About
Trusted Experts.
Independent.
Forward-thinking.
Global Reach.
Providing innovative compensation design, data-enhanced benchmarking, and strategic advice for a broad range of financial services firms throughout 30+ years of market cycles.
Who We Are
Founded in 1993, Johnson Associates is an independent, privately owned firm exclusively focused on providing compensation consulting services.
Clients value our candor, proprietary data, and innovative solutions, as well as our deep expertise, which gives us unique insights into advising across diverse regulatory and market environments.
Much of our work is project-based, collaborating with senior firm management on a wide range of issues, while we also bring extensive experience advising Compensation Committees through business cycles.
Over decades, we have helped shape compensation strategies during periods of economic contraction, expansion, product innovation, and uncertainty. With experience spanning routine annual pay cycle needs—such as base salary, bonuses, and long-term awards—to complex matters like carried interest design, sales compensation, succession planning, and mergers and acquisitions, there are few issues we have not encountered.
How we are different
We are willing to take a position and offer a point of view that may differ from predominant market practice.
Candid, opinionated approach emphasizing client success
vs.
One size fits all checklist
Informed use of market data that considers client nuances
vs.
Rote application of survey data
Innovative solutions that fit client needs
vs.
Relying exclusively on market prevalent approaches
True client partnership and understanding
vs.
Data provider with insufficient background knowledge
Our Expertise
We know that financial services compensation is inherently different and complex. We have decades of experience in a continuously evolving and challenging landscape.
Bringing unparalleled insight and expertise to every engagement.
With a keen understanding of the main drivers and factors influencing compensation in the financial services industry, we leverage our insights gained through serving some of the world’s premier financial institutions to inform best practices and market trends.
Our expansive list of clients spans all areas of financial services.
We have extensive experience working with firms across financial services, spanning banking, all facets / types of asset management, and more, where addressing complex and critical compensation needs requires a nuanced and creative approach.
Facts and data, intelligently applied.
We handle everything from routine pay cycles to complex, customized compensation challenges. For valuable insights into compensation trends, projections, and our expert writings on financial services compensation, explore our resources.
Our People
Our experienced consultants are exceptionally qualified to manage high touch engagements across financial services.
Client Continuity
Long-standing relationships and continuity allow us to be thoroughly in tune with each client’s unique company culture and objectives
Financial Services Background
All consultants have a business / financial background to provide competitive advantage in understanding unique challenges behind every assignment
Experienced Team
Senior consultants average 20+ years of experience
Authoritative Voice
Clients work directly with a responsive, senior-level principal on every assignment
True Partnership
Senior consultants average 20+ years of experience
Recognized Experts
Consultants have provided expert testimony related to executive compensation issues
Forward Thinkers
Real-time client interactions enable projections and forward-looking analyses to help clients plan, rather than relying on backward-looking data with limited insights
Our Values
Candid Advice
We are committed to delivering honest and valuable insights, even when they may be difficult to hear. We believe that optimal outcomes often result from direct and candid feedback.
While we are mindful of tone and perspective, direct and objective feedback remains our primary focus. Often, we are brought in to assist with difficult questions and hard conversations.
In addition to solving routine and complex compensation challenges, we have helped clients manage conflicts between decision-makers and constituent groups, supported succession planning and merger negotiations, and provided advice on many other special situations.
Innovation & Nuance
We are committed to delivering honest and valuable insights, even when they may be difficult to hear. We believe that optimal outcomes often result from direct and candid feedback.
While gathering data is a common practice among consulting firms, what sets us apart is our ability to apply that data to our clients' specific needs and make sense of complexity, allowing us to provide actionable and straightforward advice.
We offer tailored solutions, not cookie-cutter approaches, and are unafraid to make unconventional recommendations. When appropriate, and when pay and performance are aligned, we have designed programs that deviate from industry norms to better serve our clients.
Performance Alignment
Solutions heavily tailored to client-specific circumstances and supported by measured, impactful outcomes.
The ultimate success of a compensation program is whether it drives business objectives and properly aligns with performance. We ensure compensation appropriately incentivizes talent needs in current market context.
Proactive Design
A clear understanding of our clients’ business, and with 30+ years of market cycles as a reference, allows us to have a proactive approach to optimal program designs.
Unlike some other consultants, we do not provide stale advice or replicate current market programs that do not fulfill our clients’ primary objectives. Keeping our clients informed of current trends is paramount but providing them with need-based, custom solutions is even more important.
Responsiveness
We prioritize timely and effective communication at every step of the process.
Our commitment to being accessible and attentive allows us to address ad-hoc client requests swiftly and to remain available post-project completion.