Fiscal year 2024 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 SATS 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 SATS 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hamid Akhavan | $2,471,168 | $0 | $4,360,528 | $0 | $2,000,000 | $0 | $96,169 | $8,927,865 |
| President and Chief Executive Officer | ||||||||
| John Swieringa | 1,000,000 | 0 | 1,162,800 | 1,809,107 | 1,000,000 | 0 | 5,210 | 4,977,117 |
| President, Technology and Chief Operating Officer | ||||||||
| Charles Ergen | 1,000,000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3,098,981 | 4,098,981 |
| Chairman | ||||||||
| Paul Orban | 650,000 | 0 | 0 | 1,012,892 | 650,000 | 0 | 5,520 | 2,318,412 |
| Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, DISH | ||||||||
| Dean Manson | 667,451 | 0 | 0 | 348,020 | 483,894 | 69,131 | 9,790 | 1,578,286 |
| Chief Legal Officer and Secretary | ||||||||
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 | FY2024 total | FY2023 total | FY2022 total | Δ FY2023→2024 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hamid Akhavan | $8,927,865 | $7,190,962 | $15,228,135 | +1,736,903 |
| John Swieringa | 4,977,117 | — | — | — |
| Charles Ergen | 4,098,981 | — | — | — |
| Paul Orban | 2,318,412 | — | — | — |
| Dean Manson | 1,578,286 | 1,203,431 | 2,031,274 | +374,855 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| John Swieringa | RSU | 2023-08-07 | — | — | 70,175 | — | $2,367,417 |
| Paul Orban | RSU | 2024-03-28 | — | — | 100,000 | — | 607,850 |
| John Swieringa | PSU | 2024-02-23 | — | — | — | 17,543 | 604,490 |
| John Swieringa | Option | 2023-08-07 | — | — | 175,439 | — | — |
| John Swieringa | Option | 2024-02-23 | — | — | 158,947 | — | — |
| Hamid Akhavan | RSU | 2023-10-01 | — | — | 263,158 | — | 4,360,528 |
| Named executive officer | Time-vested (RSU) | Performance-vested (PSU) | Options / SARs | % performance-vested |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| John Swieringa | $2,367,417 | $604,490 | $0 | 20.3% |
| Paul Orban | 607,850 | 0 | 0 | 0.0% |
| Hamid Akhavan | 4,360,528 | 0 | 0 | 0.0% |
% 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hamid Akhavan | Option | 467,836 | 16.57 | — |
| John Swieringa | Option | 175,439 | 16.57 | — |
| John Swieringa | PSU | 21,053 | — | 482,114 |
| John Swieringa | PSU | 70,175 | — | 1,607,008 |
| Ergen | Option | 3,508,770 | 78.98 | — |
| Ergen | Option | 575,373 | 49.49 | — |
| Hamid Akhavan | Option | 326,668 | 14.04 | — |
| Paul Orban | Option | 187,215 | 14.04 | — |
| Dean Manson | Option | 135,399 | 14.04 | — |
| John Swieringa | Option | 122,467 | 14.04 | — |
| Paul Orban | Option | 11,810 | 57.01 | — |
| John Swieringa | Option | 7,717 | 57.01 | — |
| John Swieringa | Option | 21,052 | 165.11 | — |
| Paul Orban | Option | 10,526 | 165.11 | — |
| Ergen | Option | 21,052 | 165.11 | — |
| Ergen | Option | 7,717 | 100.95 | — |
We design our executive compensation programs with the goal of creating long-term shareholder value and ensuring EchoStar s long-term success. Such goals are dependent upon, among other things, our ability to motivate and retain talented and experienced executives and our ability to tie executive compensation to business performance.
| CEO STI target (% of salary) | 100% |
|---|---|
| CEO LTI target (% of salary) | — |
| Independent consultant | Compensia |
| Clawback policy | true |
| Anti-hedging | true |
| Anti-pledging | True |
| Meeting year | Meeting date | For | Against | Abstain | Support | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 2023-04-27 | 493,571,464 | 8,442,894 | 134,558 | 98.29% | Passed |
| 2020 | 2020-04-30 | 515,367,419 | 688,013 | 23,976 | 99.86% | Passed |
| 2017 | 2017-05-02 | 514,916,888 | 666,589 | 12,621 | 99.87% | 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 2023-04-27 | 98.29%a |
| 2020 | 2020-04-30 | 99.86%b |
| 2017 | 2017-05-02 | 99.87%c |
a. Approved under the standard stated in the filing — “Abstentions will have the same effect as votes "against" (i) the ratification of the appointment of KPMG LLP as our independent registered public accounting firm for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2023 (Proposal 2), (ii) the approval of the compensation of our named executive officers on a non-binding advisory basis (Proposal 3), and (iii) the approval of, on a non-binding advisory basis, whether a non-binding advisory vote on the compensation of our named executive officers should be held every one, two or three years (Proposal 4).”.
