Vivek Kundra
Trade DeskAbout Vivek Kundra
Vivek Kundra is Chief Operating Officer (COO) of The Trade Desk (TTD), appointed effective March 31, 2025; age 50. He holds a B.S. in Psychology and an M.S. in Management Information Systems from the University of Maryland, and is a graduate of the University of Virginia’s Sorensen Institute of Political Leadership . Prior roles include U.S. Government CIO (managed $80B in tech investments, led federal cloud transition and cybersecurity initiatives), EVP at Salesforce (enterprise transformation and vertical strategy; revenue grew to ~$8.4B during his tenure), COO at Sprinklr, and President/COO at project44 . Company performance context: 2024 revenue was $2.44B (+26% YoY) and Adjusted EBITDA was $1.01B (+31% YoY), with net income of $393M (+120% YoY) . TTD reported cumulative TSR (value of an initial $100 investment) of $452.39 for 2024 .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Years | Strategic Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| U.S. Government | Chief Information Officer | 2009–2011 | Oversaw $80B tech investments; led cloud transition, strengthened national cybersecurity; launched open government/data movement replicated globally . |
| Salesforce, Inc. | Executive Vice President, Industries | 2012–2017 | Led vertical strategy across key industries; built partner ecosystem; company revenue quadrupled to ~$8.4B during period cited . |
| Sprinklr, Inc. | Chief Operating Officer | 2018–2022 | Operational leadership at customer experience platform . |
| project44 | President & Chief Operating Officer | 2022–2025 | Drove operations at supply-chain management company . |
External Roles
| Organization | Role/Recognition | Years |
|---|---|---|
| Harvard Berkman Center & Shorenstein Center | Fellow | Various |
| World Economic Forum | Young Global Leader | Various |
| Council on Foreign Relations | Member | Various |
Fixed Compensation
| Component | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Base Salary | $600,000 | Per employment agreement . |
| Target Annual Bonus | $600,000 | Per employment agreement . |
| Signing Bonus | $600,000 | Per offer letter . |
Performance Compensation
| Incentive Type | Target/Grant | Metrics | Vesting | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Equity Awards (RSU + Stock Options) | $12.5M aggregate target | Not specified for COO; company emphasizes stock-based alignment | Not specified for COO | Offer letter provides aggregate target; full terms to be filed with Q1’25 10-Q . |
| Short-Term Cash Incentive | Target $600,000 | Company used revenue as the performance measure for NEO cash incentives in 2024 | Quarterly payouts within 60 days post quarter (2024 plan design) | 2025 plan specifics for COO not disclosed; 2024 design shown for context . |
Equity Ownership & Alignment
- Beneficial ownership: Not listed for Kundra in the Feb 28, 2025 Security Ownership table (he joined Mar 31, 2025) .
- Insider transactions: On Nov 15, 2025, Kundra acquired 322 shares via Employee Stock Purchase Plan (ESPP) at the plan’s 85% discount price; Form 4 filed Nov 18, 2025 .
- Hedging/pledging: TTD prohibits executives and directors from hedging and pledging company equity .
- Stock ownership guidelines: Executive officers are required to hold stock valued at 1x annual base salary; compliance allowed over up to five years—new executives have time to meet the requirement .
- Clawback policy: SEC/Nasdaq-compliant compensation recovery policy applies to erroneously awarded incentive compensation following certain restatements .
Employment Terms
| Term | Disclosure | Key Details |
|---|---|---|
| Start Date & Role | Disclosed | COO effective March 31, 2025 . |
| Offer/Employment Agreement | Disclosed | Base salary $600k; target bonus $600k; signing bonus $600k; aggregate target equity $12.5M; indemnification agreement standard; full texts to be filed with Q1’25 10-Q . |
| Severance | Not disclosed for COO | TTD discloses severance/change-in-control terms for other NEOs (e.g., 1x cash + 12-month equity acceleration; 2x cash + full acceleration on double-trigger CIC), but COO terms were not in the proxy; pending 10-Q filing . |
| Non-compete/non-solicit | Policy disclosed for other NEOs | One-year non-compete/non-solicit binds other NEOs; COO specifics not disclosed; indemnification standard . |
| Equity Plan mechanics | Disclosed | 2025 Plan outlines award types, no repricing without shareholder approval, change-in-control treatment generally assume/continue or accelerate at administrator discretion . |
Performance & Track Record
- Operational leadership: Government CIO achievements (cloud migration, cybersecurity, open data) and Salesforce enterprise transformation/vertical strategy; partner ecosystem buildout .
- Company performance backdrop: 2024 revenue $2.44B (+26%), Adjusted EBITDA $1.01B (+31%), net income $393M (+120%), client retention >95% for the 11th straight year .
- 2025 corporate update: Q1 press release highlighted Kundra’s appointment and continued 95%+ retention .
Compensation Committee & Governance Context
- Independent compensation committee; uses Compensia as independent advisor; peer group includes high-growth enterprise software/ad tech companies (e.g., ServiceNow, Workday, CrowdStrike, Datadog, Palo Alto Networks, Shopify) .
- Pay-for-performance orientation, heavy equity mix; no option repricing; clawback policy in place; hedging/pledging prohibited .
- Say-on-Pay: Next advisory vote scheduled for 2025; prior shareholder feedback supported program design; committee considers investor input .
Insider Activity Snapshot (Trading Signals)
| Date | Transaction | Shares | Price/Mechanism | Posture |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-11-15 | ESPP purchase | 322 | 85% of market price per plan | Indicates accumulation/alignment; not open-market selling . |
Investment Implications
- Alignment and incentives: $12.5M target equity plus ESPP participation align Kundra with long-term shareholder value; prohibitions on hedging/pledging and clawback provisions strengthen alignment and governance .
- Retention risk: A meaningful signing bonus ($600k) and equity package suggest retention intent; final severance/CIC specifics for COO pending the 10-Q filing—monitor for single vs. double trigger and acceleration terms that could affect retention and deal incentives .
- Performance pay levers: TTD historically ties annual cash incentives to revenue; heavy equity mix puts realized pay at risk with stock performance—watch operational KPIs and margin discipline under Kundra’s remit .
- Trading signals: No disclosed open-market sales by Kundra to date; initial ESPP accumulation is a modest positive signal; continue to monitor Form 4s for vest-to-sell patterns around quarterly windows .
Key pending disclosures: The full COO offer letter and employment agreement will be filed with TTD’s Q1 2025 Form 10-Q and should be reviewed for detailed vesting schedules, severance multiples, change-in-control triggers, and performance conditions **[1671933_0001671933-25-000036_ttd-20250312.htm:1]**.