Robin Kranich
About Robin Kranich
Robin Kranich (age 54) is Executive Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO) of Gartner, Inc., a role she has held since May 2008, with more than 30 years at Gartner across senior roles in research operations, executive programs, and sales; prior to Gartner, she worked in Marriott International’s Technology Advancement Group . Company performance over 2024 included FX-neutral Contract Value (CV) of $5,262 million (+7.8% YoY), revenue of $6,331 million, and adjusted EBITDA performance near the top end of incentive targets; Gartner’s five-year cumulative TSR turned a $100 investment into $314 by 2024, underscoring durable value creation . Gartner’s executive pay program ties annual bonuses to EBITDA and revenue and long-term PSUs to CV growth, with four-year time-vesting, producing strong pay-for-performance alignment .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Years | Strategic Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gartner, Inc. | EVP, Chief Human Resources Officer | May 2008–present | Leads HR at scale supporting ~21,000 associates; oversight of executive stock ownership/holding guidelines and human capital policies |
| Gartner, Inc. | SVP, End User Programs; SVP, Research Operations & Business Development; SVP & GM, Executive Programs; VP & Chief of Staff to President; Sales & Sales Management roles | Not disclosed | Senior leadership across research, client programs, and sales execution; roles that underpin Gartner’s Research/Executive Programs delivery model |
| Marriott International | Technology Advancement Group | Not disclosed | Technology-focused experience prior to Gartner |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Years | Strategic Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marriott International | Technology Advancement Group | Not disclosed | Early-career technology advancement responsibilities |
Fixed Compensation
| Metric | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Base Salary ($) | $531,700 | $547,651 | $564,081 |
| Target Bonus (% of Base) | Not disclosed | Not disclosed | 100% |
| Actual Bonus Paid ($) | $964,080 | $833,295 | $923,923 |
Other compensation (company matches and perqs) in 2024 totaled $74,126, comprising $7,200 401(k) match, $48,695 non-qualified deferred comp match, and $18,231 other items (including a $231 tax gross-up related to a sales reward event and charitable match participation) .
Performance Compensation
Annual Bonus (STIP) – 2024 Structure and Results
| Component | Weight | Minimum | Target | Maximum | Actual | Component Payout % | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EBITDA (FX-neutral) | 50% | $973m | $1,497m | $1,591m | $1,586m | 196.7% | Rigorous goals reflecting investment and FX-neutral recalibration |
| Revenue (FX-neutral) | 50% | $5,355m | $6,274m | $6,474m | $6,331m | 128.5% | FX-neutral revenue growth mid-single digits or better |
| Overall STIP Payout | — | — | — | — | — | 162.6% | Paid Feb 2025 per plan |
Long-Term Incentives (LTI) – 2024 Grants and PSU Performance
| Grant Type | Grant Date | Target Quantity / Terms | Exercise/Grant Price | Earned/Payout | Vesting |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSUs (CV-based) | Feb 8, 2024 | 8,328 target PSUs | — | 5,030 PSUs earned at 120.8% factor (as certified) | 25% per year starting Feb 8, 2025 |
| Stock Appreciation Rights (SARs) | Feb 8, 2024 | 4,848 SARs | $456.18 | N/A (SARs realize value only above exercise price) | 25% per year; 7-year term |
PSU performance metric (CV) and payout certification:
| Metric | Weight | Minimum | Target | Maximum | Actual | Payout Factor |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Contract Value (CV, FX-neutral) | 100% | $4,392m | $5,222m | $5,456m | $5,262m | 120.8% |
Program design highlights (alignment safeguards): 70% of executive equity is PSUs (performance-based), SARs only have value on stock price appreciation, and all earned equity vests 25% per year over four years to strengthen retention and alignment .
Grant date fair values (2024): Stock awards (PSUs) $1,899,534; Option awards (SARs) $814,011 .
Equity Ownership & Alignment
| Ownership Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Beneficial Ownership | 41,848 shares; <1% of outstanding |
| Vested SARs (exercisable) | 20,645 SARs (included in footnote) |
| Stock Ownership Guidelines | 3× base salary for executives; all NEOs in compliance as of 12/31/24; 50% holding requirement of net after-tax shares until compliant |
| Hedging/Pledging | Prohibited for directors and executive officers by policy and Insider Trading Policy |
Outstanding equity awards at 12/31/2024:
| Award Type | Exercisable (#) | Unexercisable (#) | Exercise Price | Unvested Shares (#) | Market Value of Unvested ($) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SARs (Grant Feb 10, 2022) | 8,667 | 2,889 | $180.64 | — | — |
| SARs (Grant Feb 9, 2023) | 3,417 | 3,416 | $302.90 | — | — |
| SARs (Grant Feb 9, 2024) | 1,376 | 4,128 | $351.03 | — | — |
| SARs (Grant Feb 8, 2024) | — | 4,848 | $456.18 | — | — |
| PSUs/RSUs (Unvested) | — | — | — | 3,667; 3,202; 3,971; 5,030 | $1,776,551; $1,551,273; $1,923,830; $2,436,884 |
Notes: Market value for unvested stock awards uses closing price $484.47 on 12/31/2024 . PSU tranche counts reflect certified 120.8% of target for 2024 grants .
