Lawrence J. Jackson, Jr.
ServiceNowAbout Lawrence J. Jackson, Jr.
Independent director of ServiceNow since 2020, age 44. Founder and CEO of gamma (2022–present) and former Global Creative Director of Apple Music; prior senior roles at Beats Music, Universal Music Group (Interscope Geffen A&M), and Sony Music/Arista Records. Recognized by the Board for consumer expertise and launching/overseeing successful consumer services; serves on ServiceNow’s Nominating and Governance Committee.
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apple Inc. | Global Creative Director, Apple Music | 2014–2022 | Led global creative strategy for Apple Music offerings |
| Beats Music | Chief Content Officer | 2014 | Content strategy and launch execution |
| Universal Music Group (Interscope Geffen A&M) | Executive Vice President | 2011–2014 | Senior leadership in content and artist strategy |
| Sony Music/Arista Records | President A&R (and various positions) | 2000–2010 | Artist and repertoire leadership across label portfolio |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| gamma | Founder & Chief Executive Officer | 2022–present | Multimedia content creation, distribution, DTC; operational leadership |
| UCLA Hammer Museum | Board of Directors | Not disclosed | Non-profit governance; arts institution oversight |
Board Governance
- Independence: Board determined all non-employee directors (including Jackson) are independent under NYSE/SEC standards; committees are entirely independent.
- Committee assignment: Member, Nominating & Governance Committee (Chair: Anita M. Sands; 4 meetings in 2024). Mandate includes board refreshment, ESG oversight, governance policies, proxy access, and political contributions/industry association oversight.
- Attendance and engagement: In 2024 there were 8 Board meetings; each current director participated in ≥75% of aggregate Board and committee meetings; executive sessions held regularly under Lead Independent Director.
- Governance safeguards: Prohibition on hedging/pledging, multi-year vesting for equity awards, clawback policy, no Section 280G tax gross-ups, and proxy access bylaws (3/3/20/20).
Fixed Compensation
| Year | Cash Fees ($) | Stock Awards ($) | Total ($) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 50,000 | 324,488 | 374,488 |
- Cash retainer structure (2024): Board $40,000; Governance Committee Chair $20,000 / Member $10,000; Audit Chair $40,000 / Member $15,000; Compensation Chair $25,000 / Member $15,000; Lead Independent Director $50,000.
- Stock grants: Annual director RSU grant on May 23, 2024 (Annual Meeting) with aggregate grant date fair value $325,000; vests in full on the earlier of the first anniversary or next Annual Meeting, subject to service. Change-in-control accelerates all director equity.
Performance Compensation
| Component | Applies to Director Compensation? | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| PRSUs/Performance metrics | No | Director equity is time-based RSUs; no discretionary director equity in 2024. |
| Annual incentive metrics (NNACV, margins, rTSR etc.) | Executive program | Applies to NEOs; not part of director pay. |
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Category | Detail |
|---|---|
| Current public company boards | 0 (Number of other public boards) |
| Potential interlocks | None disclosed with competitors/suppliers/customers; Governance Committee oversees related party and ESG disclosures. |
Expertise & Qualifications
- Senior leadership; global operations; high-growth org experience; multi-product/services experience; emerging technologies; large-scale transformation; non-profit/education/government experience (skills matrix).
- Board cited “extensive consumer experience, innovative mindset, and experience launching/overseeing successful consumer services” as rationale for nomination.
Equity Ownership
| Metric | As of 12/31/2024 | As of 9/30/2025 |
|---|---|---|
| RSUs outstanding (units) | 428 | Not disclosed |
| Beneficially owned shares (number) | Not disclosed | 269 |
| Beneficial ownership (%) | Not disclosed | Less than 1% of outstanding shares (per proxy table) |
| Shares outstanding (context) | Not applicable | 207,564,564 shares outstanding at 9/30/2025 (context for table) |
- Stock ownership guidelines: Increased in 2025 to 5x annual cash retainer (from 3x); directors have five years to comply. All non-employee directors required to have met guidelines as of the record date had satisfied the requirement.
Governance Assessment
- Board effectiveness: Active Nominating & Governance participation, independent status, and ≥75% attendance support engagement and oversight quality.
- Alignment: Director pay mix balances modest cash retainer with annual time-based RSUs; accelerated vesting on change-in-control is disclosed; ownership guidelines strengthened to 5x retainer, improving alignment.
- Conflicts/related-party risk: gamma is privately held; the proxy outlines a formal Related Party Transactions Policy with Audit Committee review of any transactions >$120,000 involving “related persons.” No specific related-party transactions involving Jackson are disclosed in the available proxy sections.
- Red flags: None disclosed regarding hedging/pledging (prohibited), tax gross-ups (none), or low attendance; director equity awards in 2024 were standard annual RSUs with no discretionary grants.
Implications: Jackson’s consumer-tech product and creative leadership background adds user-centric perspective to enterprise platform strategy and AI-era customer experience oversight, while independence, committee service, guideline-driven ownership, and standard director compensation structure present few governance frictions to investor confidence.