Fortescue execs face bonus backlash

Original article by Brad Thompson
The Australian – Page: 16 : 6-Nov-24

Fortescue shareholders will be given a vote on a proposal to grant performance rights to mining division CEO Dino Otranto and clean energy arm CEO Mark Hutchinson. However, Fortescue notes that granting performance rights does not require shareholder approval under the Corporations Act or ASX listing rules; the company has indicated that it will issue the performance rights even if investors vote against the resolution at its AGM on Wednesday. Three large US pension funds will oppose the resolution, with SBA Florida contending that there has been insufficient disclosure of performance targets.

CORPORATES
FORTESCUE LIMITED – ASX FMG, SBA FLORIDA

C-suite executives’ pay increases rise past inflation

Original article by David Marin-Guzman
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 14 : 14-Jun-23

A new report from the Governance Institute shows that 42 per cent of directors at ASX-listed companies and 71 per cent of senior executives received a pay rise in 2022. The salaries of CEOs rose by an average of 15 per cent, while the salaries of managing directors rose by an average of 14 per cent. This compares with overall wage growth of just 3.4 per cent in 2022, according to Wage Price Index data; the inflation rate in turn was 7.8 per cent at the end of 2022. Governance Institute CEO Megan Motto says the sharp rise in executive remuneration follows several years of relatively small rises in fixed pay.

CORPORATES
GOVERNANCE INSTITUTE OF AUSTRALIA LIMITED

Seven West Media won’t commit to dividend timetable

Original article by Miranda Ward
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 24 : 10-Nov-21

Seven West Media suspended its dividend payments in 2018, in order to focus on reducing debt. Chairman Kerry Stokes has told the group’s AGM that it will review its dividend policy in 2022, but he declined to make any commitment as to when dividends will resume. Stokes also defended the remuneration package of CEO James Warburton, whose total pay topped $7.6m in 2020-21; Stokes says that Warburton is paid for performance, and his pay reflected the challenges faced by Seven during the last year, including the global pandemic.

CORPORATES
SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM

ASX100 CEOs already paid more than the average annual salary

Original article by Killian Plastow
The New Daily – Page: Online : 14-Jan-20

The average CEO of an S&P/ASX 100 company has probably earned more since the start of 2020 than the average worker will earn for the whole year, based on Australian Council of Superannuation Investors figures. Qantas CEO Alan Joyce, Australia’s top-earning CEO in 2018, received as much as 281 workers earning the average wage. Bonuses, which are viewed as ‘at-risk’ pay, account for much of the large amounts that CEOs receive. However, ACSI CEO Louise Davidson notes that over 50 per cent of ASX 100 CEOs received over 70 per cent of their bonuses in the 2018 financial year, suggesting to her that so-called ‘at risk’ pay is "not very risky at all".

CORPORATES
STANDARD AND POOR’S ASX 100 INDEX, AUSTRALIAN COUNCIL OF SUPERANNUATION INVESTORS INCORPORATED, QANTAS AIRWAYS LIMITED – ASX QAN

Nine chief’s pay soars to $19.6 million

Original article by James Thomson, Edmund Tadros
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 13 : 10-Dec-14

The latest executive salary survey by "The Australian Financial Review" shows that Nine Entertainment Company CEO David Gyngell was Australia’s highest-paid corporate executive in 2014. His total remuneration of $A19.6m included a $A2.5m cash bonus associated with the group’s IPO. Arowana International CEO Kevin Chin was paid $A13.3m in total, followed by News Corporation CEO Robert Thomson with total remuneration of $A13.2m

CORPORATES
NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, AROWANA INTERNATIONAL LIMITED – ASX AWN, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, WESFARMERS LIMITED – ASX WES, WESTFIELD CORPORATION – ASX WFD, GUERDON ASSOCIATES PTY LTD, OAKTREE CAPITAL MANAGEMENT LLC, APOLLO GLOBAL MANAGEMENT LLC

BHP’s new CEO Mike Henry vows to accelerate productivity push

Original article by Nick Toscano, Colin Kruger
Brisbane Times – Page: Online : 14-Nov-19

BHP CEO Andrew Mackenzie will step down at the end of 2019 after more than six years in the role. He will be succeeded by mining industry veteran Mike Henry, who will receive a base salary of $US1.7m ($2.5m). Henry, who has been the head of BHP’s Australian minerals division since 2016, says he will spend the next 45 days holding meetings with BHP staff across its global operations. Henry was regarded as a leading internal candidate to succeed Mackenzie.

