Claire Herkes
GARTNERAbout Claire Herkes
Claire Herkes, age 50, is Executive Vice President, Conferences at Gartner, Inc., a role she has held since July 2020. She joined Gartner in 2005 and previously led conferences product management, operations, production, and emerging markets; prior roles include Senior Account Director at George P. Johnson and early conferences experience at The Yankee Group . Under her business line, Gartner’s Conferences delivered all-time high revenue of $583 million in 2024 (+15% FX-neutral), while company-wide Contract Value (CV) grew 8%; 2024 EBITDA and revenue outcomes used for executive incentives were $1,586 million and $6,331 million, respectively, and “Say-on-Pay” support was 92% .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Years | Strategic Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gartner, Inc. | EVP, Conferences | Jul 2020–present | Leads global conferences; segment achieved record $583M revenue in 2024 (+15% FX-neutral) . |
| Gartner, Inc. | Various conferences leadership roles | 2005–2020 | Product management, operations, production, emerging markets; internal progression . |
| George P. Johnson | Senior Account Director | Not disclosed | Event and experience marketing expertise . |
| The Yankee Group | Conferences (career start) | Not disclosed | Technology research/consulting conferences foundation . |
External Roles
No external board roles or public company directorships disclosed in the executive officer bio for Ms. Herkes .
Performance Compensation
Company-wide executive incentive program design and 2024 outcomes (applicable to executive officers):
- Annual cash bonus metrics (FX-neutral): 50% EBITDA and 50% Revenue; 2024 results certified at EBITDA $1,586M (payout 196.7%) and Revenue $6,331M (payout 128.5%), resulting in an aggregate bonus factor of 162.6% for participants in the Executive Performance Bonus Plan .
- Long-term incentives: PSUs (70% weight) measured on 1-year CV, and stock-settled SARs (30% weight) with 7-year term; both vest 25% per year over 4 years. 2024 PSU CV outcome: CV target $5,222M, actual $5,262M (7.8% YoY), payout 120.8% of target earned; earned PSUs then vest 25% annually over four years .
| Metric (2024) | Weight | Minimum | Target | Maximum | Actual | Payout |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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% |
| PSU Performance (2024) | Weight | Minimum | Target | Maximum | Actual at 12/31/24 | Payout |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Contract Value (CV, FX-neutral) | 100% | $4,392M | $5,222M | $5,456M | $5,262M | 120.8% |
Best-practice features: performance-based compensation mix (94% CEO, 86% other NEOs at target), longer vesting (4 years), capped incentives (2x), clawback policy aligned to SEC/NYSE, no hedging/pledging, double-trigger CiC vesting (no single-trigger) .
Equity Ownership & Alignment
- Stock ownership guidelines: CEO 6x base salary; other executive officers 3x base salary; if not in compliance, executives must hold 50% of net after-tax shares from all released awards until guidelines are met .
- Hedging and pledging: Prohibited for all directors, executive officers, and employees per Insider Trading Policy .
- Clawback: Company will recoup excess incentive-based compensation upon a required accounting restatement for prior three fiscal years, for current/former executive officers .
- Beneficial ownership data: The proxy’s detailed table lists NEOs and directors; Ms. Herkes’ individual share holdings are not separately disclosed. The Company notes, to its knowledge, none of the listed holdings are pledged; NEOs were in compliance with ownership guidelines at year-end .
Employment Terms
Terms applicable to “other executive officers” (i.e., executives other than the CEO):
| Scenario | Cash Severance | Equity Treatment | Health/Other | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Termination without cause (no CiC) | 12 months’ base salary; paid per payroll schedule | Unvested equity forfeited (except death, disability, retirement) | Up to 12 months COBRA reimbursement | Separation agreement includes confidentiality, non-compete, non-solicit obligations . |
| Double-trigger: termination within 12 months after Change in Control | 12 months’ base salary | All unvested outstanding equity vests in full; PSUs at target if performance undetermined; SARs/Options exercisable as to all covered shares for 12 months | Up to 12 months COBRA reimbursement | No vesting on CiC alone; requires qualifying termination . |
| Death/Disability | Immediate 100% vesting of unvested awards | SARs exercisable up to earlier of expiration or 1 year post-termination | — | 2024 PSUs adjusted to certified performance factor . |
| Retirement (eligibility: age ≥55 and ≥10 years of service) | No severance; continued vesting in full per award terms (conditions apply); 2024 awards prorated if retirement in grant year | SARs exercisable up to expiration date | — | At 12/31/24, only Messrs. Hall, Safian, Dawkins were retirement-eligible; others (including Ms. Herkes) were not . |
Company Performance Context (2019–2024)
| Metric | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total Shareholder Return: $100 initial value | 104 | 217 | 218 | 293 | 314 |
| Peer Group TSR: $100 initial value | 123 | 129 | 105 | 141 | 159 |
| Net Income ($ millions) | 267 | 794 | 808 | 882 | 1,254 |
| Company-Selected Measure (CV, $ millions) | 3,605 | 4,247 | 4,660 | 4,839 | 5,262 |
Say-on-Pay: 92% approval in 2024 .
Compensation benchmarking peer group (used for 2024 planning): Adobe, Akamai, Aon, Autodesk, Cadence, Equifax, Intuit, Moody’s, ServiceNow, Splunk, SS&C, Synopsys, Interpublic Group, Thomson Reuters, Verisk, VMware, Workday .
Investment Implications
- Strong segment performance: Conferences delivered record revenue and double-digit growth in 2024, signaling effective execution in Ms. Herkes’ remit; CV growth and high TSR provide supportive company-wide context .
- Alignment and risk controls: Executive incentives are heavily performance-based with multi-year vesting, stringent ownership/holding requirements, and a robust clawback; hedging/pledging is prohibited—reducing misalignment risk and insider selling pressure triggers .
- Retention and CiC economics: For executive officers, severance is modest (12 months base), with double-trigger CiC vesting; given Ms. Herkes was not retirement-eligible at 12/31/24, equity continuity depends on ongoing service or qualifying events—monitor for potential off-cycle grants or role changes that could affect vesting and supply .
- Data visibility caveat: Individual compensation and ownership details for Ms. Herkes are not disclosed in the proxy’s NEO tables; analysts should track future proxies and any Form 4 filings for insider purchasing/selling to refine views on alignment and near-term selling pressure .