Tampa Partner John Burgess presented at the National Center for Employee Ownership’s 2022 Annual Conference in Seattle, WA. John discussed the need for Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) companies to have great executives and key managers at their best. While these contributors do benefit under the ESOP, many ESOP companies provide other incentives to attract and retain the best talent, especially in a competitive market. John's session provided practical ideas and tips for ESOP companies to provide these incentives. He discussed the various types of incentives that are commonly used by ESOP companies, including both equity-based and non-equity-based, and the processes that should be used in setting compensation for executives and other key employees.

Learning objectives for the session included identifying the alternatives for executive compensation, including equity-based and nonequity-based alternatives, understanding the best practices that ESOP companies should use when designing and implementing an executive compensation program, and lastly identifying ways to evaluate the effectiveness of your executive compensation program.