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Companies Brinker International, Inc

Brinker International (EAT): executive pay, fiscal 2026

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CEO total pay$10,679,756CEO Kevin Hochman · source
Say-on-pay support96.25%Latest vote · source
CEO vs. named peers38th pct.Of 14 peer CEOs
CEO pay ratio1,274:1To the median employee · source

CEO pay, last three years

  • $7,701,599FY2024
  • $30,465,768FY2025
  • $10,679,756FY2026

CEO total pay was $10,679,756 in fiscal 2026, down from $30,465,768 in fiscal 2025.

FY2026: salary $1,061,731 · bonus $0 · stock awards $7,049,883 · option awards $0

Executives and directors

Frequently asked questions

Who was the highest-paid executive at Brinker International, Inc in fiscal 2026?
As disclosed, Kevin Hochman (Chief Executive Officer and President) was the highest-paid executive at Brinker International, Inc in fiscal 2026, with total compensation of $10,679,756.
How does Brinker International, Inc's chief executive pay compare to its disclosed peer group?
As disclosed, Kevin Hochman's total compensation ranked at the 38th percentile of Brinker International, Inc's disclosed peer group.
What is Brinker International, Inc's CEO-to-median employee pay ratio?
As disclosed, Brinker International, Inc's CEO-to-median employee pay ratio was 1274:1.
How did shareholders vote on Brinker International, Inc's executive compensation?
As disclosed, 96.25% of shareholders supported Brinker International, Inc's executive compensation in the latest say-on-pay vote.
How much does Brinker International, Inc spend in total on board compensation for fiscal 2026?
As disclosed, Brinker International, Inc reported total board compensation of $2,742,810 for fiscal 2026.

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 officerSalaryBonusStock awardsOption awardsNon-equity incentivePension / NQDCAll otherTotal
Kevin Hochman$1,061,731$0$7,049,883$0$2,543,616$0$24,526$10,679,756
Chief Executive Officer and President
Aaron White671,7000899,8850704,630045,2332,321,448
Executive Vice President, Chief Operating Officer and Chief People Officer
Michaela Ware624,2540749,7450654,858038,7862,067,643
Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer
George Felix545,3660649,8650524,452038,9451,758,628
Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer
Douglas Comings537,3600599,9220488,5444,89146,4441,677,161
Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of Chili's Grill & Bar

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 officerFY2026 totalFY2025 totalFY2024 totalΔ FY2025→2026
Kevin Hochman$10,679,756$30,465,768$7,701,599↓ −19,786,012
Aaron White2,321,4485,169,3821,926,211↓ −2,847,934
Michaela Ware2,067,6432,007,6132,007,613↑ +60,030
George Felix1,758,6283,698,7561,582,474↓ −1,940,128
Douglas Comings1,677,1611,836,7541,836,754↓ −159,593

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

Brinker's compensation programs reflect a strong pay for performance philosophy and commitment to driving shareholder value, with a majority of NEO compensation tied to the Company's financial objectives and stock price appreciation. The strategy uses variable compensation plans to make up the majority of potential total compensation, placing significant amounts of compensation 'at risk' to align executive interests with sustained performance and shareholder value creation.

CEO STI target (% of salary)—
CEO LTI target (% of salary)—
Independent consultantPearl Meyer & Partners
Clawback policytrue
Anti-hedgingtrue
Anti-pledgingtrue
Equity grants and outstanding awards

No plan-based awards are on file for this fiscal year.

