Companies Build-A-Bear Workshop
Build-A-Bear Workshop (BBW): executive pay, fiscal 2026
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CEO pay, last three years
- $2,876,263FY2024
- $3,396,235FY2025
- $3,396,235FY2026
CEO total pay was $3,396,235 in fiscal 2026, up from $3,396,235 in fiscal 2025.
FY2026: salary $807,869 · bonus $0 · stock awards $1,580,077 · option awards $0
Executives and directors
Frequently asked questions
Answers are drawn only from the figures disclosed in this brief and cited to their location in the source filing. Where a figure required for an answer is not disclosed, that is stated rather than estimated.
Full detail
Every table from the filing. Open any section.
Summary compensation table
| Named executive officer | Salary | Bonus | Stock awards | Option awards | Non-equity incentive | Pension / NQDC | All other | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sharon John | $807,869 | $0 | $1,580,077 | $0 | $968,536 | $0 | $39,753 | $3,396,235 |
| President and Chief Executive Officer | ||||||||
| Eric Fencl | 345,286 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14,770 | 360,056 |
| Former Chief Administrative Officer, General Counsel and Secretary | ||||||||
A dash means the company reported no figure in that column; 0 means it reported zero. Figures are as printed in the filing, without adjustment.
Three-year trend — total compensation per named executive
| Named executive officer | FY2026 total | FY2025 total | FY2024 total | Δ FY2025→2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sharon John | $3,396,235 | $3,396,235 | $2,876,263 | ↑ +0 |
| Eric Fencl | 360,056 | 360,056 | 939,381 | ↑ +0 |
Prior-year totals as disclosed in the corresponding proxy; deltas are computed values with the derivation shown in the register.
Incentive-plan design — the Compensation Discussion & Analysis
The Company's executive compensation program aims to attract and retain highly qualified executives, motivate them to contribute to long-term business success, and align their interests with stockholders by rewarding individual and corporate performance. The program is guided by four principles: alignment with stockholder interests through equity awards, recognition for business performance, accountability for individual performance, and competitiveness within the peer group.
| CEO STI target (% of salary) | — |
|---|---|
| CEO LTI target (% of salary) | — |
| Independent consultant | Meridian |
| Clawback policy | true |
| Anti-hedging | true |
| Anti-pledging | true |
Equity grants and outstanding awards
Grants of plan-based awards — fiscal year 2026
| Executive | Award | Grant date | Threshold | Target | Granted | Maximum | Grant-date fair value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| J. Christopher Hurt | PRSU | 2025-06-03 | — | — | 4,698 | — | $225,034 |
| Voin Todorovic | PRSU | 2025-06-03 | — | — | 4,698 | — | 225,034 |
| Eric Fencl | PRSU | — | — | — | 4,698 | — | — |
| David Henderson | PRSU | 2025-06-03 | — | — | 4,698 | — | 225,034 |
| Sharon John | PRSU | 2025-06-03 | — | — | 9,897 | — | 474,066 |
| Eric Fencl | RSA | — | — | — | 4,697 | — | — |
| Yevgeny Fundler | RSA | 2025-08-04 | 425 | 1,699 | — | 3,398 | 94,651 |
| Yevgeny Fundler | PRSU | 2025-08-04 | — | — | 1,698 | — | 94,596 |
| David Henderson | RSA | 2025-06-03 | 1,174 | 4,697 | — | 9,394 | 224,986 |
| Sharon John | RSA | 2025-06-03 | 5,773 | 23,090 | — | 46,180 | 1,106,011 |
| J. Christopher Hurt | RSA | 2025-06-03 | 1,174 | 4,697 | — | 9,394 | 224,986 |
| Voin Todorovic | RSA | 2025-06-03 | 1,174 | 4,697 | — | 9,394 | 224,986 |
Vehicle mix — grant-date fair value by award type
Grant-level vehicle detail not disclosed.
% performance-vested = PSU grant-date fair value ÷ (RSU + PSU + Options), a computed value with the derivation shown in the register.
