Coty Inc 8-K, filed Nov 10, 2026
Coty Inc. (COTY)
8-K
2026-11-10
For: 2026-11-05
View Original
Added on
November 10, 2026
About this 8-K
Coty Inc filed this 8-K on November 10, 2026, reporting on events of November 5, 2026.
At its November 5, 2026 annual meeting, Coty Inc. stockholders approved increasing the equity and long-term incentive plan reserve by 50 million shares and the director plan reserve by 2 million shares. AI summary
Items reported
- Item 5.02: Director or officer change, or executive pay
- Item 5.07: Shareholder vote results
- Item 9.01: Financial statements and exhibits
UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549
FORM 8-K
CURRENT REPORT
Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported): November 10, 2026 (November 5, 2026 )
(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in its Charter)
(State or other Jurisdiction of Incorporation) | (Commission File Number) | (I.R.S. Employer Identification No.) | ||||||||||||
| (Address of Principal Executive Offices) | (Zip Code) | ||||||||||
Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: (212) 389-7300
(Former name or former address, if changed from last report)
Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions:
| Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425) | |||||
| Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12) | |||||
| Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b)) | |||||
| Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c)) | |||||
| Title of each class | Trading symbol(s) | Name of each exchange on which registered | ||||||
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an emerging growth company as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act of 1933 (§230.405 of this chapter) or Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (§240.12b-2 of this chapter). Emerging growth company ☐
If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act.o
Item 5.02 Departure of Directors or Certain Officers; Election of Directors; Appointment of Certain Officers; Compensatory Arrangements of Certain Officers.
On November 5, 2026, Coty Inc. (the “Company”) held its annual meeting of stockholders via the internet at http://www.virtualshareholdermeeting.com/Coty2026 (the “Annual Meeting”). At the Annual Meeting, the Company’s stockholders approved the Amended and Restated Coty Inc. Equity and Long-Term Incentive Plan (the “Amended and Restated ELTIP”), previously approved by the Company’s Board of Directors subject to stockholder approval, to increase the available share reserve under the Amended and Restated ELTIP by 50 million shares of the Company’s Class A Common Stock.
A description of the Amended and Restated ELTIP was included in the Company’s definitive proxy statement filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on September 24, 2026 (the “Proxy Statement”) under the heading “Proposal No. 2: Approval of the Amended and Restated Coty Inc. Equity and Long-Term Incentive Plan—Summary of the ELTIP”. The summary of the Amended and Restated ELTIP is qualified in its entirety by reference to the full text of the Amended and Restated ELTIP, a copy of which is filed as Exhibit 10.1 to this report and which was also included as Annex A to the Proxy Statement.
At the Annual Meeting, the Company’s stockholders also approved the Amended and Restated Coty Inc. Stock Plan for Directors (the “Amended and Restated Director Plan”), previously approved by the Company’s Board of Directors subject to stockholder approval, to increase the available share reserve under the Amended and Restated Director Plan by 2 million shares of the Company’s Class A Common Stock.
A description of the Amended and Restated Director Plan was included in the Company’s Proxy Statement” under the heading “Proposal No. 3: Approval of the Amended and Restated Coty Inc. Stock Plan For Directors—Summary of the Director Stock Plan”. The summary of the Amended and Restated Director Plan is qualified in its entirety by reference to the full text of the Amended and Restated Director Plan, a copy of which is filed as Exhibit 10.2 to this report and which was also included as Annex B to the Proxy Statement.
Item 5.07 Submission of Matters to a Vote of Security Holders.
At the Annual Meeting, the Company’s stockholders voted on the six proposals listed below, each of which is described in more detail in the Company’s Proxy Statement. There were 723,966,922 shares of Class A Common Stock and 146,057 shares of Series B Preferred Stock, representing 747,785,652 votes in the aggregate present at the beginning of the Annual Meeting in person or by proxy, which represented 82.67% of all votes entitled to be voted at the Annual Meeting, and which constituted a quorum for the transaction of business. Holders of the Company’s Class A Common Stock were entitled to one vote per share held and holders of the Company’s Series B Preferred Stock were entitled to 163.0780 votes per share held as of the close of business on September 10, 2026, the Record Date.
Final voting results are shown below.
Each proposal was determined by a majority of the aggregate votes cast, except that the election of directors was determined by plurality vote.
1. Election of Directors
The following directors were elected to the Board of Directors of the Company (the “Board”):
Director | For | Withheld | Broker Non-Votes | |||||||||||||||||
| Patricia Capel | 679,207,529 | 33,178,909 | 35,399,214 | |||||||||||||||||
| Joachim Creus | 706,603,089 | 5,783,349 | 35,399,214 | |||||||||||||||||
| Frank Engelen | 710,724,882 | 1,661,556 | 35,399,214 | |||||||||||||||||
| Carsten Fischer | 711,204,983 | 1,181,455 | 35,399,214 | |||||||||||||||||
| Alia Gogi | 711,175,786 | 1,210,652 | 35,399,214 | |||||||||||||||||
| Robert Kunze-Concewitz | 708,631,181 | 3,755,257 | 35,399,214 | |||||||||||||||||
| Maria Carla Liuni | 711,032,855 | 1,353,583 | 35,399,214 | |||||||||||||||||
| Stephanie Plaines | 711,174,598 | 1,211,840 | 35,399,214 | |||||||||||||||||
| Markus Strobel | 710,038,306 | 2,348,132 | 35,399,214 | |||||||||||||||||
Each of the nine nominees for director was elected to serve until the next annual meeting of stockholders or until his or her successor has been elected and qualified, or until his or her earlier death, resignation or removal.
2. Approval of the Amended and Restated Coty Inc. Equity and Long-Term Incentive Plan
The stockholders approved the Amended and Restated Coty Inc. Equity and Long-Term Incentive Plan:
For | Against | Abstain | Broker Non-Votes | |||||||||||||||||
| 642,428,535 | 66,772,884 | 3,185,019 | 35,399,214 | |||||||||||||||||
3. Approval of the Amended and Restated Coty Inc. Stock Plan for Directors
The stockholders approved the Amended and Restated Coty Inc. Stock Plan for Directors:
For | Against | Abstain | Broker Non-Votes | |||||||||||||||||
| 709,753,217 | 2,543,721 | 89,500 | 35,399,214 | |||||||||||||||||
4. Approval of Advisory Resolution on Named Executive Officer Compensation
The stockholders approved the advisory resolution on Named Executive Officer compensation:
For | Against | Abstain | Broker Non-Votes | |||||||||||||||||
| 702,266,724 | 9,960,836 | 158,878 | 35,399,214 | |||||||||||||||||
5. Advisory vote on the Frequency of Holding the Vote on the Advisory Resolution on Named Executive Officer Compensation
The stockholders approved, on an advisory basis, a vote EVERY YEAR on the frequency of the vote on the advisory resolution on Named Executive Officer compensation:
Every Year | Every Two Years | Every Three Years | Abstain | Broker Non-Votes | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 706,191,647 | 129,634 | 5,856,532 | 208,625 | 35,399,214 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Taking into consideration the voting results on this matter at the Annual Meeting and based on the recommendations of the Board and the Remuneration and Nomination Committee of the Board, the Company has decided that it will hold future advisory votes on named executive officer compensation on an annual basis until the next required vote on the frequency of such advisory vote.
6. Ratification of Appointment of Deloitte & Touche LLP as the Company's Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
The stockholders ratified the appointment of Deloitte & Touche LLP as the Company’s independent registered public accounting firm for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2027:
For | Against | Abstain | Broker Non-Votes | |||||||||||||||||
| 739,025,898 | 8,636,780 | 122,974 | 0 | |||||||||||||||||
Item 9.01 Financial Statements and Exhibits
(i)Exhibits:
| Exhibit No. | Description | |||||||
| 104 | Cover Page Interactive Data File (embedded within the Inline XBRL document). | |||||||
SIGNATURE
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the Registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.
| Coty Inc. | |||||||||||
| (Registrant) | |||||||||||
| Date: November 10, 2026 | By: | /s/ Kristin Blazewicz | |||||||||
| Kristin Blazewicz | |||||||||||
| Chief Legal Officer, General Counsel and Secretary | |||||||||||
Exhibit 10.1
AMENDED AND RESTATED
COTY INC.
EQUITY AND LONG-TERM INCENTIVE PLAN
(As adopted on November 5, 2026)
SECTION 1
PURPOSE AND DURATION
1.1 Purpose. The purpose of this Coty Inc. Equity and Long-Term Incentive Plan is to promote the interests of Coty Inc. and its shareholders by (i) attracting and retaining exceptional executive personnel and other key employees of the Company and its Affiliates; (ii) motivating such employees by means of performance-related incentives to achieve long-range performance goals; and (iii) enabling such employees to participate in the long-term growth and financial success of the Company.
1.2 Effective Date and Term of the Plan.
(a) The original effective date of the Plan is November 8, 2012. This Plan was first amended and restated on April 8, 2013, amended and restated again on October 28, 2015, again on each of November 3, 2016, February 1, 2017, November 3, 2020 and November 5, 2026. The effective date of this amended and restated plan document is the Sixth Restatement Effective Date.
(b) The Plan will terminate upon the earlier of (i) the date on which all Shares available for issuance under the Plan have been issued pursuant to the exercise of Stock Options or the Award of Shares under the Plan, or (ii) the date specified by action of the Board. Upon such Plan termination, all Awards outstanding under the Plan will continue to have full force and effect in accordance with the terms of the Terms and Conditions evidencing each Award.
SECTION 2
DEFINITIONS
Whenever used in the Plan, the following terms have the meanings set forth below:
2.1 “Affiliate” means any entity (i) that, directly or indirectly, is controlled by the Company, or in which the Company has a significant equity interest, and (ii) as to which the Company is an “eligible issuer of service recipient stock” within the meaning of Treas. Reg. 1.409A-1(b)(5)(iii)(E), in any such case as determined by the Committee.
2.2 “Applicable Fraction” means a fraction, the numerator of which is the number of days elapsed from the Grant Date of an Award to the date of the Participant’s termination of Service and the denominator of which is the number of days between the Grant Date and the date the Award was scheduled to become exercisable or otherwise vest.
2.3 “Award” means a grant under the Plan to a Participant of a Stock Option, Stock Appreciation Right, Restricted Stock Award, Restricted Stock Unit, Performance Award, or Other Stock-Based Award.
2.4 “Board” means the Board of Directors of the Company.
2.5 “Business Day” means any day other than a Saturday, Sunday, or legal holiday, or a day on which the national securities exchange that constitutes the principal market for the Shares is closed.
