Designing Effective Annual Incentive Plans

Boss gives handshake to employee

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

Board members around a conference table in a meeting

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

Energy executive standing in a energy plant

Zayla recently conducted a preliminary analysis of energy industry proxy disclosures from the early stages of the 2025 proxy season.  Below is an overview of initial trends noted.  Please check back later for expanded analyses on executive compensation trends in the energy industry. Sample Group Characteristics  Zayla reviewed compensation disclosures from 24 companies that have […]

How to Solve Energy Industry Compensation Challenges in 3 Steps

Oilfield Services Worker

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

eci data

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

Oil Rig

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

boss handing an employee a check

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

executives in a meeting

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)

Business woman handing

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. […]

Size & CEO Pay

size and ceo pay graph with elon musk ahead

Size & CEO Pay Part 2 in series: “What Matters in CEO Pay?” Size matters. Both company size and CEO pay size matter a lot! While this doesn’t seem like a wild statement, this fact gets tested over and over, most recently with one of the most widely- known executives in the world, Elon Musk, […]