Alexandra Gottschalk
About Alexandra Gottschalk
Alexandra Gottschalk, 38, is Chief Financial Officer of Perella Weinberg Partners (PWP) since January 2024. She is a CPA with a M.S. in Accountancy and BBA in Accounting from the University of Houston Honors College; prior roles include Chief Accounting Officer (since 2019), Controller roles across PWP and TPH&Co. (since 2010), PwC Assurance, and Deloitte International Tax . During 2024, PWP revenue rose 35% YoY to $878M with adjusted pre-tax income of $137M and adjusted EPS of $0.96; the firm ended 2024 with $407M in cash/short-term investments and no debt . From 2021 year-end baseline, cumulative TSR reached 200 by year-end 2024, while 2024 GAAP net income was a loss of $89M and revenue was $878M .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Years | Strategic impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Perella Weinberg Partners | Chief Financial Officer | Appointed Jan 2024 | Leads finance; CFO signature on SEC filings evidences leadership in capital markets communications |
| Perella Weinberg Partners | Chief Accounting Officer | Since 2019 | Led accounting through public company transition and complex partnership reorganizations |
| Perella Weinberg Partners / TPH&Co. | Controller roles | Since 2010 | Built controllership across business units; supported integration and reporting |
| PwC | Assurance (prior) | Prior to PWP | External audit experience |
| Deloitte | International Tax (began career) | Early career | Technical tax foundation |
External Roles
- No public company directorships disclosed for Ms. Gottschalk .
Fixed Compensation
| Year | Base salary ($) |
|---|---|
| 2024 | 500,000 |
Performance Compensation
Annual incentive program is discretionary (no fixed formula/weights); committee considered multi-year company performance and individual contributions (commercial leadership, executive management, and effective management of corporate finance for the CFO). 2024 bonuses were paid partly in cash (Feb 2025) and partly in RSUs (granted the 5th trading day after 2024 earnings; vest over 3 years) . “Most important” performance measures cited: Revenue, Adjusted Net Income, Adjusted Operating Margin, TSR .
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Annual incentive (CFO) – 2024 actual | Component | Amount/Grant | Mechanics | |---|---|---| | Cash bonus | $1,217,500 | Discretionary; paid Feb 2025 | | RSU portion (viewed as 2024 comp) | $382,500 | Granted in 1Q25; vests ratably over 3 years | | “Equity Bonus Awards” (2024 performance; grant-date fair value) | $385,903 | Fair value under ASC 718; will appear in 2025 SCT |
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Long-term/performance awards and vesting | Award type | Performance metric(s) | Service vesting | 2024 vesting outcome | |---|---|---|---| | Performance RSUs (PSUs) from Business Combination | Stock price hurdles: $12, $13.50, $15, $17 (20 of 30 trading days by 6th anniversary) | Five equal installments at months 36, 42, 48, 54, 60 from grant | First service tranche on Aug 31, 2024; $17 hurdle achieved; 4,000 PSUs vested for CFO |
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“Pay versus performance” context (company-wide): 2024 CAP/TSR framing (not CFO-specific weights) | Metric (Company) | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | |---|---:|---:|---:| | TSR (value of $100) | 79 | 101 | 200 | | Revenue ($m) | 632 | 649 | 878 | | Net income (loss) ($m) | (32) | (112) | (89) |
Equity Ownership & Alignment
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Beneficial ownership (Class A shares) | 38,663 shares; <1% of voting power |
| Additional exchangeable interests | Excludes 57,807 potential Class A issuable upon exchange of OpCo units and corresponding Class B-1 shares |
| Unvested equity at 12/31/2024 | 45,942 units: 29,942 service-based RSUs; 16,000 PSUs; total market value $1,095,257 at $23.84 |
| 2024 vested (value realized) | 117,912 shares; $1,691,446 value; includes 16,414 RSUs, 4,000 PSUs, 97,498 VCUs/ACUs |
| Ownership guidelines | Other NEOs: 3x base salary; compliance expected within 5 years; firm states NEOs are or are expected to be in compliance |
| Hedging/Pledging | Hedging prohibited by Insider Trading Policy ; PWP OpCo unit lock-ups restrict sale, pledge, or hedging agreements during lock-up |
| Lock-up cadence for partnership units (working partners) | Scheduled releases: 20% (5/16/2024), 40% (11/18/2024), 60% (5/16/2025), 80% (11/17/2025), 100% (5/18/2026) |
| Section 16 activity note | Company reported late Form 4s for tax-withholding dispositions (incl. 2/24/2025 for RSU vesting), filed on insiders’ behalf |
Employment Terms
| Provision | Summary |
|---|---|
| Cash severance | None; NEOs not entitled to cash severance upon termination |
| RSUs (service-based) | Vest over 3 years; upon death/disability: immediate vest; without cause/good reason: remain outstanding to deliver on regular dates subject to covenants; certain retirement provisions waived on specified grants; upon CIC then termination within 24 months: immediate vest |