Employment Terms
- Employment status: At-will; only CEO has an employment agreement .
- Severance (non-CEO executives): If terminated without cause (no change-in-control), cash severance equals 12 months of base salary; up to 12 months COBRA reimbursement; unvested equity forfeited except death/disability/retirement provisions .
- Change-in-control (double trigger within 12 months): All unvested equity vests in full (PSUs at target if performance undetermined); SARs/Options fully exercisable for 12 months; plus 12 months COBRA .
- Retirement eligibility: As of 12/31/2024, Kranich was not retirement-eligible; retirement would have resulted in forfeiture of unvested equity .
- Non-compete/non-solicit: Two-year global non-compete and non-solicit obligations embedded in PSU and SAR agreements, with extended conditions if retiring early in grant year; liquidated damages and tolling provisions apply for violations .
- Clawback: Dodd-Frank/NYSE-compliant clawback; restatement recovery of excess incentive-based comp for prior three fiscal years .
- No excise tax gross-ups: Company does not provide excise tax gross-ups for severance or change-in-control benefits .
Deferred Compensation and Perquisites
| Item | 2024 Amount |
|---|---|
| Executive Contributions (Non-Qualified Deferred Comp) | $75,253 |
| Company Match (Non-Qualified Deferred Comp) | $48,695 |
| Aggregate Earnings (2024) | $284,904 |
| Deferred Comp Balance at 12/31/2024 | $2,102,801 |
| Other Compensation Detail | $7,200 401(k) match; $48,695 NQDC match; $18,231 other (incl. $231 tax gross-up for sales reward event; charitable match) |
Pay and Performance Context
| Measure | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Value of $100 Initial Investment – Company TSR ($) | 104 | 217 | 218 | 293 | 314 |
| Net Income ($mm) | 267 | 794 | 808 | 882 | 1,254 |
| Contract Value (CV, $mm) | 3,605 | 4,247 | 4,660 | 4,839 | 5,262 |
2024 Say-on-Pay approval was 92% of votes cast; the program emphasizes performance-based pay, longer vesting, ownership/holding requirements, and clawbacks .
Compensation Structure Notes (Peer and Governance)
- Peer group used for benchmarking 2024 executive compensation included Adobe, Akamai, Aon, Autodesk, Cadence, Equifax, Intuit, Moody’s, ServiceNow, SS&C, Synopsys, Interpublic, Thomson Reuters, Verisk, Workday (with VMware/Splunk removed due to acquisitions) .
- Independent compensation consultant (Exequity LLP) supports the Compensation Committee; realized pay analyzed versus peer performance indicates alignment .
- Director/Officer hedging and pledging prohibited; insider trading policy includes blackouts and pre-clearance for certain insiders .
Investment Implications
- Compensation alignment: High share of at-risk/pay-for-performance (100% bonus; 70% PSUs; SARs require appreciation), rigorous CV/EBITDA/Revenue targets, and four-year vesting foster long-term alignment and discourage short-termism .
- Retention risk: Not retirement-eligible as of 12/31/2024; two-year global non-compete and non-solicit embedded in equity agreements add friction to departure; severance economics are modest (12 months salary) without single-trigger equity vesting .
- Insider selling pressure: Annual vesting of PSUs/SARs and tax withholding mechanics may lead to periodic share transactions around vest dates, but Gartner’s insider policy imposes blackouts and prohibits hedging/pledging, tempering opportunistic trading .
- Equity ownership: Beneficial ownership is <1% but executive ownership guidelines (3× salary) and holding requirements (50% of net shares until compliant) increase “skin-in-the-game”; all NEOs compliant at 12/31/2024 .
- Governance signals: Strong say-on-pay support (92%), robust clawback, independent consultant, and CV-centric PSUs indicate shareholder-friendly design that is likely to continue aligning pay with Gartner’s recurring revenue growth engine .