Craig W. Safian
Chief Financial Officer at IT
Executive
About Craig W. Safian
Craig W. Safian, age 56, has served as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Gartner since June 2014 and has been with Gartner for more than 22 years; prior roles included Group Vice President, Global Finance and Strategy & Business Development, and leadership in Strategy and FP&A. He previously held finance positions at Headstrong (now Genpact) and Bristol-Myers Squibb, and was an accountant at Friedman, LLP where he achieved CPA licensure . Company performance under the current program includes 2024 revenue of $6,331 million (FX-neutral), EBITDA of $1,586 million (FX-neutral), and Contract Value of $5,262 million (+7.8% YoY FX-neutral) . Over five years, Gartner’s TSR reached $314 vs $159 for its peer group, reflecting outperformance alongside strong CV-driven growth .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Years | Strategic Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gartner, Inc. | EVP & Chief Financial Officer | 2014–present | Finance leadership across capital allocation, performance management, and investor communications |
| Gartner, Inc. | Group VP, Global Finance & Strategy & Business Development | 2007–2014 | Drove corporate strategy and finance initiatives supporting CV and revenue growth |
| Gartner, Inc. | Group VP, Strategy; Managing VP, FP&A | Not disclosed | Led strategic planning and FP&A disciplines, enabling pay-for-performance operating model |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Years | Strategic Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Headstrong (now Genpact) | Finance positions | Not disclosed | Operational finance and transformation experience |
| Bristol-Myers Squibb | Finance positions | Not disclosed | Big-cap finance rigor and controls |
| Friedman, LLP | Accountant (CPA licensure achieved) | Not disclosed | Technical accounting and audit foundations |
Fixed Compensation
| Metric | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Base Salary ($) | $644,175 | $663,500 | $683,405 (annual paid); effective base set to $688,418 from Apr 1, 2024 |
| Target Bonus (% of Salary) | 95% (implied prior framework) | 95% (implied prior framework) | 100% (raised by 5ppt for market alignment) |
| Actual Bonus Paid ($) | $1,168,020 | $1,009,568 | $1,119,368 (162.6% of target on FX-neutral metrics) |
Performance Compensation
| Component | Metric | Weighting | Target | Actual | Payout | Vesting |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Annual Bonus (2024) | EBITDA (FX-neutral) | 50% | $1,497M | $1,586M | 196.7% for component | Cash paid Feb 2025 |
| Annual Bonus (2024) | Revenue (FX-neutral) | 50% | $6,274M | $6,331M | 128.5% for component | Cash paid Feb 2025 |
| Annual Bonus (2024) | Combined | — | — | — | Overall 162.6% | — |
| PSUs (2024 grant 2/8/24) | Contract Value (FX-neutral, 1-yr measurement) | 100% | $5,222M | $5,262M (+7.8% YoY) | 120.8% of target earned | Earned units time-vest 25% annually over 4 years |
| SARs (2024 grant 2/8/24) | Stock price appreciation | — | Exercise price $456.18 | Value only if >$456.18 | — | Time-vest 25% annually; 7-year term |
PSU/SAR award specifics (Safian, 2/8/24):
- PSUs target 6,815; earned 8,232 at 120.8%; grant-date fair value $3,108,867 .
- SARs 7,935 at $456.18; grant-date fair value $1,332,339; stock-settled, 7-year term .
