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UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
SCHEDULE 14A
Proxy
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LETTER FROM THE CHAIRMAN AND
INTERIM CEO
"...our efforts focused on delivering the industry-leading Dun & Bradstreet data and analytics that our customers need to be more effective in their decision making..." |
Dear Fellow Shareholders, At Dun & Bradstreet®, our mission is to help customers grow their most valuable relationships in business by uncovering truth and meaning from data. 2017 was a mixed year, where we made progress on important initiatives, but our revenue growth was not what we wanted it to be. Organic Revenue grew 1%, Operating Income was up 3% and Earnings Per Share (EPS) was flat. While we finished the year at the low end of our revenue guidance, I am pleased to say we exceeded our original guidance range for Operating Income and EPS.* 2017 STRATEGIC HIGHLIGHTS INCLUDE:
Consistent with our strategy, our efforts focused on delivering the industry-leading Dun & Bradstreet data and analytics that our customers need to be more effective in their decision making in everything from managing risk to generating new business. We expanded our global database to include more than 285 million business records. Our global data coverage and analyticsdelivered through modern channelsensures we can offer strategic business insights and intelligence to our customers and partners, when and where they need it.
We continued to grow "data-as-a-service" deliverywhere our data is delivered through APIs, the cloud or embedded in customers' solutions through alliancesachieving almost 30% of our total revenue in the Americas over the last 12 months, up from 20% in 2016. Growth came from our most modern, cloud-based and as-a-service solutions, including D&B® Hoovers® and D&B Credit, and from alliances.
We fortified our presence in the sales and marketing solutions space with the acquisition of Avention, the former maker of OneSource® solutions. The acquisition reinvigorated our Hoover's business, enabling Dun & Bradstreet to quickly take a leadership position in the Sales Acceleration space, which Outsell, Inc. estimates has an annual market opportunity of $10 billion. The acquisition set the groundwork for the launch of D&B Hoovers, our modernized Sales Acceleration solution designed to help B2B sellers shorten sales cycles, increase win rates, and accelerate revenue growth. Since launching in the United States, the United Kingdom and Ireland, we have introduced the product through our Worldwide Network (our global alliance of commercial information providers) across multiple geographies, including: Australia, China, India, Singapore, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Japan, Korea and Malaysia.
Less than a year after modernizing D&B CreditDun & Bradstreet's flagship risk intelligence platformthe solution is now available in more than 30 countries. In February 2017, we launched D&B Credit Advantage, the newest edition to our suite of credit solutions. By combining our customers' accounts receivable data with our own proprietary data and analytics, D&B Credit Advantage gives users a newly-enhanced, holistic view of their accounts receivable portfolio to assess and manage risk, and ultimately to help drive new business.
An important part of our strategy is natively integrating our data within key platforms through alliances and partnerships. Late last year, we formed a new alliance with Microsoft®. With the powerful combination of Dun & Bradstreet data and Microsoft technology, customers will have access to the most accurate data within Microsoft Dynamics 365. By leveraging Microsoft's Common Data Service, the industry-standard D-U-N-S® Number and core business data will be integrated to help joint customers qualify sales leads and stay synchronized with our global database. |
LETTER FROM THE CHAIRMAN AND
INTERIM CEO
"We were recognized with several |
To ensure we continue to meet and exceed the growing legal, regulatory, ethical and social responsibilities that come with being an outstanding global corporate citizen, we expanded our global Corporate Citizenship program, which includes environmental, social and governance initiatives. We were recognized with several industry awards for our forward-leaning culture, corporate governance practices, and socially responsible ethics including: "Top Places to Work" awards at six Dun & Bradstreet locations; "Great Place to Work for LGBT Equality" by the Human Rights Campaign Foundation; the Golden Peacock Global Award for Excellence in Corporate Governance; the Corporate Board Gender Diversity Award from Executive Women of New Jersey; and one of the World's Most Ethical Companies for the ninth consecutive year by the Ethisphere® Institute. I am encouraged by the progress made in 2017 and, along with the Board of Directors, would like to thank the Dun & Bradstreet management team and employees for their continued passion and commitment to our customers' and company's success. In serving as the Chairman of the Board and CEO of Dun & Bradstreet on an interim basis, my mission is clear and straightforward: to simplify the business and further accelerate our progress. The Board and I are committed to maximizing the company's strategy, growth opportunities, and operational efficiencies, with the goal of increasing customer satisfaction and shareholder value. On behalf of the Board of Directors and the Dun & Bradstreet team, I sincerely thank you for your support of our company. Sincerely,
Thomas J. Manning |
Notice of 2018 Annual Meeting of Shareholders
The 2018 Annual Meeting of Shareholders of The Dun & Bradstreet Corporation (Company) will be held on Tuesday, May 8, 2018, at 8:00 a.m. at The Hilton Short Hills, 41 JFK Parkway, Short Hills, New Jersey. The purpose of the meeting is to:
Only shareholders of record at the close of business on March 15, 2018, will be entitled to vote at the meeting.
By Order of the Board of Directors,
Kristin
R. Kaldor
Corporate Secretary
Dated: March 27, 2018
Pursuant to rules adopted by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, we are once again providing to our shareholders access to our proxy materials over the Internet. We continue to believe that this e-proxy process allows us to provide our shareholders with the information they need while lowering printing and mailing costs, reducing the environmental impact of our Annual Meeting and more efficiently complying with our obligations under the securities laws. On or about March 27, 2018, we mailed to our beneficial shareholders a Notice of Internet Availability of Proxy Materials containing instructions on how to access our 2018 Proxy Statement and Annual Report and vote online. Registered shareholders will be furnished a printed copy of the 2018 Proxy Statement and Annual Report by mail, unless they have opted for e-proxy access over the Internet.
YOUR VOTE IS IMPORTANT | ||||
To assure your representation at the Annual Meeting, you are requested to vote your shares as promptly as possible. In addition to voting in person, shareholders of record may vote via a toll-free telephone number or over the Internet as instructed in these materials. If you received the proxy statement by mail, you may also vote by completing, signing and mailing the enclosed proxy card promptly in the return envelope provided. Please note that if your shares are held by a broker, bank or other holder of record and you wish to vote at the meeting, you must obtain a legal proxy from that record holder. |
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Please note that with the exception of Proposal No. 2, brokers may not vote your shares in the absence of your specific instructions as to how to vote. Please return your proxy card so your vote can be counted. |
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The Board of Directors (Board) of The Dun & Bradstreet Corporation (Dun & Bradstreet, we, our, or the Company) is soliciting your proxy for use at the Annual Meeting of Shareholders to be held on May 8, 2018 (Annual Meeting). On or about March 27, 2018, we mailed to our beneficial holders a Notice of Internet Availability of Proxy Materials (Notice) containing instructions on how to access the proxy materials on the Internet and how to vote on the Internet and by telephone, and we mailed to our registered shareholders a printed copy of the proxy materials. If you received a Notice and would like to receive a printed copy of our proxy materials, free of charge, you should follow the instructions for requesting such materials included in the Notice. Please see the section titled "General Information About the Meeting" at the end of this proxy statement for more information about voting.
Our principal executive offices are located at 103 JFK Parkway, Short Hills, New Jersey 07078-2708, and our main telephone number is 973-921-5500. Dun & Bradstreet is listed on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) with the ticker symbol DNB.
Our Board currently consists of eight members, all of whom are independent except for Thomas J. Manning, our Chairman of the Board (Chairman) and interim Chief Executive Officer (CEO). The objective of our Board is to conduct our business activities so as to enhance shareholder value. Our Board believes that good corporate governance practices support successful business performance and thus the creation of shareholder value. To institutionalize the Board's view of governance, our Board has adopted Corporate Governance Principles. These principles, which were last reviewed in February 2018, cover Board composition and performance (e.g., director independence, qualification of directors, outside directorships and committee service, selection of director nominees, director orientation and continuing education), the relationship of the Board with senior management (e.g., attendance of non-directors at Board meetings and Board access to senior leadership), Board meetings, Board committees and management review (e.g., evaluation of the CEO and management succession).
The Board has four standing committees: the Audit Committee, the Compensation & Benefits Committee (C&BC), the Innovation & Technology Committee (I&TC) and the Nominating & Governance Committee (N&GC). Each Board committee has its own charter setting forth its purpose and responsibilities, including, where applicable, those required by the NYSE listing standards. Each of the committees and their charters are described in more detail below.
Our Corporate Governance Principles and the charters of each of our committees of the Board are available in the Investor Relations section of our website (http://investor.dnb.com).
Leadership Structure of the Board. On February 12, 2018, we announced that our then Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer, Robert P. Carrigan, had stepped down by mutual agreement with our Board, that Thomas J. Manning, our then Lead Director and member of the Board, had assumed the role of interim Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board, and that we were initiating a search for a new CEO. Our Board considers independent leadership to be critical for Board effectiveness. Accordingly, the Company's Corporate Governance Principles provide that in the event the Chairman is not an independent director, the Board will appoint an independent Lead Director. On February 12, 2018, James N. Fernandez was appointed Lead Director, whose duties and responsibilities include (i) presiding at all meetings of the Board at which the Chairman is not present, including executive sessions of the non-employee directors, (ii) providing feedback to the CEO after
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executive sessions of the non-employee directors, (iii) the authority to call a meeting of the non-employee directors at any time, (iv) leading the Board's annual evaluation of the CEO, (v) leading the process for the annual assessment of the performance and effectiveness of the Board and its committees pursuant to the procedures developed by the N&GC, (vi) approving Board meeting agendas and schedules after conferring with the Chairman of the Board, as appropriate, (vii) acting as liaison between the non-employee directors and the Chairman, and (viii) performing such other duties and responsibilities as the Board may determine.
The Board's Role in Risk Oversight. The Board oversees the Company's risk profile and management's processes for assessing and managing risks, both as a full Board and through its committees. The Board reviews strategic risks. Risk oversight of non-strategic risks is delegated based upon the expertise of certain committees that periodically report risk oversight activities to the Board. Specifically, the Board has delegated to the Audit Committee, the N&GC, the C&BC and the I&TC, responsibilities related to risk oversight as described herein.
The Audit Committee oversees the Company's major financial, legal, regulatory and compliance risk exposures. In addition, the Audit Committee oversees, and reviews with the internal auditors and management, the Company's enterprise risk management (ERM) process, which includes the prioritization of identified risks and management's mitigation plans. The Company uses the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO) current framework for enterprise risk and control management, 2017 Enterprise Risk Management Integrating with Strategy and Performance, as an appropriate complement to the COSO framework we use for designing, implementing and assessing the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting, Internal Control Integrated Framework (2013).
Particular members of management provide updates to, or report to, the Audit Committee as follows:
In addition, at least quarterly, the Audit Committee meets in private sessions separately with each of the Chief Enterprise Risk & Audit Officer, the Principal Accounting Officer and Corporate Controller, the Chief Financial Officer and the Company's independent registered public accounting firm. Periodically, the Audit Committee also meets privately with the Chief Compliance Officer.
