Fiscal year 2023 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.
This is the complete answer, not a partial one — the list is never padded.
| Named executive officer | Salary | Bonus | Stock awards | Option awards | Non-equity incentive | Pension / NQDC | All other | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Joshua Peirez | $650,000 | $0 | $6,650,007 | $2,850,002 | $518,500 | $0 | $9,900 | $10,678,409 |
| Chief Executive Officer | ||||||||
| Lou Paglia | 450,000 | 0 | 2,450,001 | 1,050,001 | 180,000 | 0 | 9,900 | 4,139,902 |
| President and Chief Operating Officer | ||||||||
| Peter Walker | 403,977 | 0 | 2,450,001 | 1,049,318 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3,903,296 |
| Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer | ||||||||
| Steven Barnett | 453,816 | 0 | 1,400,006 | 600,003 | 276,828 | 0 | 9,900 | 2,740,553 |
| Executive Vice President, Secretary and Chief Legal & Risk 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 | FY2023 total | FY2022 total | FY2021 total | Δ FY2022→2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Joshua Peirez | $10,678,409 | $11,328,631 | $22,657,799 | −650,222 |
| Lou Paglia | 4,139,902 | 4,322,972 | 7,509,947 | −183,070 |
| Peter Walker | 3,903,296 | 5,371,814 | 8,009,949 | −1,468,518 |
| Steven Barnett | 2,740,553 | — | — | — |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lou Paglia | OTHER | — | — | — | — | — | $2,250,024 |
| Steven Barnett | OPTION | — | — | — | — | — | 600,003 |
| Steven Barnett | OTHER | — | — | — | — | — | 1,400,006 |
| Peter Walker | OPTION | — | — | — | — | — | 1,249,431 |
| Peter Walker | OTHER | — | — | — | — | — | 2,850,019 |
| Lou Paglia | OPTION | — | — | — | — | — | 1,249,431 |
| Joshua Peirez | OPTION | — | — | — | — | — | 2,748,753 |
| Joshua Peirez | OTHER | — | — | — | — | — | 7,150,012 |
| Named executive officer | Time-vested (RSU) | Performance-vested (PSU) | Options / SARs | % performance-vested |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lou Paglia | $0 | $0 | $1,249,431 | 0.0% |
| Steven Barnett | 0 | 0 | 600,003 | 0.0% |
| Peter Walker | 0 | 0 | 1,249,431 | 0.0% |
| Joshua Peirez | 0 | 0 | 2,748,753 | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lou Paglia | Option | 35,339 | 9.39 | — |
| Lou Paglia | Option | 107,813 | 22.35 | — |
| Steven Barnett | Option | 29,950 | 9.68 | — |
| Joshua Peirez | Option | 781,563 | 23 | — |
| Joshua Peirez | Option | 403,112 | 12.79 | — |
| Joshua Peirez | RSU | 110,739 | — | 1,541,487 |
| Lou Paglia | Option | 253,377 | 9.68 | — |
| Steven Barnett | RSU | 43,536 | — | 606,021 |
| Joshua Peirez | RSU | 519,938 | — | 7,237,537 |
| Joshua Peirez | RSU | 191,553 | — | 2,666,418 |
| Steven Barnett | RSU | 109,461 | — | 1,523,697 |
| Lou Paglia | Option | 47,920 | 9.68 | — |
| Steven Barnett | RSU | 17,392 | — | 242,097 |
| Steven Barnett | Option | 156,313 | 23 | — |
| Steven Barnett | Option | 53,907 | 22.35 | — |
| Lou Paglia | RSU | 191,556 | — | 2,666,460 |
| Lou Paglia | RSU | 43,536 | — | 606,021 |
| Lou Paglia | Option | 119,800 | 9.68 | — |
| Steven Barnett | Option | 59,900 | 9.68 | — |
| Steven Barnett | RSU | 25,169 | — | 350,352 |
| Lou Paglia | RSU | 26,087 | — | 363,131 |
| Steven Barnett | Option | 84,866 | 12.79 | — |
| Joshua Peirez | RSU | 86,957 | — | 1,210,441 |
| Lou Paglia | RSU | 50,337 | — | 700,691 |
| Joshua Peirez | Option | 237,189 | 22.35 | — |
| Lou Paglia | Option | 234,469 | 23 | — |
| Lou Paglia | Option | 148,515 | 12.79 | — |
| Joshua Peirez | Option | 239,600 | 9.68 | — |
| Joshua Peirez | Option | 1,497,500 | 9.68 | — |
| Joshua Peirez | Option | 643,326 | 9.68 | — |
| Steven Barnett | Option | 239,864 | 9.39 | — |
| Steven Barnett | Option | 107,820 | 9.68 | — |
| Steven Barnett | Option | 71,880 | 9.68 | — |
Our executive compensation philosophy is centered on two key tenets: Build long-term value for stockholders and drive employee engagement and retention. In support of those tenets our program is guided by the following principles that underpin the critical connections between performance, long-term value creation, talent management and compensation governance: Competitively-Positioned, Performance-Driven and Shareholder-Aligned, Linkage to Company Goals and Strategy, Responsibly-Governed.
