Pearl Meyer & Partners Release: Biotech Companies Face Compensation Conundrum
“Biotech companies must take action to avoid being unfairly criticized by proxy advisory firms for the relationship between executive rewards and changes in shareholder value,” said Susan Stemper, a Managing Director in the firm’s San Francisco office. “Because of the complexity of the biotech industry, there are significant differences in pay program design that may require more careful explanation. However, these differences are essential to achieve critical business objectives that drive long-term value for a biotech.”
In a new white paper, Top 10 Biotechnology Compensation Committee Agenda Items, Stemper discusses how firms in this rapidly changing industry can address these as well as other issues related to biotech’s unique pay and governance needs, including how to:
• Create a pay philosophy and programs that reinforce the company’s mission and support the risk-taking needed to achieve the company’s goals
• Identify peer companies that will remain relevant throughout the progression of mergers and acquisitions within the sector
• Understand how different business and performance outcomes will affect executive compensation levels. “Biotech companies often face a greater challenge in setting long-term performance goals that effectively address their needs,” said Stemper. “These challenges create a greater burden to clearly and convincingly discuss why their pay programs operate in the best long-term interests of the organization and its shareholders.”
For example, even the multi-year time frame used by proxy ratings firms to measure performance is far shorter than the typical biotech time frame from research through commercialization. When executives are rewarded for progress before the stock price reflects the company’s potential, proxy advisory firms may penalize the company by recommending a “NO” vote on its executive pay. Companies must proactively demonstrate to shareholders how the investment in that executive pay program will drive the long-term results that are in the interest of all stakeholders.
Similarly, while value creation is most closely related to R&D expenditures and future ROIC, the most appropriate compensation goals for a biotech firm may be related to pipeline progress, joint ventures, operational efficiency or other indirect metrics. In such cases, Stemper recommends that companies strike a balance between financial and non-financial metrics in their compensation plans to avoid overweighting on non-financial metrics.
Susan Stemper specializes in executive compensation and corporate governance matters for compensation committees and management. A 20-year veteran, she works with global companies with particular expertise in the biotechnology, technology and scientific research sectors. Based in Pearl Meyer & Partners’ San Francisco office, Stemper is frequently asked to speak at industry conferences and has authored numerous articles.
Pearl Meyer & Partners’ complete Top 10 Biotechnology Compensation Committee Agenda Items white paper can be downloaded at http://www.pearlmeyer.com/Pearl/media/PearlMeyer/PDF/PMP-TI-TopTenBioTech-July-2012.pdf.
About Pearl Meyer & Partners
For more than 20 years, Pearl Meyer & Partners (www.pearlmeyer.com) has served as a trusted independent advisor to Boards and their senior management in the areas of compensation governance, strategy and program design. The firm provides comprehensive solutions to complex compensation challenges for multinational companies ranging from the Fortune 500 to not-for-profits as well as emerging high-growth companies. These organizations rely on Pearl Meyer & Partners to develop global programs that align rewards with long-term business goals to create value for all stakeholders: shareholders, executives, and employees. Pearl Meyer & Partners maintains U.S. offices in New York, Atlanta, Boston, Charlotte, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, San Francisco and San Jose, as well as an office in London.