2026 Center on Executive Compensation Annual Meeting

Charlie Tharp is Senior Advisor, Research and Practice of the Center on Executive Compensation. In that role, Tharp is responsible for setting overall policy positions and research initiatives undertaken by the Center and representing the Center in public forums. He is also a Visiting Professor and CES Fellow at the Darla Moore School of Business, University of South Carolina and previously held faculty appointments at Boston University, Cornell University and Rutgers University.

Tharp has over 25 years of corporate experience, including key human resource positions with General Electric, PepsiCo, Pillsbury, CIGNA and Bristol-Myers Squibb, where he served as Senior Vice President of Human Resources. Tharp also served as the interim Executive Vice President of Human Resources for Saks, Incorporated. Earlier in his career he served as an executive compensation consultant for the global consulting firm of Towers Perrin.

Tharp holds a Ph.D. in Labor and Industrial Relations from Michigan State University, an LLM in Human Rights and Social Justice from the University of Connecticut School of Law, a J.D. from the Quinnipiac School of Law, a Masters in Economics from Wayne State University and a BA from Hope College where he was Phi Beta Kappa and a Baker Scholar.

In 1998 Tharp was elected a Fellow of the National Academy of Human Resources and in 2010 was elected a Distinguished Fellow of the Academy, the highest honor in the HR profession. He previously served as President of the Academy.

Sydney Carlock is a Managing Director of Corporate Governance at Teneo, the global CEO advisory firm. With nearly 20 years of experience in executive compensation and corporate governance, Sydney brings a diverse background spanning compensation consulting, in-house compensation design, and shareholder advisory services. She regularly advises senior executives and board members and engages with institutional investors on evolving governance and compensation issues, trends, and policies. Prior to joining Teneo, Sydney was a Managing Director at Joele Frank. Previously, she held roles at Institutional Shareholder Services (ISS) and Capital One.

John M. Murabito most recently served as executive vice president at Cigna Corporation, a global healthcare services company, from 2003 until his retirement in April 2022. Mr. Murabito joined Cigna as its chief human resources officer and served in that role for 18 years before becoming chief administrative officer in 2021. In that role, he had oversight of human resources, enterprise marketing, security and aviation, and diversity, equity & inclusion, civic affairs, and the Cigna Foundation, of which he was the president. Earlier in his career, he served as senior vice president of human resources and corporate services at the Monsanto Company. His background includes over 40 years of extensive related experience with the Frito-Lay division of PepsiCo, Symbion, Inc., and The Trane Company. Mr. Murabito is a Fellow of the National Academy of Human Resources and serves as chair of the board. He also chairs the board of trustees for his alma mater, Augustana College. Mr. Murabito brings strong executive business leadership and talent management expertise to our board as a former senior executive of a Fortune 20 public company. He provides valuable insights on human capital, executive compensation, leadership development and succession planning to the board.

Caryn Steinert is Group Vice President, Global Total Rewards at GE Aerospace, based in Norwalk, Connecticut. Since April 2024, she has led the evaluation, simplification, and design of a competitive total rewards program aligned with the company’s business model and talent strategy.

Steinert joined GE in 2019 as Group Vice President, Total Rewards & People Operations, recruited to the senior leadership team charged with transforming the organization ahead of its 2021 announcement to separate into three standalone public companies in healthcare, aviation, and energy. She reported to the CHRO, co-led board compensation committee meetings, and aligned total rewards objectives with the company’s broader talent and performance goals.

Before GE, Steinert spent four years as Vice President, Global Total Rewards at Foot Locker, where she overhauled the company’s legacy total rewards programs, built a strong internal communications strategy for a diverse and dispersed workforce, reported to the CHRO, and led board compensation committee meetings.

Steinert built the foundation of her career over sixteen years at PepsiCo, progressing from Project Manager to Senior Director, Executive Compensation across corporate and divisional roles including Pepsi Beverages Company and The Pepsi Bottling Group. She began her career at Citi, first in the company’s HR Leadership Program and later as Assistant Vice President, Compensation for the Private Banking Group.

Steinert holds an MA in Industrial Relations from Cornell University and a BA in Organizational Behavior from the University of Michigan. Since November 2023, she has served as an Advisory Board Member for the Center on Executive Compensation.

Maria Colacurcio is a visionary founder and expert on technology’s power to reshape how we value work. As CEO of Syndio, the world’s leading pay transparency platform, she helps top companies build enduring businesses through data-driven solutions. Previously, she co-founded Smartsheet, which went public in 2018. With a background in congressional campaigns, Maria has a long history of purpose-driven work. She has been recognized as one of Goldman Sachs’ 100 Most Exceptional Entrepreneurs for two consecutive years.

