Use of Special LTI Awards - Strategic or Problematic?

Long-Term Incentives (LTI) serve as a critical component of annual compensation across all sectors. In order to ensure that compensation supports critical business needs and strategy, companies sometimes provide additional one-time LTI awards to address exceptional circumstances, such as major acquisitions, leadership transitions, retention or new executive hires. While special LTI awards can be valuable tools for fostering retention and driving performance during periods of change, companies should approach them with caution and recognize that they are not a substitute for well-designed, comprehensive regular LTI programs.