UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549
SCHEDULE 14A
(Rule 14a-101)
INFORMATION REQUIRED IN PROXY STATEMENT
SCHEDULE 14A INFORMATION
Proxy Statement Pursuant to Section 14(a) of
the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
(Amendment No. )
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Filed by a Party other than the Registrant ¨
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¨ | Preliminary Proxy Statement |
¨ | Confidential, for Use of the Commission Only (as permitted by Rule 14a-6(e)(2)) |
þ | Definitive Proxy Statement |
¨ | Definitive Additional Materials |
¨ | Soliciting Material Pursuant to §240.14a-12 |
ELECTRONIC ARTS INC.
(Name of Registrant as Specified In Its Charter)
(Name of Person(s) Filing Proxy Statement, if other than the Registrant)
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þ | No fee required. |
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June 10, 2011
DEAR FELLOW STOCKHOLDERS:
You are cordially invited to join us at our 2011 Annual Meeting of Stockholders on July 28, 2011 at 2:00 p.m. The meeting will be held at the headquarters campus of Electronic Arts in Building 250 (please note that the street address for Building 250 is 250 Shoreline Drive, Redwood City, California). For your convenience, we are also pleased to offer a live webcast of our Annual Meeting on the Investor Relations section of our web site at http://investor.ea.com. At this meeting, we are asking the stockholders to:
| Elect Leonard S. Coleman, Jeffrey T. Huber, Geraldine B. Laybourne, Gregory B. Maffei, Vivek Paul, Lawrence F. Probst III, John S. Riccitiello, Richard A. Simonson, Linda J. Srere and Luis A. Ubiñas to the Board of Directors to hold office for a one-year term; |
| Approve an amendment to our 2000 Equity Incentive Plan and our 2000 Employee Stock Purchase Plan; |
| Cast an advisory vote on the compensation of the named executive officers; |
| Cast an advisory vote on the frequency of holding future advisory votes on the compensation of the named executive officers; and |
| Ratify the appointment of KPMG LLP as our independent registered public accounting firm for fiscal 2012. |
After the meeting, we will report on our recent performance and answer your questions.
Details regarding admission to the meeting and the business to be conducted are described in the Notice of Internet Availability of Proxy Materials you received in the mail and in this proxy statement. We have also made available a copy of our Annual Report for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2011 with this proxy statement. We encourage you to read our Annual Report. It includes our audited financial statements and provides information about our business and products.
Your vote is important. Whether or not you plan to attend the Annual Meeting, we hope you will vote as soon as possible. You may vote over the Internet, by telephone or, if you requested to receive printed proxy materials, by mailing a proxy or voting instruction card. Please review the instructions on each of your voting options described in this proxy statement, as well as in the Notice you received in the mail.
Thank you for your ongoing support of Electronic Arts.
Sincerely, |
|
John S. Riccitiello |
Chief Executive Officer |
Notice of 2011 Annual Meeting of Stockholders
DATE: |
July 28, 2011 | |
TIME: |
2:00 p.m. local time | |
PLACE: |
ELECTRONIC ARTS HEADQUARTERS | |
Building 250* | ||
209 Redwood Shores Parkway | ||
Redwood City, CA 94065 | ||
* Please note: Building 250 is located on the headquarters campus at 250 Shoreline Drive |
MATTERS TO BE VOTED UPON:
Agenda Item |
Board of Directors Recommendation | |||
1. The election of Leonard S. Coleman, Jeffrey T. Huber, Geraldine B. Laybourne, Gregory B. Maffei, Vivek Paul, Lawrence F. Probst III, John S. Riccitiello, Richard A. Simonson, Linda J. Srere and Luis A. Ubiñas to the Board of Directors to hold office for a one-year term; |
FOR | |||
2. Approve an amendment to the 2000 Equity Incentive Plan; |
FOR | |||
3. Approve an amendment to the 2000 Employee Stock Purchase Plan; |
FOR | |||
4. Cast an advisory vote on the compensation of the named executive officers; |
FOR | |||
5. Cast an advisory vote on the frequency of holding future advisory votes on the compensation of the named executive officers; |
ONE YEAR | |||
6. Ratification of the appointment of KPMG LLP as our independent registered public accounting firm for fiscal 2012; and |
FOR | |||
7. Any other matters that may properly come before the meeting. |
Any action on the items of business described above may be considered at the Annual Meeting at the time and on the date specified above or at any time and date to which the Annual Meeting may be properly adjourned or postponed.
Stockholders of record as of the close of business on June 6, 2011 are entitled to notice of the meeting and to attend and vote at the meeting. A complete list of these stockholders will be available at Electronic Arts headquarters prior to the meeting.
By Order of the Board of Directors, |
|
Stephen G. Bené |
Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary |
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PROPOSAL 3 AMENDMENT TO THE 2000 EMPLOYEE STOCK PURCHASE PLAN |
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PROPOSAL 4 ADVISORY VOTE ON THE COMPENSATION OF THE NAMED EXECUTIVE OFFICERS |
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Executive Compensation and Leadership Committee Report on Executive Compensation |
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APPENDIX A GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF THE 2000 EQUITY INCENTIVE PLAN |
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APPENDIX B GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF THE 2000 EMPLOYEE STOCK PURCHASE PLAN |
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Our Board of Directors is soliciting proxies for the 2011 Annual Meeting of Stockholders. The proxy materials, including this proxy statement and our annual report, proxy card and voting instructions, contain important information for you to consider when deciding how to vote on the matters brought before the meeting. Please read them carefully.
The Board has set June 6, 2011 as the record date for the meeting. Stockholders who owned common stock on that date are entitled to notice of the meeting, and to attend and vote at the meeting, with each share entitled to one vote. There were 331,345,938 shares of common stock outstanding on the record date.
In accordance with rules and regulations adopted by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the SEC), we are providing stockholders with access to our proxy materials by providing such documents on the Internet. The Notice of Annual Meeting, proxy statement, our 2011 Annual Report and form of proxy were distributed and/or made available via the Internet to stockholders on or about June 10, 2011. Stockholders will have the ability to access the proxy materials on a website referred to in the Notice of Internet Availability of Proxy Materials (the Notice) or request a printed set of the proxy materials be sent to them, by following the instructions in the Notice.
The proxy card provides instructions on how to inform us to send future proxy materials to you electronically by email. If you choose to receive future proxy materials by email, you will receive an email next year with instructions containing a link to those materials and a link to the proxy voting site. Your election to receive proxy materials by email will remain in effect until you terminate it. We encourage you to choose to receive future proxy materials by email. Doing so will allow us to provide you with the information you need in a more timely manner, will save us the cost of printing and mailing documents to you, and will help conserve natural resources.
In this proxy statement:
| EA, we, our and the Company mean Electronic Arts Inc. |
| 2000 Equity Plan and Equity Plan mean EAs 2000 Equity Incentive Plan. |
| 2000 Purchase Plan and Purchase Plan mean EAs 2000 Employee Stock Purchase Plan. |
| Holding shares in street name means your EA shares are held in an account at a bank, brokerage firm or other nominee. |
| Common stock means EAs common stock, as described in EAs current Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation. |
| Fiscal 2012, fiscal 2011, fiscal 2010, fiscal 2009, fiscal 2008 and fiscal 2007 refer to EAs fiscal years ending or ended (as the case may be) on March 31, 2012, 2011, 2010, 2009, 2008 and 2007, respectively. For simplicity of disclosure, fiscal periods are referred to as ending on a calendar month end, even though our fiscal year is reported on a 52- or 53-week period that ends on the Saturday nearest March 31. Our results of operations for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2011 contained 52 weeks and ended on April 2, 2011. |
| We use independent auditors to mean an independent registered public accounting firm. |
| Annual Report and 2011 Annual Report mean our annual report for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2011. |
In this proxy statement, we may make forward-looking statements regarding future events or the future financial performance of the Company. Statements including words such as anticipate, believe, estimate or expect and statements in the future tense are forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual events or actual future results to differ materially from those set forth in the forward-looking statements. Please refer to Electronic Arts latest Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2011 for a discussion of important factors that could cause actual events or actual results to differ materially from those discussed in this proxy statement. These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this proxy statement; we assume no obligation to, and do not necessarily intend to, update these forward-looking statements.
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Your vote is very important. Whether or not you plan to attend the Annual Meeting, we encourage you to read this proxy statement and submit your proxy card or voting instructions as soon as possible. For specific instructions on how to vote your shares, please refer to the instructions on the Notice you received in the mail, the section entitled Commonly Asked Questions and Answers set forth below in this proxy statement or, if you requested to receive printed proxy materials, your enclosed proxy card.
COMMONLY ASKED QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
Why am I receiving these materials?
Our Board of Directors has made these materials available to you on the Internet or, upon your request, has delivered printed proxy materials to you in connection with the solicitation of proxies for use at our 2011 Annual Meeting of Stockholders, which will take place on Thursday, July 28 at 2:00 p.m. local time, at our corporate headquarters in Redwood City, California. This proxy statement describes proposals on which you, as a stockholder, are being asked to vote. It also gives you information on these proposals, as well as other information so that you can make an informed decision. As a stockholder, you are invited to attend the Annual Meeting and are requested to vote on the items of business described in this proxy statement.
Why did I receive a Notice in the mail regarding the Internet availability of proxy materials instead of a full set of proxy materials?
In accordance with rules adopted by the SEC, we may furnish proxy materials, including this proxy statement and our annual report, to our stockholders by providing access to such documents on the Internet instead of mailing printed copies. Most stockholders will not receive printed copies of the proxy materials unless they request them. Instead, the Notice, which was mailed to most of our stockholders, provides instructions on how to access and review all of the proxy materials on the Internet. The Notice also describes how you may submit your proxy on the Internet. If you would like to receive a paper or email copy of our proxy materials, you should follow the instructions for requesting such materials in the Notice.
Can I vote my shares by filling out and returning the Notice?
No, however, the Notice provides instructions on how to vote by Internet, by telephone, by requesting and returning a paper proxy card, or by submitting a ballot in person at the meeting.
Who can vote at the Annual Meeting?
Stockholders who owned common stock on June 6, 2011 may attend and vote at the Annual Meeting. If your shares are registered directly in your name with our transfer agent, Wells Fargo Shareowner Services, you are considered, with respect to those shares, the stockholder of record. As the stockholder of record, you have the right to vote in person at the meeting. If your shares are held in a brokerage account or by another nominee or trustee, you are considered the beneficial owner of shares held in street name. As the beneficial owner, you are also invited to attend the meeting. Since a beneficial owner is not the shareowner of record, you may not vote these shares in person at the meeting unless you obtain a legal proxy from your broker, nominee, or trustee that holds your shares, giving you the right to vote the shares at the meeting. Each share of common stock is entitled to one vote.
What am I voting on?
We are asking you to:
| Elect Leonard S. Coleman, Jeffrey T. Huber, Geraldine B. Laybourne, Gregory B. Maffei, Vivek Paul, Lawrence F. Probst III, John S. Riccitiello, Richard A. Simonson, Linda J. Srere and Luis A. Ubiñas to the Board of Directors to hold office for a one-year term; |
| Approve an amendment to the 2000 Equity Incentive Plan to increase the number of shares of common stock authorized under the Equity Plan by 10,000,000 shares; |
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| Approve an amendment to the 2000 Employee Stock Purchase Plan to increase the number of shares of common stock reserved for issuance under the Purchase Plan by 3,500,000 shares; |
| Cast an advisory vote on the compensation of the named executive officers; |
| Cast an advisory vote on the frequency of holding future advisory votes on the compensation of the named executive officers; and |
| Ratify the appointment of KPMG LLP as our independent auditors for fiscal 2012. |
How do I vote my shares if I wont be able to attend the Annual Meeting in person?
You do not need to attend the Annual Meeting in person in order to vote. You may, instead, vote over the Internet, by telephone or by mail (if you have requested printed proxy materials). By doing so, you are giving a proxy appointing John S. Riccitiello (the Companys Chief Executive Officer) and Eric F. Brown (the Companys Chief Financial Officer) to vote your shares at the meeting as you have instructed. If a proposal comes up for vote at the meeting for which you have not indicated an instruction, Mr. Riccitiello and Mr. Brown will vote your shares according to their best judgment. Even if you currently plan to attend the meeting, it is a good idea to vote on the Internet, by telephone or, if you received printed proxy materials, to complete and return your proxy card before the meeting date, in case your plans change.
| By Internet or Telephone If you have telephone or Internet access, you may submit your proxy by following the instructions provided in the Notice or, if you received a printed version of the proxy materials by mail, by following the instructions provided with your proxy materials and on your proxy card or voting instruction card. |
| By Mail If you request printed proxy materials, you may submit your proxy by mail by signing your proxy card or, for shares held in street name, by following the voting instructions included by your broker, trustee or nominee, and mailing it in the enclosed, postage-paid envelope. If you provide specific voting instructions, your shares will be voted as you have instructed. |
What does it mean if I receive more than one Notice or proxy card?
It means that you have multiple accounts at the transfer agent or with brokers. Please complete and return all proxy cards, or follow the instructions on each Notice to vote by telephone or over the Internet, to ensure that all your shares are voted.
What if I change my mind after I give my proxy?
You may revoke your proxy and change your vote at any time before the polls close at the meeting. You may do this by:
| Sending a signed statement to the Company that the proxy is revoked (you may send such a statement to the Companys Secretary at our corporate headquarters address listed on the Notice of 2011 Annual Meeting of Stockholders); |
| Signing another proxy with a later date; |
| Voting by telephone or on the Internet at any time prior to 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on July 27, 2011 (your latest vote is counted); or |
| Voting in person at the meeting. |
Your proxy will not be revoked if you attend the meeting but do not vote.
Who will count the votes?
A representative of Broadridge Financial Solutions will tabulate the votes and act as the inspector of election.
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How many shares must be present to hold the meeting?
To hold the meeting and conduct business, a majority of EAs outstanding voting shares as of June 6, 2011 must be present or represented by proxies at the meeting. On this date, a total of 331,345,938 shares of common stock were outstanding and entitled to vote. Shares representing a majority, or 165,672,970 shares, of these votes must be present. This is called a quorum.
Shares are counted as present at the meeting if:
| They are voted in person at the meeting, or |
| The stockholder has voted via the Internet, by telephone or properly submitted a proxy card. |
How are votes counted?
You may vote for, against or abstain on each of the proposals (other than the proposal regarding the frequency of holding future advisory votes on named executive compensation). A share voted abstain with respect to any proposal is considered as present and entitled to vote with respect to that proposal, but is not considered a vote cast with respect to that proposal. Therefore, an abstention will not have any effect on the election of directors. Because each of the other proposals (other than the proposal regarding the frequency of holding future advisory votes on named executive compensation) requires the affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of the shares present and entitled to vote on each such proposal in order to pass, abstentions could prevent the approval of these other proposals because they do not count as affirmative votes. With respect to the proposal regarding the frequency of holding future advisory votes on executive compensation, an abstain vote will have no effect. If you sign and return your proxy without voting instructions, your shares will be voted as recommended by the Board.
What is the effect of a broker non-vote on the proposals to be voted on at the 2011 Annual Meeting?
If your shares are not registered in your name and you do not provide your broker, bank or other nominee with voting instructions, your shares may constitute broker non-votes. Broker non-votes occur on a matter when a broker is not permitted to vote on that matter without instructions from the beneficial owners and instructions are not given. These matters are referred to as non-routine matters. All of the matters scheduled to be voted on at the 2011 Annual Meeting are non-routine, except for the proposal to ratify the appointment of KPMG LLP as our independent auditors for fiscal 2012. In tabulating the voting results for any particular proposal, shares that constitute broker non-votes are not considered votes cast on that proposal. Thus, broker non-votes will not affect the outcome of any matter being voted on at the meeting, assuming that a quorum is obtained. If your shares are held of record by a bank, broker, or other nominee, we urge you to give instructions to your bank, broker or other nominee as to how you wish your shares to be voted.
How many votes must the nominees have to be elected as directors?
In an uncontested election, EAs bylaws require each nominee to receive more votes cast for than against his or her election or re-election in order to be elected or re-elected to the Board. Since we are not aware of any intention by any stockholder to nominate one or more candidates to compete with the Boards nominees for election at the 2011 Annual Meeting, the 2011 election will be uncontested.
In accordance with our Corporate Governance Guidelines, the Board expects an incumbent director to tender his or her resignation if he or she fails to receive the required number of votes for election or re-election in an uncontested election. In such an event, the Nominating and Governance Committee will act on an expedited basis to determine whether to accept the directors resignation and will submit such recommendation for prompt consideration by the Board. The Board expects the director whose resignation is under consideration to abstain from participating in any decision regarding that resignation. The Nominating and Governance Committee and the Board may consider any factors they deem relevant in deciding whether to recommend/accept a directors resignation. The Board will act on the Nominating and Governance Committees recommendation within 90 days from the date of the certification of election results and will publicly disclose its decision promptly thereafter.
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Shares represented by your proxy will be voted by EAs management for the election of the ten nominees recommended by EAs Board of Directors unless you vote against any or all of such nominees or you mark your proxy to abstain from so voting. Abstentions and broker non-votes will have no effect on the outcome of the director elections.
What happens if one or more of the nominees is unable to stand for election?
The Board may reduce the number of directors or select a substitute nominee. In the latter case, if you have completed and returned your proxy card, Mr. Riccitiello and Mr. Brown shall have the discretion to vote your shares for a substitute nominee. They cannot vote for more than ten nominees.
How many votes are required to approve each of the proposals?
The Equity Plan and Purchase Plan amendments, the advisory vote on the compensation of the named executive officers and the ratification of independent auditors must receive a for vote of a majority of the voting shares present at the meeting in person or by proxy and voting for or against these proposals. In the case of the proposal to determine the frequency of holding future advisory votes on the compensation of the named executive officers, the frequency that receives the highest number of votes cast will be deemed to be the frequency selected by the stockholders. As an advisory vote, the proposal on compensation of the named executive officers is non-binding. Although the vote is non-binding, the Board of Directors and the Executive Compensation and Leadership Committee value the opinions of our stockholders, and will consider the outcome of the vote, along with other relevant factors, in evaluating its compensation program for our named executive officers.
Where do I find the voting results of the meeting?
We will announce preliminary voting results at the meeting. We will also publish the final results on Form 8-K, which we will file with the SEC within four business days after the Annual Meeting. Once filed, you can request a copy of the Form 8-K by contacting our Investor Relations department at (650) 628-7352 or the SEC at (800) SEC-0330 for the location of its nearest public reference room. You can also get a copy on the Internet at http://investor.ea.com or through the SECs electronic data system called EDGAR at www.sec.gov.
Who will pay for this proxy solicitation?
We will bear the costs of soliciting proxies from our stockholders. These costs include preparing, assembling, printing, mailing and distributing the Notices, proxy statements, proxy cards and annual reports. If you choose to access the proxy materials and/or vote over the Internet, you are responsible for Internet access charges you may incur. If you choose to vote by telephone, you are responsible for telephone charges you may incur. In addition, some of our officers, directors, employees and other agents may also solicit proxies personally, by telephone and by electronic and regular mail, and we will pay these costs. EA will also reimburse brokerage houses and other custodians for their reasonable out-of-pocket expenses for forwarding proxy and solicitation materials to the beneficial owners of common stock.
Whom can I call with any questions about my shares?
If you hold shares in street name, you may contact your broker. If you are a stockholder of record, you may call our transfer agent, Wells Fargo Shareowner Services, at (800) 468-9716 (or (651) 450-4064 for international callers) or visit their web site at www.wellsfargo.com/shareownerservices.
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PROPOSAL 1. ELECTION OF DIRECTORS
At the Annual Meeting, stockholders will elect ten directors to hold office for a one-year term until the next Annual Meeting (or until their respective successors are elected and qualified). All nominees have consented to serve a one-year term, if elected.
The Board has nominated the following directors to stand for re-election:
| Leonard S. Coleman |
| Jeffrey T. Huber |
| Geraldine B. Laybourne |
| Gregory B. Maffei |
| Vivek Paul |
| Lawrence F. Probst III |
| John S. Riccitiello |
| Richard A. Simonson |
| Linda J. Srere |
In addition, the Board has nominated the following director to stand for election for the first time this year:
| Luis A. Ubiñas |
Mr. Ubiñas was appointed to the Board on November 9, 2010.
Required Vote and Board of Directors Recommendation
In accordance with our bylaws, if EAs Corporate Secretary has not received timely and proper notice from a stockholder indicating an intention to nominate one or more candidates to compete with the Boards nominees in a director election, or if such stockholder has withdrawn all such nominations by the tenth day preceding the date on which we first mail our notice of meeting to stockholders, then the election of directors will be considered uncontested. The 2011 election will be uncontested. As such, each nominee must receive more votes cast for than against his or her re-election or election, as the case may be, in order to be re-elected or elected, as the case may be, to the Board. Shares represented by your proxy will be voted by the proxy holders for the election of the ten nominees recommended by EAs Board of Directors unless you vote against any or all of such nominees or you mark your proxy to abstain from so voting. Abstentions and broker non-votes will have no effect on the outcome of the director elections.
In accordance with our Corporate Governance Guidelines, the Board expects a director to tender his or her resignation if he or she fails to receive the required number of votes for election or re-election in an uncontested election. The Board shall nominate for election or re-election as director only candidates who have previously tendered or, in the case of candidates who have not yet become members of the Board, have agreed to tender promptly following the annual meeting at which they are elected or re-elected as director, irrevocable resignations that will be effective upon (i) a failure to receive the required majority vote at the next annual or special meeting at which they face re-election in an uncontested election, and (ii) Board acceptance of such resignation. In addition, the Board shall fill director vacancies and new directorships only with candidates who agree to tender, promptly following their appointment to the Board, the same form of irrevocable resignation tendered by other directors in accordance with these guidelines.
If an incumbent director fails to receive the required majority vote in an uncontested election, the Nominating and Governance Committee will act on an expedited basis to determine whether to accept the directors resignation and will submit such recommendation for prompt consideration by the Board. The Board expects the director whose resignation is under consideration to abstain from participating in any decision regarding that resignation. The Nominating and Governance Committee and the Board may consider any factors they deem
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relevant in deciding whether to recommend/accept a directors resignation. The Board will act on the Nominating and Governance Committees recommendation within 90 days from the date of the certification of election results and will publicly disclose its decision promptly thereafter.
The Board recommends a vote FOR each of the nominees.
Each of the following directors has been nominated for re-election or election, as the case may be, at the 2011 Annual Meeting. As set forth below, we believe each of these directors brings a valuable and unique perspective to the Board and has the necessary experience, skills and attributes to serve on the Board and contribute to its overall effectiveness.
Leonard S. Coleman
Director since 2001
Mr. Coleman, age 62, served as Senior Advisor to Major League Baseball from 1999 until 2005 and, from 2001 to 2002, was the Chairman of ARENACO, a subsidiary of Yankees/Nets. Mr. Coleman was President of The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs from 1994 to 1999, having previously served since 1992 as Executive Director, Market Development of Major League Baseball. Mr. Coleman currently serves on the Board of Directors of the following public companies: Avis Budget Group, Churchill Downs Inc., H.J. Heinz Corporation and Omnicom Group Inc. Mr. Coleman also served as a director of Cendant Corporation and Aramark Corporation during the last five years.
Mr. Coleman brings a wealth of public sector and international experience to the Board from his years of service on the Board of Directors for numerous large, public companies and his involvement in diverse public service organizations, as well as his extensive knowledge of the sports industry. Based on these experiences, qualifications and attributes, the Board has concluded that Mr. Coleman is qualified to serve as a director.
Jeffrey T. Huber
Director since 2009
Mr. Huber, age 43, is Senior Vice President at Google Inc., where he has worked since 2003. From 2001 to 2003, Mr. Huber served as Vice President of Architecture and Systems Development at eBay Inc. Prior to joining eBay, Mr. Huber was Senior Vice President of Engineering at Excite@Home, where he worked from 1996 to 2001. Earlier in his career, he was a Technology Consultant with McKinsey & Company and founded a software development start-up. Mr. Huber holds a B.S. degree in Computer Engineering from the University of Illinois and a Masters degree from Harvard University.
Mr. Huber has extensive experience operating and managing consumer online companies; including relevant background and experience in large scale online infrastructure and technology. Based on these experiences, qualifications and attributes, the Board has concluded that Mr. Huber is qualified to serve as a director.
Geraldine B. Laybourne
Director since 2008
Ms. Laybourne, age 64, founded Oxygen Media, a cable television network, in 1998 and served as its Chairman and Chief Executive Officer until November 2007, when the network was acquired by NBC Universal. Prior to founding Oxygen, Ms. Laybourne spent 16 years at Nickelodeon, a cable television network. From 1996 to 1998, Ms. Laybourne served as President of Disney/ABC Cable Networks, a cable television network, where she was responsible for overseeing cable programming for the Walt Disney Company and ABC. Ms. Laybourne serves on the Board of Directors of Symantec Corporation and J.C. Penney Company, Inc. and also serves on the Board of Trustees of Vassar College. Ms. Laybourne also served as a director of Move.com during the past five years. In 2010, Ms. Laybourne became the chairman of the Board of Alloy Media, Inc., a private company. Ms. Laybourne holds a B.A. degree from Vassar College and a M.S. from the University of Pennsylvania.
Ms. Laybourne has extensive executive experience in the entertainment industry, including a deep understanding of the unique and valuable womens and childrens markets. Based on these experiences, qualifications and attributes, the Board has concluded that Ms. Laybourne is qualified to serve as a director.
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Gregory B. Maffei
Director since 2003
Mr. Maffei, age 51, has served as President and Chief Executive Officer of Liberty Media Corporation, which owns ecommerce, media, communications and entertainment businesses and investments, since February 2006. He joined Liberty Media in November 2005 as CEO-Elect. From June 2005 until November 2005, Mr. Maffei served as President and Chief Financial Officer of Oracle Corporation. From 2000 until June 2005, Mr. Maffei served as Chief Executive Officer of 360networks Corporation, a broadband telecom service provider, and also became Chairman of the Board of 360networks in 2002. Previously, Mr. Maffei was with Microsoft Corporation from 1993 to 2000, in several positions, including Senior Vice President, Finance and Administration and Chief Financial Officer. Mr. Maffei also served as Chairman of Expedia, Inc. from 1999 to 2002. Mr. Maffei currently serves on the Board of Directors of the following public companies in addition to EA and Liberty Media: Sirius XM Radio Inc. and Live Nation Entertainment, Inc. He also sits on the Board of Directors of 360networks and Zillow.com, both private companies. Mr. Maffei also served as a director of Starbucks Corporation and Direct TV Group, Inc. during the past five years. Mr. Maffei received an A.B. from Dartmouth College and an M.B.A from Harvard Business School where he was a Baker Scholar.
Mr. Maffeis service on the public company Board of Directors at Sirius XM Radio Inc. and Live Nation Entertainment, Inc. is due to Liberty Medias equity investments in those companies and thus, should be viewed as part of his Chief Executive Officer responsibilities at Liberty Media. EAs Board of Directors is Mr. Maffeis sole outside public company board unrelated to his duties at Liberty Media.
Mr. Maffei has extensive operating, financial and investment experience in the technology, media and telecom sectors with some of the largest and most successful companies in their relevant industries. In addition, Mr. Maffei serves on our Audit Committee, and he qualifies as an audit committee financial expert (as defined in the applicable rules of the SEC) and is financially sophisticated within the meaning of the NASDAQ Stock Market Rules. Based on these experiences, qualifications and attributes, the Board has concluded that Mr. Maffei is qualified to serve as a director.
Vivek Paul
Director since 2005
Mr. Paul, age 52, is the founder of Akansa Capital, an investment firm. Mr. Paul was a partner at TPG (formerly Texas Pacific Group) from October 2005 to August 2008. From July 1999 to September 2005, Mr. Paul served as Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors of Wipro, Ltd., a provider of integrated business, technology and process solutions, and Chief Executive Officer of Wipro Technologies, Wipros global information technology, product engineering, and business process services segments. From January 1996 to July 1999, Mr. Paul was General Manager of Global CT Business at General Electric, Medical Systems Division. From March 1993 to December 1995, he served as President and Chief Executive Officer of Wipro GE Medical Systems Limited. Mr. Paul holds a Bachelor of Engineering from the Birla Institute of Technology and Science, and an M.B.A. from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst.
Mr. Paul brings to the Board his past experience as the Vice Chairman of a large public company and Chief Executive Officer of its dominant business. He has extensive international business knowledge, particularly emerging markets, and expertise in financial evaluation of business plans, mergers and acquisitions and risk scenarios. Based on these experiences, qualifications and attributes, the Board has concluded that Mr. Paul is qualified to serve as a director.
Lawrence F. Probst III
Director since 1991, Chairman since 1994
Mr. Probst, age 61, was employed by EA from 1984 to September 2008. He has served as Chairman of the Board since July 1994 and, from May 1991 until April 2007, also served as our Chief Executive Officer. Previously Mr. Probst served as President from 1991 until 1998 and Senior Vice President of EA Distribution from 1987 to 1991. Mr. Probst serves as the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the U.S. Olympic Committee. Mr. Probst holds a B.S. degree from the University of Delaware.
Mr. Probst served as the Companys Chief Executive Officer for more than fifteen years and has served as the Chairman of the Board for nearly seventeen years. Mr. Probst contributes to the Board his deep understanding of
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the Companys operational and strategic business goals and direct experience with Company and industry-specific opportunities and challenges. Based on these experiences, qualifications and attributes, the Board has concluded that Mr. Probst is qualified to serve as a director.
John S. Riccitiello
Director since 2007
Mr. Riccitiello, age 51, has served as Chief Executive Officer and a director of EA since April 2007. Prior to re-joining EA, he was a co-founder and Managing Partner at Elevation Partners, a private equity fund. From October 1997 to April 2004, Mr. Riccitiello served as President and Chief Operating Officer of EA. Prior to joining EA, Mr. Riccitiello served as President and Chief Executive Officer of the worldwide bakery division at Sara Lee Corporation. Before joining Sara Lee, he served as President and Chief Executive Officer of Wilson Sporting Goods Co. and has also held executive management positions at Haagen-Dazs, PepsiCo, Inc. and The Clorox Company. He serves on the Board of Directors of the University of California Berkeley, Haas School of Business and on the Board of Councilors of the University of Southern California School of Cinematic Arts. Mr. Riccitiello served as a director of Hyperion Solutions Corporation from July 2002 to April 2007. Mr. Riccitiello holds a B.S. degree from the University of California, Berkeley.
Mr. Riccitiello has served as the Companys Chief Executive Officer since April 2007. In addition to the extensive executive management experience noted above, we believe it is crucial to have the perspective of the Companys Chief Executive Officer represented on the Board to provide direct insight into the Companys day-to-day operation and strategic vision. Based on these experiences, qualifications and attributes, the Board has concluded that Mr. Riccitiello is qualified to serve as a director.
Richard A. Simonson
Director since 2006, Lead Director since 2009
Mr. Simonson, age 52, has served as President, Business Operations and Chief Financial Officer of Rearden Commerce since April 2011. From 2001 to 2010, Mr. Simonson held a number of executive positions at Nokia Corporation, including Executive Vice President, Head of Mobile Phones and Sourcing, Chief Financial Officer, and Vice President & Head of Customer Finance of Nokia. In 2001, Mr. Simonson was Managing Director of the Telecom & Media Investment Banking Group of Barclays Capital. Prior to joining Barclays Capital, Mr. Simonson spent 16 years at Bank of America Securities where he held various positions, including Managing Director & Head of Global Project Finance, Global Corporate & Investment Bank, San Francisco and Chicago. Mr. Simonson is also a director of Silver Spring Networks. Mr. Simonson holds a B.S. degree from the Colorado School of Mines and an M.B.A. from Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania.
Mr. Simonson has extensive financial expertise, corporate governance and risk management experience. He also has extensive experience with the strategic and operational challenges of leading a global company. Based on these experiences, qualifications and attributes, the Board has concluded that Mr. Simonson is qualified to serve as a director.
Linda J. Srere
Director since 2001
Ms. Srere, age 55, is currently a marketing and advertising consultant. From January 2000 to November 2001, Ms. Srere was President of Young & Rubicam Advertising. From 1994 through 2000, Ms. Srere held many positions with Young & Rubicam Inc. (Y&R), including Vice Chairman and Chief Client Officer, Executive Vice President and Director of Business Development, Group Managing Director, and in 1997, was named Chief Executive Officer of Y&Rs New York office, becoming the first female CEO in the companys 75-year history. Ms. Srere also serves on the Board of Directors of Universal Technical Institute, Inc., a technical education provider.
Ms. Srere has extensive product and brand marketing and business leadership skills from her career in marketing and advertising. Based on these experiences, qualifications and attributes, the Board has concluded that Ms. Srere is qualified to serve as a director.