b. Approved under the standard stated in the filing — “Abstentions will have the same effect as votes "against" (i) the ratification of the appointment of KPMG LLP as our independent registered public accounting firm (Proposal 2) and (ii) the approval of the compensation of our named executive officers on a non-binding advisory basis (Proposal 3).”.
c. Approved under the standard stated in the filing — “Abstentions will have the same effect as votes "against" the ratification of the (i) appointment of KPMG LLP as our independent registered public accounting firm, (ii) approval of the compensation of our named executive officers on a non-binding advisory basis, (iii) approval, on a non-binding advisory basis, of whether a non-binding advisory vote on the compensation of our named executive officers should be held every one, two or three years, (iv) approval of the 2017 Employee Stock Incentive Plan, (v) approval of the 2017 Director Plan, and (vi) approval of the A&R 2017 ESPP.”.
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) | 105 : 1 |
|---|---|
| CEO total compensation | $8,927,865 |
| Median employee compensation | $85,048 |
| Director | Cash fees | Stock awards | Option awards | Non-equity incentive | All other | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| George R. BrokawIndependent · Audit (Chair) · Compensation | $81,500 | $0 | $40,380 | $0 | $0 | $121,880 |
| Kathleen Q. AbernathyIndependent · Compensation (Chair) · Nominating/Governance | 80,000 | 0 | 40,380 | 0 | 0 | 120,380 |
| R. Stanton DodgeIndependent · Nominating/Governance (Chair) · Compensation | 80,000 | 0 | 40,380 | 0 | 0 | 120,380 |
| William D. WadeIndependent · Nominating/Governance · Audit | 75,500 | 0 | 40,380 | 0 | 0 | 115,880 |
| Lisa W. HershmanIndependent · Compensation · Audit | 75,500 | 0 | 40,380 | 0 | 0 | 115,880 |
| Tom A. OrtolfIndependent · Audit · Nominating/Governance | 69,500 | 0 | 40,380 | 0 | 0 | 109,880 |
| Stephen J. ByeIndependent | 68,000 | 0 | 40,380 | 0 | 0 | 108,380 |
| Hamid AkhavanEmployee director | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Cantey M. ErgenEmployee director | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Charles W. ErgenEmployee director · Board Chair | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| James DeFrancoEmployee director | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Annual cash retainer | $60,000 |
|---|---|
| Annual equity retainer | $40,380 |
| Per board meeting fee | — |
| Committee chair fees (audit / comp / nom-gov) | 5,000 |
| Stock ownership guideline | — |
| Component | FY2024 |
|---|---|
| Cash retainers and fees | $530,000 |
| Equity awards (grant-date value) | $0 |
| All other compensation | $0 |
| Total cost of the board | $530,000 |
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 | EchoStar | 2024 | Hamid Akhavan | $2,471,168 | $4,360,528 | $0 | $2,000,000 | $8,927,865 |
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, Hamid Akhavan | DEF 14A | 2025-03-21 | 0001558370-25-003470 | Section “Summary Compensation Table”. As printed: 8,927,865. Filing ↗machine: t78 · r8 · c26 · span 969852–969861 |
| 2 | Section 01, John Swieringa | DEF 14A | 2025-03-21 | 0001558370-25-003470 | Section “Summary Compensation Table”. As printed: 4,977,117. Filing ↗machine: t78 · r12 · c26 · span 997098–997107 |
| 3 | Section 01, Charles Ergen | DEF 14A | 2025-03-21 | 0001558370-25-003470 | Section “Summary Compensation Table”. As printed: 4,098,981. Filing ↗machine: t78 · r5 · c26 · span 948633–948642 |
| 4 | Section 01, Paul Orban | DEF 14A | 2025-03-21 | 0001558370-25-003470 | Section “Summary Compensation Table”. As printed: 2,318,412. Filing ↗machine: t78 · r16 · c26 · span 1025896–1025905 |
| 5 | Section 01, Dean Manson | DEF 14A | 2025-03-21 | 0001558370-25-003470 | Section “Summary Compensation Table”. As printed: 1,578,286. Filing ↗machine: t78 · r20 · c26 · span 1054700–1054709 |
| 6 | Section 03, John Swieringa RSU | DEF 14A | 2025-03-21 | 0001558370-25-003470 | Section “Grants of Plan-Based Awards” · grants of plan-based awards table. Filing ↗machine: t84 · r15 · c29 · span 1198304–1198313 |