2.6 “Cause” has the meaning set forth in any employment, severance or other agreement between the Company or an Affiliate and the Participant. If there is no employment, severance or other agreement between the Company or an Affiliate and the Participant, or if such agreement does not define “Cause,” then “Cause” shall mean the occurrence of any of the following, as determined by the Committee in its sole discretion:
(a) a Participant’s willful and continued failure substantially to perform his or her duties (other than as a result of total or partial incapacity due to physical or mental illness or as a result of termination by such Participant for Good Reason), which failure continues for more than 30 days after receipt by the Participant of written notice setting forth the facts and circumstances identified by the Company as constituting adequate grounds for termination under this clause (a);
(b) any willful act or omission by a Participant constituting dishonesty, fraud or other malfeasance, and any act or omission by a Participant constituting immoral conduct, which in any such case is injurious to the financial condition or business reputation of the Company or any of its Affiliates;
(c) a Participant’s indictment for a felony under the laws of the United States or any state thereof or any other jurisdiction in which the Company conducts business; or
(d) a Participant’s breach of any nonsolicitation, noncompetition, confidentiality, or other restrictive covenant by which he or she is bound.
For purposes of this definition, no act or failure to act shall be deemed “willful” unless effected by a Participant not in good faith and without a reasonable belief that such action or failure to act was in or not opposed to the Company’s best interests.
2.7 “Change in Control” means the occurrence of any of the following:
(a) Any Person or “group” (as such term is used in Sections 13(d) and 14(d) of the Exchange Act) that is not the Majority Shareholder is or becomes the “beneficial owner” (as defined below), directly or indirectly, of securities representing either (i) more than 50% of the combined voting power of the Company’s then outstanding securities, or (ii) 20% or more of the combined voting power of the Company’s then outstanding securities at a time when the Majority Shareholder hold less than 30% of such combined voting power. For purposes of this clause (a), “beneficial owner” has the meaning given that term in Rule 13d-3 under the Exchange Act, except that a Person shall be deemed to be the “beneficial owner” of all shares that any such Person has the right to acquire pursuant to any agreement or arrangement or
upon exercise of conversion rights, warrants, options or otherwise, without regard to the 60-day period referred to in such Rule;
(b) Individuals who constitute the Board on the First Restatement Effective Date (the “Incumbent Board”) cease for any reason to constitute at least a majority thereof, provided, that any Person becoming a director subsequent to such date whose election, or nomination for election by the Company’s shareholders, was approved by a vote of at least three-quarters of the directors then comprising the Incumbent Board shall be, for purposes of this clause (b), considered as though such Person were a member of the Incumbent Board; and provided, further, that this clause (b) shall not apply as long as the Majority Shareholder is the beneficial owner of a majority of voting power of the Company’s outstanding securities;
(c) The Majority Shareholder enters into any joint venture, joint operating arrangement, partnership, standstill agreement or other arrangement similar to any of the foregoing with any other Person or group, pursuant to which such Person or group assumes significant operational or managerial control of the Company; or
(d) The shareholders of the Company approve a plan or agreement providing (i) for a merger or consolidation of the Company other than with a wholly owned subsidiary and other than a merger or consolidation that would result in the voting securities of the Company outstanding immediately prior thereto continuing to represent (either by remaining outstanding or by being converted into voting securities of the surviving entity) more than 51% of the combined voting power of the voting securities of the Company or such surviving entity outstanding immediately after such merger or consolidation, or (ii) for a sale, exchange or other disposition of all or substantially all of the business or assets of the Company. If any of the events enumerated in this clause (d) occurs, the Board shall determine the effective date of the Change in Control resulting therefrom for purposes of this Plan.
2.8 “Code” means the U.S. Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended from time to time.
2.9 “Committee” means the Remuneration and Nominating Committee of the Board or any successor committee with responsibility for compensation, or any subcommittee, as long as the number of Committee members and their qualifications shall at all times be sufficient to meet the independence requirements of the New York Stock Exchange, Inc. or any other applicable exchange on which the Company’s common equity is at the time listed and, as applicable, the requirements for “outside directors” under Section 162(m) and the regulations thereunder, as in effect from time to time.
2.10 “Company” means Coty Inc., a Delaware corporation, and any successor thereto as provided in Section 16.1.
2.11 “Designated Beneficiary” means the Person or Persons the Participant designates from time to time on a signed form prescribed by the Committee, properly filed with the Committee during the Participant’s lifetime, as the beneficiary of any amounts or benefits the Participant owns or is to receive under the Plan, in accordance with Section 12.1. A properly filed beneficiary designation will revoke all prior designations by the same Participant. If no such form has been filed with the
Committee, the Designated Beneficiary shall be the beneficiary named by the Participant in the Company’s qualified 401(k) savings plan or, if none, the Beneficiary’s estate.
2.12 “Director” means a member of the board of directors of the Company or an Affiliate.
2.13 “Disability” means either (i) disability as defined for purposes of the Company’s disability benefit plan, or (ii) a Participant’s inability, as a result of physical or mental incapacity, to perform the duties of his or her position(s) for a period of six consecutive months or for an aggregate of six months in any consecutive 12-month period. Any question as to the existence of the Disability of a Participant as to which the Participant and the Company cannot agree shall be determined in writing by a qualified independent physician mutually acceptable to the Participant and the Company. If the Participant and the Company cannot agree as to a qualified independent physician, each shall appoint such a physician and those two physicians shall select a third who shall make such determination in writing. The determination of Disability made in writing to the Company and the Participant shall be final and conclusive for all purposes of the Plan. Following a Change in Control, the Company shall pay all expenses incurred in the determination of whether a Participant is disabled.
2.14 “Employee” means an employee of the Company or an Affiliate (that is not a Joint Venture).
2.15 “Exchange Act” means the U.S. Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended from time to time, or any successor act thereto.
2.16 “Executive Officer” means any Company employee who is an “executive officer” as defined in Rule 3b-7 promulgated under the Exchange Act.
2.17 “Exercise Date” shall mean any Business Day.
2.18 “Exercise Price” means the price at which a Participant may purchase a Share pursuant to a Stock Option or Stock Appreciation Right.
2.19 “Fair Market Value” as it relates to a Share means, unless otherwise determined by the Committee, the most recent closing price of a Share on the principal national securities exchange on which the Shares are then listed, or if there were no sales on such date, on the next preceding day on which there were sales, or if such Shares are not listed on a national securities exchange, the last reported bid price in the over-the-counter market.
2.20 “First Restatement Effective Date” means the date on which the Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation of the Company that was adopted by the Company in connection with the first underwritten public offering of the Company’s common stock was filed with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware.
2.21 [Reserved.]
2.22 “Good Reason” shall have the meaning set forth in any employment, severance or other agreement between the Company or an Affiliate and the Participant. If there is no employment, severance or other agreement between the Company or an Affiliate and the Participant, or if such agreement does not define “Good Reason,” then “Good Reason” shall mean the occurrence of any of the following:
(a) Before a Change in Control:
(i) A Participant’s removal from, or the Company’s failure to reelect or reappoint the Participant to, his or her positions at the Company (other than as a result of a promotion). For purposes of this clause (i), a mere change of title shall not constitute removal from, or non-reelection to, such position, provided that a Participant’s new title is substantially equivalent to the Participant’s title as of the Grant Date and his or her position is otherwise not adversely affected; or
(ii) The relocation of a Participant’s principal workplace without his or her consent to a location more than 25 miles distant from its current location.
(b) Following a Change in Control:
(i) Any of the events described in clause (a) above;
(ii) A material diminution in a Participant’s title, position, duties or responsibilities, or the assignment to a Participant of duties that are inconsistent, in a material respect, with the scope of duties and responsibilities associated with his or her position as of the Grant Date; or
(iii) The failure of the Company to continue a Participant’s participation in the Company’s Annual Performance Plan and in this Plan or any successor plans thereto on a basis that is commensurate with his or her position.
2.23 “Grant Date” means the date on which an Award is granted.
2.24 “Joint Venture” has the meaning given that term in Section 6.9.
2.25 “Majority Shareholder” means (i) the Company’s majority shareholder as of the First Restatement Effective Date or (ii) a Benckiser Permitted Holder as defined in the Company’s Certificate of Incorporation effective on the First Restatement Effective Date or any other similarly situated Person as determined by the Committee.
2.26 “Original Effective Date” means November 8, 2012.
2.27 “Other Stock-Based Awards” has the meaning given that term in Section 10.
2.28 “Owned Shares” means Shares that a Participant has acquired through the exercise of a Stock Option or a Stock Appreciation Right, the vesting of Restricted Stock, the settlement of a Restricted Stock Unit or a distribution of Shares in connection with an Other Stock-Based Award.
2.29 “Participant” means an Employee selected by the Committee to receive an Award under the Plan pursuant to Section 5.2, or who has an outstanding Award granted under the Plan.
2.30 “Performance Award” means a right to receive cash or Shares (as determined by the Committee) upon the achievement, in whole or in part, of the applicable Performance Criteria pursuant to Section 9. A grant of Restricted Stock, Restricted Stock Units, or Other Stock Awards may be designed to qualify as Performance Awards.
2.31 “Performance-Based Exception” means the performance-based exception from the tax deductibility limitations of Code Section 162(m) and any regulations promulgated thereunder.
2.32 “Performance Criteria” means the objectives established by the Committee for a Performance Period for the purpose of determining the extent to which an Award of Performance Awards has been earned. “Performance Criteria” may be based on the relative or comparative attainment of one or more of the following criteria during a Performance Period, whether in absolute terms or relative to the performance of one or more similarly situated companies or a published index covering the performance of a number of companies: total stockholder return (inclusive or exclusive of dividends paid); stock price; gross, operating or net earnings or margins; approved rate increases; earnings before interest and taxes; earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (“EBITDA”); EBITDA excluding traditional working media; earnings per share; economic value added; ratio of operating earnings to capital spending; net sales; sales growth; return on assets, capital or equity; income; market share; level of expenses; revenue; revenue growth; cash flow; increases in customer base; capital expenditures; cost reductions and expense control objectives; compliance with environmental or regulatory goals or requirements; conservation; budget objectives; working capital; mergers, acquisitions and divestitures; attainment of objectives measured in terms of quality or safety; customer complaints or customer satisfaction; and improvements in financial controls; and, in the case of persons who are not Executive Officers, such other criteria as may be determined by the Committee. Performance Criteria may be established on a Company-wide basis or with respect to one or more business units, divisions, subsidiaries, or geographic locations, or on an individual basis.
