Executive Compensation in Context

08:00 AM - 08:50 AM ET

Registration and Breakfast

08:50 AM - 09:00 AM ET

Opening Remarks

Lisa Hunter, Senior Fellow and Program Director, The Conference Board

09:00 AM - 09:45 AM ET

Executive Compensation in Context: Expanding Considerations for Executive Pay

Leaders of the Centers of The Conference Board will kick off the event by addressing C-Suite priorities and by sharing insight to help build greater understanding and appreciation of the macroeconomic backdrop and of the labor, human capital, and ESG considerations involved in making strategic decisions about executive compensation.

Dana M. Peterson, Chief Economist and Center Leader, Economy, Strategy & Finance Center, The Conference Board

Ivan Pollard, Center Leader, Marketing & Communications, The Conference Board

Diana Scott, US Human Capital Center Leader, The Conference Board

09:50 AM - 10:35 AM ET

Leading Executive Compensation in a Complex World

This discussion provides high-level insight from multiple perspectives, including a CHRO and a compensation committee member, on the myriad of issues and competing challenges that they face to consider what the role of executive compensation should be today. They will discuss strategies for recognizing results, for attracting and retaining talent, and for helping to build stronger organizations.

Suzan Morno-Wade, Independent Board Director & Compensation Committee Chair, Latham Group and Former EVP & CHRO, Xerox

Kathleen Weslock, CHRO, Ansys

Lisa Hunter, Senior Fellow and Program Director, The Conference Board

10:35 AM - 10:55 AM ET

Networking Break

10:55 AM - 11:35 AM ET

Public Policy Impact and Executive Compensation

This discussion addresses key issues confronting boards and leaders from a public policy angle and the practical implications of regulatory changes around such issues as non-competes, pay equity and transparency, human capital metrics diversity, proxy advisors on executive compensation. Other topics include the implications of the 2024 presidential election implications, and more.

Ani Huang, President and CEO, Center on Executive Compensation

Andrew Jones, PhD, , Senior Researcher, ESG Center, The Conference Board

11:40 AM - 12:25 PM ET

Aligning Human Capital and Executive Compensation Strategies with Your Unique Situation

Public companies are feeling external pressures to adapt human capital and compensation strategies to an increasingly narrow range of practices. For many, there is growing frustration that the pressure to comply with "best practices" limits their ability to implement meaningful strategies that suit their specific situation. This discussion explores current issues and guiding principles in support of strategies that support high-performing organizations and their cultures.

Kevin Charlton, Co-Chairman, NewHold Enterprises and Chair of Compensation and Investment Committees, Evolv Technology

Steve Cross, Managing Director, FW Cook

Dana Etra, Managing Director, FW Cook

12:25 PM - 01:30 PM ET

Lunch

01:30 PM - 02:15 PM ET

Compensation Committee Priorities for 2025

Executive pay is only one of several matters compensation (or human capital) committees are tasked with considering at any given time. This discussion explores how committee scope continues to change and what they should anticipate in the coming year. Speakers will cover such topics as preparing for executive succession and turnover; improving the talent pipeline; considering the implications of activism in the boardroom; managing institutional investor and proxy advisor expectations; and reflecting on what qualifies as “good” governance regarding overlapping responsibilities with other committees.

Tara Tays, Partner, Pay Governance

Ben Stradley, Managing Partner, Pay Governance LLC

Romita Bhagwani, Head of Executive Compensation, Equity and Global Mobility, Alcon

Jill Smart, Independent Board Director & Compensation Committee, EPAM

02:20 PM - 02:55 PM ET

Through the Legal Lens: Hot Topics in Executive Compensation

Speakers will discuss some of the most pressing topics in executive compensation through the legal lens, including the nuance of interpretation and practical applications.

Colleen Hart, Partner, Proskauer Rose LLP

Catherine Matus, Vice President, Total Rewards, Church & Dwight

Andrea Rattner, Partner, Proskauer Rose LLP

02:55 PM - 03:15 PM ET

Networking Break

03:15 PM - 03:50 PM ET

Human Capital Metrics in Context

This panel considers the importance of human capital management to the business and how to tell a human capital and sustainability story beyond the numbers. Participants will discuss such key questions as: How does investing in human capital yield positive returns for the company? What are the best ways to evaluate the success of those investments? Should human capital metrics be a part of executive compensation?

M. Diane Burton, PhD, Professor and Director, The Institute for Compensation Studies, Cornell University

Brian Dunn, Compensation Committee Chair and Director of Multiple Boards and Director of Professional Programming, The Institute for Compensation Studies, Cornell University

03:50 PM - 04:15 PM ET

Participant Discussion: Metrics in Executive Incentive Plans

This structured exchange of ideas provides the opportunity for attendees to share perspectives key issues, including:

• Should human capital metrics be explicitly tied to executive incentive plans? If so, how much weight should they be given? Should they be part of long-term, short-term plans, or both?
• What are the most impactful Human Capital Metrics that should be included in executive incentive plans? How are you measuring impact and value?
• Should HCM metrics be standalone, or should they be an adjustment factor to the entire award?
• How much weight should be given to an individual metric to ensure executive attention? How many unique metrics can an executive be expected to actually pay attention to?
• Should human capital metrics and the performance against those metrics be publicly disclosed, or should they be strictly communicated internally? Why? Why not? Should there be some of each?

04:20 PM - 04:55 PM ET

The Payoff of Pay Transparency

Pay transparency regulations continue to spread across the US, with approximately one third of domestic employees subject, or soon to be subject, to pay transparency requirements. Beginning in 2026, global companies, regardless of where they are headquartered, will have to meet pay transparency requirements for all of their employees across the EU in addition to complying with existing country-specific regulations.

The payoff of pay transparency is that it provides an opportunity to evolve how companies address pay equity and how they disclose information about their pay systems for the benefit of multiple stakeholders, including employees, job applicants, management, and investors.

This session will explore a strategic solution to navigating this patchwork of pay transparency requirements by leveraging predictive analytics and advanced technologies, which includes a new approach to addressing pay equity in conjunction with achieving pay transparency.

Todd Gershkowitz, Co-CEO and Founder, PayStandards

Lori Tauber Marcus, Independent Board Director, Fresh Del Monte Produce, Primo Water, and 24-Hour Fitness

Joe Davolio, Co-CEO and Founder, PayStandards

Jie Zhang, SVP Global Head of Total Rewards, Cushman & Wakefield

Michele Browne, Executive Director, Chestnut Solutions Institute

05:00 PM - 05:25 PM ET

Ask the Experts

Details to follow.

Diana Scott, US Human Capital Center Leader, The Conference Board

Joseph Sorrentino, Managing Director, FW Cook

Andrea Rattner, Partner, Proskauer Rose LLP

Blair Jones, Managing Director, Semler Brossy Consulting Group, LLC

05:25 PM - 05:30 PM ET

Day One Closing Reflections and Day Two Preview

Lisa Hunter, Senior Fellow and Program Director, The Conference Board

05:30 PM - 06:30 PM ET

Networking Reception

Join us to continue the conversation and exchange ideas with your fellow attendees and speakers over drinks and appetizers.