Companies Wendy's
Wendy's (WEN): executive pay, fiscal 2025
Free brief. Every figure links to the company’s own filing.
Velarion Intel: free for 3 days, no card →Email me Wendy's’s executive pay brief as a PDF
You get it on this page the moment you ask, and a copy by email. Every figure is cited to its filing.
After the PDF, up to three short notes on the deeper reports for this company. Reply “unsubscribe” to any of them, any time.
Say-on-pay support93.68%Latest vote
CEO vs. named peers1st pct.Of 14 peer CEOs
CEO pay, last three years
- $4,503,440FY2025
CEO total pay was $4,503,440 in fiscal 2025; the brief holds no earlier figure for this CEO.
FY2025: salary $698,178 · bonus $0 · stock awards $2,336,232 · option awards $778,748
Executives and directors
Pete Suerken · PresidentE.J. Wunsch · PresidentJohn Min · General CounselKen Cook · CEOKirk Tanner · CEOArthur B. Winkleblack · Chair of the BoardBradley G. Peltz · Independent DirectorKenneth W. Gilbert · Former director (through FY2025)Kristin A. Dolan · Independent DirectorMichelle Caruso-Cabrera · Independent DirectorMichelle J. Mathews-Spradlin · Independent DirectorPeter H. Rothschild · Independent DirectorPeter W. May · Independent DirectorRichard H. Gomez · Independent DirectorWendy C. Arlin · Independent Director
Frequently asked questions
Who was the highest-paid executive at Wendy's in fiscal 2025?
As disclosed, Kirk Tanner (Former President and Chief Executive Officer) was the highest-paid executive at Wendy's in fiscal 2025, with total compensation of $4,590,665.
How does Wendy's's chief executive pay compare to its disclosed peer group?
As disclosed, Ken Cook's total compensation ranked at the 1st percentile of Wendy's's disclosed peer group.
What is Wendy's's CEO-to-median employee pay ratio?
As disclosed, Wendy's's CEO-to-median employee pay ratio was 181:1.
How did shareholders vote on Wendy's's executive compensation?
As disclosed, 93.68% of shareholders supported Wendy's's executive compensation in the latest say-on-pay vote.
How much does Wendy's spend in total on board compensation for fiscal 2025?
As disclosed, Wendy's reported total board compensation of $3,180,440 for fiscal 2025.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kirk Tanner | $559,726 | $0 | $4,019,990 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $10,949 | $4,590,665 |
| Former President and Chief Executive Officer | ||||||||
| Ken Cook | 698,178 | 0 | 2,336,232 | 778,748 | 326,700 | 0 | 363,582 | 4,503,440 |
| Interim Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer | ||||||||
| E.J. Wunsch | 634,507 | 0 | 2,279,969 | 759,999 | 253,440 | 0 | 28,594 | 3,956,509 |
| President, International | ||||||||
| John Min | 609,575 | 0 | 1,672,490 | 557,498 | 207,009 | 0 | 844,516 | 3,891,088 |
| Chief Legal Officer and Secretary | ||||||||
| Pete Suerken | 328,767 | 0 | 2,449,992 | 374,999 | 312,500 | 0 | 9,904 | 3,476,162 |
| President, U.S. | ||||||||
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kirk Tanner | $4,590,665 | $17,308,117 | — | ↓ −12,717,452 |
| Ken Cook | 4,503,440 | — | — | — |
| E.J. Wunsch | 3,956,509 | 2,427,294 | 2,132,536 | ↑ +1,529,215 |
| John Min | 3,891,088 | — | — | — |
| Pete Suerken | 3,476,162 | — | — | — |
Prior-year totals as disclosed in the corresponding proxy; deltas are computed values with the derivation shown in the register.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kirk Tanner | PSU | 2025-02-20 | 0 | 252,241 | — | 504,482 | $4,019,990 |
