Stephen McGillivray
Founder & Principal, The Barksdale Group
16+ years building compensation infrastructure across Mercer, Korn Ferry, SullivanCotter, and in-house leadership roles in defense, tech, and nonprofit. Now helping mid-market and PE-backed companies build AI-powered compensation programs their teams can actually use.
16+ Years in Compensation
Mercer | Korn Ferry | SullivanCotter
520 -Employee M&A Integration
AI-Augmented Analytics Practice
The Barksdale Group
Independent compensation consulting for companies that need expert-level comp decisions without expert-level comp headcount.
CompForge -- 10-Week Compensation Infrastructure Program
I come in for 10 weeks, build AI-powered compensation tools custom to your organization, train your HR team to use them, and hand over the keys. No ongoing retainer. No software subscription. Just infrastructure that works.
Ideal for: Mid-market companies (200-2,000 employees) and PE portfolio companies navigating rapid growth, post-acquisition integration, or compensation compliance gaps.
Background
Full career history with AI-queryable context. Click any role to ask follow-up questions.
Arcfield
Interim Compensation Director
2025-2026
- --Led strategic Gap Analysis of total rewards function across 12 workstreams, identifying 14+ process deficiencies and developing 3-year roadmap to elevate maturity from 2.3 to 3.7
- --Developed Hierarchical Bayesian regression structure with partial pooling to generate grade midpoint framework ($53K-$271K) and GAM-based continuous geographic premium surface
- --Engineered predictive retention models including Python-based Flight Risk Logistic Regression model and weighted scoring system to identify high-risk talent
- --Authored 50+ page M&A Compensation Playbook and 7-tab Data Room Analyzer for Rite-Solutions acquisition, facilitating pay harmonization, 280G analysis, and retention modeling
- --Designed advanced diagnostic frameworks including Oaxaca-Blinder decomposition for pay equity, Monte Carlo payroll projections ($65M range), and DCAA/SCA compliance protocols
ACDI/VOCA
Senior Director, Compensation
2023-2025
- --Led design and administration of $22M compensation program for 1,200 employees, boosting engagement by 7%
- --Served as primary advisor to Compensation Committee, providing strategic recommendations on market trends
- --Directed pay equity initiatives, achieving 16% improvement and closing 22% of identified gaps
- --Created advanced analytics and dashboards tracking compensation performance, turnover, and gender pay
- --Corrected compensation deficiencies leading to 25% decrease in time-to-fill and 12% lower turnover
- --Developed annual and quarterly incentive programs to drive engagement and reward top performers
Independent Consulting Practice
Principal Consultant
2019-2023
- --Provided consulting services on compensation program design for 10+ small organizations, focusing on incentive and sales commission programs that increased sales productivity by 15%
- --Developed and refined job evaluation tools and leveling frameworks for 20+ clients, ensuring 100% compliance with FLSA and pay transparency regulations
- --Coached executive teams at 12+ firms on compensation best practices, designing sales commission strategies to align pay with performance outcomes
- --Delivered 30+ detailed pay equity analyses leveraging survey data to ensure fairness and market competitiveness
SullivanCotter
Senior Consultant
2017-2019
- --Advised 20+ healthcare and nonprofit clients on complex compensation initiatives, including commission-based sales structures that drove 10% growth in affiliated entities
- --Conducted market studies to recommend base pay ranges, variable pay mechanisms, and updated job hierarchies
- --Generated $1.65M+ in annual consulting revenue through executive compensation advisory and broad-based rewards engagements
- --Oversaw project teams handling job evaluations, internal equity reviews, and manager training
- --Advised compensation committees at health systems on executive pay strategy, including CEO/C-suite benchmarking and IRS Form 990 reasonableness documentation
- --Designed long-term incentive programs for hospital executives tied to quality outcomes, patient satisfaction, and financial stewardship
- --Led change-in-control and severance analyses for health system mergers, ensuring IRC 280G compliance and parachute payment mitigation
Korn Ferry Hay Group
Principal Consultant & Rewards Services Leader
2015-2017
