Bankwell Financial Group (BWFG) executive compensation, 2026 proxy

Christopher R. Gruseke, CEO, was paid $1.3M in 2025, up 33% from $1M the year before.

Filed
April 7, 2026
Annual meeting
May 20, 2026
Pay year
2025
Named executives
3
CEO total pay
$1.3M+33% vs prior year
CEO pay in equity
19%$251,365 in awards
Prior say-on-pay support
88%of votes cast
2025 Net Income
$35.2MTotal net income reported
CEO Salary
$700,000Base salary for 2025
CEO Stock Awards
$251,365Grant date fair value
CEO Non-Equity Incentive
$368,550Cash incentive earned for 2025
Say on Pay Support
87.7%Prior year shareholder approval

How Gruseke was paid

$1.3M in total for 2025, as reported in the Summary Compensation Table. Equity awards are valued at grant, not at what they turned out to be worth.

Salary52%Stock awards19%Non-equity incentive28%All other compensation1%

Named executive officers

ExecutiveTotal
Christopher R. GrusekeCEO$1,336,526
Matthew McNeillPresident and Chief Banking Officer$930,973
Ryan J. HildebrandEVP and Chief Innovation Officer$655,651

What changed and why

  • $1.3MChief Executive Officer total compensation increased to $1,336,526 for fiscal year 2025.
  • $35.2MThe company reported net income totaling $35.2 million for the 2025 fiscal year.
  • The Compensation Committee transitioned performance shares to three-year cliff vesting in 2025.
  • 87.7%At the 2025 annual meeting, 87.7% of votes supported executive compensation decisions.

About this page

Figures are automated and can be wrong; check the filing for the exact numbers. Totals follow SEC rules, which value stock and option awards at grant. Read the DEF 14A proxy statement for footnotes and the compensation committee's full reasoning.