Todd Ford
ACI WORLDWIDEAbout Todd Ford
Independent director at ACI Worldwide appointed September 25, 2025; brings deep CFO, SaaS, operations, and M&A experience from Coupa (President/CFO/EVP Ops), MobileIron (CFO, IPO 2014), and Rackable Systems; B.S. Accounting from Santa Clara University. Designated independent by the Board upon appointment; no Item 404(a) related‑party transactions disclosed; initial equity grant reported on Form 3 was 3,230 RSUs vesting at the earlier of one year, the day before the next annual meeting, or a change in control .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Coupa Software | President, CFO & EVP Operations; later President & CFO Emeritus through sale to Thoma Bravo | 2015–2023 | Helped lead transition to SaaS; supported $8.0B take‑private in 2023 . |
| MobileIron | Chief Financial Officer | Through 2014 | Led company through IPO in 2014 . |
| Rackable Systems (now part of HPE) | CFO & EVP Operations | Not disclosed | Scaled from ~$20M to >$350M revenue as a public company . |
| Cadence Design Systems; Raster Graphics | Finance/management roles | Not disclosed | Enterprise software and hardware financial management experience . |
| Arthur Andersen | Auditor (early career) | Not disclosed | Accounting foundation . |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8x8, Inc. | Director | Current | Public company board experience . |
| HashiCorp | Director | Prior | Served prior to IBM acquisition in Feb 2025 . |
| Broken Arrow Capital | Managing Director | Current | Investor/operating executive advisory work . |
Board Governance
- Status: Independent director; appointed September 25, 2025; to serve until the 2026 Annual Meeting; to participate in standard non‑employee director compensation arrangements .
- Committee assignments: Not disclosed as of appointment date .
- Independence and conflicts: Board determined independence under Nasdaq standards; no transactions requiring disclosure under Item 404(a) (related‑party) .
- ACI board practices (context): Directors must attend at least 75% of meetings (2024 result: all directors met this threshold), and the Board prohibits hedging and pledging by directors; independent director executive sessions are held regularly .
Fixed Compensation
| Component | Amount/Structure | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Base cash retainer (independent director) | $68,000 per year | |
| Equity retainer (annual target) | $250,000 grant date fair value in RSUs; typically vests at earlier of one year or day before next annual meeting; accelerated vesting upon death/disability; change‑of‑control vesting applicable per award terms | |
| Committee chair retainers | Audit Chair $30,000; Compensation Chair $20,000; Nominating & Corporate Governance Chair $15,000 | |
| Pro‑rated new director equity practice | Pro‑rated RSU award upon board entry; consistent with ACI practice for new appointees |
Performance Compensation
| Element | Metrics | Payout Mechanics | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Director short‑term/long‑term performance pay | None (non‑employee directors do not receive performance bonus metrics) | Director equity is time‑based RSUs; no PSU/options for directors disclosed |
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Company | Relationship to ACI | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 8x8, Inc. | No disclosed customer/supplier interlock; board service only | Current directorship . |
| HashiCorp | None | Prior directorship; exited at IBM acquisition (Feb 2025) . |
- Related‑party transactions: None disclosed for Todd Ford at appointment per Item 404(a) review .
Expertise & Qualifications
- Core skills: Public company CFO, SaaS transformation, operations, M&A, IPO readiness and execution .
- Education: B.S. in Accounting, Santa Clara University .
- Board value‑add: Finance and cloud/SaaS acumen aligned to ACI’s software model; potential Audit Committee financial expertise profile given career background (designation not yet disclosed) .
Equity Ownership
| As of | Title | Amount/Type | Vesting/Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 3, 2025 (Form 3) | RSUs (initial director grant) | 3,230 RSUs (direct) | Vest on earlier of one year from grant, day prior to next annual meeting, or change in control . |
- Director stock ownership guidelines: 5x base retainer ($340,000 using $68,000 base) within five years; new directors have five years to comply; equity counted includes direct/indirect holdings and vested in‑the‑money options; noncompliant directors temporarily ineligible for new equity awards until compliance .
- Hedging/pledging: Prohibited for directors under company policy .
Fixed/Variable Award Detail (FY25 entry grant mechanics)
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Appointment and term | Appointed Sept 25, 2025; serves until 2026 Annual Meeting; standard non‑employee director compensation applies . |
| Initial equity | 3,230 RSUs reported on Form 3; standard director vest terms apply . |
Insider Filings and Trades
| Date | Form | Transaction/Reporting | Shares/Type | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 3, 2025 | Form 3 | Initial statement of beneficial ownership | 3,230 RSUs (direct) | RSUs under 2020 plan; vest on earlier of one year, day before next annual meeting, or change in control . |
Governance Assessment
- Positives
- Independence confirmed; no related‑party transactions at appointment, reducing conflict risk .
- Strong finance/SaaS background (Coupa, MobileIron IPO, Rackable) aligns with ACI’s software business and could strengthen audit/financial oversight and cloud go‑to‑market discipline .
- Director equity is time‑based RSUs, aligning interests with shareholders; robust stock ownership guideline (5x retainer) and hedging/pledging prohibitions enhance alignment .
- Watch items
- Committee assignments not disclosed at appointment; investors should monitor eventual placement (Audit/Compensation/Nominating) for maximum leverage of finance expertise .
- Overboarding risk appears low (one current public board—8x8), but monitor incremental commitments for capacity/attendance impact .
- RED FLAGS
- None identified in filings: independence affirmed; no Item 404(a) related‑party transactions; standard director compensation; no pledging permitted .
Note: ACI Board and committee meeting attendance for Mr. Ford is not yet applicable; 2024 attendance context reflects legacy board composition where all directors met the 75% threshold .
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