Outstanding equity awards at fiscal year-end 2026
| Executive | Award | Shares unvested | Exercise price | Market value unvested |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| J. Christopher Hurt | RSU | 1,182 | — | $70,542 |
| Todorovic | RSU | 1,182 | — | 70,542 |
| Henderson | PSU | 2,163 | — | 129,088 |
| Eric Fencl | PSU | 2,706 | — | 161,494 |
| Fundler | PSU | 3,398 | — | 202,793 |
| Henderson | RSU | 6,140 | — | 366,435 |
| J. Christopher Hurt | PSU | 6,364 | — | 379,804 |
| Todorovic | PSU | 6,364 | — | 379,804 |
| Sharon John | RSU | 7,446 | — | 444,377 |
| J. Christopher Hurt | PSU | 9,394 | — | 560,634 |
| Todorovic | PSU | 9,394 | — | 560,634 |
| Henderson | PSU | 9,394 | — | 560,634 |
| J. Christopher Hurt | RSU | 10,960 | — | 654,073 |
| Todorovic | RSU | 10,960 | — | 654,073 |
| Sharon John | RSU | 25,170 | — | 1,502,146 |
| Sharon John | PSU | 34,364 | — | 2,050,844 |
| Sharon John | PSU | 46,180 | — | 2,756,022 |
Director compensation
| Director | Cash fees | Stock awards | Option awards | Non-equity incentive | All other | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Craig LeavittIndependent · Board Chair · Compensation and Human Capital (Chair) · Audit | $92,000 | $125,000 | — | — | $3,770 | $220,770 |
| George CarraraIndependent · Audit (Chair) · Compensation and Human Capital | 73,000 | 94,000 | — | — | 2,827 | 169,827 |
| Lesli RotenbergIndependent · Compensation and Human Capital · Nominating and Corporate Governance (Chair) | 60,000 | 94,000 | — | — | 2,827 | 156,827 |
| Narayan IyengarIndependent · Audit · Nominating and Corporate Governance | 53,000 | 94,000 | — | — | 2,827 | 149,827 |
| Richard JohnsonIndependent · Audit · Compensation and Human Capital | 48,000 | 94,000 | — | — | 121 | 142,121 |
| Robert L. Dixon JrIndependent · Not standing for re-election · Departed during FY | 23,000 | 0 | — | — | 2,827 | 25,827 |
| Sharon JohnEmployee director | — | — | — | — | — | 0 |
| J. Christopher HurtEmployee director · Newly elected | — | — | — | — | — | 0 |
| James GoldmanIndependent · Audit · Compensation and Human Capital | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Maxine ClarkNot independent | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Board fee structure and ownership guideline
| Annual cash retainer | $50,000 |
|---|---|
| Annual equity retainer | $90,000 |
| Per board meeting fee | — |
| Committee chair fees (audit / comp / nom-gov) | 20,000 / 14,000 / 12,000 |
| Stock ownership guideline | $5 |
Total cost of the board
| Component | FY2026 |
|---|---|
| Cash retainers and fees | $349,000 |
| Equity awards (grant-date value) | $501,000 |
| All other compensation | $15,199 |
| Total cost of the board | $865,199 |
Computed as the sum of the director compensation table rows above; inputs and formula shown in the register.
Peer group, and who names Build-A-Bear Workshop as a peer
Companies that benchmark against BBW
3 companies name BBW as a compensation peer
- Bark, Inc.BARKFY2025
- DESTINATION XL GROUP, INC.DXLGFY2024
- NOODLES & CoNDLSFY2025
- TILLY'S, INC.TLYSFY2025
- Zumiez IncZUMZFY2026
Each company listed discloses BBW in its own benchmarking peer group, as disclosed in each company's most recent proxy statement within the last two proxy seasons. Two companies are therefore absent by design: one that named BBW in an earlier year and no longer does, and one whose own most recent disclosure is older than the last two seasons.
Disclosed peer group — fiscal year 2026
The compensation peer group as the company disclosed it in its own proxy — the reference set behind the percentile above.
