Skip to main content
Top
Cookie Notification
Cookie Notification

We use cookies to collect information about how our website is used and to improve the visitor experience. You can change your browser’s cookie settings at any time. Please review our privacy policy for more information. OK

  • Careers
  • Salary Surveys
  • Login
  • Blog

Menu

  • Why Pearl Meyer
    • Our Philosophy
    • Our Approach
    • Our Commitment
    • Our Clients
    • Our Role
  • Advisory Services
    • Consulting Services
      • Executive Compensation
      • Director Compensation
      • Employee Compensation
      • Compensation Communication
      • Leadership Development
      • CEO and Executive Succession
      • Compensation Governance
    • Specialized Expertise
      • By Industry
      • High-growth Start-Ups
      • Mergers and Acquisitions
      • Restructuring
    • Salary Surveys
      • Running Your Salary Survey
      • Salary Survey Portfolio
      • By Industry
  • Meet our Team
  • Knowledge Share
  • Contact Us
  • Why Pearl Meyer
    • Our Philosophy
    • Our Approach
    • Our Commitment
    • Our Clients
    • Our Role
  • Advisory Services
    • Consulting Services
      • Executive Compensation
      • Director Compensation
      • Employee Compensation
      • Compensation Communication
      • Leadership Development
      • CEO and Executive Succession
      • Compensation Governance
    • Specialized Expertise
      • By Industry
      • High-growth Start-Ups
      • Mergers and Acquisitions
      • Restructuring
    • Salary Surveys
      • Running Your Salary Survey
      • Salary Survey Portfolio
      • By Industry
  • Meet our Team
  • Knowledge Share
  • Contact Us
  • Careers
  • Salary Surveys
  • Login
  • Blog
You are here
  • Home
  • Meet Our Team
  • Current Page

David Swinford

Chairman
Rochester

David Swinford President and CEO Headshot

Expertise

  • Executive Compensation Strategy
  • Employment Agreements
  • Director Compensation
  • Business Unit Incentives
  • Compensation Governance Processes

Education

  • BA, University of Wisconsin-Madison
  • MS, University of Wisconsin-Madison
  • JD, University of Wisconsin-Madison

Get in touch with David

(585) 713-1413 (203) 570-0135 LinkedIn Contact David

Commitment To Clients

Our mission is to help organizations build and maintain great leadership teams to create value for the organization's stakeholders over the long term. All of our work on compensation benchmarking, plan design, and related governance issues is structured to fulfill this mission. Our advice is thoughtful, tailored to the organization, frequently innovative, and always straight-forward, open, and candid.

Biography

David Swinford is chairman of Pearl Meyer. He is a senior advisor to the firm’s leadership team and serves on the firm’s board of directors. In his consulting role, Dave works closely with companies to align executive compensation with business and leadership strategies, helping clients build and maintain strong executive teams that create value over the long term.  

For more than 40 years, Dave has worked with boards and management teams in all major industries. He has been with Pearl Meyer over 24 years, and in 2007 was named president and CEO. During his tenure as CEO, he guided the firm’s growth and its approach to delivering strategy-driven executive compensation consulting services. Prior to 2007, he served as senior managing director and head of Pearl Meyer’s New York office.

As an industry leader, Dave works closely with the National Association of Corporate Directors and other organizations on director education and intellectual capital issues. He writes and speaks regularly on executive compensation and board governance, and serves on the board of the Humane Society of Greater Rochester, one of the country’s most respected animal welfare organizations.

Before joining Pearl Meyer, he was a managing director and worldwide partner of William M. Mercer, Incorporated, where he was a national practice leader for executive compensation. Dave also served as a vice president at Towers Perrin, with worldwide responsibility for the executive compensation consulting practice, and in positions at Sibson & Company and Harris Corporation. He holds BS, MS, and JD degrees from the University of Wisconsin.

Publications and Presentations

Advisor Blog
David Swinford
July 2022

Leading an Effective CEO Transition: It’s a Journey, Not an Event

Leadership transition is an ongoing process. Here are four guiding points for boards and CEOs to consider as they plan.

Read More
Advisor Blog
Mark Rosen
David Swinford
January 2022

How Inflation Complicates the Compensation Committee’s Job

Some options for boards to consider as they make decisions for merit budgets and executive incentive plans during this period of uncertainty.

Read More
Video
David Swinford
Mark Rosen
Deb Lifshey
Sharon Podstupka
June 2020

Are Boards Talking About ESG?

How much of the environmental, social, and governance discussion in the mainstream is taking place in the boardroom?

Read More
Video
David Swinford
Mark Rosen
Deb Lifshey
Sharon Podstupka
June 2020

Communicating ESG Priorities

Determine the top-level concerns for your company and then tell a succinct and clear story about your organization’s position on these ESG objectives.

Read More

Related Knowledge Share Items

Advisor Blog
Greg Stoeckel
March 2023

A Quick Glance at the Radar for Compensation Committees

Several new regulatory executive compensation developments are taking shape. Here’s what you need to know for Spring and Summer committee meetings.

Read More
Advisor Blog
Deb Lifshey
March 2023

Pay Versus Performance Watch: The First Filers

PVP disclosure data and trends based on this year’s first 60 public filings.

Read More
Advisor Blog
Pete Lupo
February 2023

The Softening Economy and Incentive Design: A Compensation Committee Top Concern

There are still difficulties with goal-setting and investors may become impatient. Here are ideas for creating effective incentives amid uncertainty.

Read More
Advisor Blog
Michael Esser
February 2023

Are Today’s Directors Underpaid?

Data show board compensation grows at a very slow pace; is it enough to attract the caliber of director talent required for board service today?

Read More
Stay Connected: twitter linkedin youtube
  • About
  • Contact Us
  • News & Events

Copyright © 2023 Pearl Meyer & Partners, LLC. All rights reserved. Terms of Use  Privacy Policy