Companies Central Garden & Pet
Central Garden & Pet (CENT): executive pay, fiscal 2025
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CEO pay, last three years
- $992,352FY2023
- $1,176,285FY2024
- $1,905,762FY2025
CEO total pay was $1,905,762 in fiscal 2025, up from $1,176,285 in fiscal 2024.
FY2025: salary $893,365 · bonus $0 · stock awards $1,000,022 · 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| John Hanson | $560,423 | $0 | $1,449,992 | $0 | — | $0 | $49,332 | $2,059,747 |
| President, Pet Consumer Products | ||||||||
| Nicholas Lahanas | 893,365 | 0 | 1,000,022 | 0 | — | 0 | 12,375 | 1,905,762 |
| Chief Executive Officer | ||||||||
| William Brown | 306,508 | 0 | 1,200,019 | 0 | — | 0 | 28,771 | 1,535,298 |
| Chairman of the Board of Directors | ||||||||
| John Walker | 563,379 | 0 | 250,006 | 0 | — | 0 | 45,550 | 858,935 |
| President, Garden Consumer Products | ||||||||
| Bradley Smith | 448,435 | 0 | 250,006 | 0 | — | 0 | 37,596 | 736,037 |
| Chief Financial Officer | ||||||||
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 | FY2025 total | FY2024 total | FY2023 total | Δ FY2024→2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| John Hanson | $2,059,747 | $1,171,364 | $1,171,949 | ↑ +888,383 |
| Nicholas Lahanas | 1,905,762 | 1,176,285 | 992,352 | ↑ +729,477 |
| William Brown | 1,535,298 | 902,951 | 883,205 | ↑ +632,347 |
| John Walker | 858,935 | 1,007,425 | 988,733 | ↓ −148,490 |
| Bradley Smith | 736,037 | — | — | — |
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 programs are designed to reward, retain and, in the case of new hires, attract executives to support the Company's business strategy, and achieve its short and long-term goals. At the core of the Company's executive compensation programs is the Company's pay-for-performance philosophy that links competitive levels of compensation to achievements of the Company's overall strategy and business goals, as well as predetermined objectives for equity awards.
| CEO STI target (% of salary) | — |
|---|---|
| CEO LTI target (% of salary) | — |
| Independent consultant | Pay Governance |
| Clawback policy | true |
| Anti-hedging | true |
| Anti-pledging | false |
Equity grants and outstanding awards
Grants of plan-based awards — fiscal year 2025
| Executive | Award | Grant date | Threshold | Target | Granted | Maximum | Grant-date fair value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| John Walker | PSU | 2025-02-11 | 2,416 | 3,717 | — | 8,363 | $125,003 |
| Bradley Smith | PSU | 2025-02-11 | 2,416 | 3,717 | — | 8,363 | 125,003 |
| William Brown | RSU | 2025-02-11 | — | — | 22,302 | — | 750,016 |
| John Hanson | RSU | 2025-02-11 | — | — | 35,682 | — | 1,199,986 |
| William Brown | RSU | 2025-02-11 | — | — | 13,381 | — | 450,003 |
| John Hanson | PSU | 2025-02-11 | 2,416 | 3,717 | — | 8,363 | 125,003 |
| Nicholas Lahanas | PSU | 2025-02-11 | 9,664 | 14,868 | — | 33,453 | 500,011 |
| John Hanson | RSU | 2025-02-11 | — | — | 3,717 | — | 125,003 |
| Bradley Smith | RSU | 2025-02-11 | — | — | 3,717 | — | 125,003 |
| John Walker | RSU | 2025-02-11 | — | — | 3,717 | — | 125,003 |
| Nicholas Lahanas | RSU | 2025-02-11 | — | — | 14,868 | — | 500,011 |
Vehicle mix — grant-date fair value by award type
| Named executive officer | Time-vested (RSU) | Performance-vested (PSU) | Options / SARs | % performance-vested |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| John Walker | $125,003 | $125,003 | $0 | 50.0% |
| Bradley Smith | 125,003 | 125,003 | 0 | 50.0% |
| William Brown | 1,200,019 | 0 | 0 | 0.0% |
| John Hanson | 1,324,989 | 125,003 | 0 | 8.6% |
| Nicholas Lahanas | 500,011 | 500,011 | 0 | 50.0% |
% 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 2025
| Executive | Award | Shares unvested | Exercise price | Market value unvested |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bradley Smith | RSU | 576 | — | $17,286 |