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Luis A. Ubiñas
Director since 2010
Mr. Ubiñas, age 48, has served as President of the Ford Foundation since January 2008. Prior to joining the Ford Foundation, Mr. Ubiñas spent 18 years with McKinsey & Company, where he held various positions, including Managing Director of the firms west coast media practice working with technology, telecommunications and media companies. Mr. Ubiñas serves on the World Bank Advisory Council of Global Foundation Leaders, the UN Permanent Advisory Memorial Committee, the U.S. Advisory Committee on Trade Policy and Negotiation and the board of the New York Public Library. He holds a B.A. degree from Harvard College and an M.B.A. from Harvard Business School, and is a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.
Mr. Ubiñas has extensive experience in business management and operations from his experience currently overseeing the more than $10 billion in assets and over $500 million in annual giving by the Ford Foundation. In addition, through his prior consulting experience, he has worked with technology, telecommunications and media companies in understanding the challenges and opportunities that they face. Based on these experiences, qualifications and attributes, the Board has concluded that Mr. Ubiñas is qualified to serve as a director.
Our Board has determined that each of our non-employee directors (other than Mr. Probst) qualifies as an independent director as that term is used in the NASDAQ Stock Market Rules. Mr. Probst, who served as our CEO through the end of fiscal 2007, and Mr. Riccitiello, our current CEO, do not qualify as independent. In September 2011, Mr. Probst will be eligible to be deemed an independent director by our Board. The NASDAQ Marketplace Rules have both objective tests and a subjective test for determining who is an independent director. The objective tests state, for example and among other things, that a director is not considered independent if he or she is an employee of the Company or at any time during the past three years was employed by the Company. The subjective test states that an independent director must be a person who lacks a relationship that, in the opinion of the Board, would interfere with the exercise of independent judgment in carrying out the responsibilities of a director. The Board has not established categorical standards or guidelines to make these subjective determinations, but considers all relevant facts and circumstances.
In addition to the board-level standards for director independence, the directors who serve on the Audit Committee each satisfy standards established by the SEC providing that to qualify as independent for the purposes of membership on that Committee, members of audit committees may not accept directly or indirectly any consulting, advisory, or other compensatory fee from the Company other than their director compensation.
BOARD, BOARD MEETINGS, AND COMMITTEES
The Board meets on a fixed schedule four times each year and also holds special meetings and acts by written consent. In fiscal 2011, the Board met eight times and also acted by written consent. At each regularly scheduled meeting, the independent members of the Board meet in executive session separately without management present.
Board Leadership Structure
A Lead Director, elected by the independent directors, is responsible for chairing executive sessions of the Board and other meetings of the Board in the absence of the Chairman of the Board, serving as a liaison between the Chairman of the Board and the other independent directors, and overseeing the Boards stockholder communication policies and procedures (including, under appropriate circumstances, meeting with stockholders). Our Lead Director may also call meetings of the independent directors. Richard A. Simonson was chosen by the independent directors of the Board to serve as Lead Director following the 2011 Annual Meeting of Stockholders for an additional one-year term ending with our 2012 Annual Meeting, subject to Mr. Simonsons re-election to the Board.
We believe that our current board leadership structure with Mr. Probst serving as the Chairman of the Board and Mr. Simonson serving as Lead Director is appropriate for the Company. Given his 24 years of past work experience at the Company, 16 of which he served as CEO, Mr. Probst has invaluable knowledge regarding the Company and the gaming industry and is uniquely positioned to lead the Board in their review of managements
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strategic plans. Though he is no longer employed by the Company, Mr. Probst does not qualify as an independent director (though he will be eligible to be deemed independent in September 2011) and therefore, the Company feels that it is beneficial for the effective functioning of the Board to have an independent Lead Director undertake the duties identified above.
Board Committees
The Board currently has three committees, each of which operates under a charter approved by the Board: the Audit Committee, the Executive Compensation and Leadership Committee, and the Nominating and Governance Committee. The Board of Directors amended and restated the Audit Committees charter in May 2006, the Executive Compensation and Leadership Committees charter in August 2010, and the Nominating and Governance Committees charter in November 2010. Copies of the each Committees charter may be found in the Investor Relations portion of our website at http://investor.ea.com. In accordance with the Committee charters, and with current regulatory requirements, all members of these Committees are independent directors. During fiscal 2011, each director participated in at least 75 percent of all Board meetings and Committee meetings held during the period for which he or she was a member. The Committee assignments for the current Board year from August 5, 2010 (the date of the most recent Board election and beginning of the current Board year) through the date of this proxy statement were as follows:
August 2010 July 2011 Committee Assignments
Audit |
Gregory B. Maffei (Chair), Gary M. Kusin (until November 9, 2010), Vivek Paul and Luis A. Ubiñas (from November 9, 2010) | |
Executive Compensation and Leadership |
Geraldine B. Laybourne (Chair), Leonard S. Coleman and Linda J. Srere | |
Nominating and Governance |
Richard A. Simonson (Chair), Leonard S. Coleman and Jeff Huber |
Audit Committee
The Audit Committee assists the Board in its oversight of the Companys financial reporting and other matters, and is directly responsible for the appointment, compensation and oversight of our independent auditors. The Audit Committee is comprised of three directors, each of whom in the opinion of the Board of Directors meets the independence requirements and the financial literacy standards of the NASDAQ Stock Market Rules, as well as the independence requirements of the SEC. In the opinion of the Board of Directors, Mr. Maffei meets the criteria for an audit committee financial expert as set forth in applicable SEC rules. The Audit Committee met eight times in fiscal 2011. For further information about the Audit Committee, please see the Report of the Audit Committee of the Board of Directors below.
Executive Compensation and Leadership Committee
The Executive Compensation and Leadership Committee (referred to in this section as the ECLC) is responsible for setting the overall compensation strategy for the Company, for determining the compensation of the CEO (via recommendation to the Board) and other executive officers and for overseeing the Companys bonus and equity incentive plans and other benefit plans. In addition, the ECLC is responsible for reviewing and recommending to the Board compensation for non-employee directors. The ECLC is comprised of three directors, each of whom in the opinion of the Board of Directors meets the independence requirements of the NASDAQ Stock Market Rules and qualifies as an outside director within the meaning of Section 162(m) of the Internal Revenue Code, as amended.
The ECLC has regularly-scheduled meetings on a quarterly basis and holds additional meetings as needed during the year. The ECLC also takes action by written consent, often after informal telephone discussions and other communications among the ECLC members and members of management. During fiscal 2011, the ECLC met eight times, four of which were regularly-scheduled quarterly meetings and the remainder of which were special sessions.
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For its regularly-scheduled meetings, the ECLC maintains a calendar to help guide the meeting agendas and to ensure fulfillment of the various responsibilities outlined in the ECLCs charter. In fiscal 2011, this calendar included a review of the compensation philosophy of the Company, a comprehensive review of compensation levels of executive officers, a review of the compensation levels for members of the Board, review and approval of all executive officer employment offers and promotions, and review and approval of the fiscal 2010 annual cash bonus payments.
In fiscal 2011, the ECLC held special meetings to consider a variety of items including special compensation and equity retention programs, annual compensation reviews and increases, executive officer promotions, the terms and conditions of the compensation arrangements for new, departing, and continuing executive officers, and other administrative matters.
In fiscal 2011, the ECLC reviewed and approved the base salaries (including, if any, base salary adjustments), target cash bonus opportunities, and equity awards of each of our executive officers, including the named executive officers.
The ECLC has the authority to engage the services of outside advisors. During fiscal 2011, the ECLC engaged Compensia, Inc., a national compensation consulting firm, to assist with the ECLCs analysis and review of the compensation of our executive officers and other aspects of our total compensation strategy. Compensia also advised the ECLC with respect to each element of total direct compensation, including base salary, bonus, and equity awards. Compensia attends all ECLC meetings, works directly with the ECLC Chair and ECLC members, and sends all invoices, including descriptions of services rendered, to the ECLC Chair for review and payment. Compensia performed no work at the request of our management team during fiscal 2011.
From time to time, our management separately engages outside advisors in connection with the Companys compensation policies and practices. In fiscal 2011, we retained Frederic W. Cook & Co., a national compensation consulting firm, to assist management and the ECLC with a review of compensation levels for members of the Board. Frederic W. Cook & Co. only performed director compensation-related services for the Company during fiscal 2011.
Nominating and Governance Committee
The Nominating and Governance Committee is responsible for recommending to the Board nominees for election to the Board of Directors, for appointing directors to Board Committees, and for reviewing developments in corporate governance, reviewing and ensuring the quality of the Companys succession plans, recommending formal governance standards to the Board, reviewing the performance of the CEO, and establishing the Boards criteria for selecting nominees for director and for reviewing from time to time the appropriate skills, characteristics and experience required of the Board as a whole, as well as its individual members, including such factors as business experience and diversity. The Nominating and Governance Committee is currently comprised of three directors, each of whom in the opinion of the Board of Directors meets the independence requirements of the NASDAQ Stock Market Rules. The Nominating and Governance Committee met four times in fiscal 2011.
In evaluating nominees for director to recommend to the Board, the Nominating and Governance Committee will take into account many factors within the context of the characteristics and needs of the Board as a whole. While the specific needs of the Board may change from time to time, all nominees for director are considered on the basis of the following minimum qualifications:
| the highest level of personal and professional ethics and integrity, including a commitment to EAs values; |
| practical wisdom and mature judgment; |
| significant leadership experience in business, entertainment, technology, finance, corporate governance, public interest or other disciplines relevant to the long-term success of EA; |
| the ability to gain an in-depth understanding of EAs business; and |
| a willingness to represent the best interests of all EA stockholders and objectively appraise managements performance. |
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While there is no formal policy with regard to diversity, when considering candidates as potential members of the Board, the Nominating and Governance Committee considers the skills, background and experience of each candidate to evaluate his or her ability to contribute diverse perspectives to the Board. The goal of the Nominating and Governance Committee is to select candidates that have complementary and diverse perspectives, which together contribute to the Boards effectiveness as a whole. The primary consideration is to identify candidates that will best fulfill the Boards and the Companys needs at the time of the search. Therefore, the Nominating and Governance Committee does not believe it is appropriate to either nominate or exclude from nomination an individual based on gender, ethnicity, color, age, or similar factors.
In determining whether to recommend a director for re-election, the Nominating and Governance Committee will also consider the directors tenure on the Board, past attendance at meetings, participation in and contributions to the activities of the Board, the directors continued independence (including any actual, potential or perceived conflicts of interest), as well as the directors age and changes in his or her principal occupation or professional status. The Nominating and Governance Committee believes that the continuing service of qualified incumbent directors promotes stability and continuity on the Board of Directors, contributing to the Boards ability to work effectively as a collective body, while providing EA with the benefits of familiarity and insight into EAs affairs that its directors have developed over the course of their service. Accordingly, consistent with past EA practice, the Nominating and Governance Committee will first consider recommending incumbent directors who wish to continue to serve on the Board for re-election at EAs annual meeting of stockholders.
The Nominating and Governance Committee regularly seeks qualified candidates to serve as directors, particularly in situations where it determines not to recommend an incumbent director for re-election, an incumbent director declines to stand for re-election, or a vacancy arises on the Board for any reason (including the resignation, retirement, removal, death or disability of an incumbent director or a decision of the directors to expand the size of the Board). The Nominating and Governance Committee may, in its discretion, use a variety of means to identify and evaluate potential nominees for director. The Nominating and Governance Committee has used, and may continue to use, qualified search firms and may also work with members of EAs Human Resources Department to identify potential nominees meeting the Boards general membership criteria discussed above. The Nominating and Governance Committee may also consider potential nominees identified by other sources, including current directors, senior management and stockholders. In determining whether to recommend a candidate to the Board, the Nominating and Governance Committee will consider the current composition of the Board and capabilities of current directors, as well as any additional qualities or capabilities considered necessary or desirable in light of the existing or anticipated needs of the Board.
The Nominating and Governance Committee will evaluate candidates proposed by stockholders under criteria similar to the evaluation of other candidates, except that it may also consider as one of the factors in its evaluation, the amount of EA voting stock held by the stockholder and the length of time the stockholder has held such stock. Stockholders wishing to submit candidates for consideration by the Nominating and Governance Committee may do so by writing to EAs Corporate Secretary at Electronic Arts Inc., 209 Redwood Shores Parkway, Redwood City, CA 94065, Attn: Director Nominations. To be considered by the Nominating and Governance Committee in connection with EAs annual meeting of stockholders, recommendations must be submitted in writing to EA not less than 120 calendar days prior to the anniversary of the date on which EAs proxy statement was released to stockholders in connection with the previous years annual meeting (on or about February 10, 2012, for our 2012 Annual Meeting of Stockholders). Recommendations should include: (1) the stockholders name, address and telephone number; (2) the amount and nature of record and/or beneficial ownership of EA securities held by the stockholder; (3) the name, age, business address, educational background, current principal occupation or employment, and principal occupation or employment for the preceding five full fiscal years of the proposed candidate; (4) a description of the qualifications and background of the proposed candidate that addresses the minimum qualifications and other criteria for Board membership approved by the Board from time to time and set forth in EAs Corporate Governance Guidelines; (5) the amount and nature of record and/or beneficial ownership of EA securities held by the proposed candidate, if any; (6) a description of all arrangements or understandings between the stockholder and the proposed candidate relating to the proposed candidates candidacy; (7) a statement as to whether the proposed candidate would be considered an independent director under applicable NASDAQ Stock Market Rules or an audit committee financial expert under applicable SEC rules; (8) the consent of the proposed candidate (a) to be named in the proxy statement relating to EAs
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annual meeting of stockholders, and (b) to serve as a director if elected at such annual meeting; and (9) any other information regarding the proposed candidate that may be required to be included in a proxy statement by applicable SEC rules. The Nominating and Governance Committee may request any additional information reasonably necessary to assist it in assessing a proposed candidate.
Corporate Governance Guidelines
Our Board of Directors has adopted, upon the recommendation of the Nominating and Governance Committee, a formal set of Corporate Governance Guidelines. A complete copy of the Corporate Governance Guidelines is available in the Investor Relations portion of our website at http://investor.ea.com. Our Corporate Governance Guidelines contain policies relating to:
| Board membership and independence criteria; |
| Election of directors; |
| Director resignations; |
| Executive sessions of independent directors led by a Lead Director; |
| Authority to hire outside advisors; |
| Director orientation and education; |
| Board and Committee self-evaluations; |
| Attendance at annual meetings of stockholders; |
| Stock ownership guidelines for our directors and executive officers; |
| Stockholder communications with the Board; |
| Director access to management; and |
| Board and Committee roles in CEO evaluation and management succession planning. |
Global Code of Conduct
Our Global Code of Conduct (which includes code of ethics provisions applicable to our directors, principal executive officer, principal financial officer, principal accounting officer, and other senior financial officers) is available in the Investor Relations section of our website at http://investor.ea.com. From time to time, we post amendments to our Global Code of Conduct in the Investor Relations section of our website. Copies of our Board committee charters and Global Code of Conduct are available without charge by contacting our Investor Relations department at (650) 628-7352.
The Boards Oversight of Risk Issues
The full Board and the Board Committees are responsible for managing different forms of risk. Business risks are reviewed by the full Board in conjunction with management. The Board regularly receives management presentations from different areas of the business regarding the opportunities and risks in those areas and engages in dialogue with executive management regarding these issues. Risks related to investments, financial reporting, internal controls and procedures and compliance issues are reviewed regularly by the Audit Committee, which oversees the financial reporting, global audit and legal compliance functions. The Nominating and Governance Committee reviews issues of director and CEO succession.
Compensation-related risks are reviewed by the Executive Compensation and Leadership Committee with members of management responsible for structuring the Companys compensation programs. As part of those risk oversight efforts, we evaluated our compensation programs to determine whether the design and operation of our policies and practices could encourage executives or employees to take excessive or inappropriate risks that would be reasonably likely to have a material adverse effect on the Company. In particular, we considered the design, size, and scope of our cash and equity incentive programs and program features that mitigate against potential risks, such as payout caps, equity award clawbacks, the quality and mix of performance-based and at risk compensation, and, with regard to our equity incentive programs, the stock ownership requirements
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applicable to our executives. The Executive Compensation and Leadership Committee reviewed the results of our evaluation with management and the Committees consultant, Compensia. The Executive Compensation and Leadership Committee concluded that our compensation policies and practices strike an appropriate balance of risk and reward in relation to our overall business strategy, and do not create risks that are reasonably likely to have a material adverse effect on the Company. The Compensation Discussion and Analysis section below generally describes the compensation policies and practices applicable to our named executive officers.
Director Attendance at Annual Meetings
Our directors are expected to make every effort to attend our annual meeting of stockholders. Seven of the ten directors who were elected at the 2010 Annual Meeting of Stockholders attended the meeting.
Stockholder Communications with the Board of Directors
EA stockholders may communicate with the Board as a whole, with a committee of the Board, or with an individual director by sending a letter to EAs Corporate Secretary at Electronic Arts Inc., 209 Redwood Shores Parkway, Redwood City, CA 94065, or by sending an email to StockholderCommunications@ea.com. All stockholder communications received will be handled in accordance with procedures approved by the independent directors serving on the Board. For further information regarding the submission of stockholder communications, please visit the Investor Relations portion of our website at http://investor.ea.com.
DIRECTOR COMPENSATION AND STOCK OWNERSHIP GUIDELINES
Our ECLC is responsible for reviewing and recommending to our Board the compensation paid to our non-employee directors. Historically, our non-employee directors have been paid a mix of cash and equity compensation for their service as directors. During fiscal 2011, Mr. Riccitiello did not receive any additional compensation for his service as a director. The table below reflects the annualized components of cash compensation for directors (other than Mr. Riccitiello) that were in place during fiscal 2011. Because our Board year does not correspond to our fiscal year, actual amounts paid during fiscal 2011 were pro-rated based on the annualized figures in the following table. For more information regarding the specific compensation received by each non-employee director during fiscal 2011, see the Fiscal 2011 Director Compensation Table below.
Fiscal 2011 Annualized Components of Non-Employee Director Cash Compensation
Annual Retainer |
$ | 50,000 | ||
Service on the Audit Committee |
$ | 10,000 | ||
Chair of the Audit Committee |
$ | 10,000 | ||
Service on the Executive Compensation and Leadership Committee |
$ | 7,500 | ||
Chair of the Executive Compensation and Leadership Committee |
$ | 7,500 | ||
Service on the Nominating and Governance Committee |
$ | 7,500 | ||
Chair of the Nominating and Governance Committee |
$ | 2,500 | ||
Chairman of the Board |
$ | 50,000 | ||
Service as Lead Director |
$ | 25,000 |
In addition, individual directors were eligible to earn up to $1,000 per day, with the approval of the Board of Directors, for special assignments, which may include providing advisory services to management in such areas as sales, marketing, public relations, technology and finance (provided, however, no independent director is eligible for a special assignment if the assignment or payment for the assignment would prevent the director from being considered independent under applicable NASDAQ Stock Market or SEC rules). No directors earned any compensation for special assignments during fiscal 2011.
Stock Compensation
Non-employee directors are eligible to receive restricted stock units upon his or her election, re-election or appointment to the Board as determined at the discretion of the Board.
In fiscal 2011, 10,000 restricted stock units were granted under the Equity Plan to each of our non-employee directors who were re-elected at the 2010 Annual Meeting of Stockholders on August 5, 2010. Mr. Ubiñas, who was appointed to the Board as of November 9, 2010, was granted a pro-rated grant of 7,500 restricted stock units on November 16, 2010. These restricted stock units vest in their entirety on the date of the 2011 Annual Meeting.
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Under the Equity Plan, non-employee directors may elect to receive all or part of their cash compensation in the form of common stock. As an incentive for our non-employee directors to increase their stock ownership in EA, non-employee directors making such an election receive shares of common stock valued at 110 percent of the cash compensation they would have otherwise received. Such shares are awarded via the grant and immediate exercise of a stock option having an exercise price equal to the fair market value of our common stock on the date of grant, which is the first trading day of each quarter of the Board year.
Other Benefits
Non-employee directors, who are not employed with any other company, are offered an opportunity to purchase certain EA health, dental and vision insurance while serving as a Board member with the option for the continuation of benefits upon the expiration of their Board term. Participating directors pay 100 percent of their own insurance premiums.
Deferred Compensation Plan
We maintain a Deferred Compensation Plan (DCP) that allows our directors and certain employees, including our named executive officers, to defer receipt of their director fees or base salary, as the case may be, into cash accounts that mirror the gains and/or losses of several different investment funds which correspond to the funds we have selected for our 401(k) plan. Director participants may defer up to 100 percent of their director fees until the date(s) they have specified. We are not required to make any contributions to the DCP and did not do so in fiscal 2011.
Stock Ownership Guidelines
Each non-employee director is required, within three years of becoming a director, to own shares of EA common stock or vested restricted stock units having a value of at least three years annual retainer for service on the Board. As of May 20, 2011, each of our directors had either fulfilled their ownership requirements or had not yet reached three years of service.
FISCAL 2011 DIRECTOR COMPENSATION TABLE
The following table shows compensation information for each of our directors during fiscal 2011 (other than Mr. Riccitiello):
Name |
Fees Earned or Paid in Cash ($)(1) |
Stock Awards ($)(2) |
Options Awards ($)(3) |
Total ($) |
||||||||||||
Leonard S. Coleman |
65,000 | 172,300 | | 237,300 | ||||||||||||
Jeffrey T. Huber |
| 172,300 | 61,204 | (4) | 233,504 | |||||||||||
Geraldine B. Laybourne |
56,883 | 172,300 | 8,933 | (4) | 238,116 | |||||||||||
Gregory B. Maffei |
52,500 | 172,300 | 19,244 | (4) | 244,044 | |||||||||||
Vivek Paul |
| 172,300 | 66,002 | (4) | 238,302 | |||||||||||
Lawrence F. Probst III |
100,000 | 172,300 | | 272,300 | ||||||||||||
Richard A. Simonson |
31,875 | 172,300 | 58,433 | (4) | 262,608 | |||||||||||
Linda J. Srere |
43,142 | 172,300 | 17,866 | (4) | 233,308 | |||||||||||
Luis A. Ubiñas |
30,000 | 115,425 | | 145,425 | ||||||||||||
Gary M. Kusin(5) |
45,000 | 172,300 | | 217,300 |
(1) | The amounts presented in this column represent compensation that was earned and paid as cash, including cash compensation of $65,000, $52,500 and $31,875 that was deferred by Messrs. Coleman, Maffei and Simonson, respectively, into cash accounts pursuant to the terms of our Deferred Compensation Plan, described above. |
(2) | Represents the aggregate grant-date fair value of restricted stock units (RSUs) granted in fiscal 2011. Grant-date fair value for RSUs is calculated using the closing price of our common stock on the grant date. For additional information regarding the valuation methodology for RSUs, see Note 13, Stock-Based |
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Compensation and Employee Benefit Plans, of the Consolidated Financial Statements in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2011. Each non-employee director standing for re-election at the 2010 Annual Meeting received an RSU grant of 10,000 shares of EA common stock with a grant-date fair value of $172,300 based on a closing price of $17.23 for our common stock on the NASDAQ Global Select Market on the date of grant, August 5, 2010, except for Mr. Ubiñas who joined our Board on November 9, 2010. Mr. Ubiñas received a pro-rata RSU grant of 7,500 shares, with a grant-date fair value on November 16, 2010 of $115,425. The RSUs granted at the 2010 Annual Meeting and the RSUs granted to Mr. Ubiñas vest in their entirety on the date of the 2011 Annual Meeting. The aggregate number of unvested RSUs held by each of our non-employee directors as of April 2, 2011 (the last day of fiscal 2011) was as follows: Mr. Coleman, 10,000; Mr. Huber, 11,875; Ms. Laybourne, 11,250; Mr. Maffei, 10,000; Mr. Paul, 10,000; Mr. Probst, 10,000; Mr. Simonson, 10,000; Ms. Srere, 10,000 and Mr. Ubiñas, 7,500. |
(3) | As described above under Stock Compensation, our non-employee directors may elect to receive all or part of their cash compensation for a given quarter of the Board year in the form of EA common stock. Non-employee directors making such an election receive shares of common stock valued at 110 percent of the cash compensation they would have otherwise received. Such shares are awarded via the grant and immediate exercise of a stock option having an exercise price equal to the fair market value of our common stock on the date of grant, which is the first trading day of each quarter of the Board year. The only stock options granted to our directors during fiscal 2011 were to those directors electing to receive all or part of their cash compensation in the form of stock, as detailed in footnote 4 below. For additional information on the valuation methodology and assumptions used to calculate the fair value of stock options, see Note 13, Stock-Based Compensation and Employee Benefit Plans, of the Consolidated Financial Statements in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2011. The aggregate number of unexercised stock options held by each of our non-employee directors as of the April 2, 2011 (the last day of fiscal 2011) was as follows Mr. Coleman, 139,872; Mr. Huber, 10,500; Ms. Laybourne, 16,800; Mr. Maffei, 107,866; Mr. Paul, 61,033; Mr. Probst, 2,241,100; Mr. Simonson, 50,200; and Ms. Srere, 114,872. Mr. Kusin, who retired on November 9, 2010, has 55,200 exercisable options under the retirement provisions of EAs stock plans, which extends the post-termination exercise period up to 60 months following his retirement from the Board. |
(4) | The following table presents the number of shares each director received in lieu of cash as a result of his or her elections during fiscal 2011 and the grant-date fair value of the immediately exercised options: |
Name |
Grant Date | Exercise Price | Shares Subject to Stock Options Grants and Immediately Exercised |
Grant-Date Fair Value ($) |
||||||||||||
Jeffrey T. Huber |
5/3/2010 | 19.72 | 698 | 13,765 | ||||||||||||
8/5/2010 | 17.23 | 917 | 15,800 | |||||||||||||
11/1/2010 | 15.80 | 1,001 | 15,816 | |||||||||||||
2/1/2011 | 15.62 | 1,013 | 15,823 | |||||||||||||
61,204 | ||||||||||||||||
Geraldine B. Laybourne |
5/3/2010 | 19.72 | 453 | 8,933 | ||||||||||||
Gregory B. Maffei |
2/1/2011 | 15.62 | 1,232 | 19,244 | ||||||||||||
Vivek Paul |
5/3/2010 | 19.72 | 837 | 16,506 | ||||||||||||
8/5/2010 | 17.23 | 958 | 16,506 | |||||||||||||
11/1/2010 | 15.80 | 1,044 | 16,495 | |||||||||||||
2/1/2011 | 15.62 | 1,056 | 16,495 | |||||||||||||
66,002 | ||||||||||||||||
Richard A. Simonson |
5/3/2010 | 19.72 | 592 | 11,674 | ||||||||||||
8/5/2010 | 17.23 | 679 | 11,699 | |||||||||||||
11/1/2010 | 15.80 | 740 | 11,692 | |||||||||||||
2/1/2011 | 15.62 | 1,496 | 23,368 | |||||||||||||
58,433 | ||||||||||||||||
Linda J. Srere |
5/3/2010 | 19.72 | 906 | 17,866 |
(5) | Mr. Kusin retired from our Board of Directors on November 9, 2010. |
17
PROPOSAL 2. AMENDMENT TO THE 2000 EQUITY INCENTIVE PLAN
The 2000 Equity Incentive Plan, which was approved by the stockholders on March 22, 2000, continues EAs program of providing equity incentives to eligible employees, officers and directors. We offer these incentives in order to assist in recruiting, retaining and motivating qualified employees, officers and directors. Since the Equity Plans adoption, 104,685,000 shares of common stock have been reserved for issuance. For more information regarding the Equity Plan, please read the full text of the Equity Plan, as proposed to be amended, or the summary of its material terms, as proposed to be amended, included as Appendix A of this proxy statement.
We are proposing an amendment to the 2000 Equity Incentive Plan that would:
| Increase the number of shares authorized under the Equity Plan by 10,000,000 shares to a total of 114,685,000 shares. |
We believe that alignment of the interests of our stockholders and our employees, officers and directors is best advanced through the issuance of equity incentives as a portion of their total compensation. In this way, we reinforce the link between our stockholders and our employees, officers and directors focus on personal responsibility, creativity and stockholder returns. Equity incentives such as stock options and restricted stock units also play an important role in our recruitment and retention strategies, as the competition for creative and technical talent and leadership in our industry is intense.
While equity is a strategic tool for recruitment and retention, we also carefully manage stock option and restricted stock unit issuances and strive to keep the dilutive impact of the equity incentives we offer within a reasonable range. Historically, we have made a significant portion of our equity grants in a given fiscal year in connection with our annual reviews and merit increases.
During fiscal 2011, we granted stock options to purchase a total of approximately 174,047 shares and restricted stock units to acquire a total of 8,210,716 shares. Together these stock option and restricted stock unit grants represented approximately 2.5 percent of our total shares outstanding as of March 31, 2011. As of March 31, 2011, the Company had 12,899,437 outstanding stock options under all plans with a weighted average exercise price of $31.39 and a weighted average remaining contractual life of 5.26 years. Also as of that same date, there were 15,963,628 granted but unvested shares of restricted stock and/or restricted stock units, and the number of shares remaining available for future grant under all plans was 16,857,464 shares available for issuance as stock options or 11,788,436 shares available for issuance as restricted stock and/or restricted stock units. Going forward, we intend to continue to responsibly manage issuances of equity incentive awards under the Equity Plan.
The Equity Plan contains several features designed to protect stockholders interests. For example, the Equity Plan does not allow any options to be granted at less than 100 percent of fair market value, and the exercise price of outstanding options issued under the Equity Plan may not be reduced without stockholder approval. The Equity Plan does not contain an evergreen provision whereby the number of authorized shares is automatically increased on a regular basis. In addition, the Equity Plan prohibits us from loaning, or guaranteeing the loan of, funds to participants under the Equity Plan.
Plan Benefits
The amount and timing of awards granted under the Equity Plan are determined in the sole discretion of the administrator and therefore cannot be determined in advance. The future awards that would be received under the Equity Plan by directors, executive officers and other employees are discretionary and are therefore not determinable at this time.
Required Vote and Board of Directors Recommendation
Approval of this proposal requires the affirmative vote of a majority of the voting shares present at the meeting in person or by proxy and voting for or against the proposal.
The Board recommends a vote FOR the amendment to the 2000 Equity Incentive Plan.
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PROPOSAL 3. AMENDMENT TO THE 2000 EMPLOYEE STOCK PURCHASE PLAN
The 2000 Employee Stock Purchase Plan, which initially was approved by the stockholders on July 27, 2000, provides our employees with a convenient means of purchasing equity in the Company through payroll deductions. It also provides an incentive for continued employment. Since its adoption, 14,800,000 shares of common stock have been reserved for issuance under the Purchase Plan. The Purchase Plan is intended to qualify as a employee stock purchase plan under Section 423 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, for participants residing in the United States. For more information regarding the Purchase Plan, please read the full text of the Purchase Plan, as proposed to be amended, or the summary of its material terms, as proposed to be amended, included as Appendix B of this proxy statement.
Since the adoption of the Purchase Plan, we have experienced significant growth in the number of employees who elect to participate in the Purchase Plan. The following table presents information since the beginning of fiscal 2009 relating to the aggregate number of shares purchased under the Purchase Plan, as well as the number of employees who have participated in the Purchase Plan:
Shares Purchased Pursuant to the Purchase Plan |
No. of Employees Participating as of the Last Purchase Date in Fiscal Year |
|||||||
Fiscal 2009 |
1,322,892 | 4,494 | ||||||
Fiscal 2010 |
2,154,631 | 3,739 | ||||||
Fiscal 2011 |
2,188,380 | 3,266 | ||||||
Fiscal 2012 |
(1 | ) | 3,470 | (2) |
(1) | Fiscal 2012 purchases under the 2000 Purchase Plan will be made in August 2011 and February 2012. |
(2) | Represents estimated number of participants in the 2000 Purchase Plan as of May 20, 2011. Participants have the right to withdraw from the 2000 Purchase Plan at any time prior to a purchase date. The number of participants may increase or decrease prior to February 2012, the last purchase date in fiscal 2012. |
We are proposing an amendment to the 2000 Employee Stock Purchase Plan that would:
| Increase the number of shares authorized under the Purchase Plan by 3,500,000 shares to a total of 18,300,000 shares. |
The proposed amendment would increase the number of shares authorized under the Purchase Plan by 3,500,000 to a total of 18,300,000, an amount that we expect will continue to permit all current and potential future employees to fully participate in the Purchase Plan at least until the 2013 Annual Meeting of Stockholders. The 3,500,000 shares that we are requesting this year is more than the 2,000,000 shares approved by the stockholders at the 2010 Annual Meeting, and if this share amount is approved by the stockholders, we do not anticipate asking stockholders to approve another share increase for the 2000 Purchase Plan until the 2013 Annual Meeting of Stockholders, which enables us to manage our Employee Stock Purchase Plan for a longer period. We believe that the Purchase Plan plays an important role to incentivize our employees and to encourage equity ownership, which serves to align their interests with our stockholders.
