Ann Lewnes
MongoDBAbout Ann Lewnes
Ann Lewnes, age 63, has served on MongoDB’s board since December 2023. She is the former Chief Marketing Officer and EVP of Corporate Strategy and Development at Adobe (2006–2023) and previously served as Intel’s Vice President of Marketing, bringing deep expertise in branding, digital marketing, and corporate strategy. She holds a B.A. in International Relations and Journalism from Lehigh University and currently serves as vice chair of Lehigh’s Board of Trustees. Her tenure and background suggest strong contributions to demand generation and growth strategy at technology companies .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adobe Inc. | Chief Marketing Officer; EVP Corporate Strategy & Development | Nov 2006–Mar 2023 | Led transformative growth and global demand initiatives |
| Intel Corporation | Vice President of Marketing | Not disclosed | Senior leadership in marketing at scale |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mattel, Inc. (public) | Director | Feb 2015–Feb 2024 | Chaired Governance & Social Responsibility; member, Executive Committee |
| Sundance Institute (non-profit) | Director | Current | Board service |
| Lehigh University | Vice Chair, Board of Trustees | Current | Leadership in higher-education governance |
Board Governance
- Committee assignments (as of May 8, 2025): Compensation Committee member; Security Committee member; not a chair .
- Independence: The board determined Compensation Committee members (including Lewnes) and all Security Committee members are independent under Nasdaq standards (and Rule 16b-3 non-employee status for compensation committee) .
- Committee cadence: FY2025 meetings — Audit 7; Compensation 5; Nominating 4; Security 3 .
- Board chair: Tom Killalea is Chairperson; MongoDB maintains a separate Chair and CEO structure .
- Skills matrix: Lewnes is noted for Technology, Global Sales/Markets/Operations, Senior Leadership, and Public Company Board experience .
- Executive sessions: Compensation Committee may meet in executive session ad hoc .
- Attendance: Board disclosed directors attended >75% of board/committee meetings in FY2025 (except a departing director); individual director attendance rates not separately disclosed .
Fixed Compensation
| Compensation Element | Amount ($) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Annual Board Retainer | 40,000 | Payable in cash or fully vested shares at director’s election (30-day VWAP basis) |
| Compensation Committee Member Retainer | 7,500 | Non-chair member fee |
| Security Committee Member Retainer | 4,000 | Non-chair member fee |
| FY2025 Fees Earned (Lewnes) | 46,239 | Per Director Compensation table |
- Director compensation program reviewed with independent consultant Semler Brossy; program changed at 2024 meeting, and award values further increased effective the 2025 annual meeting .
Performance Compensation
| Equity Grant Type | Grant Date | Value ($) | Vesting | Change-in-Control Treatment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Initial RSU Grant (policy value) | Dec 5, 2023 (initial grant received) | 410,000 (initial); revised policy value to 430,000 in Feb 2024 | Vests in 3 equal annual installments on each anniversary; continued service required | Unvested shares fully vest upon termination in connection with a change in control (double trigger) |
| Initial RSU Top-up (adjustment) | Jun 25, 2024 | 17,222 (to match increase to $430,000 policy) | Follows initial RSU vesting terms | As above |
| Annual RSU Grant (policy value) | Jun 25, 2024 (program design) | 215,000 (policy at time) | Vests at earlier of 1-year anniversary or next annual meeting; newly elected directors not granted in first year | As above |
| Annual RSU Grant (policy value increase) | Effective 2025 annual meeting | 230,000 | As above | As above |
| Initial RSU (policy value increase) | Effective 2025 annual meeting | 460,000 | As above | As above |
| Performance Metrics Applied to Director Equity | Status |
|---|---|
| PSUs or performance-based metrics tied to director compensation | None disclosed; director equity is time-based RSUs |
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Category | Detail |
|---|---|
| Current public company boards | None disclosed beyond MongoDB |
| Prior public company boards | Mattel, Inc. (2015–2024); committee chair and executive committee member |
| Non-profit/academic boards | Sundance Institute; Lehigh University Board of Trustees (vice chair) |
| Compensation Committee interlocks | None; members (including Lewnes) had no relationships requiring Item 404 disclosure |
| Potential shared directorships/conflicts | None disclosed |
Expertise & Qualifications
| Attribute | Evidence |
|---|---|
| Education | B.A., International Relations and Journalism, Lehigh University |
| Technical/industry | Technology and global operations experience (skills matrix) |
| Board qualifications | Senior leadership; public company board experience |
| Career strengths | Branding, advertising, DTC e-commerce, digital marketing, corporate strategy |
Equity Ownership
| Holder | Shares Beneficially Owned | Ownership % | RSUs (Unvested, 1/31/2025) | Options |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ann Lewnes | 381 | <1% | 764 | — |
- Stock ownership guidelines (directors): At least 5x annual cash board retainer within 5 years of joining; for a $40,000 retainer, guideline equals $200,000 in value; Lewnes joined in Dec 2023, so target compliance by Dec 2028 .
- Hedging/pledging of company stock: Prohibited for directors .
Governance Assessment
- Independence and committee engagement: Lewnes is independent and serves on Compensation and Security Committees—both critical for oversight of pay governance and cybersecurity risk—strengthening board effectiveness in areas material to investor confidence .
- Pay structure and alignment: Director compensation combines cash retainers and time-based RSUs; program was benchmarked by Semler Brossy and adjusted in 2025 (Initial Grants from $430,000 to $460,000; Annual Grants from $215,000 to $230,000), suggesting continued market alignment rather than pay inflation; annual cash retainers can be taken in shares, improving alignment .
- Ownership alignment: As of May 1, 2025, Lewnes’ reported beneficial ownership is 381 shares with 764 unvested RSUs; directors must meet a 5x retainer ownership guideline within five years (by Dec 2028 for Lewnes), with hedging/pledging prohibited—a supportive framework, though current ownership is modest relative to target .
- Cybersecurity oversight: The Security Committee (of which Lewnes is a member) has a robust mandate covering risk assessments, incident review, business continuity, regulatory developments, and benchmarking, indicating strong governance over cyber risk—a material factor for MDB .
- Related-party/conflict checks: Compensation Committee members (including Lewnes) had no relationships requiring Item 404 disclosure; Audit Committee reviews related party transactions, and insider trading/hedging/pledging policies are in place—no red flags observed .
- Shareholder sentiment and controls: 2024 say-on-pay support was ~88%; clawback policies are established for executives, and governance highlights include annual evaluations and ownership guidelines—signals of stronger governance culture .
Watch items: Low reported personal share ownership today relative to the five-year guideline target; monitor progression toward guideline compliance by Dec 2028 and any future changes in director award magnitudes .