The pay packages of senior executives at the Netherlands’ top 150 companies rose an average 8% last year, compared with 2009, according to the annual Volkskrant salary survey.

Nevertheless, average salaries are still some €300,000 below the total average earnings of executives in 2007, the paper says.
The survey also shows that basic salaries are more or less unchanged. The increase in earnings is due to options, extra pension contributions and special pay-outs to compensate managers for a loss of income.
Top earner last year was Peter Voser of Shell, whose total package amounted to just over €10.5m. Ad Scheepbouwer of KPN was second with nearly €8m and Klaas Wester of Fugro third with just over €5m.
Joop Munsterman, who left publishing group Wegener last year, received the biggest golden handshake at €2.3m.