“Years ago, compensation committees would have only focused on executive pay, not broader human capital topics," Reilly explained. "We now see an increased prevalence of oversight on succession planning, talent development and even culture.”

The executive compensation consultancy Pearl Meyer noted in a 2022 blog post that excise tax gross-up provisions are controversial among boards and have seen decreased use in change-in-control and severance plans since the 1990s.

"Most boards don't actually have a documented, well-laid-out CEO orientation or onboarding program," said Peter Thies, managing director with Pearl Meyer.

“That shift is not just cosmetic,” said Ryan Hourihan, a managing director at Pearl Meyer. “It reflects a deliberate effort to create flexibility in how directors are deployed across committees without compensation as a barrier.”