| PSUs (CFO) | Performance conditions already achieved as of 12/31/2024; upon without cause/good reason: pro-rata service vesting with 50% floor and immediate vest; death/disability: no pro-rata (full service deemed met) and immediate vest; CIC then termination within 24 months: immediate vest |
| Restrictive covenants (NEOs as limited partners) | Perpetual confidentiality; 180-day client/customer non-solicit after termination for cause or resignation without good reason; investor non-solicit 180 days (certain entities) / 1 year (sponsored funds); 1-year employee non-solicit; perpetual non-disparagement; forfeiture of OpCo units for competitive breach after resignation without good reason |
| Clawback | Adopted Dec 1, 2023; recoup incentive-based compensation upon required accounting restatement |
| Anti-hedging | Hedging transactions prohibited for directors/employees including executive officers |
Compensation Structure Details (CFO)
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Multi-year view of 2024 compensation (how the committee “views” pay mix): | Year | Salary ($) | Cash bonus ($) | RSUs viewed as annual incentive ($) | Total ($) | |---|---:|---:|---:|---:| | 2024 | 500,000 | 1,217,500 | 382,500 | 2,100,000 |
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Summary Compensation Table line items (disclosed accounting values): | Year | Salary ($) | Cash bonus ($) | Equity bonus awards ($, prior year performance RSUs) | Aggregate incremental accounting expense ($) | All other comp ($) | Total ($) | |---|---:|---:|---:|---:|---:|---:| | 2024 | 500,000 | 1,217,500 | 177,675 (RSUs granted 2/15/2024 for 2023 performance) | 95,416 (VCU/ACU vesting acceleration accounting) | 10,500 (401(k) safe harbor) | 2,001,091 |
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2024 plan-based awards granted (disclosed grant-date values): | Grant date | Award | Units | Grant date fair value ($) | |---|---|---:|---:| | 2/15/2024 | Service-based RSUs (2023 annual incentive equity) | 13,359 | 177,675 | | 5/6/2024 | VCU/ACU vesting acceleration (incremental expense) | — | 95,416 |
Compensation Committee, Peer Group, and Say-on-Pay
- Committee: Compensation Committee members in 2024 included Jane C. Sherburne (Chair), Elizabeth Cogan Fascitelli, Kristin W. Mugford, and Jorma Ollila .
- Peer group: Evercore, Houlihan Lokey, Lazard, Moelis & Company, PJT Partners used for 2024 benchmarking .
- Say-on-pay: 2025 proxy includes an advisory vote; historical approval percentages not disclosed in the cited sections .
Performance & Track Record (CFO tenure context)
- 2024 results: Revenue $878M (+35% YoY), adjusted pre-tax income $137M, adjusted EPS $0.96; cash and short-term investments $407M; no debt .
- Pay vs performance table context: TSR cumulative to 200 by 2024; GAAP net loss of $89M in 2024; revenue $878M .
- CFO leadership signals: Executed and signed Q2’25 8-K and Board expansion disclosures; managed credit facility amendment to extend maturity to 2028 (as Authorized Officer) .
Risk Indicators & Red Flags
- No cash severance; retention levers primarily equity with service-based vesting and price hurdles (reduces parachute risk) .
- Anti-hedging policy in place; lock-ups restrict pledge/hedge/sale of OpCo units (alignment) .
- 2024 one-time VCU/ACU vesting acceleration occurred; incremental accounting expense disclosed for NEOs including CFO (non-recurring) .
Employment Terms (Change-in-Control and Termination Economics) – Detail
| Scenario | Equity treatment (CFO) |
|---|---|
| Death/Disability | RSUs: immediate vest; PSUs: immediate vest (service deemed satisfied; performance already met) |
| Termination without cause or for good reason | RSUs: continue to deliver on schedule (subject to covenants); PSUs: pro-rata service vesting with 50% floor and immediate vest |
| Change in control followed by termination without cause or for good reason within 24 months | RSUs and PSUs: immediate vest |
| Cash severance | None |
Investment Implications
- Alignment: High equity component with multi-year service-based vesting and PSU price hurdles (all PSU performance hurdles achieved as of 12/31/2024), ownership guideline of 3x salary, anti-hedging, and lock-up constraints collectively align the CFO with long-term TSR and capital discipline .
- Retention/supply overhang: OpCo lock-up releases continuing through May 2026 may create periodic supply, though restrictions (no pledging/hedging of units) and pro-rata or immediate vesting rules suggest measured liquidity rather than abrupt selling pressure; recent Section 16 activity noted was tax withholding, not open-market selling .
- Pay-for-performance: Annual bonus is discretionary but guided by Revenue, Adjusted Net Income, Adjusted Operating Margin, and TSR; strong 2024 revenue growth and TSR recovery underpin the above-target cash bonus outcome (relative to salary), while RSUs smooth realized pay .
- Downside protection: No cash severance; equity vesting rules (including 50% floor on pro-rata for PSUs) provide retention value but limit windfalls absent service/CIC triggers .