My commitment is to serve as an independent, trusted advisor to boards and leadership teams. Executive compensation and leadership development are essential to building strong organizations, and I focus on designing programs that go beyond benchmarking and compliance to inspire leaders, reflect company values, and earn stakeholder trust.
Will Cockle is a managing director at Pearl Meyer, specializing in executive compensation. He has extensive experience in the technology and life sciences sectors, advising clients from startups to mature public companies, including significant expertise in IPO preparation.
As a lead advisor to compensation committees and senior management teams, Will provides independent guidance on pay philosophy, executive compensation strategy, incentive plan design, and related governance matters. He frequently advises boards on executive pay decisions and guides companies through critical equity strategy transitions, including introducing performance-based equity plans and navigating turnarounds or extended IPO timelines. Will’s governance expertise includes advising on SEC and proxy advisor compliance and conducting CD&A reviews. He is also regularly featured at industry conferences and panels on compensation and governance trends.
Will brings more than 15 years of experience in advisory and professional services, having consulted for Compensia and Mercer prior to joining Pearl Meyer. He earned an MBA from the UCLA Anderson School of Management and a BSBA in Finance from Washington University in St. Louis.
