Lifeway Foods (LWAY) executive compensation, 2026 proxy

Julie Smolyansky, Chief Executive Officer, President and Secretary, was paid $3.4M in 2025, down 37% from $5.4M the year before.

Filed
April 30, 2026
Annual meeting
June 17, 2026
Pay year
2025
Named executives
2
CEO total pay
$3.4M-37% vs prior year
CEO pay in equity
22%$750,000 in awards
Prior say-on-pay support
53%of votes cast
CEO Base Salary
$1,000,000Unchanged from prior year
CEO Stock Awards
$750,000Grant date fair value
CEO Non-Equity Incentive
$1,600,000Annual performance bonus
Say-on-Pay Support
53.3%Previous shareholder vote

How Smolyansky was paid

$3.4M 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.

Salary30%Stock awards22%Non-equity incentive47%All other compensation1%

Named executive officers

ExecutiveTotal
Julie SmolyanskyChief Executive Officer, President and Secretary$3,389,132
Eric HansonChief Financial and Accounting Officer, Treasurer$948,462

What changed and why

  • $3.4MJulie Smolyansky received total compensation of $3,389,132 in fiscal 2025, representing a decrease from the prior year.
  • $1MBase salary for the CEO remained flat at $1,000,000.
  • $750KStock awards granted to the CEO were valued at $750,000.
  • $1.6MNon-equity incentive plan compensation for the CEO was $1,600,000.
  • 53.3%Advisory say-on-pay support decreased to 53.3% in 2025, prompting shareholder outreach efforts.

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.