Philipp Schindler
Senior Vice President, Chief Business Officer at GOOGL
Executive
About Philipp Schindler
Philipp Schindler (age 54) is Senior Vice President and Chief Business Officer of Google, overseeing global sales across Google and YouTube, technical and consumer support, partnerships, business development, and country operations. He has served in this role since August 2015 and has been at Google since 2005; he holds a Diplom Kaufmann degree with distinction in business administration and management from the European Business School in Oestrich‑Winkel, Germany . Alphabet’s executive pay framework links his long-term incentive outcomes to relative total shareholder return (TSR) versus the S&P 100; his 2022–2024 PSUs earned 98.99% of target based on TSR performance (Alphabet TSR 22.55%, 49.49th percentile) .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Years | Strategic Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| VP, Global Sales & Operations | 2012–2015 | Led global ads sales and operations; scaled commercial execution across products/regions | |
| President, Northern & Central Europe | 2009–2012 | Regional leadership for commercial expansion and go-to-market | |
| Managing Director, Germany/Switzerland/Austria/Nordics | 2005–2009 | Built foundational commercial teams and country operations |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Years | Strategic Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| AOL Germany | Senior Vice President | Not disclosed | Senior commercial leadership at major internet company |
| CompuServe (AOL subsidiary) | Head of Marketing, Germany | Not disclosed | Drove customer acquisition/brand execution in early online services |
| Studienstiftung des deutschen Volkes | Scholar | Not disclosed | Merit‑based academic recognition |
Fixed Compensation
| Component | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Base Salary ($) | $1,000,000 | $1,000,000 | $1,007,692 |
| Annual Cash Bonus ($) | $775,000 (SVP Bonus) | $1,500,000 (SVP Bonus) | $2,000,000 (SVP Bonus, paid Mar 21, 2025) |
| Perquisites ($) | $11,386 tax prep services | Not disclosed | $22,176 tax prep services; personal car and aircraft use included in “All Other Compensation” |
| All Other Compensation ($) | $22,200 | $14,032 | $44,007 |
Notes:
- Alphabet discontinued the SVP Bonus program effective February 28, 2025; target bonus value was shifted into annual PSU awards for named executives from 2025 onward .
Performance Compensation
| Metric | Award Year | Target | Actual | Payout Range | Vesting / Measurement |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Relative TSR vs S&P 100 (PSU) | 2022 grant (performance period 2022–2024) | Not disclosed target shares | 81,844 shares earned (98.99% of target) | 0%–200% of target | Vests within 45 days post‑period end; payout certified Jan 2025 |
| Relative TSR vs S&P 100 (PSU) | 2023 grant (performance period 2023–2025) | Target shares 112,835; threshold 0; max 225,670 | In‑progress (as of 12/31/2024) | 0%–200% of target | Vests within 45 days after 12/31/2025 |
| Relative TSR vs S&P 100 (PSU) | 2024 grant (performance period 2024–2026) | Target shares 75,601; threshold 37,801; max 151,202 | In‑progress | 0%–200% of target | Vests within 45 days after 12/31/2026 |
| Time‑based GSUs | 2024 grant | 144,901 GSUs | Ongoing vesting | n/a | 1/6th vested 6/25/2024; then 1/12th quarterly |
| Time‑based GSUs | 2023 grant | 72,334 GSUs (unvested as of 12/31/2024) | Ongoing vesting | n/a | 1/6th vested 6/25/2023; then 1/12th quarterly |
| 2025 PSU (relative TSR) | 2025 grant (performance period 2025–2027) | $14,000,000 target value → 75,217 PSUs | In‑progress | 0%–200% of target | Vests 12/31/2027, subject to employment |
| 2025 GSUs (time‑based) | 2025 grant | $24,000,000 target value → 143,270 GSUs; transitional $2,666,667 added to maintain target comp during bonus shift | Ongoing vesting | n/a | Standard grant cadence; quarterly vesting per Alphabet practice |
Design features and payout curve:
- PSU payouts are determined by Alphabet’s TSR rank versus S&P 100 peers; payouts linearly interpolate between 25th–50th and 50th–75th percentiles, with 0%–200% payout range .
- Alphabet added dividend equivalent units to unvested stock units following cash dividend program initiation in 2024; prior grants were modified to accrue dividend equivalents .
