Jaswinder Pal Singh
Chairman of the Board at EGHT
Board
About Jaswinder Pal Singh
Independent Chairman of the Board at 8x8 (EGHT) since December 10, 2020; director since 2013. Age 60. Full Professor of Computer Science at Princeton University with 20+ years on faculty; technologist and entrepreneur with expertise in scalable computing systems and software engineering. Education: BSE (Princeton), MS/PhD (Stanford). Independence affirmed by the Board under Nasdaq rules.
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Princeton University | Full Professor of Computer Science | 20+ years | Academic leadership; technical expertise in scalable computing systems |
| firstRain, Inc. | Co-founder & CTO | Prior | Built enterprise SaaS market intelligence platform |
| Right Media, Inc. (acq. by Yahoo) | Advisor; later led Yahoo’s next-gen ad marketplace | Prior | Ad tech innovation and marketplace design |
| Publishing/Patents | Co-author “Parallel Computer Architecture”; named inventor | Prior | Technical authority; ~75 published papers |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Dates | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clearwater Analytics, Inc. | Director | Jul 2022 – Jun 2025 | Public company board; ended service in 2025 |
| CaaStle, Inc. (formerly Gwynnie Bee) | Co-Founder; Director | May 2013 – Sep 2017; rejoined board Dec 2024 | Retail tech; governance return in 2024 |
| Trust Machines | Co-Founder | Since Sep 2011 | Blockchain technology venture |
Board Governance
- Current role: Independent Chairman of the Board.
- Independence: Board determined Singh is independent (Nasdaq Rule 5605(a)(2)).
- Attendance: Board held 7 meetings in FY2025; seven of eight directors attended ≥75% of Board meetings; no director attended <75% of committee meetings.
- Committees (FY2025):
- Strategic Investment Committee: Member; committee oversees capital allocation, debt management, M&A; Chair is Andrew Burton. Meetings: 2.
- Governance & Nominating Committee: Member; Chair is Monique Bonner. Meetings: 4.
- Technology & Cybersecurity Committee: Member; Chair is Elizabeth Theophille. Meetings: 4.
- Compensation Committee: Resigned as member on Feb 17, 2025; replaced by Monique Bonner; current members are Bonner, Ford, Gleeson (Chair). Meetings: 4.
Fixed Compensation
| Item | FY2025 Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Fees Earned or Paid in Cash (Singh) | $162,875 | Includes Board retainer, committee fees, Chairman stipend |
| Annual Board cash retainer (program) | $100,000 | Increased from $40,000 effective Jul 1, 2024 |
| Chairman of the Board stipend (program) | $60,000 | Annual payment to Chairman |
| Committee member fees (program) | Audit $12,500; Comp $8,000; Gov $5,000; Tech & Cyber $5,000; Strategic Investment $5,000 | Rates effective FY2025 |
| Committee chair fees (program) | Audit $25,000; Comp $16,000; Gov $14,000; Tech & Cyber $12,500; Strategic Investment $0 | Increased vs FY2024 for some committees |
Performance Compensation
| Award Type | Grant Date | Shares/Value | Vesting | Fair Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Annual re-election RSUs (Singh) | Aug 23, 2024 | 79,881 shares | Vest in full on completion of board service year (or 12 months) subject to continued service | $155,768 |
| Director RSU program (program terms) | Various | Initial RSUs $100,000; annual RSUs $135,000 | Initial: equal annual installments over 2 years; Annual: vest in full on completion of service year | Program amounts reduced from $175,000 in FY2024 to $135,000 in FY2025 |
| Change-in-control provision | N/A | N/A | Single-trigger acceleration: all unvested RSUs/options for non-employee directors vest upon change-in-control | Applies to director equity |
Note: Non-employee director equity is time-based; no performance metrics disclosed for director awards.
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Company | Relationship to EGHT | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Clearwater Analytics; CaaStle; Trust Machines | No related-party transactions disclosed | Audit Committee approves related-party deals; Company reported none >$120k in FY2025 beyond vendor relationships considered for other directors; Singh’s independence affirmed with no material business relationships interfering with judgment |
Expertise & Qualifications
- Scalable computing systems expert; software engineering leadership; entrepreneurial track record.
- Academic credentials and publications indicate deep technical authority; patents and textbook authorship support board oversight on technology strategy.
- Prior marketplace/ad tech experience (Yahoo/Right Media) useful for product monetization and platform economics.
Equity Ownership
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Beneficial ownership (shares) | 188,487 (less than 1% of class) |
| RSUs outstanding (as of Mar 31, 2025) | 79,881 |
| RSUs vesting within 60 days of May 29, 2025 | 79,881 |
| Director stock ownership guideline | Lesser of $200,000 of stock or 40,000 shares (measured annually) |
| Stock price at measurement (Mar 31, 2025) | $2.00 (implies 40,000-share threshold) |
| Compliance with guideline | Compliant as of June 13, 2025 |
| Hedging/pledging policy | Prohibited for directors and employees |
Governance Assessment
- Board effectiveness: Singh’s independent chairmanship, multi-committee presence (Governance & Nominating; Technology & Cybersecurity; Strategic Investment), and academic/technical rigor support robust oversight of technology risk, capital allocation, and board composition. Committee attendance across the Board met ≥75% thresholds; no committee member fell below 75% in FY2025.
- Independence and conflicts: Board affirmed Singh’s independence; company reported no related-party transactions >$120k in FY2025 implicating directors or officers; Audit Committee pre-approves related-party transactions.
- Compensation alignment signals:
- Increase in guaranteed cash (Board retainer to $100k; Chairman $60k) and reduction in annual equity grant ($175k→$135k) shifts mix toward cash; could modestly reduce equity alignment for directors, though total director equity remains meaningful.
- Single-trigger change-in-control acceleration for director equity is shareholder-unfriendly relative to double-trigger norms; flag for potential misalignment in a sale scenario.
- Stock ownership guideline amended to include a 40,000-share alternative amid share price volatility; while practical, this lowers dollar-based ownership requirements during depressed prices; Singh is compliant.
- Capital allocation oversight: Participation on the newly formed Strategic Investment Committee (2 meetings in FY2025) strengthens board focus on share repurchases, dividends, debt management, and M&A—positive for investor confidence in capital discipline.
- Compliance/insider trading: Company reported timely Section 16 filings for all reporting persons in FY2025.
RED FLAGS
- Single-trigger CIC vesting for director equity awards.
- Lower annual director equity grant and higher cash retainer shift pay mix toward guaranteed compensation.
- Ownership guideline change to 40,000-share floor (vs $200k value) during low share price periods may reduce “skin in the game” in dollar terms.
Balancing factors
- Strong independence posture; prohibition on hedging/pledging; multi-committee engagement; and creation of Strategic Investment Committee mitigate alignment concerns and enhance board oversight quality.