Megan Wolf is the Senior Director, HR Practice and Policy for the CHRO Association and its Center On Executive Compensation. In this role, she engages with members on a variety of executive compensation and governance topics and supports the team in the development and delivery of member offerings.

Megan joins the association from Equity Residential, where she served as the Head of Compensation and Financial Benefits. She has held Human Resources and Labor Relation positions at Vertis Communications and General Motors. Megan is a graduate from the Krannert School of Management at Purdue University.

Nick Vollrath leads Global & Executive Compensation at Merck & Co., where he is responsible for the company’s global and executive compensation strategy and design, including support of all activity related to the Compensation & Management Development Committee. Nick also has full oversight of international compensation and benefits and leads discussions on executive compensation in shareholder and investor engagements.

Nick joined Merck in 2017 and has held roles of increasing responsibility within the Total Rewards function. Prior to Merck, he led Compensation & Benefits at AdvanSix, Inc. following its spin-off from Honeywell, and spent a decade at Siemens Corporation in compensation and benefits leadership roles. He began his career at Hewitt Associates.

Nick is a past President and Board Member of the New Jersey Compensation Association, and holds various compensation and benefits professional designations from WorldatWork and the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School.

Nick holds an MBA from Temple University’s Fox School of Business and a B.A. in Economics from St. Lawrence University.

Marni Zevon is Vice President, Global Compensation at Labcorp. She was promoted to the role in March 2026, following three and a half years as Executive Director, Global Compensation.

Zevon joined Labcorp in July 2019 as Senior Director, Human Resources in Raritan, New Jersey, building the HR and compensation leadership foundation that led to her current role.

Before Labcorp, Zevon served as Director, Human Resources at Innophos in Cranbury, New Jersey. She spent more than eight years at Covance in Princeton, New Jersey, progressing from Senior Manager, Global Rewards to HR Business Partner and then to Associate Director, Human Resources.

Earlier in her career, Zevon held compensation leadership roles at PharmaNet as Associate Director, Compensation; at Johnson & Johnson as Senior Compensation Analyst; and at Sony BMG as Associate Director, Compensation.

Zevon holds a BA in Psychology from Rutgers University and an MA in Management/Human Resources Management from the University of Phoenix.

Thad Shepherd serves as Global Officer, Compensation & Benefits for Marriott International, Inc., where he leads the global strategy, design, governance, and administration of the company’s total rewards programs. Supporting more than 700,000 associates across over 10,000 properties and corporate offices in 145 countries and territories, he is responsible for ensuring Marriott’s compensation and benefits programs drive business performance, attract and retain top talent, and reinforce the company’s people-first culture.

Thad oversees Marriott’s comprehensive portfolio of compensation, benefits, and wellbeing programs, including base pay, annual and long-term incentive plans, paid time off, equity compensation, retirement and pension programs, health and insurance benefits, and Marriott’s signature Explore by Marriott Bonvoy® associate hotel discount program. He also leads all aspects of executive compensation, aligning with the Human Resources and Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors to ensure the Company’s compensation and benefit programs support the company’s business strategy, talent priorities, and governance objectives.

In addition, Thad serves as Chair of Marriott’s Retirement Plan Committee and Stock Fund Committee and acts as Plan Administrator for the company’s retirement plans, which collectively represent more than $13 billion in assets.

Since joining Marriott in 2000, Thad has held positions of increasing responsibility across the Human Resources organization, with leadership roles spanning virtually every area of compensation and benefits. Prior to Marriott, he worked at T. Rowe Price Associates, Inc. as a Retirement Plan Coordinator, supporting recordkeeping services for large defined contribution and defined benefit plans.

Thad earned a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and Business Administration from McDaniel College and an MBA with a concentration in Finance from Loyola University Maryland. He resides in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area with his family and is the proud father of three daughters and one son.

Richard R. Floersch is Senior Strategic Advisor to the CHRO Association and its Center On Executive Compensation. Rich joined the Association in January 2016 from McDonald’s, where he was Executive Vice President, Chief Human Resources Officer. Mr. Floersch served as Executive Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer of McDonald’s Inc. for over a decade, leading the company’s commitment to its people during a critical and successful period for the company. Mr. Floersch and his global team led programs critical for retention, development and cultivating the next generation of McDonald’s leaders. He also oversaw the resources and opportunities offered to employees at company-owned restaurants to help them reach their personal and professional goals. In addition to his 12 years with McDonald’s, Mr. Floersch served as Senior Vice President of Human Resources for Kraft Foods International from 1998 to 2003. Previously, he was Vice President of Corporate Compensation at Philip Morris.