CORPORATES
BHP GROUP LIMITED – ASX BHP

RBA boss blasts CEO salaries after Qantas boss Alan Joyce’s wage revealed

Original article by James Hall
News.com.au – Page: Online : 26-Sep-19

Reserve Bank of Australia governor Philip Lowe has criticised the large salaries of the nation’s top business executives at a time of low wages growth. Lowe argues that CEOs should not be rewarded with performance-based incentives merely for doing their job, while he says ordinary Australians should receive a wage increase of at least three per cent. His comments follow revelations that Qantas CEO Alan Joyce received total remuneration of almost $24m in fiscal 2018. Lowe himself receives a base salary of $903,000.

CORPORATES
RESERVE BANK OF AUSTRALIA, QANTAS AIRWAYS LIMITED – ASX QAN

The $10m men reap benefits of high returns

Original article by David Marin-Guzman
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 3 : 17-Sep-19

Australian Council of Superannuation Investors research reveals Australia’s 10 highest paid CEOs earned over $10 million in realised pay in fiscal 2018, with realised pay including the actual value of vested equity. Only one eligible ASX 100 CEO did not get their bonus in fiscal 2018, compared to six in fiscal 2017. ACSI CEO Louise Davidson says corporate Australia appears to view bonuses as "fixed pay under another name", rather than as a reward for "stretch performance"

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN COUNCIL OF SUPERANNUATION INVESTORS INCORPORATED, DOMINO’S PIZZA ENTERPRISES LIMITED – ASX DMP

Freeze on fixed pay for one in three execs

Original article by Patrick Durkin
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 9 : 19-Jul-19

Just six CEOs from Australia’s top 25 companies did not get their fixed pay frozen in 2018, according to a report from PwC, while over a third of the top 100 CEOs had their fixed pay frozen. Seventy-seven per cent of CEOs of financial services companies had their fixed pay frozen, which was not surprising given the findings of the banking royal commission. The freeze at the top of company ranks is expected to extend further down, with a recent survey showing that over 37 per cent of CEOs are likely to either keep wages steady or adopt pay rises of between zero and two per cent.

CORPORATES
PRICEWATERHOUSECOOPERS AUSTRALIA (INTERNATIONAL) PTY LTD, MACQUARIE GROUP LIMITED – ASX MQG, CSL LIMITED – ASX CSL, JAMES HARDIE INDUSTRIES PLC – ASX JHX, RIO TINTO LIMITED – ASX RIO, GOODMAN GROUP – ASX GMG, TREASURY WINE ESTATES LIMITED – ASX TWE, WOODSIDE PETROLEUM LIMITED – ASX WPL, WESTPAC BANKING CORPORATION – ASX WBC, WOOLWORTHS GROUP LIMITED – ASX WOW, DOMINO’S PIZZA ENTERPRISES LIMITED – ASX DMP

Jacques to get modest pay rise of 2.5pc

Original article by Brad Thompson
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 19 : 1-Mar-19

Rio Tinto’s annual report shows that CEO Jean-Sebastien Jacques received total remuneration of Stg4.29m in 2018, compared with Stg3.82m in 2017. His base salary will increase by 2.5 per cent to Stg1.138m from the start of March. Meanwhile, Rio Tinto’s remuneration committee has advised that the payment of bonuses to former CEO Sam Walsh will again be deferred pending the outcome of an investigation into the Simandau scandal.

CORPORATES
RIO TINTO LIMITED – ASX RIO, BHP GROUP LIMITED – ASX BHP, FORTESCUE METALS GROUP LIMITED – ASX FMG