Ami Vora
DatadogAbout Ami Vora
Independent, non-employee Class I director at Datadog appointed September 11, 2025; tenure runs until the 2026 annual meeting. Former Chief Product Officer at Faire; previously VP of Product & Design for WhatsApp and VP/Director roles across Meta’s Ads and Instagram; began career at Microsoft building developer tools. Education: B.A. in Computer Science, Harvard University. No related-party transactions disclosed under Item 404(a) at appointment, supporting independence and absence of conflicts .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Faire | Chief Product Officer | Nov 2022 – Dec 2024 | Led product and design for global wholesale marketplace; scaled product capabilities . |
| WhatsApp (Meta) | VP, Product & Design | Dec 2018 – Nov 2022 | Led product/design for an app with 2B+ users; focus on reliability and privacy . |
| Meta (Facebook/Instagram) | VP/Director, Ads; Instagram leadership | Apr 2007 – Nov 2022 | Scaled Ads to ~$130B revenue engine; contributed to scaling Instagram; launched developer platform . |
| Microsoft | PM/Engineer, Developer Tools | Early career | Built tools for developers . |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Datadog | Director (Class I) | Sep 11, 2025 – present | Appointed as 10th board member; term to 2026 annual meeting . |
No other current public-company directorships disclosed at appointment .
Board Governance
- Appointment and class: Class I director effective Sept. 11, 2025; Board size increased from 9 to 10 .
- Committee assignments: None at appointment; “not currently expected to be named to any committee at this time” (status may change as board refreshes) .
- Independence and conflicts: Company disclosed no Item 404(a) related-party transactions for Vora (supports independence) .
- Lead Independent Director: Dev Ittycheria; responsibilities include moderating executive sessions, liaising with CEO, agenda-setting .
- Attendance baseline: Board met 5 times in FY2024; each director (then-serving) attended ≥75% of board/committee meetings; four directors attended 2024 annual meeting (Vora joined after FY2024) .
- Insider trading policy: Company prohibits hedging, short sales, margin purchases, and pledging—applies to directors .
Fixed Compensation
| Component | Annual Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Board retainer (non-employee director) | $50,000 | Standard cash retainer . |
| Lead independent director | $74,000 | In lieu of $50k (if applicable) . |
| Audit committee chair / member | $25,000 / $12,500 | Cash fees . |
| Compensation committee chair / member | $20,000 / $10,000 | Cash fees . |
| Nominating & governance chair / member | $12,000 / $6,000 | Cash fees . |
Directors may elect to convert cash compensation into fully vested RSUs (“retainer grant”) at the time of payment .
Performance Compensation
| Equity Award | Value/Structure | Vesting/Trigger | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial RSU grant (at appointment) | $600,000 | Vests in 3 equal annual installments over 3 years | Increased from standard $400k initial grant to attract Vora and align interests . |
| Annual RSU grant (ongoing) | $250,000 | Vests at 1 year or next annual meeting | Standard non-employee director award . |
| Retainer RSU election | Converts cash fees into RSUs | Fully vested at grant | Optional election by directors . |
| Change-in-control treatment | Outstanding director equity fully vests | Upon change in control | Subject to continuous service until immediately prior to closing . |
Company-level performance metrics informing executive incentives (context for governance and pay-for-performance; directors’ equity is time-based, not performance-based):
- Annual bonus metrics: Net new ARR with decelerators tied to non-GAAP operating income; FY2024 attainment ~93% → 93% payout .
- PSU metrics: FY2024 revenue growth target with non-GAAP operating income threshold; actual 100.5% of revenue target; PSUs earned at 115% of target .
| Metric (FY2024) | Target | Actual | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| Net new ARR attainment | 100% plan | ~93% | 93% payout for NEO bonuses . |
| Non-GAAP operating income threshold | Target level | Achieved | Enabled bonus payout . |
| Revenue ($USD mm) | $2,672,000 | $2,684,275 | 100.5% of target; PSUs earned at 115% . |
Other Directorships & Interlocks
- No other public-company board seats disclosed for Vora at appointment; no arrangements or understandings with any person for selection; no family relationships with DDOG directors/officers; no transactions under Item 404(a) .
- Existing DDOG board includes investor-affiliated directors (ICONIQ, Index) and management founders; Lead Independent Director role in place .
Expertise & Qualifications
- Product leadership at massive scale (WhatsApp: 2B+ users; Meta Ads: scaled revenue engine) .
- Experience building developer platforms and tools (Microsoft; Facebook platform) .
- Strategic and execution rigor; cross-functional leadership; public speaking/industry presence .
Equity Ownership
- Initial appointment RSU equals $600,000 divided by closing price on grant date; number of shares determined mechanically per policy (company did not disclose share count in 8‑K) .
- Hedging, short sales, margin purchases, and pledging of Datadog stock prohibited for directors .
Governance Assessment
- Strengths: Independent non-employee director; no related-party transactions; strong product-at-scale expertise aligned to DDOG’s customer base; equity-heavy director compensation enhances ownership alignment; robust insider trading/hedging prohibitions .
- Watch items: Initial RSU uplift ($600k vs. $400k policy) reflects market competitiveness; investors should monitor subsequent annual grants and any committee assignments to assess workload vs. pay .
- Board context: Majority independent; lead independent director structure; active committee oversight (audit, compensation, nominating/ESG) and regular executive sessions support board effectiveness .
- Shareholder signals: Prior say‑on‑pay support ~95% (FY2024), indicating favorable investor sentiment toward governance and compensation practices .