Skip to content
Join our Newsletter

Highest-paid executives have harder time climbing BIV list

100 top-earning executives in B.C. made $442 million in 2017
bossofficedeskshutterstock
Shutterstock

B.C.'s highest-paid executives made an extra $63.2 million in 2017 compared with 2016.

But despite that 16.6% overall growth in compensation, the province’s richest executives had a more difficult time moving up Business in Vancouver’s list of the Top 100 Highest-Paid Executives in B.C. this year compared with the previous year, and those that dropped the most fell much harder.

Last year, the five executives who jumped the furthest up BIV’s list moved an average of 57.8 spots compared with 27 this year.

Some executives consequently found themselves significantly lower on the list than they have been in previous years. The five executives who dropped the furthest on the list last year fell an average of 40.4 spots, more than twice the 2017 average of 19.8.

Joseph Ovsenek, Pretium Resources Inc.’s (TSX:PVG) president and CEO, has made the most gains in ranking on the list over the past five years: up 38 spots to 43rd from 81st. The jump was driven by a 78% increase in his compensation: to $3.16 million in 2017 from $1.8 million in 2013.

1

The president and CEO of Interfor Corp. (TSX:IFP), Duncan Davies, recorded the second-largest jump in list rankings over the same period. He moved up 33 positions to 35th from 68th. 

His compensation jumped to $3.46 million in 2017 from $1.86 million in 2016, an 86% increase.

At No. 7 on the list, Rod Baker recorded the largest one-year growth in compensation of the five biggest movers on BIV’s list of the highest-paid executives. Compensation growth for Great Canadian Gaming Corp.’s (TSX:GC) president and CEO jumped 484.8% to $8.39 million in 2017 from $1.43 million in 2016.

2

The executive with the largest one-year compensation growth in this year’s crop of top 100 excutives was Richard Glickman. Compensation for Aurinia Pharmaceuticals Inc.’s (TSX:AUP) new president increased 2,854.6% after he was promoted to CEO from director.

Behind Glickman, Lithium Americas Corp.’s (TSX:LAC) CEO, Tom Hodgson, had the largest compensation increase at 554.4%. Hodgson’s compensation grew to $5.62 million in 2017 from $859,262 in 2016.•