Anna Baird
About Anna Baird
Anna Baird, 56, has served as an independent director of Semrush since March 2023. She is Chair of the Audit Committee and has been designated an “audit committee financial expert” by the Board. Her prior roles include CRO and COO at Outreach, CFO at Livongo Health, President/CFO at RadiumOne, SVP of Governance, Risk & Compliance at McAfee, and Partner at KPMG focused on technology clients. The Board determined she is independent under NYSE and SEC rules .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Outreach Corporation | Chief Revenue Officer | 2020–2022 | Scaled go-to-market for sales automation SaaS |
| Outreach Corporation | Chief Operating Officer | 2018–2020 | Operations leadership for growth stage SaaS |
| Livongo Health | Chief Financial Officer | Not disclosed | Public company CFO experience (health tech) |
| RadiumOne | President and CFO | Not disclosed | Combined P&L and finance leadership |
| McAfee | SVP, Governance, Risk & Compliance | Not disclosed | Enterprise risk, compliance, and security domain leadership |
| KPMG | Partner (technology companies) | Not disclosed | Audit/accounting; clients included Google and Intuit |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Since | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| SeatGeek, Inc. | Board Member | August 2021 | Board service in consumer tech/ticketing |
| Madrona Ventures | Venture Partner & Operating Partner (part-time) | November 2022 | Early-stage VC operating and investing focus |
Board Governance
- Committee assignments and roles
- Audit Committee: Chair; members currently include Steven Aldrich and Mark Vranesh; 6 meetings held in FY 2024. Baird and Vranesh designated as audit committee financial experts. Responsibilities include auditor oversight, ICFR/disclosure controls, risk and cybersecurity oversight, and approval of related-party transactions .
- She is not shown as a member of the Talent & Compensation or Nominating & Governance committees in 2025 .
- Independence and attendance
- The Board determined Baird is independent under NYSE/SEC standards .
- In FY 2024, the Board held 9 meetings; each director attended at least 75% of Board and committee meetings and all directors attended the 2024 annual meeting .
- Board structure and nominations
- Class I director; nominated for re-election to a term expiring at the 2028 annual meeting .
Fixed Compensation
| Component | Amount (USD) | Source/Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Annual Board Retainer (Non-Employee Director) | $35,000 | Paid quarterly; revised April 2024 (pro-rated in FY24) |
| Audit Committee Chair Retainer | $20,000 | In addition to Board retainer |
| Total Cash Fees Earned (FY 2024) | $55,000 | Matches $35k + $20k structure |
Performance Compensation
| Award Type | Grant Value (USD) | Vesting | Change-in-Control Treatment | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Annual Director RSU Grant (standard) | $182,500 (FY 2024) | Vests in full on earlier of first anniversary or next annual meeting, subject to service | Full acceleration upon termination of service upon/within 12 months post-sale, or upon death/disability | Time-based; no performance metrics |
| Initial Director Equity Grant (on first election) | $250,000 (policy) | 1/3 on first anniversary/next annual meeting; remaining 2/3 monthly over next 2 years | Same as above | In 2023, Ms. Baird’s reported stock awards totaled $432,500 (initial + annual) |
No director performance metrics (e.g., revenue, EBITDA, TSR) are tied to non-employee director equity; awards are time-based under the policy .
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Company | Public/Private | Role | Potential Interlock/Conflict Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| SeatGeek, Inc. | Not disclosed in proxy | Director | No Semrush-related transactions disclosed; no interlocks noted |
| Madrona Ventures | Private VC firm | Venture/Operating Partner | No Semrush-related transactions disclosed; Related-party transactions are reviewed/approved by Audit Committee |
Expertise & Qualifications
- Financial expertise: Former public-company CFO; KPMG Partner focused on technology; designated audit committee financial expert .
- Operating and go-to-market leadership: CRO/COO at Outreach; SaaS, SMB and enterprise experience referenced in Board skills matrix .
- Risk and compliance: Senior leadership at McAfee (GRC), relevant to cybersecurity oversight within Audit Committee mandate .
Equity Ownership
| Metric | Detail |
|---|---|
| Shares Beneficially Owned (Class A) | 33,704 shares; <1% of outstanding |
| Outstanding Director RSUs (as of 12/31/2024) | 16,990 RSUs |
| Hedging/Pledging | Prohibited by company policy |
| Director Share Ownership Guideline | 3x annual cash retainer; officers and directors each own sufficient shares to meet policy as of 12/31/2024 |
Governance Assessment
- Strengths
- Independent Audit Chair with deep CFO/audit background; designated financial expert—supports robust oversight of ICFR, disclosure controls, and cyber/risk .
- Strong engagement: Board met 9 times; Audit Committee 6 times; all directors ≥75% attendance; annual Board/committee self-evaluations conducted in Q3 2024 .
- Alignment and safeguards: Director equity is time-based with clear vesting and double-trigger acceleration post-sale; prohibitions on hedging/pledging; share ownership guideline for directors at 3x retainer with reported compliance .
- Independence: Board’s formal determination of independence; non-employee director compensation reviewed with independent consultant and peer benchmarks .
- Potential risk indicators
- No specific red flags or related-party transactions identified involving Ms. Baird; Audit Committee retains approval authority for any such transactions .
- Section 16(a) compliance note lists late filers for certain individuals, but Ms. Baird is not listed among them for FY 2024 (neutral/positive signal) .
Overall, Ms. Baird’s profile—independent status, audit chairmanship, financial expertise, and policy-aligned equity ownership—supports investor confidence in board oversight quality at Semrush .