Coursera Appoints Tom Savage as Chief Legal Officer; General Counsel Steps Down

What Happened Coursera filed an 8‑K on Sept 21, 2026 announcing that Tom Savage will join as Senior Vice President, Chief Legal Officer and Corporate Secretary effective Sept 21, 2026. Current SVP, General Counsel Alan Cardenas will cease being an “officer” under Rule 16a‑1(f) as of that effective date but will remain in his SVP, General Counsel role through the end of 2026 to support the transition and is expected to continue as an advisor thereafter. The company issued a press release the same day announcing the appointment.

Key Details

• Effective date: Sept 21, 2026. Announcement/8‑K filed: Sept 21, 2026.
• Compensation: annual base salary $425,000 and eligibility for annual cash incentive with a target bonus equal to 60% of base salary.
• Equity: one‑time new hire RSU award valued at $2,450,000; number of shares = $2,450,000 divided by the higher of $10.00 or the average share price in the month Mr. Savage starts (floor implies a minimum of ~245,000 RSUs if $10 used).
• Vesting: three‑year schedule — 50% vests on the first anniversary quarterly vesting date (~one year), then ~8.33% on each of the next four quarterly dates, and ~4.167% on each of the following four quarterly dates, subject to continued employment.
• Other: Mr. Savage will be a “Class A Executive” under Coursera’s Executive Severance Plan and Coursera expects to enter into its standard indemnification agreement with him.

Why It Matters This 8‑K reports a leadership change in Coursera’s legal team that may affect governance and legal oversight. The one‑time RSU grant and ongoing compensation create a non‑cash expense and potential dilution (minimum share count implied by the $10 floor). The transition plan keeps the incumbent general counsel in place through year‑end, which supports continuity while the new CLO assumes responsibilities. Investors should note the filing for any future disclosures of the full offer letter (to be filed as an exhibit to the company’s upcoming Form 10‑Q).