Matthew Omer
BuzzFeedAbout Matthew Omer
BuzzFeed’s Chief Financial Officer since October 23, 2023 (age 41), Matthew Omer rose through finance roles at BuzzFeed after joining in 2019; he holds a B.S. in Business Administration from the University of Arizona . Company operating context under his tenure includes a Q3 2025 revenue decline to $46.3 million (-17% y/y) and Adjusted EBITDA of $0.8 million (vs. $8.1 million in Q3 2024), while management flagged material weaknesses with disclosure controls as of Q3 2025 . He is BuzzFeed’s principal financial officer, signing SOX 302/906 certifications in Q3 2025 .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Years | Strategic Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| BuzzFeed, Inc. | Chief Financial Officer | Oct 23, 2023 – present | Principal financial officer; SOX certifications; led Q3 2025 results communications |
| BuzzFeed, Inc. | EVP Finance & Treasurer | Oct 2022 – Oct 2023 | Senior finance leadership preceding CFO promotion |
| BuzzFeed, Inc. | SVP Finance | Dec 2021 – Oct 2022 | Post‑SPAC finance leadership |
| Legacy BuzzFeed | SVP Finance; previously VP Finance | May 2021 – Dec 2021; Oct 2019 – May 2021 | Pre‑public finance roles during business combination period |
| 123 Home Care | CFO & COO | Apr 2017 – Oct 2019 | Operational and financial leadership at private provider |
| Viant Technology | Finance roles | n/d | Roles of increasing responsibility in finance |
| KPMG | Economic Valuation Services (and prior roles) | n/d | Valuation and accounting experience |
| Strategic Equity Group | Analyst | n/d | Corporate finance analytics |
| Profit Recovery Partners | Consultant | n/d | Cost optimization consulting |
External Roles
- None disclosed in the company’s 2025 proxy for Omer (executive officer listing shows only his BuzzFeed role) .
Fixed Compensation
| Metric | FY 2023 | FY 2024 |
|---|---|---|
| Base salary ($) | — | 380,000 |
| Target bonus (% of base) | — | 50% |
| Bonus ($) – sign‑on/transaction | — | 310,000 (includes $190,000 in two transaction bonuses + $120,000 sign‑on) |
| Non‑equity incentive plan comp ($) | — | 82,733 (discretionary cash bonus) |
| Stock awards ($) | — | 36,233 (one‑time discretionary RSUs) |
| Option awards ($) | — | 654,769 (grant‑date fair value) |
| All other comp ($) | — | 2,959 (401k match, WFH stipend, life insurance imputed income) |
Notes:
- For 2024, the compensation committee determined no payouts under the corporate bonus plan (revenue/EBITDA/individual) due to company performance; discretionary cash and RSU bonuses were approved in Feb 2025 and paid/vest on the disclosed cadence .
Performance Compensation
| Metric | Weight | Threshold | Target/Scale | Max Payout Factor | 2024 Payout Under Plan |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue | 35% | 90% of Board‑approved 2024 revenue target | Scales to 100% at target | Up to 225% of metric portion | 0% (no plan bonuses paid) |
| EBITDA | 35% | 50% of Board‑approved 2024 EBITDA target | Scales to 100% at target | Up to 200% of metric portion | 0% (no plan bonuses paid) |
| Individual performance | 30% | Committee discretion | Qualitative assessment | n/a | 0% (no plan bonuses paid) |
- Discretionary awards approved Feb 2025 reflecting contributions in 2024: cash $82,733 and RSUs vesting 100% at 1‑year anniversary of grant ($17,091 grant value) .