Chief executive pay against the peer group
Most recent fiscal-year chief executive compensation at each disclosed peer, taken from that company’s own proxy statement.
| Rank | Company | FY | Chief executive | Salary | Stock awards | Option awards | Non-equity incentive | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Shake Shack Inc. | 2025 | Robert Lynch | $1,000,000 | $5,000,161 | $0 | $1,011,750 | $7,210,818 |
| 2 | J.Jill, Inc. | 2025 | Mary Ellen Coyne | 757,692 | 2,966,077 | 0 | 1,000,000 | 6,631,220 |
| 3 | Funko, Inc. | 2025 | Josh Simon | 288,462 | 5,752,942 | 0 | 0 | 6,296,251 |
| 4 | Oxford Industries, Inc. | 2025 | Thomas Chubb III | 900,000 | 3,942,205 | 0 | 388,440 | 5,529,136 |
| 5 | The Marcus Corporation | 2025 | Gregory Marcus | 970,096 | 2,047,408 | 0 | 1,058,032 | 4,840,339 |
| 6 | Duluth Holdings Inc. | 2025 | Stephanie Pugliese | 605,225 | 3,167,158 | 0 | 847,875 | 4,620,258 |
| 7 | Build-A-Bear Workshop | 2026 | Sharon John | 807,869 | 1,580,077 | 0 | 968,536 | 3,396,235 |
| 8 | Citi Trends Inc. | 2025 | Kenneth Seipel | 788,736 | 0 | 0 | 1,120,000 | 1,912,312 |
| 9 | American Outdoor Brands, Inc. | 2026 | Brian Murphy | 642,735 | 993,792 | 0 | 161,958 | 1,843,433 |
| 10 | Weyco Group, Inc. | 2025 | Thomas Florsheim Jr. | 791,500 | 92,974 | 0 | 0 | 920,173 |
| — | Vera Bradley Inc. | — | — | — | — | — | — | not in coverage universe |
| — | Vince Holding Corp. | — | — | — | — | — | — | not in coverage universe |
Each peer’s compensation is from its most recently filed proxy; fiscal years differ by company. Each peer’s figures come from its own filings; the subject company is highlighted. Peers whose chief executive compensation is outside our coverage universe are stated as such, never left blank.
Incentive design against the same peers
| Company | Annual incentive payout | Long-term vehicle mix | PSU measures include TSR | Compensation consultant |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Build-A-Bear Workshop | not disclosed | PRSU 70 · RSU 30 | not disclosed | Meridian |
| American Outdoor Brands, Inc. | not disclosed | RSU 50 · PSU 50 | not disclosed | Compensia, Inc. |
| Citi Trends Inc. | not disclosed | not disclosed | not disclosed | Mercer |
| Duluth Holdings Inc. | not disclosed | not disclosed | not disclosed | not disclosed |
| Funko, Inc. | not disclosed | RSU 67 · Option 33 | not disclosed | Semler Brossy |
| J.Jill, Inc. | not disclosed | RSU 50 · PSU 50 | not disclosed | Frederic W. Cook & Co., Inc. |
| Oxford Industries, Inc. | 43% | not disclosed | Yes — Total Shareholder Return (TSR) relative to comparator group | Meridian Compensation Partners, LLC |
| Shake Shack Inc. | 67.5% | PSU 60 · RSU 40 | No | Pearl Meyer & Partners |
| The Marcus Corporation | not disclosed | LTIP Units 40 · Restricted Stock 40 · PSU 20 | No | Willis Towers Watson (WTW) |
| Vera Bradley Inc. | not disclosed | not disclosed | not disclosed | not disclosed |
| Vince Holding Corp. | not disclosed | not disclosed | not disclosed | not disclosed |
| Weyco Group, Inc. | not disclosed | not disclosed | not disclosed | not disclosed |
Read from each company’s Compensation Discussion and Analysis: annual incentive payout as a percentage of target, the disclosed long-term vehicle mix, whether performance-share measures include a total shareholder return component, and the retained compensation consultant. “Not disclosed” appears only where the company’s filing does not state the item.
Say-on-pay history and pay ratio
| Meeting year | Meeting date | For | Against | Abstain | Support | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 2026-06-11 | 6,440,665 | 364,143 | 134,716 | 94.65% | Passed |
| 2025 | 2025-06-12 | 7,536,532 | 780,012 | 311,528 | 90.62% | Passed |
| 2024 | 2024-06-13 | 7,456,334 | 648,440 | 288,083 | 92% | Passed |
| 2023 | 2023-06-08 | 8,630,521 | 129,358 | 312,758 | 98.52% | Passed |
| 2022 | 2022-06-09 | 6,304,642 | 2,819,973 | 752,105 | 69.09% | Passed |
| 2021 | 2021-06-10 | 6,038,498 | 866,259 | 2,059,592 | 87.45% | Passed |
Rows are labeled by annual-meeting year, with the meeting date beside each; the vote held in a given year acts on the prior fiscal year’s compensation.
