'Restrained' or 'excessive'? Executive pay put under the microscope

Two competing sets of data have reached differing conclusions over executive pay.

Data from the High Pay Centre that analysed the FTSE 100 CEO pay deals this year found an aggregate pay rise of six per cent. The average pay packet came to £5.6million.

The figure was based on the ‘single figure’ pay disclosure of 62 FTSE 100 companies that have published their pay reports for the 2015 financial year. The figure includes salary, bonus, long-term incentives and pensions.

Stefan Stern, Director of the High Pay Centre, said: “The evidence, which is coming directly from companies’ own annual reports, is that the 20-year rising trend in top company pay continues unabated.