Virtual Event: Environmental, Social, Governance (ESG) Trends, COVID-19 and their Impact on Executive Compensation

While the public, regulators, and proxy advisors have for some time championed ESG topics, the extent to which major investors embrace the full ESG agenda and how they prioritize its various components has not been entirely clear. Equally unclear has been where and how executive compensation fits within ESG. With COVID -19 disrupting the global economy, the question is how this may shape ESG going forward. One thing is clear: company disclosures will become even more important. And just describing “intentions” and “activities” will not be enough as stakeholders will look increasingly for evidence of true ESG performance. This session addresses these issues and puts them within the context of the current environment, in which many companies are under financial and other stresses.

This course is based on the market experience of the Global Governance and Executive Compensation Group (GECN) Group, which includes founding partners Farient Advisors and HCM International) as well as its recent Global Trends in Corporate Governance research study, entitled, Seven Lessons from Engaged Investors.

In this session, you’ll learn:

• What HR and compensation/rewards professionals need to know about ESG trends
• How investors are influencing these trends
• How to anticipate how these trends may impact executive compensation, in both short- and long-term incentives
• How the pandemic relates is impacting ESG and in turn may impact executive compensation and human capital management

Expert Presenters:

• Robin Ferracone is the CEO of Farient Advisors and a Founding Partner of the Global Governance and Executive Compensation Group (GECN), servicing clients in more than 30 countries. She is the author of the book entitled, “Fair Pay Fair Play: Aligning Executive Performance and Pay” and is a frequent presenter for well-known organizations including Council of Institutional Investors, Society for Corporate Secretaries and Governance Professionals, the National Association of Corporate Directors (NACD), and The Conference Board, among others. Robin has written extensively on the topics of performance management, incentive plan design, goal setting, and corporate governance. She has been quoted by several business and industry publications including, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and The Washington Post.
• Gabe Shawn Varges has extensive international advisory and executive experience in governance, compensation, regulation, and compliance, in both the private and public sectors. As a Senior Partner with HCM International, Ltd. and Chairman of the GECN, he specializes in the strategic and more difficult challenges in these areas, including in terms of aligning incentives. He advises boards, CEOs, and the heads of key functions in developed and emerging markets, including in the European Union and Gulf countries. Gabe Shawn Varges has served on several professional boards and teaches governance and related subjects at the University of St. Gallen Executive School. His publications include, among others, “Governing Remuneration,” “Internal Governance,” and “Incentives to the Promote and Protect the Compliance Program.” Gabe Shawn Varges is a graduate of Harvard University.