Nikesh Arora
Uber TechnologiesAbout Nikesh Arora
Nikesh Arora (age 57) was appointed to Uber’s Board on May 31, 2025. He is Chairman and CEO of Palo Alto Networks (since June 2018), and previously held senior roles at SoftBank (President/COO 2015–2016; Vice Chair/CEO of SoftBank Internet & Media 2014–2015) and Google (SVP and Chief Business Officer 2011–2014). At Uber, he was appointed to the Compensation Committee and the Nominating & Governance Committee .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| SoftBank Group Corp. | President & Chief Operating Officer | Jul 2015 – Jun 2016 | — |
| SoftBank Internet & Media (SoftBank subsidiary) | Vice Chair & Chief Executive Officer | Jul 2014 – Jun 2015 | — |
| Google, Inc. | Senior Vice President & Chief Business Officer | Jan 2011 – Jun 2014 | — |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Palo Alto Networks | Chairman & Chief Executive Officer | Jun 2018 – present | — |
| Compagnie Financière Richemont S.A. | Director | Current | — |
| Aviva plc | Director | 2007 – 2009 | — |
| Bharti Airtel | Director | 2008 – 2014 | — |
| Sprint Corp. | Director | 2014 – 2016 | — |
| Colgate-Palmolive Company | Director | 2012 – 2014 | — |
| SoftBank Group Corp. | Director | 2014 – 2016 | — |
| Yahoo! Japan | Director | 2015 – 2016 | — |
Board Governance
| Topic | Details |
|---|---|
| Committee assignments | Member: Compensation Committee; Nominating & Governance Committee |
| Committee independence | Uber states all members of the Audit, Compensation, and Nominating & Governance Committees are independent per charters/practice . |
| Independence/related parties | Board determined no Item 404(a) related-party transactions for Arora; no arrangements/understandings for selection . |
| Director elections | All directors are elected annually by majority vote in uncontested elections . |
| Attendance and engagement | In 2024, the Board met 9x; Audit 6x; Compensation 6x; Nominating & Governance 4x; each director attended ≥75% of meetings; non-management executive sessions were held . (Arora joined in 2025; attendance data for him not yet disclosed.) |
2024 Meeting Activity (context)
| Body | Meetings (2024) |
|---|---|
| Board | 9 |
| Audit | 6 |
| Compensation | 6 |
| Nominating & Governance | 4 |
Fixed Compensation
| Element | Amount/Terms | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Annual cash retainer (director) | $60,000 (prorated for 2025) | For non-employee directors; reflects 2025 level in Arora appointment 8-K . |
| Committee cash retainers | Entitled as a member of Compensation and Nominating & Governance Committees | Under Uber’s 2024 policy baseline: $15,000 per non-chair member for each of Compensation and Nominating & Governance . |
| Meeting fees | None | Reimbursement of reasonable travel/lodging . |
Performance Compensation
| Award Type | Grant Value | Vesting | Performance Metrics |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual RSU (director) | $300,000 (prorated for 2025) | Vests prior to each Annual Meeting of Stockholders | Time-based; no performance metrics disclosed for director RSUs |
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Category | Detail |
|---|---|
| Current other public company boards | Richemont (Director) |
| Significant executive roles | Palo Alto Networks (Chairman & CEO) |
| Disclosed interlocks with Uber | None disclosed in filings reviewed . |
| Related-party transactions | None requiring disclosure under Item 404(a) (Arora) . |
Expertise & Qualifications
- Technology and cybersecurity leadership, including as CEO/Chair of a global cybersecurity company .
- Global operational and financial expertise; senior leadership at Google and SoftBank; extensive public board experience .
- Placed on Compensation and Nominating & Governance Committees, signaling governance and human capital oversight relevance .
Equity Ownership
| Topic | Detail |
|---|---|
| Beneficial ownership at Uber | Not disclosed in 2025 proxy (appointment occurred May 31, 2025, post proxy record/timing) . |
| Director stock ownership guidelines | Non-employee directors must hold Uber stock valued at 10x annual cash retainer within five years of becoming subject to the guidelines . |
| Hedging/pledging | Hedging and pledging of Uber stock by directors or employees is not permitted . |
| Company-level compliance snapshot | As of the 2024 measurement date, all executive officers and non-employee directors were in compliance with ownership guidelines (pre-dating Arora’s appointment) . |
Governance Assessment
- Positive signals: Immediate assignment to Compensation and Nominating & Governance underscores expertise in pay governance and board composition; both committees are fully independent per Uber’s practice . Annual equity grants are time-vested RSUs, aligning director value with shareholder outcomes; strict no-hedging/pledging and robust 10x ownership guidelines strengthen alignment .
- Compensation structure: 2025 director pay levels for Arora ($60k cash; $300k RSUs) exceed 2024 policy levels ($50k cash; $275k RSUs), indicating upward reset of director pay; committee member retainers baseline remained $15k per non-chair member for Comp and N&G in 2024 policy .
- Conflicts/related-party: 8-K explicitly states no Item 404(a) related-party transactions and no arrangements/understandings for his selection; note his concurrent role as PANW CEO/Chair but no Uber-related transactions disclosed .
- Attendance/engagement: Board met frequently in 2024 with strong attendance across directors; Arora joined in 2025, so individual attendance not yet disclosed .
RED FLAGS: None disclosed regarding related-party transactions, hedging/pledging, or attendance (for Arora) in the filings reviewed. Continue to monitor future proxy for beneficial ownership, attendance, and any committee fee updates .