1. RICK KOZAK
224-659-9488 | rick_kozak@yahoo.com | Mount Prospect, IL 60056
COMPENSATION & BENEFITS EXECUTIVE
Expertise to Attain and Retain Employees While Managing Costs
Results-focused leader with experience in designing Total Rewards strategy and programs to align with
business objectives. Full spectrum of domestic and international rewards management skills in a variety of
industries for top companies – Reynolds-Pactiv, Nicor, HSBC, Equity Office Properties, Sears and Unilever.
Successfully partners with business leaders to engage and retain talent during periods of rapid change in
business cycles while improving organizational performance. Expert in the following areas:
Executive Compensation
Health and Welfare Plans
HRIS and Data Analytics
Retirement and 401k Plans
Stock and Long Term Incentives
Mergers and Acquisitions
Gainsharing Plans
Deferred Compensation
International Compensation
REYNOLDS - PACTIV
World's largest foodservice packaging company with Reynolds Wrap aluminum foil and Hefty brand products
Director Compensation 2011 - Present
Provide strategic compensation support to each company, balancing individual needs with uniform processes
promoting internal equity. Manage compensation for 6 companies in 24 countries under a private-equity holding
company with 30,000 employees world-wide. Report to the world-wide head of Human Resources located in
New Zealand. Supervise 4 direct reports to design compensation programs to engage employees.
• Compensation Strategy – Working with top management, determine the best approaches for total rewards
to attract, retain and motivate employees to reach their business goals.
• Innovative Incentive Plan Design – Responsible for design and administration of sales, salaried and hourly
incentive plans and review plan effectiveness in achieving results to "get more bang for the buck."
• Cost Effective Results – Analyze compensation and benefits programs in the U.S. and internationally to
determine their market competitiveness and increase or decrease reward levels to ensure rewards have a
strong return on investment.
NICOR, INC.
Provides natural gas and home energy efficiency services. Acquired by AGL Resources in 2010.
Head of Compensation 2010 - 2011
Managed the compensation function for Nicor, Inc, providing executive and broad-based compensation support
to the parent company and subsidiaries. Reported to VP Human Resources and managed a team of 3 direct
reports to develop and implement new and revised compensation programs and procedures that are linked to
company objectives.
• Board of Directors – Working with top management, prepared presentations and reports for the
Compensation Committee and Board of Director meetings dealing with the changes of the Dodd-Frank Act
• Non-Qualified and Equity Plans – Designed and administered deferred compensation and stock plans for
management and officers, along with change in control agreements and retirement benefit policies.
• Proxy Statement – Rewrote the Compensation Discussion and Analysis section and completed the
Compensation tables along with providing data to Finance and Legal according to SEC and IRS regulations.
HSBC
World’s leading financial institution headquartered in London. Previously in U.S. was Household Finance Corp.
Assistant Vice-President – Performance & Rewards 2006 - 2009
Provide leadership and strategic direction for total reward strategy and programs for 20,000 employees.
Reported to VP Compensation and supervised 4 direct reports in the management of pay plans.
• Compensation Plan Design – Led design and implementation of performance-based rewards programs for
executives, sales, exempt, and non-exempt employees that supported business goals and Retention –
Proactively reviewed pay levels for top performers to ensure company competitiveness with marketplace.
Achieved retention rates of 5% better than industry average.
2. • Pay for Performance – Developed internal tools for management that enabled them to reference their
employee performance ratings with company average. This process created a more realistic distribution.
EQUITY OFFICE PROPERTIES
2003 – 2006
Owned and managed 700 office buildings with $3.2 billion in sales. Sold by Sam Zell to the Blackstone Group.
Director Compensation
Provided leadership and strategic direction for company total reward strategy and programs for 2,400
employees. Reported to VP Comp, Ben & HRIS. Supervised 3 direct reports in the management of merit
increases, annual incentives, annual stock grants, executive deferred compensation plan, employee stock
purchase plan, sales compensation plan, and long-term incentive plan.
• Executive Compensation – Partnered with CEO and CFO and designed a three year long-term incentive
plan to achieve the strategic goals for the company’s future. CEO credits the incentive plan as “putting
teeth” into the company’s strategic plan.
• Retirement Plans – Managed 401k plan and deferred compensation plan and negotiated 3rd
party vendor
relationships with Fidelity Investments and Merrill Lynch to administer stock plans featuring stock options,
restricted stock, dividend payments and tax administration.
• Sales Compensation – Partnered with business heads and designed compensation strategy and program
for sales that supported business strategy and rewarded based on company priorities versus individual
sales behaviors.
SEARS, ROEBUCK & COMPANY 1997 – 2003
One of the world’s leading retailers under the CEO leadership of Arthur Martinez. Acquired by K-mart in 2003.
Manager, Executive Compensation
Responsible for the design, implementation, and administration of all compensation programs for the top 250
executives. Supervised a staff of 5 to manage salary increases, incentive payouts, stock grants, deferred
compensation and expatriate pay. At the end of 2001, became consultant and business partner to full-line
stores and new store concept launch of The Great Indoors..
• Executive Compensation – Managed Executive Compensation plan that featured stock option reloads,
deferred option gains, tax withholding rights, equity swaps, 83b elections for restricted stock, transferable
stock options, “balanced score-card” long-term incentives, and employee stock ownership plan.
• Board of Directors – Worked with the Head of HR to research and prepare information for B.O.D. meetings.
• Leadership – Performed an oversight role with Corporate SVP-HR to provide direction to the compensation
programs of 5 different multi-billion dollar business units.
UNILEVER U.S. 1987 – 1997
One of the world's largest consumer goods company headquartered in London and Rotterdam.
National Manager, U.S. Compensation
Responsible for all compensation activities for Helene Curtis, Chesebrough-Ponds, Lever Brothers, Elizabeth
Arden, Calvin Klein Cosmetics, Lipton, Gorton’s Fish, Good Humor-Breyers. Consolidated their different pay
programs into uniform practices. Reported to U.S. Vice President Human Resources and supervised a staff of 3
to facilitate all U.S. pay plans.
• Compensation Harmonization – Persuaded each company’s management to change their salary structures
into a broad-banded program consistent for all companies improving the company transfer process.
• HR Technology – Worked with I.T. staff to automate compensation programs, coordinate payroll systems,
and summarize employee data using HR analytics to create “dash-board” reports.
• Benefits Administration – Streamlined benefits processes with vendors to improve the employee experience
EDUCATION
M.S. in Human Resources, Loyola University – Chicago
B.S. in Finance, University of Illinois – Champaign-Urbana (James Scholar)
PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS
Certified Compensation and Benefits Professional through World at Work Association
