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OIL INDUSTRY ROUNDTABLE DISCUSSION GROUP. “Trends and Best Practices in Corporate Governance of Executive Compensation Post-Enron” June 4, 2002. Frederic W. Cook Frederic W. Cook & Co., Inc. PRESENTATION TOPICS. A. COMPENSATION GOVERNANCE PRINCIPLES B. BRT PRINCIPLES OF CORPORATE GOVERNANCE
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OIL INDUSTRY ROUNDTABLE DISCUSSION GROUP “Trends and Best Practices in Corporate Governance of Executive Compensation Post-Enron” June 4, 2002 Frederic W. Cook Frederic W. Cook & Co., Inc.
PRESENTATION TOPICS . . . A. COMPENSATION GOVERNANCE PRINCIPLES B. BRT PRINCIPLES OF CORPORATE GOVERNANCE C. FWC SUGGESTED BEST PRACTICES FOR EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION D. STOCK OPTION ACCOUNTING E. COMPENSATION COMMITTEE USE OF OUTSIDE ADVISORS
COMPENSATION ISSUES . . . “In the last decade, management has faced increased market pressures for short-term stock price performance and corresponding pressures to satisfy market expectations on a quarterly basis. This, coupled with increasing grants to senior executives of stock options and other incentives that are focused on short-term stock appreciation, may have created incentives that tipped the balance toward the promotion of self-interest rather than the protection and promotion of long-term shareholder value.” Ira M. Millstein Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP Co-Chair of Blue Ribbon Committee on Improving the Effectiveness of Corporate Audit Committees Testimony -- Senate Banking Committee February 27, 2002
PUBLIC PERCEPTIONS . . . • Executive greed and duplicity contributed to Enron debacle • Mega-options drove management to falsify accounting to keep stock prices high and rising • Executives used inside information to exercise and sell options while price high • Executives urged employees to buy while they were selling • Stock option accounting contributed to the speculative bubble in stocks by inflating the growth rate in EPS • Stock options cause short-term behavior and are misaligned with long-term interests of shareholders
A. COMPENSATION GOVERNANCE PRINCIPLES . . . Forces influencing change in executive compensation practices • Regulatory • Congress • SEC • NYSE/Nasdaq • Investor Advocates • CalPers – CII • TIAA-CREF – ISS • “Best Practices” Initiatives • The Business Roundtable (“BRT”) • Financial Executives Int’l • Frederic W. Cook & Co. • Wachtell Lipton • National Association of Corporate Directors
B. BRT PRINCIPLES OF CORPORATE GOVERNANCE . . . • Comprehensive statement issued May 20, 2002 • Replacing 1997 statement • BRT represents CEOs of 150 large corporations • Urges adoption of new governance principles by all U.S. public companies to restore public trust in American business
BRT PRINCIPLES -- GENERAL . . . • Companies should adopt and publicize statements of corporate governance principles • Core committees (audit, compensation, governance) should be composed entirely of independent directors • Committee members and chairs should be appointed by Board on recommendations of the Corporate Governance Committee
BRT -- COMPENSATION COMMITTEE GOVERNANCE PRINCIPLES . . . • Committee should have a written charter, approved by Board, clearly defining its responsibilities • Core responsibilities of Compensation Committees • Overseeing company’s overall compensation programs • Setting CEO and senior management compensation • Establishing director compensation • Compensation and Governance Committees should evaluate CEO annually on behalf of Board
BRT -- MANAGEMENT COMPENSATION PRINCIPLES . . . • Adopt diverse mix of compensation and incentives • Prevent short-term focus • Avoid narrow focus on particular aspect of company’s business • Carefully design equity compensation to avoid unintended incentives for short-term market value changes
BRT -- MANAGEMENT COMPENSATION PRINCIPLES (cont’d) . . . • Directly link interests of management to long-term interests of stockholders • Require shareholder approval of all stock option and restricted stock plans in which directors and executive officers participate • Engagement by the Committee of separate compensation consultants may be useful • BRT believes access to outside advisors is an important element of effective governance system
BRT -- DIRECTOR COMPENSATION PRINCIPLES . . . • Directors should be incentivized to focus on long-term value • Meaningful portion of total remuneration should be in long-term equity • Equity compensation should be carefully designed to avoid unintended incentives for short-term market value changes • Boards may wish to require directors to acquire and hold meaningful ownership positions while active
C. FWC SUGGESTED BEST PRACTICES FOR EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION . . . Financially-Driven Incentives • Pick the critical and conservative measures of operating performance • If formula driven, have audit firm confirm calculations • Preserve discretion to deviate from accounting numbers • Include strategic/qualitative measures • Consider effect on current awards of prior-period restatements
C. FWC SUGGESTED BEST PRACTICES (cont’d) . . . Suggested Regulatory Initiatives • Increase frequency of reporting of OD stock transactions • Gain control over shares • Permit recapture of stock gains in bankruptcy • Permit recapture of lump sum SERPs in bankruptcy • Preclude option grants on inside information
C. FWC SUGGESTED BEST PRACTICES (cont’d) . . . “Best Practices” Initiatives • Adopt policy on stock transactions and conflicts of interests by ODs • Adopt stock “retention ratios” instead of ownership guidelines • Prohibit 100% “cashless exercises” by ODs • Use “reloads” only for ownership purposes
C. FWC SUGGESTED BEST PRACTICES (cont’d) . . . “Best Practices” Initiatives (cont’d) • Prohibit loans for exercising options, purchasing stock or paying taxes • Prohibit purchases of stock on margin and use of stock as collateral • Prohibit “hedging” or similar techniques • Encourage (or require) use of SEC 10b5-1(c) selling programs by ODs • Prohibit incentives on piece-parts of business where conflicts exist
C. FWC SUGGESTED BEST PRACTICES (cont’d) . . . Directors’ Remuneration “Best Practices” • Discontinue stock options* • Use deferred stock instead • Discourage (or prohibit) stock sales while an active director * Except for startups or pre-IPO companies
D. STOCK OPTION ACCOUNTING . . . • Intense debate underway whether to require P&L expense for option value: For Alan Greenspan Arthur Levitt Warren Buffet New York Times CII/TIAA-CREF Against President Bush Chairman Pitt Walter Schuetze Business Week
D. STOCK OPTION ACCOUNTING (cont’d) Concerns of Change Advocates • Present accounting leads to excessive use and dilution • Earnings and EPS growth overstated • Incentives misaligned • Options have value; therefore must have a cost • Expense is not zero • Better design would result from expensing
D. STOCK OPTION ACCOUNTING (cont’d) Arguments for Status Quo • Option “fair values” impossible to measure • Black-Scholes overstates option value • FV doesn’t meet conceptual definition of expense • FV would be only expense estimate never trued up • Cost to shareholders already measured by diluted EPS • FV charge would be double counting • Value of option privilege in financial instruments not expense • No other country requires option expense
E. COMPENSATION COMMITTEE’S USE OF INDEPENDENT ADVISORS . . . • (Materials handed out at the meeting; not available for general distribution or on our website)
OTHER LIKELY IMPLICATIONSOF “ENRON” • More power to board/committees, less to management • Harder to attract/retain qualified directors • Smaller boards • More staff time spent serving board/committees • More transparency • “Best Practices” statements • Possible “comply or explain” disclosure