EX-10.3 4 exhibit103-cfgdirectorspla.htm EX-10.3
EXHIBIT 10.3
AMENDED & RESTATED
CITIZENS FINANCIAL GROUP, INC.
2014 NON-EMPLOYEE DIRECTORS COMPENSATION PLAN
Amended & Restated Effective as of April 25, 2024
Section 1.Purpose. The purpose of the Citizens Financial Group, Inc. 2014 Non-Employee Directors Compensation Plan (the “Plan”) is to attract and retain the services of experienced non-employee directors for Citizens Financial Group, Inc. (together with its subsidiaries and any and all successor entities, the “Company”) by providing them with compensation for their services in the form of equity-based awards and/or cash, thereby promoting the long-term growth and financial success of the Company and furthering the best interests of its shareholders. The Citizens Financial Group, Inc. 2014 Non-Employee Directors Compensation Plan was originally effective as of September 29, 2014 upon our initial public offering and was subsequently amended and restated on June 20, 2019 (the “Pre-Restatement Plan”). This plan is being further amended and restated, subject to and effective upon approval by the Company’s shareholders. The Plan is effective as of, and subject to, approval by the Company’s shareholders. The number of Shares to be reserved under the Plan is specified under Section 5(a) of the Plan. Upon the Effective Date of the Plan, any Shares which were reserved for issuance under the Pre-Restatement Plan in excess of the amount reserved under the Plan that are not subject to outstanding awards will be returned to unallocated shares, and will not be available for future grants under the Plan. Any Awards issued prior to the Effective Date of the Plan will continue to be governed by the terms of the Pre-Restatement Plan in effect when the applicable Awards were granted.
Section 2.Definitions. As used in the Plan, the following terms shall have the meanings set forth below:
(a)“Affiliate” means (i) the Company’s parents, subsidiaries, affiliates or their respective successors, (ii) any entity that, directly or indirectly, is controlled by the Company, and (iii) any other company which the Board determines should be treated as an “Affiliate.”
(b)“Applicable Law” means the laws, rules, regulations and other requirements related to or implicated by the administration of the Plan under applicable state corporate law; United States federal and state securities laws, including the Exchange Act; the Code; the Dodd-Frank Act; United States federal and state banking laws; any rules of stock exchange or quotation system on which the Shares are listed or quoted; any banking law regulations, including rules, regulations and guidance from the Federal Reserve Board; any other applicable rules, regulations or guidance promulgated by an administrative agency or commission or other governmental authority; and the applicable laws and regulations of any foreign country or jurisdiction where Participants provide services or where Awards are granted under the Plan.
(c)“Award” means any Option, Restricted Stock, RSU, Other Share-Based Award or Retainer granted under the Plan.
(d)“Award Agreement” means any agreement, contract or other instrument or document evidencing any Award granted under the Plan, which may, but need not, be executed or acknowledged by a Participant.
(e) “Beneficial Owner” has the meaning ascribed to such term in Rule 13d-3 under the Exchange Act.
(f)“Beneficiary” means a Person entitled to receive payments or other benefits or exercise rights that are available under the Plan in the event of the Participant’s death. If no such Person can be named or is named by the Participant, or if no Beneficiary designated by such Participant is eligible to receive payments or other benefits or exercise rights that are available under the Plan at the Participant’s death, such Participant’s Beneficiary shall be such Participant’s estate.

(g)“Board” means the board of directors of the Company.
(h) “Change of Control” means the occurrence of any one or more of the following events, except as otherwise provided in the Participant’s Award Agreement:
(i)any Person, other than an employee benefit plan or trust maintained by the Company, becomes the Beneficial Owner, directly or indirectly, of securities of the Company representing more than 50% of the combined voting power of the Company’s outstanding securities entitled to vote generally in the election of directors;
(ii)at any time during a period of 12 consecutive months, individuals who at the beginning of such period constituted the Board and any new member of the Board whose election or nomination for election was approved by a vote of at least a majority of the directors then still in office who either were directors at the beginning of such period or whose election or nomination for election was so approved, cease for any reason to constitute a majority of members of the Board; or
(iii)the consummation of (A) a merger or consolidation of the Company with any other corporation or entity, other than a merger or consolidation which would result in the voting securities of the Company outstanding immediately prior to such merger or consolidation continuing to represent (either by remaining outstanding or being converted into voting securities of the surviving entity or, if applicable, the ultimate parent thereof) at least 50% of the combined voting power and total fair market value of the securities of the Company or such surviving entity or parent outstanding immediately after such merger or consolidation, or (B) any sale, lease, exchange or other transfer to any Person of assets of the Company, in one transaction or a series of related transactions, having an aggregate fair market value of more than 50% of the fair market value of the Company and its subsidiaries (the “Company Value”) immediately prior to such transaction(s), but only to the extent that, in connection with such transaction(s) or within a reasonable period thereafter, the Company’s shareholders receive distributions of cash and/or assets having a fair market value that is greater than 50% of the Company Value immediately prior to such transaction(s).
