Executive pay

From an investor advisory newsletter, don’t ask me which one: “In fact, American executives could learn a thing or two from some of their counterparts abroad. Just look at Haruka Nishimatsu, CEO of Japan Airlines Corp. for example. Each morning, Nishimatsu gets down to business immediately after his morning commute to the office – on a city bus. His desk – like those of all the other Japan Airlines employees – sits in the middle of an open office. I know this from personal experience, having sat at a desk just like that when I’ve worked in Japan over the years. He eats lunch in the company cafeteria and hopes – like all Japanese employees – that he’ll have time to eat his meal before it gets cold as he stands in line waiting to pay. This hardly sounds like the life of a corporate CEO, especially when you consider that JAL is one of the world’s top airlines. Nor does the fact that when JAL cut back and asked many of its employees to take early retirement, Nishimatsu first eliminated every one of his own corporate perks, including his own pay – which, at a mere $90,000 (U.S.), is below what JAL’s pilots get paid.” There’s something to be said for modesty and reality checks. Even the woman at left knows this. I have no clue who she is but she appears to be working hard.