Christopher Payne
Robinhood MarketsAbout Christopher Payne
Christopher Payne, age 56, is an independent director of Robinhood Markets, Inc. (HOOD) who joined the Board on December 16, 2024; he is an advisor and former President and Chief Operating Officer at DoorDash with prior senior roles at Amazon, Microsoft, eBay, Tinder, and as founder/CEO of Positronic. He holds a B.A. in U.S. History from Dartmouth College; as of 2025 he serves on HOOD’s Audit and Nominating & Corporate Governance Committees and is deemed independent under Nasdaq standards .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| DoorDash, Inc. | President & Chief Operating Officer; later Strategic Advisor | Jan 2016–Mar 2023; Advisor since Mar 2023 | Helped build category-defining operations and product execution |
| Tinder, Inc. | Chief Executive Officer | Mar 2015–Aug 2015 | Led consumer-tech platform operations |
| eBay Inc. | SVP, North American Marketplaces | Sep 2010–Dec 2014 | Led marketplace growth and operations |
| Positronic, Inc. | Founder & CEO | Jul 2007–Dec 2008 | Predictive search technology; acquired by eBay |
| Microsoft | Vice President | 2001–2007 | Senior technology leadership |
| Amazon.com, Inc. | Vice President | 1998–2001 | E-commerce operating leadership |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gogo, Inc. | Director | Since Jun 2014 | Public company board service |
| Hims & Hers Health, Inc. | Director | Since Mar 2024 | Public company board service |
Board Governance
- Independence: The Board determined Payne is independent under Nasdaq and SEC rules; he serves on fully independent Board committees .
- Committee assignments: Current member of Audit and Nominating & Corporate Governance; ceased Safety Committee service in March 2025 (Board rebalanced committees) .
- Engagement/attendance: In 2024 the Board met 5 times and committees met 24 times; each incumbent director attended at least 75% of aggregate Board and committee meetings during their service; directors are invited and encouraged to attend the annual meeting, and all directors in office attended the 2024 meeting .
- Executive sessions: Independent directors meet in executive sessions periodically and at least twice annually; the Lead Independent Director presides .
Fixed Compensation
| Item | Policy/Amount | 2024 Actual for Payne |
|---|---|---|
| Annual Board cash retainer | $50,000 annual; payable quarterly (option to take equity) | Elected equity in lieu of cash; received 68 shares of Class A on Dec 31, 2024 valued at $2,534 |
| Committee/leadership retainers | Lead Independent Director, committee chair/member retainers (amounts not itemized in proxy) | Not disclosed (Payne not a chair; member-level retainers potentially taken as equity where elected) |
| 2024 director cash paid | — | $0 (fees taken in stock) |
| 2024 director “Stock Awards” (RSUs) | Annual and initial RSU program; RSUs vest quarterly | $345,845 aggregate grant-date fair value (initial + prorated annual RSUs) |
Performance Compensation
| Grant Type | Grant Date | Shares | Grant-Date Fair Value | Vesting | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Initial RSU (on appointment) | Dec 16, 2024 | 5,208 | $224,986 | Equal quarterly over 3 years, service-based | Standard initial award for new directors |
| Prorated annual RSU (2024 partial year) | Dec 16, 2024 | 2,739 | $118,325 | Vests in tandem with annual cycle; equal quarterly over 1 year | Prorated for partial year |
| Fees in stock (in lieu of cash) | Dec 31, 2024 | 68 shares | $2,534 | Fully vested shares | Election to receive equity |
| Unvested RSUs at 12/31/2024 | — | 7,947 | — | Remaining per schedules above | Vested but unpaid RSUs: 68 |
| Change-in-control treatment | — | — | — | All outstanding, unvested director RSUs fully accelerate upon change-in-control | Standard non-employee director RSU terms |
Performance metrics: None disclosed for director pay; director RSUs are time-based with quarterly vesting, not tied to KPI outcomes .
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Company | Relationship to HOOD | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Gogo, Inc.; Hims & Hers Health, Inc. | No HOOD-related transactions disclosed | No related-person transactions disclosed for Payne in 2024–2025; related-person items in proxy involve other parties (e.g., Ribbit/Bank of America issuer agreements) |
Expertise & Qualifications
- Executive Leadership; Business Operations & Strategy; Technology Infrastructure & Cybersecurity—explicitly cited Board skill areas for Payne .
- Seasoned operator across consumer technology and e-commerce, contributing practical insights into product, customer experience, and operating discipline .
Equity Ownership
| Measure | Amount |
|---|---|
| Class A shares beneficially owned (4/7/2025) | 10 shares; <0.1% voting power |
| Unvested RSUs (12/31/2024) | 7,947 units |
| Vested but unpaid RSUs (12/31/2024) | 68 units |
| Director stock ownership guideline | 5x annual Board cash retainer ($250,000 for 2024) |
| Compliance status | All non-employee directors met guidelines at 2024 year-end except Payne; on track within 5 years of joining Board in 2024 |
| Hedging/pledging | Company policy prohibits hedging and pledging by covered persons (including directors) |
Governance Assessment
- Board effectiveness/independence: Payne strengthens independent oversight on Audit and NomGov; committees are fully independent; Audit met 9 times, NomGov 4 times in 2024, indicating active oversight cadence .
- Alignment: Director pay mix emphasizes equity via RSUs vesting over time; change-in-control RSU acceleration is standard; election to take fees in stock further aligns interests .
- Ownership: Not yet at 5x retainer guideline due to recent appointment; policy allows 5 years to comply—explicitly noted as “on track” .
- Conflicts/related-party: No related-person transactions disclosed for Payne; HOOD maintains a formal related-person transaction policy and committee review framework .
- Shareholder signals: Strong 98% Say-on-Pay support in 2024 reflects favorable investor view of compensation governance, though principally focused on NEOs .
RED FLAGS
- None disclosed specific to Payne: no hedging/pledging, no related-party transactions, attendance threshold met at the Board level, independence affirmed .