What makes M3x unique?
M3x Analytics LLC was formed in 2018 by Linda Steffen to figuratively be “at the table” with management teams and individual executives as they negotiate the price of their most valuable assets: Their time, effort and reputation.
After 20 years consulting with boards on executive compensation packages from the shareholders’ perspective, Linda “switched sides” and shifted to supporting management teams and individual executives as they optimize their compensation opportunities and outcomes.
Much of M3x’s first year was dedicated to developing unique and proprietary analytics that can tell the story of any aspect of executive compensation from a multitude of perspectives for top executives at publicly traded companies. M3x Analytics provides summary statistics that lead to supportable conclusions. All reports also provide the detailed source data by company that can be traced to publicly disclosed documents.
M3x’s “just the facts” approach uses data and financial theory to substantiate an executive’s instinct and allows the executive to conduct the compensation conversation with confidence and without emotion. All with M3x’s phantom-like support; every step of the way. Using the facts and financial theory based analytics, Linda assists executives preparing to negotiate annual target opportunities, one-time bonuses/grants, new hire packages,and compensation treatment under organizational changes (mergers, acquisitions, divestitures, initial public offerings, spin-offs).
In short, M3x arms executives with analytics and perspectives that are often many steps ahead of the board consultant.
Our clients are always confidential
Due to the nature of our primary services, client names will never be disclosed or implied. A list of prior corporate board clients is available upon request.
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M3x Analytics Founder
Founder & President
Linda Steffen
After 20 years of providing compensation and financial performance advice to public company boards, Linda Steffen founded M3x Analytics in 2018 to offer data, analytics and negotiation support to management teams and individual executives concerning their compensation value proposition.
Linda held senior consulting roles with various firms including Meridian, Willis Towers Watson (Watson Wyatt), Compensia and Deloitte. She also headed the compensation group at Amazon.com. Linda began her career as a corporate banker in Chicago and received her MBA from The University of Chicago and BS in Finance and Economics from Miami University.
With a banking and economics background, Linda approaches executive compensation decisions with financial theory rather than with traditional governance best practices often dictated by shareholder advisory firms. Linda believes the optimal executive compensation arrangement for all parties aligns, through design, the respective risk-return appetites of the shareholders and the executive. The final result being a compensation deal where all possible pay outcomes will be viewed as fair for the performance risk shouldered by both the shareholders and the executive. In seeking this optimal arrangement, financial theory can be applied in the analytics and logic including: risk-return tradeoff, efficient frontier, duration, and volatility.
Linda has applied these concepts over the years and has become a recognized thought leader in the areas of performance measures, incentive design and the compensation risk and return proposition. Linda has extensive board room consulting experience across multiple industries and businesses with unique operating and financial situations. In terms of size, Linda has worked with boards and CEOs at companies ranging from start-up to Fortune 50. At M3x, she uses these learnings to support public company C-suite executives in their compensation negotiations.
Education
THE UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO
MBA
MIAMI UNIVERSITY
B.S., Finance & Economics
Activities & Affiliations
Corporate Directors Forum, Member
The University of Chicago Women’s Alliance, Member