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 MZTI 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 MZTI 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| David Ciesinski | $975,000 | $0 | $3,000,112 | $0 | $1,292,363 | $0 | $110,885 | $5,378,360 |
| President and CEO | ||||||||
| Carl Stealey | 372,000 | 0 | 499,811 | 0 | 347,200 | 0 | 1,266,982 | 2,485,993 |
| Former President, Retail Division | ||||||||
| Thomas Pigott | 624,000 | 0 | 800,229 | 0 | 549,320 | 0 | 51,764 | 2,025,313 |
| Chief Financial Officer, Vice President and Assistant Secretary | ||||||||
| Kristin Bird | 508,000 | 0 | 499,811 | 0 | 367,299 | 0 | 44,371 | 1,419,481 |
| President, Foodservice Division | ||||||||
| Luis Viso | 500,000 | 0 | 449,907 | 0 | 361,515 | 0 | 28,315 | 1,339,737 |
| Chief Supply Chain Officer | ||||||||
| Tanya Berman | 104,942 | 150,000 | 499,921 | 0 | 99,280 | 0 | 207,332 | 1,061,475 |
| President, Retail Division | ||||||||
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| David Ciesinski | $5,378,360 | — | — | — |
| Carl Stealey | 2,485,993 | — | — | — |
| Thomas Pigott | 2,025,313 | — | — | — |
| Kristin Bird | 1,419,481 | — | — | — |
| Luis Viso | 1,339,737 | — | — | — |
| Tanya Berman | 1,061,475 | — | — | — |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thomas Pigott | PSU | 2024-08-13 | 228 | 1,138 | — | 2,276 | $220,078 |
| Tanya Berman | RSU | 2025-05-13 | — | — | 2,983 | — | 499,921 |
| Carl Stealey | PSU | 2024-08-13 | 142 | 711 | — | 1,422 | 137,500 |
| Kristin Bird | RSU | 2024-08-13 | — | — | 1,163 | — | 224,913 |
| Kristin Bird | PSU | 2024-08-13 | 124 | 620 | — | 1,240 | 137,398 |
| Kristin Bird | PSU | 2024-08-13 | 142 | 711 | — | 1,422 | 137,500 |
| David Ciesinski | PSU | 2024-08-13 | 853 | 4,266 | — | 8,532 | 825,002 |
| David Ciesinski | RSU | 2024-08-13 | — | — | 6,981 | — | 1,350,056 |
| David Ciesinski | PSU | 2024-08-13 | 745 | 3,723 | — | 7,446 | 825,054 |
| Thomas Pigott | PSU | 2024-08-13 | 199 | 993 | — | 1,986 | 220,059 |
| Thomas Pigott | RSU | 2024-08-13 | — | — | 1,862 | — | 360,092 |
| Carl Stealey | RSU | 2024-08-13 | — | — | 1,163 | — | 224,913 |
| Carl Stealey | PSU | 2024-08-13 | 124 | 620 | — | 1,240 | 137,398 |
| Luis Viso | RSU | 2024-08-13 | — | — | 1,047 | — | 202,479 |
| Luis Viso | PSU | 2024-08-13 | 128 | 640 | — | 1,280 | 123,770 |
| Luis Viso | PSU | 2024-08-13 | 112 | 558 | — | 1,116 | 123,658 |
| Named executive officer | Time-vested (RSU) | Performance-vested (PSU) | Options / SARs | % performance-vested |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thomas Pigott | $360,092 | $440,137 | $0 | 55.0% |
| Tanya Berman | 499,921 | 0 | 0 | 0.0% |
| Carl Stealey | 224,913 | 274,898 | 0 | 55.0% |
| Kristin Bird | 224,913 | 274,898 | 0 | 55.0% |
| David Ciesinski | 1,350,056 | 1,650,056 | 0 | 55.0% |
| Luis Viso | 202,479 | 247,428 | 0 | 55.0% |
% 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| David Ciesinski | RSU | 21,655 | — | $3,741,334 |
| David Ciesinski | RSU | 7,731 | — | 1,335,685 |
| David Ciesinski | RSU | 4,576 | — | 790,595 |
| David Ciesinski | PSU | 25,768 | — | 4,451,937 |
| David Ciesinski | RSU | 16,460 | — | 2,843,794 |
| David Ciesinski | RSU | 6,981 | — | 1,206,107 |
| David Ciesinski | RSU | 6,943 | — | 1,199,542 |
| David Ciesinski | RSU | 4,732 | — | 817,548 |
| Thomas Pigott | RSU | 3,798 | — | 656,180 |
