GitHub's VP of global RevOps Betsy Matthies on comp plans that change behavior

Comp plans don’t just pay sellers—they steer your entire go-to-market motion. In this episode, GitHub’s VP of Global Revenue Operations & Enablement, Betsy Matthies, joins Forma.ai CEO Nabeil Alazzam to talk incentives, behavior design, and change management at leadership level. You’ll hear a real story of a comp overhaul that drove a double-digit lift, Betsy's “3 buckets max” rule for eliminating plan bloat, and the one prerequisite for AI in RevOps that too many teams skip.

A sales compensation plan that actually works goes way beyond a spreadsheet—it’s about its ability to create desired behavior and whether it earns trust.

In this episode of The Sales Compensation Show podcast, Nabeil Alazzam speaks with Betsy Matthies, the VP of Global Revenue Operations & Enablement at GitHub, to discuss how leaders can design incentives that drive the right outcomes without creating confusion, backlash, or skyrocketing the cost of sales.

Betsy shares real examples from her career about unintentional rewards and how she's redesigned plans with three strategic buckets to drive growth and a meaningful cultural shift.

You’ll also hear Betsy’s practical rules for comp design and rollout:

Why leaders often try to use comp to fix non-comp problems (and why it backfires)
How to avoid “complexity bloat” so reps don’t need a calculator to prioritize their time
Why “the math is easy” but change management is the real work
How to build stakeholder buy-in across Sales, Finance, and exec leadership—and why follow-up is non-negotiable

Plus, hear Betsy’s hot take on AI.

If you’re responsible for RevOps performance, comp strategy, or GTM execution, you'll love Betsy's perspective and lessons.
Book recommendation: Make Your Bed by Admiral William H. McRaven