Pay Watch: General Mills' Ken Powell made $24.4 million in final year as CEO

Much of it came from the exercise of previously issued and long-held stock options ($17.2 million) and restricted stock that vested ($5 million).

August 16, 2017 at 3:00AM
General Mills Chairman Ken Powell (AP file photo/Richard Drew)
General Mills Chairman Ken Powell (The Minnesota Star Tribune)
Ken Powell General Mills Inc.

Chairman, former CEO

Total compensation: $24,421,153 for the year ended May 31, 2017

Salary: $1,236,667

Nonequity incentive pay: $811,253

Other compensation: $165,110

Exercised stock options: $17,204,500

Value realized on vesting shares: $5,003,623

New stock options: 307,163

Total fiscal 2017 shareholder return: -6.8 percent

Note: The largest pay year of his career, much of Powell's compensation in fiscal 2017 — his last as CEO — was from the exercise of previously issued and long-held stock options ($17.2 million) and restricted stock that vested ($5 million).

Powell retired as CEO on June 1 but remains chairman of the board. Jeff Harmening succeeded Powell as CEO of the Golden Valley-based packaged-food company.

Powell was named CEO in September 2007, and during his tenure, the stock of General Mills had a total return of 166 percent and easily outpaced the S&P 500's 57 percent return during that time. Much of that was early in his tenure. During the past three fiscal years — as the company has worked to adapt to changing consumer preferences — the stock has underperformed that index.

Patrick Kennedy

about the writer

about the writer

Patrick Kennedy

Reporter

Business reporter Patrick Kennedy covers executive compensation and public companies. He has reported on the Minnesota business community for more than 25 years.

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