• by Joe Mandese  @mp_joemandese, April 16, 2007

David Verklin, CEO of Carat Americas and a member of the Aegis Group board, received $1,607,130 in total compensation, excluding share options, during 2006, according to a copy of the U.K. holding company's annual report and current currency exchange rates. That's actually a decrease of 3% from the $1,656,614 Verklin earned in compensation during 2005, but still makes him one of the highest-paid executives at a media services agency.

By comparison, Jack Klues, the CEO of Publicis Groupe Media, earned $2,517,076 for running Paris-based agency holding company Publicis Groupe's global media organization during 2006 (MediaDailyNews, April 9). Publicis is the only other major agency holding company to report the 2006 compensation of its top media executive to date, but in 2005, WPP's Irwin Gotlieb earned $4,277,000, including payouts from deferred compensation, as head of the U.K. agency holding company's GroupM unit.

His 2006 compensation makes Verklin the second-highest-paid Aegis Group executive, after CEO Robert Lerwill, who earned $2,168,595 during 2006.

Verklin's 2006 compensation included a base salary of $886,157, a cash bonus of $448,027, a deferred bonus of $173,249, and other benefits.