Rob Rosenthal
UdemyAbout Rob Rosenthal
Rob Rosenthal is Udemy’s Chief Revenue Officer, serving since June 2024; he is 54 and holds a B.A. in organizational communications from Arizona State University . Prior to Udemy, he was CRO at Bloomreach (2020–2024) and held senior go‑to‑market roles at Adobe, most recently as GM, Americas, Corporate Accounts, Experience Cloud (2017–2020) . Company performance in 2024 (context for CRO tenure): total revenue increased 8% to $786.6M, adjusted EBITDA improved to $42.96M (5% margin), and Udemy Business ARR reached $516.9M; UB NDRR was 98% and Large Customer NDRR 103% .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Years | Strategic Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bloomreach | Chief Revenue Officer | Feb 2020–Jan 2024 | Led enterprise revenue for cloud e‑commerce experience platform; positioned to drive upmarket expansion |
| Adobe | GM, Americas, Corporate Accounts, Experience Cloud | Dec 2017–Jan 2020 | Senior leadership across Experience Cloud; enterprise sales and account growth |
External Roles
No external public-company directorships disclosed for Rosenthal in the 2025 proxy .
Fixed Compensation
| Component | 2024 Detail | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Base salary rate | $440,000 | Set at hire; part of FY2024 base salary matrix |
| Salary paid | $256,667 | Prorated for 2024 start; per Summary Compensation Table |
| Target bonus % | N/A | Not eligible for 2024 Employee Incentive Compensation Plan |
| Signing bonus | $154,000 | One-time sign-on; subject to repayment if resigned on/before Mar 15, 2025 |
| All other compensation | $6,600 | Company 401(k) matching contributions |
| Total 2024 compensation | $3,118,016 | Salary + signing bonus + stock awards + other |
Performance Compensation
| Metric | Weighting | Target | Actual | Payout | Vesting Mechanics |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Udemy Business ARR | 70% | $586.4M | $516.0M | 0% for this metric | Earned PSUs (for 2024 awards) vest 25% on Mar 15, 2025 and remainder quarterly over 3 years; Rosenthal did not receive 2024 PSUs (new-hire RSUs only) |
| Adjusted EBITDA margin | 30% | 2.7% | 5.9% | 150% for this metric | Same vesting cadence as above; blended PSU achievement 45% overall |
Notes:
- 2024 long-term incentive mix for continuing executives was 50% RSUs / 50% PSUs; new hires Rosenthal and Bali received 100% time-based RSUs in 2024 .
- Annual grants effective March 2025 for Rosenthal were in mixed RSUs/PSUs, consistent with the program .
Equity Ownership & Alignment
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| 2024 new-hire RSU grant | 325,000 RSUs granted on Jun 15, 2024 |
| Vesting schedule | 25% on Jun 15, 2025, then quarterly over three years, subject to continued service |
| Unvested RSUs at 12/31/2024 | 325,000 units; market value $2,674,750 at $8.23/share |
| Options outstanding | None disclosed for Rosenthal |
| Beneficial ownership (as of 3/31/2025) | Common stock beneficially owned: —; rights to acquire within 60 days: —; percentage: less than 1% (*) |
| Stock ownership guidelines | Company maintains executive stock ownership guidelines (specific multiples not disclosed) |
| Hedging/pledging | Prohibited under insider trading policy |
Outstanding equity awards (12/31/2024):
| Award Type | Grant Date | Unvested Shares (#) | Market Value ($) |
|---|---|---|---|
| RSU | Jun 15, 2024 | 325,000 | $2,674,750 (at $8.23/share) |
Employment Terms
| Provision | Outside CIC Termination | Within CIC Period (3 months before–12 months after) |
|---|---|---|
| Severance – base salary | 6 months (=$220,000) | 12 months (=$440,000) |
| Severance – target bonus | Not provided | 100% of annual target bonus (=$308,000) |
| Health benefits (COBRA) | Up to 6 months ($12,753 est.) | Up to 12 months ($25,505 est.) |
| Equity acceleration | None | 100% acceleration of unvested equity; PSUs deemed at target unless award specifies otherwise |
| Agreement term & renewal | Initial term ends 3 years after start date; auto-renews for 3-year terms unless 60-day notice | |
| Employment agreement | No fixed term; includes $154,000 signing bonus repayment condition through Mar 15, 2025 | |
| Clawback | Policy aligned with Nasdaq listing rules for incentive compensation | |
| Tax gross-ups | None; “net best” cutback applies to avoid 4999 excise tax | |
| Vesting trigger type | Double-trigger (CIC + qualifying termination or awards not assumed) |
Investment Implications
- Alignment and retention: Significant unvested RSUs (325,000) with a 25% cliff vest on Jun 15, 2025 and quarterly thereafter create ongoing retention incentives; double-trigger CIC terms limit windfalls and emphasize continued service .
- Pay-for-performance architecture: Rosenthal’s 2024 package emphasized time-based equity at hire; program-wide PSUs key off UB ARR and adjusted EBITDA margin, reinforcing profitable enterprise growth—blended 2024 PSU funding at 45% underscores rigor of targets .
- Ownership posture: As of Mar 31, 2025, no reported beneficial ownership within 60 days, but mandated ownership guidelines and prohibition on hedging/pledging mitigate misalignment risks as vesting progresses .
- Execution context: Company-level metrics in 2024—revenue growth to $786.6M, adjusted EBITDA margin to 5%, UB ARR to $516.9M—set a favorable operating backdrop for CRO-driven enterprise expansion and upsell motions in 2025+ .