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Consumer & Retail

Chefs' Warehouse Executive Compensation (FY25)

CHEF · Executive and director compensation, fiscal 2022 to 2025
Chief executive, fiscal 2025
◇
Christopher Pappas
Latest say-on-pay support
=
May 8, 2026
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Data as of November 5, 2026Latest filing (8-K): May 11, 2026
14 filings cited on this page
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311 figures on this page: 301 cited to the filing that reported them, 10 calculated from figures it prints. See the citations
What changed from fiscal 2024 to fiscal 2025
The figures that moved, and by how much. Analysis of these figures is part of the Velarion platform.
Chief executive total compensation — Christopher Pappas: $5,793,249 → $21,961,898 (279.1% higher)
Say-on-pay support: 93.4% → 51.0% (42.4 points lower)

Frequently asked questions

Answers drawn from the data on this page.
Who is Chefs' Warehouse's chief executive and what were they paid?
Christopher Pappas was paid $21,961,898 in total compensation as Chief Executive Officer for fiscal 2025. Compared with the $5,793,249 reported for fiscal 2024, Pappas' total was 279.1% higher.
What was Chefs' Warehouse's say-on-pay result?
For fiscal 2025, shareholders backed the say-on-pay proposal with 51.0% of votes cast for or against in favor at the meeting held May 8, 2026.
Which companies are in Chefs' Warehouse's peer group?
The disclosed peer group names Performance Food Group Company, Sysco Corporation, United Natural Foods, Inc. and US Foods Holding Corp.

Executive compensation

Every element reported for each named executive officer, by fiscal year.
Fiscal 2022
OfficerSalaryBonusStock awardsOption awardsNon-equity incentivePension and deferred earningsAll other compensationTotal
Christopher Pappas
Chief Executive Officer
◇—◇—◇—◇◇
John Pappas
Vice Chairman
◇—◇—◇—◇◇
James Leddy
Chief Financial Officer
◇—◇—◇—◇◇
Alexandros Aldous
General Counsel
◇—◇—◇—◇◇
Timothy McCauley
Chief Accounting Officer
◇—◇—◇—◇◇
Fiscal 2023
OfficerSalaryBonusStock awardsOption awardsNon-equity incentivePension and deferred earningsAll other compensationTotal
Christopher Pappas
Chief Executive Officer
◇—◇—◇—◇◇
John Pappas
Vice Chairman
◇—◇—◇—◇◇
James Leddy
Chief Financial Officer
◇—◇—◇—◇◇
Alexandros Aldous
General Counsel
◇—◇—◇—◇◇
Timothy McCauley
Chief Accounting Officer
◇—◇—◇—◇◇
Fiscal 2024
OfficerSalaryBonusStock awardsOption awardsNon-equity incentivePension and deferred earningsAll other compensationTotal
Christopher Pappas
Chief Executive Officer
◇—◇—◇—◇◇
John Pappas
Vice Chairman
◇—◇—◇—◇◇
James Leddy
Chief Financial Officer
◇—◇—◇—◇◇
Alexandros Aldous
General Counsel
◇—◇—◇—◇◇
Christina Polychroni
Chief Human Resources Officer
◇—◇—◇—◇◇
Fiscal 2025
OfficerSalaryBonusStock awardsOption awardsNon-equity incentivePension and deferred earningsAll other compensationTotal
Christopher Pappas
Chief Executive Officer
◇—◇—◇—◇◇
John Pappas
Vice Chairman and Chief Operating Officer
◇—◇—◇—◇◇
James Leddy
Chief Financial Officer
◇—◇—◇—◇◇
Alexandros Aldous
General Counsel
◇—◇—◇—◇◇
Christina Polychroni
Chief Human Resources Officer
◇—◇—◇—◇◇
A dash means the company reported no figure in that column. $0 is shown only where the filing prints a zero. A negative change in pension value is shown but, as the company reports it, not included in the total.