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The C&BC annually reviews with management the compensation policies and practices of the Company, including those applicable to non-executive officers, to determine the extent to which risks arising from the Company's compensation policies and practices are reasonably likely to have a material adverse effect on the Company. The compensation related risk analysis considers the major components of compensation and compensation related policies at the Company and how each may impact risk-taking activities by employees. The analysis is prepared by management and reviewed and agreed upon by an interdisciplinary management team comprised of senior leaders from finance, internal audit and enterprise risk, sales operations, legal, the people team and compensation. In addition, the C&BC's independent executive compensation consultant, Meridian Compensation Partners LLC (Meridian), as well as the Company's external legal counsel, review and provide feedback on the analysis. Based on this analysis, the C&BC agreed with management that the risks arising from our compensation policies and practices are not reasonably likely to have a material adverse effect on the Company.
The I&TC periodically reviews with management the commercial risks of the Company's technology infrastructure and platforms, including marketplace and financial risks, information technology security risks and related cybersecurity risks. For example, management reviews with the I&TC the progress of the implementation of our technology investments. In addition, at the request of the I&TC, in February 2017, management conducted a cybersecurity governance training session with the full Board.
The N&GC may periodically review the Company's policies and programs related to (i) political actions and legislative affairs, (ii) employee health and safety, (iii) equal employment opportunity, and (iv) charitable contributions.
Each of the Audit Committee, C&BC, I&TC and N&GC periodically reports to the Board on any such matters under review, as appropriate.
Independence of the Board and Committees
Our Corporate Governance Principles require that at least two-thirds of the Board meet the criteria for independence established by the NYSE and applicable laws. After considering all relevant facts and circumstances, our Board has determined that each of its members except Thomas J. Manning, our Chairman and interim CEO, is independent under the NYSE listing standards and applicable laws. Our Board has also determined that each member of the Audit Committee, the C&BC, the I&TC and the N&GC is independent under the NYSE listing standards and applicable laws (although I&TC member independence is not required because it is not a NYSE-required committee).
Pursuant to NYSE rules, a director is not independent if the director is, or has been within the last three years, an employee of the Company. There is, however, an exception to this NYSE rule which provides that Mr. Manning would not lose his independence solely as a result of his serving as our interim CEO, should he remain on the Board upon the conclusion of such service. In addition, for a director to be considered independent, the Board must affirmatively determine that the director has no material relationship with the Company (either directly or indirectly, such as a partner, shareholder or officer of an organization that has a relationship with the Company). Our Corporate Governance Principles set forth categorical standards to assist the Board in determining what constitutes a material relationship with the Company. The Board retains the sole right to interpret and apply the foregoing standards in determining the materiality of any relationship. Our Corporate Governance Principles are available in the Investor Relations section of our website (http://investor.dnb.com).
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Our Board held seven meetings in 2017, with no director attending fewer than 75% of the aggregate number of meetings of the Board and of the committees of the Board on which he or she served.
The Corporate Secretary and the Chairman prepare the agenda for each Board meeting for the review and approval of the Lead Director and then distribute the agenda to the Board in advance of each meeting. Each Board member is encouraged to suggest items for inclusion on the agenda.
Information and data that are important to the Board's understanding of the business and of scheduled agenda items are distributed sufficiently in advance of each Board meeting to give the directors a reasonable opportunity for review.
Our non-employee directors meet in regularly scheduled executive sessions without members of management. Our Lead Director, James N. Fernandez, presides over these executive sessions. The non-employee directors held five executive sessions of the Board in 2017. More information relating to Mr. Fernandez's responsibilities as Lead Director can be found under the "Leadership Structure of the Board" section of this proxy statement.
The table below provides the current membership information and number of meetings for each of the Audit Committee, C&BC, I&TC and N&GC.
Name
|
Audit | Compensation & Benefits |
Innovation & Technology |
Nominating & Governance |
|||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Cindy Christy |
X | X | |||||||||||
L. Gordon Crovitz |
X | X | |||||||||||
James N. Fernandez (Lead Director) |
X | * | X | ||||||||||
Paul R. Garcia |
X | X | * | ||||||||||
Anastassia Lauterbach |
X | * | X | ||||||||||
Randall D. Mott |
X | X | |||||||||||
Judith A. Reinsdorf |
X | X | X | * | |||||||||
Committee Meetings held in 2017 |
5 | 4 | 3 | 3 |
The Audit Committee. Under the terms of its charter, the Audit Committee's primary function is to appoint annually the independent registered public accounting firm and to assist the Board in the oversight of:
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The Audit Committee may, in its discretion, delegate all or a portion of its duties and responsibilities to a subcommittee or, to the extent otherwise permitted by applicable plans, laws or regulations (including NYSE listing standards), to any other body, individual or management. A copy of the Audit Committee's charter can be found in the Investor Relations section of our website (http://investor.dnb.com). The Report of the Audit Committee can be found under the "Audit Committee Information" section of this proxy statement.
Our Board has reviewed the qualifications and experience of each of the Audit Committee members and determined that all members of the Audit Committee are "financially literate" as required by the NYSE listing standards.
Our Board has also determined that James N. Fernandez qualifies as an "audit committee financial expert" as that term has been defined by the rules of the SEC and has "accounting or related financial management expertise" within the meaning of the NYSE listing standards.
The Compensation & Benefits Committee. Under the terms of its charter, the primary function of the C&BC is to discharge the Board's responsibilities relating to compensation of our CEO and our other executive officers. Among other things, the C&BC:
The C&BC may, in its discretion, delegate all or a portion of its duties and responsibilities to a subcommittee or, to the extent otherwise permitted by applicable plans, laws or regulations (including NYSE listing standards), to any other body, individual or management. A copy of the C&BC charter can be found in the Investor Relations section of our website (http://investor.dnb.com).
The C&BC has appointed two committees comprised of employees of the Company to perform certain settlor, fiduciary and administrative responsibilities for our employee benefit plans, provided
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such actions do not impact the compensation of the executive officers of the Company for whom the C&BC has direct responsibility. The two committees are:
The C&BC has also delegated to our CEO the authority to make limited grants under our equity-based compensation plans to non-executive officers. A detailed description of our processes and procedures for the determination of compensation for our executive officers and directors, including the role of the C&BC, our independent compensation consultant and our CEO in determining or recommending the amount or form of compensation, is included in the "Compensation Discussion & Analysis" section of this proxy statement.
In addition to the independence standards described above, in determining the composition of the C&BC, our Board considered all factors specifically relevant to determining whether each member of the C&BC has a relationship to Dun & Bradstreet that is material to the director's ability to be independent from management, including (i) the source of the director's compensation, including any consulting, advisory or other compensatory fees paid by us, and (ii) whether the director has an affiliate relationship with Dun & Bradstreet, one of our subsidiaries or an affiliate of a subsidiary. The Board concluded that no member of the C&BC has a relationship that would impair a director's ability to make independent judgments about the Company's executive compensation.
The C&BC has retained the services of an independent compensation consultant. The mandate to the consultant is to work for the C&BC in connection with its review of executive and non-employee director compensation practices, including the competitiveness of executive pay levels, executive incentive design issues, market trends in executive compensation and technical considerations. The nature and scope of services rendered by the consultant on the C&BC's behalf are described below:
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The C&BC's independent compensation consultant is Meridian. Meridian's services to the Company are limited to advising the C&BC with respect to executive officer and non-employee director compensation. The C&BC reviews and evaluates the independence of its consultant each year and has the final authority to hire and terminate the consultant. In considering Meridian's independence, the C&BC reviewed numerous factors relating to Meridian and the individuals actually providing services to Dun & Bradstreet, including those required by the SEC and the NYSE. Based on a review of these factors, the C&BC has determined that (i) Meridian is independent and (ii) Meridian's engagement presents no conflicts of interest.
The Innovation & Technology Committee. Under the terms of its charter, the primary function of the I&TC is to review our approach to information technology and innovation, including:
In addition, the I&TC reviews with management the risks of the Company's technology infrastructure and platforms, including marketplace and financial risks, information technology security risks and related cybersecurity risks. The I&TC may, in its discretion, also delegate all or a portion of its duties and responsibilities to a subcommittee or, to the extent otherwise permitted by applicable laws or regulations, to any other body, individual or management. A copy of the I&TC charter can be found in the Investor Relations section of our website (http://investor.dnb.com).
The Nominating & Governance Committee. Under the terms of its charter, the N&GC's primary responsibilities include:
The N&GC may, in its discretion, delegate all or a portion of its duties and responsibilities to a subcommittee or, to the extent otherwise permitted by applicable laws or regulations (including NYSE listing standards), to any other body, individual or management. A copy of the N&GC charter can be found in the Investor Relations section of our website (http://investor.dnb.com).
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In accordance with our Corporate Governance Principles and the N&GC charter, the N&GC oversees the entire process of selection and nomination of Board nominees, including screening candidates for directorships in accordance with the Board-approved criteria described below. The N&GC, with input from the Chairman of the Board, will identify individuals believed to be qualified to become Board members. The N&GC solicits candidates from its current directors and, if deemed appropriate, retains for a fee, one or more third party search firms to identify and help evaluate candidates. The N&GC will recommend candidates to the Board to fill new or vacant positions based on such factors as it deems appropriate, including independence, potential conflicts of interest (including any affiliation with an entity that competes or appears to compete with the Company), professional experience, personal character, integrity, diversity, outside commitments (e.g., service on other boards) and particular areas of expertiseall within the context of the needs of the Board. The N&GC does not use a formula for these factors, including diversity, but instead applies its judgment based on the needs of the Company.
The N&GC will also consider director nominees proposed by our shareholders. Any shareholder wishing to propose a future nominee for consideration by the N&GC may nominate persons for election to the Board if such shareholder complies with the notice procedures set forth in our by-laws and summarized under the "Shareholder Proposals for the 2019 Annual Meeting" section of this proxy statement. The N&GC uses the same criteria described above to evaluate nominees proposed by our shareholders.
No individuals were proposed for nomination by any shareholders in connection with the 2018 Annual Meeting of Shareholders.
During 2017, the N&GC reviewed emerging trends and best practices regarding processes to evaluate the Board and made the following changes to enhance the Board and committee assessment process:
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The Board believes the above enhancements to our assessment process provide a more rigorous evaluation of director performance and will help to ensure that each director's skillset fits with the Company's long-term business strategy and risk profile.