| John Min | — | 2025-02-20 | 0 | 41,977 | — | 83,954 | 668,992 |
| John Min | OPTION | 2025-08-12 | — | — | 16,543 | — | 167,250 |
| Ken Cook | PSU | 2025-02-20 | 0 | 41,977 | — | 83,954 | 668,992 |
| Pete Suerken | PSU | 2025-08-12 | 0 | 68,577 | — | 137,154 | 724,998 |
| Pete Suerken | OPTION | 2025-08-12 | — | — | 281,169 | — | 374,999 |
| Pete Suerken | OPTION | 2025-07-22 | — | — | 138,376 | — | 1,499,996 |
| Ken Cook | OPTION | 2025-08-12 | — | — | 148,367 | — | 1,499,990 |
| Pete Suerken | OPTION | 2025-08-12 | — | — | 22,255 | — | 224,998 |
| Ken Cook | OPTION | 2025-08-12 | — | — | 374,892 | — | 499,999 |
| Ken Cook | OPTION | 2025-08-12 | — | — | 209,002 | — | 278,749 |
| Ken Cook | OPTION | 2025-08-12 | — | — | 16,543 | — | 167,250 |
| John Min | OPTION | 2025-08-12 | — | — | 209,002 | — | 278,749 |
| John Min | OPTION | 2025-08-12 | — | — | 82,715 | — | 836,249 |
| John Min | OPTION | 2025-08-12 | — | — | 10 | — | 278,749 |
Vehicle mix — grant-date fair value by award type
| Named executive officer | Time-vested (RSU) | Performance-vested (PSU) | Options / SARs | % performance-vested |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kirk Tanner | $0 | $4,019,990 | $0 | 100.0% |
| John Min | 0 | 0 | 1,560,997 | 0.0% |
| Ken Cook | 0 | 668,992 | 2,445,988 | 21.5% |
| Pete Suerken | 0 | 724,998 | 2,099,993 | 25.7% |
% 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| E.J. Wunsch | RSU | 2,950 | — | $24,633 |
| E.J. Wunsch | RSU | 10,635 | — | 88,802 |
| John Min | RSU | 15,193 | — | 126,862 |
| E.J. Wunsch | RSU | 16,101 | — | 134,443 |
| Ken Cook | RSU | 17,070 | — | 142,535 |
| John Min | RSU | 17,070 | — | 142,535 |
| E.J. Wunsch | Option | 17,119 | 21.53 | — |
| Ken Cook | RSU | 17,899 | — | 149,457 |
| Pete Suerken | RSU | 22,965 | — | 191,758 |
| E.J. Wunsch | RSU | 23,270 | — | 194,305 |
| E.J. Wunsch | RSU | 31,182 | — | 260,370 |
| E.J. Wunsch | Option | 79,101 | 16.7 | — |
| John Min | RSU | 85,354 | — | 712,706 |
| E.J. Wunsch | RSU | 116,356 | — | 971,573 |
| Pete Suerken | RSU | 142,790 | — | 1,192,297 |
| Ken Cook | RSU | 153,100 | — | 1,278,385 |
| Ken Cook | Option | 209,002 | 10.11 | — |
| John Min | Option | 209,002 | 10.11 | — |
| Pete Suerken | Option | 281,169 | 10.11 | — |
| E.J. Wunsch | Option | 284,918 | 10.11 | — |
| Ken Cook | Option | 374,892 | 10.11 | — |
Director compensation
| Director | Cash fees | Stock awards | Option awards | Non-equity incentive | All other | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arthur B. WinkleblackIndependent · Board Chair · Audit · Capital and Investment · Executive · Nominating and Corporate Governance (Chair) | $221,000 | $237,500 | — | — | $0 | $458,500 |
| Matthew H. PeltzIndependent · Departed during FY | 81,375 | 320,400 | — | — | 0 | 401,775 |
| Peter H. RothschildIndependent · Audit · Compensation and Human Capital (Chair) · Executive · Nominating and Corporate Governance | 143,000 | 162,500 | — | — | 0 | 305,500 |
| Peter W. MayIndependent · Capital and Investment (Chair) · Compensation and Human Capital · Corporate Social Responsibility · Executive · Technology | 136,690 | 162,500 | — | — | 0 | 299,190 |
| Wendy C. ArlinIndependent · Audit (Chair) · Capital and Investment · Compensation and Human Capital | 128,500 | 162,500 | — | — | 0 | 291,000 |
