Meet Our Team

Tara Armstrong

GECN Group, Canada

Tara is a founder and Partner of Southlea, a GECN Group company. Prior to founding Southlea in 2021, she worked for 11 years at a large, global multi-service consulting firm, advising boards and senior management teams on effective executive and broad-based compensation program design and governance.
She helps clients align their pay programs with the organization’s purpose, values, and business strategy, and supports the selection and testing of performance measures that drive value and sustainable success. In her former organization, Tara was the Canadian lead of the North American Executive Compensation Transactions Team, and a member of the Due Diligence Centre of Excellence.

Industry Focus

Tara specializes in supporting clients with the development of pay programs as they prepare to go public through IPO or SPAC merger, and due diligence / retention program design for organizations going through M&A transactions and divestitures.

Her experience spans public and private companies across many sectors, including asset management (i.e., pension funds), private equity and technology.

Education

Tara has an Honours Bachelor of Business Administration from the Ivey Business School at Western University and holds the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designation.

R.J. Bannister

Partner, COO, Farient Advisors/GECN Group, New York

New York: (646) 626-6929
Mobile: (917) 747-3985
rj.bannister@farient.com

R.J. has 30-plus years of experience consulting to the S&P 1500 and large private companies representing the board’s compensation committee or management, and sometimes both parties. R.J. has worked with hundreds of companies on their total rewards strategy and executive compensation philosophy to align pay programs with business strategy. His ability to create alignment results from deep insights on industry and compensation trends; sophisticated financial, market, and compensation analytics; and impactful, easy-to-implement solutions. He has worked in nearly every industry sector and extensively with private equity companies. Before joining Farient, R.J. was the founder and CEO of Bannister Group LLC, an executive compensation and total rewards consultancy he founded in 2019 after retiring as a managing director from Willis Towers Watson. R.J. holds an MSc in economics from the London School of Economics and a BS in economics from the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School with a triple concentration in corporate finance, strategic management, and international political science.

Chris Blair

GECN Group, South Africa

Chris Blair represents the largest remuneration consultancy in South Africa. He has consulted with more than 1,000 organizations both in southern Africa and internationally. Areas of work include short-term incentive schemes, cost-benefit analysis, financial modeling, breakeven analysis, feasibility studies, salary and total cost of employment, share schemes, organization design, and strategy and policy development. Chris holds an MBA from the University of Cumbria, a BSc from the University of  Witwatersrand, and is currently studying for his PhD at the University of Lancaster.

Brian Bueno

ESG Practice Leader, Farient Advisors/GECN Group, New York

New York
(646) 626-6929
brian.bueno@farient.com

Brian Bueno is the ESG Leader at Farient Advisors. In this role, Brian guides the firm’s strategy, research, and analysis on environmental, social, and corporate governance (ESG) matters. Brian focuses on the ESG landscape and its intersection with executive compensation and incentives in order to assist clients in understanding stakeholder considerations and developing and implementing appropriate programs that help create stakeholder value.

Prior to re-joining Farient in 2022, Brian was vice president and product manager at Institutional Shareholder Services (ISS), a leading proxy advisory firm, where he led the development of solutions that assist institutional investors evaluate executive compensation and related areas at their portfolio companies across global markets. Additionally, at ISS’s Corporate Solutions arm, Brian led the creation and management of product platforms that allow companies to benchmark themselves across executive compensation and ESG topics.

Prior to joining ISS in 2015, Brian worked at Farient where he managed the development and delivery of Farient’s Performance Alignment Reports and associated research, including analyses on executive pay definitions and financial performance metrics and their link to shareholder value. At Farient, Brian also worked with clients across various industries, including energy, industrials, banking, and insurance. And before Farient, Brian held a market research role involved in identifying opportunities and risks in particular industries and communicating findings to clients and media.

Brian holds a BS from the University of Southern California’s (USC) Marshall School of Business with a triple concentration in finance, marketing, and entrepreneurship.

Dr. Mark Bussin

GECN Group, South Africa

Dr. Mark Bussin serves on and advises numerous boards, audit, and remuneration committees and has consulted with firms in many countries. He has published over 65 peer-reviewed academic articles, written 15 books, and is a recognized, frequently quoted expert on executive compensation and corporate governance. Mark holds a Doctorate in Commerce. 

