Marcelo Claure
T-Mobile USAbout Marcelo Claure
Marcelo Claure (age 54) is an independent director of T-Mobile US, Inc. since 2020. He is Founder & CEO of Claure Group and previously served as SoftBank International CEO and SoftBank COO (May 2018–Jan 2022), Executive Chairman of WeWork (Oct 2019–Jan 2022), and Sprint President/CEO; he founded and led Brightstar Corp., growing it to >$10B revenue by 2013. He holds a B.S. in Economics and Finance from Bentley University, honorary doctorates from Bentley and Babson, and is an Executive Fellow at Harvard Business School .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| SoftBank International | Chief Executive Officer | May 2018–Jan 2022 | Senior leadership in global tech/telecom investments |
| SoftBank Group | Chief Operating Officer | May 2018–Jan 2022 | Operational oversight at global investment firm |
| SoftBank Group | Director | 2017–2020 | Board governance experience |
| WeWork | Executive Chairman | Oct 2019–Jan 2022 | Oversight during restructuring |
| Sprint | President | Aug 2014–Jan 2018 | Operational turnaround and merger preparation |
| Sprint | Chief Executive Officer | Aug 2014–May 2018 | Led telecom operator pre-merger |
| Sprint | Executive Chairman | Prior to Sprint Combination | Strategic oversight at Sprint |
| Brightstar Corp. (founded) | Chief Executive Officer | 1997–2013 (>$10B revenue in 2013) | Built global mobile distribution leader |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Claure Group | Founder & CEO | Current | Multi-billion investment firm across AI/tech, energy transition, fashion/entertainment, sports |
| SHEIN | Group Vice Chairman | Current | Strategic capital and expertise provider |
| Brightstar Capital Partners | Co-Chairman | Current | Private investment firm, middle-market focus |
| Bicycle Capital | Co-founder/Investor | Current | Latin America growth equity fund |
| Open Opportunity Fund | Investor/Advisor | Current | Fund supporting Black/Hispanic tech founders |
| eB Capital | Investor/Advisor | Current | Brazil-focused investment platform |
| Harvard Business School D^3 Institute | Co-Chair | Current | Digital and AI-driven business initiatives |
Board Governance
- Committee memberships: CEO Selection; Compensation; Executive; Transaction .
- Independence: Board determined Claure is “independent” under NASDAQ and Corporate Governance Guidelines .
- Attendance: Board met 5 times in 2024; each director attended at least 75% of Board/committee meetings; all directors attended the 2024 annual meeting .
- Committee activity levels: CEO Selection (Chair: Höttges) held 1 meeting in 2024; Executive (Chair: Höttges) held 0; Transaction (Chair: Langheim) held 3 .
- Compensation Committee: served in 2024; no interlocks requiring disclosure under Item 407(e)(4) .
- Designation: Claure was designated for nomination by Deutsche Telekom pursuant to its rights under the certificate of incorporation and Stockholders’ Agreement .
- Stockholders’ Agreement context: When the sum of Deutsche Telekom, SoftBank, and Marcelo Claure’s collective voting percentage is ≥50%, DT can designate up to 10 Board nominees; DT currently has voting control over ~58.9% including SoftBank proxy shares .
Fixed Compensation
| Element | Amount ($) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Annual cash retainer | 143,000 | Increased effective June 13, 2024 |
| Lead Independent Director (additional) | 55,000 | If applicable |
| Audit Committee Chair | 60,000 | Additional annual retainer |
| Compensation Committee Chair | 25,000 | Additional annual retainer |
| Nominating & Corporate Governance Chair | 20,000 | Additional annual retainer |
| Audit Committee Member (incl. Chair) | 15,000 | Additional annual retainer |
| National Security Director | 75,000 | Additional annual retainer |
| Meeting fee—Board | 3,000 | Per meeting |
| Meeting fee—Committee | 2,000 | Per meeting |
| Annual RSU award (time-based) | 255,000 | Grant post-annual meeting; 1-year vest |
| 2024 Non-Employee Director Compensation (Marcelo Claure) | Amount ($) |
|---|---|
| Fees Earned or Paid in Cash | 168,308 |
| Stock Awards (ASC 718 grant-date fair value) | 322,766 |
| All Other Compensation (perqs, travel) | 28,162 |
| Total | 519,236 |
- As of Dec 31, 2024, Claure held 1,457 unvested time-based RSUs (part of annual director equity compensation) .
Performance Compensation
| Component | Metric(s) | Vesting/Measurement | Detail |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual Director RSUs | None (time-based only) | Vests on 1-year anniversary of grant or next annual meeting (if not standing for re-election); forfeiture on early termination; immediate vest on change in control | No performance metrics disclosed for director equity; time-based vesting only |
| Director bonuses/options | None disclosed | N/A | No director performance bonus or options disclosed |
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Company | Role | Tenure | Interlock/Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| SoftBank Group Corp. | Director | 2017–Nov 2020 | Prior public company board |
| Sprint Corporation | Director | 2014–Apr 2020 | Prior public company board; former CEO |
| WeWork | Executive Chairman | 2021–Feb 2022 | Prior board/executive role |
| T-Mobile US, Inc. | Director | 2020–present | DT-designated nominee under Stockholders’ Agreement |
- Compensation Committee Interlocks: None requiring disclosure in 2024 .
- DT/SoftBank governance overlay: DT may designate Board nominees based on collective voting including SoftBank proxy shares; DT has significant consent rights over major actions .
Expertise & Qualifications
- Telecom and technology industry expertise; prior CEO/Executive Chairman experience at Sprint and WeWork .
- Global communications and investment experience; M&A and operational leadership .
- Education: B.S. Economics & Finance (Bentley); honorary doctorates; Executive Fellow at HBS; Co-Chair of HBS D^3 Institute .
- Independence: Yes, per NASDAQ and Company guidelines .
Equity Ownership
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Total beneficial ownership | 3,287,126 shares; less than 1% of outstanding |
| Indirect holdings | 1,441,204 shares held indirectly by Claure Mobile |
| Pledged shares | 1,842,191 shares pledged to secure a line of credit (grandfathered; may be maintained as long as he holds the shares) |
| Unvested RSUs (as of 12/31/2024) | 1,457 units (time-based) |
| Hedging/pledging policy | Company prohibits hedging, short sales, margin accounts, and pledging; Claure’s pledge pre-dates Sprint Combination and is permitted to continue |
| Ownership guidelines compliance | All then-serving non-employee directors in compliance with 5x retainer guideline as of 12/31/2024 |
Governance Assessment
- Strengths: Independent status confirmed; regular attendance; active membership on key committees (Compensation, Transaction, CEO Selection, Executive) supports board effectiveness; director compensation mix is equity-heavy with mandatory ownership guidelines, reinforcing alignment .
- Structural considerations: Claure’s nomination by Deutsche Telekom under the Stockholders’ Agreement, and DT’s voting control via SoftBank proxy, concentrate influence among major holders—important for investors assessing board independence dynamics and potential conflicts on strategic transactions .
- RED FLAGS: Shares pledged (1,842,191) despite anti-pledging policy—grandfathered but still a risk indicator; pledging can impair alignment under stress scenarios (margin calls), though permitted due to pre-merger status .
- Compensation committee governance: No interlocks requiring disclosure; say-on-pay support was strong in prior cycle (96.7% in 2023 for 2022 NEO comp), indicating broader investor confidence in compensation oversight, with Claure serving on the committee in 2024 .