Amanda Clark
CourseraAbout Amanda M. Clark
Amanda M. Clark (age 45) is an independent Class II director of Coursera, serving since November 2020; her current term expires at the 2026 annual meeting . She is CEO of WellBiz Brands Inc. (since March 2024), and previously served as Chief Development Officer at Papa John’s (Feb 2020–Mar 2024) and held senior leadership roles at Taco Bell; she began her career with nearly 12 years in brand marketing at Procter & Gamble . She holds a B.A. in Psychology and Theater Studies from Yale University .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Papa John’s International, Inc. | Chief Development Officer | Feb 2020 – Mar 2024 | Led development for global restaurant franchise growth |
| Taco Bell Corp. | EVP, Restaurant Experience | Feb 2019 – Feb 2020 | Responsible for design, consumer tech, merchandising, marketing, new concepts, company development |
| Taco Bell Corp. | SVP, North America Development | May 2017 – Feb 2019 | North America unit development leadership |
| Taco Bell Corp. | GM, Taco Bell Canada | Nov 2015 – Aug 2018 | Country GM leadership |
| Procter & Gamble | Brand Marketing roles (Olay, Pampers, Oral-B) | ~12 years (pre-2013) | Global CPG brand and marketing experience |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| WellBiz Brands Inc. | Chief Executive Officer | Mar 2024 – present | Beauty and wellness franchise platform |
Board Governance
- Board class/term: Class II; term ends at the 2026 annual meeting .
- Independence: The Board determined Ms. Clark is independent under NYSE rules; 7 of 9 directors are independent .
- Committees: Member – Audit Committee; Member – Human Resources & Compensation (HRC) Committee .
- Committee leadership: Not a chair (Audit chaired by Sabrina L. Simmons; HRC chaired by Carmen Chang; Governance chaired by Theodore R. Mitchell) .
- Engagement/attendance: In 2024 the Board met 7 times; each director attended at least 75% of Board/committee meetings; overall attendance was 98% .
- Executive sessions: Non-management directors hold executive sessions with each regular Board meeting; presided over by the Lead Independent Director .
- Lead Independent Director: Scott D. Sandell .
Fixed Compensation (Director)
| Year | Cash Fees ($) | Equity Grant Fair Value ($) | Total ($) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 55,000 | 149,165 | 204,165 |
Policy notes:
- Standard non-employee director compensation structure: Annual RSU retainer targeted at $185,000 (value based on 30-day average price) plus $37,500 annual cash retainer; additional retainers for chair and committee service; employee directors receive no director pay .
- Annual RSU vests on the earlier of the first anniversary, the next annual meeting, or a change in control, subject to continued service .
Performance Compensation (Director Equity Detail)
| Grant Date | Award Type | Shares/Units | Vesting Terms |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 22, 2024 | RSU | 18,669 | Vests on the earlier of the 2025 Annual Meeting (May 22, 2025), first anniversary of grant, or change in control, subject to continued service . |
No performance-based (metric-linked) pay is used for non-employee directors; director equity is service-based RSUs under the policy .
Other Directorships & Interlocks
- Current public company directorships: Not disclosed for Ms. Clark .
- Compensation committee interlocks: The company discloses no interlocks for members of the HRC Committee (which included Ms. Clark in 2024) and no reciprocal executive/comp committee relationships with other companies’ executives/boards .
Expertise & Qualifications
- CEO/operator with consumer and franchising experience; prior senior roles at Papa John’s and Taco Bell; deep brand/marketing background from P&G .
- Audit Committee member; the company confirms all Audit members are financially literate (Audit Committee Financial Expert designation is held by the chair, Sabrina L. Simmons) .
- Education: B.A., Yale University .
Equity Ownership
| Holder | Beneficial Ownership (Shares) | % Outstanding | RSUs Held (12/31/2024) | Ownership Guidelines | Hedging/Pledging |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amanda M. Clark | 54,473 | <1% | 18,669 | Directors must hold 3x cash retainer within 5 years; unvested RSUs/options do not count; if not met, must retain ≥50% of net after-tax vested shares until compliant; Board expects covered persons to be in compliance when effective . | Hedging, derivatives, short sales, and pledging are prohibited by policy . |
Notes: Beneficial ownership table as of Feb 28, 2025; 161,175,615 shares outstanding . RSU balance reflects Dec 31, 2024 director equity table .
Governance Assessment
- Strengths for investor confidence: Independent director with dual committee service (Audit and HRC), supporting financial oversight, cybersecurity/controls, related-party review, and pay/governance oversight . Board maintains strong practices (majority independence, ownership guidelines, executive sessions, prohibition on hedging/pledging, mandatory resignation policy upon majority withhold) . 2024 say-on-pay support of 94% indicates broad shareholder alignment with compensation governance .
- Alignment and incentives: Director pay mix emphasizes equity with annual RSUs that vest over ~1 year or at the next annual meeting, promoting alignment; stock ownership guidelines require meaningful director ownership over time .
- Conflicts/related-party exposure: No related-party transactions disclosed involving Ms. Clark; Audit Committee (of which she is a member) oversees related-party transaction approval .
- Engagement: Company-level attendance was high (≥75% for each director; overall 98%), and independent directors meet in regular executive sessions—signals active oversight .
RED FLAGS: None identified for Ms. Clark in the proxy disclosures (no pledging/hedging permitted, no related-party transactions disclosed, no interlocks) . Potential time-commitment considerations associated with external CEO role are mitigated by board policies limiting other for-profit board service and annual self-assessments .