Notwithstanding the foregoing or any provision of any Award Agreement to the contrary, for any Award that provides for accelerated distribution on a Change of Control of amounts that constitute “deferred compensation” (as defined in Section 409A of the Code and the regulations thereunder), if the event that constitutes such Change of Control does not also constitute a change in the ownership or effective control of the Company, or in the ownership of a substantial portion of the Company’s assets (in either case, as defined in Section 409A of the Code), such amount shall not be distributed on such Change of Control but instead shall vest as of the date of such Change of Control and shall be paid on the scheduled payment date specified in the applicable Award Agreement, except to the extent that earlier distribution would not result in the Participant who holds such Award incurring interest or additional tax under Section 409A of the Code.
(i) “Code” means the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended from time to time, and the rules, regulations and guidance thereunder. Any reference to a provision in the Code shall include any successor provision thereto.
(j)“Effective Date” means April 25, 2024, subject to approval of the Plan by the Company’s shareholders.
(k)“Employee” means any individual, including any officer, employed by the Company or any Affiliate or any prospective employee or officer who has accepted an offer of employment from the Company or any Affiliate, with the status of employment determined based upon such factors as are deemed appropriate by the Board (or a committee thereof, as applicable) in its discretion, subject to any requirements of the Code or Applicable Law.
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(l)“Exchange Act” means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended from time to time, and the rules, regulations and guidance thereunder. Any reference to a provision in the Exchange Act shall include any successor provision thereto.
(m)“Exercise Price” means the Fair Market Value of a Share on the date of grant of an Option, or such other value as determined by the Committee pursuant to Applicable Law.
(n)“Fair Market Value” means (i) with respect to Shares, the closing price of a Share on the applicable day (or, if there is no reported sale on such applicable day, on the last preceding date on which any reported sale occurred) on the principal stock market or exchange on which the Shares are quoted or traded, or if Shares are not so quoted or traded, fair market value of a Share as determined by the Board, and (ii) with respect to any property other than Shares, the fair market value of such property determined by such methods or procedures as shall be established from time to time by the Board.
(o)“Intrinsic Value” with respect to an Option Award means (i) the excess, if any, of the price or implied price per Share in a Change of Control or other event over (ii) the Exercise Price of such Award multiplied by (iii) the number of Shares covered by such Award.
(p)“Non-Employee Director” means a regular, active director or a prospective director of the Company, in either case who is not an Employee of the Company or any Affiliate, as determined by the Board, in its sole discretion.
(q) “Option” means an option representing the right to purchase Shares from the Company, granted pursuant to Section 6.
(r)“Other Share-Based Award” means an Award granted pursuant to Section 8.
(s)“Participant” means the recipient of an Award granted under the Plan.
(t)“Person” has the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 3(a)(9) of the Exchange Act and used in Sections 13(d) and 14(d) thereof, including “group” as defined in Section 13(d) thereof.
(u)“Restricted Stock” means any Share granted pursuant to Section 7.
(v)“Retainer” means an annual cash retainer payable pursuant to Section 10 for service as (i) a member of the Board or a committee of the Board or (ii) chair or lead director of the Board or chair of any such committee.
(w)“RSU” means a contractual right granted pursuant to Section 7 that is denominated in Shares. Each RSU represents a right to receive the value of one Share (or a percentage of such value) in cash, Shares or a combination thereof. Awards of RSUs may include the right to receive dividend equivalents.
(x)“Shares” means shares of the Company’s common stock, $0.01 par value per Share.
(y)“Substitute Award” means an Award granted in assumption of, or in substitution for, an outstanding award previously granted by a company or other business acquired by the Company or with which the Company combines.
Section 3.Eligibility.
