Katie Kulikoski
Rapid7About Katie Kulikoski
Katie Kulikoski serves as Rapid7’s Chief People Officer, responsible for global people strategy including culture, talent acquisition, and employee experience; she is listed on Rapid7’s leadership page in this role and signed CFO offer/severance letters in November 2025 as Chief People Officer . She earned a BA in Politics from the University of California, Santa Cruz and previously held CPO roles at Progress Software and Brightcove, where she led retention improvements and acquisition integrations producing double‑digit inorganic growth . For performance context, Rapid7’s 2024 revenue was $844,007k and net income was $25,526k; company TSR (value of $100) was 71.81 in 2024, reflecting the environment in which executive pay is aligned to ARR and Adjusted EBITDA/Non‑GAAP operating income .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Years | Strategic Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Progress Software | EVP & Chief People Officer | Nov 2019–Nov 2021+ | Reduced voluntary attrition and integrated an acquisition resulting in double‑digit inorganic growth |
| Brightcove | Chief People Officer; prior HR leadership | May 2014–Sep 2019; CPO Nov 2018–Sep 2019 | Led talent strategy; experience across change management and process effectiveness |
External Roles
- Not disclosed in Rapid7 filings or company materials reviewed; no public company directorships found in available sources .
Fixed Compensation
Role benchmark for Rapid7’s Chief People Officer (historical CPO: Christina Luconi) – Summary Compensation Table:
| Metric | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Salary ($) | 316,000 | 392,000 | 392,000 |
| Stock Awards ($) | 2,300,003 | 2,029,007 | 2,583,385 |
| Non‑Equity Incentive ($) | — | — | 104,000 |
| All Other Compensation ($) | 3,000 | 3,000 | 3,000 |
| Total ($) | 2,619,003 | 2,424,007 | 3,082,385 |
Notes:
- These figures reflect the prior CPO’s compensation and are informative of role structure; Katie’s Rapid7 compensation was not disclosed in filings reviewed .
Performance Compensation
Rapid7’s executive incentives (program applicable to executive officers) emphasize ARR and profitability with PSUs tied to Adjusted EBITDA and ARR:
| Incentive Component | Metric | Weighting | Target | Actual/Payout | Vesting |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Annual Bonus (cash or fully‑vested RSUs at executive’s election) | ARR | 50% | Payout range 0–125% of target; threshold required | 2024 paid 50% of target overall | Paid after year‑end; executives may elect RSUs under Bonus Plan |
| Annual Bonus (cash or fully‑vested RSUs at executive’s election) | Non‑GAAP Operating Income | 50% | Payout range 0–125% of target; threshold required | 2024 paid 50% of target overall | Paid after year‑end; executives may elect RSUs under Bonus Plan |
| PSUs (2024 award design) | Adjusted EBITDA (defined in proxy) | Part of PSU goal mix | Company target set by Compensation Committee | 2024 Adjusted EBITDA achieved 100% of target | Earned PSUs vest equally on Feb 15, 2025, 2026, 2027 (three tranches) |
| PSUs (2024 award design) | ARR | Part of PSU goal mix | Company target set by Compensation Committee | 2024 ARR did not meet threshold; only 50% of target PSUs earned | Earned PSUs vest equally on Feb 15, 2025, 2026, 2027 (three tranches) |
Additional design features:
- Executives can earn 0–125% of target bonus; threshold performance required; maximum payout caps enforced .
- RSUs typically vest over three years in twelve equal quarterly installments, supporting retention .
Equity Ownership & Alignment
| Policy/Practice | Details |
|---|---|
| Stock Ownership Guidelines | CEO: 6x base salary; Directors: 4x annual cash retainer; no minimum stock ownership requirement for other executive officers (including CPO) . |
| Hedging/Short Sales | Prohibited for directors, officers, and employees; 10b5‑1 plans allowed only in open windows without MNPI . |
| Clawback | NASDAQ‑compliant clawback policy adopted and enforced . |
| Change‑of‑Control Equity Treatment | No guaranteed single‑trigger; double‑trigger or limited to acquirer refusing to assume/continue awards . |
| Pledging | No specific pledging disclosure found; hedging/derivative transactions are prohibited . |
Beneficial ownership for Katie was not disclosed in Rapid7’s 2025 proxy; the table lists named executive officers and directors but does not include the Chief People Officer following the January 2025 transition .
Employment Terms
- At‑will employment is standard for Rapid7 executive officers; severance and change‑in‑control benefits are provided via individual agreements (double‑trigger for equity; no tax gross‑ups) .
- Role benchmark (prior CPO – Christina Luconi) estimated payments (assuming event on Dec 31, 2024):
| Benefit | Termination Not in Connection with a Change in Control ($) | Termination in Connection with a Change in Control ($) | Change in Control Where Acquirer Refuses to Assume ($) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cash Severance Payment | 196,000 | 392,000 | — |
| Lump Sum Target Bonus Payment | — | 218,400 | — |
| COBRA Payments | 4,479 | 8,958 | — |
| Vesting Acceleration of Outstanding Equity Awards | — | 2,142,529 | 2,142,529 |
| Benefit Total | 200,479 | 2,761,887 | 2,142,529 |
- Katie’s signature appears on November 2025 CFO offer and severance letters as Chief People Officer, confirming her onboarding authority over executive arrangements .
Performance & Company Context
Rapid7 pay‑versus‑performance disclosures and company metrics:
| Metric | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Company TSR – value of $100 | 210.09 | 60.66 | 101.93 | 71.81 |
| Revenue ($ thousands) | 535,404 | 685,083 | 777,707 | 844,007 |
| Net Income ($ thousands) | (146,334) | (124,717) | (152,815) | 25,526 |
- ARR is considered the most important performance measure for linking executive compensation to performance, alongside Adjusted EBITDA and Non‑GAAP Operating Income (bonus weighting was moved to equal 50/50 for 2024; payout at 50% of target) .
Investment Implications
- Pay‑for‑performance alignment: Executive annual bonuses are equally weighted between ARR and Non‑GAAP Operating Income, and PSUs hinge on Adjusted EBITDA and ARR; 2024 payouts at 50% underscore discipline amid ARR softness .
- Governance strengths: Double‑trigger change‑in‑control equity treatment, NASDAQ‑compliant clawback, and prohibitions on hedging/derivatives reduce misalignment risk .
- Alignment gap: No stock ownership guideline for non‑CEO executives (including CPO) is a potential red flag for “skin‑in‑the‑game” analysis; individual ownership for Katie is not disclosed in 2025 proxy .
- Retention economics: Historical CPO severance/change‑in‑control values show meaningful equity acceleration (>$2.1M) under CoC scenarios, which can mitigate turnover risk but may create event‑driven supply pressure if equity accelerates; Katie’s specific terms were not disclosed .
- Trading signals: No Form 4 data for Katie was found in reviewed filings; selling pressure assessment thus hinges on future disclosures and whether the CPO role continues to receive sizable RSU/PSU grants consistent with executive program design .
Additional notes: Katie’s leadership experience in reducing attrition and integrating acquisitions at prior employers suggests a focus on employee engagement and change management—key levers for execution risk in scaling SaaS organizations .