| CEO STI target (% of salary) | 100% |
|---|---|
| CEO LTI target (% of salary) | — |
| Independent consultant | — |
| Clawback policy | True |
| Anti-hedging | true |
| Anti-pledging | true |
| Director | Cash fees | Stock awards | Option awards | Non-equity incentive | All other | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Michael GrebeIndependent · Board Chair · Compensation · Nominating/Governance (Chair) | $104,973 | $200,004 | $0 | — | $0 | $304,977 |
| Kristin JohnsenIndependent · Audit · Nominating/Governance · Partial-year service | 32,857 | 0 | 250,000 | — | 0 | 282,857 |
| L. Frederick SutherlandIndependent · Audit (Chair) · Nominating/Governance | 77,473 | 200,004 | 0 | — | 0 | 277,477 |
| Jill LarsenIndependent · Compensation (Chair) · Nominating/Governance | 70,000 | 200,004 | 0 | — | 0 | 270,004 |
| Mohit KapoorIndependent · Audit | 0 | 260,014 | 0 | — | 0 | 260,014 |
| Mark JenningsIndependent · Compensation | 0 | 257,498 | 0 | — | 0 | 257,498 |
| Jagtar NarulaIndependent · Audit · Partial-year service | 2,772 | 250,007 | 0 | — | 0 | 252,779 |
| Adrian JonesNot independent | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 |
| Bertrand VillonNot independent · Partial-year service | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 |
| William ChenNot independent · Departed during FY | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 |
| Christopher CramptonNot independent · Departed during FY | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Joshua PeirezEmployee director | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 |
| Arthur J. Rubado IIIIndependent · Not standing for re-election · Departed during FY | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 |
| Annual cash retainer | $50,000 |
|---|---|
| Annual equity retainer | $200,000 |
| Per board meeting fee | — |
| Committee chair fees (audit / comp / nom-gov) | 20,000 / 15,000 / 10,000 |
| Stock ownership guideline | 5x annual retainer (Non-Employee Directors); 6x annual salary (CEO); 3x annual salary (Other Executive Officers) |
| Component | FY2023 |
|---|---|
| Cash retainers and fees | $288,075 |
| Equity awards (grant-date value) | $1,367,531 |
| All other compensation | $0 |
| Total cost of the board | $1,655,606 |
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 | Sterling Check | 2023 | Joshua Peirez | $650,000 | $6,650,007 | $2,850,002 | $518,500 | $10,678,409 |
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, Joshua Peirez | DEF 14A | 2024-04-09 | 0001140361-24-018867 | Section “Executive Compensation”. As printed: 10,678,409. Filing ↗ |
| 2 | Section 01, Lou Paglia | DEF 14A | 2024-04-09 | 0001140361-24-018867 | Section “Summary Compensation Table” · page 29. As printed: 4,139,902. Filing ↗machine: r3 · c25 · span 448894–448903 |
| 3 | Section 01, Peter Walker | DEF 14A | 2024-04-09 | 0001140361-24-018867 | Section “Summary Compensation Table” · page 29. As printed: 3,903,296. Filing ↗machine: r6 · c25 · span 470830–470839 |
| 4 | Section 01, Steven Barnett | DEF 14A | 2024-04-09 | 0001140361-24-018867 | Section “Summary Compensation Table” · page 29. As printed: 2,740,553. Filing ↗machine: r5 · c25 · span 459922–459931 |
| 5 | Section 03, Lou Paglia OTHER | DEF 14A | 2024-04-09 | 0001140361-24-018867 | Section “TABLE OF CONTENTS EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION” · grants of plan-based awards table. Filing ↗machine: t118 · r4 · c10 · span 451142–451151 |
| 6 | Section 03, Steven Barnett OPTION | DEF 14A | 2024-04-09 | 0001140361-24-018867 | Section “TABLE OF CONTENTS EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION” · grants of plan-based awards table. Filing ↗machine: t118 · r5 · c16 · span 457895–457902 |
| 7 | Section 03, Steven Barnett OTHER | DEF 14A | 2024-04-09 | 0001140361-24-018867 | Section “TABLE OF CONTENTS EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION” · grants of plan-based awards table. Filing ↗machine: t118 · r5 · c13 · span 457218–457227 |
