Kausik Rajgopal
Alight, Inc. / DelawareAbout Kausik Rajgopal
Independent director since 2023 (age 51), currently Executive Vice President of Strategy, Corporate Development and Partnerships at PayPal; previously EVP of People & Sourcing at PayPal and a senior leader at McKinsey (global payments lead; co-managing partner for the U.S. and Western U.S.), with degrees in industrial engineering and political science and an MBA from Stanford. He chairs Alight’s Nominating & Corporate Governance Committee and serves on the Compensation Committee, bringing expertise across HR, technology, payments, and financial services; the Board has affirmatively determined he is independent under NYSE rules.
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| PayPal Holdings, Inc. | EVP, Strategy, Corporate Development & Partnerships | Nov 2023–present | Senior leadership in fintech; strategy and partnerships |
| PayPal Holdings, Inc. | EVP, People & Sourcing | Jun 2021–Nov 2023 | Led people & sourcing functions through transformation |
| McKinsey & Company | Global lead for payments; Managing Partner (San Francisco/Silicon Valley; Western U.S.); Co‑Managing Partner for U.S. | 2006–2021; U.S. co‑MP Jul 2012–Jun 2021 | Client services across all sectors; people initiatives; payments leadership |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stanford Graduate School of Business | Advisory Council, Vice Chair | Not disclosed | Academic/strategic advisory role |
Board Governance
- Committee assignments: Chair, Nominating & Corporate Governance; Member, Compensation.
- Independence: Board determined Rajgopal meets NYSE independence criteria.
- Attendance: In 2024, all incumbent directors attended ≥75% of Board/committee meetings (except one director at 71%); Rajgopal met the ≥75% threshold.
- Years of service: Director since 2023; standing for re-election as a Class I director to a term ending at the 2028 annual meeting.
- Lead Independent Director: Company does not currently have a Lead Director; Board separates Chair and CEO roles.
| Governance Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Board Committees served | Compensation (member) |
| Committee Chair role | Nominating & Corporate Governance (Chair) |
| 2024 Committee meeting counts | Compensation: 7; Nominating & Corporate Governance: 7 |
| Independence status | Independent under NYSE rules |
| Board attendance (2024) | ≥75% for incumbents including Rajgopal |
| Election class/status | Class I nominee; term to 2028 if elected |
Fixed Compensation
| Component | 2024 Amount (USD) |
|---|---|
| Fees earned/paid in cash | $79,994 |
| Stock awards (time‑vested RSUs) | $150,000 |
| Total | $229,994 |
| Cash/equity election | Elected to receive 50% of annual cash retainer in unrestricted shares and 50% in cash |
| Director Compensation Program | Fiscal 2024 & Q1 2025 | As of Q2 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| Board member annual cash retainer | $70,000 | $85,000 |
| Board member annual equity grant | $150,000 | $200,000 |
| Chair of Board annual cash retainer | $300,000 | $200,000 |
| Chair of Board annual equity grant | N/A | $200,000 |
| Committee chair annual cash retainer | Audit $30,000; Other $20,000 | Audit $30,000; Other $20,000 |
| Committee member annual cash retainer | Audit $15,000; Other $10,000 | Audit $15,000; Other $10,000 |
Performance Compensation
- Director equity grants are time‑vested RSUs; no performance conditions are disclosed for director equity. RSUs vest on the first anniversary of grant date, subject to continued service, with exceptions for death, disability, change‑in‑control window, and certain involuntary terminations.
- Rajgopal’s 2024 grant date and fair value: RSUs granted March 15, 2024; grant date fair value $150,000; number of shares derived from grant date closing price (not enumerated in proxy).
| Award Type | Grant Date | Vesting Schedule | Grant Date Fair Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Time‑vested RSUs (Director) | Mar 15, 2024 | 100% on first anniversary, subject to continued service and specified exceptions | $150,000 |
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Company | Role | Committee Roles | Potential Interlocks |
|---|---|---|---|
| None disclosed (public company boards) | — | — | No public company directorships disclosed for Rajgopal; current executive role at PayPal noted separately |
Expertise & Qualifications
- Strategic planning, corporate governance, technology/product development, privacy/security, people & culture, senior leadership, industry knowledge—skills matrix shows Rajgopal brings broad relevant competencies.
- Education: Undergraduate degrees in industrial engineering and political science; MBA from Stanford University.
- Payments/fintech and HR leadership expertise; prior co‑leadership of McKinsey’s U.S. region and payments practice.
Equity Ownership
| Holder | Shares of Class A | % of Class A | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kausik Rajgopal | 26,787 | <1% | Beneficial ownership as of April 7, 2025; percentage owned is less than 1% |
| Director stock ownership guidelines | 5× annual retainer (10× for Chair) | Compliance timeline: 5 years | Directors must retain 100% of after‑tax shares until meeting guideline; all non‑employee directors have achieved thresholds or are working toward compliance within 5 years of appointment/election |
- Company “Other best practices” include stock ownership guidelines and a compensation clawback policy; “practices we do not engage in” include pledging and hedging shares.
Governance Assessment
- Strengths: Independent status; chair of the Nominating & Corporate Governance Committee with active oversight (7 meetings in 2024) including CEO succession planning; attendance ≥75%; compensation mix skewed to equity with optional share settlement of retainers; robust ownership guidelines reinforce alignment.
- Compensation governance: Independent compensation consultant (Mercer) supports pay benchmarking; 2024 say‑on‑pay approval exceeded 95%, signaling shareholder support for compensation practices.
- Conflicts/related‑party: No related‑party transactions disclosed involving Rajgopal or PayPal; Company maintains a formal related‑party transactions policy with Audit Committee oversight, with specified disclosures of transactions involving other parties (e.g., sponsor‑affiliated entities, former CEO aircraft arrangement), none implicating Rajgopal.
- Board environment: Sponsor Investors retain designation rights for certain board seats under Investor Rights Agreement, which can influence board composition; mitigated by majority independence and fully independent standing committees.
- RED FLAGS: None disclosed specific to Rajgopal (no pledging/hedging reported; no related‑party transactions; attendance above threshold). Monitor for potential future interlocks given his senior role at PayPal, though none are disclosed at present.