Who (In The UK) Is The Best Paid Of them All?

Of the top-paid 20 directors of UK quoted companies, four are employed in health care groups, according to a report in the Daily Telegraph Magazine (November 9), based on annual reports from every company on the FT-SE 100 share index.

Topping the list is SmithKline Beecham (SB) chief executive Jan Leschly, whose annual pay was given as L1,804,000 ($3 million). However, a Sunday Times report, also based on the same firm's annual reports, notes that Mr Leschly collected a total of L13.1 million last year - including gains on stock options. Not too far behind were Glaxo Wellcome's (GW) chief executive Sir Richard Sykes, with income of L1,474,000, and Boots' chief executive Lord Blyth at L1,175,000. Among the top 20, SB executive director Jean-Pierre Garnier also figures, at just under the million mark (L947,000). The Telegraph study shows other directors in the sector having to make do with a lot less in annual payments, eg Zeneca's chief executive Sir David Barnes on a more modest L650,000. Those with salaries of L250,000 or more are shown below.

Top Paid Executives Name, company and post Salary L'000 ---------------------------------------- Jan Leschly, SB, CE 1,804 Sir Richard Sykes, GW, CE 1,432 Lord Blyth, Boots, CE 1,175 Jean-Pierre Garnier, SB, E 947 Robert Ingram, GW, E 884 George Poste, SB, E 714 Jeremy Strachan, GW, E 711 Sir David Barnes, Zeneca, CE 650 John Coombe, GW, FD 624 Sean Lance, GW, E 613 David Thompson, Boots, FD 578 Alan Hawksworth, Boots, E 498 Mike Ruddel, Boots, E 494 Alan Pink, Zeneca, E 455 John Mayo, Zeneca, E 416 Peter Doyle, Zeneca, E 378 Jack Blair, Smith & Neph, E 369 Steve Russel, Boots, E *296 Sir Denys Henderson, Zeneca, CH 288 James Niedel, GW, E 282 John Robinson, Smith & Neph, CE 260 Sir Peter Walters, SB, C 250 ----------------------------------------