Bombardier CEO asks directors to hike back his pay amid a public outcry

The chairman of Bombardier is asking his board of directors to scale back his compensation for 2016 in the face of a public outcry.

Pierre Beaudoin says in a statement released late Friday that he took the decision in light of criticism over dramatic increases in executive pay.

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Beaudoin says it’s clear the issue has become a distraction to the work done by the company and he hopes his step will shift the focus back to that.

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He says he has asked the board to bring his compensation to what it was in 2015, but the statement didn’t indicate a figure.

READ MORE: Bombardier facing union drive in Montreal

Total compensation for the Montreal-based manufacturer’s top five executives and Beaudoin was US$32.6 million in 2016, up from US$21.9 million the year before.

Earlier Friday, senior Quebec cabinet ministers said Bombardier must to respond to the shock it created among citizens and elected officials regarding increased executive pay.