GuerdonNews® Year in Review

As the 2025 calendar year draws to a close, it’s the perfect moment to look back at the news that resonated most with our readers. Throughout the year, Guerdon Associates published a wide range of articles: insights, analyses, commentary on current events, and ideas that sparked conversation and captured attention. Below, we’ve gathered our top five of the most-read pieces of the year, highlighting the content that piqued the interest of the executive and director remuneration and corporate governance community the most.

1. Is An Executive’s STI Or LTI More Likely To Vest? We reviewed the evidence. We analysed ASX 100 CEO short-term incentive and long-term incentive outcomes from FY20 to FY24. This longitudinal study examined if incentive outcomes are truly at risk and which is more likely to vest. We also examined which industry is a better CEO choice for incentive vesting. For the full article, read more HERE.
2. ACSI Releases Annual Review of ASX 200 CEO Pay. What does a decade of CEO pay “standing still” say about listed companies? In June, the Australian Council of Superannuation Investors (ACSI) published its latest survey of CEO remuneration based on FY24 disclosures. Fixed pay remained stagnant with median realised pay increasing by 0.5% per annum over 10 years. While some may point to sound governance keeping a lid on pay, others may be more concerned that this is a sign of anaemic economic growth and talent seeking greener pastures elsewhere. For the full article, read more HERE.
3. ASX 300 CEO Fixed Pay Increases Exceeded Workforce Earnings Increases. Total remuneration increases were greater, consistent with higher shareholder returns for FY24. In our annual analysis of CEO remuneration we analysed changes in fixed pay, incentives and total remuneration levels by company size and sector. For the full article, read more HERE and stay posted for our analysis for FY25 in the new year.
4. The Strike Trend: High Remuneration No Vote Momentum Continues. There is a sure-fire way to receive a strike, and it has nothing to do with pay. In our annual analysis of ASX 300 remuneration report no votes, we analysed year on year trends, breakdown by industry and explore the impacts of total shareholder return and company size on voting for FY24. As another year of strikes is expected, it may be helpful to review the trends. For the full article, read more HERE.
5. The Good News? ASX Corporate Governance Council’s Draft Principles And Recommendations Rejected. The bad news? We remain stuck with the old ones. On 20 February 2025, the ASX Corporate Governance Council (CGC) killed off the consultation process on a proposed fifth edition of the Corporate Governance Council Principles and Recommendations (the Principles). The proposal would have seen directors of ASX listed companies having to disclose personal characteristics such as sexuality, age, indigenous heritage and disabilities to their companies and then to shareholders. For the full article, read more HERE.