Semler Brossy

What Semler Brossy does

Semler Brossy is an independent executive compensation consulting firm founded in 2001 and headquartered in Los Angeles, with regional offices in New York (Empire State Building) and Chicago, and cross-border affiliates in Canada (Hugessen Consulting) and the UK (Ellason LLP). The firm advises corporate boards, compensation committees, and senior management teams on executive pay strategy, incentive plan design, benchmarking, Say on Pay support, board stewardship, and human capital management. Its primary client base spans S&P 500 and Russell 3000 public companies, with a growing practice serving pre-IPO, private, and PE portfolio companies on IPO transitions, transformation incentives, and retention awards.

The firm delivers four core consulting service lines — Executive Compensation Advisory, Compensation in Special Situations, Board Stewardship & Responsibilities, and Talent Strategies — and supplements client work with thought leadership including annual research reports on Say on Pay voting, CEO succession, ESG incentives, Pay Versus Performance, and IPO equity grants, plus a bi-monthly Dialogue newsletter and QuickTakes/First Question educational content. The firm has no proprietary technology platform; its core capability is human advisory supported by proprietary benchmarking data and analytical research methodologies. With 51-100 employees and no external funding or parent company, Semler Brossy operates as a partner-led, independent firm under founding partners Rich Semler and Roger Brossy.

Semler Brossy generates revenue through professional services fees — project-based or retainer engagements negotiated with enterprise clients — delivered via a direct, enterprise field-sales model built on professional networks, board referrals, and conference-driven demand generation. The firm does not publicly disclose revenue or pricing. Its go-to-market relies on thought leadership (annual reports, the Dialogue newsletter), earned media (Harvard Law School Forum, Harvard Business Review, NACD, Directors & Boards, Agenda), and speaking engagements at NYSE, Conference Board, Nareit, and WorldAtWork, with all services delivered through direct advisory relationships rather than productized channels.

Name

Semler Brossy

Legal name

Semler Brossy Consulting Group LLC

Website

https://semlerbrossy.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2001

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Semler Brossy is an independent executive compensation consulting firm founded in 2001 serving corporate boards, compensation committees, and C-suite executives across the S&P 500 and Russell 3000 with advisory on pay design, governance, IPO transitions, and human capital management, plus Canadian and UK affiliates.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Executive Compensation Consulting

NAICS

Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services (5416)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

ESOP & Equity Compensation Valuation (ESOP, options, warrants) (FSAEAHAN)

Keywords

• Executive compensation consulting
• Board compensation advisory
• Incentive plan design
• Executive pay benchmarking
• Corporate governance advisory

Headquarters

HQ city

Los Angeles

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Executive Compensation Advisory Services: Semler Brossy generates revenue by providing independent advisory services to corporate boards and management teams on executive compensation strategy, program design, benchmarking, Say on Pay support, board stewardship, and talent strategies. Fees are likely billed on a project or retainer basis typical of professional consulting firms.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Semler Brossy provides executive compensation, board governance, special-situations compensation, and human capital advisory services to corporate boards, compensation committees, and management teams. Its work includes peer-group development, benchmarking, incentive plan design, goal-setting, pay-for-performance assessment, Say on Pay, shareholder outreach, ESG/HCM governance, succession planning, and compensation support for IPOs, transactions, turnarounds, and executive transitions.

Product overview

Semler Brossy is a leading independent executive compensation consulting firm offering advisory services to corporate boards and management teams. The firm provides four core consulting services: Executive Compensation Advisory (annual compensation, benchmarking, pay-for-performance), Compensation in Special Situations (transactions, IPOs, turnarounds), Board Stewardship & Responsibilities (shareholder outreach, Say on Pay, ESG/HCM governance), and Talent Strategies (human capital frameworks). The firm supplements its consulting with knowledge resources including the Dialogue newsletter, QuickTakes blog, and First Question educational series. Additionally, Semler Brossy publishes regular research reports including CEO Succession Practices Reports, Say on Pay Reports, ESG + Incentives Reports, Pay Versus Performance Reports, and CEO pay trend analyses.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Executive Compensation Advisory Annual and long-term incentive plan design, goal-setting, peer-group development, benchmarking, and pay-for-performance assessment for corporate boards and compensation committees.
• Compensation in Special Situations Compensation support during IPOs, mergers, acquisitions, spin-offs, turnarounds, and other corporate transactions.
• Board Stewardship & Responsibilities Guidance on board compensation committee best practices, shareholder outreach, Say on Pay, ESG/HCM governance, and board stewardship responsibilities.
• Talent Strategies Advice on talent strategy, succession planning, retention, and human capital management for management teams.

Quantifiable outcome

• 2026 Say on Pay: Average support stands at 92.1% for Russell 3000 companies and 90.6% for S&P 500 companies year-to-date, with a 0.8% failure rate for Russell 3000 (16 companies) and 1.0% for S&P 500 (4 companies).
• +1 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Hugessen ConsultingcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHugessen Consulting of Canada is one of the preeminent providers of board-side advice on executive compensation and related performance, governance, and shareholder matters. The affiliation provides Semler Brossy clients with access to experienced consultants familiar with Canadian shareholder, regulatory, and management issues.
• Ellason LLPcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEllason LLP is one of the leading independent remuneration advisors in the UK, supporting compensation committees, management teams, and investors on the design and implementation of effective remuneration strategies for senior executives and the general workforce. Clients span FTSE350 and privately-held companies across all sectors.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Compensation Advisory Partners (CAP): Independent executive compensation and corporate governance consulting firm serving compensation committees and management teams. Closest direct competitor to Semler Brossy in the independent, board-side advisory niche, with similar focus on Say on Pay, benchmarking, and incentive design.
• Meridian Compensation Partners: Independent executive compensation and talent consulting firm advising boards and senior management. Direct peer to Semler Brossy, competing head-to-head for independent compensation committee mandates at large-cap and pre-IPO companies.
• Pay Governance: Independent executive compensation consulting firm serving compensation committees and management. Directly comparable to Semler Brossy in scope (benchmarking, incentive design, governance) and client base (US public and large private companies).
• FW Cook: Independent executive compensation consulting firm serving boards and management teams. A long-standing direct peer to Semler Brossy with comparable focus on incentive plan design, benchmarking, and proxy season support.
• Pearl Meyer: Executive compensation and corporate governance consulting firm serving boards, compensation committees, and management. Direct peer with similar service lines and client profile across public, private, and pre-IPO companies.

Broad incumbents

• Mercer (Marsh McLennan): Global consulting firm offering executive rewards, actuarial, and broader HR services. Major broad incumbent whose executive compensation practice (where many Semler Brossy senior leaders previously worked) competes for the same board-side mandates at scale.
• WTW (Willis Towers Watson): Global advisory firm providing executive compensation, talent, and benefits consulting. Broad incumbent competing with Semler Brossy in compensation committee advisory, often bundled with broader rewards and actuarial work.
• Aon (McLagan): Global professional services firm offering rewards, executive compensation, and human capital solutions through McLagan and broader Aon. Broad incumbent competing for the same enterprise compensation committee engagements.
• Korn Ferry: Global organizational consulting firm with executive compensation, rewards, and board advisory capabilities. Broad incumbent in the executive rewards space frequently competing with Semler Brossy for board-side mandates.

Regional players

• Hugessen Consulting: Canadian independent executive compensation and governance advisor. Comparable direct peer in services and client type, but operates primarily in Canada; Semler Brossy maintains a formal strategic affiliation with Hugessen for cross-border coverage.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles28 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Semler Brossy