Rob Walter
BIGCAbout Rob Walter
Rob Walter, 49, is Chief Revenue Officer of BigCommerce, serving since January 2025. He holds a B.A. in History from Miami University (Oxford, OH). Prior to BigCommerce, he was CRO at Oro Inc., CRO at Amplience (2018–2024), and held go‑to‑market roles at Salesforce, RetailMeNot, eBay, and ChannelAdvisor (2008–2018) . Company performance metrics relevant for pay alignment: FY2024 revenue was $332.9M, GAAP net loss was approximately ($27.0)M, and executive incentives emphasized revenue, ARR growth, adjusted EBITDA, and TSR relative to Russell 2000 in PSUs .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Years | Strategic impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| BigCommerce | Chief Revenue Officer | Jan 2025 – present | Senior officer role focused on revenue leadership; appointment disclosed in proxy . |
| Oro Inc. | Chief Revenue Officer | Not disclosed | Described as most recent role pre‑BigCommerce ; BigCommerce PR highlights track record of scaling GTM teams . |
| Amplience | Various roles culminating in CRO | Oct 2018 – Feb 2024 | Led sales/marketing/customer success/PS; companies “experienced significant growth” under his leadership . |
| Salesforce; RetailMeNot; eBay; ChannelAdvisor | GTM roles | Sep 2008 – Oct 2018 | Multi‑company GTM leadership experience . |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Years | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pavilion | Member | Since Sep 2022 | Professional network membership . |
Fixed Compensation
- Base salary and target bonus % for Rob Walter were not disclosed in the 2025 proxy or subsequent 8‑Ks reviewed. BigCommerce’s 2024 NEO program targeted competitive base pay and annual cash incentives, but CRO‑specific figures for Walter were not provided .
Performance Compensation
BigCommerce’s disclosed executive incentive design (applies to NEOs and senior officers; specific 2025 targets for Walter not disclosed):
- Annual cash bonus metrics and outcomes (FY2024 plan):
| Metric | Weight | Target | FY2024 Result | Payout factor |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue Growth Rate | 33.33% | 8.6% | 7.6% | 76% of target |
| Subscription ARR Run‑Rate Growth | 33.33% | 9.8% | 3.2% | 0% of target |
| Adjusted EBITDA ($) | 33.33% | $16.9M | $23.5M | 200% of target |
| Aggregate Achievement | — | — | — | ~92% of target |
- Long‑term equity (senior officer structure): company shifted LTIP to a mix of stock options, time‑vested RSUs, and PSUs; for 2024 NEOs, ~70% RSUs (time + performance) and ~30% options; PSUs based on adjusted EBITDA, revenue, and three‑year relative TSR vs. Russell 2000 (0–200% vesting, capped at 100% if absolute TSR is negative) .
| PSU/RSU type | Measurement | Vesting framework |
|---|---|---|
| Adjusted EBITDA PSUs | Annual adjusted EBITDA | 0–200% of target vests each year over 3‑year period; 2024 tranche vested at 200% on $23.547M achieved . |
| Revenue PSUs | Annual revenue | 0–200% of target vests each year over 3 years; 2024 tranche vested at 89% on $332.927M achieved . |
| TSR PSUs | 3‑yr TSR vs Russell 2000 | 0–200% based on percentile (≤25th: 0%, 50th: 100%, 75th: 150%, ≥90th: 200%); cap at 100% if absolute TSR negative . |
| Time‑based RSUs | Service | 25% per year over 4 years (typical) . |
| Stock options | Service | 25% at 1‑year; remainder monthly over 36 months (typical) . |
Equity Ownership & Alignment
| Item | Company policy / disclosure | Relevance to Walter |
|---|---|---|
| Beneficial ownership | 2025 proxy lists NEOs, directors, and 5% holders as of Mar 25, 2025; Walter not listed individually; group total for all execs/directors: 3,964,187 shares (4.99%) . | Individual ownership for Walter not disclosed as of record date . |
| Ownership guidelines | CEO 3x salary; Other senior officers 1x salary; 5‑year phase‑in . | Applies to senior leaders; tenure began 2025 . |
| Hedging/pledging | Prohibited: no hedging, short sales, derivatives; no pledging or margin accounts . | Reduces alignment/credit risk from pledging . |
| Clawback | Company maintains clawback policy covering incentive compensation . | Applies broadly to incentive comp . |
Employment Terms
- Start date / tenure: Serving as CRO since January 2025; addition announced Feb 12, 2025 press release .
- Employment contract, severance, change‑in‑control terms: Not disclosed for Walter in filings reviewed. BigCommerce maintains severance and CIC provisions for NEOs; specifics for Walter were not provided .
- Insider policies: Strict insider trading policy; hedging/pledging prohibited; stock ownership guidelines in place .
Performance & Track Record
- Company operating context for incentive alignment: FY2024 revenue $332.9M; GAAP net loss ~($27.0)M; program emphasized revenue, ARR growth, and adjusted EBITDA, with pay‑versus‑performance disclosure highlighting revenue and TSR as key measures .
- Prior achievements: Press release cites “significant growth” at Amplience and OroCommerce under Walter’s leadership across sales, marketing, customer success, and professional services .
Compensation Committee / Benchmarking (context)
- The committee uses peer and survey data (Aon) and adjusted the peer set for 2024; equity mix moved to include PSUs (revenue, adjusted EBITDA, TSR) to reinforce pay‑for‑performance .
Investment Implications
- Pay‑for‑performance linkage appears robust at the company level: annual bonuses tied equally to revenue growth, ARR growth, and adjusted EBITDA, with PSUs tied to revenue, adjusted EBITDA, and 3‑year relative TSR—factors directly in Walter’s remit as CRO (revenue/ARR growth) .
- Retention and selling pressure: Individual grant sizes/vesting for Walter are undisclosed; however, standard senior‑officer vesting (4‑year RSUs/options; 3‑year PSUs) and ownership guidelines imply multi‑year alignment, while hedging/pledging prohibitions reduce downside misalignment and collateral risk .
- Contract economics: Absence of disclosed employment agreement or severance/CIC terms for Walter limits precision on exit/change‑in‑control costs; monitor future proxies/8‑Ks for any CRO‑specific arrangements .
- Execution risk and upside: With company incentives emphasizing revenue and ARR growth, Walter’s track record in scaling GTM at Amplience and Oro suggests potential alignment with the value creation levers most rewarded by the program .