St. Anthony: 2013 was another good year for CEOs

It is fair to say that the CEOs of Minnesota-based public companies are doing OK, as chronicled in today's annual Star Tribune Executive Compensation survey.

"The executive compensation system is not set up to slow the growth of executive compensation," quipped Gary Hewitt, a veteran compensation-and-governance analyst and research director at GMI Ratings, which advises institutional investors. "The growth of equity-based compensation, the rising stock market and compensation consultants who rely on peer-group comparisons … it all ends up having a ratchet-upward effect."

Sure can't say that for the stagnant wages of the working stiffs over the last generation, who also increasingly must fund their own retirements.

"The average base salary of CEOs is about $1 million, and that's about 20 times the average household income of America," Hewitt added. "That gap has grown."

Three Minnesota financial services executives not included in today's Star Tribune 100 executive compensation sweepstakes had pretty good paydays in 2013, a good year for the insurance-and-investment industries. These folks do not run publicly held companies, but they oversee three of the largest financial complexes in the state.

According to documents filed with the Minnesota Department of Commerce, the soon-retiring CEO Bob Senkler of Securian Financial earned $4.35 million in total compensation last year. Walter White of Allianz Life North America was paid $2.9 million. And Brad Hewitt at Thrivent Financial made $2.3 million.

Cargill, which markets very little of its considerable business portfolio directly to consumers, has retained the Minneapolis ad agency Fallon as its agency of record to handle social media duties for Truvia, Cargill's entry into the sugar substitute arena, where it is known as a "packet sweetener."

"Fallon is the ideal creative partner to help us be prolific at storytelling through social content," said Brian Marx, Truvia's digital marketing manager.

Truvia is second only to Splenda in the sugar substitute category with a 13 percent market share as of last year. Truvia is an organic sugar substitute made from the leaves of the stevia plant.

The overarching sweetener battle is between two taxpayer-subsidized behemoths: corn syrup producers vs. sugar beet growers and processors.

DAVID PHELPS

The Eden Prairie law firm of Fafinski Mark & Johnson has created a practice group for unmanned aircraft systems, or drones, in anticipation of commercial use of the technology.

The holdup for now is the lack of regulations for commercial use from the Federal Aviation Administration. Missing are rules to govern privacy, security and safety issues, Mark said.

DAVID PHELPS

Xcel Energy, the Minneapolis-based electric and gas utility serving eight states, has been ranked among the top five U.S. investor-owned utilities for renewable energy sales and reduction of power use through energy efficiency, according to a new study.

The study released Thursday by nonprofit Ceres and research firm Clean Edge ranked Xcel No. 2 behind leader NV Energy in the share of sales of renewable energy, which includes wind and hydro. In 2012, 18 percent of Xcel's electric sales came from renewables. No. 1 NV Energy, based in Nevada, had renewable power sales of 21 percent. Xcel, long the nation's No. 1 wind power utility, had the most renewable sales overall as measured in megawatt-hours.

Xcel ranked fifth among big power companies on cumulative energy efficiency. In 2012, its efficiency efforts reduced power sales 10.6 percent, the study found.

Founded by communications consultant and globe trekker Gail Shore, Jambalaya is a volunteer-based nonprofit that uses photography to promote understanding among cultures. Cultural Jambalaya's "Windows & Mirrors" educational series is an award-winning teaching tool in the classroom that seeks to broaden views of students.

Merrill has served as board chair at the Division of Indian Work and Greater Minneapolis Council of Churches and co-chairwoman of the General Mills American Indian Council and has been a hands-on volunteer in the Minneapolis public schools, Red Lake public schools, Edina public schools and Junior Achievement.