Pfizer – Allow Shareholders to Ratify Executive Compensation (2007)

Outcome: Successfully Withdrawn.

RESOLVED: that shareholders of Pfizer urge the board of directors to adopt a policy that company shareholders be given the opportunity at each annual meeting of shareholders to vote on an advisory resolution, to be proposed by Pfizer’s management, to ratify the compensation of the named executive officers (“NEOs”) set forth in the proxy statement’s Summary Compensation Table (the “SCT”) and the accompanying narrative disclosure of material factors provided to understand the SCT (but not the Compensation Discussion and Analysis). The proposal submitted to shareholders should make clear that the vote is non-binding and would not affect any compensation paid or awarded to any NEO.
Shareholder Supporting Statement
Investors are increasingly concerned about mushrooming executive compensation which sometimes appears to be insufficiently aligned with the creation of shareholder value. Media and government focus on back dating of stock options has increased investor concern. In addition, Mr. McKinnell’s departing pay package as CEO was highly controversial. This proposed reform can help rebuild investor confidence.The SEC has created a new rule, with record support from investors, requiring companies to disclose additional information about compensation and perquisites for top executives. The rule goes into effect this year. In establishing the rule the SEC has made it clear that it is the role of market forces, not the SEC, to provide checks and balances on compensation practices.We believe that existing U.S. corporate governance arrangements, including SEC rules and stock exchange listing standards, do not provide shareholders with enough mechanisms for providing input to boards on senior executive compensation. In contrast to U.S. practices, in the United Kingdom, public companies allow shareholders to cast an advisory vote on the “directors’ remuneration report,” which discloses executive compensation. Such a vote isn’t binding, but gives shareholders a clear voice that could help shape senior executive compensation.Currently U.S. stock exchange listing standards require shareholder approval of equity-based compensation plans; those plans, however, set general parameters and accord the compensation committee substantial discretion in making awards and establishing performance thresholds for a particular year. Shareholders do not have any mechanism for providing ongoing feedback on the application of those general standards to individual pay packages. (See Lucian Bebchuk & Jesse Fried, Pay Without Performance 49 (2004))Similarly, performance criteria submitted for shareholder approval to allow a company to deduct compensation in excess of $1 million are broad and do not constrain compensation committees in setting performance targets for particular senior executives. Withholding votes from compensation committee members who are standing for reelection is a blunt and insufficient instrument for registering dissatisfaction with the way in which the committee has administered compensation plans and policies in the previous year.Accordingly, we urge the board to allow shareholders to express their opinion about senior executive compensation at Pfizer by establishing an annual referendum process. The results of such a vote would, we think, provide the board and management with useful information about whether shareholders view the company’s senior executive compensation, as reported each year, are in shareholders’ best interests.