Colgate-Palmolive Company

Colgate-Palmolive Company sells oral hygiene products, like toothbrushes, personal hygiene products, like body wash, and home care products, like dishwashing detergent. It sells its products in over 200 countries and territories throughout the world.

Since 2000, the company’s net sales, meaning its gross sales less returns, discounts, and allowances, have increased by 70%. The company’s net income, meaning its revenues less costs, has also increased substantially-- by 115%. Though the company has seen an increase in the amount of money coming in, however, it’s costs have also increased. The company’s capital expenditures, meaning the money spent to acquire or upgrade physical assets, has increased 57% since 2000.

As net sales and net income have increased, so has the amount of money made by the company’s executives. Ian Cook, who is Chairman of the Board, President, and Chief Executive Officer, saw his total income increase by 89% from 2007 to 2009. While his base salary increased only 19.5%, the amount he made from performance based-bonuses increased by 39.4%.

Chief Financial Officer Stephen C. Patrick, however, experienced something different. While his total income increased by a whopping 115% between 2007 and 2009, his base salary increased by only 9.5%, and the money made from performance-based bonuses actually decreased by 21%. Other executives, including Michael Tangrey, Vice Chairman, Fabian T. Garcia, Chief Operating Officer, and Andrew Hendry, Senior Vice President, also experienced a decrease in the amount of money they made from performance-based bonuses since 2007.