Jennifer Ceran
NERDWALLETAbout Jennifer Ceran
Independent director at NerdWallet since 2020; age 61 (2025). Former CFO of Smartsheet (Sep 2016–Jan 2021), CFO of Quotient (Sep 2015–Sep 2016), VP Finance at Box (Oct 2012–Sep 2015), and held finance leadership roles at eBay (2003–2012). BA in Communications & French (Vanderbilt) and MBA in Finance & Accounting (Chicago Booth). Board-determined audit committee financial expert and independent director.
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smartsheet Inc. | Chief Financial Officer | Sep 2016–Jan 2021 | Public-company CFO experience strengthens audit oversight |
| Quotient Technology, Inc. | Chief Financial Officer | Sep 2015–Sep 2016 | Marketing platform CFO; transactional experience |
| Box, Inc. | Vice President of Finance | Oct 2012–Sep 2015 | Scaled finance operations in cloud content management |
| eBay Inc. | VP Investor Relations; VP FP&A; VP & Treasurer | 2003–2012 | Capital markets, planning, and treasury leadership |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees |
|---|---|---|---|
| Klaviyo, Inc. (KVYO) | Director; Audit Committee Chair; Nominating & Corporate Governance member | Director since 2021 | Chairs Audit; member of Nominating & Governance; audit committee financial expert |
| Riskified Ltd. (RSKD) | Director; Audit Committee Chair; Nominating & Governance member | Director since IPO (2021) | Independent; audit committee financial expert; 100% attendance in 2023 |
| Plum Acquisition Corp I (PLMIU) | Former Director | Prior service | Former SPAC director |
Board Governance (NerdWallet)
- Committee assignments: Audit Committee chair; members include Kenneth T. McBride and Maurice Taylor; Ceran and all audit members meet Nasdaq and SEC independence and financial literacy requirements; Ceran designated “audit committee financial expert.”
- Independence: Listed as “Independent Director” in director biographies for 2023–2025.
- Attendance and engagement: In 2023, Board met 5 times and committees met 12 times; all directors attended ≥75% of Board and committee meetings during their service.
- Audit Committee scope: Oversees accounting/financial reporting, auditor selection/performance, procedures for whistleblower submissions, related person transactions review, cybersecurity risk oversight, and pre-approves audit/non-audit services; charters posted on IR site.
- Years of service: Director since 2020.
- Financial expert designation: Ceran and McBride designated by Board as audit committee financial experts.
Fixed Compensation (NerdWallet non-employee director program elements)
| Component | Amount | Vesting / Terms |
|---|---|---|
| Annual Board cash retainer | $50,000 | Paid pro rata for partial year |
| Audit Committee member cash retainer | $10,000 | Paid pro rata for partial year |
| Initial RSU grant (new director) | $300,000 grant-date value | Vests in three annual installments from grant date |
Note: The above reflect disclosed amounts for a newly appointed NRDS non-employee director (McBride) under NerdWallet’s director compensation policy. The latest annual equity retainer level was not specified in the excerpts reviewed.
Performance Compensation
- No performance metrics disclosed for non-employee director pay; director equity grants are time-based RSUs (initial grant vests over three years).
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Company | Relationship to NRDS | Interlock / Conflict Considerations |
|---|---|---|
| Klaviyo (KVYO) | Software/marketing automation | Ceran chairs Audit; unrelated industry; independence affirmed by KVYO; audit financial expert; committee roles disclosed. |
| Riskified (RSKD) | E-commerce fraud prevention | Ceran chairs Audit and serves on Nominating & Governance; independence affirmed; 100% meeting attendance in 2023. |
NRDS Audit Committee reviews related person transactions; no related-party transactions involving Ceran were disclosed in available NRDS proxy excerpts.
Expertise & Qualifications
- Public-company CFO background (Smartsheet and Quotient), VP Finance (Box), and capital markets/FP&A/treasury experience (eBay).
- Audit committee chair experience at multiple public companies; designated audit committee financial expert (NRDS, KVYO, RSKD).
- Education: BA Vanderbilt; MBA Chicago Booth (Finance & Accounting).
- Independence affirmed across boards; financial literacy and expertise per Nasdaq/SEC rules.
Equity Ownership
- Hedging and pledging prohibitions: NRDS Insider Trading Policy prohibits hedging/monetization transactions, holding in margin accounts, or pledging company stock; discourages standing/limit orders except under approved trading plans.
- Ownership guidelines: Not specified for NRDS directors in excerpts reviewed; no share counts for Ceran disclosed in the excerpts.
Governance Assessment
- Board effectiveness: Ceran’s deep CFO experience and designation as an audit committee financial expert, coupled with chairing NRDS’s Audit Committee, supports robust oversight of financial reporting, auditor independence, and cybersecurity risk; attendance thresholds met at NRDS and 100% attendance at RSKD signal strong engagement.
- Independence and conflicts: Independence affirmed across NRDS, KVYO, and RSKD; NRDS’s Audit Committee reviews related person transactions and maintains policies limiting hedging/pledging, reducing alignment risks; no related-party exposure involving Ceran evident in the excerpts.
- Time commitments: Concurrent service on three public boards and audit chair roles at KVYO and RSKD increases workload; however, documented attendance and leadership roles suggest capacity to meet obligations.
- Compensation alignment: NRDS non-employee director pay utilizes cash retainers and time-based RSUs (initial grant), aligning with market practice and shareholder alignment; absence of performance-linked metrics is typical for director pay.
Overall signal: Independent audit chair with multi-company financial expertise and strong attendance supports investor confidence in NRDS’s financial governance; policy guardrails (hedging/pledging ban; related-party review) further mitigate governance risks.