At the time the Committee establishes Performance Criteria for a Performance Period, the Committee may exclude any or all items determined to be unusual in nature and/or infrequent in occurrence as determined under U.S. generally accepted accounting principles including, without limitation, the charges or costs associated with restructurings of the Company or any subsidiary, discontinued operations, other unusual or infrequently occurring items, the cumulative effects of accounting changes or such other objective factors as the Committee deems appropriate. Unless otherwise explicitly stated by the Committee at the time Performance Criteria are established, each applicable performance goal shall be appropriately adjusted for one or more of the following items: (i) amortization, asset impairments or write downs; (ii) litigation judgments or claim settlements; (iii) the effect of changes in tax law, accounting principles or such laws or provisions affecting reported results; (iv) accruals for reorganization and restructuring programs; (v) any items determined to be unusual in nature and/or infrequent in occurrence as described in Accounting Standards Codification (ASC) 225-20, as amended, and/or in management’s discussion and analysis of financial condition and results of operations appearing in the Company’s annual report to shareholders for the applicable year; (vi) the operations of any business acquired by the Company or any affiliate or of any joint venture in which the Company or affiliate participates; (vii) the divestiture of one or more business operations or the assets thereof; or (viii) the costs incurred in connection with such acquisitions or divestitures; and (ix) charges for stock based compensation.
Except in the case of Awards to Executive Officers intended to qualify for the Performance-Based Exception, the Committee may at any time adjust the Performance Criteria for any Performance Period as it deems equitable. The Committee shall have no obligation to treat Participants uniformly.
2.33 “Performance Period” means the 12-month time period during which Performance Criteria must be met in order for a Participant to earn Performance Awards granted under Section 9 or any other period established by the Committee during which Performance Criteria must be met in order for a Participant to earn Performance Awards granted under Section 9.
2.34 “Person” means any individual, partnership, corporation, limited liability company, association, joint stock company, trust, joint venture, unincorporated organization and any other entity, whether foreign or domestic, including any governmental entity or any department, agency or political subdivision thereof.
2.35 “Plan” means this Coty Inc. Equity and Long-Term Incentive Plan, as amended from time to time.
2.36 “Prior Plans” means the Coty Inc. Long-Term Incentive Plan and the Coty Inc. Executive Ownership Plan, each as in effect immediately prior to the Original Effective Date and as may be amended from time to time.
2.37 “Restricted Stock” means a contingent grant of Shares awarded to a Participant pursuant to Section 8.
2.38 “Restricted Stock Unit” means a Restricted Stock Unit granted to a Participant, as described in Section 8.
2.39 “Restriction Period” means the period during which the transfer of Restricted Stock is limited in some way (based on the passage of time, the achievement of performance objectives, or the occurrence of other events as the Committee determines, in its sole discretion) and, except as provided in the Terms and Conditions, during which the Restricted Stock and any Restricted Stock Unit is not vested.
2.40 “Retirement” means a termination of Service (other than a termination of Service for Cause):
(a) after attaining age 60, but only if the Company or the employing Affiliate consents to the treatment of such termination as a “Retirement” for purposes of this Plan; or
(b) qualifying as a retirement at normal retirement age under the laws and/or arrangements applicable to the Participant, as reasonably determined by the Committee.
2.41 “Section 162(m)” means Section 162(m) of the Code and the applicable regulations and other legal authority promulgated thereunder.
2.42 “Section 409A” means Section 409A of the Code and the applicable regulations and other legal authority promulgated thereunder.
2.43 “Service” means the provision of services in the capacity of an Employee or Continuing Director of the Company or an Affiliate. A transfer of Service from the Company to an Affiliate or from
an Affiliate to the Company or another Affiliate shall not constitute a termination of Service under the Plan or any Terms and Conditions. All determinations regarding Service, including whether any leave of absence is a termination of Service, shall be made by the Committee in its sole discretion. For purposes of this paragraph, a “Continuing Director” shall mean any individual who, upon his or her termination of employment with the Company or an Affiliate, continues to serve as a member of the Board or the board of directors of an Affiliate. The Service of a Continuing Director shall terminate when he or she ceases to serve as a member of the Board or on the board of directors of an Affiliate.
2.44 “Share” means a share of the Class A Common Stock, par value $.01 per share, of the Company, or such other securities of the Company as may be designated by the Committee from time to time.
2.45 “Stock Appreciation Right” or “SAR” means an Award consisting of a right to receive any excess in value of shares of common stock over the exercise price and designated as an SAR pursuant to the terms of Section 7.
2.46 “Sixth Restatement Effective Date” means November 5, 2026.
2.47 “Stock Appreciation Right Spread” means the amount by which the Fair Market Value, as of the Exercise Date, of the Shares as to which a Stock Appreciation Right is exercised exceeds the aggregate Exercise Price with respect to such Stock Appreciation Right.
2.48 “Stock Option” means a nonqualified stock option, as described in Section 6, that is not intended to meet the requirements of Code Section 422.
2.49 “Stock Option Spread” means the amount by which the Fair Market Value, as of the Exercise Date, of the Shares as to which a Stock Option is exercised exceeds the aggregate Exercise Price with respect to such Shares.
2.50 “Successor” means the Participant’s spouse, the Participant’s lineal descendants, any trust the beneficiaries of which consist only of the Participant, the Participant’s spouse and/or the Participant’s lineal descendants, or to a corporation in which the Participant, the Participant’s spouse and/or the Participant’s lineal descendants own 100% of the economic interest and has the unfettered right to prevent further transfer or disposition of the Restricted Stock, Stock Option, Stock Appreciation Right, Restricted Stock Unit or Owned Shares, applicable. The Committee may, in its discretion, deem other parties to qualify as a Successor for purposes of this Plan.
2.51 “Terms and Conditions” means any electronic or written agreement or other instrument or document evidencing an Award.
2.52 “Valuation Date” means any Business Day. A Valuation Date shall also occur upon the consummation of a transaction constituting a Change in Control.
2.53 “Withholding Tax” means the aggregate federal, state and local taxes, domestic or foreign, required by law or regulation to be withheld with respect to any taxable event arising under the Plan.
SECTION 3
Administration
3.1 Plan Administration. The Plan shall be administered by the Committee.
3.2 Authority of the Committee. Except as limited by law or the by-laws of the Company, and subject to the provisions of the Plan, the Committee shall have full power and discretion to: (a) select eligible Employees to participate in the Plan; (b) determine the size and type of Awards; (c) determine the terms and conditions of Awards in a manner consistent with the Plan; (d) determine whether, to what extent, and under what circumstances Awards may be settled or exercised in Shares, and the method or methods by which Awards may be settled or exercised; (e) determine the Fair Market Value of a Share; (f) construe and interpret the Plan and any agreement or instrument entered into under the Plan; (g) establish, amend or waive rules and regulations for the Plan’s administration; (h) specify the Exercise Price; and (i) subject to the provisions of Section 15.1, amend the terms and conditions of any outstanding Award to the extent the amended terms are within the Committee’s authority under the Plan. Further, the Committee shall make all other determinations that may be necessary or advisable to administer the Plan. The Committee may delegate some or all of its authority under the Plan to officers or employees of the Company or other Persons, except with respect to Awards to Executive Officers or to the extent that the grant or exercise of such authority would cause any Award or transaction to become subject to (or lose an exemption under) the short-swing profit recovery provisions of Section 16 of the Exchange Act or cause an Award intended to qualify for treatment as performance-based compensation under Section 162(m) to not so qualify.
3.3 Decisions Binding. All determinations and decisions made by the Committee or by a Person or Persons delegated authority by the Committee pursuant to the provisions of the Plan shall be final, conclusive and binding on all Persons, including, without limitation, the Company, its shareholders, all Affiliates, Employees, Participants and their estates and beneficiaries.
SECTION 4
Shares Subject to the Plan
4.1 Number of Shares Available for Grants. Subject to adjustment as provided in Sections 4.2 and 4.3, the number of Shares that may be issued or transferred to Participants under the Plan is 150,000,000. No additional awards shall be made under the Prior Plans on or after the Original Effective Date. Subject to adjustment as provided in Section 4.3, to the extent necessary to comply with Section 162(m), the maximum number of Shares or Share equivalent units that may be granted during any fiscal year to any one Participant under Options, SARs, Restricted Stock, Restricted Stock Units, Performance Awards or other Stock-Based Awards is $25,000,000, which limit will (i) be calculated based on the Fair Market Value of the number of Shares subject to the applicable Award as of the applicable Grant Date and (ii) apply regardless of whether the compensation is paid in Shares or in cash. To the extent necessary to comply with Code Section
162(m) the maximum aggregate dollar amount that may be paid to any one Participant during any fiscal year under Performance Awards or any cash-based Award under Section 9 is $25,000,000.
4.2 Lapsed Awards. If any Award granted under this Plan or a Prior Plan is canceled, terminates, expires or lapses for any reason, any Shares subject to such award will again be available for the grant of an Award under the Plan. Common Stock issued through the assumption or substitution of outstanding grants from an acquired company shall not reduce the shares available for Awards under the Plan. In addition, if a Share subject to an Award is not delivered because the Award is settled in cash, then that Share will thereafter be deemed to be available for grant. If a Share subject to an Award is not delivered because it is used to satisfy a tax withholding obligation or used to pay the Exercise Price of an Option, then that Share will not thereafter be deemed to be available for grant.
4.3 Adjustments in Authorized Shares. If the Shares, as currently constituted, are changed into or exchanged for a different number or kind of shares of stock or other securities of the Company or of another corporation (whether because of a merger, consolidation, recapitalization, reclassification, split, reverse split, combination of shares, or otherwise, but not including a capital infusion from any source) or if the number of Shares is increased through the payment of a stock dividend, then the Committee shall substitute for or add to each Share that may become subject to an Award the number and kind of shares of stock or other securities into which each outstanding Share was changed, for which each such Share was exchanged, or to which each such Share is entitled, as the case may be.
4.4 Sources of Shares Deliverable under Awards. Any Shares delivered pursuant to an Award may consist, in whole or in part, of authorized and unissued Shares or of treasury Shares.
SECTION 5
Eligibility and Participation
5.1 Eligibility. Any Employee, including any officer or employee-director of the Company or an Affiliate, shall be eligible to be designated a Participant. To be eligible, a Participant shall have signed and delivered to the Company the Confidentiality and Non-Competition Agreement delivered by the Company to the Participant.
5.2 Actual Participation. The Committee shall determine the eligible Employees to whom it will grant Awards.
SECTION 6
Stock Options
6.1 Grant of Stock Options.
(a) Subject to the terms and provisions of the Plan, the Committee may grant Stock Options to any Participant in the number, and upon the terms, and at such time or times, as the Committee determines and sets forth in the Terms and Conditions.
(b) Each Stock Option grant shall be evidenced by the Terms and Conditions that specifies the duration of the Stock Option, the number of Shares to which the Stock Option pertains, the
manner, time, and rate of exercise and vesting of the Stock Option, and such other provisions as the Committee determines. Vesting conditions may include, but not be limited to, the achievement of specific performance objectives (Company-wide, business unit, and/or individual) or continued Service.
6.2 Exercise Price. The Terms and Conditions shall specify the Stock Option’s Exercise Price, which shall be not less than the Fair Market Value of a Share on the Grant Date.
