Yanbing Li
Director at EQIX
Board
About Yanbing Li
Dr. Yanbing Li was appointed as an independent director of Equinix on August 12, 2025, and joined the Board’s Talent, Culture and Compensation Committee . She is Chief Product Officer at Datadog and previously held senior leadership roles at Aurora (SVP of Engineering), Google (VP of Product and Engineering for multiple Google Cloud areas), and VMware (SVP & GM, Storage and Availability) . Li holds a Ph.D. in Electrical and Computer Engineering from Princeton, an M.S. in Electrical and Computer Engineering from Cornell, and completed the Stanford Executive Program in 2014 .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Datadog | Chief Product Officer | Dates not disclosed | Leads scaling of product portfolio for global customers and growth |
| Aurora | SVP, Engineering | Dates not disclosed | Led software development for autonomous trucking product |
| VP, Product & Engineering (Google Cloud Commerce and Cloud Operations) | Dates not disclosed | Oversaw multiple Google Cloud product areas | |
| VMware | SVP & GM, Storage and Availability BU | Dates not disclosed | Built market-leading products and scaled billion-dollar businesses |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Datadog (public) | Chief Product Officer | Dates not disclosed | Product portfolio scaling leadership |
| AVEVA (public) | Director (prior role) | Dates not disclosed | Former public company board experience |
| NeoPhotonics (public) | Director (prior role) | Dates not disclosed | Former public company board experience |
Board Governance
- Independence: Independent director; elected to EQIX Board effective August 12, 2025 .
- Committee assignment: Member, Talent, Culture and Compensation Committee .
- Years of service: 2025–present .
- Board activity baseline: In 2024, the Board held 8 meetings and committees held 55; each incumbent director attended ≥75% of aggregate Board+committee meetings (Li joined in 2025, so 2024 attendance does not apply to her) .
- Committee cadence: In 2024, Talent, Culture and Compensation Committee held 5 meetings .
Fixed Compensation
| Component | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Annual Board cash retainer | $75,000 | Payable quarterly; non-employee directors |
| TCC Committee member retainer | $12,500 | Annual; payable quarterly; chair = $25,000 |
| Meeting fees (TCC) | $3,000 per meeting above threshold | Chair $5,000; threshold = 8 meetings/year |
| Lead Independent Director retainer (policy) | $50,000 | Applies to Lead Independent Director (not Li) |
| Director compensation cap | $750,000 annual, +$200,000 for special service | Includes cash retainers, meeting fees, equity grant-date fair value |
Performance Compensation
| Equity Element | Grant Value / Units | Vesting / Key Terms |
|---|---|---|
| Annual RSU grant for continuing directors | $260,000 grant date fair value | Fully vests on earlier of: first anniversary of prior annual meeting OR next annual meeting if not standing; dividend equivalents accrue; deferral allowed |
| Pro‑rated RSU grant upon joining | $260,000 pro‑rated by days until first anniversary of prior annual meeting | Shares determined by closing price on grant date; same vesting and dividend rules apply |
| Illustrative 2024 award sizing | 338 RSUs at $767.53 per share (each non‑employee director) | Aggregate grant date fair value $259,425 in 2024 director table |
| Change‑in‑control | RSUs fully vest if awards not assumed; death accelerates next scheduled vesting tranche |
- No performance metrics are used to determine director compensation (directors receive service‑vesting RSUs and fixed retainers) .
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Company | Relationship to EQIX | Potential Interlock / Conflict Consideration |
|---|---|---|
| Datadog (public) | Li is current CPO | EQIX discloses related-party review and Item 404(a) screening; Li not party to any reportable related-party transactions at appointment |
| AVEVA, NeoPhotonics (public) | Prior boards | Former roles; monitor if any transactions emerge in future |
- Related-party safeguards: Audit Committee reviews related-party transactions; annual/quarterly questionnaires; Code of Business Conduct oversight .
- 2024 related‑party examples (context): Revenues from entities affiliated with Vanguard ($8m), BlackRock ($3m), State Street ($7m); one director’s family employment disclosed—none relate to Li .
Expertise & Qualifications
- Technology depth in AI, cloud, enterprise software, storage/availability; proven ability to build market-leading products and scale billion‑dollar businesses .
- Global operations and product leadership across Datadog, Google Cloud, VMware; autonomous systems engineering leadership at Aurora .
- Academic credentials: Ph.D. Princeton (EE/CE), M.S. Cornell (EE/CE), Stanford Executive Program (2014) .
Equity Ownership
- Ownership guidelines: Non‑employee directors must own at least six times the annual cash retainer; new directors have five years to comply; compliance measured annually; all directors were in compliance as of Dec 31, 2024 (Li joined in 2025, so she is subject to the 5‑year path) .
- Securities policy: Hedging prohibited; restrictions on derivatives; policy filed with 10‑K exhibits .
- Standard director compensation applies to Li per appointment disclosure .
Governance Assessment
- Signals of effectiveness: Independent status and TCC committee membership position Li to contribute to human capital and compensation oversight, aligning with EQIX’s emphasis on pay-for-performance and culture; TCC chaired by Sandra Rivera in 2024 with external advisor Compensia—indicative of structured, independent practices .
- Compensation governance: Strong director pay structure with caps, no liberal share recycling, dividend equivalents only post‑vesting, and clear vesting/acceleration rules support investor alignment .
- Shareholder feedback: Say‑on‑pay support increased to ~88% in 2024 cycle (reported in 2025 proxy), reflecting improved alignment and responsiveness—supports confidence in TCC processes Li joins .
- Potential conflicts: Active Datadog executive creates a theoretical interlock risk if EQIX engages Datadog as vendor/customer; EQIX disclosed no related‑party transactions at Li’s appointment and maintains robust quarterly/annual monitoring via Audit Committee and compliance program; ongoing recusal/oversight would be expected if any transactions arise .
- Attendance baseline: Board and committees maintained active cadence through 2024; ≥75% attendance by all incumbent directors underscores engagement expectations for new members .
RED FLAGS: None disclosed specific to Li at appointment—no Item 404(a) transactions; hedging prohibited; director compensation capped. Monitor for any Datadog‑EQIX commercial dealings and ensure appropriate recusals and Audit oversight if they emerge .
Key references:
- Appointment, independence, committee: **[1101239_0001101239-25-000038_eqix-20250812.htm:1]**
- Biography, roles, education: **[1101239_0001101239-25-000038_bod_yanbinglix08142025xfin.htm:0]**
- Board activity & attendance baseline: **[1101239_0001628280-25-017318_eqix-20250410.htm:22]** **[1101239_0001628280-25-017318_eqix-20250410.htm:23]**
- Director pay structure (cash/equity, caps, vesting): **[1101239_0001628280-25-017318_eqix-20250410.htm:31]** **[1101239_0001628280-25-017318_eqix-20250410.htm:32]** **[1101239_0001628280-25-017318_eqix-20250410.htm:41]** **[1101239_0001628280-25-017318_eqix-20250410.htm:42]** **[1101239_0001628280-25-017318_eqix-20250410.htm:130]**
- Ownership guidelines & trading policy: **[1101239_0001628280-25-017318_eqix-20250410.htm:30]**
- Related‑party policy and 2024 disclosures: **[1101239_0001628280-25-017318_eqix-20250410.htm:36]** **[1101239_0001628280-25-017318_eqix-20250410.htm:37]**
- Shareholder engagement & Say‑on‑Pay support: **[1101239_0001628280-25-017318_eqix-20250410.htm:29]**