| Luis Viso | RSU | 3,645 | — | 629,747 |
| Tanya Berman | RSU | 2,983 | — | 515,373 |
| Kristin Bird | RSU | 2,280 | — | 393,915 |
| Thomas Pigott | RSU | 1,862 | — | 321,698 |
| Thomas Pigott | RSU | 1,784 | — | 308,221 |
| Luis Viso | RSU | 1,721 | — | 297,337 |
| Thomas Pigott | RSU | 1,705 | — | 294,573 |
| Luis Viso | PSU | 1,283 | — | 221,664 |
| Thomas Pigott | RSU | 1,221 | — | 210,952 |
| Kristin Bird | RSU | 1,163 | — | 200,931 |
| Thomas Pigott | RSU | 1,162 | — | 200,759 |
| Kristin Bird | RSU | 1,070 | — | 184,864 |
| Luis Viso | RSU | 1,047 | — | 180,890 |
| Kristin Bird | RSU | 1,035 | — | 178,817 |
| Luis Viso | RSU | 686 | — | 118,520 |
| Luis Viso | RSU | 877 | — | 151,520 |
| Kristin Bird | RSU | 762 | — | 131,651 |
| Kristin Bird | RSU | 706 | — | 121,976 |
| Luis Viso | RSU | 597 | — | 103,144 |
| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2025-11-19 | 24,572,731 | 224,710 | 516,121 | 99.09% | Passed |
| 2024 | 2024-11-06 | 24,736,920 | 175,381 | 57,272 | 99.3% | Passed |
| 2023 | 2023-11-08 | 24,726,779 | 181,582 | 567,067 | 99.27% | Passed |
| 2022 | 2022-11-09 | 24,890,874 | 440,439 | 317,378 | 98.26% | Passed |
| 2021 | 2021-11-10 | 23,963,311 | 383,042 | 653,650 | 98.43% | Passed |
| 2020 | 2020-11-11 | 24,717,222 | 234,780 | 29,326 | 99.06% | 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2025-11-19 | 99.09%a |
| 2024 | 2024-11-06 | 99.3%b |
| 2023 | 2023-11-08 | 99.27%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) | 102 : 1 |
|---|---|
| CEO total compensation | — |
| Median employee compensation | $52,692 |
| Director | Cash fees | Stock awards | Option awards | Non-equity incentive | All other | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| John B. Gerlach JrNot independent · Board Chair · Executive | $75,000 | $134,989 | — | — | $535,170 | $745,159 |
| Alan F. HarrisIndependent · Nominating and Governance · Audit · Compensation · Executive | 192,500 | 134,989 | — | — | 2,502 | 329,991 |
| Robert L. FoxIndependent · Nominating and Governance (Chair) · Compensation · Executive | 167,500 | 134,989 | — | — | 2,502 | 304,991 |
| Robert P. OstryniecIndependent · Compensation (Chair) · Audit | 147,500 | 134,989 | — | — | 2,502 | 284,991 |
| Barbara L. BrasierIndependent · Compensation · Audit (Chair) | 127,500 | 134,989 | — | — | 2,502 | 264,991 |
| Elliot K. FullenIndependent · Nominating and Governance · Audit | 119,375 | 134,989 | — | — | 2,502 | 256,866 |
| Michael H. KeownIndependent · Nominating and Governance · Compensation | 97,500 | 134,989 | — | — | 2,502 | 234,991 |
| George F. Knight IIIIndependent · Audit | 85,000 | 134,989 | — | — | 2,502 | 222,491 |
| Zena Srivatsa ArnoldIndependent | 75,000 | 134,989 | — | — | 2,502 | 212,491 |
| David A. CiesinskiEmployee director | — | — | — | — | — | 0 |
| Annual cash retainer | $75,000 |
|---|---|
| Annual equity retainer | $135,000 |
| Per board meeting fee | — |
| Committee chair fees (audit / comp / nom-gov) | 17,500 / 15,000 / 10,000 |
| Stock ownership guideline | $300,000 |
| Component | FY2025 |
|---|---|
| Cash retainers and fees | $1,086,875 |
| Equity awards (grant-date value) | $1,214,901 |
| All other compensation | $555,186 |
| Total cost of the board | $2,856,962 |
Computed as the sum of the director compensation table rows above; inputs and formula shown in the register.
