BOSTON—March 2, 2022—Pearl Meyer mourns the loss of colleague Gary Hourihan, a managing director with the firm until his death on February 3, 2022. In addition to a rich and rewarding life well lived with family and friends, Hourihan had an illustrious career as a compensation consultant and was a mentor to many in the Pearl Meyer family.
Widely recognized as instrumental in transforming the industry, Hourihan’s professionalism influenced many. “Gary’s personal presence and charm combined with his intellect and credibility had a significant impact on the practice of compensation consulting,” said David Swinford, chairman at Pearl Meyer. “Over his long and very fruitful career, he influenced the work and success of many consultants, including numerous members of our firm."
“Gary is the reason I’m a consultant today,” said Jan Koors, senior managing director at Pearl Meyer. “He revolutionized compensation consulting, evolving it from prevalence-based recommendations into a truly strategic, business-based model. He had the vision early on that compensation is a tool to drive business results. Most importantly, he was a great friend and mentor.”
A leading practitioner in the compensation consulting field for nearly 50 years, Hourihan worked at a variety of firms and was the Founder and CEO of SCA Consulting, where he championed and mentored a number of current industry leaders now at Pearl Meyer. Later in his career, he was Chairman of Echelon Compensation Partners, which he founded along with his son Ryan Hourihan and colleague Robert James, all three of whom joined Pearl Meyer in 2019.
"In many respects, the strategy-based approach that Gary popularized at SCA was the precursor to how Pearl Meyer approaches consulting today," said Beth Florin, CEO at Pearl Meyer. "Gary’s consummate professionalism, guidance, and vibrant ideas will be missed by so many and our firm extends deepest condolences to the Hourihan family."
Pearl Meyer has made a donation in Gary Hourihan’s honor to the City of Hope, a National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center. Others wishing to make a donation may do so using this link.