| Bradley Smith | PSU | 1,125 | — | 33,761 |
| Bradley Smith | RSU | 1,127 | — | 33,821 |
| Bradley Smith | PSU | 1,127 | — | 33,821 |
| Bradley Smith | PSU | 1,153 | — | 34,602 |
| Nicholas Lahanas | RSU | 1,922 | — | 57,679 |
| John Hanson | RSU | 1,922 | — | 57,679 |
| John Walker | RSU | 1,922 | — | 57,679 |
| Bradley Smith | RSU | 3,007 | — | 90,240 |
| Bradley Smith | RSU | 3,717 | — | 111,547 |
| Bradley Smith | PSU | 3,717 | — | 111,547 |
| John Hanson | RSU | 3,717 | — | 111,547 |
| John Hanson | PSU | 3,717 | — | 111,547 |
| John Walker | RSU | 3,717 | — | 111,547 |
| John Walker | PSU | 3,717 | — | 111,547 |
| Nicholas Lahanas | PSU | 3,751 | — | 112,568 |
| John Hanson | PSU | 3,751 | — | 112,568 |
| John Walker | PSU | 3,751 | — | 112,568 |
| Nicholas Lahanas | RSU | 3,759 | — | 112,808 |
| Nicholas Lahanas | PSU | 3,759 | — | 112,808 |
| John Hanson | RSU | 3,759 | — | 112,808 |
| John Hanson | PSU | 3,759 | — | 112,808 |
| John Walker | RSU | 3,759 | — | 112,808 |
| John Walker | PSU | 3,759 | — | 112,808 |
| William Brown | RSU | 3,786 | — | 113,618 |
| Nicholas Lahanas | RSU | 3,788 | — | 113,678 |
| Nicholas Lahanas | PSU | 3,844 | — | 115,358 |
| John Hanson | PSU | 3,844 | — | 115,358 |
| John Walker | PSU | 3,844 | — | 115,358 |
| William Brown | RSU | 9,005 | — | 270,240 |
| William Brown | RSU | 13,381 | — | 401,563 |
| William Brown | RSU | 13,534 | — | 406,155 |
| William Brown | RSU | 13,837 | — | 415,248 |
| Nicholas Lahanas | RSU | 14,868 | — | 446,189 |
| Nicholas Lahanas | PSU | 14,868 | — | 446,189 |
| Nicholas Lahanas | RSU | 21,930 | — | 658,119 |
| John Walker | RSU | 21,930 | — | 658,119 |
| William Brown | RSU | 22,302 | — | 669,283 |
| John Hanson | RSU | 35,682 | — | 1,070,817 |
Director compensation
| Director | Cash fees | Stock awards | Option awards | Non-equity incentive | All other | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Randal D. LewisIndependent · Audit · Compensation · Nominating/Governance | $99,000 | $119,986 | $0 | — | $41,355 | $260,341 |
| Mary Beth SpringerIndependent · Audit · Compensation · Nominating/Governance | 122,000 | 119,986 | 0 | — | 0 | 241,986 |
| Brendan P. DougherIndependent · Audit (Chair) · Compensation · Nominating/Governance | 106,500 | 119,986 | 0 | — | 0 | 226,486 |
| Lisa ColemanIndependent · Audit · Compensation · Nominating/Governance · Not standing for re-election | 104,500 | 119,986 | 0 | — | 0 | 224,486 |
| John R. RanelliNot independent · Audit · Compensation · Nominating/Governance | 94,500 | 119,986 | 0 | — | 0 | 214,486 |
| Courtnee ChunIndependent · Audit · Compensation · Nominating/Governance (Chair) | 86,500 | 119,986 | 0 | — | 0 | 206,486 |
| Brooks M. Pennington IIINot independent | 82,500 | 119,986 | 0 | — | 0 | 202,486 |
| Christopher T. MetzIndependent | 77,000 | 119,986 | 0 | — | 0 | 196,986 |
| Michael J. GriffithIndependent · Audit · Compensation · Nominating/Governance | 11,500 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 11,500 |
| William E. BrownEmployee director · Board Chair · Audit · Compensation · Nominating/Governance | — | — | — | — | — | 0 |
| Nicholas LahanasEmployee director · Audit · Compensation · Nominating/Governance | — | — | — | — | — | 0 |
Board fee structure and ownership guideline
| Annual cash retainer | $60,000 |
|---|---|
| Annual equity retainer | $120,000 |
| Per board meeting fee | $1,500 |
| Committee chair fees (audit / comp / nom-gov) | 20,000 / 15,000 |
| Stock ownership guideline | $300,000 |
Total cost of the board
| Component | FY2025 |
|---|---|
| Cash retainers and fees | $784,000 |
| Equity awards (grant-date value) | $959,888 |
| All other compensation | $41,355 |
| Total cost of the board | $1,785,243 |
Computed as the sum of the director compensation table rows above; inputs and formula shown in the register.
