Fiscal year 2025 executive and director compensation, incentive-plan design, equity activity, and governance — every figure in this brief is traceable to its exact location in the company’s SEC filing — the document, the section, the page, and the table, linked directly.
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.
| 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 | $0 | $49,332 | $2,059,747 |
| President, Pet Consumer Products | ||||||||
| Nicholas Lahanas | 893,365 | 0 | 1,000,022 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12,375 | 1,905,762 |
| Chief Executive Officer | ||||||||
| William Brown | 306,508 | 0 | 1,200,019 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 28,771 | 1,535,298 |
| Chairman of the Board of Directors | ||||||||
| John Walker | 563,379 | 0 | 250,006 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 45,550 | 858,935 |
| President, Garden Consumer Products | ||||||||
| Bradley Smith | 448,435 | 0 | 250,006 | 0 | 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.
| Named executive officer | FY2025 total | FY2024 total | FY2023 total | Δ FY2024→2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| John Hanson | $2,059,747 | — | — | — |
| Nicholas Lahanas | 1,905,762 | — | — | — |
| William Brown | 1,535,298 | — | — | — |
| John Walker | 858,935 | — | — | — |
| Bradley Smith | 736,037 | — | — | — |
Prior-year totals as disclosed in the corresponding proxy; deltas are computed values with the derivation shown in the register.
No insider equity transactions reported since the proxy statement.
| Executive | Award | Grant date | Threshold | Target | Granted | Maximum | Grant-date fair value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| William Brown | RSU | 2025-02-11 | — | — | 22,302 | — | $750,016 |
| William Brown | RSU | 2025-02-11 | — | — | 13,381 | — | 450,003 |
| John Hanson | RSU | 2025-02-11 | — | — | 35,682 | — | 1,199,986 |
| John Hanson | RSU | 2025-02-11 | — | — | 3,717 | — | — |
| John Hanson | PSU | 2025-02-11 | 2,416 | 3,717 | — | 8,363 | 125,003 |
| Nicholas Lahanas | RSU | 2025-02-11 | — | — | 14,868 | — | — |
| Nicholas Lahanas | PSU | 2025-02-11 | 9,664 | 14,868 | — | 33,453 | 500,011 |
| Bradley Smith | PSU | 2025-02-11 | 2,416 | 3,717 | — | 8,363 | 125,003 |
| Bradley Smith | RSU | 2025-02-11 | — | — | 3,717 | — | — |
| John Walker | RSU | 2025-02-11 | — | — | 3,717 | — | — |
| John Walker | PSU | 2025-02-11 | 2,416 | 3,717 | — | 8,363 | 125,003 |
| Named executive officer | Time-vested (RSU) | Performance-vested (PSU) | Options / SARs | % performance-vested |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| William Brown | $1,200,019 | $0 | $0 | 0.0% |
| John Hanson | 1,199,986 | 125,003 | 0 | 9.4% |
| Nicholas Lahanas | 0 | 500,011 | 0 | 100.0% |
| Bradley Smith | 0 | 125,003 | 0 | 100.0% |
| John Walker | 0 | 125,003 | 0 | 100.0% |
% performance-vested = PSU grant-date fair value ÷ (RSU + PSU + Options), a computed value with the derivation shown in the register.
