Sharon's Client Commitment
There has never been a more critical time to effectively communicate about pay. Regulators, shareholders, activists, proxy advisors, and employees want to know who is earning what and why. Given today’s focus on pay inequality, it’s not just about executive compensation anymore. Companies need to remove the mystery around pay for everyone. I help my clients create communication strategies and develop content that go beyond technical details and get to the heart of compensation.
Biography
Sharon Podstupka is a managing director at Pearl Meyer. She is a trusted advisor to boards and executive management teams in the areas of executive and broad-based employee compensation communication and change management. With over 25 years of consulting experience, she is one of the original pioneers of executive compensation disclosure best practices and has proven success in creating effective strategies and delivering content in challenging business environments and under intense scrutiny from investors and proxy advisory firms. Sharon has extensive experience in a broad range of industries, including financial services, manufacturing, oil and energy, retail, biopharma/biotech, and healthcare.
Sharon joined Pearl Meyer in 2013 after 17 years at Towers (Perrin) Watson, where she served as a director in the talent and rewards segment and led the executive compensation communications services team for the Americas. Prior to that, she was a compensation and benefits administrator and communication specialist at EMI-Capitol Music Group.
Sharon is a popular conference panelist at major industry events, including those hosted by the National Association of Corporate Directors (NACD), Women Corporate Directors (WCD), and WorldatWork. She frequently contributes to industry publications including Workspan, Corporate Board Member, and CompensationStandards.com, and has also been quoted by the Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg Business, and Agenda.
She holds a BA in communication from the New York Institute of Technology.
Publications By Sharon Podstupka
Quick Poll: Executive Security
What ISS’s Final 2026 Policies Mean for Your Upcoming Proxy Season
Maximizing the Value of an IPO
STI Plan Communication: Insights from the 2025 Pearl Meyer Survey for Oil & Gas Companies
CD&A Narrative: Why Committees Must Lead the Story in 2025
Prepping for the Fall: Top Takeaways from the Proxy Season
Quick Poll: Annual Incentive Plan Communication Amid Uncertainty
Beyond the Proxy: Why Compensation Peer Group “Disclosure” Matters Internally
Your Short-Term Incentive Plan: Why Communication Matters
Why a Strong CD&A Narrative Matters for Oil and Gas Companies
Performance-Based Pay Under the Microscope: What It Means for Your CD&A
Can Improved Communication About Executive Compensation Pay Off?
On Point Survey: Clearly Communicating Executive Pay
Aligning on AI in the Boardroom: Connecting Leadership, Change Management, and Executive Compensation
CD&A Pro Tips for the 2024 Proxy Season
Pay Versus Performance is Here: What Compensation Committees Must Do Now
The SEC Just Kicked CD&A Drafting Season into High Gear
Pay Transparency: Spotlight on Granting Equity
Wake Up and Smell the Disruption: It’s Time for a New Pay Communication Strategy
Emerging Areas of Challenge: Where to Focus Your CD&A Drafting Efforts Now
Human Capital Management Disclosure: Emerging Best Practices
Human Capital Management Disclosure: Lessons Learned and Future Approaches
Quick Poll: Human Capital Management Disclosure
IPO Equity Awards: What’s the Message?
Rethinking Payment for Performance
Defining ESG
Are Boards Talking About ESG?
Gender Pay Issues are ESG Issues
Why ESG Belongs on the Compensation Committee Agenda
Communicating ESG Priorities
Director Compensation: Communicating A Board’s Worth
Pay Transparency is a Juggernaut We Cannot Ignore