| Michelle J. Mathews-SpradlinIndependent · Compensation and Human Capital · Nominating and Corporate Governance · Technology (Chair) | 126,812 | 162,500 | — | — | 0 | 289,312 |
| Richard H. GomezIndependent · Compensation and Human Capital · Corporate Social Responsibility · Technology | 105,879 | 162,500 | — | — | 0 | 268,379 |
| Kristin A. DolanIndependent · Nominating and Corporate Governance · Technology | 102,318 | 162,500 | — | — | 0 | 264,818 |
| Michelle Caruso-CabreraIndependent · Corporate Social Responsibility · Audit · CSR | 102,000 | 162,500 | — | — | 0 | 264,500 |
| Bradley G. PeltzIndependent · Corporate Social Responsibility · Technology · CSR · Tech · Newly elected | 47,085 | 141,131 | — | — | 0 | 188,216 |
| Kenneth W. GilbertNot independent · Departed during FY | 49,250 | 0 | — | — | 100,000 | 149,250 |
Board fee structure and ownership guideline
| Annual cash retainer | $80,000 |
|---|---|
| Annual equity retainer | $162,500 |
| Per board meeting fee | — |
| Committee chair fees (audit / comp / nom-gov) | 20,000 / 12,500 / 10,000 |
| Stock ownership guideline | Company securities held in a margin account or otherwise pledged as collateral for a loan would not count toward satisfaction of the applicable Common Stock ownership requirement under the Company’s Stock Ownership and Retention Guidelines. |
Total cost of the board
| Component | FY2025 |
|---|---|
| Cash retainers and fees | $1,243,909 |
| Equity awards (grant-date value) | $1,836,531 |
| All other compensation | $100,000 |
| Total cost of the board | $3,180,440 |
Computed as the sum of the director compensation table rows above; inputs and formula shown in the register.
Peer group, and who names Wendy's as a peer
Companies that benchmark against WEN
18 companies name WEN as a compensation peer
The list of companies that name WEN as a peer is temporarily unavailable — recheck shortly.
Disclosed peer group — fiscal year 2025
The compensation peer group as the company disclosed it in its own proxy — the reference set behind the percentile above.
MCD McDonald's CorporationPZZA Papa John's International Inc.TXRH Texas Roadhouse, Inc.JACK Jack in the Box Inc.YUM YUM! Brands, Inc.CBRL Cracker Barrel Old Country Store, Inc.DIN Dine Brands Global, Inc.BLMN Bloomin Brands, Inc.EAT Brinker International, Inc.CMG Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc.DRI Darden Restaurants, Inc.DPZ Domino's Pizza, Inc.QSR Restaurant Brands International Inc.SBUX Starbucks Corporation
Peer reciprocity
Of the companies Wendy's names as compensation peers, which name it back in their own disclosed peer groups. A peer set the market reciprocates reads differently from one selected in a single direction.
McDonald's Corporation (MCD) Papa John's International Inc. (PZZA) Texas Roadhouse, Inc. (TXRH) Jack in the Box Inc. (JACK) YUM! Brands, Inc. (YUM) Cracker Barrel Old Country Store, Inc. (CBRL) Dine Brands Global, Inc. (DIN) Bloomin Brands, Inc. (BLMN) Brinker International, Inc. (EAT) Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc. (CMG) Darden Restaurants, Inc. (DRI) Domino's Pizza, Inc. (DPZ) Restaurant Brands International Inc. (QSR) Starbucks Corporation (SBUX)
Reciprocity shown where the peer’s own current proxy has been read — each mark is cited in the register to that peer’s filing. A dash means the peer’s current proxy was read and names no reciprocal group including Wendy's.
