Mercer International (MERC) executive compensation, 2026 proxy

Juan Carlos Bueno, Chief Executive Officer, was paid $2.9M in fiscal 2025, down 3% from $3M the year before. The CEO-to-median-employee pay ratio was 46:1, on median employee pay of $62,125.

Filed
April 21, 2026
Annual meeting
June 1, 2026
Pay year
fiscal 2025
Named executives
5
CEO total pay
$2.9M-3% vs prior year
CEO to median employee
46:1median $62,125
CEO pay in equity
53%$1.5M in awards
Prior say-on-pay support
100%of votes cast
Cost Savings Realized
$30.0MToward One Goal One Hundred program
Capital Projects Implemented
$88.6MPrimarily related to operational completions
Global Employee Population
3,540Individuals globally as of year-end
Say-on-Pay Support
99.8%Approval at 2025 annual meeting

How Bueno was paid

$2.9M in total for fiscal 2025, as reported in the Summary Compensation Table. Equity awards are valued at grant, not at what they turned out to be worth.

Named executive officers

ExecutiveTotal
Juan Carlos BuenoChief Executive Officer$2,860,261
Richard ShortChief Financial Officer$1,040,293
Adolf KoppensteinerChief Operating Officer, Pulp Products$1,175,043
Carsten MerforthChief Operating Officer, Wood Products$1,011,785
Wolfram RidderSenior Vice President, Innovation & Government Relations$958,124

What changed and why

  • $2.9MChief executive officer total compensation decreased to $2,860,261 for fiscal 2025 compared to $2,951,587 in the prior year.
  • Short-term incentive program awards were deferred to the third quarter of 2026 for cash conservation purposes.
  • $4.00A floor price of $4.00 was instituted for all annual equity grants and awards for 2026 to manage share usage.
  • Performance share units granted in 2026 were introduced as cash-settled units to minimize the longer-term burn rate.
  • 99.8%Shareholders demonstrated very substantial support for the executive compensation program with approximately 99.8% approval.

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.