Christine M. McCarthy
COSTAR GROUPAbout Christine M. McCarthy
Independent director of CoStar Group (CSGP) since 2025; age 69. Former Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of The Walt Disney Company (2015–2023), with 30+ years in corporate finance and prior 16 years in banking (EVP & CFO at Imperial Bancorp, senior roles at First Interstate Bank). Education: B.A. (Biology), Smith College; M.B.A., UCLA Anderson School of Management. Appointed to the CSGP Board on April 6, 2025, with the Board determining she is independent and has no “related persons” transactions under SEC rules .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Walt Disney Company | Executive Vice President & Chief Financial Officer | 2015–2023 | Led corporate finance; extensive operations and strategic planning experience . |
| Imperial Bancorp | Executive Vice President & Chief Financial Officer | Not disclosed | Senior banking leadership (16+ years in banking across Imperial and First Interstate) . |
| First Interstate Bank | Various senior positions | Not disclosed | Corporate finance and treasury roles, contributing to banking expertise . |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Flutter Entertainment | Director | Current | Committee roles not disclosed in CSGP proxy . |
| Procter & Gamble Company | Director | Current | Committee roles not disclosed in CSGP proxy . |
| Smith College | Board Member | Current | Non-profit governance . |
| UCLA Anderson School of Management | Board Member | Current | Non-profit governance . |
| Los Angeles Philharmonic | Board Member | Current | Non-profit governance . |
| Westridge School | Board Member | Current | Non-profit governance . |
| Carnegie Institution for Science | Board Member | Current | Non-profit governance . |
Board Governance
- Committee assignments: Member, Nominating & Corporate Governance Committee (expected membership immediately following the 2025 Annual Meeting; Chair: Louise S. Sams; members: Louise S. Sams, Rachel C. Glaser, Christine M. McCarthy) .
- Independence: Board determined Ms. McCarthy is independent under Nasdaq Rule 5605(a)(2) ; new directors appointed in April 2025 (McCarthy, Berisford, Glaser) had no “related persons” transactions .
- Board leadership: Independent Board Chair (Louise S. Sams); CEO is a separate director (Andrew C. Florance). Executive sessions of independent directors are held without management .
- Attendance expectations: Directors are expected to attend all Board and committee meetings; in 2024, each director attended at least 75% of meetings (McCarthy joined in 2025; her 2025 attendance not disclosed) .
- Board refreshment & retirement policy: Retirement at age 75 unless waived by the Board; average tenure of independent nominees reduced to ~3 years post-refreshment .
Fixed Compensation
| Component | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Annual cash retainer (non-employee director) | $50,000 | Paid biannually; expenses reimbursed . |
| Board Chair cash retainer | $130,000 | Paid monthly . |
| Committee member fees – Audit | $15,000 | Equity award grant value component; see below . |
| Committee chair fees – Audit | $30,000 | Equity award grant value component . |
| Committee member fees – Compensation | $12,000 | Equity award grant value component . |
| Committee chair fees – Compensation | $25,000 | Equity award grant value component . |
| Committee member fees – Nominating & Corporate Governance | $12,000 | Equity award grant value component . |
| Committee chair fees – Nominating & Corporate Governance | $25,000 | Equity award grant value component . |
Performance Compensation
| Equity Component | Grant Value Basis | Vesting | Performance Metrics |
|---|---|---|---|
| Board service restricted stock (non-employee director) | $250,000 grant date value | Vests in 4 equal annual installments, subject to continued service | None disclosed for directors; awards are time-based . |
| Committee-related restricted stock (Audit/Comp/N&CG chair/member) | $12,000–$30,000 grant date values (per role) | Vests in 4 equal annual installments | None disclosed for directors; awards are time-based . |
Director equity is designed for alignment and retention; CSGP does not disclose performance conditions for director awards (distinct from executive PSU metrics). Directors are subject to the company’s clawback and anti-hedging/anti-pledging policies at the governance level .
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Company | Sector | Potential Interlock/Conflict | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Flutter Entertainment | Online gaming/entertainment | None disclosed with CSGP operations | Current director . |
| Procter & Gamble Company | Consumer goods | None disclosed with CSGP operations | Current director . |
- Related-party transactions: None occurred in 2024; new directors (including McCarthy) had no related-person transactions at appointment .
Expertise & Qualifications
- 30+ years in finance; former public company CFO; deep strategic planning and operational leadership .
- Real estate-related executive experience; complex financial analysis credentials .
- Global governance exposure via current public boards (P&G, Flutter) .
- Education: Smith College (B.A.), UCLA Anderson (M.B.A.) .
Equity Ownership
| Holder | Shares Beneficially Owned | % of Outstanding Shares |
|---|---|---|
| Christine M. McCarthy | 0 | * (less than 1%) |
- Director stock ownership policy: Non-employee directors must own shares equal to 5× the annual standard director cash retainer; compliance due by the first December 31 following the fifth anniversary of appointment .
- Hedging/pledging: Prohibited for directors and officers; insider trading policy disallows speculative transactions .
Governance Assessment
- Board effectiveness: McCarthy adds seasoned public company CFO experience and finance rigor during a board refresh period; independence and no related-party exposure support investor confidence .
- Committee role: Placement on Nominating & Corporate Governance positions her to influence board composition, evaluations, and governance practices—key for oversight of capital allocation, political contributions oversight, and ESG governance (N&CG oversees annual political contributions; Audit oversees cybersecurity risk) .
- Alignment: Director equity awards are time-based restricted stock with multi-year vesting and a stringent ownership guideline; anti-hedging/pledging policies further align director behavior with shareholders .
- Shareholder signals: Say-on-pay support was ~92% at the 2024 meeting, indicating strong investor alignment with compensation governance; majority voting, proxy access, and executive sessions are positive governance features .
- RED FLAGS: None disclosed specific to McCarthy. Note that as a new appointee she held no CSGP shares as of April 1, 2025 (expected to build toward ownership guideline). Multiple external board commitments may present time-allocation considerations, but attendance for 2025 is not yet disclosed .