For more information about the Purchase Plan, we urge you to read the summary of its material terms included as Appendix B to this proxy statement.
Required Vote and Board of Directors Recommendation
Approval of this proposal requires the affirmative vote of a majority of the voting shares present at the meeting in person or by proxy and voting for or against the proposal.
The Board recommends a vote FOR the amendment to the 2000 Employee Stock Purchase Plan.
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PROPOSAL 4. ADVISORY VOTE REGARDING THE COMPENSATION OF THE NAMED EXECUTIVE OFFICERS
In accordance with the SECs proxy rules, we are seeking an advisory, non-binding stockholder vote with respect to the compensation of our named executive officers (NEOs) for fiscal year 2011, as disclosed in this Proxy Statement. This vote is not intended to address any specific item of compensation, but rather the overall compensation of our NEOs and the philosophy, policies and practices described in this Proxy Statement.
The compensation of our NEOs is described in detail in the Compensation Discussion and Analysis section of this Proxy Statement beginning on page 28, which we encourage you to read for additional details on our executive compensation programs and the fiscal year 2011 compensation of our NEOs.
Our executive compensation programs are based on three core principles that are designed to motivate our NEOs to achieve annual financial and strategic objectives and create long-term stockholder value. The fiscal 2011 compensation of our NEOs reflected these core principles:
| A significant portion of each NEOs cash compensation was based on the annual financial and operational performance of the Company and the NEOs business unit (if applicable) and therefore at risk; |
| A significant portion of each NEOs total compensation was provided in the form of long-term equity to further align the interest of NEOs and stockholders; and |
| The target total direct compensation package for each was consistent with market practices for executive talent and each NEOs individual experience, responsibilities and performance. |
We believe our compensation programs and policies for fiscal 2011 were consistent with our core compensation principles, aligned with stockholders interests, supported by strong compensation governance practices and worthy of continued stockholder support. Accordingly, we ask for our stockholders to indicate their support for the compensation paid to our NEOs, by voting FOR the following resolution at the Annual Meeting:
RESOLVED, that the Companys stockholders approve, on an advisory basis, the compensation of the named executive officers for 2011, including the Compensation Discussion and Analysis, the compensation tables and the related narrative disclosures in this Proxy Statement.
Our Board of Directors and Executive Compensation and Leadership Committee value the opinions of our stockholders and will consider the outcome of the vote, along with other relevant factors, in evaluating its compensation program for our named executive officers.
Advisory Vote and Board of Directors Recommendation
Approval of this proposal requires the affirmative vote of a majority of the voting shares present at the meeting in person or by proxy and voting for or against the proposal.
The Board recommends a vote FOR the approval of the foregoing resolution.
20
PROPOSAL 5. ADVISORY VOTE REGARDING THE FREQUENCY OF HOLDING FUTURE ADVISORY VOTES ON THE COMPENSATION OF THE NAMED EXECUTIVE OFFICERS
In addition to holding a say on pay advisory vote, we are submitting an advisory vote to stockholders regarding the frequency of future advisory say on pay votes, in accordance with the SECs proxy rules. We are asking stockholders to vote on whether future say on pay votes, such as Proposal 4 above, should be held every year, every two years, or every three years.
Stockholders will be able to specify one of four choices for this proposal on the proxy card: one year, two years, three years or abstain. The option that receives the highest number of votes by Company stockholders will be the frequency for the advisory vote on executive compensation that has been selected by the stockholders.
Advisory Vote and Board of Directors Recommendation
The frequency that receives the highest number of votes cast will be deemed to be the frequency selected by the stockholders.
The Board recommends that stockholders vote FOR the option of ONE YEAR as your preference for the frequency of holding future advisory votes on the compensation of our named executive officers.
21
PROPOSAL 6. RATIFICATION OF THE APPOINTMENT OF KPMG LLP, INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM
KPMG LLP has audited the financial statements of EA and its consolidated subsidiaries since fiscal 1987. The Board, through the Audit Committee, has appointed KPMG LLP as EAs independent auditors for fiscal 2012. The Audit Committee and the Board believe that KPMG LLPs long-term knowledge of EA and its subsidiaries is valuable to the Company. Representatives of KPMG LLP have direct access to members of the Audit Committee and the Board. We expect one or more representatives of KPMG LLP to attend the Annual Meeting in order to respond to appropriate questions from stockholders.
Ratification of the appointment of KPMG LLP as our independent auditors is not required by our bylaws or otherwise. The Board of Directors has determined to submit this proposal to the stockholders as a matter of good corporate practice. If the stockholders do not ratify the appointment, the Audit Committee will review their future selection of auditors. Even if the appointment is ratified, the Audit Committee may, in its discretion, direct the appointment of different independent auditors at any time during the year if they determine that such a change would be in the best interests of the Company and the stockholders.
Fees of Independent Auditors
The aggregate fees billed for the last two fiscal years for each of the following categories of services are set forth below:
Description of Fees |
Year Ended March 31, 2011 |
Year Ended March 31, 2010 |
||||||
Audit Fees(1) |
||||||||
Worldwide audit fee |
$ | 4,603,000 | $ | 4,838,000 | ||||
Accounting concurrence and regulatory matters |
46,000 | 218,000 | ||||||
Total audit fees |
4,649,000 | 5,056,000 | ||||||
Audit-Related Fees(2) |
||||||||
Acquisition-related due diligence |
40,000 | | ||||||
Total audit-related fees |
40,000 | | ||||||
Tax Fees(3) |
||||||||
Compliance |
412,000 | 435,000 | ||||||
Total tax fees |
412,000 | 435,000 | ||||||
Total All Fees |
$ | 5,101,000 | $ | 5,491,000 |
(1) | Audit Fees: This category includes the annual audit of the Companys financial statements and internal controls over financial reporting (including required quarterly reviews of financial statements included in the Companys quarterly reports on Form 10-Q), and services normally provided by the independent auditors in connection with regulatory filings. This category also includes consultation on matters that arose during, or as a result of the audit or review of financial statements, statutory audits required for our non-US subsidiaries, and services associated with our periodic reports and other documents filed with the SEC and foreign filings, as well as Sarbanes-Oxley Section 404 compliance consultation. |
(2) | Audit-Related Fees: This category consists of fees for assurance and related services that are reasonably related to the performance of the audit or review of the Companys financial statements and are not reported under Audit Fee. These services may include employee benefit plan audits, accounting consultations in connection with transactions, and merger and acquisition due diligence. In fiscal year 2011, these fees relate to acquisition-related due diligence. |
(3) | Tax Fees: This category includes compliance services rendered for U.S. and foreign tax compliance and returns, and transfer pricing documentation, as well as planning and advice, which consists primarily of technical tax consulting. |
22
Services Provided by the Independent Auditor
The Audit Committee is required to pre-approve the engagement of, and has engaged, KPMG LLP to perform audit and other services for the Company and its subsidiaries. The Companys procedures for the pre-approval by the Audit Committee of all services provided by KPMG LLP comply with SEC regulations regarding pre-approval of services. Services subject to these SEC requirements include audit services, audit-related services, tax services and other services. The audit engagement is specifically approved and the auditors are retained by the Audit Committee. In some cases, pre-approval for a particular category or group of services is provided by the Audit Committee for up to a year, subject to a specific budget and to regular management reporting. In other cases, the Chairman of the Audit Committee has the delegated authority from the Audit Committee to pre-approve additional services up to a specified dollar limit, and such pre-approvals are then communicated to the full Audit Committee.
The Audit Committee considered and determined that fees for services other than audit and audit-related services are compatible with maintaining KPMG LLPs independence.
Required Vote and Board of Directors Recommendation
Approval of this proposal requires the affirmative vote of a majority of the voting shares present at the meeting in person or by proxy and voting for or against the proposal.
The Board recommends a vote FOR the ratification of KPMG LLP as our independent auditors for fiscal 2012.
23
REPORT OF THE AUDIT COMMITTEE OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
The following Report of the Audit Committee shall not be deemed to be soliciting material or to be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission nor shall this information be incorporated by reference into any future filing under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, except to the extent that EA specifically incorporates it by reference into a filing.
The Audit Committee of the Board of Directors operates under a written charter, which was most recently amended in May 2006. The Audit Committee is comprised of three non-employee directors, each of whom in the opinion of the Board of Directors meets the current independence requirements and financial literacy standards of the NASDAQ Stock Market Rules, as well as the independence requirements of the Securities and Exchange Commission. During fiscal 2011, the Audit Committee consisted of Gregory B. Maffei, Vivek Paul and Gary M. Kusin until November 9, 2010, at which date, Mr. Kusin retired from the Board of Directors and was replaced on the Audit Committee by Luis A. Ubiñas. In the opinion of the Board of Directors, Mr. Maffei meets the criteria for a financial expert as set forth in applicable SEC rules, as well as the above-mentioned independence requirements.
EAs management is primarily responsible for the preparation, presentation and integrity of the Companys financial statements. EAs independent registered public accounting firm, KPMG LLP (independent auditors), is responsible for performing an independent audit of the Companys (i) financial statements and expressing an opinion as to the conformity of the financial statements with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles, and (ii) internal control over financial reporting in accordance with the auditing standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) and issuing a report thereon.
The function of the Audit Committee is to assist the Board of Directors in its oversight responsibilities relating to the integrity of EAs accounting policies, internal controls and financial reporting. The Audit Committee reviews EAs quarterly and annual financial statements prior to public earnings releases and submission to the SEC; reviews and evaluates the performance of EAs internal audit function; reviews and evaluates the performance of EAs independent auditors; consults with the independent auditors and EAs internal audit function regarding internal controls and the integrity of the Companys financial statements; assesses the independence of the independent auditors; and is responsible for the selection of the independent auditors. In this context, the Audit Committee has met and held discussions with members of management, EAs internal audit function and the independent auditors. Company management has represented to the Audit Committee that the Companys consolidated financial statements were prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States, and the Audit Committee has reviewed and discussed the consolidated financial statements with management and the independent auditors. Company management has also represented to the Audit Committee that the Companys internal control over financial reporting was effective as of the end of the Companys most recently-completed fiscal year, and the Audit Committee has reviewed and discussed the Companys internal control over financial reporting with management and the independent auditors. The Audit Committee also discussed with the independent auditors matters required to be discussed by Statement on Auditing Standards No. 61 as amended (AICPA, Professional Standards, Vol. 1, AU section 380), as adopted by the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board in Rule 3200T, including the quality and acceptability of the Companys financial reporting process and internal controls. The Audit Committee has also discussed with the Companys independent auditors the overall scope and plans for their annual audit and reviewed the results of that audit with management and the independent auditors.
In addition, the Audit Committee has discussed with the independent auditors the auditors independence from the Company and its management, including the matters in the written disclosures required by the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States). The Audit Committee has also considered whether the provision of any non-audit services (as described above under Proposal 6. Ratification of the Appointment of KPMG LLP, Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm Fees of Independent Auditors) and the employment of former KPMG LLP employees by the Company is compatible with maintaining the independence of KPMG LLP.
The members of the Audit Committee are not engaged in the practice of auditing or accounting. In performing its functions, the Audit Committee necessarily relies on the work and assurances of the Companys management and independent auditors.
24
In reliance on the reviews and discussions referred to in this report and in light of its role and responsibilities, the Audit Committee recommended to the Board of Directors that the audited consolidated balance sheets of the Company as of each of the last two years ended March 31, 2011 and the audited consolidated statements of operations, stockholders equity and comprehensive loss, and cash flows of the Company for each of the last three years ended March 31, 2011 be included for filing with the SEC in the Companys Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended March 31, 2011. The Audit Committee has also approved the selection of KPMG LLP as the Companys independent auditors for fiscal 2012.
AUDIT COMMITTEE
Gregory B. Maffei (Chairman)
Vivek Paul
Luis A. Ubiñas
25
The following table shows, as of May 20, 2011, the number of shares of our common stock owned by our directors, executive officers named in the Summary Compensation Table below, our current directors and executive officers as a group, and beneficial owners known to us holding more than 5 percent of our common stock. As of May 20, 2011, there were 333,227,368 shares of our common stock outstanding. Except as otherwise indicated, the address for each of our directors and executive officers is c/o Electronic Arts Inc., 209 Redwood Shores Parkway, Redwood City, CA 94065.
Stockholder Name |
Shares Owned(1) |
Right
to Acquire(2) |
Percent
of Outstanding Shares(3) |
|||||||||
Dodge & Cox(4) |
35,921,157 | | 10.8 | % | ||||||||
Primecap Management Company(5) |
26,464,279 | | 7.9 | % | ||||||||
T. Rowe Price Associates Inc.(6) |
24,562,706 | | 7.4 | % | ||||||||
Capital Research Global Investors(7) |
21,490,000 | | 6.4 | % | ||||||||
The Vanguard Group, Inc.(8) |
18,757,379 | | 5.6 | % | ||||||||
Lawrence F. Probst III(9) |
1,107,669 | 2,241,100 | 1.0 | % | ||||||||
John S. Riccitiello(10) |
199,922 | 636,160 | * | |||||||||
Eric F. Brown |
57,116 | 250,075 | * | |||||||||
Peter Moore |
49,476 | 393,958 | * | |||||||||
Frank D. Gibeau |
27,432 | 516,608 | * | |||||||||
Linda J. Srere |
18,194 | 89,872 | * | |||||||||
Vivek Paul |
13,693 | 65,333 | * | |||||||||
Gregory B. Maffei |
12,180 | 112,166 | * | |||||||||
Leonard S. Coleman |
10,196 | 94,172 | * | |||||||||
Jeffrey T. Huber |
9,451 | 11,550 | * | |||||||||
Richard A. Simonson |
8,442 | 54,500 | * | |||||||||
Geraldine B. Laybourne |
2,825 | 20,000 | * | |||||||||
Luis A. Ubiñas |
| | ||||||||||
John Schappert(11) |
| | * | |||||||||
All executive officers and directors as a group (19) persons(12) |
1,849,503 | 4,720,502 | 2.0 | % |
* | Less than 1% |
(1) | Unless otherwise indicated in the footnotes, includes shares for which the named person has sole or shared voting and investment power. Excludes shares that may be acquired through stock option exercises. |
(2) | Includes (a) shares of common stock that may be acquired through stock option exercises within 60 days of May 20, 2011, (b) in the case of Messrs. Coleman, Maffei, Paul and Simonson, reflects 4,300 restricted stock units (RSUs) that have vested but have been deferred, (c) in the case of Ms. Laybourne, reflects 2,150 RSUs that have vested but have been deferred and (d) in the case of Messrs. Brown, Gibeau, and Moore, 5,075, 10,708 and 9,458 RSUs, respectively, that vest within 60 days of May 20, 2011. |
(3) | Calculated based on the total number of shares owned plus the number of shares that may be acquired through stock option exercises and the vesting of restricted stock units within 60 days of May 20, 2011. |
(4) | Based on information contained in a report on Form 13F filed with the SEC in which Dodge & Cox indicated that as of March 31, 2011 it had sole power to vote or direct the vote of 35,921,157 shares. The address for Dodge & Cox is One Sansome Street, San Francisco, CA 94104. |
(5) | Based on information contained in a report on Form 13F filed with the SEC in which Primecap Management Company indicated that as of March 31, 2011 it had sole power to vote or direct the vote of 26,464,279 shares. The address for Primecap Management Company is 225 South Lake Ave, Suite 400, Pasadena, CA 91101. |
(6) | Based on information contained in a report on Form 13F filed with the SEC in which T. Rowe Price Associates Inc. indicated that as of March 31, 2011 it had sole power to vote or direct the vote of 24,562,706 shares. The address for T. Rowe Price Associates Inc. is 100 East Pratt Street, Baltimore, MD 21202. |
26
(7) | Based on information contained in a report on Form 13F filed with the SEC in which Capital Research Global Investors indicated that as of March 31, 2011 it had sole power to vote or direct the vote of 21,490,000 shares. The address for Capital Research Global Investors is 333 South Hope Street, Los Angeles, CA 90071. |
(8) | Based on information contained in a report on Form 13F filed with the SEC in which The Vanguard Group, Inc. indicated that as of March 31, 2011 it had sole power to vote or direct the vote of 18,757,379 shares. The address for The Vanguard Group, Inc. is P.O. Box 2600, Valley Forge, PA, 19482. |
(9) | Includes 87,886 shares of common stock held by Mr. Probsts grantors retained annuity trust, in which 43,943 shares each, are held in trust for Lawrence F. Probst IV and Scott Probst, respectively; 16,669 shares are held by Mr. Probsts spouse; and 469,713 shares are held by the Probst Family LP, of which Mr. Probst is a partner. |
(10) | Includes 1,700 shares of common stock held in trust for Mr. Riccitiellos minor children. |
(11) | Mr. Schappert served as EAs Chief Operating Officer until his resignation on April 25, 2011. |
(12) | Includes all executive officers and directors of EA as of May 20, 2011. |
27
COMPENSATION DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS
This Compensation Discussion and Analysis describes the fiscal 2011 compensation paid to our named executive officers (the NEOs), the compensation decisions made by our Executive Compensation and Leadership Committee (the Committee), and the financial, strategic, and operational performance factors that guided those compensation decisions. Our NEOs for fiscal 2011 were:
| John S. Riccitiello, Chief Executive Officer; |
| Eric F. Brown, Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer; |
| Frank D. Gibeau, President, EA Games; |
| Peter Moore, President, EA SPORTS; and |
| John C. Schappert, former Chief Operating Officer. |
Mr. Schappert resigned and ceased being EAs Chief Operating Officer effective April 25, 2011.
COMPENSATION PRINCIPLES AND STRUCTURE
Our compensation programs are designed to motivate our NEOs to achieve annual financial, strategic, and operational objectives and create long-term stockholder value. We structure and review our NEO compensation in accordance with a compensation philosophy that is based on three core principles, each of which is intended to promote a pay-for-performance approach to executive compensation:
| Principle 1 Cash Compensation: A significant portion of each NEOs cash compensation should be based on the annual financial, strategic and operational performance of the Company and the NEOs business unit (if applicable) and be at risk; |
| Principle 2 Equity Compensation: A significant portion of each NEOs total compensation should be provided in the form of long-term equity to enhance the alignment between NEO and stockholder interests; and |
| Principle 3 Target Total Direct Compensation: The target total direct compensation package for each NEO should be consistent with market practices for executive talent, as well as each NEOs individual experience, responsibilities and performance. |
We believe these principles promote the long-term profitable growth of the Company and align compensation with the long-term interests of the Companys stockholders. In addition, these principles are in place to help us retain a strong leadership team in an industry that is highly competitive for executive talent. The Company has faced recruiting pressures from our named peer companies (as discussed further below), as well as from emerging start-up companies and other very large, diversified technology and entertainment companies.
Each of these core principles guided the Companys compensation program designs for fiscal 2011 as follows:
Principle 1 Cash Compensation: The cash compensation of each NEO consists of a competitive base salary and the opportunity to earn an annual cash bonus based on Company and business unit (if applicable) financial, strategic and operational performance. Cash bonuses represent approximately half of our NEOs targeted cash compensation, and serve to put a significant portion of their cash compensation at risk. Each NEO is assigned a target bonus (expressed as a percentage of base salary), and then the actual bonus payout is determined with regard to the financial and operational performance of the Company, the NEOs business unit (if applicable), as well as the NEOs achievement of strategic and operational objectives during the fiscal year.
Our bonus program is designed so that actual payouts are awarded at target levels only if the Company and the NEO meet pre-determined financial, strategic and operational fiscal year objectives. For example, in fiscal 2009 and 2010, financial performance was below expectations and, consequently, the cash bonuses paid to our NEOs were below target levels. The initial phases of our transformation occurred in these prior years as we adopted new strategies and shifted focus to digital revenue models.
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For fiscal 2011, we achieved a number of key financial, strategic and operational objectives including:
| improving our profitability by achieving the high end of our non-GAAP net revenue and earnings per share guidance; |
| increasing significantly our non-GAAP diluted earnings per share year-over-year; |
| exceeding our digital net revenue goals; |
| improving the quality of our titles by releasing 15 titles with Metacritic scores rated 80 or better; and |
| leading our industry segment EA was the number one publisher in the Western World in fiscal 2011 with 16 percent share in North America and 18 percent share in Europe. |
These performance achievements led to a bonus payout for our NEOs (excluding Mr. Schappert) of 52 percent of their aggregated maximum bonus for fiscal 2011 or 140 percent of their aggregated target for fiscal 2011, reflecting the Companys solid financial performance. The fiscal 2011 maximum bonus payout, target bonus payout, and actual bonus payout for each of our NEOs were as follows:
FY 2011 Maximum Bonus Payout |
FY 2011 Target Bonus Payout |
FY 2011 Actual Bonus Payout |
||||||||||
Mr. Riccitiello |
$ | 2,400,000 | $ | 1,200,000 | $ | 1,600,000 | ||||||
Mr. Brown |
$ | 1,800,000 | $ | 525,000 | $ | 700,000 | ||||||
Mr. Gibeau |
$ | 1,800,000 | $ | 590,833 | $ | 1,180,000 | ||||||
Mr. Moore |
$ | 1,800,000 | $ | 594,167 | $ | 580,000 | ||||||
Mr. Schappert |
$ | 1,800,000 | $ | 575,000 | |
A detailed explanation of the criteria used by the Committee to determine the actual fiscal 2011 bonus awards for each of our NEOs is provided below in the section titled Individual NEO Compensation. Mr. Schappert resigned as Chief Operating Officer effective April 25, 2011 and was not awarded a bonus for fiscal 2011.
Principle 2 Equity Compensation: Approximately 60 percent of each of our NEOs (excluding Mr. Schappert) compensation for fiscal 2011 was provided in the form of long-term equity awards aligning the interests of our NEOs with those of our stockholders. The fiscal 2011 equity awards granted to our NEOs were time-based restricted stock units (RSUs). The three-year vesting terms of these awards are designed to ensure that our NEOs focus on building sustainable stockholder value over the long-term.
For fiscal 2012, the Committee will provide a blend of performance-based and time-based equity awards to our NEOs. This approach is intended to further tie NEO compensation to the Companys stock performance, and reflects the Committees belief that the Companys continued operational and financial achievements will result in a higher stock price. The performance-based RSUs granted in fiscal 2012 will vest based on the Companys total stockholder return relative to the performance of the companies in the NASDAQ-100 Index, an index of the 100 largest domestic and international non-financial securities listed on NASDAQ. Additional details regarding this fiscal 2012 equity program are described below in the section titled Compensation Programs and Plans.
Principle 3 Target Total Direct Compensation: We awarded total direct compensation to our NEOs for fiscal 2011 that was consistent with market practices and each NEOs role and experience. Total direct compensation has three components: base salary, annual cash bonus, and equity awards. For fiscal 2011, the Committee generally targeted the 50th to 75th percentile of the market range of comparable companies when setting the base salaries and target bonus opportunities for our NEOs, and targeted the 75th percentile for equity awards. While we generally target each of these compensation components at these levels, the actual base salary, bonus, and equity compensation provided to each NEO may be above or below these levels and is determined based on the Companys financial performance, each NEOs business unit financial (if applicable), strategic and operational performance, market trends, and other factors unique to each individual, such as their role and experience.
The Committee also considers the aggregate value of all three total direct compensation components, and generally targets the 50th to 75th percentile of the market range for total direct compensation. When necessary for retention, succession planning, or recognition of outstanding performance, the Committee may approve exceptional compensation programs for select key executives that could result in target total direct compensation above our target range.
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Consistent with our philosophy and the objectives of our executive compensation program, the mix of total direct compensation collectively for our NEOs for fiscal 2011, excluding Mr. Schappert who did not receive a bonus for fiscal 2011, was as follows:
The Committee believes that this mix reflects the Companys compensation philosophy and the core principles discussed above.
The amount of total direct compensation that each of our NEOs actually received, in the form of base salary paid, bonus awarded, and the value of equity that vested or was exercised during fiscal 2011 was below the low end of the market range, based on market data for the fourth quarter of fiscal 2011, with the exception of Mr. Gibeau whose total direct compensation was within the market range. In fiscal years when stock performance is below expectations, our NEOs will generally realize total direct compensation below our targeted range. Specifically, in fiscal 2011, our NEOs realized total direct compensation below our targeted range primarily due to the fact that no compensation was realized from the fiscal 2009 performance RSUs and no NEOs exercised stock options. Equity compensation accounts for a significant portion of our NEOs compensation, and the lack of realized compensation from these prior equity awards demonstrates how our NEOs actual compensation aligns with our compensation principles and stockholder interests. The amounts actually received by each NEO can be found in the compensation tables that follow this discussion.
THE COMMITTEES PROCESS FOR DETERMINING AND REVIEWING NEO COMPENSATION
For fiscal 2011, the Committee reviewed and approved the total direct compensation of each of our NEOs (other than for Mr. Riccitiello) in consultation with Compensia (an independent compensation consulting firm retained by the Committee) and members of Company management, pursuant to the process described below. The compensation setting process for Mr. Riccitiello is discussed below.
The first step in this process occurred in the third quarter of fiscal 2010 when the Committee examined market compensation practices and general trends for executive compensation.
To assess market compensation practices, the Committee first determined an appropriate group of comparable companies (our peer group). For fiscal 2011, the Committee elected to maintain the same peer group of companies that were used for comparison purposes in fiscal 2010. These are companies with comparable revenue, geographic markets, financial performance and expected growth rates in the following sectors:
| videogame companies (Activision Blizzard, Take-Two Interactive and THQ); |
| technology/Internet companies (Adobe Systems, eBay, Expedia, IAC/Interactive Corp., Intuit, Symantec and Yahoo!); |
| entertainment companies (Discovery Communications, Lions Gate Entertainment and Warner Music Group); and |
| toy/game companies (Hasbro and Mattel). |
Compensia then conducted a comprehensive analysis of our executive compensation programs using data from the Radford High Technology Executive Compensation Surveys, the Croner Software Games Survey, and publicly available information on our peer group. This analysis included a comparison of the compensation of each of our executive-level positions to similar positions in the market. Compensias findings were provided to the Committee in February 2010.
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Management then formulated compensation recommendations for our executive officers (including all NEOs other than Mr. Riccitiello), aided by the information provided by Compensia and each executive officers annual performance review. The formal performance reviews for our NEOs were conducted by Mr. Riccitiello, with assistance from our Executive Vice President of Human Resources and Facilities.
In February 2010, the Committee reviewed the equity compensation of our executive officers, including each of our NEOs (other than for Mr. Riccitiello) and made equity award decisions for fiscal 2011. The Committee approved these awards with a grant date of May 17, 2010. In May 2010, the Committee also reviewed the non-equity compensation of our executive officers and made base salary and target cash bonus adjustments for fiscal 2011, as well as the fiscal 2010 cash bonus decisions. These decisions were made after consideration of the following factors, where applicable:
| the Companys compensation philosophy and the three compensation principles discussed at the beginning of this Compensation Discussion and Analysis; |
| the financial, strategic and operational performance of the Company and the executives relevant business unit (as applicable); |
| the individual performance of each executive officer, as evaluated by management; |
| the market data provided by Compensia; and |
| the current unvested equity holdings and compensation of each executive officer. |
Determining CEO Compensation
For Mr. Riccitiello, the compensation-setting process differed from our other NEOs as follows. A formal performance review was conducted by the Nominating and Governance Committee of the Board, with the assistance of the Executive Vice President of Human Resources and Facilities, taking into consideration Mr. Riccitiellos and the Companys financial, strategic and operational performance. That review was provided to the Committee, which then developed compensation recommendations for Mr. Riccitiello, with assistance from Compensia. The compensation recommendations and performance review were then presented to the full Board, which subsequently approved Mr. Riccitiellos cash bonus payout, base salary, target cash bonus opportunity and equity award.
INDIVIDUAL NEO COMPENSATION
This section describes how the base salary, annual cash bonus and equity awards were determined for each of our NEOs for fiscal 2011. Cash bonus awards were funded under the Electronic Arts Inc. Executive Bonus Plan (the Executive Bonus Plan) based on the attainment of a pre-set non-GAAP earnings per share performance measure (as described below under Executive Bonus Plan). The amount of the actual cash bonus award for each NEO was then determined based on an assessment of each NEOs performance during fiscal 2011. Individual business unit financial (as applicable), strategic and operational objectives for each NEO were set at the beginning of the fiscal year and the objectives and achievements relevant to the fiscal 2011 bonus determination are discussed below. There was no mathematical calibration of bonus payments based on the financial objectives for each NEO. Rather, these objectives, like the other individual strategic and operational objectives, were evaluated on a qualitative basis by the Committee, which considered all of the factors discussed below in making their determination without assigning any specific weighting to the factors. For Mr. Riccitiello, each financial, strategic and operational objective was assigned a percentage weighting of his overall bonus; however, the final bonus award was determined based on an overall, qualitative assessment of his performance against objectives rather than a mathematical formula.
The following tables show the year-over-year change in base salary, annual cash bonus, equity awards and total direct compensation for our NEOs, but exclude other compensation elements which are discussed in the Summary Compensation Table, such as life insurance and disability premiums, Company matching 401(k) contributions and relocation related-costs, among others. In fiscal 2011, other compensation elements did not constitute a material portion of any NEOs compensation. The total direct compensation tables which follow are provided as additional information; please refer to the Summary Compensation Table for information regarding the total compensation paid to our NEOs in fiscal 2011.
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Mr. Riccitiello
FY 2011 ($) | FY 2010 ($) | Change (%) | ||||||||||
Base Salary |
$ | 800,000 | $ | 800,000 | 0% | |||||||
Annual Cash Bonus |
$ | 1,600,000 | $ | 746,667 | 114% | |||||||
Total Cash Compensation |
$ | 2,400,000 | $ | 1,546,667 | 55% | |||||||
Equity Awards |
$ | 3,508,000 | $ | 8,297,237 | (58%) | |||||||
Total Direct Compensation |
$ | 5,908,000 | $ | 9,843,904 | (40%) | |||||||
In fiscal 2011, Mr. Riccitiellos base salary was not increased from its fiscal 2010 level and his bonus target percentage also remained unchanged at 150 percent of his annual base salary. Based on market data, Mr. Riccitiellos base salary and target total cash compensation were below our targeted compensation levels.
Mr. Riccitiellos fiscal 2011 cash bonus payout was $1,600,000, which corresponds to 133 percent of his target bonus opportunity. Mr. Riccitiellos cash bonus was determined based upon an overall evaluation of his performance against the following objectives:
| Company Financial Objectives: |
Weight |
Objective |
Attainment | ||
40% |
Non-GAAP Earnings Per Share | Exceeded | ||
15% |
Non-GAAP Revenue | Achieved | ||
10% |
Non-GAAP Digital Revenue | Exceeded |
| Strategic and Operational Objectives: |
Weight |
Objective | |
15% |
Business Transformation Goals | |
10% |
Improvement in Top 10 and Top 30 Chart Position | |
10% |
Organizational Health: Attrition, Diversity, and Engagement |
In determining Mr. Riccitiellos final bonus, the Committee considered the Companys strong overall financial performance, the significant progress made in our business transformation, including substantial growth in digital revenues, maintaining the number of titles ranked in the Top 30 for sales across North America and Europe, as well as achievements in company-wide organizational health objectives.
In fiscal 2011, the Board, based on a recommendation from the Committee, granted Mr. Riccitiello 200,000 time-based restricted stock units, which will vest ratably on an annual basis over a three-year period. The Committee recommended this award after consulting with Compensia regarding the current market practices for CEO compensation, considering Mr. Riccitiellos unvested equity holdings, the performance of our stock, and the overall performance of the Company. Time-based restricted stock units were used to strengthen the retention value of the long-term incentive component of his total compensation during a period of transformation of the Company from a predominately packaged goods business into a digital business.
The value of the fiscal 2011 equity award granted to Mr. Riccitiello was below the target level of 75th percentile of market that we refer to for equity awards, and had a grant date fair value that was 58 percent lower than Mr. Riccitiellos fiscal 2010 equity awards. The Committee determined that this equity award together with Mr. Riccitiellos other outstanding equity awards would align his total equity compensation with our compensation philosophy, market practices, and the goal of creating long-term stockholder value.
As a result of these decisions, Mr. Riccitiellos total direct compensation declined by 40 percent year-over-year.
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Mr. Brown
FY 2011 ($) | FY 2010 ($) | Change (%) | ||||||||||
Base Salary |
$ | 600,000 | $ | 600,000 | 0% | |||||||
Annual Cash Bonus |
$ | 700,000 | $ | 315,000 | 122% | |||||||
Total Cash Compensation |
$ | 1,300,000 | $ | 915,000 | 42% | |||||||
Equity Awards |
$ | 1,776,000 | $ | 2,201,680 | (19%) | |||||||
Total Direct Compensation |
$ | 3,076,000 | $ | 3,116,680 | (1%) | |||||||
In fiscal 2011, the Committee did not increase Mr. Browns base salary, but increased his bonus target percentage from 75 percent to 90 percent of his annual base salary. His bonus target percentage was increased to better align his total cash compensation with the market. Based on market data, Mr. Browns fiscal 2011 base salary and target total cash compensation were within our targeted compensation range.
