The median total realized compensation of CEOs of Russell 3000 companies increased 15% in 2011 from the previous year, according to a survey from GMI Ratings, a corporate governance and ESG ratings provider.
Total realized compensation increased by 28% between 2009 and 2010, the first time GMI conducted the survey.
Total realized compensation includes base salary, bonus and perquisites, equity profits and increases in deferred compensation.
The CEO with the highest total realized compensation through April 30 is Michael O. Johnson of Herbalife Ltd. with $89.4 million, followed by Samuel J. Palmisano of IBM at $63.3 million; Edward D. Breen of Tyco International Ltd., $63.1 million; David M. Cote of Honeywell International Inc., $58.2 million; and Vivek Y. Ranadive of TIBCO Software Inc., $47.5 million.
The average total realized compensation for 2012 for CEOs in the Russell 3000 is $5.8 million, according to GMI. The average for CEOs in the S&P 500 is $12.1 million.
Among all companies in S&P indexes, small-cap CEOs saw the highest increase in median total realized compensation at 23.79%, with midcap CEOs at 14.66% and S&P 500 CEOs at 13.78%.
GMI compared total annual compensation of CEOs for fiscal year 2011 from 1,144 proxy statements filed between July 2011 and April 3 and was limited to CEOs who had served for a full 12 months.
A phone call to Greg Ruel, research associate at GMI and author of the report, was not returned by press time.
