Sari Granat
Venture GlobalAbout Sari Granat
Sari Granat, age 54, is an independent director of Venture Global, Inc. (VG), serving since September 2023; she also joined the board of Venture Global LNG, Inc. (VGLNG), VG’s wholly-owned subsidiary, in January 2022 . Granat is President and Chief Operating Officer of Chainalysis since 2022, overseeing finance, HR, legal, information security, IT, and sales; previously she was Chief Administrative Officer and General Counsel at IHS Markit (2012–2022) and held senior roles at TheMarkets.com, Dow Jones, Kaplan, Skadden, and Kenyon & Kenyon . The Board has formally determined she is independent under NYSE and SEC rules . She currently serves on Assurant, Inc.’s board, sitting on its Compensation & Talent Committee and Information Technology Committee .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| IHS Markit | Chief Administrative Officer and General Counsel, leading InfoSec, IT, Legal, Risk, Privacy, Compliance | 2012–2022 | Led risk, privacy, and IT functions at a $45+ billion data/analytics firm prior to merger with S&P Global |
| TheMarkets.com LLC | Chief Administrative Officer and Head of Business Development | 2010–2012 | Senior leadership in fintech/data provider |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Focus |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chainalysis | President & COO; manages G&A (finance, HR, legal, InfoSec, IT) and sales | Since 2022 | Strategy to advance trust and transparency in global crypto community |
| Assurant, Inc. (NYSE: AIZ) | Director | Current | Compensation & Talent Committee; Information Technology Committee |
| ComplySci | Director | Prior | Regulatory technology board service |
| Opening Act (non-profit) | Director | Prior | Arts equity in NYC public schools |
| VMware | CxO Advisory Council (member) | Prior | Advisory capacity |
| NACD | General Counsel Steering Committee (member) | Prior | Governance leadership community |
| Venture Global LNG, Inc. (subsidiary) | Director | Since Jan 2022 | Board member at wholly-owned subsidiary |
Board Governance
- Committee assignments: Member, Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee; not a chair. The committee is chaired by Executive Co-Chairman Michael Sabel .
- Independence: VG’s Board determined Granat is independent under SEC/NYSE standards .
- Attendance: 100% attendance at Board and committee meetings in 2024 (during her period of service) .
- Board leadership: VG uses an Executive Co-Chairman structure led by CEO Michael Sabel and founder Robert Pender; independent directors appoint a presiding director solely to lead executive sessions, with appointments expiring after each meeting .
- Controlled company status: VG is a “controlled company” under NYSE rules (VG Partners controls ~97.8% voting power), and has elected exemptions such that Compensation and Nominating & Governance Committees are not fully independent; Audit Committee is fully independent .
- Hedging/pledging policy: Directors are prohibited from hedging and pledging VG securities; short sales are prohibited .
Fixed Compensation
| Component | Amount | Period/Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Fees earned or paid in cash | $240,000 | 2024 non-employee director compensation (Granat) |
| Total director compensation (reported) | $240,000 | 2024 total for Granat (no additional items reported) |
| Pre-IPO meeting fees | $60,000 per regular/special Board meeting, cash | Legacy policy pre-IPO (not necessarily applicable in 2024 aggregate totals) |
Director compensation policy post-IPO (administered by Compensation Committee):
| Policy Element | Amount | Vesting/Timing |
|---|---|---|
| Annual cash retainer (Board) | $240,000 | For non-employee directors |
| Committee chair retainer | Audit: $50,000; Compensation: $40,000; Nominating & Governance: $40,000 | Annual cash |
| Committee member retainer | $25,000 per committee | Annual cash |
Performance Compensation
Director equity program (post-IPO):
| Equity Element | Grant Value | Instrument | Grant Timing | Vesting |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Initial director grant | Determined by Compensation Committee discretion | Stock options or RSUs | Upon initial election/appointment | Equal annual installments over 4 years |
| Annual director grant | $200,000 aggregate grant date value | Stock options or RSUs | On or about annual stockholder meeting date | Equal annual installments over 4 years |
- Performance metrics tied to director compensation: None disclosed; grants are time-based vesting (no stated TSR/financial hurdles) .
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Company | Role | Committees | Potential Conflict/Interlock |
|---|---|---|---|
| Assurant, Inc. | Director | Compensation & Talent; IT | No VG-related related-party transactions disclosed; sector distinct from LNG |
| ComplySci | Director (prior) | N/A | No VG-related related-party transactions disclosed |
| Opening Act | Director (prior) | N/A | Not applicable |
| VMware | CxO Advisory Council (prior) | N/A | Not applicable |
| NACD | GC Steering Committee (prior) | N/A | Not applicable |
Expertise & Qualifications
- Senior operating executive across fintech/data and blockchain analytics; current President & COO at Chainalysis overseeing enterprise G&A and sales .
- Deep legal, risk, privacy, compliance, IT, and information security leadership experience; more than 10 years as general counsel of public companies at IHS Markit .
- Prior strategy/legal roles at Dow Jones, Kaplan, Skadden, and Kenyon & Kenyon; board service in fintech/regtech and non-profit sectors .
Equity Ownership
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Beneficial ownership (Class A shares) | 1,836,380 shares; percent ownership “*” (less than 1%) as of March 25, 2025 |
| Class B shares owned | None |
| Shares pledged as collateral | Pledging prohibited by policy; no pledging disclosed |
| Hedging/derivatives on VG stock | Prohibited by policy, with limited pre-approved exceptions |
Governance Assessment
- Positives: Independent status, 100% attendance in 2024, and strong governance/technology risk credentials (privacy, InfoSec, IT) enhance board oversight of cyber and operational risk .
- Alignment: Beneficial ownership and new post-IPO director equity program (time-vested options/RSUs) modestly improve alignment with shareholders; hedging/pledging prohibition is shareholder-friendly .
- Watch items / RED FLAGS: VG’s “controlled company” status and non-independent composition of the Compensation and Nominating & Governance Committees (with the CEO/founder chairing N&G) may constrain independent oversight and raise potential conflict-of-interest concerns; lack of a standing lead independent director beyond presiding director for sessions further weakens independent counterbalance .
- Related-party exposure: No related-party transactions disclosed involving Granat; notable related-party settlements involve another director (Jimmy Staton), underscoring the importance of continued Audit Committee oversight of related-party matters .