Mary Schmidt Campbell
Unity SoftwareAbout Mary Schmidt Campbell
Mary Schmidt Campbell, Ph.D., is an independent director at Unity Software Inc. (U), serving since 2020. She is 77, President Emerita of Spelman College, and formerly Dean of NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts; she holds a B.A. from Swarthmore and an M.A./Ph.D. from Syracuse University . The Board has affirmatively determined she is independent under NYSE standards .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spelman College | President | 2015–June 2022 | Institutional leadership; President Emerita |
| NYU Tisch School of the Arts | Dean; Associate Provost for the Arts | Oct 1991–May 2014 | Established NYU Game Center (ranked #1 Game Design) |
| President’s Committee on the Arts and Humanities | Vice-Chair | Oct 2009–Oct 2016 | White House advisory role on arts/humanities |
| NYC Department of Cultural Affairs | Cultural Affairs Commissioner | 1987–1991 | City cultural policy leadership |
| Studio Museum in Harlem | Director | 1977–1987 | Developed first accredited Black fine arts museum in U.S. |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Juilliard | Board member | Current | Non-profit board |
| New York Shakespeare Festival | Board member | Current | Non-profit board |
| Doris Duke Foundation | Board member | Current | Foundation board |
| Getty Trust | Board member | Current | Cultural trust board |
| UVA Karsh Institute of Democracy | Advisory Board | Current | Advisory role |
| UBS Americas Advisory Council | Council member | Current | Advisory council (not a public company board) |
Board Governance
- Committee assignments (2024): Chair, Nominating & Corporate Governance Committee; not a member of the Audit or Human Capital & Compensation Committees .
- Committee transition: As of June 9, 2025, Keisha Smith joins Nominating & Corporate Governance; effective at the 2025 Annual Meeting Ms. Smith becomes Chair, and Dr. Campbell remains as a non-Chair member .
- Independence: Board determined Dr. Campbell (and a majority of directors) are independent under NYSE standards .
- Attendance: Board met 5 times in 2024; each Board member attended at least 75% of Board/committee meetings for which they served .
- Committee meetings: Nominating & Corporate Governance Committee held 5 meetings in 2024 .
- Board leadership: Chair is James M. Whitehurst (Executive Chair in 2024 transitioning to non-employee Chair in May 2025); Lead Independent Director is Roelof Botha .
Fixed Compensation
| Component | Amount | Timing/Vesting | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cash fees | $125,000 | Vests on earlier of 2025 Annual Meeting or June 5, 2025 | Cash election under Director Compensation Policy |
| Equity (RSUs) | $184,992 (grant-date fair value) | Director RSUs vest on earlier of first anniversary or next annual meeting | Granted at 2024 annual meeting pursuant to policy |
Director Compensation Policy reference amounts:
- Annual RSU grant baseline: $285,000 less any Cash Election .
- Retainers: Committee Chair $25,000; Committee Member $10,000; Lead Independent Director $25,000; Board Chair $60,000 (for non-employee directors) .
- Acceleration: Director awards (and any elected cash amounts) accelerate upon change in control; partial/100% vesting upon death based on service length .
Performance Compensation
| Performance Element | Disclosure |
|---|---|
| Performance-based director pay | None disclosed; director equity is time-vested RSUs under policy . |
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Public Company | Role | Interlock/Conflict |
|---|---|---|
| None disclosed | — | No public company boards or interlocks disclosed for Dr. Campbell . |
Expertise & Qualifications
- Education: B.A. (English, Swarthmore); M.A. (Art History) and Ph.D. (Humanities, Syracuse) .
- Sector expertise: Arts, entertainment, and education leadership; established NYU Game Center .
- Governance: Chair of Nominating & Corporate Governance Committee; independence confirmed .
Equity Ownership
| Metric | Value | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Total beneficial ownership (shares) | 27,611 | 26,107 directly; 1,504 via trust; <1% of outstanding |
| Options (exercisable/unexercisable) | None | No options held as director |
| Outstanding RSUs | 10,493 | Director RSUs at 12/31/2024 |
| Pledged or hedged shares | Prohibited by policy | Company anti-hedging/anti-pledging policy applies to directors |
| Ownership guidelines | Lesser of $400,000 or 3,846 shares | Applies after phase-in (five years from IPO or appointment) |
| Guideline compliance | Share count implies exceedance | 27,611 shares vs 3,846-share guideline threshold |
Governance Assessment
- Board effectiveness: As Chair of Nominating & Corporate Governance, Dr. Campbell oversaw 2024 governance processes, director nominations, committee compositions, and board evaluations; 5 committee meetings indicate active engagement .
- Independence and attendance: Independence affirmed; attendance met or exceeded the 75% threshold .
- Compensation alignment: Director pay mix combines cash election and time-vested RSUs; 2024 amounts were $125,000 cash and $184,992 equity, with vesting synchronized to annual meeting cycles, supporting medium-term alignment without performance metrics for directors .
- Ownership alignment: Beneficial ownership of 27,611 shares and additional outstanding RSUs indicate substantial “skin-in-the-game”; company ownership guidelines require at least 3,846 shares for directors and she appears to exceed that threshold by share count .
- Related-party/conflicts: No related-party transactions or conflicts disclosed involving Dr. Campbell; related transactions in 2024 primarily involved Silver Lake and Sequoia (PIPE notes), not Dr. Campbell .
- RED FLAGS:
- None disclosed specific to Dr. Campbell. No hedging/pledging, loans, or related-party transactions; independence affirmed; committee chair transition in 2025 reflects governance refresh rather than a concern .