(a) Each Non-Employee Director shall be eligible to be selected to receive an Award under the Plan, to the extent an offer of an Award or a receipt of such Award is permitted by Applicable Law, stock market or exchange rules and regulations or accounting or tax rules and regulations.
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(b)Holders of options and other types of awards granted by a company acquired by the Company or with which the Company combines are eligible for grants of Substitute Awards under the Plan to the extent permitted under applicable regulations of any stock exchange on which the Company is listed.
Section 4.Administration.
(a)The Plan shall be administered by the Board. The Board may issue rules and regulations for administration of the Plan. All decisions of the Board shall be final, conclusive and binding upon all parties, including the Company, its shareholders, Participants and any Beneficiaries thereof.
(b)Subject to the terms of the Plan and Applicable Law, the Board shall have full power and authority to: (i) designate Participants; (ii) determine the type or types of Awards (including Substitute Awards) to be granted to each Participant under the Plan; (iii) determine the number of Shares to be covered by (or with respect to which payments, rights or other matters are to be calculated in connection with) Awards; (iv) determine the terms and conditions of any Award; (v) determine whether, to what extent and under what circumstances Awards may be settled or exercised in cash, Shares, other Awards, other property, net settlement, or any combination thereof, or canceled, forfeited or suspended, and the method or methods by which Awards may be settled, exercised, canceled, forfeited or suspended; (vi) determine whether, to what extent and under what circumstances cash, Shares, other Awards, other property and other amounts payable with respect to an Award under the Plan shall be deferred either automatically or at the election of the holder thereof or of the Board; (vii) amend terms or conditions of any outstanding Awards, including without limitation, to accelerate the time or times at which the Award becomes vested, unrestricted or may be exercised; (viii) correct any defect, supply any omission and reconcile any inconsistency in the Plan or any Award, in the manner and to the extent it shall deem desirable to carry the Plan into effect; (ix) interpret and administer the Plan and any instrument or agreement relating to, or Award made under, the Plan; (x) establish, amend, suspend or waive such rules and regulations and appoint such agents, trustees, brokers, depositories and advisors and determine such terms of their engagement as it shall deem appropriate for the proper administration of the Plan and due compliance with Applicable Law, stock market or exchange rules and regulations or accounting or tax rules and regulations; and (xi) make any other determination and take any other action that the Board deems necessary or desirable for the administration of the Plan and due compliance with Applicable Law, stock market or exchange rules and regulations or accounting or tax rules and regulations. For the sake of clarity, all Awards granted under the Plan must be approved by the full Board, and the decision to grant Awards to Participants under this Plan may not be delegated.
Section 5.Shares Available for Awards.
(a) Subject to adjustment as provided in Section 5(c) and except for Substitute Awards, the maximum number of Shares available for issuance under the Plan shall not exceed in the aggregate 750,000 Shares.
(b)If any Award is forfeited, expires, terminates, otherwise lapses or is settled for cash, in whole or in part, without the delivery of Shares, then the Shares covered by such forfeited, expired, terminated or lapsed Award shall again be available for grant under the Plan. For the avoidance of doubt, the following will not again become available for issuance under the Plan: (i) any Shares withheld in respect of taxes and (ii) any Shares tendered or withheld to pay the Exercise Price of Options.
(c)In the event that the Board determines that, as a result of any dividend or other distribution (whether in the form of cash, Shares or other securities), recapitalization, stock split, reverse stock split, reorganization, merger, consolidation, separation, rights offering, split-up, spin-off, combination, repurchase or exchange of Shares or other securities of the Company, issuance of warrants or other rights to purchase Shares or other securities of the Company, issuance of Shares pursuant to the anti-
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dilution provisions of securities of the Company, or other similar corporate transaction or event affecting the Shares, or of changes in applicable laws, regulations or accounting principles, an adjustment is appropriate in order to prevent dilution or enlargement of the benefits or potential benefits intended to be made available under the Plan, then the Board shall, subject to compliance with Section 409A of the Code, adjust equitably (including without limitation, by payment of cash) any or all of:
(i)the number and type of Shares (or other securities) which thereafter may be made the subject of Awards, including the aggregate limit specified in Section 5(a);
(ii)the number and type of Shares (or other securities) subject to outstanding Awards; and
(iii)the grant, purchase, or Exercise Price with respect to any Award or, if deemed appropriate, make provision for a cash payment to the holder of an outstanding Award.
