Editor and coauthor Achaessa James, CEP, is a product manager at the National Center for Employee Ownership (NCEO), where she directs its broad-based equity compensation projects, writes on current regulatory and administrative issues, and advises NCEO members on equity compensation planning.

Achaessa has designed and delivered equity administration and corporate governance education programs to attorneys, paralegals, and accounting staff. As part of her staff functions at the NCEO, she works with companies on a preliminary basis to review legal, accounting, tax, and other issues relating to all forms of equity compensation, as well as matters concerning plan design, administrative setup, and training programs. She also maintains an active consulting practice outside the NCEO to provide longer-term administrative, audit, and corporate transaction support for private companies. She has worked in the venture capital and start-up community since 1999, supporting private stock placement transactions, IPO registrations, and administering nonpublic and microcap company equity compensation plans for companies such as Shop.com, Classmates.com, Jones Soda, and Telegent Systems.

Achaessa is a Certified Equity Professional through the CEP Institute at Santa Clara University's Leavey School of Business. Achaessa was the recipient of the 2007 Marilyn J. Perkins Claassen Memorial Scholarship and the 2010 Volunteer Excellence Award. She also is a board member of the Los Angeles chapter of the National Association of Stock Plan Professionals (NASPP).