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 | Marzetti | 2025 | David Ciesinski | $975,000 | $3,000,112 | $0 | $1,292,363 | $5,378,360 |
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, David Ciesinski | DEF 14A | 2025-10-20 | 0000057515-25-000025 | Section “Executive Compensation”. As printed: 5,378,360. Filing ↗machine: span 547013–547022 |
| 2 | Section 01, Carl Stealey | DEF 14A | 2025-10-20 | 0000057515-25-000025 | Section “Executive Compensation”. As printed: 2,485,993. Filing ↗machine: span 587632–587641 |
| 3 | Section 01, Thomas Pigott | DEF 14A | 2025-10-20 | 0000057515-25-000025 | Section “Executive Compensation”. As printed: 2,025,313. Filing ↗machine: span 558616–558625 |
| 4 | Section 01, Kristin Bird | DEF 14A | 2025-10-20 | 0000057515-25-000025 | Section “Executive Compensation”. As printed: 1,419,481. Filing ↗machine: span 575734–575743 |
| 5 | Section 01, Luis Viso | DEF 14A | 2025-10-20 | 0000057515-25-000025 | Section “Executive Compensation”. As printed: 1,339,737. Filing ↗machine: span 599364–599373 |
| 6 | Section 01, Tanya Berman | DEF 14A | 2025-10-20 | 0000057515-25-000025 | Section “Executive Compensation”. As printed: 1,061,475. Filing ↗machine: span 570285–570294 |
| 7 | Section 03, Thomas Pigott PSU | DEF 14A | 2025-10-20 | 0000057515-25-000025 | Section “Executive Compensation” · grants of plan-based awards table. Filing ↗ |
| 8 | Section 03, Tanya Berman RSU | DEF 14A | 2025-10-20 | 0000057515-25-000025 | Section “Executive Compensation” · grants of plan-based awards table. Filing ↗ |
| 9 | Section 03, Carl Stealey PSU | DEF 14A | 2025-10-20 | 0000057515-25-000025 | Section “Executive Compensation” · grants of plan-based awards table. Filing ↗machine: span 461917–461924 |
| 10 | Section 03, Kristin Bird RSU | DEF 14A | 2025-10-20 | 0000057515-25-000025 | Section “Executive Compensation” · grants of plan-based awards table. Filing ↗ |
| 11 | Section 03, Kristin Bird PSU | DEF 14A | 2025-10-20 | 0000057515-25-000025 | Section “Executive Compensation” · grants of plan-based awards table. Filing ↗ |
| 12 | Section 03, Kristin Bird PSU | DEF 14A | 2025-10-20 | 0000057515-25-000025 | Section “Executive Compensation” · grants of plan-based awards table. Filing ↗ |
| 13 | Section 03, David Ciesinski PSU | DEF 14A | 2025-10-20 | 0000057515-25-000025 | Section “Executive Compensation” · grants of plan-based awards table. Filing ↗ |
| 14 | Section 03, David Ciesinski RSU | DEF 14A | 2025-10-20 | 0000057515-25-000025 | Section “Executive Compensation” · grants of plan-based awards table. Filing ↗ |
| 15 | Section 03, David Ciesinski PSU | DEF 14A | 2025-10-20 | 0000057515-25-000025 | Section “Executive Compensation” · grants of plan-based awards table. Filing ↗ |
| 16 | Section 03, Thomas Pigott PSU | DEF 14A | 2025-10-20 | 0000057515-25-000025 | Section “Executive Compensation” · grants of plan-based awards table. Filing ↗ |
| 17 | Section 03, Thomas Pigott RSU | DEF 14A | 2025-10-20 | 0000057515-25-000025 | Section “Executive Compensation” · grants of plan-based awards table. Filing ↗ |
| 18 | Section 03, Carl Stealey RSU | DEF 14A | 2025-10-20 | 0000057515-25-000025 | Section “Executive Compensation” · grants of plan-based awards table. Filing ↗ |
| 19 | Section 03, Carl Stealey PSU | DEF 14A | 2025-10-20 | 0000057515-25-000025 | Section “Executive Compensation” · grants of plan-based awards table. Filing ↗ |
