Venkat Achanta
About Venkat Achanta
Executive Vice President, Chief Technology, Data & Analytics Officer at TransUnion. Age 52 (as of Feb 13, 2025). Joined TransUnion in February 2022 (via Neustar acquisition) and expanded to lead company-wide technology (CIO scope) on July 1, 2023, overseeing strategy, security, engineering, infrastructure and delivery, plus unified data strategy and data science . Education: B.S. in Computer Science & Engineering (Andhra University) and MBA (UCLA Anderson) . 2024 company performance tied to his remit: revenue $4,184M (+9%), consolidated adjusted EBITDA $1,506M (+12%), adjusted diluted EPS $3.91 (+16%), EBITDA margin 36.0% . Over the 2019–2024 window, the $100 fixed-investment TRU TSR index reached 110.83 vs 166.54 for the Dow Jones U.S. Financials Index, reflecting moderate relative shareholder returns (used in PSU metrics) .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Years | Strategic Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| TransUnion | EVP, Chief Technology, Data & Analytics Officer | July 2023–present | Leads global technology and unified data strategy; integrates CIO responsibilities |
| TransUnion | EVP, Chief Data & Analytics Officer | Feb 2022–July 2023 | Built unified data strategy and data science function post-Neustar acquisition |
| Neustar, Inc. | EVP & Chief Data & Technology Officer | 2016–Dec 2021 | Led creation of OneID platform; enterprise technology transformation across products |
| Walmart | Chief Data Officer & Head of Data and Analytics | Beginning in 2014 | Led global data fabric, advanced analytics platforms and decision services |
| AIG | Global Head of Analytics and Big Data | Not disclosed | Senior analytics leadership at a global insurer |
| Capital One; Experian | Senior leadership in technology and data & analytics | Not disclosed | Enterprise data/analytics leadership roles |
External Roles
No current public company directorships disclosed. Core external engagement includes industry technology thought leadership; e.g., AI/OneTru platform commentary in TransUnion press communications .
Fixed Compensation
| Metric | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Base Salary ($) | $575,000 | $646,154 | $705,385 (paid; annualized base $700,000) |
| Target Bonus % of Base | 100% | 100% | 100% |
| Target Bonus ($) | $575,000 | $646,154 | $700,000 |
| Non-Equity Incentive Paid ($) | $274,871 | $402,369 | $1,167,961 |
| All Other Compensation ($) | $28,648 | $71,193 | $56,326 |
| Total Compensation ($) | $2,771,717 | $8,363,241 | $11,006,462 |
Detailed 2024 “All Other Compensation” (breakdown):
- 401(k) match: $13,800; Nonqualified retirement plan match: $22,727; Other benefits: $19,799 (financial/tax planning $12,000; business travel $4,730; tax payments on imputed income $3,069) .
Performance Compensation
| Metric | Weighting | Threshold | Target | Maximum | Actual | Payout (% of target) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Defined Consolidated Adjusted EBITDA (USD mm) | 35% | $1,354.6 | $1,472.4 | $1,531.3 | $1,513.5 | 169.8% |
| Defined Consolidated Revenue (USD mm) | 35% | $3,860.0 | $4,063.1 | $4,185.0 | $4,197.1 | 200.0% |
| Defined Adjusted Diluted EPS (USD) | 20% | $3.56 | $3.87 | $4.03 | $3.93 | 137.0% |
| Strategic Individual Objectives | 10% | — | — | — | — | 100.0% |
Achanta’s 2024 annual incentive payout composition:
- EBITDA: $416,108; Revenue: $490,000; EPS: $191,853; Strategic objectives: $70,000; Total payout: $1,167,961 (166.9% of target) .
PSU program alignment and outcomes:
- 2022 PSU cycle (Jan 1, 2022–Dec 31, 2024) paid at 30% weighted of target: Cumulative Adjusted EBITDA (0%), Cumulative Revenue (0%), Relative TSR at 30th percentile (61%) . Achanta earned 3,063 shares from the 2022 PSU grant .
2024 PSU design (performance period Jan 1, 2024–Dec 31, 2026):
- Metrics/weights: Cumulative Adjusted Diluted EPS (30%), Cumulative Revenue (20%), Relative TSR vs Russell 3000 Commercial & Professional Services (50%), with 0–200% payout; Relative TSR component capped at 100% if absolute TSR is negative .
Equity Ownership & Alignment
Stock ownership policy: Executives must hold TransUnion common stock equal to 3× base salary (6× for CEO), retaining 75% of after-tax shares until compliant; executives ≥60 have reduced requirement (50%). All NEOs (including Achanta) met requirements as of Dec 31, 2024 .
