Pamela A. Thomas-Graham
BumbleAbout Pamela A. Thomas-Graham
Pamela A. Thomas-Graham (age 61) has served as an independent director of Bumble Inc. since August 2020. She is Founder & CEO of Dandelion Chandelier LLC (since August 2016) and previously held senior roles at Credit Suisse (Executive Board; Chair, New Markets for Private Bank; Global Chief Marketing & Talent Officer), Angelo, Gordon & Co. (Managing Director), Liz Claiborne/Tapestry (Group President), and NBC Universal’s CNBC (President & CEO of CNBC and CNBC.com). She holds a B.A. in Economics from Harvard University and a joint MBA–JD from Harvard Business School and Harvard Law School .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dandelion Chandelier LLC | Founder & CEO | Aug 2016–present | Digital media leadership |
| Credit Suisse | Executive Board member; Chair, New Markets (Private Bank); Global Chief Marketing & Talent Officer | 2010–2016 | Global brand, talent, and growth initiatives |
| Angelo, Gordon & Co. | Managing Director | 2008–2010 | Investment management operations |
| Liz Claiborne (now Tapestry) | Group President | 2005–2007 | Consumer brand portfolio leadership |
| NBC Universal – CNBC | President & CEO; President & CEO of CNBC.com | Began 1999 | Digital/media strategy execution |
| McKinsey & Co. | Consultant; first Black woman partner | 1989; Partner in 1995 | Strategy and operations expertise |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Status/As of | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Peloton Interactive, Inc. (NASDAQ: PTON) | Director | Current (2025 proxy) | Public company board service |
| Compass, Inc. (NYSE: COMP) | Director | Current (2025 proxy) | Public company board service |
| Rivian Automotive, Inc. (NASDAQ: RIVN) | Director | Prior (2024 proxy) | Listed among other boards in 2024 |
| Bank of N.T. Butterfield & Son (NYSE: NTB) | Director | Prior (2024 proxy) | Listed among other boards in 2024 |
Board Governance
- Committee assignments: Audit and Risk Committee (member); Compensation Committee (member). Elisa A. Steele chairs Compensation; R. Lynn Atchison chairs Audit & Risk .
- Independence and expertise: Determined “independent” (Nasdaq and SEC standards) for Board, Audit, and Compensation committees; “financially literate” for Audit service .
- Attendance and engagement: In 2024, Board held 5 meetings; Audit & Risk 6; Compensation 4; Nominating 2—each director attended at least 75% of meetings of the Board/committees during service . In 2023, Board 6; Audit & Risk 5; Compensation 4; Nominating 5—each director attended at least 75% .
- Executive sessions: Non-management directors held four executive sessions following regularly scheduled Board meetings in 2022; independent non-sponsor directors held two separate executive sessions .
Fixed Compensation
| Component | 2023 | 2024 | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual Board retainer (cash) | $75,000 | $75,000 | Standard non-chair director retainer |
| Committee membership retainers | Included in total | Audit $20,000; Compensation $15,000 | Applies to non-chair members |
| Chair fees | N/A | N/A | Chairs receive $50,000 (not applicable to Ms. Thomas-Graham) |
| Special committee fee | N/A | $25,000 | Special committee service in 2024 |
| Fees earned/paid in cash (reported) | $75,000 | $135,000 | Sum aligns with retainer + committee + special committee |
Performance Compensation
| Award type | Grant/Reference date | Quantity/Value | Vesting terms |
|---|---|---|---|
| RSUs (annual director grant) | Jun 6, 2023 | Grant-date fair value: $256,509 | Annual RSU award per policy |
| RSUs (annual director grant) | Jun 5, 2024 | RSUs: 21,539; Grant-date fair value: $251,791 | Annual RSU award per policy |
| Incentive Units (time-vesting) | As of Dec 31, 2024 | 59,943 units | See Modified Awards terms below |
| Incentive Units (exit-vesting) | As of Dec 31, 2024 | 39,961 units | Exit-vesting based on Sponsor return thresholds |
| Modified Awards (service-based) | Jul 15, 2022 | 36 equal monthly installments from Aug 29, 2022 (additional vesting opportunity) | Added time-based vesting alongside original exit-vesting |
- Director equity is time-based RSUs; no performance-based RSUs/PSUs metrics disclosed for directors. Compensation Committee retains Mercer as independent consultant; independence assessed March 2023, no conflicts found .
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Company | Relationship to Bumble | Potential interlock/conflict notes |
|---|---|---|
| Peloton (PTON) | Unrelated industry | No customer/supplier relationship disclosed in proxy |
| Compass (COMP) | Unrelated industry | No customer/supplier relationship disclosed in proxy |
| Rivian (RIVN), Bank of NT Butterfield (NTB) | Prior board roles | No Bumble-related transactions disclosed in cited materials |
Expertise & Qualifications
- Strategic and operational leadership across financial services, consumer brands, media, and consulting; first Black woman partner at McKinsey .
- Audit-relevant literacy and committee service experience; determined “financially literate” for Nasdaq audit standards .
- Harvard BA (Economics) and joint MBA–JD credentials; broad board service experience across multiple public companies .
Equity Ownership
| Item | Amount | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| Shares directly held (Class A) | 21,518 | As of April 7, 2025 footnote (11) |
| RSUs vesting within 60 days | 21,539 | As of April 7, 2025 footnote (11) |
| Outstanding equity awards (12/31/2024) | Time-vesting incentive units: 59,943; Exit-vesting incentive units: 39,961; RSUs: 21,539 | Reported in director outstanding awards table |
| Hedging/short sale policy | Prohibited for directors (options, derivatives, short sales, hedging transactions) | Company Securities Trading Policy |
Note: The proxy does not disclose any pledging of Bumble stock by Ms. Thomas-Graham in the cited ownership footnotes .
Governance Assessment
- Strengths: Independent status on Board, Audit & Risk, and Compensation committees; audit financial literacy; consistent attendance ≥75%; executive session participation; use of an independent compensation consultant (Mercer) with no conflicts; balanced director pay structure aligned with peer practice (cash + annual RSUs) .
- Pay structure alignment: 2024 cash increased to $135k reflecting committee roles and special committee service; equity RSUs fair value of $251,791—mix suggests stable equity alignment; RSU counts and ownership indicate skin-in-the-game through time-based awards .
- Potential red flags: July 15, 2022 modification adding service-based vesting to exit-vesting awards for directors and executives—although approved by the Compensation Committee and a special committee of disinterested directors, award modifications can be viewed as shareholder-sensitive; ongoing Blackstone-related governance structures exist at the company level, but no related-party transactions disclosed involving Ms. Thomas-Graham in the cited materials .
- Conflicts: Current external boards (Peloton, Compass) are not obvious counterparties or competitors to Bumble; no related-party exposure disclosed regarding these entities in the proxies reviewed .
These findings reflect disclosures in Bumble’s 2025, 2024, 2023, and 2022 proxy statements and related filings .