Sumit Pande
CouchbaseAbout Sumit Pande
Senior Managing Director at Haveli Investments, appointed to the Couchbase (BASE) board at the Effective Time of the Haveli acquisition on September 24, 2025, following the departure of all prior public-company directors. Education and age are not disclosed. Tenure on the Couchbase board began September 24, 2025. In the closing press release he underscored Haveli’s role in scaling enterprise software organizations alongside Couchbase’s product leadership.
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Haveli Investments, L.P. | Senior Managing Director | Not disclosed | Led software investing; public statement at Couchbase close highlights focus on accelerating growth and innovation |
| Cascade Parent Inc., Cascade Holdings I Inc., Cascade Intermediate II, Inc. | Director/Executive Officer | Not disclosed | Acquisition vehicle leadership for Couchbase take-private |
| Cascade Intermediate I, Inc.; Haveli Cascade Aggregator GP LLC; Cascade Ultimate Holdings GP LLC | Director/Executive Officer | Not disclosed | Governance of entities holding Couchbase post-merger |
| Haveli Software Management LLC | Executive Officer | Not disclosed | Management of Haveli software investments |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Haveli Investments (and affiliated Cascade entities) | Senior Managing Director; Director/Executive Officer | Not disclosed | Roles across multiple acquisition/holding entities tied to Couchbase transaction |
Board Governance
- Appointment and board reconstitution: All ten public-company directors ceased service at closing; Pande and Brian Sheth were appointed to the Surviving Corporation’s board on September 24, 2025.
- Independence status: Not disclosed by the company. Under Nasdaq rules, independence requires the director not have relationships that interfere with independent judgment; the company is now private and delisted, so Nasdaq independence requirements no longer apply. Pande is a Haveli executive affiliated with the controlling owner.
- Committees: No audit/compensation/nominating committee disclosures post-close; new bylaws allow the board to constitute committees but none are specified publicly.
- Lead Independent Director: Not disclosed post-close; the prior Lead Independent Director (Richard Simonson) departed at closing.
- Meeting attendance: Not disclosed post-close.
Fixed Compensation
- Director cash retainers and fees for BASE’s public outside director policy (e.g., $35,000 annual retainer; committee/lead director fees) applied prior to the take-private; there is no disclosed compensation for Pande’s private-company board service.
Performance Compensation
- No performance-based director compensation disclosures (RSUs/PSUs, options) for Pande post-close; public-era director equity policy does not specify private board grants.
Other Directorships & Interlocks
- Public company boards: None disclosed.
- Interlocks/potential conflicts: Pande is a senior executive across Haveli’s entities that own Couchbase; the new bylaws include an “Interested Directors” safe harbor for related-party transactions approved by disinterested directors or shareholders, or if fair to the corporation.
Expertise & Qualifications
- Private equity/software investing leadership: Senior Managing Director role at Haveli with focus on software; closing remarks emphasize scaling enterprise software organizations.
Equity Ownership
- Personal beneficial ownership: Not disclosed. Haveli-affiliated entities fully acquired Couchbase for $24.50 per share in an all-cash transaction, with Couchbase now a wholly owned subsidiary.
- Listing status: Couchbase delisted and deregistered post-close.
Governance Assessment
- Board effectiveness: The post-close board comprises representatives of the controlling owner (Haveli), which centralizes oversight and decision-making but reduces independent checks typical of public boards. Committees, attendance, and governance processes are not disclosed post-close.
- Conflicts/related-party exposure: Pande’s executive roles across Haveli and its acquisition vehicles indicate potential conflicts inherent to sponsor-appointed directors; the bylaws’ “Interested Directors” provision provides a legal framework for approving related-party transactions but relies on robust process to ensure fairness.
- Investor confidence signals: The take-private and delisting remove shareholder votes (e.g., director elections, say-on-pay) and public disclosure cadence; governance quality will hinge on Haveli’s internal controls, committee structuring, and transparency with creditors and stakeholders.
- RED FLAGS: Absence of disclosed independence status; no post-close committee or compensation disclosure; sponsor-affiliated directorship with potential for related-party transactions—mitigated only by process safeguards in bylaws.
Note: Data items such as education, age, director compensation, committee assignments, and attendance for Sumit Pande are not disclosed in available filings. All assertions above are based strictly on cited documents.