Mr. Browns fiscal 2011 bonus payout was $700,000, which corresponds to 133 percent of his target bonus opportunity. The bonus payout for fiscal 2011 reflects an improvement in our overall Company financial performance, an increase in Mr. Browns bonus target and his divisions strategic and operational performance. Mr. Browns cash bonus was determined based upon an overall evaluation of his performance against the following objectives:
| Company Financial Performance: The Company achieved its non-GAAP net revenue and non-GAAP earnings per share objectives, and more than doubled cash flows from operating activities year-over-year. |
| Strategic and Operational Objectives: Mr. Browns strategic and operational objectives and achievements included key IT system improvements; enhancement of our e-commerce capabilities; the implementation of a share repurchase program; and managing our exposure to fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates. |
Mr. Brown was granted 100,000 time-based restricted stock units in fiscal 2011, which will vest ratably on an annual basis over a three-year period. The Committee determined the size of his award based on his performance, the unvested value of his outstanding equity, external market practices, internal compensation alignment, and the desire to maintain stability among our executive management team through the use of long-term equity retention incentives during a period of Company transformation.
As a result of these decisions, Mr. Browns total direct compensation declined by 1 percent year-over-year.
Mr. Gibeau
FY 2011 ($) | FY 2010 ($) | Change (%) | ||||||||||
Base Salary |
$ | 591,538 | * | $ | 545,000 | 9% | ||||||
Annual Cash Bonus |
$ | 1,180,000 | $ | 423,000 | 179% | |||||||
Total Cash Compensation |
$ | 1,771,538 | $ | 968,000 | 83% | |||||||
Equity Awards |
$ | 2,308,800 | $ | 2,657,200 | (13%) | |||||||
Total Direct Compensation |
$ | 4,080,338 | $ | 3,625,200 | 13% | |||||||
* | Reflects May 24, 2010 effective date for base salary increase. |
In fiscal 2011, the Committee elected to increase Mr. Gibeaus base salary by 10 percent but his bonus target percentage remained unchanged at 100 percent of his annual base salary. His base salary was increased to better align his base salary with the market and with internal peers. Based on market data, Mr. Gibeaus fiscal 2011 base salary and target total cash compensation were within our targeted compensation range.
Mr. Gibeaus fiscal 2011 cash bonus payout was $1,180,000, which corresponds to 200 percent of his target bonus opportunity. The cash bonus payout for fiscal 2011 reflects the Companys overall financial performance and Mr. Gibeaus achievement of his business unit financial, strategic and operational objectives. Mr. Gibeaus cash bonus was determined based upon an overall evaluation of his performance against the following objectives:
| Company Financial Performance: The Company achieved its non-GAAP net revenue and non-GAAP earnings per share objectives. |
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| Business Unit Financial, Strategic and Operational Objectives: Mr. Gibeaus business unit objectives and achievements included internal revenue, profitability, and digital revenue goals for the EA Games Label, which were significantly exceeded in fiscal 2011; delivery of key titles on time with 100 percent of internally developed games meeting their launch dates; improvement in game quality with an average Metacritic score of 84 for games released by the EA Games Label during fiscal 2011; achievement of business transformation initiatives and other specific organizational objectives. |
Mr. Gibeau was granted 130,000 time-based restricted stock units in fiscal 2011, which will vest ratably on an annual basis over a three-year period. The Committee determined the size of his award based on his performance, the unvested value of his outstanding equity awards, external market practices, internal compensation alignment, and the desire to maintain stability among our executive management team through the use of long-term equity retention incentives during a period of Company transformation.
As a result of these decisions, Mr. Gibeaus total direct compensation increased by 13 percent year-over-year.
Mr. Moore
FY 2011 ($) | FY 2010 ($) | Change (%) | ||||||||||
Base Salary |
$ | 594,615 | * | $ | 565,000 | 5% | ||||||
Annual Cash Bonus |
$ | 580,000 | $ | 401,000 | 45% | |||||||
Total Cash Compensation |
$ | 1,174,615 | $ | 966,000 | 22% | |||||||
Equity Awards |
$ | 2,308,800 | $ | 2,657,200 | (13%) | |||||||
Total Direct Compensation |
$ | 3,483,415 | $ | 3,623,200 | (4%) | |||||||
* | Reflects May 24, 2010 effective date for base salary increase. |
In fiscal 2011, the Committee increased Mr. Moores base salary by 6 percent but his bonus target percentage remained unchanged, at 100 percent of his annual base salary. His base salary was increased to better align his base salary and target cash compensation with the market and with internal peers. Based on market data, Mr. Moores fiscal 2011 base salary and target total cash compensation were within our targeted compensation range.
Mr. Moores fiscal 2011 cash bonus payout was $580,000, which corresponds to 98 percent of his target bonus opportunity. The cash bonus payout in fiscal 2011 reflects an increase in the Companys overall financial performance and strong performance against his business unit objectives. Mr. Moores cash bonus was determined based upon an overall evaluation of his performance against the following objectives:
| Company Financial Performance: The Company achieved its non-GAAP net revenue and non-GAAP earnings per share objectives. |
| Business Unit Financial, Strategic and Operational Objectives: Mr. Moores business unit objectives and achievements included internal revenue and profitability goals; significant growth in digital revenue for the EA SPORTS Label; and specific organizational objectives. |
Mr. Moore was granted 130,000 time-based restricted stock units in fiscal 2011, which will vest ratably on an annual basis over a three-year period. The Committee determined the size of his award based on his performance, the unvested value of his outstanding equity awards, external market practices, internal compensation alignment, and the desire to maintain stability among our executive management team through the use of long-term equity retention incentives during a period of Company transformation.
As a result of these decisions, Mr. Moores total direct compensation declined by 4 percent year-over-year.
Mr. Schappert
In fiscal 2011, the Committee did not increase Mr. Schapperts base salary but increased his bonus target percentage from 75 percent to 100 percent of his annual base salary to better align his cash compensation with the market. Based on market data, Mr. Schapperts fiscal 2011 base salary was slightly below our targeted compensation range and target total cash compensation was within our targeted compensation range. Mr. Schappert resigned effective April 25, 2011 and was not awarded a cash bonus for fiscal 2011.
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Mr. Schappert was granted 130,000 time-based restricted stock units in fiscal 2011. However, at the time of his resignation he had not yet vested in any shares from this award, and the award was cancelled as of the date of his resignation.
See the Summary Compensation Table below for further details regarding Mr. Schapperts fiscal 2011 compensation.
COMPENSATION PROGRAMS AND PLANS
This section provides more detail on the various compensation plans and programs discussed above, as well as others that apply to our NEOs and other executive officers.
Base Salary
A competitive base salary is a crucial component in providing an attractive total compensation package for our NEOs. The Committee initially sets each NEOs base salary at a level which reflects the NEOs position, responsibilities and experience, as compared to similar executives at comparable companies. On an annual basis, the Committee reviews and approves any base salary adjustments, considering such factors as individual performance, pay relative to market, level of responsibilities, complexity of role and internal compensation alignment.
As part of its May 2011 compensation review, the Committee decided to increase the base salaries of certain NEOs for fiscal 2012. Effective June 1, 2011, Mr. Riccitiellos base salary will increase to $880,000, Mr. Browns base salary will increase to $620,000, Mr. Gibeaus base salary will increase to $630,000, and Mr. Moores base salary will increase to $620,000. These increases were consistent with the compensation-setting process described above and in-line with our target position within the Peer Group, with the exception of Mr. Riccitiello whose base salary remains below our target position.
Executive Bonus Plan
Our NEOs participate in the Executive Bonus Plan and this was the only bonus plan that was utilized to pay bonuses to our NEOs for fiscal 2011. Cash bonuses payable under the Executive Bonus Plan are intended to qualify as tax deductible performance-based compensation under Section 162(m) of the Internal Revenue Code. Funding for the Executive Bonus Plan is contingent upon the achievement of one or more pre-established Company financial performance measures. If the performance measure is achieved, the maximum individual bonus amount is funded for each NEO and this amount represents the maximum bonus payout that may be awarded to that individual. The Committee may then exercise its discretion to reduce, but not increase, actual bonus payouts based on the performance of the Company, the performance of each NEOs business unit (if applicable), and the NEOs individual performance.
The Company uses certain adjusted non-GAAP financial measures when establishing performance-based bonus and equity award targets, such as non-GAAP earnings per share, non-GAAP net revenue, non-GAAP net income and non-GAAP profit before tax to exclude the following items (as applicable, in a given reporting period): stock-based compensation, acquisition-related expenses, restructuring and other charges, income tax adjustments, changes in deferred net revenue (packaged goods and digital content), gains (losses) on strategic investments, and goodwill impairment, among others. In addition, the Company makes further adjustments to the publicly disclosed non-GAAP measures to add back bonus expense.
In May 2010, the Committee set the fiscal 2011 performance measure needed for funding under the Executive Bonus Plan as non-GAAP earnings per share of $0.50. The Committee selected this funding threshold because it reflected a key measure of our ability to execute on our operating plan for the year. The Company reported non-GAAP diluted earnings per share of $0.70 for fiscal 2011, and therefore funded the maximum individual bonus amount for each NEO under the Executive Bonus Plan. The Committee then exercised its discretion to reduce actual bonus payouts to amounts they determined were appropriate based on the Companys actual financial performance, and the NEOs individual performance against strategic and operational objectives, as discussed above.
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For fiscal 2012, the Committee has adopted a new funding formula for the Executive Bonus Plan. In prior years, including fiscal 2011, a minimum non-GAAP earnings per share target was used as a funding gate and achievement of the target resulted in the funding of the maximum individual bonus amount for each NEO. While the maximum bonus funding and payout will remain 300 percent of each NEOs base salary for fiscal 2012, the funding of the maximum bonus opportunity will increase or decrease proportionally with changes in our non-GAAP net income. The maximum bonus funding for each NEO will be the lower of: (1) 300 percent of their annual base salary and (2) 0.5 percent of non-GAAP net income for each NEO other than Mr. Riccitiello, for whom this maximum is 1.0 percent of non-GAAP net income. The Committee retains the discretion to award less, but not more, than the fully funded bonus amount. The Committee believes this change will better align the Executive Bonus Plan funding with the profitability of the Company.
Time-Based RSU Awards
In fiscal 2011, each of our NEOs was granted time-based RSUs with a three-year vesting schedule. The Committee granted time-based RSUs to enhance retention and provide stability across our management team during a period of Company transformation. The amount of these RSU awards was determined taking into consideration a number of factors including: Company and individual performance, the market value of each NEOs then-outstanding equity holdings, external equity compensation practices, and internal compensation alignment.
Performance-Based Equity Awards in Fiscal 2012
For fiscal 2012, the Committee approved a change to our long-term equity program. The number of RSUs granted to our NEOs will be a combination of 50 percent performance-based and 50 percent time-based RSUs. Performance-based RSUs will be granted in-lieu of half of the time-based RSUs that would otherwise have been granted for the purpose of further aligning the compensation of our NEOs with Company performance, stockholders interests, and in response to the feedback provided by our stockholders.
The number of performance-based RSUs that can be earned will be based on the Companys total stockholder return (TSR) relative to the performance of the companies in the NASDAQ-100 Index over a one, two, and three-year period. In each period, the number of shares that each executive can earn will range from 0 percent to 200 percent of the target award. In order to earn 100 percent of the target award, EAs TSR needs to be at the 60th percentile of the TSR of companies in the NASDAQ-100 Index. The 60th percentile was chosen because it requires EA to outperform the majority of companies in the NASDAQ-100 Index in order for the targeted number of shares to vest. If our TSR is above or below the 60th percentile the number of shares earned will increase by three percent for each percentile above, and decrease by two percent for each percentile below.
The use of both time-based and performance-based RSUs for fiscal 2012 balances our desire to drive long-term stock price growth with the retention pressures we face from our direct peers, as well as from emerging and evolving competitors.
Prior Performance-Based RSU Program
We have previously utilized performance-based equity to motivate and reward increased profitability. Each of our NEOs has an outstanding performance-based restricted stock unit award that was granted in fiscal 2009 (or upon hire, in the case of Mr. Schappert). These performance-based RSUs may be earned based upon the Companys achievement of one of three progressively higher adjusted non-GAAP net income targets (as measured on a trailing-four-quarter basis). These targets range from approximately two to three times the Companys non-GAAP net income for fiscal 2008 and can be earned though the performance period ending on June 30, 2013. To the extent that the Company does not achieve one or more of the non-GAAP net income targets, the portion of the award that would have been earned upon the achievement of the applicable target will be cancelled. At the time these performance-based RSUs were granted to our NEOs, we believed that achievement of the first adjusted non-GAAP net income target was probable. As of March 31, 2011, no shares of the fiscal 2009 performance-based RSUs had been earned.
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Benefits and Retirement Plans
We provide a comprehensive benefits package to all of our regular, full-time employees, including our NEOs, which includes medical, dental, prescription drug, vision care, disability insurance, life insurance, accidental death and dismemberment (AD&D) insurance, a flexible spending plan, business travel accident insurance, a tax-qualified Section 401(k) savings plan, an educational reimbursement program, an adoption assistance program, an employee assistance program, an employee stock purchase plan, certain paid holidays and personal time-off, including vacation, sick, or personal days off. These benefits, and the levels provided, are consistent with those offered by similar-sized companies. We also maintain a nonqualified deferred compensation plan in which certain employees, including our NEOs, and our Directors are eligible to participate, as described in the narrative accompanying the Nonqualified Deferred Compensation Table below.
Perquisites and Other Personal Benefits
We have consistently taken a conservative approach with respect to providing perquisites and other personal benefits to our NEOs. While our NEOs generally receive the same benefits that are available to our other regular, full-time employees, they also receive certain additional benefits, including access to a Company-paid physical examination program, and greater maximum benefit levels with respect to life insurance, AD&D, and long-term disability coverage. We consider these benefits to be standard components of a competitive compensation package. Company-reimbursed air and ground transportation is restricted to business travel.
Relocation Assistance
We did not provide any significant relocation benefits to any of our NEOs during fiscal 2011. In past fiscal years, we have provided relocation benefits to our executive officers, including our NEOs, in order to induce job candidates to accept job offers for certain open positions that are critical to the Companys business needs. These benefits may include household goods and car shipment, travel, temporary housing, car rental, storage, miscellaneous relocation allowance, home sale and purchase assistance, house-hunting trips, and tax protection to offset costs incurred by our executive officers as a result of these relocations. Relocation benefits provided to NEOs in prior years are reported in the All Other Compensation column of the Summary Compensation Table below.
Post-Employment Arrangements
Change of Control Plan
Our executive officers, including our NEOs, are eligible to participate in the Electronic Arts Inc. Key Employee Continuity Plan, which is a double-trigger change of control plan. We believe it is important to offer our executive officers this type of severance benefit in order to attract executive talent by mitigating the harm that they would suffer if their employment is terminated by the Company for reasons beyond their control in conjunction with a change of control of the Company. This type of severance benefit also allows existing executive officers to focus on the Companys business without being unduly distracted by concerns about their job security in the event of a change of control and acts as an additional incentive for our executive officers to comply with their post-termination covenants. The Electronic Arts Inc. Key Employee Continuity Plan provides for specified levels of cash severance, continued health benefits and accelerated vesting of certain outstanding equity awards in the event of a qualifying termination of employment in connection with a change of control of the Company, as described in more detail under Potential Payments Upon Change of Control below.
Severance Plan
We maintain an ERISA-regulated severance plan (the Severance Plan) that applies to (1) all of our U.S.-based employees whose jobs are terminated due to a reduction-in-force and (2) any other employee we select to participate in the plan upon his or her termination of employment. Under the Severance Plan, eligible employees may receive a cash severance payment equal to two weeks pay, with any additional payments to be determined solely at our discretion. In addition, under the Severance Plan, we will pay the premiums for continued health benefits, if such benefits are continued pursuant to COBRA, for a time period equal to the number of weeks of cash severance paid.
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Any severance arrangements with our executive officers, including our NEOs, whether paid pursuant to the Severance Plan or otherwise, require the prior approval of the Committee. In the event of a change of control of the Company, the cash severance payment payable under the Severance Plan may be reduced, in whole or in part, by any amount paid under the Electronic Arts Inc. Key Employee Continuity Plan.
POLICIES AND PRACTICES
Stock Ownership Requirements
We maintain stock ownership requirements for all of our executive officers who are subject to Section 16 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. These ownership requirements range from one to six times an individuals annual base salary depending on his or her level within the Company. In some cases, these requirements are phased in on the basis of the executive officers tenure.
The Committee monitors these stock ownership requirements to ensure they continue to align the interests of our executive officers with those of our stockholders. As of March 31, 2011, each of our executive officers, including each of our NEOs, had either met his or her then-applicable stock ownership requirement or had not yet reached the date on which he or she is required to meet his or her ownership requirement.
We do not have a separate requirement that Section 16 officers hold shares of the Companys common stock for a specific period of time after an option exercise or vesting of RSUs.
Stock Trading and Anti-Hedging Policies
We maintain a policy designed to promote compliance by all of our employees with both federal and state insider trading laws. Under this policy, certain employees (including all of our executive officers) who regularly have access to material, non-public information about the Company are prohibited from buying or selling shares of the Companys common stock during periods when the Companys trading window is closed (unless such transactions are made pursuant to a pre-approved Exchange Act Rule 10b5-1 trading plan). When the trading window is open, these employees are prohibited from buying or selling shares of the Companys common stock while in possession of material, non-public information about the Company. During an open trading window, employees who are subject to the trading policy and are at the level of Vice President and above must request a trading clearance from our General Counsel prior to engaging in a trading transaction (unless such transaction is made pursuant to a pre-approved Exchange Act Rule 10b5-1 trading plan). In addition, our Directors, executive officers, and other employees may not engage in short sales of shares of the Companys common stock under any circumstances, including trading in puts and calls that increase in value from a decline in the trading price of our stock.
Equity Awards Grant Practices
Equity awards granted to executive officers during fiscal 2011were approved by the Committee in advance of the grant date and were made on the 16th of the month in which they were granted (or on the next NASDAQ trading day thereafter if the 16th of the month fell on a Saturday, Sunday, or holiday), with the exception of the equity award granted to Mr. Riccitiello on May 18, 2010, which was approved by the Board. The Committee has delegated authority for determining and approving equity grants for senior executives (other than executive officers), vice presidents and other non-executive employees, with pre-defined size limits and vesting schedules, to a committee consisting of our CEO and EVP of Human Resources, who reports on their activities to the Committee on at least an annual basis.
Compensation Recovery
In July 2009, the Committee adopted a compensation recovery provision to be included in all equity award agreements on a prospective basis. If an employee engages in fraud or other misconduct that contributes to an obligation to restate the Companys financial statements, this provision allows the Committee to terminate the equity award and recapture any equity award proceeds received by the employee within the 12-month period following the public issuance or filing of the financial statements required to be restated.
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Tax and Accounting Policies
Section 162(m)
When making compensation decisions for our NEOs, the Committee considers if the compensation arrangements are tax deductible under Section 162(m) of the Internal Revenue Code. However, tax deductibility is not the primary factor in determining appropriate levels or modes of compensation. Since corporate objectives may not always be consistent with the requirements for tax deductibility, we may, if consistent with our compensation philosophy, enter into compensation arrangements under which payments are not fully deductible under Section 162(m).
Accounting for Stock-Based Compensation
We account for our stock-based compensation awards in accordance with applicable accounting standards. The comparable compensation expense of restricted stock units and stock options has removed a financial reporting disincentive to use restricted stock units that existed before we began expensing stock options under the current accounting standard. As such, we use restricted stock units for all employee groups, including our NEOs.
EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION AND LEADERSHIP COMMITTEE REPORT ON EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION
The following Executive Compensation and Leadership Committee Report on Executive Compensation shall not be deemed to be soliciting material or to be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission nor shall this information be incorporated by reference into any future filing under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, except to the extent that EA specifically incorporates it by reference into a filing.
The Committee has reviewed and discussed with management the Compensation Discussion and Analysis. Based on its review and discussions with management, the Committee recommended to our Board of Directors that the Compensation Discussion and Analysis be included in this proxy statement.
COMMITTEE MEMBERS
Geraldine B. Laybourne (Chair)
Leonard S. Coleman
Linda J. Srere
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FISCAL 2011 SUMMARY COMPENSATION TABLE
The following table shows information concerning the compensation earned during fiscal 2011 by our Chief Executive Officer, our Chief Financial Officer and our next three most highly compensated executive officers. For purposes of the compensation tables that follow, we refer to these individuals collectively as the Named Executive Officers or NEOs.
Name and Principal Position |
Fiscal Year |
Salary ($) |
Bonus ($) |
Stock Awards ($)(1) |
Option Awards ($)(3) |
Non-Equity Incentive Plan Compensation ($)(4) |
All
Other Compensation ($)(5) |
Total ($) |
||||||||||||||||||||||||
JOHN S. RICCITIELLO |
2011 | 800,000 | | 3,508,000 | | 1,600,000 | 2,501 | 5,910,501 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Chief Executive Officer |
2010 | 800,000 | | 7,294,950 | 1,002,287 | 746,667 | 1,308 | 9,845,212 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
2009 | 793,749 | | 3,306,633 | (2)(6) | | 400,000 | 1,308 | 4,501,690 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
ERIC F. BROWN |
2011 | 600,000 | | 1,776,000 | | 700,000 | 4,070 | 3,080,070 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer |
2010 | 600,000 | | 2,201,680 | | 315,000 | 4,005 | 3,120,685 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
2009 | 577,731 | 100,000 | 5,986,583 | (2)(7) | 4,863,045 | 200,000 | 481,459 | 12,208,818 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
FRANK D. GIBEAU |
2011 | 591,538 | | 2,308,800 | | 1,180,000 | 12,321 | 4,092,659 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
President, EA Games |
2010 | 545,000 | | 2,657,200 | | 423,000 | 10,919 | 3,636,119 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
2009 | 538,917 | | 2,654,884 | (2)(8) | 1,252,640 | 200,000 | 8,208 | 4,654,649 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
PETER MOORE |
2011 | 594,615 | | 2,308,800 | | 580,000 | 12,321 | 3,495,736 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
President, EA SPORTS |
2010 | 565,000 | | 2,657,200 | | 401,000 | 10,919 | 3,634,119 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
2009 | 564,624 | | 2,654,884 | (2)(9) | 782,900 | 200,000 | 493,611 | 4,696,019 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
JOHN C. SCHAPPERT(10) |
2011 | 600,000 | | 2,308,800 | | | 15,717 | 2,924,517 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
former Chief Operating Officer |
2010 | 424,615 | 1,000,000 | (11) | 2,502,500 | (2)(12) | 4,106,950 | 270,000 | 1,978,556 | 10,282,621 |
(1) | Represents the aggregate grant-date fair value of restricted stock units (RSUs) and Performance-Based RSUs granted in those years. The amounts shown for fiscal 2009 represent the aggregate fair values of the awards as of their grant date and, therefore, differ from the amounts reported in the fiscal 2009 proxy statement. Grant-date fair value is determined for financial statement reporting purposes and the amounts shown do not reflect the actual value that will be realized by the recipient. For RSUs, grant-date fair value is calculated using the closing price of our common stock on the grant date. Refer to footnote 2 below for a discussion of the fair value calculation for Performance-Based RSUs. For additional information regarding the valuation methodology for RSUs, see Note 13, Stock-Based Compensation and Employee Benefit Plans, of the Consolidated Financial Statements in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2011. For additional information regarding the specific terms of RSUs granted to NEOs in fiscal 2011, see the Fiscal 2011 Grants of Plan-Based Awards Table below. |
(2) | Includes the aggregate grant-date fair value of Performance-Based RSUs granted in those years. Grant-date fair value is determined for financial statement reporting purposes and the amounts shown do not reflect the actual value that will be realized by the recipient. For Performance-Based RSUs, the grant-date fair value is the target payout on the grant date based on the probable outcome of the performance condition. The Performance-Based RSUs do not qualify as performance-based compensation within the meaning of Section 162(m). For additional information regarding the terms of Performance-Based RSUs granted to NEOs, see discussion of Prior Performance-based RSU Program in the Compensation Discussion and Analysis above. For additional information on the valuation methodology for Performance-Based RSUs, see Note 13, Stock-Based Compensation and Employee Benefit Plans, of the Consolidated Financial Statements in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2011. |
(3) | Represents the grant-date fair value of stock options granted in those years. The amounts shown for fiscal 2009 represent the aggregate fair values of the awards as of their grant date and, therefore, differ from the amounts reported in the fiscal 2009 proxy statement. Grant-date fair value is determined for financial statement reporting purposes and the amounts shown do not reflect the actual value that will be realized by the recipient. For additional information on the valuation methodology and assumptions used to calculate the fair value of stock options, see Note 13, Stock-Based Compensation and Employee Benefit Plans, of the Consolidated Financial Statements in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2011. |
(4) | Represents amounts awarded under the Electronic Arts Executive Bonus Plan for fiscal 2011. For additional information about the bonuses paid to our NEOs in fiscal 2011, see Executive Bonus Plan in the Compensation Discussion and Analysis above. In fiscal 2010 and fiscal 2009, the minimum funding targets for the Executive Bonus Plan were not met and our NEOs were awarded discretionary bonuses calculated according to the terms of the EA Bonus Plan. |
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(5) |
All Other Compensation Table
Name |
Fiscal Year |
Basic Group Term Life and Disability Premiums and Executive Physical Fees ($) |
Company- matching 401(k) Contributions ($)(A) |
Relocation- Related Costs ($) |
Tax Gross-up Related to Relocation Costs ($) |
Other ($) |
Total ($) |
|||||||||||||||||||||
JOHN S. RICCITIELLO |
2011 | 2,501 | | | | | 2,501 | |||||||||||||||||||||
2010 | 1,308 | | | | | 1,308 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
2009 | 1,308 | | | | | 1,308 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
ERIC F. BROWN |
2011 | 4,070 | | | | | 4,070 | |||||||||||||||||||||
2010 | 3,645 | | | 360 | (B) | | 4,005 | |||||||||||||||||||||
2009 | 1,199 | | 420,459 | (C) | 59,801 | | 481,459 | |||||||||||||||||||||
FRANK D. GIBEAU |
2011 | 1,296 | 11,025 | | | | 12,321 | |||||||||||||||||||||
2010 | 3,569 | 7,350 | | | | 10,919 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
2009 | 1,308 | 6,900 | | | | 8,208 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
PETER MOORE |
2011 | 1,296 | 11,025 | | | | 12,321 | |||||||||||||||||||||
2010 | 3,569 | 7,350 | | | | 10,919 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
2009 | 4,114 | 6,900 | 287,941 | (D) | 194,656 | | 493,611 | |||||||||||||||||||||
JOHN C. SCHAPPERT |
2011 | 1,296 | 11,025 | | 3,396 | (E) | | 15,717 | ||||||||||||||||||||
2010 | 872 | 1,038 | 1,240,436 | (F) | 736,210 | (G) | | 1,978,556 |
(A) | Amounts shown reflect company-matching 401(k) contributions for fiscal 2009, 2010 and 2011 that were each paid during the subsequent fiscal year. |
(B) | Includes tax gross-up related to relocation costs incurred in fiscal 2009. |
(C) | Relocation-related costs for Mr. Brown in fiscal 2009 include costs of a house-hunting trip, temporary housing, home sale costs, home purchase costs, storage, shipping of household goods and a miscellaneous relocation allowance. |
(D) | Relocation-related costs for Mr. Moore in fiscal 2009 include costs of a house-hunting trip, temporary housing, home sale costs, home purchase costs, storage, shipping of household goods and a miscellaneous relocation allowance. |
(E) | Includes tax gross-up related to relocation costs incurred in fiscal 2010. |
(F) | Relocation-related compensation was provided to Mr. Schappert in fiscal 2010 as an incentive for him to join the Company and to reimburse him for the costs resulting from that decision, including costs for a house-hunting trip, temporary housing, home sale costs, home purchase costs, shipping of household goods and a miscellaneous relocation allowance. These costs include payments related to the loss in value resulting from the sale of his home, measured as the difference between the original purchase price of the home and the fair market value, assessed using independent appraisals, immediately prior to marketing the home for sale. Mr. Schappert returned $247,201 of the relocation-related compensation paid by the Company upon his resignation pursuant to the terms of Mr. Schapperts Offer Letter dated June 15, 2009. |
(G) | Includes tax gross-up related to the loss on the sale of Mr. Schapperts former home of $649,287. |
(6) | Represents the aggregate grant-date fair value of the target payout of Performance-Based RSUs granted to Mr. Riccitiello in fiscal 2009 of $3,306,633, based on the probable outcome of the performance condition. At the time the Performance-Based RSUs were granted, we believed that the threshold target (one-third of the maximum award of 200,000 RSUs) was probable with vesting based upon the achievement of the first non-GAAP net income target. Assuming the highest level of performance condition is achieved, the maximum grant-date fair value for the Performance-Based RSUs would be $9,920,000. No shares have yet vested under the Performance-Based RSUs. |
(7) | Represents the aggregate grant-date fair value of 83,300 time-based RSUs granted to Mr. Brown during fiscal 2009 of $4,333,266 and the aggregate grant-date fair value of the target payout of the Performance-Based RSUs granted to Mr. Brown in fiscal 2009 of $1,653,317, based on the probable outcome of the performance condition. At the time the Performance-Based RSUs were granted, we believed that the threshold target (one-third of the maximum award of 100,000 RSUs) was probable with vesting based upon the achievement of the first non-GAAP net income target. Assuming the highest level of performance condition is achieved, the maximum grant-date fair value for the Performance-Based RSUs would be $4,960,000. No shares have yet vested under the Performance-Based RSUs. |
(8) | Represents the aggregate grant-date fair value of the 12,500 time-based RSUs granted to Mr. Gibeau in fiscal 2009 of $588,250 and the aggregate grant-date fair value of the target payout of the Performance-Based RSUs granted to Mr. Gibeau in fiscal 2009 of $2,066,634, based on the probable outcome of the performance condition. At the time the Performance-Based RSUs were granted, we believed that the threshold target (one-third of the maximum award of 125,000 RSUs) was probable with vesting based upon the achievement of the first non-GAAP net income target. Assuming the highest level of performance condition is achieved, the maximum grant-date fair value for the Performance-Based RSUs would be $6,200,000. No shares have yet vested under the Performance-Based RSUs. |
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(9) | Represents the aggregate grant-date fair value of the 12,500 time-based RSUs granted to Mr. Moore in fiscal 2009 of $588,250 and the aggregate grant-date fair value of the target payout of the Performance-Based RSUs granted to Mr. Moore in fiscal 2009 of $2,066,634, based on the probable outcome of the performance condition. At the time the Performance-Based RSUs were granted, we believed that the threshold target (one-third of the maximum award of 125,000 RSUs) was probable with vesting based upon the achievement of the first non-GAAP net income target. Assuming the highest level of performance condition is achieved, the maximum grant-date fair value for the Performance-Based RSUs would be $6,200,000. No shares have yet vested under the Performance-Based RSUs. |
(10) | Mr. Schappert resigned and ceased being EAs Chief Operating Officer effective April 25, 2011. |
(11) | Represents a sign-on bonus provided to Mr. Schappert to offset for foregone cash bonus and equity awards that he was eligible to receive from his prior employer. |
(12) | Represents the aggregate grant-date fair value of 75,000 time-based RSUs granted to Mr. Schappert during fiscal 2010 of $1,608,750 and the aggregate grant-date fair value of the target payout of the Performance-Based RSUs granted to Mr. Schappert in fiscal 2010 of $893,750, based on the probable outcome of the performance condition. At the time the Performance-Based RSUs were granted, we believed that the threshold target (one-third of the maximum award of 125,000 RSUs) was probable with vesting based upon the achievement of the first non-GAAP net income target. Assuming the highest level of performance condition is achieved, the maximum grant-date fair value for the Performance-Based RSUs would be $2,681,250. This award was cancelled as of April 25, 2011, the date of Mr. Schapperts resignation. |
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FISCAL 2011 GRANTS OF PLAN-BASED AWARDS TABLE
The following table shows information regarding non-equity incentive and equity plan-based awards granted to the Named Executive Officers during fiscal 2011.