(d)Any Shares delivered pursuant to an Award may consist, in whole or in part, of authorized and unissued Shares or Shares acquired by the Company.
(e)The aggregate value of all Awards granted as compensation under this Plan to any individual for service as a Non-Employee Director with respect to any single calendar year will not exceed $400,000 in total grant date value.
Section 6.Options. The Board is authorized to grant Options to Participants with the following terms and conditions and with such additional terms and conditions, in either case not inconsistent with the provisions of the Plan, as the Board shall determine:
(a)The Exercise Price per Share under an Option shall be determined by the Board at the time of grant; provided, however, that, except in the case of Substitute Awards, such Exercise Price shall not be less than the Fair Market Value of a Share on the date of grant of such Option;
(b)The term of each Option shall be fixed by the Board but shall not exceed 10 years from the date of grant of such Option; provided that the Board may (but shall not be required to) provide in an Award Agreement for an extension of such 10-year term, in the event the exercise of the Option would be prohibited by law on the expiration date;
(c)The Board shall determine the time or times at which an Option becomes vested and exercisable, in whole or in part, and such vesting and exercise information shall be set forth in a Participant’s electronic account hosted by the stock plan administrator. No Participant shall receive a right to dividend equivalents in connection with Options.
(d)The Board shall determine the method or methods by which, and the form or forms, including cash, Shares, other Awards, other property, net settlement, broker assisted cashless exercise or any combination thereof, having a Fair Market Value on the exercise date equal to the Exercise Price of the Shares as to which the Option shall be exercised, in which payment of the Exercise Price with respect thereto may be made or deemed to have been made.
Section 7.Restricted Stock and RSUs. The Board is authorized to grant Awards of Restricted Stock and RSUs to Participants with the following terms and conditions and with such additional terms and conditions, in either case not inconsistent with the provisions of the Plan, as the Board shall determine:
(a)A Participant’s electronic account hosted by the stock plan administrator shall specify the vesting schedule and, with respect to RSUs, the delivery schedule (which may include deferred delivery later than the vesting date) and the related Award agreement shall specify whether the Award of Restricted Stock or RSUs is entitled to dividends or dividend equivalents, voting rights or any other rights. The
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Board shall specify in the applicable Award Agreement that a Participant’s right to any or all dividends, dividend equivalents or other distributions, as applicable, accrued on Restricted Stock or RSUs prior to vesting or settlement, as applicable, be paid either in cash or in additional Shares and shall provide that such amounts will only be distributed if the related Restricted Stock or RSUs become vested or settled, as applicable.
(b)Shares of Restricted Stock and RSUs shall be subject to such restrictions as the Board may impose (including any limitation on the right to vote a Share of Restricted Stock or the right to receive any dividend, dividend equivalent or other right), which restrictions may lapse separately or in combination at such time or times, in such installments or otherwise, as the Board may deem appropriate.
(c)Any share of Restricted Stock granted under the Plan may be evidenced in such manner as the Board may deem appropriate, including book-entry registration or issuance of a stock certificate or certificates. In the event any stock certificate is issued in respect of shares of Restricted Stock granted under the Plan, such certificate shall be registered in the name of the Participant and shall bear an appropriate legend referring to the terms, conditions and restrictions applicable to such Restricted Stock.
(d)The Board may provide in an Award Agreement that an Award of Restricted Stock is conditioned upon the Participant making or refraining from making an election with respect to the Award under Section 83(b) of the Code. If the Participant makes an election pursuant to Section 83(b) of the Code with respect to an Award of Restricted Stock, the Participant shall be required to file promptly a copy of such election with the Company and the applicable Internal Revenue Service office.
(e)The Board may determine the form or forms (including cash, Shares, other Awards, other property or any combination thereof) in which payment of the amount owing upon settlement of any RSU Award may be made.
Section 8.Other Share-Based Awards. The Board is authorized, subject to limitations under Applicable Law, to grant to Participants such other Awards that may be denominated or payable in, valued in whole or in part by reference to, or otherwise based on, or related to, Shares or factors that may influence the value of Shares, including convertible or exchangeable debt securities, other rights convertible or exchangeable into Shares, purchase rights for Shares, Awards with value and payment contingent upon performance of the Company or business units thereof or any other factors designated by the Board or a committee of the Board. The Board shall determine the terms and conditions of such Awards. Shares delivered pursuant to an Award in the nature of a purchase right granted under this Section 8 shall be purchased for such consideration, paid for at such times, by such methods and in such forms, including cash, Shares, other Awards, other property, net settlement, broker-assisted cashless exercise or any combination thereof, as the Board shall determine; provided that the purchase price therefore shall not be less than the Fair Market Value of such Shares on the date of grant of such right.