Randi Caplan

Vice President of Marketing & Business Development, Farient Advisors/CMO, GECN Group

Los Angeles: (626) 799-2263
New York: (646) 626-6930
Mobile: (415) 608-8929
randi.caplan@farient.com    

Randi Caplan is Vice President of Marketing and Business Development at Farient Advisors. As a member of Farient’s leadership team, she works closely with the firm’s partners, data team, and ESG leader to build visibility through high-touch integrated marketing programs. Ms. Caplan also identifies and furthers growth opportunities for the firm with private equity, family businesses, and Fortune 500 companies as well as institutional investors. She is recognized for positioning the firm’s executive pay and performance alignment, stakeholder incentives, and shareholder engagement services to provide clients with effective executive compensation and governance programs.

Prior to Farient Advisors, Ms. Caplan held marketing roles of increasing responsibility with Ernst & Young Consulting, Cap Gemini, and Deloitte Consulting.

With more than 20-plus years of experience in professional services marketing and business development, Ms. Caplan is known for extensive lead generation and global research programs. Over the years, her innovative initiatives have been produced in conjunction with CFO Research, CIO Enterprises, Corporate Board Member, and the Conference Board. She leads development and marketing initiatives for annual research conducted by the Global Governance and Executive Compensation Group (GECN), a partnership of seven firms across five continents of which Farient is a founding partner. GECN Group provides seamless global coverage for clients.

Ms. Caplan studied hotel restaurant management and marketing at the University of Denver and holds a BA in English literature from California State University Northridge.

She works in Farient’s Los Angeles and New York offices.

Robin Ferracone

Founder and CEO, Farient Advisors/GECN Group

New York: (646) 626-6931
Los Angeles: (626) 799-2700
robin.ferracone@farient.com

As the founder and CEO of Farient Advisors LLC, Robin has led the strategic development and expansion of the executive compensation, performance, and corporate governance advisory firm. Her client work focuses on providing high-impact decision-making support and organizational solutions based on insightful market insights.

With over 30 years of consulting experience, Robin advises clients in business and talent strategies, executive compensation, organization, value management, and performance measurement. She is the author of Fair Pay Fair Play: Aligning Executive Performance and Pay (John Wiley & Sons, 2010). In addition, Robin has authored numerous articles, is a regular contributor to Forbes.com and Directorship magazine, and is often quoted in national publications. She is a frequent presenter for prominent organizations such as the Council of Institutional Investors, Society for Corporate Secretaries and Governance Professionals, the National Association of Corporate Directors (NACD), and The Conference Board.

Robin formerly served on the board of directors of Trupanion, Inc., where she chaired the compensation committee. In addition, Robin is a trustee emeritus of Duke University. She currently chairs the board of WildAid and is a member of 5050 Women on Boards, NACD, Women Corporate Directors, YPO Gold, and the Trusteeship. For 12 years, Robin has been named to the NACD Directorship 100, a list of the most influential people in corporate governance and the boardroom. In 2014, she was selected as one of EY’s Entrepreneurial Winning Women, an annual competition recognizing female entrepreneurs. Robin is also a founding partner of the Global Governance and Executive Compensation (GECN) Group collectively serving clients in more than 35 countries across five continents.

Robin received an MBA from Harvard Business School and a BA in management science and economics from Duke University.

Devon Furlong

Consultant, Farient Advisors

(646) 626-6934

As a consultant with Farient Advisors, Devon uses market research and financial data to conduct strategic analyses and develop tailored recommendations for clients. In this role, Devon plays a vital role in drawing together reward programs and corporate strategy and aligning performance with realizable pay. Devon works with a range of clients, from entrepreneurial organizations to S&P 500 companies, in a variety of industries, including consumer products, industrials, and financial services.

Devon has experience across multiple functions in the retail industry, including product development, merchandising, inventory management, e-commerce, analytics, human resources, finance, and strategy. Prior to joining Farient, she was the Customer Insights and Analytics Lead for H&M North America in New York where she managed multi-disciplinary projects to support key initiatives driving short- and long-term growth for the company.

