James Manyika
AirbnbAbout James Manyika
James Manyika (age 59) serves as an independent Class III director at Airbnb, Inc. and chairs the Stakeholder Committee . He joined the Airbnb board in September 2023 and is currently Senior Vice President of Research, Technology and Society at Google LLC (Alphabet) since January 2022 . He is a Rhodes Scholar with a DPhil in AI and Robotics, MSc in Mathematics and Computer Science, and MA from Oxford University, and a BSc (first class) in Electrical Engineering from the University of Zimbabwe .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Google LLC (Alphabet) | Senior Vice President, Research, Technology and Society | Since Jan 2022 | Leads research on technology’s societal impact |
| McKinsey & Company | Senior Partner; Senior Partner Emeritus since Jan 2022 | Senior Partner 2006–Jan 2021 | Member of Shareholders Council (board) 2016–Jan 2022; Chairman/Director Emeritus of McKinsey Global Institute |
| McKinsey Global Institute | Chairman and Director | 2009–2021 | Led economics/technology research |
| White House Global Development Council | Vice Chair | Dec 2012–Jan 2017 | Advised US administration on global development |
| National AI Advisory Committee | Vice Chair | Not specified (served) | Advises the President and White House on AI |
External Roles
| Organization/Body | Role | Start Date | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| General Atlantic LLC | Executive Advisory Board member | 2021 | Advisory capacity |
| Research institutes & philanthropic foundations | Board member (several) | Not specified | Various boards; names not listed |
Board Governance
- Independence: The board determined James Manyika is independent under Nasdaq Listing Rules .
- Committee assignments: Stakeholder Committee (Chair); not listed as member of Audit, Risk & Compliance; People & Compensation; or Nominating & Corporate Governance .
- Stakeholder Committee remit: Engagement on hosts/guests/community/employees/shareholders; reviews stakeholder principles; advises on Host Endowment Fund administration .
- Meeting attendance: Board met 4 times in 2024; all directors attended at least 75% of aggregate board and committee meetings; Stakeholder Committee met 2 times in 2024 .
- Board class/tenure: Class III term expires at the 2026 annual meeting .
Fixed Compensation
| Component | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Annual director cash retainer | $50,000 | Paid quarterly; directors may elect RSUs in lieu |
| Stakeholder Committee Chair fee | $37,500 | Annual cash retainer for chair |
| Total “Fees Earned or Paid in Cash” (2024) | $87,500 | Manyika elected RSUs in lieu of cash (606 RSUs) |
Performance Compensation
| Equity Award | Grant Date | Shares/Units | Fair Value | Vesting |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Annual Director RSU | May 25, 2024 | 2,076 RSUs | $299,920 | Vests in full on first anniversary |
| RSUs in lieu of cash fees | May 25, 2024 | 606 RSUs | Included in “Fees forgone” conversion | Vests per director RSU schedule (to next May 25) |
No director performance metrics (e.g., revenue/TSR) are tied to director equity; RSUs are service-based with single-year vesting, and change-in-control accelerates vesting for non-employee directors .
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Company | Role | Type | Potential Interlock/Exposure |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alphabet (Google LLC) | Senior Vice President | External employment | Potential supplier/customer areas (ads/cloud/maps) for Airbnb; however, no related-party transactions involving Google/Alphabet were disclosed for 2024–2025 . |
| Public company boards | None disclosed | N/A | No other public company directorships listed . |
Expertise & Qualifications
- Advanced technical expertise in AI/Robotics and technology’s impact on business and society .
- Senior leadership and governance experience (McKinsey Shareholders Council; chairing MGI) .
- Policy advisory experience (White House Global Development Council Vice Chair; National AI Advisory Committee Vice Chair) .
- Rhodes Scholar; Oxford and University of Zimbabwe degrees .
Equity Ownership
| Holder | Class A Shares | RSUs vesting within 60 days (as of Apr 7, 2025) | Total Beneficial Ownership | % of Class/Voting |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| James Manyika | 1,935 | 2,682 | 4,617 | Less than 1% |
Additional alignment policies:
- Director stock ownership guideline: Non-employee directors must hold shares equal to 5× the annual cash retainer ($250,000 equivalent) .
- Hedging prohibited; pledging restricted and requires board approval (≤5% of outstanding securities held by the director and ≤$50 million loan cap) .
RSUs outstanding at FY 2024:
- RSUs outstanding (12/31/2024): 2,682 .
Governance Assessment
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Strengths
- Independent status, with robust committee role focused on stakeholder oversight; chairing the Stakeholder Committee signals board emphasis on stakeholder governance .
- Strong attendance and engagement; board met 4 times and Stakeholder Committee met 2 times in 2024, with all directors ≥75% attendance .
- Director pay mix emphasizes equity; Manyika elected RSUs in lieu of cash and received annual RSU grants, aligning compensation with shareholder value .
-
Potential risks/RED FLAGS to monitor
- External employment at Alphabet (Google) can present perceived conflicts in areas where Airbnb may engage Google services; however, no related-party transactions were disclosed for 2024–2025, and Airbnb maintains a formal related-party review/approval policy via the Audit, Risk & Compliance Committee chair with quarterly ratification .
- Limited disclosed beneficial ownership (4,617 shares including near-term RSU vesting; <1%) suggests modest “skin-in-the-game”; compliance with the 5× retainer ownership guideline is not disclosed in the proxy .
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Controls mitigating conflict risk
- Formal related-party transaction policy and audit committee chair pre-approval/quarterly ratification process .
- Company-wide prohibitions on hedging and restrictions on pledging for directors .