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 is recognized for her deep expertise in executive compensation strategy and board advisory work and has authored and contributed frequently on these topics. She is Managing Director for Semler Brossy Consulting Group, joining in 2010 following 15 years at Sibson Consulting, where she served as Senior Vice President and Practice Leader for Leadership Performance and Rewards.
Earlier in her career, Blair supported clients in pricing and marketing strategy at Bain & Company. She has authored chapters in three books on executive compensation and written for Corporate Board Member, Directors and Boards, Directorship, Workspan, and WorldatWork Journal. Her views have been cited in The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, Forbes, Business Week, USA Today, The Los Angeles Times, and HR Executive.
Blair is a member of the WorldatWork Executive Rewards Advisory Council and a faculty member since 2004, holding the Certified Compensation Professional (CCP®), Global Remuneration Professional (GRP®), Certified Executive Compensation Professional (CECP®) and Certified Benefits Professional (CBP®) credentials. She has been named a National Association of Corporate Directors (NACD) Directorship Governance Professional Honoree every year since 2013. She earned her BA in Chemistry 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.
