William Bock
About William Bock
Independent, non‑executive Chairman of N‑able’s Board since July 16, 2021; Class I director, age 74, first elected July 2021 . Former President (2013–2016) and CFO/SVP (2006–2011) of Silicon Laboratories; earlier partner at CenterPoint Ventures and senior roles at Dazel, Tivoli, Convex, and Texas Instruments; B.S. Computer Science (Iowa State) and M.S. Industrial Administration (Carnegie Mellon) . Serves as Chair of N‑able’s Compensation Committee and member of the Nominating & Corporate Governance Committee; also serves as independent Chairman of the Board (separate from CEO) and chairs executive sessions of independent directors .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure/Timing | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Silicon Laboratories Inc. | President | 2013–2016 | Led operations and strategy execution |
| Silicon Laboratories Inc. | CFO & SVP | 2006–2011 | Financial leadership |
| CenterPoint Ventures | Partner (Venture Capital) | 2001–2006 | Investment and portfolio oversight |
| Dazel; Tivoli Systems; Convex Computer | Senior executive roles | Prior to 2001 | Operating leadership in venture‑backed tech |
| Texas Instruments | Early career | Not disclosed | Engineering/business foundation |
External Roles
| Company | Role | Status/Notes |
|---|---|---|
| SolarWinds (NYSE: SWI) | Board Chairman | Pending take‑private by Turn/River expected Q2 2025 |
| Silicon Labs (NASDAQ: SLAB) | Director | Current |
| SailPoint Technologies | Director | Current (proxy notes NASDAQ: SAIL) |
| Prior: Convio (CNVO); Entropic (ENTR); Borderfree (BRDR) | Director | Historical service |
Board Governance
- Structure and leadership
- Independent, non‑executive Chairman (Bock); CEO and Chair roles separated; Bock sets agendas, presides over meetings and executive sessions .
- Board size seven; six independent directors (all except CEO) .
- Committee assignments (2024)
- Compensation: Chair (Bock); members: Bingle, Widmann .
- Nominating & Corporate Governance: Member (Bock); Chair: Bingle; Member: McMartin .
- Audit: Members: Johnson, Lewis; Chair: McMartin .
- Cybersecurity: Chair: Lewis; Members: Johnson, McMartin .
- Independence and attendance
- Board determined Bock is independent under NYSE standards .
- 2024 meeting activity: Board 7; Audit 4; Compensation 3; Nominating & Governance 4; Cybersecurity 4; each director attended ≥75% of applicable meetings; all directors attended 2024 annual meeting .
| Committee | Role for Bock |
|---|---|
| Board (overall) | Independent Chairman |
| Compensation | Chair |
| Nominating & Corporate Governance | Member |
Fixed Compensation (Director Pay)
| Component (2024) | Amount |
|---|---|
| Fees Earned or Paid in Cash | $101,000 |
| Stock Awards (RSUs, grant‑date fair value) | $179,997 |
| Total | $280,997 |
Director compensation policy (select retainers): Board Chair $85,000; Compensation Committee Chair $12,000; Nominating & Governance Member $4,000; Audit Member $10,000 ($20,000 Chair); Cybersecurity Member $4,000 ($8,000 Chair); standard Board member retainer $35,000 . (Bock’s $101,000 cash aligns with Board Chair + Comp Chair + N&G member = $85k + $12k + $4k) .
Performance Compensation
| Equity Instrument | 2024 Director Annual Award | Vesting | Change‑in‑Control (CoC) |
|---|---|---|---|
| RSUs | $180,000 grant value per director (elected annually after meeting) [policy] | Vests in full the day immediately preceding the next annual meeting, subject to service | All outstanding director equity vests in full upon a CoC under the 2021 Equity Incentive Plan |
As of 12/31/2024, each non‑employee director had 14,229 shares underlying outstanding stock awards (time‑based RSUs) .
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Other public boards | SolarWinds (Chair), Silicon Labs (Director), SailPoint Technologies (Director) |
| Interlocks | Compensation Committee Interlocks: none disclosed; no cross‑board/officer interlocks requiring disclosure; no committee member has been an NABL officer/employee |
| Sponsor influence | Silver Lake and Thoma Bravo collectively held ~59.0% voting power as of 3/25/2025; Silver Lake nominees on Board (Bingle, Widmann) |
Expertise & Qualifications
- Deep operating and financial leadership in semiconductors/software: former President and CFO/SVP at Silicon Labs .
- Significant board governance experience; independent Board Chair at N‑able and Board Chair at SolarWinds; service on multiple public boards .
- Committee leadership: Compensation Committee Chair; experience with independent compensation consultant Pearl Meyer (advises committee) .
Equity Ownership
| Holder | Beneficial Ownership | % Outstanding | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| William Bock | 92,638 shares | <1% | Includes 14,229 RSUs vesting within 60 days of 3/25/2025 |
| Ownership guidelines | Directors must hold ≥3x base annual cash Board retainer; compliance: all non‑employee directors in compliance as of 1/1/2025 | ||
| Hedging/Pledging | Company prohibits hedging and pledging of Company stock by directors |
Governance Assessment
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Strengths
- Independent Board leadership (separate Chair/CEO); Bock chairs executive sessions; committees led by independent directors .
- Active engagement: full Board and committees met regularly in 2024; ≥75% attendance for each director; full attendance at annual meeting .
- Pay alignment: Director mix is balanced with cash plus time‑based RSUs; stock ownership guidelines in place and met; hedging/pledging prohibited, supporting alignment .
- Compensation oversight: As Comp Chair, Bock oversees a committee advised by an independent consultant (Pearl Meyer) .
-
Potential risks and conflicts
- RED FLAG: Controlled company—Sponsors owned ~59.0% voting power as of 3/25/2025; two Silver Lake‑affiliated directors sit on the Board; Compensation Committee includes Bock (Chair), Bingle, Widmann; although deemed independent under NYSE rules, as a controlled company the committee is not required to be entirely independent .
- Governance litigation: Delaware Chancery Court (July 25, 2024) invalidated several stockholders’ agreement provisions (e.g., director election/removal mechanics, committee composition, and certain approval rights at ownership thresholds); the Company agreed not to appeal and paid $1.75M in fees—reducing Sponsor control features going forward .
- External interlock consideration: Bock is Board Chair at SolarWinds, from which N‑able separated; no Item 404 related‑party transactions disclosed beyond Sponsor agreements and standard policies .
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Shareholder signals
- Say‑on‑pay support was ~99% in 2024, indicating broad investor support for compensation programs overseen by the Compensation Committee (chaired by Bock) .
Overall, Bock’s independent Board leadership, committee stewardship, and compliance with ownership/insider policies support board effectiveness. Key monitoring items are Sponsor influence dynamics and any future implications from the Chancery Court ruling on board composition/approval rights .