| 7 | Section 03, Paul Orban RSU | DEF 14A | 2025-03-21 | 0001558370-25-003470 | Section “Grants of Plan-Based Awards” · grants of plan-based awards table. Filing ↗machine: t84 · r18 · c29 · span 1222368–1222375 |
| 8 | Section 03, John Swieringa PSU | DEF 14A | 2025-03-21 | 0001558370-25-003470 | Section “Grants of Plan-Based Awards” · grants of plan-based awards table. Filing ↗machine: t84 · r16 · c29 · span 1206355–1206362 |
| 9 | Section 03, John Swieringa Option | DEF 14A | 2025-04-28 | 0001558370-25-003470 | Section “Grants of Plan-Based Awards” · grants of plan-based awards table. Filing ↗ |
| 10 | Section 03, John Swieringa Option | DEF 14A | 2025-04-28 | 0001558370-25-003470 | Section “Grants of Plan-Based Awards” · grants of plan-based awards table. Filing ↗ |
| 11 | Section 03, Hamid Akhavan RSU | DEF 14A | 2025-03-21 | 0001558370-25-003470 | Section “Grants of Plan-Based Awards” · grants of plan-based awards table. Filing ↗machine: t78 · r8 · c11 · span 966234–966243 |
| 12 | Section 07, pay ratio | DEF 14A | 2025-03-21 | 0001558370-25-003470 | Section “CEO Pay Ratio”. As printed: 105 : 1. Filing ↗machine: span 414193–414196 |
| 13 | Section 08, George R. Brokaw | DEF 14A | 2025-03-21 | 0001558370-25-003470 | Section “Director Compensation”. As printed: 121,880. Filing ↗machine: t10 · r9 · c21 · span 235099–235106 |
| 14 | Section 08, Kathleen Q. Abernathy | DEF 14A | 2025-03-21 | 0001558370-25-003470 | Section “Director Compensation”. As printed: 120,380. Filing ↗machine: t10 · r8 · c21 · span 229833–229840 |
| 15 | Section 08, R. Stanton Dodge | DEF 14A | 2025-03-21 | 0001558370-25-003470 | Section “Director Compensation”. As printed: 120,380. Filing ↗machine: t10 · r11 · c21 · span 246047–246054 |
| 16 | Section 08, William D. Wade | DEF 14A | 2025-03-21 | 0001558370-25-003470 | Section “Director Compensation”. As printed: 115,880. Filing ↗machine: t10 · r14 · c21 · span 262677–262684 |
| 17 | Section 08, Lisa W. Hershman | DEF 14A | 2025-03-21 | 0001558370-25-003470 | Section “Director Compensation”. As printed: 115,880. Filing ↗machine: t10 · r12 · c21 · span 251731–251738 |
| 18 | Section 08, Tom A. Ortolf | DEF 14A | 2025-03-21 | 0001558370-25-003470 | Section “Director Compensation”. As printed: 109,880. Filing ↗machine: t10 · r13 · c21 · span 256994–257001 |
| 19 | Section 08, Stephen J. Bye | DEF 14A | 2025-03-21 | 0001558370-25-003470 | Section “Director Compensation”. As printed: 108,380. Filing ↗machine: t10 · r10 · c21 · span 240781–240788 |
| 20 | Section 08, Hamid Akhavan | DEF 14A | 2025-03-21 | 0001558370-25-003470 | Section “Director Compensation”. As printed: 0. Filing ↗ |
| 21 | Section 08, Cantey M. Ergen | DEF 14A | 2025-03-21 | 0001558370-25-003470 | Section “Director Compensation”. As printed: 0. Filing ↗ |
| 22 | Section 08, Charles W. Ergen | DEF 14A | 2025-03-21 | 0001558370-25-003470 | Section “Director Compensation”. As printed: 0. Filing ↗ |
| 23 | Section 08, James DeFranco | DEF 14A | 2025-03-21 | 0001558370-25-003470 | Section “Director Compensation”. As printed: 0. Filing ↗ |
| 24 | Section 06, 2023 vote | Form 8-K | 2023-04-28 | 0001104659-23-052951 | Item 5.07 · say-on-pay result. As reported: 98.29% (votes for as printed: 493,571,464). Filing ↗ |
| 25 | Section 06, 2020 vote | Form 8-K | 2020-05-01 | 0001415404-20-000018 | Item 5.07 · say-on-pay result. As reported: 99.86%. Filing ↗ |
| 26 | Section 06, 2017 vote | Form 8-K | 2017-05-02 | 0001415404-17-000026 | Item 5.07 · say-on-pay result. As reported: 99.87%. Filing ↗ |
| 27 | Section 01 trend, Δ column (computed) | Computed | — | computed | Δ = current-FY total − prior-FY total per named officer.machine: formula: Δ = FY(n) − FY(n−1) |
| 28 | 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 |
| 29 | Section 09b board cost (computed) | Computed | — | computed | Cash 530,000 + equity 0 + all other 0 = 530,000, summed across the director compensation table rows.machine: formula: Σ = 530,000 |
| 30 | EchoStar (subject), Section 10b CEO total | DEF 14A | 2025-03-21 | 0001558370-25-003470 | CEO total compensation as printed in EchoStar's own proxy. As printed: 8,927,865. Filing ↗machine: t78 · r8 · c26 · span 969852–969861 |