Communications with the Board and Audit Committee
We have a process in place that permits shareholders and other interested persons to communicate with our Board through its Lead Director and with the Audit Committee through its Chairman. Mr. James N. Fernandez currently serves as both our Lead Director and Audit Committee Chairman. To report complaints about our accounting, internal accounting controls or auditing matters, shareholders and other interested persons should write to the Dun & Bradstreet Audit Committee Chairman, care of our third party compliance vendor, at: AlertLine, NAVEX Global, Inc., 13950 Ballantyne Corporate Place, Suite 300, Charlotte, North Carolina 28277. To report all other concerns to the non-employee directors, shareholders and other interested persons should write to the Lead Director, care of AlertLine, NAVEX Global, Inc., at the address noted above. Communications that are not specifically addressed as indicated above will be provided to the Lead Director. Concerns can be reported anonymously by not including a name and/or contact information, or confidentially by marking the envelope containing the communication as "Confidential." All communications received by AlertLine will be sent first to our internal compliance team, who will forward them on to the applicable director after review. The compliance team will not forward non-substantive communications that are unrelated to the duties and responsibilities of the Board, such as: spam, business solicitations or advertisements, resumes, product-related inquiries, junk mail or mass mailings, service complaints or inquiries, personal grievances, any threatening or hostile communications or similarly unsuitable communications. As appropriate, such items may be redirected to internal management for investigation, resolution and/or response. These instructions can also be found in the Corporate Governance information maintained in the Investor Relations section of our website (http://investor.dnb.com). On a quarterly basis we provide a summary to the N&GC of all matters that have been received by our Lead Director and by our Audit Committee Chairman through the above process.
We expect directors to be available to attend our Annual Meeting. All of our directors attended our 2017 Annual Meeting of Shareholders.
Service on Multiple Audit Committees
Our Corporate Governance Principles prohibit our Audit Committee members from serving as members of more than two other public company audit committees without the Board's approval. Any determination by the Board approving of service on more than two other public company audit committees will be disclosed in our annual proxy statement. No Audit Committee member currently serves on the audit committee of more than two other public companies.
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Related Persons Transactions and Approval Policy
Our Board recognizes that related persons transactions present a heightened risk of conflicts of interest and therefore has adopted a written policy to be followed in connection with all related persons transactions involving Dun & Bradstreet.
Under this policy, the Board has delegated to the N&GC the responsibility for reviewing and approving certain related persons transactions in excess of $120,000, in which the related person may have a direct or indirect material interest. The Board has empowered the Corporate Secretary to review all related persons transactions in excess of $120,000 and to present to the N&GC for approval those transactions in which the related person is reasonably likely to have a direct or indirect material interest. For purposes of this policy, a transaction includes, but is not limited to, any financial transaction, arrangement or relationship (including any guarantee of indebtedness) or any series of similar transactions, arrangements or relationships. In addition, a related person is any holder of 5% or more of voting securities of the Company, or any director, nominee for director or executive officer of the Company or their immediate family members.
In approving related persons transactions, the N&GC is required to determine whether each related persons transaction referred to the N&GC was the product of fair dealing and whether it was fair to Dun & Bradstreet.
Under this policy, we review our records and make inquiries of our directors and executive officers to identify any related persons transactions. We search our books and records for any related persons transactions that involve amounts, individually or in the aggregate, that exceed $120,000.
The N&GC did not review any related persons transactions pursuant to the policy during 2017.
There are no reportable transactions pursuant to this requirement.
Compensation Committee Interlocks and Insider Participation
None of the members of our C&BC is, or has been, an employee or officer of Dun & Bradstreet. During fiscal year 2017, no member of our C&BC had any relationship with Dun & Bradstreet requiring disclosure under Item 404 of Regulation S-K, the SEC rule regarding disclosure of related persons transactions. During fiscal year 2017, none of our executive officers served on the compensation committee or equivalent or board of directors of another entity whose executive officer(s) served as a director of Dun & Bradstreet or as a member of our C&BC.
We have adopted a Code of Conduct that applies to all of our directors, officers and employees (including our CEO, Chief Financial Officer, and Principal Accounting Officer and Corporate Controller) and have posted the Code of Conduct in the Investor Relations section of our website (http://investor.dnb.com). We intend to satisfy the disclosure requirement under Item 5.05 of Form 8-K, if any, relating to amendments to or waivers from any provision of our Code of Conduct applicable to our CEO, Chief Financial Officer, and Principal Accounting Officer and Corporate Controller by posting this information on our website.
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Overview of Non-employee Director Compensation
For 2017, our non-employee directors' total compensation program consisted of both cash and equity-based compensation awards as follows:
Cash compensation was paid in semi-annual installments in 2017. No separate fees are paid for attendance at Board or Committee meetings. The RSU grant is made on the date of the Annual Meeting of Shareholders.
In addition, non-employee directors may elect to defer all or a portion of their annual cash retainer(s) into our Non-employee Directors' Deferred Compensation Plan. Directors who defer their cash retainers into the Dun & Bradstreet Common Stock Fund under the plan receive a 10% premium payment credited to their account. This premium as well as the base deferral amount must remain invested in the Dun & Bradstreet Common Stock Fund for a period of at least three years from the date these amounts are initially credited to the non-employee director's account. Receipt of RSU awards may also be voluntarily deferred such that the delivery of the underlying shares is the date of separation from service. RSUs are credited with dividend equivalent units while deferred.
Each new non-employee director receives a pro-rata allocation of the components of the total compensation program as described above as of their appointment date. All non-employee directors are also provided with the following benefits:
Only non-employee directors receive compensation for serving on the Board. A director who is also an employee of the Company receives no additional compensation for serving as a director.
Non-employee directors are required to hold an aggregate value of shares equal to five times the annual board cash retainer received by directors under the total compensation program, which is intended to be achieved within five years and thereafter maintained. Shares counted towards stock ownership include (i) shares owned outright, (ii) deferred shares, (iii) Restricted Stock Units, (iv) shares held in the Dun & Bradstreet Common Stock Fund, (v) 50% of vested and exercisable
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options, and (vi) such other form of equity compensation as may be received by directors from time to time under the total compensation program.
The following table summarizes the compensation paid to our non-employee directors in 2017:
Non-employee Director Compensation Table
Name
|
Fees Earned or Paid in Cash ($) (1) |
Stock Awards ($) (2)(3) |
All Other Compensation ($) (4)(5)(6) |
Total ($) |
|||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Thomas J. Manning |
155,000 | 135,000 | 12,459 | 302,459 | |||||||||
Lead Director* |
|||||||||||||
Cindy Christy |
85,000 | 135,000 | 17,540 | 237,540 | |||||||||
Christopher J. Coughlin |
30,274 | 0 | 11,076 | 41,350 | |||||||||
L. Gordon Crovitz |
85,000 | 135,000 | 9,395 | 229,395 | |||||||||
James N. Fernandez |
105,000 | 135,000 | 49,780 | 289,780 | |||||||||
Paul R. Garcia |
105,000 | 135,000 | 12,728 | 252,728 | |||||||||
Anastassia Lauterbach |
105,000 | 135,000 | 2,385 | 242,385 | |||||||||
Randall D. Mott |
85,000 | 135,000 | 2,385 | 222,385 | |||||||||
Judith A. Reinsdorf |
85,000 | 135,000 | 8,459 | 228,459 |
On May 10, 2017, the per share grant date fair value was $111.57. Therefore, excluding dividend equivalent units, the total full fair value for RSUs granted to each non-employee director in 2017 was approximately $135,000. These RSUs vest in full on the earlier of (i) immediately prior to the next year's Annual Meeting of Shareholders or (ii) the director's separation from service with the Board due to death or disability, and are payable in shares of our common stock as of the separation from service date. If the director separates from service with the Board due to retirement, the award is prorated and payable in shares of our common stock as of the retirement date. Directors are credited with dividend equivalent units with respect to the RSUs prior to settlement.
12
Equity Awards Outstanding as of December 31, 2017
As of December 31, 2017, the aggregate number of stock awards (including units held in the Dun & Bradstreet Common Stock Fund under our Non-employee Directors' Deferred Compensation Plan) and stock options outstanding for each non-employee director was as follows:
Name
|
Stock Awards (#) |
Option Awards (#) |
|||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Thomas J. Manning |
4,392 | 1,387 | |||||
Cindy Christy |
3,011 | 1,170 | |||||
Christopher J. Coughlin |
0 | 2,590 | |||||
L. Gordon Crovitz |
4,129 | 1,340 | |||||
James N. Fernandez |
16,087 | 2,590 | |||||
Paul R. Garcia |
4,475 | 1,788 | |||||
Anastassia Lauterbach |
1,210 | 1,134 | |||||
Randall D. Mott |
1,210 | 1,143 | |||||
Judith A. Reinsdorf |
4,392 | 1,387 |
13
The Board has determined that each member of the Audit Committee is "independent" within the meaning of the SEC regulations and the NYSE listing standards. The Audit Committee is directly responsible for the appointment, fees, retention and oversight of our independent registered public accounting firm. Management has the primary responsibility for our financial reporting process, including our system of internal controls, and for the preparation of consolidated financial statements in compliance with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States of America (GAAP), applicable laws and regulations. Our independent registered public accounting firm is responsible for performing an independent audit of the financial statements in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board and expressing an opinion as to the conformity of such financial statements with GAAP and the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting. It is not the Audit Committee's duty or responsibility to conduct auditing or accounting reviews or procedures.
Management has represented to the Audit Committee that our financial statements were prepared in accordance with GAAP and the Audit Committee has reviewed and discussed the financial statements with management and the independent registered public accounting firm in the course of performing its oversight role.
The Audit Committee has reviewed and discussed with management and our independent registered public accountant, PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K, which includes the Company's audited consolidated financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2017.
The Audit Committee has discussed with PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP the matters required to be discussed by Auditing Standard No. 16, "Communications with Audit Committees," as adopted by the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board.
In addition, the Audit Committee has received and reviewed the written disclosures and the letter from PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP required by the applicable requirements of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board regarding PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP's communications with the Audit Committee concerning independence, and has discussed with PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP their independence from the Company and management.
The Audit Committee met periodically with the Chief Enterprise Risk & Audit Officer, Principal Accounting Officer and Corporate Controller, Chief Financial Officer, Chief Compliance Officer and the independent registered public accounting firm to discuss the results of their examinations, their evaluations of our internal controls, and the overall quality of our financial reporting.
Based on the reviews and discussions referred to above, the Audit Committee recommended to the Board, and the Board has approved, that the audited financial statements be included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2017 for filing with the SEC.
Audit Committee
James
N. Fernandez, Chairman
Paul R. Garcia
Randall D. Mott
Judith A. Reinsdorf
March 13, 2018
14
Audit Committee Pre-approval Policy
The Audit Committee of the Board has adopted an Audit Committee Pre-approval Policy. In accordance with this policy, the independent registered public accounting firm may not provide certain prohibited services. In addition, the Audit Committee must pre-approve the engagement terms and fees, and any changes to those terms and fees, of all audit and non-audit services performed by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP. All pre-approval requests submitted to the Audit Committee are required to be accompanied by backup documentation and a view from PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP and our Chief Financial Officer or Corporate Controller that the services will not impair the independent registered public accounting firm's independence. The policy does not include any delegation of the Audit Committee's responsibilities to management. The Audit Committee has delegated its pre-approval authority to the Audit Committee Chairman or his delegate, subject to an overall limit of $100,000 in new services. Pre-approvals by the delegated member or members must be reported to the Audit Committee at its next scheduled meeting.
