Bala Ganesh
FrontdoorAbout Bala Ganesh
Dr. Balakrishnan (“Bala”) A. Ganesh is Senior Vice President and Chief Technology Officer (CTO) of Frontdoor, Inc., effective July 14, 2025; he previously served on Frontdoor’s Board (Audit Committee member) from July 28, 2023 until resigning effective June 30, 2025 to assume the CTO role . He holds a PhD in Aerospace Engineering (minor in Mathematics), an MBA, and an MS in Aerospace Engineering from Georgia Tech, and a BA from the Indian National Defence Academy; he also served six years as a fighter pilot in the Indian Air Force . Age: 53 as of March 25, 2025 . Company performance during his recent tenure as director showed revenue up 4% YoY to $1.843B and Adjusted EBITDA up 28% to $443M in FY 2024, with EPS up 42% to $3.01; these metrics frame the operating backdrop for his transition to CTO .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Years | Strategic Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| OnTrac Logistics (subsidiary of OnTrac Final Mile) | Chief Technology Officer | Prior to 2025 (dates not specified) | Led digital transformation, cybersecurity, and product development for last-mile e-commerce delivery services . |
| AKF Consulting LLC | Partner | Aug 2022 – Aug 2023 | Technology consulting/technical due diligence; interim technology leadership; familiar with Frontdoor’s tech stack . |
| United Parcel Service (UPS) | VP Engineering | Dec 2020 – Aug 2022 | Managed global technology innovation strategy; recognized by Business Insider’s “100 people transforming business” . |
| United Parcel Service (UPS) | VP Advanced Technology Group | Aug 2018 – Dec 2020 | Led strategy for drones, robotics, sensors, AI, autonomous vehicles . |
| United Parcel Service (UPS) | VP Advanced Analytics & Revenue Management | Jun 2016 – Aug 2018 | Built ML pricing and prediction models; data science leadership . |
| United Parcel Service (UPS) | VP Global E-commerce Strategy | Feb 2014 – Jun 2016 | E-commerce strategy leadership . |
| United Parcel Service (UPS) | Product Director, UPS My Choice (E-commerce B2C) | Jan 2012 – Feb 2014 | Product leader for B2C solution . |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Years | Strategic Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frontdoor, Inc. | Director; Audit Committee Member; Independent | Jul 28, 2023 – Jun 30, 2025 | Governance oversight; Audit Committee membership; resigned to become CTO . |
| Public Company Directorships | Current/Former | Current: Frontdoor (until resignation in 2025); Former: None in last five years | Confirms independence and tech/digital expertise . |
Fixed Compensation
| Year | Cash Retainer ($) | Stock Awards ($ fair value) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| FY 2024 (Director) | $90,000 | $160,015 | Fully vested common stock granted May 14, 2024; Dr. Ganesh elected to defer the stock award as Deferred Share Equivalents (DSEs) until 30 days after he no longer serves on the Board . |
2023 director compensation was prorated based on service start date (July 28, 2023), per the initial 8-K; specific dollar amounts not disclosed .
Performance Compensation
| Award Type | Metric | Target | Actual/Payout | Grant Date | Vesting |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RSUs (time-based) – CTO | N/A (time-based) | N/A | N/A | Jul 14, 2025 | 50% vests on Jul 14, 2026; 50% vests on Jul 14, 2027 (settles in shares on each vest date) . |
| Deferred Share Equivalents (DSEs) – Director | N/A | N/A | N/A | May 14, 2024 (annual director grant) | DSEs settle 30 days after a director leaves the Board (i.e., expected around Jul 30, 2025 for Dr. Ganesh) . |
Frontdoor’s executive long-term incentives for NEOs (not including Dr. Ganesh prior to his CTO appointment) were 50% PSUs tied to 3-year cumulative revenue and 50% PSUs tied to 3-year cumulative Adjusted EBITDA, plus 50% RSUs; AIP payout aggregated 135.0% for FY 2024. If/when designated as a covered executive, PSUs/RSUs terms could apply similarly to CTO awards (company program design) .
Equity Ownership & Alignment
| Date (Record) | Beneficial Ownership (Shares) | % of Shares Outstanding | Composition/Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 1, 2024 | 3,677 | <1% | Includes 3,677 DSEs deferred; less than 1% of outstanding shares . |
| Mar 1, 2025 | 8,090 | <1% | Beneficial ownership reflects director holdings; less than 1%; all directors/officers group held 1,113,113 shares (1.48% of outstanding) . |
- Stock ownership guidelines: Non-employee directors expected to hold 5× annual cash retainer; executives 3× base salary; retention of 100% of acquired shares until guidelines met; no specified time to achieve levels .
