NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Yext, Inc. (NYSE: YEXT), the enterprise marketing platform for an agentic world (“Yext” or “Company”), announced that the Board of Directors (the “Board”) has approved a new, long-term performance equity package (the “Compensation Package”) for its CEO, Michael Walrath, with vesting contingent upon the achievement of various stock price targets that would require substantial and sustained increases in the Company’s current stock price. The Compensation Package, which is subject to stockholder approval, is designed to ensure that Mr. Walrath’s compensation is aligned with long-term stockholder value, and also recognizes the importance of Mr. Walrath continuing to lead Yext into the future. The Board intends the Compensation Package to be Mr. Walrath’s sole new equity compensation for the next ten years and that any additional equity award during this period will have stock price targets that are above $88.08, the highest target in the Compensation Package.
The Compensation Package consists of stock options to purchase as many as 11,000,000 shares of Yext common stock at $7 per share. The various tranches of stock options only vest if certain stock price targets are achieved and maintained between a range of $21 to $88.08. In addition to price targets, certain continuous service periods as CEO must also be satisfied.
“Michael has repositioned Yext for a world where brands are discovered through AI answers and agents, while building a more profitable, cash-generative business,” said Andrew Sheehan, Lead Independent Director of the Board. “We believe he is the right person to lead Yext into the future, and this award is designed so that both our stockholders and Michael benefit from the team’s successful efforts.”
“I appreciate the Yext Board’s confidence in me,” said Michael Walrath. “This award ties my long-term compensation entirely to delivering substantial, lasting value for our stockholders. I am excited to lead Yext in this time of industry disruption. We see a wealth of opportunity to continue to expand our AI focused product offering to serve world class marketers.”
For additional details on the Compensation Package, please refer to the 8-K filed today with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
About Yext
Yext (NYSE: YEXT) is the enterprise agentic marketing platform serving thousands of global brands. Built on the world's most comprehensive structured data platform for local businesses, Yext gives brands and their partners the visibility and intelligence to win every moment of discovery – across AI and traditional search. Yext's API-first architecture connects structured data to APIs, MCP servers, and generative interfaces, so partners and developers can build purpose-built experiences on the same infrastructure powering Yext's own products. Many of the largest and most recognizable brands and digital marketing partners in financial services, healthcare, retail, hospitality, food and beyond rely on Yext to manage, measure, and optimize visibility at scale. For more information, visit yext.com.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains “forward-looking statements” including, without limitation, statements regarding Yext's expectations, beliefs, intentions, and strategies regarding the future, including the performance of the Company’s long-term strategies and resulting stock price. These statements are based upon current beliefs and are subject to many risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from these statements, including, among others, the execution of the Company’s business plan, continued adoption of the Company’s products and services, and general economic conditions. Additional information on these and other risks that could affect Yext’s results is included under “Risk Factors” in Yext’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the fiscal quarter ended July 31, 2026, and in other reports Yext files with the Securities and Exchange Commission. All forward-looking statements are based on information available to Yext on the date hereof, and Yext assumes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.