Fees Paid to Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
The aggregate fees billed to us by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP for the last two fiscal years are as follows:
|
Fiscal Year Ended December 31, |
||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
2017 | 2016 | |||||
|
(In thousands) |
||||||
Audit Fees (1) |
$ | 4,776 | $ | 4,766 | |||
Audit Related Fees (2) |
771 | 646 | |||||
Tax Fees (3) |
729 | 226 | |||||
All Other Fees |
21 | 136 | |||||
| | | | | | | |
Total Fees |
$ | 6,297 | $ | 5,774 | |||
| | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | |
15
ELECTION OF DIRECTORS
Upon recommendation of the N&GC, the Board has nominated the following eight individuals for election as directors for a one-year term expiring at the 2019 Annual Meeting of Shareholders: Cindy Christy, L. Gordon Crovitz, James N. Fernandez, Paul R. Garcia, Anastassia Lauterbach, Thomas J. Manning, Randall D. Mott and Judith A. Reinsdorf (Nominees). Each Nominee currently serves as a director.
THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS RECOMMENDS A VOTE FOR THE ELECTION OF EACH OF OUR NOMINEES.
Cindy Christy
President
Asurion Corporation
Cindy Christy, age 52, has served as a director of Dun & Bradstreet since August 2015, and is a member of the Compensation & Benefits Committee and the Innovation & Technology Committee. Ms. Christy is currently the President of Asurion Corporation, after serving as the President and Chief Operating Officer from September 2014 until January 2018. Prior to that, Ms. Christy was Asurion Corporation's President, Americas from December 2012 to September 2014 and President, Sales, Marketing and Product Management from November 2008 to December 2012. Prior to joining Asurion Corporation, Ms. Christy held several executive positions with Alcatel-Lucent (and predecessor entity, Lucent Technologies) from 1996 through 2008, including President and Chief Executive Officer of the Americas Region from January 2008 to October 2008, President and Chief Executive Officer, North America, from December 2006 to December 2007, President of Lucent Technologies' Network Solutions Group from April 2005 to December 2006, and President of Lucent Technologies' Mobility Solutions Group from March 2004 to April 2005. Ms. Christy began her career with AT&T in 1988, where she held several leadership positions in marketing and product management. Ms. Christy currently serves on the board of Crown Castle International Corporation and has not served as a director of any other public company in the last five years.
In assessing Ms. Christy's skills and qualifications to serve on the Board, our directors considered her vast knowledge of telecommunications technologies and related emerging technological trends, coupled with global product, supply chain management and information technology expertise. In addition, the Board also values Ms. Christy's experience in marketing and with partnerships and alliances and the variety of executive management positions Ms. Christy has held over her more than 25-year career which has equipped her with strategic management capability, global business insight, risk management capability, mergers and acquisitions and public company experience.
16
L. Gordon Crovitz
Co-Founder and Co-Chief Executive Officer
NewsGuard Technologies, Inc.
L. Gordon Crovitz, age 59, has served as a director of Dun & Bradstreet since July 2014, and is a member of the Nominating & Governance Committee and Innovation & Technology Committee. The former Publisher of The Wall Street Journal and Executive Vice President of Dow Jones and President of its Consumer Media Group, Mr. Crovitz has been active in digital media since the early 1990s. Mr. Crovitz is the co-Founder and co-CEO of NewsGuard Technologies, Inc., which provides consumers information about the news brands they access online. He is also a partner in NextNews Ventures and he co-founded Journalism Online, LLC, a provider of e-commerce solutions for publishers, in April 2009. From 2008 until April 2009, Mr. Crovitz was an active angel investor in, and advisor to, privately held media and technology companies. Prior to that, Mr. Crovitz was with Dow Jones from 1980 until December 2007, serving as Executive Vice President and Publisher, Wall Street Journal and President of the Consumer Media Group from 2006 to 2007. In his previous role, he served as Senior Vice President and President of Electronic Publishing from 1998 to 2006. Mr. Crovitz is a member of the Board of Directors of the following public companies: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (where he served as interim CEO from September 2016 through April 2017) and Marin Software. He has not served as a director of any other public company in the last five years.
In assessing Mr. Crovitz's skills and qualifications to serve on the Board, our directors considered his diversity of distinguished experience and seasoned business acumen acquired from his many years as a senior level executive for a large publicly traded company. His extensive experience and expertise include company transformation and change management, strategic planning, global business insight, operations, information technology, data privacy and corporate governance. The Board also values his financial knowledge, familiarity with Dun & Bradstreet's industry, sales and marketing background, experience with partnerships and alliances, his work with cloud services and "as a service" models, and his experience from serving on other public company boards.
17
James N. Fernandez
Retired Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer
Tiffany & Co.
James N. Fernandez, age 62, has served as a director of Dun & Bradstreet since December 2004, and is Chairman of the Audit Committee and a member of the Nominating & Governance Committee. Mr. Fernandez was appointed Lead Director on February 12, 2018. Prior to his retirement in July 2014, Mr. Fernandez served with Tiffany & Co., a specialty retailer, designer, manufacturer and distributor of fine jewelry, timepieces, sterling silverware, china, crystal, stationery, fragrances and accessories, since October 1983. He held numerous positions with Tiffany & Co., including Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer from April 1989 until January 1998, when he was promoted to Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer. In June 2011, Mr. Fernandez was promoted to Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer with overall responsibility for finance, distribution, information technology, manufacturing and Tiffany's Diamond and Gemstone Division. Mr. Fernandez does not serve, nor has he served in the last five years, on the board of any other public company.
In assessing Mr. Fernandez's skills and qualifications to serve on the Board, our directors considered Mr. Fernandez's financial expertise (including investor relations oversight), and marketing/brand management and operations experience (including information technology and human resources oversight) gained at Tiffany & Co. for over 30 years, including in his role as the Chief Financial Officer for 22 years and Chief Operating Officer for three years. The Board also values his risk management, compliance and mergers and acquisitions experience, his global business insight and strategic planning experience, and his general corporate governance background. Additionally, the Board values Mr. Fernandez's qualification as an "audit committee financial expert," as that term has been defined by the rules of the SEC, and his "accounting or related financial management expertise" within the meaning of NYSE listing standards.
18
Paul R. Garcia
Retired Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board
Global Payments, Inc.
Paul R. Garcia, age 65, has served as a director of Dun & Bradstreet since May 2012, and is a member of the Audit Committee and Compensation & Benefits Committee, where he has served as Chairman since May 2014. Mr. Garcia served as Chief Executive Officer of Global Payments, Inc., a leading provider of payment processing services, from February 2001 until October 2013. Mr. Garcia served as a director of Global Payments from February 2001 through May 2014 and was Chairman of the Board from October 2002 through May 2014. Previously, Mr. Garcia served as Chief Executive Officer of NDC eCommerce, a division of National Data Corporation, from July 1999 to February 2001, President and Chief Executive Officer of Productivity Point International, Inc. from 1996 to 1998, Group President of First Data Issuing Services from 1995 to 1996, Chief Executive Officer of both National Bancard Corporation (NaBANCO) and First Financial Bank from 1982 to 1995, and National Sales Manager of Chase Manhattan Merchant Bank Card Services from 1979 to 1982. Mr. Garcia is also a director of SunTrust Banks, Inc., a public company. He previously served as a director of Global Payments and West Corporation.
In assessing Mr. Garcia's skills and qualifications to serve on the Board, our directors considered Mr. Garcia's extensive management, operations, sales, marketing and technology expertise gained from his management and executive roles in the financial and payments services industry, including as Chief Executive Officer of Global Payments for over 12 years. The Board also values his experiences with data privacy, risk management and compliance matters, and mergers and acquisitions, as well as Mr. Garcia's financial knowledge, strategic planning acumen, regulatory experience, company transformation experience, and his general global business insight. In addition, the Board values his prior experience as Chairman of a U.S. public company.
19
Dr. Anastassia Lauterbach
CEO and Founder
1AU-Ventures Ltd./Lauterbach Consulting & Venturing GmbH
Anastassia Lauterbach, age 45, has served as a director of Dun & Bradstreet since August 2013, and is a member of the Nominating & Governance Committee and Innovation & Technology Committee, which she has chaired since October 2015. Dr. Lauterbach served as Senior Vice President of Global Business Operations Europe at Qualcomm Incorporated, a world leader in 3G, 4G and next-generation wireless technologies, from September 2011 to August 2013. Previously, she served at Deutsche Telekom AG, as Senior Vice President, Business Development and Investments from August 2010 to May 2011, Acting Chief Products and Innovation Officer from March 2010 to November 2010, and Senior Vice President, Planning & Development from June 2009 to March 2010, and during her time at Deutsche Telekom she additionally served as a member of the Executive Operating Board. Prior to Deutsche Telekom, Dr. Lauterbach served as Executive Vice President, Group Strategy at T-Mobile International AG from September 2006 to May 2009 and, prior to T-Mobile, she served in various operational and strategic roles at Daimler Chrysler Financial Services, McKinsey & Company and Munich Reinsurance Company. She is the Chief Executive Officer and founder of Lauterbach Consulting & Venturing GmbH and 1AU-Ventures Ltd. in Germany and the United Kingdom and currently serves on Advisory and Supervisory Boards of several U.S. and European based technology companies. Dr. Lauterbach does not serve, nor has she served in the last five years, on the board of any other public company.
In assessing Dr. Lauterbach's skills and qualifications to serve on the Board, our directors considered Dr. Lauterbach's deep experience in technology and product innovation and marketing. The Board also values her international operational and strategic insights gained while working for several large international communications companies, including her experience with mergers and acquisitions, post-merger integration, partnerships and alliances, business transformation and strategy.
20
Thomas J. Manning
Chairman of the Board and interim Chief Executive Officer
The Dun & Bradstreet Corporation
Thomas J. Manning, age 62, has served as Chairman of the Board and interim Chief Executive Officer since February 12, 2018. Prior to that, Mr. Manning served as our Lead Director from December 7, 2016 until February 12, 2018, and has been a director of Dun & Bradstreet since June 2013. As an employee of the Company, Mr. Manning is no longer independent and, therefore, does not serve on any committees of the Board. Mr. Manning has been a Lecturer in Law at The University of Chicago Law School, teaching courses on corporate governance, private equity and U.S.-China relations, since July 2012. Previously, he served as the Chief Executive Officer of Cerberus Asia Operations & Advisory Limited, a subsidiary of Cerberus Capital Management, a global private equity firm, from April 2010 to June 2012, Chief Executive Officer of Indachin Limited from October 2005 to March 2009, Chairman of China Board Directors Limited from August 2005 to April 2010, and a senior partner with Bain & Company and a member of Bain's China board and head of Bain's information technology strategy practice in the Silicon Valley and Asia from August 2003 to January 2005. Prior to that, Mr. Manning served as Global Managing Director of the Strategy & Technology Business of Capgemini, Chief Executive Officer of Capgemini Asia Pacific, and Chief Executive Officer of Ernst & Young Consulting Asia Pacific, where he led the development of consulting and IT service and outsourcing businesses across Asia from June 1996 to January 2003. Early in his career, Mr. Manning was with McKinsey & Company, Buddy Systems, Inc. and CSC Index. Mr. Manning is also a director of the following public companies: CommScope Holding Company, Inc. and Clear Media Limited. He previously served as a director of iSoftStone Holdings Limited, AsiaInfo-Linkage, Gome Electrical Appliances Company and Bank of Communications.
