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William S. Ayer served as the CEO of Alaska Air Group from 2002 until his retirement in 2012. During his time, he was pivotal in steering the company through challenging economic conditions and maintaining its reputation for customer service and...

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William S. Ayer

Ex-CEO of Alaska Air Group

Sector of Economy

Industrials

CEO of Alaska Air Group for

9 years 7 months (Oct 2002 - May 2012)

Previous Experience

Unknown

Holdings

See how much did William S. Ayer make over time.

As CEO of Alaska Air Group, William Ayer held significant shares in the company, particularly noted during the peak of his tenure. By 2002, his holdings included stock options valued at approximately $7.83 million at that time, reflecting a robust...

Total Stock Sold

$12.86M

ALK

$12.86M

764,436 ALK shares

What if they kept their stock?

If William S. Ayer didn't sell their stock, today they would have:
Extra ALK764,436 shares worth $20.39M.
This is 58.51% and $7.53M more than what they got when they sold the stock.

Charitable Transactions

ALK

26,800 shares

ALK

Recent Charitable Transactions

ALK

15,000 shares

ALK

Nov 12, 2013

Charity

ALK

3,000 shares

ALK

May 31, 2012

Charity

ALK

4,400 shares

ALK

May 5, 2011

Charity

Insider Trading

See recent insider trades of William S. Ayer.

ALK

$68.37K

ALK at $78.05/share

Nov 27, 2013

Sale

ALK

$372.49K

ALK at $78.02/share

Nov 25, 2013

Sale

ALK

$694.21K

ALK at $77.13/share

Nov 22, 2013

Sale

ALK

$77.04K

ALK at $77.04/share

Nov 19, 2013

Sale

ALK

$748.91K

ALK at $74.89/share

Nov 12, 2013

Sale

ALK

15,000 shares

ALK

Nov 12, 2013

Charity

ALK

$725.30K

ALK at $71.57/share

Oct 31, 2013

Sale

ALK

$78.18K

ALK at $71.07/share

Oct 29, 2013

Sale

ALK

$1.41M

ALK at $69.66/share

Oct 24, 2013

Sale

ALK

$24.89K

ALK at $68.00/share

May 8, 2013

Sale

Compensation History

See how much did William S. Ayer make over time.

William Ayer's compensation as CEO of Alaska Air Group reflected a balance between a modest base salary and performance incentives. In 2012, his total compensation was reported at $675,449, which included a base salary of $150,538 and no bonuses due to his partial service as CEO that year. This followed a trend from 2011, where he earned over $1 million, attributed to a combination of salary, a significant annual bonus, and stock awards. Notably, Ayer opted to keep his salary unchanged for four years, which indicated a commitment to aligning his earnings with company performance and fostering a culture of performance. His compensation was also tied to key operational metrics, demonstrating a clear link between his performance and that of Alaska Air Group. This approach not only influenced his pay but also set the tone for executive compensation in the airline industry.

Year

2012

Total Compensation

$252.60K

Salary

$150.54K

Board Justification

The compensation philosophy aims to attract and retain qualified executives by providing competitive compensation that is aligned with company performance and shareholder interests.

Bonus

$0.00

Board Justification

No bonus was awarded for the year 2012 as Mr. Ayer served only part of the year as CEO before transitioning to Executive Chairman.

Other

$54.94K

Board Justification

Other compensation includes the company's incremental cost of providing flight benefits, annual physical, and accidental death and dismemberment insurance premiums.

Restricted Stock

$47.12K(1.24K RSUs)

Board Justification

1,240 restricted stock units (RSUs) were granted on February 14, 2012, which will vest fully on February 14, 2015.

Performance Metrics

Performance metrics for the year included achieving specific operational and financial goals, although Mr. Ayer's performance metrics were not applicable for the portion of the year he served as Executive Chairman.

Other Alaska Air Group CEOs

Here are other CEOs of Alaska Air Group