Gregory Dale
About Gregory Dale
Gregory (Greg) Dale is Chief Operating Officer at Comscore (appointed August 23, 2022), having served as General Manager, Digital from December 2021 to August 2022. He holds a bachelor’s degree from Purdue University and was 52 at appointment (August 2022) . Company performance during his tenure has been mixed: 2022 revenue was $376.4 million with adjusted EBITDA of $37.0 million , while 2023 revenue was $371.3 million and adjusted EBITDA $44.5 million (final adjusted EBITDA $44.0 million after incremental non‑executive bonuses) . Comscore’s cumulative TSR (value of $100) moved from $46.59 (2022) to $33.53 (2023) .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Years | Strategic Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Comscore | Chief Operating Officer | Aug 2022–present | Operational leadership across product and commercial execution |
| Comscore | General Manager, Digital | Dec 2021–Aug 2022 | Led digital business; prepared transition to COO |
| Shareablee, Inc. | Chief Operating Officer | Jul 2018–Dec 2021 | Scaled social media analytics; Comscore acquired Shareablee in Dec 2021 |
| Persado | Chief Operating Officer | Apr 2016–Feb 2018 | Operated AI-based marketing content platform |
| Comscore | Senior roles | 1999–2016 | Product/operations leadership in audience measurement |
| Information Resources, Inc. | Senior roles | pre‑1999 | Data and analytics experience |
Fixed Compensation
| Component | 2022 | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Base Salary | $335,000 | Increased from $300,000 upon COO appointment |
| Target STIP (% of salary) | 75% | Prorated for 2022 following appointment |
| Actual STIP Paid | $134,021 | 79.2% payout vs target |
| Additional Performance-Based Incentive | $120,000 (cash) | Earned on adjusted EBITDA target; paid March 2023 |
Performance Compensation
| Metric | Weight | Target | Actual | Payout (Interpolated) | Weighted Payout | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue | 45% | $402.0m | $376.4m | 52.6% | 23.7% | 2022 |
| Adjusted EBITDA | 45% | $36.0m | $37.0m | 110.0% | 49.5% | 2022 |
| Culture | 10% | Committee‑assessed | Achieved | 60.0% | 6.0% | 2022 |
| Total Payout | — | — | — | — | 79.2% | 2022 |
2023 program: 90% weighted equally across revenue and adjusted EBITDA with 10% culture; targets of $400m revenue and $50m adjusted EBITDA; actuals were $371.3m revenue and $44.5m adjusted EBITDA (final adjusted EBITDA $44.0m after incremental non‑executive bonuses) .
Equity Ownership & Alignment
| Award Type | Grant Date | Quantity/Terms | Vesting | Key Performance/Settlement Features |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PRSUs | Aug 24, 2022 | 110,000 PRSUs | Quarterly opportunity through 10th anniversary | Stock‑price hurdles $5.00–$15.00; vested shares deferred until separation or change in control |
| Stock Options | Aug 23, 2022 | 160,000 options at $2.50 strike | Equal annual installments on Aug 23, 2023/2024/2025/2026 | 10‑year term; double‑trigger acceleration upon qualifying CoC termination |
| Vesting Schedule – Options (160,000 @ $2.50) | Shares | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Tranche 1 | 40,000 | Aug 23, 2023 |
| Tranche 2 | 40,000 | Aug 23, 2024 |
| Tranche 3 | 40,000 | Aug 23, 2025 |
| Tranche 4 | 40,000 | Aug 23, 2026 |
- Stock ownership guidelines: COO expected to hold Comscore stock valued at least 3× base salary; five years to reach compliance; must hold 100% of net shares until compliant .
- Anti‑hedging/pledging: Hedging and pledging Comscore securities prohibited for executives .
- Clawback: Compensation recoverable in event of accounting restatement, fraud, error, or “egregious conduct” (e.g., felony conviction, embezzlement, willful misconduct) .
Employment Terms
| Provision | Prior to Change of Control | On or Within 12 Months Following Change of Control |
|---|---|---|
| Agreement Term | Initial 2 years; automatic 1‑year renewals | Continues through the longer of 12 months post‑CoC or remainder of term |
| Cash Severance | 12 months base salary paid over 12 months | 12 months base salary paid 60 days after termination |
| COBRA | 12 months reimbursement (or equivalent cash if needed) | 12 months reimbursement (or equivalent cash if needed) |
| Current Year STIP | Pro‑rata based on actual performance; paid on normal schedule | Pro‑rata of greater of target or projected full‑year; paid 60 days post‑termination |
| Time‑Based Equity | No acceleration | Full acceleration |
| Performance‑Based Equity | No acceleration | Acceleration of greater of target shares or projected shares if ≥50% of performance period elapsed |
| PRSU CoC Treatment | If CoC occurs, per‑share transaction price is applied as the stock‑price hurdle to determine vesting | |
| Options – CoC Termination | If terminated without cause or for good reason within 12 months post‑CoC, unvested options fully vest; 90‑day post‑termination exercise (or until 10‑year expiry, if earlier) | |
| 280G Treatment | Best‑net benefit approach (cut‑back to avoid excise tax or pay full, whichever yields higher after‑tax) | |
| Tax Gross‑Ups | Company executive arrangements do not include tax gross‑ups | |
| Post‑Employment Covenants | Severance conditioned on complying with post‑employment covenants and release of claims |
Performance & Track Record
| Company Metric | 2022 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue ($ millions) | 376.4 | 371.3 |
| Adjusted EBITDA ($ millions) | 37.0 | 44.5 (final 44.0 after non‑exec bonus pool) |
| Company TSR – Value of $100 Investment | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cumulative TSR | 134.14 | 46.59 | 33.53 |
Investment Implications
- Pay‑for‑performance alignment: 2022 STIP paid at 79.2% with clear weighting across revenue, EBITDA, and culture; Dale also earned a separate $120,000 EBITDA‑linked incentive, reinforcing focus on profitability .
- Vesting and selling pressure: PRSUs require stock‑price hurdles ($5–$15) and are deferred until separation/CoC, reducing near‑term selling pressure; options vest annually through 2026 with a $2.50 strike, creating potential exercise/sale windows but only as tranches vest .
- CoC economics and retention: Double‑trigger option acceleration and PRSU conversion to transaction price upon CoC create meaningful upside in a sale scenario, while severance at 12 months base with pro‑rata STIP and COBRA support mitigate retention risk through downside protection .
- Governance safeguards: Strong clawback, anti‑hedging/pledging, and stock ownership guidelines (3× salary for COO over five years) improve alignment and reduce risk of misaligned incentives; no tax gross‑ups limit shareholder‑unfriendly provisions .