In assessing Mr. Manning's skills and qualifications to serve on the Board, our directors considered Mr. Manning's expertise in technology and business operations and innovation on a global scale, including Mr. Manning's rich international thought leadership, particularly relating to China. The Board also believes the Company benefits from Mr. Manning's extensive background in strategic consulting, regulatory matters, partnerships and alliances, mergers and acquisitions, company transformation, compliance issues and general corporate governance. Additionally, the Board values Mr. Manning's experience gained while serving on the boards of other U.S. public companies.
21
Randall D. Mott
Senior Vice President, Global Information Technology and
Chief Information Officer
General Motors Company
Randall D. Mott, age 61, has served as a director of Dun & Bradstreet since June 2015, and is a member of the Audit Committee and Innovation & Technology Committee. Mr. Mott is currently the Senior Vice President, Global Information Technology and Chief Information Officer of General Motors Company, where he has served in that role since February 2012. From July 2005 to September 2011, Mr. Mott served as Hewlett-Packard Company's Chief Information Officer, and additionally became Executive Vice President in 2006. From February 2000 to July 2005, Mr. Mott served as Senior Vice President and Chief Information Officer at Dell Computer Corporation. Mr. Mott started his career at Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. in 1978 as a programmer. He served in a variety of roles during his 22-year tenure at Wal-Mart, including as Senior Vice President and Chief Information Officer from 1994 to 2000. Mr. Mott does not currently serve, nor has he served in the last five years, on the board of any other public company. He previously served on the board at Fleming Companies, Inc.
In assessing Mr. Mott's skills and qualifications to serve on the Board, our directors considered the variety of global information technology and executive management positions he has held over the course of his career, where he pioneered retail and supply chain systems automation. The Board also values the contributions he has made over the years toward enabling retail and consumer-focused industries through the creation and implementation of supply chain standards and best practices, as well as his strategic planning and global business insight and mergers and acquisitions experience. Finally, the Board believes Mr. Mott's experience with data privacy and risk management oversight relating to technology systems will serve the Board well.
22
Judith A. Reinsdorf
Former Executive Vice President and General Counsel
Johnson Controls International plc
Judith A. Reinsdorf, age 54, has served as a director of Dun & Bradstreet since June 2013. She is a member of the Audit Committee and Compensation & Benefits Committee and also serves as Chair of the Nominating & Governance Committee. Ms. Reinsdorf served as Executive Vice President and General Counsel of Johnson Controls International plc, a global leader in building products and technology, integrated solutions and energy storage, from September 2016 to November 2017, following its merger with Tyco International plc, where she served as Executive Vice President and General Counsel from March 2007 until September 2016. Previously, she served as Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary of C. R. Bard, Inc. from October 2004 to February 2007, as Vice President and Corporate Secretary of Tyco from 2003 to 2004 and as Vice President and Associate General Counsel of Pharmacia Corporation from 2000 to 2003. From 1995 to 2000, she held the position of Assistant General Counsel and Chief Legal Counsel, Corporate, at Monsanto Company. Ms. Reinsdorf currently serves on the board of Alexion Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and has not served as a director of any other public company in the last five years.
In assessing Ms. Reinsdorf's skills and qualifications to serve on the Board, our directors considered Ms. Reinsdorf's strong corporate governance expertise and placed significant value on her experience with global compliance, risk management, data privacy and regulatory matters, as well as her understanding of compensation and human resources issues and experience with mergers and acquisitions. The Board also values Ms. Reinsdorf's global business insight and broad corporate legal and strategic planning skills honed as an executive at large U.S. public companies.
23
PROPOSAL NO. 2
RATIFICATION OF APPOINTMENT OF
INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM FOR 2018
The Audit Committee is directly responsible for the appointment, fees, retention and oversight of our independent registered public accounting firm and we have appointed PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP (PwC) to serve in this capacity and to audit the consolidated financial statements for the year ending December 31, 2018. PwC succeeded Coopers & Lybrand as our independent auditor in 1998 when the two firms merged. Although shareholder approval of this appointment is not required, the Audit Committee and the Board believe that submitting the appointment to the shareholders for ratification is a matter of good corporate governance. If the shareholders do not ratify the appointment, the Audit Committee will review its future selection of PwC as the independent registered public accounting firm in light of the shareholder vote, but still may retain them. Even if the appointment is ratified, the Audit Committee, at its discretion, may change the appointment at any time during the year if it determines that such a change would be in the best interests of Dun & Bradstreet and our shareholders. Our Audit Committee and our Board of Directors both believe that the continued retention of PwC to serve as the Company's independent external auditor is in the best interest of the Company and its shareholders.
In addition to its audit of our consolidated financial statements, PwC also performed statutory audits required by certain international jurisdictions, audited the financial statements of our various benefit plans, and performed certain other audit and non-audit services. Fees for these services are described under the "Fees Paid to Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm" section of this proxy statement. The selection of our lead audit partner is reviewed with the Audit Committee and its Chairman. The rotation of our lead audit partner no less frequently than every five years is required by law. Consistent with our Audit Committee Charter, the Audit Committee considers whether to adopt a policy of rotating our independent auditing firm on a regular basis.
A representative of PwC is expected to be present at the 2018 Annual Meeting of Shareholders. Such representative will have the opportunity to make a statement, if he or she so desires, and is expected to be available to respond to questions.
THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS RECOMMENDS A VOTE FOR RATIFICATION OF THE APPOINTMENT OF PRICEWATERHOUSECOOPERS LLP.
24
PROPOSAL 3
APPROVAL OF THE DUN & BRADSTREET CORPORATION
2018 NON-EMPLOYEE DIRECTORS EQUITY INCENTIVE PLAN
The Board is seeking shareholder approval for The Dun & Bradstreet Corporation 2018 Non-Employee Directors Equity Incentive Plan (Plan). If approved by the Company's shareholders, the Plan will serve as the successor to the Company's 2000 Non-Employee Directors' Stock Incentive Plan (Prior Plan) and will become effective on the date that shareholders of the Company approve the Plan, after which, no further awards will be granted under the Prior Plan.
The Prior Plan currently authorizes the issuance of up to 700,000 shares of common stock, of which 40,269 shares of common stock remained available for issuance as of March 15, 2018. The Company believes that the continued ability to offer this type of program is an important aid in compensating non-employee members of the Board and to enable them to increase their ownership of shares and align their interest with those of the Company's shareholders. If approved by the shareholders, a total of 150,000 shares of common stock, plus the number of shares of common stock that were not issued under the Prior Plan, will be made available for issuance under the Plan.
In determining the number of additional shares of common stock to allocate to the Plan, the Board considered various factors, including historical grant practices, burn rate and anticipated non-employee director compensation. The table below summarizes our grant practices under the Prior Plan and our 2009 Stock Incentive Plan (Employee Plan) and gross burn rate during the most recent three fiscal years. The gross burn rate is the gross number of equity award shares granted in a given year divided by the weighted average shares of common stock outstanding for the same year. Gross burn rate, unlike net burn rate, excludes the add-back of cancelled or forfeited equity awards in the calculation.
Fiscal Year
|
Weighted Average Shares Outstanding |
Restricted Stock Units/ Performance Stock Units Granted (1) |
Options Granted |
Gross Burn Rate |
|||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2017 |
36,930,948 | 180,148 | 0 | 0.49 | % | ||||||||
2016 |
36,475,006 | 208,684 | 0 | 0.57 | % | ||||||||
2015 |
36,083,830 | 253,310 | 2,313 | 0.71 | % |
Based on a review of our historical and projected grant practices, we believe that the new shares requested for issuance under the Plan will cover the Company's non-employee director grants for approximately 10 years under our current issuance rate and stock price, while providing flexibility for deviations from both.
The principal features of the Plan are summarized below, but the summary is qualified in its entirety by reference to the full text of the Plan. A copy of the Plan is attached to this Proxy Statement as Exhibit A and is incorporated herein by reference.
25
Key Terms of the Plan at a Glance
The following is a summary of the key provisions of the Plan, as set forth and stated herein.
Shares Available for Awards | An aggregate number of shares of common stock equal to the sum of (i) 150,000 shares of common stock, plus (ii) the number of shares of common stock that were reserved for issuance but not issued under the Prior Plan as of the date the Plan becomes effective will be authorized and reserved for issuance under the Plan. | |||
Award Types |
(1) |
Non-qualified stock options |
||
(2) |
Stock appreciation rights (SARs) |
|||
(3) |
Restricted stock |
|||
(4) |
Restricted stock units |
|||
(5) |
Dividend equivalents |
|||
(6) |
Other share-based awards |
|||
Award Limits |
The sum of the date of grant fair value of all awards payable in shares taken together with any cash fees payable to a non-employee director as compensation for services as a non-employee director during any calendar year may not exceed $1,500,000. |
|||
Vesting |
Vesting is generally determined by the Board within limits set forth in the Plan. |
|||
Not Permitted |
1) |
Outside of certain capitalization events or corporate event or unless shareholder approval is obtained, (i) repricing or reducing the exercise price of an option or SAR below the per share exercise price as of the date of grant, or (ii) canceling, surrendering or substituting any outstanding option or SAR in exchange for (a) the grant of a new option or SAR with a lower exercise price, or (b) other awards or a cash payment at a time when the exercise price of the option or SAR is greater than the fair market value of a share. |
||
2) |
Adding shares back to the number of shares available for issuance when shares are (i) subject to an option or a stock-settled SAR and were not issued upon the net settlement or net exercise of such option or SAR, (ii) delivered to, or withheld by, the Company to pay the exercise price or satisfy tax-related items with respect to an option or SAR, (iii) withheld by the Company to satisfy tax-related items incurred in connection with other awards, or (iv) repurchased on the open market with the proceeds of an option exercise. |
|||
3) |
Payment of dividend or dividend equivalent rights unless the underlying awards become payable. |
26
The purpose of the Plan is to aid the Company in attracting, retaining and compensating non-employee directors and to enable them to increase their ownership of shares. The Plan will be beneficial to the Company and its shareholders since it will allow non-employee directors to have a greater personal financial stake in the Company through the ownership of shares, in addition to underscoring their common interest with shareholders in increasing the value of the shares on a long-term basis.
Shares Reserved for Issuance under the Plan
Shares Reserved. An aggregate number of shares of common stock equal to the sum of (i) 150,000 shares of common stock, plus (ii) the number of shares of common stock that were reserved for issuance but not issued under the Prior Plan will be authorized and reserved for issuance under the Plan. Such shares may be authorized but unissued shares of common stock, treasury shares or shares of common stock reacquired by the Company in any manner, or a combination thereof.
Shares Reissuable Under the Plan. The following shares are reissuable pursuant to new awards granted under the Plan, to the extent the original awards: (a) terminate by expiration, forfeiture, cancellation, or otherwise without the issuance of shares, (b) are settled in cash in lieu of shares, or (c) subject to the limitations of the Plan, are surrendered, cancelled or exchanged for cash, the same type of award or a different award (or combination thereof).
Shares Not Reissuable Under the Plan. The following shares will be deducted from the aggregate number of shares available for future awards: (w) shares subject to an option or a stock-settled SAR that were not issued upon the net settlement or net exercise of such option or SAR, (x) shares delivered to, or withheld by, the Company to pay the exercise price or satisfy tax-related items with respect to an option or SAR, (y) shares withheld by the Company to satisfy tax-related items incurred in connection with other awards, or (z) shares repurchased on the open market with the proceeds of an option exercise.
Shares Not Counted Against Share Reserve Pool Under the Plan. To the extent permitted by applicable law or any stock exchange rule or other regulation, shares issued in assumption of, or in substitution for, any outstanding awards of any entity acquired in any form or combination by the Company or an affiliate will not be counted against shares available for grant pursuant to the Plan.
Notwithstanding any provision to the contrary in the Plan or in any policy of the Company regarding compensation payable to a non-employee director, the sum of the grant date fair value (determined in accordance with accounting standards) of all awards payable in shares taken together with any cash fees payable to a non-employee director as compensation for services as a non-employee director during any calendar year may not exceed $1,500,000. This maximum annual limit is designed to allow for reasonable increases in compensation over time and to enable the Board to provide additional compensation to address unanticipated services required from Board members in certain circumstances.
27
Under the Plan, the following awards may be granted: options (that are not intended to qualify as "incentive stock options" within the meaning of Section 422 of the Internal Revenue Code), restricted stock, stock appreciation rights, restricted stock units, dividend equivalents, and other share-based awards.
Awards under the Plan may only be granted to non-employee directors. As of March 15, 2018, all of our non-employee directors would have been eligible to participate (if the Plan were in effect).
The Plan will be administered by the Board, which may delegate its duties and powers in whole or in part to the Compensation & Benefits Committee or other subcommittee of the Board. The Board has full power and discretionary authority to: (a) determine the size and types of awards; (b) approve forms of award agreements for use under the Plan; (c) determine the terms and conditions of each award, including, without limitation, and to the extent applicable, the exercise price, the exercise period, vesting conditions, any vesting acceleration, waiver of forfeiture restrictions and any other term or condition regarding any award or its related shares; (d) construe and interpret the Plan and any agreement or instrument entered into pursuant to the Plan; (e) establish, amend or waive rules and regulations for the Plan's administration; (f) amend the terms and conditions of any outstanding award and any instrument or agreement relating to an award (subject to the provisions of the Plan); (g) delay issuance of shares or suspend a non-employee director's right to exercise an award as deemed necessary to comply with applicable laws; (h) authorize any person to execute, on behalf of the Company, any agreement or instrument required to carry out the Plan's purpose; (i) correct any defect, supply any omission, or reconcile any inconsistency in the Plan, any award, or any instrument or agreement relating to an award, in the manner and to the extent it deems desirable to carry the Plan into effect; (j) adopt such plans or subplans as may be deemed necessary or appropriate to comply with the laws of other countries, allow for tax-preferred treatment of awards or otherwise provide for the participation by non-employee directors who reside outside the U.S.; and (k) make any and all determinations which it determines to be necessary or advisable for the Plan administration.
The Plan authorizes the grant of options, which are not intended to satisfy the requirements of Section 422 of the Internal Revenue Code. The exercise price of stock options granted under the Plan may not be less than 100% of the fair market value of a share of our common stock on the date of grant. While the shares are traded on an established stock exchange, "fair market value" generally means, as of any given date, the arithmetic mean of the high and low prices of the shares of the principal national securities exchange on which such shares are listed or admitted to trading. As of March 15, 2018, the fair market value of a share of our common stock was $127.55. Options granted under the Plan will vest and be exercisable at the rate specified by the Board. No stock option will be exercisable more than ten years after the date it is granted.
The Board determines the methods by which the exercise price of options is paid, including the following: in cash or check, in shares including withholding of shares otherwise deliverable upon exercise of the option, through a broker-assisted "cashless" exercise, a "net exercise" arrangement pursuant to which a number of shares issuable upon exercise of the option are withheld, other property acceptable to the Board, or any combination of the foregoing methods of payment.
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Stock appreciation rights (SARs) typically provide for payments to the holder based upon increases in the price of our shares from the date the SAR was granted to the date that the right is exercised. The Board will generally determine when the SAR will vest and become exercisable. The grant price of a SAR may not be less than the fair market value of a share on the date of grant of the SAR. The Board determines the term of a SAR, but no SAR will be exercisable more than ten years after the date it is granted.
A SAR may be granted in connection with an option, either at the time of grant or at any time thereafter during the term of the option. Upon exercise, a SAR granted in connection with an option will entitle the holder to surrender the option or any portion thereof to the extent unexercised, with respect to the number of shares as to which such SAR is exercised. The option will, to the extent and when surrendered, cease to be exercisable. A SAR granted in connection with an option will have an exercise price per share equal to the per share exercise price of the option, will be exercisable at such time or times, and only to the extent, that the related option is exercisable, and will expire no later than the date that the related option expires. If a related option is exercised in whole or in part, then the SAR related to the shares purchased terminates as of the date of such exercise.
The Board may elect to settle exercised SARs in cash, in shares, or in a combination of cash and shares. Until the shares are issued, no right to vote or receive dividends or any other rights as a shareholder will exist with respect to the shares subject to a SAR, notwithstanding the exercise of the SAR. No adjustment will be made for a dividend or other right for which the record date is prior to the date the shares are issued, except in the case of a capitalization event as provided under the terms of the Plan. Upon termination of a non-employee director's service, a SAR will generally be subject to the same conditions as apply to stock options.
An award of restricted stock is a direct grant of common stock, subject to such restrictions on transferability and other restrictions as the Board may impose (including, without limitation, limitations on the right to vote the underlying shares or the right to receive cash dividends with respect to the underlying shares). These restrictions may lapse separately or in combination at such times, pursuant to such circumstances, in such installments, or otherwise, as the Board determines at the time of the grant of the award or thereafter. Restrictions may be based on the passage of time or the attainment of performance-based conditions. Generally, any shares subject to restrictions are forfeited upon termination of service.
Restricted stock units are denominated in a unit equivalent of shares of common stock and are typically granted to non-employee directors without payment of consideration. Restricted stock units may be subject to vesting conditions based upon the passage of time or the attainment of performance-based conditions as determined in the discretion of the Board and evidenced in an award agreement. Except as otherwise determined by the Board at the time of the grant of the award or thereafter, any restricted stock units that are not vested as of the date of the non-employee director's termination of service will be forfeited. Unlike restricted stock, the stock underlying restricted stock units will not be issued until the restricted stock units have vested. In addition, recipients of restricted stock units generally have no voting or dividend rights until the vesting conditions are satisfied and the underlying shares are issued. Restricted stock units may be settled in shares, cash or a combination of both. On the vesting date (or such later date as determined by the Board and set forth in the agreement evidencing the award), the non-employee director will be issued one unrestricted, fully transferable
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share for each restricted stock unit scheduled to be paid out on such date and not previously forfeited. Alternatively, settlement of a restricted stock unit may be made in cash (in an amount reflecting the fair market value of shares that would have been issued) or any combination of cash and shares, as determined by the Board, in its sole discretion. The Board may authorize dividend equivalents to be paid on outstanding restricted stock units.
The Board may grant dividend equivalents with respect to restricted stock units and other share-based awards that are full value awards. A dividend equivalent provides the recipient with a right to an amount equal to the dividends declared on the number of shares underlying the award to which the dividend equivalent was granted. The Board may provide that dividend equivalents may be deemed to be reinvested in additional shares or otherwise reinvested. Dividend equivalents are payable only if and to the extent the underlying award vests.
Subject to limitations under applicable laws, the Board may grant such other awards to non-employee directors that may be denominated or payable in, valued in whole or in part by reference to, or otherwise based on, or related to, shares as deemed by the Board to be consistent with the purposes of the Plan. The terms and conditions applicable to such other awards will be determined from time to time by the Board and set forth in an applicable award agreement.
Except as otherwise provided by the Board, no award granted under the Plan may be assigned, transferred, or otherwise disposed of by a non-employee director other than by will or the laws of descent and distribution; provided, however, that the Board may, subject to applicable laws, rules and regulations and such terms and conditions as it may specify, permit the transfer of an award for no consideration to a permitted transferee.
Unless the Board provides otherwise prior to a Change in Control (as defined in the Plan), upon the occurrence of a Change in Control: (1) any restrictions and vesting requirements imposed on restricted stock or restricted stock units will be deemed to have expired; (2) any and all outstanding and unvested options and SARs will become immediately vested and exercisable; and (3) any restrictions and vesting requirements imposed on any and all outstanding and unvested other awards will be deemed to have expired. The Board may, but will not be obligated to, make provisions for a cash payment to the holder of an outstanding award in consideration for the cancellation of such award.
Adjustments Upon Changes in Capitalization
In the event of any merger, amalgamation, reorganization, consolidation, recapitalization, stock dividend, bonus issues, extraordinary cash dividend, other distribution, stock split, reverse stock split, share consolidation or subdivision, spin-off, split-off or similar transaction, or other change in corporate structure affecting the shares or their value, such adjustments and other substitutions will be made to the Plan and to awards as the Board deems equitable or appropriate, including, without limitation, such adjustments in the aggregate number, class or kind of securities that may be delivered in the aggregate under the Plan, and/or the number, class, kind or exercise price of securities subject to outstanding
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awards as the Board may determine to be appropriate; provided, however, that the number of shares subject to any award will always be a whole number.
Amendment and Termination of Plan
The Board may at any time and from time to time alter, amend, suspend or terminate the Plan in whole or in part, except that any amendment which under the requirements of applicable laws must be approved by the shareholders of the Company will not be effective unless and until such shareholder approval has been obtained in compliance with such applicable laws. No termination or amendment of the Plan that would materially and adversely affect a non-employee director's rights under the Plan with respect to any award made prior to such action will be effective as to such non-employee director unless he or she consents thereto in writing.
Furthermore, absent approval of our shareholders and except as permitted under the provisions of the Plan dealing with certain capitalization adjustments and change in control, no option or SAR may be amended to reduce the exercise price or grant price of the shares subject to such option or SAR and no option or SAR may be cancelled in exchange for the grant of an option or SAR having a lower per share exercise price or for a cash payment or another award at a time when the option or SAR has a per share exercise price that is higher than the fair market value of the shares.
The Plan will continue in effect until terminated by the Board. Any awards that are outstanding at the time the Plan terminates will remain in force according to the terms of the Plan and the applicable agreement evidencing the award.
Federal Income Tax Consequences
The following is a summary of the U.S. federal income tax consequences applicable to equity awards under the Plan based on current U.S. federal income tax laws. The Plan is not qualified under Section 401(a) of the Internal Revenue Code. The summary is general in nature and is not intended to cover all tax consequences that may apply to a particular non-employee director or to the Company. The provisions of the Internal Revenue Code and regulations thereunder relating to these matters are complicated, may change, and their impact in any one case may depend upon the particular circumstances. Further, this summary does not discuss the tax consequences of a non-employee director's death or the provisions of any income tax laws of any municipality, state or foreign country in which a non-employee director may reside.
Non-qualified Stock Options. With respect to non-qualified stock options: (i) no income is recognized by the non-employee director at the time the non-qualified stock option is granted; (ii) generally, at exercise, ordinary income is recognized by the non-employee director in an amount equal to the difference between the option exercise price paid for the shares and the fair market value of the shares on the date of exercise, and we are entitled to a tax deduction in the same amount; and (iii) upon disposition of the shares, any gain or loss is treated as capital gain or loss. If the options are exercised and the shares acquired are sold on the same date, generally, the difference between the option exercise price paid for the shares and the sale price is recognized as ordinary income and no capital gain or loss is reported. The Company generally will be entitled to a business expense deduction in the same amount and at the same time as the non-employee director recognizes ordinary compensation income.
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Stock Appreciation Rights. Upon exercise of a SAR, the non-employee director will recognize ordinary income (treated as compensation) in an amount equal to the difference between the aggregate fair market value of the shares with respect to the number of shares that the SAR is exercised over the aggregate exercise price for such shares subject to the SAR. The Company generally will be entitled to a business expense deduction in the same amount and at the same time as the non-employee director recognizes ordinary compensation income.
Restricted Stock. In the absence of a Section 83(b) election (as described below), a non-employee director who receives restricted stock will recognize no income at the time of grant. When the restrictions lapse, a non-employee director will recognize ordinary income (treated as compensation) equal to the fair market value of the stock when the restrictions lapse over the amount paid (if any) for the stock. As the restrictions applicable to a grant of restricted stock lapse (for example, if the restrictions on 20% of a grant lapse on each anniversary of the grant date), the non-employee director will include the applicable portion of the shares that vests as ordinary income (treated as compensation). The holding period (for purposes of determining the character of the capital gain when the shares are sold) will begin when the restrictions end. To the extent dividends are paid on common stock that remains subject to restrictions, the non-employee director will recognize ordinary income on an amount equal to the dividends that were paid. The Company generally will be entitled to a business expense deduction in the same amount and at the same time as the non-employee director recognizes ordinary compensation income.
If a Section 83(b) election is made within 30 days of the grant of the award, the non-employee director must recognize the fair market value of the restricted stock on the date of grant as ordinary income (treated as compensation) as of the date of grant, and the holding period (for purposes of determining the character of the capital gain when the shares are sold) would begin at the time the restricted stock is granted. The Company generally would be entitled to a business expense deduction for the grant, but dividends on the stock would not be deductible. Upon a subsequent forfeiture of restricted stock with respect to which a Section 83(b) election has been made, no deduction will be allowed in respect of the amount included as income at the time the Section 83(b) election was made; however, the non-employee director will generally be allowed a loss deduction equal to the amount (if any) the non-employee director paid for the restricted stock over the amount (if any) we paid the non-employee director for the restricted stock at the time it is forfeited.
Restricted Stock Units. A non-employee director will not recognize any income at the time a restricted stock unit is granted. When payment on a restricted stock unit is made, the non-employee director will recognize ordinary income in an amount equal to the fair market value of the common stock received (or if the restricted stock unit is settled in cash, the cash amount). The Company generally will be entitled to a business expense deduction in the same amount and at the same time as the non-employee director recognizes ordinary compensation income.
Dividend Equivalents. A recipient of dividend equivalents generally will recognize ordinary income at the time the dividend equivalent is paid in an amount equal to the dividend equivalent. The Company generally will be entitled to a business expense deduction in the same amount and at the same time as the non-employee director recognizes ordinary compensation income.
Sale or Other Disposition of Shares. Upon the disposition of shares issued pursuant to any of these equity awards, a non-employee director will recognize long- or short-term capital gain or loss (depending on the amount of time the common stock is held after the restrictions end) on an amount equal to the difference between the sale price and the non-employee director's basis in the shares of common stock. The non-employee director's basis in the common stock is equal to the amount included in income in connection with the equity award and the amount paid (if any).
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Section 409A. Section 409A of the Code imposes certain requirements on non-qualified deferred compensation arrangements. These include requirements on an individual's election to defer compensation and the individual's selection of the timing and form of distribution of the deferred compensation. Section 409A also generally provides that distributions may only be made on or following the occurrence of certain events (i.e., the individual's separation from service, a predetermined date, or the individual's death). Section 409A imposes restrictions on an individual's ability to change his or her distribution timing or form after the compensation has been deferred.
Certain awards under the Plan may be designed to be subject to the requirements of Section 409A in form and in operation. For example, restricted stock units that provide for a settlement date following the vesting date may be subject to Section 409A. If an award under the Plan is subject to and fails to satisfy the requirements of Section 409A, the recipient of that award may recognize ordinary income on the amounts deferred under the award, to the extent vested, which may be prior to when the compensation is actually or constructively received. Also, if an award that is subject to Section 409A fails to comply with the requirements of Section 409A, Section 409A imposes an additional 20% federal penalty tax on compensation recognized as ordinary income, as well as interest on such deferred compensation.
As of the date of this Proxy Statement, no non-employee director has been granted any rights under the proposed Plan. Accordingly, the benefits to be received pursuant to the Plan by the Company's non-employee directors are not determinable at this time.
THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS RECOMMENDS A VOTE FOR APPROVAL OF THE DUN & BRADSTREET CORPORATION 2018 NON-EMPLOYEE DIRECTORS EQUITY INCENTIVE PLAN
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PROPOSAL NO. 4
ADVISORY APPROVAL OF THE COMPANY'S EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION (SAY ON PAY)
We believe that our executive compensation program, policies and procedures are founded on pay for performance and are strongly aligned with the long-term interests of our shareholders. This proposal, commonly known as "Say on Pay," gives shareholders the opportunity to express their favor or disfavor with the Company's executive compensation program, policies and procedures.
Our executive compensation program is described more fully in the "Compensation Discussion & Analysis" section of this proxy statement and the related tables and narrative that follow it. Shareholders are, therefore, encouraged to read that information in its entirety to obtain a complete understanding of our executive compensation program.
We believe that the design, development and execution of our pay program, policies and procedures have resulted in executive compensation decisions that are appropriate and that have benefitted the Company and shareholders over time.
As a matter of normal practice, in 2017, we again reached out to shareholders to gain an understanding of how our executive pay programs and policies might continue to be improved. Feedback from these discussions as well as emerging governance trends are important inputs into our thinking about executive compensation and any future changes we may make to our current program. After assessing the feedback we received, we determined that our current design continues to support the objectives of our compensation program, as described more fully in the "Compensation Discussion & Analysis" section of this proxy statement. We continue to gather and consider feedback from shareholders, with director participation as appropriate, as well as information regarding emerging governance trends, and use them as important inputs into our thinking about executive compensation and any future changes we may make to our program.
In the "Executive Summary" of the "Compensation Discussion & Analysis" section of this proxy statement, we highlight our 2017 results and the ongoing policies that contribute to pay for performance and good governance practices. For the reasons provided in our "Compensation Discussion & Analysis," the Board asks you to approve the following resolution:
Resolved, that the shareholders approve the Company's overall executive compensation program, policies and procedures as described in the Compensation Discussion & Analysis, the tabular disclosure regarding named executive officer compensation and the accompanying narrative disclosure in this proxy statement.
As this is a proposal for advisory approval, the result is not binding upon the Company. However, the C&BC, which is responsible for designing and administering the Company's executive compensation program, values the opinions expressed by shareholders in their vote on this proposal. The C&BC will consider the outcome of this advisory vote when making future compensation decisions for our executive officers.
THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS RECOMMENDS A VOTE FOR APPROVAL OF OUR COMPANY'S OVERALL EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION PROGRAM, POLICIES AND PROCEDURES.
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PROPOSAL NO. 5
SHAREHOLDER PROPOSAL REQUESTING THE BOARD TO TAKE THE STEPS NECESSARY
TO AMEND THE COMPANY'S GOVERNING DOCUMENTS TO GIVE HOLDERS IN THE
AGGREGATE OF 10% OF
THE COMPANY'S OUTSTANDING COMMON STOCK THE POWER TO CALL A SPECIAL MEETING
John Chevedden, 2215 Nelson Avenue, No. 205, Redondo Beach, CA 90278, the beneficial owner of no fewer than 50 shares of the Company's common stock, has informed us that he intends to submit the following proposal at this year's Annual Meeting:
"Proposal 5 Special Shareowner Meeting Enhancement
Shareowners ask our board to take the steps necessary (unilaterally if possible) to amend our bylaws and each appropriate governing document to give holders in the aggregate of 10% of our outstanding common stock the power to call a special shareowner meeting. This proposal does not impact our board's current power to call a special meeting. This includes removing any condition like "continuously for a period of at least one year" that was in our bylaws.
More than 100 Fortune 500 companies enable shareholders to call special meetings and to act by written consent. A shareholder right to call a special meeting and to act by written consent and are 2 complimentary ways to bring an important matter to the attention of both management and shareholders outside the annual meeting cycle.
This proposal is more important at Dun & Bradstreet because DNB shareholders have the most craziest and toothless form of written consent. A red flag of this craziness is that one has to examine both the bylaws and certificate of DNB to find out how toothless it is.
For example 40% of shareholders have to sign on just to start a process that then needs action by 51% of shareholders. I challenge DNB top management to name one company that adopted a more restricted form of written consent in response to a shareholder proposal.
Any claim that a shareholder right to call a special meeting can be costly may be largely moot. When shareholders have a good reason to call a special meeting our board should be able to take positive responding action to make a special meeting unnecessary.
Please vote to improve our limited right to call a special shareholder meeting: Special Shareowner Meetings Enhancement Proposal 5"
THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS RECOMMENDS A VOTE AGAINST PROPOSAL NO. 5.
Our Board has carefully considered the above shareholder proposal and recommends that shareholders vote AGAINST this proposal for the following reasons:
Our shareholders approved the current 25% threshold and voted against a 10% threshold in 2015. Our charter and by-laws already provide our shareholders the right to call a special meeting subject to a 25% ownership threshold. This threshold was approved with 88.2% of the votes cast at our 2015 annual meeting. At that meeting, Mr. Chevedden's competing proposal to give holders of 10% of our common stock the right to call a special meeting received only 45.6% of the votes cast.
