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Executive pay

This Month

Macquarie CEO Shemara Wikramanayake has had her pay docked for years in a row for financial breaches.

CEOs are having pay docked. They still may be getting off lightly

ASX boards are responding to pressure from regulators and investors to make executives accountable for failures in risk management. But is it enough?

Australia’s 50 highest-paid CEOs in 2025 revealed

Mining company chief executives scooped the pool this year as the surging gold price lifted company stocks and executive pay.

Worley investors do not believe CEO Chris Ashton’s $3 million cash bonus is justified, given the decline in total shareholder return in 2024-25.

Worley board to face investor wrath over executive pay, performance

The global engineering group, which narrowly avoided a first strike last year, is facing a protest vote against its remuneration report for the second year in a row.

Proxy advisers are out for Grant Hackett’s new pay deal.

Former Olympian Grant Hackett’s gold-medal payday hits turbulence

A sharemarket bolter roaring towards the top-100 stocks wants to reward its top executives with shares and rights-heavy pay packets. But not everyone is buying it.

Shareholders rebuke NextDC for CEO’s $112m bonus plan

An overwhelming majority voted against the data centre provider’s remuneration report at its annual general meeting on Thursday.

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Former ANZ chief executive Shayne Elliott was replaced by Nuno Matos in May.

ANZ executives lose $32m in bonuses over ASIC failings

The leadership team has been punished with bonus cuts, but the bank’s board has been spared any such accountability for its part in the $240 million scandal.

The board of NextDC is facing investor backlash over its plan to award a one-off grant to chief executive Craig Scroggie.

NextDC boss faces ‘excessive’ pay package battle

Two influential proxy firms have advised investors in the data centre company to vote against a new remuneration package for chief executive Craig Scroggie.

Musk’s pay has long been a source of controversy at Tesla. He does not receive a salary or bonus but is instead rewarded through tailor-made pay schemes.

Norway fund votes against Musk’s $1.5trn pay deal

Norges Bank Investment Management said while it appreciates the significant value created by Elon Musk, it was concerned about the total size of the award.

Unelected council chiefs earn more than MPs. Here’s what yours is paid

NSW’s local government minister acknowledged community concern about excessive pay with the highest-paid council CEO earning almost as much as the prime minister.

Sue Davies giving evidence on Tuesday.

Australia Post again reveals eye-watering salaries for execs

It was once surprising you could get this sort of money for a government organisation barely back in black, but at AusPost it’s become the norm.

October

Robyn Denholm says she does not believe Elon Musk would do anything “sudden and detrimental” if Tesla loses the vote.

Robyn Denholm warns Musk could quit over $1.5trn pay

The Tesla chairwoman has stepped up her campaign for investors to support the billionaire chief’s pay package ahead of a crucial shareholder vote on November 6.

Todd Barlow, CEO, Soul Patterson.

Why Australia’s only listed family office prefers working-class staff

Todd Barlow, who leads $14 billion company Soul Patts, discusses why you should never tell him you are doing your job – and being compared to Warren Buffett.

KPMG estimates there are around 2150 family offices in Australia, employing between 20,000 and 30,000 staff.

$1m CEO salaries disappear from family offices

A new report reveals that family office CEO base salaries sit around $500,000 to $625,000 plus substantial bonuses, but the top end of the market has softened.

ASX chief executive Helen Lofthouse has agreed not to receive an annual bonus in response to the governance issues at the market operator.

ASX set to avoid pay strike, spill as proxy advisers back the board

Irate investors delivered the market operator a strike at last year’s annual meeting, and a second would have raised the prospect of directors getting rolled.

Xero’s investors are split on the pay package for US-based chief executive Sukhinder Singh Cassidy.

Fundies take aim at proxy firms’ ‘academic view’ of Xero CEO pay

Investors say the advisers failed to see the business operates in a global market, after almost half of shareholders voted against the pay package.

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It’s a tough time for James Hardie’s new chairwoman Anne Lloyd and new CEO Aaron Erter, with housing markets contracting.

‘Ultimately responsible’: Proxy adviser targets James Hardie chair

A second powerful advisory firm has recommended shareholders vote against Anne Lloyd and protest against the company’s executive pay rates.

Andrew Peterson, CEO of Diversa.

Diversa boss bags $770k bonus despite $250m First Guardian exposure

Financial accounts reveal the superannuation group with the biggest exposure to the failed investment scheme paid CEO Andrew Peterson a surprising amount.

Luke Miels has been named next CEO of GSK.

This Aussie exec was once sued over a new job. He’s safe this time

GSK’s new CEO, Luke Miels, will avoid gardening leave, but has different challenges with his latest role.

James Hardie CEO Aaron Erter led the $14 billion buyout of outdoor decking and railings company Azek, approved by Azek shareholders in late June. James Hardie said on Thursday it has to align its incentive schemes for executives to the American market, which is different from Australia.

‘American’ James Hardie hits back at pay packet anger

The building products group has defended its decision to lower hurdles for incentive packages as chief executive Aaron Erter stands to earn $13 million.

September

A spokesman said Richard White’s share sales were paused briefly but have restarted.

WiseTech billionaire founder Richard White cashes out $240m

The executive chairman has sold 2.48 million shares in the past four weeks after a six-month hiatus from selling his stake.

Original URL: https://www.afr.com/topic/executive-pay-1mql