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Exec comp trends Executive compensation

CEO sign-on, retention, and promotion awards at US public companies 

  • C-Suite turnover at US public companies is accelerating — Q1 2025 saw a record number of CEO and executive exits. These departures create leadership gaps and business risk, while organizations face mounting pressure to retain key talent, align executive rewards with strategy, and manage seamless executive transitions to protect continuity and confidence.
  • Special incentive awards are a key lever that employers can use to manage executive talent and mitigate business risk.
  • To see how companies are structuring these awards, Mercer analyzed sign-on, retention, and promotion awards for over 350 CEOs of US public companies disclosed in 2024 and 2025 using Mercer’s Global Disclosure Database.
RSUs make up about half of the average vehicle mix for all three types of special awards. Retention awards place more weight on PSUs while sign-on and retention awards more similarly weight PSUs and Options.
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Mercer has Executive Compensation experts that advise clients in the United States, Canada, and dozens of other markets globally.  We help clients develop the right compensation structures for their executives using a market-informed, individually-tailored approach.

To learn more about CEO sign-on, retention, and promotion awards, as well as CFOs and other named executive officers, reach out to a Mercer consultant today.  

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