Name |
Grant Date(1) |
Approval Date(1) |
Estimated Future Payouts Under Non-Equity Incentive Plan Awards(2) |
All Other Stock Awards: Number of Shares of Stock or Units (#)(3) |
Grant Date Fair Value of Stock Awards ($)(4) |
|||||||||||||||||||||||
Threshold ($) |
Target ($) |
Maximum ($) |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||
John S. Riccitiello |
| | | 1,200,000 | 2,400,000 | | | |||||||||||||||||||||
5/18/2010 | 5/18/2010 | | | | 200,000 | (5) | 3,508,000 | |||||||||||||||||||||
Eric F. Brown |
| | | 525,000 | 1,800,000 | | | |||||||||||||||||||||
5/17/2010 | 2/2/2010 | | | | 100,000 | (5) | 1,776,000 | |||||||||||||||||||||
Frank D. Gibeau |
| | | 590,833 | 1,800,000 | | | |||||||||||||||||||||
5/17/2010 | 2/2/2010 | | | | 130,000 | (5) | 2,308,800 | |||||||||||||||||||||
Peter Moore |
| | | 594,167 | 1,800,000 | | | |||||||||||||||||||||
5/17/2010 | 2/2/2010 | | | | 130,000 | (5) | 2,308,800 | |||||||||||||||||||||
John C. Schappert(6) |
| | | | | | | |||||||||||||||||||||
5/17/2010 | 2/2/2010 | | | | 130,000 | (5) | 2,308,800 |
(1) | Each grant was approved on the approval date indicated above by our Executive Compensation and Leadership Committee for grant on the specific grant date indicated above. For more information regarding our grant date policy, see Equity Awards Grant Practices in the Compensation Discussion and Analysis above. |
(2) | The amounts shown represent the target and maximum amount of potential cash bonus plan awards provided for under the Electronic Arts Executive Bonus Plan. The target amounts are pre-established as a percentage of salary and the maximum amounts represent the greatest payout, which could have been made if the pre-established performance level was met or exceeded. For more information regarding the bonuses paid to our NEOs in fiscal 2011, see the sections titled Individual NEO Compensation and Executive Bonus Plan in the Compensation Discussion and Analysis above. |
(3) | Represents awards of RSUs granted under our 2000 Equity Incentive Plan. Upon vesting, each restricted stock unit automatically converts into one share of EA common stock, and does not have an exercise price or expiration date. The RSUs are not entitled to receive dividends, if any, paid by EA on its common stock. |
(4) | Represents the aggregate grant-date fair value calculated using the closing price of our common stock on the date of grant. For a more detailed discussion of the valuation methodology and assumptions used to calculate fair value, see Note 13, Stock-Based Compensation and Employee Benefit Plans, of the Consolidated Financial Statements in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2011. The amounts reflected in this column represent the value determined by EA for financial statement reporting purposes and the amounts shown do not reflect the actual value that will be realized by the recipient. |
(5) | RSUs vest as to one-third 12 months from the grant date, then vest as to an additional one-third 24 months from the grant date and then vest as to the remaining one-third 36 months from the grant date. |
(6) | Mr. Schappert resigned and ceased being EAs Chief Operating Officer effective April 25, 2011. |
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OUTSTANDING EQUITY AWARDS AT FISCAL YEAR-END
The following table shows information regarding all outstanding equity awards held by the Named Executive Officers as of the end of fiscal 2011.
Option Awards | Stock Awards | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Name |
Number of Securities Underlying Unexercised Options (#)(1) |
Number of Securities Underlying Unexercised Options (#)(1) |
Option Exercise Price ($) |
Option Expiration Date |
Number of Shares or Units of Stock That Have Not Vested (#)(1)(2) |
Market Value of Shares or Units of Stock That Have Not Vested ($)(2) |
Equity Incentive Plan Awards: Number of Unearned Shares, Units or Other Rights That Have Not Vested (#)(1)(3) |
Equity Incentive Plan Awards: Market or Payout Value of Unearned Shares, Units or Other Rights That Have Not Vested ($)(4) |
||||||||||||||||||||||||
Exercisable | Unexercisable | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
John S. Riccitiello |
52,820 | 86,180 | (5) | 18.85 | 9/16/2016 | | | | | |||||||||||||||||||||||
563,000 | 287,000 | (6) | 49.90 | 5/10/2017 | | | | | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| | | | | | 66,667 | 1,315,340 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| | | | 258,000 | (7) | 5,090,340 | | | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| | | | 200,000 | (8) | 3,946,000 | | | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Eric F. Brown |
180,000 | 70,000 | (9) | 52.02 | 4/16/2018 | | | | | |||||||||||||||||||||||
50,000 | 50,000 | (10) | 16.06 | 12/16/2018 | | | | | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| | | | | | 33,333 | 657,660 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| | | | 41,650 | (11) | 821,755 | | | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| | | | 10,150 | (12) | 200,260 | | | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| | | | 66,667 | (7) | 1,315,340 | | | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| | | | 100,000 | (13) | 1,973,000 | | | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Frank D. Gibeau |
12,600 | | 31.32 | 10/7/2012 | | | | | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
60,000 | | 48.79 | 10/24/2013 | | | | | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
100,000 | | 57.42 | 9/2/2015 | | | | | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
35,000 | | 52.03 | 3/1/2016 | | | | | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
70,000 | | 51.64 | 8/16/2016 | | | | | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
32,200 | 2,800 | (14) | 49.71 | 6/18/2017 | | | | | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
88,000 | 12,000 | (15) | 50.80 | 8/16/2017 | | | | | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
100,000 | 100,000 | (10) | 16.06 | 12/16/2018 | | | | | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| | | | | | 41,667 | 822,090 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| | | | 1,250 | (16) | 24,663 | | | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| | | | 6,250 | (17) | 123,313 | | | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| | | | 12,667 | (18) | 249,920 | | | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| | | | 80,000 | (7) | 1,578,400 | | | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| | | | 130,000 | (13) | 2,564,900 | | | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Peter Moore |
301,000 | 49,000 | (19) | 53.73 | 9/17/2017 | | | | | |||||||||||||||||||||||
62,500 | 62,500 | (10) | 16.06 | 12/16/2018 | | | | | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| | | | | | 41,667 | 822,090 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| | | | 6,250 | (17) | 123,313 | | | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| | | | 25,000 | (20) | 493,250 | | | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| | | | 12,667 | (18) | 249,920 | | | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| | | | 80,000 | (7) | 1,578,400 | | | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| | | | 130,000 | (13) | 2,564,900 | | | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
John C. Schappert(21) |
210,000 | (22) | 290,000 | (22) | 21.45 | 7/16/2019 | | | | | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| | | | | | 41,667 | 822,090 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| | | | 56,250 | (23) | 1,109,813 | | | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| | | | 130,000 | (23) | 2,564,900 | | |
(1) | All stock options and RSUs were granted pursuant to EAs 2000 Equity Incentive Plan. |
(2) | Represents time-based RSUs. The market value was calculated by multiplying the number of unvested RSUs by $19.73, the closing price of EAs common stock on April 1, 2011, the last trading day of our fiscal year. |
(3) | Represents Performance-Based RSUs at the target achievement level. On the date of grant, we believed that one third of the awards would vest based upon achievement of the first non-GAAP net income target. The awards vest in three equal amounts, with the vesting of each amount contingent upon EAs achievement of three progressively higher adjusted non-GAAP net income targets (as measured on a trailing four-quarter basis). |
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(4) | The market value of Performance-Based RSUs was calculated by multiplying the number of unvested RSUs by $19.73, the closing price of EAs common stock on April 1, 2011, the last trading day of our fiscal year. For more information regarding these awards, see Prior Performance-Based RSU Program in the Compensation Discussion and Analysis above and footnote 2 of the Summary Compensation Table. |
(5) | Options vested as to 24 percent on September 1, 2010, then vest as to an additional 2 percent of the original grant each month until November 1, 2013. |
(6) | Options vest in the following manner: 72,000 of these options vested on April 1, 2008 and 228,000 options vest in additional 2 percent increments on the first calendar day of each month thereafter for the following 38 months; 275,000 options vested as to 100 percent on April 1, 2010; and 275,000 options will vest as to 100 percent on April 1, 2012. |
(7) | RSUs vested as to one-third on September 16, 2010, then vest as to an additional one-third on September 16, 2011 and then the remaining one-third on September 16, 2012. |
(8) | RSUs vest as to one-third on May 18, 2011, then vest as to an additional one-third on May 18, 2012 and then the remaining one-third on May 18, 2013. |
(9) | Options vested as to 24 percent on April 1, 2009, then vest as to an additional 2 percent of the original grant each month until June 1, 2012. |
(10) | Options vested as to 25 percent of the original grant on December 1, 2009, then vest as to an additional 25 percent on December 1, 2010 and the remaining 50 percent on December 1, 2011. |
(11) | RSUs vested as to 25 percent of the original grant on April 16, 2009 and 25 percent on April 16, 2010, 25 percent will vest on April 16, 2011 and the remaining 25 percent on April 16, 2012. |
(12) | RSUs vested as to one-third of the original grant on June 16, 2010, then vest one-third on June 16, 2011 and the remaining one-third on June 16, 2012. |
(13) | RSUs vest as to one-third on May 17, 2011, then vest as to an additional one-third on May 17, 2012 and then the remaining one-third on May 17, 2013. |
(14) | Options vested and became exercisable as to 24 percent of the original grant on June 1, 2008, then vest as to an additional 2 percent of the original grant each month until August 1, 2011. |
(15) | Options vested and became exercisable as to 24 percent of the original grant on August 1, 2008, then vest as to an additional 2 percent of the original grant each month until October 1, 2011. |
(16) | RSUs vested as to 25 percent of the original grant on June 18, 2008, 25 percent on June 18, 2009, 25 percent on June 18, 2010 and the remaining 25 percent scheduled to vest on June 18, 2011. |
(17) | RSUs vested as to 25 percent of the original grant on June 16, 2009 and 25 percent on June 16, 2010, then vest 25 percent on June 16, 2011 and the remaining 25 percent on June 16, 2012. |
(18) | RSUs vested as to one-third on June 16, 2010, and the remaining two-thirds are scheduled to vest as to an additional one-third on June 16, 2011 and the remaining one-third on June 16, 2012. |
(19) | Options vested as to 24 percent, on September 1, 2008, then vest as to an additional 2 percent of the original grant each month until November 1, 2011. |
(20) | RSUs vested as to 50 percent of the shares on September 17, 2009 and the remaining 50 percent of the shares will vest on September 17, 2011. |
(21) | Mr. Schappert resigned and ceased being EAs Chief Operating Officer effective April 25, 2011. |
(22) | Options vested as to 24 percent on July 1, 2010, then vested as to an additional 2 percent of the original grant each month until April 25, 2011. The last date to exercise the vested options is July 25, 2011. The unvested shares were cancelled on April 25, 2011. |
(23) | The RSUs were cancelled on April 25, 2011. |
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FISCAL 2011 OPTION EXERCISES AND STOCK VESTED TABLE
The following table shows all RSUs vested and value realized upon vesting by the Named Executive Officers during fiscal 2011. No options were exercised by the Named Executive Officers during fiscal 2011.
Stock Awards | ||||||||
Name |
Number of Shares Acquired on Vesting (#)(1) |
Value Realized
on Vesting ($)(2) |
||||||
John S. Riccitiello |
70,305 | 2,146,560 | ||||||
Eric F. Brown |
35,357 | 1,042,481 | ||||||
Frank D. Gibeau |
30,526 | 840,072 | ||||||
Peter Moore |
29,988 | 819,860 | ||||||
John C. Schappert |
11,872 | 290,438 |
(1) | Represents shares of EA common stock released during fiscal 2011, net of shares withheld for tax purposes. |
(2) | The value realized upon vesting of RSUs is calculated by multiplying the number of RSUs vested by the prior days closing price of EA common stock on the vest date. |
FISCAL 2011 NONQUALIFIED DEFERRED COMPENSATION TABLE
We maintain a nonqualified deferred compensation plan (the DCP) that allows certain employees, including our NEOs and our directors, to defer receipt of their base salary or director fees into cash accounts that mirror the gains and/or losses of a variety of different investment funds. These investment funds correspond to the funds that we offer to participants in our tax-qualified Section 401(k) savings plan. Eligible employee-participants may defer receipt of up to 75 percent of their base salary until a date or dates they specify.
None of our NEOs made base salary deferrals under the DCP during fiscal 2011. Prior to 2007, Mr. Schappert elected to defer a portion of his base salary and bonus (earned in or prior to fiscal 2007) under the DCP to be distributed in annual installment payments following his termination of employment. Pursuant to the terms of the DCP, Mr. Schapperts initial termination of employment in 2007 triggered the distribution of his account, starting in calendar year 2008. The table below shows the amount of compensation from prior years that was distributed during fiscal 2011, and the aggregate earnings and balance of Mr. Schapperts account as of the end of fiscal 2011. Mr. Schappert resigned and ceased being EAs Chief Operating Officer effective April 25, 2011.
Name |
Executive Contributions in Last FY ($)(1) |
Registrant Contributions in Last FY ($)(1) |
Aggregate Earnings in Last FY ($)(2) |
Aggregate Withdrawals/ Distributions ($) |
Aggregate Balance at Last FYE ($)(3) |
|||||||||||||||
John C. Schappert |
| | 164,962 | 203,537 | 1,285,255 |
(1) | No contributions were made by either EA or Mr. Schappert to his DCP account during fiscal 2011. |
(2) | The amount in this column is not included in the Summary Compensation Table because the earnings during fiscal 2011 were not above market or preferential. |
(3) | The amount in this column is not included in the Summary Compensation Table for previous years because Mr. Schappert was not an NEO prior to fiscal 2010. |
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POTENTIAL PAYMENTS UPON CHANGE OF CONTROL
Electronic Arts Key Employee Continuity Plan
All employees at the level of Vice President and above are eligible to participate in the Electronic Arts Inc. Key Employee Continuity Plan (the CoC Plan). The CoC Plan is a double-trigger plan which provides eligible employees, including our NEOs, with certain payments and benefits if their employment is terminated without cause or if they resign for good reason during the 12-month period following a change of control of the Company or if their employment is terminated without cause during the two-month period preceding a change of control of the Company. Eligible employees are not entitled to any payments or benefits in the event they voluntarily resign or are terminated for cause. The CoC Plan payments and benefits include:
| a cash severance payment based on a multiple of base salary and target bonus or annual incentive opportunity; |
| continued health benefits for a period ranging from six to 18 months, depending on the executive employees position with the Company; and |
| full and immediate vesting of all outstanding and unvested equity awards (other than certain portions of performance-based awards, which may be subject to acceleration depending on the specific terms of such awards). |
The cash severance payment that our CEO, Company-level Presidents and executive vice presidents are entitled to receive upon a qualifying termination of employment is equal to 150 percent of the sum of that executive officers annual base salary and target bonus opportunity. Health benefits for these same positions may continue for up to 18 months.
The CoC Plan does not provide for any additional payments or benefits (for example, tax gross-ups or reimbursements) in the event that the payments under the CoC Plan and other arrangements offered by the Company or its affiliates cause an executive officer to owe an excise tax under Section 280G of the Internal Revenue Code. However, the CoC Plan provides that, if an executive officer would receive a greater net after-tax benefit by having his or her CoC Plan payments reduced to an amount that would avoid the imposition of the Section 280G excise tax, his or her payment will be reduced accordingly.
As a condition to each executive employees right to receive the payments and benefits provided under the CoC Plan, the executive is required to execute a waiver of claims against the Company and will be bound by the terms of a non-solicitation agreement prohibiting the executive, for a one-year period following his or her termination of employment, from soliciting our employees to leave the Company.
The following table sets forth potential payments under the CoC Plan and the terms of our Performance-Based RSU agreements to our NEOs upon termination of employment without cause or resignation for good reason occurring during the two-month period before or the 12-month period after a change of control of the Company. For purposes of the table below, we have assumed a termination date of April 1, 2011, the last trading day of our fiscal year. The closing market price of our common stock on April 1, 2011 was $19.73 per share.
Name |
Cash Award ($)(1) |
Stock Options ($)(2) |
Restricted Units (time-based) ($)(3) |
Restricted Stock Units (performance-based) ($)(4) |
Other ($)(5) |
Total ($) |
||||||||||||||||||
John S. Riccitiello |
3,000,000 | 75,838 | 9,036,340 | 3,946,000 | 104,293 | 16,162,471 | ||||||||||||||||||
Eric F. Brown |
1,687,500 | 183,500 | 4,310,354 | 1,973,000 | 76,365 | 8,230,719 | ||||||||||||||||||
Frank D. Gibeau |
1,773,557 | 367,000 | 4,541,195 | 2,466,250 | 51,246 | 9,199,248 | ||||||||||||||||||
Peter Moore |
1,783,173 | 229,375 | 5,009,782 | 2,466,250 | 81,690 | 9,570,270 | ||||||||||||||||||
John C. Schappert(6) |
| | | | | |
(1) | Represents the sum of each NEOs base salary, as set forth in the Summary Compensation Table, and target non-equity incentive opportunity, as set forth in the Grants of Plan-Based Awards Table (as of April 1, 2011), multiplied by 1.5. |
(2) | Represents unvested outstanding options that would accelerate and vest on a qualifying termination in connection with a change of control occurring as of April 1, 2011. This amount is calculated by multiplying |
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the number of shares underlying each accelerated unvested option by the difference between the per-share closing price of our common stock on April 1, 2011, which was the last trading day of our fiscal year end, and the per-share exercise price. All of the unvested options for Mr. Riccitiello have exercise prices that are above the closing price of the common stock on April 1, 2011 with the exception of the option granted to him on September 16, 2009, which has an exercise price of $18.85 per share. All of the unvested options for Messrs. Brown, Gibeau and Moore have exercise prices that are above the closing price of the common stock on April 1, 2011 with the exception of the options granted to them on December 16, 2008, which have an exercise price of $16.06 per share. |
(3) | Represents the value of unvested restricted stock or RSUs that would accelerate and vest on a qualifying termination in connection with a change of control occurring on April 1, 2011. The value was calculated by multiplying the number of RSUs and shares of restricted stock that would accelerate by the per-share closing price of our common stock on April 1, 2011. |
(4) | For purposes of the table, we assumed that all Performance-Based RSUs held by the NEOs as of April 1, 2011, would accelerate and vest on a qualifying termination in connection with a change of control occurring as of April 1, 2011. The value was calculated by multiplying the number of RSUs and shares of restricted stock that would accelerate by the per-share closing price of our common stock on April 1, 2011. In the event of a change of control of the Company, the Performance-Based RSUs will be automatically converted into time-based restricted stock units, which will vest on June 30, 2013 subject to two exceptions. If the recipients employment is terminated without cause by the Company or if the recipient resigns for good reason(as such terms are defined in the grant award agreement), within one year of the change of control event, his or her Performance-Based RSUs will vest upon the termination date of the recipients employment and if, during the two months immediately preceding a change of control, the recipients employment is terminated by the Company without cause, and such termination is made in connection with the change of control, as determined by the Committee in its sole discretion, then his or her Performance-Based RSUs will vest on the date of the change of control event. |
(5) | Includes eighteen months of post-termination health benefits and any accrued paid time off/vacation pay. |
(6) | Mr. Schappert resigned and ceased being EAs Chief Operating Officer effective April 25, 2011. |
EQUITY COMPENSATION PLAN INFORMATION
We have four equity incentive plans (excluding plans assumed or adopted by EA in connection with acquisitions, as described in the footnotes below) that have been approved by our stockholders and under which our common stock is or has been authorized for issuance to employees or directors: the 1991 Stock Option Plan, the 1998 Directors Stock Option Plan, the 2000 Equity Incentive Plan, and the 2000 Employee Stock Purchase Plan.
We have also granted RSUs and notes payable solely in shares of our common stock to certain employees in connection with our acquisition of VG Holding Corp. (VGH) without stockholder approval in accordance with applicable NASDAQ listing standards.
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The following table and related footnotes provides aggregate information regarding grants under all of our equity incentive plans as of the end of fiscal 2011 including the 2000 Equity Incentive and 2000 Employee Stock Purchase Plans.
Plan Category(1) |
Number of Securities to be Issued upon Exercise of Outstanding Options, Warrants and Rights |
Weighted-Average Exercise Price of Outstanding Options, Warrants and Rights |
Number of Securities Remaining Available for Future Issuance under Equity Compensation Plans (Excluding Securities Reflected in Column A) |
|||||||||
(A) | (B) | (C) | ||||||||||
Equity compensation plans approved by security holders |
26,977,199 | (2)(3) | $ | 31.42 | (4) | 21,417,290 | (5) | |||||
Equity compensation plans not approved by security holders |
1,051,209 | (6) | | | ||||||||
Total |
28,028,408 | (7) | 21,417,290 | |||||||||
(1) | The table does not include information for equity incentive plans we assumed in connection with our acquisitions of Maxis in 1997, Criterion Software in 2004, JAMDAT Mobile Inc. in 2006 and VG Holding Corp. (VGH) in 2008. As of April 2, 2011 a total of: (a) 74,501 shares of common stock were issuable upon exercise of outstanding options issued under the 1995 Maxis stock option plan with a weighted-average exercise price of $25.45; (b) a total of 2,198 shares were issuable upon exercise of outstanding options issued under the Criterion stock option plan with a weighted-average exercise price of $1.61; (c) a total of 5,548 shares were issuable upon exercise of outstanding options issued under the JAMDAT Amended and Restated 2000 Stock Incentive Plan with a weighted-average exercise price of $1.96; (d) a total of 19,430 shares were issuable upon exercise of outstanding options with a weighted-average exercise price of $48.01 under the JAMDAT 2004 Equity Incentive Plan; and (e) a total of 37,489 shares were issuable upon exercise of outstanding options with a weighted-average exercise price of $34.56, and 94,097 unvested RSUs were outstanding under the VG Holding Corp. 2005 Stock Incentive Plan, as amended. No shares remain available for issuance under the Maxis, Criterion and JAMDAT plans and no further grants will be made under the VGH plan. |
(2) | Includes (a) 49,000 shares of common stock issuable upon exercise of outstanding options under our 1991 Stock Option Plan, with a weighted-average exercise price of $28.52; (b) 197,010 shares of common stock issuable upon exercise of outstanding options under the 1998 Directors Stock Option Plan with a weighted-average exercise price of $32.79; (c) 12,514,261 shares of common stock issuable upon exercise of outstanding options under the 2000 Equity Incentive Plan, with a weighted-average exercise price of $31.41; and (d) 14,216,928 unvested RSUs outstanding under the 2000 Equity Incentive Plan. The 1991 Stock Option Plan and the 1998 Directors Stock Option Plan have expired and no further grants may be made under those Plans. |
(3) | Does not include 601,394 unvested shares of restricted stock outstanding as of April 2, 2011 issued pursuant to the 2000 Equity Incentive Plan. |
(4) | Restricted stock unit awards and notes payable solely in shares of common stock do not have an exercise price and therefore are not included in the calculation of the weighted-average exercise price. |
(5) | Includes (a) 16,857,464 shares available for issuance as stock options or 11,788,436 shares available for issuance as restricted stock units or restricted stock under the 2000 Equity Incentive Plan and (b) 4,559,826 shares available for purchase by our employees under the 2000 Employee Stock Purchase Plan. |
(6) | Represents RSUs and notes payable solely in shares of common stock granted in connection with our acquisition of VGH. As of April 2, 2011, a total of: (a) (i) 472,140 time-based RSUs and (ii) 157,688 Performance-Based RSUs were outstanding under the 2007 Electronic Arts VGH Acquisition Inducement Award Plan (the VGH Inducement Plan); and (b) 421,381 shares of common stock were reserved for issuance pursuant to service-based non-interest bearing notes payable solely in shares of our common stock, which were granted to certain former employees of VGH who became employees of EA following the acquisition (the Notes). The RSUs granted pursuant to the VGH Inducement Plan and the Notes were granted in connection with our acquisition of VGH without stockholder approval in accordance with |
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applicable NASDAQ listing standards. No further grants will be made under the VGH Inducement Plan and no further Notes will be awarded to the former employees of VGH. |
(7) | The total number of securities to be issued upon exercise of outstanding options, warrants, and rights, including the total number of securities referenced in footnotes (1) and (3) above, is 28,863,065. |
RELATED PERSON TRANSACTIONS POLICY
Our Board of Directors has adopted a written Related Person Transactions Policy. The purpose of the policy is to describe the procedures used to identify, review, approve or ratify and, if necessary, disclose (i) any transaction, arrangement or relationship (or any series of similar transactions, arrangements or relationships) in which EA (including any of its subsidiaries) was, is or will be a participant and the amount involved exceeds $120,000, and in which any related person had, has or will have a direct or indirect interest, or (ii) any transaction for which EAs Global Code of Conduct would require approval of the Board of Directors. For purposes of the policy, a related person is (a) any person who is, or at any time since the beginning of EAs last fiscal year was, a director or executive officer of EA or a nominee to become a director of EA, (b) any person who is known to be the beneficial owner of more than 5 percent of any class of EAs voting securities, (c) any immediate family member or person sharing the household (other than a tenant or employee) of any of the foregoing persons, and (d) any firm, corporation or other entity in which any of the foregoing persons is employed or is a partner or principal or in a similar position or in which such person has a 10 percent or greater beneficial ownership interest.
Once a potential related person transaction has been identified, the Audit Committee (if the transaction involves an executive officer of the Company) or the Nominating and Governance Committee (if the transaction involves a director of EA) will review the transaction at the next scheduled meeting of such committee. In those instances in which it is not practicable or desirable to wait until the next scheduled committee meeting, the chairperson of the applicable committee shall consider the matter and report back to the relevant committee at the next scheduled meeting.
In determining whether to approve or ratify a related person transaction, the Audit Committee or Nominating and Governance Committee (or the relevant chairperson of such committee) shall consider all of the relevant facts and circumstances available. No member of the Audit Committee or Nominating and Governance Committee shall participate in any review, consideration or approval of any related person transaction with respect to which such member or any of his or her immediate family members is the related person. The Audit Committee and Nominating and Governance Committee (or the relevant chairperson) shall approve only those related person transactions that are in, or are not inconsistent with, the best interests of EA and its stockholders, as determined in good faith.
CERTAIN RELATIONSHIPS AND RELATED PERSON TRANSACTIONS
We enter into indemnification agreements with each of the members of our Board of Directors at the time they join the Board to indemnify them to the extent permitted by law against any and all liabilities, costs, expenses, amounts paid in settlement and damages incurred by the directors as a result of any lawsuit, or any judicial, administrative or investigative proceeding in which the directors are sued or charged as a result of their service as members of our Board of Directors.
VGH Acquisition
Prior to becoming Chief Executive Officer of Electronic Arts, John S. Riccitiello was a Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Elevation Partners, L.P., and also served as Chief Executive Officer of VGH, which we acquired in January 2008. At the time of the acquisition, Mr. Riccitiello held an indirect financial interest in VGH resulting from his interest in the entity that controlled Elevation Partners, L.P. and his interest in a limited partner of Elevation Partners, L.P., a significant stockholder of VGH. As a result of the acquisition, Mr. Riccitiellos financial returns related to these interests, including returns of deemed capital contributions, were $2.4 million through May 2008 (some of which is subject to return depending on the performance of the
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Elevation entities). In February 2011, Mr. Riccitiello was assessed $717,000 as part of this clawback provision. Mr. Riccitiello has not received any additional payments related to the VGH acquisition to date. However, he could receive up to an additional $883,000 plus any interest or other amounts earned thereon. This amount could be reduced, however, by a variety of factors, including investment losses of Elevation, if any, as well as certain expenses of Elevation that could offset partnership profits. Upon his separation from Elevation Partners, L.P., Mr. Riccitiello ceased to have any further control or influence over these factors.
From the commencement of negotiations with VGH, at the direction of EAs Board of Directors, EAs Audit Committee engaged directly with EA management (independently from Mr. Riccitiello) to analyze and consider the potential benefits, risks and material terms of the acquisition. EAs Board of Directors approved the acquisition after reviewing with EAs management and members of the Audit Committee the terms of the acquisition and the potential benefits and risks thereof, as well as Mr. Riccitiellos personal financial interest in VGH and the acquisition. Mr. Riccitiello recused himself from the Board of Directors meeting during the Boards deliberation of the acquisition and he did not vote on the acquisition.
XfireTechnology License Agreement
On March 15, 2010, we entered into a technology license agreement with MPQ Acquisition Corp, doing business as Xfire, Inc. (Xfire). John Maffei, the brother of Greg Maffei, our Audit Committee Chairman, is a principal of Xfire and has served in various executive management positions within Xfire. Under the agreement, Xfire has granted to EA a non-exclusive perpetual license for the use of certain technology in EAs products in exchange for $650,000 in total consideration to be paid in four annual payments through January 2014. EA also agreed to establish commercial letters of credit to meet its future payment obligations to Xfire.
Greg Maffei has no direct or indirect interest in our commercial dealings with Xfire and he was not involved in the license negotiations with Xfire, which were conducted on an arms length basis. Our Board of Directors considered this related person transaction in reaching its determination that Greg Maffei is an independent director within the meaning of the NASDAQ Stock Market and the SEC rules.
Scott Probst
Scott Probst, the son of the Chairman of our Board, has been employed by the Company since 2003, most recently as a games producer. In fiscal 2011, Scott Probst received compensation that exceeded $120,000. The Executive Compensation and Leadership Committee, on behalf of the Nominating and Governance Committee, reviews the compensation decisions involving Scott Probst in accordance with our Related Person Transactions policy.
Other Relationships
In addition, we have engaged, and expect to continue to engage, in what we consider to be arms length commercial dealings with the following companies, which are affiliated, or were affiliated, as the case may be, with members of our Board of Directors: Google Inc. and Nokia Corporation. Mr. Huber is a Senior Vice President at Google and until October 2010, Mr. Simonson was an Executive Vice President of Nokia. To date, these transactions have not been material to us or to the other entities involved. We do not believe that Mr. Huber has, or that Mr. Simonson had, a material direct or indirect interest in any of our commercial dealings with Google or Nokia, respectively, and therefore do not consider these dealings to be related person transactions within the meaning of applicable SEC rules. Our Board of Directors considered our dealings with Google and Nokia in reaching its determination that Mr. Huber and Mr. Simonson are each an independent director.
COMPENSATION COMMITTEE INTERLOCKS AND INSIDER PARTICIPATION
From April 1, 2010 (the beginning of fiscal 2011) through March 31, 2011 (the end of fiscal 2011), the Executive Compensation and Leadership Committee consisted of Ms. Srere, Mr. Coleman and Ms. Laybourne. None of these individuals is an employee or current or former officer of EA. No EA officer serves or has served since the beginning of fiscal 2011 as a member of the board of directors or the compensation committee of a company at which a member of EAs Executive Compensation and Leadership Committee is an employee or officer.
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SECTION 16(a) BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP REPORTING COMPLIANCE
Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 requires EAs directors and executive officers, and persons who own more than 10 percent of a registered class of EAs equity securities, to file reports of ownership and changes in ownership of common stock and other equity securities of EA. We have adopted procedures to assist EAs directors and officers in complying with these requirements, which include assisting officers and directors in preparing forms for filing.
To EAs knowledge, based solely upon review of such reports furnished to us and written representations that no other reports were required, we believe that during the fiscal year ended March 31, 2011, all Section 16(a) filing requirements applicable to our officers, directors and greater-than-ten-percent stockholders were complied with on a timely basis.
STOCKHOLDER PROPOSALS FOR 2012 ANNUAL MEETING
If you would like us to consider a proposal to be included in our 2012 proxy statement and proxy card, you must deliver it to the Companys Corporate Secretary at our principal executive office no later than February 10, 2012.
Stockholders who otherwise wish to present a proposal at the 2012 Annual Meeting of Stockholders must deliver written notice of the proposal to our Corporate Secretary c/o Electronic Arts Inc., 209 Redwood Shores Parkway, Redwood City, CA 94065, no earlier than March 30, 2012 and no later than April 29, 2012 (provided, however, that if the 2012 Annual Meeting is held earlier than June 28, 2012 or later than August 27, 2012, proposals must be received no earlier than the close of business on the later of the 90th day prior to the 2012 Annual Meeting or the 10th day following the day on which public announcement of the 2012 Annual Meeting is first made). The submission must include certain information concerning the stockholder and the proposal, as specified in the Companys amended and restated bylaws. Our amended and restated bylaws are included as an exhibit to a Current Report on Form 8-K we filed with the SEC on May 11, 2009, which you may access through the SECs electronic data system called EDGAR at www.sec.gov. You may also request a copy of our amended and restated bylaws by contacting our Corporate Secretary at the address above.
HOUSEHOLDING OF PROXY MATERIALS
The SEC has adopted rules that permit companies and intermediaries (e.g., brokers) to satisfy the delivery requirements for notices of internet availability of proxy materials, proxy statements and annual reports with respect to two or more stockholders sharing the same address by delivering a single notice, proxy statement and/or annual report addressed to those stockholders. This process, which is commonly referred to as householding, potentially means extra convenience for stockholders and cost savings for companies.
