Nomura Holdings raised CEO Kentaro Okuda¡¯s pay by 36% last fiscal year, rewarding him after the Japanese firm posted its highest ever annual profit.
Okuda¡¯s compensation rose to ?1.6 billion ($10 million) in the year ended March 31, according to a filing on Monday. Wholesale division head Christopher Willcox, the company¡¯s highest-paid executive officer, saw his remuneration climb 13% to $17 million.
Under Okuda¡¯s leadership, Japan¡¯s biggest brokerage generated a second straight year of record net income, helped by a rebound in the nation¡¯s financial markets and a surge in deals. Nomura has since raised its midterm profit targets as Okuda pushes for growth that will remain stable even during downturns.
Nomura has raised Okuda¡¯s compensation since he took office in 2020. For comparison, Goldman Sachs Group CEO David Solomon received $47 million in 2025, while UBS Group¡¯s Sergio Ermotti earned 14.6 million Swiss francs ($18 million). Daiwa Securities Group, Nomura¡¯s biggest domestic rival, lifted CEO Akihiko Ogino¡¯s compensation by 23% to ?489 million last fiscal year, filings show.
The disclosure came before Nomura¡¯s annual shareholder meeting scheduled to take place in Tokyo on Tuesday. There are no shareholder proposals on the agenda at the gathering. Shares of Nomura have risen about 10% this year, trailing the benchmark Topix index¡¯s 20% advance.
Willcox, whose division handles investment banking and trading, was recently made a deputy president.
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