Adam J. Wiener
About Adam J. Wiener
Adam J. Wiener, age 46, has served as an independent director of Clear Secure, Inc. since June 6, 2021. He chairs the Compensation Committee and serves on the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee. Wiener is President of Lower, a privately-held digital mortgage company (since December 2024), and previously held senior operating roles at Redfin (2007–2023). He holds a degree in Symbolic Systems with a concentration in Human-Computer Interaction from Stanford University .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lower (private) | President | Dec 2024–present | Executive leadership of digital mortgage platform |
| Redfin (NASDAQ: RDFN) | Chief Growth Officer; President, Real Estate Operations; Advisor | CGO 2015–2021; President 2021–Sep 2023; Advisor Sep 2023–Jun 2024 | Led customer acquisition, operations expansion, technology development, analytics; P&L responsibility |
| Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT) | SQL Server division | Prior to Redfin (dates not specified) | Product/engineering exposure |
External Roles
| Organization | Type | Role | Tenure |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lower | Private company | President | Dec 2024–present |
| Other public company boards | Public company | None | N/A |
Board Governance
- Independence: The Board determined Wiener is independent under NYSE and SEC rules .
- Committee assignments: Compensation Committee Chair; Nominating & Corporate Governance Committee member .
- Committee activity: Compensation Committee met 4 times; Nominating & Corporate Governance Committee met 4 times in 2024 .
- Board attendance: The Board met 6 times in 2024; each director on the Board during 2024 attended at least 75% of Board and committee meetings .
- Lead Independent Director: Jeffery H. Boyd serves as Lead Independent Director with robust duties (executive sessions, agenda approval, shareholder communication) .
- Executive sessions and risk oversight: Regular executive sessions of independent directors; Audit Committee oversees risk including cybersecurity .
Fixed Compensation
| Component | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Annual cash retainer | $35,000 | Standard non-executive director retainer |
| Compensation Committee chair fee | $12,000 | Applies to Wiener as committee chair |
| Annual equity retainer (RSUs) | $175,000 | Granted at annual meeting; vests by next annual meeting or one year |
| 2024 Fees Earned (cash) | $47,000 | Actual cash paid in 2024 (retainer + chair fee) |
| 2024 Stock Awards (grant-date fair value) | $174,999 | 9,771 RSUs granted June 13, 2024 |
| Total 2024 director comp | $221,999 | Cash + stock awards |
Additional structural elements:
- Director elective deferral program (adopted Feb 2025): Directors may elect to receive cash retainers in RSUs vesting quarterly and defer settlement until termination of Board service .
- Prohibition on hedging or pledging Company securities .
- Controlled company: YOU elects to comply with independence requirements despite eligibility for exemptions .
Performance Compensation
Directors do not receive performance-based pay; awards are time-based RSUs under the 2021 Omnibus Incentive Plan .
| Director Award Details | Grant Date | RSUs (#) | Grant-Date Fair Value | Vesting Schedule |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Annual equity retainer (Wiener) | Jun 13, 2024 | 9,771 | $174,999 | Vests on earlier of one year or next annual meeting |
Other Directorships & Interlocks
- Other public company directorships: None .
- Compensation Committee interlocks: None requiring disclosure under Item 404 of Regulation S-K during 2024 .
- Shared directorships with competitors/suppliers/customers: Not disclosed.
Expertise & Qualifications
- Growth leadership, new customer acquisition, operations expansion, technology development, business analytics, and P&L oversight across business lines .
- Technical background: Symbolic Systems (HCI) at Stanford .
Equity Ownership
| Measure | Amount | Date/Context |
|---|---|---|
| Beneficial ownership (Class A, fully exchanged/converted basis) | 205,863 shares | As of Mar 31, 2025; less than 1% |
| RSUs held (unvested) | 9,771 | As of Dec 31, 2024 |
| Ownership guidelines (directors) | 5x annual cash retainer | Adopted Feb 2025 |
| Hedging/pledging | Prohibited | Policy applies to directors |
Recent insider transactions (Form 4):
| Transaction Date | Filing Date | Type | Security | Shares | Price ($) | Post-Transaction Holdings | Citation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-11-06 | 2025-11-10 | Sale | Class A Common | 6,000 | 36.04 | 187,634 | |
| 2025-10-01 | 2025-10-02 | Sale | Class A Common | 8,000 | 33.02 | 193,634 | |
| 2025-08-21 | 2025-08-25 | Sale | Class A Common | 6,000 | 35.00 | 201,634 | |
| 2025-07-17 | 2025-07-18 | Sale | Class A Common | 5,000 | 30.00 | 207,634 | |
| 2025-07-01 | 2025-07-02 | Sale | Class A Common | 3,000 | 27.50 | 212,634 | |
| 2025-06-05 | 2025-06-09 | Award | RSUs | 6,741 | 0.00 | 6,741 (RSUs) | |
| 2025-06-05 | 2025-06-09 | M-Exempt | RSUs→Common | 9,771 | 0.00 | 215,634 | |
| 2025-03-17 | 2025-03-18 | Sale | Class A Common | 3,000 | 25.00 | 205,863 | |
| 2024-06-13 | 2024-06-14 | Award | RSUs | 9,771 | 0.00 | 9,771 (RSUs) | |
| 2024-06-13 | 2024-06-14 | M-Exempt | RSUs→Common | 7,056 | 0.00 | 208,863 | |
| 2023-06-14 | 2023-06-15 | Award | RSUs | 7,056 | 0.00 | 7,056 (RSUs) | |
| 2023-06-14 | 2023-06-15 | M-Exempt | RSUs→Common | 8,325 | 0.00 | 201,807 |
Notes:
- 2024 Director Compensation table shows aggregate RSUs held by Wiener at 12/31/2024: 9,771 .
- Beneficial ownership table shows 205,863 Class A shares for Wiener, fully exchanged/converted basis .
Governance Assessment
- Strengths: Independent status; chairs Compensation Committee; active on Nominating & Governance; Board elects to maintain independent committees despite controlled company status .
- Engagement: Board and committees met regularly; directors attended at least 75% in 2024; executive sessions used .
- Alignment: Director stock ownership guidelines (5x cash retainer) and prohibition on hedging/pledging improve alignment and reduce risk .
- Compensation structure: Director pay is modest in cash with equity retainer; Wiener’s 2024 fees $47k and RSU grant $174,999 align with peers and role as Compensation Chair .
- Conflicts/interlocks: No Compensation Committee interlocks or related-party relationships requiring disclosure in 2024 .
- Signals: Multiple small open-market sales in 2025 (3,000–8,000 shares each) while maintaining a substantial holding may reflect diversification and liquidity management; no evidence of hedging/pledging and continued RSU awards support ongoing alignment [Insider Trades table above] .
Potential red flags to monitor:
- Continued selling cadence by a compensation committee chair can draw scrutiny during pay oversight cycles; monitor consistency with any 10b5-1 plans and blackout policies [Insider Trades URLs].
- Controlled company status concentrates voting power with founders, though the Board voluntarily complies with independence requirements; investors should continue to assess committee independence and lead director efficacy .