Newsletter – PC Edition

When it comes to tracking compensation trends, including the mix of cash and carry, investment firms – including CVC Units – often ask us: Does a life science firm pay differently than a tech firm? Do the areas you invest in impact the compensation for your team? This month’s Thelander Digest answers that question, breaking down total cash and carried interest percentages for Managing Directors/Partners at investment firms focused on life sciences, tech or both.  Managing Director/Partner: Less Than $500 Million in AUM  “Life Sciences Only” pays more. At firms with <$500 Million AUM, Managing Director/Partners earn $60,000 more in median cash compensation

Always on the cutting edge of industry trends and innovation, Thelander has released its first AI & Compensation Report, with exclusive insights regarding the use of AI in investment firms of every size and type. Our survey is ongoing, so you can still participate here and weigh in on how your CVC unit is using AI. Whether you’re seeking to hire people with AI experience and skills, and the types of AI support you’re seeking, or looking to understand what other firms are doing, Thelander is the only firm with these unique insights. Participate in The Compensation Survey Today How Important Is

“The average lifespan of a Fortune 500 company has dropped from 61 years in 1958 to less than 18 today.” This statistic shocked us when our upcoming CapLander podcast guest, Mark S. Brooks shared it with us. But this shorter lifespan doesn’t mean the end of corporate venture capital firms – not by a long shot! In fact, innovative CVC Units, ones who really “catalyze transformation,” as Brooks wrote in a recent article, work with leaders to reshape industries. “The best CVCs are powered by leaders obsessed with ground truth and curiousity. They meet founders. They explore edges,” Brooks wrote. Make

Thelander’s compensation offerings encompasses more than data on salaries and long term incentives. Our robust platform also reveals where and how people move within and across organizations, a crucial component when it comes to CVCs building an experienced, innovative and elite team.  When a founding partner of GSK’s corporate venture arm, Action Potential Venture Capital, left his position to become CFO at one of their CVC Unit’s portfolio companies, the Thelander team started thinking analyzing trends in CVC hiring.  Notably: What types of organizations are new hires at CVC firms coming from? And what does compensation look like as they change positions? Let’s

Having a competitive compensation strategy is more than just having access to real-time market data. CVC Units are one of the key players in driving innovation on a global level and as a result, you need deeper insights and analysis into the compensation mix that is unique to their firms in the global private capital market.  Using one of our newest platform upgrades, year over year compensation data, we looked at how total cash has changed for CVC Unit Leaders and CVBD Professionals since 2021. By understanding how the median and 75th percentile in total cash has shifted over the last five years, you can

It’s no secret that CVC units heavily recruit talent from VC firms. But are CVC unit’s relying exclusively on better compensation packages to snag top talent? A glimpse at the data shows where salaries might play a big role in building or expanding your team.  Thelander data shows that cash compensation often depends on the size of the fund and the individual’s title.  Our real-time survey data shows that the majority of CVC new hires (52%) come from VC firms, while 39% hail from other CVC units and 33% come from private companies.  Compensation data can help VC firms retain associate-level

We’re happy to share the recording of our March 6th CVC Compensation Panel Webinar, featuring panelists from Cooley and Echo Health Ventures. This interactive session explored current CVC compensation trends and shared valuable insights on how firms are navigating the evolving market. You can watch the full webinar below. Key Takeaways Included: AUM Matters: Thelander analyzes compensation data by total assets under management. Higher AUM firms tend to have more structure and formality in place. No One-Size-Fits-All Team: There’s no standard team structure for CVC investment groups. The more mature the firm, the larger and more developed the team tends to be.

Join J.Thelander Consulting, Cooley and Echo Health Ventures for a CVC Compensation Panel Webinar next Thursday, March 6th from 10:00 – 11:00 am PST. Can’t join us live? RSVP to secure the recording.  Welcome to this month’s Thelander CVC Digest. Corporate shares represent a unique facet of compensation exclusively available within CVC units.  What makes them so special? Unlike other investment firms, only CVC units can leverage corporate shares from the parent company as part of their compensation packages, making them particularly appealing when the parent company thrives. Let’s delve into the allocation of corporate shares based on data from the Thelander CVC Compensation

Welcome back to the first Thelander Digest of 2025. Nearly a year has passed since we last delved into long-term incentives at CVC units. This month, we’re revisiting this crucial topic with an enhanced focus on which incentives are being utilized now vs. in 2023 and 2024 and whether on-balance-sheet or off-balance-sheet makes a difference.  In addition to base pay and cash bonuses, CVC units employ a variety of incentives to attract and retain top talent. These include: Chart 1 looks at other incentives in addition to base pay and cash bonus and how they’ve changed YoY. We see the following: Corporate Stock Only: Increased