Say-on-pay — history, company’s computation
| Meeting year | Meeting date | Approval — company’s computation |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 2026-06-11 | 94.65%a |
| 2025 | 2025-06-12 | 90.62%b |
| 2024 | 2024-06-13 | 92%c |
a. Voting standard not stated in the filing.
b. Voting standard not stated in the filing.
c. Voting standard not stated in the filing.
Approval percentages are the company’s own reported computations under its own stated standard, not recomputed by Velarion. Where a company does not state a standard, none is assumed.
CEO pay ratio
| Ratio (CEO : median employee) | 306 : 1 |
|---|---|
| CEO total compensation | $1,894,435 |
| Median employee compensation | $6,198 |
Insider trades since the proxy
No insider equity transactions reported since the proxy statement.
Sources (40 citations)
Each figure is listed with the filing it comes from, where it appears in that filing, and the value as printed. Any figure can be independently confirmed against the source.
- Section 01, Sharon John. DEF 14A, filed 2026-04-30. Section “Fiscal 2025 Summary Compensation Table” · page 26. As printed: 3,396,235. View filing ↗
- Section 01, Eric Fencl. DEF 14A, filed 2026-04-30. Section “Fiscal 2025 Summary Compensation Table” · page 26. As printed: 360,056. View filing ↗
- Section 03, J. Christopher Hurt PRSU. DEF 14A, filed 2026-04-30. Section “Fiscal 2025 Grants of Plan-Based Awards” · grants of plan-based awards table. View filing ↗
- Section 03, Voin Todorovic PRSU. DEF 14A, filed 2026-04-30. Section “Fiscal 2025 Grants of Plan-Based Awards” · grants of plan-based awards table. View filing ↗
- Section 03, Eric Fencl PRSU. DEF 14A, filed 2026-04-30. Section “Fiscal 2025 Grants of Plan-Based Awards” · grants of plan-based awards table. View filing ↗
- Section 03, David Henderson PRSU. DEF 14A, filed 2026-04-30. Section “Fiscal 2025 Grants of Plan-Based Awards” · grants of plan-based awards table. View filing ↗
- Section 03, Sharon John PRSU. DEF 14A, filed 2026-04-30. Section “Fiscal 2025 Grants of Plan-Based Awards” · grants of plan-based awards table. View filing ↗
- Section 03, Eric Fencl RSA. DEF 14A, filed 2026-04-30. Section “Fiscal 2025 Grants of Plan-Based Awards” · grants of plan-based awards table. View filing ↗
- Section 03, Yevgeny Fundler RSA. DEF 14A, filed 2026-04-30. Section “Fiscal 2025 Grants of Plan-Based Awards” · grants of plan-based awards table. View filing ↗
- Section 03, Yevgeny Fundler PRSU. DEF 14A, filed 2026-04-30. Section “Fiscal 2025 Grants of Plan-Based Awards” · grants of plan-based awards table. View filing ↗
- Section 03, David Henderson RSA. DEF 14A, filed 2026-04-30. Section “Fiscal 2025 Grants of Plan-Based Awards” · grants of plan-based awards table. View filing ↗
- Section 03, Sharon John RSA. DEF 14A, filed 2026-04-30. Section “Fiscal 2025 Grants of Plan-Based Awards” · grants of plan-based awards table. View filing ↗
- Section 03, J. Christopher Hurt RSA. DEF 14A, filed 2026-04-30. Section “Fiscal 2025 Grants of Plan-Based Awards” · grants of plan-based awards table. View filing ↗
- Section 03, Voin Todorovic RSA. DEF 14A, filed 2026-04-30. Section “Fiscal 2025 Grants of Plan-Based Awards” · grants of plan-based awards table. View filing ↗
- Section 07, pay ratio. DEF 14A, filed 2018-03-29. Section “CEO Pay Ratio”. As printed: 306 : 1. View filing ↗
- Section 08, Craig Leavitt. DEF 14A, filed 2026-04-30. Section “Director Compensation”. As printed: 220,770. View filing ↗
- Section 08, George Carrara. DEF 14A, filed 2026-04-30. Section “Director Compensation”. As printed: 169,827. View filing ↗
