Pension plans for executives can be drastically different.  Bankrate.com explains that pensions are being eliminated at many companies, however executive pensions can be extremely attractive,

Most top executives have so-called "supplemental executive retirement plans," or SERPs, that are governed by a different set of rules, because they're nonqualified plans.

As it stands now, shareholders rarely get wind of just how generous executive retirement packages can be until it's too late -- when the executive already starts drawing payments. This information is not included in the summary compensation tables required under current law that are readily available to the public.