Robynne Daly
Unity SoftwareAbout Robynne Daly
Robynne Daly is an independent director of Unity Software Inc. (ticker: U), serving on the Board since 2017. She is the former Vice Chair and Co-President of Workday (also CFO 2016–2022; CAO 2012–2016) and previously held senior finance roles at VMware (Chief Accounting Officer/Corporate Controller), VeriSign, Oracle, Visa, GE Capital, and Ford. She holds a B.A. in economics and accounting from Claremont McKenna College and an M.B.A. in finance from Golden Gate University. Age: 59 . She is Unity’s Audit Committee Chair and has been designated an “audit committee financial expert” by the Board .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Workday, Inc. | Vice Chair | From Feb 2023 (end date Apr 2024) | Senior leadership oversight at a public enterprise software company . |
| Workday, Inc. | Co-President | Feb 2018 – Feb 2023 | Executive management of operations at scale . |
| Workday, Inc. | Chief Financial Officer | Apr 2016 – Jan 2022 | Led finance function through growth and public company environment . |
| Workday, Inc. | SVP & Chief Accounting Officer | Aug 2012 – Apr 2016 | Built controllership foundation . |
| VMware, Inc. | Chief Accounting Officer & Corporate Controller | Jun 2009 – Aug 2012 | Public company controllership . |
| VeriSign Inc. | SVP & Chief Accounting Officer | Not disclosed | Senior finance leadership . |
| Oracle, Visa, GE Capital, Ford | Senior finance positions | Not disclosed | Broad operational finance experience . |
External Roles
| Organization | Type | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ridgeline, Inc. | Private company | Director | Current directorship . |
| Lyra Health, Inc. | Private company | Director | Current directorship . |
| University of Hawaii Foundation | Non-profit | Board of Trustees | Current trustee . |
| Other public company boards | Public | — | None disclosed for Ms. Daly . |
Board Governance
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Independence | Board affirmatively determined Ms. Daly is independent under NYSE standards . |
| Committee assignments (2024) | Audit Committee Chair; members included Ms. Daly (Chair), Roelof Botha, and Michelle Lee; Schuler to replace Lee effective June 9, 2025 . |
| Meetings and attendance | Board met 5 times in 2024; each director attended ≥75% of Board and committee meetings for their service period . |
| Committee meetings (2024) | Audit: 8; HCCC: 7; Nominating & Corporate Governance: 5 . |
| Board leadership | Chair: James M. Whitehurst (non‑employee Chair as of May 2025); Lead Independent Director: Roelof Botha . |
| Risk oversight | Audit Committee oversees financial reporting, internal controls, cybersecurity, privacy; quarterly CSO updates and biannual privacy updates . |
Fixed Compensation
| Component (2024) | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Fees Paid in Cash | $125,000 | Amount reflects cash election and/or retainers under director policy . |
| Stock Awards (RSUs) | $184,992 | Aggregate grant-date fair value for 2024 . |
| Total | $309,992 | 2024 total non‑employee director compensation . |
Director compensation structure (policy highlights):
- Annual equity grant sized at $285,000 (directors may elect up to $100,000 in cash in lieu of a portion of the annual grant); separate retainer grants for roles: Committee Chair $25,000; Committee Member $10,000; Lead Independent Director $25,000; Board Chair $60,000; cash elections available for retainers as well. RSUs generally vest by the earlier of the first anniversary or the next annual meeting .
Performance Compensation
| Equity vehicle | Structure | Vesting/Terms | 2024 Detail |
|---|---|---|---|
| Director RSUs | Time-based RSUs | Vest fully by first anniversary or next annual meeting; change-in-control and death acceleration provisions per policy . | Stock award value for Ms. Daly: $184,992 (grant-date fair value) . |
Note: Non‑employee director compensation does not use performance metrics; awards are time-based RSUs with policy-driven vesting .
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Category | Detail |
|---|---|
| Compensation Committee interlocks | None reported for the HCCC (Ms. Daly is not an HCCC member); no interlocks/insider participation disclosed for HCCC . |
| Related-party transactions | Unity disclosed related transactions with >5% holders Silver Lake and Sequoia related to $1.0B 2.0% 2027 convertible notes; no transactions involving Ms. Daly were disclosed . |
Expertise & Qualifications
- Audit Committee Chair; designated “audit committee financial expert” by the Board .
- Deep finance, accounting, and enterprise software leadership (Workday CFO; senior roles at VMware, VeriSign; finance roles at Oracle, Visa, GE Capital, Ford) .
- Independent director with governance experience across private and non-profit boards .
Equity Ownership
| Item | Amount/Status | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Total beneficial ownership | 29,753 shares (<1%) | Count includes options exercisable within 60 days of March 1, 2025; “<1%” denotes percentage of outstanding shares . |
| Composition | 29,753 via options exercisable within 60 days | Footnote clarifies option-based beneficial ownership (fn 15). |
| Outstanding director RSUs (12/31/24) | 10,493 units | Non-employee director outstanding RSUs table . |
| Stock ownership guidelines | Directors must hold the lesser of $400,000 or 3,846 shares after phase-in (5 years) . | |
| Hedging/pledging | Company policy prohibits hedging and pledging by directors and employees . | |
| Section 16(a) | Company reported no Section 16(a) delinquencies for named reporting persons aside from specified cases not involving Ms. Daly . |
Governance Assessment
- Strengths
- Independent Audit Committee Chair with “financial expert” designation; committee met 8 times in 2024 and oversees financial reporting, internal controls, and cybersecurity, signaling robust oversight .
- Confirmed independence and ≥75% attendance; Board met 5 times in 2024; governance structure includes Lead Independent Director and executive sessions framework .
- Director pay mix leans to equity with clear vesting and change-in‑control protections, plus anti‑hedging/anti‑pledging policy and stock ownership guidelines to align interests .
- Watch items
- Beneficial ownership reported as less than 1% and primarily via options; no disclosure on individual compliance with ownership guidelines (monitor ongoing RSU vesting and share holdings) .
- Audit Committee membership changes in June 2025 (Michelle Lee resigns; Barry Schuler joins) warrant monitoring for continuity and expertise mix, though Board states all members (including Schuler) meet independence and financial literacy standards .