Barbara Yastine
About Barbara Yastine
Barbara Yastine (age 65) is an independent Class III director at Alkami Technology, Inc., serving since October 2020, with her current term continuing until the 2027 annual meeting . She is the former Chair, President and CEO of Ally Bank, ex‑CFO of Credit Suisse First Boston, and spent 1987–2002 at Citigroup and predecessors, bringing senior financial services leadership and board experience to Alkami . She holds a B.A. in journalism and an M.B.A. from New York University . Notably, a private firm where she was Co‑CEO (Lebenthal) filed for Chapter 7 roughly 17 months after her departure (Nov 2017), a historical data point for risk diligence .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ally Bank | Chair, President & CEO | Mar 2012 – Jun 2015 | Led regulated bank; oversight of consumer banking operations |
| Ally Bank / Ally Financial | Chair of Ally Bank; Chief Administrative Officer, Ally Financial | May 2010 – Mar 2012 | Enterprise administration; governance at bank subsidiary |
| Lebenthal Holdings LLC | Co‑Chief Executive Officer & Director | Sep 2015 – Jun 2016 | Senior leadership; the company later filed Ch. 7 in Nov 2017 (post‑tenure) |
| Southgate Alternative Investments | Principal | From Jun 2007 | Alternative investments role |
| Credit Suisse First Boston | Chief Financial Officer | Oct 2002 – Aug 2004 | Public markets/IB CFO leadership |
| Citigroup and predecessors | Various roles | 1987 – 2002 | Long‑tenured leadership in financial services |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| AXIS Capital Holdings Limited (AXS) | Director | Current | Insurance holding company |
| Zions Bancorporation, N.A. (ZION) | Director | Current | Bank holding company |
| Primerica, Inc. (PRI) | Director | Current | Insurance and financial services sales company |
| First Data Corporation (FDC) | Director | Sep 2016 – Jul 2019 | Prior public board service |
Board Governance
- Independence: The Board determined all directors other than CEO Alex Shootman are independent; Yastine is independent under Nasdaq rules .
- Committee assignments: Audit Committee member; the Audit Committee comprises Kane (Chair), Nelson, and Yastine; all are independent and designated “audit committee financial experts” .
- Meeting attendance: The Board met five times in 2024; each director attended ≥75% of Board and respective committee meetings; independent directors met regularly in executive sessions in 2024 .
- Board leadership: Roles of Chair and CEO are separated; Brian R. Smith serves as Chair, providing independent leadership .
- Cybersecurity oversight context: Information Systems Audit Committee oversees IT/data privacy risk and met quarterly in 2024; Yastine is not listed as a member of this committee .
Note on committee matrix vs narrative: The committee composition section lists Nominating & Corporate Governance Committee members as Mitchell (member), Osnoss (member), Smith (Chair); Yastine is not listed there, and her 2024 cash fees align with base plus Audit Committee membership only .
Fixed Compensation
| Component | Program Terms | 2024 Amounts (Barbara Yastine) |
|---|---|---|
| Annual cash retainer | $30,000 per non‑employee director | $30,000 (included in $40,000 cash total) |
| Committee fees | Audit: Chair $20,000; non‑chair $10,000. Compensation: Chair $15,000; non‑chair $7,500. Info Systems: Chair $15,000; non‑chair $7,500. Nominating: Chair $10,000; non‑chair $5,000 | Audit Committee non‑chair $10,000 (total fees earned in cash: $40,000) |
| Meeting fees | None disclosed | None disclosed |
- 2024 Director pay: Cash $40,000; Stock awards $178,315; Total $218,315 (Yastine) .
- Retainer election flexibility: Directors may elect to receive cash retainers as fully vested RSUs; the footnote lists those who elected RSU settlement; Yastine is not among them .
- Deferral options: Directors may defer settlement of RSUs; deferred balances are disclosed for several directors, not including Yastine .
Performance Compensation
| Equity Element | Grant Mechanism | Grant Value/Units | Vesting |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual RSU grant | $190,000 divided by 30‑day average price at grant | Value applied to each non‑employee director annually | Vests in full on the first anniversary or immediately prior to next annual meeting |
| Initial RSU grant (new directors) | $340,000 divided by 30‑day average price at grant | For directors upon initial appointment/election | Vests 1/3 annually over 3 years |
| Change‑in‑control treatment | All director RSUs vest immediately before change in control | N/A | Single‑trigger vesting for directors |
| 2024 stock awards for Yastine | Annual RSU award (aggregate grant date fair value) | $178,315 | As per Director Compensation Program vesting terms |
- Performance metrics tied to director pay: None disclosed; director equity grants are time‑based RSUs (not performance‑vested) .
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Company | Relationship to ALKT | Potential Interlock/Conflict |
|---|---|---|
| AXIS Capital (AXS) | Unrelated; insurance | No related‑party transactions disclosed involving Yastine |
| Zions Bancorporation (ZION) | Banking | No related‑party transactions disclosed involving Yastine |
| Primerica (PRI) | Insurance/financial services | No related‑party transactions disclosed involving Yastine |
| First Data (FDC) | Prior role | Historical only; no current interlock implications disclosed |
- Related‑party review: ALKT’s Audit Committee reviews related‑party transactions; 2024 disclosures list relationships involving other individuals but none involving Yastine .
Expertise & Qualifications
- Financial expertise: Designated “audit committee financial expert,” affirming capability in financial reporting oversight .
- Senior bank and capital markets leadership: CEO/Chair roles at Ally Bank; CFO at Credit Suisse First Boston; long tenure at Citigroup, providing deep regulatory and risk oversight experience .
- Governance continuity: Multiple current public boards (AXS, ZION, PRI) add sector breadth relevant to Alkami’s financial institution clients .
Equity Ownership
| Holder | Shares Beneficially Owned | % of Outstanding | Breakdown |
|---|---|---|---|
| Barbara Yastine | 73,531 | <1% | 66,678 shares held + 6,853 RSUs vesting within 60 days |
- Unvested RSUs outstanding (as of 12/31/2024): 6,853 .
- Hedging/pledging: Company policy prohibits hedging, short sales, margin purchases, and pledging of company securities by directors .
- Ownership guidelines: No director stock ownership multiple disclosed in the proxy; directors can elect RSUs in lieu of cash retainer and defer settlement to build alignment .
Governance Assessment
- Strengths: Independent director with audit‑committee financial expert status; active on Audit Committee; attended ≥75% of meetings; separation of Chair/CEO supports oversight; director equity predominates compensation (~82% of 2024 pay), reinforcing alignment with shareholders .
- Compensation structure: Cash $40,000 vs stock $178,315 in 2024; program uses time‑based RSUs and permits retainer conversion/deferment to enhance ownership continuity .
- Independence and conflicts: No related‑party transactions disclosed involving Yastine; Section 16 compliance disclosures do not list any late filings for her in 2024 .
- Risk indicators: Historical bankruptcy at Lebenthal after her tenure is a diligence flag; however, it occurred ~17 months post‑departure and is not tied to ALKT .
- Attention points for investors: Confirm current committee rosters following 2025 annual meeting (matrix vs narrative discrepancy suggests Yastine is Audit but not Nominating/Corporate Governance based on fee pattern and formal composition) .
Overall signal: Board effectiveness appears supported by Yastine’s financial oversight credentials and independence, with no disclosed related‑party concerns; equity‑heavy director pay and anti‑hedging/pledging policy further align interests with shareholders .