Total 2016 shareholder return: 21.7 percent
Note: Thulin's compensation increased 7.3 percent over the year before. In 2016, $12.4 million of Thulin's compensation was from the realized value of long-term equity awards. Thulin has been CEO of 3M since February 2012, but he's a lifelong 3M employee who started with the company in 1979.
For 2016, Thulin received a 2 percent increase in his base salary, but 90 percent of his compensation, including short-term incentive compensation and long-term equity awards, is considered performance-based or at-risk pay.
3M had a strong financial year in 2016, hitting 97 to 101 percent of the targeted revenue and profit goals for the year. In addition to those financial measures, 3M opened a $150 million research-and-development center on its Maplewood campus, was awarded 688 patents and celebrated its 100th consecutive year of paying a dividend to shareholders.