Joelle Smith
About Joelle Smith
Joelle M. Smith is President of First Advantage (FA). She joined FA in 2017, previously serving as Chief Experience Officer (2020–2022) and President, Data, Technology & Experience (May 2022–Sept 2024), before being promoted to President effective Sept 16, 2024. She holds a B.S. from East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania and was age 48 at the time of her promotion 8-K. Her remit expanded to lead product, data, technology, and go‑to‑market (sales, customer success, marketing), with noted contributions to FA’s 2021 IPO and product innovation.
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Years | Strategic Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Advantage | President | 2024–present | Leads global go‑to‑market, product, data, and technology; mandate to drive AI/digital offerings and growth |
| First Advantage | President, Data, Technology & Experience | 2022–2024 | Streamlined technology/product operations; drove innovation and growth |
| First Advantage | Chief Experience Officer | 2020–2022 | Customer experience leadership across products and services |
| First Advantage | EVP, Resident & Investigative Research | 2017–2019 | Executive leadership pre-IPO; foundations for later product/data initiatives |
| Mindtree | Vice President roles | 2012–2017 | Executive roles in sales/software/data; cross‑industry domain expertise |
Fixed Compensation
- 2024 promotion terms: New base salary rate $600,000 and eligibility for a discretionary annual cash bonus up to $450,000 (effective Sept 16, 2024) .
- 2022 promotion terms: Base salary increased to $460,000; eligible for annual cash bonus up to 50% of base salary .
Multi‑year realized compensation (Summary Compensation Table):
| Component (USD) | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Salary | 436,459 | 460,000 | 500,929 |
| Bonus (MICP and discretionary) | 78,463 | 69,000 | 347,160 (includes MICP; see note) |
| Stock Awards (RSUs etc.) | 1,457,441 | — | 1,294,743 |
| Option Awards | 2,310,250 | — | 1,121,267 |
| All Other Compensation | 4,382 | 4,962 | 2,994 |
| Total | 4,286,996 | 533,962 | 3,267,093 |
2024 note: A special one‑time cash transaction bonus of $200,000 was paid to Ms. Smith in Nov 2024 upon completion of the Sterling acquisition (included in the 2024 bonus column disclosure).
Performance Compensation
Management Incentive Compensation Plan (MICP) – disclosed design (2022):
| Metric | Weighting | Target | Actual | Payout vs Target | Vesting/Timing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adjusted EBITDA | 50% | Company budget | Not disclosed (committee used budget attmt scale) | ~38% of target overall MICP payout | Cash paid after audit, typically March following year |
| Revenue | 50% | Company budget | Not disclosed | ~38% of target overall MICP payout | Cash paid after audit, typically March following year |
Equity incentives and vesting terms:
| Grant/Plan | Grant Date | Type | Number | Exercise/Strike | Grant‑Date Fair Value | Vesting Schedule |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Promotion LTI (President) | 9/16/2024 | 50% Options / 50% RSUs | TBD by pricing formula | Market close on 9/16/24 (options) | $2,500,000 (aggregate) | 4 equal annual installments from 9/16/2024 |
| Promotion LTI (P, D, T & E) | 5/12/2022 | Time‑based Options | 399,847 | $14.63 | $2,310,250 | 25% on each of the first four anniversaries of 5/11/2022 |
| Promotion LTI (P, D, T & E) | 5/12/2022 | RSUs | 99,620 | — | $1,457,441 | 25% on each of the first four anniversaries of 5/11/2022 |
| Legacy options | 2/9/2020 | Options (time & perf categories in plan) | 73,385 exercisable; 72,984 unexercisable as of 12/31/22 | $6.61 | — | Unvested tranche: equal annual installments on Jan 31, 2023, 2024, 2025 (per Form 3 note) |
| Legacy options | 8/24/2020 | Options | 6,503 exercisable; 6,469 unexercisable as of 12/31/22 | $6.61 | — | 2,191 vested 8/15/2022; remaining in equal annual installments on 8/15/2023, 2024, 2025 |
