Howard Risher

Howard Risher is a consultant to numerous organizations, including the National Academy of Public Administration (NAPA), where he has worked on studies related to employee compensation and performance in the federal government. He was a member of the project team for the 2004 report Recommending Performance-Based Federal Pay. He previously was a member of the NAPA teams that prepared reports on the Senior Executive Service and on a new personnel system for federal IT specialists. He has been responsible for consulting studies for several federal and state agencies, including the 1990 study for OPM that led to the Federal Employees Pay Comparability Act and the locality pay system. He has also consulted with the United Nations on pay and performance issues and has authored reports for the OECD.

Previously in his career, Dr. Risher worked as the compensation practice leader for two national consulting companies. He has also served as a Senior Fellow in the Wharton School’s Center for Human Resources.

Early in his career he worked as a compensation director for a large diversified corporation. His experience includes years of experience as a consultant to the private sector as well as to higher education. He has published over 40 articles on pay and performance and has developed four books. His most recent book is - Planning Wage and Salary Programs (Scottsdale, AZ, WordlatWork). He serves as the editor of the journal, Compensation and Benefits Review.  Dr. Risher received his Ph.D. in business and applied economics from the University of Pennsylvania in 1972.