Sergey Brin
Director at GOOGL
Board
About Sergey Brin
Sergey Brin, 51, is Alphabet’s Co‑Founder and has served as a director since 1998. He holds a B.S. in mathematics and computer science from the University of Maryland and an M.S. in computer science from Stanford; he previously served as Google’s President and Alphabet’s President through December 2019. He is currently a member of the Board’s Executive Committee and is not considered independent under Alphabet’s independence standards.
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alphabet Inc. | President | Oct 2015 – Dec 2019 | Co‑founder leadership; drove product/technology strategy |
| Google LLC | President | May 2011 – Oct 2015 | Executive leadership of core technology/business |
| Google LLC | President, Technology | Jul 2001 – Apr 2011 | Led technology development; scaled platforms |
| Google LLC | President; Chairman of the Board | Sep 1998 – Jul 2001 | Founding executive; early governance role |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Sergey Brin Family Foundation | Selected Membership | Ongoing | Philanthropic foundation affiliation |
| LTA Research & Exploration LLC | Affiliated ownership via entity | Ongoing | Related‑party hangar license at Moffett Airfield; $9,088,533 charged 2024–Mar 31, 2025; Audit Committee deemed arm’s‑length; Sergey not deemed to have a material interest |
Board Governance
- Independence status: Not independent (independent determinations mirror SEC/Nasdaq rules; only Larry, Sergey, and Sundar are non‑independent nominees) .
- Committees: Executive Committee member; Executive Committee comprises Larry (Chair), Sergey, and Sundar; no meetings held in 2024 .
- Attendance: Board held six meetings in 2024; each director attended at least 75% of Board/committee meetings; Larry missed two special meetings (Sergey met ≥75%) .
- Board leadership: Independent Chair (John L. Hennessy); 100% independent Audit, Compensation, and Governance committees and committee chairs .
- Executive sessions: Independent directors hold executive sessions at each regularly scheduled Board meeting; committee executive sessions are standard (Executive Committee has no independent directors) .
Fixed Compensation
| Name | Fees Earned or Paid in Cash ($) | Stock Awards ($) | All Other Compensation ($) | Total ($) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sergey Brin | $0 | $0 | $1 (annual employee salary) | $1 |
Employee directors (Larry, Sergey, Sundar) did not receive Board compensation; non‑employee directors received standard retainers and GSUs.
Performance Compensation
- None applicable for Sergey as an employee director; non‑employee directors receive time‑vested GSUs (no director PSUs or options disclosed).
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Category | Company/Entity | Role | Exposure | Amount/Date | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Public company boards | — | — | — | — | Sergey holds zero other public company directorships |
| Related‑party transaction | BCH San Jose LLC | Co‑owner (1/3 via affiliated entity) | Hangar license for Google aircraft | $1,674,910 paid 2024–Mar 31, 2025 | Audit Committee deemed terms no less favorable than market; Larry, Sergey, Eric do not have a material interest |
| Related‑party transaction | LTA Research & Exploration LLC | Affiliated ownership via entity | License of Alphabet hangar space at Moffett Airfield | $9,088,533 charged 2024–Mar 31, 2025 | Audit Committee deemed arm’s‑length based on market comps validated by independent firm; no material interest for Sergey |
Expertise & Qualifications
- Technical credentials: B.S. in mathematics and computer science (UMD); M.S. in computer science (Stanford) .
- Leadership: Co‑Founder; former President of Alphabet and Google; deep knowledge of technology sector and transformative business models .
Equity Ownership
| Holder | Class A Shares | Class B Shares | % of Class B | Total Voting Power (%) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sergey Brin | — | 362,766,628 | 42.4% | 25.2% | Includes 172,700 Class B shares in each of SMB Pacific 2021 CRUT I & II (Sergey sole trustee) |
- Applicable outstanding shares reference: 5,823,352,745 Class A and 855,751,256 Class B as of Apr 8, 2025 .
- Hedging/pledging: Company policy prohibits hedging and pledging of Alphabet stock by executive officers, directors, and employees .
- Ownership guidelines: Founders and CEO must hold ≥$35.0M of Alphabet shares; non‑employee directors must hold ≥$1.0M (5‑year compliance window) .
Governance Assessment
- Strengths
- High attendance (≥75%); extensive tenure and institutional knowledge at Alphabet; independent Chair and fully independent key committees provide checks and balances .
- Robust related‑party transaction policy with Audit Committee review; recent transactions with LTA and BCH deemed arm’s‑length with independent validation and no material interest attributed to Sergey .
- Prohibition on hedging/pledging and adoption of SEC/Nasdaq‑compliant clawback policy enhance alignment and risk control .
- Risks / RED FLAGS
- Concentrated voting control: Sergey’s 362.8M Class B shares confer 25.2% total voting power, which can limit minority investor influence despite independent committee structures .
- Non‑independence: As a non‑independent director and Executive Committee member alongside the CEO and Co‑Founder, committee composition may reduce independent oversight on high‑level strategic matters handled by the Executive Committee .
- Related‑party exposure: Ongoing facilities licenses with entities affiliated with founders (BCH, LTA) require continuous monitoring; while currently deemed arm’s‑length, they present recurring conflict‑of‑interest optics .
Overall, Brin’s deep technical leadership and ownership align him strongly with long‑term value creation, but his non‑independent status and substantial voting power warrant continued focus on Board independence, committee oversight, and rigorous application of related‑party policies to maintain investor confidence.