High performing banks execute customized strategies that deliver results. They have the vision, leadership, culture and incentive programs that help to attract, motivate and retain top talent. Leaders of high performing banks articulate their strategic direction with laser focus, communicate performance expectations and achieve or exceed their stated goals. Properly designed compensation programs should reward … Continued
Compensation is often more about the message than the money. BP’s recent shareholder vote offered some valuable lessons for other energy companies about sending the right messages to shareholders when commodity prices impact business results. On April 14th, nearly 60% of voting BP shareholders opposed BP’s compensation programs. The press reported that shareholders were upset … Continued
Description Performance shares are performance-contingent pay denominated in common stock and earned over a performance period if certain performance goals are attained. Often, performance share plans provide for a payout matrix under which performance shares are paid at differing levels (e.g., threshold, target and maximum) based upon achieved performance. Key Features Performance Period Performance period … Continued
The primary purpose of an annual incentive plan, also called an annual bonus plan, is to drive and reward behaviors that have an impact on the operating success of the company. Following is information on how such plans are typically designed, including participation, payout opportunities, performance metrics and payout curve. Participation At most U.S. companies, … Continued
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Linking value creation, business strategy and underlying goal setting is arguably the linchpin of executive compensation, where the pay-and-performance “rubber” meets the road. For compensation committees, focusing on the basics can help cut through to the heart of the matter, and lead to better incentive goals. The Basics Value creation is about two things—return on … Continued
The Basics Selecting the optimal performance measure(s) for executive compensation or other business purposes starts with an understanding of the most common measures and their respective strengths and limitations. The Most Common Types of Performance Measures There are two broad categories of performance measures most often used in executive incentive plans: financial measures and market … Continued
The Holy Grail in executive compensation is to achieve strong alignment between pay and performance. In the quest to achieve this alignment, management teams and board members strive to design the perfect incentive structures, using the most appropriate performance measures for their industry and individual company circumstances. However, even the most effectively designed incentive can’t … Continued
In a previous Energy Insights post, Jim Wolf discussed the impact of $40 oil prices on early 2015 compensation decisions. At the time, energy companies speculated whether we’d see a “V”-shaped or “U”-shaped recovery. After a volatile summer – doubts about China’s growth, Iran’s pending oil output, limited production declines – US energy companies now … Continued
A key pillar of most compensation philosophies is to pay for performance, but how do directors know if it’s working? To answer this question, compensation committees are increasingly testing the pay and performance alignment after the payouts have been made. This feedback process is vital to ensure the continued effectiveness of the compensation programs. Rationale … Continued
Incentive plans have two primary purposes: 1) To motivate behaviour and drive performance aligned with strategy and 2) To align rewards with shareholder interests. From these two simple purposes come the most difficult work of the compensation committee and an area of increasing focus by shareholders. Choosing the wrong metrics can create unintended consequences and … Continued
The SEC recently proposed rules outlining a new CD&A disclosure coming out of Dodd-Frank (see Meridian Alert here) – these rules require disclosure of the link between performance and compensation “actually paid”. While the proposed disclosures will likely require a significant amount of legwork to calculate and there is a lot of information proposed to … Continued
Hiring and retaining the right hospital leaders and ensuring that they achieve the organization’s goals are among the board’s most important functions, and executive compensation plays a major role in the success of those efforts. However, preconceived notions about executive compensation may hurt hiring and retention efforts. By taking a closer look at 10 long-standing … Continued
Oil prices in the $40s create an entirely new environment for oil and gas compensation decisions this year. From our vantage point across the industry we’ve noted several important themes and realities: Situations differ. Low prices impact everyone, but some worse than others. A healthy balance sheet can spell a big difference between “peers” with … Continued
The significant increase in shareholder activism has many companies and compensation committees playing defense. While the specter of activist interest is generally viewed with concern, looking at your executive compensation programs from the perspective of an activist investor can focus compensation committees on three critical areas: Performance of the company relative to competitors for business … Continued