Richard Simonson
ELECTRONIC ARTSAbout Richard A. Simonson
Independent director at Electronic Arts (EA); age 66; director since 2006. Managing Partner at Specie Mesa L.L.C. (investment/advisory firm) since 2018; former CFO at Sabre Corporation, Nokia Corporation, and Rearden Commerce. Education: B.S., Colorado School of Mines; MBA, Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania. Serves on EA’s Audit Committee and is designated an “audit committee financial expert” by the Board .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Specie Mesa L.L.C. | Managing Partner | 2018–present | Capital allocation and evaluation of investment opportunities |
| Sabre Corporation | Chief Financial Officer | Not disclosed | Financial strategy, capital allocation, audit oversight experience |
| Nokia Corporation | Chief Financial Officer | Not disclosed | Global operations and finance leadership |
| Rearden Commerce | Chief Financial Officer | Not disclosed | Finance organization oversight |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committee Roles/Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Couchbase, Inc. | Director | Not disclosed | Current public company directorship |
| Evercommerce, Inc. | Director | Not disclosed | Current public company directorship |
| Unspecified (two public companies) | Audit Committee Chair | Not disclosed | Audit chair roles noted; specific companies not enumerated in proxy |
Board Governance
- Independence: Board determined all non-employee directors, including Simonson, are independent under Nasdaq rules; all standing committees are 100% independent .
- Committee assignment: Audit Committee member; Audit Committee met 8 times in FY25 .
- Financial expertise: Board designated Simonson an “audit committee financial expert” .
- Attendance: In FY25, all eight directors attended at least 86% of the aggregate of applicable Board and committee meetings; Board met six times and independent directors hold executive sessions at each meeting .
- Lead Independent Director: Luis A. Ubiñas; Board committees and leadership fully independent .
Fixed Compensation
| Component | FY25 Amount ($) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Annual Board Retainer | 60,000 | Standard for non-employee directors |
| Audit Committee membership fee | 15,000 | Committee service fee |
| Committee chair fee | — | Not applicable (not a chair) |
| Lead Director fee | — | Not applicable |
| Meeting fees | — | Not disclosed |
| Fees Earned in Cash (reported) | 75,000 | Matches $60k + $15k schedule |
Directors may elect to receive all or part of fees in EA common stock valued at 110% of foregone cash via grant and immediate exercise of a stock option at fair market value on quarterly grant dates .
Performance Compensation
Directors receive time-based RSUs; no performance metrics apply to director equity. Standard annual RSU grant value was approximately $260,000 in FY25; RSUs vest in full on the first anniversary of grant (or earlier at the next annual meeting), with optional deferral elections available .
| Equity Detail (FY25) | Value / Count | Vesting / Structure |
|---|---|---|
| Stock Awards (RSUs) – grant date fair value | 259,857 | Annual RSU grant; time-based vesting |
| Unvested RSUs at FY25-end | 1,746 | Vests in full at first anniversary/next annual meeting |
| Option Awards (premium for shares in lieu of cash) | 7,513 | Premium from 110% stock-in-lieu election |
Detailed quarterly stock-in-lieu conversions (grant and immediate exercise):
| Grant Date | Exercise Price ($) | Shares | Grant Date Fair Value ($) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5/1/2024 | 128.18 | 161 | 20,637 |
| 8/1/2024 | 148.40 | 139 | 20,628 |
| 11/1/2024 | 151.26 | 137 | 20,723 |
| 2/3/2025 | 122.91 | 167 | 20,526 |
| Total | — | — | 82,514 |
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Company | Sector | Role | Potential Interlock/Conflict |
|---|---|---|---|
| Couchbase, Inc. | Software/Databases | Director | None disclosed by EA |
| Evercommerce, Inc. | Software/Services | Director | None disclosed by EA |
EA reports no related person transactions >$120,000 since March 31, 2024; related party transactions are reviewed under a formal Board policy .
Expertise & Qualifications
- CFO experience across three public companies; deep skills in financial strategy, capital allocation, risk management, tax/treasury, audit oversight .
- Audit leadership: Current audit chair roles at two public companies; designated “audit committee financial expert” at EA .
- Education: B.S. Colorado School of Mines; MBA Wharton .
Equity Ownership
| Ownership Metric | Value | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Shares owned (beneficial) | 74,066 | Includes direct/indirect beneficial holdings |
| Right to acquire within 60 days | 14,780 | Includes 13,034 vested RSUs deferred |
| Unvested RSUs (FY25-end) | 1,746 | Standard director grant cycle |
| Ownership % of outstanding | <1% (*) | *Less than 1% as disclosed |
| Director ownership guideline | 5x annual retainer; met | All directors met requirement by FY25-end |
| Hedging/Pledging | Prohibited | Insider trading policy bans hedging/pledging |
Governance Assessment
- Alignment: Simonson consistently elected stock in lieu of cash (quarterly option grants immediately exercised) and holds/defers RSUs, supporting skin-in-the-game alongside EA’s director ownership guideline (5× retainer) met by all directors .
- Effectiveness: Audit Committee service with financial expert designation, plus multi-company audit chair experience, strengthens oversight of reporting, internal control, and cybersecurity; Audit Committee met 8 times in FY25 .
- Independence & engagement: Nasdaq independence affirmed; EA’s committees are fully independent; attendance thresholds met across Board/committees; executive sessions at each Board meeting .
- Conflicts: No related-party transactions disclosed; EA maintains formal related person transaction review; no compensation committee interlocks involving EA officers in FY25 .
- Shareholder signals: 2024 say‑on‑pay support at 87% indicates broad investor approval of compensation governance, with continued stockholder engagement and program refinements .
RED FLAGS
- None disclosed for Simonson: no related-party transactions, hedging/pledging prohibited, and strong attendance/committee independence . Note: Long tenure (director since 2006) merits ongoing refreshment consideration; EA highlights board refreshment, skills mix, and independent leadership to mitigate risks from tenure concentration .