Equity Ownership & Alignment
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Voting shares beneficially owned (Class A & Class B) as of April 8, 2025 | Not listed for Philipp in the beneficial ownership table; Class C (non‑voting) holdings are excluded from that table |
| Unvested GSUs (12/31/2024) | 96,928 shares (2024 grant); 72,334 shares (2023 grant) |
| Unvested PSUs at target (12/31/2024) | 75,857 shares (2024 grant); 113,217 shares (2023 grant); prior 2022 PSUs earned 81,844 shares at 98.99% of target |
| Market value of unvested awards (12/31/2024) | GSUs/PSUs valued at $190.44 per share for disclosure purposes |
| Stock ownership guidelines | SVPs must hold Alphabet stock valued at ≥ $7.5 million; compliance required within 5 years of hire/promotion; all NEOs met or were within grace period as of 12/31/2024 |
| Hedging/pledging | Prohibited for executive officers, directors, and employees (short sales, hedging, pledging, margin accounts, certain orders) |
Employment Terms
- No individualized severance or change‑in‑control cash benefits; if a change in control occurs and awards are not assumed/substituted, all unvested GSUs fully vest and PSUs vest at target; GSUs also vest in full upon death for executives/directors .
- PSU treatment on termination: upon death, target PSUs vest (or actual earned PSUs if after period end, before determination); upon Alphabet termination without cause after performance period start, earned PSUs prorate by service days and vest at determination date .
- Clawback: Alphabet Inc. Clawback Policy adopted October 2023 to comply with SEC Rule 10D‑1 and Nasdaq listing standards .
- Perquisites: personal use of non‑commercial aircraft and company car permitted under policy; in 2024 Alphabet paid for personal aircraft use, car use, and tax preparation services for Philipp ($22,176) .
Multi‑Year Compensation Summary (Pay‑for‑Performance Mix)
| Metric | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Salary ($) | $1,000,000 | $1,000,000 | $1,007,692 |
| Stock Awards ($) | $35,295,496 | $39,438,939 | $43,972,310 |
| Non‑Equity Incentive ($) | $775,000 | $1,500,000 | $2,000,000 |
| All Other Compensation ($) | $22,200 | $14,032 | $44,007 |
| Total ($) | $37,092,695 | $41,952,971 | $47,024,009 |
Vesting Schedules and Potential Selling Pressure
| Award | Grant Date | Unvested as of 12/31/2024 | Vesting Schedule |
|---|---|---|---|
| GSUs | 5/1/2024 | 96,928 shares | 1/6th vested 6/25/2024, then 1/12th vests quarterly |
| GSUs | 5/3/2023 | 72,334 shares | 1/6th vested 6/25/2023, then 1/12th vests quarterly |
| PSUs (TSR) | 2024 grant | 75,857 target shares outstanding (target basis incl. dividend equivalents) | Vests within 45 days after 12/31/2026, payout 0%–200% of target |
| PSUs (TSR) | 2023 grant | 113,217 target shares outstanding (target basis incl. dividend equivalents) | Vests within 45 days after 12/31/2025, payout 0%–200% of target |
Alphabet’s insider trading policy prohibits hedging or pledging, and executives are subject to closed‑window trading restrictions, reducing opportunistic selling risk; however, the quarterly GSU vest cadence can create regular liquidity events .
Compensation Structure Analysis
- Increased equity at‑risk: 2025 eliminated cash bonus and shifted $2 million target into PSU awards, increasing performance‑linked pay and lowering guaranteed cash .
- Mix of GSUs vs PSUs: Continues to balance retention (time‑based GSUs) with performance (TSR PSUs with 0%–200% payout) .
- Dividend equivalents added: 2024 modification adds dividend equivalents to unvested units, modestly increasing award value and potentially smoothing realized value on vest .
Related Party Transactions and Governance
- Prohibitions: Hedging and pledging banned; executive officers subject to minimum ownership requirements .
- No executive‑only retirement programs; standard 401(k) matches apply; Alphabet pays certain perquisites as disclosed .
- Audit/Compensation Committee independence and use of independent compensation consultants (Compensia, Semler Brossy) .
Investment Implications
- Alignment: Strong linkage of long‑term incentives to relative TSR with 0%–200% payout range and elimination of annual cash bonus increases performance sensitivity of pay; minimum ownership requirements and hedging/pledging prohibitions reinforce alignment .
- Retention vs liquidity: Large, quarterly‑vesting GSUs plus multi‑year PSUs support retention but create periodic vesting‑related liquidity windows; ongoing prohibition of hedging/pledging mitigates misalignment risk .
- Change‑in‑control economics: No cash severance; equity accelerates only if awards aren’t assumed/substituted, limiting parachute risk while preserving employee protection; PSU target vesting under unassumed CIC caps windfall .
- Execution risk: Schindler’s remit spans monetization engines (ads sales across Google/YouTube and partner ecosystems); compensation outcomes tied to TSR may not directly reflect operational KPIs (e.g., ads revenue or margin) but do align with shareholder returns, suggesting confidence in enterprise‑level value creation .