Asuka Nakahara
COMCASTAbout Asuka Nakahara
Asuka Nakahara is an independent director of Comcast Corporation, age 69, serving since February 2017; he is a member of the Audit Committee and is designated an Audit Committee Financial Expert, bringing deep finance and real estate expertise to the board . His background includes roles as Partner at Triton Atlantic Partners (real estate advisory/investment), Co‑Founder of Incompass Labs, and long-standing academic leadership at the Wharton School’s Zell‑Lurie Real Estate Center .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trammell Crow Company | Various leadership roles including Chief Financial Officer overseeing finance, capital markets, M&A, marketing, HR, training | 1980–1999 | Provided executive leadership, management, strategic planning, and financial expertise credentials relevant to board oversight |
| Wharton School (Zell-Lurie Real Estate Center) | Associate Director; Practice Professor, Real Estate Department | 1999–Present | Training and leadership expertise applicable to board governance |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Triton Atlantic Partners | Partner; co‑founder | 2009–Present | Provides strategic, leadership and capital markets advice to management teams |
| Incompass Labs, Inc. | Co‑Founder (peer assessment software) | 2022–Present | Technology/entrepreneurial experience enhances board skill mix |
| CBRE Global Real Estate Income Fund | Director (public) | Current | Other current public company directorship; relevant to finance/real estate |
| Rice University | Board of Trustees | Current | Non-profit board leadership |
Board Governance
- Committee memberships: Audit Committee member; qualifies as Audit Committee Financial Expert .
- Independence status: Board determined all nonemployee directors, including Nakahara, are independent under Nasdaq and company guidelines .
- Tenure: Director since February 2017 .
- Attendance: In 2024 the Board met 6 times and committees met 19 times; each director attended more than 75% of aggregate Board and relevant committee meetings; Audit Committee held 8 meetings .
- Executive sessions: Independent directors meet in executive session at almost all regularly scheduled Board and committee meetings .
Fixed Compensation
| Component | 2024 Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Fees earned or paid in cash | $135,000 | Cash retainers and meeting fees; program structure includes annual retainer $120,000 and committee member fee $15,000/member or $40,000/chair |
| Stock awards (fully vested shares) | $225,010 | Aggregate grant date fair value of annual stock grant; directors may elect to defer |
| All other compensation | $19,327 | Incremental cost of courtesy services and guest travel to business-related events |
| Total | $379,337 | Sum of 2024 director compensation components |
- Program features: Nonemployee directors receive an annual cash retainer of $120,000 plus the FMV of an annual grant of Comcast shares of $225,000; committee fees are $40,000 for chair or $15,000 for member; stock grants are fully vested upon grant and may be deferred; directors may defer fees into mutual/exchange funds or Comcast stock fund (dividends reinvested) .
- Courtesy services: High-speed internet, video, voice, home security/automation at two residences during service and for five years thereafter (if in service areas) .
Performance Compensation
| Item | Disclosure |
|---|---|
| Performance-based director pay | None; director compensation consists of fixed cash retainers, committee fees, and fully-vested annual stock grants; no performance metrics or options used for director pay |
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Company | Sector | Role | Potential Interlock Considerations |
|---|---|---|---|
| CBRE Global Real Estate Income Fund | Financials (Investment/REIT fund) | Director | Board independence affirmed; Board reviewed transactions/relationships and found all below 1% of related entity revenues and compliant with Nasdaq rules; no related party transactions disclosed for Nakahara |
- Overboarding policy: Independent directors (non-CEOs) may serve on up to four public company boards in total; Governance Committee determined nominees comply; Nakahara is in compliance .
Expertise & Qualifications
- Financial/accounting and executive leadership experience from Trammell Crow CFO and real estate investment/advisory roles; designated Audit Committee Financial Expert .
- Non-profit/educational leadership (Wharton; Rice University), contributing governance training and oversight capabilities .
Equity Ownership
| Metric | Value | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Beneficial ownership – Class A shares | 76,978 | As of February 28, 2025; less than 1% of Class A outstanding |
| Deferred shares under director plans | 72,786 | Will be paid at a future date in stock under deferred compensation plans |
| Ownership guidelines | 5x annual cash retainer | All nonemployee directors satisfied the stock ownership policy in 2024 |
| Hedging/pledging | Prohibited | Insider trading policy prohibits hedging and pledging; directors’ shares are not held in margin accounts; no hedging or pledging |
Governance Assessment
- Strengths: Independent director with Audit Committee membership and “financial expert” designation, bolstering financial reporting oversight; high meeting attendance indicated at Board/committee level; robust ownership alignment (compliance with 5x retainer guideline) and prohibition on hedging/pledging .
- Compensation alignment: Fixed cash plus fully vested stock aligns with long-term shareholding without short-term performance distortion; deferral features encourage sustained alignment .
- Conflicts/related parties: No related party transactions disclosed involving Nakahara; Board independence determinations reviewed director-linked entities and found immaterial interactions under Nasdaq thresholds .
- Engagement: Independent directors meet regularly in executive session; Audit Committee met 8 times in 2024 and reports to full Board on risk, controls, cybersecurity, and ERM, supporting robust oversight .
RED FLAGS: None disclosed for Nakahara regarding attendance shortfalls, pledging/hedging, or related-party transactions; courtesy services and guest travel are modest and disclosed transparently in “All other compensation” .