Naspers CPO Aileen O'Toole on the outperforming group's secret sauce: Executive pay is 90% based on risk

Loading player...
Setting pay scales is among the most vexing of challenges for multinational corporations. But the complexity becomes almost overwhelming for a group like Naspers which competes against global tech titans but is headquartered in one of the most unequal societies on earth.

Adding to this complexity is the double edged sword of its early investment in Tencent, the Hong Kong start-up that has become one of the world’s biggest internet businesses. Because of the huge impact of Tencent’s uplift for Naspers, shareholders fret that executives who weren’t around when the investment was made are now are getting a free ride.

Then there’s the impact of a European-based executive team being paid in hard currency which appear extreme in terms of the rand reporting base.

Naspers’s Chief People Officer Aileen O’Toole has the responsibility for this hot potato. As you will hear in this episode of the Rational Perspective , her approach has been to push for the highest possible level of transparency to encourage rational debate.

The centrepiece is a radically enhanced 25 page remuneration report that was released on Friday alongside the 2018 annual report. Already there's been a fair amount of uninformed comment.
23 Jul 2018 English South Africa Business News · Investing

Other recent episodes

BizNews Finance Friday webinar: Making the most of your money in 2021

We kicked off discussions at this week’s BizNews Finance Friday webinar with a look at whether Bitcoin, blockchain and SA’s underperforming funds have a place in your portfolio of assets. Answering your money questions were: independent financial advisors Dawn Ridler of Kerenga Wealth Ecology, Johannesburg, and Jonathan Botha of Netto…
29 Jan 2021 58 min

BizNews Finance Friday: Making the most of your money in 2021 - expert insights

Our popular, highly interactive Finance Friday webinar is back. This week, we were joined by global index-tracking expert Lisa Segall of GinsGlobal Index Funds, and award-winning, independent investment expert Magnus Heystek of Brenthurst Wealth Management. It was a vibrant conversation on how to make the most of your hard-earned savings…
22 Jan 2021 53 min

Rational Radio: A must-listen Naspers discussion with CFO Basil Sgourdos

The Noontime webinar is the only weekly webinar hosted by BizNews founder Alec Hogg, with SA's favourite market commentator David Shapiro from Sasfin, as the regular guest. This week our CFO in focus was Basil Sgourdos of Naspers. The money manager supporting David and Alec with the questions was Adrian…
30 Nov 2020 1 hr 07 min