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 […]
Designing 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
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 […]
E&P CEO Compensation Trends
Operators in the oil and gas industry today face a range of challenges, from criticisms to their pay governance, to negative commodity prices, to states trying to raid company profits in the name of climate change. The result is an industry environment where market volatility, political tensions, environmental concerns and an in-flight consolidation wave are […]
Compensation Packages in Today’s Market
Crafting an effective total rewards strategy is no easy task. This is especially true in today’s competitive environment where employees have continually challenged companies to reconsider their approach to designing compensatory offerings that will attract, retain, and motivate the very best talent available. At Zayla Partners, we specialize in helping our clients navigate the intricacies […]
Navigating Long-Term Incentive Plans For Private Companies: Key Considerations
As businesses evolve, so do their compensation strategies. It may be challenging for some private companies to attract and retain top-tier talent, and that’s why long-term incentive plans play a pivotal role. The idea is clear: offer a market-competitive long-term incentive that enhances the retention and motivation of the recipient over the long-term all while […]
Factors To Consider In Executive Compensation For IPOs (2024)
Companies transitioning from private to public status typically face the pivotal task of transforming executive compensation structures. This shift is not merely a procedural change but a strategic maneuver to align with public company market norms. The overarching goal is to retain and motivate the leadership team that possesses deep institutional knowledge of the company. […]