COMPENSATION DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS
ownership level has been achieved. To the extent shares of common stock have been sold from vested RSUs granted by the Company, the equivalent amount of personally-held shares of common stock may not be sold unless the individual has satisfied the applicable ownership level. Pursuant to our stock ownership guidelines, ownership is calculated based on an individual’s annual base salary and the greater of (i) the average closing price of a share of the Company’s common stock over the previous calendar year and (ii) the value at acquisition. All of our Named Executive Officers are currently in compliance with or are on track to be in compliance with the applicable requirements of our stock ownership guidelines.
Additionally, we have stock ownership guidelines for our non-employee directors, requiring a minimum holding of 5x the annualized cash retainer. For information regarding these guidelines, please see “Director Compensation” below.
Recoupment Policy
Our Named Executive Officers are subject to a “Recoupment Policy” applicable to (i) incentive compensation granted, vested, paid or settled after such date of the Recoupment Policy and (ii) incentive compensation granted under a plan or award agreement that references the possibility of recovery or forfeiture under a clawback or compensation recoupment policy. All outstanding awards of incentive compensation provide for such possibility.
The Recoupment Policy provides that the Compensation Committee may, in its sole discretion, recover from any current or former employee of the Company who is or was an officer under the Exchange Act (including our Named Executive Officers) any or all of the incentive compensation granted within the 36-month period preceding a financial restatement or in the 36-month period preceding and following any Named Executive Officer’s “misconduct.”
“Misconduct” is defined in the Recoupment Policy to mean a determination by the independent directors of the Board that a Named Executive Officer has (i) engaged in gross negligence, incompetence, or misconduct in the performance of the Named Executive Officer’s duties with respect to the Company; (ii) has failed to materially perform his duties and responsibilities to the Company; (iii) has breached any written agreement with the Company; (iv) has breached any corporate policy or code of conduct established by the Company; (v) has engaged in conduct that is, or could reasonably expected to be, materially injurious to the Company, in terms of business operations, financial results, or reputation; (vi) has committed an act of theft, fraud, embezzlement, misappropriation, or breach of a fiduciary duty to the Company, or (vii) has been convicted of, pleaded no contest to, or received adjudicated probation or deferred adjudication in connection with a crime involving fraud, dishonesty, or moral turpitude or any felony (or a crime of similar import in a foreign jurisdiction).
We intend to review and revise the Recoupment Policy as necessary to comply with the listing standards of the NYSE.
Accounting and Tax Considerations
Section 162(m) of the Code limits the deductibility of certain compensation expenses in excess of $1,000,000 to certain of executive officers in any fiscal year.
While the tax impact of any compensation arrangement is one factor to be considered, such impact is evaluated in light of the Company’s overall compensation philosophy and objectives. The Company believes that maintaining the discretion to evaluate the performance of executive officers is an important part of the Company’s responsibilities and benefits public shareholders, and therefore, the Company may award compensation to the Named Executive Officers that is not fully deductible if it is determined that such compensation is consistent with the Company’s compensation philosophy and benefits shareholders. Section 409A of the Code requires that “nonqualified deferred compensation” be deferred and paid under plans or arrangements that satisfy the requirements of the statute with respect to the timing of deferral elections, timing of payments, and certain other matters. Failure to satisfy these requirements can expose employees and other service providers to accelerated income tax liabilities and penalty taxes and interest on their vested compensation under such plans. Accordingly, as a general matter, it is the Company’s intention to design and administer its compensation and benefits plans and arrangements for all employees and other service providers, including the executive officers, so that they are either exempt from, or satisfy the requirements of, section 409A of the Code.
Any equity awards granted to our employees, including executive officers, are reflected in the Company’s consolidated financial statements, based upon the applicable accounting guidance, at fair market value on the grant date in accordance with Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) Accounting Standards Codification, Topic 718, “Compensation—Stock Compensation.”
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36 | 2023 Proxy Statement |
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