| 20 | Section 03, Luis Viso RSU | DEF 14A | 2025-10-20 | 0000057515-25-000025 | Section “Executive Compensation” · grants of plan-based awards table. Filing ↗ |
| 21 | Section 03, Luis Viso PSU | DEF 14A | 2025-10-20 | 0000057515-25-000025 | Section “Executive Compensation” · grants of plan-based awards table. Filing ↗ |
| 22 | Section 03, Luis Viso PSU | DEF 14A | 2025-10-20 | 0000057515-25-000025 | Section “Executive Compensation” · grants of plan-based awards table. Filing ↗ |
| 23 | Section 07, pay ratio | DEF 14A | 2025-10-20 | 0000057515-25-000025 | Section “CEO Pay Ratio”. As printed: 102 : 1. Filing ↗machine: span 1233527–1233530 |
| 24 | Section 08, John B. Gerlach Jr | DEF 14A | 2025-10-20 | 0000057515-25-000025 | Section “Director Compensation”. As printed: 745,159. Filing ↗machine: span 1387449–1387456 |
| 25 | Section 08, Alan F. Harris | DEF 14A | 2025-10-20 | 0000057515-25-000025 | Section “Director Compensation”. As printed: 329,991. Filing ↗machine: span 1389565–1389572 |
| 26 | Section 08, Robert L. Fox | DEF 14A | 2025-10-20 | 0000057515-25-000025 | Section “Director Compensation”. As printed: 304,991. Filing ↗machine: span 1383022–1383029 |
| 27 | Section 08, Robert P. Ostryniec | DEF 14A | 2025-10-20 | 0000057515-25-000025 | Section “Director Compensation”. As printed: 284,991. Filing ↗machine: span 1396340–1396347 |
| 28 | Section 08, Barbara L. Brasier | DEF 14A | 2025-10-20 | 0000057515-25-000025 | Section “Director Compensation”. As printed: 264,991. Filing ↗machine: span 1380907–1380914 |
| 29 | Section 08, Elliot K. Fullen | DEF 14A | 2025-10-20 | 0000057515-25-000025 | Section “Director Compensation”. As printed: 256,866. Filing ↗machine: span 1385140–1385147 |
| 30 | Section 08, Michael H. Keown | DEF 14A | 2025-10-20 | 0000057515-25-000025 | Section “Director Compensation”. As printed: 234,991. Filing ↗machine: span 1391682–1391689 |
| 31 | Section 08, George F. Knight III | DEF 14A | 2025-10-20 | 0000057515-25-000025 | Section “Director Compensation”. As printed: 222,491. Filing ↗machine: span 1393803–1393810 |
| 32 | Section 08, Zena Srivatsa Arnold | DEF 14A | 2025-10-20 | 0000057515-25-000025 | Section “Director Compensation”. As printed: 212,491. Filing ↗machine: span 1378787–1378794 |
| 33 | Section 08, David A. Ciesinski | DEF 14A | 2025-10-20 | 0000057515-25-000025 | Section “Director Compensation”. As printed: 0. Filing ↗ |
| 34 | Section 06, 2025 vote | Form 8-K | 2025-11-20 | 0000057515-25-000034 | Item 5.07 · say-on-pay result. As reported: 99.09% (votes for as printed: 24,572,731). Filing ↗ |
| 35 | Section 06, 2024 vote | Form 8-K | 2024-11-07 | 0000057515-24-000031 | Item 5.07 · say-on-pay result. As reported: 99.3% (votes for as printed: 24,736,920). Filing ↗ |
| 36 | Section 06, 2023 vote | Form 8-K | 2023-11-09 | 0000057515-23-000030 | Item 5.07 · say-on-pay result. As reported: 99.27% (votes for as printed: 24,726,779). Filing ↗ |
| 37 | 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 |
| 38 | Section 09b board cost (computed) | Computed | — | computed | Cash 1,086,875 + equity 1,214,901 + all other 555,186 = 2,856,962, summed across the director compensation table rows.machine: formula: Σ = 2,856,962 |
| 39 | Marzetti (subject), Section 10b CEO total | DEF 14A | 2025-10-20 | 0000057515-25-000025 | CEO total compensation as printed in Marzetti's own proxy. As printed: 5,378,360. Filing ↗machine: span 547013–547022 |