Mercury Systems Executive Compensation (FY26)
MRCY · Executive and director compensation, fiscal 2022 to 2026
The paid brief on Mercury Systems
Positioning against its disclosed peers, the governance read, incentive design, and the CD&A alignment analysis; the full peer table; a committee-ready PDF.
$1,500 for the Executive Compensation Report. Both reports for $2,400.
New filing — September 17, 2026, data updatedData as of September 18, 2026Latest filing (DEF 14A): September 17, 2026
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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283 figures on this page: 273 cited to the filing that reported them, 10 calculated from figures it prints. See the citations
More on Mercury Systems
Five data products on this company. Each one is requested through the developer setup page.
- Peer Disclosure Audit$5The comparison companies this board named, each one tied to the filing that lists it.How to get Peer Disclosure Audit
- Governance Provisions PullfreeThe governance provisions as the proxy states them: board leadership, committee membership, and shareholder rights.How to get Governance Provisions Pull
- Say-on-Pay Risk Signal$9A risk band for the next say-on-pay vote, with the support history and the peer comparison behind it.How to get Say-on-Pay Risk Signal
- NEO Comp Report$24Every named executive officer’s pay by element and year, with the citation behind each figure.How to get NEO Comp Report
- Board Comp Report$24What each non-employee director was paid, the standing fee schedule, and the equity each one holds at year end.How to get Board Comp Report
What changed from fiscal 2025 to fiscal 2026
The figures that moved, and by how much. Analysis of these figures is part of the Velarion platform.
Chief executive total compensation — William Ballhaus: $10,229,945 → $11,131,048 (8.8% higher)
Frequently asked questions
Answers drawn from the data on this page.
Who is Mercury Systems' chief executive and what were they paid?
William Ballhaus was paid $11,131,048 in total compensation as Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer for fiscal 2026. Ballhaus' total moved 8.8% higher from the $10,229,945 reported for fiscal 2025.
What was Mercury Systems' say-on-pay result?
Shareholders supported the say-on-pay proposal with 95.5% of votes cast for or against in favor at the meeting held October 22, 2025 for fiscal 2025.
Which companies are in Mercury Systems' peer group?
Companies named in the disclosed peer group include AeroVironment, Inc., Axcelis Technologies, Inc., Belden Inc., BWX Technologies, Inc. and Curtiss-Wright Corporation, among others.
Executive compensation
Every element reported for each named executive officer, by fiscal year.
Fiscal 2022
| Officer | Salary | Bonus | Stock awards | Option awards | Non-equity incentive | Pension and deferred earnings | All other compensation | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Mark Aslett Former President and Chief Executive Officer | ◇ | — | ◇ | — | ◇ | — | ◇ | ◇ |
Michael Ruppert Former Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer | ◇ | — | ◇ | — | ◇ | — | ◇ | ◇ |
James Stevison Executive Vice President, Chief Operating Officer | ◇ | ◇ | ◇ | — | ◇ | — | ◇ | ◇ |
Charles Wells Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer | ◇ | — | ◇ | — | ◇ | — | ◇ | ◇ |
Fiscal 2023
| Officer | Salary | Bonus | Stock awards | Option awards | Non-equity incentive | Pension and deferred earnings | All other compensation | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Christine Harbison Executive Vice President and Chief Growth Officer | ◇ | — | ◇ | — | ◇ | — | ◇ | ◇ |
Michelle McCarthy Senior Vice President, Chief Accounting Officer and Former Interim Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer Departed during or after this year Served on an interim basis | ◇ | ◇ | ◇ | — | ◇ | — | ◇ | ◇ |
Mark Aslett Former President and Chief Executive Officer Departed during or after this year | ◇ | — | — | — | — | — | ◇ | ◇ |
Charles Wells Executive Vice President and President of Microelectronics Division | ◇ | — | — | — | ◇ | — | ◇ | ◇ |
James Stevison Executive Vice President and President of Mission Systems Division | ◇ | — | — | — | ◇ | — | ◇ | ◇ |
Michael Ruppert Former Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer, and Treasurer Departed during or after this year | ◇ | — | — | — | — | — | ◇ | ◇ |
William Ballhaus President and Chief Executive Officer | — | — | — | — | — | — | ◇ | ◇ |
Fiscal 2024
| Officer | Salary | Bonus | Stock awards | Option awards | Non-equity incentive | Pension and deferred earnings | All other compensation | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
William Ballhaus Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer | ◇ | ◇ | ◇ | ◇ | — | — | ◇ | ◇ |
David Farnsworth EVP and Chief Financial Officer | ◇ | ◇ | ◇ | — | — | — | ◇ | ◇ |