Equity awards granted

Individual awards as disclosed: type, date, unit counts at each level, and grant date value.
Fiscal 2025
OfficerAwardGrant dateThreshold unitsTarget unitsUnits grantedMaximum unitsExercise priceGrant date fair value
Alexandros AldousPSU◇—◇—◇—◇
Alexandros AldousPSU◇—◇—◇—◇
Alexandros AldousPSU◇———◇—◇
Alexandros AldousRSU◇——◇——◇
Alexandros AldousPSU◇—◇—◇—◇
Christina PolychroniPSU◇—◇—◇—◇
Christina PolychroniRSU◇——◇——◇
Christina PolychroniPSU◇—◇—◇—◇
Christina PolychroniPSU◇—◇—◇—◇
Christina PolychroniPSU◇———◇—◇
Christopher PappasPSU◇—◇—◇—◇
Christopher PappasRSU◇——◇——◇
Christopher PappasPSU◇—◇—◇—◇
Christopher PappasPSU◇—◇—◇—◇
Christopher PappasPSU◇———◇—◇
James LeddyRSU◇——◇——◇
James LeddyPSU◇—◇—◇—◇
James LeddyPSU◇—◇—◇—◇
James LeddyPSU◇———◇—◇
James LeddyPSU◇—◇—◇—◇
John PappasPSU◇—◇—◇—◇
John PappasPSU◇—◇—◇—◇
John PappasPSU◇—◇—◇—◇
John PappasRSU◇——◇——◇
John PappasPSU◇———◇—◇
Fiscal 2023, 2024 are included in the PDF.
A dash means the company reported no figure in that column. $0 is shown only where the filing prints a zero. Threshold, target and maximum apply only to performance awards and are never shown for time-based or option awards.

Outstanding awards

Awards still held at fiscal year end.
As disclosed at fiscal 2025 year end
OfficerAwardUnvested unitsMarket value of unvested unitsExercise priceExpires
Christopher PappasRSU◇◇——
PSU◇◇——
RSU◇◇——
PSU◇◇——
RSU◇◇——
John PappasPSU◇◇——
RSU◇◇——
PSU◇◇——
RSU◇◇——
RSU◇◇——
Christina PolychroniRSU◇◇——
PSU◇◇——
RSU◇◇——
PSU◇◇——
RSU◇◇——
Alexandros AldousRSU◇◇——
PSU◇◇——
RSU◇◇——
PSU◇◇——
RSU◇◇——
James LeddyRSU◇◇——
PSU◇◇——
RSU◇◇——
PSU◇◇——
RSU◇◇——
A dash means the company reported no figure in that column. $0 is shown only where the filing prints a zero.

Director compensation

What each non-employee director was paid.
Fiscal 2025
DirectorFees earned in cashStock awardsOption awardsNon-equity incentivePension and deferred earningsAll other compensationTotal
Aylwin Lewis
◇◇————◇
Lester Owens
◇◇————◇
Ivy Brown
◇◇————◇
Debra Walton-Ruskin
◇◇————◇
Steven F. Goldstone
◇◇————◇
Richard Peretz
◇◇————◇
Wendy Weinstein
◇◇————◇
John Pappas and Christopher Pappas served on the board in fiscal 2025 and received no compensation for board service. Executive directors are typically paid through their executive roles, shown above.
Earlier years are included in the PDF.
A dash means the company reported no figure in that column. $0 is shown only where the filing prints a zero.

Director fee schedule

The standing retainers and premiums the board pays, as published.
Board cash retainer◇
Board equity retainer◇
Total board retainer◇
Lead independent director premium◇
Audit committee chair◇
Audit committee member◇
Compensation committee chair◇
Compensation committee member◇
Nominating and governance chair◇
Nominating and governance member◇
Equity is delivered as restricted stock units.

Disclosed peer group

The companies this board named as its compensation comparison group. The list is disclosure; the comparison is analysis.
Fiscal 2025
  • Performance Food Group Company PFGC
  • Sysco Corporation SYY
  • United Natural Foods, Inc. UNFI
  • US Foods Holding Corp. USFD

Say-on-pay history

Shareholder support for the compensation program, by year.
YearMeetingSupportVotes forVotes againstAbstentions
2025May 8, 2026=◇◇◇
2024May 9, 2025=◇◇◇
2023May 10, 2024=◇◇◇
2022May 12, 2023=◇◇◇
2021May 13, 2022=◇◇◇
2020May 14, 2021=◇◇◇
2019May 15, 2020=◇◇◇
2018May 17, 2019=◇◇◇
2017May 18, 2018=◇◇◇
2016May 19, 2017=◇◇◇