- Section 08, Lesli Rotenberg. DEF 14A, filed 2026-04-30. Section “Director Compensation”. As printed: 156,827. View filing ↗
- Section 08, Narayan Iyengar. DEF 14A, filed 2026-04-30. Section “Director Compensation”. As printed: 149,827. View filing ↗
- Section 08, Richard Johnson. DEF 14A, filed 2026-04-30. Section “Director Compensation”. As printed: 142,121. View filing ↗
- Section 08, Robert L. Dixon Jr. DEF 14A, filed 2026-04-30. Section “Director Compensation”. As printed: 25,827. View filing ↗
- Section 08, Sharon John. DEF 14A, filed 2026-04-30. Section “Director Compensation”. As printed: 0. View filing ↗
- Section 08, J. Christopher Hurt. DEF 14A, filed 2026-04-30. Section “Director Compensation”. As printed: 0. View filing ↗
- Section 08, James Goldman. DEF 14A, filed 2026-04-30. Section “Director Compensation”. As printed: —. View filing ↗
- Section 08, Maxine Clark. DEF 14A, filed 2026-04-30. Section “Director Compensation”. As printed: —. View filing ↗
- Section 06, 2026 vote. Form 8-K, filed 2026-06-12. Item 5.07 · say-on-pay result. As reported: 94.65% (votes for as printed: 6,440,665). View filing ↗
- Section 06, 2025 vote. Form 8-K, filed 2025-06-13. Item 5.07 · say-on-pay result. As reported: 90.62% (votes for as printed: 7,536,532). View filing ↗
- Section 06, 2024 vote. Form 8-K, filed 2024-06-14. Item 5.07 · say-on-pay result. As reported: 92% (votes for as printed: 7,456,334). View filing ↗
- Section 01 trend, Δ column (computed). Computed. Δ = current-FY total − prior-FY total per named officer.
- Section 09b board cost (computed). Computed. Cash 349,000 + equity 501,000 + all other 15,199 = 865,199, summed across the director compensation table rows.
- Shake Shack Inc., Section 10b CEO total. DEF 14A, filed 2026-04-29. CEO total compensation as printed in Shake Shack Inc.'s own proxy. As printed: 7,210,818. View filing ↗
- J.Jill, Inc., Section 10b CEO total. DEF 14A, filed 2026-04-10. CEO total compensation as printed in J.Jill, Inc.'s own proxy. As printed: 6,631,220. View filing ↗
- Funko, Inc., Section 10b CEO total. DEF 14A, filed 2026-04-22. CEO total compensation as printed in Funko, Inc.'s own proxy. As printed: 6,296,251. View filing ↗
- Oxford Industries, Inc., Section 10b CEO total. DEF 14A, filed 2026-05-13. CEO total compensation as printed in Oxford Industries, Inc.'s own proxy. As printed: 5,529,136. View filing ↗
- The Marcus Corporation, Section 10b CEO total. DEF 14A, filed 2026-04-07. CEO total compensation as printed in The Marcus Corporation's own proxy. As printed: 4,840,339. View filing ↗
- Duluth Holdings Inc., Section 10b CEO total. DEF 14A, filed 2026-04-21. CEO total compensation as printed in Duluth Holdings Inc.'s own proxy. As printed: 4,620,258. View filing ↗
- Build-A-Bear Workshop (subject), Section 10b CEO total. DEF 14A, filed 2026-04-30. CEO total compensation as printed in Build-A-Bear Workshop's own proxy. As printed: 3,396,235. View filing ↗
- Citi Trends Inc., Section 10b CEO total. DEF 14A, filed 2026-05-01. CEO total compensation as printed in Citi Trends Inc.'s own proxy. As printed: 1,912,312. View filing ↗
- American Outdoor Brands, Inc., Section 10b CEO total. DEF 14A, filed 2026-08-14. CEO total compensation as printed in American Outdoor Brands, Inc.'s own proxy. As printed: 1,843,433. View filing ↗
- Weyco Group, Inc., Section 10b CEO total. DEF 14A, filed 2026-04-02. CEO total compensation as printed in Weyco Group, Inc.'s own proxy. As printed: 920,173. View filing ↗