Myths and Realities of Executive Pay

Popular perceptions of executive compensation in the United States are now part of a full-blown mythology fueled by critics who have little direct experience with the inner workings of corporations, their boards, and the executive teams who ultimately shoulder the responsibility for business success or failure. This book documents the realities of executive compensation by investigating the extent to which the pay for performance model governs executive pay levels. It also assesses the relative success of this model in creating value for shareholders and robust job growth for U.S. workers and provides detailed, real-world guidance for designing and executing effective executive compensation plans. Based on extensive empirical research and decades of direct experience in the field, Myths and Realities of Executive Pay settles the debate about executive compensation and the role it plays in the broader U.S. economy.

Author Biography

Ira T. Kay, global practice director of executive compensation consulting at Watson Wyatt Worldwide in Washington, DC, is a nationally recognized expert on executive compensation. He has helped U.S. public, private, and international companies develop annual and long-term incentive plans to increase shareholder value. Dr. Kay has written and spoken extensively on executive compensation issues and conducted research on executive pay, stock ownership, and stock options. He is coauthor of the book The Human Capital Edge and is the author of CEO Pay and Shareholder Value: Helping the U.S. Win the Global Economic War and Value at the Top: Solutions to the Executive Compensation Crisis. Dr. Kay has published articles in the Harvard Business Review, McKinsey Quarterly, Journal of Deferred Compensation, and Across the Board. He has also presented analysis of executive compensation issues before the Federal Reserve Board, the Securities and Exchange Commission, the Financial Accounting Standards Board, and a U.S. Senate subcommittee. He is frequently quoted in the major business press and speaks globally on executive compensation issues. Steven Van Putten is the east region practice leader of Watson Wyatt’s executive compensation consulting practice. He primarily focuses on advising compensation committees and senior management on executive and director compensation matters. Mr Van Putten is a leading expert in executive and incentive compensation, specializing in the design and development of annual and long-term incentive programs that drive business strategy and support organizational objectives. He is also an expert on FAS 123® and implications for stock-based incentives.