On today's episode, we’re joined by Senior Consultant Sam Bricker and Compensation Consultant Tyler Papineau, both of Meridian Compensation Partners, LLC. Sam and Tyler discuss Meridian’s annual study on corporate governance and incentive design, covering trends in clawbacks, board refreshment and pay-for-performance disclosures. They also explore how companies adapt to new regulations and the evolving executive compensation landscape. Key Takeaways: (01:43) Overview of Meridian's corporate...

On today’s episode, we’re joined by Matt Seto and Adam Hearn, both Principals at Meridian Compensation Partners, LLC. Matt and Adam explore the complexities of annual incentive plans, particularly how companies should navigate unforeseen circumstances that may necessitate adjustments to executive goals. Key Takeaways: (02:30) Common financial metrics used in annual incentive plans.  (04:29 ) Differences between hardwired and discretionary adjustments in incentive plans.  (05:58) Why making...

On today’s episode, we’re joined by Partner, Jonathan Szabo, and Principal, Mike Meyer, both of Meridian Compensation Partners, LLC. Jonathan and Mike dive deep into the complexities of establishing meaningful goals for incentive plans. They share practical strategies for setting both short-term and long-term goals that align company performance with desired executive behaviors. Key Takeaways: (02:22) Compensation philosophy provides blueprints for decision-making. (04:02) Philosophical...

On today’s episode, we’re joined by Laura Hay, Partner at Meridian Compensation Partners, LLC. Laura explores the critical role of compensation in retaining executive talent, discussing the interplay of business conditions, compensation structures and the importance of strategic retention initiatives. She offers insights into identifying retention risks and structuring compensation to mitigate these risks effectively. Key Takeaways: (01:16) Change in management increases retention...

On today’s episode, we’re joined by Darren Moskovitz, Partner at Meridian Compensation Partners, LLC. Darren dives into the critical aspects of executive compensation arrangements, especially focusing on the implications of executive departures, severance practices and the recent Federal Trade Commission (FTC) rulings on non-compete restrictions. Key Takeaways: (00:20) The importance of considering annual and long-term incentives during executive departures. (01:04) Overview of...

On today’s episode, we’re joined by Michael Brittian, Partner at Meridian Compensation Partners, LLC. Michael explores the nuanced world of special one-time equity awards, offering insights into when and why these can be pivotal for executive compensation strategies, especially during leadership transitions or significant company achievements. Key Takeaways: (01:33) Michael outlines the typical components of executive compensation packages. (05:11) Common scenarios where special...

On today’s episode, we’re joined by Andrew McElheran, Partner at Meridian Compensation Partners, LLC. Andrew dives deep into the complexities of establishing resilient executive compensation frameworks amid the uncertainties of the global economic landscape. Key Takeaways: (01:33) Managing a corporation involves addressing classic business challenges and creating effective compensation arrangements in uncertain times. (02:19) Resilient compensation designs are those that stand the test of...

On today’s episode, we’re joined by Jared Berman, Partner at Meridian Compensation Partners, LLC.  Jared discusses the nuances of executive compensation governance, including the appropriate roles of the compensation committee, management team and advisors in the oversight process. Key Takeaways: (01:27) Governance involves defining the roles of the compensation committee, management and advisors in overseeing executive pay. (02:28) Compensation committees typically meet four to five...

On today’s episode, we’re joined by Jamie McGough, Partner at Meridian Compensation Partners, LLC. Jamie discusses strategies for evaluating the alignment between executive pay and company performance. Key Takeaways: (01:15) Total shareholder return is essential, plus profitability and other financial metrics relevant to the company. (05:30) Treatment of performance plans requires judgment when analyzing pay. (08:40) Overlapping cycles and grant timing complicate pay-performance...

On today’s episode, we’re joined by George Paulin and Gerard Leider, both partners at Meridian Compensation Partners, LLC. George and Gerard discuss executive compensation and annual incentive plan design. Key Takeaways: (02:33) Typical annual incentive plans use financial metrics tied to business goals and strategy. (04:13) The most common financial metrics are profits, returns or cash flow. (08:23) Companies are moving away from formulaic threshold-to-maximum goal ranges. (11:18)...

On today’s episode, we’re joined by Meridian Compensation Partners, LLC’s Christina Medland, Managing Partner, and Mike Rourke, Lead Consultant. Christina and Mike discuss executive compensation through an activist investor lens. Key Takeaways: (01:23) Activist investors view compensation alignment as a barometer of the pay-for-performance relationship.  (06:48) Activists flag supplemental benefits, tax gross-ups, discretionary adjustments and aspirational peer groups as...

On today's episode, we’re joined by Meridian Compensation Partners, LLC’s Robert Romanchek, Partner, and Mike Withey, Lead Consultant. Robert and Mike discuss executive compensation strategies for mergers and acquisitions. Key Takeaways: (02:21) Prepare executive compensation programs in advance for future mergers and acquisitions transactions. (04:20) Use double trigger vesting for equity awards, except when the buyer won't assume awards. (08:29) Cover annual incentives and have...

