Although I agree a good CEO should be well remunerated, I don't know that I agree that the employee's can't be a top priority.
Anyone who has read "Peanuts" which is the story of Southwest in the US, will know that employee's are THE top priority of management, on the basis that happy and fulfilled employees will work harder and look after customers better and make decisions based on the best interests of the company. And Southwest is now the largest (in numbers of pax) airline in the world and also the most consistently profitable.
Maybe there is a lesson there.....