Major Changes Ahead for Executive Pay Disclosure and Oversight
Thu Jan 15 2026
On today’s episode, we’re joined by Ed Hauder, Principal at Meridian Compensation Partners, LLC. Ed examines the major regulatory, disclosure and proxy advisor developments shaping executive compensation in 2026, including potential SEC reforms, evolving pay-for-performance standards and growing scrutiny of proxy advisors.
Key Takeaways:
00:00 Introduction.
01:06 Compensation committees are preparing for a pivotal year driven by regulatory and proxy advisor developments.
02:03 New SEC leadership has reopened discussions around executive compensation disclosure rules.
05:06 Pay versus performance and CEO pay ratio disclosures continue to draw criticism despite being mandated by Dodd-Frank.
07:30 Possible disclosure changes could influence how committees approach pay design decisions.
09:54 Proxy advisors are facing renewed political, legal and regulatory scrutiny.
11:33 ISS is moving its pay-for-performance analysis from a three-year to a five-year timeframe.
13:19 Longer vesting and retention requirements introduce uncertainty into acceptable pay structures.
17:23 Glass Lewis is revising its benchmarking and pay-for-performance evaluation methodology.
21:33 Tariffs and economic uncertainty are complicating goal-setting and payout discussions for future cycles.
This episode is brought to you by Meridian Compensation Partners, LLC. Learn more by visiting MeridianCP.com.
#Compensation #Wages #SPAC
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On today’s episode, we’re joined by Ed Hauder, Principal at Meridian Compensation Partners, LLC. Ed examines the major regulatory, disclosure and proxy advisor developments shaping executive compensation in 2026, including potential SEC reforms, evolving pay-for-performance standards and growing scrutiny of proxy advisors. Key Takeaways: 00:00 Introduction. 01:06 Compensation committees are preparing for a pivotal year driven by regulatory and proxy advisor developments. 02:03 New SEC leadership has reopened discussions around executive compensation disclosure rules. 05:06 Pay versus performance and CEO pay ratio disclosures continue to draw criticism despite being mandated by Dodd-Frank. 07:30 Possible disclosure changes could influence how committees approach pay design decisions. 09:54 Proxy advisors are facing renewed political, legal and regulatory scrutiny. 11:33 ISS is moving its pay-for-performance analysis from a three-year to a five-year timeframe. 13:19 Longer vesting and retention requirements introduce uncertainty into acceptable pay structures. 17:23 Glass Lewis is revising its benchmarking and pay-for-performance evaluation methodology. 21:33 Tariffs and economic uncertainty are complicating goal-setting and payout discussions for future cycles. This episode is brought to you by Meridian Compensation Partners, LLC. Learn more by visiting MeridianCP.com. #Compensation #Wages #SPAC