Craig S. Donohue served as the CEO of CME Group Inc., one of the largest financial exchanges in the world, from January 2006 until his retirement in May 2012. He was key in navigating significant mergers, including the acquisition of CBOT Holdings, which transformed CME into a powerhouse in the financial services industry. He was known for tying his pay to performance, focusing primarily on how well the company did financially. For instance, he earned a salary of $937,692 in 2012 and received a substantial bonus of over $600,000 based on the company hitting 86% of its performance targets. Donohue has a rich background in finance, having held various leadership positions before becoming the CEO. Even after his retirement, his strategic vision and approach were evident in how CME continued to grow. His agreements ensured he would receive benefits and bonuses aligned with the company’s success, reinforcing a culture where leaders share in the ups and downs of the business. Donohue's legacy is marked by an era of significant growth and strategic direction for CME Group.

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Craig S. Donohue

Ex-CEO of CME Group

Education

J.D. from John Marshall Law School, MBA from Northwestern University

Field of Expertise

Finance & Banking - Finance

Sector of Economy

Financial Services

Born

December 1, 1962 - 62 years ago

CEO of CME Group for

8 years 4 months (Jan 2004 - May 2012)

Previous Experience

Joined CME in 1989, held various roles including Executive Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer

Rivals

Competitors/colleagues of Craig S. Donohue

Christopher R. Concannon

CEO of MarketAxess

2023 Compensation

Stock

$7.15M

Salary

$1.00M

Bonus

$475.00K

Other

$0.00

Total Holdings

$39.42M

Adena T. Friedman

CEO of Nasdaq, Inc.

2022 Compensation

Stock

$9.60M

Salary

$1.25M

Bonus

$4.37M

Other

$437.75K

Total Holdings

$171.52M

Jen-Hsun Huang

Founder and CEO of Nvidia

2023 Compensation

Stock

$61.63M

Salary

$1.00M

Bonus

$4.00M

Other

$2.49M

Total Holdings

$99.30B

Richard M. McVey

Founder and CEO of MarketAxess

2023 Compensation

Stock

$894.17K

Salary

$650.00K

Bonus

$1.19M

Other

$0.00

Total Holdings

$122.60M

Edward T. Tilly

CEO of Cboe Global Markets

2023 Compensation

Stock

$3.32M

Salary

$1.27M

Bonus

$0.00

Other

$0.00

Total Holdings

$39.10M

Brian Armstrong

Founder and CEO of Coinbase Global, Inc.

2023 Compensation

Stock

$0.00

Salary

$1.00M

Bonus

$0.00

Other

$3.70M

Total Holdings

$8.55B

Holdings

See how much did Craig S. Donohue make over time.

During his time at CME Group, Craig S. Donohue held significant equity in the company, particularly in the restricted stock awarded as part of his compensation package. At the peak of his career, he had nearly 125,000 shares vested upon retirement, valued at over $6.4 million. His holdings reflected both trust in the company's future and a commitment to its performance. Over the years, he exercised various options that further boosted his wealth, particularly exercising 246,000 stock options in 2012 for a realized value of $7.4 million when he stepped down. This wealth was largely tied to the company's success, showcasing how a CEO’s interests can align with shareholders. Despite retiring, his past stakes in CME continue to highlight his impactful role in shaping the organization.

Charitable Transactions

CME

78,000 shares

CME

Recent Charitable Transactions

CME

15,600 shares

CME

Dec 31, 2010

Charity

Insider Trading

See recent insider trades of Craig S. Donohue.

CME

7,084 shares

CME

Apr 30, 2012

Received

CME

6,928 shares

CME

Sep 15, 2011

Received

CME

15,600 shares

CME

Dec 31, 2010

Charity

Compensation History

See how much did Craig S. Donohue make over time.

Craig S. Donohue's compensation as CEO was a blend of salary, bonuses, and stock options aimed at rewarding him for aligning with company performance. In 2012, Donohue earned a total of $2,397,833, which included a base salary of $937,692 and a bonus of $609,047 linked to operational success. His bonuses were substantial, reaching as high as $1.6 million in previous years when he exceeded performance targets. The stock options and restricted shares he received were designed to motivate him to drive CME’s growth. For instance, he had a compensation structure where 85% of his pay could come from performance-linked stock awards, incentivizing him to focus on the company’s long-term prosperity. This compensation strategy showcased a commitment to ensure that executive performance directly impacted the company's health.

Year

2012

Total Compensation

$8.14M

Salary

$937.69K

Board Justification

The compensation philosophy for the CEO at CME Group Inc. in 2012 was to align executive compensation with company performance, focusing on cash earnings and total shareholder return. The compensation structure aimed to retain top talent while ensuring that executive interests were aligned with those of shareholders.

Bonus

$609.05K

Board Justification

The bonus for Craig S. Donohue was determined based on the company's achievement of 86% of the target level performance for 2012. The bonus was calculated at 66% of his individual bonus target opportunity, reflecting the company's cash earnings performance.

Other

$153.09K

Board Justification

Other compensation includes 401(k) company contributions, supplemental plan contributions, and other benefits such as life insurance premiums.

Restricted Stock

$6.44M(124.88K Restricted Stock)

Board Justification

Craig S. Donohue had 124,879 shares of restricted stock that vested in 2012. These shares were part of his equity compensation package and vested upon his retirement as per the terms of his employment agreement.

Performance Metrics

The performance metrics for determining Craig S. Donohue's compensation in 2012 included cash earnings growth and total shareholder return relative to the S&P 500.

Other CME Group CEOs

Here are other CEOs of CME Group

Phupinder S. Gill

Ex-CEO of CME Group

May 2012 - December 2016