Equity Ownership & Alignment
| Component | Detail |
|---|---|
| Total beneficial ownership (as of 3/31/2025) | 455,122 Class A equivalent shares; ≈1% of Class A outstanding |
| Breakdown | 178,869 direct + 575 spouse + 123,421 RSUs vesting within 60 days + 152,257 vested options |
| Options (grants outstanding) | 445,300 options (granted 5/16/2024) at $2.18, 10‑yr term; vesting: 1/3 on 5/1/2025; remaining 2/3 in eight equal quarterly installments thereafter, continued service required |
| Legacy options | 3,825 options converted from Legacy BuzzFeed (exercise $33.36; 12/2/2029 expiry) |
| RSU grants outstanding | Multiple grants including 234,374 RSUs (11/6/2023): 25% vested 1/1/2025; remaining 75% vests in three equal quarterly installments thereafter, subject to service |
| Upcoming vesting cadence (indicative 2025) | RSUs vest on specified quarterly/anniversary dates (e.g., quarterly from 1/1/2025 for the 11/6/2023 grant); several 2022/2023 grants vest on 2/15/2025, 5/15/2025, and quarterly schedules, driving periodic sell‑pressure windows |
| Stock ownership guidelines | Executives expected to hold ≥2x base salary in company stock within 5 years; if not yet met, must hold 50% of net shares from option exercise/RSU vesting until compliant; none of executives have reached 5‑year mark |
| Hedging/pledging | Hedging prohibited; pledging or margin restricted and requires pre‑approval; policy governs insiders |
| Clawback | Policy for recovery of erroneously awarded compensation in event of restatement; filed as Exhibit 97.1 to 2024 10‑K |
Employment Terms
- Offer letter (amended October 23, 2023): at‑will; base salary $380,000; target annual cash bonus 50% of base; $160,000 sign‑on bonus paid in quarterly installments subject to repayment if terminated for cause or voluntary resignation; 11/6/2023 grant of 468,750 RSUs vesting in 8 equal quarterly installments over two years; legacy options converted at SPAC close; standard benefit eligibility and exclusive‑service/non‑moonlighting while employed .
- Change in Control and Severance Plan (Tier 2 participant):
- Non‑CIC qualifying termination (without cause or for good reason): cash severance equal to 9 months base salary + the greater of prorated target bonus or 75% of target bonus; up to 9 months COBRA reimbursement .
- CIC double‑trigger (within 12 months post‑CIC): cash severance equal to 12 months base salary + prorated target bonus + 100% of target bonus; up to 12 months COBRA reimbursement; 100% acceleration of unvested equity (performance awards at target) .
- No separate non‑compete/non‑solicit post‑termination terms disclosed in proxy; standard restrictive covenants during employment apply .
Risk Indicators and Governance Considerations
- Disclosure controls not effective as of Q3 2025; material weaknesses cited (close process segregation and IT general controls) .
- 2021 Equity Incentive Plan permits option/SAR repricing or exchanges without shareholder approval (subject to 409A), a potential governance red flag if used to offset underwater grants .
- CFO certifications under SOX 302/906 underscore personal accountability for reporting quality .
- CFO signed Amendment No. 1 to Credit Agreement on behalf of multiple BuzzFeed entities, indicating direct involvement in capital structure/liquidity actions .
Performance Context (select disclosures)
| Metric | Q3 2024 | Q3 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| Total revenue ($mm) | 55.6 | 46.3 |
| Adjusted EBITDA ($mm) | 8.1 | 0.8 |
| Net income (loss) from continuing ops ($mm) | 2.5 | (7.4) |
- Continuing operations basis, per company .
Investment Implications
- Pay mix and alignment: 2024 pay skewed to equity/options and one‑time awards; target bonus is performance‑based but plan zeroed out for 2024 with only discretionary awards paid—suggesting some alignment discipline, tempered by the use of discretionary payouts .
- Retention and selling pressure: Large 2023 RSU grant (234,374 units) and 2024 option grant (445,300) have dense 2025 vesting cadence (quarterly and anniversary tranches), creating periodic liquidity windows that could pressure stock if monetized; ownership guidelines require holding portions of net shares until compliant, partially mitigating sales .
- Downside governance risk: Material control weaknesses and a plan framework that allows option repricing introduce execution and governance risks; however, clawback policy and anti‑hedging/pledging rules support alignment .
- Change‑in‑control economics: Tier 2 severance with full equity acceleration on double‑trigger CIC aligns incentives in strategic transactions but increases potential cost to acquirer and could influence negotiation dynamics .