Revealed: Huge Increase In Executive Pay For America's Top Bosses, ThinkMarketing Investigates.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
(Free-Press-Release.com) January 26, 2012 -- http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2011/dec/14/executive-pay-increase-america-ceos

ThinkMarketing takes a closer look at an exclusive survey that shows America's CEOs enjoyed pay hikes of up to 40% last year – with one chief executive earning $145m John Hammergren, CEO of healthcare provider McKesson, earned $145m last year. Chief executive pay has roared back after two years of stagnation and decline. America's top bosses enjoyed pay hikes of between 27 and 40% last year, according to the largest survey of US CEO pay. The dramatic bounce back comes as the latest government figures show wages for the majority of Americans are failing to keep up with inflation. ThinkMarketing is a highly successful marketing company in Edinburgh and his ‘shocked’ by the recent pay rises saying, ‘wow that is quite a raise. Raises are determined by a number of factors within any company, firstly how well the company has done that year and secondly how well that individual has done!’

The question that so many are asking is it fare that America's highest paid executive took home more than $145.2m, and as stock prices recovered across the board, the median value of bosses' profits on stock options rose 70% in 2010, from $950,400 to $1.3m. The news comes against the backdrop of an Occupy Wall Street movement that has focused Washington's attention on the pay packages of America's highest paid. ThinkMarketing takes a closer look at the situation with a source saying, ‘the increasing pay rises of CEO’s widens the income gap which is never good.’

This year's survey shows CEO pay packages have boomed: the top 10 earners took home more than $770m between them in 2010. As stock prices began to recover last year, the increase in CEO pay outstripped the rise in share value. The Russell 3000 measure of US stock prices was up by 16.93% in 2010, but CEO pay went up by 27.19% overall. For S&P 500 CEOs, the largest companies in the sample, total realised compensation – including perks and pensions and stock awards – increased by a median of 36.47%. Total pay at midcap companies, which are slightly smaller than the top firms, rose 40.2%.

"Wages for everybody else have either been in decline or stagnated in this period, and that's for those who are in work," said Hodgson. "I had a feeling that we would see some significant increases this year. But 30-40% was something of a surprise." Bosses won in every area, with dramatic increases in pensions, payoffs and perks – as well as salary. It’s the ‘bosses’ and board members that decide what the percentages are for raises. ThinkMarketing is aware that this happens all the time with the MD saying, ‘looking after the people in lower level management and entry level positions is very important. If people don’t feel valued they will leave and may end up working for your competitors which is never a positive outcome. Here at ThinkMarketing we believe that cultivating the relationships with clients and customers are vital for our business success.’

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