2025 has ushered in a relentless external pressure for executive pay planning - a convergence of tariffs, executive orders slashing federal program funding, constraints on DEI initiatives, global instability and a wildly unpredictable stock market. For Total Rewards and HR leaders, it isn’t just challenging, it’s redefining how compensation strategy must respond to forces beyond your control.
In this session, we’ll explore what you need to be considering now:
- How do you keep pay and performance aligned when external disruptions overwhelm internal forecasts?
- What’s fair in an unfair environment?
- Where can (and should) you build in flexibility without undermining accountability?
Join us for a grounded discussion on how to recalibrate incentives, protect integrity and guide your organization through uncertainty.
Blair Jones joined Semler Brossy Consulting Group as a Managing Principal in 2005 after 15 years at Sibson Consulting where she was an SVP and Practice Leader for Leadership Performance and Rewards. Blair began her professional career at Bain & Company, helping clients develop pricing and marketing strategies.
She has been published in many journals including Corporate Board Member, Directors and Boards, Directorship, WorldatWork Journal, and workspan, and has authored chapters in three books on executive compensation. Her views have been sought by and quoted in publications such as The New York Times, Business Week, The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, USA Today, The Los Angeles Times, and HR Executive.
She is a member of the WorldatWork Executive Rewards Advisory Council and holds Certified Compensation Professional® (CCP®), Global Rewards Professionals (GRP®) and Certified Executive Compensation Professional (CECP)® and Certified Benefits Professional® (CBP) designations from the WorldatWork Society. Blair has also been an NACD Directorship Governance Professional Honoree in each year since 2013. Blair holds a bachelor's degree with highest honors from Williams College.
Becky Huddleston is a Managing Director and the North America Co Leader of WTW’s Executive Compensation and Board Advisory practice, focusing on advising boards and management on corporate governance and developing and implementing effective executive compensation programs. Becky has over twenty years of consulting experience advising publicly traded, private and not-for-profit organizations. Within the for-profit sector, she works with companies across a range of industries, including life sciences, medical equipment/technology, health care provider, insurance, fin tech and manufacturing. Becky serves on the WorldatWork Executive Rewards Advisory Council.
While Becky’s experience includes broad-based and sales compensation, her focus is on executive compensation, which involves competitive market reviews, short- and long-term incentive program valuation and design, pay-for-performance assessments, employment contracts, severance and change-of-control calculations and analyses, ownership guidelines, Intermediate Sanctions Compliance for not-for-profit organizations and Board of Director remuneration. The focus of her work is on leading and managing client relationships and engagements and interpreting and presenting the findings to clients’ senior executives and Board members to ensure alignment between corporate strategies and compensation programs.
