Lydia Jett
VimeoAbout Lydia Jett
Lydia Jett (age 44) is a venture investor and board director with two decades of experience leading and serving on boards of market‑leading technology businesses across consumer internet and e‑commerce. She is a Founding and Managing Partner of SoftBank Investment Advisors (SBIA), previously a senior investment leader at SoftBank Group; she holds degrees from Stanford Graduate School of Business, Smith College, and the London School of Economics, and is a visiting lecturer at Stanford (Entrepreneurial Finance) . She is a new director nominee to Vimeo’s Board for the 2025 Annual Meeting and has been determined to be independent under Nasdaq rules .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| SoftBank Investment Advisors (SBIA) | Founding Partner; Managing Partner; Head of Consumer Internet & eCommerce | Not disclosed | Led investments and served on boards of leading consumer platforms (global remit) |
| SoftBank Group | Senior member of investment team | Not disclosed | Led investments into Guardant Health (Nasdaq: GH), 10x Genomics (Nasdaq: TXG), Fetch Robotics |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Coupang (NYSE: CPNG) | Board Director (served) | Not disclosed | eCommerce leadership experience; SoftBank representation |
| Fanatics | Board Director (served) | Not disclosed | Consumer platforms; potential network interlock with VMEO director Glenn Schiffman (Fanatics CFO) |
| Ozon (Nasdaq: OZON) | Board Director (served) | Not disclosed | Marketplace expertise |
| Andela; Embark; Klook; LTK; Weee! | Board Director (served) | Not disclosed | Growth-stage technology and eCommerce boards |
| Stanford University | Visiting Lecturer (Entrepreneurial Finance) | Not disclosed | Academic engagement |
| YPO Los Angeles | Member | Not disclosed | Executive network affiliation |
Board Governance
- Independence: The Board determined Jett satisfies Nasdaq director independence standards; she will serve on fully independent committees .
- Committee assignments: Upon election, Jett will join the Audit Committee as Chair and has been designated an “audit committee financial expert” per SEC and Nasdaq rules .
- Board structure and executive sessions: VMEO’s Board (expanding to nine directors) separates Chair and CEO roles; independent directors meet in scheduled executive sessions without a lead independent director . The Board met seven times in 2024, with incumbent directors meeting the 75% attendance threshold; Jett is a new nominee (attendance N/A) .
Fixed Compensation
| Component | Amount (USD) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Annual Board retainer (non‑employee director) | $50,000 | Paid quarterly, in arrears |
| Audit Committee Chair fee | $20,000 | Additional annual compensation |
| Audit Committee member fee (including Chair) | $10,000 | Additional annual compensation |
| Compensation Committee Chair fee | $20,000 | Additional annual compensation |
| Compensation Committee member fee (including Chair) | $5,000 | Additional annual compensation |
| Nominating & Corporate Governance Committee | No fees | No member or chair fees disclosed |
- Deferred Compensation Plan: Non‑employee directors may defer all or part of their Board/committee fees into share units or a cash fund; cash fund credits deemed interest at JPMorgan prime; distributions upon leaving Board in lump sum or up to five annual installments .
Performance Compensation
| Equity Vehicle | Grant Value | Vesting | Change‑in‑Control Treatment | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| RSUs (non‑employee directors) | $200,000 | Two equal installments over two years from vesting start date | Full acceleration upon change in control if service terminates | Annual grants at re‑election; historical program also provides an initial grant upon first election |
- No performance‑based metrics (e.g., TSR, EBITDA) are disclosed for director equity awards; RSUs are time‑based .
- Reimbursement: Reasonable expenses for Board and committee meeting attendance are reimbursed .
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Company | Role | Exchange/Ticker | Interlock/Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Coupang | Director (served) | NYSE: CPNG | SoftBank investment; global eCommerce |
| Fanatics | Director (served) | Private | VMEO Chair Glenn Schiffman is Fanatics CFO (network interlock) |
| Ozon | Director (served) | Nasdaq: OZON | Marketplace platform |
| Andela; Embark; Klook; LTK; Weee! | Director (served) | Private | Consumer internet/eCommerce boards |
Expertise & Qualifications
- Finance, accounting, corporate governance, compensation, artificial intelligence: Core competencies noted by VMEO in nominating Jett .
- Audit committee financial expert: Designation by the Board under SEC/Nasdaq definitions .
- Industry experience: Consumer internet/eCommerce, global platforms, board service across U.S. and international markets .
- Education: Stanford GSB; Smith College; LSE; academic teaching at Stanford .
Equity Ownership
- VMEO’s Security Ownership table (as of April 21, 2025) presents holdings for director nominees and management; specific beneficial ownership amounts for Jett are not itemized in the available footnotes, and any percentage not exceeding 1% is generally indicated as “does not exceed 1%” for certain holders .
Governance Assessment
- Strengths: Independence, appointment as Audit Committee Chair, and “financial expert” status enhance oversight of reporting, controls, and cybersecurity (VMEO emphasizes CISO‑led ISMS and Audit Committee oversight) . Her global eCommerce/consumer platform board experience complements VMEO’s enterprise/AI strategy .
- Incentive alignment: Standard VMEO director pay mix balances modest cash retainer with time‑based RSUs ($200k) fostering ownership; hedging and short sales are prohibited under the Insider Trading Policy, supporting alignment with shareholders .
- Interlocks and potential conflicts: Prior service on Fanatics’ board while VMEO’s Chair (Schiffman) is Fanatics CFO creates a network interlock that may facilitate information flow but is not disclosed as a related‑party transaction; related‑party exposure at VMEO primarily involves IAC/Angi legacy arrangements, not SoftBank entities .
- Attendance/engagement: VMEO reports robust Board/committee meeting cadence and incumbent attendance; as a new nominee, Jett’s future attendance should be monitored, especially as Audit Chair .
- RED FLAGS: None disclosed specific to Jett. General watchpoints include interlocks (Fanatics) and ensuring independence remains uncompromised given extensive venture affiliations; VMEO’s related‑party transactions are focused on IAC/Angi and overseen per policy by the Audit Committee that Jett would chair .
Summary: Lydia Jett’s nomination as an independent director and Audit Committee Chair, coupled with “financial expert” designation and deep consumer internet board experience, is a positive governance signal for financial oversight and strategic discipline. Monitor for any evolving interlocks and ensure rigorous application of VMEO’s related‑party policy under her committee leadership .