A number of brokers with account holders who are EA stockholders will be householding our notices and proxy materials. A single notice or set of proxy materials will be delivered to multiple stockholders sharing an address unless contrary instructions have been received from the affected stockholders. Once you have received notice from your broker that they will be householding communications to your address, householding will continue until you are notified otherwise or until you revoke your consent. If, at any time, you no longer wish to participate in householding and would prefer to receive a separate notice or proxy materials, please notify your broker, direct your written request to our Corporate Secretary at our principal executive office, or contact our Corporate Secretary at (650) 628-1500. Stockholders who currently receive multiple copies of the notice or proxy materials at their address and would like to request householding of their communications should contact their broker.
REQUESTS TO THE COMPANY
The Company will provide without charge, to each person to whom a Notice and/or a proxy statement is delivered, upon request of such person and by first class mail within one business day of receipt of such request, a copy of the 2000 Equity Incentive Plan and 2000 Employee Stock Purchase Plan, each as proposed to be amended. Any such request should be directed as follows: Stock Administration Department, Electronic Arts Inc., 209 Redwood Shores Parkway, Redwood City, CA 94065 telephone number (650) 628-1500.
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OTHER BUSINESS
The Board does not know of any other matter that will be presented for consideration at the Annual Meeting except as specified in the notice of the meeting. If any other matter does properly come before the Annual Meeting, or at any adjournment or postponement of the Annual Meeting, it is intended that the proxies will be voted in respect thereof in accordance with the judgment of the persons voting the proxies.
By Order of the Board of Directors,
Stephen G. Bené
Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary
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GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF THE 2000 EQUITY INCENTIVE PLAN
History
The Companys 2000 Equity Incentive Plan (the Equity Plan) was adopted by our Board of Directors on January 27, 2000 and initially approved by our stockholders on March 22, 2000. The Equity Plan has been amended several times since it was initially adopted. The following general description of the Equity Plan reflects all prior amendments, as well as the amendment proposed to be adopted by the Companys stockholders at the 2011 Annual Meeting. The following general description is qualified in its entirety by reference to the text of the Equity Plan, as proposed to be amended, as filed by the Company with the SEC on or about June 10, 2011. Unless otherwise indicated, capitalized terms used in this Appendix A shall have the meanings set forth in the text of the Equity Plan.
Shares Subject to the Equity Plan
The stock subject to issuance under the Equity Plan consists of shares of the Companys authorized but unissued common stock. The Equity Plan, as amended to date, authorizes the issuance of up to 104,685,000 shares of common stock pursuant to awards of stock options, stock appreciation rights, restricted stock and restricted stock units. As proposed to be amended, the number of shares authorized for issuance under the Equity Plan would be increased to 114,685,000. In addition, shares are again available for grant and issuance under the Equity Plan that (a) were subject to an option granted under the Equity Plan that terminated, to the extent then unexercised, (b) were subject to a restricted stock or restricted stock unit award under the Equity Plan that is subsequently forfeited or repurchased by us at the original issue price, if any, or (c) are subject to an award of restricted stock or restricted stock units under the Equity Plan that otherwise terminates without shares being issued. The following types of shares are not available for future grant or issuance as awards under the Equity Plan: (x) shares that are not issued or delivered as a result of the net settlement of a stock option or stock appreciation right; (y) shares that are used to pay the exercise price or withholding taxes related to an award granted under the Equity Plan; and (z) shares that are repurchased by us with the proceeds of a stock option exercise.
The number of shares issuable under the Equity Plan, and under outstanding options and other awards, is subject to proportional adjustment to reflect stock splits, stock dividends and other similar events.
Share Usage
Shares covered by an Award shall be counted as used as of the Grant Date. Any shares that are subject to Awards of Options or stock appreciation rights, granted on or after July 31, 2008, shall be counted against the aggregate number of shares reserved under the Equity Plan as one (1) share for every one (1) share subject to an Award of Options or stock appreciation rights. Any shares that are subject to Awards other than Options or stock appreciation rights, granted (a) on or after July 31, 2008 but prior to July 29, 2009, shall be counted against the aggregate number of shares reserved under the Equity Plan as 1.82 shares for every one (1) share granted; and (b) on or after July 29, 2009, shall be counted against the aggregate number of shares reserved under the Equity Plan as 1.43 shares for every one (1) share granted.
Eligibility
The Equity Plan provides for the issuance of incentive stock options, nonqualified stock options, stock appreciation rights, restricted stock and restricted stock units. The Equity Plan provides that employees (including officers and directors who are also employees) of EA or any parent or subsidiary of EA may receive incentive stock options under the Equity Plan. Nonqualified stock options, stock appreciation rights, restricted stock, and restricted stock units may be granted to employees and directors of EA or any parent or subsidiary of EA. As of May 20, 2011, approximately 7,500 persons were in the class of persons eligible to participate in the Equity Plan. No person is eligible to receive more than 1,400,000 shares of common stock (of which no more than 400,000 shares may be covered by awards of restricted stock) in any calendar year, other than new employees who will be eligible to receive up to 2,800,000 shares of common stock (of which no more than 800,000 shares may be covered by awards of restricted stock) in the calendar year in which they commence employment. No awards of stock appreciation rights have been made to date under the Equity Plan. A participant may hold more than one award granted under the Equity Plan.
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Administration
The Equity Plan is administered by our Executive Compensation and Leadership Committee. All of the members of the Executive Compensation and Leadership Committee are non-employee and independent directors under applicable federal securities laws and NASDAQ listing requirements, and outside directors as defined under applicable federal tax laws. The Executive Compensation and Leadership Committee has the authority to construe and interpret the Equity Plan, grant awards and make all other determinations necessary or advisable for the administration of the Equity Plan. The members of the Executive Compensation and Leadership Committee receive no compensation for administering the Equity Plan other than their compensation for being Board and Committee members. The Company bears all expenses in connection with administration of the Equity Plan and has agreed to indemnify members of the Executive Compensation and Leadership Committee in connection with their administration of the Equity Plan. The Executive Compensation and Leadership Committee may delegate to one or more officers of the Company the authority to grant Awards under the Equity Plan to participants who are not executive officers of the Company.
Stock Options
Stock options granted under the Equity Plan may be either incentive stock options or nonqualified stock options. The exercise period of stock options is determined by the Executive Compensation and Leadership Committee but, in no event, may stock options be exercisable more than ten years from the date they are granted. The Equity Plan provides the Executive Compensation and Leadership Committee with the ability, at its discretion, to grant performance-based options subject to the achievement of one or more of the performance factors described under the heading Performance Factors below.
Exercise Price
The Executive Compensation and Leadership Committee determines the exercise price of each option granted under the Equity Plan. The option exercise price for each incentive and nonqualified stock option share must be no less than 100 percent of the fair market value (as defined in the Equity Plan) of a share of common stock at the time the stock option is granted. In the case of an incentive stock option granted to a stockholder that owns more than 10 percent of the total combined voting power of all classes of stock of EA or any parent or subsidiary of EA (a Ten Percent Stockholder), the exercise price for each such incentive stock option must be no less than 110 percent of the fair market value of a share of common stock at the time the incentive stock option is granted.
The exercise price of options and purchase price of shares granted under the Equity Plan may be paid as approved by the Executive Compensation and Leadership Committee at the time of grant: (a) in cash (by check); (b) by cancellation of indebtedness of the Company to the award holder; (c) by surrender of shares that either: (1) have been owned by the award holder for more than six (6) months and have been paid for within the meaning of SEC Rule 144; or (2) were obtained by the award holder in the public market; (d) by waiver of compensation due or accrued for services rendered; (e) with respect only to purchases upon exercise of an option, and provided that a public market for the Companys stock exists: (1) subject to applicable laws, by a same-day sale commitment from the optionee and a National Association of Securities Dealers, Inc. (NASD) broker; or (2) by a margin commitment from the optionee and an NASD broker; (f) by withholding from the shares to be issued upon exercise of an award that number of shares having a fair market value equal to the minimum amount required to satisfy the exercise price or purchase price; (g) by any combination of the foregoing; or (h) such other consideration and method of payment for issuance of shares to the extent permitted by applicable laws.
No Repricings or Exchanges of Awards Without Stockholder Approval
The Executive Compensation and Leadership Committee may, at any time or from time to time, authorize the Company, with the consent of the affected Equity Plan participants, to issue new awards in exchange for the surrender and cancellation of any or all outstanding awards; provided, however, that no such exchange program may, without the approval of the Companys stockholders, allow for the cancellation of an outstanding option or stock appreciation right in exchange for a new option or stock appreciation right having a lower exercise price. The Compensation Committee may also, subject to approval by the Companys stockholders, at any time buy a previously granted award with payment in cash, shares (including restricted stock) or other consideration, based on such terms and conditions as the Committee and the Participant may agree.
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Outside Directors
Equity granted to non-employee directors is determined at the discretion of the Board.
In the event of our dissolution or liquidation or a change of control transaction, options granted to our non-employee directors under the Equity Plan will become 100 percent vested and exercisable in full.
In addition, our non-employee directors may elect to receive all or a portion of their cash compensation in shares of common stock. Directors making this election are entitled to receive shares having a value equal to 110 percent of the amount of the cash compensation foregone.
Stock Appreciation Rights
The Executive Compensation and Leadership Committee, or a committee to which it has delegated the appropriate authority, may grant stock appreciation rights (a SAR or SARs) as stand-alone awards or in addition to, or in tandem with, other awards under the Equity Plan under such terms, conditions and restrictions as the Executive Compensation and Leadership Committee, or a committee to which it has delegated the appropriate authority, may determine; provided, however, that no SAR will be exercisable after the expiration of ten (10) years from the date the SAR is granted. A SAR is an award which provides the holder with the right to receive the appreciation in value of a set number of shares of company stock or cash over a set period of time. A SAR is similar to an option in that the holder benefits from any increases in stock price above the exercise price set forth in the award agreement. However, unlike an option, the holder is not required to pay an exercise price to exercise a SAR, but simply receives the net amount of the increase in stock price in the form of cash or stock. The exercise price for a SAR must be no less than 100 percent of the fair market value (as defined in the Equity Plan) of a share of common stock at the time the SAR is granted. In addition, the Executive Compensation and Leadership Committee, or a committee to which it has delegated the appropriate authority, may, at its discretion, subject SARs to the achievement of one or more of the performance factors described under the heading Performance Factors below.
Restricted Stock Awards
The Executive Compensation and Leadership Committee may grant restricted stock awards either in addition to, or in tandem with, other awards under the Equity Plan under such terms, conditions and restrictions as the Executive Compensation and Leadership Committee may determine. A restricted stock award is an offer by Electronic Arts to award shares of common stock that are subject to restrictions established by the Executive Compensation and Leadership Committee. These restrictions may be based upon completion by the award holder of a specified number of years of service or by the attainment of one or more of the performance factors described under the heading Performance Factors below. The purchase price, if any, for each such award is determined by the Executive Compensation and Leadership Committee at the time of grant. In the case of an award to a Ten Percent Stockholder, the purchase price must be 100 percent of fair market value. The purchase price, if any, may be paid for in any of the forms of consideration listed in items under Exercise Price above, as are approved by the Executive Compensation and Leadership Committee at the time of grant.
Restricted Stock Units
Restricted stock unit awards may be granted under the Equity Plan, either in addition to, or in tandem with, other awards under the Equity Plan under such terms, conditions and restrictions as the Executive Compensation and Leadership Committee, or a committee to which it has delegated the appropriate authority, may determine. A restricted stock unit award is similar to a restricted stock award (and may be awarded subject to any or all of the performance goals described under the heading Performance Factors below) except the stock is not delivered to the participant unless and until all restrictions have terminated.
Performance Factors
Performance-based stock options, stock appreciation rights, restricted stock and restricted stock unit awards with vesting and/or exercisability conditioned on one or more of the following permissible performance factors may be granted under the Equity Plan, either individually, alternatively, or in any combination, on a GAAP or
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non-GAAP basis, to be measured over a specified performance period that may be as short as a quarter or as long as five years (unless tied to a specific and objective milestone or event), to the extent applicable on an absolute basis or relative to a pre-established target: (a) profit before tax; (b) revenue (on an absolute basis or adjusted for currency effects); (c) net revenue; (d) earnings (which may include earnings before interest and taxes, earnings before taxes, and net earnings); (e) operating income; (f) operating margin; (g) operating profit; (h) controllable operating profit, or net operating profit; (i) net profit; (j) gross margin; (k) operating expenses or operating expenses as a percentage of revenue; (l) net income; (m) earnings per share; (n) total stockholder return; (o) market share; (p) return on assets or net assets; (q) the Companys stock price; (r) growth in stockholder value relative to a pre-determined index; (s) return on equity; (t) return on invested capital; (u) cash flow (including free cash flow or operating cash flows); (v) cash conversion cycle; (w) economic value added; (x) individual confidential business objectives; (y) contract awards or backlog; (z) overhead or other expense reduction; (aa) credit rating; (bb) strategic plan development and implementation; (cc) succession plan development and implementation; (dd) improvement in workforce diversity; (ee) customer indicators; (ff) new product invention or innovation; (gg) attainment of research and development milestones; (hh) improvements in productivity; or (ii) attainment of objective operating goals and employee metrics.
In addition, the Committee may, in its sole discretion and in recognition of unusual or non-recurring items such as acquisition-related activities or changes in applicable accounting rules, provide for one or more equitable adjustments (based on objective standards) to the performance factors to preserve the Committees original intent regarding the performance factors at the time of the initial award grant.
Mergers, Consolidations, and Change of Control
Except for automatic grants to non-employee directors, in the event of a merger, consolidation, dissolution or liquidation of EA, the sale of substantially all of its assets or any other similar corporate transaction, the successor corporation may assume, replace or substitute equivalent awards in exchange for those granted under the Equity Plan or provide substantially similar consideration, shares or other property as was provided to our stockholders (after taking into account the provisions of the awards). In the event that the successor corporation does not assume, replace or substitute awards, such awards will accelerate and all options will become exercisable in full prior to the consummation of the transaction at the time and upon the conditions as the Executive Compensation and Leadership Committee determines. Any awards not exercised prior to the consummation of the transaction will terminate.
Transferability
Incentive stock options granted under the Equity Plan are not transferable other than by means of a distribution upon the optionees death. Nonqualified stock options, stock appreciation rights, restricted stock, and restricted stock unit awards are subject to similar restrictions on transfer unless otherwise determined by the Executive Compensation and Leadership Committee and except that nonqualified stock options may be transferred to family members and trusts or foundations controlled by, or primarily benefiting, family members of the optionee.
Term of the Equity Plan
The Equity Plan expires in 2020 unless terminated earlier by the Board.
United States Federal Income Tax Information
THE FOLLOWING IS A GENERAL SUMMARY AS OF THE DATE OF THIS PROXY STATEMENT OF THE UNITED STATES FEDERAL INCOME TAX CONSEQUENCES TO THE COMPANY AND PARTICIPANTS UNDER THE EQUITY PLAN. THE FEDERAL TAX LAWS MAY CHANGE AND THE FEDERAL, STATE AND LOCAL TAX CONSEQUENCES FOR ANY PARTICIPANT WILL DEPEND UPON HIS OR HER INDIVIDUAL CIRCUMSTANCES. IN ADDITION, THE INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE COULD, AT ANY TIME, TAKE A POSITION CONTRARY TO THE INFORMATION DESCRIBED IN THE FOLLOWING SUMMARY. ANY TAX EFFECTS THAT ACCRUE TO NON-U.S. PARTICIPANTS AS A RESULT OF PARTICIPATING IN THE EQUITY PLAN ARE GOVERNED BY THE TAX LAWS OF THE COUNTRIES IN WHICH SUCH PARTICIPANT RESIDES OR IS OTHERWISE SUBJECT. EACH PARTICIPANT WILL BE ENCOURAGED TO SEEK THE ADVICE OF A QUALIFIED TAX ADVISOR REGARDING THE TAX CONSEQUENCES OF PARTICIPATION IN THE EQUITY PLAN.
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Incentive Stock Options
A participant will recognize no income upon grant or vesting of an incentive stock option and will generally not incur tax on its exercise. Unless the participant is subject to the alternative minimum tax (AMT), the participant will recognize income only when the shares acquired upon the exercise of an incentive stock option (the ISO Shares) are sold or otherwise disposed of. If the participant holds ISO Shares for more than one year after the date the option was exercised and for more than two years after the date the option was granted, the participant will realize a long-term capital gain or loss (rather than ordinary income) upon disposition of the ISO Shares. This long-term capital gain or loss will be equal to the difference between the amount realized upon such disposition and the amount paid for the ISO Shares.
If the participant disposes of ISO Shares prior to the expiration of either the one-year or two-year required holding period (a disqualifying disposition), the gain realized upon such disposition, up to the difference between the fair market value of the ISO Shares on the date of exercise (or, if less, the amount realized on a sale of such shares) and the option exercise price, will be treated as ordinary income. Any additional gain will be capital gain, taxed at a rate that depends upon the amount of time the ISO Shares were held by the participant.
Alternative Minimum Tax
The Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT) is a separately computed tax which was devised to ensure that at least a minimum amount of income tax is paid. AMT is imposed only if and to the extent that a participant would pay more tax if his or her income tax were calculated pursuant to the AMT rules than if calculated in the regular manner. The difference between the option exercise price and the fair market value of the ISO Shares on the date of exercise is includable as income for purposes of calculating the AMT for both (i) a vested ISO and (ii) an unvested ISO for which the participant makes a timely election under Section 83(b) of the U.S. Internal Revenue Code (an 83(b) election).
Alternative minimum taxable income is determined by adjusting regular taxable income for certain items, increasing that income by certain tax preference items (including the difference between the fair market value of the ISO Shares on the date of exercise and the exercise price) and reducing this amount by the applicable exemption amount. The AMT (imposed to the extent it exceeds the taxpayers regular income tax) is 26 percent of an individual taxpayers alternative minimum taxable income (28 percent in the case of alternative minimum taxable income in excess of $175,000 in the case of married individuals filing a joint return). If a disqualifying disposition of the ISO Shares occurs in the same calendar year as the exercise of an incentive stock option, those ISO Shares are not included in the AMT calculation.
If a participant has to pay AMT, he or she is entitled to a credit against income tax (but not AMT) in later years subject to many restrictions. Also, upon a sale of ISO Shares that is not a disqualifying disposition, alternative minimum taxable income is reduced in the year of sale by the amount that was previously included in alternative minimum taxable income in the year of exercise, i.e. the difference between the amount paid for the ISO Shares and the fair market value of the ISO Shares on the date of exercise.
Nonqualified Stock Options
A participant will generally not recognize any taxable income at the time a nonqualified stock option (NQSO) is granted or vests provided the exercise price is no less than the fair market value of the underlying shares on the grant date. Upon exercise of a vested NQSO, the participant will include in income as compensation an amount equal to the difference between the fair market value of the shares on the date of exercise and the participants exercise price. The included amount will be taxed as ordinary income to the participant and will be subject to withholding by the Company or its subsidiary (by payment in cash, withholding out of the award or withholding out of the participants salary). Upon resale of the shares by the participant, any subsequent appreciation or depreciation in the value of the shares will be treated as a capital gain or loss, taxable at a rate that depends upon the length of time the shares were held by the participant.
Restricted Stock Awards
A participant who receives a restricted stock award will include the amount of the award in income as compensation at the time that any forfeiture restrictions on the shares of stock lapse, unless the participant makes
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a timely 83(b) election. If the participant does not timely make an 83(b) election, the participant will include in income the fair market value of the shares of stock on the date that the restrictions lapse as to those shares, less any purchase price paid for such shares. The included amount will be taxed as ordinary income to the participant and will be subject to withholding by the Company or its subsidiary (by payment in cash, withholding out of the participants award or withholding out of the participants salary).
If the participant makes a timely 83(b) election, the participant will, at the time the award is received, include the fair market value of the shares of stock on the date of receipt of the award (determined without regard to lapse restrictions), less any purchase price paid for such shares in income as compensation. The income will be subject to withholding by the Company or its subsidiary (by payment in cash, withholding out of the participants salary or withholding out of the participants award). If the award is subsequently forfeited, the participant will not receive any deduction for the amount previously taxed as ordinary income.
Restricted Stock Units
A participant will recognize income as compensation with respect to an award of restricted stock units at the time that the restrictions lapse, provided the shares are issued on the date the restrictions lapse. The participant will include in income the fair market value of the shares of stock on the date that the restrictions lapse as to those shares, less any purchase price paid for such shares. The included amount will be taxed as ordinary income to the participant and will be subject to withholding by the Company or its subsidiary (by payment in cash, withholding out of the participants award or withholding out of the participants salary).
Stock Appreciation Rights
Assuming that a stock appreciation right (SAR) is granted at an exercise price that is not less than the fair market value of the underlying shares on the grant date, a participant will not recognize any taxable income at the time a SAR is granted or when the SAR vests. However, upon exercise of a vested SAR, an amount equal to the difference between the fair market value of the shares on the date of exercise and the participants exercise price will be included in income as compensation to the participant. The included amount will be taxed as ordinary income to the participant and will be subject to withholding by the Company or its subsidiary (by payment in cash, withholding out of the award or withholding out of the participants salary). Upon resale of the shares issued to the participant at the time of exercise, any subsequent appreciation or depreciation in the value of the shares will be treated as capital gain or loss, taxable at a rate that depends upon the length of time the shares were held by the participant.
Internal Revenue Code Section 409A
At the present time, the Company intends to grant equity awards to participants which are either outside the scope of Section 409A of the U.S. Internal Revenue Code or are exempted from the application of Section 409A. If an equity award is subject to Section 409A and the requirements of Section 409A are not met, participants may suffer adverse tax consequences with respect to the equity award. Such consequences may include taxation at the time of the vesting of the award, an additional 20 percent tax penalty on the non-compliant deferred income and interest and penalties on any deferred income.
Tax Treatment of the Company
To the extent that the participant recognizes ordinary income and the Company properly reports such income to the Internal Revenue Service (the IRS), the Company generally will be entitled to a deduction in connection with the exercise of a NQSO or a SAR by a participant or upon the lapse of restrictions with respect to a participants restricted stock or restricted stock unit award. The Company will be entitled to a deduction in connection with the disposition of ISO Shares only to the extent that the participant recognizes ordinary income on a disqualifying disposition of the ISO Shares and provided that the Company properly reports such income to the IRS.
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ERISA
The Equity Plan is not subject to any of the provisions of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 and is not qualified under Section 401(a) of the Code.
Proposed Amendment to the Equity Plan
At the 2011 Annual Meeting, stockholders will be asked to approve an amendment to the Equity Plan to increase the number of shares authorized under the Equity Plan by 10,000,000 shares.
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GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF THE 2000 EMPLOYEE STOCK PURCHASE PLAN
2000 Employee Stock Purchase Plan, as Amended
The following general description of the Purchase Plan is qualified in its entirety by reference to the text of the Purchase Plan, as proposed to be amended, as filed by the Company with the SEC on or about June 10, 2011. Unless otherwise indicated, capitalized terms used in this Appendix B shall have the meanings set forth in the text of the Purchase Plan.
History. The 2000 Purchase Plan was adopted by the Board on May 25, 2000, approved by the Stockholders on July 27, 2000, and has been subsequently amended.
Purpose. The purpose of the Purchase Plan is to provide employees of the Company with a convenient means of acquiring common stock of the Company through payroll deductions, to enhance the employees sense of participation in the affairs of the Company and subsidiaries, and to provide an incentive for continued employment.
Administration. The Purchase Plan is administered on behalf of the Board by the Executive Compensation and Leadership Committee of the Board. The interpretation by the Executive Compensation and Leadership Committee of any provision of the Purchase Plan is final and binding on all participating employees.
Eligibility. All employees of the Company (including directors who are employees), or any parent or subsidiary, are eligible to participate in the Purchase Plan except the following: (i) employees who are not employed by the Company on the 15th day of the month before the beginning of an Offering Period (as defined below); (ii) employees who are customarily employed for less than 20 hours per week; (iii) employees who are customarily employed for less than 5 months in a calendar year; and (iv) employees who, pursuant to Section 424(d) of the Code, own or hold options to purchase or who, as a result of participation in the Purchase Plan, would own stock or hold options to purchase stock representing 5 percent or more of the total combined voting power or value of all classes of stock of the Company or any parent or subsidiary. As of May 20, 2011, the Company estimates that approximately 8,480 persons were eligible to participate in the Purchase Plan.
Participation. Each offering of the Companys common stock under the Purchase Plan is for a period of one year (the Offering Period). Offering Periods commence on the first business day of March and September of each year. The first day of each Offering Period is the Offering Date for such Offering Period. An employee cannot participate simultaneously in more than one Offering Period. Each Offering Period consists of two six-month purchase periods (each a Purchase Period) commencing on the first business day of March and September. The last day of each Purchase Period is a Purchase Date.
Employees may participate in the Purchase Plan during each pay period through payroll deductions. An employee sets the rate of such payroll deductions, which may not be less than 2 percent nor more than 10 percent of the employees base salary, wages, commissions, overtime, shift premiums and bonuses plus draws against commissions, unreduced by the amount by which the employees salary is reduced pursuant to Sections 125 or 401(k) of the Code. Eligible employees may elect to participate in any Offering Period by enrolling as provided under the terms of the Purchase Plan. Once enrolled, a participating employee will automatically participate in each succeeding Offering Period unless such employee withdraws from the Offering Period. After the rate of payroll deductions for an Offering Period has been set by an employee, that rate continues to be effective for the remainder of the Offering Period (and for all subsequent Offering Periods in which the employee is automatically enrolled) unless otherwise changed by the employee. The employee may increase or lower the rate of payroll deductions for any subsequent Offering Period but may only lower the rate of payroll deductions during the current Purchase Period. Not more than one change may be made effective during any one Purchase Period.
In any given Purchase Period, no employee may purchase more than (a) twice the number of shares that could have been purchased with the payroll deductions if the purchase price were determined by using 85 percent of the fair market value of a share of the Companys common stock on the Offering Date or (b) the maximum number of shares set by the Board. In addition, no employee may purchase shares at a rate that, when aggregated with all other rights to purchase stock under all other employee stock purchase plans of the Company, or any parent or subsidiary of the Company, exceeds $25,000 in fair market value (determined on the Offering Date) for each year.
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Purchase Price. The purchase price of shares that may be acquired in any Purchase Period under the Purchase Plan is 85 percent of the lesser of (a) the fair market value of the shares on the Offering Date of the Offering Period in which the participant is enrolled or (b) the fair market value of the shares on the Purchase Date. The fair market value of the common stock on a given date is the closing price of the common stock on the immediately preceding business day as quoted on the NASDAQ Global Select Market.
Purchase of Stock. The number of whole shares an employee may purchase in any Purchase Period is determined by dividing the total amount of payroll deductions withheld from the employee during the Purchase Period pursuant to the Purchase Plan by the price per share determined as described above, subject to the limitations described above. The purchase takes place automatically on the last market day of the Purchase Period.
Withdrawal. An employee may withdraw from any Offering Period at any time at least 15 days prior to the end of an Offering Period. No further payroll deductions for the purchase of shares will be made for the succeeding Offering Period unless the employee enrolls in the new Offering Period in the same manner as for initial participation in the Purchase Plan.
Termination of Employment. Termination of an employees employment for any reason, including retirement or death, immediately cancels the employees participation in the Purchase Plan. In such event, the payroll deductions credited to the employees account will be returned to such employee or, in case of death, to the employees legal representative.
Adjustment Upon Changes in Capitalization. The number of shares subject to any purchase, and the number of shares issuable under the Purchase Plan, is subject to adjustment in the event of a recapitalization of the Companys common stock. In the event of a proposed dissolution or liquidation of the Company, the Offering Period will terminate and the Board may, in its sole discretion, give participants the right to purchase shares that would not otherwise be purchasable until the last day of the applicable Purchase Period.
Tax Treatment of U.S.-based Participants. Participating employees in the U.S. will not recognize income for federal income tax purposes either upon enrollment in the Purchase Plan or upon the purchase of shares. All federal income tax consequences are deferred until a participating U.S. employee sells the shares, disposes of the shares by gift, or dies.
If shares are held for more than one year after the date of purchase and more than two years from the beginning of the applicable Offering Period, or if the employee dies while owning the shares, the employee realizes ordinary income on a sale (or a disposition by way of gift or upon death) to the extent of the lesser of: (i) 15 percent of the fair market value of the shares at the beginning of the Offering Period; or (ii) the actual gain (the amount by which the market value of the shares on the date of sale, gift or death, exceeds the purchase price). All additional gain upon the sale of shares is treated as long-term capital gain. If the shares are sold and the sale price is less than the purchase price, there is no ordinary income, and the employee has a long-term capital loss for the difference between the sale price and the purchase price.
If the shares are sold or are otherwise disposed of, including by way of gift (but not death, bequest or inheritance), prior to the expiration of either the one-year or the two-year holding periods described above (in any case a disqualifying disposition), the employee will realize ordinary income at the time of sale or other disposition taxable to the extent that the fair market value of the shares at the date of purchase was greater than the purchase price. This excess will constitute ordinary income in the year of the sale or other disposition even if no gain is realized on the sale or if a gratuitous transfer is made. The difference, if any, between the proceeds of sale and the fair market value of the shares at the date of purchase is a capital gain or loss. Capital gains may be offset by capital losses, and up to $3,000 of capital losses in excess of capital gains may be offset annually against ordinary income. Ordinary income recognized by an employee upon a disqualifying disposition constitutes taxable compensation that will be reported on a W-2 form. The Company takes the position that any ordinary income recognized upon a sale or other disposition is not subject to withholding.
Tax Treatment of Non-U.S.-based Participants. For participants residing outside the U.S., the Company will assess its requirements regarding tax, social insurance and other applicable taxes in connection with participation in the Purchase Plan. These requirements may change from time to time as laws or interpretations change.
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Tax Treatment of the Company. The Company is entitled to a deduction in connection with the disposition of shares acquired under the Purchase Plan only to the extent that the employee recognized ordinary income on a disqualifying disposition of the shares. The Company treats any transfer of record ownership of shares, including transfer to a broker or nominee or into street name, as a disposition, unless it is notified to the contrary. In order to enable the Company to learn of disqualifying dispositions and ascertain the amount of the deductions to which it is entitled, employees are required to notify the Company in writing of the date and terms of any disposition of shares purchased under the Purchase Plan.
Proposed Amendment of the 2000 Employee Stock Purchase Plan
At the 2011 Annual Meeting, stockholders will be asked to increase by 3,500,000 the number of shares of the Companys common stock reserved for issuance under the Purchase Plan.
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(included only with the electronic filing of Schedule 14A with the SEC;
Appendix C is not a part of the proxy statement)
ELECTRONIC ARTS INC.
2000 EQUITY INCENTIVE PLAN
As Proposed to be Amended by the Stockholders on July 28, 2011
1. PURPOSE. The purpose of this Plan is to provide incentives to attract retain and motivate eligible persons whose present and potential contributions are important to the success of the Company, its Parent and Subsidiaries by offering them an opportunity to participate in the Companys future performance through awards of Options, Restricted Stock, Restricted Stock Units, and Stock Appreciation Rights. Capitalized terms not defined in the text are defined in Section 24.
2. SHARES SUBJECT TO THE PLAN.
2.1 Number of Shares Available for Awards. Subject to Sections 2.2, 2.3 and 19, the aggregate number of Shares that have been reserved pursuant to this Plan is 114,685,000 Shares. Shares that are: (a) subject to issuance upon exercise of an Award but cease to be subject to such Award for any reason other than exercise of such Award; (b) subject to an Award granted hereunder but are forfeited; or (c) subject to an Award that otherwise terminates or is settled without Shares being issued shall revert to and again become available for issuance under the Plan in the same amount as such Shares were counted against the number of Shares reserved pursuant to Section 2.2. The following Shares shall not again become available for issuance under the Plan: (x) Shares that are not issued or delivered as a result of the net settlement of an Option or Stock Appreciation Right; (y) Shares that are used to pay the exercise price or withholding taxes related to an Award; or (z) Shares that are repurchased by the Company with the proceeds of an Option exercise. At all times the Company shall reserve and keep available a sufficient number of Shares as shall be required to satisfy the requirements of all outstanding Options and Stock Appreciation Rights granted under this Plan and all other outstanding but unvested Awards granted under this Plan.
2.2 Share Usage. Shares covered by an award shall be counted as used as of the Grant Date. Any Shares that are subject to Awards of Options or SARs, granted on or after July 31, 2008, shall be counted against the aggregate number of Shares reserved as set forth in Section 2.1 as one (1) Share for every one (1) Share subject to an Award of Options or SARs. Any Shares that are subject to Awards other than Options or SARs, granted (a) on or after July 31, 2008 but prior to July 29, 2009, shall be counted against the number of Shares available for grant (as set forth in Section 2.1) as 1.82 Shares for every one (1) Share granted; and (b) on or after July 29, 2009, shall be counted against the number of Shares available for grant (as set forth in Section 2.1) as 1.43 Shares for every one (1) Share granted.