Equity Ownership & Alignment
Initial Section 16 ownership at appointment to President, Data/Tech/Experience (Form 3, May 2022):
| Title | Amount | Ownership Form | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Common Stock | 16,611 | Direct | — |
| Stock Options (right to buy) | 146,369 | Direct | Exercisable/vesting schedule per footnote: 72,984 unvested, vest Jan 31, 2023–2025 |
| Stock Options (right to buy) | 12,972 | Direct | 8,660 unvested; 2,191 vest 8/15/2022; remainder 8/15/2023–2025 |
Outstanding awards at FY‑end 2022 (as of 12/31/2022):
| Award | Grant Date | Exercisable | Unexercisable | Exercise Price | Expiration | RSUs/Restricted Stock Not Vested | Market Value (if disclosed) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nonqualified Stock Option | 5/12/2022 | — | 399,847 | 14.63 | 5/12/2032 | — | — |
| Nonqualified Stock Option | 8/24/2020 | 6,503 | 6,469 | 6.61 | 8/24/2030 | — | — |
| Nonqualified Stock Option | 2/9/2020 | 73,385 | 72,984 | 6.61 | 1/31/2030 | — | — |
| RSU | 5/12/2022 | — | — | — | — | 99,620 | $1,295,060 |
- Ownership/pledging: The Sept 2024 promotion 8‑K states no Item 404(a) related‑party transactions for Ms. Smith; no pledging disclosures were noted in that filing.
Employment Terms
Severance and change‑in‑control (CIC) economics (proxy “Potential Payments”):
| Scenario | As of 12/29/2023 | As of 12/31/2024 |
|---|---|---|
| Without Cause / For Good Reason (no CIC) – Cash Severance | $230,000 (equals 6 months of base salary) | $230,000 (equals 6 months of base salary) |
| With CIC – Cash Severance | $230,000 | $230,000 |
| Death or Disability – Cash | $230,000 | $230,000 |
| Death or Disability – Accelerated Options | $343,869 (value calc method disclosed) | $559,787 (value calc method disclosed) |
| Death or Disability – Accelerated RS/RSUs | $412,676 | $775,459 |
Key vesting nuances:
- For RSUs granted to Ms. Smith in 2022, any tranche that would have vested on the next vesting date following death or disability will vest at that time (special treatment vs standard forfeiture) .
- Option/RSU accelerated values are measured using closing stock prices on the stated dates and (for options) net of exercise price, with performance awards assumed achieved upon a CIC solely for valuation purposes .
Investment Implications
- Pay mix and retention: Smith’s 2022 promotion package was heavily equity‑weighted with four‑year vesting (RSUs and options), and her 2024 President package added another four‑year vesting stack. This creates ongoing retention hooks and likely periodic selling windows around May 11 and Sept 16 each year as tranches vest.
- Incentive alignment: Disclosed MICP design used balanced top‑line and profitability (revenue and Adjusted EBITDA at 50% each), with a below‑target ~38% payout for 2022, indicating a pay‑for‑performance tilt. 2024 also includes a disclosed one‑time transaction bonus related to the Sterling deal, which is non‑recurring.
- Severance risk/reward: Cash severance is modest at six months base salary across scenarios (including CIC), while death/disability scenarios carry notable equity acceleration value; this mix emphasizes ongoing performance and tenure over large cash parachutes.
- Governance/related‑party: The 2024 promotion 8‑K notes no Item 404(a) related‑party transactions for Smith, reducing conflict risk at the time of elevation.
- Execution scope: Her remit expanded to include go‑to‑market in 2024, heightening execution leverage on growth and AI/digital initiatives; her role in IPO and product innovation signals continuity in strategic technology leadership.
Overall: Compensation structure is equity‑centric with clear vesting ladders supporting retention; cash severance is conservative. The combination of added 2024 equity grants and broadened operating scope raises both upside alignment and near‑term execution risk concentration in sales/technology integration.