Christopher Clipper
FrontdoorAbout Christopher L. Clipper
Independent director at Frontdoor, Inc. (FTDR), age 56, serving since 2021; current Chair of the Audit Committee and designated “audit committee financial expert.” He is the CFO of David Yurman Enterprises, LLC (private), with prior senior finance roles at Ralph Lauren, Nike, and Time Warner. Education: BA in Economics (Brown University) and MBA (Stanford Graduate School of Business). Board tenure: ~3.5 years as of March 2025; independence affirmed by the Board .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ralph Lauren Corporation | SVP & CFO, Innovation and Go-To-Market Strategies | Mar 2020 – Feb 2024 | Senior finance leadership for a global consumer brand |
| Ralph Lauren Corporation | SVP & CFO, North America and Club Monaco | Nov 2017 – Feb 2020 | Regional CFO oversight |
| Nike, Inc. | VP & CFO, Global Operations, North America; VP & Group Head, Global Strategy & Corporate Development | Jan 2011 – Jul 2017 | Finance, strategy and operations across consumer-focused business |
| Time Warner, Inc. | Group VP, FP&A; VP, Investor Relations; Executive Director, M&A | Jan 2004 – Jan 2011 | Corporate finance, IR, and M&A at a major media firm |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| David Yurman Enterprises, LLC (private) | Chief Financial Officer | Current | Privately-held luxury jewelry company |
Board Governance
- Committee assignments: Audit Committee Chair; members include Peter L. Cella, Balakrishnan A. Ganesh, and Liane J. Pelletier; Clipper designated as an “audit committee financial expert.” Audit Committee met 5 times in 2024 .
- Independence: Board determined Clipper is independent under Nasdaq and Company standards .
- Attendance: Board held 10 meetings in 2024; Clipper attended 100% of Board and committee meetings (only one director attended 94%) .
- Lead Independent Director structure and regular executive sessions of independent directors (presided by Lead Independent Director) are in place .
Fixed Compensation
| Component | Structure / Amount | Timing | 2024 Actuals (Clipper) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Base Director Retainer (Cash) | $90,000 | Quarterly | $90,000 |
| Audit Committee Chair Retainer (Cash) | $25,000 | Quarterly | $25,000 |
| Equity Retainer (Fully Vested Common Stock) | $160,000 grant date fair value | Annually at annual meeting | $160,015 (granted May 14, 2024) |
| Total 2024 Director Compensation | — | — | $275,015 ($115,000 cash + $160,015 stock) |
| Deferral Election | May elect to defer equity as DSEs until 30 days post Board service | At grant | Elected DSE deferral of 2024 stock award |
Performance Compensation
| Element | Exists for Directors? | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Performance-based cash bonus | No | Director pay is retainers; no performance cash component disclosed |
| Performance-based equity (PSUs/PSOs) | No for directors | Non-employee directors receive fully vested common stock, not PSUs/PSOs |
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Company | Role | Current? | Interlocks/Conflicts |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frontdoor, Inc. | Director, Audit Committee Chair | Yes | No related-party transactions disclosed; independent director |
| Public company boards (other than FTDR) | — | None (past 5 years) | Reduces potential interlock risk |
Expertise & Qualifications
- Finance and accounting leadership across consumer-focused companies; investor relations and M&A competencies .
- Audit Committee financial expert designation; financially literate under SEC/Nasdaq rules .
- BA Economics (Brown); MBA (Stanford GSB) .
Equity Ownership
| Holder | Shares Beneficially Owned | Form | % of Shares Outstanding | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Christopher L. Clipper | 17,238 | DSEs (fully vested deferred share equivalents) | <1% | DSEs settle 30 days after director departs Board; no pledges; hedging/pledging prohibited for insiders |
| Ownership Guidelines (Directors) | 5x annual cash retainer | Applies to non-employee directors | — | Must retain 100% of acquired shares until guidelines met; no fixed compliance deadline |
Governance Assessment
- Strengths
- Independent Audit Chair with deep finance background and audit committee financial expert designation; strong oversight of financial reporting, controls, ERM risks, and cybersecurity .
- 100% attendance in 2024 indicating high engagement; Board conducts annual self-assessments and regular executive sessions .
- Director equity paid in fully vested stock with optional deferral into DSEs; stock ownership guidelines require meaningful alignment (5x cash retainer); prohibitions on hedging/pledging; no pledged shares for insiders as of March 1, 2025 .
- Potential Conflicts / Red Flags
- Related person transactions: Company maintains a robust approval policy; no related person transactions involving Compensation Committee members in 2024; no specific related-party issues disclosed for Clipper .
- Interlocks: No other public boards reported for Clipper in past 5 years; current role at David Yurman (private) appears unrelated to FTDR’s home services sector, lowering conflict risk .
- Compliance signals: All Section 16 reporting was timely; Board committees composed solely of independent directors; no non-independent directors on committees .
Overall, Clipper’s profile and committee leadership support investor confidence: independent Audit Chair with relevant expertise, high attendance, equity alignment via DSE deferral, and no disclosed conflicts or pledging. Continued monitoring should include any new external roles or transactions that could implicate related-party considerations, and progress toward director ownership guidelines (the Company does not disclose per-director compliance status) .