Multi-Year Compensation (Summary)
| Component ($) | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Base Salary | $644,175 | $663,500 | $683,405 |
| Stock Awards (PSUs) | $2,434,104 | $2,691,698 | $3,108,867 |
| Option Awards (SARs) | $1,043,128 | $1,153,538 | $1,332,339 |
| Non-Equity Incentive (Bonus) | $1,168,020 | $1,009,568 | $1,119,368 |
| All Other Compensation | $69,079 | $88,440 | $88,191 |
| Total Compensation | $5,358,506 | $5,606,744 | $6,332,170 |
Equity Ownership & Alignment
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Total Beneficial Ownership | 122,672 shares; <1% of outstanding |
| Ownership Guidelines | Executives must hold ≥3x base salary; all NEOs compliant at 12/31/24 |
| Hedging/Pledging | Prohibited by Insider Trading Policy; Company notes no pledged shares to its knowledge |
| Vested vs Unvested Equity (12/31/24) | Unvested PSUs: 6,076; 5,283; 6,549; 8,232 (market value shown in proxy); SARs: various exercisable/unexercisable tranches listed below |
| Outstanding SARs (key lots) | 14,361 exercisable / 4,787 unexercisable @ $180.64; 5,636 / 5,634 @ $302.90; 2,270 / 6,808 @ $351.03; — / 7,935 @ $456.18 |
| 2024 Vesting/Exercises | Shares vested: 14,119 ($6,564,609); SARs exercised: 28,196 ($10,391,843 value realized) |
Employment Terms
| Provision | Safian Terms |
|---|---|
| Employment Status | At-will; no individual employment agreement (CEO only has contract) |
| Severance (no CIC) | 12 months base salary plus up to 12 months COBRA; unvested equity forfeited (except death/disability/retirement) |
| Change-in-Control | Double-trigger required; if terminated within 12 months post-CIC, all unvested equity vests in full (2024 PSUs at target if not yet determined); SARs/Options exercisable for 12 months; plus standard severance |
| Restrictive Covenants | Separation requires reaffirmation of confidentiality, non-compete, and non-solicit obligations |
| Retirement Eligibility | Retirement vesting available if ≥55 years old and ≥10 years service; Safian eligible at 12/31/24; continued vesting of outstanding equity per plan terms |
| Estimated Economics (12/31/24 hypothetical) | Involuntary termination (no CIC): $710,431 severance; death/disability value of unvested equity: $16,274,386; retirement value of unvested equity: $16,274,386; double-trigger CIC total: $16,298,323 (incl. $15,587,892 unvested equity) |
Additional Compensation & Policies
- Deferred Compensation: Executive contributions $84,649; company match $60,519; year-end balance $1,478,452 .
- Perquisites and Gross-Ups: 401(k) match ($7,200) and deferred comp match; minor tax gross-up related to Winner’s Circle reward event ($192) .
- Clawback: Dodd-Frank/NYSE-compliant policy to recoup excess incentive-based pay over prior three fiscal years after restatement .
- Compensation Philosophy & Peer Group: Heavy performance-based pay; PSUs/SARs with 4-year vesting; benchmarking vs 17-company peer set (e.g., Adobe, Intuit, Moody’s, ServiceNow, Verisk); no fixed percentile targeting .
- Say-on-Pay: 92% approval in 2024, no structural changes made due to strong support .
Investment Implications
- Pay-for-performance alignment: Bonus and PSU outcomes tie to EBITDA/Revenue and CV, yielding above-target payouts (162.6% bonus; 120.8% PSUs), signaling operational strength and incentive alignment with growth drivers .
- Retention vs exit optionality: Safian’s retirement eligibility combined with sizable unvested equity ($16.27M value at 12/31/24 for retirement treatment) creates strong retention hooks but also a clear glidepath for orderly transition; double-trigger CIC economics ($16.30M total) limit “walk-away” risk outside change events .
- Selling pressure: 2024 SAR exercises (28,196; $10.39M value realized) and annual vest releases ($6.56M) indicate regular monetization cadence typical for stock-settled awards; hedging/pledging bans and ownership guidelines mitigate misalignment concerns .
- Governance and risk: Robust clawback, prohibition on hedging/pledging, and strong say-on-pay support (92%) reduce governance red flags; no excise tax gross-ups on CIC benefits, and equity accelerates only on double-trigger, aligning with investor best practices .
Key performance levers (CV growth and FX-neutral EBITDA/Revenue) directly determine Safian’s PSU/bonus outcomes, aligning compensation realization with long-term revenue and cash flow compounding **[749251_0000749251-25-000018_it-20250415.htm:29]** **[749251_0000749251-25-000018_it-20250415.htm:35]** **[749251_0000749251-25-000018_it-20250415.htm:39]**.