Sissie L. Hsiao
BumbleAbout Sissie L. Hsiao
Sissie L. Hsiao (age 46) is an independent director of Bumble Inc., serving since October 2023. She is Vice President and General Manager of Google Assistant and Bard; previously she led Google’s Display, Video, and App Advertising businesses (2012–2021), Google Analytics and Google Slides (2006–2012), and earlier worked at Microsoft on graphics technologies in Microsoft Office (2000–2006). She holds a B.S. in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science from UC Berkeley .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| VP & GM, Google Assistant and Bard | 2021–present | Leads AI, natural language, and speech tech in consumer products . | |
| VP & GM, Display, Video, and App Advertising | 2012–2021 | Oversaw major ads businesses . | |
| Product lead, Google Analytics and Google Slides | 2006–2012 | Drove product development . | |
| Microsoft | Graphics technologies, Microsoft Office | 2000–2006 | Early career; engineering focus . |
External Roles
| Organization | Position | Public Company Board? | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Google (Alphabet) | VP & GM, Google Assistant and Bard | Not disclosed | Executive role; no other public company directorships disclosed in BMBL proxy bio . |
Board Governance
- Board class/term: Class II director; term expires at the 2026 annual meeting .
- Committee assignments: None; she is not listed as member or chair of Audit & Risk, Compensation, or Nominating & Corporate Governance .
- Independence: Board affirmatively determined Hsiao is independent under Nasdaq standards, including for potential committee service .
- Attendance/engagement: In 2024, Board held 5 meetings; Audit & Risk 6; Compensation 4; Nominating & Corporate Governance 2. All directors attended at least 75% of applicable meetings during their service periods .
- Executive sessions: Non-management directors met in executive session at least twice; in 2024 they held four sessions and the independent directors not affiliated with the Sponsor held three .
Fixed Compensation
| Year | Cash Retainer ($) | Committee Chair Fees ($) | Committee Member Fees ($) | Special Committee Fees ($) | Total Cash ($) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 75,000 | 0 (not a chair) | 0 (no committees) | 0 (not listed among special committee members) | 75,000 |
Non-Employee Director Compensation Policy (effective Jan 1, 2024): $75,000 annual retainer for directors; $300,000 for Board Chair; $50,000 annual for each committee chair; $20,000 Audit & Risk member; $15,000 Compensation member; $10,000 Nominating & Corporate Governance member; $25,000 per “special committee” assignment (prorated, max 12 months) .
Performance Compensation
| Grant Type | Grant Date | Grant Value ($) | Shares/Units | Vesting | Performance Metrics |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Annual RSUs (Director) | June 5, 2024 | 251,791 | Determined by $250k policy; reported fair value $251,791 | Vests in full on earlier of 1-year anniversary or next annual meeting | None disclosed for directors (time-based vesting) |
| Initial RSUs (First-time director) | At initial appointment | Policy: $250,000 | Not itemized by share count in proxy | Vests in 3 equal annual installments | None disclosed for directors (time-based vesting) |
Outstanding equity awards as of Dec 31, 2024: Hsiao held 32,368 RSUs; no Incentive Units listed for Hsiao .
Policies impacting incentive pay quality:
- Hedging/pledging prohibited for directors and employees .
- Clawback policy (effective Oct 2023) compliant with Dodd-Frank and Nasdaq Rule 5608; applies to incentive-based compensation following accounting restatements .
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Company | Role | Overlap/Interlock | Potential Conflict |
|---|---|---|---|
| None disclosed in proxy | — | — | Board determined Hsiao independent; no related-party transactions involving Google/Alphabet disclosed . |
Sponsor-related transactions (context): Bumble reported ordinary-course transactions with Blackstone portfolio companies Liftoff Mobile Inc. ($5.7m marketing spend; ~$1.1m advertising revenue recognized) and TaskUs Inc. ($7.1m moderator services cost) in 2024; none are related to Hsiao .
Expertise & Qualifications
- Board Skills Matrix: Hsiao contributes senior leadership, technology expertise, and international/global business experience .
- Qualifications cited: Extensive strategic and operational experience at technology companies .
Equity Ownership
| Holder | Direct Shares | RSUs vesting within 60 days | Total Beneficial Ownership | % of Class A Outstanding |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sissie L. Hsiao | 8,203 | 21,539 | 29,742 | “*” (less than 1%) |
Notes:
- Beneficial ownership table based on 103,230,596 Class A shares outstanding as of April 7, 2025 .
- RSUs vesting within 60 days likely reflect the annual director award timeline, consistent with the policy .
Governance Assessment
- Independence/Conflicts: Hsiao is affirmatively independent; no family relationships; no disclosed related-party transactions involving her employer (Google/Alphabet) or personal interests; hedging/pledging prohibited—positive alignment signals for investors .
- Engagement: Board-wide attendance met at least 75% threshold; regular executive sessions underscore independent oversight culture .
- Compensation alignment: Director pay mix is balanced—modest cash retainer ($75k) plus equity ($~252k RSUs) that vests time-based, aligning director value with shareholder outcomes without encouraging risk-taking; robust clawback and anti-hedging policies strengthen governance .
- Committee influence: No current committee assignments; thus, limited direct influence on audit/compensation/nominating processes, but technology and AI domain expertise adds strategic value at the full board level .
- Controlled company context: Bumble is a “controlled company” under Nasdaq due to combined voting power of principal stockholders (91.4%); while Bumble states it is not relying on governance exemptions, investors should monitor for any future changes. This context does not affect Hsiao’s independence but frames overall governance dynamics .
RED FLAGS
- None observed specific to Hsiao: no pledging/hedging, no related-party transactions, independence affirmed, and attendance thresholds satisfied .
Say-on-Pay Context (company-wide signal)
- 2024 advisory vote on NEO compensation received ~99.8% support—indicative of broader investor confidence in compensation governance; while not director-specific, it contextualizes governance sentiment .