Almir Ambeskovic
TripAdvisorAbout Almir Ambeskovic
Almir Ambeskovic, age 47, is President of TheFork and was designated a Tripadvisor executive officer on April 29, 2025; he has served as President of TheFork since February 2021 after earlier roles in sales/marketing and country management, and previously founded RestOpolis in 2011 which TheFork acquired in 2014 . Company performance in 2024: revenue was $1.835B (+3% YoY), adjusted EBITDA was $339M (vs. $334M in 2023), and net income was $5M (vs. $10M in 2023), with management stating TheFork contributed to profit alongside Brand Tripadvisor and Viator .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Years | Strategic Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| TheFork (Tripadvisor) | President | Feb 2021–present | Leads TheFork; unit contributed to profit in 2024 per proxy |
| TheFork (Tripadvisor) | VP Sales & Marketing | May 2020–Jan 2021 | Commercial leadership prior to elevation to President |
| TheFork (Tripadvisor) | Italy Country Manager | 2014–May 2020 | Scaled Italian operations post acquisition of RestOpolis |
| RestOpolis | Founder & Leader | 2011–2014 | Built online restaurant reservation startup; acquisition led to joining TheFork |
External Roles
No external public company directorships or committee roles are disclosed for Ambeskovic in the company’s proxy materials reviewed .
Fixed Compensation
Ambeskovic was designated an executive officer on April 29, 2025 and did not serve as an executive officer during FY2024; therefore, his 2024 compensation details are not included in the NEO tables and are not otherwise disclosed in the proxy .
| Component | FY2024 Status | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Base Salary ($) | Not disclosed | Ambeskovic not a FY2024 NEO; executive officer designation occurred April 29, 2025 |
| Target Bonus (%) | Not disclosed | Company annual bonus design uses revenue and adjusted EBITDA metrics; specific targets for Ambeskovic not disclosed |
| Actual Bonus Paid ($) | Not disclosed | NEO payouts shown; none for Ambeskovic as he was not a FY2024 NEO |
Performance Compensation
Tripadvisor’s program ties incentives to consolidated revenue and adjusted EBITDA for the financial component and also to individual goals; time-based RSUs typically vest over four years; performance-based RSUs use a two-year performance period with three-year vesting .
| Metric | Weight within Financial Component | Threshold | Target | Maximum | FY2024 Actual | Resulting Payout % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue (USD thousands) | 50% | 1,681,367 | 1,868,185 | 2,055,004 | 1,834,561 | 99.2% |
| Adjusted EBITDA (USD thousands) | 50% | 331,055 | 389,476 | 455,687 | 384,642 | 99.6% |
Notes:
- Annual bonus design: 75% financial (split 50/50 revenue and adjusted EBITDA), 25% individual goals; payout ranges from 50% at threshold to 200% at maximum based on stated hurdles .
- Equity awards: time-based RSUs vest over four years; PSUs have two-year performance measurement and three-year vesting for senior-level employees .
Equity Ownership & Alignment
| Item | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Beneficial ownership (common shares) | 80,156 | As of April 29, 2025 |
| Ownership % of shares outstanding | ~0.068% | 80,156 / 118,090,851 shares outstanding as of April 29, 2025 |
| Options exercisable | 47,582 | Currently exercisable options attributed to Ambeskovic |
| RSUs vesting within 60 days | 4,544 | RSUs scheduled to vest within 60 days (footnote timing referenced) |
| Shares outstanding (reference) | 118,090,851 | As of April 29, 2025 |
Policy alignment:
- Hedging is prohibited by company policy; executive stock ownership guidelines are described as robust, though specific multiples are not disclosed in the proxy .
- Clawback: Equity awards are subject to the company’s Clawback Policy; RSU agreements include forfeiture and recoupment provisions, including forfeiture for termination for cause and termination-of-employment vesting rules .
Recent insider transactions:
| Date | Form | Shares | Price | Type | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 8, 2025 | Form 3 | — | — | Initial | Initial statement of beneficial ownership as newly designated officer |
| Aug 15, 2025 | Form 4 | +4,544 | $17.53 | RSU vest | RSU vesting/settlement reported (as referenced) |
| Aug 18, 2025 | Form 4 | −2,021 | $16.972 | Sale | Administrative sale to cover tax withholdings from RSU vesting; remaining holdings 18,454 shares post-transaction |
| Nov 18, 2025 | Form 4 | — | — | Change in ownership | Additional statement of changes in beneficial ownership (details in filing) |
| Various (reference) | — | −16,643 | $15.33 | Sale | Aggregated sale recorded on openinsider (date/grouped view) |
Vesting-related selling pressure: The Aug 18, 2025 transaction is explicitly noted as non-discretionary tax withholding tied to RSU vesting, a common pattern that typically does not indicate negative outlook .
Employment Terms
- Executive officer designation: April 29, 2025; Ambeskovic did not serve as an executive officer during FY2024 and thus is not in NEO disclosures for that period .
- Employment agreement: No specific employment letter terms (salary, severance multiples, CoC triggers) are disclosed for Ambeskovic in the proxy; company-level Severance Plan provisions are described for certain executives but not attributed to Ambeskovic .
- Clawback/forfeiture: RSU agreements provide for clawback, cancellation, and forfeiture under specified conditions, including termination for cause, and detail exercise/vesting impacts upon termination of employment .
- Non-compete/Non-solicit: While individual agreements (e.g., for the Chief Legal Officer) include post-termination restrictions, no such specific terms are disclosed for Ambeskovic .
Investment Implications
- Alignment: Ambeskovic’s beneficial ownership (~0.068% of shares outstanding) plus exercisable options and scheduled RSU vesting indicate meaningful, if modest, equity alignment; hedging is prohibited, and clawbacks apply, supporting shareholder-friendly governance .
- Pay-for-performance structure: Company-wide annual incentives are tightly linked to revenue and adjusted EBITDA with rigorous threshold/maximum hurdles; PSUs employ multi-year measurement/vesting, which should align TheFork leadership with consolidated value creation; 2024 actual performance landed near target levels .
- Selling pressure: Documented sales in August 2025 were to cover taxes from RSU vesting (non-discretionary), which typically suggests routine administration rather than directional signaling; any additional open-market sales should be monitored against vest schedules and options expirations .
- Retention risk: Equity structures (four-year RSUs, multi-year PSUs) are designed to retain senior leaders; Ambeskovic’s long tenure at TheFork (since 2014) and elevation to President in 2021 point to continuity; absence of disclosed severance/CoC terms for him limits precision on exit economics .
- Governance backdrop: Compensation Committee oversight (FW Cook as independent consultant) and 98% say‑on‑pay approval in 2024 support stability in pay practices, though specific ownership guideline multiples and compliance timing for Ambeskovic are not disclosed .