- Prohibitions: Short sales, hedging, trading on margin, and pledging of company stock are prohibited by policy .
Employment Terms
| Provision | Summary | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Severance Policy (non-CIC) | For eligible executives (including NEOs): cash severance equal to 1× (base salary + target annual bonus); prior-year bonus if unpaid; pro-rata current-year target bonus if termination on/after June 30; 12 months COBRA reimbursement; outplacement services . | |
| Severance Policy (CIC double-trigger) | If terminated without cause or resigns for good reason within 2 years post-CIC: cash severance of 2× (base salary + target annual bonus); prior-year bonus if unpaid; pro-rata current-year target bonus if termination on/after June 30; 18 months COBRA reimbursement; outplacement; unvested “alternative awards” immediately vest if previously replaced at CIC . | |
| Equity acceleration (general) | PSUs: death/disability vest at target; non-CIC termination without cause/for good reason – pro-rata vesting continues to 3rd anniversary of grant based on actual performance; RSUs have similar pro-rata post-termination vesting terms . | |
| CIC equity treatment | If no “alternative award,” PSUs vest at target (or greater of target vs projected performance if within last 12 months of period); PSOs/Options treatment per award terms; double-trigger vest applies for alternative awards . |
Applicability: Dr. Ganesh’s CTO arrangement (being an executive officer) is expected to be covered by the Executive Severance Policy and equity award terms approved by the Compensation Committee; specific CTO cash salary, bonus targets or bespoke contract terms were not disclosed in the 8-K .
Compensation Peer Group and Say‑On‑Pay
- Compensation peer group (2024): ADT, Alarm.com, Angi, Anywhere Real Estate, Black Knight, CarGurus, Cars.com, FirstService, H&R Block, OPENLANE, Redfin, RB Global, WW International, Yelp, Zillow .
- Peer group (2025 update): Adds Brightview, Chemed, First American Financial, Rollins, Tripadvisor, Unifirst; removes four prior peers in a streamlining shift toward tech‑enabled business model comparables .
- Say‑on‑pay: At the 2024 Annual Meeting, over 95% voted “FOR” 2023 NEO compensation; 2025 Proxy seeks advisory approval again (standard majority requirement) .
Performance & Track Record
| Metric | FY 2023 | FY 2024 | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue ($USD Billions) | $1.780 | $1.843 | +4% YoY . |
| Adjusted EBITDA ($USD Millions) | $346 | $443 | +28% YoY . |
| Diluted EPS ($USD) | $2.12 | $3.01 | +42% YoY . |
Company highlighted execution in 2024 including the acquisition of 2-10 HBW, gross margin expansion (54%), credit facility completion, and brand/app initiatives—contextual to the CTO remit in scaling AI/data architecture and product innovation .
Risk Indicators & Red Flags
- Related party engagement: Prior to his directorship, AKF Partners (Ganesh’s employer) provided ~$1.2M of tech consulting/interim executive services to Frontdoor (Dec 2022 – Jun 2023); Board affirmed independence; Ganesh had no ownership interest in AKF and was salaried .
- Hedging/pledging: Explicitly prohibited—alignment positive .
- Vesting‑related selling pressure: DSEs from the May 14, 2024 director grant settle 30 days after leaving the Board (expected late July 2025); initial CTO RSU vestings in July 2026 and July 2027 could create event‑driven liquidity windows .
Investment Implications
- Alignment and retention: As CTO, Ganesh’s equity is time‑based RSUs with multi‑year vesting, supporting retention; expected coverage under a double‑trigger CIC framework reduces involuntary turnover risk while maintaining shareholder‑friendly conditions (no pledging/hedging, robust ownership guidelines) .
- Execution signals: His UPS AI/analytics pedigree and OnTrac CTO experience align with Frontdoor’s push into AI‑enabled acquisition tools, app monetization, and data architecture; successful delivery on these levers is tied to revenue growth and Adjusted EBITDA (key performance measures in the company’s incentive design) .
- Trading considerations: Watch for settlement of deferred director shares (late July 2025) and scheduled RSU vest dates (July 2026/2027) as potential supply events; monitor additional Form 4s for grants/transactions as the Compensation Committee formalizes ongoing CTO equity awards .
Data gaps: CTO-specific cash salary, target bonus %, and any PSU participation were not disclosed in the June 25, 2025 8-K/press release; rely on future filings for exact compensation terms .