Smita Conjeevaram
About Smita Conjeevaram
Smita Conjeevaram, age 64, is an independent director of WisdomTree, Inc. (WT) and serves as Chair of the Board; she has been a director since January 2021. She is a CPA with a 19-year investment and hedge fund career, including CFO roles at Fortress Investment Group (2010–2013), Everquest Financial (2006–2009) and Strategic Value Partners (2004–2005); she began as a Big-4 tax specialist and holds a B.S. in Accounting & Business Administration (Butler University) and a B.A. in Economics (Ethiraj College, Madras, India) .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fortress Investment Group LLC | CFO – Credit Hedge Funds; Deputy CFO – Credit Funds | 2010–2013 | Senior finance leadership in global investment firm |
| Everquest Financial LLC | Chief Financial Officer | 2006–2009 | Specialty finance company CFO |
| Strategic Value Partners LLC | Chief Financial Officer | 2004–2005 | CFO at global investment firm |
| Big-4 Public Accounting Firms | Tax Specialist | Early career | CPA, tax expertise foundation |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| McGrath RentCorp (NASDAQ: MGRC) | Director | Since Jan 2021 | Public company directorship |
| SkyWest, Inc. (NASDAQ: SKYW) | Director | Since Jan 2021 | Public company directorship |
| SS&C Technologies Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: SSNC) | Director | Since Nov 2015 | Public company directorship; fintech exposure |
Board Governance
- Board leadership and independence: Conjeevaram serves as independent Chair of the Board; investors and stakeholders can contact her as Board Chair, reflecting strong independent oversight .
- Committee assignments (current and recent): Member, Compensation Committee (2024–present); she chaired the Compensation Committee through 2024 and was succeeded by Rilla Delorier in January 2025; she ceased serving on the Nominating & Governance Committee in January 2025 .
- Committee activity: In 2024, Audit (8 meetings), Compensation (5 meetings), Nominating & Governance (4 meetings) underscoring active committee engagement .
- Attendance and engagement: In 2024 the Board met 13 times; each director attended at least 75% of Board and applicable committee meetings, and aggregate attendance was 99%; all directors attended the 2024 annual meeting .
- Independence: The Board determined all directors other than the CEO are independent under NYSE rules (includes Conjeevaram) .
- Executive sessions: Independent directors regularly meet in executive session without management .
Fixed Compensation
| Component | 2024 Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Fees Earned or Paid in Cash | $149,085 | Non-employee director cash compensation (retainers/committee fees) |
| Stock Awards (Grant-Date Fair Value) | $99,997 | 2024 non-employee director annual equity award (DRSUs elected) |
| Total | $249,082 | Sum of cash and equity |
| Non-Employee Director Program Terms (2024) | Amount | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Annual Board Cash Retainer | $100,000 | Paid quarterly |
| Annual Equity (Restricted Stock or DRSUs at director’s election) | $100,000 | Granted after annual meeting; vests one year from grant |
| Chair of the Board Cash Retainer | $110,000 | Additional retainer for Board Chair |
| Audit Committee – Chair / Member | $25,000 / $12,500 | Paid quarterly |
| Compensation Committee – Chair / Member | $40,000 / $15,000 | Paid quarterly |
| Nominating & Governance – Chair / Member | $15,000 / $7,500 | Paid quarterly |
| Annual Meeting Committee – Chair / Member | $12,500 / $7,500 | Established 2023 |
| Technology Strategy – Chair / Member | $15,000 / $7,500 | Established Jan 2025; no 2024 payments |
Performance Compensation
| Equity Award Detail | Grant/Units | Vesting | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 DRSUs | 10,152 units | One year from June 12, 2024 grant date | $99,997 grant-date fair value; DRSUs elected; unvested 10,152 DRSUs at 12/31/2024 |
| Payout/Settlement Triggers (DRSUs) | N/A | Shares payable upon earliest of director-elected date (if any), separation from service, or qualifying Sale Event (409A CIC) | Per program terms under 2022 Equity Plan and Deferred Compensation Program |
No performance metrics apply to director equity (time-based DRSUs/restricted stock only) .
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Category | Detail |
|---|---|
| Current public boards | McGrath RentCorp (MGRC); SkyWest (SKYW); SS&C Technologies (SSNC) |
| Compensation committee interlocks | None; no member of WT’s Compensation Committee (including Conjeevaram) had relationships requiring disclosure; no executive officer served on a board/committee where a reciprocal interlock existed |
Expertise & Qualifications
- Financial, accounting and compliance expertise; CPA; extensive asset management/financial services experience; global perspective; board believes her fintech board experience supports oversight of WT’s digital assets initiatives .
- Skills matrix indicates strengths in corporate governance, executive leadership, financial services/asset management, accounting/financial reporting, risk management and other public company expertise .
Equity Ownership
| Holder | Shares Beneficially Owned | % of Outstanding | Notable Footnotes/Components |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smita Conjeevaram | 67,497 | <0.1% | Includes 10,152 DRSUs vesting within 60 days of record date |
- Ownership guidelines: Non-employee directors must hold stock equal to 5x base retainer; as of Nov 30, 2024 all non-employee directors then serving met guidelines except newer appointees (Blake, Delorier, Mielke, Naidoo, Pankopf) and one executive (Yates). Conjeevaram met the guideline .
- Hedging/pledging: Company policy strictly prohibits short sales, derivatives, hedging and pledging by directors, officers, employees and certain consultants; margin accounts require prior Audit Committee approval .
Governance Assessment
-
Positives for investor confidence:
- Independent Board Chair with direct stockholder contact channel enhances oversight independence .
- Led the Compensation Committee through 2024, then executed planned chair rotation in January 2025—signals board refreshment and role rotation discipline; remains on the committee to preserve continuity .
- Strong attendance culture (99% aggregate; each director ≥75%); 13 Board meetings in 2024 indicate robust engagement .
- Alignment: Meets 5x retainer ownership guideline; equity grants are in stock/DRSUs; hedging/pledging prohibited .
- No related-person transactions involving Compensation Committee members; no interlocks disclosed .
-
Potential watch items:
- Multiple public company directorships (three) but within WT’s governance limit of up to four public boards per director without specific approval; audit committee “over-boarding” guardrails in place (≤3 audit committees) .
- Director equity is time-based (no director performance metrics), standard for U.S. boards; investors should monitor ongoing alignment via ownership guideline compliance .
-
RED FLAGS observed: None disclosed—no attendance shortfalls, no related-party transactions, no hedging/pledging, and no compensation interlocks .