Srikant Datar
T-Mobile USAbout Srikant M. Datar
Srikant M. Datar is the George F. Baker Professor of Administration and Dean of the Faculty at Harvard Business School. He has been a T‑Mobile US director since 2013, is age 71, and is recognized for expertise in finance, accounting, governance, and risk management; he qualifies as an SEC “audit committee financial expert.” He holds a Master’s in Statistics and Economics and a Ph.D. in Business from Stanford and earned gold medals at IIM Ahmedabad and the Institute of Cost and Works Accountants of India .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Harvard Business School | Dean; George F. Baker Professor of Administration | Dean since Jan 2021; faculty since 1996 | Academic and commercial perspective on complex issues |
| Stanford University | Professor | Prior to 1996 | Finance/accounting academia |
| Carnegie Mellon University | Professor | Prior to Stanford | Finance/accounting academia |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| ICF International Inc. | Director | Current | Committee roles not disclosed in TMUS proxy |
| Stryker Corporation | Director | 2009–2024 | Former; committee roles not disclosed |
| Novartis AG | Director | 2003–2021 | Former; committee roles not disclosed |
Board Governance
- Current TMUS committees: Audit Committee Chair; the committee met 10 times in 2024 .
- Independence: Determined independent under NASDAQ/SEC rules; also meets heightened audit committee independence criteria .
- Financial expert: Designated “audit committee financial expert” (with Kavanaugh) .
- Tenure: Director since 2013 .
- Attendance: The Board met five times in 2024; each director attended at least 75% of Board and committee meetings; all directors attended the 2024 annual meeting .
- Board structure and leadership: Lead Independent Director is Teresa A. Taylor; independent directors hold regular executive sessions at least twice a year and at each regularly scheduled Board meeting time is set aside for non‑management sessions .
- Controlled company context: Deutsche Telekom (DT) exercises voting control (~58.9%) under a proxy agreement and has designation rights for 10 directors; TMUS relies on certain NASDAQ controlled‑company exemptions. Datar is one of three independent directors designated by the Nominating & Corporate Governance Committee .
Fixed Compensation (Director)
| Component | TMUS Program Feature | Amount (USD) |
|---|---|---|
| Annual cash retainer | Non‑employee director | $143,000 effective June 13, 2024 |
| Audit Committee Chair retainer | Additional annual cash | $60,000 |
| Audit Committee member retainer | Additional annual cash (incl. chair) | $15,000 |
| Meeting fees | Per meeting | Board $3,000; Committee $2,000 |
| Annual equity | Time‑based RSUs (1‑year vest) | $255,000 grant value |
| Ownership guideline | 5x annual cash retainer; 50% net‑shares retention until met | In compliance as of Dec 31, 2024 |
2024 actual compensation (Datar):
- Fees earned: $293,308; Stock awards (grant‑date fair value): $322,766; All other compensation: $29,200; Total: $645,274. Unvested RSUs at 12/31/24: 1,457 .
Program notes:
- Equity is a larger portion of total director compensation, with vesting requirements; directors receive device/line perquisites; anti‑hedging/short‑sale/pledging policies apply company‑wide .
Performance Compensation
Directors do not receive performance‑conditioned equity; non‑employee director equity is time‑based RSUs vesting after one year .
| Performance Metric | Weight | Target Definition | Payout Curve |
|---|---|---|---|
| Not applicable to directors | — | — | — |
Other Directorships & Interlocks
- Current public boards: ICF International Inc. (independent) .
- Recent prior boards: Stryker Corporation (2009–2024); Novartis AG (2003–2021) .
- No interlocks disclosed between Datar and TMUS competitors/suppliers/customers in the TMUS proxy .
Expertise & Qualifications
- Finance, accounting, governance, and risk management; audit committee financial expert .
- Academic leadership (Dean, HBS) with prior Stanford and Carnegie Mellon posts; Ph.D. in Business; MS in Statistics & Economics; IIM Ahmedabad gold medalist and ICWAI gold medalist .
Equity Ownership
| Holder | Beneficial Ownership | % of Outstanding | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Srikant M. Datar | 33,601 shares | <1% | Includes 8,200 (Datar Investment LLC), 11,724 (Safari LLC), 11,843 (Legacycap LLC); co‑manager with shared voting/investment power |
| Unvested RSUs (12/31/24) | 1,457 units | — | Unvested director RSUs at year‑end |
| Pledged shares | None disclosed for Datar | — | Company prohibits hedging/short sales/pledging; exception noted solely for Claure’s pre‑existing pledge |
| Guideline compliance | Yes | — | All non‑employee directors in compliance as of 12/31/24 |
Governance Assessment
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Strengths:
- Independent long‑tenured Audit Chair with SEC “financial expert” status; Audit Committee met 10x in 2024, oversees financial reporting, internal controls, cybersecurity risk discussions, and related‑party reviews—a key counterbalance given DT control .
- Robust Board processes: regular executive sessions, annual evaluations (with external consultant), and strong attendance record; clear separation of Chair/CEO with a Lead Independent Director .
- Director pay emphasizes equity with ownership guidelines, aligning interests; anti‑hedging/pledging; formal clawback policy for executive incentive pay (signal of overall governance posture) .
- Say‑on‑pay support was high (96.7% in 2023), indicating broad investor confidence in compensation governance .
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Watch‑items / potential risks:
- Controlled‑company status: DT’s voting control and consent rights over major corporate actions heighten related‑party and minority‑shareholder risk; places added importance on independent committee oversight (which Datar leads on Audit) .
- Director workload: HBS deanship plus outside board service may pose time‑commitment scrutiny; however, proxy discloses each director met attendance thresholds in 2024 .
- Long tenure since 2013 can raise perceived independence concerns in some governance frameworks, though TMUS formally assesses independence annually and affirms Datar’s status .
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Signals to monitor:
- Any changes in related‑party transactions with DT/SoftBank and Audit Committee oversight disclosures –.
- Committee composition shifts post‑2025 annual meeting and continued designation of Datar as Audit Chair .
- Future disclosures on director equity ownership vs. guideline multiples and any policy exceptions or pledging updates (currently only Claure holds a grandfathered pledge) .