London (Reuters) - a third of shareholders to vote in the Assembly of the shareholders annual of the British bookmaker William Hill has opposed to bonuses of last year to directors or withheld pay their votes.
In one of the largest revolts this year at a major British company, holders of some 94.8 million shares voted against compensation Director, while that owners of 331.3 million were in favour with 25.1 million retained, a statement of the company showed on Thursday.
Shareholders have also expressed their discontent to auditors of the company, with about 12%, failing to return from their nomination and vote against pay auditor or withhold their votes.
Chief Executive Ralph Topping received 1.65 million pounds in compensation, benefits and bonuses last year, an increase of 56% in 2009.
The increase came after William Hill reached a 7% increase in 2010 operating profit, at the upper end of market expectations. William Hill shares had fallen by 8 per cent in the year.
Company note, however, that Topping has not not been assigned a salary increase since his appointment as Chief Executive in 2008.
"In light of the significant progress that the company has under his leadership and to ensure that remuneration is more consistent with the other companies of our size and complexity, the Commission has decided to give Ralph an increase in his salary"said a spokesman for William Hill.""
There is mounting investor malaise, in recent years on Director pay levels but revolt at William Hill was much worse than many other companies.
The average vote against compensation reports last year was 5.6%, according to the Group Advisory PIRC shareholder who has compiled data from a sample of 500 society meetings of.
One of the largest revolts this year was the airline EasyJet, where more than 55% of the vote, including those of high and founder Stelios Haji-Iaoannou company, shareholders were expressed against administrators or retained earnings report.
Barclays opposition to the regime of remuneration of 2010 the Bank amounted to 10% with 9% in opposition to a new plan of bonus for the top bankers of the page.
Some companies have responded to concern voters this year, however, with the postponement of the bonus of sound Prudential insurer after an attempted missed for AIA CEO any life insurer non-cropped RSA pay for his boss after the fall of profits.
Elsewhere HSBC last month unveiled plans to reorganize its remuneration policy to prevent the recurrence of sting of investor protests that marred the year annual investor meeting.
William Hill shares increased by 0.5% to Li pence by 1515 GMT (11: 15 p.m. EDT), in a similar drop in index midcap of the London market.
(Reported by Paul Hoskins and Sarah Young;) (Editing by Greg Mahlich)
没有评论:
发表评论