David Adent

David has 30+ years of compensation experience, and more than 7 years experience in Information Services. His experience includes 20+ years in high tech and 13 years in the utility industry. During his career he advised senior executives, C-Suite executives, the CEO and the Compensation Committee. He also has managed most compensation functions in a Fortune 100 company including market competitiveness, compensation consulting, compensation planning & administration, and executive compensation.

David is known for his consulting and technical expertise, ability to analyze and model complex problems, and building relationships with key partners. During his career he led numerous cross-functional teams delivering innovation compensation solutions including job classification frameworks and pay systems, short and long-term incentive plans, new compensation planning & administration systems, and updated equity plans. For the past six (6) years David has led Cisco’s executive compensation function which included advising the Chief People Officer in the hiring of executive officers, overseeing the preparation / production / delivery of Compensation Committee materials, overseeing the creation of Cisco’s CD&A, responding to proxy advisor evaluations, preparing Compensation Committee members for meetings, and overseeing the design and management of Cisco’s equity plans.

David is a Certified Compensation Professional (CCP) and has an advanced certification in employment law. He also has a Master’s Degree in Business Administration with an emphasis in Human Resources, and a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Administration with an emphasis in Information Systems.

In his free time, David enjoys spending time with family (especially his grandson), visiting national parks, fishing and boating on the lake.

Nancy Ellington

Nancy has operated her own compensation consulting business for 5 years prior to co-founding Alliance Compensation. She has 20+ years of compensation experience, and more than 10 years experience in Finance. Nancy understands the significant financial impact that compensation programs have on the business. Her experience includes both public and private sectors in a mix of small, mid-sized, and Fortune 100 companies. She knows the entire process from end to end, setting herself apart from many other consultants.

Nancy has developed a number of innovative approaches to compensation including market-leading remuneration strategies, forward-looking compensation summaries, and proactive engagement/retention plans. She’s delivered presentations to all levels of management including C-Suite Executives and the Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors.

She holds certifications from WorldatWork that include: Certified Executive Compensation Professional (CECP), Certified Compensation Professional (CCP), Certified Benefits Professional (CBP), and Global Remuneration Professional (GRP). Nancy has a Master’s Degree in Business Administration with an emphasis in Human Resources, and a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Administration with an emphasis in Accounting.

In her free time, Nancy enjoys hiking, wine tasting and scuba diving.

Jim Harvey

Jim Harvey has operated his own compensation consulting business for 7 years prior to co-founding Alliance Compensation. He has nearly 40 years’ experience in the field, encompassing high-tech, aerospace, utility and health care industries, specializing in leading companies in the formulation and execution of their rewards strategies in support of business objectives. His global work experience and collaborative reputation includes translating business needs and ideas into tangible and measurable deliverables, and a hands-on results-oriented attitude with a strong track record of driving large-scale projects through to delivery and implementation.

Jim began his professional career in Arizona and moved with his family to Oregon in 1997. He has been an instructor for WorldatWork, teaching classes on job evaluation, sales incentives and base pay / pay for performance. He is a Certified Compensation Professional (CCP) and Global Remuneration Professional (GRP).

He enjoys outdoors activities such as hiking, golfing and gardening, sampling Oregon Pinot Noir, and has two granddaughters that take a good bit of every available opportunity to be with their Papa (or is it the other way around?).

Erin Jones

Erin has 10+ years of compensation experience across several industries including manufacturing, retail, and technology. With compensation experience at a Fortune 100 company, as well as mid-sized private and public companies, she is ready to tackle challenges related to market pricing and rewards programs.

Erin’s strengths are data analysis, reporting, as well as understanding and implementing systems and software. While Excel is her go-to software for compensation projects, she has also been involved in the technical side of Oracle’s compensation planning tool, Workday compensation and time and attendance, and market pricing and rewards planning software.

Erin has also implemented new salary band structures as well as combining salary bands after reorganizations and acquisitions.

Erin is a Certified Compensation Professional (CCP) and has a specialized certification for Sales and Commission compensation plans (CSCP). Erin has a master’s degree in Human Resource Management and a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology, with a minor in business.

In her free time, Erin enjoys spending time with her 2 daughters and husband, traveling and being at the beach.

Chip Polito

Chip brings to Alliance Compensation over 10 years working in the field of compensation for a quasi-public agency. As the primary strategic compensation consultant for staff through executives, he advised on market competitiveness, reorganization impacts, the development or revision of positions, design and delivery of compensation training, and pay equity impacts. He had the responsibility for the full range of compensation program elements from ongoing program maintenance to continuous process improvements. Chip played an integral role in major programmatic redesigns to base pay, recognition and short-term incentive plans, and compensation education and training efforts. He managed the annual merit and short term incentive plan processes and oversaw the employee recognition program and survey data library. Chip enjoys building solutions to compensation issues through a combination of research and creativity.

Chip earned a Master of Business Administration and a Master of Sport Business Management degrees from the University of Central Florida. He also received a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting from the University of Kentucky. Chip is a member of Beta Gamma Sigma international honor society and a Certified Compensation Professional through World at Work.

His free time is spent primarily trying to keep the peace between his two young boys. When time allows, he can be found at the pool, on his bicycle, or enjoying a glass of wine and a jazz album with his wife.

Sherry Tran 

Sherry has 16+ years of compensation experience, primarily in the financial services industry. She also has experience in high tech and higher education.

She is known for being a team player, who is ready and able to take on new challenges. Her adaptability and willingness to learn has given her the ability to gain knowledge and expertise in several areas of compensation including annual pay planning, system implementation, market pricing, pay structure design, and short/long term incentive plan design and administration. She has also supported all levels of management from first line managers to C-suite executives.

Sherry has a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration with an emphasis in International Business from the University of San Francisco. She is a member of the Beta Gamma Sigma international honor society.

In her free time, Sherry enjoys spending time outdoors with her family – hiking, cycling, participating in running and/or obstacle course races. 

Emi Velez

Emi is a student at Appalachian State studying to obtain her Bachelor of Social Work. Prior to joining Alliance Compensation, Emi held a position at Appalachian State with a role in Member Services. Emi has gained valuable communication and administration skills from holding this position. She learned how to collaborate with a diverse group of coworkers and facility participants to provide an inclusive environment on campus.

Emi also had an internship with Triangle Community Church, which she continues to be actively involved in. The internship gave her the opportunity to learn the inner workings of her church while participating in administrative duties, planning events for youth, and creating programs.

Before attending college, Emi held several positions including independently selling products and managing the operations of a small business in a fast-paced environment. Additionally, she worked as an independent child caretaker and pet caretaker. Emi is known for her personal responsibility, attention to detail and interpersonal skills.

Monica Velez

Prior to joining Alliance Compensation, Monica had the opportunity to experience multiple roles and responsibilities across the Total Rewards team for Cisco Systems for 22+ years. Most recently she formed and led a global team of Compensation Consultants and Analysts to provide scalable and expert compensation consulting services.

Monica has a broad range of experience across human resources and is well respected for her knowledge and interpersonal skills. Her experience ranges from working for a small start-up to a Fortune 100 company.

She understands the financial impact that compensation programs have on attracting and retaining talent, as well as modeling and managing operating expenses. She has supported business leaders at all levels of the organization and across all functions.

Monica has provided expertise in compensation consulting, program and project management, operations, HRIS, SOX compliance, compensations systems design and mergers and acquisitions. She has experience in multiple compensation spaces including corporate and sales compensation, market intelligence, base pay design, equity strategy & design and client-facing consulting.