Who We Are

Richard T. Rapp

Richard Rapp was president and CEO of NERA Economic Consulting, a major multinational economic consulting firm for 18 years, from 1988 through 2005. Under his leadership the firm grew to global scale with successful expansions into Europe, Asia, Australia and within the U.S.  In collaboration with his partners, Richard designed his firm’s senior pay arrangements and supervised their evolution over decades – the origin of his expertise and continuing interest in senior compensation for professional service firms.

Richard served for many years as a member of the board of directors and management committee of his firm’s parent which included specialty businesses in actuarial and human resource consulting, change management, brand identity, and general management consulting. He also served on the board of directors and the executive committee of the Legal Aid Society of New York from 1992 to 2005. His experience encompasses nearly every aspect of professional service firm management including, for example, business forecasting, budgeting, cost control, office and practice expansions, and lateral hiring.

From 1977 through 2014 Richard served as an expert economist in the fields of antitrust and intellectual property and testified many times in federal and state courts, regulatory forums and arbitral proceedings. Earlier, Richard was Associate Professor at the State University of New York at Stony Brook and an award-winning author of books and articles on international trade rivalry and economic decline.

He was awarded a BA in economics from Brooklyn College and an M.A. and Ph.D. in Economic History from the University of Pennsylvania. In 1976 he was a member in residence at the Institute for Advanced Study.

Richard and his wife live in New York. They were members of the National Council of the Santa Fe Opera for many years. In 2018 Richard joins the Advisory Board of the Smithsonian Institution Libraries.

David C. Bucco

David Bucco was the Chief Financial Officer of NERA Economic Consulting, a multinational economic consulting firm for 21 years, from 1994 through March 2015. For many of those years, David served as a member of the firm’s board of directors and management committee. During his tenure the firm grew to global scale with successful expansions into Europe, Asia, Australia and within the U.S.  In collaboration with the company’s president and his partners, David played an integral role in the design of the firm’s senior pay arrangements and implemented changes over the next 20 years.

As CFO, David managed a staff of accountants, bookkeepers and information technology professionals. His experience encompasses nearly every aspect of financial management including, for example, risk management, performance measurement, budgeting, cost control, .and the analytics and record-keeping for the senior compensation program

From 1975 through 1989 David served as audit manager for a Big-4 accounting firm and from 1990 through 1994, he served as assistant controller for a pension and benefits consulting firm..

He was awarded a BS in Business Administration from Seton Hall University and he became a Certified Public Accounting in 1978. He presently serves on the board of directors and as treasurer of the Mahopac Golf and Beach Club in Mahopac, New York.