Rare Earth, Rare Compensation
Interest in rare earth mineral and mining companies has hit a crescendo in the last two years. From AI resource demand, to tariffs, to government investment, the attention given to these companies has been warranted. Alongside the increased demand, investments, and attention for the rare assets of these companies, demand for key leaders has also […]
ISS Finalizes Policy Changes for 2026
ISS 2026 Compensation Benchmark Policy Changes: What Boards Need to Know On November 25, 2025, Institutional Shareholder Services (ISS) released its final 2026 U.S. benchmark voting policy updates (Americas region), effective for shareholder meetings on or after February 1, 2026. The revisions introduce several changes to how ISS will evaluate executive and director compensation programs […]
2025 ISS Policy Survey: Key Takeaways for Public Companies
2025 ISS Benchmark Policy Survey – Initial Findings Institutional Shareholder Services (“ISS”), the global proxy advisor, recently released the results of its 2025 Global Benchmark Policy Survey. Zayla reviewed the results and has summarized key observations that may be meaningful for our clients going forward. If you have questions on any of the updates, please don’t […]
2026 Proxy Policy Pulse: A Glance at Glass Lewis Changes
Glass Lewis Pay-For-Performance Overhaul Glass Lewis has announced a significant overhaul of its Pay-for-Performance (P4P) model, set to take effect for shareholder meetings beginning in 2026. First disclosed in early summer 2025, these changes mark a substantial shift in how executive compensation alignment is evaluated. In anticipation of the new framework, Zayla has prepared a […]
Long-Term Incentive Plans in Private Companies
Long-term incentives (LTI) use within private companies continues to grow in prevalence. According to WorldatWork, the prevalence of LTIs in private companies increased from 35% in 2007 to 62% in 2019. This increase in prevalence makes sense given the paralleled trend we’ve observed in public company disclosures which noted an increase in LTI award values […]
How to Design Effective Annual Incentive Plans
At Zayla, we believe variable pay programs are essential tools for aligning a portion of employee compensation with organizational and individual performance. When thoughtfully structured, they help to motivate employees, drive business results, and retain top talent by linking pay to near-term performance outcomes. This is why understanding the key components and market best practices […]
Navigating Tariffs, Economic Uncertainty, and Market Volatility in 2025
Avoiding Compensation Whiplash in 2025 In today’s volatile market, businesses are grappling with unprecedented challenges that are affecting businesses at nearly every level – including one of the largest company investments and expenses: compensation. From tariffs and geopolitical risks to labor market shifts, inflation, and stock market volatility, companies are experiencing what can be termed […]
2025 Energy CEO Compensation Trends (Updated June)
Zayla recently completed an expansion of its previous analysis highlighting CEO pay trends in the energy industry based off data from the 2025 proxy season. Company Universe Zayla analyzed compensation data from 183 companies that filed either a DEF14A or a 10-K filing as of June 4th, 2025. Forty three companies were omitted from the […]
How to Solve Energy Industry Compensation Challenges in 3 Steps
How To Solve Your Energy Compensation Pains in 3 Easy Steps In today’s energy industry, compensation challenges seem to be the largest frown face on the pain chart. Given the dynamic pressures facing boards and management teams, it’s easy to understand why this is the case. Combine a tight labor market, especially for engineering talent […]
Current Trends & Future Insights of Executive Compensation for 2025
Zayla recently had the opportunity to provide a “State of the State” briefing to members of WorldatWork on all things executive compensation. The presentation spanned both current trends and future considerations – we thought we’d share some key takeaways for your benefit: Compensation Philosophy There is empirical data that concludes that articulate a compensation philosophy […]