Board and Executive Remuneration in Europe 2025 

Mercer’s definitive Board and Executive Remuneration in Europe 2025 report is your essential guide to understanding the latest trends and practices shaping executive pay across the region’s top 150 publicly listed organisations.

This year, our report expands its scope to cover the largest 150 companies by market capitalisation across key European markets. Diving deeper with focused analysis on major markets such as France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Switzerland, and the UK, drawing on local market indices to provide nuanced insights.

Our 2025 findings highlight the growing importance of building shareholder trust - a critical factor when Boards consider innovative or unconventional remuneration strategies. Transparent communication and a strong track record of trust empower Boards to align pay with business strategy and talent needs, while balancing investor expectations, regulatory demands, political pressures, and media scrutiny.

Boards and Remuneration Committees are increasingly adopting a pan-European lens when benchmarking CEO and executive pay, reflecting the interconnected nature of today’s markets. Yet, local market practices, regulations, and legal frameworks remain vital to crafting effective remuneration packages.