Outstanding equity awards at fiscal year-end 2026

ExecutiveAwardShares unvestedExercise priceMarket value unvested
Michaela WareRSU146—$24,801
Douglas ComingsRSU187—31,766
Michaela WareRSU195—33,125
Douglas ComingsRSU195—33,125
Michaela WareRSU216—36,692
Douglas ComingsRSU216—36,692
Michaela WareRSU260—44,166
Douglas ComingsRSU260—44,166
Michaela WareRSU350—59,455
Michaela WareRSU400—67,948
Michaela WarePSU536—91,050
Michaela WareRSU800—135,896
Douglas ComingsRSU1,543—262,109
Douglas ComingsPSU1,574—267,375
George FelixRSU1,671—283,853
Michaela WareRSU1,928—327,509
Douglas ComingsRSU1,935—328,698
Michaela WareRSU2,037—346,025
Michaela WareRSU2,184—370,996
Douglas ComingsPSU2,229—378,640
George FelixRSU2,279—387,134
Douglas ComingsRSU2,279—387,134
Aaron WhiteRSU2,314—393,079
George FelixRSU2,343—398,005
George FelixPSU2,415—410,236
Michaela WarePSU2,786—473,258
Aaron WhiteRSU2,944—500,097
Aaron WhiteRSU3,055—518,953
Aaron WhitePSU3,344—568,045
Michaela WarePSU9,060—1,539,022
George FelixPSU9,454—1,605,951
Douglas ComingsPSU9,454—1,605,951
Aaron WhitePSU12,212—2,074,452
Douglas ComingsPSU16,298—2,768,541
Kevin HochmanRSU18,131—3,079,913
Kevin HochmanRSU18,332—3,114,057
George FelixRSU19,730—3,351,535
Kevin HochmanRSU24,692—4,194,430
Aaron WhiteRSU25,736—4,371,774
Kevin HochmanPSU26,195—4,449,745
George FelixPSU39,752—6,752,672
Aaron WhitePSU59,630—10,129,348
Kevin HochmanPSU102,428—17,399,444
Kevin HochmanRSU154,418—26,230,986
Kevin HochmanPSU397,534—67,529,101
Director compensation
DirectorCash feesStock awardsOption awardsNon-equity incentiveAll otherTotal
Joseph M. DePintoNot independent · Board Chair$137,500$292,095———$429,595
William T. GilesIndependent · Audit · Talent & Compensation132,500154,775———287,275
Harriet EdelmanIndependent · Audit · Talent & Compensation129,500154,775———284,275
Cynthia L. DavisIndependent · Talent & Compensation · Governance & Nominating117,500154,775———272,275
James C. KatzmanIndependent · Audit · Governance & Nominating115,000154,775———269,775
Frank D. LiberioNot independent115,000154,775———269,775
Frances L. AllenIndependent · Audit · Governance & Nominating115,000154,775———269,775
Ramona T. HoodIndependent · Governance & Nominating · Talent & Compensation110,000154,775———264,775
Timothy A. JohnsonNot independent · Not standing for re-election109,375154,775———264,150
Prashant N. RanadeNot independent · Departed during FY53,75077,390———131,140
Kevin D. HochmanEmployee director—————0

Board fee structure and ownership guideline

Annual cash retainer$85,000
Annual equity retainer$155,000
Per board meeting fee—
Committee chair fees (audit / comp / nom-gov)15,000 / 12,000 / 10,000
Stock ownership guidelinemaintaining stock ownership guidelines for our executive officers

Total cost of the board

ComponentFY2026
Cash retainers and fees$1,135,125
Equity awards (grant-date value)$1,607,685
All other compensation$0
Total cost of the board$2,742,810

Computed as the sum of the director compensation table rows above; inputs and formula shown in the register.

Peer group, and who names Brinker International as a peer

Companies that benchmark against EAT

27 companies name EAT as a compensation peer

Each company listed discloses EAT 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 EAT 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.

Peer reciprocity

Of the companies Brinker International, Inc 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.

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 Brinker International, Inc.

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.

RankCompanyFYChief executiveSalaryStock awardsOption awardsNon-equity incentiveTotal
1Wingstop Inc.2025Michael Skipworth$959,231$32,590,697$0$1,708,800$35,288,595
2Darden Restaurants, Inc.2026Ricardo Cardenas1,325,00025,879,1542,380,0934,107,50134,815,979
3Hyatt Hotels Corporation2025Mark Hoplamazian1,410,41720,478,7492,562,4902,056,50026,699,762
4Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc.2025Scott Boatwright1,095,3857,800,0025,200,0071,155,00015,455,736
5Restaurant Brands International, Inc.2025Joshua Kobza950,00012,317,91201,869,27615,159,780
6Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd.2025Harry Sommer1,300,0009,499,96002,880,80013,752,560
7Texas Roadhouse, Inc.2025Gerald Morgan1,356,5388,410,9280909,41310,822,133
8Cinemark Holdings, Inc.2025Sean Gamble1,000,0006,499,96803,200,00010,815,407
9Brinker International, Inc2026Kevin Hochman1,061,7317,049,88302,543,61610,679,756
10Yum! Brands, Inc.2025Chris Turner1,020,2884,651,7631,400,0321,842,8629,130,462
11The Cheesecake Factory, Inc.2025David Overton1,030,0005,902,124—1,445,6058,419,852
12Shake Shack Inc.2025Robert Lynch1,000,0005,000,16101,011,7507,210,818
13Cracker Barrel Old Country Store, Inc.2026Julie Masino1,030,0003,476,1871,158,7381,031,9316,928,561
14Bloomin’ Brands, Inc.2025Michael Spanos1,000,0003,333,33701,155,0005,495,861

