Case | HBS Case Collection | 2004 (Revised from original 2003 version)

Joe Bachelder: Executive Pay Negotiator

by Jason R. Barro, Brian J. Hall and Aaron Zimmerman

Abstract

Joe Bachelder was the leading executive pay negotiator in the United States, securing generous contracts for CEOs and executives at Fortune 500 companies. The CEO of Victor Sports Co. resigned, and the board offered the job to Charles Suarez, a star executive from a competitor. Suarez retained Bachelder's services and the negotiation commenced. It soon ran into difficulty when Suarez and Bachelder proposed a contract with very different terms than Victor offered: Suarez asked for a much higher compensation package with a large stock option grant. The board had to decide whether to increase their offer, and Suarez had to decide whether he was willing to accept less than he originally proposed.

Citation:

Barro, Jason R., Brian J. Hall, and Aaron Zimmerman. "Joe Bachelder: Executive Pay Negotiator." Harvard Business School Case 904-030, November 2004. (Revised from original October 2003 version.)