Clara Furse, chief executive of the London Stock Exchange, saw her total compensation rise by more than a fifth to almost £1.5m (€2.2m) last year after she successfully fought off a fourth bidder in three years.

The exchange's annual report, released today, shows that Furse received salary and benefits worth £529,000 plus a bonus of £900,000 that took her total compensation package to £1.43m, up from £1.17m the previous year, when she broke through the £1m mark for the first time.