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@barksdalegroup

Stephen McGillivray

@barksdalegroup·Arlington, VA·Joined April 2026

Practical compensation strategy for mid-market companies that have outgrown guesswork.

About

Stephen McGillivray is the founder of The Barksdale Group, an independent compensation consulting practice based in Arlington, Virginia. With 16+ years of experience spanning Mercer, Korn Ferry, defense and aerospace contracting, high-growth technology, and international nonprofits, he builds the compensation infrastructure that mid-market companies and PE portfolio companies need but rarely have. He holds an MBA in Finance and Consulting from William & Mary.

Available for

Consulting engagements, fractional work, freelance opportunities.

Stephen McGillivray's blogs

Compensation Insights | The Barksdale Group Blogblog.barksdalegroup.co3 posts

About

Stephen McGillivray is the founder of The Barksdale Group, an independent compensation consulting practice based in Arlington, Virginia. With 16+ years of experience spanning Mercer, Korn Ferry, defense and aerospace contracting, high-growth technology, and international nonprofits, he builds the compensation infrastructure that mid-market companies and PE portfolio companies need but rarely have. He holds an MBA in Finance and Consulting from William & Mary.

Available for

Consulting engagements, fractional work, freelance opportunities.

Stephen McGillivray's blogs

Compensation Insights | The Barksdale Group Blogblog.barksdalegroup.co3 posts

Articles Comments

Recently published

SMStephen McGillivrayinblog.barksdalegroup.co·May 3 · 11 min read

M&A Compensation Due Diligence: The Checklist PE Firms and HR Leaders Actually Need

By Stephen McGillivray | The Barksdale Group When I led the compensation integration for a defense contractor's acquisition of a 520-person engineering firm, the first 48 hours looked the same as ev

SMStephen McGillivrayinblog.barksdalegroup.co·Apr 19 · 10 min read

DCAA Compensation Compliance: The Mid-Market Contractor's Guide to Surviving an Incurred Cost Audit

The audit finding that should scare you more than the cap Most GovCon finance and HR leaders know the FAR 31.205-6(p) compensation cap number. The 2025 cap is $671,000. The 2026 cap has not yet been o

SMStephen McGillivrayinblog.barksdalegroup.co·Apr 14 · 12 min read

What Is Compensation Infrastructure? (And Why Most Growing Companies Don't Have It)

Over the past 16 years, I have walked into more mid-market companies than I can count and found the same pattern. It is not that they have nothing in place. They almost always have pieces. Salary rang