Porter Gale
About Porter Gale
Porter Gale (age 58) has served on Reddit, Inc.’s Board since April 2019 and is an independent director. She previously was CMO at Joy (Feb–Oct 2023), CMO at Personal Capital (Feb 2019–Sept 2021), marketing GM/interim CMO at Globality (Apr 2015–Jan 2019), advisor to various B2B/B2C firms (2011–2015), and VP Marketing at Virgin America (Nov 2007–Oct 2011). She holds an M.A. in Documentary Filmmaking from Stanford and a B.S. in Business Administration from Boston University. The Board cites her credentials as an executive, advisor, and company builder.
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Joy (wedding planning platform) | Chief Marketing Officer | Feb 2023 – Oct 2023 | Executive marketing leadership |
| Personal Capital | Chief Marketing Officer | Feb 2019 – Sept 2021 | Executive marketing leadership |
| Globality (AI-driven SaaS) | Marketing General Manager & interim CMO | Apr 2015 – Jan 2019 | Built and grew platform marketing |
| Multiple firms (Accompany, Esri, fitmob, Headnote, Hint, Michael Mina, N3twork, PubNub, RocketFuel, RouteHappy, Surf Air, UpLift, Vurb, WePay) | Advisor | 2011 – 2015 | Strategic advisory across B2B/B2C |
| Virgin America | Vice President of Marketing | Nov 2007 – Oct 2011 | Led airline marketing |
External Roles
- No other current public company directorships disclosed in Reddit’s 2025 proxy biography for Ms. Gale.
Board Governance
- Status and tenure: Independent director; on Board since April 2019.
- Committees: Member, Compensation and Talent Committee (Chair: Patricia Fili-Krushel; other members: Sarah Farrell, Porter Gale). Not on Audit or Nominating & Corporate Governance.
- Attendance: In 2024, each director attended at least 75% of the aggregate Board and applicable committee meetings (Board 7; Audit 4; Compensation 4; Nominating 3).
- Board structure and independence: Declassified board with annual elections; majority independent; all committees comprised entirely of independent directors. Independent Chair and Vice Chair. Executive sessions held regularly (at least twice per year).
- Independence determination: Board determined Gale is independent under NYSE and SEC rules.
- Related party oversight: Audit Committee reviews/approves related-party transactions under a written policy.
Fixed Compensation
Policy (current non-employee director compensation program; cash retainers paid quarterly in arrears; amounts prorated as applicable):
| Component | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Annual Board retainer (non-employee director) | $60,000 | Eligible for RSUs in lieu of cash at director election; RSUs determined by dividing retainer by 60-trading-day average closing price. |
| Board Chair (additional) | $100,000 | Not applicable to Gale. |
| Board Vice Chair (additional) | $50,000 | Not applicable to Gale. |
| Audit Committee Chair | $25,000 | Not applicable to Gale. |
| Audit Committee Member (non-chair) | $12,500 | Not applicable to Gale. |
| Compensation & Talent Committee Chair | $20,000 | Not applicable to Gale. |
| Compensation & Talent Committee Member (non-chair) | $10,000 | Applicable to Gale as a member. |
| Nominating & Corporate Governance Chair | $15,000 | Not applicable to Gale. |
| Nominating & Corporate Governance Member (non-chair) | $7,500 | Not applicable to Gale. |
Actual 2024 director compensation (reported):
| Name | Fees Earned or Paid in Cash ($) | Stock Awards ($) | Total ($) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Porter Gale | 52,500 | 295,578 | 348,078 |
| Footnotes | Amounts reflect retainers/committee roles prorated as applicable; stock awards reported at ASC 718 grant-date fair value. |
Additional features:
- Directors may elect to receive all/part of cash retainers in RSUs; RSU amount equals forgone cash divided by 60-trading-day average. Deferral of share delivery on vested RSUs is permitted with timely election.
- Change in control: Unvested director RSUs fully vest upon a change in control.
