Lara Sweet
About Lara Sweet
Lara Sweet, 50, has served on MediaAlpha’s Board since the IPO in 2020 and is the Audit Committee Chair and an SEC-defined “audit committee financial expert.” She previously served as Snap Inc.’s interim CFO (Jan–May 2019), Chief Accounting Officer (2017–2019), Controller (2016–2017), and was Controller/Chief Accounting Officer at AOL (2014–2016); she holds a B.S. in Accounting from George Mason University . The Board has affirmatively determined she is independent under NYSE rules, and in 2024 each incumbent director attended at least 75% of Board and committee meetings; the Board met six times .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Snap Inc. | Interim Chief Financial Officer | Jan 2019 – May 2019 | Finance leadership during transition |
| Snap Inc. | Chief Accounting Officer | Oct 2017 – Sep 2019 | Oversight of financial reporting |
| Snap Inc. | Controller | Jun 2016 – Oct 2017 | Accounting leadership |
| AOL, Inc. | Controller & Chief Accounting Officer | Nov 2014 – Jun 2016 | Accounting/controls |
| AOL, Inc. | VP, Internal Audit | Apr 2014 – Nov 2014 | Internal audit oversight |
| AOL, Inc. | VP & Assistant Controller | Aug 2011 – Apr 2014 | Accounting operations |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Entravision Communications Corporation | Director (Public company) | Since Oct 2023 | Current outside public directorship |
Board Governance
| Attribute | Details |
|---|---|
| Independence | Board determined independent (NYSE standards) |
| Committees | Audit Committee (Chair) ; Compensation Committee (Member) ; Nominating & Corporate Governance Committee (Member effective after the 2025 Annual Meeting) |
| Financial Expert | Audit committee financial expert (SEC definition) |
| Attendance | Board met 6 times in 2024; each incumbent director attended ≥75% of Board and relevant committee meetings |
| Board Class/Term | Class III; term expires at 2026 annual meeting; director since 2020 |
| Executive Sessions | Independent directors hold regular executive sessions chaired by the independent Board Chair |
| Risk Oversight | Audit Committee oversees financial reporting, internal controls, cybersecurity, ERM; Compensation Committee oversees comp risk; N&CG oversees governance and succession |
Fixed Compensation (Director)
| Component | 2024 Amount/Structure | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Annual cash retainer | $40,000 | Standard non-employee director retainer |
| Committee/Chair fees | Audit Chair $20,000; Comp Member $7,500 | Matches her roles in 2024 |
| Cash fees earned (2024) | $67,500 | Reported 2024 cash fees |
| Equity grant (2024) | 8,850 RSUs; grant-date fair value $166,646 | Granted May 16, 2024; vests in full on the earlier of 1-year anniversary or 2025 AGM, subject to service |
| Policy – annual equity | Target $175,000 in RSUs; share count set by 20-trading-day average; vest as above | Prospective for year following AGM |
| Total (2024) | $234,146 | Cash + equity fair value |
Performance Compensation
| Item | Disclosure |
|---|---|
| Performance-based metrics tied to director pay | None disclosed; director equity is time-based RSUs (no performance conditions) |
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Category | Detail |
|---|---|
| Current public boards | Entravision Communications Corporation (since Oct 2023) |
| Interlocks/conflicts disclosed | None disclosed involving Ms. Sweet; related-party section focuses on White Mountains, Insignia, Founders structures and agreements, not on Ms. Sweet |
Expertise & Qualifications
- Finance and accounting leadership (CFO interim, CAO, Controller) with public company experience; SEC audit committee financial expert .
- Internal audit and controls expertise (AOL) .
- Degree: B.S. in Accounting, George Mason University .
Equity Ownership
| Measure | Value |
|---|---|
| Beneficial ownership (Class A) | 75,557 shares; <1% of outstanding |
| Unvested director RSUs at FY2024 end | 8,850 RSUs outstanding (annual grant) |
| Hedging/Pledging | Hedging prohibited without approval; pledging prohibited without Audit Committee approval; company states no directors or executives have engaged in hedging or pledging |
| Ownership guidelines | Non-employee directors: 5x annual cash retainer; must retain 75% of net shares until compliant |
Governance Assessment
- Strengths for investor confidence: Independent director with deep accounting/controls background; Audit Chair and SEC “financial expert”; multi-committee service; regular attendance at or above Board thresholds; equity-based compensation with ownership guidelines enhances alignment .
- Potential risks/considerations: Control dynamics from stockholders’ agreement (director nominations by significant holders) may influence Board composition, though Ms. Sweet herself is independent; Audit Committee tasked with cybersecurity oversight—ongoing vigilance required in a data-driven business .
- Conflicts/related parties: No related-party transactions disclosed involving Ms. Sweet; Audit Committee policy requires pre-approval of material related-party transactions .
RED FLAGS: None identified specific to Ms. Sweet (no attendance issues, no pledging/hedging, no related-party transactions disclosed) .