oversight of reporting, controls, and risk (including cybersecurity and related-party review).
- Equity-aligned compensation: elected RSUs in lieu of cash and receives annual RSU grants with one-year vesting; a meaningful equity mix supports alignment with shareholder outcomes.
- Attendance: met expectations (≥75% of meetings); Board conducts regular sessions; Audit Committee responsibilities are comprehensive.
- No related-party transactions disclosed involving Ahuja; quarterly review process in place under Audit Committee oversight.
-
Watch items / RED FLAGS:
- Director equity is single-trigger accelerated on change-of-control (vests in full), which can be viewed as shareholder-unfriendly depending on context; standard but worth monitoring in potential M&A scenarios.
- Beneficial ownership is de minimis (<1%); while directors have a 5x retainer guideline, compliance specifics are not disclosed for Ahuja. Consider engagement on ownership guideline compliance if material.
Overall, Ahuja’s finance/operator credentials, independence, Audit Committee role, and equity-heavy compensation profile support board effectiveness and investor confidence. No disclosed conflicts or attendance issues; maintain monitoring of change-in-control vesting terms and ownership guideline adherence.