Executive Compensation - Say on Pay
2010 – Coca-Cola Company
RESOLVED - shareholders of Coca Cola recommend that the board of directors adopt a policy requiring that the proxy statement for each annual meeting contain a proposal, submitted by and supported by Company Management, seeking an advisory vote of shareholders to ratify and approve the board Compensation’s Committee Report and the executive compensation policies and practices set forth in the Company’s Compensation Discussion/Analysis.
Supporting Statement: Investors are increasingly concerned about mushrooming executive compensation especially when it is insufficiently linked to performance. In 2009 shareholders filed nearly 100 “Say on Pay” resolutions. Votes on these resolutions averaged more than 46% in favor. More than 20 companies had votes over 50%, demonstrating strong shareholder support for this reform. The Coca Cola resolution received 36.32%, a significant showing.
Investor, public and legislative concerns about executive compensation have reached new levels of intensity. A 2009 report by The Conference Board Task Force on Executive Compensation, noting that pay has become a flashpoint, recommends taking immediate and credible action “in order to restore trust in the ability of boards to oversee executive compensation” and calls for compensation programs which are “transparent, understandable and effectively communicated to shareholders.“
An Advisory Vote establishes an annual referendum process for shareholders about senior executive compensation. We believe this vote would provide our board and management useful information about
shareholder views on the company’s senior executive compensation especially when tied to an innovative investor communication program.
Approximately 30 companies have agreed to an Advisory Vote, including Apple, Ingersoll Rand, Microsoft, Occidental Petroleum, Prudential, Hewlett-Packard, Intel, Verizon, MBIA and PG&E. And nearly 300 TARP participants implemented the Advisory Vote in 2009, providing an opportunity to see it in action.
Influential proxy voting service RiskMetrics Group, recommends votes in favor, noting: “RiskMetrics encourages companies to allow shareholders to express their opinions of executive compensation practices by establishing an annual referendum process. An advisory vote on executive compensation is another step forward in enhancing board accountability.”
A bill mandating annual advisory votes passed the House of Representatives, and similar legislation is expected to pass in the Senate. However, we believe companies should demonstrate leadership and proactively adopt this reform before the law requires it.
We believe existing SEC rules and stock exchange listing standards do not provide shareholders with sufficient mechanisms for providing input to boards on senior executive compensation. In contrast, in the United Kingdom, public companies allow shareholders to cast a vote on the “directors’ remuneration report,” which discloses executive compensation. Such a vote isn’t binding, but gives shareholders a clear voice that could help shape senior executive compensation.
We believe voting against the election of Board members to send a message about executive compensation is a blunt, sledgehammer approach, whereas an Advisory Vote provides shareowners a more effective instrument.
We believe that a company that has a clearly explained compensation philosophy and metrics, reasonably links pay to performance, and communicates effectively to investors would find a management sponsored Advisory Vote a helpful tool.