| Executive | Award | Shares unvested | Exercise price | Market value unvested |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| John Hanson | RSU | 35,682 | — | $1,070,817 |
| William Brown | RSU | 22,302 | — | 669,283 |
| Nicholas Lahanas | RSU | 21,930 | — | 658,119 |
| John Walker | RSU | 21,930 | — | 658,119 |
| Nicholas Lahanas | RSU | 14,868 | — | 446,189 |
| Nicholas Lahanas | PSU | 14,868 | — | 446,189 |
| William Brown | RSU | 13,837 | — | 415,248 |
| William Brown | RSU | 13,534 | — | 406,155 |
| William Brown | RSU | 13,381 | — | 401,563 |
| William Brown | RSU | 9,005 | — | 270,240 |
| Nicholas Lahanas | PSU | 3,844 | — | 115,358 |
| John Hanson | PSU | 3,844 | — | 115,358 |
| John Walker | PSU | 3,844 | — | 115,358 |
| Nicholas Lahanas | RSU | 3,788 | — | 113,678 |
| John Hanson | RSU | 3,759 | — | 112,808 |
| William Brown | RSU | 3,786 | — | 113,618 |
| Nicholas Lahanas | RSU | 3,759 | — | 112,808 |
| Nicholas Lahanas | PSU | 3,759 | — | 112,808 |
| John Walker | PSU | 3,759 | — | 112,808 |
| John Hanson | PSU | 3,759 | — | 112,808 |
| John Walker | RSU | 3,759 | — | 112,808 |
| Nicholas Lahanas | PSU | 3,751 | — | 112,568 |
| John Hanson | PSU | 3,751 | — | 112,568 |
| John Hanson | PSU | 3,717 | — | 111,547 |
| John Walker | PSU | 3,751 | — | 112,568 |
| Bradley Smith | RSU | 3,717 | — | 111,547 |
| Bradley Smith | PSU | 3,717 | — | 111,547 |
| John Hanson | RSU | 3,717 | — | 111,547 |
| John Walker | RSU | 3,717 | — | 111,547 |
| John Walker | PSU | 3,717 | — | 111,547 |
| Bradley Smith | RSU | 3,007 | — | 90,240 |
| Nicholas Lahanas | RSU | 1,922 | — | 57,679 |
| John Hanson | RSU | 1,922 | — | 57,679 |
| John Walker | RSU | 1,922 | — | 57,679 |
| Bradley Smith | PSU | 1,153 | — | 34,602 |
| Bradley Smith | RSU | 1,127 | — | 33,821 |
| Bradley Smith | PSU | 1,127 | — | 33,821 |
| Bradley Smith | PSU | 1,125 | — | 33,761 |
| Bradley Smith | RSU | 576 | — | 17,286 |
The Company's compensation program is designed to reward, retain, and attract executives to support the Company's business strategy and achieve its short and long-term goals. The Company believes its compensation program is strongly aligned with the interests of the Company's shareholders and links competitive levels of compensation to achievements of the Company's overall strategy and business goals.
| CEO STI target (% of salary) | — |
|---|---|
| CEO LTI target (% of salary) | — |
| Independent consultant | — |
| Clawback policy | true |
| Anti-hedging | — |
| Anti-pledging | — |
| 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 | 96.77% | 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 | 99.14% | 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.
| Meeting year | Meeting date | Approval — company's computation |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 2026-02-11 | 98.68%a |
| 2023 | 2023-02-07 | 96.77%b |
| 2020 | 2020-02-11 | 92.76%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.
| Ratio (CEO : median employee) | 40 : 1 |
|---|---|
| CEO total compensation | $1,905,762 |
| Median employee compensation | $49,985 |
| Annual cash retainer | $15,000 |
|---|---|
| Annual equity retainer | — |
| Per board meeting fee | $1,500 |
| Committee chair fees (audit / comp / nom-gov) | 20,000 / 15,000 |
| Stock ownership guideline | $300,000 |
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 | $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.
Each figure's location is given both for the eye (section · page · table · row · column) and for a script (table/row/column index and exact character span in the filed document). Any figure can be independently confirmed against the source.
