Ten highest paid CEOs of ASX 200 companies

Highlights

• The ACSI has released the list of highest grossing Australian CEOs among ASX 200 companies.
• The highest grossing CEOs belong to Afterpay, a BNPL company that flourished exclusively during the pandemic.
• The report by ACSI also stated that pandemic-hit losses had been finally reversed, with profits rebounding to new highs.

The Australian Council of Superannuation Investors (ACSI) has released a report on CEO pay in ASX200 companies. Not surprisingly, Afterpay CEOs have topped the charts by ACSI, highlighting the massive success seen by the company over the last few years. The buy-now-pay-later company boomed to success during the pandemic and quickly became one of the best-performing companies on the ASX as well.

The Afterpay CEOs were followed by biotechnology company CSL’s CEO, Paul Perreault. This result is also largely predictable as the federal government had contracted CSL to produce AstraZeneca Covid vaccine in Australia. Thus, the company was the centre of massive business activity during the pandemic.

Australia’s Most Expensive Homes: Where do the Rich Live In Australia?

The CEO salaries presented in ACSI’s report range from over AU$200 million to AU$9 million. The report also stated that the hit to bonuses seen during the pandemic was only temporary as many CEOs saw a rebound in their salaries. This rebound has been so pronounced that the pay cheques of these CEOs have reached new highs.

INTERESTING READ: Top 5 stocks from Bill Gates’ investment portfolio

Here is a closer look at the companies and the CEOs listed on ACSI’s report:

Anthony Eisen and Nick Molnar – Afterpay (ASX: APT)

Salary – AU$264.2 million

Afterpay grew to success during the pandemic due to the no-EMI loans made available by the company. Many individuals were able to delay the payments on everyday use items. Due to this feature, BNPL companies quickly became consumer favourites in times when most people's incomes were postponed.

Paul Perreault – CSL Ltd. (ASX:CSL)

Salary – AU$58.9 million

CSL has been one of the most crucial companies to operate during the pandemic as it significantly contributed to developing the COVID vaccine. Over the years, CSL has become the world’s third largest biotechnology company.

Greg Goodman - Goodman Group (ASX: GMG)

Salary – AU$37.1 million

Goodman Group is an infrastructure company and has become one of Australia’s largest property businesses. The company is engaged in building property parks around the world, with many of them being situated in Australia.

Shemara Wikramanayake – Macquarie Group (ASX: MQG)

Salary – AU$14.6 million

Macquarie Chief Executive Shemara Wikramanayake is the highest-paid woman and person of colour in the position of CEO in Australia. The banking group states that it believes in promoting inclusiveness and respect, which has contributed to the organisation's success.

Brad Banducci – Woolworths Group (ASX: WOW)

Salary – AU$11.7 million

The retail giant has also seen booming business despite the loss in consumer demand during the pandemic. The company has been established as one of the biggest supermarket chains in Australia. Woolworths has a rich history and has been in business since the 1920s.

Elizabeth Gaines – Fortescue Metals Group (ASX: FMG)

Salary – AU$11.1 million

Iron ore mining has been one of Australia’s strong points during the pandemic. The soaring prices of iron ore exports helped the company generate a stable source of income. Fortescue Metals is one of the premier iron ore mining companies and has been at the forefront of the exporting segment.

Mike Henry – BHP Group (ASX: BHP)

Salary – AU$10.4 million

Another mining giant on the list is BHP, which has an international presence. The company explores, develops and produces many materials such as copper, silver, zinc, uranium and gold.

Chris Ellison – Mineral Resources (ASX: MIN)

Salary – AU$9.4 million

The company has a vested interest in commodities which saw record gains during the past year. Commodity prices had skyrocketed owing to a global shortage. Two of the most important commodities whose mining operations are handled by Mineral Resources include iron ore and lithium. Both these commodities have been in great demand in recent times.

Magnus Nicolin – Ansell (ASX: ANN)

Salary – AU$9.29 million

The company is one of the leading industry and medical protective wear manufacturers. Most notably, the company’s PPE kit production business helped it earn a top spot in terms of high revenue generating companies over the last year.

Andrew Barkla – IDP Education (ASX: IEL)

Salary – AU$9.25 million

The international education services provider helps international students to study in English-speaking countries. The company has a vast network and represents over 250 educational institutions in Australia alone.