Feb. 11 (Bloomberg) -- General Motors Co. ChiefExecutive Officer Mary Barra, who started the job last month, mayreceive total compensation this year of $14.4 million, $10 millionmore than the largest U.S. automaker previously disclosed. Barra, who became the first female CEO of a global carmakerJan. 15, may receive $10 million in long-term compensation as partof her package, the Detroit-based company said yesterday in astatement. That portion is subject to shareholder approval at GM’sannual meeting in June and the final amount depends on thecompany’s performance, GM said.

“The company released the full figures ahead of its proxy filingin April to correct misperceptions created by comparisons that usedonly a portion of Barra’s overall compensation,” GM said in thee-mailed statement.

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GM in January said Barra, 52, would earn $1.6 million in salaryand $2.8 million as part of the company’s short-term incentiveplan. While the automaker said at the time that she was likely toreceive additional compensation as part of the new long-termincentive plan, it was criticized as paying her a fraction of whather predecessor received.

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Barra, previously the automaker’s top product officer, succeededDan Akerson who stepped down last month to take care of his sickwife. Akerson earned $11.1 million in 2012. He remains at GM as asenior adviser and is eligible to receive a pay package worth asmuch as $4.68 million this year. He’s expected to stay less than ayear, GM has said, and his compensation will be prorated.

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Function of performance

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“As a new CEO, Mary’s total compensation is in line with herpeer group and properly weighted so that most is at-risk,” TimSolso, GM chairman, said in the statement. “The company’sperformance will ultimately determine how much she is paid.”

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After appearing at President Barack Obama’s State of the Unionspeech in January, Barra’s compensation package received criticismby some media outlets. “Why does GM think Barra’s value as its CEOis currently worth 52% less than Akerson’s?” Elizabeth MacDonaldwrote on Feb. 3 on Foxbusiness.com.

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Congresswoman Louise Slaughter, a Democrat from New York, whoissued a statement last week critical of Barra’s pay, saying the“salary disparity underscores need to address gender pay gap,”yesterday sent out a tweet that read: “Happy to see” that Barra is“earning a salary equal to that of her male counterparts &reflecting her contributions.”

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Ford, Toyota

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GM rose 1 percent to $35.23 at 9:30 a.m. in New York. The shareshad fallen 15 percent through yesterday’s close, while the Standard& Poor’s 500 Index slipped 2.6 percent.

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Compensation for other global automaker CEOs varies widely. FordMotor Co. CEO Alan Mulally received about $21 million incompensation in 2012, according to Ford’s proxy.

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Toyota Motor Corp. President Akio Toyoda received 184 millionyen ($1.8 million) in 2012 while Volkswagen AG Martin Winterkornwas paid 14.5 million euros ($19.8 million) and Daimler AG’s DieterZetsche got 8.15 million euros.

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Barra’s package being weighted toward long-term performance issmart corporate governance, said Maryann Keller, an auto- industryconsultant who has served as a director at Dollar ThriftyAutomotive Group Inc. and Lithia Motors Inc.

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“The number here is a fine number and appropriate,” she saidyesterday in a telephone interview. “A package that pays out basedupon long-term performance is very sensible in an industry that iscyclical.”

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