Corporate Governance at Walmart
Walmart is a leading multinational retail giant that is headquartered in Bentonville, Arkansas. Incorporated in 1969, the company has grown to be the third-largest employer in the country, employing an estimated 2.3 million people. The company has seen its corporate governance structure change over the years. Today, the company has put in place stringent policies and practices in its governance structure. In addition to having a Board of Directors in place, it also has the Compensation, Nominating, and Governance Committee (CNGC). This committee is important in promoting the effectiveness of the board. In adherence to its policy of having strong corporate governance, Walmart has twelve members on its Board of Directors. The members serve on one or more of the standing committees of the Board, which include: the audit committee, the Compensation, Nominating, and Governance committee, executive committee, global compensation committee, strategic planning, and finance committee, and technology and eCommerce Committee. The firm’s executive management is composed of five presidents in charge of the whole business, Walmart U.S., Walmart International, Sam’s Club and the Ecommerce segment (Walmart. 2016).
The firm’s compensation structure is such that members of the board of directors from the outside are entitled to a base compensation of $175,000 in annual stock grants and a further $90,000 retainer. Regarding the position they hold on the board, they may get higher compensation. The company pays an additional $30,000 to members serving as lead independent directors, $25,000 for membership to the audit committee and CNGC, and $20,000 for membership to the strategic planning and finance committee chairpersons (Fontinelle, 2019). The members of the executive including the presidents and vice-presidents are entitled to average salaries of between $22,527,249 and $9,193,933 both in terms of cash, equity, and bonuses. The amount may be deemed reasonable owing to the high revenues that the company generates, totaling to $514.4 billion (Salary.com, 2017). The firm, however, has come under fire for the low compensation and poor working conditions of its ordinary employees.
Corporate Governance at Amazon
Amazon is one of America’s biggest companies. It’s headed by Jeff Bezos, the President, and CEO who also serves as the chairman of the board. Other members of the executive include four vice presidents who also serve as the Chief Finance Officer, Business Development, General Counsel, and Worldwide control respectively. The executive also has three CEOs in charge of its core units of amazon web services and global control. The board of directors, on the other hand, is composed of Jeff Bezos and an additional nine members. These members may serve on the board’s three committees: the audit committee, nominating and corporate governance committee, and the leadership development and compensation committee (Amazon Blog).
The members of Amazon’s board of directors are entitled to compensation ranging between $135,342 and $196,918, with the median pay being $168,501 (Glassdoor, 2018). They are also entitled to stock options in the company. Most of the directors, especially those who have been with the company for a considerable number of years, have seen an increase in their stock options in the company. The members of the executive earn between $1,681,840 and $10, 3999, 662 (Salary.com, 2018). These figures are inclusive of direct cash compensation as well as additional equity options as well as bonus compensation.
Summary
Both companies are big market players in the eCommerce retail landscape. From the analysis above, it is evident that, on average, Walmart’s executives earn far much more than those from Amazon. This is despite the fact that Amazon is performing better financially as compared to Walmart. While it is more desirable to work at Amazon based on these analyses, both firms need to do more regarding their work ethics and conditions for their ordinary workers.
- Amazon Blog. (2019). Officers and directors: Amazon.com, Inc. Retrieved from https://ir.aboutamazon.com/board-of-directors.
- Fontinelle, A. (2019). How Much Board of Directors Members Get Paid and What They Do. Retrieved from https://www.investopedia.com/articles/wealth-management/040416/retired-execs-what-do-corporate-boards-pay.asp.
- Glassdoor. (2018). Amazon Director Salaries. Retrieved from https://www.glassdoor.com/Salary/Amazon-Director-Salaries-E6036_D_KO7,15.htm.
- Salary.com. (2017). Walmart Inc. Executive Salaries & Other Compensation. Retrieved from https://www1.salary.com/WALMART-INC-Executive-Salaries.html.
- Salary.com. (2018). Amazon Inc. Executive Salaries & Other Compensation. Retrieved from https://www1.salary.com/Amazon-Com-Inc-Executive-Salaries.html.
- Walmart. (n.d.). 2016 Global Responsibility Report. Retrieved from https://corporate.walmart.com/2016grr.