2.3 Adjustment of Shares. In the event that the number of outstanding shares is changed by a stock dividend, recapitalization, stock split, reverse stock split, subdivision, combination, reclassification or similar change in the capital structure of the Company without consideration, then (a) the number of Shares reserved for issuance under this Plan, (b) the Exercise Prices of and number of Shares subject to outstanding Awards, and (c) the number of Shares associated with other outstanding Awards, will be proportionately adjusted, subject to any required action by the Board or the stockholders of the Company and compliance with applicable securities laws; provided, however, that fractions of a Share will not be issued but will either be replaced by a cash payment equal to the Fair Market Value of such fraction of a Share or will be rounded up to the nearest whole Share, as determined by the Committee.
3. ELIGIBILITY. ISOs (as defined in Section 5 below) may be granted only to employees (including officers and directors who are also employees) of the Company or of a Parent or Subsidiary of the Company. All other Awards may be granted to employees and directors of the Company or any Parent or Subsidiary of the Company.
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No person will be eligible to receive Awards covering more than 1,400,000 Shares in any calendar year under this Plan, of which no more than 400,000 Shares shall be covered by Awards of Restricted Stock or Restricted Stock Units, other than new employees of the Company or of a Parent or Subsidiary of the Company (including new employees who are also officers and directors of the Company or any Parent or Subsidiary of the Company), who are eligible to receive Awards covering up to a maximum of 2,800,000 Shares in the calendar year in which they commence their employment, of which no more than 800,000 Shares shall be covered by Awards of Restricted Stock or Restricted Stock Units. For purposes of these limits, each Restricted Stock Unit settled in Shares (but not those settled in cash), shall be deemed to cover one Share. A person may be granted more than one Award under this Plan.
4. ADMINISTRATION.
4.1 Committee Authority. This Plan will be administered by the Committee or by the Board acting as the Committee. Subject to the general purposes, terms and conditions of this Plan, and to the direction of the Board, the Committee will have full power to implement and carry out this Plan. The Committee will have the authority to:
(a) | construe and interpret this Plan, any Award Agreement and any other agreement or document executed pursuant to this Plan; |
(b) | prescribe, amend and rescind rules and regulations relating to this Plan or any Award; |
(c) | select persons to receive Awards; |
(d) | determine the form and terms of Awards; |
(e) | determine the number of Shares or other consideration subject to Awards; |
(f) | determine whether Awards will be granted singly, in combination with, in tandem with, in replacement of, or as alternatives to, other Awards under this Plan or any other incentive or compensation plan of the Company or any Parent or Subsidiary of the Company; |
(g) | grant waivers of Plan or Award conditions; |
(h) | determine the vesting, exercisability and payment of Awards; |
(i) | correct any defect, supply any omission or reconcile any inconsistency in this Plan, any Award or any Award Agreement; |
(j) | determine whether an Award has been earned; and |
(k) | make all other determinations necessary or advisable for the administration of this Plan. |
4.2 Committee Discretion. Any determination made by the Committee with respect to any Award will be made in its sole discretion at the time of grant of the Award or, unless in contravention of any express term of this Plan or Award, at any later time, and such determination will be final and binding on the Company and on all persons having an interest in any Award under this Plan. The Committee may delegate to one or more officers of the Company the authority to (i) construe and interpret this Plan, any Award Agreement and any other agreement or document executed pursuant to this Plan, and (ii) grant an Award under this Plan to Participants who are not Insiders of the Company.
4.3 Section 162(m). To the extent that Awards are granted hereunder as performance-based compensation within the meaning of Section 162(m) of the Code, the Plan shall be administered by a committee, which may be the Committee, of two or more outside directors within the meaning of Section 162(m) of the Code. For purposes of qualifying grants of Awards as performance-based compensation under Section 162(m) of the Code, the committee, in its discretion, may set restrictions based upon the achievement of performance goals. The performance goals shall be set by the committee on or before the latest date permissible to enable the Awards to qualify as performance-based compensation under Section 162(m) of the Code. In granting Awards that are intended to qualify under Section 162(m) of the Code, the committee shall follow any procedures determined by it from time to time to be necessary or appropriate to ensure qualification of the Awards under Section 162(m) of the Code (e.g., in determining the performance goals).
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5. OPTIONS. The Committee may grant Options to eligible persons and will determine whether such Options will be Incentive Stock Options within the meaning of the Code (ISO) or Nonqualified Stock Options (NQSOs), the number of Shares subject to the Option, the Exercise Price of the Option, the period during which the Option may be exercised, and all other terms and conditions of the Option, subject to the following:
5.1 Form of Option Grant. Each Option granted under this Plan will be evidenced by an Award Agreement which will expressly identify the Option as an ISO or an NQSO (Stock Option Agreement), and will be in such form and contain such provisions (which need not be the same for each Participant) as the Committee may from time to time approve, and which will comply with and be subject to the terms and conditions of this Plan.
5.2 Date of Grant. The date of grant of an Option will be the date on which the Committee makes the determination to grant such Option, unless otherwise specified by the Committee. The Stock Option Agreement and a copy of this Plan will be delivered to the Participant within a reasonable time after the granting of the Option.
5.3 Exercise Period; Performance Goals.
(a) Options may be exercisable within the times or upon the events determined by the Committee as set forth in the Stock Option Agreement governing such Option; provided, however, that no Option will be exercisable after the expiration of ten (10) years from the date the Option is granted; and provided, further, that no ISO granted to a person who directly or by attribution owns more than ten percent (10%) of the total combined voting power of all classes of stock of the Company or of any Parent or Subsidiary of the Company (Ten Percent Stockholder) will be exercisable after the expiration of five (5) years from the date the ISO is granted. The Committee also may provide for Options to become exercisable at one time or from time to time, periodically or otherwise, in such number of Shares or percentage of Shares as the Committee determines.
(b) Participants ability to exercise Options shall be subject to such restrictions, if any, as the Committee may impose. These restrictions may be based upon completion of a specified number of years of service with the Company or a Subsidiary or upon completion of the performance goals as set out in advance in the Participants individual Stock Option Agreement. Options may vary from Participant to Participant and between groups of Participants. Should the Committee elect to impose restrictions on an Option, the Committee shall: (a) determine the nature, length and starting date of any Performance Period for the Option; (b) select from among the Performance Factors to be used to measure performance goals, if any; and (c) determine the number of Shares subject to such Option. Prior to such Option becoming exercisable, the Committee shall determine the extent to which such Performance Factors have been met. Performance Periods may overlap and Participants may participate simultaneously with respect to Options that are subject to different Performance Periods and have different performance goals and other criteria.
5.4 Exercise Price. The Exercise Price of an Option will be determined by the Committee when the Option is granted and may be not less than 100% of the Fair Market Value of the Shares on the date of grant; provided that the Exercise Price of any ISO granted to a Ten Percent Stockholder will not be less than 110% of the Fair Market Value of the Shares on the date of grant. Payment for the Shares purchased may be made in accordance with Section 9 of this Plan.
5.5 Method of Exercise. Options may be exercised only by delivery to the Company of a written stock option exercise agreement (the Exercise Agreement) in a form approved by the Committee (which need not be the same for each Participant), stating the number of Shares being purchased, the restrictions imposed on the Shares purchased under such Exercise Agreement, if any, and such representations and agreements regarding Participants investment intent and access to information and other matters, if any, as may be required or desirable by the Company to comply with applicable securities laws, together with payment in full of the Exercise Price for the number of Shares being purchased.
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5.6 Termination. Notwithstanding the exercise periods set forth in the Stock Option Agreement, exercise of an Option will always be subject to the following:
(a) If the Participant is Terminated for any reason except death or Disability, then the Participant may exercise such Participants Options only to the extent that such Options would have been exercisable upon the Termination Date no later than three (3) months after the Termination Date (or such shorter or longer time period not exceeding five (5) years as may be determined by the Committee, with any exercise beyond three (3) months after the Termination Date deemed to be an NQSO), but in any event, no later than the expiration date of the Options.
(b) If the Participant is Terminated because of Participants death or Disability (or the Participant dies within three (3) months after a Termination other than for Cause or because of Participants Disability), then Participants Options may be exercised only to the extent that such Options would have been exercisable by Participant on the Termination Date and must be exercised by Participant (or Participants legal representative or authorized assignee) no later than twelve (12) months after the Termination Date (or such shorter or longer time period not exceeding five (5) years as may be determined by the Committee, with any such exercise beyond (a) three (3) months after the Termination Date when the Termination is for any reason other than the Participants death or Disability, or (b) twelve (12) months after the Termination Date when the Termination is for Participants death or Disability, deemed to be an NQSO), but in any event no later than the expiration date of the Options.
(c) Notwithstanding the provisions in paragraph 5.6(a) above, if a Participant is terminated for Cause, neither the Participant, the Participants estate nor such other person who may then hold the Option shall be entitled to exercise any Option with respect to any Shares whatsoever, after termination of service, whether or not after termination of service the Participant may receive payment from the Company or Subsidiary for vacation pay, for services rendered prior to termination, for services rendered for the day on which termination occurs, for salary in lieu of notice, or for any other benefits. In the event that the Committee has delegated to one or more officers of the Company the authority set forth in Section 4.2 above and Participant has been notified that such officer or officers has made a determination that Participant has been terminated for Cause, Participant shall have five (5) business days (measured from the date he or she was first notified of such determination) to appeal such determination to the Committee. If Participant appeals to the Committee in a timely manner, the Committee shall give the Participant an opportunity to present to the Committee evidence on his or her behalf. If the Committee has not delegated to one or more officers of the Company the authority set forth in Section 4.2, and the Committee makes such Cause determination itself, such decision shall be deemed final and unappealable. For the purpose of this paragraph, termination of service shall be deemed to occur on the date when the Company or Subsidiary dispatches notice or advice to the Participant that his service is terminated.
5.7 Limitations on Exercise. The Committee may specify a reasonable minimum number of Shares that may be purchased on any exercise of an Option, provided that such minimum number will not prevent Participant from exercising the Option for the full number of Shares for which it is then exercisable.
5.8 Limitations on ISO. The aggregate Fair Market Value (determined as of the date of grant) of Shares with respect to which ISO are exercisable for the first time by a Participant during any calendar year (under this Plan or under any other incentive stock option plan of the Company, Parent or Subsidiary of the Company) will not exceed $100,000. If the Fair Market Value of Shares on the date of grant with respect to which ISO are exercisable for the first time by a Participant during any calendar year exceeds $100,000, then the Options for the first $100,000 worth of Shares to become exercisable in such calendar year will be ISO and the Options for the amount in excess of $100,000 that become exercisable in that calendar year will be NQSOs. In the event that the Code or the regulations promulgated thereunder are amended after the Effective Date of this Plan to provide for a different limit on the Fair Market Value of Shares permitted to be subject to ISO, such different limit will be automatically incorporated herein and will apply to any Options granted after the effective date of such amendment.
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5.9 Modification, Extension or Renewal. The Committee may modify, extend or renew outstanding Options and authorize the grant of new Options, provided however, that (i) any such action may not, without the written consent of a Participant, impair any of such Participants rights under any Option previously granted, (ii) any such action shall not extend the exercise period of the Option to a date later than the later of (a) the fifteenth day of the third month following the date on which the Option otherwise would have expired or (b) December 31 of the calendar year in which the Option would have otherwise expired, and (iii) the Committee may not reduce the Exercise Price of outstanding Options without the approval of the stockholders. Any outstanding ISO that is modified, extended, renewed or otherwise altered will be treated in accordance with Section 424(h) of the Code.
5.10 No Disqualification. Notwithstanding any other provision in this Plan, no term of this Plan relating to ISO will be interpreted, amended or altered, nor will any discretion or authority granted under this Plan be exercised, so as to disqualify this Plan under Section 422 of the Code or, without the consent of the Participant affected, to disqualify any ISO under Section 422 of the Code.
6. RESTRICTED STOCK. A Restricted Stock Award is an offer by the Company to grant or to sell to an eligible person Shares that are subject to restrictions. The Committee will determine to whom an offer will be made, the number of Shares the person may purchase, the price to be paid (the Purchase Price), if any, the restrictions to which the Shares will be subject, and all other terms and conditions of the Restricted Stock Award, subject to the following:
6.1 Form of Restricted Stock Award. All grants or purchases under a Restricted Stock Award made pursuant to this Plan will be evidenced by an Award Agreement (Restricted Stock Purchase Agreement) that will be in such form (which need not be the same for each Participant) as the Committee will from time to time approve, and will comply with and be subject to the terms and conditions of this Plan. The offer of Restricted Stock will be accepted by the Participants execution and delivery of the Restricted Stock Purchase Agreement and full payment, if any, for the Shares to the Company within thirty (30) days, or such other date as may be set forth in the Restricted Stock Purchase Agreement, from the date the Restricted Stock Purchase Agreement is delivered to the person. If such person does not execute and deliver the Restricted Stock Purchase Agreement along with full payment, if any, for the Shares to the Company within thirty (30) days, or such other date as may be set forth in the Restricted Stock Purchase Agreement, then the offer will terminate, unless otherwise determined by the Committee.
6.2 Purchase Price. The Purchase Price of Shares sold pursuant to a Restricted Stock Award, if any, will be determined by the Committee on the date the Restricted Stock Award is granted. At the Committees discretion, consideration for the Restricted Stock Award may be in the form of continued service to the Company or a Subsidiary. Payment of the Purchase Price may be made in accordance with Section 9 of this Plan.
6.3 Terms of Restricted Stock Awards. Restricted Stock Awards shall be subject to such restrictions as the Committee may impose. These restrictions may be based upon completion of a specified number of years of service with the Company or a Subsidiary or upon completion of the performance goals as set out in advance in the Participants individual Restricted Stock Purchase Agreement. Restricted Stock Awards may vary from Participant to Participant and between groups of Participants. Prior to the grant of a Restricted Stock Award, the Committee shall: (a) determine the nature, length and starting date of any Performance Period for the Restricted Stock Award; (b) select from among the Performance Factors to be used to measure performance goals, if any; and (c) determine the number of Shares that may be awarded to the Participant. Prior to the payment of any Restricted Stock Award, the Committee shall determine the extent to which such Restricted Stock Award has been earned. Performance Periods may overlap and Participants may participate simultaneously with respect to Restricted Stock Awards that are subject to different Performance Periods and having different performance goals and other criteria.
6.4 Termination During Performance Period. If a Participant is Terminated during a Performance Period for any reason, then such Participant will be entitled to payment (whether in Shares, cash or otherwise) with respect to the Restricted Stock Award only to the extent earned as of the date of Termination in accordance
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with the Restricted Stock Purchase Agreement, unless the Committee determines otherwise in the case of a Participant who is not a covered employee for purposes of Section 162(m) of the Code in the year of Termination.
7. RESTRICTED STOCK UNITS. Each Restricted Stock Unit shall have a value equal to the Fair Market Value of a share of the Companys Common Stock. A Restricted Stock Unit does not constitute a share of, nor represent any ownership interest in, the Company. The Committee will determine the number of Restricted Stock Units granted to any eligible person; whether the Restricted Stock Units will be settled in Shares, in cash, or in a combination of the two; the price to be paid (the Purchase Price), if any, for any Shares issued pursuant to a Restricted Stock Unit; the restrictions to which the Restricted Stock Units will be subject, and all other terms and conditions of the Restricted Stock Units, subject to the following:
7.1 Form of Restricted Stock Unit Award. All Restricted Stock Units granted pursuant to this Plan will be evidenced by an Award Agreement (Restricted Stock Unit Agreement) that will be in such form (which need not be the same for each Participant) as the Committee will from time to time approve, and will comply with and be subject to the terms and conditions of this Plan. The offer of Restricted Stock Units will be accepted by the Participants execution and delivery of the Restricted Stock Unit Agreement within thirty (30) days, or such other date as may be set forth in the Restricted Stock Unit Agreement, from the date the Restricted Stock Unit Agreement is delivered to the person. If such person does not execute and deliver the Restricted Stock Unit Agreement within thirty (30) days, or such other date as may be set forth in the Restricted Stock Unit Agreement, then the offer will terminate, unless otherwise determined by the Committee.
7.2 Purchase Price. The Purchase Price of Shares sold pursuant to a Restricted Stock Unit, if any, will be determined by the Committee on the date the Restricted Stock Unit is granted. At the Committees discretion, consideration for the Restricted Stock Unit may be in the form of continued service to the Company or a Subsidiary. Payment of the Purchase Price, if any, shall be made in accordance with Section 9 of this Plan when the Shares are issued.
7.3 Terms of Restricted Stock Units. Restricted Stock Units shall be subject to such restrictions as the Committee may impose. These restrictions may be based upon completion of a specified number of years of service with the Company or a Subsidiary or upon completion of the performance goals as set out in advance in the Participants individual Restricted Stock Unit Agreement. Restricted Stock Units may vary from Participant to Participant and between groups of Participants. Prior to the grant of Restricted Stock Units, the Committee shall: (a) determine the nature, length and starting date of any Performance Period for the Restricted Stock Unit; (b) select from among the Performance Factors to be used to measure performance goals, if any; and (c) determine the number of Restricted Stock Units that will be awarded to the Participant. Prior to the payment (whether in Shares, cash or otherwise) of any Restricted Stock Units, the Committee shall determine the extent to which such Restricted Stock Units have been earned. Performance Periods may overlap and Participants may participate simultaneously with respect to Restricted Stock Units that are subject to different Performance Periods and have different performance goals and other criteria.
7.4 Termination During Performance Period. If a Participant is Terminated during a Performance Period for any reason, then such Participant will be entitled to payment (whether in Shares, cash or otherwise) with respect to the Restricted Stock Units only to the extent earned as of the date of Termination in accordance with the Restricted Stock Unit Agreement, unless the Committee determines otherwise in the case of a Participant who is not a covered employee for purposes of Section 162(m) of the Code in the year of Termination.
7.5 Payment When Restrictions Lapse. The cash or Shares that a Participant is entitled to receive pursuant to a Restricted Stock Unit shall be paid or issued to the Participant when all applicable restrictions and other conditions applicable to the Restricted Stock Unit have lapsed or have been satisfied, unless the Restricted Stock Unit Agreement provides for a later settlement date in compliance with Section 409A of the Code.
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8. STOCK APPRECIATION RIGHTS. The Committee may grant Stock Appreciation Rights or SARs to eligible persons and will determine the number of Shares subject to the SARs, the Exercise Price of the SARs, the period during which the SARs may be exercised, and all other terms and conditions of the SARs, subject to the following:
8.1 Form of SAR Grant. SARs granted under this Plan will be evidenced by an Award Agreement that will expressly identify the SARs as freestanding SARs (SARs granted independent of any other Option), tandem SARs (SARs granted in connection with an Option, or any portion thereof), or any combination thereof (SAR Agreement), and will be in such form and contain such provisions (which need not be the same for each Participant) as the Committee may from time to time approve, and which will comply with and be subject to the terms and conditions of this Plan.
8.2 Date of Grant. The date of grant of a SAR will be the date on which the Committee makes the determination to grant such SAR, unless otherwise specified by the Committee. The SAR Agreement and a copy of this Plan will be delivered to the Participant within a reasonable time after the granting of the SAR.
8.3 Exercise Price and Other Terms.
(a) The Committee, subject to the provisions of the Plan, shall have complete discretion to determine the terms and conditions of SARs granted under the Plan; provided, however, that no SAR will be exercisable after the expiration of ten (10) years from the date the SAR is granted; provided, further, that the Exercise Price for freestanding SARs shall be not less than one hundred percent (100%) of the Fair Market Value of a Share on the grant date. The Exercise Price for tandem SARs shall equal the Exercise Price of the related Option.
(b) Participants ability to exercise SARs shall be subject to such restrictions, if any, as the Committee may impose. These restrictions may be based upon completion of a specified number of years of service with the Company or a Subsidiary or upon completion of the performance goals as set out in advance in the Participants individual SAR Agreement. SARs may vary from Participant to Participant and between groups of Participants. Should the Committee elect to impose restrictions on a SAR, the Committee shall: (a) determine the nature, length and starting date of any Performance Period for the SAR; (b) select from among the Performance Factors to be used to measure performance goals, if any; and (c) determine the number of Shares subject to such SAR. Prior to such SAR becoming exercisable, the Committee shall determine the extent to which such Performance Factors have been met. Performance Periods may overlap and Participants may participate simultaneously with respect to SAR that are subject to different Performance Periods and have different performance goals and other criteria.
8.4 Exercise of Tandem SARs. Tandem SARs may be exercised for all or part of the Shares subject to the related Option upon the surrender of the right to exercise the equivalent portion of the related Option. Tandem SARs may be exercised only with respect to the Shares for which the related Option is then exercisable. With respect to tandem SARs granted in connection with an Option: (a) the tandem SARs shall expire no later than the expiration of the underlying Option; (b) the value of the payout with respect to the tandem SARs shall be for no more than one hundred percent (100%) of the difference between the Exercise Price of the underlying Option and the Fair Market Value of the Shares subject to the underlying Option at the time the tandem SARs are exercised; and (c) the tandem SARs shall be exercisable only when the Fair Market Value of the Shares subject to the underlying Option exceeds the Exercise Price of the Option.
8.5 Exercise of Freestanding SARs. Freestanding SARs shall be exercisable on such terms and conditions as the Committee, in its sole discretion, shall determine.
8.6 Payment of SAR Amount. Upon exercise of a SAR, a Participant shall be entitled to receive payment from the Company in an amount determined by multiplying:
(a) The difference between (i) the Fair Market Value of a Share on the date of exercise (or such other date as may be determined by the Committee and set forth in the Participants SAR Agreement) and (ii) the Exercise Price; times
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(b) The number of Shares with respect to which the SAR is exercised.
At the discretion of the Committee, the payment upon exercise of the SAR may be in cash, in Shares of equivalent value, or in some combination thereof.
8.7 Termination. Notwithstanding the exercise periods set forth in the SAR Agreement, exercise of a SAR will always be subject to the following:
(a) If the Participant is Terminated for any reason except death or Disability, then the Participant may exercise such Participants SAR only to the extent that such SAR would have been exercisable upon the Termination Date no later than three (3) months after the Termination Date (or such shorter or longer time period not exceeding five (5) years as may be determined by the Committee), but in any event, no later than the expiration date of the SAR.
(b) If the Participant is Terminated because of Participants death or Disability (or the Participant dies within three (3) months after a Termination other than for Cause or because of Participants Disability), then Participants SAR may be exercised only to the extent that such SAR would have been exercisable by Participant on the Termination Date and must be exercised by Participant (or Participants legal representative or authorized assignee) no later than twelve (12) months after the Termination Date, but in any event no later than the expiration date of the SAR.
(c) Notwithstanding the provisions in paragraph 8.7(a) above, if a Participant is terminated for Cause, neither the Participant, the Participants estate nor such other person who may then hold the SAR shall be entitled to exercise any SAR with respect to any Shares whatsoever, after termination of service, whether or not after termination of service the Participant may receive payment from the Company or Subsidiary for vacation pay, for services rendered prior to termination, for services rendered for the day on which Termination occurs, for salary in lieu of notice, or for any other benefits. In the event that the Committee has delegated to one or more officers of the Company the authority set forth in Section 4.2 above and Participant has been notified that such officer or officers has made a determination that Participant has been terminated for Cause, Participant shall have five (5) business days (measured from the date he or she was first notified of such determination) to appeal such determination to the Committee. If Participant appeals to the Committee in a timely manner, the Committee shall give the Participant an opportunity to present to the Committee evidence on his or her behalf. If the Committee has not delegated to one or more officers of the Company the authority set forth in Section 4.2, and the Committee makes such Cause determination itself, such decision shall be deemed final and unappealable. For the purpose of this paragraph, termination of service shall be deemed to occur on the date when the Company or Subsidiary dispatches notice or advice to the Participant that his service is terminated.
8.8 Modification, Extension or Renewal. The Committee may modify, extend or renew outstanding SARs and authorize the grant of new SARs, provided however, that (i) any such action may not, without the written consent of a Participant, impair any of such Participants rights under any SAR previously granted, (ii) any such action shall not extend the exercise period of the SAR to a date later than the later of (a) the fifteenth day of the third month following the date on which the SAR otherwise would have expired or (b) December 31 of the calendar year in which the Option would have otherwise expired, and (iii) the Committee may not reduce the Exercise Price of outstanding SARs without the approval of the stockholders.
9. PAYMENT FOR SHARE PURCHASES. Where expressly approved for the Participant by the Committee and where permitted by law, payment for Shares purchased pursuant to this Plan may:
(a) | be made in cash (by check); |
(b) | by cancellation of indebtedness of the Company to the Participant; |
(c) | by surrender of shares that either: (1) have been owned by Participant for more than six (6) months and have been paid for within the meaning of SEC Rule 144 (and, if such shares were purchased from the Company by use of a promissory note, such note has been fully paid with respect to such shares); or (2) were obtained by Participant in the public market; |
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(d) | by waiver of compensation due or accrued to the Participant for services rendered; |
(e) | with respect only to purchases upon exercise of an Option, and provided that a public market for the Companys stock exists: |
(1) | through a same day sale commitment from the Participant and a broker-dealer that is a member of the National Association of Securities Dealers (an NASD Dealer) whereby the Participant irrevocably elects to exercise the Option and to sell a portion of the Shares so purchased to pay for the Exercise Price, and whereby the NASD Dealer irrevocably commits upon receipt of such Shares to forward the Exercise Price directly to the Company; or |
(2) | through a margin commitment from the Participant and a NASD Dealer whereby the Participant irrevocably elects to exercise the Option and to pledge the Shares so purchased to the NASD Dealer in a margin account as security for a loan from the NASD Dealer in the amount of the Exercise Price, and whereby the NASD Dealer irrevocably commits upon receipt of such Shares to forward the Exercise Price directly to the Company; or |
(f) | by withholding from the Shares to be issued upon exercise of an Award that number of Shares having a Fair Market Value equal to the minimum amount required to satisfy the Exercise Price or Purchase Price (the Fair Market Value of the Shares to be withheld shall be determined on the date that the Award is exercised by the Participant); or |
(g) | by any combination of the foregoing; or |
(h) | such other consideration and method of payment for issuance of Shares to the extent permitted by applicable laws. |
10. GRANTS TO OUTSIDE DIRECTORS.
10.1 Types of Awards and Shares. Outside Directors are eligible to receive any type of Award offered under this Plan except ISOs. Awards pursuant to this Section 10 may be automatically made pursuant to policy adopted by the Board, or made from time to time as determined in the discretion of the Board.
10.2 Eligibility. Awards pursuant to this Section 10 shall be granted only to Outside Directors. An Outside Director who is appointed, elected or re-elected as a member of the Board will be eligible to receive an Award under this Section 10.
10.3 Vesting, Exercisability and Settlement.
(a) Except as set forth below in Section 10.3(b), Awards shall vest, become exercisable and be settled as determined by the Board. With respect to Options and SARs, the exercise price granted to Outside Directors shall not be less than the Fair Market Value of the Shares at the time that such Option or SAR is granted.
(b) Notwithstanding any provision to the contrary, in the event of a corporate transaction described in Section 19.1, the vesting of all Awards granted to Outside Directors pursuant to this Section 10 will accelerate and such Awards will become exercisable (to the extent applicable) in full prior to the consummation of such event at such times and on such conditions as the Committee determines, and must be exercised, if at all, within three months of the consummation of said event. Any Awards not exercised within such three-month period shall expire.
10.4 Shares in Lieu of Cash Compensation. Each Outside Director may elect to reduce all or part of the cash compensation otherwise payable for services to be rendered by him as a director (including the annual retainer and any fees payable for serving on the Board or a Committee of the Board) and to receive in lieu thereof Shares. Any such election shall be in writing and must be made before the services are rendered giving rise to such compensation, and may not be revoked or changed thereafter during the Outside Directors term. On such election, the cash compensation otherwise payable will be increased by 10% for purposes of determining the number of Shares to be credited to such Outside Director. If an Outside Director so elects to receive Shares in
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lieu of cash, there shall be credited to such Outside Director a number of Shares equal to the amount of the cash compensation so reduced (increased by 10% as described in the preceding sentence) divided by the Fair Market Value on the day in which the compensation would have been paid in the absence of such election.
11. WITHHOLDING TAXES.
11.1 Withholding Generally. Whenever Shares are to be issued in satisfaction of Awards granted under this Plan, the Company may require the Participant to remit to the Company an amount sufficient to satisfy federal, state and local withholding tax and social security requirements prior to the delivery of any certificate or certificates for such Shares. Whenever, under this Plan, payments in satisfaction of Awards are to be made in cash, such payment will be net of an amount sufficient to satisfy federal, state, and local withholding tax and social security requirements.
11.2 Stock Withholding. When, under applicable tax or social security laws, a Participant incurs tax or social security liability in connection with the exercise or vesting of any Award that is subject to tax or social security withholding and the Participant is obligated to pay the Company the amount required to be withheld, the Committee may in its sole discretion allow the Participant to satisfy the minimum tax or social security withholding obligation by electing to have the Company withhold from the Shares to be issued that number of Shares having a Fair Market Value equal to the minimum amount required to be withheld, determined on the date that the amount of tax to be withheld is to be determined. All elections by a Participant to have Shares withheld for this purpose will be made in accordance with the requirements established by the Committee and be in writing in a form acceptable to the Committee.
12. TRANSFERABILITY.
12.1 Except as otherwise provided in this Section 12, Awards granted under this Plan, and any interest therein, will not be transferable or assignable by Participant, and may not be made subject to execution, attachment or similar process, otherwise than by will or by the laws of descent and distribution or as determined by the Committee and set forth in the Award Agreement with respect to Awards that are not ISOs.
12.2 All Awards other than NQSOs and SARs. All Awards other than NQSOs and SARs shall be exercisable: (i) during the Participants lifetime, only by (A) the Participant, or (B) the Participants guardian or legal representative; and (ii) after Participants death, by the legal representative of the Participants heirs or legatees.
12.3 NQSOs and SARs. Unless otherwise restricted by the Committee, a NQSO and SAR shall be exercisable: (i) during the Participants lifetime only by (A) the Participant, (B) the Participants guardian or legal representative, (C) a Family Member of the Participant who has acquired the NQSO or SAR by permitted transfer; and (ii) after Participants death, by the legal representative of the Participants heirs or legatees. Permitted transfer means, as authorized by this Plan and the Committee in a Stock Option Agreement or SAR Agreement, any transfer effected by the Participant during the Participants lifetime of an interest in such NQSO and SAR but only such transfers which are by gift or domestic relations order. A permitted transfer does not include any transfer for value and neither of the following are transfers for value: (a) a transfer under a domestic relations order in settlement of marital property rights or (b) a transfer to an entity in which more than fifty percent of the voting interests are owned by Family Members or the Participant in exchange for an interest in that entity.
13. PRIVILEGES OF STOCK OWNERSHIP; RESTRICTIONS ON SHARES.
13.1 Voting and Dividends. No Participant will have any of the rights of a stockholder with respect to any Shares until the Shares are issued to the Participant. After Shares are issued to the Participant, the Participant will be a stockholder and have all the rights of a stockholder with respect to such Shares, including the right to vote and receive all dividends or other distributions made or paid with respect to such Shares; provided, that if such Shares are Restricted Stock, then any new, additional or different securities the Participant may become
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entitled to receive with respect to such Shares by virtue of a stock dividend, stock split or any other change in the corporate or capital structure of the Company will be subject to the same restrictions as the Restricted Stock; provided, further, that the Participant will have no right to retain such stock dividends or stock distributions with respect to Shares that are repurchased at the Participants Purchase Price or Exercise Price pursuant to Section 13.2.
13.2 Restrictions on Shares. At the discretion of the Committee, the Company may reserve to itself and/or its assignee(s) in the Award Agreement a right to repurchase a portion of or all Unvested Shares held by a Participant following such Participants Termination at any time within ninety (90) days after the later of Participants Termination Date and the date Participant purchases Shares under this Plan, for cash and/or cancellation of purchase money indebtedness, at the Participants Exercise Price or Purchase Price, as the case may be.
14. CERTIFICATES. All certificates for Shares or other securities delivered under this Plan will be subject to such stock transfer orders, legends and other restrictions as the Committee may deem necessary or advisable, including restrictions under any applicable federal, state or foreign securities law, or any rules, regulations and other requirements of the SEC or any stock exchange or automated quotation system upon which the Shares may be listed or quoted.