Charles Wells EVP and Chief Operating Officer | ◇ | ◇ | ◇ | — | — | — | ◇ | ◇ |
Stuart Kupinsky EVP, Chief Legal Officer and Corporate Secretary | ◇ | ◇ | ◇ | — | — | — | ◇ | ◇ |
Steven Ratner EVP and Chief Human Resources Officer | ◇ | ◇ | ◇ | — | — | — | ◇ | ◇ |
Fiscal 2025
| Officer | Salary | Bonus | Stock awards | Option awards | Non-equity incentive | Pension and deferred earnings | All other compensation | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
William Ballhaus Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer | ◇ | — | ◇ | — | ◇ | — | ◇ | ◇ |
David Farnsworth EVP and Chief Financial Officer | ◇ | — | ◇ | — | ◇ | — | ◇ | ◇ |
Charles Wells Former EVP and Chief Operating Officer Departed during or after this year | ◇ | — | ◇ | — | — | — | ◇ | ◇ |
Stuart Kupinsky EVP, Chief Legal Officer and Corporate Secretary | ◇ | — | ◇ | — | ◇ | — | ◇ | ◇ |
Steven Ratner EVP and Chief Human Resources Officer | ◇ | — | ◇ | — | ◇ | — | ◇ | ◇ |
Fiscal 2026
| Officer | Salary | Bonus | Stock awards | Option awards | Non-equity incentive | Pension and deferred earnings | All other compensation | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
William Ballhaus Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer | ◇ | — | ◇ | — | ◇ | — | ◇ | ◇ |
David Farnsworth EVP and Chief Financial Officer | ◇ | — | ◇ | — | ◇ | — | ◇ | ◇ |
Stuart Kupinsky EVP, Chief Legal Officer and Corporate Secretary | ◇ | — | ◇ | — | ◇ | — | ◇ | ◇ |
Steven Ratner EVP and 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 2026
| Officer | Award | Grant date | Threshold units | Target units | Units granted | Maximum units | Exercise price | Grant date fair value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| David E. Farnsworth | RSU | ◇ | — | — | ◇ | — | — | ◇ |
| David E. Farnsworth | PSU | ◇ | ◇ | ◇ | — | ◇ | — | ◇ |
| Steven V. Ratner | PSU | ◇ | ◇ | ◇ | — | ◇ | — | ◇ |
| Steven V. Ratner | RSU | ◇ | — | — | ◇ | — | — | ◇ |
| Stuart H. Kupinsky | PSU | ◇ | ◇ | ◇ | — | ◇ | — | ◇ |
| Stuart H. Kupinsky | RSU | ◇ | — | — | ◇ | — | — | ◇ |
| William L. Ballhaus | RSU | ◇ | — | — | ◇ | — | — | ◇ |
| William L. Ballhaus | PSU | ◇ | ◇ | ◇ | — | ◇ | — | ◇ |
Fiscal 2023, 2024, 2025 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 2026 year end
| Officer | Award | Unvested units | Market value of unvested units | Exercise price | Expires |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| William Ballhaus | Option | ◇ | — | ◇ | 8/17/28 |
| RSU | ◇ | ◇ | — | — | |
| Option | ◇ | — | ◇ | 8/17/27 | |
| RSU | ◇ | ◇ | — | — | |
| Option | ◇ | — | ◇ | 8/17/27 | |
| PSU | ◇ | ◇ | — | — | |
| PSU | ◇ | ◇ | — | — | |
| Option | ◇ | — | ◇ | 8/17/28 | |
| PSU | ◇ | ◇ | — | — | |
| RSU | ◇ | ◇ | — | — | |
| RSU | ◇ | ◇ | — | — | |
| Steven Ratner | RSU | ◇ | ◇ | — | — |
| RSU | ◇ | ◇ | — | — | |
| PSU | ◇ | ◇ | — | — | |
| PSU | ◇ | ◇ | — | — | |
| RSU | ◇ | ◇ | — | — | |
| PSU | ◇ | ◇ | — | — | |
| Stuart Kupinsky | RSU | ◇ | ◇ | — | — |
| RSU | ◇ | ◇ | — | — | |
| PSU | ◇ | ◇ | — | — | |
| PSU | ◇ | ◇ | — | — | |
| RSU | ◇ | ◇ | — | — | |
| PSU | ◇ | ◇ | — | — | |
| David Farnsworth | PSU | ◇ | ◇ | — | — |
| RSU | ◇ | ◇ | — | — | |
| RSU | ◇ | ◇ | — | — | |
| RSU | ◇ | ◇ | — | — | |
| PSU | ◇ | ◇ | — | — | |
| PSU | ◇ | ◇ | — | — | |
| PSU | ◇ | ◇ | — | — | |
| RSU | ◇ | ◇ | — | — | |
| 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 2026
| Director | Fees earned in cash | Stock awards | Option awards | Non-equity incentive | Pension and deferred earnings | All other compensation | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Barry R. Nearhos Lead independent director | ◇ | ◇ | — | — | — | — | ◇ |
Howard L. Lance | ◇ | ◇ | — | — | — | — | ◇ |
Lisa S. Disbrow | ◇ | ◇ | — | — | — | — | ◇ |
Orlando P. Carvalho | ◇ | ◇ | — | — | — | — | ◇ |
Debora A. Plunkett | ◇ | ◇ | — | — | — | — | ◇ |
Jean Bua | ◇ | ◇ | — | — | — | — | ◇ |
Gerard J. DeMuro | ◇ | ◇ | — | — | — | — | ◇ |
William L. Ballhaus and Scott Ostfeld served on the board in fiscal 2026 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 | ◇ |
| Board chair premium | ◇ |
| Lead independent director premium | ◇ |
| Audit committee chair | ◇ |
| Compensation committee chair | ◇ |
| Nominating and governance chair | ◇ |
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 2026
- AeroVironment, Inc. AVAV
- Axcelis Technologies, Inc. ACLS
- Belden Inc. BDC
- BWX Technologies, Inc. BWXT
- Curtiss-Wright Corporation CW
- Diodes Incorporated DIOD
- Ducommun Incorporated DCO
- FormFactor, Inc. FORM
- Infinera Corporation INFN
- Knowles Corporation KN
- Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc. KTOS
- Leonardo DRS, Inc. DRS
- MACOM Technology Solutions Holdings, Inc. MTSI
- Novanta Inc. NOVT
- Onto Innovation Inc. ONTO
- OSI Systems, Inc. symbol not shown
- RBC Bearings Incorporated RBC
- Rogers Corporation ROG
Say-on-pay history
Shareholder support for the compensation program, by year.
