Great Southern executive compensation rises

Following a reduction in 2015, executive compensation at Great Southern Bancorp Inc. (Nasdaq: GSBC) rose last year.

Despite 2016 company profits being down 2.5 percent, five of the company’s top executives posted increases in total compensation, according to a March 27 proxy statement filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

President and CEO Joe Turner, whose 2016 compensation grew 7.5 percent to $987,242 from $918,756 in 2015, had the largest total pay last year among Great Southern executives.

Other Great Southern officers’ executive pay in 2016:
    •    Board Chairman William Turner’s compensation moved up 19 percent to $543,256.
    •    Chief Financial Officer Rex Copeland’s pay rose 8 percent to $409,630.
    •    Chief Lending Officer Steven Mitchem’s total was up 7 percent to $399,808.
    •    Vice President of Operations Douglas Marrs posted a 17 percent increase to $252,210.

In 2015, when Great Southern’s net income rose 7 percent to $45.9 million, all five of the officers above had pay decreases.

GSBC shares were trading at $50.05 as of 9:57 a.m., compared with a 52-week range of $34.48 to $56.70.

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