Michael Beckley
APPIANAbout Michael Beckley
Founder and Chief Technology Officer of Appian; appointed to the Board in November 2024. Age 51; B.A. in Government from Dartmouth College. Board biography cites deep technical and business expertise; external service includes the Northern Virginia Technology Council (NVTC) Board and the Board of Advisors of the Center for a New American Security . Company performance context during his senior leadership: FY2024 revenue grew to $617.0M from $545.4M in 2023; GAAP net loss narrowed; adjusted EBITDA turned positive; TSR value of a $100 investment declined in 2024 versus 2023 (see Performance table below) .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Years | Strategic Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appian Corporation | Chief Technology Officer | 2007–present | Leads platform technology; board cites technical and business expertise as qualification for directorship . |
| Appian Corporation | Founder | Not disclosed | Founding executive; contributes founder-level insight to technology and business matters . |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Years | Strategic Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Northern Virginia Technology Council (NVTC) | Director (Board) | Not disclosed | Industry network and policy influence in a major tech corridor . |
| Center for a New American Security | Board of Advisors | Not disclosed | Strategic advisory exposure across technology and national security domains . |
Board Governance
- Board service: Director since November 2024; not independent due to executive role .
- Committee roles: None disclosed for Beckley; 2025 committees were Audit (Edwards–Chair, Biddle, Kilberg), Compensation (Kilberg–Chair, Hartman, McCarthy), Nominating & Corporate Governance (Kilberg–Chair, McCarthy) .
- Board structure: Controlled company; CEO is also Chairman. Four of nine nominees independent in 2025; combined CEO/Chair rationale provided by the company .
- Attendance: The Board met 4 times in 2024; each director met at least 75% attendance; independent directors meet in executive session at least twice annually (2024 disclosure) .
- Director pay: Executive officers serving as directors (including Beckley) receive no additional director compensation; standard non‑employee director retainer is $250,000 (50% cash/50% stock) .
Fixed Compensation
- Not disclosed for Beckley. He was not a Named Executive Officer (NEO) in the 2024 or 2025 proxy NEO tables; therefore, base salary, target bonus, and cash incentives specific to Beckley are not provided .
Performance Compensation
- Company program design (context): Annual cash bonuses for NEOs tied to corporate objectives; 2024 goals included total software annual contract value growth and executive alignment with corporate strategy; clawback policy compliant with Rule 10D‑1 (effective Oct 2, 2023) .
- No Beckley‑specific targets/weightings/payouts are disclosed.
| Metric (Company Program) | Weighting | Target | Actual | Payout | Vesting/Timing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total software ACV growth (corporate) | Not disclosed | Not disclosed | Not disclosed | Paid to certain NEOs; amounts disclosed for NEOs, not for Beckley | Annual/quarterly per plan . |
| Executive alignment with corporate strategy | Not disclosed | Not disclosed | Discretionary element used for NEOs | As above | Annual . |
Equity Ownership & Alignment
| Holder | Class A Shares | Class B Shares | Total Beneficial Ownership | % of Outstanding | Pledging Noted |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Michael Beckley | 104,418 | 100,000 | 204,418 | <1% | None indicated for Beckley; proxy footnotes flag pledging for others (e.g., Calkins, Kilberg) but not Beckley . |
- Policy signals: No stock ownership requirements for NEOs; insider trading policy prohibits hedging/short sales/options/margin; company states no prohibition on pledging stock, though pledging is disclosed when applicable .
- Vested vs unvested, option status: Not disclosed for Beckley in “Outstanding Equity Awards” tables (NEOs only) .
Employment Terms
- Contract type: No Beckley‑specific agreement disclosed. Company notes standard at‑will agreements for employees (non‑compete, confidentiality, IP) and select severance/change‑in‑control terms for certain NEOs; equity plans do not provide automatic acceleration on change of control .
- Change‑of‑control: Company‑wide summary shows no “single trigger” CIC payments; severance/CIC terms disclosed only for certain NEOs (not Beckley) .
- Clawback: Compensation recoupment policy adopted Oct 2, 2023 (covers incentive comp upon restatement) .
Performance & Track Record (Company context during Beckley’s senior leadership)
| Metric | FY 2023 | FY 2024 |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue ($M) | 545.4 | 617.0 |
| GAAP Net Income (Loss) ($M) | (111.4) | (92.3) |
| Adjusted EBITDA ($M, non‑GAAP) | (44.8) | 20.3 |
| TSR – Value of $100 Investment (Total Return) | 98.56 | 86.31 |
Notes: Adjusted EBITDA is non‑GAAP; reconciliation provided in Appendix A of the proxy .
Say‑on‑Pay and Shareholder Feedback
- Say‑on‑pay approved with over 95% support at the 2024 Annual Meeting; the company views this as confirmation of support for its compensation policies .
Risk Indicators and Red Flags
- Hedging/short‑term trading prohibited by policy; pledging not prohibited but is disclosed—no pledging flagged for Beckley .
- No related‑party transactions involving Beckley disclosed; 2024 related‑party section limited to routine comp/agreements and a short‑swing profits settlement with a >5% holder (Abdiel) .
- No option repricing; company explicitly lists “No stock option repricing” among practices .
- Controlled company with combined CEO/Chair and multiple insiders on the Board—ongoing governance consideration .
Director Compensation (as applicable to Beckley)
- Executive directors, including Beckley (CTO), receive no additional director compensation; non‑employee directors receive $250,000 annual retainer (half cash/half stock) .
Expertise & Qualifications
- Education: B.A., Dartmouth College (Government) .
- Technical/industry credibility: Board cites his technical and business expertise as CTO and founder as rationale for Board service .
- Networks: NVTC Board; CNAS Board of Advisors .
Compensation Committee and Governance Context
- 2025 Compensation Committee: Kilberg (Chair), Hartman, McCarthy; McCarthy not independent due to recent operating/consulting roles; no interlocks noted .
- Company states no peer group usage for setting executive pay in recent years .
Investment Implications
- Alignment/skin‑in‑the‑game: Beckley beneficially owns ~204K shares (<1%); no pledging disclosed—alignment is present but not outsized relative to founders with Class B control . Insider policy prohibits hedging, a positive alignment signal .
- Transparency and incentives: Lack of Beckley‑specific cash/bonus disclosure (not an NEO) limits precision on pay‑for‑performance assessment; company‑wide program emphasizes ACV growth and strategic alignment, plus a compliant clawback framework .
- Governance risk: Dual role (CTO + Director) and controlled‑company status with combined CEO/Chair reduce formal independence; however, executive directors do not receive director retainers (mitigates pay stacking) .
- Execution/retention: Long‑tenured founder‑CTO with external industry ties; no specific severance/CIC terms for Beckley disclosed (neutral for retention leverage), while company fundamentals improved in 2024 (revenue growth, positive adjusted EBITDA), though TSR declined in 2024 and GAAP losses persist—mixed near‑term trading signal .