Boards Doled Out Big Bucks to Retain Top Talent This Fall

Amid record executive turnover, boards are increasingly deploying large retention awards to stabilize leadership teams and protect succession pipelines. MyLogIQ data shows retention incentives — both equity and cash — surged in 2024 and early 2025, with some awards exceeding $80 million.

Retention grants are being used both proactively, to secure future leaders, and reactively, following volatility, M&A activity, or leadership departures. The trend highlights growing board concern over talent flight and shrinking CEO tenures. For governance leaders, the challenge lies in balancing retention with pay discipline, transparency, and alignment with long-term performance.

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