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 | Wendy's | 2025 | Ken Cook | $698,178 | $2,336,232 | $778,748 | $326,700 | $4,503,440 |
| — | McDonald's Corporation | — | — | — | — | — | — | not in coverage universe |
| — | Papa John's International Inc. | — | — | — | — | — | — | not in coverage universe |
| — | Texas Roadhouse, Inc. | — | — | — | — | — | — | not in coverage universe |
| — | Jack in the Box Inc. | — | — | — | — | — | — | not in coverage universe |
| — | YUM! Brands, Inc. | — | — | — | — | — | — | not in coverage universe |
| — | Cracker Barrel Old Country Store, Inc. | — | — | — | — | — | — | not in coverage universe |
| — | Dine Brands Global, Inc. | — | — | — | — | — | — | not in coverage universe |
| — | Bloomin Brands, Inc. | — | — | — | — | — | — | not in coverage universe |
| — | Brinker International, Inc. | — | — | — | — | — | — | not in coverage universe |
| — | Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc. | — | — | — | — | — | — | not in coverage universe |
| — | Darden Restaurants, Inc. | — | — | — | — | — | — | not in coverage universe |
| — | Domino's Pizza, Inc. | — | — | — | — | — | — | not in coverage universe |
| — | Restaurant Brands International Inc. | — | — | — | — | — | — | not in coverage universe |
| — | Starbucks Corporation | — | — | — | — | — | — | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wendy's | not disclosed | not disclosed | not disclosed | not disclosed |
| Bloomin Brands, Inc. | not disclosed | not disclosed | not disclosed | not disclosed |
| Brinker International, Inc. | not disclosed | not disclosed | not disclosed | not disclosed |
| Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc. | not disclosed | not disclosed | not disclosed | not disclosed |
| Cracker Barrel Old Country Store, Inc. | not disclosed | not disclosed | not disclosed | not disclosed |
| Darden Restaurants, Inc. | not disclosed | not disclosed | not disclosed | not disclosed |
| Dine Brands Global, Inc. | not disclosed | not disclosed | not disclosed | not disclosed |
| Domino's Pizza, Inc. | not disclosed | not disclosed | not disclosed | not disclosed |
| Jack in the Box Inc. | not disclosed | not disclosed | not disclosed | not disclosed |
| McDonald's Corporation | not disclosed | not disclosed | not disclosed | not disclosed |
| Papa John's International Inc. | not disclosed | not disclosed | not disclosed | not disclosed |
| Restaurant Brands International Inc. | not disclosed | not disclosed | not disclosed | not disclosed |
| Starbucks Corporation | not disclosed | not disclosed | not disclosed | not disclosed |
| Texas Roadhouse, Inc. | not disclosed | not disclosed | not disclosed | not disclosed |
| YUM! Brands, 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 | 2026-05-20 | 107,732,682 | 6,462,483 | 805,271 | 93.68% | Passed |
| 2025 | 2025-05-21 | 144,037,450 | 3,421,617 | 826,632 | 97.14% | Passed |
| 2024 | 2024-05-21 | 157,439,459 | 3,855,075 | 766,167 | 97.15% | Passed |
| 2023 | 2023-05-16 | 162,035,299 | 3,881,394 | 726,973 | 97.23% | Passed |
| 2022 | 2022-05-18 | 160,652,513 | 4,296,347 | 1,268,399 | 96.65% | Passed |
| 2021 | 2021-05-18 | 156,159,268 | 2,863,481 | 1,238,540 | 97.44% | 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.
CEO pay ratio
| Ratio (CEO : median employee) | 181 : 1 |
|---|---|
| CEO total compensation | $4,590,665 |
| Median employee compensation | $24,880 |
Insider trades since the proxy
Equity transactions since the proxy statement are temporarily unavailable — recheck shortly.
Sources (36 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, Kirk Tanner. DEF 14A, filed 2026-04-02. Section “2025 SUMMARY COMPENSATION TABLE” · page 57. As printed: 4,590,665. View filing ↗
- Section 01, Ken Cook. DEF 14A, filed 2026-04-02. Section “2025 SUMMARY COMPENSATION TABLE” · page 57. As printed: 4,503,440. View filing ↗
- Section 01, E.J. Wunsch. DEF 14A, filed 2026-04-02. Section “2025 SUMMARY COMPENSATION TABLE” · page 57. As printed: 3,956,509. View filing ↗
- Section 01, John Min. DEF 14A, filed 2026-04-02. Section “2025 SUMMARY COMPENSATION TABLE” · page 57. As printed: 3,891,088. View filing ↗
