Golden Handcuffs, Repriced: Carried Interest, SEC Signals, and 2026 Pay Trends | Farient Briefings
February 24, 2026
Golden Handcuffs, Repriced: Why Boards Bet on ‘Carry’ to Prevent Talent Drain
The smart money doesn’t leave early. Public asset managers such as BlackRock and Goldman Sachs are importing private‑market economics into executive pay plans. Folding carried interest–style incentives into senior pay is a play to strengthen retention in fast‑growing alternatives businesses.
The real story isn’t just upside—it’s holding power: what an executive would forfeit by leaving before awards vest, and what a competitor would need to offer to make them whole.
For compensation committees, that lens turns carried interest into a focused measure of talent vulnerability—and a practical guide to where retention dollars matter most.
What the SEC Chair Isn’t Saying—But Boards Should Hear
In recent speeches, SEC Chair Paul Atkins has described a different approach to executive pay disclosure—one that puts board judgment back in focus. The signals are easy to miss, but governance professionals shouldn’t ignore them.
This article recaps anticipated changes to disclosures likely to impact compensation committees.
Read moreIn the News
Apple Drops ESG Links from Top Executives’ Pay Packages—Bloomberg
As investor and political interest in climate issues wane, boards are reassessing how prominently environmental metrics should factor into incentive plans. Farient Sustainability Leader Brian Bueno notes in this Bloomberg story that when scrutiny fades, these measures can quickly lose traction—particularly if they were added during a period of heightened ESG momentum rather than embedded in long-term strategy.
Read more
ICYMI
The ‘Boomerang’ CEO Phenomenon
The return of Disney CEO Bob Iger is a classic example of a former leader being recruited to return to the company he led for decades. This Brief explores why companies choose a former leader, whether their performance turns out to be merited, and the governance implications.
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Where to Find Us
Leading Minds of Governance
Farient Partner R.J. Bannister joins Directors Kelly Barrett and Anil Cheriyan, and Control Risks’ Partner Matthew Hinton, to provide expert insights at this signature NACD event. Digital oversight, emerging risks in board governance, and the alignment of compensation strategies with organizational goals are among the timely topics to be covered.
Buckhead Club
Atlanta
March 11, 2026
10:30 a.m.-4 p.m. ET
GECN Group Convenes Partners in Sydney
Global insight starts with local perspectives—and that tenet continues to power the Global Governance and Executive Compensation (GECN) Group‘s growth. With the recent addition of partner firms in Brazil and Hong Kong, GECN now supports clients across six continents.
GECN Group, founded more than a decade ago, brings its global community together next month in Sydney, Australia, for its annual summit of partner firms, led by CEO Steve Brink.
As a founding partner of GECN, Farient Advisors plays a central role in the organization’s mission to deliver strategic compensation, talent, and corporate governance advisory services that build stakeholder confidence and drive long-term value creation for global companies.
Sydney, Australia
March 20-23, 2026
For more information about this event, please contact info@farient.com.
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About Farient Advisors
Farient Advisors LLC, a GECN Group company, is an independent premier executive compensation, performance, and corporate governance consultancy. Farient provides a full array of services linking business and talent strategy to compensation through a tailored, analytically rigorous, and collaborative approach. Farient has locations in Los Angeles, Newport Beach, New York, Louisville, and London and works with clients globally through its partnership in the Global Governance and Executive Compensation (GECN) Group. Farient is a certified diverse company and is recognized by the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council.
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