I have spent a significant part of my career negotiating compensation packages. As Executive Vice President of Human Resources for Verizon Communications, I oversaw negotiations involving many of the key executives responsible for this Fortune 10 company’s successful launch and subsequent growth.

I have held similar positions at national retailer, L Brands, and multinational computer company, Lenovo. An HR attorney by training, I understand the fundamentals and nuances of contract law. I also appreciate how arriving at mutually-agreeable contractual terms is an innovative, iterative process that requires a knowledge and experience far deeper than the typical executive may possess.

While I’ve been fortunate to enjoy long tenures at each of my employers — including 22 years at Verizon and predecessor company GTE — I have successfully negotiated several of my own compensation packages and, more recently, have counseled a broad spectrum of executives in negotiating theirs. My understanding of how potential employers think, the degree to which they leave themselves “maneuvering room,” and their openness to creative compensation packages gives my clients negotiating leverage they might otherwise forgo.

For higher-level positions, I draw on my previous work with C-Suite executives and board members. My understanding of the distinct criteria they apply when making hiring decisions and the extent to which they are able to influence compensation packages — often beyond prescribed ceilings — has translated to six-figure salary increments for several of my clients.

- Ezra Singer, CEO & Founder

My experience suggests that women are particularly susceptible to getting the shorter end of a compensation package. I have been fortunate to count several female executives among my clients, and have worked closely with them to ensure they are armed with the knowledge and tools they need to receive the compensation to which they are rightly entitled.