Devon holds a BS from Cornell University’s School of Industrial and Labor Relations with a concentration in international and comparative labor.

Johan Grundlingh

GECN Group, Singapore and Asia

Johan has more than 20-plus years of human resource consulting in Singapore and the Asia Pacific region. Johan has further worked with several of Singapore’s largest companies and sovereign wealth funds advising on strategic human resources, compensation, and corporate governance issues.

Dayna Harris

Partner, Farient Advisors, Los Angeles

Los Angeles: (626) 799-2490
dayna.harris@farient.com

Dayna has served as a consultant on executive and board compensation for two decades, designing incentive programs that align compensation with business strategy and create value for shareholders. Her experience includes advising boards and senior management of public and private companies across various industries. She works with management and boards to reach a consensus on program design that is effective within the context of a company’s organizational structure and situation. Further, her incentive design work identifies the appropriate frameworks, performance measures, and approaches for goal setting. Before joining Farient, Dayna was a principal at Semler Brossy Consulting Group and held executive compensation consulting roles at Sibson & Company, SCA Consulting, and Mercer. She frequently speaks on topics including pay and performance, disclosure, and regulatory compliance for the National Association of Corporate Directors (NACD), WorldatWork, the National Association of Stock Plan Professionals (NASPP), the Council of Institutional Investors, and the Society of Corporate Governance Professionals. Dayna is a member of WorldatWork, NASPP, the Council of Institutional Investors, and NACD. For three years, Dayna was named to the NACD Directorship 100, the prestigious annual list of the most influential people in corporate governance and the boardroom. She holds both an MBA and a bachelor’s degree from San Diego State University.

Marc Hodak

Partner, Farient Advisors, Dallas

New York/Dallas
Mobile: (917) 532-2716
marc.hodak@farient.com

Marc works closely with senior management, boards of directors, and investors, in both public and private companies to develop executive compensation programs that are shareholder-friendly, attractive to management, and responsive to the needs and concerns of boards. He is a recognized thought leader in incentive plan design. His articles have been published in numerous magazines, including Forbes, NACD Directorship, Directors & Boards, and academic journals. He has been quoted in the national press, including the Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg, and Reuters. He is a sought-after speaker at forums and conferences throughout the U.S. and Europe on executive compensation, corporate governance, and value management. Marc was named to the 2020 NACD Directorship 100, a list of the most influential people in corporate governance and the boardroom. For the last 10 years, Marc has taught corporate governance as a professor at NYU’s Stern School and as visiting lecturer at the University of St. Gallen in Switzerland. Before joining Farient, Marc was the principal at Hodak Value Advisors and led value-based management implementation and related projects at Stern Stewart & Co. He earned his MBA in finance from the University of Pennsylvania Wharton School and a BS in aerospace engineering from the University of Maryland.

Eric Hoffmann

Leader, Information Services

Louisville, Kentucky
(626) 800-3120
eric.hoffmann@farient.com

Eric leads Farient’s data strategy, operational capabilities, partnerships, research, and client insights. With more than 20 years of human resource technology and data analytics experience, Eric’s work at Farient focuses on creating and delivering information and decision support to boards of directors, human resource professionals, and investors. Combining data analytics and visualization, Eric and his team create compelling narratives that lead to business insight and defensible decisions for his clients. Eric has extensive experience in executive compensation and performance. From March 2005 to January 2011, he was the Technology Solutions Delivery Leader and a partner at Mercer. In support of Mercer’s compensation and benefits data and analytics business, Eric and his global, cross-disciplinary team delivered leading-edge SaaS-based client-facing and operationally driven data analytics solutions. Before that, Eric was a principal at Mercer, where he led a software development team. Eric holds a BS in computer science and mathematics from Purdue University and an MS in computer science from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Dr. Stephan Hostettler

GECN Group, Switzerland

Stephan Hostettler has more than 20+ years of experience in executive compensation and corporate governance consulting. He has been active as an entrepreneur and consultant in Switzerland, the US, Europe, and other regions since 2002. Stephan is a recognized expert and thought leader in the areas of corporate governance, value-based management, and compensation. He has advised more than 350 companies on the implementation of pay and corporate governance strategies. He holds a doctorate degree in finance from the University of St. Gallen.

