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David Swinford

President and CEO
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 Download Bio (203) 570-0135 LinkedIn Email

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, President and Chief Executive Officer, joined Pearl Meyer in 1998. In his consulting role, Dave works closely with companies to link compensation with business and leadership development strategies in order to build and maintain strong executive teams that create value over the long term. He provides a candid and seasoned perspective on performance standards, balancing retention with pay-for-performance alignment, and compensation-related corporate governance issues. For more than 40 years, Dave has worked with boards and management teams in all major industries.

As CEO of the firm, Dave leads a highly talented team focused on long term growth and sustainability through superior customer service, meeting expanding market needs, and developing great talent at all levels of the organization.

Dave previously served as senior managing director and head of Pearl Meyer’s New York office. Prior to joining the firm, 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.

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 issues related to executive compensation and board governance. Dave serves on the board of PM&P Holdings LLC, as well as for the Humane Society of Greater Rochester, one of the country’s most respected animal welfare organizations.

Publications and Presentations

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?

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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.

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Video
David Swinford
Mark Rosen
Deb Lifshey
Sharon Podstupka
June 2020

Gender Pay Issues are ESG Issues

Addressing the gender pay gap and overall equality issues are good starting points for any company beginning to reward for ESG goals.

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Video
David Swinford
Mark Rosen
Deb Lifshey
Sharon Podstupka
June 2020

Defining ESG

What important issues already being tracked and measured in your company can be further defined as environmental, social, or governance-related?

Read More

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2020 Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Survey

Survey results from more than 200 organizations indicating interesting trends in how companies view and address DE&I issues.

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Article
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January 2021

Compensation Strategies in the Era of COVID-19

Private company CEOs talk with Pearl Meyer’s Ryan Hourihan about their varied strategies and experiences in amending executive pay programs during the pandemic.

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Advisor Blog
Jane Park
January 2021

A Flexible Organizational Structure and Positive Corporate Culture are Strategic Imperatives

Embracing flatter hierarchies, encouraging collaborative decision-making, and exhibiting a positive culture provides a strong competitive advantage.

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Article
Catherine Chadwick
December 2020

A Look Back at the FTSE 350 and Executive Compensation in 2020

Examining the UK experience with COVID-19, corporate performance, and CEO remuneration—and expectations for 2021.

Read More
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