In 1970, the average CEO in the US made 28 times more than the average worker. 35 years later, that number had increased to 465 times. Nice visual/interactive presentation over at Business Interactive.

I haven't done the math yet, but I suspect there might be a direct correlation between CEO compensation and the increase in CO2 levels in Al Gore's inconvenient presentation.

465 times the salary of the average worker. Wow. That would buy a lot of $0.99 junior Whoppers.

What does this post have to do with building brands? When the gap between CEO pay and their average workers' pay gets this wide, people start getting cynical about their company. Especially when benefits get cut every year. Especially when more jobs start getting outsourced. Especially when layoffs become common. Especially when the company's products, customer service and innovation quotient are suffering. Inequity doesn't exactly sell brands. Fatcat loser CEOs are seen as merchants of exploitation, and no one wants to be a part of that.

As the asian stock markets start to crash again today (hopefully, things will get back to normal in a day or two), I thought it might be fun to look at who won't be hitting the bread lines when the fit eventually hits the shan.

Wages 465 times greater than the average worker - in many cases, for playing a lot of golf. Brioches, anyone?




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Labels: CEO, compensation, Inequity, salary