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Melissa L. Means

Managing Director
Boston

Melissa Means Headshot

Expertise

  • Executive Compensation
  • Board of Directors Compensation
  • CEO and Executive Transitions
  • Corporate Governance Processes/Practices
  • Managing Behavioral Aspects Associated with Compensating Executives

Education

  • BA, Miami University

Certification

  • Certified Compensation Professional
  • Certified Equity Professional

"It's important to take the time, craft the story, and put the words around the compensation decisions."

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Get in touch with Melissa

(508) 630-1487 Download Bio (617) 501-9546 LinkedIn Email Twitter

Commitment To Clients

My clients are purposeful, open-minded, curious professionals who desire to go beyond tactical data to tackle the real behavioral elements of compensation. Together we strive to design optimum compensation programs while addressing company culture and performance, key talent management, and any interpersonal or relationship dynamics. I have been called "the boardroom psychologist" as I help my clients more intentionally, intuitively, and thoughtfully navigate the often highly-charged topic of compensation. Together, we will walk through the process to create highly-effective, easy to understand, genuine programs.

Biography

Melissa Means is a managing director in Pearl Meyer’s Boston office with over 20 years of experience. Melissa’s areas of expertise include executive and non-employee director compensation, designing, implementing, and communicating total compensation strategies, pay for performance alignment, and short- and long-term incentive compensation programs. Melissa works closely with boards and management teams in addressing issues including governance practices, executive transitions, succession planning, and aligning pay with business strategies.

She specializes in working with firms ranging in size from small, private and pre-IPO organizations to large multi-national companies across many different industries including materials/industrials, consumer, healthcare, information technology, and biotechnology. In being in the boardroom most days with different clients, Melissa also helps provide context to boards on group behavioral interactions among the board and with management.

Eager to give back to her professional community, Melissa is a speaker and writer on executive and non-employee director compensation topics. She is a Certified Compensation Professional and a Certified Equity Professional. She is a member, author, and article reviewer for WorldatWork and the National Association of Stock Plan Professionals. She is a member, author, and speaker for the National Association of Corporate Directors, where she also served on the Program Committee. She is a member of The Boston Club, served on the Corporate Board Committee, and chaired the Corporate Advisory Board Committee. Melissa is also a member of the WomanCorporateDirectors. Melissa was recently named to the Agenda Compensation 100, a listing of top board-ready professionals who make terrific compensation committee members.

Melissa and her colleagues at Pearl Meyer assisted WomanCorporateDirectors in creating their Thought Leadership Council and are the authors of the first report titled "Going Beyond Best Practices: The Role of the Board in Effectively Motivating and Rewarding Executives." This report was released in May 2014 and continues to be used daily by boards of directors.

Despite her demanding professional life, Melissa has a passion for being a part of organizations whose mission is to help others, as well as give back to the community and their constituency. Melissa is a member of the Board of Trustees for a 100-year old music school in the greater Boston area and served as a committee member for Susan G. Komen’s Massachusetts Affiliate annual Race for the Cure Event.

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Select Clients

Apogee Enterprises Logo
Atlantic Power Corporation Logo
Cabot Logo
Delcath Logo
GTT Logo
iRobot Logo
JJill Logo
Lifetime Brands Logo
Performance Sports Group Logo
Summer Infant Logo
Watsco Logo

Publications and Presentations

Advisor Blog
Melissa Means
June 2020

The Sequencing Game Plan for Reinstating Reductions

Determine the right order for restoring previous employment and pay actions.

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Video
Melissa Means
March 2019

ESG Oversight: How Directors Can Start the Conversation

Melissa Means talks with director Dan Daly about how and why to get the board involved in discussions on environmental, social, and governance issues.

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Video
Melissa Means
March 2019

Gender Pay Discussions in the Boardroom

Directors can help move the needle on gender-based pay issues, starting with a few important questions for the management team.

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Video
Jannice Koors
Melissa Means
Aalap Shah
December 2018

Why Culture Matters to the Visionary Board

Culture plays a large role in the way a company is viewed in the market.

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Related Knowledge Share Items

Research Report
December 2015

The Myth and Reality of TSR as an Incentive Metric

Research from Pearl Meyer and Cornell on the links between use of total shareholder return (TSR) as an incentive and subsequent company performance.

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Video
Jannice Koors
August 2016

Why Relative TSR Falls Apart

A close look at why TSR as a point-to-point measure over a set timeframe can cause spikes in payouts.

Read More
Research Report
Kathy Baron
Karen Butcher
January 2021

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.

Read More
Article
Chief Executive
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.

Read More
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