Private Equity and Portfolio Company Leadership and Compensation Consulting
We help organizations drive success across all stages of the investment and ownership lifecycle.
+ Assess the strength of leadership teams and compensation structures
+ Determine portfolio company readiness for growth
+ Develop leadership bench strength
+ Foster greater alignment between portfolio company and management teams
Organizational and Executive Diligence: Human Capital Strategy and Development
We provide organizational and human capital insights through diagnostic processes related to leadership capability, market competitiveness of compensation programs, and organizational health. Our organizational and executive diligence offerings are enhanced by a deep team of leadership advisory experts.
Our leadership advisory experts serve as a key partner with both PE deal teams and portfolio company management teams, helping to ensure alignment with respect to a potential transaction’s investment thesis. Investors turn to their expertise for executive and organizational pre-deal diligence as part of an investment or acquisition decision; CEOs engage our experts to assess and develop candidates for key roles or position their organization for better performance.
PE/Investor Ownership: Accelerating Growth and Driving Alignment
We accelerate the performance and development of the management team, individually and collectively, grounded in the value creation plan. In parallel, we help boards and CEOs create and/or revise management incentive plans (both cash and equity) that drive value toward an exit event. We do this by assisting in structuring cash bonus programs, determining the equity pool size, and informing individual allocation decisions using relevant market data.
Optimizing the Exit
As portfolio companies and investors prepare for exit events, it is an optimal time to review and/or amend policies and programs given compensation outcomes and the leadership skills needed to drive a transaction that can vary by type of exit (trade sale, secondary sale, IPO, or other types of exit events). Once a likely exit strategy is clearer, we view this as an opportunity to conduct an additional round of diligence to ensure that the compensation structure established at the outset of the investment is able to bolster the exit. We support this process by evaluating the degree of alignment between the desired exit strategy, skills required, and incentive compensation.
Public Company Transition: Facilitating Shareholder Engagement
We help newly public companies (“NewCos”) widen their human capital focus to build enterprise leadership bench strength and enable strong CEO and executive succession planning, while also ensuring that the organization and its talent are appropriately executing strategy and achieving desired growth. Our deep experience with public company compensation committees helps NewCos make the transition to an annual activity cycle centered around the committee agenda. We also ensure that NewCos have a pay framework to support their business strategy, drive desired behaviors, and align the various interests of employee and shareholder groups.
The Pillars of Success
Key Drivers
Business Strategy
- Mission & Vision
- Organization Culture
Pearl Meyer's Role
Executive Compensation
- Develop Philosophy
- Assess Competitiveness
- Design Programs
Leadership
- Develop Leadership Framework
- Assess Leadership & Board Effectiveness
- Coach & Develop
Communications & Disclosures
Key Outcomes
Exceptional Business Results
- High Performance Leadership & Culture
Board of Directors Compensation at Private Companies: 2026 Update
Maximizing the Value of an IPO
How to Use External Compensation Advice at Different Stages of Private Company Growth
Evaluating Executive Compensation for Potential Portfolio Companies
How a Progressively In-Depth Board Assessment Led to Improved Coordination, Decision-Making, and Effectiveness
Rethinking Pre-IPO Equity Compensation Decisions
Navigating Dodd-Frank Disclosure Requirements if You’re a Smaller Reporting Company or Emerging Growth Company
Founder Compensation: The Data Only Take You So Far
Private Company Director Compensation: Securing High-Caliber Board Members
IPO Equity Awards: What’s the Message?
Updating Board Compensation Practices Post-IPO
Ready, Set, IPO: A Three-Part Plan for Executive Compensation
Pre-IPO Compensation: Balancing Market Data with the Magic of a Start-Up
Pre-IPO Compensation: Managing Internal and External Parity and the Influence of Culture
We believe in the power of connecting compensation and leadership strategy to help our clients enable and reward individual and organizational success.
Pearl Meyer is a powerhouse of both survey and proxy data. Our survey team produces over 50 annual compensation surveys and our partner, Main Data Group, offers public company governance and compensation data.