Proposal 3: Advisory Vote to Approve Named Executive Officer Compensation
In accordance with Section 14A of the Exchange Act and the related SEC rules, we are asking shareholders to approve, on an advisory and annual basis,
the compensation of our Named Executive Officers as disclosed in the Compensation Discussion and Analysis, the compensation tables, and any related material contained in this Proxy Statement. This proposal, commonly known as a “say-on-pay” proposal, gives shareholders the opportunity to endorse or not endorse our executive pay program and policies through the following resolution:
“Resolved, that the shareholders approve the compensation of our Named Executive Officers, as disclosed pursuant to Item 402 of Regulation S-K, including the Compensation Discussion and Analysis, the compensation tables, and any related material contained in our Proxy Statement.”
The compensation of our Named Executive Officers is based on a program that ties a substantial percentage of an executive’s compensation to the attainment of financial and other performance measures that, the Compensation Committee believes promote the creation of long-term shareholder value and position the Company for long-term success. As described more fully in this Compensation Discussion and Analysis, the mix of fixed and performance-based compensation and the terms of annual and long-term incentive awards are all designed to enable the Company to attract and maintain top talent while creating a close relationship between performance and compensation. The Compensation Committee and the Board of Directors believe that the design of the program and the compensation awarded to Named Executive Officers under the current program fulfill this objective.
We urge shareholders to read this Compensation Discussion and Analysis section of this Proxy Statement, which discusses in detail how our compensation policies and procedures complement our compensation philosophy.
Although the vote is non-binding, the Compensation Committee will review the voting results in connection with their ongoing evaluation of the Company’s compensation program. The Committee in recent years has considered the feedback from shareholders in making specific compensation plan changes. Our compensation plan was well received by our shareholders as reflected in our annual say-on-pay vote last year when over 88% of the shares voted were in favor of the Named Executive Officer compensation. Approval of this proposal is subject to the approval of a majority of the holders of shares of the Company’s common stock present in person or represented by proxy and entitled to vote at the Annual Meeting. Each holder of our common stock is entitled to one vote for each share held. Abstentions will have the same effect as a vote AGAINST this proposal. Broker non-votes are not counted. Please see page 32 in this Proxy Statement for more information.
The Board of Directors recommends a vote “FOR” advisory approval of the resolution regarding compensation of our Named Executive Officers (as set forth in this Proxy Statement).