A leader in the broader HR industry, Mr. Floersch served as Vice Chair of the Association and as the Chair of its Center On Executive Compensation, and on the Board of Directors at Skills for Chicagoland’s Future, a non-profit initiative to match local employers with qualified unemployed job seekers in the Chicago metro area. He also served as a member of the Executive Committee of the Personnel Roundtable and was elected a fellow of the National Academy of Human Resources in 2009. Mr. Floersch earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Business Administration from the State University of New York at Buffalo.

Ms. Bloom serves as Associate Director for Legal and Regulatory Policy at the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s Division of Corporation Finance. Since joining the SEC in various roles—including the Office of Rulemaking as Chief, the Office of Chief Counsel, and the Division’s Legal Policy group—she has played a central role in shaping corporate disclosure and regulatory reform.

Prior to her tenure at the SEC, Luna practiced as an associate at Shearman & Sterling in New York. She earned her J.D. from New York Law School, where she served as Executive Editor of the Law Review, and holds a B.A. from the University of California, Irvine.

Ning advises companies and their boards of directors on corporate governance, securities regulation and emerging trends. For over 20 years, she has advised companies of all stages and sizes on a range of matters involving their boards, including on matters of director independence, board and committee composition and structure, board policies and practices, board evaluations and succession planning, securities regulation, proxy disclosure, listing standards, stakeholder relations, shareholder proposals, shareholder engagement, shareholder activism in all forms, and proxy advisory services.

She counsels clients on emerging trends and developments and responding to evolving best practices. Ning is ranked in Band 1 for Corporate Governance by Chambers USA. She is a frequent speaker and author on governance issues and is active in the corporate governance community.

Ani Huang is President, Policy and Practice of the CHRO Association, the only independent organization serving Chief Human Resource Officers and top HR executives of major multinational corporations.

Ani’s reputation and deep expertise in C-suite HR issues make her a trusted resource and confidant for CHROs and rewards executives. She regularly advises top executives and senior policymakers on human capital issues ranging from executive compensation and workforce AI to CEO succession. Her expertise also extends to the CHRO’s evolving role in driving business results by shaping corporate strategy.

As President, Policy and Practice, Ani leads the Association’s value offering to members. In this role, she guides a team of global experts in creating invaluable resources and peer engagement opportunities that CHROs and senior HR executives rely on.

Ani also serves as CEO of the Association’s Center on Executive Compensation. Her leadership established the Center as the top independent resource for CHROs and total rewards executives navigating complex executive compensation and governance challenges.

Before joining the CHRO Association, Ani held senior HR leadership roles including Vice President, Global Compensation and Benefits at Global Payments and HR Advisor at Deutsche Bank.

Ani earned her degree in International Relations from Stanford University and is frequently sought after by executives, policymakers, industry organizations, and the media for her insights on complex workplace issues and the voice of the CHRO.

Scott is a Managing Director in WTW’s Executive Compensation and Board Advisory (ECBA) practice and is based in the firm’s Arlington, VA office. Scott brings to his clients over 30 years’ global compensation experience in both a corporate and consulting capacity. He advises clients on executive compensation strategy design, implementation and communication, outside director compensation, short- and long-term incentive design, M&A due diligence and integration issues and corporate governance concerns.

Scott serves as the lead consultant for Towers Watson’s Executive Compensation Transactions community. As the leader of this team, his work has focused on executive compensation preparation, evaluation, design and implementation at companies undergoing significant capital events such as mergers, acquisitions, spinoffs / splits, IPOs, divestitures and privatizations.

Scott maintains professional relationships with both management and Compensation Committees at a diverse set of organizations – public for-profit companies, private for-profit companies and not-for-profit institutions.

Prior to joining WTW, Scott was Vice President of Compensation & HRIS for Broadridge Financial Solutions, a publicly-traded spinoff from Automatic Data Processing (ADP). Prior to the spinoff, Scott worked as ADP’s Senior Director of Corporate Compensation, managing all company-wide compensation efforts including officer compensation, annual bonus and equity payments, expatriate compensation and administration, and deferred compensation plans.

Scott has an M.A. in Economics from Washington University in St. Louis and a B.S. in Business Administration from Boston College.

Jade Kas is Senior Vice President of Human Resources, Total Rewards and Employee Services, with enterprise responsibility for compensation, health and welfare benefits, executive compensation, and retirement programs. He also oversees employee relations and HR investigations, HR technology and operations, and Global Security.

With more than 27 years of experience at Lilly and most of those being in human resources, Jade brings a practitioner’s perspective to total rewards strategy, governance, and execution. He has held multiple HR leadership roles, including several HR business partner assignments, enabling him to pair strategic intent with practical implementation. He is known for advancing sustainable, data-informed rewards and benefits solutions that balance competitiveness, affordability, and long-term business priorities.

