George L. O'Brien is the CEO of Charles River Laboratories, a company known for helping with drug development and testing. He joined Charles River in 2005 and has been a significant figure in its growth. George's leadership has been marked...

George L. O'Brien is the CEO of Charles River Laboratories, a company known for helping with drug development and testing. He joined Charles River in 2005 and has been a significant figure in its growth. George's leadership has been marked by his focus on performance metrics, which include earnings per share and revenue growth, aligning executive pay with company success. In 2016, he earned just over $13 million, a mix of salary, bonuses, and other compensation, but no stock grants that year showed how much he relies on performance-based pay. His history in trading showcases confidence in the company's direction, with notable insider trading amounts climbing sharply from around $1 million monthly in 2019 to over $4 million by 2021, highlighting his strong belief in Charles River's prospects. In a significant move in 2018, George consolidated his control further by taking on the president role as well, after the COO position was eliminated, showing his hands-on approach to management.

Quick Links

1. Rivals

2. Holdings

3. Insider Trading

4. Compensation History

5. Other Charles River Laboratories CEOs

C

George L. O'Brien

Ex-CEO of Charles River Laboratories

Field of Expertise

Business & Management - Business Management

Sector of Economy

Healthcare

CEO of Charles River Laboratories for

11 years 0 months (Jan 2005 - Jan 2016)

Previous Experience

Served as CEO of Charles River Laboratories for over a decade, leading the company through significant growth.

Rivals

Competitors/colleagues of George L. O'Brien

I

Ari Bousbib

CEO of IQVIA

2023 Compensation

Stock

$28.10M

Salary

$1.80M

Bonus

$4.78M

Other

$0.00

Total Holdings

$285.14M

Holdings

See how much did George L. O'Brien make over time.

George L. O'Brien has shown confidence in Charles River Laboratories through significant insider trading activities. Starting in 2019, his trades consistently showed values around $1 million a month. By 2021, these trading amounts surged to nearly $4 million monthly. This...

George L. O'Brien has shown confidence in Charles River Laboratories through significant insider trading activities. Starting in 2019, his trades consistently showed values around $1 million a month. By 2021, these trading amounts surged to nearly $4 million monthly. This sharp increase indicates O'Brien believes strongly in the company's future. His holdings were once heavily concentrated in the company, reflecting his commitment to its success. While he previously had his stock grants based on performance, the trend of his trading points to a strategy that likely aligns closely with the company's growth targets and overall performance, suggesting he stands by the impact of his leadership efforts on the company's trajectory.

Insider Trading

See recent insider trades of George L. O'Brien.

No insider trades found for this CEO.

Compensation History

See how much did George L. O'Brien make over time.

In 2016, George L. O'Brien's total compensation at Charles River Laboratories was around $13.7 million. His salary was about $1.14 million, with a bonus of around $1.76 million based on performance goals like earnings per share and revenue. Interestingly, he received no stock grants that year, meaning his earnings were entirely performance-based. This compensation plan aligns executive pay with company performance, showing that George is invested in the company's long-term health and growth. His other benefits added over $2.6 million to his earnings, highlighting the total value of his role as CEO. The focus on performance drives not just his pay, but also the company’s overall strategy, reflecting a model that hopes to reward success rather than guaranteed payouts.

Year

2016

Total Compensation

$5.53M

Salary

$1.14M

Board Justification

The compensation philosophy is designed to align executive compensation with both short- and long-term performance of the Company, with a significant portion of compensation being performance-based.

Bonus

$1.76M

Board Justification

Annual cash incentive awarded under the Executive Incentive Compensation Plan (EICP) based on performance metrics including EPS, revenue, free cash flow, and WIL integration.

Other

$2.62M

Board Justification

Includes contributions to the Deferred Compensation Plan and other benefits such as 401(k) contributions.

Restricted Stock

$0.00(0 RSU)

Board Justification

No stock was vested in 2016 as the focus is on performance-based equity compensation, with stock options and PSUs granted but not vested in this year.

Performance Metrics

Performance metrics included EPS, revenue, free cash flow, and successful integration of WIL Research.

Other Charles River Laboratories CEOs

Here are other CEOs of Charles River Laboratories

James C. Foster

CEO of Charles River Laboratories

January 2017 - Present