Myths and Realities of Executive Pay

Ira T. Kay, global practice director of executive compensation consulting at Watson Wyatt Worldwide in Washington, DC, is a nationally recognized expert on executive compensation. He has helped U.S. public, private, and international companies develop annual and long-term incentive plans to increase shareholder value. Dr. Kay has written and spoken extensively on executive compensation issues and conducted research on executive pay, stock ownership, and stock options. He is coauthor of the book The Human Capital Edge and is the author of CEO Pay and Shareholder Value: Helping the U.S. Win the Global Economic War and Value at the Top: Solutions to the Executive Compensation Crisis. Dr. Kay has published articles in the Harvard Business Review, McKinsey Quarterly, Journal of Deferred Compensation, and Across the Board. He has also presented analysis of executive compensation issues before the Federal Reserve Board, the Securities and Exchange Commission, the Financial Accounting Standards Board, and a U.S. Senate subcommittee. He is frequently quoted in the major business press and speaks globally on executive compensation issues.

Steven Van Putten is the east region practice leader of Watson Wyatt's executive compensation consulting practice. He primarily focuses on advising compensation committees and senior management on executive and director compensation matters. Mr Van Putten is a leading expert in executive and incentive compensation, specializing in the design and development of annual and long-term incentive programs that drive business strategy and support organizational objectives. He is also an expert on FAS 123(R) and implications for stock-based incentives.