Lara Caimi
ConfluentAbout Lara Caimi
Independent director at Confluent (CFLT) since December 2020; age 48 as of March 31, 2025. Former senior operator and consultant with deep software GTM and customer success expertise: President, Worldwide Field Operations at Samsara (June 2023–March 2025, advisory through September 2025), Chief Customer & Partner Officer at ServiceNow (2017–2023), and Partner at Bain & Company (2000–2017). Education: B.A. in English Literature and Economics (St. Olaf), M.I.B. (University of Sydney, Fulbright), M.B.A. (Harvard Business School). Classified by the Board as independent under Nasdaq rules.
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Samsara Inc. | President, Worldwide Field Operations; Advisor through Sep 2025 | Jun 2023–Mar 2025 (advisor through Sep 2025) | Led global GTM execution; continuation as advisor signals strong domain ties in IoT/data software ecosystems. |
| ServiceNow, Inc. | Chief Customer & Partner Officer; various leadership roles | Dec 2017–May 2023 | Enterprise customer success and partner ecosystem leadership (relevant for Confluent’s enterprise motions). |
| Bain & Company | Partner | Oct 2000–Nov 2017 | Strategy/operator toolkit; experience across software and tech clients. |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Status | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Samsara Inc. | Advisor (post-Presidency) | Through Sep 2025 | Advisory capacity disclosed; not a board directorship. |
| Other public company boards | — | — | No other public company directorships disclosed for Caimi. |
Board Governance
- Independence: Board determined all directors other than CEO Jay Kreps are independent; includes Lara Caimi.
- Committees: Member, Compensation Committee (chair: Alyssa Henry); Member, Mergers & Acquisitions Committee (chair: Michelangelo Volpi). Not on Audit or Nominating & Governance.
- Board leadership: CEO is Chair; Greg Schott serves as Lead Independent Director and presides over executive sessions.
- Attendance: Board met 6 times in 2024; each director attended at least 75% of Board and applicable committee meetings; 7 of 9 directors attended the 2024 annual meeting.
- Tenure/class: Class III director, term continuing to the 2027 annual meeting.
- Governance policies: Stockholder communications process and Corporate Governance Guidelines (incl. limit of service on >4 additional public boards).
Fixed Compensation
| Component | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 Fees Earned (Cash) | $38,841 | Includes Board/committee retainers; M&A committee retainers pro-rated starting August 2024. |
| Standard Annual Retainers (Policy) | Board member: $30,000; Lead Independent: $18,000; Audit Chair $20,000 / Member $10,000; Compensation Chair $15,000 / Member $7,500; N&G Chair $10,000 / Member $5,000; M&A Chair $8,000 / Member $4,000 | Payable quarterly; set in amended policy effective 2024. |
Comp mix shift: Board increased cash retainers and annual/initial equity award levels in 2024 following Compensia review.
Performance Compensation
| Grant Type | Grant Date | Grant Value | Units/Status | Vesting |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Annual RSU (2024) | Jun 12, 2024 | $199,979 | 7,160 RSUs outstanding at 12/31/2024 | Annual director RSUs fully vest on earlier of next annual meeting or 1-year anniversary. |
| Performance Metric | Weighting/Target | Payout Linkage |
|---|---|---|
| Not applicable to non-employee directors | Directors receive time-based RSUs and cash retainers; no performance metrics (e.g., revenue/TSR) apply to director pay. |
Change-in-control: All outstanding director equity awards and any annual cash awards granted in lieu of RSUs accelerate and become fully vested immediately prior to closing of a change in control (for directors in continuous service to that time).
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Company | Role | Committee Roles | Interlocks/Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| — | — | — | No other public company directorships disclosed for Caimi; Compensation Committee interlocks: none reported. |
Expertise & Qualifications
- Software GTM, enterprise customer success, and partner ecosystems; prior Bain strategy experience.
- Advanced degrees incl. HBS MBA; Fulbright M.I.B., demonstrating academic rigor and international perspective.
- Classified independent; complements Board’s mix of SaaS, infrastructure, and venture expertise.
Equity Ownership
| Holder | Class A | Class B | Total Beneficial Ownership | Ownership % | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lara Caimi | — | 186,107 shares | 186,107 | <1% of Class A+B; voting % not material | No options disclosed; RSUs outstanding: 7,160 at 12/31/2024. |
- Pledging/hedging: Company prohibits pledging, short sales, and hedging of Confluent stock by directors.
- Ownership guidelines: Non-employee directors expected to hold at least 5x total annual cash retainer within 5 years; as of Dec 31, 2024 all non-employee directors were in compliance or within allowed time window under the policy.
Governance Assessment
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Strengths
- Independent director with significant enterprise software operating experience; active roles on Compensation and M&A committees support board effectiveness in pay governance and corporate development.
- Compensation governance: Independent committee, third-party consultant (Compensia) with no conflicts; clear stock ownership and clawback frameworks; high say‑on‑pay support in 2024 (98%), signaling investor confidence.
- Attendance and engagement met thresholds; Board structure includes a Lead Independent Director and executive sessions.
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Watch items
- Recent senior executive employment at Samsara through March 2025 (advisory through September 2025) increases external commitments; monitor for any perceived conflicts if Confluent and Samsara have material commercial dealings—no related-person transactions were disclosed.
- Director equity is time-based (not performance-conditioned); while aligned via ownership guidelines, investors may prefer performance-linked elements—current policy is consistent with tech peers.
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RED FLAGS
- None disclosed regarding related-party transactions, hedging/pledging, legal proceedings, or low vote outcomes.