Resource Library Articles

Third article of a three-part series focused on how companies can implement the foundational steps of board-level ESG oversight.

The Great Resignation has put retention on the agenda of many boards. Rather than simply reacting — prioritizing pay raises or special packages to stay competitive  — directors can engage management toward a proactive approach.

This proxy season will revert toward the pre-pandemic focus on financial metrics and conventional pay-for-performance structures.

Within the tenure of the current executive team, certain actions can be incentivized so that individual leaders do their part to keep the organization on track.

In these times of volatile national and global markets, caused by Covid and more recently by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, companies have tried to delay goal setting while waiting for more certainty. However, these efforts are often futile as the year wears on and certainty continues to be in the future. 

Ceres and the Semler Brossy have teamed up to provide guidance to companies that have begun to integrate ESG issues into their corporate strategies and may be considering ESG in incentives.

The ground is shifting for executive compensation, from a focus on shareholder metrics to a more intentional longer-term approach that better supports key stakeholders: workers, suppliers, communities, and customers. To make the shift, companies need to prioritize their key stakeholder issues, then identify which ones actually belong in a compensation package.

More robust conversations with management about HCM are needed as the board purview expands. The intent is to ensure the board has adequate oversight into risks and strategic opportunities.

Say goodbye to the Goldilocks economy, where moderate growth and low inflation sustained us for years. Our global economy and social norms have careened from crisis to crisis over the last 24 months. The world has faced down a pandemic, unprecedented restriction of interpersonal interactions, and disruption of worldwide supply chains. And yet the world economy […]

A big issue facing businesses is whether inflation should lead to higher levels of compensation. The answer is: “it depends.”  

As Committees set compensation amounts and structure, five key questions can inform their decisions.

By minimizing discretion, directors give consistent direction to management. They avoid what might be perceived as forgiving poor results and forestall potential criticism from proxy advisory firms. 

One visible way some companies are showing their commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion is by linking DEI progress to executive pay.