Integrating ESG and HCM Into Your Compensation Committee's Agenda

Don Delves

Executive Compensation Practice Leader for North America

Don Delves is a Managing Director and Practice Leader for Executive Compensation, North America for Willis Towers Watson’s Rewards Line of Business. Based in Chicago, Don is a leading expert and highly sought-after consultant and speaker on corporate governance and executive pay and performance, with over 30 years’ experience consulting with major corporate boards and executive teams across the country. Don is a recognized expert on principles-based corporate governance, incentive design, performance measurement and value creation.

Dr. Delves is frequently interviewed and cited as an expert in major media including Harvard Business Review, Fortune, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Fox Business News, The Today Show, CNBC and National Public Radio. He has testified before the U.S. Senate and the FASB on the hotly debated issue of stock option expensing. Delves’ published two books: Stock Options and the New Rules of Corporate Accountability: Measuring, Managing, and Rewarding Performance (McGraw-Hill, 2003; World at Work, 2006), and Accounting for Compensation Arrangements, (CCH, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012) the definitive guide for accounting for stock options, equity incentives, and other forms of compensation.

In 2001, he founded The Delves Group, a Chicago-based consultancy dedicated to working with corporate boards and compensation committees to improve their effectiveness and the way they are organized and directed. Prior to founding The Delves Group, Dr. Delves was the Managing Director of the Chicago office of iQuantic, a Partner at Sibson and Company, and an executive compensation consultant with Towers Perrin. He had previously worked with Arthur Andersen & Co.

Delves holds a doctorate in education in principles-based corporate governance from Fielding Graduate University, an M.B.A. degree in finance from the University of Chicago and a B.A., summa cum laude, in economics from DePauw University. He is highly-trained in process- and principles-based leadership with certifications from the Wright Graduate University, and is on the faculty of World at Work. Dr. Delves writes and speaks regularly on management, executive pay and governance at a variety of organizations including the University of Chicago, Northwestern University, the National Association of Corporate Directors, the National Association of Stock Plan Professionals, and the Brookings Institute. He also teaches principles-based leadership at the Wright Graduate University. Don serves on the boards of The Metropolitan Club of Chicago, the Private Directors Association, and the Wright Graduate University.

Ryan Resch

Executive Compensation Managing Director

Ryan is a Managing Director, Executive Compensation in the Toronto office of Willis Towers Watson and leads the firm’s Future of the Compensation Committee initiative. He joined the firm’s Vancouver office in 2003 and has been the Business Leader for the Executive Compensation Practices in Vancouver (2010-2013) and Toronto (2013-2017).

Ryan works with boards and senior management on corporate governance issues related to executive and director compensation. He assists in the development of the compensation philosophy and pay strategy, assesses compensation competitiveness and creates compensation plans that link pay with performance, align participant and shareholder interests and support the desired risk profile. He designs short- and long-term (equity) incentive plans including the selection of effective performance measures, the calibration of incentive targets and the identification of the related tax, accounting and legal implications.

He also provides consulting advice on the governance of executive pay covering various issues, such as: shareholder engagement and public disclosure requirements, executive share ownership, pay-for-performance modeling, and the identification of key trends and issues from institutional shareholders and their advisors. Finally, he supports organizations in the design of compensation structures and plans for special situations (e.g., M&As, IPOs, spin-offs) and for energy trading, marketing and business development teams.

Ryan works with a variety of publicly traded, privately held, joint venture and not-for-profit / government organizations across many industries, including financial services, retail, energy (including oil and gas and utilities), mining, high technology, and transportation.

Ryan holds a Master of Business Administration specializing in Management and Organizational Studies from Simon Fraser University and a Bachelor of Commerce specializing in Entrepreneurial Management from Royal Roads University. Ryan is on the Ontario Chapter Executive for the Institute of Corporate Directors (“ICD”), has completed the ICD-Rotman, Directors Education Program and is an Institute of Corporate Directors, ICD.D. He is also a Certified Compensation Professional (“CCP”) with WorldatWork and a regular speaker on executive compensation and governance matters.

David Shaw

Publishing Director, Director's & Boards Magazine

David Shaw is the publishing director of Directors & Boards and its sister publication, Family Business. With more than 30 years of experience in business-to-business and consumer media markets, he has served as an editor, publisher, publishing director, group publisher and group vice president of a variety of publications, trade shows, conferences and websites. Prior to founding GRID Media, David served as senior vice president for Phillips Business Information Inc., where he oversaw nearly 100 discrete media properties, and helped build the business from $35 million to more than $100 million in annual revenues. He is a frequent author and speaker on issues related to business-to-business media, multi-generational family businesses and private and public company governance. He is married, with two grown children, one serving in the Navy and the other in law school.