Robert Hohman
About Robert Hohman
Robert Hohman (age 53) is an independent director of Nextdoor Holdings, Inc. (KIND), serving since May 2024, and is a member of the Audit and Risk Committee . He founded Glassdoor in 2007, served as CEO through January 2020, and has been Chairman since January 2020; he previously held management roles at Hotwire and Expedia, and holds B.S. and M.S. degrees in Computer Science from Stanford University . He also advises Riot Games and is Executive Producer at Tweaking Cat Studios (family gaming), bringing deep expertise in user-generated content platforms relevant to KIND’s governance and product oversight .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Glassdoor, Inc. | Founder; CEO; Chairman | CEO: Jun 2007–Jan 2020; Chairman since Jan 2020 | Built and governed a large-scale UGC platform; governance experience as founder-chair |
| OpenTable, Inc. | Director; Audit Committee Member | 2012–2014 | Public company board and audit oversight experience |
| Expedia Group, Inc. | Management roles | Pre-2007 | Operating experience at scaled consumer internet company |
| Hotwire, Inc. | Management roles | Pre-2007 | Operating experience in digital travel |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Status | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Riot Games, Inc. | Advisor | Current | Industry/consumer platform advisory experience |
| Tweaking Cat Studios | Executive Producer | Current | Family gaming studio leadership |
| Glassdoor, Inc. | Chairman | Current | Chairman since Jan 2020; prior CEO |
| OpenTable, Inc. | Director (Audit Committee) | Former | Public company; audit committee experience |
Board Governance
- Independence and board structure: KIND’s board determined Hohman is independent; 9 of 10 directors are independent; all committees are fully independent .
- Committee assignment: Audit & Risk Committee member; the committee oversees financial reporting, ICFR, cybersecurity/data privacy, related-party review, and enterprise risk; membership changes expected post-meeting still include Hohman (Evan Chair; adding Sze) .
- Attendance and engagement: In 2024 the board met 8 times; all directors met ≥75% attendance except Mary Meeker, Elisa Steele (post-appointment scheduling), and David Sze—Hohman is not listed as an exception, indicating compliance with the 75% attendance guideline .
- Lead independent director and executive sessions: Elisa Steele is Lead Independent Director; non‑employee directors hold regularly scheduled executive sessions, enhancing independent oversight .
- Risk oversight: Cybersecurity and enterprise risk oversight chiefly resides with the Audit & Risk Committee; the CISO provides regular updates .
- Shareholder voice: Say‑on‑pay support in 2024 was ~99%, signaling strong investor confidence in compensation governance .
Fixed Compensation
Program design (Non‑employee Directors):
- Annual cash retainer: $40,000 (raised from $35,000 in 2024) .
- Committee cash fees: Audit & Risk member $10,000; Chair $27,500; Compensation member $10,000; Chair $27,500; Nominating member $4,000; Chair $10,000; Lead Independent Director $15,000 (all increased/introduced in 2024) .
2024 actual cash paid (reported):
| Year | Fees Earned or Paid in Cash ($) |
|---|---|
| 2024 | $30,865 |
Notes:
- Fees reflect partial-year service in 2024 (appointed May 2024) .
Performance Compensation
Director equity awards and vesting:
| Grant Year | Award Type | Shares Granted | Grant Date Fair Value ($) | Vesting Schedule | Change-in-Control Treatment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | RSUs | 130,969 | $375,881 | 121,951 RSUs: 50% vest on 1‑yr anniversary of 5/1/2024 and 50% on 2‑yr anniversary; 9,018 RSUs: vest at earlier of next annual meeting or 1‑yr after 6/18/2024 (service required) | Initial and Annual Awards accelerate in full upon a “Corporate Transaction” |
Program note:
- Annual director equity grants target $175,000 in RSUs post‑initial award; initial appointment grant targeted $350,000; awards are service‑based and designed to align director incentives with shareholders .
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Company | Public/Private | Role | Committee | Interlock/Conflict Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| OpenTable, Inc. | Public (at the time) | Director | Audit Committee | Former role; no current disclosed interlock with KIND |
| Glassdoor, Inc. | Private | Chairman | — | No related‑party transactions with KIND disclosed |
| Riot Games, Inc. | Private | Advisor | — | No related‑party transactions with KIND disclosed |
| Tweaking Cat Studios | Private | Executive Producer | — | No related‑party transactions with KIND disclosed |
Related‑party transactions:
- KIND disclosed no related‑party transactions >$120,000 for directors and 5% holders in 2024–present; Audit & Risk Committee reviews any such matters under policy .
Expertise & Qualifications
- Founder/operator and UGC domain expertise from Glassdoor leadership; prior scaled consumer internet operating roles (Expedia/Hotwire) .
- Public board and audit oversight experience from OpenTable (audit committee) .
- Technical education: B.S. and M.S. in Computer Science (Stanford), supporting technology/cyber/risk oversight contributions .
Equity Ownership
| Holder | Class A Shares | Class A % | Class B Shares | Combined Voting Power % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Robert Hohman | 360,976 (includes 300,000 owned + 60,976 RSUs vesting within 60 days of 3/31/2025) | 0.15% | — | 0.02% |
Ownership alignment framework:
- Stock ownership guidelines adopted in 2024 require non‑employee directors to hold equity equal to 3x the annual board cash retainer within the longer of 5 years from coverage/promotions or by Jan 1, 2030; compliance evaluated annually .
- Hedging prohibited; pledging prohibited unless approved by the Chief Legal Officer (policy coverage includes directors) .
- Section 16 filings: The company noted certain late filings for specified insiders in 2024; Hohman was not listed among late filers .
Governance Assessment
Strengths and signals supporting investor confidence:
- Independent director with relevant UGC, consumer internet, and audit oversight background; serves on the risk‑centric Audit & Risk Committee .
- Attendance above the 75% threshold (not listed among directors below the threshold in 2024) .
- No disclosed related‑party transactions; robust related‑party and insider trading/hedging oversight frameworks .
- Strong shareholder support on executive pay (2024 say‑on‑pay ~99%), suggesting broader governance credibility .
Watch items / potential red flags:
- Director equity awards accelerate in full upon a “Corporate Transaction” (single‑trigger for directors), which some investors view as misaligned in change‑in‑control contexts; monitor future program design and disclosure clarity .
- Company’s dual‑class structure (Class B with 10 votes/share) centralizes voting power; not specific to Hohman but a company‑level governance consideration for board accountability .
- Cash fee structure increased in 2024 (retainer and committee fees); while market‑aligned, investors should monitor pay‑for‑service calibration relative to workload and outcomes .
Overall: Hohman’s independence, audit/risk committee role, relevant domain expertise, and absence of related‑party ties support board effectiveness; the single‑trigger director equity acceleration and dual‑class voting warrant continued monitoring by investors .