Designing Long-term Incentives for Private-Companies
Long-term incentives (LTI) can be one of the most powerful tools a private company uses to attract, retain and motivate key leaders. They are also among the easiest to fumble in terms of design. This quick read points out key items private companies should think through when building an LTI program. Start With the Value […]
Findings from ISS Survey for 2027 Policy Considerations
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The survey does not signal a major policy reset. It reinforces a familiar expectation: boards should preserve meaningful performance orientation, respond credibly to shareholder concerns, apply a high bar to changes in outstanding awards, and clearly explain the business judgment behind compensation decisions. Leadership Takeaway For executives and directors, the principal issue is […]
Family Business, Not Family Feud
Private Company Compensation Despite Family Drama The compensation issue probably isn’t about compensation. The board meeting starts the same way every year. Someone asks whether executive pay should increase and a sibling questions whether another family member is really contributing enough to justify a raise. The owner who no longer works in the business then […]
Inside ISS’s 2027 Policy Survey: The Open Questions on Executive Pay
Institutional Shareholder Services (ISS) recently released its policy survey questionnaire, the first formal step in updating its voting policy framework for the 2027 proxy season. Each year, this survey gathers input from investors, issuers and other market participants on the direction ISS should take on a range of governance topics. The responses meaningfully shape the […]
CEO Turnover Across the Energy Sector
Why It Matters for Boards, Compensation, and Succession Planning CEO turnover across the energy sector is being shaped by a convergence of governance structures, economic pressures, market volatility, compensation dynamics, and succession planning challenges. While leadership transitions are not uncommon, the breadth of forces influencing turnover today suggests that these changes are about more than […]
SEC’s 2026 Disclosure Update
On May 19, 2026, the Securities and Exchange Commission proposed Release No. 33-11419 — what the agency has called the most significant overhaul of the public company reporting framework in roughly two decades. At its core, the proposal redefines requirements for a large accelerated filer (or “LAF”) versus everyone else, and in doing so would […]
The Credit Union Paradox: Why Succession Planning Alone Falls Short
Credit unions are facing a growing leadership challenge that succession planning alone may not solve. While regulators now require formal succession plans, many institutions still struggle to build sustainable leadership pipelines due to executive compensation limitations and increasing competition for talent. Strategic mergers are rising, not because institutions are failing, but because they are adapting […]
Early 2026 Proxy Season Trends: What CD&As Are Telling Us
Early 2026 proxy filings show compensation committees navigating three simultaneous pressures: investor demands for structural rigor, evolving strategic imperatives from AI and general market volatility, and succession complexity. Five trends stand out, which we have highlighted for boards and leadership teams to consider as they finalize their proxies and prepare for annual meetings. Interestingly, much […]
Rare Earth, Rare Compensation
Thanks to the combined effects of trade wars and the rapid expansion of artificial intelligence technologies, market interest in rare earth mineral and mining companies has hit a crescendo over the last few years. From AI resource demand, tariff effects on supply chains, to government investments, the attention given to these companies has been warranted. […]
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 […]