Marco Galsim
About Marco Galsim
Marco Galsim, age 51, is MarketWise’s Chief Information Officer (CIO), serving since 2020 after seven years as Head of Technology, where he led the full transition of the company’s technology infrastructure to the cloud . He holds a B.S. in Industrial Management Engineering with a minor in Mechanical Engineering from De La Salle University and has 20+ years of technology experience across Videology Group, AOL, Stanley Black & Decker, and Manugistics . MarketWise ties Mr. Galsim’s annual incentive to company “key performance metrics” with threshold, target, and maximum payout levels, but it does not disclose TSR or specific financial targets for his plan .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Years | Strategic Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| MarketWise, Inc. | Chief Information Officer | 2020–present | Led transition to robust, scalable, secure cloud infrastructure |
| MarketWise, Inc. | Head of Technology | 7 years | Built and scaled core infrastructure; prepared foundation for cloud migration |
| Videology Group; AOL; Stanley Black & Decker; Manugistics | Various technology positions | Not disclosed | Broadened enterprise-scale IT execution experience |
Fixed Compensation
| Metric | 2023 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|
| Base salary rate (annual) | $425,000 (effective Jan 10, 2023) | $525,000 (effective Jul 1, 2024) |
| Actual salary paid | $418,654 | $475,000 |
| Health/welfare benefits eligibility | Medical, dental, vision, HSA/FSA, ST/LT disability, life insurance | Medical, dental, vision, HSA/FSA, ST/LT disability, life insurance |
| 401(k) match | 50% of first 6% contributions; 5-year vesting | 50% of first 6% contributions; 5-year vesting |
| Tax gross-ups | None | None |
Performance Compensation
| Metric | Weighting | Target | Actual Payout | Vesting/Form |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Annual executive bonus (company “key performance metrics”) | Not disclosed | Threshold 50% of base; Target 100%; Max 200% | 2023: $125,000 ; 2024: $130,000 | Cash and/or RSUs under 2021 Plan |
| Note on structure (effective May 13, 2024) | — | — | — | Annual bonus structure replaces future stand-alone equity and cash incentive awards under prior agreement |
Equity Ownership & Alignment
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Policies and alignment
- Awards subject to company clawback policy; details implemented via plan/award agreements .
- Anti-hedging policy prohibits hedging/monetization transactions for directors, officers, employees, contractors, and controlled entities .
- Pledging policy not disclosed in the proxy; stock ownership guidelines for executives not disclosed.
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Beneficial ownership | Metric | Apr 12, 2024 | Apr 17, 2025 | |---|---|---| | Class A common stock owned (number) | 152,703 | 11,888 | | Class B common stock owned (number) | — (none disclosed) | — (none disclosed) | | Combined voting power (%) | * (less than 1%) | * (less than 1%) | | Management Members Earnout Shares (allocated) | 55,000 (included in footnote) | 2,750 (included in footnote) |
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Outstanding equity awards and vesting schedule (as of Dec 31, 2024; closing price $11.36) | Grant Date | Instrument | Unvested Quantity | Market Value (12/31/24) | Vesting Terms | |---|---|---|---|---| | Jul 1, 2024 | RSUs | 17,269 | $196,176 | 25% annually on each of first four anniversaries from Jul 1, 2024 | | Mar 15, 2024 | RSUs | 5,000 | $56,800 | 25% annually on each of first four anniversaries from Mar 15, 2024 | | Mar 15, 2023 | RSUs | 4,688 | $53,256 | 25% annually on each of first four anniversaries from Mar 15, 2023 | | Mar 15, 2022 | RSUs | 3,846 | $43,691 | 25% annually on each of first four anniversaries from Mar 15, 2022 | | Jul 21, 2021 | RSUs | 703 | $7,986 | 25% annually from Jul 21, 2021 | | Jul 21, 2021 | SARs | 1,770 exercisable; 591 unexercisable | — | Vest 25% annually from Jul 21, 2021; strike $166.00; expiration 9/27/2031 |
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Equity awards outstanding under plan (as of Apr 17, 2025) | Instrument | Quantity | |---|---| | SARs | 2,361 | | RSUs | 26,770 |
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Option in-the-money status
- With a $166.00 strike vs $11.36 closing price on Dec 31, 2024, SARs were out-of-the-money (no intrinsic value at that date) .
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Capital structure note
- MarketWise effected a 1-for-20 reverse stock split effective April 2, 2025, with proportional adjustments to outstanding equity awards and plans; proxy references are presented on post-split basis .
Employment Terms
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Current role and pay framework
- CIO since 2020; letter agreement dated Jan 10, 2023 set initial $425,000 base salary and annual discretionary incentive eligibility .
- Base salary increased to $525,000 prospectively effective Jul 1, 2024 .
- Annual bonus: eligible for 50%–200% of base salary depending on “key performance metrics”; payout may be in cash and/or RSUs .
- As of May 13, 2024, the annual bonus structure replaces future stand-alone equity and cash incentive awards under his prior agreement (bonus may still be settled in RSUs) .
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Severance & change-of-control (Executive Severance Plan)
- Outside change-in-control (CIC) window: cash severance = 1.25× base salary; prorated target annual cash bonus; healthcare continuation; continued vesting of time-based equity .
- Within CIC window (3 months before through 24 months after CIC): cash severance = 1.5× base salary; 1.5× target annual bonus; healthcare continuation; accelerated vesting of time-based equity .
- Conditions: release of claims; compliance with restrictive covenants (including 18-month post-termination non-compete and non-solicit; perpetual confidentiality) .
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Policies
- Clawback: awards subject to the provisions of any company clawback policy .
- Anti-hedging: strict prohibition on hedging/monetization transactions in company equity .
Compensation Summary (multi-year)
| Metric | 2023 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|
| Salary ($) | $418,654 | $475,000 |
| Bonus ($) | $127,532 | $131,133 |
| Stock Awards ($) | $222,500 | $584,749 |
| Total Compensation ($) | $768,686 | $1,190,882 |
Performance Compensation Details
| Element | 2023 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|
| Annual bonus driver | Company and individual performance (structure not quantitatively disclosed) | Company “key performance metrics” with threshold 50%, target 100%, max 200% of base |
| Annual bonus payout ($) | $125,000 discretionary | $130,000 discretionary + $1,133 longevity award |
| Form of payout | Cash (with ability to grant RSUs under 2021 Plan) | Cash and/or RSUs under 2021 Plan at company discretion |
Investment Implications
- Alignment and retention: Significant unvested RSUs across 2022–2024 grants continue vesting through 2028 (for 2024 awards), creating multi-year retention incentives; time-based awards accelerate on CIC and continue vesting on qualifying terminations outside CIC, subject to covenants .
- Near-term selling pressure: SARs carry a $166.00 strike and were out-of-the-money at the $11.36 closing price on Dec 31, 2024, limiting option-exercise driven sales; RSU vesting cadence (quarterly/annual per grant terms) is the primary potential source of supply upon vesting .
- Pay-for-performance: The shift to a standardized annual bonus (50%–200% of base) and the elimination of future stand-alone equity/cash incentives under the prior agreement consolidate at-risk pay into a single instrument that can be settled in RSUs, maintaining equity linkage but reducing incremental equity grants beyond bonus settlement .
- Governance/controls: Anti-hedging and clawback provisions reduce misalignment risks; no tax gross-ups improve shareholder-friendliness; pledging and executive ownership guidelines are not disclosed .
- Capital structure context: The 1-for-20 reverse split (Apr 2025) proportionally adjusted equity awards and reserve; ongoing plan amendment increased share capacity, supporting continued equity-based compensation while managing dilution .