Section 9.Automatic Grants. The Board may institute, by resolution, automatic Award grants to new and to continuing members of the Board, with the number and type of such Awards, the terms and conditions of such Awards, and the criteria for the grant of such Awards, as is determined by the Board in its sole discretion.
Section 10.Retainers. The Board is authorized, subject to limitations under applicable law, to grant Retainers to Participants. The Board shall determine the terms and conditions of such Retainers, including without limitation (i) the amounts payable, (ii) the payment dates (including whether payment is made in a lump sum or installments and whether payment is made in advance or arrears), (iii) whether such Retainers may be electively received in Shares, and (iv) whether such Retainers may be electively deferred, subject to such rules and procedures as it may establish in accordance with Section 409A of the Code, and, if so, whether such deferred Retainers may be distributed in cash and/or Shares. The number of Shares that shall be issued to the Participant who elects to receive a Retainer in Shares shall equal the amount of cash that
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otherwise would have been paid to such Participant on the payment date of such Retainer divided by the Fair Market Value of a Share as of such payment date.
Section 11.Effect of Separation From Service or a Change of Control on Awards.
(a)The Board may provide, by rule or regulation or in any applicable Award Agreement, or may determine in any individual case, the circumstances in which, and the extent to which, an Award may be exercised, settled, vested, paid or forfeited in the event of the Participant’s separation from service from the Board prior to vesting, exercise or settlement of such Award.
(b)In the event of a Change of Control, except as otherwise provided in an Award Agreement, the Board may provide for: (i) continuation or assumption of such outstanding Awards under the Plan by the Company (if it is the surviving corporation) or by the surviving corporation or its parent; (ii) substitution by the surviving corporation or its parent of awards with substantially the same terms and value for such outstanding Awards (in the case of an Option Award, the Intrinsic Value at grant of such Substitute Award shall equal the Intrinsic Value of the Award); (iii) acceleration of the vesting (including the lapse of any restrictions) or right to exercise such outstanding Awards immediately prior to or as of the date of the Change of Control, and the expiration of such outstanding Awards to the extent not timely exercised by the date of the Change of Control or other date thereafter designated by the Board; or (iv) in the case of an Option Award, cancellation in consideration of a payment in cash or other consideration to the Participant who holds such Award in an amount equal to the Intrinsic Value of such Award (which may be equal to but not less than zero), which, if in excess of zero, shall be payable upon the effective date of such Change of Control. For the avoidance of doubt, in the event of a Change of Control, the Board may, in its sole discretion, terminate any Option Awards for which the exercise or hurdle price is equal to or exceeds the per Share value of the consideration to be paid in the Change of Control transaction without payment of consideration therefor.
Section 12.General Provisions Applicable to Awards.
(a)Awards shall be granted for such cash or other consideration, if any, as the Board determines; provided that in no event shall Awards be issued for less than such minimal consideration as may be required by applicable law.
(b)Awards may, in the discretion of the Board, be granted either alone or in addition to or in tandem with any other Award or any award granted under any other plan of the Company. Awards granted in addition to or in tandem with other Awards, or in addition to or in tandem with awards granted under any other plan of the Company, may be granted either at the same time as or at a different time from the grant of such other Awards or awards. For the sake of clarity, in the event awards are granted under another plan of the Company, the Shares or cash granted shall be counted against the maximum calendar year Award limitations set forth in Section 5(e).
(c)Subject to the terms of the Plan, payments or transfers to be made by the Company upon the grant, exercise or settlement of an Award may be made in the form of cash, Shares, other Awards, other property, net settlement, or any combination thereof, as determined by the Board in its discretion at the time of grant, and may be made in a single payment or transfer, in installments or on a deferred basis, in each case in accordance with rules and procedures established by the Board. Such rules and procedures may include provisions for the payment or crediting of reasonable interest on installment or deferred payments or the grant or crediting of dividend equivalents in respect of installment or deferred payments.
