Saras Sarasvathy
LendingTreeAbout Saras Sarasvathy
Saras Sarasvathy is the Paul Hammaker Professor of Business Administration at the University of Virginia’s Darden School, recognized for research on high-performance entrepreneurship and co-founding five ventures, bringing product development and innovative funding insights to LendingTree’s Board . She has served as an independent director of LendingTree since 2015 and is 65 years old per the 2025 proxy . She serves on the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee and the Technology and Product Advisory Committee, with the Board determining she is independent under Nasdaq standards .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| University of Virginia, Darden Graduate School of Business | Paul Hammaker Professor of Business Administration | Not disclosed | Research focus on high-performance entrepreneurship; co-founded five ventures; informs product development and innovative funding mechanisms |
| LendingTree, Inc. | Director | Since 2015 | Independent director; insights into development of new products and global funding mechanisms |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Other Public Company Boards | None | — | No other public company directorships disclosed |
Board Governance
- Independence: Board affirmed Saras Sarasvathy is independent under Nasdaq standards .
- Committee memberships: Nominating & Corporate Governance; Technology & Product Advisory .
- Attendance: All then-current directors attended at least 75% of Board and applicable committee meetings in fiscal 2024; the Board held 4 meetings .
- Board process: Majority voting standard for directors; Director Resignation Policy adopted (2017) .
- Lead Independent Director: Steven Ozonian; executive sessions of non-executive directors occur at least quarterly .
| Committee | Member | Chair? | FY 2024 Meetings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nominating & Corporate Governance | Saras Sarasvathy | No | 3 |
| Technology & Product Advisory | Saras Sarasvathy | No | 0 (committee formalized Oct 30, 2024; advisory group met 4 times pre-formalization) |
Fixed Compensation
Director compensation (USD) for Saras Sarasvathy:
| Metric | FY 2020 | FY 2021 | FY 2022 | FY 2023 | FY 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fees Earned or Paid in Cash ($) | 60,000 | 60,000 | 60,000 | 60,000 | 70,000 |
| Stock Awards ($) | 115,008 | 115,032 | 115,035 | 83,720 | 231,950 |
| Option Awards ($) | 56,189 | 54,354 | 57,157 | — | — |
| Total ($) | 231,197 | 229,386 | 232,192 | 143,720 | 301,950 |
Additional cash recognition tied to committee/advisory work in 2024: $10,000 payment for pre-committee Technology & Product Advisory Group services .
Performance Compensation
Key director equity grant details for Saras Sarasvathy:
| Grant Year | Grant Date | Award Type | Number of Shares/Options | Exercise Price | Vesting |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | Jul 29, 2015 | RSUs; Stock Options | 437 RSUs; 548 options | $79.66 | RSUs and options vest in two equal annual installments (7/29/2016 and 7/29/2017) |
| 2020 | Jun 10, 2020 | RSUs; Stock Options | 399 RSUs; 380 options | $288.24 | Vest on earliest of 2021 annual meeting, 6/10/2021, change in control, death/disability |
| 2021 | Jun 9, 2021 | RSUs; Stock Options | 557 RSUs; 521 options | $206.52 | Vest on earliest of 2022 annual meeting, 6/9/2022, change in control, death/disability |
| 2022 | Jun 22, 2022 | RSUs; Stock Options | 2,205 RSUs; 2,081 options | $52.17 | Vest on earliest of 2023 annual meeting, 6/22/2023, change in control, death/disability |
| 2024 | Jun 12, 2024 | RSUs (Annual Equity Retainer) | 5,000 RSUs | — | Vest on earliest of Annual Meeting, one year from grant date, change in control, death/disability |
Notes:
- 2024 director equity shifted to a pure RSU annual retainer (5,000 RSUs), increasing equity mix vs prior years that included options .
- Nonqualified deferred compensation plan for directors was terminated in April 2024; no deferrals elected Jan–Apr 2024 .
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Company | Role | Committee Roles |
|---|---|---|
| None | — | — |
| Other public company boards: None disclosed for Saras Sarasvathy, reducing interlock/conflict risk . |
Expertise & Qualifications
- Academic and practical entrepreneurship expertise with global perspective; co-founded five ventures; contributes product development insights and understanding of innovative funding mechanisms .
- Technology/product oversight via Technology & Product Advisory Committee membership .
Equity Ownership
Beneficial ownership and alignment (as of April 16, 2025):
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Total Beneficial Ownership (Shares) | 19,231 shares (percent of class below 1%) |
| Exercisable Options (within 60 days) | 4,917 shares |
| RSUs Scheduled to Vest (within 60 days) | 5,000 shares |
| Aggregate Options Outstanding (FY 2024 year-end) | 4,917 |
| Aggregate RSUs Outstanding (FY 2024 year-end) | 5,000 |
| Director Stock Ownership Guideline | Minimum ownership of five times annual cash retainer; expected accumulation within 5 years (or 3 years if retainer increases) |
| Hedging/Pledging | Hedging prohibited; pledging prohibited unless exception approved by Legal Department |
Governance Assessment
- Strengths: Independence; committee contributions (Nominating & Corporate Governance; Technology & Product Advisory); attendance at least 75% for all directors in 2024; majority voting and resignation policy support accountability . Stock ownership guideline (5x retainer) and anti-hedging/anti-pledging policies align director incentives with shareholders .
- Compensation structure: Shift to time-based RSUs in 2024 with a higher grant value ($231,950; 5,000 RSUs), away from prior option grants—simplifies alignment but reduces at-risk leverage vs options; cash fees rose to $70,000 in 2024 reflecting committee/member fee structure and advisory group payments .
- Conflicts/related-party exposure: Proxy discloses a related-person employment compensation for CEO’s spouse; no related-party transactions attributed to Saras Sarasvathy are disclosed, and the Company’s related-person transaction policy requires Audit Committee or independent Board body review above $120,000 .
- Board context: Lead Independent Director role and quarterly executive sessions bolster oversight . Committee meeting cadence shows active governance (Nominating 3; Tech Advisory 0 official meetings in 2024 post-establishment, with 4 advisory group meetings pre-formalization)—ensure continued cadence as the committee matures .
- Shareholder signals: 2024 say-on-pay support ~97% (executive comp), indicating broader investor confidence in governance and pay practices .
RED FLAGS: None disclosed specific to Saras Sarasvathy in the proxy; hedging/pledging prohibitions and lack of other public company boards mitigate alignment and interlock risks . Continuous monitoring recommended for any future related-party disclosures.