Hope Cochran
MongoDBAbout Hope Cochran
Hope Cochran (age 53) has served on MongoDB’s board since December 2016 and is an independent director designated as the Audit Committee Chair and an “audit committee financial expert.” She is a Managing Director at Madrona Venture Group (since 2019; venture partner 2017–2019), and previously served as CFO of King Digital (acquired by Activision Blizzard in 2016) and Clearwire (acquired by Sprint in 2013). She holds a B.A. in Economics and Music from Stanford University .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Madrona Venture Group | Managing Director; prior Venture Partner | MD since 2019; VP 2017–2019 | Investor/operator perspective; finance expertise |
| King Digital Entertainment plc | Chief Financial Officer | Sep 2013 – Jun 2016 (acquired Feb 2016) | Public-company CFO through sale |
| Clearwire Corporation | Chief Financial Officer | Feb 2011 – Jul 2013 (acquired) | Telecom CFO through acquisition |
| PeopleSoft, Evant, SkillsVillage (founder) | Various roles; Founder (SkillsVillage) | Prior to 2011 | Software/operator background |
External Roles
| Company | Role | Tenure | Committees / Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hasbro, Inc. (public) | Director | Since Jun 2016 | Chair, Finance Committee; Member, Audit Committee |
| New Relic, Inc. (public; sold in 2023) | Director | Since May 2018; through sale in 2023 | Lead Independent Director; Audit Committee member through sale |
Board Governance
- Independence: Board determined Ms. Cochran is independent under SEC and Nasdaq rules .
- Committees: Audit (Chair), not a member of Compensation, Nominating, or Security committees .
- Audit Committee financial expert: Board designated Ms. Cochran as an “audit committee financial expert”; she signed the Audit Committee Report .
- Attendance: In FY2025, the board met 5 times and each current director attended >75% of board and applicable committee meetings; all directors attended the 2024 annual meeting (ex-Mr. McMahon) .
- Board structure: Separate Chair and CEO; Chair leads independent director sessions; strong governance framework with stock ownership guidelines, clawbacks, hedging/pledging prohibitions .
| Committee (FY2025) | Role | Meetings |
|---|---|---|
| Audit | Chair | 7 |
| Compensation | — | 5 |
| Nominating & Governance | — | 4 |
| Security | — | 3 |
Fixed Compensation (Director)
| Element | Policy/Rate | FY Reference | Ms. Cochran FY2025 Actual |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual cash retainer | $40,000 | Program terms | Included in total below |
| Audit Committee Chair retainer | $25,000 | Program terms | Included in total below |
| Committee member retainers | Audit member $10,000; Comp $7,500; N&G $4,000; Security $4,000 | Program terms | N/A (Audit Chair) |
| Fees may be paid in shares (director election) | Yes (based on 30-day VWAP) | Program terms | Elected shares for 1H FY2025 fees |
| Fees earned (FY ended Jan 31, 2025) | — | — | $60,978 |
Notes:
- The program allows directors to receive retainers in cash or fully vested shares; Ms. Cochran elected shares for first-half fees; second-half fees paid at 2025 AGM date in cash or shares at director election .
Performance Compensation (Director)
Directors receive time-based RSUs; no performance metrics apply to director equity.
| Element | Policy/Grant Value | Vesting / Mechanics | Ms. Cochran FY2025 Grant (Fair Value) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual RSU Grant (incumbent directors) | $215,000 (FY2025 policy) → increased to $230,000 effective 2025 annual meeting | Vests on earlier of first anniversary or next annual meeting; settled in shares (Company may settle in cash) | $185,820 (RSUs granted Jun 25, 2024) |
| Initial RSU Grant (new directors) | $430,000 (raised to $460,000 effective 2025 annual meeting) | 3 equal annual installments | N/A (incumbent) |
Other Directorships & Interlocks
- Current public boards: Hasbro, Inc. (Finance Chair; Audit member) .
- Prior public boards: New Relic, Inc. (Lead Independent Director; Audit member) through its 2023 sale .
- Compensation committee interlocks: None reported among MongoDB compensation committee members (Ms. Cochran is not on the compensation committee) .
Expertise & Qualifications
- Board skills matrix indicates strengths in Technology, Cybersecurity/InfoSec/Privacy, Senior Leadership, Public Company Boards, Risk Management, and Finance/Accounting .
- Designated Audit Committee Financial Expert by the Board .
Equity Ownership
| Measure | Amount | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| Total beneficial ownership | 36,957 shares (<1%) | 18,513 direct; 17,624 options exercisable within 60 days; 820 RSUs vesting within 60 days; base of 81,714,127 shares outstanding (as of May 1, 2025) . |
| Options outstanding (total) | 20,562 | As of Jan 31, 2025 . |
| RSUs outstanding (total) | 820 | As of Jan 31, 2025 . |
| Shares pledged | None disclosed; company prohibits pledging/hedging by directors | Policy prohibition . |
| Director stock ownership guideline | 5x annual cash retainer within 5 years of joining | Applies to non-employee directors; individual compliance status not disclosed . |
Director Compensation (FY ended Jan 31, 2025)
| Component | USD |
|---|---|
| Fees earned/paid | $60,978 |
| Stock awards (Annual RSU grant) | $185,820 |
| Total | $246,798 |
Additional holdings context:
- As of Jan 31, 2025, Ms. Cochran held 820 unvested RSUs and 20,562 options; exercisable options within 60 days of May 1, 2025 were 17,624 .
Related-Party Transactions and Conflicts
- Related-person transactions: None in FY2025 (Audit Committee reviews and must approve any >$120,000 transactions involving directors/executives and related persons) .
- Independence confirmed: Board determined Ms. Cochran has no relationships interfering with independent judgment and is independent under Nasdaq/SEC rules .
- Hedging/pledging: Prohibited by company policy for directors and employees .
Say-on-Pay & Shareholder Feedback (Context)
- Say-on-pay support: ~88% approval at 2024 annual meeting .
- Ongoing engagement: Company engaged with holders of ~35% of outstanding shares in FY2025 to solicit feedback on compensation/governance/ESG .
Governance Assessment
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Strengths for investor confidence:
- Independent director with deep finance and operating background; Audit Chair and audit committee financial expert designation enhance oversight of financial reporting, controls, and ERM .
- Strong attendance culture and committee activity (Audit met 7 times in FY2025), suggesting active oversight .
- No related-party transactions; hedging/pledging prohibited; director stock ownership guidelines in place .
- Director equity compensation aligns interests; Ms. Cochran elected to receive part of retainers in shares for 1H FY2025 .
-
Watch items:
- Multiple external commitments (Hasbro board and venture role) create time demands; however, no attendance or engagement shortfalls disclosed .
- Individual compliance with stock ownership guideline not disclosed; monitor future proxies for status .
Overall, Ms. Cochran’s audit leadership, financial expertise, and independent status are supportive of board effectiveness and investor confidence, with no disclosed conflicts or red flags in FY2025 .