Sam Yount
NERDWALLETAbout Sam Yount
Sam Yount is Chief Business Officer at NerdWallet (NRDS). He served as General Manager, Consumer Credit from July 11, 2022 to September 2024 and was appointed Chief Business Officer in October 2024; age 43; B.A. in Sociology from the University of Chicago . In 2024, NerdWallet delivered revenue of $687.6M and adjusted EBITDA of $107.9M, providing context for his tenure as a senior operator; his discretionary bonus cited contribution to Insurance performance . The company’s annual incentive structure for 2025 ties executive payouts to revenue-related growth and non-GAAP operating income metrics .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Years | Strategic Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| NerdWallet | General Manager, Consumer Credit | Jul 11, 2022 – Sep 2024 | Led consumer credit; set up for promotion to Chief Business Officer . |
| NerdWallet | Chief Business Officer | Oct 2024 – present | Senior operating role across business; named Named Executive Officer for 2024 . |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Years | Strategic Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| On the Barrelhead, Inc. | Chief Executive Officer | Apr 2017 – Jul 2022 | Led OTB; NerdWallet acquired OTB in July 2022 and granted Yount cash and RSU retention awards . |
| LendingTree | Chief Marketing Officer | Jan 2016 – Apr 2017 | Senior marketing leadership in consumer finance . |
Fixed Compensation
| Metric | 2023 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|
| Base Salary ($) | $350,000 | $368,250 |
| Base Salary reset (effective date) | — | Increased to $423,000 on Oct 1, 2024 |
| Target Bonus (%) | Not disclosed | Not disclosed (2025 exec plan introduced) |
| Actual Cash Bonus ($) | $1,666,666 (retention installment) | $1,751,667 (includes $1,666,667 retention + $85,000 discretionary for Insurance performance) |
| All Other Compensation ($) | $11,773 | $16,283 |
| Total Compensation ($) | $2,028,439 | $2,136,200 |
Notes
- 2024 discretionary bonus ($85,000) was “based on driving performance of insurance products of the Company in 2024” .
- NerdWallet introduced an annual cash incentive plan for 2025 for executive officers with metrics tied to a revenue-related growth metric and non-GAAP operating income-related metric (target % not disclosed) .
Performance Compensation
| Incentive Type | Metric | Weighting | Target | Actual | Payout / Value | Vesting |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cash Retention (Acquisition) | Employment continuity to 3 anniversaries post-OTB close | N/A | N/A | N/A | $1.6667M annually (2023, 2024; up to $5.0M total) | Payable in equal installments on 1st, 2nd, 3rd anniversaries of July 11, 2022, subject to employment . |
| Discretionary Bonus (2024) | Insurance product performance | N/A | N/A | N/A | $85,000 (paid 2024) | Paid; no vesting. |
| Annual Cash Incentive (2025 plan) | Revenue growth; Non-GAAP operating income | Not disclosed | Not disclosed | Not disclosed | Not disclosed | 2025 plan applies to executive officers (including Yount); details not disclosed . |
Equity Ownership & Alignment
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Beneficial Ownership (as of Mar 24, 2025) | 624,296 Class A shares; 1.46% of Class A; includes 618,771 shares and 5,525 shares issuable upon exercise of stock options vesting within 60 days . |
| Outstanding Unvested RSUs (Dec 31, 2024) | 486,854 RSUs under 2022 Inducement Plan; market value $6,475,158 at $13.30; vests in full on third anniversary of 7/11/2022 (i.e., 7/11/2025), subject to service; accelerated vesting upon Qualifying Termination before that date . |
| New Hire RSUs (Dec 31, 2024) | 19,570 RSUs; market value $260,281; vests over ~4 years with quarterly schedule (no vesting first 4 quarters; pro-rata catch-up 5th; then 1/16th through 16th; all then-unvested at 17th) . |
| Insider Policy | Prohibits pledging, short sales, derivatives and hedging by officers, directors, employees . |
| Ownership Guidelines | No formal guidelines for all executives; CEO and CFO agreed to retain holdings worth 6x and 4x annual cash comp, respectively (no specific requirement disclosed for Yount) . |