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

CompanyAnnual incentive payoutLong-term vehicle mixPSU measures include TSRCompensation consultant
Brinker International, Incnot disclosedPSU 60 · RSU 40Yes — Relative TSRPearl Meyer & Partners
Bloomin’ Brands, Inc.66%PSU 67 · RSU 33NoFW Cook
Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc.53%PSU 60 · Options 20 · RSU 20NoMeridian Compensation Partners, LLC
Cinemark Holdings, Inc.200%PSU 60 · RSA 40NoPearl Meyer
Cracker Barrel Old Country Store, Inc.80.15%PSU 50 · RSU 25 · Options 25NoFW Cook
Darden Restaurants, Inc.155%PSU 50 · Options 25 · RSU 25Yes — Relative TSRPearl Meyer
Hyatt Hotels Corporation84%PSU 40 · SAR 30 · RSU 30NoKorn Ferry
Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd.110.8%PSU 50 · RSU 50NoKorn Ferry
Restaurant Brands International, Inc.98%not disclosedYes — Relative TSR vs S&P 500Frederic W. Cook & Co., Inc.
Shake Shack Inc.67.5%PSU 60 · RSU 40NoPearl Meyer & Partners
Texas Roadhouse, Inc.65%not disclosedNoFW Cook
The Cheesecake Factory, Inc.100.25%PSU 50 · RSU 50NoFW Cook
Wingstop Inc.142%PRSU 60 · RSU 40NoFW Cook
Yum! Brands, Inc.not disclosedPSU 50 · Options 25 · RSU 25Yes — TSR Relative to S&P 500 Consumer Discretionary IndexMeridian Compensation Partners, LLC

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 yearMeeting dateForAgainstAbstainSupportOutcome
20252025-11-2034,195,0551,332,331101,16496.25%Passed
20242024-11-0635,797,8161,588,18198,09795.75%Passed
20232023-11-1636,749,381714,805248,46698.09%Passed
20222022-11-1736,119,6181,142,85935,76196.93%Passed
20212021-11-1835,130,4781,986,36569,13294.65%Passed
20202020-11-0534,247,4681,445,733139,01495.95%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 yearMeeting dateApproval — company’s computation
20252025-11-2096.25%a
20242024-11-0695.75%b
20232023-11-1698.09%c

a. Approved under the standard stated in the filing — “What effect will abstentions have on the outcome of each proposal? Abstentions will have no effect on the outcome of the proposals at the Annual Meeting.”.

b. Approved under the standard stated in the filing — “What effect will abstentions have on the outcome of each proposal? Abstentions will have no effect on the outcome of the proposals at the Annual Meeting.”.

c. Approved under the standard stated in the filing — “What effect will abstentions have on the outcome of each proposal? Abstentions will have no effect on the outcome of the proposals at the Annual Meeting.”.

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)1,274 : 1
CEO total compensation$30,465,768
Median employee compensation$23,905
Insider trades since the proxy

Every insider equity transaction reported on Form 4 after the 2026 proxy statement — acquisitions, dispositions, exercises, and withholdings — and therefore not reflected in any table in that document.

InsiderRoleTransaction dateCodeSharesPriceValueSecuritySource
Kevin HochmanDirector2026-10-29D40,000$220$8,815,200CommonForm 4 ↗
Frances L. AllenDirector2026-10-29D500217108,460CommonForm 4 ↗

Transaction codes per Form 4: A acquisition · S open-market sale · F tax withholding · M option exercise · G gift. Value = shares × price as reported. Dividend-equivalent and fractional-share accrual rows (derivative Class A, under $10,000 and under 2,000 shares) are aggregated per date; every row appears in full below.

