Carl Bass was the CEO of Autodesk from 2006 to 2017, steering the company through a massive shift from selling software outright to a subscription-based model. This change helped Autodesk reach over 4 million paid subscribers worldwide, showing his ability...

Carl Bass was the CEO of Autodesk from 2006 to 2017, steering the company through a massive shift from selling software outright to a subscription-based model. This change helped Autodesk reach over 4 million paid subscribers worldwide, showing his ability to adapt and innovate in a rapidly changing industry. He earned a total compensation that peaked at over $12 million in 2017, primarily from his salary and benefits rather than stock options. This aligns with his philosophy of linking pay to performance, where he focused on revenue growth and subscription renewals as guiding metrics.

Quick Links

1. Rivals

2. Holdings

3. Insider Trading

4. Compensation History

5. Other Autodesk CEOs

A

Carl Bass

Ex-CEO of Autodesk

Education

N/A

Field of Expertise

Business & Management

Sector of Economy

Technology

Born

October 3, 1958 - 66 years ago

CEO of Autodesk for

10 years 9 months (May 2006 - Feb 2017)

Previous Experience

Chief Operating Officer, Senior Executive Vice President, Design Solutions Group, Executive Vice President, Emerging Business and Chief Strategy Officer

Rivals

Competitors/colleagues of Carl Bass

I

Sasan Goodarzi

CEO of Intuit

2023 Compensation

Stock

$0.00

Salary

$1.10M

Bonus

$1.98M

Other

$10.00K

Total Holdings

$26.59M

T

H. Lynn Moore Jr.

CEO of Tyler Technologies

2022 Compensation

Stock

$3.41M

Salary

$600.00K

Bonus

$0.00

Other

$12.22K

Total Holdings

$46.69M

T

John S. Marr Jr.

CEO of Tyler Technologies

2022 Compensation

Stock

$0.00

Salary

$300.00K

Bonus

$0.00

Other

$7.50K

Total Holdings

$52.82M

S

William R. McDermott

CEO of ServiceNow

2023 Compensation

Stock

$0.00

Salary

$1.35M

Bonus

$3.15M

Other

$351.09K

Total Holdings

$11.00M

A

Ajei S. Gopal

CEO of Ansys

2023 Compensation

Stock

$0.00

Salary

$850.00K

Bonus

$2.40M

Other

$0.00

Total Holdings

$94.82M

C

John P. Calamos, Sr.

Founder and CEO of Calamos Strategic Total Return

2023 Compensation

Stock

$0.00

Salary

$0.00

Bonus

$0.00

Other

$0.00

Total Holdings

$26.16M

Holdings

See how much did Carl Bass make over time.

During his time at Autodesk, Carl Bass was involved in significant equity awards, including the issue of options valued at $3.7 million in 2011. However, his focus remained more on cash compensation than equity. Over the years, his stock options...

During his time at Autodesk, Carl Bass was involved in significant equity awards, including the issue of options valued at $3.7 million in 2011. However, his focus remained more on cash compensation than equity. Over the years, his stock options and grants played a minimal role in his wealth. By the time of his resignation in 2017, he navigated through an environment where stock options were not commonly exercised or vested, showing a lean towards steady salary and cash bonuses instead. His wealth was concentrated in Autodesk but didn't rely heavily on fluctuating stock value, which offered him financial stability during his tenure.

Total Stock Sold

$134.97M

ADSK

$134.97M

2,565,230 ADSK shares

What if they kept their stock?

If Carl Bass didn't sell their stock, today they would have:
Extra ADSK2,565,230 shares worth $577.69M.
This is 328.03% and $442.72M more than what they got when they sold the stock.

Charitable Transactions

ADSK

90,057 shares

ADSK

Recent Charitable Transactions

ADSK

35,289 shares

ADSK

Oct 15, 2017

Charity

ADSK

90,057 shares

ADSK

Dec 18, 2012

Charity

Insider Trading

See recent insider trades of Carl Bass.

VLD

$7.27K

VLD at $1.24/share

Aug 31, 2024

Received

VLD

$8.41K

VLD at $2.61/share

Jul 31, 2024

Received

PL

93,583 shares

PL

Jul 11, 2024

Received

VLD

$8.32K

VLD at $3.34/share

Jun 30, 2024

Received

VLD

199,236 shares

VLD

Jun 10, 2024

Received

VLD

$6.90K

VLD at $0.15/share

May 31, 2024

Received

PL

191,479 shares

PL

Dec 7, 2021

Received

BOX

7,949 shares

BOX

Sep 9, 2021

Received

BOX

24,390 shares

BOX

May 26, 2020

Received

ADSK

63,108 shares

ADSK

Mar 26, 2018

Received

Compensation History

See how much did Carl Bass make over time.

Carl Bass's compensation reflected his role and the company's performance. In 2017, his total earnings were approximately $10.7 million, including a salary of $1.1 million and a nominal bonus. Most years saw little to no bonus due to performance metrics not being met. His pay was closely tied to company performance, with a philosophy centered on rewarding metrics like revenue and subscriptions. His unique approach avoided reliance on fluctuating stock rewards, focusing instead on attracting, motivating, and retaining talent with consistent cash compensation.

Year

2017

Total Compensation

$3.74M

Salary

$1.11M

Board Justification

The compensation philosophy emphasizes alignment with company performance and retention strategies, ensuring that executive compensation reflects the company's performance and market conditions.

Bonus

$1.00K

Board Justification

This bonus represents a nominal amount related to recognition of years of service as part of an Autodesk company-wide program.

Other

$2.63M

Board Justification

This includes separation payments of $2,200,000, director retainer fees of $45,245, payment of legal fees, tax gross-ups for certain perquisites, COBRA payments, and standard health benefits.

Restricted Stock

$0.00(0 N/A)

Board Justification

No stock was vested in 2017 as Mr. Bass transitioned out of his role as CEO and received separation payments instead.

Performance Metrics

The performance metrics for determining compensation included total annual recurring revenue, net total subscription additions, total subscription renewal rate, and non-GAAP total spend.

Other Autodesk CEOs

Here are other CEOs of Autodesk

Amar Hanspal

Ex-CEO of Autodesk

February 2017 - June 2017