Item 5.02 Departure of Directors or Certain Officers; Election of Directors; Appointment of Certain Officers;
Compensatory Arrangements of Certain Officers.
On August 2, 2022, Sonder Holdings Inc. (the “Company”) announced, as follows:
Appointment of Deeksha Hebbar, Chief Operating Officer
The Company promoted Deeksha Hebbar, 37, to Chief Operating Officer of the Company, effective July 15, 2022. Ms. Hebbar had served as the Company’s Senior Vice President of Operations since September 2021. Previously she served as the Company’s Vice President of Operations from May 2018 to September 2021 and Regional General Manager from September 2017 to May 2018. Prior to joining the Company in 2017, Ms. Hebbar served in various operations roles of increasing responsibility at Luxe Valet, Inc., an on demand parking and valet service acquired by Volvo Car Group, including Vice President of Business from January 2017 to August 2017, and Senior Director of City Operations from April 2016 to January 2017. Ms. Hebbar holds a B.S. in Economics and B.S.E in Engineering from Wharton and the School of Engineering at the University of Pennsylvania’s Jerome Fisher Program in Management and Technology and an MBA from Harvard Business School.
In connection with Ms. Hebbar’s promotion as Chief Operating Officer, the Compensation Committee of the Board (the “Compensation Committee”) granted Ms. Hebbar a stock option award covering 1,836,850 shares of Company common stock, that will vest monthly in 48 equal installments, subject to Ms. Hebbar’s continued employment with the Company on the applicable vesting dates. In connection with her promotion, Ms. Hebbar’s annual base salary is $480,000. Ms. Hebbar will participate in the Company’s Key Executive Change in Control and Severance Plan.
There are no arrangements or understandings between Ms. Hebbar and any other persons pursuant to which Ms. Hebbar was selected to become Chief Operating Officer of the Company, nor are there any family relationships between Ms. Hebbar and any of the Company’s directors or other executive officers subject to disclosure under Item 401(d) of Regulation S-K. Neither Ms. Hebbar nor any related person of Ms. Hebbar has a direct or indirect material interest in any transaction that would require disclosure under Item 404(a) of Regulation S-K.
Appointment of Chris Berry, Chief Accounting Officer
The Company appointed Chris Berry, 47, as Senior Vice President and Chief Accounting Officer of the Company, effective August 1, 2022. Mr. Berry joins the Company from Alaska Air Group, Inc. (NYSE: ALK), where he served as Vice President, Corporate Controller, and Chief Accounting Officer from February 2017 to April 2022. Mr. Berry joined Alaska Air Group, Inc. in 2005 and served in various roles of increasing responsibility in SEC reporting, accounting operations, and investor relations, including Managing Director of Accounting, Corporate Controller and Principal Accounting Officer from February 2014 to February 2017, Managing Director, Investor Relations from October 2010 to February 2014, and Director, Financial Reporting and Accounting from March 2005 to October 2010. Mr. Berry holds a Bachelor of Business Administration from the University of Louisiana Monroe and holds a CPA license in Washington State.
In connection with Mr. Berry’s appointment as Chief Accounting Officer, the Compensation Committee will grant Mr. Berry a one-time equity award of 400,000 restricted stock units covering shares of Company common stock, that will vest 25% on the one-year anniversary of the applicable vesting commencement date and in equal quarterly installments thereafter over the next three years, subject to Mr. Berry’s continued employment with the Company on the applicable vesting dates. Mr. Berry’s annual base salary is $400,000. Mr. Berry will participate in the Company’s Key Executive Change in Control and Severance Plan.
There are no arrangements or understandings between Mr. Berry and any other persons pursuant to which Mr. Berry was selected to become Chief Accounting Officer, nor are there any family relationships between Mr. Berry and any of the Company’s directors or other executive officers subject to disclosure under Item 401(d) of Regulation S-K. Neither Mr. Berry nor any related person of Mr. Berry has a direct or indirect material interest in any transaction that would require disclosure under Item 404(a) of Regulation S-K.