Sources (50 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, Kevin Hochman. DEF 14A, filed 2026-09-25. Section “Fiscal 2026 Summary Compensation Table” · page 32. As printed: 10,679,756. View filing ↗
  • Section 01, Aaron White. DEF 14A, filed 2026-09-25. Section “Fiscal 2026 Summary Compensation Table”. As printed: 2,321,448. View filing ↗
  • Section 01, Michaela Ware. DEF 14A, filed 2026-09-25. Section “Fiscal 2026 Summary Compensation Table”. As printed: 2,067,643. View filing ↗
  • Section 01, George Felix. DEF 14A, filed 2026-09-25. Section “Fiscal 2026 Summary Compensation Table”. As printed: 1,758,628. View filing ↗
  • Section 01, Douglas Comings. DEF 14A, filed 2026-09-25. Section “Fiscal 2026 Summary Compensation Table”. As printed: 1,677,161. View filing ↗
  • Section 07, pay ratio. DEF 14A, filed 2025-10-03. Section “CEO Pay Ratio”. As printed: 1274 : 1. View filing ↗
  • Section 08, Joseph M. DePinto. DEF 14A, filed 2026-09-25. Section “Director Compensation”. As printed: 429,595. View filing ↗
  • Section 08, William T. Giles. DEF 14A, filed 2026-09-25. Section “Director Compensation”. As printed: 287,275. View filing ↗
  • Section 08, Harriet Edelman. DEF 14A, filed 2026-09-25. Section “Director Compensation”. As printed: 284,275. View filing ↗
  • Section 08, Cynthia L. Davis. DEF 14A, filed 2026-09-25. Section “Director Compensation”. As printed: 272,275. View filing ↗
  • Section 08, James C. Katzman. DEF 14A, filed 2026-09-25. Section “Director Compensation”. As printed: 269,775. View filing ↗
  • Section 08, Frank D. Liberio. DEF 14A, filed 2026-09-25. Section “Director Compensation”. As printed: 269,775. View filing ↗
  • Section 08, Frances L. Allen. DEF 14A, filed 2026-09-25. Section “Director Compensation”. As printed: 269,775. View filing ↗
  • Section 08, Ramona T. Hood. DEF 14A, filed 2026-09-25. Section “Director Compensation”. As printed: 264,775. View filing ↗
  • Section 08, Timothy A. Johnson. DEF 14A, filed 2026-09-25. Section “Director Compensation”. As printed: 264,150. View filing ↗
  • Section 08, Prashant N. Ranade. DEF 14A, filed 2026-09-25. Section “Director Compensation”. As printed: 131,140. View filing ↗
  • Section 08, Kevin D. Hochman. DEF 14A, filed 2026-09-25. Section “Director Compensation”. As printed: 0. View filing ↗
  • Section 02, Kevin Hochman 2026-10-29. Form 4, filed 2026-10-30. Insider equity transaction reported since the proxy statement. View filing ↗
  • Section 02, Frances L. Allen 2026-10-29. Form 4, filed 2026-10-30. Insider equity transaction reported since the proxy statement. View filing ↗
  • Section 06, 2025 vote. Form 8-K, filed 2025-11-24. Item 5.07 · say-on-pay result. As reported: 96.25% (votes for as printed: 34,195,055). View filing ↗
  • Section 06, 2024 vote. Form 8-K, filed 2024-11-06. Item 5.07 · say-on-pay result. As reported: 95.75% (votes for as printed: 35,797,816). View filing ↗
  • Section 06, 2023 vote. Form 8-K, filed 2023-11-20. Item 5.07 · say-on-pay result. As reported: 98.09% (votes for as printed: 36,749,381). 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 1,135,125 + equity 1,607,685 + all other 0 = 2,742,810, summed across the director compensation table rows.
  • Wingstop Inc., Section 10b CEO total. DEF 14A, filed 2026-04-02. CEO total compensation as printed in Wingstop Inc.'s own proxy. As printed: 35,288,595. View filing ↗
  • Darden Restaurants, Inc., Section 10b CEO total. DEF 14A, filed 2026-08-10. CEO total compensation as printed in Darden Restaurants, Inc.'s own proxy. As printed: 34,815,979. View filing ↗
  • Hyatt Hotels Corporation, Section 10b CEO total. DEF 14A, filed 2026-04-02. CEO total compensation as printed in Hyatt Hotels Corporation's own proxy. As printed: 26,699,762. View filing ↗
  • Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc., Section 10b CEO total. DEF 14A, filed 2026-04-28. CEO total compensation as printed in Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc.'s own proxy. As printed: 15,455,736. View filing ↗
  • Restaurant Brands International, Inc., Section 10b CEO total. DEF 14A, filed 2026-04-23. CEO total compensation as printed in Restaurant Brands International, Inc.'s own proxy. As printed: 15,159,780. View filing ↗
  • Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd., Section 10b CEO total. DEF 14A, filed 2026-04-30. CEO total compensation as printed in Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd.'s own proxy. As printed: 13,752,560. View filing ↗
  • Texas Roadhouse, Inc., Section 10b CEO total. DEF 14A, filed 2026-04-10. CEO total compensation as printed in Texas Roadhouse, Inc.'s own proxy. As printed: 10,822,133. View filing ↗
  • Cinemark Holdings, Inc., Section 10b CEO total. DEF 14A, filed 2026-04-01. CEO total compensation as printed in Cinemark Holdings, Inc.'s own proxy. As printed: 10,815,407. View filing ↗
  • Brinker International, Inc (subject), Section 10b CEO total. DEF 14A, filed 2026-09-25. CEO total compensation as printed in Brinker International, Inc's own proxy. As printed: 10,679,756. View filing ↗
  • Yum! Brands, Inc., Section 10b CEO total. DEF 14A, filed 2026-04-03. CEO total compensation as printed in Yum! Brands, Inc.'s own proxy. As printed: 9,130,462. View filing ↗
  • The Cheesecake Factory, Inc., Section 10b CEO total. DEF 14A, filed 2026-04-10. CEO total compensation as printed in The Cheesecake Factory, Inc.'s own proxy. As printed: 8,419,852. View filing ↗
  • 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 ↗
  • Cracker Barrel Old Country Store, Inc., Section 10b CEO total. DEF 14A, filed 2026-10-06. CEO total compensation as printed in Cracker Barrel Old Country Store, Inc.'s own proxy. As printed: 6,928,561. View filing ↗
  • Bloomin’ Brands, Inc., Section 10b CEO total. DEF 14A, filed 2026-03-03. CEO total compensation as printed in Bloomin’ Brands, Inc.'s own proxy. As printed: 5,495,861. View filing ↗
  • Section 10a, Bloomin’ Brands, Inc. reciprocity. DEF 14A. Bloomin’ Brands, Inc. names Brinker International, Inc in its own disclosed peer group (read from its most recent proxy). View filing ↗
  • Section 10a, Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc. reciprocity. DEF 14A. Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc.'s most recent proxy was read; its disclosed peer group does not include Brinker International, Inc. View filing ↗
  • Section 10a, Cinemark Holdings, Inc. reciprocity. DEF 14A. Cinemark Holdings, Inc. names Brinker International, Inc in its own disclosed peer group (read from its most recent proxy). View filing ↗
  • Section 10a, Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd. reciprocity. DEF 14A. Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd.'s most recent proxy was read; its disclosed peer group does not include Brinker International, Inc. View filing ↗
  • Section 10a, Darden Restaurants, Inc. reciprocity. DEF 14A. Darden Restaurants, Inc.'s most recent proxy was read; its disclosed peer group does not include Brinker International, Inc. View filing ↗
  • Section 10a, Shake Shack Inc. reciprocity. DEF 14A. Shake Shack Inc. names Brinker International, Inc in its own disclosed peer group (read from its most recent proxy). View filing ↗
  • Section 10a, Wingstop Inc. reciprocity. DEF 14A. Wingstop Inc. names Brinker International, Inc in its own disclosed peer group (read from its most recent proxy). View filing ↗
  • Section 10a, Hyatt Hotels Corporation reciprocity. DEF 14A. Hyatt Hotels Corporation names Brinker International, Inc in its own disclosed peer group (read from its most recent proxy). View filing ↗
  • Section 10a, Yum! Brands, Inc. reciprocity. DEF 14A. Yum! Brands, Inc.'s most recent proxy was read; its disclosed peer group does not include Brinker International, Inc. View filing ↗
  • Section 10a, Cracker Barrel Old Country Store, Inc. reciprocity. DEF 14A. Cracker Barrel Old Country Store, Inc. names Brinker International, Inc in its own disclosed peer group (read from its most recent proxy). View filing ↗
  • Section 10a, Texas Roadhouse, Inc. reciprocity. DEF 14A. Texas Roadhouse, Inc. names Brinker International, Inc in its own disclosed peer group (read from its most recent proxy). View filing ↗
  • Section 10a, Restaurant Brands International, Inc. reciprocity. DEF 14A. Restaurant Brands International, Inc.'s most recent proxy was read; its disclosed peer group does not include Brinker International, Inc. View filing ↗
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