Supervisory and non-executive board pay has gone up by an average 75% over the past six years, according to shareholders’ lobby group VEB.

Non-executive staff at companies with a single tier board – such as Shell, Unilever, Reed Elsevier, Corus and Fortis – earn far more than supervisory board members. The best paid is Shell chairman Jorma Ollila who takes home £500,000 a year, the Financieele Dagblad reports. The average salary of an ordinary supervisory board member is €35,860.