CJ Desai
MongoDBAbout CJ Desai
Chirantan “CJ” Desai was appointed President and Chief Executive Officer and joined MongoDB’s Board effective November 10, 2025 . He previously led product and engineering at Cloudflare (Oct 2024–Nov 2025) and held senior roles at ServiceNow, EMC, Symantec, and Oracle; he holds both an MBA and an MS in Computer Science from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign . MongoDB reported FY2025 revenue of $2.01B (+19% YoY) and expects Q3 FY26 results above the high end of guidance, driven by Atlas, providing a constructive backdrop for the leadership transition .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Years | Strategic impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cloudflare | President of Product & Engineering | Oct 2024 – Nov 2025 | Drove product strategy/execution during strong revenue growth and stock performance period |
| ServiceNow | President & COO | Jan 2023 – Jul 2024 | Helped organically scale ServiceNow from ~$1.5B to >$10B annualized revenue over tenure at company; deep GTM and product leadership |
| ServiceNow | COO; Chief Product & Engineering Officer | Jan 2022 – Jan 2023; Dec 2016 – Jan 2022 | Led product/engineering for large-scale SaaS platforms |
| EMC | President, Emerging Technologies Division | Sep 2014 – Dec 2016 (EMC tenure Sep 2013–Dec 2016) | Led emerging tech initiatives |
| Symantec | Executive roles (Information Management, Enterprise Security) | Nov 2004 – Sep 2013 | Ran major product lines |
| Oracle | Early career; key member launching first cloud service | Not disclosed | Early cloud service launch experience |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Years | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zebra Technologies | Director | Dec 2015 – May 2023 | Public company board service |
| MongoDB | Director (employee-director) | Effective Nov 10, 2025 | Joined MDB Board concurrent with CEO appointment |
Fixed Compensation
| Element | Amount / Terms | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Base Salary | $500,000 | Offer letter, effective with CEO start |
| Target Bonus | 70% of base salary | Annual incentive opportunity |
| Sign-on Cash | $2,500,000 | 50% payable after 6 months of continuous service; 50% after 12 months |
Performance Compensation
New-hire Equity Awards (granted in connection with CEO appointment)
| Award Type | Grant Value | Performance/Vesting | Additional Terms |
|---|---|---|---|
| Service-vesting RSUs | $15,000,000 | Vests over 2 years in 8 equal quarterly installments after the first quarter following vesting start; continuous service required | One-year holding period after each vest |
| Performance-based RSUs (PSUs) | $17,500,000 | Earn-out based on share-price conditions that must be satisfied by Nov 9, 2030 plus service condition until the later of price satisfaction and a date specified in the PSU agreement | Number of PSUs based on 10/27/2025 closing price; continuous service required |
Implication: RSUs create near-term quarterly vesting cadence over two years, but the one-year holding period after each vest delays potential selling; PSUs require multi-year stock price hurdles through 2030, aligning incentives to sustained value creation .
Company Annual Bonus Framework (reference design for executive incentives)
| Metric | Weighting | Attainment (FY2025) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Net New ARR | 35% | Below Target; weighted impact 26.7% | Company-wide metric |
| Non-GAAP Operating Income | 30% | Above Target; weighted impact 34.26% | Company-wide metric |
| Revenue | 35% | Below Target; weighted impact 42% | Company-wide metric |
| Overall Corporate Achievement | — | 102.96% | With accelerators/decelerators |
| Final Payout | — | 105.9% of target | Applied to NEOs for FY2025 |
Note: MongoDB’s ongoing PSU program for executives ties earn-outs to ARR Growth and Operating Cash Flow, with 0–200% earn-out range and multi-year service vesting; CJ’s initial PSU grant is based on stock-price hurdles (distinct structure due to on-hire award) .
Equity Ownership & Alignment
- Stock ownership guidelines: CEO must hold shares equal to 5x base salary; other executive officers at 3x; five years to comply .
- Hedging/pledging: Prohibited for all employees, directors, consultants .
- Clawbacks: (1) Dodd-Frank financial restatement recoupment of incentive comp; (2) separate misconduct recoupment policy allowing recovery up to 100% for defined misconduct .
- Section 16 readiness: CJ executed a Power of Attorney on Nov 10, 2025 authorizing filings of Forms 3/4/5, indicating Section 16 reporting will be maintained .
