Blake J. Irving served as the CEO of GoDaddy from 2013 to 2017 and played a key role in the company's growth during that time. He has a solid educational background with a B.A. in Economics from Delhi University and...

Blake J. Irving served as the CEO of GoDaddy from 2013 to 2017 and played a key role in the company's growth during that time. He has a solid educational background with a B.A. in Economics from Delhi University and an M.B.A. from Lancaster University. Before leading GoDaddy, Irving worked at Yahoo! and Microsoft, gaining substantial experience in tech leadership. He was also involved in multiple high-level management roles, which helped him build expertise in business strategy and operations. In 2017, his total compensation was reported at about $2 million, reflecting a focus on performance-based incentives. Notably, his insider trading activity showed significant fluctuations in the value of his holdings, peaking at around $30 million in early 2024. This aspect highlights his deep involvement and belief in the company's future. Under his leadership, GoDaddy emphasized aligning employee interests with shareholder values, ensuring that performance metrics were clearly defined and tied to compensation.

Quick Links

1. Rivals

2. Holdings

3. Insider Trading

4. Compensation History

5. Other GoDaddy CEOs

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Blake J. Irving

Ex-CEO of GoDaddy

Education

B.A. degree in economics from Delhi University and an M.B.A. degree from Lancaster University.

Field of Expertise

Business & Management

Sector of Economy

Technology

Born

April 2, 1958 - 67 years ago

CEO of GoDaddy for

4 years 11 months (Jan 2013 - Dec 2017)

Previous Experience

President of the Brand Expedia Group at Brand Expedia Group, Inc.

Rivals

Competitors/colleagues of Blake J. Irving

F

Todd Nightingale

CEO of Fastly

2023 Compensation

Stock

$8.99M

Salary

$600.00K

Bonus

$600.00K

Other

$0.00

Total Holdings

$11.52M

Holdings

See how much did Blake J. Irving make over time.

Blake J. Irving had substantial holdings during his time as CEO of GoDaddy, with insider trading records showing values fluctuating from about $16.53 million in September 2019 to a peak around $30 million in early 2024. His wealth in GoDaddy...

Blake J. Irving had substantial holdings during his time as CEO of GoDaddy, with insider trading records showing values fluctuating from about $16.53 million in September 2019 to a peak around $30 million in early 2024. His wealth in GoDaddy stock shows his confidence in the company and its direction. Throughout the years, the value of his holdings experienced some ups and downs, reflecting market conditions and GoDaddy’s performance as a leading domain provider. These numbers indicate a strong belief from Irving in what the company was building and its ability to deliver value to shareholders. This level of investment suggests that he had much of his wealth tied up in the company's future prospects, emphasizing his commitment and confidence in GoDaddy.

Total Stock Sold

$42.47M

GDDY

$42.47M

962,741 GDDY shares

What if they kept their stock?

If Blake J. Irving didn't sell their stock, today they would have:
Extra GDDY962,741 shares worth $76.19M.
This is 79.41% and $33.72M more than what they got when they sold the stock.

Insider Trading

See recent insider trades of Blake J. Irving.

DOCU

3,791 shares

DOCU

Jun 17, 2019

Received

DOCU

5,893 shares

DOCU

Aug 29, 2018

Received

GDDY

$3.30M

GDDY at $66.04/share

May 8, 2018

Sale

GDDY

$3.03M

GDDY at $60.51/share

Apr 10, 2018

Sale

GDDY

$3.14M

GDDY at $62.84/share

Mar 13, 2018

Sale

GDDY

$2.63M

GDDY at $52.57/share

Feb 13, 2018

Sale

GDDY

$2.55M

GDDY at $50.95/share

Jan 9, 2018

Sale

GDDY

$2.41M

GDDY at $48.15/share

Dec 12, 2017

Sale

GDDY

$2.43M

GDDY at $48.53/share

Nov 14, 2017

Sale

GDDY

$1.64M

GDDY at $43.67/share

Oct 10, 2017

Sale

Compensation History

See how much did Blake J. Irving make over time.

Blake J. Irving's compensation at GoDaddy varied throughout his tenure. In 2017, he earned a total of approximately $2 million, which included a salary of $1 million and a performance-based bonus of an additional $1 million. His compensation structure was designed to align his interests with stockholders, emphasizing performance against specific goals. Prior to 2017, his earnings reflected a mix of salary and variable bonuses contingent on meeting financial metrics like bookings and adjusted EBITDA. This approach was indicative of GoDaddy's strategy to attract and retain top talent by linking significant portions of pay to company performance and achievement of corporate goals. Overall, Irving's earnings package highlighted a focus on accountability and results-driven leadership.

Year

2017

Total Compensation

$1.51M

Salary

$750.00K

Board Justification

The compensation philosophy is designed to attract, retain, and motivate key employees, aligning their interests with those of stockholders through performance-based incentives.

Bonus

$750.00K

Board Justification

The bonus is based on the achievement of performance goals set at the beginning of the year, with a target cash incentive payment equal to 100% of base salary.

Other

$5.00K

Board Justification

Other compensation includes health insurance benefits and other perks.

Restricted Stock

$0.00(0 N/A)

Board Justification

No stock was vested in 2017 as the focus is on the total compensation excluding stock grants.

Performance Metrics

Performance metrics include bookings, unlevered free cash flow, and total customers.

Other GoDaddy CEOs

Here are other CEOs of GoDaddy

Scott W. Wagner

Ex-CEO of GoDaddy

January 2018 - September 2019