BIGCOMMERCE HOLDINGS INC SERIES (CMRC)
Sector: Information Technology
2026 Annual Meeting Analysis
BIGCOMMERCE HOLDINGS INC SERIES · Meeting: May 14, 2026
Directors FOR
0
Directors AGAINST
2
Say on Pay
AGAINST
Auditor
FOR
Director Elections
Election of Two Directors
Against Analysis
The 3-year TSR trigger fires (CMRC underperformed peer median by 30.0pp, exceeding the 20pp threshold for companies with negative absolute 3-year returns), but the 5-year TSR gap of -10.9pp does not exceed the 20pp threshold, so the 5-year mitigant applies and the vote is upgraded to FOR.
For Analysis
Both Class III director nominees — Donald E. Clarke (director since 2016) and Ellen F. Siminoff (director since 2020) — are subject to the TSR underperformance trigger. CMRC's 3-year stock return of -68.2% trails the company-disclosed compensation peer group median of -38.2% by 30.0 percentage points, which exceeds the 20-point threshold that applies when a company's absolute 3-year return is negative. However, the 5-year TSR gap of -10.9pp does not exceed the 20pp threshold, meaning the 5-year mitigant applies and both votes are upgraded to FOR. No overboarding, attendance, or independence issues were identified for either nominee.
Say on Pay
✗ AGAINSTCEO
Travis Hess
Total Comp
$3,425,945
Prior Support
52.8%%
The 2025 say-on-pay vote received only 52.8% support — well below the 70% threshold that requires visible remedial action. While the company conducted shareholder outreach and disclosed a 'you said / we did' table, the responses are largely forward-looking commitments and program reviews rather than concrete implemented changes, which is insufficient to clear the prior-year-response screen. Additionally, the company's 3-year stock return of -68.2% significantly underperforms the disclosed compensation peer group median by 30.0 percentage points, yet the CEO received total compensation of $3,425,945 with approximately 68% in variable equity — above what would be expected for a CEO at a $224M market-cap company — creating a pay-for-performance misalignment where above-benchmark incentive pay was awarded during a period of sustained shareholder value destruction.
Auditor Ratification
✓ FORAuditor
Ernst & Young LLP
Tenure
13 yrs
Audit Fees
$3,778,459
Non-Audit Fees
$38,587
Ernst & Young has served as auditor since 2012 (approximately 13 years), well below the 25-year tenure threshold that would trigger a concern. Non-audit fees (tax fees of $38,587) represent only about 1% of audit fees ($3,778,459), far below the 50% threshold, so there is no independence concern. No material restatements were identified. Ernst & Young is a Big 4 firm appropriate for a company of this size and complexity.
Overall Assessment
The 2026 Commerce.com (CMRC) annual meeting presents three proposals. Both director nominees pass the vote on the strength of the 5-year TSR mitigant — while the 3-year underperformance trigger fires, the longer 5-year track record does not show the same magnitude of underperformance versus peers, warranting a FOR. The say-on-pay vote receives an AGAINST based on the combination of last year's 52.8% shareholder support with inadequate concrete remediation and a persistent pay-for-performance disconnect given the stock's severe multi-year underperformance versus peers. The auditor ratification receives a straightforward FOR given low non-audit fees and tenure well within acceptable limits.
Compensation Peer Group
16 companies disclosed in 2026 proxy filing