| Year | Meeting | Support | Votes for | Votes against | Abstentions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | October 22, 2025 | = | ◇ | ◇ | ◇ |
| 2023 | October 23, 2024 | = | ◇ | ◇ | ◇ |
| 2022 | October 25, 2023 | = | ◇ | ◇ | ◇ |
| 2021 | October 26, 2022 | = | ◇ | ◇ | ◇ |
| 2020 | October 27, 2021 | = | ◇ | ◇ | ◇ |
| 2019 | November 2, 2020 | = | ◇ | ◇ | ◇ |
| 2018 | October 25, 2019 | = | ◇ | ◇ | ◇ |
| 2017 | October 29, 2018 | = | ◇ | ◇ | ◇ |
| 2016 | October 20, 2017 | = | ◇ | ◇ | ◇ |
| 2015 | October 19, 2016 | = | ◇ | ◇ | ◇ |
What this page does not include
Everything above is a fact Mercury Systems disclosed, and it is free. Everything below is our analysis of those facts, and it is not.
Peer benchmarking
Where Mercury Systems 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.
Executive Compensation Report — $1,500Written 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.
Executive Compensation Report — $1,500Board and governance analysis
Committee composition, independence, director pay positioning, and the governance provisions read together rather than listed.
Board Governance Report — $1,200Realizable 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 IntelligenceAdviser switching and vote outcomes
Two datasets covering compensation-adviser changes and what followed a contested vote. Both are part of the Velarion platform.
Inquire about accessMultiple companies at once
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Velarion IntelligenceCitations
Every figure on this page is cited to the document that reported it. Select any figure to see its citation.
283 figures on this page: 273 cited to the filing that reported them, 10 calculated from figures it prints.
273 cited to the filing
10 calculated from the filing
Documents cited
- 0001049521-26-000077DIRECTOR COMPENSATION
- 0001049521-25-000057
- 0001049521-25-000029Summary Compensation Table
- 0001049521-24-000039
- 0001049521-24-000036Summary Compensation Table
- 0001049521-23-000043Item 5.07 Submission of Matters to a Vote of Security Holders
- 0001049521-23-000034Summary Compensation Table
- 0001049521-22-000058
- 0001049521-21-000044
- 0001049521-20-000049
- 0001049521-19-000039
- 0001049521-18-000037
- 0001049521-17-000054Item 5.07 Submission of Matters to a Vote of Security Holders
- 0001049521-16-000100Item 5.07 Submission of Matters to a Vote of Security Holders
Cite this data
This page is free to cite. Attribution we ask for:
Velarion, “Mercury Systems executive compensation, FY2022–FY2026.” https://intel.velarion.ai/comp/MRCY (accessed 2026).
Short form: data: Velarion
The paid brief for Mercury Systems
Positioning against its disclosed peers, the governance read, incentive design, and the CD&A alignment analysis; the full peer table; a committee-ready PDF.
$1,500 for the Executive Compensation Report. Both reports for $2,400.
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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Peers Mercury Systems discloses
The companies named in MRCY's own disclosed peer group.
AeroVironment, Inc.Axcelis Technologies, Inc.Belden Inc.BWX Technologies, Inc.Curtiss-Wright CorporationDiodes IncorporatedFormFactor, Inc.Infinera CorporationKnowles CorporationKratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc.Leonardo DRS, Inc.MACOM Technology Solutions Holdings, Inc.Novanta Inc.Onto Innovation Inc.RBC Bearings IncorporatedRogers Corporation
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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}
}