Laurence E. Katz
About Laurence E. Katz
Laurence E. Katz is President and Director at MeridianLink (MLNK), age 56; he has served as President since August 2024, previously CFO from April–August 2024, and joined the board in May 2024 . His background spans executive finance and operating roles at StubHub (CFO), Genesys (CFO), JPMorgan Chase (various leadership positions), and Disney Strategic Planning; he holds a BA from Yale and an MBA from Harvard Business School . As an officer-director, he is not independent under NYSE standards . MLNK is an emerging growth company and does not provide pay-versus-performance TSR disclosures; the 2024 annual bonus was tied to adjusted EBITDA performance (96% of target, paying at 92.4% of target) .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Years | Strategic Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| MeridianLink | CFO | Apr–Aug 2024 | Led finance through leadership transition; subsequently elevated to President |
| WestCap | Partner | Oct 2021–Mar 2023 | Strategic operating and investing leadership |
| StubHub | CFO (Treasurer earlier) | CFO: Jun 2020–Sep 2021; Treasurer: Mar–Jun 2020 | Financial leadership at scaled marketplace |
| Genesys | CFO | Dec 2016–Oct 2019 | Finance leadership for AI-powered experience orchestration platform |
| JPMorgan Chase & Co. | Various executive roles | 2001–2016 | Leadership across business units and functions |
| The Walt Disney Company | Strategic Planning | Early career | Foundational strategy experience |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Years | Strategic Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stratim Cloud Acquisition Corp. | Director; Audit Committee Chair | Mar 2021–May 2022 | Governance and audit leadership at SPAC vehicle |
Fixed Compensation
| Component | 2024 Value | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Base Salary ($) | 412,500 | Annualized base salary $550,000; joined April 1, 2024 |
| Signing Bonus ($) | 250,000 | Repayment obligation if departure within 2 years (100% <1 year; 50% between 1–2 years) |
| Target Annual Bonus ($) | 460,000 | Set per employment agreement |
| Actual Annual Bonus Paid ($) | 319,395 | 92.4% of target, based on adjusted EBITDA at 96% of target |
Performance Compensation
| Metric | Weighting | Target | Actual | Payout Factor | Vesting/Timing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adjusted EBITDA (FY2024) | Not disclosed | Company target set by Comp Committee | 96% of target | 92.4% of target | Paid per annual non‑equity incentive plan |
| Katz Initial RSU Award | N/A | $20,000,000 grant date fair value | N/A | N/A | Vests: 18.75% on 12/31/2024; 6.25% on 4/1/2025; remainder in 12 equal quarterly installments thereafter, service‑based |
MLNK’s long‑term incentives are primarily RSUs; no options were granted to NEOs in 2024, and equity grants are timed outside of material non‑public information considerations per policy .
Equity Ownership & Alignment
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Total Beneficial Ownership (Apr 9, 2025) | 132,860 shares; <1% of 77,184,412 shares outstanding |
| Vested vs Unvested | Unvested RSUs at 12/31/2024: 876,954 units; FMV $18,109,100 at $20.65 |
| Options | None disclosed for Katz at 12/31/2024 |
| Pledging/Hedging | Prohibited for directors and officers (hedging, short sales, pledging) per insider trading policies |
| Clawback | NYSE Rule 10D‑1 compliant compensation recovery policy effective Oct 2, 2023 |
| Ownership Guidelines | Executive stock ownership: Non‑CEO Section 16 officers must hold 3× base salary; unvested equity not counted; 5 years to comply; 50% net-share retention until compliant |
| Director Pay | Officers do not receive director compensation; Katz receives no director fees |
Insider Selling Pressure and Vesting Events
- 10/01/2025: 62,770 RSUs were issued to Katz; 49,021 shares were withheld/disposed at $19.93 to satisfy taxes; beneficial ownership referenced at 1,251,172 shares post‑transaction per filing summaries .
- 10/24/2025: At closing of the ML Holdco/Centerbridge transaction, all MLNK common shares were cashed out at $20.00 per share; unvested RSUs were converted to cash replacement RSUs vesting on the original schedule, eliminating near‑term equity sale pressure in public markets .
Employment Terms
| Term | Provision |
|---|---|
| Start date | April 1, 2024 (joined MLNK) |
| Roles | CFO (Apr–Aug 2024); President since Aug 8, 2024; Director since May 2024 |
| Base Salary & Target Bonus | $550,000 base (annualized 2024); $460,000 target bonus |
| Initial Equity Award | RSUs with $20,000,000 grant date fair value (“Katz Initial RSU Award”) |
| Vesting | 18.75% on 12/31/2024; 6.25% on 4/1/2025; remainder in 12 equal quarterly installments; service‑based |
| Severance (no CIC) | 12 months base + prior year earned unpaid bonus + 100% of current year target bonus; up to 12 months COBRA contributions, subject to release |
| “Reporting Reason” | If termination for a defined reporting reason, 25% of unvested RSUs from initial award accelerate in addition to standard severance |
| Change‑in‑Control (CIC) | Double‑trigger: 24 months base + prior year earned unpaid bonus; full acceleration of all unvested equity; up to 18 months COBRA contributions, subject to release |
| Restrictive Policies | Company‑wide prohibition on hedging/pledging; clawback policy effective Oct 2, 2023 |
| Stock Ownership Guideline | Non‑CEO Section 16 officer: 3× base salary; 5 years to comply; 50% net‑share retention until compliant |
Compensation Structure Analysis
- Cash vs equity mix skewed toward equity via large 2024 new‑hire RSU award ($20M fair value), signaling long‑term retention emphasis and alignment with shareholder outcomes; no options granted in 2024 to NEOs .
- Annual bonus design used a single financial metric (adjusted EBITDA) with threshold/target/max guardrails; payout at 92.4% of target on 96% performance suggests moderate rigor and leverage to profitability .
- Policies mitigate risk: clawback compliant with NYSE Rule 10D‑1, prohibition on hedging/pledging, and executive ownership guidelines with net‑share retention .
Governance and Board
- Class I director nominee; not independent owing to executive status; no listed committee memberships for Katz .
- Board policies include prohibition on hedging/pledging, stock ownership guidelines, and annual board/committee performance assessment by an external facilitator in 2024 .
- Compensation Committee chaired by Mark Sachleben; engaged Compensia and Korn Ferry for independent market benchmarks in 2024 .
Investment Implications
- Alignment and retention: A large, multi‑year RSU grant with front‑loaded vesting plus double‑trigger CIC protections indicate strong retention incentives; executive ownership guidelines and share‑retention enhance alignment, while hedging/pledging bans reduce misalignment risk .
- Performance linkage: Annual cash incentives tied to adjusted EBITDA provide near‑term profitability alignment; absence of TSR or revenue/ACV targets for Katz’s bonus reduces direct linkage to growth or market‑relative outcomes but simplicity lowers gaming risk .
- Trading signals: 10/01/2025 tax‑withholding share disposals are mechanical rather than discretionary selling; the 10/24/2025 cash‑out at $20 per share and conversion of RSUs to cash replacement units removes market‑based selling pressure, with future payouts linked to continued service under private ownership .
- Termination economics: Double‑trigger CIC acceleration and 24‑month salary multiple are generous, suggesting limited retention risk through a transaction, but potentially higher golden‑parachute optics; no tax gross‑up disclosed, and policy cutbacks are present in other executive agreements, indicating discipline .