The trans-Atlantic gap
The total value of salary and incentive packages earned by chief executives is typically 75 percent higher in the US than in Europe. The gap is now narrowing though, according to a recent report by global management consultancy Hay Group.
According to the report, based on an analysis of chief executives' and non-executive chairpersons' remuneration in the 50 largest European and the 50 largest American companies, the average compensation package for top management in the US and in Europe amounts to €9.7 (zł.36.5) million and €5.6 (zł.21.1) million, respectively.
Last year, the respective figures stood at approximately €13 (zł.48.9) million and €5 (zł.18.8) million. Base salaries tend to be lower in the US than in Europe, but that is offset by higher bonuses and long-term incentives, the report said.
Meanwhile, the remuneration of Polish chief executives is much lower than those of their Western European and American counterparts. The average compensation package amounts - in the case of the 50 largest bourse-listed Polish companies - to approximately zł.1 million, said Bogusław Dąbrowski, an analyst at Hay Group's Polish branch.
"That results mainly from the fact that the Polish companies are much smaller than Western European and American ones and are often just branches of large international firms," said Dąbrowski.
