Ohad Korkus
VARONIS SYSTEMSAbout Ohad Korkus
Ohad Korkus, age 46, is Varonis Systems’ co-founder and has served on the Board since 2007; he was Chief Technology Officer from 2007 until February 2018. He co-conceived and developed the MetaData Framework with CEO Yakov Faitelson, created patents for permissions visualization, simulation and data analysis, and previously led architecture/design work at NetVision and NetApp; the Board identifies him as independent under Nasdaq rules .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Varonis Systems, Inc. | Chief Technology Officer | 2007–Feb 2018 | Co-developed core MetaData Framework; authored patents in permissions visualization/simulation/data analysis |
| NetVision, Inc. | Architecture/Design/Development | Prior to 2007 (dates not disclosed) | Built solutions across storage/networking/OS/software disciplines |
| NetApp, Inc. | Architecture/Design/Development | Prior to 2007 (dates not disclosed) | Built solutions across storage/networking/OS/software disciplines |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| — | — | — | No other current/past public company directorships disclosed |
Board Governance
- Committee assignments: Chair, Technology Committee; members include Faitelson, Comolli, Gavin, Korkus, van den Bosch; 5 meetings held in fiscal 2024. The committee oversees technology strategy, R&D roadmap approvals, cybersecurity/data security risk, disaster recovery, business continuity, and technology-related policies .
- Independence: Board determined all current directors are independent except CEO/Chair Yakov Faitelson; Korkus is independent .
- Attendance: Each director attended at least 75% of aggregate Board and committee meetings in 2024; nine directors attended the 2024 Annual Meeting (individual attendance rates not separately disclosed) .
- Lead Independent Director: John J. Gavin Jr. serves as Lead Director with responsibilities for executive sessions, agendas, shareholder communication, and succession discussions .
Committee Assignment Details
| Committee | Role | Meetings in 2024 | Scope |
|---|---|---|---|
| Technology Committee | Chair | 5 | Technology strategy; tech risk (cybersecurity/data); R&D roadmap; project investment recommendations; policies; staffing plans |
Fixed Compensation
| Year | Board Cash Retainer ($) | Technology Committee Chair Fee ($) | Total Cash ($) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 30,000 | 7,500 | 37,500 |
Notes: Non-employee director cash schedule—Board: $30,000; Audit Chair $20,000/Members $7,500; Compensation Chair $10,500/Members $5,000; Nominating Chair $7,500/Members $3,500; Technology Chair $7,500/Members $3,500; Lead Director $19,000 (not applicable to Korkus) .
Performance Compensation
Varonis compensates non-employee directors primarily in RSUs with annual grants sized at $190,000 grant-date fair value; directors receive no options and RSUs vest on time-based schedules aligned to the annual cycle .
| Grant Date | Award Type | Shares Granted (#) | Grant-Date Fair Value ($) | Vesting Date | Vesting Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 8, 2024 | RSU | 4,163 | 189,999 (price $45.64 close) | May 30, 2025 | Time-based; continued service |
Mix and structure: On average, >80% of non-employee director pay is equity (RSUs) each year; Korkus’s 2024 pay mix was ~83% equity ($189,999 RSUs) and ~17% cash ($37,500) .
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Category | Detail |
|---|---|
| Current public company boards | None |
| Prior public company boards | None disclosed |
| Interlocks/overlaps | None disclosed for Korkus |
Expertise & Qualifications
- Co-founder; deep engineering leadership across storage, networking, operating systems, and software development; patent creator in permissions visualization/simulation/data analysis .
- Board-qualified technology oversight; chairs Technology Committee spanning cybersecurity/data risk and product/R&D governance .
Equity Ownership
| As of Date | Vested Shares Owned (#) | RSUs Vesting ≤60 Days (#) | Total Beneficial Ownership (#) | % Outstanding | Ownership Guideline | Guideline Status | Pledged/Hedged |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 10, 2025 | 114,393 | 4,163 | 118,556 | <1% (*) | 5x annual cash retainer for directors | Compliant as of 12/31/2024 (all directors) | Hedging/pledging prohibited by policy |
(*) Represents beneficial ownership of less than 1%.
Unexercised options: None outstanding for non-employee directors; Korkus had 4,163 unvested RSUs outstanding at 12/31/2024 .
Governance Assessment
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Strengths: Independent status despite founder background; chairs Technology Committee overseeing critical cyber/data risks and R&D alignment; meets attendance expectations; pay mix heavily equity with standardized, time-based RSUs; compliant with robust 5x retainer stock ownership guideline; company policies prohibit hedging/pledging and include clawback—reducing misalignment risks .
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Potential watch items: Founder tenure may raise entrenchment concerns in some frameworks, but Board emphasizes refreshment and independence; Korkus is not on Audit/Comp/Nominating committees—reducing potential conflicts in core oversight areas; no related-party transactions involving Korkus disclosed, mitigating conflict risk .
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Overall signal: Governance profile supports investor confidence—independent director with deep technical expertise leading the Board’s technology/cyber oversight, strong equity alignment, and no disclosed conflicts or pledging/hedging; compensation structure is standardized and modest in cash with transparent vesting and no options for directors .