Laura Alber

About Laura Alber

Laura Alber, age 56, has served on Salesforce’s Board since 2021 and is President & CEO of Williams-Sonoma, Inc. (President since 2006; CEO since 2010). She brings deep expertise in digital commerce, global branding, and profitable growth strategies, and holds a B.A. in Psychology from the University of Pennsylvania . She currently serves on Salesforce’s Nominating & Corporate Governance Committee, reflecting governance-focused credentials .

Past Roles

Organization	Role	Tenure	Committees/Impact
Williams‑Sonoma, Inc.	President (since 2006); CEO (since 2010)	2006–present (President); 2010–present (CEO)	Executive leadership in digital commerce and brand-driven growth
Fitbit, Inc.	Director	2016–2021	Corporate governance experience in consumer tech
RealD Inc.	Director	2013–2015	Board oversight in media/tech

External Roles

Organization	Role	Tenure	Committees/Impact
Williams‑Sonoma, Inc.	Director	Since 2010	Public company governance (current)
University of Pennsylvania	Board of Trustees	Current	Non‑profit governance

Board Governance

Committee assignments: Member, Nominating & Corporate Governance Committee; the committee met 5 times in FY2025 and is composed entirely of independent directors .
Independence: Alber is an independent director (independence affirmed in 2024 proxy and all Governance Committee members deemed independent under NYSE/SEC rules). Salesforce’s Audit, Compensation, and Governance Committees are fully independent; Board nominees are 75% independent .
Attendance: The Board held 10 meetings in FY2025; all directors attended at least 75% of Board and assigned committee meetings, with average Board attendance of 97% .
Lead Independent Director oversight: Arnold Donald elected Lead Independent Director in March 2025 with expanded duties over agenda, materials, evaluations, and shareholder engagement .

Committee	Role	FY2025 Meetings
Nominating & Corporate Governance	Member	5
Audit	Not a member	8
Compensation	Not a member	18
Cybersecurity & Privacy	Not a member	4
Business Transformation	Not a member	4

Fixed Compensation

Fiscal Year	Fees Earned (Cash)	Equity Awards (RSUs)	Total
FY2025	—	$374,900	$374,900

Grant Date	Type	Grant‑date Fair Value ($)	Vesting Dates	Plan
Feb 1, 2024	RSUs	~$375,000 (reported as $374,900)	Feb 22, May 22, Aug 22, Nov 22, 2024 (equal installments)	2013 Equity Incentive Plan

Notes: Cash fees in FY2025 were paid only to the Lead Independent Director and committee chairs; Alber did not receive chair/LID fees .

Performance Compensation

Metric	Weight	Applies to	Notes
None disclosed for directors	—	Director compensation	Non‑employee director pay comprised time‑vested RSUs and any leadership role cash fees; no performance metrics or options disclosed for directors

Other Directorships & Interlocks

Company	Role	Status	Interlocks/Comments
Williams‑Sonoma, Inc.	Director	Current (since 2010)	No Salesforce interlocks disclosed
Fitbit, Inc.	Director	Former (2016–2021)	—
RealD Inc.	Director	Former (2013–2015)	—

Expertise & Qualifications

Extensive background in business management, digital commerce, and global branding, with experience in profitable growth strategies and global expansion .
Talent development and succession planning experience, including founder‑led leadership transitions .
Public board governance across retail and technology sectors .

Equity Ownership

As of	Shares Beneficially Owned (#)	Percent of Class (%)	RSUs Settling within 60 Days (#)
Mar 31, 2024	4,760	<1%	Not specified for 2024 in excerpt
Mar 31, 2025	5,969	<1%	274 (included in footnote)

No non‑employee directors held unvested stock awards as of end of FY2025 (i.e., RSUs granted in FY2025 fully vested on quarterly schedule) .
Stock ownership policy exists for directors and executive officers (specific multiples not disclosed in excerpt) .

Governance Assessment

Board effectiveness: Alber adds relevant operating expertise from a technology‑enabled consumer brand and serves on the Governance Committee, which oversees director nominations, board evaluations, succession planning, sustainability, and stockholder engagement—areas central to investor confidence .
Independence and engagement: Independent director; Governance Committee is fully independent; Board attendance strong at 97% on average, with all directors meeting minimum thresholds .
Pay alignment: Compensation is equity‑heavy via time‑vested RSUs ($374,900 in FY2025) with no cash retainer or meeting fees (absent chair/LID roles), supporting alignment though without performance linkage; no options or PSUs disclosed for directors .
Ownership: Beneficial ownership is modest (5,969 shares; <1%) with an ownership policy in place, but individual compliance details not provided; RSUs to settle within 60 days totaled 274 shares as of Mar 31, 2025 .
Potential conflicts and RED FLAGS: Her son is a non‑executive employee (Analyst, Operations & Strategy) hired Aug 2023, total comp < $150,000 in FY2025; Audit Committee reviewed and approved under Related Party Transaction Policies; low dollar and non‑management role, but familial employment is a governance sensitivity worth monitoring (mitigated by formal oversight) .
- RED FLAG (contextual): Family employment could be perceived as nepotism risk; mitigants include committee review, market‑consistent pay, and non‑executive status .

Overall signal: Governance role and independent status support board effectiveness; compensation structure aligns via equity but lacks performance metrics; familial employment is a minor, mitigated risk requiring continued oversight .