Sean Moriarty
EventbriteAbout Sean Moriarty
Sean Moriarty, age 54, is Eventbrite’s Lead Independent Director and has served on the Board since 2010. He is currently the CEO of Primer (since April 2023) and sits on the Board of Black Rifle Coffee Company (since April 2025). Moriarty holds a B.A. in English from the University of South Carolina and attended graduate school at Boston University and the University of South Carolina . He is independent under NYSE standards; all Board committees are composed of independent directors .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ticketmaster | President & CEO; prior roles incl. President, EVP Technology, COO | 2007–2009; 2000–2006 | Board member 2008–2009; deep ticketing/marketplace operating experience |
| Mayfield Fund | Entrepreneur in Residence | 2009–2012 | Venture/innovation exposure |
| Saatchi Online (Saatchi Art) | CEO | 2013–2014 | Led online art marketplace; preceded Leaf Group acquisition |
| Leaf Group (subsidiary of Graham Holdings) | CEO | 2014–2023 | Board member 2014–2021; scaled consumer internet portfolio |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Primer (AI company) | Chief Executive Officer | Apr 2023–present | Operating executive in AI |
| Black Rifle Coffee Company | Director | Apr 2025–present | Public company board; veteran-founded consumer brand |
Board Governance
- Lead Independent Director: Presides over executive sessions, liaises between CEO/Chair and independent directors, and performs duties delegated by the Board .
- Independence: All directors except the CEO are independent; Audit, Compensation, and Nominating committees are fully independent .
- Committee memberships: Moriarty serves on Audit and Compensation; Audit chaired by Helen Riley; Compensation chaired by Katherine August‑deWilde .
- Meeting cadence and attendance: Board met 4 times in 2024; each director attended at least 75% of Board/committee meetings; all directors attended the 2024 Annual Meeting . In 2023, Board met 5 times; ≥75% attendance; all directors attended the 2023 Annual Meeting .
- Committee activity: 2024 Audit (6 meetings), Compensation (5), Nominating (4) ; 2023 Audit (8), Compensation (5), Nominating (4) .
- Governance practices: Regular executive sessions, no hedging/pledging policy, annual Board and committee self‑evaluations, robust Code of Business Conduct, succession oversight by Compensation Committee .
Fixed Compensation
Non‑Employee Director Compensation Program (policy amounts)
| Compensation Element | 2023 Program (as disclosed Apr 2024) | 2025 Program (as disclosed Apr 2025) |
|---|---|---|
| Annual Board retainer (cash) | $35,000 | $35,000 |
| Lead Independent Director retainer | $15,000 | $20,000 |
| Audit Chair | $25,000 | $25,000 |
| Compensation Chair | $15,000 | $15,000 |
| Nominating Chair | $10,000 | $10,000 |
| Audit member (non‑chair) | $10,000 | $10,000 |
| Compensation member (non‑chair) | $7,500 | $7,500 |
| Nominating member (non‑chair) | $5,000 | $5,000 |
Moriarty — actual cash fees and totals
| Metric | 2023 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|
| Fees earned/paid (cash or stock in lieu) | $67,500 | $72,500 |
| Stock awards (grant date fair value) | $215,724 | $199,999 |
| Total director compensation | $283,224 | $272,499 |
Notes:
- Directors may elect to receive cash retainers in unrestricted stock .
- Moriarty elected to defer settlement of annual RSU retainer awards (into deferred stock units) .
Performance Compensation
Annual equity grants (time‑based RSUs; no performance condition)
| Attribute | 2023 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|
| Annual RSU grant shares | 28,089 RSUs (grant 6/8/2023 for most NEDs) | 37,453 RSUs (grant 6/6/2024 for each NED) |
| Grant date fair value (Moriarty) | $215,724 | $199,999 |
| Vesting schedule | Vests in full on earlier of 1st anniversary or next Annual Meeting, subject to service | Vests in full on earlier of 1st anniversary or next Annual Meeting, subject to service |
| Deferral election | Deferred into DSUs (elected by Moriarty) | Deferred into DSUs (elected by Moriarty) |
| Change‑of‑control treatment | RSUs fully accelerate upon “sale event” under 2018 Plan | RSUs fully accelerate upon “sale event” under 2018 Plan |
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Company | Relationship to EB | Role | Potential interlock/conflict |
|---|---|---|---|
| Black Rifle Coffee Company | Unrelated consumer brand | Director (Apr 2025–) | None disclosed |
| Leaf Group | Former consumer internet company | CEO; Director (2014–2021) | None disclosed |
| Ticketmaster | Live entertainment ticketing | President & CEO; Director (2008–2009) | None disclosed |
- EB’s only disclosed related‑party transaction in 2024–2025 involved payments to Stripe after former EB Audit Chair became Stripe’s CFO; no involvement by Moriarty noted .
Expertise & Qualifications
- Marketplace/ticketing operations and scaling growth companies; prior President & CEO of Ticketmaster and CEO of Leaf Group .
- Product/technology leadership experience; executive roles across consumer internet .
- Audit and compensation committee experience; independence affirmed; Audit committee includes a designated financial expert (Helen Riley) .
- AI leadership as current CEO of Primer .
Equity Ownership
Beneficial ownership (as of April 1, 2025)
| Security | Shares |
|---|---|
| Class A common | 165,553 |
| Class B common | 126,591 |
| Notes (breakdown) | 118,359 Class A held; 47,194 Class A options exercisable within 60 days; 76,591 Class B held; 50,000 Class B options exercisable within 60 days |
Outstanding awards (director‑level)
| Metric | 2023 (as of Dec 31, 2023) | 2024 (as of Dec 31, 2024) |
|---|---|---|
| Options outstanding (shares) | 97,194 | 97,194 |
| Outstanding RSUs/DSUs | 39,980 | 77,433 |
Stock ownership guidelines (directors)
- Required ownership: 5x annual cash retainer (value measured by higher of prior‑day close or trailing 18‑month average); options excluded; RSUs included net of taxes; must retain 25% of shares until compliant .
Policy alignment
- No hedging or pledging of EB securities by directors .
- Clawback policy adopted under NYSE 10D‑1 for executive incentive‑based comp (signals broader governance rigor) .
Governance Assessment
- Strengths: Long tenure and relevant marketplace domain expertise; Lead Independent Director role supports Board independence; active service on Audit and Compensation; full independent committee structures; regular executive sessions; robust governance policies (no hedging/pledging; clawback) .
- Engagement/attendance: Board/committees met regularly; ≥75% attendance across directors; Moriarty’s committee participation indicates ongoing engagement .
- Alignment: Director pay structure mixes modest cash with standard RSUs; Moriarty’s DSU deferral and stock ownership guidelines support long‑term alignment; no director‑specific perquisites .
- Risks/RED FLAGS: No Moriarty‑related party transactions disclosed; EB’s Stripe related‑party payments were overseen/ratified and involved a former director, not Moriarty . No hedging/pledging permitted, reducing alignment risk . Investor sentiment on pay improved materially (Say‑on‑Pay ~95% in 2024 vs. 79% in 2023), suggesting responsive governance, though it pertains to NEO pay rather than director pay .