Aparna Chennapragada
EBAYAbout Aparna Chennapragada
Aparna Chennapragada (age 48) is an independent director of eBay Inc., serving since 2022. She is Corporate Vice President, Generative AI at Microsoft (since Oct 2023), and previously served as Chief Product Officer at Robinhood (Apr 2021–Aug 2022) and Vice President/General Manager at Google (Jul 2008–Apr 2021). She holds an M.S. in Management & English from MIT, an M.S. in Computer Science from the University of Texas–Austin, and a B.Tech. in Computer Science from the Indian Institute of Technology .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vice President & General Manager | Jul 2008 – Apr 2021 | Led AI-powered products reinventing Google Search for billions of users | |
| Robinhood | Chief Product Officer | Apr 2021 – Aug 2022 | Senior product leadership at commission-free trading platform |
| Capital One | Director (public company board) | Mar 2018 – Apr 2021 | Prior public company directorship |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Microsoft | Corporate Vice President, Generative AI | Oct 2023 – Present | Leads AI-first creation experiences across Microsoft 365 & Microsoft Designer |
Board Governance
- Independence: eBay’s Board determined 10 of 11 nominees are independent; Chennapragada is listed as an independent director .
- Committee service:
- 2025: Technology Committee member (committee established Nov 2024; first formal meeting scheduled for 2025) .
- 2024: Audit Committee member (Audit Committee held 10 meetings in 2023) .
- Attendance: In 2024, the Board held 5 meetings and each then-serving member attended at least 75% of aggregate Board/committee meetings; in 2023, the Board held 8 meetings and each then-serving member attended at least 75% .
- Board structure: Separate independent Chair (Paul S. Pressler) and CEO; committees with approved charters; majority voting and resignation policy for directors not receiving a majority vote .
- Technology Committee oversight: Reviews tech strategy (software, AI, infrastructure), compliance with tech policies, emerging tech trends, and cyber/data/site availability risks .
Fixed Compensation (Director)
| Component | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Annual cash retainer | $80,000 | Standard retainer for independent directors (unchanged in 2024) |
| Committee member retainer | $18,000 | Audit Committee member in 2024 |
| Total fees earned (2024) | $98,000 | As reported in 2024 Director Compensation Table |
| Chair/member fees schedule (reference) | Various | Audit Chair $25,000; Audit member $18,000; CHCC Chair $15,000; CHCC member $15,000; CGNC Chair $15,000; CGNC member $10,000; Risk Chair $15,000; Risk member $10,000; Technology Chair $15,000; Technology member $10,000 (Tech formed Nov 2024; pro-rated) |
Performance Compensation (Director)
Directors do not receive performance-based incentive pay; equity is time-based RSUs.
| Equity Element | Grant Date/Units | Grant Value | Vesting | Plan Limits/Change-in-Control |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Annual RSU grant (2024) | 4,644 RSUs on 2024 annual meeting date | $250,000 | Fully vests on earlier of 1-year anniversary or next annual meeting | Equity plan limit for directors: $600,000/year (2× limit in year of onboarding); unvested director RSUs accelerate on change-in-control |
Other Directorships & Interlocks
- Current public company directorships: None .
- Prior public company boards: Capital One (Mar 2018–Apr 2021) .
- Interlocks/conflicts: None disclosed; Audit Committee reviews all related-person transactions and none required disclosure since Jan 1, 2024 (and likewise none since Jan 1, 2023 in the preceding proxy) .
Expertise & Qualifications
- Domains: Technology (AI/ML), E-commerce/Retail, Product/Marketing/Media, Strategy, Leadership, Management, Cybersecurity .
- Director skills matrix: Highlights technology, product, strategy, and cybersecurity experience aligned to eBay’s needs .
Equity Ownership
| Holder | Shares Beneficially Owned | % of Outstanding | RSUs/DSUs Held (as of 12/31/2024) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aparna Chennapragada | 9,893 | <1% (based on 461,978,236 outstanding shares) | 4,644 RSUs; 0 DSUs | No pledging permitted; anti-hedging/pledging policies for directors/officers |
| Ownership guidelines (directors) | N/A | N/A | N/A | Required to hold 5× the annual Board retainer; retain 25% of shares until compliance; all directors in compliance as of 12/31/2024 |
Governance Assessment
- Strengths:
- Independence with deep AI/product expertise; moved from Audit Committee (2024) to Technology Committee (2025), aligning responsibilities with skill set and eBay’s tech/cyber oversight focus .
- Attendance threshold met Board-wide and robust governance structures (independent Chair, majority voting, resignation policy) support accountability .
- Director compensation balanced between cash and time-based equity; equity plan caps and change-in-control provisions are standard; no per-meeting fees; benchmarking around 50th percentile via independent consultant .
- Ownership alignment: stock ownership guidelines for directors; anti-hedging/anti-pledging policies in place; all directors compliant as of 12/31/2024 .
- Potential conflicts/risks:
- No related-person transactions disclosed; Code of Conduct mandates disclosure/recusal; Audit Committee oversees related party reviews—reducing conflict risk despite external executive role at Microsoft .
- No red flags identified in pledging/hedging, option repricing, gross-ups, or say‑on‑pay concerns; eBay reports robust clawbacks for executives and prudent compensation governance practices .
Additional Context (Compensation Governance & Shareholder Feedback)
- Director compensation program: Annual RSUs ($250,000; $350,000 for Chair) and cash retainers; some directors elect shares in lieu of cash; Aparna did not forgo cash in 2024 .
- Say-on-pay support (executives): 2024 approval ~86% of votes cast, indicating broad investor support for pay governance; informs overall compensation governance posture .
RED FLAGS: None disclosed regarding attendance shortfalls, related‑party transactions, hedging/pledging, option repricing, or tax gross‑ups for directors .