An Early Look at Trends From Proxy Season 2025
In anticipation of the 2025 proxy season, publicly traded companies are actively preparing their proxy statements (DEF 14A) for submission to the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). These proxy statements, which contain key information pertaining to executive compensation, corporate governance practices and shareholder voting matters, will be presented and discussed at their respective annual shareholder […]
Joyce Chen is an Associate Editor at Equilar, Inc. This post was prepared for the Forum by Ms. Chen.
In anticipation of the 2025 proxy season, publicly traded companies are actively preparing their proxy statements (DEF 14A) for submission to the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). These proxy statements, which contain key information pertaining to executive compensation, corporate governance practices and shareholder voting matters, will be presented and discussed at their respective annual shareholder meetings. This particular analysis focuses on 113 Equilar 500 companies (the 500 largest U.S. public companies based on revenue) that filed their latest proxy statements with the SEC by March 4, 2025 and offers early trends within executive compensation disclosures.
In recent years, chief executive officer (CEO) compensation has been shaped by a confluence of factors. Overall pay has increased due to macroeconomic conditions, including the ongoing inflation and the potential for a recession. The demanding nature of the CEO role and the challenge of retaining top talent have further contributed to this trend. This five-year pay study, beginning in 2020 during the heart of the COVID-19 pandemic, tracks the changes in CEO and median employee compensation, as well as gender pay gaps.