Employment Terms
| Term | Key Economics / Provision | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Start/Role | President & CEO; Director; effective Nov 10, 2025 | Announced Nov 3, 2025 |
| Severance (Non‑CIC) | 12 months base salary continuation; 12 months COBRA premiums | Upon termination without cause or for good reason |
| Change-in-Control (CIC) Double Trigger | In addition to non‑CIC benefits: payment of target “cash eligible” bonus; prorated bonus for year of termination at greater of target or actual to date; any unpaid prior-year bonus; accelerated vesting of unvested time-based equity; accelerated vesting of PSUs based on greater of target or actual as of termination date | Applies if termination occurs within 3 months prior to or 12 months after a CIC |
| Indemnification | Standard form of indemnification agreement entered | As filed in S-1 Exhibit 10.5 |
| Related Party / Family | None reportable; no family relationships | 8-K disclosure |
Triggers: Equity is double-trigger on CIC (no single-trigger vesting) aligning with stated governance norms; no tax gross‑ups .
Board Governance (Director Service, Committees, Independence)
- Board service: CJ joins MDB’s Board effective Nov 10, 2025 as CEO (employee director) .
- Committee roles: Board committees (Audit, Compensation, Nominating & Corporate Governance, Security) are 100% independent; employee directors (e.g., CEO) do not serve on these committees .
- Independence structure: Majority independent board; separate Chairperson (Tom Killalea) and CEO roles, mitigating dual-role concerns and preserving independent oversight .
- Meeting attendance: Directors attended >75% of meetings in FY2025 (continuity of governance discipline) .
- Director pay policy: Non‑employee directors receive cash/equity retainers; employee directors (e.g., CEO) do not receive additional director compensation (illustrated by policy applied to then‑CEO) .
Performance & Track Record
- ServiceNow scaling: Helped organically scale ServiceNow from ~$1.5B to >$10B annualized revenue across leadership tenure at the company .
- Product/engineering leadership: Led Cloudflare’s product strategy and execution during a period of strong revenue growth and stock performance; extensive experience in cloud infrastructure, AI, cybersecurity, and large-scale SaaS .
- MongoDB business context: FY2025 revenue $2.01B (+19% YoY); company expects to exceed high-end of Q3 FY26 guidance for revenue, non‑GAAP operating income, and EPS, driven by Atlas .
Compensation Committee Analysis (Program Quality Signals)
- Independent compensation committee; uses independent consultant (Semler Brossy) and peer benchmarking (e.g., ANSS, NET, CRWD, DDOG, DT, ESTC, HUBS, OKTA, SNOW, TTD, U, DOCU, NEWR, ZS; later adjustments added Confluent and Samsara) to calibrate pay .
- Pay-for-performance design: 100% of annual bonuses tied to corporate metrics; 50% of annual LTI in PSUs; clawbacks in place; no hedging/pledging; no tax gross-ups; double-trigger equity vesting on CIC .
Say-on-Pay & Shareholder Feedback
- Say-on-pay approval ~88% at the 2024 annual meeting; investor feedback previously drove adoption of PSUs tied to ARR and Operating Cash Flow and enhanced disclosure .
Compensation Structure Analysis (Signals)
- Equity-heavy orientation: CJ’s $32.5M initial equity (RSUs + PSUs) dominates total comp, aligning with shareholder value creation; PSUs use multi-year stock price hurdles through 2030; RSUs vest quarterly over two years but must be held for one year post-vest, reducing immediate selling pressure .
- Cash elements: Base salary $500k and 70% target bonus are modest relative to equity; $2.5M sign-on cash, staggered over 6/12 months, supports retention during onboarding period .
- Governance safeguards: Clawbacks, no pledging/hedging, double-trigger equity, and independent board leadership reduce misalignment and change-in-control windfall concerns .
Investment Implications
- Alignment and retention: Large, front-loaded RSUs with one-year post-vest holding and multi-year PSU stock-price hurdles incentivize continuity and long-term stock performance; sign-on cash reduces near-term liquidity-driven selling risk .
- Supply/demand overhang: RSUs vest in eight equal quarterly tranches over two years; however, the one-year holding period defers potential sales into later periods, smoothing supply compared to typical quarterly vesting without holds .
- Downside protection in governance: Double-trigger equity on CIC, clawbacks, and prohibition on hedging/pledging reduce principal-agent risk; board maintains independent chair and fully independent committees despite CEO-director dual role .
- Execution setup: Company expects Q3 FY26 to exceed high-end guidance driven by Atlas, and FY2025 delivered 19% YoY revenue growth—momentum that a CEO with deep cloud/AI/SaaS experience is positioned to extend; monitor initial 6–12 months for org/product cadence and metric targets on ARR/OCF within the bonus/PSU framework .
No related-party transactions reported; standard indemnification executed; initial Section 16 Power of Attorney filed, with Form 3/4/5 filings expected per policy .