Insider trading, hedging, pledging:
- Trading pre-clearance and window restrictions; prohibition on short-selling, derivatives, hedging; pledging prohibited absent CFO/Chief Legal Officer approval .
Beneficial ownership (common stock):
- 0 shares as of March 10, 2025 (less than 1%) . Note: 11,868 shares were reported beneficially owned as of March 7, 2024 (less than 1%) .
Insider selling pressure indicator:
- Adopted a Rule 10b5-1 plan on June 13, 2024 for potential sales up to 53,218 shares through September 30, 2025 .
Outstanding awards and vesting (as of Dec 31, 2024):
| Grant | Type | Shares | Grant-Date Fair Value ($) | Vesting / Performance Schedule |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 28, 2024 | RSU | 23,678 | $1,800,002 | Time-vest over 42 months; 33% on Aug 28, 2025; 33% Aug 28, 2026; 34% Aug 28, 2027 |
| Feb 28, 2024 | PSU (target) | 23,677 at max shown; target 11,839 | $2,276,801 | Performance-vest Jan 1, 2024–Dec 31, 2026; settle Feb 28, 2027 |
| Feb 28, 2024 (one-time) | RSU | 65,772 | $4,999,987 | Retention RSUs; 36-month vest: 33% on Feb 28, 2025; 33% Feb 28, 2026; 34% Feb 28, 2027 |
| Prior cycles | RSU/PSU | Multiple | See Outstanding Equity Awards table | Includes 2022 PSUs that vested Feb 25, 2025 based on 30% achievement |
Options: No options exercised in 2024; awards are predominantly RSUs/PSUs .
Deferred compensation:
- 2024 deferrals: $58,599 (executive contributions), $21,879 (registrant contributions), $11,603 (earnings), aggregate balance $131,900; split contributions from base salary ($49,000) and annual incentive ($9,599) .
Employment Terms
Severance & restrictive covenants (Severance and Restrictive Covenant Agreement applicable to Achanta):
- Cash severance: 1.5× (annualized base salary + average of prior two years’ actual annual bonuses), paid over 18 months; pro-rata target annual incentive if separation after July 1 .
- Non-compete: 12 months; customer and employee non-solicit: 12 months; confidentiality obligations .
- Benefits: Outplacement up to $35,000 and lump-sum COBRA-equivalent premiums for 18 months (U.S.-based NEOs) .
- Change-in-control: Double-trigger vesting—on qualifying termination within two years post-CIC, all RSUs/PSUs vest; PSUs settle at actual Relative TSR and target for financial components .
- Clawback: SEC/NYSE-compliant recovery of incentive-based compensation for three fiscal years preceding an accounting restatement .
- Tax gross-ups: No excise tax gross-ups on change-in-control benefits; dividend equivalents paid only upon vesting .
Investment Implications
- Pay-for-performance alignment: 2024 annual incentive significantly above target (166.9%) driven by strong revenue/EBITDA/EPS outcomes, while 2022 PSUs paid at 30%, demonstrating multi-year performance discipline and downside sensitivity on long-horizon metrics .
- Retention risk mitigants: February 2024 one-time $5M RSU grant with 36-month vest and substantial ongoing RSU/PSU holdings create meaningful unvested equity, reducing near-term flight risk .
- Equity ownership and selling pressure: Achanta met stock ownership guidelines by YE 2024, but a 10b5-1 plan for up to 53,218 shares through 9/30/2025 introduces potential supply; hedging/pledging prohibitions and pre-clearance reduce governance risk .
- Governance and severance economics: Moderate severance (1.5× salary+bonus), double-trigger CIC and robust clawback/anti-hedging policies are shareholder-friendly; no tax gross-ups mitigate red flags .
- Execution track record: Delivery of OneTru/OneDev modernization and AI capability expansion under Achanta’s leadership supports future efficiency and product velocity; ongoing technology transformation remains a key lever for value creation across TRU’s platforms .
- Benchmarking and pay inflation risk: Comparator group adjustments (adding ICE, Nasdaq, Broadridge, Clarivate; removing Nielsen, Paychex) reflect market reality for data/market infrastructure peers; watch for long-term equity run-rate and overhang trends that can dilute shareholders .
- Shareholder sentiment: Say-on-Pay support was 95.78% in 2024, indicating broad investor acceptance of compensation design and outcomes .
Overall: Strong near-term operating performance translated into high annual incentives, while multi-year PSU outcomes provide balance. Retention-oriented equity grants and compliance with ownership guidelines align interests, though the active 10b5-1 plan warrants monitoring for near-term selling pressure.