| Section 16 Filings | One late Form 4 filed Sept 6, 2024 for shares withheld to cover taxes upon RSU vesting (event on Sept 3, 2024) . |
Employment Terms
| Provision | Key Terms |
|---|---|
| Offer Letter | June 23, 2022; initial salary $350,000 effective July 11, 2022; increased to $423,000 on Oct 1, 2024 . |
| Retention Cash Agreement | Up to $5.0M cash retention, payable equally on the 1st, 2nd, 3rd anniversaries of OTB closing (July 11, 2022), subject to continued employment; if a Qualifying Termination occurs before the third anniversary, all remaining retention payments immediately deemed earned and paid within 70 days upon effective release . |
| Retention RSU Agreement | $5.0M RSU retention grant vests in full at third anniversary of grant; if terminated before that date by Company without cause or resignation for good reason (Qualifying Termination) and release becomes effective, RSUs immediately vest in full . |
| Annual Incentive (2025) | Executive officers to participate in plan based on revenue growth and non-GAAP operating income; specific targets/weights not disclosed . |
| Change-of-Control & Severance Policy | Yount is not a participant in the Company’s standard policy (which provides double-trigger benefits for other officers); his severance and change-of-control benefits are governed by cash and equity retention agreements noted above . |
| Clawback (Compensation Recovery) | Company must recover erroneously awarded incentive-based compensation from current/former Section 16 officers upon accounting restatement; effective Oct 2, 2023 . |
| Perquisites/Benefits | Eligible for standard employee benefit plans; Company provides wellness/enrichment/cell/internet stipends, 401(k) match (up to 4%), ESPP; no excessive perquisites disclosed . |
| Governance Notes | Company states “No Employment Agreements” generally; multi-year vesting schedules; anti-hedging policy; independent compensation consultant (FW Cook as of 2025) . |
Compensation Structure Analysis
- Mix and alignment: 2024 compensation was predominantly retention cash ($1.6667M), with base salary reset to $423,000 in October and a discretionary bonus of $85,000 tied to Insurance performance; no 2024 equity grants for Yount, but substantial unvested RSUs from 2022 remain, vesting in July 2025 .
- Shift to formulaic pay: For 2025, executive officer incentives reference revenue growth and non-GAAP operating income, moving Yount toward pay-for-performance going forward (weights/targets undisclosed) .
- Equity risk/leverage: A large single vesting event (486,854 RSUs) in July 2025 creates a material equity delivery and tax-withholding event, as evidenced by prior tax-withholding Form 4 timing; hedging and pledging are prohibited, supporting alignment .
Investment Implications
- Near-term vesting/selling dynamics: The third retention cash installment and full vest of 486,854 RSUs occur around July 11, 2025, creating a concentrated equity delivery and likely tax-withholding transactions; monitor 10b5‑1 plans and Section 16 activity around that window .
- Retention risk inflection: Retention “golden handcuffs” from cash and RSU programs expire after July 2025; before that date, Qualifying Termination accelerates payouts/vesting, reducing pre‑July departure risk; post‑July, retention mechanics no longer bind .
- Alignment: Yount’s ownership (624,296 Class A shares as of March 24, 2025) plus significant unvested RSUs supports alignment; anti-hedging/pledging policy further mitigates misalignment risks; absence of formal officer-wide ownership guidelines (CEO/CFO only) is a governance consideration .
- Pay-for-performance trajectory: 2024 incentives were non-formulaic (retention/discretionary). The 2025 executive incentive plan introduces operational metrics (revenue growth, non‑GAAP OI), improving performance linkage; watch Compensation Committee disclosures for targets/weights .
- Execution signals: The $85,000 discretionary bonus explicitly for Insurance performance and promotion to Chief Business Officer in Oct 2024 indicate recognition of operational impact in a high-growth vertical (Insurance grew sharply in 2024), though exact contribution metrics are not disclosed .