gsi commerce

Undercover Boss Featured GSI Commerce CEO Michael Rubin

 

Sunday night’s CBS episode of Undercover boss featured GSI Commerce CEO Michael Rubin.
The show features leaders of top companies who put themselves in their employee’s shoes for a day. Generally, the executives come away with some positive experiential knowledge of the real work-a-day existence of the lowest paid employees in their organizations.
Rubin gave a shot at packaging and loading tasks and found that he wasn’t quite up to par. This wasn’t his first appearance on the show. Earlier he tried his hand at being a customer service  representative.
The show always brings to mind the discrepancy between salaries of top paid executives and the low end of positions in their companies. In CGI Commerce’s case, Rubin makes about 100 times the amount a customer service rep makes.
Of course these salary multiples can be found in a lot of places besides corporate board rooms. LeBron James will make $14.5 million this year. What will the water boy make?
According to Forbes magazine Opra Winfrey pulls in $315 million and James Cameron $210 million. Tiger Woods? Try $105 mill.
Maybe there is a big conspiracy that begins with the boards of directors who select CEO’s and name their salaries, and CEO’s who select directors to sit on the boards. But maybe it is just supply and demand. A good actor can make or break a movie, a good ball player can make or break a season and a good CEO can mean the difference between bankruptcy and continued employment next year.