Michele Aguilar Carlin is Executive Vice President, Learning of CHRO Association and its Center On Executive Compensation and former CEO of the American Health Policy Institute. Shelly joined the Association in August 2014 from Motorola Solutions, where she was Senior Vice President, Human Resources and Communications.

During her tenure at Motorola, Shelly led the HR function through a period of substantial change, from the spin-off of its consumer cell phone business to a major transformation of how HR services are delivered. She also implemented the CEO Leadership Forum, a business-driven learning program for the company’s top 20 high potential executives.

Prior to serving as the head of HR, Shelly was Corporate Vice President, Global Rewards. Before joining Motorola in 2008, she was VP of Compensation, Benefits and HR Technology for the Campbell Soup Company. Shelly’s earlier positions included VP, HR Rewards and Operations for TIAA-CREF; VP of Compensation and Benefits for Sears, Roebuck and Co.; and SVP of executive compensation and corporate unit reporting for Bcom3 Group, Inc.

Shelly earned a BA and MBA from the University of California, Los Angeles and was an Academic All-American in softball and a member of UCLA’s 1982 National Championship team.

Ketty Russeva is Private Equity HR, Operating Partner at Elliott Investment Management. Since June 2021, she has led talent and HR strategy for the firm, partnering with CEOs and CHROs across Elliott’s private equity portfolio companies to elevate organizational performance.

Before joining Elliott, Russeva briefly ran her own advisory practice, Russeva Consulting (2021), serving as interim HR Director for a New York hedge fund and as a consultant to a high-growth e-commerce start-up on compensation and equity design.

Russeva spent 11 years at Credit Suisse (2009–2020) in progressively senior HR leadership roles, culminating as Managing Director, Head of HR for Global Markets and Investment Banking, where she led an HR transformation across two businesses with more than 8,000 employees combined. Earlier Credit Suisse roles included Head of HR for Corporate Functions, Technology and Operations in Zürich, overseeing more than 20,000 employees globally, and Head of HR for Private Banking and Wealth Management and for Asset Management in New York.

Prior to Credit Suisse, Russeva spent 13 years at Merrill Lynch (1996–2009), progressing through a series of HR leadership roles including Program Manager of Markets and Banking Analyst and Associate programs, HR Business Partner for Global Private Equity and Equity Markets, COO for Global Markets and Investment Banking HR, and Head of Compensation, Data and Analytics for Corporate Functions.

Russeva holds a Master of Science degree in Industrial and Organizational Psychology from The Graduate School and University Center, City University of New York, and a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology, magna cum laude, from Southern Illinois University in Carbondale.

Tajah Eddy is Learning and Development Manager at CHRO Association, where she designs and implements impactful programs that foster professional growth and drive organizational success. Since 2011, Tajah has specialized in leadership development, curriculum design, and creating inclusive learning experiences. Her strategic approach combines innovative technologies and evidence-based practices to build scalable programs that deliver measurable results. Tajah is passionate about empowering individuals and teams to excel, and embodying CHRO Association’s mission!

Bob most recently served as Executive Director of the Council of Institutional Investors. Prior to joining the CII, he was Managing Director at PJT Camberview advising public company boards and executives on a range of corporate governance matters. Prior to that, Bob was Chief Policy Officer at Glass Lewis, where he was responsible for managing the research and proxy voting recommendations of over 20,000 research reports annually covering public companies in over 100 countries. Before joining Glass Lewis, he was Director of Investment Proxy Research at Fidelity Investments, where he managed the annual voting of over 5,000 securities worth $1 trillion held in Fidelity mutual funds and client pension accounts.

Bob serves on the advisory boards of Columbia Law School’s Millstein Center for Global Markets and Corporate Ownership and the Advisory Council of the International Financial Reporting Standards.

Bob holds a Bachelor of Arts in History from Providence College, a Juris Doctor from Quinnipiac University and a Graduate Certificate of Special Studies in Administration and Management from Harvard University Extension School.

Hywel Jones is Vice President of Global Total Rewards at TD SYNNEX, a Fortune 100 company, where he leads the company’s global reward strategy across compensation, benefits, wellbeing, and recognition for more than 25,000 employees in 50 countries. He advises senior leadership and the Board on executive and broad-based reward programmes, governance, and pay-for-performance strategies that support business growth and talent outcomes. With extensive experience leading large-scale global transformations, Hywel has driven post-merger reward integration, incentive redesign, job architecture modernisation, and enterprise-wide recognition and wellbeing initiatives across complex multinational organisations.