6.3 Duration of Stock Options. Each Stock Option will expire at the time determined by the Committee at the time of grant and set forth in the Terms and Conditions.
6.4 Exercise of Stock Options.
(a) Stock Options shall become exercisable at such times and be subject to such vesting and other restrictions and conditions as the Committee in each instance approves and sets forth in each Terms and Conditions. Restrictions and conditions on the exercise of a Stock Option need not be the same for each Award or for each Participant.
(b) The holder of a Stock Option may exercise the Stock Option only by delivering a written notice of exercise to the Company setting forth the number of Shares as to which the Stock Option is to be exercised. Upon the Exercise Date, the holder shall pay or provide for the Exercise Price and applicable Withholding Tax in full, pursuant to such procedures established by the Committee from time to time after giving consideration to applicable tax, securities and accounting rules.
(c) Any exercisable Stock Option that has not been exercised by its holder shall be automatically exercised in accordance with subsection (b) hereof on the Exercise Date immediately prior to its expiration if, on such Exercise Date, there is a Stock Option Spread with respect to such Stock Option.
6.5 Termination of Service. Except as otherwise provided in the Terms and Conditions:
(a) In the event a Participant’s Service terminates by reason of death, Disability, or Retirement:
(i) The Applicable Fraction of the portion of any Stock Option held by such Participant which has not theretofore become exercisable shall immediately become vested and exercisable.
(ii) All Stock Options held by the Participant, to the extent exercisable (including by application of clause (i) above) as of the Participant’s termination of Service shall remain exercisable through the second anniversary of the date of termination of Service and shall thereafter expire.
(iii) Any unvested portion of the Participant’s Stock Options as of the date of termination (other than any portion thereof that becomes vested pursuant to clause (i) above) shall be forfeited and canceled, without consideration, on the date of termination.
(b) Except as provided in Section 6.8, in the event a Participant’s Service terminates other than by reason of death, Disability, or Retirement:
(i) Any unvested portion of the Participant’s Stock Options as of the date of termination shall be forfeited and canceled on the date of termination, and
(ii) The vested portion, if any, of the Participant’s Stock Options shall remain exercisable through (A) the date that is six months after the Participant’s termination of Service, if the six month period commences in an open trading window, or (B) if the six month period commences in a closed trading window, the date that is six months from the first day of the next open trading window. Any vested Stock Option remaining outstanding after such date shall thereafter expire.
(c) Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Committee may, in its sole discretion, accelerate the vesting and exercisability, and/or extend the period of exercisability, of all or a portion of a Stock Option at any time as permitted by Section 409A.
(d) In no event shall a Stock Option be exercisable following its expiration date.
6.6 Nontransferability of Stock Options.
(a) Except as otherwise provided in Section 6.6(b), a Participant’s Terms and Conditions, or the Plan, during the Restriction Period, (i) no Stock Option granted under the Plan may be sold, transferred, pledged, assigned, or otherwise alienated or hypothecated, other than by will or by the laws of descent and distribution, and (ii) all Stock Options shall be exercisable during the Participant’s lifetime only by the Participant or his or her guardian or legal representative. The Committee may, in its sole discretion, require a Participant’s guardian or legal representative to supply it with the evidence the Committee deems necessary to establish the authority of the guardian or legal representative to act on behalf of the Participant.
(b) Subject to applicable law, vested Stock Options may be transferred to a Successor. Such transferred Stock Options may only be further sold, transferred, pledged, assigned or otherwise alienated by the Successor in accordance with this Section 6.6, and shall be subject in all respects to the terms of the Terms and Conditions and the Plan. For a transfer to be effective, the Successor shall promptly furnish the Company with written notice thereof and a copy of such other evidence as the Committee may deem necessary to establish the validity of the transfer and the acceptance of the Successor of the terms and conditions of the Plan.
6.7 Dividend Equivalents and Other Distributions. The Committee may, in its sole discretion, provide under an agreement for payments in connection with Stock Options that are equivalent to dividends or other distributions declared and paid on the Shares underlying the Stock Options prior to the date of exercise. Such dividend equivalent agreement, if any, shall be separate and apart from the Terms and Conditions and shall be designed to comply separately with Section 409A.
6.8 Change in Control. If, within twelve months following a Change in Control, (i) a Participant is terminated by the Company or an employing Affiliate (that is not a Joint Venture) without Cause or (ii) such Participant resigns from the Company or an employing Affiliate (that is not a Joint Venture) for Good Reason, the unvested portion of any then outstanding Stock Option shall vest and become exercisable.
6.9 Employment in a Joint Venture. If a Participant becomes an employee of certain joint ventures of the Company, as determined by the Board from time to time (a “Joint Venture”), during the Restriction Period, vesting of the Participant’s Stock Options shall be tolled beginning on the date such Participant becomes an employee of the Joint Venture until the date such Participant again becomes an Employee. Accordingly, the Restriction Period for such Participant’s Stock Options shall be extended by the number of days the Participant was an employee of the Joint Venture.
SECTION 7
Stock Appreciation Rights
7.1 Grant of Stock Appreciation Rights.
(a) Subject to the terms and provisions of the Plan, the Committee may grant Stock Appreciation Rights to any Participant in the number, and upon the terms, and at such time or times, as the Committee determines and sets forth in the Terms and Conditions.
(b) Each Stock Appreciation Right grant shall be evidenced by the Terms and Conditions that specifies the duration of the Stock Appreciation Right, the number of Shares to which the Stock Appreciation Right pertains, the manner, time, and rate of exercise and vesting of the Stock Appreciation Right, and such other provisions as the Committee determines. Vesting conditions may include, but not be limited to, the achievement of specific performance objectives (Company-wide, business unit, and/or individual) or continued Service.
7.2 Exercise Price. The Terms and Conditions shall specify the Stock Appreciation Right’s Exercise Price, which shall be not less than the Fair Market Value of a Share on the Grant Date.
7.3 Duration of Stock Appreciation Rights. Each Stock Appreciation Right will expire at the time determined by the Committee at the time of grant and set forth in the Terms and Conditions.
7.4 Exercise of Stock Appreciation Rights.
(a) Stock Appreciation Rights shall become exercisable at such times and be subject to such vesting and other restrictions and conditions as the Committee in each instance approves and sets forth in each Terms and Conditions. Restrictions and conditions on the exercise of a Stock Appreciation Right need not be the same for each Award or for each Participant.
(b) The holder of a Stock Appreciation Right may exercise the Stock Appreciation Right only by delivering a written notice of exercise to the Company setting forth the number of Stock Appreciation Rights to be exercised. The Stock Appreciation Right Spread may be settled, as set forth in the Terms and Conditions, by delivery by the Company of the number of Shares equal to the Stock Appreciation Right Spread, in which case the Participant shall on or before the Exercise Date pay or provide for the applicable Withholding Tax in full, pursuant to such exercise procedures established by the Committee from time to time after giving consideration to applicable tax, securities and accounting rules. Any exercisable Stock Appreciation Right that has not been exercised by its holder shall be automatically exercised in accordance with subsection (b) hereof on the Exercise Date immediately prior to its
expiration if, on such Exercise Date, there is a Stock Appreciation Right Spread with respect to such Stock Appreciation Right.
7.5 Termination of Service. Except as otherwise provided in the Terms and Conditions:
(a) In the event a Participant’s Service terminates by reason of death, Disability, or Retirement:
(i) The Applicable Fraction of the portion of any Stock Appreciation Right held by such Participant which has not theretofore become exercisable shall immediately become vested and exercisable.
(ii) All Stock Appreciation Rights held by the Participant, to the extent exercisable (including by application of clause (i) above) as of the Participant’s termination of Service shall remain exercisable through the second anniversary of the date of termination of Service and shall thereafter expire.
(iii) Any unvested portion of the Participant’s Stock Appreciation Rights as of the date of termination (other than any portion thereof that becomes vested pursuant to clause (i) above) shall be forfeited and canceled, without consideration, on the date of termination.
(b) Except as provided in Section 7.8, in the event a Participant’s Service terminates other than by reason of death, Disability, or Retirement:
(i) Any unvested portion of the Participant’s Stock Appreciation Rights as of the date of termination shall be forfeited and canceled on the date of termination, and
(ii) The vested portion, if any, of the Participant’s Stock Appreciation Rights shall remain exercisable through the ninetieth (90th) day after the Participant’s termination of Service. Any vested Stock Appreciation Right remaining outstanding after such date shall thereafter expire.
(c) Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Committee may, in its sole discretion, accelerate the vesting and exercisability, and/or extend the period of exercisability, of all or a portion of a Stock Appreciation Right at any time as permitted by Section 409A.
(d) In no event shall a Stock Appreciation Right be exercisable following its expiration date.
7.6 Nontransferability of Stock Appreciation Rights.
(a) Except as otherwise provided in Section 7.6(b), a Participant’s Terms and Conditions, or the Plan, during the Restriction Period, (i) no Stock Appreciation Right granted under the Plan may be sold, transferred, pledged, assigned, or otherwise alienated or hypothecated, other than by will or by the laws of descent and distribution, and (ii) all Stock Appreciation Rights shall be exercisable during the Participant’s lifetime only by the Participant or his or her guardian or legal representative. The Committee may, in its sole discretion, require a Participant’s guardian or legal representative to supply it with the evidence the Committee deems necessary to establish the authority of the guardian or legal representative to act on behalf of the Participant.
(b) Subject to applicable law, vested Stock Appreciation Rights may be transferred to a Successor. Such transferred Stock Appreciation Rights may only be further sold, transferred, pledged, assigned or otherwise alienated by the Successor in accordance with this Section 7.6, and shall be subject in all respects to the terms of the Terms and Conditions and the Plan. For a transfer to be effective, the Successor shall promptly furnish the Company with written notice thereof and a copy of such other evidence as the Committee may deem necessary to establish the validity of the transfer and the acceptance of the Successor of the terms and conditions of the Plan.
7.7 Dividend Equivalents and Other Distributions. The Committee may, in its sole discretion, provide under an agreement for payments in connection with Stock Appreciation Rights that are equivalent to dividends and other distributions declared and paid on the Shares underlying the Stock Appreciation Rights prior to the date of exercise. Such dividend equivalent agreement, if any, shall be separate and apart from the Terms and Conditions and shall be designed to comply separately with Section 409A.
7.8 Change in Control. If, within twelve months following a Change in Control, (i) a Participant is terminated by the Company or an employing Affiliate (that is not a Joint Venture) without Cause or (ii) such Participant resigns from the Company or an employing Affiliate (that is not a Joint Venture) for Good Reason, the unvested portion of any then outstanding Stock Appreciation Right shall vest and become exercisable.
7.9 Employment in a Joint Venture. If a Participant becomes an employee of certain joint ventures of the Company, as determined by the Board from time to time (a “Joint Venture”), during the Restriction Period, vesting of the Participant’s Stock Appreciation Rights shall be tolled beginning on the date such Participant becomes an employee of the Joint Venture until the date such Participant again becomes an Employee. Accordingly, the Restriction Period for such Participant’s Stock Appreciation Rights shall be extended by the number of days the Participant was an employee of the Joint Venture.
SECTION 8
Restricted Stock and Restricted Stock Units
8.1 Grant of Restricted Stock and Restricted Stock Units. Subject to the terms and provisions of the Plan, the Committee may, at any time and from time to time, grant Restricted Stock or Restricted Stock Units to any Participant in such amounts as it determines and sets forth in the Terms and Conditions.
8.2 Terms and Conditions. Each grant of Restricted Stock or Restricted Stock Units shall be evidenced by the Terms and Conditions that specifies the Restriction Period, the number of Shares or Restricted Stock Units granted, the purchase price, if any, and such other provisions as the Committee determines.
8.3 Nontransferability.
(a) Except as provided in Section 8.3(b), during the Restricted Period, (i) no Restricted Stock or Restricted Stock Unit granted under the Plan may be sold, transferred, pledged, assigned, or
otherwise alienated or hypothecated, other than by will or by the laws of descent and distribution and (ii) all rights with respect to Restricted Stock or Restricted Stock Units shall be available during the Participant’s lifetime only to the Participant or the Participant’s guardian or legal representative. The Committee may, in its sole discretion, require a Participant’s guardian or legal representative to supply it with evidence the Committee deems necessary to establish the authority of the guardian or legal representative to act on behalf of the Participant.
(b) Subject to applicable law, Restricted Stock may be transferred to a Successor. Such transferred Restricted Stock may only be further sold, transferred, pledged, assigned or otherwise alienated by the Successor in accordance with this Section 8.3, and shall be subject in all respects to the terms of the Terms and Conditions and the Plan. For a transfer to be effective, the Successor shall promptly furnish the Company with written notice thereof and a copy of such other evidence as the Committee may deem necessary to establish the validity of the transfer and the acceptance of the Successor of the terms and conditions of the Plan.
8.4 Termination of Service. Except as provided in Section 8.5, if a Participant’s Service terminates, then except as otherwise provided in the Terms and Conditions all unvested Restricted Stock and Restricted Stock Units held by such Participant will be forfeited and any vested Restricted Stock and Restricted Stock Units shall continue to be subject to the terms of the Plan and any applicable Award.
8.5 Change in Control. If, within twelve months following a Change in Control, (i) a Participant is terminated by the Company or an employing Affiliate (that is not a Joint Venture) without Cause or (ii) such Participant resigns from the Company or an employing Affiliate (that is not a Joint Venture) for Good Reason, all then outstanding Restricted Stock and Restricted Stock Units shall vest and become nonforfeitable.
8.6 Other Conditions. The Committee may impose such other conditions and restrictions on any Restricted Stock and Restricted Stock Units as it deems advisable and sets forth in the Terms and Conditions, including, without limitation, vesting restrictions based upon the achievement of specific performance objectives (Company-wide, business unit, and/or individual) or continued Service, and/or restrictions under applicable federal or state securities laws. The Committee may provide that restrictions established under this Section 8.6 as to any given Award will lapse all at once or in installments.
8.7 Voting Rights. Except as otherwise provided in the Terms and Conditions, and subject to Section 13.1(c), a Participant holding Shares of Restricted Stock may exercise any voting rights that apply to those Shares during the Restriction Period.
8.8 Dividends and Other Distributions. During the Restriction Period, a Participant holding Shares of Restricted Stock or Restricted Stock Units shall be credited with regular dividends or dividend equivalents and other distributions paid on those Shares. Such dividends or dividend equivalents and other distributions shall be subject to the same vesting conditions as the underlying Shares or Restricted Stock Units, and shall be paid within 30 days following the end of the Restriction Period.
8.9 Section 83(b) Elections on Restricted Stock. The Participant, if subject to taxation in the United States with respect to any compensation derived under the Plan, shall indicate to the Company whether the Participant intends to make an election under Code Section 83(b) with respect to the Restricted Stock.
8.10 Employment in a Joint Venture. If a Participant becomes an employee of a Joint Venture during the Restriction Period, vesting of the Participant’s Restricted Stock and Restricted Stock Units shall be tolled beginning on the date such Participant becomes an employee of the Joint Venture and shall recommence on the date such Participant again becomes an Employee. Accordingly, the Restriction Period for such Participant’s Restricted Stock and Restricted Stock Units shall be extended by the number of days the Participant was an employee of the Joint Venture.
8.11 Payment of Restricted Stock Units. Each Restricted Stock Unit shall be payable to the Participant in such form provided in the Terms and Conditions following the last day of the Restriction Period, or on such later date provided in the Terms and Conditions or pursuant to a deferral agreement between the Participant and the Company.
SECTION 9
Performance Awards
9.1 Grant of Performance Awards. The Committee shall have the authority to determine (i) the Participants who shall receive Performance Awards, (ii) the size, number, amount or value, as applicable, of Performance Awards, and (iii) the Performance Criteria applicable in respect of such Performance Awards for each Performance Period. The Committee shall determine the duration of each Performance Period (which may differ from each other), and there may be more than one Performance Period in existence at any one time as to any Participant or all or any class of Participants. Each grant of Performance Awards shall be evidenced by the Terms and Conditions that shall specify the Performance Criteria applicable thereto and such other terms and conditions not inconsistent with the Plan as the Committee shall determine.
9.2 Earning of Performance Awards. The grant and/or vesting of Performance Awards shall be contingent, in whole or in part, upon the attainment of specified Performance Criteria or the occurrence of any event or events involving a Change in Control, death or Disability, as the Committee shall determine. In addition to the achievement of the specified Performance Criteria, the Committee may, at the grant date, condition earning of Performance Awards on the Participant completing a minimum period of service following the Grant Date or on such other conditions as the Committee shall specify.
9.3 Performance Awards and Code Section 162(m). The provisions of this Section 9.3 shall apply with respect to any Performance Award that is intended to meet the Performance-Based Exception.
(a) Establishment of Performance Criteria. The Committee shall establish the Performance Criteria for the applicable Performance Period no later than the 90th day after the Performance Period begins (or by such other date as may be required under Section 162(m)) but in any event at a time when achievement of the Performance Criteria is substantially
uncertain. The Committee may not in any event increase the amount of compensation payable to an Executive Officer upon attainment of the Performance Criteria above the maximum amount approved by the Committee at the time the Performance Criteria is established.
(b) Certification of Attainment of Performance Criteria. As soon as practicable after the end of a Performance Period and prior to any payment in respect of such Performance Period, the Committee shall certify in writing the amount, number or value, as applicable, of the Performance Awards that have been earned on the basis of performance in relation to the established Performance Criteria.
(c) Payment of Awards. Earned Performance Awards shall be distributed to the Participant or, if the Participant has died, to the Participant’s Designated Beneficiary as soon as practicable after the expiration of the Performance Period and the Committee’s certification under Section 9.3(b) above, provided that, unless the payment of a Performance Award has been deferred in accordance with Section 409A of the Code, distributions of a Performance Award shall be made no later than March 15 of the year following the year in which the amount is earned.
SECTION 10
Other Stock-Based Awards
10.1 The Committee shall have authority to grant to eligible Participants an “Other Stock-Based Award,” which shall consist of any right which (i) is not a Stock Option, Stock Appreciation Right, Restricted Stock Unit or Restricted Stock and (ii) is an Award of Shares or an Award denominated or payable in, valued in whole or in part by reference to, or otherwise based on or related to, Shares (including, without limitation, securities convertible into Shares), as deemed by the Committee to be consistent with the purposes of the Plan. Subject to the terms of the Plan and any applicable Terms and Conditions, the Committee shall determine the terms and conditions of any such Other Stock-Based Award.
SECTION 11
Share Restrictions and Purchase and Sale Rights
11.1 Restrictions. The Committee may impose such restrictions on any Shares as it deems necessary or advisable, including, without limitation, restrictions under applicable federal securities laws, under the requirements of any stock exchange or market upon which the Shares are then listed and/or traded, and under any blue sky or state securities laws.
11.2 Additional Conditions of Transfer. The Company shall not be required (i) to transfer on its books any Shares that have been sold or transferred, or (ii) to treat as owner of such Shares, to accord the right to vote as such owner, or to pay dividends to any transferee to whom such Shares have been transferred in violation of the Plan or any Terms and Conditions.
SECTION 12
Beneficiary Designation
12.1 Each Participant may, from time to time, name any Designated Beneficiary (who may be named contingently or successively) to whom any benefit under the Plan is to be paid in case the Participant should die before receiving any or all of his or her benefits under the Plan. Each beneficiary designation shall revoke all prior designations by the same Participant, must be in a form prescribed by the Committee and must be made during the Participant’s lifetime.
SECTION 13
Breach of Restrictive Covenants
13.1 The Terms and Conditions may provide that if the Participant breaches, whether during or after termination of Service, a nonsolicitation, noncompetition, confidentiality, or other restrictive covenant by which he or she is bound, then in addition to any other penalties or restrictions that may apply under any such agreement, state law, or otherwise, the Participant shall forfeit:
(a) Any Awards granted to him or her under the Plan, including Awards that have become exercisable;
(b) The profit the Participant realized from the exercise of any Stock Options or Stock Appreciation Rights that the Participant exercised after terminating Service and within the six-month period immediately preceding the Participant’s termination of Service, which is the Stock Option Spread or Stock Appreciation Right Spread associated with any Shares acquired by the Participant upon his or her exercise of such Stock Options or such Stock Appreciation Rights; and
(c) The Fair Market Value, as determined on the vesting date, of any Restricted Stock that vested or Restricted Stock Unit that was settled within the six-month period immediately preceding the Participant’s termination of Service.
SECTION 14
Rights of Participants
14.1 Service. Nothing in the Plan shall interfere with or limit in any way the right of the Company or any Affiliate to terminate any Participant’s Service at any time, or confer upon any Participant any right to continue in the Service of the Company or any Affiliate. The grant of any Award under the Plan shall not in any way affect the right or power of the Company to make adjustments, reclassifications or changes in its capital or business structure, or to merge, consolidate, dissolve, liquidate, sell or transfer all or any part of its business or assets.
14.2 Participation. No Employee shall have the right to receive an Award under the Plan, or, having received any Award, to receive a future Award.
SECTION 15
Amendment, Modification, Termination and Change in Control
15.1 Amendment, Modification and Termination. The Board may at any time and from time to time alter, amend, modify or terminate the Plan in whole or in part, without the approval of the Company’s shareholders, except to the extent such approval is required by law. Subject to the
terms and conditions of the Plan, the Committee may modify, extend or renew outstanding Awards under the Plan, or accept the surrender of outstanding Awards (to the extent not already exercised) and grant new Awards in substitution of them (to the extent not already exercised), in order to comply with the requirements of applicable law or otherwise. Notwithstanding the foregoing, no modification of an Award shall, without the prior written consent of the Participant, materially alter or impair any rights or obligations under any Award already granted under the Plan, except such an amendment made to comply with the requirements of applicable law.
15.2 Adjustment of Awards upon the Occurrence of Certain Events.
(a) In General. If the Shares, as currently constituted, are changed into or exchanged for a different number or kind of shares of stock or other securities of the Company or of another corporation (whether because of a merger, consolidation, recapitalization, reclassification, split, reverse split, combination of shares, or otherwise, but not including a capital infusion from any source) or if the number of Shares is increased through the payment of a stock dividend, then the Committee shall substitute for or add to each Share underlying an Award the number and kind of shares of stock or other securities into which each outstanding Share was changed, for which each such Share was exchanged, or to which each such Share is entitled, as the case may be, which shares or other securities shall be subject to the same terms and conditions as the underlying Award. Any such adjustment in an outstanding Stock Option or Stock Appreciation Right shall be made with a corresponding adjustment in the Exercise Price for each Share or other unit of any security covered by such Stock Option or Stock Appreciation Right but without change in the aggregate purchase price applicable to the unexercised portion of such Stock Option.
(b) Reciprocal Transactions. The Committee may, but shall not be obligated to, make an appropriate and proportionate adjustment to an Award or to the Exercise Price of any outstanding Award, and/or grant an additional Award to the holder of any outstanding Award, to compensate for the diminution in the intrinsic value of the Shares resulting from any reciprocal transaction.
(c) Certain Unusual or Nonrecurring Events. In recognition of unusual or nonrecurring events affecting the Company or its financial statements, or in recognition of changes in applicable laws, regulations, or accounting principles, and, whenever the Committee determines that adjustments are appropriate in order to prevent dilution or enlargement of the benefits or potential benefits intended to be made available under the Plan, the Committee may, using reasonable care, make adjustments in the terms and conditions of, and the criteria included in, Awards. In no event will the Committee, unless otherwise approved by shareholders, be permitted (i) to reduce the Exercise Price of any outstanding Stock Option or Stock Appreciation Right, (ii) cancel a Stock Option or Stock Appreciation Right in exchange for cash or other Awards (except as provided in Section 15.4), (iii) exchange or replace an outstanding Stock Option or Stock Appreciation Right with a new Stock Option or Stock Appreciation Right with a lower Exercise Price, or (iv) take any other action that would be a “repricing” of Stock Options or Stock Appreciation Rights.
(d) Notice. The Committee shall give notice of any adjustment to each Participant who holds an Award that has been adjusted and the adjustment (whether or not such notice is given) shall be effective and binding for all Plan purposes.
(e) Section 409A. Notwithstanding any provision herein to the contrary, no adjustment shall be made under this Section 15.2 to the extent it would give rise to adverse tax consequences under Section 409A.
15.3 Fractional Shares. Fractional Shares, whether resulting from any adjustment in Awards pursuant to Section 15.2 or otherwise, may be settled in cash or otherwise as the Committee determines.
15.4 Change in Control.
(a) If, within twelve months following a Change in Control, (i) a Participant is terminated by the Company or an employing Affiliate (that is not a Joint Venture) without Cause or (ii) such Participant resigns from the Company or an employing Affiliate (that is not a Joint Venture) for Good Reason, all then outstanding Awards shall become fully vested.
(b) Any Award that has not been fully exercised before the date of a Change in Control may be settled or otherwise terminated on such date in the discretion of the Committee, unless a provision has been made in writing in connection with such transaction for the assumption of all Awards theretofore granted, or the substitution for such Awards of awards to acquire the stock of the surviving, resulting or acquiring corporation, with any adjustments as the Committee determines appropriate, in which event the Awards theretofore granted shall continue in the manner and under the terms so provided. Notwithstanding anything in the Plan to the contrary, any underwater Award that has not been fully exercised, and any Award that the Committee determines cannot become vested, before the date of consummation of the Change in Control may be canceled without consideration in the discretion of the Committee.
15.5 Tax Withholding. The Company shall have the right to deduct or withhold, or require a Participant to remit to the Company, an amount (either in cash or Shares) sufficient to satisfy any Withholding Tax.
SECTION 16
Miscellaneous Provisions
16.1 Successors. All obligations of the Company under the Plan or any Terms and Conditions shall be binding on any successor to the Company, whether the existence of the successor results from a direct or indirect purchase of all or substantially all of the Company’s stock, or a merger or consolidation, or otherwise.
16.2 Legal Construction.
(a) Number. Except where otherwise indicated by the context, any plural term used in the Plan includes the singular and any singular term includes the plural.
(b) Severability. If any provision of the Plan is held illegal or invalid for any reason, the illegality or invalidity shall not affect the remaining parts of the Plan, and the Plan shall be construed and enforced as if the illegal or invalid provision had not been included.
16.3 Business Day. In the event the day prescribed for the performance of any act under the Plan, or deadline by which such act must be performed, shall fall on a day other than a Business Day, such day or deadline shall be extended until the close of business on the next succeeding Business Day.
16.4 Requirements of Law. The granting of Awards, the issuance of Shares and the payment of cash under the Plan shall be subject to all applicable laws, rules and regulations, and to any approvals by governmental agencies or national securities exchanges as may be required.
16.5 Rights of a Shareholder. A Participant shall not be, nor shall a Participant have any of the rights and privileges of, a shareholder until certificates for the underlying Shares have been issued or the underlying Shares have been registered as a book-entry in the name of the Participant.
16.6 Securities Law Compliance.
(a) As to any individual who is, on the relevant date, an officer, director or greater than 10% percent beneficial owner of any class of the Company’s equity securities that is registered pursuant to Section 12 of the Exchange Act, all as defined under Section 16 of the Exchange Act, transactions under the Plan are intended to comply with all applicable conditions of Rule 16b-3 under the Exchange Act, or any successor rule. To the extent any provision of the Plan or action by the Committee fails to so comply, it shall be deemed null and void, to the extent permitted by law and deemed advisable by the Committee.
(b) To the extent the Committee deems it necessary, appropriate or desirable to comply with state securities laws or practice and to further the purposes of the Plan, the Committee may, without amending the Plan, (i) establish rules applicable to Awards granted to Participants, including rules that differ from those set forth in the Plan, and (ii) grant Awards to such Participants in accordance with those rules that would require the application of the securities laws of any state.
16.7 Unfunded Status of the Plan. The Plan is intended to constitute an “unfunded” plan for incentive compensation. With respect to any payments or deliveries of Shares not yet made to a Participant by the Company, the Participant’s rights are no greater than those of a general creditor of the Company. The Committee may authorize the establishment of trusts or other arrangements to meet the obligations created under the Plan, so long as the arrangement does not cause the Plan to lose its legal status as an unfunded plan.
16.8 Non-U.S. Based Participant. Notwithstanding any other provision of the Plan to the contrary, the Committee may make Awards to Participants who are not citizens or residents of the United States, or to Participants outside the United States, on terms and conditions that are different from those specified in the Plan as may, in the Committee’s judgment, be necessary or desirable to foster and promote achievement of the Plan’s purposes. In furtherance of such purposes, the Committee may, without amending the Plan, establish or modify rules, procedures and subplans as may be necessary or advisable to comply with provisions of laws in other countries or jurisdictions in which the Company operates or has employees.
16.9 Governing Law. To the extent not preempted by Federal law, the Plan and all agreements hereunder shall be construed and enforced in accordance with, and governed by, the laws of the State of New York, without giving effect to its conflicts of law principles that would require the application of the law of any other jurisdiction.
16.10 Section 162(m). The Plan is intended to be administered, interpreted and construed so that Performance Awards may qualify for the Performance-Based Exception.
16.11 Recoupment. Notwithstanding any provision in the Plan to the contrary, Awards granted or paid under the Plan will be subject to recoupment by the Company pursuant to any “clawback” or similar compensation recoupment policy that may be established by the Company.
Exhibit 10.2
AMENDED AND RESTATED COTY INC. STOCK PLAN FOR DIRECTORS
(As Adopted November 5, 2026)
SECTION 1
PURPOSE AND DURATION
PURPOSE AND DURATION
1.1 Purpose. The purpose of this Coty Inc. Stock Plan for Directors is to promote the interests of the Company and its shareholders by increasing the proprietary and vested interest of Eligible Directors of the Company by granting them Restricted Stock Unit Awards.
1.2 Effective Date; Plan History and Term of the Plan.
(a) The Plan originally became effective on September 1, 2007 and was known as the “2007 Stock Plan for Directors”. The Plan was amended and restated on April 8, 2013 and on November 3, 2020. On September 22, 2026 (the “Effective Date”), the Board approved a further amendment and restatement of the Plan and the Plan was renamed the “Stock Plan for Directors”; provided, that Section 1.2(b) of the Plan shall only become effective if approved by the Company’s stockholders as set forth in Section 1.2(b).
(b) Effective as of, and subject to, the approval of the Plan (as restated of the Effective Date) by the requisite number of stockholders at the Company’s annual meeting of stockholders that takes place in calendar year 2026, the Plan will terminate upon the earliest of (i) May 31, 2030, or (ii) the date specified by action of the Board. Upon such Plan termination, all Awards outstanding under the Plan will continue to have full force and effect in accordance with the terms of the Restricted Stock Unit Terms and Conditions evidencing each Award.
SECTION 2
DEFINITIONS
DEFINITIONS
Whenever used in the Plan, the following terms have the meanings set forth below:
2.1 “Award” means a grant of Restricted Stock Units under the Plan to a Participant.
2.2 “Board” means the Board of Directors of the Company.
2.3 “Business Day” means any day other than a Saturday, Sunday, legal holiday or a day in which the national securities exchange that constitutes the principal market for the Shares is closed.