- --Led 20+ global compensation engagements, including incentive restructuring and sales commission design for clients in automotive, retail, and finance sectors
- --Constructed career paths for mission-critical roles at 2 global automotive manufacturers, defining skills for progression for 10,000+ employees
- --Delivered compensation training to 50+ HR professionals in program design, job evaluation, and organizational strategy
- --Conducted competency modeling for a top 5 pharmaceutical manufacturer, providing coaching and feedback to 500+ managers
- --Oversaw 15+ annual compensation reviews including peer group development and executive competitive analyses for $500M+ organizations
- --Built and maintained $1.2M annual book of business through executive compensation and broad-based rewards consulting
- --Led executive compensation engagements including proxy benchmarking, CD&A narrative development, and Say-on-Pay readiness assessments for public company clients
- --Designed short-term and long-term incentive programs for C-suite executives, incorporating PSUs, stock options, and restricted stock aligned to TSR and financial metrics
- --Conducted peer group construction and validation analyses using ISS and Glass Lewis methodologies for proxy disclosure
- --Performed IRC 162(m) deductibility analyses and IRC 409A compliance reviews for deferred compensation and executive severance plans
Uber Technologies
Manager, Compensation Programs
2015-2015
- --Developed and managed compensation programs for workforce of 3,000+ employees including base pay administration and bonus programs
- --Led mid-year and year-end performance programs achieving 100% on-time completion and 12% increase in compensation alignment
- --Led organization-wide FLSA investigations to ensure compliance with federal regulations
- --Developed specialized compensation content including equity modeler allowing employees to model value of grants and vesting schedules
Mercer
Senior Associate
2011-2015
- --Guided 15+ clients on compensation strategy, delivering incentive designs that improved alignment by 18%
- --Managed annual compensation cycles for 10+ organizations including structure adjustments and equity reviews
- --Designed 20+ base pay and incentive programs that supported 10% business growth for global clients
- --Established corporate governance processes for 5+ clients ensuring 100% compliance with best practices
- --Oversaw job evaluations for 200+ roles, auditing content and preparing descriptions using market data
- --Presented findings to boards of directors, influencing adoption of 95% of proposed recommendations
- --Contributed to $900K+ in annual revenue generation through executive compensation and broad-based rewards consulting
- --Supported 20+ executive compensation engagements including peer group analysis, proxy benchmarking, and incentive plan modeling
- --Conducted competitive market analyses for C-suite and NEO positions using Mercer Executive Remuneration surveys and Equilar data
- --Prepared tally sheets, pay-for-performance analyses, and total direct compensation summaries for compensation committee presentations
- --Assisted in design of executive severance and change-in-control provisions, including IRC 280G excise tax calculations
Skills Matrix
Honest assessment of strengths, working knowledge, and growth areas. Click any skill for details.
Strong
19 skills
AI/LLM-Augmented Analysis
3y
Excel/VBA
16y
Executive Compensation Design
12y
Compensation Committee Advisory
10y
IRC 162(m) & 409A Compliance
10y
FASB/ASC 718 Stock Comp Accounting
8y
Say-on-Pay Strategy
8y
Compensation Software
10y
Salary Structure Design
16y
Pay Equity Analysis
10y
Market Pricing
16y
Job Evaluation/Architecture
16y
Government Contractor Compliance
3y
M&A Integration
2y
IRC 280G / Parachute Payments
10y
Peer Group Development
12y
Proxy Statement Analysis / CD&A
8y
Change-in-Control / Severance Design
10y
Long-Term Incentive Design
12y
Moderate
8 skills
Python
3y
R Programming
3y
Power BI
2y
Tableau
1y
Workday
2y
SQL/Database
2y
International/Global Comp
2y
Sales Compensation
5y
Gaps
4 skills
Benefits Administration
1y
IPO Readiness / S-1 Compensation
0
Equity Plan Administration
1y
Global Mobility / Expat Comp
0
Education
MBA, Finance & Consulting -- William & Mary (Mason School of Business)
Engagement Fit Assessment
Describe your compensation challenge, open role, or project scope. Get an honest assessment of whether my background is the right fit -- including when it's not.