Brian Robins
SnowflakeAbout Brian Robins
Brian G. Robins (age 55) became Snowflake’s Chief Financial Officer on September 22, 2025, after serving as CFO at GitLab and prior finance leadership roles at Sisense, Cylance, AlienVault, CSC, and VeriSign; he holds a B.S. in Finance (Lipscomb) and an MBA (Vanderbilt) . Tenure begins amid strong company fundamentals: FY2025 product revenue was $3.5B (+30% YoY), net revenue retention 126%, and non-GAAP free cash flow $884.1M; Snowflake’s cumulative TSR since IPO stood at 71.48 at FY2025 year-end, with GAAP net loss of $1,289M . Snowflake’s bonus/PRSU frameworks tie pay to product revenue, total revenue, non-GAAP margins, and adjusted free cash flow—key levers for CFO execution .
| Metric | FY 2024 | FY 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| Product Revenue ($USD Millions) | 2,667 | 3,462 |
| Non-GAAP Free Cash Flow ($USD Millions) | 778.9 | 884.1 |
| Net Income (Loss) ($USD Millions) | (837.990) | (1,289.212) |
| Cumulative TSR (Base $100 at IPO) | 77.04 | 71.48 |
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Years | Strategic Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| GitLab Inc. | Chief Financial Officer | Oct 2020–Sep 2025 | Oversaw financial planning, analysis, and reporting |
| Sisense Ltd. | Chief Financial Officer | Oct 2019–Oct 2020 | Finance leadership (BI software) |
| Cylance Inc. | Chief Financial Officer & Treasurer | Aug 2017–Apr 2019 | Finance leadership (cybersecurity) |
| AlienVault, Inc. | Chief Financial Officer | Jun 2015–Aug 2017 | Finance leadership (security management) |
| CSC (Computer Sciences Corp.) | VP & CFO, Global Business Services | Oct 2012–Mar 2014 | Division-level finance leadership |
| VeriSign, Inc. | CFO; prior senior finance roles | CFO Aug 2009–Oct 2011 | Public-company CFO experience |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Years |
|---|---|---|
| GitLab Foundation | Board of Directors | Current as of Sep 3, 2025 |
| ID.me | Board of Directors; Audit Committee Chair | Current as of Sep 3, 2025 |
| Brighton Park Capital, L.P. | Special Advisor | Current as of Sep 3, 2025 |
| ForgePoint Capital Cybersecurity | Advisory Council | Current as of Sep 3, 2025 |
Fixed Compensation
| Component | Detail |
|---|---|
| Base Salary | $500,000 per year |
| Target Bonus % | 100% of base salary under Snowflake’s Quarterly Corporate Bonus Plan; paid at management discretion based on Company and individual performance |
| Pay Frequency | Bi-weekly |
| Relocation Allowance | $25,000 advance; additional grossed-up reimbursement upon completion; repayment required if voluntary termination (no Good Reason) or termination for Cause within 1 year of completed relocation |
Performance Compensation
| Award Type | Grant Value | Vesting | Performance Metrics |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Hire RSU Award | $28,000,000 | 7.5% each quarter for first 8 vest dates; 5.0% each quarter thereafter; first vest 12/8/2025; subject to Continuous Service | Time-based RSU (no explicit performance condition) |
| Corporate RSU Award | $2,500,000 | 6.25% each quarter over 16 installments; first vest 12/8/2025; subject to Continuous Service | Time-based RSU |
| Annual Market Review (FY2027) | Expected $5,000,000 split RSU/PRSU (subject to Board approval) | Standard ELT structure; PRSU component to use company metrics (see below) | See Snowflake PRSU framework below |
Snowflake PRSU framework (company-wide, applied to NEOs; Robins’ future PRSUs expected to follow the same design):
- Metrics and weights: Total Revenue (50%), Non-GAAP Operating Margin (25%), Non-GAAP Adjusted Free Cash Flow (25%); performance determines 0–120% of target shares, with multi-year service vesting thereafter .
