2023 Executive Compensation Conference

08:00 AM - 08:50 AM ET

Registration & Continental Breakfast

Check in for the Conference and network over breakfast with peers.

08:50 AM - 09:00 AM ET

Welcome and Introduction

Lisa Hunter, Program Director, Senior Fellow and Leader, Total Rewards Institute, The Conference Board

09:00 AM - 09:40 AM ET

Executive Compensation in Context: Economic, Social and Consumer Trends

This session will help build a greater understanding and appreciation of the macroeconomic backdrop, labor, human capital and ESG considerations in making strategic decisions about executive compensation. Join our Center leaders as they discuss some of the key questions challenging leaders.

Dana Peterson, Center Leader, Economy, Strategy & Finance and Executive Vice President & Chief Economist, The Conference Board

Paul Washington, Executive Director, ESG Center, The Conference Board

Lisa Hunter, Program Director, Senior Fellow and Leader, Total Rewards Institute, The Conference Board

Diana Scott, Center Leader, Human Capital, The Conference Board

09:55 AM - 10:40 AM ET

Evolving Executive Compensation - Revisiting our Guiding Principles

Incentive plan leverage and variability have historically been tied to financial and shareholder returns. We argued that the increase in incentive plan leverage was related to “performance-based pay,” and that shareholders should be happy to see high payouts because they were aligned with high returns. In recent years, market volatility and pressure to focus on non-financial and sustainability-related goals have led to a broadening of incentive metrics, wider goal ranges, and more certainty in payouts. This panel will explore: How should practitioners and board members think about the trend in incentive compensation and the role of shareholder returns?

Steve Cross, Managing Director, FW Cook

Dana Etra, Managing Director, FW Cook

William Tompkins, VP, Total Rewards, SmileDirectClub

10:55 AM - 11:40 AM ET

Public Policy Impact and Executive Compensation

This session will address key issues confronting Boards and leaders from a public policy perspective and the practical implications of regulatory changes. Our speakers will include topics such as: SEC guidance, external disclosure requirements, changes to non-competes, crucial shareholder proposals, other government priorities and more.

Ani Huang, President and CEO, Center On Executive Compensation

Arthur Kohn, General Counsel - ERISA, Compensation & Benefits, Citigroup Inc.

11:45 AM - 12:30 PM ET

Incorporating ESG and Other Non-Financial Metrics Into Executive Incentive Plans: Where do we Go From Here?

This session will examine the key issues of fairness, competitiveness, and alignment in a contemporary context and will challenge the conventional wisdom of the past decade(s). They will discuss the questions that compensation committees will need to ask and answer to respond to the cacophony of critics who insist that executive compensation is out of control and badly in need of better governance, if not greater regulation.

Cole Brown, CHRO, American Airlines, Inc.

Donald Lowman, Senior Client Partner – Global Leader Total Rewards, Korn Ferry

David Wise, Vice Chairman and Senior Partner, Korn Ferry

Malaika Myers, CHRO, Hyatt Hotels

01:30 PM - 02:05 PM ET

Fresh Thinking for Executive and Equity Compensation Plans

Equity is a critical component of executive compensation and along with the tried and true, there are new ways to help make the most of your program. This session explores innovative concepts that can improve plan design and benefit both executives and plan sponsors. The panel will explore ways to bring your executive compensation strategy to the next level through a variety of topics. You'll learn about the benefits of automatic exercise at expiration, explore potential blind spots with respect to long-term incentives and pay equity, understand how to empower your employees with equity choice, and learn about tax-efficient ways for executives to maximize charitable giving.

Emily Cervino, CEP, Head of Industry Relationships and Thought Leadership, Fidelity Stock Plan Services

Maya Wright, Senior Manager, Executive Compensation, Iron Mountain

Sherene Jodrey, Senior Counsel - Executive Compensation and Employee Benefits, The Boeing Company

02:10 PM - 02:55 PM ET

Trends in Executive Compensation: Top Compensation Committee Priorities for 2024

This session will look back on what we learned in 2023 and what compensation committees should anticipate in the coming year. Our panel will explore at a high level: CEO compensation trends; Increased CEO and CFO turnover; Institutional investor and proxy advisor expectations; Activists in the Boardroom; and Regulatory updates, including observations from year one of Pay vs. Performance.

Sandra Pace, Partner, Pay Governance

Brian Lane, Managing Partner, Pay Governance

Dena Faccio, Senior Vice President, Total Rewards, Employee Relations, Voya Financial

Adam Holton, Chief People Officer, Amedisys

03:15 PM - 04:00 PM ET

Hot Topics in Executive Compensation: Through the Legal Lens

In this session, speakers will lead a discussion of the most pressing hot topics in executive compensation through the legal lens, including the latest on compensation clawbacks covering Dodd-Frank as well as DOJ and state law considerations, the constantly-shifting landscape of restrictive covenants in the context of equity incentive programs, and legal and disclosure considerations for equity grant practices.

Kate Napalkova, Partner, Proskauer Rose

Andrea Rattner, Partner, Proskauer Rose LLP

Merryl Gordon, , Associate Counsel, Labor, Employment, Benefits & Workers Comp, Consolidated Edison Company of New York

04:05 PM - 04:40 PM ET

Pay Equity and Transparency

In this session, the speakers will discuss the challenges around creating a framework for proactive and sustainable pay equity strategies. They will address the roots causes of issues and approaches to moving forward. They will discuss, the possibility of using advanced technology and standard methodology with a call to action to insource measuring pay equity including executive compensation tied to explicit pay equity metrics.

Vismay Gada, Global Head of Financial Services, beqom

Margret Vilborg Bjarnadottir, Professor, Robert H. Smith School of Business, University of Maryland

04:45 PM - 05:20 PM ET

Research Findings from The Conference Board ESG Center and Insights for the Future of Executive Compensation

We are pleased to share research findings on the sources, extent and focus of ESG backlash and how companies can respond. Our speakers will also share research highlights on shareholder proposals, Corporate Board Practices and executive compensation.

Lisa Hunter, Program Director, Senior Fellow and Leader, Total Rewards Institute, The Conference Board

Merel Spierings, Sr. Researcher ESG Center, The Conference Board

Andrew Jones, Senior Researcher ESG Center, The Conference Board

05:20 PM - 05:30 PM ET

Day 1 Wrap-up

Lisa Hunter, Program Director, Senior Fellow and Leader, Total Rewards Institute, The Conference Board

05:30 PM - 06:30 PM ET

Reception