This month, we’re excited to offer you an exclusive sneak peek at the results from the CVC Salary Increase & Bonus Survey. The deadline to participate has been extended to January 10th—click here to secure your free report and access a subset of compensation data on Thelander’s proprietary platform. Let’s dive into the data. Chart 1 and 2 looks at who received a salary increase for the coming year. We see the following: Individuals at CVC units are overwhelmingly poised to receive a salary increase for 2025. YoY comparisons show that positions such as CVC Unit Leaders, Senior Investment Professionals, Senior Associates,

Welcome to this month’s CVC Digest, where we focus on the crucial role of salary increases in a total compensation strategy. Salary increases serve not only to reward performance but also to adjust for cost of living and retain key personnel. It’s important to align these increases with comprehensive market data and the strategic value each role brings to your firm. In this edition, we delve into the trends in compensation for CVC Unit Leaders since 2022, providing a clear picture of the evolving financial landscape. Chart 1 looks at CVC unit leader total cash. We see the following: Total Cash Increases: Since 2020, CVC

In this edition, we delve into the calculation of shadow/phantom/synthetic (SPS) carry in Corporate Venture Capital (CVC) units. SPS carry can be a key long-term incentive that aligns the interests of CVC professionals with the sustained success of their portfolio companies. We’ll explore various methodologies for computing SPS carry, including the application of vesting schedules and hurdle rates, to better understand their impact on CVC compensation and unit strategies. Let’s dive into the data. Chart 1 look at how shadow/phantom/synthetic carry is calculated by total investment capital under team management. We see the following: The percentage of returns from the portfolio ‘exits’

In this issue, we explore trends in the recruitment landscape of Corporate Venture Capital. Understanding where talent is coming from and what attracts them helps CVCs refine their recruitment strategies and stay competitive in acquiring top talent.  So where are CVCs sourcing their top talent? Let’s dive into the data. Chart 1 shows what type of organizations new hires came from. We see the following: Increasingly Popular Sources: New hires are increasingly coming from other CVC firms, VCs, investment banks, and educational institutions (undergrad and grad schools), as well as consulting firms. Decreasingly Popular Sources: Fewer hires are coming from private equity/growth sectors

Welcome to the August edition of the CVC Digest. Thelander is the only firm to cover compensation for the entire private capital market – from your firm to your portfolio companies. That is why we wanted to give you an exclusive preview of the findings from our Thelander Private Company M&A with Change of Control & Severance Survey to look at liquidation preferences and how to stay competitive with market.  Liquidation preferences are a critical component in venture capital deals, determining the payout order during an exit such as a sale or merger. These preferences ensure that investors receive their returns before common stockholders, which can influence the

Welcome to the July Edition of the Thelander CVC Digest. In this edition, we delve into the complexities of compensation across different regions, shedding light on how geographic disparities influence total cash compensation and incentive structures for CVC Unit Leaders and Senior Investment Professionals. By examining these variances, we aim to provide CVCs with the insights needed to tailor their compensation strategies effectively.  Chart 1 shows the total cash for CVC Unit Leaders by region. We see the following: Northern CA and Mid Atlantic: Stand out with the highest total cash compensations for CVC Unit Leaders, significantly above other regions. Europe: Shows competitive total

Welcome back to the Thelander Digest for June. This month, we wanted to share our webinar recording from May in case you missed it, as well as some exclusive data that was presented by Jody Thelander, our founder & CEO. Jody was joined by industry experts James Fischer, Corporate Partner at DLA Piper and Sue Siegel, Chairman, Board of Directors, The Engine, to discuss current trends and share first hand insights and expertise.  The webinar dives into how CVCs compensate their employees based on the structure of their CVC unit, whether off balance, a separate legal entity or a hybrid of multiple structures

Welcome back to the May edition of our Thelander Digest. Last month, we talked about how long term incentives are impacted by CVC unit structure. This month, we’re going to focus on another key factor – the goal of the CVC Unit and how that impacts compensation, including long and short term incentives. In addition to base pay and cash bonus (short term incentives), there are several ways for CVCs to incentivize their employees. That includes long term incentives such as corporate stock, some form of shadow/phantom carry or a mix of both. However, the first question you need to ask yourself