In recent years, executive remuneration has been the focus of considerable attention from the public, media, academics and policy makers alike. It is a quintessential corporate governance issue about which there are many different views and opinions. In this section of the ECGI website, we set out some of the most relevant arguments and provide links to academic research and regulations that can shed light on the debate, notably proprietary research that examines the international system of senior management remuneration, from a  regulatory and corporate governance perspective.

The debate on executive remuneration can be approached from various angles: as optimal pay structure for aligning pay with performance in order to reduce agency costs; as a regulatory issue with the objective of remedying any system flaws; and as a public policy concern. The debate is also multi-jurisdictional, reflecting the changing dynamics of remuneration, regulation and corporate efficiency in different governance systems.

At the European level, regulation aims to harmonise disclosure. Member states have transposed this EU regulation to different extents. The US and European approaches portrait several divergences in regulation and practice, but also similar and common initiatives that aim to create a global best practice environment.

The objective of this topic page is to share ideas, highlight issues, put forward opinions and raise debates for further reforms in the light of current business practice. The ECGI itself does not take a position on these matters. Rather, the purpose of the Institute is to generate research, stimulate debate and disseminate best practice. In these pages therefore, you will find links to proprietary ECGI research and other references to relevant material on this topic.

The Editor of this topic page is Maria-Cristina Ungureanu, a Research Fellow at the University of Genoa, to whom any comments and suggestions should be sent (MariaCristina.Ungureanu@unige.it). See: