The problem is you won't even find a desk warmer, at least none with actual experience in leading a ~750 employees organization, without taking part in the wage racket.
The only ones you'll end up hiring are either newbies wanting to use your organization as a "career trampoline" (which is bad because you want stability, not a change of course every other year) or failures that don't have a chance anywhere else.
The system must be fixed, and the system is absurd CxO pay. Relying on individuals sacrificing themselves/their orgs won't work.