Peer group, and who names Central Garden & Pet as a peer
Companies that benchmark against CENT
12 companies name CENT as a compensation peer
- Advantage Solutions Inc.ADVFY2025
- EDGEWELL PERSONAL CARE CoEPCFY2025
- ENERGIZER HOLDINGS, INC.ENRFY2025
- Freshpet, Inc.FRPTFY2025
- GRIFFON CORPGFFFY2025
- HELEN OF TROY LTDHELEFY2026
- Petco Health & Wellness Company, Inc.WOOFFY2026
- Reynolds Consumer Products Inc.REYNFY2025
- Simply Good Foods CoSMPLFY2025
- SiteOne Landscape Supply, Inc.SITEFY2025
- Spectrum Brands Holdings, Inc.SPBFY2025
- TRUPANION, INC.TRUPFY2025
- WK Kellogg CoKLGFY2024
Each company listed discloses CENT 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 CENT in an earlier year and no longer does, and one whose own most recent disclosure is older than the last two seasons.
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 | Central Garden & Pet | 2025 | Nicholas Lahanas | $893,365 | $1,000,022 | $0 | — | $1,905,762 |
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.
Say-on-pay history and pay ratio
| Meeting year | Meeting date | For | Against | Abstain | Support | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 2026-02-11 | 16,346,943 | 218,084 | 70,794 | 98.68% | Passed |
| 2023 | 2023-02-07 | 19,179,403 | 640,466 | 10,793 | 96.72% | Passed |
| 2020 | 2020-02-11 | 18,646,184 | 1,454,600 | 49,263 | 92.76% | Passed |
| 2017 | 2017-02-14 | 19,695,672 | 170,755 | 13,855 | 99.07% | 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 | 2026-02-11 | 98.68%a |
| 2023 | 2023-02-07 | 96.72%b |
| 2020 | 2020-02-11 | 92.76%c |
a. Voting standard not stated in the filing.
b. Approved under the standard stated in the filing — “As Proposals 2 and 3 are non-binding votes, an abstention from voting will have the same effect as voting against these proposals.”.
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) | 40 : 1 |
|---|---|
| CEO total compensation | $1,905,762 |
| Median employee compensation | $49,985 |
Insider trades since the proxy
No insider equity transactions reported since the proxy statement.
Sources (35 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, John Hanson. DEF 14A, filed 2025-12-22. Section “Summary Compensation Table” · page 26. As printed: 2,059,747. View filing ↗
- Section 01, Nicholas Lahanas. DEF 14A, filed 2025-12-22. Section “Summary Compensation Table” · page 26. As printed: 1,905,762. View filing ↗
- Section 01, William Brown. DEF 14A, filed 2025-12-22. Section “Summary Compensation Table” · page 26. As printed: 1,535,298. View filing ↗
- Section 01, John Walker. DEF 14A, filed 2025-12-22. Section “Summary Compensation Table” · page 26. As printed: 858,935. View filing ↗
- Section 01, Bradley Smith. DEF 14A, filed 2025-12-22. Section “Summary Compensation Table” · page 26. As printed: 736,037. View filing ↗
- Section 03, John Walker PSU. DEF 14A, filed 2025-12-22. Section “Grants of Plan-Based Awards” · grants of plan-based awards table. View filing ↗
- Section 03, Bradley Smith PSU. DEF 14A, filed 2025-12-22. Section “Grants of Plan-Based Awards” · grants of plan-based awards table. View filing ↗
- Section 03, William Brown RSU. DEF 14A, filed 2025-12-22. Section “Grants of Plan-Based Awards” · grants of plan-based awards table. View filing ↗
- Section 03, John Hanson RSU. DEF 14A, filed 2025-12-22. Section “Grants of Plan-Based Awards” · grants of plan-based awards table. View filing ↗
- Section 03, William Brown RSU. DEF 14A, filed 2025-12-22. Section “Grants of Plan-Based Awards” · grants of plan-based awards table. View filing ↗
