Dana Jackson
Dana Jackson is an accomplished Compensation Manager with extensive experience in both operations and human resources. Beginning her career in district management, she oversaw multi-million-dollar territories, honing her skills in P&L management, people leadership, and operational strategy. This foundation in business operations equipped her with the expertise to transition successfully into HR roles, where she gained hands-on experience in recruiting, payroll administration, and total rewards management. Her career trajectory reflects a strong combination of analytical rigor and strategic insight, enabling her to drive meaningful organizational impact. At Sony, where she has served as Compensation Manager for nearly two years, Dana leads initiatives to ensure competitive and equitable pay practices. She manages benchmarking, job documentation, pay transparency compliance, and annual salary increase and bonus planning, while also supporting mergers and acquisitions to align acquired employees with existing compensation structures. Her work emphasizes fairness and transparency, reflecting her commitment to ensuring employees are compensated appropriately for their contributions and that organizational policies adhere to evolving regulations. Dana’s professional philosophy centers on equity, integrity, and strategic problem-solving. She leverages her expertise to consult with senior leadership on compensation strategy, recommending data-driven solutions and process improvements. A Rutgers University graduate in Business Economics, she has also been recognized for her leadership and community impact, including being named a Top 40 Under 40 honoree in retail and receiving accolades for philanthropic service. Her career exemplifies the intersection of analytical precision, strategic consulting, and a commitment to workplace fairness.
• Lean Six Sigma Certification
• Rutgers University - BS
• Unlock Your Dreams Honoree
• Rutgers University Student Leadership Award
• Top 40 Under 40 in Retail C-Store Category
• InRoads Intern
What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to definitely my parents, who are both no longer living now, but they really instilled a strong work ethic in me. They taught me that when you start something, you finish it, and you always give it your best. I think that has definitely helped me succeed in all the endeavors that I've gone through and achieved. That foundation of commitment and excellence they gave me has carried through every aspect of my career.
What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The best career advice I've received is to operate with integrity. A mentor shared with me that people can handle when you mess up, but it's tough to recover when you try to cover it up. It's easier to work with someone when you have transparency and operate with honesty and integrity, and in exchange people know they can trust you. The other piece of advice that has stayed with me is to send the elevator back down. I've been blessed in my career to have the opportunity to do some really great things, and that was because doors were open for me, so for me to be able to open those doors for other people, I think, is really important.
What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
I would tell young women that relationships are just as important as your talent. Understanding your craft and being passionate about it is paramount but I think it's also important to connect and build relationships with others. I'm a strong believer in having mentors, so seek out the people that cheerlead for you and get their advice, especially if it's someone's career that you admire. Take the time to sit down and talk to them about what they love and the things that they prepared for to help them be successful in their career.
What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
The biggest challenges in my field right now are making sure to stay current with all of the changing laws and regulations around pay and pay transparency. The regulatory landscape is constantly evolving, and staying ahead of those changes is critical to protecting both the organization and ensuring fair treatment of employees.
What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
In work and in my personal life, leading with kindness and empathy. You never know what people are going through so being kind and being a light are very important to me. In addition to being kind; integrity, equity and justice are core to what drives me in my work and ensuring people are paid equitably and that companies take care of their employees matters deeply to me.
Locations
Sony
New York, NJ 10010