Consultant, Farient Advisors, New York 

Office: (646) 626-6936
sachit.jain@farient.com

Sachit Jain is a consultant with Farient Advisors who works to align reward programs with long-term shareholder value and company interests. Specifically, Sachit utilizes financial, economic, and industry data to develop specialized findings and recommendations for client work products. He has broad industry experience, which includes, but is not limited to, financial services and large industrial companies. Prior to joining Farient, he was a venture capital analyst where he assessed the viability of early-stage investment opportunities and drafted investment theses for companies in multiple sectors.

Sachit holds a BS from Rutgers Business School where he majored in finance and economics.

Lori Miller

Partner, Farient Advisors, New York

New York: (646) 626-6937
Mobile: (914) 512-0062
lori.miller@farient.com

Lori Miller has more than 25 years of experience in performance measurement, executive compensation strategy, and value management consulting, working with large public, privately held, and smaller emerging growth companies. She advises Farient Advisor clients on compensation strategies that create shareholder value tied to strategic goals. Miller speaks on value-based management, performance measurement, and compensation issues. She was a significant contributor to writing Value Based Management—Developing a Systematic Approach to Creating Shareholder Value by James A. Knight (McGraw-Hill, 1998). Miller holds an MBA from Northwestern’s Kellogg Graduate School of Management and a BS in economics from the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of Finance.

Nigel Mills

GECN Group, London

Nigel Mills is an expert on carried interest and co-investment plans for private equity houses. Nigel’s clients have included many of the UK’s best- known private equity, venture capital, and infrastructure investment houses, where he has advised them on their own pay strategies as well as those in their portfolio companies. Nigel is a PPE graduate and chartered accountant and holds a degree from Oxford.

Angela Moe

Principal, Head of New York Consulting Operations, Farient Advisors

New York
(646) 626-6934
angela.moe@farient.com

As a principal and head of Farient’s consulting operations, Angela manages client relationships and internal project teams while supporting the firm’s business development efforts. She also serves on Farient’s operating committee. In her client work, Angela develops executive compensation strategies that link pay plans to corporate strategy and ensure strong alignment between realizable pay and performance. Angela works on a wide variety of clients including S&P 500 companies as well as smaller, entrepreneurial organizations. In addition, Angela works closely with our Global Governance and Executive Compensation (GECN) Group partners on global compensation and governance issues. Prior to joining Farient, Angela worked in human resources workforce planning at NextEra Energy where she identified areas to improve diversity goals and recommended strategies for succession planning. Angela holds a BS from Cornell University School of Industrial and Labor Relations with a concentration in statistics and a minor in business.

Paul Norris

GECN Group, London

Paul Norris has more than 30-plus years of executive compensation consulting experience across multiple industries on pay strategy and corporate governance. Paul’s clients comprise public, private, private equity, and partnerships. He is well versed in developing pay strategies for companies in special situations such as turn-around, transformation or company sale/IPO. Paul holds a Master’s degree in Law from London University and is a qualified barrister.

Alex Pattillo

GECN Group, Canada

Alex is a founder and Partner of Southlea, a GECN Group company. For the past 15 years, Alex has advised boards and senior management teams on aligning pay programs with their business strategy and performance objectives. He has worked with many of the largest companies in Canada, with international and global operations. He is known for his expertise in executive compensation governance, including public disclosure requirements, and understanding the perspectives of institutional investors and proxy advisors (such as ISS and Glass Lewis) in Canada.

Prior to forming Southlea, Alex worked at Willis Towers Watson, a global human resources consulting firm, as the market leader for the Toronto Rewards Practice and the leader of the Canadian Executive Compensation Governance Team.

Industry Focus

Alex has diverse experience advising organizations in various industries in Canada, with specific expertise advising publicly-traded organizations in the energy services, utilities, financial services, mining, and technology industries.

Education

Alex has a Bachelor of Business Administration from Wilfrid Laurier University and a Master of Industrial Relations from Queens University.

Affiliations

Alex is a member of the Advisory Board for the Greater Toronto Area Rewards Association (GTARA) and a member of the Governance Professionals of Canada (GPC). He is also a former faculty member of the Directors College.