- Section 01, Pete Suerken. DEF 14A, filed 2026-04-02. Section “2025 SUMMARY COMPENSATION TABLE” · page 57. As printed: 3,476,162. View filing ↗
- Section 03, Kirk Tanner PSU. DEF 14A, filed 2026-04-02. Section “2025 Grants of Plan-Based Awards” · grants of plan-based awards table. View filing ↗
- Section 03, John Min . DEF 14A, filed 2026-04-02. Section “2025 Grants of Plan-Based Awards” · grants of plan-based awards table. View filing ↗
- Section 03, John Min OPTION. DEF 14A, filed 2026-04-02. Section “2025 Grants of Plan-Based Awards” · grants of plan-based awards table. View filing ↗
- Section 03, Ken Cook PSU. DEF 14A, filed 2026-04-02. Section “2025 Grants of Plan-Based Awards” · grants of plan-based awards table. View filing ↗
- Section 03, Pete Suerken PSU. DEF 14A, filed 2026-04-02. Section “2025 Grants of Plan-Based Awards” · grants of plan-based awards table. View filing ↗
- Section 03, Pete Suerken OPTION. DEF 14A, filed 2026-04-02. Section “2025 Grants of Plan-Based Awards” · grants of plan-based awards table. View filing ↗
- Section 03, Pete Suerken OPTION. DEF 14A, filed 2026-04-02. Section “2025 Grants of Plan-Based Awards” · grants of plan-based awards table. View filing ↗
- Section 03, Ken Cook OPTION. DEF 14A, filed 2026-04-02. Section “2025 Grants of Plan-Based Awards” · grants of plan-based awards table. View filing ↗
- Section 03, Pete Suerken OPTION. DEF 14A, filed 2026-04-02. Section “2025 Grants of Plan-Based Awards” · grants of plan-based awards table. View filing ↗
- Section 03, Ken Cook OPTION. DEF 14A, filed 2026-04-02. Section “2025 Grants of Plan-Based Awards” · grants of plan-based awards table. View filing ↗
- Section 03, Ken Cook OPTION. DEF 14A, filed 2026-04-02. Section “2025 Grants of Plan-Based Awards” · grants of plan-based awards table. View filing ↗
- Section 03, Ken Cook OPTION. DEF 14A, filed 2026-04-02. Section “2025 Grants of Plan-Based Awards” · grants of plan-based awards table. View filing ↗
- Section 03, John Min OPTION. DEF 14A, filed 2026-04-02. Section “2025 Grants of Plan-Based Awards” · grants of plan-based awards table. View filing ↗
- Section 03, John Min OPTION. DEF 14A, filed 2026-04-02. Section “2025 Grants of Plan-Based Awards” · grants of plan-based awards table. View filing ↗
- Section 03, John Min OPTION. DEF 14A, filed 2026-04-02. Section “2025 Grants of Plan-Based Awards” · grants of plan-based awards table. View filing ↗
- Section 07, pay ratio. DEF 14A, filed 2026-04-02. Section “CEO Pay Ratio”. As printed: 181 : 1. View filing ↗
- Section 08, Arthur B. Winkleblack. DEF 14A, filed 2026-04-02. Section “Director Compensation”. As printed: 458,500. View filing ↗
- Section 08, Matthew H. Peltz. DEF 14A, filed 2026-04-02. Section “Director Compensation”. As printed: 401,775. View filing ↗
- Section 08, Peter H. Rothschild. DEF 14A, filed 2026-04-02. Section “Director Compensation”. As printed: 305,500. View filing ↗
- Section 08, Peter W. May. DEF 14A, filed 2026-04-02. Section “Director Compensation”. As printed: 299,190. View filing ↗
- Section 08, Wendy C. Arlin. DEF 14A, filed 2026-04-02. Section “Director Compensation”. As printed: 291,000. View filing ↗
- Section 08, Michelle J. Mathews-Spradlin. DEF 14A, filed 2026-04-02. Section “Director Compensation”. As printed: 289,312. View filing ↗
- Section 08, Richard H. Gomez. DEF 14A, filed 2026-04-02. Section “Director Compensation”. As printed: 268,379. View filing ↗
- Section 08, Kristin A. Dolan. DEF 14A, filed 2026-04-02. Section “Director Compensation”. As printed: 264,818. View filing ↗
- Section 08, Michelle Caruso-Cabrera. DEF 14A, filed 2026-04-02. Section “Director Compensation”. As printed: 264,500. View filing ↗
- Section 08, Bradley G. Peltz. DEF 14A, filed 2026-04-02. Section “Director Compensation”. As printed: 188,216. View filing ↗
- Section 08, Kenneth W. Gilbert. DEF 14A, filed 2026-04-02. Section “Director Compensation”. As printed: 149,250. 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 1,243,909 + equity 1,836,531 + all other 100,000 = 3,180,440, summed across the director compensation table rows.
- Wendy's (subject), Section 10b CEO total. DEF 14A, filed 2026-04-02. CEO total compensation as printed in Wendy's's own proxy. As printed: 4,503,440. View filing ↗