OCCABA upcoming events

Executive Compensation LTI Training Series - Part 2 (August 20, 2026)

Thu, 20 Aug 2026 21:00:00 GMT

Executive Compensation LTI Training Series - Part 2

In-Person Meeting

Thursday, August 20, 2026

2:00pm – 2:30pm registration
2:30pm – 4:30pm training / workshop (with a break in between)
4:30pm onwards for some networking

Location: WTW (Willis Towers Watson), 18300 Von Karman Avenue Irvine Towers, Suite #900, Irvine, CA 92612 / Crystal Cove Room / WTW will provide parking validation for attendees.

This in-person meeting will be the second session of a two-part LTI training series focused on long-term incentives (LTI). This session will focus on the guiding principles and key elements of the LTI design process. The session will explore real-world design decisions, governance considerations, and emerging issues shaping today’s LTI programs.

Facilitated by Mark Chen, BJ Firmacion, and Genesis Hahn, this in-person session will address:

Objectives and guiding principles for LTI design

Key decision points (e.g., eligibility, mix of vehicles, vesting conditions, award amounts) for both public and private companies

Governance, shareholder, and regulatory considerations

Attendance at the June 18 virtual session is recommended but not required. For those who were unable to attend, we recommend watching the recording for a strong foundation—or a refresher—on LTI design fundamentals:

Core LTI vehicles and how they work
Why companies choose different vehicles
Key design considerations across public and private companies

Mark Chen

Senior Director, Executive Compensation & Board Advisory

Relevant Experience/Specialization

Mark Chen has 21 years of experience consulting with corporate boards and executive teams to align executive pay design with strategic objectives and stakeholder interests. His expertise includes incentive plan design, performance metric selection, pay competitiveness and effective communication in public disclosures. He is also a frequent guest speaker for compensation associations on the topics of executive compensation and total rewards.

Mark assists public, private and not-for-profit organizations in a range of industries including airlines, banking, consumer products, food and beverage, life sciences, high technology, real estate, manufacturing and media.

Role at WTW

Mark was appointed to WTW’s Executive Compensation Guiding Principles initiative, which is focused on clarifying and affirming our Executive Compensation & Board Advisory practice’s perspectives, approaches, guidelines and key considerations in support of effective design, governance, management and administration of executive pay programs. Mark also participates in the development and delivery of multiple training programs for our national Executive Compensation analyst team.

Education and Credentials

Mark earned a B.S. degree in Economics from the University of California, Irvine

BJ Firmacion

Director, Executive Compensation & Board Advisory

Relevant Experience/Specialization

BJ Firmacion is a Director in WTW’s Executive Compensation and Board Advisory (ECBA) consulting practice based in Los Angeles.

With over 11 years of experience consulting with clients in both North America and Southeast Asia, BJ has focused his work on executive and non-employee director pay benchmarking, incentive design and pay-for-performance assessments. He works with both management and compensation committees of organizations from a wide range of industries including consumer products, restaurants, real estate, life sciences, industrial manufacturing, airlines and not-for-profit healthcare among others.

Prior to joining WTW in February 2015, BJ was a project manager at Equilar, an executive compensation research firm and data provider where he worked for three years.

Role at WTW

In addition to his consulting role, BJ is an active member of WTW’s North America technical training team where he organizes training modules for junior colleagues in various Executive Compensation topics

Education and Credentials

BJ earned a B.S. degree in Business Economics from the University of the Philippines

Genesis Hahn

Analyst, Work & Rewards

Relevant Experience/Specialization

Genesis Hahn is an Analyst in WTW’s Work & Rewards consulting practice based in Seattle.

Prior to joining WTW in September 2025, Genesis has worked for companies such as American Heart Association, Rice University Business School, and Amazon. She has experience working with clients in the industries of higher education, technology/e-commerce, finance and insurance, and retail trade.

Education and Credentials

Genesis graduated from Rice University with a B.A in Economics and minors in Statistics and Asian Studies.

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Note:

(i) Once you have registered for this event, we will not be able to refund your payment should you be unable to attend.

(ii) Those who do not register and have pre-paid 24 hours in advance will be charged an additional $10 at the door.

(iii) Attendance counts toward WorldatWork recertification.

Copilot in Action: Case Study Demonstration (September 17, 2026)

Thu, 17 Sep 2026 19:00:00 GMT

Copilot in Action: Case Study Demonstration

Live Webinar

FREE for OCCABA members.

Non-OCCABA member may register for $30.

Thursday, September 17, 2026, from 12:00 pm to 1:00 pm (Pacific Time)

This session offers a practical, end-to-end demonstration of how Copilot in Excel can support compensation decision-making during a Merit and Adjustment Cycle. Using a realistic dummy dataset, the presenter will showcase how well-crafted prompts can model merit increases, evaluate budget impacts, and surface insights in real time. Participants will leave with actionable ideas they can apply immediately in their own Excel workflows.

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All registrations must be completed by 9:00 pm the night before the webinar to ensure the participant will receive the webinar link and/or dial-in information.

Attendance counts toward WorldatWork re-certification.

Compensation 101 for the HR Professional (October 02, 2026)

Fri, 02 Oct 2026 15:00:00 GMT

Compensation 101 for the HR Professional - Breakfast Meeting

Friday, October 2, 2026, from 8:00 am to 12:30 pm PDT

Location: Edwards Lifesciences, 1 Edwards Way, Irvine, California 92614

Would you like to understand the mystery and magic behind Compensation?

Then this is the workshop for you!

Topics covered will include:

Compensation Strategy/Philosophy
Grade Structures
Market Pricing
Incentive Compensation
and More!

