Sasha Ostojic
Allison Transmission HoldingsAbout Sasha Ostojic
Sasha Ostojic (age 61) has served as an independent director of Allison Transmission since August 2022. He is a Venture Partner at Playground Global (since April 2019), and previously held senior roles in autonomous driving and AI/accelerated computing, including Interim SVP of Software at Zoox (Nov 2021–Oct 2022), SVP of Engineering at Cruise (Oct 2016–Nov 2017), and VP of Software at NVIDIA (Mar 2011–Oct 2016). He holds a B.S. in Computer Science from San Francisco State University and an MBA from Santa Clara University .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zoox, Inc. | Interim Senior Vice President of Software | Nov 2021 – Oct 2022 | Led software during scaling of autonomous vehicle program acquired by Amazon |
| Cruise LLC (GM) | Senior Vice President of Engineering | Oct 2016 – Nov 2017 | Oversaw engineering for self-driving car development |
| NVIDIA Corporation | Vice President of Software | Mar 2011 – Oct 2016 | Helped pioneer accelerated and AI computing software |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Playground Global LLC | Venture Partner | Apr 2019 – present | Early-stage deep tech venture capital |
| Zoox, Inc. | Adviser to the CEO | Ongoing | Autonomous vehicle developer (acquired by Amazon in 2020) |
| Public company boards | — | — | None disclosed in ALSN proxy |
Board Governance
- Independence: The Board determined Ostojic is independent under NYSE rules .
- Committees: Audit Committee member; Finance Committee member . Audit Committee membership list includes Ostojic .
- Attendance: In 2024, each current director attended at least 75% of Board and applicable committee meetings; all directors attended the 2024 annual meeting .
- Executive sessions: Independent directors meet in executive session at each regularly scheduled Board meeting; Lead Independent Director Philip J. Christman presides .
- Board size and refreshment: At the 2025 annual meeting, Board size reduced from 10 to 9 directors through refreshment; Ostojic is a nominated incumbent .
Fixed Compensation
| Component (2024) | Amount/Detail |
|---|---|
| Fees Earned or Paid in Cash ($) | $99,336 |
| Stock Awards ($) (grant-date fair value, RSUs/DSUs) | $154,925 |
| Total ($) | $254,261 |
| Annual Equity Award – RSUs (#) | 2,017 |
| Annual Equity Award – DSUs (#) | — (none) |
| As of Dec 31, 2024: RSUs outstanding (#) | 2,032 (includes dividend equivalents on unvested awards) |
| Annual Retainer — Common Stock (#) | 478 |
| Annual Retainer — Cash ($) | $42,500 |
| Committee and Other Fees — Cash ($) | $9,336 |
| Committee and Other Fees — DSUs (#) | — (none) |
Director Compensation Policy (structure for non-employee directors):
- Annual equity grant: ~$155,000 grant-date fair value in 100% RSUs under the 2024 Plan .
- Annual Board retainer: $95,000, payable 100% stock, 100% cash, or 50/50 at director’s election .
- Committee member annual cash retainers: Audit $12,000; Compensation $7,500; Finance $6,500; Nominating & Corporate Governance $6,500 .
- Committee chair annual cash retainers: Audit $24,000; Compensation $15,000; Finance $15,000; Nominating & Corporate Governance $15,000 .
- Lead Independent Director retainer: $30,000 (cash) .
- Deferred compensation: Eligible for DSUs via Director Deferred Compensation Plan .
Performance Compensation
- Not applicable: Non-employee directors receive time-based RSUs/DSUs; no disclosed performance metrics apply to director equity awards .
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Company | Relationship | Overlap/Interlock | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zoox (Amazon subsidiary) | Adviser to CEO | None disclosed with ALSN customers/suppliers | External advisory role in AV; no related-party transactions reported |
| Playground Global | Venture Partner | None disclosed | VC role; no related-party transactions reported |
| Public company boards | None disclosed | — | No public company directorships disclosed for Ostojic |
Expertise & Qualifications
- Board’s skills matrix highlights reliance on Ostojic’s expertise in information technology/cybersecurity, international operations, manufacturing, public company governance, and R&D/product development .
- Board rationale: Experience in developing and commercializing emerging automotive/tech and entrepreneurial VC insights supporting growth initiatives .
Equity Ownership
| As of date | Metric | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Mar 10, 2025 | Total beneficial ownership (shares) | 8,725; includes 2,017 RSUs and 15 dividend equivalents vesting within 60 days; percent of class “*” (<1.0%) |
| Mar 10, 2025 | Shares pledged as collateral | None (proxy states directors’ shares not pledged) |
| Dec 31, 2024 | RSUs outstanding (#) | 2,032 (includes dividend equivalents) |
| Dec 31, 2024 | DSUs outstanding (#) | — (none) |
Governance Assessment
- Strengths: Independent status, active roles on Audit and Finance (risk oversight, capital strategy), scheduled independent executive sessions, and strong attendance signal engagement . Director equity and retainer structure aligns with shareholder interests; pledging/hedging prohibited by the Insider Trading Policy .
- Alignment: Equity awards and share ownership provide skin-in-the-game; beneficial ownership is modest but consistent with external director norms (RSUs outstanding, no pledging) .
- Conflicts/Related-party: Company discloses no related person transactions since Jan 1, 2024; Nominating & Corporate Governance Committee pre-approves/oversees related-person matters under formal policy .
- Shareholder sentiment: Prior advisory vote on executive compensation passed with ~95% support in 2024, suggesting broader confidence in compensation governance frameworks (indirect signal of board effectiveness) .
- Watch items: The 2024 Equity Plan increased non-employee director award limit ceiling to $750,000 and removed a minimum one-year vesting provision for flexibility; monitor use to ensure pay discipline and alignment remain robust .