Reward breakfast recap: exploring the future of total rewards

In May, we had the pleasure of hosting a reward leaders breakfast at our offices in New York City. We welcomed Adra Long, the VP of Total Rewards at Fanatics and previously MD of Global Compensation at Blackrock, as our guest speaker. The session brought together a group of seasoned reward leaders for a lively and insightful conversation about how the Total Rewards function is evolving, and more importantly, what that means for the future of the profession.

Adra’s presentation, The Evolving Role of a Reward Professional, offered a compelling look at how the landscape has shifted over the past two decades. From the decline of traditional pension plans to the rise of personalized benefits and AI-driven compensation strategies. Without doubt it’s clear that the role of reward professionals is becoming more business partner oriented, even more data-informed and more human-centred than ever before.

One of the key takeaways was the growing demand for flexibility and personalization in benefits. Employees today are looking for more than just standard offerings. Rather, they want options that reflect their individual needs and life stages. Whether it’s mental health support, fertility benefits, or even pet perks. Organizations are rethinking how they support their people in meaningful ways.

A particularly interesting example came from Netflix, which has reimagined its compensation philosophy to align with its high-performance culture. Employees are given the flexibility to choose their own mix of cash and equity, with stock options that vest immediately eliminating the traditional “golden handcuffs.” By offering high base salaries and foregoing bonuses, Netflix focuses on attracting and retaining top talent through transparency, autonomy, and market-driven pay. It’s a bold approach that reflects the broader shift toward personalization and trust in the workplace.

We’re incredibly grateful to Adra for sharing her time, experience, and forward-thinking perspective. Her insights sparked some great conversations and left us all with a lot to think about as we navigate the future of Total Rewards.

If you’d like to learn more about the session or continue the conversation, feel free to reach out to us today. We would love to connect!