Anil Arora
About Anil Arora
Anil Arora (age 64) is ON24’s Lead Independent Director and a Class III director, serving since April 2022. He is a Senior Partner at The Tifin Group, former CEO of Envestnet | Yodlee and Yodlee, and currently sits on the board of Conagra Brands (audit committee previously; now nominating/governance and human resources committees). He holds a BS in Business from Rockford College and an MBA from the University of Michigan. ON24’s Board has determined he is independent; he presides over executive sessions and is a member of the Compensation and Nominating & Corporate Governance Committees .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yodlee, Inc. | President & CEO | Feb 2000 – Nov 2015 | Scaled fintech platform; public company leadership |
| Envestnet | Yodlee, Inc. | CEO | Nov 2015 – Mar 2019 |
| Envestnet, Inc. | Director; Vice-Chair of Board | Nov 2015 – Oct 2021; Vice-Chair 2015–2019 | Governance leadership at large-cap fintech |
| The Tifin Group LLC | Senior Partner | Sep 2020 – Present | Wealth tech expertise; senior operating role |
External Roles
| Company | Position | Tenure | Committees/Role |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conagra Brands, Inc. | Director | Jul 2018 – Present | Currently Nominating & Governance and Human Resources; previously Audit |
| Ping Identity Holding Corp. | Director | May 2022 – Oct 2022 | Director until acquisition |
Board Governance
- Lead Independent Director; presides over executive sessions of non-management directors .
- Independence: Board determined all directors other than CEO Sharat Sharan are independent; Arora qualifies as independent .
- Committees: Compensation Committee (member), Nominating & Corporate Governance Committee (member) .
- Attendance: Board met 6 times in 2024; all incumbent directors attended ≥75% of combined Board and committee meetings .
- Structure: Combined Chair/CEO role with Lead Independent Director (Arora) balancing authority; Board moving to declassification fully by 2026 .
Fixed Compensation
| Component | Amount ($) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Annual Board Service Retainer | 50,000 | Policy amount |
| Lead Independent Director Fee | 40,000 | Policy amount |
| Compensation Committee – Member | 6,000 | Policy amount |
| Nominating & Governance – Member | 3,750 | Policy amount |
| Cash Fees Earned (2024) | 99,750 | Actual for Arora in 2024 |
Performance Compensation
| Grant Type | 2024 Grant Fair Value ($) | Vesting | Outstanding Units (12/31/2024) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual RSU | 176,658 | Vests on earlier of next annual meeting or 1st anniversary; subject to continuous service | 43,162 RSUs |
- Initial RSU for new directors: $450,000 grant value; vests one-third annually over 3 years .
- Change-of-control: Non-employee director awards accelerate and become fully vested immediately prior to a change of control under the 2021 Plan; annual RSUs also accelerate per policy .
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Entity | Nature | Potential Interlock/Conflict |
|---|---|---|
| Conagra Brands | Customer/competitor overlap not indicated; consumer goods company | No ON24-related interlock disclosed . |
| Ping Identity (former) | Identity software | No ON24-related interlock disclosed . |
Expertise & Qualifications
- Fintech operator and public company CEO experience (Yodlee; Envestnet | Yodlee) .
- Board leadership across governance and HR committees (Conagra); prior audit committee experience supports financial oversight .
- Lead Independent Director responsibilities and committee service at ON24 (Compensation; Nominating & Governance) .
- MBA (University of Michigan); BS (Rockford College) .
Equity Ownership
| Holder | Shares Beneficially Owned | % of Outstanding | Components |
|---|---|---|---|
| Anil Arora | 87,150 | <1% | Includes RSUs vesting within 60 days of Feb 28, 2025; total shares outstanding 41,925,451 . |
- RSUs outstanding as of 12/31/2024: 43,162 units .
- Pledging/Hedging: Company insider trading policy prohibits pledging and hedging transactions by insiders .
- No related-party transactions disclosed involving Arora in the proxy’s Related Party Transactions section .
Governance Assessment
- Strengths:
- Independent Lead Director role with responsibility for executive sessions improves board effectiveness .
- Consistent committee engagement (Compensation; Nominating & Governance) and ≥75% attendance signal active oversight .
- Director pay structure blends fixed cash with annual RSUs, creating alignment via equity; change-of-control acceleration aligned with standard market practice for directors .
- Watch items:
- Combined Chair/CEO structure persists, though mitigated by Lead Independent Director responsibilities .
- Activist involvement and cooperation agreement (Indaba) indicate heightened governance scrutiny across the board, albeit not specific to Arora .
- Red flags: None specific to Arora disclosed (no related-party transactions; no pledging noted; attendance threshold met) .
Overall, Arora’s fintech operator background, external public board experience, and Lead Independent Director role are constructive for investor confidence, with compensation and ownership aligned through RSUs and active committee participation .