- Section 03, John Hanson PSU. DEF 14A, filed 2025-12-22. Section “Grants of Plan-Based Awards” · grants of plan-based awards table. View filing ↗
- Section 03, Nicholas Lahanas PSU. DEF 14A, filed 2025-12-22. Section “Grants of Plan-Based Awards” · grants of plan-based awards table. View filing ↗
- Section 03, John Hanson RSU. DEF 14A, filed 2025-12-22. Section “Grants of Plan-Based Awards” · grants of plan-based awards table. View filing ↗
- Section 03, Bradley Smith RSU. DEF 14A, filed 2025-12-22. Section “Grants of Plan-Based Awards” · grants of plan-based awards table. View filing ↗
- Section 03, John Walker RSU. DEF 14A, filed 2025-12-22. Section “Grants of Plan-Based Awards” · grants of plan-based awards table. View filing ↗
- Section 03, Nicholas Lahanas RSU. DEF 14A, filed 2025-12-22. Section “Grants of Plan-Based Awards” · grants of plan-based awards table. View filing ↗
- Section 07, pay ratio. DEF 14A, filed 2025-12-22. Section “CEO Pay Ratio”. As printed: 40 : 1. View filing ↗
- Section 08, Randal D. Lewis. DEF 14A, filed 2025-12-22. Section “Director Compensation”. As printed: 260,341. View filing ↗
- Section 08, Mary Beth Springer. DEF 14A, filed 2025-12-22. Section “Director Compensation”. As printed: 241,986. View filing ↗
- Section 08, Brendan P. Dougher. DEF 14A, filed 2025-12-22. Section “Director Compensation”. As printed: 226,486. View filing ↗
- Section 08, Lisa Coleman. DEF 14A, filed 2025-12-22. Section “Director Compensation”. As printed: 224,486. View filing ↗
- Section 08, John R. Ranelli. DEF 14A, filed 2025-12-22. Section “Director Compensation”. As printed: 214,486. View filing ↗
- Section 08, Courtnee Chun. DEF 14A, filed 2025-12-22. Section “Director Compensation”. As printed: 206,486. View filing ↗
- Section 08, Brooks M. Pennington III. DEF 14A, filed 2025-12-22. Section “Director Compensation”. As printed: 202,486. View filing ↗
- Section 08, Christopher T. Metz. DEF 14A, filed 2025-12-22. Section “Director Compensation”. As printed: 196,986. View filing ↗
- Section 08, Michael J. Griffith. DEF 14A, filed 2025-12-22. Section “Director Compensation”. As printed: 11,500. View filing ↗
- Section 08, William E. Brown. DEF 14A, filed 2025-12-22. Section “Director Compensation”. As printed: 0. View filing ↗
- Section 08, Nicholas Lahanas. DEF 14A, filed 2025-12-22. Section “Director Compensation”. As printed: 0. View filing ↗
- Section 06, 2026 vote. Form 8-K, filed 2026-02-18. Item 5.07 · say-on-pay result. As reported: 98.68% (votes for as printed: 16,346,943). View filing ↗
- Section 06, 2023 vote. Form 8-K, filed 2023-02-10. Item 5.07 · say-on-pay result. As reported: 96.72% (votes for as printed: 19,179,403). View filing ↗
- Section 06, 2020 vote. Form 8-K, filed 2020-02-13. Item 5.07 · say-on-pay result. As reported: 92.76% (votes for as printed: 18,646,184). View filing ↗
- Section 01 trend, Δ column (computed). Computed. Δ = current-FY total − prior-FY total per named officer.
- Section 03b vehicle mix (computed). Computed. RSU / PSU / Options grant-date fair values summed per officer from the grants table; % performance-vested = PSU ÷ (RSU+PSU+Options).
- Section 09b board cost (computed). Computed. Cash 784,000 + equity 959,888 + all other 41,355 = 1,785,243, summed across the director compensation table rows.
- Central Garden & Pet (subject), Section 10b CEO total. DEF 14A, filed 2025-12-22. CEO total compensation as printed in Central Garden & Pet's own proxy. As printed: 1,905,762. View filing ↗