Public Lab CEOs Paid Average $4 Million

The chief executives at 17 publicly-traded lab companies were paid an average of $4 million each last year, according to an analysis of shareholder proxy statements by Laboratory Economics. Altogether, the 17 CEOs earned a total of $6 7.6 million, including $10.7 million from salary, $9.1 million from bonuses, $47.1 million from stock and option awards, and $751,270 from other compensation. In comparison, the average pathologist earned $308,000 in salary and bonus last year, according to the latest survey by Medscape.

LabCorp’s David King, age 62, was the highest paid lab CEO in 2018. He received total compensation of $12.3 million. In comparison, the median of the annual total compensation of all LabCorp’s employees was $43,230 in 2018. King’s compensation included: 1) salary of $1.2 million; 2) stock awards of $7.5 million; 3) stock options of $1.8 million; 4) incentive plan cash bonus of $1.6 million; and 5) other compensation of $189,068, which included financial planning services, 401K matching contributions, long-term disability insurance, use of a company car and aircraft, and home security services.

Quest Diagnostics’ Stephen Rusckowski, 61, was paid total compensation of $10 million last year versus median compensation of $46,749 for all other Quest employees. Rusckowski received: 1) a salary of $1.1 million; 2) stock awards valued at $4.7 million; 3) stock option awards of $3.1 million; and 4) cash incentives of $788,700. He also received $314,585 in perks, which included $87,414 for personal use of a company car and driver plus $100,000 for personal use of company aircraft.

Myriad Genetics’ Mark Capone, 56, got total compensation of $7.1 million versus median compensation of $77,814 for all other Myriad employees. Capone’s pay included: 1) salary of $852,000; 2) bonus and cash incentives totaling $817,920; 3) stock awards of $5.4 million; and 4) other compensation totaling $10,980, which included company-paid life insurance premiums and matching 401K contributions.

Exact Sciences’ Kevin Conroy, 53, was paid total compensation of $7 million last year versus median compensation of $98,783 for all other Exact employees. Conroy’s pay included: 1) salary of $695,800; 2) bonus and cash incentives totaling $794,952; 3) stock and option awards of $5.5 million; and 4) other compensation totaling $16,500.

Meanwhile, IRS 990 tax forms for 2017 (the latest year available) show that CEOs at the nation’s largest not-for-profit health systems receive compensation that often exceeds the pay earned by their counterparts at for-profit publicly-traded companies. For example, Ascension Health CEO
Tony Tersigni earned $17.5 million in 2017 in total compensation when base salary, bonuses and other compensation are added.

Kenneth Davis, MD, President and CEO of  Mount Sinai Health System (New York City) took home nearly $12.4 million in
cash compensation, including a supplemental executive retirement plan benefit of $8.3 million, in 2017. Jim Skogsbergh, President and CEO of Advocate Aurora Health, the largest health system in Illinois, received $11.7 million in 2017.