2.4 “Change in Control” means the occurrence of any of the following that also qualifies as a “change in control event” under Treasury Regulation § 1.409A-3(i)(5):
(a) Any Person or “group” (as such term is used in Sections 13(d) and 14(d) of the Exchange Act) that is not the Majority Shareholder is or becomes the “beneficial owner” (as defined below), directly or indirectly, of securities representing either (i) more than 50% of the combined voting power of the Company’s then outstanding securities, or (ii) 30% or more of the combined voting power of the Company’s then outstanding securities at a time when the Majority
Shareholder holds less than 30% of such combined voting power. For purposes of this clause (a), “beneficial owner” has the meaning given that term in Rule 13d-3 under the Exchange Act, except that a Person shall be deemed to be the “beneficial owner” of all shares that any such Person has the right to acquire pursuant to any agreement or arrangement or upon exercise of conversion rights, warrants, options or otherwise, without regard to the 60-day period referred to in such Rule;
(b) The date a majority of the members of the Board is replaced during any 12-month period by directors, provided, that any Person becoming a director whose election, or nomination for election by the Company’s shareholders, was approved by a vote of at least three-quarters of the directors then comprising the Board shall be, for purposes of this clause (b), considered as though such Person were a member of the incumbent Board; and provided, further, that this clause (b) shall not apply as long as the Majority Shareholder is the beneficial owner of a majority of the voting power of the Company’s then outstanding securities; or
(c) The shareholders of the Company approve a plan or agreement providing (i) for a merger or consolidation of the Company other than with a wholly owned subsidiary and other than a merger or consolidation that would result in the voting securities of the Company outstanding immediately prior thereto continuing to represent (either by remaining outstanding or by being converted into voting securities of the surviving entity) more than 51% of the combined voting power of the voting securities of the Company or such surviving entity outstanding immediately after such merger or consolidation, or (ii) for a sale, exchange or other disposition of all or substantially all of the business or assets of the Company. If any of the events enumerated in this clause (c) occurs, the Board shall determine the effective date of the Change in Control resulting therefrom for purposes of this Plan.
2.5 “Committee” means the Remuneration and Nominating Committee of the Board or any successor committee with responsibility for compensation, or any subcommittee, as long as the number of Committee members and their qualifications shall at all times be sufficient to meet the independence requirements of the New York Stock Exchange, Inc. or any other applicable exchange on which the Company’s common equity is at the time listed.
2.6 “Company” means Coty Inc., a Delaware corporation, and any successor thereto as provided in Section 9.1 (Successors).
2.7 “Designated Beneficiary” means the Person or Persons the Participant designates from time to time on a signed form prescribed by the Committee, properly filed with the Committee during the Participant’s lifetime, as the beneficiary of any amounts or benefits the Participant owns or is to receive under the Plan, in accordance with Section 5.1 (Automatic Grants of Restricted Stock Units). A properly filed beneficiary designation will revoke all prior designations by the same Participant. If no such form has been filed with the Committee, the Designated Beneficiary shall be the beneficiary named by the Participant in the Company’s qualified 401(k) savings plan or, if none, the Beneficiary’s estate.
2.8 “Director” means a member of the Company’s Board of Directors.
2.9 “Disability” means either (i) disability as defined for purposes of the Company’s disability benefit plan, or (ii) a Participant’s inability, as a result of physical or mental incapacity, to perform the duties of his or her position on the Board for a period of six consecutive months or for an aggregate of six months in any consecutive 12-month period. Any question as to the existence of the Disability of a Participant as to which the Participant and the Company cannot agree shall be determined in writing by a qualified independent physician mutually acceptable to the Participant and the Company. If the Participant and the Company cannot agree as to a qualified independent physician, each shall appoint such a physician and those two physicians shall select a third who shall make such determination in writing. The determination of Disability made in writing to the Company
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and the Participant shall be final and conclusive for all purposes of the Plan. Following a Change in Control, the Company shall pay all expenses incurred in the determination of whether a Participant is disabled.
2.10 “Eligible Director” means a Director other than a Director who serving as the CEO, Executive Chairman or President of the Company.
2.11 “Effective Date” means September 22, 2026.
2.12 “Exchange Act” means the U.S. Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended from time to time, or any successor act thereto.
2.13 “Fair Market Value” as it relates to a Share means, unless otherwise determined by the Committee, the most recent closing price of a Share on the principal national securities exchange on which the Shares are then listed, or if there were no sales on such date, on the next preceding day on which there were sales, or if such Shares are not listed on a national securities exchange, the last reported bid price in the over-the-counter market.
2.14 “Grant Date” means the date on which an Award is granted.
2.15 “Majority Shareholder” means (i) the Company’s majority shareholder as of the Effective Date or (ii) a Benckiser Permitted Holder as defined in the Company’s Certificate of Incorporation effective on the date on which the Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation of the Company that was adopted by the Company in connection with the first underwritten public offering of the Company’s common stock was filed with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware or any other similarly situated Person as determined by the Committee.
2.16 “Participant” means a Person to whom Restricted Stock Units have been granted under the Plan.
2.17 “Person” means any individual, partnership, corporation, limited liability company, association, joint stock company, trust, joint venture, unincorporated organization and any other entity, whether foreign or domestic, including any governmental entity or any department, agency or political subdivision thereof.
2.18 “Plan” means this Coty Inc. Stock Plan for Directors, as amended from time to time.
2.19 “Restricted Stock Unit” means a right to receive a Share under the terms and conditions set forth in Section 5.
2.20 “Restricted Stock Unit Agreement” means any agreement or other instrument or document evidencing an Award.
2.21 “Restriction Period” means the period during which Restricted Stock Units are not vested.
2.22 “Section 409A” means Section 409A of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended from time to time, and the regulations and other interpretive guidance issued thereunder.
2.23 “Service” means the provision of services as a Director.
2.24 “Share” means a share of the Class A Common Stock, par value $.01 per share, of the Company, or such other securities of the Company as may be designated by the Committee from time to time.
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2.25 “Successor” means the Participant’s spouse, the Participant’s lineal descendants and/or any trust the beneficiaries of which consist only of the Participant, the Participant’s spouse and/or the Participant’s lineal descendants, or to a corporation in which the Participant, the Participant’s spouse and/or the Participant’s lineal descendants own 100% of the economic interest and has the unfettered right to prevent further transfer or disposition of the Restricted Stock Unit. The Committee may, in its discretion, deem other parties to qualify as a Successor for purposes of this Plan.
2.26 “Terms and Conditions” means any electronic or written agreement or other instrument or document evidencing an Award.
2.27 “Valuation Date” means any Business Day.
2.28 “Withholding Tax” means the aggregate federal, state and local taxes, domestic or foreign, required by law or regulation to be withheld with respect to any taxable event arising under the Plan.
SECTION 3
Administration
Administration
3.1 Plan Administration. The Plan shall be administered by the Committee.
3.2 Authority of the Committee. Except as limited by law or the by-laws of the Company, and subject to the provisions of the Plan, the Committee shall have full power and discretion to (a) determine the terms and conditions of Awards in a manner consistent with the Plan; (b) construe and interpret the Plan and any agreement or instrument entered into under the Plan; (c) establish, amend or waive rules and regulations for the Plan’s administration; (d) subject to the provisions of Section 8.1 (Amendment, Modification and Termination), amend the terms and conditions of any outstanding Award to the extent the terms are within the Committee’s authority under the Plan; and (e) make all other determinations that may be necessary or advisable to administer the Plan. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Committee shall have no discretion with respect to the selection of Directors eligible to receive Restricted Stock Units, the dollar value of an Award, the method for determining the number of Shares of Restricted Stock Units subject to an Award, or the timing of grants of Restricted Stock Units under the Plan, all of which shall be determined in accordance with the provisions of this Plan. The Secretary of the Company shall be authorized to implement the Plan in accordance with its terms and to take such actions of a ministerial nature as shall be necessary to effectuate the intent and purposes thereof.
3.3 Decisions Binding. All determinations and decisions made by the Committee or by a Person or Persons delegated authority by the Committee pursuant to the provisions of the Plan shall be final, conclusive and binding on all Persons, including, without limitation, the Company, and its shareholders, affiliates, employees, and Participants and their estates and beneficiaries.
SECTION 4
Shares Subject to the Plan
Shares Subject to the Plan
4.1 Number of Shares Available for Grants. Subject to adjustment as provided in Section 4.3 (Adjustments in Authorized Shares), the number of shares available for grant under the Plan shall be 3,000,000 Shares.
4.2 Forfeited Awards. If any Award granted under the Plan is canceled or forfeited for any reason, any Shares subject to the Award shall again be available for the grant of an Award under the Plan.
4.3 Adjustments in Authorized Shares. If the Shares, as currently constituted, are changed into or exchanged for a different number or kind of shares of stock or other securities of the Company
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or of another corporation (whether because of a merger, consolidation, recapitalization, reclassification, split, reverse split, combination of shares, or otherwise, but not including an IPO or other capital infusion from any source) or if the number of Shares is increased through the payment of a stock dividend, then the Committee shall substitute for or add to each Share that may become subject to an Award the number and kind of shares of stock or other securities into which each outstanding Share was changed, for which each such Share was exchanged, or to which each such Share is entitled, as the case may be.
4.4 Sources of Shares Deliverable Under Awards. Any Shares delivered pursuant to an Award may consist, in whole or in part, of authorized and unissued Shares or of treasury Shares.
SECTION 5
Automatic Grants of Restricted Stock Units
Automatic Grants of Restricted Stock Units
5.1 Grant of Restricted Stock Units.
(a) Full Awards. Each Person who is an Eligible Director as of the first day of a fiscal year of the Company shall be granted on November 15 of such fiscal year a number of Restricted Stock Units have an aggregate value of $180,000 as of the Grant Date. The Chairman of the Board of the Company (“Chairman”) shall be granted on each such date an additional number of Restricted Stock Units having an aggregate value of $180,000 as of the Grant Date, so long as the Chairman is an Eligible Director. For purposes of this Section 5.1, the number of Restricted Stock Units subject to an Award shall be determined by dividing the applicable dollar value of the Award by the 30-day average of the Fair Market Value of a Share prior to the Grant Date, rounded down to the nearest whole Restricted Stock Unit.
(b) Prorated Awards.
(i) Each Person who becomes an Eligible Director after the first day (but before the last day) of a fiscal year shall receive, as soon as administratively practicable after becoming an Eligible Director, a grant of a number of Restricted Stock Units having an aggregate value equal to $180,000 multiplied by a fraction, the numerator of which is the number of days between the Eligible Director’s commencement of Service during the fiscal year and the last day of such fiscal year, and the denominator of which is the number of days between the Grant Date and the date the Award was scheduled to vest. The number of Restricted Stock Units subject to such Award shall be determined in accordance with Section 5.1(a).
(ii) Each Eligible Director who becomes Chairman after the first day (but before the last day) of a fiscal year shall receive, as soon as administratively practicable after becoming Chairman, a grant of a number of Restricted Stock Units having an aggregate value equal to $180,000 multiplied by a fraction, the numerator of which is the number of days between the date the Eligible Director becomes Chairman and the last day of such fiscal year, and the denominator of which is the number of days between the Grant Date and the date the Award was scheduled to vest. The number of Restricted Stock Units subject to such Award shall be determined in accordance with Section 5.1(a).
(c) Annual Limit on Director Awards. Notwithstanding any other provision of the Plan, the aggregate grant date fair value of all Awards granted to any Eligible Director under the Plan and any other cash compensation paid to an Eligible Director for Service during any fiscal year shall not exceed $500,000; provided, however, that the foregoing limit shall be $650,000 for an Eligible Director serving as Chairman.
