• by Joe Mandese  @mp_joemandese, March 27, 2006

Aegis Group Friday said it granted millions in new stock options to its top executives, including Carat Americas CEO David Verklin, who now has the richest option package of the entire team. Aegis said it granted 357,243 new shares to Verklin, bringing his total holdings up to 5,765,795 shares of Aegis stock. The shares, which are exercisable between March 20, 2009 and March 19, 2016, would be worth about $14.5 million based on the current $2.52 trading price of Aegis' shares.

Verklin was also granted 357,243 new conditional shares, bringing his holdings of such shares to 1,598,243. Those shares, which are contingent on achieving certain performance goals, vest on March 20, 2009, and would be worth about $4 million based on Aegis current stock value.

After Verklin, the next biggest options packages are held by Aegis CFO Jeremy Hicks (4,658,826 granted shares and 1,572,462 conditional shares), Synovate CEO Adrian Chedore (2,418,243 granted shares and 1,483,243 conditional shares), and CEO Robert Lerwill (1,984,615 granted shares and 1,726,923 conditional shares).

Aegis has been the subject of various takeover scenarios, including aborted talks last year with Publicis and WPP Group, and what many believe to be a de facto takeover by French financier Vincent Bollore, who is also chairman of Aegis rival Havas. Bollore has said he would prefer to see Aegis remain independent, but some observers believe there still may be a deal in the offing to combine all or part of Aegis with Havas.

Aegis' management team has been opposed to such a merger.