Due to low registration numbers, this program has been canceled. We hope to offer it in early 2026.

New research with more than 1,400 leaders shows that the biggest drag on performance isn’t external, it’s inside the business. When strategy, planning, design, and handoffs fall out of sync, the resulting misalignment quietly erodes efficiency, performance, and even revenue.

In this interactive workshop, we’ll explore how compensation professionals can elevate the value of their function by spotting and addressing internal friction. You’ll engage with peers, hear the latest research, and practice using a simple alignment tool that applies across HR, Finance, Sales, and Operations to close the gap between strategy and execution and to strengthen your role as a trusted business partner.

After this session, you will leave with:

• Benchmarks and language to frame internal blockers and the impact of misalignment
• An alignment identification and ideation tool you can use with stakeholders in your firm
• Peer-crafted ideas to help realign compensation, metrics, and governance to reclaim performance

Curtis S. Schroeder, Ph.D.

Head of Research and Insight, Varicent

Curtis Schroeder brings nearly 15 years of experience optimizing sales and marketing strategy for companies ranging from Fortune 100 enterprises to high-growth mid-market teams. He has held leadership roles at Oracle, Gartner, and now at Varicent, where he leads the Research and Insight function. Curtis equips revenue leaders with data and research to better understand the world they operate in and to design smarter go-to-market strategies that drive growth.

Curtis earned his Ph.D. from Oklahoma State University, and his research focuses on sales strategy, motivation, and organizational systems. He is currently completing a post-doctoral fellowship at Texas A&M University. His academic work has been published in outlets such as the Journal of Business Research, Industrial Marketing Management, and the Journal of Personal Selling & Sales Management, among others.

With a passion for bridging research and practice, Curtis helps organizations identify growth opportunities, build high-performing teams, and design systems that empower sellers to thrive.