I’m pleased to announce that registration has opened today for our 2010 Executive Compensation Summit, to be held June 15 and 16 in Washington, D.C. Here at Equilar, we’re committed to listening to the needs of our clients, and the feedback on our Summit was no exception. Our clients and Advisory Board had two big wishes for this year’s summit- here’s how we addressed them:

• “Unite the exec comp world in one place.” While we had a great time last year at sold-out events on both coasts, we’re excited that this year’s Summit will bring exec comp professionals nationwide to one place, where they can network and collaborate on the important issues in the field.

• “Develop programs for the next generation of leaders.” We’ll still have a great first day of talks by the very best in the field, but we’re also excited to introduce a second day of training and education for mid-level professionals. In the morning, experts will present their research work and tools, and Equilar clients can receive training on how to make the most of our products. Then, in the afternoon, all mid-level professionals can attend WorldatWork’s comprehensive seminar on navigating the exec comp arena. This will also create a more intimate environment for senior professionals on the second day, when they’ll discuss issues in small, industry- and topic-specific roundtables.

Everyone at Equilar is excited about the amazing speakers and educational opportunities we’ll be offering. Head over to our website to view the complete agenda and speakers list, and take advantage of our early-bird discount: $300 off if you register by March 19th with promotional code EQU32. See you there!

With the spotlight still firmly on executive pay in the nascent recovery, many companies are considering–or being coaxed into by shareholders–a “say on pay” policy that gives shareholders a say in the compensation of top executives. In this week’s Say on Pay article, we examined 2009 proxy filings to look at the specifics of this emerging trend. Here’s what we found:

• Large-cap companies are most likely to see say on pay. Our report examined the S&P 1500 by company size, and we found that 21.0% of large-cap companies had undergone some kind of say on pay effort, compared to 4.3% of mid-caps and 5.3% of small-caps.
• Advisory votes are more likely to gain approval than shareholder proposals. Only 22.9% of shareholder proposals in the S&P 1500 succeeded in instituting say on pay, but 100% of advisory votes did.
• Some companies are getting ahead of the debate. The boards of four S&P 500 companies adopted internal policies on say on pay, instead of having them proposed by shareholders or as advisory votes. Among the quartet: Bed Bath & Beyond and Intuit, Inc.

While say on pay may be on a company-by-company basis for the time being, the Obama administration supports instituting it at all companies. In June 2009, Treasury Secretary Geithner said that the administration would authorize the SEC to institute system-wide say-on-pay requirements, pending Congressional approval. It remains to be seen whether the proposal will pass muster on Capitol Hill.

The complete article is provided to all Equilar Knowledge Center subscribers. Non-subscribers can request a copy of the article by visiting Equilar’s Executive Compensation Reports section.

Though their role hasn’t figured heavily in discussions of the new SEC regulations, compensation consulting firms will play a big part in the executive compensation outlook for 2010. In addition to their continued responsibility for designing pay structures that competitively reward performance, these firms will be instrumental in devising solutions that meet the requirements for independence on the part of board compensation consultants. Will companies’ need to comply with these new mandates also affect the consulting firm landscape?

In our 2010 Consultant League Report, we took a look at annual reports and proxy filings of public companies to determine which consulting firms had the largest, most profitable clients, and which had the best market share in various indices, sectors, and geographic locations. Although large consulting firms consistently have a bigger presence in the market, we found some smaller firms gaining market share in certain industries and regions.

Our data was featured in a recent Wall Street Journal article on current consulting trends, “More Boards Opting for Independent Pay Advisers.” To read their take on things, click here.

The entire report is provided to all Equilar Knowledge Center subscribers. Non-subscribers can request a copy of the report by visiting Equilar’s Executive Compensation Reports section or the individual report page here.