Often, when the media refer to executive compensation, they mean CEO compensation.
Much attention is also focused on the other four most highly compensated executive officers.
The compensation details for these five individuals must be spelled out in the proxy statement. In larger companies, the direct reports to these individuals are also considered executives. Beyond that, the criteria vary widely. In companies with established point-factor job evaluation systems, executives may be defined as those above a certain point total. In companies with well-defined organizations, executive status may be defined by reporting relationships.