Trey Poore

Director, Farient Advisors

Trey Poore is a Director with Farient Advisors.  In this capacity, he manages client relationships, supports Farient’s business development efforts, and oversees project teams.

In his client work, Trey provides strategic guidance on pay program design and the linkage between compensation strategy and performance measurement. He is responsible for supporting the development of client solutions and is a dedicated resource to several of Farient’s Fortune 500 and mid-cap company clients. Trey has multi-industry experience,  especially those with unique operating or financial situations.

Prior to joining Farient, Trey was at ISS Corporate Solutions (ICS), the Institutional Shareholder Services business unit that works directly with corporate issuers on executive compensation, corporate governance, and sustainability matters. At ICS, Trey advised companies on equity plan proposals, CD&A drafting, governance benchmarking, ISS policy, and proxy matters. In addition, he developed customized reporting, built modeling tools, and generated thought leadership materials for all ICS clients.

Trey holds a BS in International Business from Auburn University.

Ryan Resch

GECN Group, Canada

Ryan is a founder and Senior Partner of Southlea, a GECN Group company. He has over 20 years of experience consulting complex organizations across North America on executive and broad-based compensation including related governance considerations. He is often the named executive compensation consultant representing either the human resources committee and/or management. Prior to forming Southlea, he worked in Willis Towers Watson’s Toronto and Vancouver offices leading many of the practice’s large client relationships.

He leverages this expertise to bring stakeholders together and drive meaningful change aligned with key business and talent priorities. He is known for providing fresh and innovative thinking with his most recent research focused on connecting environmental, social and governance (ESG) with people and pay programs.

Industry Focus

Ryan works with a variety of publicly-traded, privately-held, joint venture and government organizations across many industries, including financial services, energy, industrial and technology.

Education

Ryan has a Master of Business Administration in Management and Organization Studies from Simon Fraser University. Ryan completed the Institute of Corporate Directors’ Director Education Program and holds the ICD.d designation.

Affiliations

Ryan is the Chair of the Institute of Corporate Directors’ GTA Chapter. He frequently presents and writes articles on topical compensation and governance matters, including the World Economic Forum, NASPP, The Corporate Board and Equilar.

Michael Robinson

GECN Group, Australia

Michael Robinson has 30+ of years executive compensation consulting experience across numerous industries including financial services, mining, energy, retail, technology, and REITs. He is a board adviser to over 20% of Australia and New Zealand’s largest companies, as well as advising US, European, and Asian companies. He is a former practice leader and worldwide partner of Mercer and Aon Hewitt and holds an MBA from the University of Melbourne and an MA from Swinburne University.

Gabe Shawn Varges

Chair, GECN Group, Switzerland

Gabe Shawn Varges has extensive international experience as an executive, advisor, and regulator, with expertise in cutting-edge areas relating to governance, compensation, performance management, corporate culture, risk, and compliance. He specializes in advising, assessing, and supporting boards of directors (including compensation and audit committees), senior management, the heads of control functions, as well as public and international institutions and industry associations. He supports companies and other institutions in developed and emerging markets. He holds a BA, MA, and law degree from Harvard, where he also served as Teaching Fellow.

Amanda Voegeli

GECN Group, Canada

Amanda is the President & Managing Partner of Southlea, a GECN Group company. After growing the Canadian Rewards Practice over her three years of leadership, and 25 years of impactful advisory experience with Willis Towers Watson she co-founded the Southlea Group. She is a well-known and trusted advisor to boards and management of many of Canada’s largest and mid-sized companies (both publicly traded and private). She uses her business acumen and direct approach to solve business challenges covering all matters related to pay levels, design, and governance.

Industry Focus

Amanda works across all industries and has specific expertise working with asset managers, broader financial services and insurance, mining, and technology.

Education

Amanda has a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of British Columbia. She is currently enrolled in the Institute of Corporate Directors’ Director Education Program and holds her Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designation.

Affiliations

Amanda is a member of the Canadian Advisory Committee of the Global Equity Organization (GEO), member of Women Get On Board, and a Board member for the North American AT Children’s Project. She frequently presents on topics of compensation and governance matters.