Balfour chief executive praised for 2009 success as shareholders complain of 鈥榚xcessive鈥 rewards

Ian Tyler of Balfour Beatty, has come top of 好色先生TV鈥檚 chief executive value for money table, in the same week that 鈥渆xcessive鈥 bonuses were criticised by shareholder groups.

The table is based on nine firms that released figures for the year ended 31 December 2009. A value for money rating is calculated by dividing pre-tax profit (including exceptional items) by the chief executive鈥檚 pay.

Tyler tops the list for the second time in a row with a figure of 286 (2008: 278) after steering his firm to a 拢267m profit and taking home 拢933,000. John McDonough of Carillion was some distance behind on 78 (82); Costain鈥檚 Andrew Wyllie scored 25 (32).

One analyst said Tyler deserved his place. 鈥淗e鈥檚 done fantastically well with domestic acquisitions and Parsons Brinckerhoff in the US. They鈥檝e proved a Brit can make money in the US, and I鈥檇 back the US economy over the UK for the next few years.鈥

The worst performing boss was Peter Redfern of Taylor Wimpey with 鈥380 (鈥2,254), the result of his 拢1.7m pay packet and a pre-tax loss of 拢641m. Redfern鈥檚 pay was criticised this week by the Association of British Insurers, which represents major shareholders; small shareholder lobby group Pirc advised investors to oppose his remuneration at the firm鈥檚 annual meeting on 29 April (see below).

A City analyst said: 鈥淎 chief executive should get a bonus only if the company makes a profit.

Or, keep it about cash flow and working capital and then when the market turns they won鈥檛 get a bonus. They can鈥檛 have it both ways.鈥

One construction boss added: 鈥淚t鈥檚 a tricky one. You have to lead by example but during the downturn you also have to reward people. The main thing is that bonuses are commensurate with what you achieve.鈥

Mike Farley, chief executive of Persimmon, performed relatively well, with an indicator of 61 (鈥905). He was paid a 拢406,000 bonus and his total package was 拢1.3m after Persimmon made a profit of 拢77.8m, including land writebacks. Despite that, the company has also been in the sights of Pirc, which called on shareholders to oppose his re-election this week.

In March Richard Lambert, director-general of the CBI, said top executives 鈥渞isk being treated as aliens鈥 because their pay is so much greater than everyone else鈥檚.

Housebuilders under fire

On Tuesday the Association of British Insurers issued an alert on the 拢1.7m pay and bonus package of Peter Redfern, chief executive of Taylor Wimpey. It declined to go into detail but said the alert served to flag up his level of pay.

Shareholder group Pirc was more outspoken in its criticism and said rewarding bosses for refinancing and restructuring companies in difficulty was disproportionate.

A spokesperson for Pirc said: 鈥淭his is surely part of a director鈥檚 duties and therefore does it require them to be rewarded for doing their jobs?鈥

Pirc also opposed the recent 拢406,000 bonus awarded to Persimmon boss Mike Farley, claiming it was 鈥渆xcessive鈥.