15. ESCROW; PLEDGE OF SHARES. To enforce any restrictions on a Participants Shares, the Committee may require the Participant to deposit all certificates representing Shares, together with stock powers or other instruments of transfer approved by the Committee, appropriately endorsed in blank, with the Company or an agent designated by the Company to hold in escrow until such restrictions have lapsed or terminated, and the Committee may cause a legend or legends referencing such restrictions to be placed on the certificates. Any Participant who is permitted to execute a promissory note as partial or full consideration for the purchase of Shares under this Plan will be required to pledge and deposit with the Company all or part of the Shares so purchased as collateral to secure the payment of Participants obligation to the Company under the promissory note; provided, however, that the Committee may require or accept other or additional forms of collateral to secure the payment of such obligation and, in any event, the Company will have full recourse against the Participant under the promissory note notwithstanding any pledge of the Participants Shares or other collateral. In connection with any pledge of the Shares, Participant will be required to execute and deliver a written pledge agreement in such form as the Committee will from time to time approve. The Shares purchased with the promissory note may be released from the pledge on a pro rata basis as the promissory note is paid.
16. EXCHANGE AND BUYOUT OF AWARDS. The Committee may, at any time or from time to time, authorize the Company, with the consent of the respective Participants, to issue new Awards in exchange for the surrender and cancellation of any or all outstanding Awards; provided, however, that no such exchange program may, without the approval of the Companys stockholders, allow for the cancellation of an outstanding Option or Stock Appreciation Right followed by its replacement with a new Option or Stock Appreciation Right having a lower Exercise Price. The Committee may, subject to approval by the Companys stockholders, at any time buy from a Participant an Award previously granted with payment in cash, Shares (including Restricted Stock) or other consideration, based on such terms and conditions as the Committee and the Participant may agree.
17. SECURITIES LAW AND OTHER REGULATORY COMPLIANCE. An Award will not be effective unless such Award is in compliance with all applicable federal and state securities laws, rules and regulations of any governmental body, and the requirements of any stock exchange or automated quotation system upon which the Shares may then be listed or quoted, as they are in effect on the date of grant of the Award and also on the date of exercise or other issuance. Notwithstanding any other provision in this Plan, the Company will have no obligation to issue or deliver certificates for Shares under this Plan prior to: (a) obtaining any approvals from governmental agencies that the Company determines are necessary or advisable; and/or (b) completion of any registration or other qualification of such Shares under any state or federal law or ruling of any governmental body that the Company determines to be necessary or advisable. The Company will be under no obligation to register the Shares with the SEC or to effect compliance with the registration, qualification or listing requirements of any state securities laws, stock exchange or automated quotation system, and the Company will have no liability for any inability or failure to do so.
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18. NO OBLIGATION TO EMPLOY. Nothing in this Plan or any Award granted under this Plan will confer or be deemed to confer on any Participant any right to continue in the employ of, or to continue any other relationship with, the Company or any Parent or Subsidiary of the Company or limit in any way the right of the Company or any Parent or Subsidiary of the Company to terminate Participants employment or other relationship at any time, with or without cause.
19. CORPORATE TRANSACTIONS.
19.1 Assumption or Replacement of Awards by Successor. In the event of (a) a dissolution or liquidation of the Company, (b) a merger or consolidation in which the Company is not the surviving corporation (other than a merger or consolidation with a wholly-owned subsidiary, a reincorporation of the Company in a different jurisdiction, or other transaction in which there is no substantial change in the stockholders of the Company or their relative stock holdings and the Awards granted under this Plan are assumed, converted or replaced by the successor corporation, which assumption will be binding on all Participants), (c) a merger in which the Company is the surviving corporation but after which the stockholders of the Company immediately prior to such merger (other than any stockholder that merges, or which owns or controls another corporation that merges, with the Company in such merger) cease to own their shares or other equity interest in the Company, (d) the sale of substantially all of the assets of the Company, or (e) the acquisition, sale, or transfer of more than 50% of the outstanding shares of the Company by tender offer or similar transaction, any or all outstanding Awards may be assumed, converted or replaced by the successor corporation (if any), which assumption, conversion or replacement will be binding on all Participants. In the alternative, the successor corporation may substitute equivalent Awards or provide substantially similar consideration to Participants as was provided to stockholders (after taking into account the existing provisions of the Awards). The successor corporation may also issue, in place of outstanding Shares of the Company held by the Participants, substantially similar shares or other property subject to repurchase restrictions no less favorable to the Participant. In the event such successor corporation (if any) refuses to assume or substitute Awards, as provided above, pursuant to a transaction described in this Section 19.1, such Awards will accelerate and will become exercisable in full prior to the consummation of such transaction at such time and on such conditions as the Committee will determine, and if such Awards are not exercised prior to the consummation of the corporate transaction, they shall terminate at such time as determined by the Committee.
19.2 Other Treatment of Awards. Subject to any greater rights granted to Participants under the foregoing provisions of this Section 19, in the event of the occurrence of any transaction described in Section 19.1, any outstanding Awards will be treated as provided in the applicable agreement or plan of merger, consolidation, dissolution, liquidation, or sale of assets.
19.3 Assumption of Awards by the Company. The Company, from time to time, also may substitute or assume outstanding awards granted by another company, whether in connection with an acquisition of such other company or otherwise, by either; (a) granting an Award under this Plan in substitution of such other companys award; or (b) assuming such award as if it had been granted under this Plan if the terms of such assumed award could be applied to an Award granted under this Plan. Such substitution or assumption will be permissible if the holder of the substituted or assumed award would have been eligible to be granted an Award under this Plan if the other company had applied the rules of this Plan to such grant. In the event the Company assumes an award granted by another company, the terms and conditions of such award will remain unchanged (except that the exercise price and the number and nature of Shares issuable upon exercise of any such option will be adjusted appropriately pursuant to Sections 409A and 424(a) of the Code). In the event the Company elects to grant a new Option or SAR rather than assuming an existing option, such new Option or SAR may be granted with a similarly adjusted Exercise Price.
20. ADOPTION AND STOCKHOLDER APPROVAL. This Plan will become effective on the date that it is adopted by the Board (the Effective Date). This Plan shall be approved by the stockholders of the Company (excluding Shares issued pursuant to this Plan), consistent with applicable laws, within twelve (12) months before or after the date this Plan is adopted by the Board. Upon the Effective Date, the Committee may grant Awards pursuant to this Plan; provided, however, that: (a) no Option or SAR may be exercised prior to initial
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stockholder approval of this Plan; (b) no Option or SAR granted pursuant to an increase in the number of Shares subject to this Plan approved by the Board will be exercised prior to the time such increase has been approved by the stockholders of the Company; (c) in the event that initial stockholder approval is not obtained within the time period provided herein, all Awards granted hereunder shall be cancelled, any Shares issued pursuant to any Awards shall be cancelled and any purchase of Shares issued hereunder shall be rescinded; and (d) in the event that stockholder approval of such increase is not obtained within the time period provided herein, all Awards granted pursuant to such increase will be cancelled, any Shares issued pursuant to any Award granted pursuant to such increase will be cancelled, and any purchase of Shares pursuant to such increase will be rescinded.
21. TERM OF PLAN/GOVERNING LAW. Unless terminated as provided herein, this Plan will continue in effect twenty (20) years from the date this Plan was first adopted by the Board or, if earlier, the date of stockholder approval. This Plan and all agreements thereunder shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of California.
22. AMENDMENT OR TERMINATION OF PLAN. The Board may at any time terminate or amend this Plan in any respect, including without limitation amendment of any form of Award Agreement or instrument to be executed pursuant to this Plan; provided, however, that the Board will not, without the approval of the stockholders of the Company, amend this Plan in any manner that requires such stockholder approval.
23. NONEXCLUSIVITY OF THE PLAN. Neither the adoption of this Plan by the Board, the submission of this Plan to the stockholders of the Company for approval, nor any provision of this Plan will be construed as creating any limitations on the power of the Board to adopt such additional compensation arrangements as it may deem desirable, including, without limitation, the granting of stock options and bonuses otherwise than under this Plan, and such arrangements may be either generally applicable or applicable only in specific cases.
24. DEFINITIONS. As used in this Plan, the following terms will have the following meanings:
Award means any award under this Plan, including any Option, Restricted Stock, Restricted Stock Unit or Stock Appreciation Right.
Award Agreement means, with respect to each Award, the signed written agreement between the Company and the Participant setting forth the terms and conditions of the Award.
Board means the Board of Directors of the Company.
Cause means the commission of an act of theft, embezzlement, fraud, dishonesty, other acts constituting gross misconduct, or a breach of fiduciary duty to the Company or a Parent or Subsidiary of the Company.
Code means the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended.
Committee means the Executive Compensation and Leadership Committee of the Board.
Company means Electronic Arts Inc. or any successor corporation.
Disability means a disability, whether temporary or permanent, partial or total, as determined by the Committee.
Exchange Act means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.
Exercise Price means the price at which a holder of an Option or a SAR, as the case may be, may purchase the Shares issuable upon exercise of such Option or SAR.
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Fair Market Value means, as of any date, the value of a share of the Companys Common Stock determined as follows:
(a) | if such Common Stock is then quoted on the Nasdaq National Market, its closing price on the Nasdaq National Market on the date of determination as reported in The Wall Street Journal; |
(b) | if such Common Stock is publicly traded and is then listed on a national securities exchange, its closing price on the date of determination on the principal national securities exchange on which the Common Stock is listed or admitted to trading as reported in The Wall Street Journal; |
(c) | if such Common Stock is publicly traded but is not quoted on the Nasdaq National Market nor listed or admitted to trading on a national securities exchange, the average of the closing bid and asked prices on the date of determination as reported in The Wall Street Journal; or |
(d) | if none of the foregoing is applicable, by the Committee in good faith. |
Family Member includes any of the following:
(a) | child, stepchild, grandchild, parent, stepparent, grandparent, spouse, former spouse, sibling, niece, nephew, mother-in-law, father-in-law, son-in-law, daughter-in-law, brother-in-law, or sister-in-law of the Participant, including any such person with such relationship to the Participant by adoption; |
(b) | any person (other than a tenant or employee) sharing the Participants household; |
(c) | a trust in which the persons in (a) and (b) have more than fifty percent of the beneficial interest; |
(d) | a foundation in which the persons in (a) and (b) or the Participant control the management of assets; or |
(e) | any other entity in which the persons in (a) and (b) or the Participant own more than fifty percent of the voting interest. |
Insider means an officer or director of the Company or any other person whose transactions in the Companys Common Stock are subject to Section 16 of the Exchange Act.
Option means an award of an option to purchase Shares pursuant to Section 5.
Outside Director means a member of the Board who is not an employee of the Company or any Parent or Subsidiary of the Company.
Parent means any corporation (other than the Company) in an unbroken chain of corporations ending with the Company if each of such corporations other than the Company owns stock possessing 50% or more of the total combined voting power of all classes of stock in one of the other corporations in such chain.
Participant means a person who receives an Award under this Plan.
Performance Factors means any of the factors selected by the Committee and specified in an Award Agreement, from among the following objective measures, either individually, alternatively or in any combination, applied to the Company as a whole or any business unit or Subsidiary, either individually, alternatively, or in any combination, on a GAAP or non-GAAP basis, and measured, to the extent applicable on an absolute basis or relative to a pre-established target, to determine whether the performance goals established by the Committee with respect to applicable Awards have been satisfied:
(a) | Profit Before Tax; |
(b) | Revenue (on an absolute basis or adjusted for currency effects); |
(c) | Net revenue; |
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(d) | Earnings (which may include earnings before interest and taxes, earnings before taxes, and net earnings); |
(e) | Operating income; |
(f) | Operating margin; |
(g) | Operating profit; |
(h) | Controllable operating profit, or net operating profit; |
(i) | Net Profit; |
(j) | Gross margin; |
(k) | Operating expenses or operating expenses as a percentage of revenue; |
(l) | Net income; |
(m) | Earnings per share; |
(n) | Total stockholder return; |
(o) | Market share; |
(p) | Return on assets or net assets; |
(q) | The Companys stock price; |
(r) | Growth in stockholder value relative to a pre-determined index; |
(s) | Return on equity; |
(t) | Return on invested capital; |
(u) | Cash Flow (including free cash flow or operating cash flows) |
(v) | Cash conversion cycle; |
(w) | Economic value added; |
(x) | Individual confidential business objectives; |
(y) | Contract awards or backlog; |
(z) | Overhead or other expense reduction; |
(aa) | Credit rating; |
(bb) | Strategic plan development and implementation; |
(cc) | Succession plan development and implementation; |
(dd) | Improvement in workforce diversity; |
(ee) | Customer indicators; |
(ff) | New product invention or innovation; |
(gg) | Attainment of research and development milestones; |
(hh) | Improvements in productivity; |
(ii) | Attainment of objective operating goals and employee metrics. |
The Committee may, in recognition of unusual or non-recurring items such as acquisition-related activities or changes in applicable accounting rules, provide for one or more equitable adjustments (based on objective standards) to the Performance Factors to preserve the Committees original intent regarding the Performance Factors at the time of the initial award grant. It is within the sole discretion of the Committee to make or not make any such equitable adjustments.
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Performance Period means the period of service determined by the Committee, which shall be no less than one calendar quarter nor more than five years (unless tied to a specific and objective milestone or event), during which time of service or performance is to be measured for Awards.
Plan means this EA 2000 Equity Incentive Plan, as amended from time to time.
Restricted Stock Award means an award of Shares that are subject to restrictions pursuant to Section 6.
Restricted Stock Unit means an award of the right to receive, in cash or Shares, the value of a share of the Companys Common Stock pursuant to Section 7.
SEC means the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Securities Act means the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.
Shares means shares of the Companys Common Stock reserved for issuance under this Plan, as adjusted pursuant to Sections 2 and 19, and any successor security.
Stock Appreciation Right or SAR means an Award, granted alone or in tandem with a related Option that pursuant to Section 8 is designated as a SAR.
Subsidiary means any corporation (other than the Company) in an unbroken chain of corporations beginning with the Company if each of the corporations other than the last corporation in the unbroken chain owns stock possessing 50% or more of the total combined voting power of all classes of stock in one of the other corporations in such chain.
Termination or Terminated means, for purposes of this Plan with respect to a Participant, that the Participant has for any reason ceased to provide services as an employee, officer, director, consultant, independent contractor, or advisor to the Company or a Parent or Subsidiary of the Company. An employee will not be deemed to have ceased to provide services in the case of (i) sick leave, (ii) military leave, or (iii) any other leave of absence approved by the Committee, provided, that such leave is for a period of not more than 90 days, unless reemployment upon the expiration of such leave is guaranteed by contract or statute or unless provided otherwise pursuant to formal policy adopted from time to time by the Company and issued and promulgated to employees in writing. In the case of any employee on an approved leave of absence, the Committee may make such provisions respecting suspension of vesting of the Award while on leave from the employ of the Company or a Subsidiary as it may deem appropriate, except that in no event may an Option be exercised after the expiration of the term set forth in the Option agreement. The Committee will have sole discretion to determine whether a Participant has ceased to provide services and the effective date on which the Participant ceased to provide services (the Termination Date).
Unvested Shares means Unvested Shares as defined in the Award Agreement.
Vested Shares means Vested Shares as defined in the Award Agreement.
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(included only with the electronic filing of Schedule 14A with the SEC;
Appendix D is not a part of the proxy statement)
ELECTRONIC ARTS INC.
2000 EMPLOYEE STOCK PURCHASE PLAN
As Proposed to be Amended by the Stockholders on July 28, 2011
1. Establishment of Plan. Electronic Arts Inc., (the Company) proposes to grant options for purchase of the Companys Common Stock to eligible employees of the Company and its Subsidiaries (as hereinafter defined) pursuant to this 2000 Employee Stock Purchase Plan (the Plan). For purposes of this Plan, parent corporation and Subsidiary (collectively, Subsidiaries) shall have the same meanings as parent corporation and subsidiary corporation in Sections 424(e) and 424(f), respectively, of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the Code). The Company intends that the Plan shall feature two components: (i) an employee stock purchase plan under Section 423 of the Code (including any amendments or replacements of such section) for participants residing in the U.S., and (ii) an employee stock purchase plan that is intended to grant purchase rights under rules, procedures or sub-plans that are not intended to qualify Section 423 of the Code for participants that are not residing in the U.S. Any term not expressly defined in the Plan but defined for purposes of Section 423 of the Code shall have the same definition herein. A total of 18,300,000 shares of Common Stock are reserved for issuance under the Plan. Such number shall be subject to adjustments effected in accordance with Section 14 of the Plan.
2. Purposes. The purpose of the Plan is to provide employees of the Company and its Subsidiaries designated by the Board of Directors as eligible to participate in the Plan with a convenient means to acquire an equity interest in the Company through payroll deductions, to enhance such employees sense of participation in the affairs of the Company and its Subsidiaries, and to provide an incentive for continued employment.
3. Administration. This Plan may be administered by the Board or a committee appointed by the Board (the Committee). The Plan shall be administered by the Board or a committee appointed by the Board consisting of not less than three (3) persons (who are members of the Board), each of whom is a disinterested director. As used in this Plan, references to the Committee shall mean either the committee appointed by the Board to administer this Plan or the Board if no committee has been established. Subject to the provisions of the Plan and the limitations of Section 423 of the Code or any successor provision in the Code, if applicable, all questions of interpretation or application of the Plan shall be determined by the Committee and its decisions shall be final and binding upon all participants. Members of the Committee shall receive no compensation for their services in connection with the administration of the Plan, other than standard fees as established from time to time by the Board of Directors of the Company for services rendered by Board members serving on Board committees. All expenses incurred in connection with the administration of the Plan shall be paid by the Company.
4. Eligibility. Any employee of the Company or the Subsidiaries is eligible to participate in an Offering Period (as hereinafter defined) under the Plan except the following:
(a) employees who are not employed by the Company or its Subsidiaries on the fifteenth (15th) day of the month before the beginning of such Offering Period;
(b) employees who, together with any other person whose stock would be attributed to such employee pursuant to Section 424(d) of the Code, own stock or hold options to purchase stock or who, as a result of being granted an option under the Plan with respect to such Offering Period, would own stock or hold options to purchase stock possessing five (5) percent or more of the total combined voting power or value of all classes of stock of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries; and
(c) employees who would, by virtue of their participation in such Offering Period, be participating simultaneously in more than one Offering Period under the Plan.
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For employees of Subsidiaries located in the U.S., the following would not be eligible to participate in an Offering Period:
(a) employees who are customarily employed for less than 20 hours per week, and
(b) employees who are customarily employed for less than five (5) months in a calendar year.
5. Offering Dates. The Offering Periods of the Plan (the Offering Period) shall be of twelve (12) months duration commencing on the first business day of March and September of each year and ending on the last business day of February and August, respectively, hereafter. The first Offering Period shall commence on September 1, 2000. The first day of each Offering Period is referred to as the Offering Date. Each Offering Period shall consist of two (2) six-month purchase periods (individually, a Purchase Period), during which payroll deductions of the participant are accumulated under this Plan. Each such six-month Purchase Period shall commence on the first business day of March and September of an Offering Period and shall end on the last business day of the following August and February, respectively. The last business day of each Purchase Period is hereinafter referred to as the Purchase Date. The Board of Directors of the Company shall have the power to change the duration of Offering Periods or Purchase Periods without stockholder approval if such change is announced at least fifteen (15) days prior to the scheduled beginning of the first Offering Period or Purchase Period, as the case may be, to be affected.
6. Participation in the Plan. Eligible employees may become participants in an Offering Period under the Plan on the first Offering Date after satisfying the eligibility requirements by delivering to the Companys or Subsidiarys (whichever employs such employee) payroll department (the payroll department) not later than the 15th day of the month before such Offering Date unless a later time for filing the subscription agreement is set by the Board for all eligible Employees with respect to a given Offering Period a subscription agreement authorizing payroll deductions. An eligible employee who does not deliver a subscription agreement to the payroll department by such date after becoming eligible to participate in such Offering Period under the Plan shall not participate in that Offering Period or any subsequent Offering Period unless such employee enrolls in the Plan by filing the subscription agreement with the payroll department not later than the 15th day of the month preceding a subsequent Offering Date. Once an employee becomes a participant in an Offering Period, such employee will automatically participate in the Offering Period commencing immediately following the last day of the prior Offering Period unless the employee withdraws from the Plan or terminates further participation in the Offering Period as set forth in Section 11 below. Such participant is not required to file any additional subscription agreements in order to continue participation in the Plan. Any participant whose option expires and who has not withdrawn from the Plan pursuant to Section 11 below will automatically be re-enrolled in the Plan and granted a new option on the Offering Date of the next Offering Period. A participant in the Plan may participate in only one Offering Period at any time.
In jurisdictions where payroll deductions are not permitted under local law, the eligible employees may participate in the Plan by making contributions in the form that is acceptable and approved by the Board or Committee.
7. Grant of Option on Enrollment. Enrollment by an eligible employee in the Plan with respect to an Offering Period will constitute the grant (as of the Offering Date) by the Company to such employee of an option to purchase on each Purchase Date up to that number of shares of Common Stock of the Company determined by dividing the amount accumulated in such employees payroll deduction account during such Purchase Period by the lower of (i) eighty-five percent (85%) of the fair market value of a share of the Companys Common Stock on the Offering Date (the Entry Price) or (ii) eighty-five percent (85%) of the fair market value of a share of the Companys Common Stock on the Purchase Date, provided, however, that the number of shares of the Companys Common Stock subject to any option granted pursuant to this Plan shall not exceed the lesser of (a) the maximum number of shares set by the Board pursuant to Section 10(c) below with respect to all Purchase Periods within the applicable Offering Period or Purchase Period, or (b) 200% of the number of shares determined by using 85% of the fair market value of a share of the Companys Common Stock on the Offering Date as the denominator. Fair market value of a share of the Companys Common Stock shall be determined as provided in Section 8 hereof.
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8. Purchase Price. The purchase price per share at which a share of Common Stock will be sold in any Offering Period shall be eighty-five percent (85%) of the lesser of:
(a) the fair market value on the Offering Date, or
(b) the fair market value on the Purchase Date.
For purposes of the Plan, the term fair market value on a given date shall mean the closing bid from the previous days trading of a share of the Companys Common Stock as reported on the NASDAQ National Market System.
9. Payment of Purchase Price; Changes in Payroll Deductions; Issuance of Shares.
(a) The purchase price of the shares is accumulated by regular payroll deductions made during each Purchase Period. The deductions are made as a percentage of the employees compensation in one percent (1%) increments not less than two percent (2%) nor greater than ten percent (10%). Compensation shall mean base salary, commissions, overtime, performance bonuses, discretionary bonuses, stay bonuses, referral bonuses, sabbatical cash outs, shift differentials, and such other forms of compensation as the Committee, in the exercise of its discretion under the Plan, may designate as subject to payroll deductions for purposes of the Plan. Notwithstanding the foregoing, Compensation shall not include car benefits/allowances, income derived from stock options, equity-based compensation, or payments made in connection with termination (including, but not limited to, holiday accrual cash outs, severance pay, separation pay, or ex gratia payments). Payroll deductions shall commence with the first pay period following the Offering Date and shall continue to the end of the Offering Period unless sooner altered or terminated as provided in the Plan.
(b) A participant may lower (but not increase) the rate of payroll deductions during a Purchase Period by filing with the payroll department a new authorization for payroll deductions, in which case the new rate shall become effective for the next payroll period commencing more than 15 days after the payroll departments receipt of the authorization and shall continue for the remainder of the Offering Period unless changed as described below. Such change in the rate of payroll deductions may be made at any time during an Offering Period, but not more than one change may be made effective during any Purchase Period. A participant may increase or lower the rate of payroll deductions for any subsequent Purchase Period by filing with the payroll department a new authorization for payroll deductions not later than the 15th day of the month before the beginning of such Purchase Period.
(c) Subject to the laws of the local jurisdiction, all payroll deductions made for a participant are credited to his or her account under the Plan and are deposited with the general funds of the Company; no interest accrues on the payroll deductions. Subject to the laws of the local jurisdiction, all payroll deductions received or held by the Company may be used by the Company for any corporate purpose, and the Company shall not be obligated to segregate such payroll deductions.
(d) On each Purchase Date, as long as the Plan remains in effect and provided that the participant has not submitted a signed and completed withdrawal form before that date which notifies the Company that the participant wishes to withdraw from that Offering Period under the Plan and have all payroll deductions accumulated in the account maintained on behalf of the participant as of that date returned to the participant, the Company shall apply the funds then in the participants account to the purchase of whole shares of Common Stock reserved under the option granted to such participant with respect to the Offering Period to the extent that such option is exercisable on the Purchase Date. The purchase price per share shall be as specified in Section 8 of the Plan. Any cash remaining in a participants account after such purchase of shares shall be refunded to such participant in cash; provided, however, that any amount remaining in participants account on a Purchase Date which is less than the amount necessary to purchase a full share of Common Stock of the Company shall be carried forward, without interest, into the next Purchase Period or Offering Period, as the case may be. In the event that the Plan has been oversubscribed, all funds not used to purchase shares on the Purchase Date shall be returned to the participant. No Common Stock shall be purchased on a Purchase Date on behalf of any employee whose participation in the Plan has terminated prior to such Purchase Date.
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(e) As promptly as practicable after the Purchase Date, the Company shall arrange the delivery to each participant, as appropriate, of a certificate representing the shares purchased upon exercise of his option; provided that the Board may deliver certificates to a broker or brokers that hold such certificates in street name for the benefit of each such participant.
(f) During a participants lifetime, such participants option to purchase shares hereunder is exercisable only by him or her. The participant will have no interest or voting right in shares covered by his or her option until such option has been exercised. Shares to be delivered to a participant under the Plan will be registered in the name of the participant or in the name of the participant and his or her spouse.
10. Limitations on Shares to be Purchased.
(a) No employee shall be entitled to purchase stock under the Plan at a rate which, when aggregated with his or her rights to purchase stock under all other employee stock purchase plans of the Company or any Subsidiary, exceeds US$25,000 in fair market value, determined as of the Offering Date (or such other limit as may be imposed by the Code) for each calendar year in which the employee participates in the Plan.
(b) No more than 200% of the number of shares determined by using 85% of the fair market value of a share of the Companys Common Stock on the Offering Date as the denominator may be purchased by a participant on any single Purchase Date.
(c) No employee shall be entitled to purchase more than the Maximum Share Amount (as defined below) on any single Purchase Date. Not less than thirty days prior to the commencement of any Purchase Period, the Board may, in its sole discretion, set a maximum number of shares which may be purchased by any employee at any single Purchase Date (hereinafter the Maximum Share Amount). In no event shall the Maximum Share Amount exceed the amounts permitted under Section 10(b) above. If a new Maximum Share Amount is set, then all participants must be notified of such Maximum Share Amount not less than fifteen (15) days prior to the commencement of the next Purchase Period. Once the Maximum Share Amount is set, it shall continue to apply with respect to all succeeding Purchase Dates and Purchase Periods unless revised by the Board as set forth above.
(d) If the number of shares to be purchased on a Purchase Date by all employees participating in the Plan exceeds the number of shares then available for issuance under the Plan, the Company shall make a pro rata allocation of the remaining shares in as uniform a manner as shall be practicable and as the Board shall determine to be equitable. In such event, the Company shall give written notice of such reduction of the number of shares to be purchased under a participants option to each employee affected thereby.
(e) Any payroll deductions accumulated in a participants account which are not used to purchase stock due to the limitations in this Section 10 shall be returned to the participant as soon as practicable after the end of the Offering Period.
11. Withdrawal.
(a) Each participant may withdraw from an Offering Period under the Plan by signing and delivering to the payroll department notice on a form provided for such purpose. Such withdrawal may be elected at any time at least fifteen (15) days prior to the end of an Offering Period.
(b) Upon withdrawal from the Plan, the accumulated payroll deductions shall be returned to the withdrawn employee and his or her interest in the Plan shall terminate. In the event an employee voluntarily elects to withdraw from the Plan, he or she may not resume his or her participation in the Plan during the same Offering Period, but he or she may participate in any Offering Period under the Plan which commences on a date subsequent to such withdrawal by filing a new authorization for payroll deductions in the same manner as set forth above for initial participation in the Plan. However, if the participant is an insider for purposes of Rule 16(b), he or she shall not be eligible to participate in any Offering Period under the Plan which commences less than six (6) months from the date of withdrawal from the Plan.
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(c) A participant may participate in the current Purchase Period under an Offering Period (the Current Offering Period) and enroll in the Offering Period commencing after such Purchase Period (the New Offering Period) by (i) withdrawing from participating in the Current Offering Period effective as of the last day of a Purchase Period within that Offering Period and (ii) enrolling in the New Offering Period. Such withdrawal and enrollment shall be effected by filing with the payroll department at least fifteen (15) days prior to the end of a Purchase Period such form or forms as are provided for such purposes.
12. Termination of Employment. Termination of a participants employment for any reason, including retirement or death or the failure of a participant to remain an eligible employee, terminates his or her participation in the Plan immediately. In such event, the payroll deductions credited to the participants account will be returned to him or her or, in the case of his or her death, to his or her legal representative. For this purpose, an employee will not be deemed to have terminated employment or failed to remain in the continuous employ of the Company in the case of sick leave, military leave, or any other leave of absence approved by the Board of Directors of the Company; provided that such leave is for a period of not more than ninety (90) days or re-employment upon the expiration of such leave is guaranteed by contract or statute.
13. Return of Payroll Deductions. In the event an employees interest in the Plan is terminated by withdrawal, termination of employment or otherwise, or in the event the Plan is terminated by the Board, the Company shall promptly deliver to the employee all payroll deductions credited to his account. No interest shall accrue on the payroll deductions of a participant in the Plan, unless otherwise required by the laws of a local jurisdiction.
14. Capital Changes. Subject to any required action by the stockholders of the Company, the number of shares of Common Stock covered by each option under the Plan which has not yet been exercised and the number of shares of Common Stock which have been authorized for issuance under the Plan but have not yet been placed under option (collectively, the Reserves), as well as the price per share of Common Stock covered by each option under the Plan which has not yet been exercised, shall be proportionately adjusted for any increase or decrease in the number of issued shares of Common Stock resulting from a stock split or the payment of a stock dividend (but only on the Common Stock) or any other increase or decrease in the number of shares of Common Stock effected without receipt of consideration by the Company; provided, however, that conversion of any convertible securities of the Company shall not be deemed to have been effected without receipt of consideration. Such adjustment shall be made by the Board, whose determination in that respect shall be final, binding and conclusive. Except as expressly provided herein, no issue by the Company of shares of stock of any class, or securities convertible into shares of stock of any class, shall affect, and no adjustment by reason thereof shall be made with respect to, the number or price of shares of Common Stock subject to an option.
In the event of the proposed dissolution or liquidation of the Company, the Offering Period will terminate immediately prior to the consummation of such proposed action, unless otherwise provided by the Board. The Board may, in the exercise of its sole discretion in such instances, declare that the options under the Plan shall terminate as of a date fixed by the Board and give each participant the right to exercise his or her option as to all of the optioned stock, including shares, which would not otherwise be exercisable. In the event of a proposed sale of all or substantially all of the assets of the Company, or the merger of the Company with or into another corporation, each option under the Plan shall be assumed or an equivalent option shall be substituted by such successor corporation or a parent or subsidiary of such successor corporation, unless the Board determines, in the exercise of its sole discretion and in lieu of such assumption or substitution, that the participant shall have the right to exercise the option as to all of the optioned stock. If the Board makes an option exercisable in lieu of assumption or substitution in the event of a merger or sale of assets, the Board shall notify the participant that the option shall be fully exercisable for a period of twenty (20) days from the date of such notice, and the option will terminate upon the expiration of such period.
The Board may, if it so determines in the exercise of its sole discretion, also make provision for adjusting the Reserves, as well as the price per share of Common Stock covered by each outstanding option, in the event that the Company effects one or more reorganizations, recapitalizations, rights offerings or other increases or reductions of shares of its outstanding Common Stock, and in the event of the Company being consolidated with or merged into any other corporation.
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15. Nonassignability. Neither payroll deductions credited to a participants account nor any rights with regard to the exercise of an option or to receive shares under the Plan may be assigned, transferred, pledged or otherwise disposed of in any way (other than by will, the laws of descent and distribution or as provided in Section 22 hereof) by the participant. Any such attempt at assignment, transfer, pledge or other disposition shall be without effect.
16. Reports. Individual accounts will be maintained for each participant in the Plan. Each participant shall receive promptly after the end of each Purchase Period a report of his account setting forth the total payroll deductions accumulated, the number of shares purchased, the per share price thereof and the remaining cash balance, if any, carried forward to the next Purchase Period or Offering Period, as the case may be.
17. Notice of Disposition. Each participant shall notify the Company if the participant disposes of any of the shares purchased in any Offering Period pursuant to this Plan if such disposition occurs within two (2) years from the Offering Date or within twelve (12) months from the Purchase Date on which such shares were purchased (the Notice Period). Unless such participant is disposing of any of such shares during the Notice Period, such participant shall keep the certificates representing such shares in his or her name (and not in the name of a nominee) during the Notice Period. The Company may, at any time during the Notice Period, place a legend or le