On today’s episode, we’re joined by Ron Rosenthal⁠, Lead Consultant of Meridian Compensation Partners, LLC⁠ and ⁠Michael Powers, Partner of Meridian Compensation Partners, LLC. Michael and Ryan discuss the nuanced approaches and considerations involved in compensating board members and transitioning CEOs. Key Takeaways: (01:10) An overview of the three major components of director compensation: retainers, equity awards and committee pay. (05:34) Equity grants are the majority of a...

On today’s episode, we’re joined by James Kzirian and Chris Havey, both Partners at Meridian Compensation Partners, LLC. James and Chris discuss total shareholder return (TSR) as a long-term incentive metric, when to use it and some challenges associated with it. We focus on: - What exactly is TSR and what does it measure? - How frequently TSR is used and which industries use it most. - The reasons why a company would consider using TSR. - Common challenges with TSR. - Using TSR...

On today’s episode, we’re joined by Matthew Isakson and Patrick Powers, both Partners at Meridian Compensation Partners, LLC. They’re here to talk about the recently finalized SEC clawback rules, which companies must comply with by the end of this year. We cover: - The broader impact of the SEC clawback rules. - High-level principles to consider when designing incentive arrangements and compensation structures. - Will the new SEC rules impact compensation and incentive design? -...

On today’s episode, we’re joined by Jim Heim, Partner at Meridian Compensation Partners, LLC, and Dean Chaffee, Lead Consultant at Meridian Compensation Partners, LLC. They’re here to talk about CEO succession, and specifically, the considerations for the departing CEO. We talk about: - What does executive compensation have to do with CEO succession? - Common roles within the company that departing CEOs may transition to. - How CEO transition dynamics have changed over time. -...

On today’s episode, we’re joined by Jeff Keckley, Lead Consultant at Meridian Compensation Partners, LLC, and Caroline Montalbano, Lead Consultant at Meridian Compensation Partners, LLC. Jeff and Caroline are here to talk about engagement with shareholders on executive compensation issues. We discuss: - What exactly does shareholder engagement mean? - What’s driving increased shareholder engagement? - The benefits of engaging with shareholders. - How often should you engage with...

On today’s episode, we’re joined by Dan Kaufman and Virginia Rhodes, both Partners at Meridian Compensation Partners, LLC. They’re here to talk about the compensation implications involved in a CEO transition. We cover: - What should companies be doing in advance to plan for a CEO transition? - Best practices for dealing with an unexpected transition. - Compensation considerations when making an internal promotion to CEO. - Do CEOs ever receive large awards on promotion? - Best...

On today’s episode, we’re joined by Donald Kalfen, Partner at Meridian Compensation Partners, LLC. Donald is here to talk about some of the new rules and regulations introduced over the last six months, and what they mean. We talk about: - The new pay-versus-performance disclosures and their impact on companies. - Unusual outcomes such as large negative compensation amounts. - Common trends around disclosures. - How can companies comply with the SEC’s clawback rules? - Understanding...

On today’s episode, we’re joined by Tom McNeill and Tracy Glassel. Tom is a Partner at Meridian Compensation Partners, LLC, and Tracy is a Lead Consultant at Meridian Compensation Partners, LLC. We talk about: - How to manage compensation in an incredibly uncertain economy. - The importance of basic standards around compensation plans. - How companies should think about metrics in uncertain times. - What adjustments should companies be making? - Is it ever right to make...

On today’s episode, we’re joined by Meridian Compensation Partners, LLC Partner, David Bixby, and Lead Consultant, Andrew Stancel. They’re here to discuss best practices when it comes to compensation committee meeting processes. We talk about: - Why it’s so important to get best practices in place here. - Some key processes committees use to manage the complexities around executive compensation. - The role of the chair in decision-making. - How business strategy impacts compensation...

In today’s episode, Lead Consultants Darren Moskovitz and Kartik Balaram at Meridian Compensation Partners, LLC sit down to talk about the major current themes around compensation in Technology and Banking and how companies are responding to shifting talent dynamics and economic trends. We discuss in detail: - In a time of changing economic circumstances, how are both industries thinking about talent? - As major banks and technology firms shift their location strategy, will we see a change...

The SEC’s new rule mandating Pay-vs-Performance disclosure takes effect for fiscal years ending on or after December 16, 2022. Public companies are feeling the pressure of navigating complex new requirements on an incredibly short timeline. In this podcast, Daniel Rodda, Partner at Meridian Compensation Partners, and Laura Hay, Lead Consultant for Meridian, break down what companies need to know as they begin this process. You’ll learn: -The rationale behind the new Pay-versus-Performance...

On this episode, Jonathan Szabo (Partner) and Matt Seto (Lead Consultant) at Meridian Compensation Partners discuss how compensation committees use informed judgment when considering market data: - Best practices for presenting data to a compensation committee, with a focus on process best practices. - Relevant market data sources to consider, and the tradeoffs of using proxy peer group data and survey data. - How to account for benchmarking of roles that are unique in the...