- FY2025 PRSU attainment (for NEOs): ~89.4% of target shares deemed achieved; vesting 25% on first vest date then 6.25% quarterly (Scarpelli’s PRSUs: 33.33% first, then 8.33% quarterly) .
| Metric | Weighting | Target | Actual | Payout | Vesting |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Annual Total Revenue | 50% | Confidential (not disclosed) | Company determined; FY2025 attainment supported ~89.4% aggregate | 0–120% of target shares | 25% initial tranche, then quarterly service-based (typical 6.25%); CFO-specific cadence per award |
| Non-GAAP Operating Margin | 25% | Confidential | Company determined | Included in 0–120% | As above |
| Non-GAAP Adjusted Free Cash Flow | 25% | Confidential | Company determined | Included in 0–120% | As above |
Quarterly bonus funding mechanics (corporate pool):
- Key metric: Quarterly Product Revenue; no funding below 85% of target; linear up to 100% funding; gates (non-GAAP product gross margin, non-GAAP operating margin, stable edges growth) required for >100% funding; cap 110% per quarter; individual payouts capped at 200% of plan payout .
Equity Ownership & Alignment
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Initial Beneficial Ownership | Form 3 filed Sept 26, 2025 states “No securities are beneficially owned” |
| Ownership % of Outstanding | 0% at filing date |
| Vested vs Unvested | RSU awards vest quarterly starting 12/8/2025; unvested prior to vest dates |
| Hedging/Pledging | Prohibited: short sales, puts/calls, hedging (collars/swaps), margin accounts, pledges |
| Stock Ownership Guidelines | CFO must hold stock valued at >=5x base salary within 5 years; guidelines exclude unvested RSUs/options |
| Compliance Status | New executive; five-year window to meet guideline |
| Ownership Policies | Global Code of Conduct; Insider Trading Policy filed with FY2025 10-K; prohibits speculative transactions |
Employment Terms
| Term | Detail |
|---|---|
| Offer Letter Date | August 27, 2025 |
| Start Date | Expected September 2025; appointment effective first day of employment (Sept 22, 2025) |
| Employment | At-will; Company may change role, compensation, benefits |
| Severance Plan Tier | Tier 2 Covered Employee (CIC Plan) |
| CIC Termination (Tier 2) | 12 months base salary + target annual bonus; COBRA premium reimbursement up to 6 months; 100% acceleration of unvested equity awards; PRSUs accelerate at target (or actual if measurable) |
| Non-CIC Termination (Tier 2) | 12 months base salary; COBRA premium reimbursement up to 6 months |
| Single-Trigger CIC Acceleration | Only applicable to certain Tier 1 pre-Aug-2023 awards; not applicable to Tier 2 |
| Indemnification | Standard indemnification agreement expected (as filed in S‑1 Exhibit 10.10) |
| Clawback Policy | Adopted Aug 2023; applies to compensation received on/after Oct 2, 2023 per NYSE/SEC rules |
| Relocation Clawback | Repayment obligation if departure (no Good Reason) or termination for Cause within 1 year of completed relocation |
Investment Implications
- Alignment and upside: Large front-loaded RSU package ($30.5M total new-hire/corporate) plus expected FY2027 RSU/PRSU ($5M) creates strong retention and value creation incentives; PRSU framework ties outcomes to revenue growth, profitability, and free cash flow—key CFO-controlled levers .
- Selling pressure and 10b5‑1 plans: Quarterly vest cadence starts December 8, 2025; as of Form 3, no beneficial holdings; no Form 4 transactions observed to date—monitor upcoming vest events and any 10b5‑1 adoptions for potential supply dynamics .
- Governance risk mitigants: Strict prohibitions on hedging/pledging and an active clawback policy reduce misalignment risk; CFO stock ownership guideline (5x salary within 5 years) is likely to drive net share accumulation over time .
- Severance economics: Tier 2 treatment (vs. historical Tier 1 for CFO) lowers guaranteed benefits and eliminates single-trigger CIC vesting, indicating more shareholder-friendly terms; double-trigger CIC still accelerates 100% of equity, supporting continuity in a sale scenario .
- Program acceptance: Prior say-on-pay support was strong (88% approval in 2024), suggesting investors broadly endorse Snowflake’s shift to performance-linked equity and tightened CIC terms .
Note: Snowflake’s performance-based PRSU targets are not publicly disclosed; FY2025 aggregate NEO PRSU attainment was ~89.4% of target shares, with subsequent multi-year service vesting .
Citations
- Appointment, offer terms, compensation:
- Background, education, external roles:
- Form 3 ownership:
- Bonus mechanics and PRSU framework:
- Severance plan and CIC economics:
- Hedging/pledging prohibitions:
- Stock ownership guidelines:
- Company performance metrics:
- Say-on-pay approval: