Press Release - October 6, 2008
Lafayette, CA — October 6, 2008 — Syzygy Consulting Group’s 2008 Pre-IPO and Private Company Total Compensation Survey reports that private companies have significantly decreased CEO pay and total employee ownership. “Not surprisingly, the 2008 data demonstrates much of what we’ve seen and heard in the Boardrooms. Board members, which are mostly investors and other venture capital firms, are pulling back excessive salaries and reducing overall stock option grants until they see real gains in revenue, profits and a clear path to shareholder returns,” reports David Broman, Syzygy’s CEO.
It’s common knowledge that public offerings (IPOs) and acquisitions are at an all time low. There is no longer that quick path to liquidity. In addition, the performance bar for private companies has increased significantly. “The financial backers of private companies are holding the line on executive pay and employee stock option grants because they have to,” Broman said. “Board of Directors are prudent when defining CEO pay and employee stock option pools. Their most promising path towards liquidity is not an IPO but being acquired by a larger company. Boards want to make certain that excessive pay is not seen as a deal-breaker,” he added.
Syzygy’s Pre-IPO and Private Company Total Compensation Survey, collected annually since 1999, is recognized nationally as the premier source of private company compensation data. “Our survey team has worked diligently over the last four months compiling pay practice data on over 37,800 employees at 278 companies,” said Brian Andriuzzo, Syzygy’s CFO. The 2008 key findings include:
- Median CEO total cash compensation decreased 8.7 percent, with the biggest decrease in the Software and Life Sciences/Biotechnology sectors, which saw a decrease of 11.5 and 10.6 percent respectively. CFO total cash compensation decline 10.9 percent in 2008, with the Life Sciences/Biotechnology sector CFO taking home 18.7 percent less than in 2007.
- Aggregate employee ownership decreased 9 percent, falling to 15.14 percent of outstanding common share equivalents. Again, the Life Sciences/Biotechnology sector saw the greatest decline in 2008, with employee ownership decreasing by 27 percent. Only the E-commerce/Internet sector showed a gain in employee ownership, increasing by 25 percent.
- CEO stock option holding also declined by 4.2 percent in 2008, with the median CEO-non-founder holdings at 4.462 percent of the companies they lead. The Life Sciences/Biotechnology CEO-non-founder saw their equity stake drop by 13.7 percent. A CFO-non-founder now holds a median 0.914 percent of the company, a slight decrease from comparable 2007 holdings. Most of the decrease in executive ownership is the result of dilution from new investments and lower new hire grants to incoming CEOs and CFOs.
- A CEO-founder generally receives 39.5 percent less cash compensation than a non-founder CEO, which is offset by stock option grants that are 2.4 times greater than their non-founder counterpart.
Mr. Andriuzzo commented on other enlightening aspects of this year’s results. “Private companies are more generous when addressing the healthcare needs of their employees. In 2008, private companies absorbed more of the increase in employer sponsored health care costs, resulting in a median decrease of 15 percent in the amount employees contribute to cover premiums. In addition,” observed Andriuzzo, “private companies increased paid time off or vacation days by 36.4 percent in 2008, paid holidays by 11 percent, and increased matching contributions to employee funded 401(k) retirement accounts by 33.3 percent when compared to the level of 2007 contributions.”
However, not all pay practices at private companies are bucking the trend of their public company counterparts. “It is somewhat troubling that there was no change in executive severances or CEO golden parachutes in 2008,” added Mr. Broman, “even though the value of severance packages for rank-and-file employees decreased by 69.3 percent.” It seems this is one area where private companies have yet to take a stand. “In addition,” Broman concluded, “compensation for an independent Board Chairman nearly doubled in 2008, and a Board Committee Chairman saw their pay increase by 9.9 percent. It may seem like a double standard but private companies are still willing to pay top dollar for the Board guidance needed to succeed.”
For more details about the 2008 survey results, contact a Syzygy compensation consultant at 925-284-3669 or visit www.syzygyconsulting.com
About Syzygy Consulting Group LLC
Syzygy Consulting Group LLC, established experts in corporate compensation practices, serves clients ranging from large public corporations to small private companies. Founded in 1995, Syzygy’s customized consulting services help clients define and implement compensation programs to retain key talent, link compensation to performance and improve overall compensation effectiveness. Syzygy’s Pre-IPO and Private Company Total Compensation Survey began in 1999, and now reflects nearly 10 years of data on private company pay practices. Only participating companies receive the confidential results, and participants are usually clients of Syzygy or preferred private company clients of Silicon Valley’s leading law firms including Cooley Godward, DLA Piper, Fenwick & West, Gibson Dunn, Greenberg Traurig, Manatt Phelps, Morgan Lewis, Morrison & Foerster, Orrick and Simpson Thacher. Syzygy is a registered trademark of Syzygy Consulting Group LLC.
Contact: Brandon Butler
925-284-3669
925-284-0858 Fax
info@syzgyconsulting.com
http://www.syzygyconsulting.com
