Diego Rodriguez
LendingTreeAbout Diego Rodriguez
Independent director at LendingTree, Inc. since 2022; age 55. Former EVP, Chief Product & Design Officer at Intuit (2017–2021) and longtime IDEO executive (Global Managing Director; 2004–2017). Founding faculty member at Stanford’s d.school (2005–2015), former Harvard University Board of Overseers member (2018–2020), Entrepreneur-in-Residence at HBS (2011–2015), and currently a Global Advisor to HBS. Joined TrueCar’s board in 2024; previously on EngageSmart’s board .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Intuit, Inc. | EVP, Chief Product & Design Officer | 2017–2021 | Led product and design; fintech/product leadership |
| IDEO LP | Global Managing Director and other roles; led IDEO Futures | 2004–2017 | Built growth ventures; incubated startups |
| HP; IDEO (early career) | Engineer; product development | Not disclosed | Developed leading-edge products |
| Intuit (product marketing) | Marketed online QuickBooks | Not disclosed | Holds multiple patents |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| TrueCar, Inc. (NASDAQ: TRUE) | Director | 2024–present | Other current public company board |
| EngageSmart, Inc. (formerly NYSE: ESMT) | Director (prior) | Not disclosed | Prior public co. board |
| Harvard Business School | Global Advisor | Current | Advisory role |
| Harvard University | Board of Overseers | 2018–2020 | Governance role |
| Harvard Business School | Entrepreneur-in-Residence | 2011–2015 | Innovation/education |
| Stanford d.school | Founding faculty member | 2005–2015 | Design/innovation leadership |
Board Governance
- Committee assignments: Chair, Technology and Product Advisory Committee; Member, Transactions Committee .
- Independence: Board determined Rodriguez is independent under Nasdaq standards .
- Meeting cadence/engagement:
- Tech & Product Advisory Committee was made an official committee on Oct 30, 2024; 0 formal meetings in FY 2024 as a committee, but the prior advisory group met four times in 2024; Rodriguez also received an additional payment as group lead, indicating active engagement pre-formalization .
- Transactions Committee held 4 meetings in FY 2024 .
- Attendance: In FY 2024, all then-current directors attended at least 75% of the aggregate Board and committee meetings on which they served (company-wide disclosure) .
- Board structure: Lead Independent Director role in place with authority to preside over executive sessions at least quarterly; majority of board (89%) independent .
Fixed Compensation (Director, FY 2024)
| Component | Amount ($) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Annual Board cash retainer | 50,000 | Standard non-employee director retainer |
| Technology & Product Advisory Group service (pre-committee) | 10,000 | Payment for services before formal committee (group members) |
| Technology & Product Advisory Group lead payment | 10,000 | Additional payment to Rodriguez as group lead |
| Transactions Committee member fee | 2,500 | Annual member fee |
| Total Cash (reported) | 72,500 | Matches Director Compensation Table for Rodriguez |
Compensation consultant: FW Cook supports director compensation reviews .
Director fees are subject to an annual limit of $640,000; directors reimbursed for reasonable expenses .
Performance Compensation (Director Equity and Vesting)
| Grant/Instrument | Grant Date | Shares/Units | Grant-Date Fair Value ($) | Vesting/Terms | Grant Date Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Annual RSU grant | Jun 12, 2024 | 5,000 | 231,950 | Vest on earliest of: 2025 Annual Meeting date; 1 year from grant; change in control; death/disability | $46.39 (NASDAQ close) |
Outstanding equity at FY-end 2024 (Directors)
| Instrument | Rodriguez Outstanding (12/31/2024) |
|---|---|
| Stock options (aggregate) | 2,285 |
| RSUs (aggregate) | 5,000 |
No performance metrics apply to non-employee director equity awards; RSUs are time-based retainer equity .
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Company | Role | Since | Potential Interlock/Conflict Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| TrueCar, Inc. (NASDAQ: TRUE) | Director | 2024 | No related-party transactions disclosed involving Rodriguez; Audit Committee reviews related-person transactions >$120,000 |
| EngageSmart, Inc. (formerly NYSE: ESMT) | Director (prior) | Not disclosed | Prior board; no related-party disclosures noted |
Expertise & Qualifications
- Product management, design, and fintech leadership (Intuit CPO/Design EVP) .
- Venture incubation/growth strategy (IDEO Futures; startup incubation) .
- Academic innovation/teaching credentials (Stanford d.school founding faculty; HBS EIR/Global Advisor) .
- Holds multiple patents (technology/product orientation) .
Equity Ownership
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Total beneficial ownership (as of Apr 16, 2025) | 11,598 shares; <1% of outstanding (13,535,034 shares outstanding) |
| Outstanding equity (12/31/2024) | 2,285 options; 5,000 RSUs |
| Stock ownership guideline (directors) | Minimum 5x annual cash retainer; expected within 5 years of joining board or policy adoption |
| Pledging/Hedging | Directors and officers prohibited from pledging/margining securities (exceptions require Legal approval); company prohibits NEO hedging; director hedging not expressly stated in excerpt |
Governance Assessment
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Strengths/signals:
- Independent director with deep technology, product, and fintech expertise; chairs the Tech & Product Advisory Committee, aligning with TREE’s digital marketplace strategy .
- Demonstrated engagement: advisory group met four times in 2024 before formal committee formation; Rodriguez received lead payment, indicating active pre-committee leadership .
- Clean conflicts profile: No related-person transactions disclosed involving Rodriguez; Audit Committee oversees RPTs exceeding $120,000 .
- Ownership alignment: Annual RSU retainer (5,000 units) and 5x cash retainer stock ownership guideline for directors .
- Board-wide governance support: majority independent board, structured lead independent director, majority voting standard, strong say-on-pay support (~97% FOR in 2024) .
-
Watch items/risks:
- Tech & Product Advisory Committee was only formalized on Oct 30, 2024 and held 0 formal meetings in FY 2024 (though advisory group activity mitigates this); monitor cadence and outputs in 2025+ .
- External board seat at TrueCar: monitor for any commercial relationships or data-sharing arrangements that could require RPT review; none disclosed to date .
- Company-wide related-party exposure includes CEO spouse employment (not related to Rodriguez), underscoring the importance of continued RPT oversight by Audit Committee .