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Sample answer — “What is the CEO’s total compensation?”
- Christopher Pappas (Chief Executive Officer), FY2025 total compensation $21,961,898 (base salary $1,200,302) [exec_comp, SEC accession 0001517175-26-000012, filed 2026-03-25]

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What this page does not include

Everything above is a fact Chefs' Warehouse disclosed, and it is free. Everything below is our analysis of those facts, and it is not.
Peer benchmarking
Where Chefs' Warehouse sits against its disclosed peers — percentile position by role and by pay element, and the ranking behind it. The disclosed peer group is free; comparisons across it are part of the Velarion platform.
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Written compensation analysis
A read of the pay program as designed and as paid: incentive structure, goal rigor, the alignment between the committee's stated philosophy and what the numbers show.
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Board and governance analysis
Committee composition, independence, director pay positioning, and the governance provisions read together rather than listed.
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Realizable pay
What the awards above are actually worth today against what they were valued at on grant, and what the gap says about the pay-for-performance link.
Velarion Intelligence
Say-on-pay responsiveness
Chefs' Warehouse recorded a low support level. The responsiveness analysis covers what the company said it would do, what it did, and how that compares with the companies that recovered their vote.
Responsiveness analysis
Adviser switching and vote outcomes
Two datasets covering compensation-adviser changes and what followed a contested vote. Both are part of the Velarion platform.
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Citations

Every figure on this page is cited to the document that reported it. Select any figure to see its citation.
311 figures on this page: 301 cited to the filing that reported them, 10 calculated from figures it prints.
301 cited to the filing
10 calculated from the filing

Documents cited

  1. 0000947871-26-000509
  2. 0001517175-26-000012
    Director Compensation · Grants of Plan-Based Awards · Outstanding Equity Awards at 202 · Summary Compensation Table – Fiscal Years
  3. 0000947871-25-000510
  4. 0001517175-25-000003
    Summary Compensation Table – Fiscal Years 2022-2024
  5. 0000947871-24-000474
  6. 0001517175-24-000006
    Summary Compensation Table – Fiscal Years 2021-2023 · Summary Compensation Table – Fiscal Years 2022-2024
  7. 0000947871-23-000588
  8. 0001517175-23-000005
    Summary Compensation Table – Fiscal Years 2022-2024
  9. 0000947871-22-000610
  10. 0000947871-21-000579
  11. 0000947871-20-000500
  12. 0000947871-19-000388
  13. 0000947871-18-000429
  14. 0000947871-17-000391
Cite this data
This page is free to cite. Attribution we ask for:
Velarion, “Chefs' Warehouse executive compensation, FY2022–FY2025.” https://intel.velarion.ai/comp/CHEF (accessed 2026).
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The Chefs' Warehouse brief, $500

Positioning against its disclosed peers, the governance read, incentive design, and the CD&A alignment analysis; the full peer table; a committee-ready PDF.
From $500 for the board report; $900 for both.
Get the executive briefGet the board briefNo account needed.
14 filings cited on this page
Method: intel.velarion.ai/methodology
A report that fails to generate is refunded in full
Published by Velarion Company Intelligence
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Consumer & Retail rankings

Chief executive pay — Consumer & RetailCEO pay ratio — Consumer & RetailSay-on-pay support — Consumer & Retail

Peers Chefs' Warehouse discloses

The companies named in CHEF's own disclosed peer group.

Performance Food Group CompanySysco CorporationUnited Natural Foods, Inc.US Foods Holding Corp.

Terms on this page

Say-on-Pay VoteCEO Pay RatioMedian Employee CompensationAll companies

Free to read and cite. Redistribution or bulk use of the dataset requires a data license. Talk to us about the data license.

Cite this data
APA
Velarion Company Intelligence. (2026). Velarion database: executive and board compensation data (Version 2026Q3) [Data set]. Zenodo. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.22283854
BibTeX
@misc{velarionData2026,
  author = {{Velarion Company Intelligence}},
  title = {Velarion database: executive and board compensation data},
  year = {2026},
  version = {2026Q3},
  doi = {10.5281/zenodo.22283854},
  publisher = {Zenodo},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.22283854}
}
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