| # | Supports | Document | Filed | Accession | Location in document |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Section 01, John Hanson | DEF 14A | 2025-12-22 | 0001140361-25-046376 | Section “Summary Compensation Table” · page 26. As printed: 2,059,747. Filing ↗machine: r7 · c25 · span 445578–445587 |
| 2 | Section 01, Nicholas Lahanas | DEF 14A | 2025-12-22 | 0001140361-25-046376 | Section “Summary Compensation Table” · page 26. As printed: 1,905,762. Filing ↗machine: r2 · c25 · span 422534–422543 |
| 3 | Section 01, William Brown | DEF 14A | 2025-12-22 | 0001140361-25-046376 | Section “Summary Compensation Table” · page 26. As printed: 1,535,298. Filing ↗machine: r13 · c25 · span 472606–472615 |
| 4 | Section 01, John Walker | DEF 14A | 2025-12-22 | 0001140361-25-046376 | Section “Summary Compensation Table” · page 26. As printed: 858,935. Filing ↗machine: r10 · c25 · span 459477–459484 |
| 5 | Section 01, Bradley Smith | DEF 14A | 2025-12-22 | 0001140361-25-046376 | Section “Summary Compensation Table” · page 26. As printed: 736,037. Filing ↗machine: r5 · c25 · span 436501–436508 |
| 6 | Section 03, William Brown RSU | DEF 14A | 2025-12-22 | 0001140361-25-046376 | Section “Grants of Plan-Based Awards” · grants of plan-based awards table. Filing ↗ |
| 7 | Section 03, William Brown RSU | DEF 14A | 2025-12-22 | 0001140361-25-046376 | Section “Grants of Plan-Based Awards” · grants of plan-based awards table. Filing ↗ |
| 8 | Section 03, John Hanson RSU | DEF 14A | 2025-12-22 | 0001140361-25-046376 | Section “Grants of Plan-Based Awards” · grants of plan-based awards table. Filing ↗machine: span 620753–620762 |
| 9 | Section 03, John Hanson RSU | DEF 14A | 2025-12-22 | 0001140361-25-046376 | Section “Grants of Plan-Based Awards” · grants of plan-based awards table. Filing ↗ |
| 10 | Section 03, John Hanson PSU | DEF 14A | 2025-12-22 | 0001140361-25-046376 | Section “Grants of Plan-Based Awards” · grants of plan-based awards table. Filing ↗ |
| 11 | Section 03, Nicholas Lahanas RSU | DEF 14A | 2025-12-22 | 0001140361-25-046376 | Section “Grants of Plan-Based Awards” · grants of plan-based awards table. Filing ↗machine: span 571725–571731 |
| 12 | Section 03, Nicholas Lahanas PSU | DEF 14A | 2025-12-22 | 0001140361-25-046376 | Section “Grants of Plan-Based Awards” · grants of plan-based awards table. Filing ↗ |
| 13 | Section 03, Bradley Smith PSU | DEF 14A | 2025-12-22 | 0001140361-25-046376 | Section “Grants of Plan-Based Awards” · grants of plan-based awards table. Filing ↗ |
| 14 | Section 03, Bradley Smith RSU | DEF 14A | 2025-12-22 | 0001140361-25-046376 | Section “Grants of Plan-Based Awards” · grants of plan-based awards table. Filing ↗machine: span 584541–584546 |
| 15 | Section 03, John Walker RSU | DEF 14A | 2025-12-22 | 0001140361-25-046376 | Section “Grants of Plan-Based Awards” · grants of plan-based awards table. Filing ↗machine: span 631885–631890 |
| 16 | Section 03, John Walker PSU | DEF 14A | 2025-12-22 | 0001140361-25-046376 | Section “Grants of Plan-Based Awards” · grants of plan-based awards table. Filing ↗ |
| 17 | Section 07, pay ratio | DEF 14A | 2025-12-22 | 0001140361-25-046376 | Section “CEO Pay Ratio”. As printed: 40 : 1. Filing ↗machine: span 1101907–1101909 |
| 18 | Section 06, 2026 vote | Form 8-K | 2026-02-18 | 0001193125-26-057026 | Item 5.07 · say-on-pay result. As reported: 98.68% (votes for as printed: 16,346,943). Filing ↗ |
| 19 | Section 06, 2023 vote | Form 8-K | 2023-02-10 | 0001193125-23-032428 | Item 5.07 · say-on-pay result. As reported: 96.77% (votes for as printed: 19,179,403). Filing ↗ |
| 20 | Section 06, 2020 vote | Form 8-K | 2020-02-13 | 0001193125-20-035729 | Item 5.07 · say-on-pay result. As reported: 92.76% (votes for as printed: 18,646,184). Filing ↗ |
| 21 | Section 03b vehicle mix (computed) | Computed | — | computed | RSU / PSU / Options grant-date fair values summed per officer from the grants table; % performance-vested = PSU ÷ (RSU+PSU+Options).machine: formula: sums + PSU ratio |
| 22 | Central Garden & Pet (subject), Section 10b CEO total | DEF 14A | 2025-12-22 | 0001140361-25-046376 | CEO total compensation as printed in Central Garden & Pet's own proxy. As printed: 1,905,762. Filing ↗machine: r2 · c25 · span 422534–422543 |