For a typical independent director, [boards] are generally trying to accomplish a few things through compensation: Recognize the time and responsibility associated with board service, attract and retain qualified directors, and create alignment with shareholders," wrote Ryan Hourihan, managing director at Pearl Meyer.

According to research from the compensation consultancy Pearl Meyer, 80% of companies use job titles to describe where employees sit in the corporate hierarchy.

Pearl Meyer has welcomed Emily Daughters as its new Chief People Officer, which comes as the firm continues to invest in its own leadership bench following Jayson Traxler's Q1 2026 appointment as CEO.

“There’s an existential risk to the company if something happens to the CEO or part of the executive team,” Shah said. Many perks these days, he said, are “really necessary to run the business in the most effective way.”

Compensation strategies can change as a result of priorities. When executives are brought in to make changes, their incentives packages may then need to be realigned with the revamped organization’s new goals, Alexander Yaffe said.