CEO Pay Watch: H.B. Fuller's James Owens made nearly $6.8M last year

President and CEO

Total compensation: $6,792,446 for the year ended Nov. 30

Salary: $1,225,977

Nonequity incentive pay: $1,044,717

Other compensation: $362,306

Exercised stock options: $2,089,341

Value realized on vesting shares: $2,070,105

New stock options: 238,872

Median employee pay: $57,931

CEO pay ratio: 128-1

Total fiscal 2020 shareholder return: 16.3%

Note: Total realized compensation for Owens increased from $5 million in fiscal 2019. According to the company's annual proxy statement filed earlier this week, the company said almost all employees had returned to full schedules after about 10% of them were affected by reduced work weeks of furloughs last year related to the economic downturn associated with the coronavirus pandemic.

The maker of industrial adhesives had decreased demand for products in some of its markets but increased demand for adhesives for paper products, consumer-packaged goods, health and hygiene products and packaging for e-commerce, which helped the company exceed the threshold for short-term financial incentives.

For Owens that meant short-term cash incentives of $1,044,717, a larger bonus than in 2019 but about 85% of the amount targeted for the year.

Owens' 37% increase in realized competition came from the previously issued long-term equity awards that he either exercised or vested during 2020.

Those values increased over 2019 as Fuller shares and the broader stock market rebounded on faith the economy would bounce back. Median employees at most companies generally don't receive long-term equity awards or if they do, not at the same level as senior leaders.