Altaf Rupani
GARTNERAbout Altaf Rupani
Executive Vice President, Chief Information Officer at Gartner (ticker IT) since October 2023; age 51. Prior roles include SVP, Head of Digital and Emerging Technologies and Guardian India at Guardian Life (2019–2023), senior-level technology roles at NBCUniversal (2013–2019), and various positions at Dow Jones (2002–2013) . As CIO, he reports quarterly to the Audit Committee on cybersecurity strategy, threat environment, and program metrics, reflecting a key governance role in risk oversight . Company performance during his tenure was strong: 2024 revenue and EBITDA both exceeded targets used for incentives (Revenue $6,331M vs. $6,274M target; EBITDA $1,586M vs. $1,497M target), and Gartner’s five-year TSR outpaced its peer index (value of $100 investment: Company $314 vs. peer $159 in 2024) while Contract Value reached $5,262M in 2024 .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Years | Strategic Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Guardian Life | SVP, Head of Digital and Emerging Technologies; Guardian India lead | 2019–2023 | Led digital/emerging technologies and regional execution |
| NBCUniversal | Senior-level technology leadership roles | 2013–2019 | Technology and digital initiatives in media operations |
| Dow Jones | Various technology roles | 2002–2013 | Technology and product support for news/financial media |
Fixed Compensation
- Gartner executives are “at-will” (only the CEO has an employment agreement); base salaries are set competitively based on role responsibilities, experience, and market benchmarks reviewed by the Compensation Committee with independent consultant Exequity .
- Stock ownership guidelines require executive officers to hold company stock valued at 3x base salary, with a 50% post-vest holding requirement until compliant .
Performance Compensation
Annual Bonus (Company-wide metrics for executives, including CIO)
| Metric | Weight | Threshold | Target | Maximum | Actual (2024) | Payout % (component) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EBITDA (FX-neutral) | 50% | $973M | $1,497M | $1,591M | $1,586M | 196.7% |
| Revenue (FX-neutral) | 50% | $5,355M | $6,274M | $6,474M | $6,331M | 128.5% |
| Overall Bonus Outcome | — | — | — | — | — | 162.6% |
Long-Term Incentives (Equity)
| Element | Weighting | Performance Metric | Measurement Period | Earned (2024) | Vesting Schedule |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSUs | 70% of equity mix | Contract Value (FX-neutral) | One-year performance; CV Target $5,222M; Max $5,456M; Actual $5,262M (7.8% YoY) | 120.8% of target earned | 25% per year over 4 years |
| Stock Appreciation Rights (SARs) | 30% of equity mix | Stock price appreciation | N/A | N/A | 25% per year; 7-year term; stock-settled |
Equity Award Grant Practices and Controls
- Annual grants typically in February; off-cycle grants for new hires/promotions; Section 16 awards granted/priced on Compensation Committee approval dates; policy prohibits timing awards around MNPI .
- Clawback: Dodd-Frank/NYSE-compliant recoupment of excess incentive comp over prior 3 fiscal years upon restatement .
- Best practices: no single-trigger CIC vesting (double trigger required), no hedging/pledging, capped incentives (2x target), four-year vesting, independent consultant .
Equity Ownership & Alignment
| Policy/Practice | Detail |
|---|---|
| Stock Ownership Guidelines | Executive officers: 3x base salary; CEO 6x; counts vested/unvested RSUs and earned PSUs (not options/SARs) |
| Holding Requirement | If not compliant, must hold 50% of net after-tax shares from all equity awards until guideline met |
| Hedging/Pledging | Prohibited for all directors and executive officers under Insider Trading Policy |
| Clawback | Recovery of excess incentive compensation following restatement, per NYSE Rule 10D-1 |
| 2024 Compliance | All NEOs were in compliance as of 12/31/2024 (company disclosure; CIO not a NEO) |
Employment Terms
| Scenario | Severance/Equity Treatment for Executive Officers (non-CEO) |
|---|---|
| Termination without cause (no CIC) | 12 months continued base salary; up to 12 months COBRA reimbursement; unvested equity forfeited (except death/disability/retirement) |
| Double-trigger CIC (termination within 12 months of CIC) | All unvested equity vests in full; PSUs vest at target if performance not yet determined; options/SARs exercisable for 12 months; plus 12 months base salary and up to 12 months COBRA |
| Death/Disability | 100% immediate vesting of all outstanding awards; SARs exercisable up to 1 year |
| Retirement (eligibility-based) | Continued vesting in full per terms; SARs exercisable through expiration; PSU earning subject to metric certification |
| Conditions | Severance requires signing release; reaffirmation of confidentiality, non-compete, non-solicit; certain 409A-related payment delays may apply |
Performance & Track Record
Company-level performance closely tied to executive incentives and CIO oversight areas.
| Metric | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Contract Value (CV, $MM) | 3,605 | 4,247 | 4,660 | 4,839 | 5,262 |
| Net Income ($MM) | 267 | 794 | 808 | 882 | 1,254 |
| Value of $100 Investment – Company TSR ($) | 104 | 217 | 218 | 293 | 314 |
| Value of $100 Investment – Peer Group TSR ($) | 123 | 129 | 105 | 141 | 159 |
Additional governance signals:
- CIO provides quarterly cybersecurity risk reports to the Board/Audit Committee .
- 2024 Say-on-Pay approval was 92%, reflecting strong investor support for pay design .
- Executive compensation benchmarking uses a 17-company peer group including Adobe, Intuit, Moody’s, ServiceNow, Synopsys, Verisk, Workday, among others .
Investment Implications
- Alignment: Heavy emphasis on performance pay (100% of incentives tied to EBITDA, Revenue, and CV) with four-year vesting and 3x salary ownership guideline reduces short-term selling pressure and aligns CIO incentives with recurring revenue growth and long-term TSR .
- Retention risk: Standard executive severance (12 months salary; double-trigger CIC equity vesting) coupled with rigorous holding and anti-hedging/pledging policies suggests moderate retention risk and low misalignment risk; clawback mitigates restatement-related risk .
- Execution focus: One-year PSU measurement on CV (with four-year vesting) drives near-term commercial execution while maintaining long-term equity exposure—positive for sustaining CV-driven revenue growth; Gartner’s multi-year CV and TSR outperformance are supportive of incentive efficacy .
- Trading signals: No pledging/hedging allowed and post-vest holding requirements limit opportunistic selling; watch February grant cycles and subsequent vesting dates for potential scheduled Form 4 activity typical of plan mechanics rather than discretionary selling .