Carol M. Cochran
With 32 years of accounting experience (30 in the employee benefits field), Carol has significant expertise in employee benefits, retirement plans, flexible spending accounts, and compensation planning. She has been with REDW since 1992. Using the skills acquired through her Compensation Management Specialist (CMS) designation from the International Foundation of Certified Employee Benefits Specialists / Wharton Business School of the University of Pennsylvania and Certified Compensation Professional, Carol has been involved with numerous human resources and compensation planning engagements over the past 15 years, both as the lead consultant and project manager for these engagements. Her experience on these engagements includes job analysis, job evaluation, compensation plan development, and incentive compensation consulting.
As principal-in-charge of REDW’s Human Resources Consulting practice and Alliance Benefit Group Southwest, Carol oversees the design and administration of all forms of retirement and welfare benefit plans, including age-weighted and cross-tested pension arrangements. She has an extensive background in retirement plan administration, retirement and per capita plan design, problem plan resolution, and client representation before the IRS and Department of Labor. Carol also consults with clients on compensation strategy, job definition and evaluation, salary ranking, and position classification.
Membership in Professional Organization: Carol is the Past Chair of Sandia Preparatory School, a past Chair for New Mexico First, the past National Treasurer of the Girl Scouts of the USA, as well as Past Chair, and a member of the Executive Committee of ACCION New Mexico. Carol is a Distinguished Toastmaster, past District Governor of District 23 Toastmasters, and past president of Musical Theater Southwest.
In 1995 and 2009, Carol received the New Mexico Society of CPAs Community Service Award, and in 2002, Carol was designated Accountant Advocate of the Year by the New Mexico Small Business Administration. Carol was designated one of New Mexico’s “Power Brokers” in 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2008, and a “Woman Who Means Business” by the New Mexico Business Weekly in 2008. In 2010, Carol was inducted into the University of New Mexico Anderson School of Management Hall of Fame.
Education and Certifications: In addition to being a Certified Public Accountant (CPA), Carol is also a Certified Employee Benefits Specialist (CEBS), Personal Financial Specialist (PFS), Certified Management Accountant (CMA), Compensation Management Specialist (CMS), Certified Flexible Compensation consultant (CFC), and Tribal Human Resources Professional (THRP), and Certified Compensation Professional (CCP). She has a B.B.A. from the University of New Mexico, and is currently pursuing her Executive MBA at UNM.