J. William Gurley
About J. William Gurley
J. William “Bill” Gurley, age 58, has served as an independent director of Nextdoor Holdings, Inc. (KIND) since November 2021. He is a long-time venture capitalist and general partner at Benchmark Capital (since 1999), with prior roles including partner at Hummer Winblad, research analyst at Credit Suisse First Boston, and design engineer at Compaq. He holds a B.S. in Computer Science from the University of Florida and an MBA from the University of Texas at Austin .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Benchmark Capital | General Partner | Since 1999 | Long-term tech investor and board member experience |
| Hummer Winblad Venture Partners | Partner | Not disclosed | VC investing in software |
| Credit Suisse First Boston | Research Analyst | Not disclosed | Public markets/tech coverage |
| Compaq Computer Corporation | Design Engineer | Not disclosed | Technical product engineering |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Status | Committees/Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stitch Fix, Inc. | Director | Current | Not disclosed |
| Zillow Group, Inc. | Director | Current | Not disclosed |
| GrubHub, Inc. | Director | Former | Not disclosed |
| OpenTable, Inc. | Director | Former | Not disclosed |
| Ubiquiti Networks, Inc. | Director | Former | Not disclosed |
Board Governance
- Independence: The Board determined Gurley is independent under NYSE and SEC rules; all board committees are composed of independent directors .
- Committee assignments: Member, Nominating, Corporate Governance and Corporate Responsibility Committee; expected to continue post-Annual Meeting with Elisa Steele as Chair .
- Attendance: The Board met 8 times in 2024; each director met at least the 75% attendance threshold except Mary Meeker, Elisa Steele, and David Sze—Gurley met the threshold .
- Lead Independent Director and executive sessions: Elisa Steele is Lead Independent Director (from March 2025) and presides over regular executive sessions of non-employee directors .
- Say-on-pay signal: 2023 say-on-pay received ~99% support, indicating strong investor alignment with compensation practices .
Fixed Compensation
| Component | Amount/Terms | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Annual cash retainer (program) | $40,000 per year; paid quarterly, pro-rated for partial quarters | |
| Committee chair fees (program) | Audit $27,500; Compensation $27,500; Nominating $10,000; paid quarterly | |
| Committee member fees (program) | Audit $10,000; Compensation $10,000; Nominating $4,000; paid quarterly | |
| Lead Independent Director fee (program) | $15,000 annual | |
| Gurley 2024 cash fees (actual) | $39,500 |
Notes: KIND increased director cash retainer and introduced committee member fees in 2024 .
Performance Compensation
| Equity Instrument | 2024 Grants (Gurley) | Outstanding at FY-end | Vesting/Key Terms |
|---|---|---|---|
| Options | 49,435 options granted via monthly installments; grant-date fair value total $61,226 | 123,517 options outstanding | Monthly installment program (Sept 2023–Jun 2024); each tranche vested immediately on grant while serving as director. 2024 fair values per tranche: Jan $1.04, Feb $0.96, Mar $1.31, Apr $1.34, May $1.28, Jun $1.51 . |
| RSUs | 68,627 RSUs granted; grant-date fair value $196,959 | 68,627 RSUs outstanding | Vests on the earlier of the next annual meeting or one year after June 18, 2024, subject to service . |
Insider filing note: Due to administrative error, a late Form 4 was filed on April 4, 2024 for directors (including Gurley) for April 1, 2024 option grants .
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Area | Detail |
|---|---|
| Major shareholder affiliation | Entities affiliated with Benchmark beneficially own 52,649,930 Class B shares (35.60% of Class B; 30.71% combined voting power). Gurley is a managing member of Benchmark general partners (BCMC VI/BCMC VIII) overseeing these entities, and his line item shows this beneficial ownership attribution alongside 123,517 Class A options . |
| Related party transactions | No related person transactions >$120,000 disclosed for 2024–2025; oversight via Audit & Risk Committee . |
Interpretation: Benchmark’s significant voting power is a governance consideration for potential influence; Board still classifies Gurley as independent, and committees are fully independent .
Expertise & Qualifications
- Technology and internet domain expertise; decades of board experience at public tech companies and consumer platforms .
- Financial and investment acumen; former sell-side research analyst and VC general partner .
- Technical background (Computer Science) and operating perspective from Compaq; advanced business education (MBA) .
Equity Ownership
| Holder (Director Line Item) | Class A Shares (# / %) | Class B Shares (# / %) | Combined Voting Power (%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| J. William Gurley | 123,517 (0.05%) | 52,649,930 (35.60%) | 30.71% |
Breakdown and alignment:
- Options: 123,517 Class A options fully vested as of March 31, 2025 .
- RSUs: 68,627 RSUs outstanding/unvested as of Dec 31, 2024 .
- Hedging/pledging: Hedging prohibited; pledging only with CLO approval; no pledging disclosed for Gurley .
- Stock ownership guidelines: Directors must hold 3x annual cash retainer; compliance expected by Jan 1, 2030 (evaluated annually) .
Governance Assessment
- Committee effectiveness: Gurley’s seat on the Nominating, Corporate Governance & Corporate Responsibility Committee aligns with his multi-decade board and investor background; post-meeting structure maintains independent oversight with Steele as Chair .
- Independence and attendance: Board confirms independence; he met the ≥75% attendance threshold; board and committees met regularly (Board 8x; Compensation 6x; Audit 4x; Nominating 4x) .
- Alignment and incentives: Director equity grants (RSUs) and options provide shareholder alignment; overall 2024 director pay mix for Gurley was ~13% cash, ~87% equity by grant-date value ($39,500 cash; $258,185 equity) .
- Conflicts and related-party risk: While Benchmark’s 30.71% combined voting power is material, the proxy discloses no related-party transactions >$120,000 and confirms committee independence; ongoing oversight of related-party transactions resides with Audit & Risk Committee .
- Policy safeguards: Anti-hedging policy; stock ownership guidelines; compensation recovery (clawback) policy in place; independent compensation consultant (Compensia) used for program design .
- Signals for investor confidence: Strong say-on-pay (~99% in 2024 for 2023 program) reflects broad shareholder support; minor administrative late Form 4 noted and corrected .
RED FLAGS: Concentrated voting power associated with Benchmark-affiliated holdings (35.60% of Class B; 30.71% combined voting power) merits ongoing scrutiny for potential influence or perceived conflicts, though independence is affirmed and related-party transactions are absent in the period disclosed .