The provincial government released its annual list of the top ten senior managers working in the public sector who made the most money in the 2018-19 fiscal year that ended on March 31st, with the CEO of a subsidiary of BC Hydro topping the list.
Thomas Bechard, the president and CEO of Powerex - a company that is an electricity marketing subsidiary of BC Hydro – was compensated $938,499 in 2018-19, including a $358,800 salary and a holdback/bonus of more than $500,000 dollars.
The University of British Columbia’s president, Santa J Ono’s total compensation came in at $601,772, while Chris O’Riley the president and COO of BC Hydro had a total compensation of $554,900.
Total compensation incudes salary, holdback or bonus, benefits, pension and any other compensation.
One person earned less than the year before, Brenda Leong - the chair of the BC Securities Commission - took home a total compensation package of $502,848 compared to $639,702 in the 2017-18 year.
Two others on the list – Ken Cretney the president of BC Pavilion Corporation and Andrew Szeri, a vice-president at UBC received total increases of more than $100,000.
The Ministry of Finance releases the list of executive compensation each year. In a release it called the salaries "fair and affordable."
Here’s the full list:
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Thomas Bechard, president and CEO, Powerex
Salary: $358,800
Holdback/bonus: $540,000
Benefits: $19,348
Pension: $17,512
All other compensation: $2,839
Total compensation 2018-19: $938,499
Total compensation 2017-18: $898,258
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Santa J. Ono, president and vice-chancellor, University of British Columbia
Salary: $470,000
Holdback/bonus: $0
Benefits: $11,931
Pension: $46,050
All other compensation: $73,791
Total compensation 2018-19: $601,772
Total compensation 2017-18: $595,848
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Chris O'Riley, president and COO, BC Hydro
Salary: $365,190
Holdback/bonus: $34,223
Benefits: $29,273
Pension: $78,516
All other compensation: $47,698
Total compensation 2018-19: $554,900
Total compensation 2017-18: $529,184
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Brenda Leong, chair, BC Securities Commission
Salary: $439,764
Holdback/bonus: $0
Benefits: $12,754
Pension: $43,317
All other compensation: $7,013
Total compensation 2018-19: $502,848
Total compensation 2017-18: $639,702
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Ken Cretney, president and CEO, BC Pavilion Corporation
Salary: $247,797
Holdback/bonus: $173,872
Benefits: $13,254
Pension: $24,408
All other compensation: $13,620
Total compensation 2018-19: $472,951
Total compensation 2017-18: $372,453
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Nicolas Jimenez, president and CEO, ICBC
Salary: $381,601
Holdback/bonus: $0
Benefits: $17,443
Pension: $67,257
All other compensation: $2,482
Total compensation 2018-19: $468,783
Total compensation 2017-18: $382,132
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Andrew Szeri, vice-president academic and provost, University of British Columbia
Salary: $395,698
Holdback/bonus: $0
Benefits: $8,312
Pension: $38,620
All other compensation: $1,785
Total compensation 2018-19: $444,415
Total compensation 2017-18: $326,124
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Andrew Petter, president, Simon Fraser University
Salary: $328,870
Holdback/bonus: $33,000
Benefits: $9,986
Pension: $32,468
All other compensation: $35,586
Total compensation 2018-19: $439,910
Total compensation 2017-18: $439,460
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James Cassels, president and vice chancellor, University of Victoria
Salary: $378,388
Holdback/bonus: $0
Benefits: $7,318
Pension: $47,138
All other compensation: $135
Total compensation 2018-19: $432,979
Total compensation 2017-18: $423,215
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Mark Poweska, executive vice-president, operations, BC Hydro
Salary: $285,667
Holdback/bonus: $54,303
Benefits: $20,484
Pension: $61,418
All other compensation: $874
Total compensation 2018-19: $422,746
Total compensation 2017-18: $405,720
Note: Total compensation includes base salary, holdback or bonus, statutory and health benefits and pension contributions, as well as other allowances and/or payments, which may include vacation payout, sick leave payout, vehicle allowance, paid parking, severance/salary continuance, retirement allowance, professional fees and administrative leave.