Dana Etra

Dana Etra joined the firm in 2013 when the Boston office opened. She has broad experience in executive and board compensation, advising a diverse range of organizations on all aspects of compensation strategy and program design, including corporate governance considerations and tax, accounting, securities law, and other regulatory implications.

She works with clients of all sizes and industries, including large publicly-traded companies, smaller publicly-traded companies, private companies, and tax-exempt organizations, as well as companies planning an IPO. Dana supports many companies with overlapping industry profiles and talent markets and works with clients to create custom, company-specific compensation philosophies and holistic remuneration programs that support strategic compensation objectives. She specializes in designing effective short- and long-term incentive plans and assisting clients with cross-industry compensation issues.

Dana serves as a guest lecturer on executive compensation and governance-related topics to various professional groups (e.g., NASPP, New England Compensation Consortium) and has published articles through WorldatWork. Prior to joining the firm, she was a consultant at Pearl Meyer & Partners.

Relevant Experience

• IPO Planning & Compensation Design
• Startup & Private Companies
• Mergers and Spin-Offs
• Pharma / Biotech
• Medical Devices and Equipment
• Contract Research / Manufacturing
• Technology
• Nonprofit Organizations and “Intermediate Sanctions” Reasonableness Opinions

Speaking Engagements and Presentations

September 16, 2025
The Conference Board – Executive Compensation in a Disruptive World
2025-2026 Challenges for Executive Incentive Programs in a Volatile Environment
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April 22, 2025
The Conference Board – Global Compensation & Benefits Watch
Developments in Executive Compensation in 2025
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September 19, 2024
The Conference Board – Executive Compensation in Context
Aligning Human Capital and Executive Compensation Strategies with Your Unique Situation
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June 26, 2024
Program on Corporate Governance – Harvard Law School
2024 Corporate Governance Roundtable
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June 13, 2024
Boston Life Sciences IPO Summit – Optimism for Improving Markets
Executive Compensation Panel
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October 19, 2023
The Conference Board
Evolving Executive Compensation – Revisiting our Guiding Principles
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Publications