John Doerr
DoorDashAbout John Doerr
John Doerr (age 73) is an independent Class II director at DoorDash and chair of the Nominating & Corporate Governance Committee. He joined the board in March 2015. Doerr is Chairman of Kleiner Perkins and serves on Alphabet’s board; he holds BS and MS degrees in Electrical Engineering/Computer Science from Rice University and an MBA from Harvard Business School .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kleiner Perkins | Chairman; formerly General Partner | Chairman since Mar 2016; GP since Aug 1980 | Venture leadership; governance experience |
| DoorDash | Director (Class II) | Since Mar 2015 | Chair, Nominating & Corporate Governance Committee |
| Amazon | Director (prior) | Not disclosed | Public company board experience |
| Bloom Energy; Zynga; QuantumScape; Coursera | Director (prior) | Not disclosed | Public company board experience |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alphabet Inc. | Director | Current | Large-cap technology board; potential information flow interlock |
| Various private companies (incl. Amyris, Inc.) | Director | Current | Venture-backed/private board roles |
Board Governance
- Committee assignments: Chair, Nominating & Corporate Governance; member: Nominating & Corporate Governance .
- Independence: Board determined Doerr is independent under Nasdaq rules .
- Attendance: In 2024, the board met 4 times; each director attended at least 75% of board and committee meetings; all directors attended the 2024 annual meeting .
- Committee meeting cadence: Audit (5), Compensation (4), Nominating & Corporate Governance (3) in 2024 .
- Board leadership: CEO Tony Xu is Chair; Shona Brown serves as Lead Independent Director to balance governance and run executive sessions .
Fixed Compensation (Director Pay Structure and 2024 Actuals)
| Component | Policy/Amount | 2024 Actual for Doerr |
|---|---|---|
| Annual cash retainer | $60,000 (non-employee directors) | $65,000 cash fees (incl. $5,000 committee chair fee) |
| Committee chair fees | Audit $20,000; Compensation $15,000; Nominating & Corporate Gov $5,000 | $5,000 (as nom/gov chair, included above) |
| Meeting fees | None (no per-meeting fees) | None |
| Maximum annual compensation cap | $750,000 (initial year $1,000,000) | Not exceeded |
Performance Compensation (Equity Awards)
| Equity Element | Structure | 2024 Grants & Vesting |
|---|---|---|
| Annual RSU | $275,000 grant value; vests earlier of 1 year or day prior to next annual meeting | RSU grant-date fair value $274,974; standard annual vesting schedule |
| Initial RSU (for new directors) | Pro-rated + $250,000 new director award; monthly/annual vesting depending grant | Not applicable (incumbent) |
| Change in control | Director equity treated per award terms | No additional disclosure |
No director performance metrics (e.g., revenue/EBITDA/TSR gates) are disclosed for outside directors; awards are time-based RSUs .
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Company | Relationship | Potential Interlock/Conflict Consideration |
|---|---|---|
| Alphabet Inc. | Current director | Tech ecosystem interlock; no specific related-party transactions disclosed with DoorDash |
| Kleiner Perkins | Chairman | DoorDash is party to a 2020 Investors’ Rights Agreement granting registration rights to certain holders including Kleiner-related entities; Doerr is affiliated with Kleiner |
Expertise & Qualifications
- Extensive public-company board experience and advising high-growth tech companies .
- Venture leadership and governance expertise via Kleiner Perkins .
- Engineering and business credentials (Rice EE/CS; Harvard MBA) .
- Selected for global business leadership and board acumen relevant to DoorDash’s growth profile .
Equity Ownership
| Category | Detail |
|---|---|
| Total beneficial ownership | 864,158 Class A shares (<1% of Class A outstanding) |
| Components (per footnote) | 33,818 Class A via Kleiner entities (shared control); 368,046 Class A via Vallejo Ventures Trust (trustees: Doerr and spouse); 462,294 Class A via various Doerr-controlled investment entities; Doerr disclaims beneficial ownership of Kleiner entity shares except to extent of pecuniary interest |
| Unvested director RSUs (12/31/2024) | 2,495 RSUs (annual award), vesting on earlier of June 20, 2025 or day prior to next annual meeting (footnote 2) |
| Hedging/Pledging | Company policy prohibits hedging and pledging by directors/employees |
| Ownership guidelines | Minimum holding equal to 4× annual cash retainer; as of 12/31/2024, non-employee directors subject to requirements were compliant (newer directors within allowed ramp period) |
Insider Filings
| Item | Status |
|---|---|
| Section 16(a) filings (2024) | Company reports all insiders complied except one late Form 4 for Andy Fang due to administrative error; no delinquent filings noted for Doerr |
Governance Assessment
- Board effectiveness: Doerr chairs the Nominating & Corporate Governance Committee, directly shaping board composition, evaluation, and governance policies; independence confirmed under Nasdaq standards .
- Engagement: Attendance thresholds met; committee cadence suggests active governance. Lead Independent Director structure balances CEO/Chair duality .
- Compensation alignment: Cash pay modest and aligned to chair duties; equity delivered via time-based RSUs with annual vesting; no meeting fees; capped annual compensation for directors .
- Ownership alignment: Meaningful personal holdings and ongoing RSU grants; compliance with ownership guidelines; hedging/pledging prohibited, supporting alignment and risk control .
- Potential conflicts/related-party exposure: Kleiner Perkins affiliation intersects with DoorDash’s Investors’ Rights Agreement (registration rights). While commonplace for venture-backed issuers, it is a governance consideration; no transactions beyond registration rights are disclosed .
RED FLAGS
- Related-party nexus via Kleiner Perkins registration rights; monitor for any future transactions or capital markets activity implicating these rights .
- Dual-class voting concentration at DoorDash (CEO-centric) can affect board accountability broadly; not specific to Doerr but relevant to governance context .