I will be presenting at the Global Equity Organization (GEO) Americas Regional Conference on Tuesday, 22 October, in Huntington Beach (do I need to add “CA” to that? No.) I co-founded GEO in 1999 and at that time could not have imagined there would ever be a cannabis-related presentation at one of the conferences. But here we are. The … Read More
Conscious Compensation® – The Next Step Podcast
https://soundcloud.com/the-next-step-podcast/guest-16-fred-whittlesey-conscious-compensation
Cannabis Compensation #2
From the Cannabis Compensation Consultant “A page-by-page peek at pair of popular pot periodicals and the people who publish pages for the partying portion of the population.” That was the subtitle of a term paper in Journalism 101, circa 1976, and the professor was the founder of the LA Free Press, Art Kunkin (died 30 April 2019). The paper received a … Read More
Cannabis Compensation #1
From the Cannabis Compensation Consultant I did inhale. I also held it in as long as I could to maximize the effects. Who would have thought that would ever intersect with my investing activity and commentary on executive compensation? (Full disclosure: I reside in the state of Washington where recreational cannabis is legal. We have a pot store just about … Read More
Stupid Compensation Plans – The Next Chapter
I am not understanding how a prospective, not retroactive, reduction in corporate tax rates should result in boards of directors and executives thinking that this should justify a $1,000 bonus for every employee. Whether you are an airline, or a bank, or neither an airline or a bank. Nevermind pay-for-performance so that people about to be fired get the same as the … Read More
It’s Time to Kill Merit Increase Processes and Salary Budget Surveys – What Better Time to Start Than Labor Day?
Fred Whittlesey Compensation Venture Group, SPC An oversize postcard in my mailbox today – yes, a real physical heavy stock paper postcard – is touting the value of the 44th annual salary budget survey from a compensation professional association. The pitch says that this survey “will provide the knowledge you need.” If I told you that the message on the … Read More
Restructuring Executive Incentive Metrics for Sustainability
The growing global movement of corporate social responsibility, sustainability, conscious capitalism and environmental, social and governance (ESG) criteria is on a collision course with the executive compensation world’s focus on shareholders and adherence to proxy advisers’ checklists. Executive compensation performance measures must evolve quickly, but what’s lacking is a cohesive and comprehensive framework for defining metrics that are consistent with … Read More
Compensation Venture Group, SPC Earns the Green Business Certification
Compensation Venture Group is a Washington Social Purpose Corporation, a Certified B Corporation, and now a Certified Green Business Read Green America’s blog here
The Real Risk of Working at a Startup
When we think of working at a startup, we might imagine a lower base salary, no annual bonus, sparse benefits, and lots of equity – usually stock options. Most realize that equity is a highly risky form of compensation and few startups ever make it to the IPO, another small number get acquired (at a much lower multiple than … Read More