| 8 | Section 03, Peter Walker OPTION | DEF 14A | 2024-04-09 | 0001140361-24-018867 | Section “TABLE OF CONTENTS EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION” · grants of plan-based awards table. Filing ↗machine: t118 · r7 · c13 · span 468850–468859 |
| 9 | Section 03, Peter Walker OTHER | DEF 14A | 2024-04-09 | 0001140361-24-018867 | Section “TABLE OF CONTENTS EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION” · grants of plan-based awards table. Filing ↗machine: t118 · r7 · c10 · span 468194–468203 |
| 10 | Section 03, Lou Paglia OPTION | DEF 14A | 2024-04-09 | 0001140361-24-018867 | Section “TABLE OF CONTENTS EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION” · grants of plan-based awards table. Filing ↗machine: t118 · r4 · c13 · span 451717–451726 |
| 11 | Section 03, Joshua Peirez OPTION | DEF 14A | 2024-04-09 | 0001140361-24-018867 | Section “TABLE OF CONTENTS EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION” · grants of plan-based awards table. Filing ↗machine: t118 · r2 · c13 · span 440503–440512 |
| 12 | Section 03, Joshua Peirez OTHER | DEF 14A | 2024-04-09 | 0001140361-24-018867 | Section “TABLE OF CONTENTS EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION” · grants of plan-based awards table. Filing ↗machine: t118 · r2 · c10 · span 439847–439856 |
| 13 | Section 08, Michael Grebe | DEF 14A | 2024-04-09 | 0001140361-24-018867 | Section “Director Compensation”. As printed: 304,977. Filing ↗machine: t151 · r1 · c13 · span 802306–802313 |
| 14 | Section 08, Kristin Johnsen | DEF 14A | 2024-04-09 | 0001140361-24-018867 | Section “Director Compensation”. As printed: 282,857. Filing ↗machine: t151 · r4 · c13 · span 810995–811002 |
| 15 | Section 08, L. Frederick Sutherland | DEF 14A | 2024-04-09 | 0001140361-24-018867 | Section “Director Compensation”. As printed: 277,477. Filing ↗machine: t151 · r10 · c13 · span 828786–828793 |
| 16 | Section 08, Jill Larsen | DEF 14A | 2024-04-09 | 0001140361-24-018867 | Section “Director Compensation”. As printed: 270,004. Filing ↗machine: t151 · r7 · c13 · span 820027–820034 |
| 17 | Section 08, Mohit Kapoor | DEF 14A | 2024-04-09 | 0001140361-24-018867 | Section “Director Compensation”. As printed: 260,014. Filing ↗machine: t151 · r6 · c7 · span 815735–815742 |
| 18 | Section 08, Mark Jennings | DEF 14A | 2024-04-09 | 0001140361-24-018867 | Section “Director Compensation”. As printed: 257,498. Filing ↗machine: t151 · r3 · c7 · span 806888–806895 |
| 19 | Section 08, Jagtar Narula | DEF 14A | 2024-04-09 | 0001140361-24-018867 | Section “Director Compensation”. As printed: 252,779. Filing ↗machine: t151 · r8 · c13 · span 822857–822864 |
| 20 | Section 08, Adrian Jones | DEF 14A | 2024-04-09 | 0001140361-24-018867 | Section “Director Compensation”. As printed: 0. Filing ↗ |
| 21 | Section 08, Bertrand Villon | DEF 14A | 2024-04-09 | 0001140361-24-018867 | Section “Director Compensation”. As printed: 0. Filing ↗ |
| 22 | Section 08, William Chen | DEF 14A | 2024-04-09 | 0001140361-24-018867 | Section “Director Compensation”. As printed: 0. Filing ↗ |
| 23 | Section 08, Christopher Crampton | DEF 14A | 2023-04-18 | 0001140361-23-018806 | Section “Director Compensation”. As printed: 0. Filing ↗ |
| 24 | Section 08, Joshua Peirez | DEF 14A | 2024-04-09 | 0001140361-24-018867 | Section “Director Compensation”. As printed: 0. Filing ↗ |
| 25 | Section 08, Arthur J. Rubado III | DEF 14A | 2024-04-09 | 0001140361-24-018867 | Section “Director Compensation”. As printed: 0. Filing ↗ |
| 26 | 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) |
| 27 | 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 |
| 28 | Section 09b board cost (computed) | Computed | — | computed | Cash 288,075 + equity 1,367,531 + all other 0 = 1,655,606, summed across the director compensation table rows.machine: formula: Σ = 1,655,606 |
| 29 | Sterling Check (subject), Section 10b CEO total | DEF 14A | 2024-04-09 | 0001140361-24-018867 | CEO total compensation as printed in Sterling Check's own proxy. As printed: 10,678,409. Filing ↗ |