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| The shareholder proposal to adopt majority voting at the 2010 meeting passed with over 50% support. | |
| The Board undertook a thorough review of the majority voting issue focusing on whats in the best interest of our shareholders. | |
| Johnson Controls is committed to shareholder accountability and strong corporate governance standards. | |
| Based on its review and considering shareholder sentiment, the Board chose to submit a proposal to shareholders to adopt a majority voting standard in uncontested elections of directors. |
| The AIPP enables the Company to pay compensation as qualified performance-based compensation for tax purposes pursuant to Section 162(m) of the Internal Revenue Code (Section 162(m)). In order to maintain Section 162(m) status, shareholders must approve the plan at least every five years. | ||
| This annual incentive plan is a very important component of our overall compensation strategy as it enables the Company to motivate and focus our employees on our financial and strategic objectives for the year. These financial and strategic objectives are important to executing our business strategy, delivering long-term value to shareholders, and sustaining our credibility with investors. | ||
| The AIPP is essentially the same as the plan that shareholders have approved before. The performance measures in the plan include four measures that shareholders have not previously approved: earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA); trade working capital; return on sales; and free cash flow. |
| The LTIPP enables the Company to pay compensation as qualified performance-based compensation for tax purposes pursuant to Section 162(m) of the Internal Revenue Code (Section 162(m)). In order to maintain Section 162(m) status, shareholders must approve the plan at least every five years. | ||
| The purpose of the LTIPP is to motivate named executive officers and other key employees to achieve outstanding performance based on performance measures that are aligned with the Companys strategic goals. Under the LTIPP, the plan administrator the Compensation Committee establishes potential awards and pertinent performance criteria at the beginning of each performance period. After the end of each performance period, the amount payable to a participant will be determined based upon actual performance. | ||
| The LTIPP is essentially the same as the plan that shareholders have approved before. The performance measures in the plan include four measures that shareholders have not previously approved: earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA); trade working capital; return on sales; and free cash flow. |
| Our pay programs are substantially tied into our key business objectives and the success of our shareholders. If our shareholders value declines, so does the compensation we deliver to our executives. Further, as an executives level of responsibility within our organization increases, so does the percentage of total compensation that we link to performance (see sections titled Objectives of our Executive Compensation Programs and Elements of and Allocation of Executive Compensation). | ||
| Based on the results of our fiscal year 2009 performance, none of our executive officers, including each of the named executive officers, received an annual performance bonus for fiscal year 2009. | ||
| We maintain the highest level of corporate governance over our executive pay programs. We closely monitor governance concerns and our Compensation Committee (the Committee) ensures that concerns of shareholders are addressed (see section titled Executive Compensation Governance). | ||
| During fiscal year 2010, the Committee amended its Charter and Annual Agenda to formalize the process for assessing risk in incentive compensation plans and policies. | ||
| During fiscal year 2010, the Committee formalized the process to ensure the independence of our executive compensation consultant. | ||
| During fiscal year 2009, the Committee adopted an Executive Compensation Incentive Recoupment Policy. | ||
| We closely monitor the pay programs and pay levels of executives from companies of similar size and complexity, so that we may ensure that our pay programs are within the norm of a range of market practices. When norms change, the Committee is responsive in addressing the trends in order to ensure any necessary changes occur in a timely manner. | ||
| During fiscal year 2010, the Committee eliminated excise tax gross-up payments from any new change of control agreements entered into after July 27, 2010. | ||
| During fiscal year 2009, the Committee eliminated the payment of gross-ups on perquisites. | ||
| During fiscal year 2009, the Committee eliminated the right for any new officers elected after September 14, 2009, to terminate employment for any reason during the 30-day period following the first anniversary of a change of control event and receive the change of control payment under the agreement. | ||
| During fiscal year 2009, our Chief Executive Officer initiated discussions with the Chairman of our Compensation Committee regarding executive officer base salary increases that became effective on October 1, 2008, prior to the economic decline. These discussions resulted in the Committee adopting a resolution in January 2009 that reduced annual base salaries for the remainder of fiscal year 2009 for certain executive officers, including each of the named executive officers, to the base level that was in effect for fiscal year 2008. | ||
| During fiscal year 2009, the Committee eliminated the provision to accelerate vesting benefits upon death under our Retirement Restoration Plan. | ||
| During fiscal year 2008, the Committee limited participation in our Executive Survivor Benefits Plan to executive officers hired prior to September 15, 2009. |
| Our Committee, our Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, and our head of Human Resources engage in a rigorous talent review process annually to address succession and executive development for our CEO and other key executives. The results of the talent review are presented to the Board. |
| Past approval of our incentive pay programs by shareholders have historically occurred every five years. This has served both our company and our shareholders well, ensuring a direct alignment between executive compensation and financial performance results. | ||
| Setting a three year period for holding this shareholder vote will enhance shareholder communication by providing a clear, simple means for the Company to obtain information on investor sentiment about our executive compensation philosophy. An advisory vote every three years will be the most effective timeframe for the Company to respond to shareholders feedback and provide the Company with sufficient time to engage with shareholders to understand and respond to the vote results. | ||
| The Company also believes a triennial vote would align more closely with the multi-year performance measurement cycle the Company uses to reward long term performance. Our executive compensation programs are based on our long term business strategy, which is more appropriately reflected with a three year timeframe. |