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Global CEO Pay: U.S. Leads, Tech Titans Surge, Performance Equity Prevails
How much do CEOs really earn—and why? The latest GECN Group preliminary report reveals that U.S. chief executives continue to command the highest pay globally, while also delivering outsized shareholder returns. Dive into fresh insights on how CEO compensation is shifting across regions, industries, and incentive structures, with tech leaders…
Read More > 12.18.2025
Newsletters
2025 Governance Events Rewrote the Rules—Prepare for What’s Next | Farient Briefings
2025 Governance Events Rewrote the Rules—Prepare for What’s Next As 2025 draws to a close, boardrooms will face pivotal decisions. This year’s seismic shifts—from unprecedented CEO pay and evolving ESG priorities to the rapid rise of AI in talent management—have fundamentally reshaped the rules of leadership, risk, and…
Read More > 12.17.2025
Briefs
How This Year’s Top Governance Stories Will Impact Board Work in 2026
As the curtain falls on 2025, boards and executives find themselves at a crossroads—where the lessons of a turbulent year become the compass for tomorrow’s governance. From record-breaking CEO pay and the recalibration of DEI priorities to the disruptive ascent of AI in talent management, this year’s headlines have (again)…
Read More > 12.16.2025
In the News
Millions or Billions? CEOs with the Widest Gaps Between CAP and Total Comp—Agenda
“It’s a red flag that says, ‘Go, look more into this.’ When there’s a major disconnect between compensation actually paid and the figures in the Summary Compensation Table, it raises real questions about whether the program is delivering excessive pay or simply reflecting strong performance,” said Robin Ferracone,…
Read More > 12.08.2025
Newsletters
ISS Targets Compensation in Updated Policies | Farient Briefings
ISS Targets Compensation in Updated Policies ISS is shaking up executive compensation policies for 2026. Among the pending changes are longer-term pay-for-performance tests, new equity plan criteria, and faster action on director pay the proxy advisor views as too high. ISS published final details at the end of…
Read More > 12.02.2025
Briefs
Farient Analysis: ISS Targets Executive and Director Compensation in U.S. Policy Changes
Executive compensation is in the crosshairs of ISS. According to the proxy advisor’s newly published 2026 policy updates for the U.S. market, there are several notable changes that compensation committees and their professional advisors should review carefully. ISS’ compensation-related policy changes are: Long-term alignment in pay for performance (P4P) evaluation:…
Read More > 12.02.2025
In the News
As Layoffs Spike, Boards Have a New Job to Do—Agenda
Farient CEO Robin Ferracone highlights in Agenda that “workforce reductions are distracting… Boards generally prefer to eliminate jobs in one fell swoop, or at least in chunks, rather than ‘death by 1,000 cuts.’” As U.S. companies push past one million layoffs this year, directors are being asked to make sharper,…
Read More > 11.24.2025
In the News
Elon Musk’s Moonshot Pay Deal Spawned Copycats That Flopped—Bloomberg
Interviewed by Bloomberg on the issue of “moonshot” pay packages, Farient Advisors Chief Data Officer Eric Hoffmann explains, “The concern that we have in the [executive compensation] industry is not just the size, but what kind of risk are the CEOs willing to take to achieve these outsized rewards. They…
Read More > 11.06.2025
In the News
New Glass Lewis Approach Will Mean Changes for Say on Pay—Agenda
Farient CEO Robin A. Ferracone tells Agenda that “both ISS and the Glass Lewis traditional pay-for-performance tests are flawed in that they use the grant-date value of equity, not the [realizable] value of equity after performance has happened. Realizable values based on the compensation actually paid statistic in the pay-for-performance…
Read More > 11.06.2025
Briefs
The Tightrope of Incentive Plan Adjustments
You are sitting in the boardroom, and incentive payout decisions are on the agenda after an unpredictable year. What can be attributed to management decisions, and what was totally beyond anyone’s control? Did management strategically help the long-term health of the company, and knowingly sacrifice some short-term performance? Myriad circumstances…
Read More > 11.06.2025
Newsletters
Proxy Advisors: From Punching Bags to Boardroom Assets | Farient Briefings
Proxy Advisors: From Punching Bags to Boardroom Assets Often seen as board adversaries, proxy advisors can become allies. Savvy companies are turning the expertise of firms, such as ISS and Glass Lewis, to their advantage. By proactively engaging with proxy advisors, understanding their published policies, and leveraging…
Read More > 10.27.2025
Briefs
How Companies Can Leverage Proxy Advisors
Proxy advisor influence remains steadfast. Institutional Shareholder Services (ISS) and Glass Lewis (GL) shape the voting decisions of institutional investors and influence how boards and companies operate. Understanding how to engage and harness the power of proxy advisors can provide insight and certainty for both company management and their boards.
Read More > 10.22.2025
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