Chris Crawford
Founder & CEO, Zayla Partners
CCP, CECP, CCC

Chris Crawford is the Founder & CEO of Zayla Partners. Chris has over 25 years of strategic compensation and corporate governance consulting experience advising over 250 public, private and not-for-profit organizations. Chris led his prior consulting firm as co-founder and President. The firm received several awards such as Best Places to Work in Texas-by-Texas Monthly Magazine for 10 years (twice ranked number one), The Top Consultancies in the US by Consulting Magazine, and America’s Top Management Consultancies by Forbes Magazine. That firm was successfully sold in 2020.

Chris has been the co-author of three books on compensation, technical contributor to five books on compensation, as well as the author and feature contributor to over 100 articles on strategic compensation matters. He has served on a number of boards and advisory boards, including several private companies, a university college of business, and a several nonprofit organizations. Over the past 25 years, Chris has served as a faculty member, faculty trainer, curriculum contributor, author, and board advisor for WorldatWork, where he has specialized in variable pay, executive compensation and pay equality. Chris has also served as an expert witness on compensation matters for several high-profile litigation cases in the US. He is nationally recognized as an expert in the field of compensation.

Professional Designation Professional Designations/ Accreditations:

  • Certified Compensation Professional (CCP®)
  • Certified Executive Compensation Professional (CECP®)
  • Compensation Committee Certified (CCC)

Education Education

Chris Crawford is the Founder & CEO of Zayla Partners. Chris has over 25 years of strategic compensation and corporate governance consulting experience advising over 250 public, private and not-for-profit organizations. Chris led his prior consulting firm as co-founder and President. The firm received several awards such as Best Places to Work in Texas-by-Texas Monthly Magazine for 10 years (twice ranked number one), The Top Consultancies in the US by Consulting Magazine, and America’s Top Management Consultancies by Forbes Magazine. That firm was successfully sold in 2020.

Chris has been the co-author of three books on compensation, technical contributor to five books on compensation, as well as the author and feature contributor to over 100 articles on strategic compensation matters. He has served on a number of boards and advisory boards, including several private companies, a university college of business, and a several nonprofit organizations. Over the past 25 years, Chris has served as a faculty member, faculty trainer, curriculum contributor, author, and board advisor for WorldatWork, where he has specialized in variable pay, executive compensation and pay equality. Chris has also served as an expert witness on compensation matters for several high-profile litigation cases in the US. He is nationally recognized as an expert in the field of compensation.