Gary C. Butler served as the CEO of Automatic Data Processing (ADP) until his retirement in November 2011. He joined ADP in 1975 and took on various leadership roles before becoming CEO in 2006. During his time, he made sure...

Gary C. Butler served as the CEO of Automatic Data Processing (ADP) until his retirement in November 2011. He joined ADP in 1975 and took on various leadership roles before becoming CEO in 2006. During his time, he made sure the compensation for executives was linked to the company’s performance, which included metrics like earnings growth. For instance, in 2009, he earned a bonus of $2.02 million when the company performed well. By the time he retired, he had a significant stake in ADP, holding over 450,602 shares worth more than $124 million, showing his confidence in the company. Interestingly, even after leaving, Gary had a smooth transition with a separation agreement that included benefits and ensured his outstanding stock awards were managed well. His career at ADP was marked by steady growth, as he worked hard to build the firm from servicing smaller clients to becoming a leader in payroll and human capital management solutions for large businesses.