O’Reilly Auto CEO becomes highest-paid exec at retailer

Greg Johnson earns $4.9 million in total compensation during 2018.

Greg Johnson, the CEO of Springfield-based auto parts retailer O’Reilly Automotive Inc. (Nasdaq: ORLY), became the highest-paid executive at the company amid a leadership shift in 2018.

Johnson, who in May 2018 succeeded Greg Henslee as CEO, earned $4.9 million in 2018 total compensation, a 317 percent increase from $1.2 million a year earlier, according to a proxy filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

Henslee, who became executive vice chairman of the board through the transition, earned $1.1 million last year, down from $2.9 million in 2017. He previously earned total compensation of $4.6 million in 2016, according to the SEC filing.

Here are O’Reilly Automotive’s top five executives, ranked by 2018 total compensation:
• Johnson, who’s also co-president, $4.9 million, up 316.6 percent from 2017;
• Jeff Shaw, the company’s co-president who last year was named chief operating officer, $3.4 million, up 187 percent;
• Tom McFall, chief financial officer, $2.4 million, up 50 percent;
• Henslee, $1.1 million, down 61 percent; and
• David O’Reilly, board chairman, $1.09 million, up 2 percent.

In February, O’Reilly Automotive reported 2018 earnings rose 16.8 percent to $1.3 billion.

ORLY shares were trading at $385.05 as of 9:01 a.m., compared with a 52-week range of $217.64 to $394.42. The company’s most recent 52-week high came on Feb. 19, capping off some half-dozen all-time stock highs reached last month.