(d)Except as may be permitted by the Board or as specifically provided in an Award Agreement, (i) no Award and no right under any Award shall be assignable, alienable, saleable or transferable by the Participant otherwise than by will or pursuant to Section 12(e) and (ii) during the Participant’s lifetime, each Award, and each right under any Award, shall be exercisable only by such Participant or, if permissible under Applicable Law, by such Participant’s guardian or legal representative.
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The provisions of this Section 12(d) shall not apply to any Award that has been fully exercised or settled, as the case may be, and shall not preclude forfeiture of an Award in accordance with the terms thereof.
(e)The Participant may designate a Beneficiary or change a previous Beneficiary designation only at such times as prescribed by the Board, in its sole discretion, and only by using forms and following procedures approved or accepted by the Board for that purpose.
(f)All certificates for Shares and/or other securities delivered under the Plan pursuant to any Award or the exercise thereof shall be subject to such stop transfer orders and other restrictions as the Board may deem advisable under the Plan or the rules, regulations and other requirements of the SEC, any stock market or exchange upon which such Shares or other securities are then quoted, traded or listed, and any applicable securities laws, and the Board may cause a legend or legends to be put on any such certificates to make appropriate reference to such restrictions.
Section 13.Amendments and Terminations.
(a)Except to the extent prohibited by Applicable Law and unless otherwise expressly provided in an Award Agreement or in the Plan, the Board may amend, alter, suspend, discontinue or terminate the Plan or any portion thereof at any time; provided, however, that no such amendment, alteration, suspension, discontinuation or termination shall be made without (i) shareholder approval to increase the number of Shares subject to the Plan or if such approval is required by applicable law or the rules of the stock market or exchange, if any, on which the Shares are principally quoted or traded or (ii) subject to Section 5(c) and Section 11, the consent of the affected Participant, if such action would materially adversely affect the rights of such Participant under any outstanding Award, except (x) to the extent any such amendment, alteration, suspension, discontinuance or termination is made to cause the Plan to comply with applicable law, stock market or exchange rules and regulations or accounting or tax rules and regulations or (y) to enforce clawback or recoupment of any Awards as required by Applicable Law or Company policy. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in the Plan, the Board may amend the Plan, or create sub-plans, in such manner as may be necessary to enable the Plan to achieve its stated purposes in any jurisdiction in a tax-efficient manner and in compliance with local rules and regulations.
(b)Dissolution or Liquidation. In the event of the dissolution or liquidation of the Company, each Award shall terminate immediately prior to the consummation of such action, unless otherwise determined by the Board.
(c)Terms of Awards. The Board may waive any conditions or rights under, amend any terms of, or amend, alter, suspend, discontinue or terminate any Award theretofore granted, prospectively or retroactively, without the consent of any relevant Participant or holder or Beneficiary of an Award; provided, however, that, subject to Section 5(c) and Section 11, no such action shall materially adversely affect the rights of any affected Participant or holder or Beneficiary under any Award theretofore granted under the Plan, except (i) to the extent any such action is made to cause the Plan to comply with Applicable Law, stock market or exchange rules and regulations or accounting or tax rules and regulations, or (ii) to enforce clawback or recoupment of any Awards as required by Applicable Law or Company policy. The Board shall be authorized to make adjustments in the terms and conditions of, and the criteria included in, Awards in recognition of events (including the events described in Section 5(c)) affecting the Company, or the financial statements of the Company, or of changes in applicable laws, regulations or accounting principles, whenever the Board determines that such adjustments are appropriate in order to prevent dilution or enlargement of the benefits or potential benefits intended to be made available under the Plan.
(d)No Repricing. Notwithstanding the foregoing, except as provided in Section 5(c), no action shall directly or indirectly, through cancellation and regrant or any other method, reduce, or have the
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effect of reducing, the exercise or hurdle price of any Award established at the time of grant thereof without approval of the Company’s shareholders.
Section 14.Miscellaneous.
(a)No Participant or other Person shall have any claim to be granted any Award under the Plan, and there is no obligation for uniformity of treatment of Participants or holders or Beneficiaries of Awards under the Plan. The terms and conditions of Awards need not be the same with respect to each recipient. Any Award granted under the Plan shall be a one-time Award that does not constitute a promise of future grants. The Company, in its sole discretion, maintains the right to make available future grants under the Plan.