Performance Compensation
- Annual RSU grant: $250,000 grant-date value (prorated for mid-year additions), granted at the annual meeting; vests fully on the earlier of 1-year anniversary or immediately before the next annual meeting, subject to continued service.
- Performance metrics: None disclosed for non-employee director equity (time-based RSUs only).
RSU holdings and grants (Porter Gale):
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| RSUs granted in 2024 (#) | 5,128 |
| Unvested RSUs as of 12/31/2024 (#) | 5,128; scheduled to vest on the sooner of May 30, 2025 or the 2025 Annual Meeting, subject to service. |
| Options as of 12/31/2024 (#) | None (—). |
Other Directorships & Interlocks
- Current public company boards: None disclosed for Gale in the proxy’s biography.
- Compensation & Talent Committee interlocks: None—no member is/was an officer of Reddit; no Reddit executive served on another company’s board/compensation committee where a reciprocal arrangement would form an interlock.
Expertise & Qualifications
- Domain expertise: Marketing, brand-building, growth, and go-to-market leadership across consumer and technology sectors; experience with AI-driven SaaS (Globality).
- Education: M.A. (Stanford), B.S. Business Administration (Boston University).
- Board-relevant skills: Executive leadership, advisor/operator background cited by the Board in supporting her nomination.
Equity Ownership
Ownership alignment and policies:
- Beneficial ownership (as of March 31, 2025): 26,417 shares of Class A common stock; <1% of outstanding; no Class B holdings listed under her name in the table.
- Director stock ownership guidelines: Minimum holdings equal to 5x annual Board fee (current threshold $300,000). Compliance by Dec 31, 2029 for directors serving as of Mar 20, 2024; otherwise by Dec 31 of the fifth-anniversary year.
- Hedging and pledging: Company policy prohibits hedging; policy materials indicate no hedging or pledging of company stock per the Insider Trading Compliance Policy.
Vested vs. unvested and options snapshot:
| Item | Status |
|---|---|
| Unvested RSUs (12/31/2024) | 5,128 (scheduled to vest by the 2025 meeting timeline) |
| Options outstanding | None disclosed for Ms. Gale |
Insider Trades (Form 4 activity; most recent)
Note: Directors may use Rule 10b5-1 trading plans; the company prohibits hedging and indicates no hedging or pledging under its insider trading compliance policy.
Governance Assessment
- Committee assignments, chair roles, expertise: Gale serves on the Compensation & Talent Committee—central to CEO/NEO pay, equity plan oversight, succession planning, and clawback policy administration—leveraging her executive marketing and growth background; she is not a committee chair.
- Independence, attendance, engagement: Independent under NYSE/SEC rules; Board and committees are majority/all independent; each director met at least 75% attendance in 2024; independent directors meet in regular executive sessions.
- Director compensation mix and alignment: 2024 total of $348,078 with $295,578 in equity (RSUs) and $52,500 cash; ongoing policy includes $250,000 annual RSU grant with one-year vesting, optional conversion of cash retainers into RSUs, and full acceleration on change in control—aligning director interests with shareholders.
- Ownership and guidelines: Beneficially owns 26,417 Class A shares as of March 31, 2025; directors must meet a $300,000 minimum ownership guideline (5x base board fee) by Dec 31, 2029 (for incumbents as of Mar 20, 2024). Hedging/pledging prohibited per policy materials.
- Conflicts/related-party exposure: Proxy lists related-party arrangements (e.g., Advance, Tencent) but does not identify any involving Gale; Audit Committee oversees related-party approvals under a written policy.
- Risk indicators and signals: Multiple open-market sales (Aug 2024; Feb 2025) and a sizable gift (June 2025) suggest active trading/estate planning rather than accumulation; Rule 10b5-1 plans are permitted, but no plan usage is disclosed in the filings cited here. Hedging and pledging are prohibited, reducing alignment risks. (Form 4 URLs above)