Presenters:

Kian Boloori, MBA, CCP, GRP, CSCP

Senior Manager, Global Compensation at Edwards Lifesciences

Kian Boloori is a Senior Manager, Global Compensation for Edwards Lifesciences—a global leader in patient-focused medical innovations for structural heart disease, as well as critical care and surgical monitoring.

Mr. Boloori is also the Immediate Past President of the Orange County Compensation and Benefits Association (OCCABA).

Mr. Boloori is a Certified Compensation Professional (CCP), Global Remuneration Professional (GRP), and Certified Sales Compensation Professional (CSCP). He has been an instructor for Compensation 101 since 2013.

Mr. Boloori received his MBA at the UC Irvine Paul Merage School of Business and his B.A. in History at UCLA.

Laura Beesley, CCP, SHRM-SCP

Compensation Manager, University of California, Irvine (UCI)

Laura Beesley is a Compensation Manager at UCI with over 20 years of experience in Human Resources. For the last 15+ years, Laura has specialized in Compensation in multiple industries including higher education, healthcare, medical device and real estate and title insurance. Since 2018, Laura has served on the board of directors for Orange County Compensation and Benefits Association (OCCABA). In addition to a Bachelor of Sciences degree, Laura became a Certified Compensation Professional in 2019 and SHRM Senior Certified Professional in 2022. Recent areas of interest include incorporating artificial intelligence into Compensation, career pathways and building comprehensive Excel dashboards.

Accessibility in Total Rewards and Beyond (October 22, 2026)

Thu, 22 Oct 2026 19:00:00 GMT

Accessibility in Total Rewards and Beyond

Live Webinar

FREE for OCCABA members.

Non-OCCABA member may register for $30.

Thursday, October 22, 2026, from 12:00 pm to 1:00 pm (Pacific Time)

Accessibility shapes how people experience work long before they ever step into a role and long after they decide to stay. In this fireside chat, Lia Seth brings a thoughtful lens to what it truly takes to build and communicate Total Rewards programs that center the full range of human needs. The conversation goes beyond checklists and compliance, leaning into everyday practices that make workplaces more navigable, more equitable, and more human.

Together we will explore how accessibility influences benefits design, communication, technology, career progression, and the subtler moments that shape employee belonging. Attendees will gain fresh ways to evaluate their own programs and imagine what’s possible when accessibility becomes a foundational mindset rather than an add-on afterthought.

Speaker Information:

Lia Seth, PHR

Director of People at Cylinder

With a decade of experience in human resources and people operations, mostly within the healthtech space, Lia focuses her work on making the employee experience accessible and inclusive. She specializes in delightful internal communications, thoughtful change management, and intentional documentation along with building trusting and human-centered relationships at all levels. She is a Lifetime Girl Scout, former pub trivia host, and outspoken disability advocate and self-proclaimed "Accessibility Queen". Lia lives in Seattle and loves to look at mountains.

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All registrations must be completed by 9:00 pm the night before the webinar to ensure the participant will receive the webinar link and/or dial-in information.

Attendance counts toward WorldatWork re-certification.

Annual Wage & Hour Legislative Update (November 19, 2026)

Thu, 19 Nov 2026 15:30:00 GMT

Annual Wage & Hour Legislative Update

In-Person Breakfast Meeting

Thursday, November 19, 2026 from 7:30 am to 9:30 am (Pacific Time)

Networking / Breakfast: 7:30 - 7:45 am

Presentation: 7:45 - 9:00 am

Open Q&A Session: 9:00 - 9:30 am

Location: Bahia Corinthian Yacht Club, 1601 Bayside Drive, Corona del Mar, California 92625

Join us for a download of the latest updates and changes over the past year that business owners, managers and HR professionals need to be aware of and understand.

Our guest speaker will be:

Greg S. Labate - Partner at Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton LLP

Greg Labate is a trusted advisor and trial attorney who counsels companies across many industries to resolve workplace issues efficiently and minimize risk before, during and after litigation.

Advising employers on all aspects of the employment relationship, including hiring, discipline, termination and post-employment matters, Greg provides practical guidance on compliance with state and federal laws governing discrimination, harassment, retaliation, workplace safety and wage-and-hour obligations. Clients rely on his keen ability to spot potential exposure early and implement policies and practices that reduce the likelihood of disputes.

When litigation cannot be avoided, Greg draws on his extensive experience defending employers against claims of discrimination, harassment, retaliation, wrongful termination, defamation, invasion of privacy, workplace violence and wage-and-hour violations. He has successfully handled numerous wage-and-hour class actions and PAGA representative actions, with particular experience in the restaurant, mortgage, retail, automobile and manufacturing industries.

A seasoned advocate with a record of success in court and arbitration, Greg combines strategic insight with a calm, results-oriented approach that earns the confidence of clients.

Greg served as the Labor and Employment practice group leader for over 15 years, from 2005 to 2021.

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Note:

(i) Once you have registered for this event, we will not be able to refund your payment should you be unable to attend.

(ii) Those who do not register and have pre-paid 24 hours in advance will be charged an additional $10 at the door.

(iii) Attendance counts toward WorldatWork recertification.

Meeting - Save the Date (January 28, 2027)

Thu, 28 Jan 2027 08:00:00 GMT

Save this date for our upcoming OCCABA meeting!

Meeting - Save the Date (February 25, 2027)

Thu, 25 Feb 2027 08:00:00 GMT

Save this date for our upcoming OCCABA meeting!

Meeting - Save the Date (March 25, 2027)

Thu, 25 Mar 2027 07:00:00 GMT

Save this date for our upcoming OCCABA meeting!