(b)The grant of an Award shall not be construed as giving the Participant the right to be retained in the service of the Board or the Company or any Affiliate. The receipt of any Award under the Plan is not intended to confer any rights on the receiving Participant except as set forth in the applicable Award Agreement.
(c)Nothing contained in the Plan shall prevent the Company from adopting or continuing in effect other or additional compensation arrangements, and such arrangements may be either generally applicable or applicable only in specific cases.
(d)If any provision of the Plan or any Award Agreement is or becomes or is deemed to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable in any jurisdiction, or as to any Person or Award, or would disqualify the Plan or any Award under any Applicable Law, such provision shall be construed or deemed amended to conform to Applicable Law, or if it cannot be so construed or deemed amended without, in the determination of the Board, materially altering the intent of the Plan or the Award Agreement, such provision shall be stricken as to such jurisdiction, Person or Award, and the remainder of the Plan and any such Award Agreement shall remain in full force and effect.
(e)Neither the Plan nor any Award shall create or be construed to create a trust or separate fund of any kind or a fiduciary relationship between the Company and the Participant or any other Person. To the extent that any Person acquires a right to receive payments from the Company pursuant to an Award, such right shall be no greater than the right of any unsecured general creditor of the Company.
(f)Notwithstanding any provision of the Plan to the contrary, if authorized but previously unissued Shares are issued under the Plan, such Shares shall not be issued for a consideration that is less than permitted under Applicable Law.
Section 15. Effective Date of the Plan. The Plan shall be effective as of April 25, 2024, subject to approval of the Plan by the Company’s shareholders.
Section 16.Term of the Plan. No Award shall be granted under the Plan after the earliest to occur of (i) the tenth-year anniversary of the Effective Date; (ii) the maximum number of Shares available for issuance under the Plan have been issued; or (iii) the Board terminates the Plan in accordance with Section 13(a). However, unless otherwise expressly provided in the Plan or in an applicable Award Agreement, any Award theretofore granted may extend beyond such date, and the authority of the Board to amend, alter, adjust, suspend, discontinue or terminate any such Award, or to waive any conditions or rights under any such Award, and the authority of the Board to amend the Plan, shall extend beyond such date.
Section 17.Cancellation or “Clawback” of Awards. The Board or other acting body as permitted thereunder, shall have full authority to enforce clawback or recoupment of any Awards as required by Applicable Law or Company policy.
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Section 18.Section 409A of the Code. Although the Company does not guarantee to a Participant the particular tax treatment of any Award, the Plan and all Awards thereunder are intended to comply with or be exempt from the requirements of Section 409A of the Code and the regulations thereunder, and the provisions of the Plan and any Award Agreement shall be interpreted in a manner that satisfies the requirements of Section 409A of the Code, and the Plan shall be operated accordingly. If any provision of the Plan or any term or condition of any Award would otherwise frustrate or conflict with this intent, the provision, term or condition shall be interpreted and deemed amended so as to avoid this conflict. Notwithstanding anything else in the Plan, if the Board or a committee of the Board considers a Participant to be a “specified employee” under Section 409A of the Code at the time of such Participant’s “separation from service” (as defined in Section 409A of the Code), and the amount thereunder is “deferred compensation” subject to Section 409A of the Code any distribution that otherwise would be made to such Participant with respect to an Award as a result of such separation from service shall not be made until the date that is six months after such separation from service, except to the extent that earlier distribution would not result in such Participant’s incurring interest or additional tax under Section 409A of the Code. If the Award includes a “series of installment payments” (within the meaning of Section 1.409A-2(b)(2)(iii) of the Treasury Regulations), the Participant’s right to the series of installment payments shall be treated as a right to a series of separate payments and not as a right to a single payment and if the Award includes “dividend equivalents” (within the meaning of Section 1.409A-3(e) of the Treasury Regulations), the Participant’s right to the dividend equivalents shall be treated separately from the right to other amounts under the Award. Notwithstanding the foregoing, in no event shall the Company be liable for all or any portion of any taxes, penalties, interest or other expenses that may be incurred by the Participant on account of non-compliance with Section 409A of the Code.
Section 19.Successors and Assigns. The terms of the Plan shall be binding upon and inure to the benefit of the Company and any successor entity, including any successor entity contemplated by Section 11.
Section 20.Governing Law. The Plan and each Award Agreement shall be governed by the laws of the State of Delaware, without application of the conflicts of law principles thereof.
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