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5.2 Restricted Stock Unit Terms and Conditions. Each grant of Restricted Stock Units shall be evidenced by a Restricted Stock Unit Terms and Conditions that specifies the Restriction Period, the number of Shares to which such Restricted Stock Units pertain, the purchase price, if any, and such other provisions as the Committee determines.
5.3 Restriction Period.
(a) In General. For grants made after the Effective Date, the Restriction Period for Restricted Stock Units shall lapse, and the Restricted Stock Units shall vest, as to one-third of the Restricted Stock Units on each of the first, second and third anniversaries of the Grant Date (calculated as 33.33%, 33.33% and 33.34% respectively). For grants made before the Effective Date, Restriction Period for Restricted Stock Units is the five-year period commencing on the Grant Date.
(b) Change in Control. If a Change in Control occurs, the Restriction Period shall immediately end and the Participant’s Restricted Stock Units shall become fully vested immediately.
(c) Death or Disability. If a Participant’s Service is terminated by reason of such Participant’s death or Disability, the Restriction Period shall immediately end and the Participant’s Restricted Stock Units shall become fully vested immediately.
(d) Termination of Service for Reasons other than Death or Disability. In the event the Participant’s Service terminates other than by reason of the Participant’s death or Disability prior to a Change in Control, then notwithstanding any provision in the Plan or these Terms and Conditions to the contrary, the Restricted Stock Units granted to the Participant shall become fully vested immediately except that all Restricted Stock Units granted within one year prior to the date of termination of the Participant’s Service shall become fully vested with respect to the Applicable Fraction of the Restricted Stock Units and shall be immediately forfeited and canceled with respect to the remaining Restricted Stock Units. The “Applicable Fraction” means a fraction, the numerator of which is the number of days elapsed from the first day of the fiscal year of the Company in which the Participant’s Service terminated and the denominator of which is 365.
5.4 Nontransferability.
(a) Except as provided in Section 5.4(b) (Nontransferability), during the Restriction Period, (i) no Restricted Stock Units granted under the Plan may be sold, transferred, pledged, assigned, or otherwise alienated or hypothecated, other than by will or by the laws of descent and distribution and (ii) all rights with respect to Restricted Stock Units shall be available during the Participant’s lifetime only to the Participant or the Participant’s guardian or legal representative. The Committee may, in its sole discretion, require a Participant’s guardian or legal representative to supply it with evidence the Committee deems necessary to establish the authority of the guardian or legal representative to act on behalf of the Participant.
(b) Subject to applicable law, Restricted Stock Units may be transferred to a Successor. Such transferred Restricted Stock Units may only be further sold, transferred, pledged, assigned or otherwise alienated by the Successor in accordance with the terms of this Section 5.4 (Nontransferability), and shall be subject in all respects to the terms of the Terms and Conditions and the Plan. For a transfer to be effective, the Successor shall promptly furnish the Company with written notice thereof and a copy of such other evidence as the Committee may deem necessary to establish the validity of the transfer and the acceptance of the Successor of the terms and conditions of the Plan.
5.5 Settlement of Units. Within fifteen (15) days after the end of the Restriction Period for Restricted Stock Units, the Company shall deliver to the Participant for each Restricted Stock Unit
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one Share (thereafter an Owned Share) and the amount of dividends, dividend equivalents and other distributions paid with respect to a Share during the vesting period beginning on the Grant Date.
SECTION 6
Purchase and Sale Rights
Purchase and Sale Rights
6.1 Restrictions. The Committee may impose such restrictions on any Shares as it deems necessary or advisable, including, without limitation, restrictions under applicable federal securities laws, under the requirements of any stock exchange or market upon which the Shares are then listed and/or traded, and under any blue sky or state securities laws.
6.2 Additional Conditions of Transfer. The Company shall not be required (i) to transfer on its books any Shares that have been sold or transferred, or (ii) to treat as owner of such Shares, to accord the right to vote as such owner, or to pay dividends to any transferee to whom such Shares have been transferred in violation of the Plan.
SECTION 7
Beneficiary Designation
Beneficiary Designation
7.1 Each Participant may, from time to time, name any Designated Beneficiary (who may be named contingently or successively) to whom any benefit under the Plan is to be paid in case the Participant should die before receiving any or all of his or her benefits under the Plan. Each beneficiary designation shall revoke all prior designations by the same Participant, must be in a form prescribed by the Committee and must be made during the Participant’s lifetime.
SECTION 8
Amendment, Modification and Termination; Adjustments
Amendment, Modification and Termination; Adjustments
8.1 Amendment, Modification and Termination. The Board may at any time and from time to time alter, amend, modify or terminate the Plan in whole or in part, without the approval of the Company’s shareholders, except to the extent such approval is required by law. Subject to the terms and conditions of the Plan, the Committee may modify, extend or renew outstanding Awards under the Plan, or accept the surrender of outstanding Awards (to the extent not already exercised) and grant new Awards in substitution of them (to the extent not already exercised), in order to comply with the requirements of applicable law or otherwise. Notwithstanding the foregoing, no modification of an Award shall, without the prior written consent of the Participant, materially alter or impair any rights or obligations under any Award already granted under the Plan, except such an amendment made to comply with the requirements of applicable law.
8.2 Adjustment of Awards Upon the Occurrence of Certain Events.
(a) In General. If the Shares, as currently constituted, are changed into or exchanged for a different number or kind of shares of stock or other securities of the Company or of another corporation (whether because of a merger, consolidation, recapitalization, reclassification, split, reverse split, combination of shares, or otherwise, but not including a capital infusion from any source) or if the number of Shares is increased through the payment of a stock dividend, then the Committee shall substitute for or add to each Share underlying a Participant’s Restricted Stock Units the number and kind of shares of stock or other securities into which each outstanding Share was changed, for which each such Share was exchanged, or to which each such Share is entitled, as the case may be.
(b) Notice. The Committee shall give notice of any adjustment to each Participant who holds an Award that has been adjusted and the adjustment (whether or not such notice is given) shall be effective and binding for all Plan purposes.
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8.3 Fractional Shares. Fractional Shares, whether resulting from any adjustment in Awards pursuant to Section 8.2 (Adjustment of Awards Upon the Occurrence of Certain Events) or otherwise, may be settled in cash or otherwise as the Committee determines.
8.4 Corporate Transaction. Any Award that has not been fully exercised before the date of a Change in Control may be settled or otherwise terminated on such date in the discretion of the Committee, unless a provision has been made in writing in connection with such transaction for the assumption of all Awards theretofore granted, or the substitution for such Awards of awards to acquire the stock of the surviving, resulting or acquiring corporation, with any adjustments as the Committee determines appropriate, in which event the Awards theretofore granted shall continue in the manner and under the terms so provided. Notwithstanding anything in the Plan to the contrary, any underwater Award that has not been fully exercised, and any Award that the Committee determines cannot become vested, before the date of consummation of the Change in Control may be canceled without consideration in the discretion of the Committee.
8.5 Tax Withholding. The Company shall have the right to deduct or withhold, or require a Participant to remit to the Company, an amount (either in cash or Shares) sufficient to satisfy any Withholding Tax.
SECTION 9
Miscellaneous Provisions
Miscellaneous Provisions
9.1 Successors. All obligations of the Company under the Plan or any Restricted Stock Unit Agreement shall be binding on any successor to the Company, whether the existence of the successor results from a direct or indirect purchase of all or substantially all of the Company’s stock, or a merger or consolidation, or otherwise.
9.2 Legal Construction.
(a) Number. Except where otherwise indicated by the context, any plural term used in the Plan includes the singular and any singular term includes the plural.
(b) Severability. If any provision of the Plan is held illegal or invalid for any reason, the illegality or invalidity shall not affect the remaining parts of the Plan, and the Plan shall be construed and enforced as if the illegal or invalid provision had not been included.
9.3 Business Day. In the event the day prescribed for the performance of any act under the Plan, or deadline by which such act must be performed, shall fall on a day other than a Business Day, such day or deadline shall be extended until the close of business on the next succeeding Business Day.
9.4 Requirements of Law. The granting of Awards, the issuance of Shares and the payment of cash under the Plan shall be subject to all applicable laws, rules and regulations, and to any approvals by governmental agencies or national securities exchanges as may be required.
9.5 Rights of a Shareholder. A Participant shall not be, nor shall a Participant have any of the rights and privileges of, a shareholder until certificates for Shares have been issued upon settlement of Restricted Stock Units.
9.6 Securities Law Compliance.
(a) As to any individual who is, on the relevant date, an officer, director or greater than 10% percent beneficial owner of any class of the Company’s equity securities that is registered pursuant to Section 12 of the Exchange Act, all as defined under Section 16 of the Exchange Act, transactions under the Plan are intended to comply with all applicable conditions of Rule 16b-3 under the Exchange Act, or any successor rule. To the extent any provision of the Plan or
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action by the Committee fails to so comply, it shall be deemed null and void, to the extent permitted by law and deemed advisable by the Committee.
(b) To the extent the Committee deems it necessary, appropriate or desirable to comply with state securities laws or practice and to further the purposes of the Plan, the Committee may, without amending the Plan, (i) establish rules applicable to Awards granted to Participants, including rules that differ from those set forth in the Plan, and (ii) grant Awards to such Participants in accordance with those rules that would require the application of the securities laws of any state.
9.7 Unfunded Status of the Plan. The Plan is intended to constitute an “unfunded” plan for incentive compensation. With respect to any payments or deliveries of Shares not yet made to a Participant by the Company, the Participant’s rights are no greater than those of a general creditor of the Company. The Committee may authorize the establishment of trusts or other arrangements to meet the obligations created under the Plan, so long as the arrangement does not cause the Plan to lose its legal status as an unfunded plan.
9.8 Section 409A. Restricted Stock Units are intended to qualify for exemption from, or to comply with the requirements of, Section 409A, and the Plan shall be interpreted in a manner consistent with such intent. References in the Plan to a termination of “Service” and similar expressions shall mean a “separation from service” within the meaning of Section 409A. In the event that (i) the Committee determines that (x) any stock of the Company is publicly traded on an established securities market or otherwise, (y) the Participant is a “specified employee” within the meaning of Section 409A and (z) the Participant’s Restricted Stock Units do not qualify for exemption from Section 409A; and (ii) settlement of the Participant’s Restricted Stock Units is the result of the Participant’s separation from Service, then notwithstanding any provision herein or in the Participant’s Restricted Stock Unit Agreement to the contrary payment in settlement of such Restricted Stock Units shall be postponed until six months after the date of such separation from Service or, if earlier, the date of the Participant’s death.
9.9 Governing Law. To the extent not preempted by Federal law, the Plan and all agreements hereunder shall be construed and enforced in accordance with, and governed by, the laws of the State of New York, without giving effect to its conflicts of law principles that would require the application of the law of any other jurisdiction.
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