25% is an appropriate threshold given our shareholder base. The Board continues to believe that an ownership threshold of 25% in order to request a special meeting is appropriate in light of the Company's shareholder structure, with institutional investors holding significant blocks of our stock. It
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strikes a reasonable balance between shareholder rights and preventing a small minority of shareholders from calling a special meeting solely to pursue agendas that may not be in the best interests of the Company and its shareholders in general. The Board also considered that 71% of the companies in the S&P 500 prescribe an ownership threshold of 25% or more or do not permit shareholders to call a special meeting at all.
We have strong corporate governance standards. Dun & Bradstreet has strong corporate governance standards and practices that demonstrate our alignment with shareholder interests on key governance matters, including the annual election of directors, a board consisting entirely of independent directors (other than the interim CEO), an independent Lead Director, the absence of supermajority voting provisions and the absence of a shareholder rights plan, or poison pill. Our Board also adopted a proxy access by-law in 2015 that permits a shareholder, or a group of up to 20 shareholders, owning three percent or more of Dun & Bradstreet's common stock for at least three years, to nominate directors in the Company's annual meeting proxy materials.
We value shareholder discussion and input on corporate governance matters. Calling a special meeting is an extreme action for shareholders to take to engage management and our Board. Management welcomes direct communication with shareholders to discuss shareholder views. Our investor relations, compensation and corporate secretary teams maintain open lines of communication with our shareholders, and we have been responsive to shareholder feedback received in the past, including making our directors available to meet with shareholders under appropriate circumstances. In addition, as described in the "Communications with the Board and Audit Committee" section of this proxy statement, shareholders may communicate directly with our Chairman of the Board and the Chair of our Audit Committee.
ACCORDINGLY, THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS RECOMMENDS A VOTE AGAINST PROPOSAL NO. 5.
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SECURITY OWNERSHIP OF DIRECTORS, OFFICERS AND OTHERS
The following table shows the number of shares of our common stock beneficially owned by each of the directors and named executive officers listed in the Summary Compensation Table in this proxy statement, and all directors and executive officers of Dun & Bradstreet as a group, as of March 16, 2018. The table also shows the names, addresses and share ownership of the only persons known to us to be the beneficial owners of more than 5% of our outstanding common stock. This information is based upon information furnished by each such person or, in the case of the beneficial owners, based upon public filings by the beneficial owners with the SEC. Unless otherwise stated, the indicated persons have sole voting and investment power over the shares listed. Percentages for directors and officers are based upon the number of shares of our common stock outstanding on March 16, 2018, plus, where applicable, the number of shares that the indicated person or group has a right to acquire within 60 days of such date. Percentages for institutional holders are based upon the public filings of such owners with the SEC.
Name
|
Aggregate Number of Shares Beneficially Owned (1) |
Percent of Shares Outstanding |
|||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Thomas J. Manning (Chairman and interim CEO) |
6,674 | * | |||||
Cindy Christy |
4,273 | * | |||||
L. Gordon Crovitz |
5,632 | * | |||||
James N. Fernandez (2) |
31,440 | * | |||||
Paul R. Garcia (3) |
9,184 | * | |||||
Anastassia Lauterbach |
4,553 | * | |||||
Randall D. Mott |
4,324 | * | |||||
Judith A. Reinsdorf |
6,674 | * | |||||
Robert P. Carrigan |
28,332 | * | |||||
Richard H. Veldran |
14,096 | * | |||||
Joshua L. Peirez |
17,832 | * | |||||
Curtis D. Brown |
9,431 | * | |||||
Christie A. Hill |
18,460 | * | |||||
All current directors and executive officers as a group (12 persons) |
117,696 | * | |||||
BlackRock, Inc. (4) |
3,148,246 | 8.50 | |||||
55 East 52nd Street |
|||||||
New York, NY 10055 |
|||||||
The Vanguard Group (5) |
3,139,966 | 8.49 | |||||
100 Vanguard Blvd. |
|||||||
Malvern, PA 19355 |
|||||||
FMR LLC (6) |
2,917,894 | 7.89 | |||||
245 Summer Street |
|||||||
Boston, MA 02210 |
|||||||
Wellington Management Group LLP (7) |
2,566,483 | 6.94 | |||||
c/o Wellington Management Company LLP |
|||||||
280 Congress Street |
|||||||
Boston, MA 02210 |
Also includes the maximum number of shares of common stock that may be acquired within 60 days of March 16, 2018, upon the vesting of RSUs, as follows: Mr. Manning, 4,577; Ms. Christy, 3,103;
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Mr. Crovitz, 4,292; Mr. Fernandez, 18,115; Mr. Garcia, 4,713; Ms. Lauterbach, 1,231; Mr. Mott, 1,231; Ms. Reinsdorf, 4,577; Mr. Carrigan, 0; Mr. Veldran, 0; Mr. Peirez, 0; Mr. Brown, 0; Ms. Hill, 0; and all current directors and executive officers as a group, 41,953.
Does not include the following Dun & Bradstreet stock units which are held by the following directors who have deferred cash compensation into the Dun & Bradstreet Common Stock Fund: Ms. Christy, 1,819 and Mr. Fernandez, 11,924. Dun & Bradstreet stock units do not confer voting rights and are not considered beneficially owned shares under SEC rules. In addition, they are settled in cash, not shares, when a director leaves the Board.
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The following table lists all of our executive officers as of March 27, 2018. Our executive officers are elected by our Board and each will hold office until his or her successor is elected, or until his or her earlier resignation or removal.
Name
|
Title
|
Age | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Thomas J. Manning (1) |
Chairman and interim CEO | 62 | ||||
Curtis D. Brown |
Chief Content and Technology Officer | 54 | ||||
Christie A. Hill |
Chief Legal Officer and Head of Global Corporate Citizenship | 56 | ||||
Richard H. Veldran |
Chief Financial Officer | 51 | ||||
Roslynn Williams |
Chief People Officer | 42 |
Mr. Brown has served as our Chief Content and Technology Officer since November 2015, and prior to that he served as our Chief Information Officer since September 2014. Before joining Dun & Bradstreet, Mr. Brown served as AOL's Executive Vice President and Global Chief Technology Officer from May 2012 to July 2014, where he was responsible for technology across AOL, and from November 2010 to May 2012, he served as AOL's Senior Vice President of Technology and Chief Data Officer. From June 2008 to November 2010, Mr. Brown served as Chief Technology Officer for Kaplan Test Prep, where he managed technology systems and teams across multiple business units. As an independent consultant from July 2006 to May 2008, Mr. Brown advised companies on a variety of projects, including engineering and product development, technology turnarounds and agile software development. Prior to that, Mr. Brown served as the Chief Technology Officer at McGraw-Hill from August 2004 to July 2006, at The Princeton Review from July 2002 to August 2004, at Oxygen Media from June 2000 to June 2002 and at Skymall from February 1999 to June 2000.
Ms. Hill has served as Chief Legal Officer since February 2014 and Head of Global Corporate Citizenship since April 2017. Prior to that, Ms. Hill served as Senior Vice President and General Counsel from September 2011 to February 2014, and also served as Corporate Secretary from September 2011 to February 2015. Before joining Dun & Bradstreet, Ms. Hill served as General Counsel, Secretary and Chief Compliance Officer at Primus Telecommunications Group, Inc. from March 2011 until August 2011. Prior to that, she was the General Counsel and Secretary of Arbinet Corporation from February 2010 until its merger with Primus in February 2011, and she also served as Arbinet's Chief Human Resources Officer from September 2010 through February 2011. Prior to that, she served in the U.S. Department of the Treasury as the Oversight Liaison and Reporting Executive for the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) from October 2009 to January 2010. From 1998 until 2008, she worked at Nextel Communications and then at Sprint Nextel Corporation, where she held various leadership positions in the company's legal and governance organizations, including her most recent position as Vice President, Corporate Governance & Ethics and Corporate Secretary from August 2005 to June 2008. Prior to Nextel, she served as counsel at Honda of America Mfg., where her responsibilities included a variety of corporate and transactional matters. Ms. Hill began her career at Jones Day in the firm's mergers and acquisitions group.
Mr. Veldran has served as Chief Financial Officer since June 2011. He previously served as Senior Vice President, Global Reengineering from July 2008 through May 2011, with additional responsibility for Dun & Bradstreet North America Finance beginning in February 2009 and for Strategy and Corporate Development beginning in March 2010, being appointed as Chief Strategy Officer in April 2010, a title he held until he was appointed Chief Financial Officer. Prior to that, Mr. Veldran served as Treasurer and Leader of Investor Relations, External Communications and Board Processes from
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February 2006 to July 2008, with additional responsibility for Global Financial Planning & Analysis, and as Chief Financial Officer of Dun & Bradstreet North America from September 2003 to January 2006. Prior to joining Dun & Bradstreet, Mr. Veldran was Divisional Vice President of Finance for Automatic Data Processing, Inc. from December 1996 to September 2003 and, prior to that, served in various finance roles for Procter & Gamble from July 1989 to December 1996.
Ms. Williams has served as our Chief People Officer since February 1, 2016, and prior to that, she served as the Leader of Global Leadership Development from October 2014, until becoming the interim Chief People Officer in January 2016. Before joining Dun & Bradstreet, Ms. Williams founded the Madison Lewis Group in May 2014, providing consulting services to corporations in the areas of executive coaching, executive leadership and learning and development program design and development. From January 2011 to August 2013, Ms. Williams served as AOL Inc.'s Vice President, Human Resources, advising AOL's Chief Technology Officer on matters related to organizational effectiveness, strategic business decisions, human capital and talent/leadership development. Additionally, she also led AOL's Global Learning and Development organization. From November 2009 to January 2011, she served as AOL's Vice President, Digital Advertising, and prior to that, she was a Vice President in AOL's Shared Services Center, where she began her career at AOL in 2004.
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COMPENSATION DISCUSSION & ANALYSIS
The C&BC regularly reviews the executive compensation program of the Company to ensure that it is meeting its objectives, including paying for performance, aligning with shareholder interests, offering competitive pay to attract and retain executive talent, reinforcing the right behaviors consistent with our strategy and providing transparency to our shareholders.
2017 Pay for Performance Outcomes. 2017 represented the fourth year in the execution of our Company strategy. While we achieved our fourth consecutive year of organic revenue growth, we acknowledge that top line sales and revenue growth have not accelerated as rapidly as we had expected when we launched our strategy. We believe this growth shortfall drove below-market shareholder returns over the last three years. These results all had a meaningful impact on the compensation realized by our executives. Annual incentives for all of our named executive officers paid out below target. While the value of our vesting leveraged restricted shares was relatively flat, our performance unit plan paid out at only 21% of target for the three-year period ending December 31, 2017. Therefore, as described in more detail below, our executive compensation program performed in-line with the Compensation and Benefits Committee's expectations in a year where our long-term performance did not fully meet our expectations.
Although organic revenue growth did not accelerate in 2017, we were able to exceed our profit goals through disciplined cost management and by driving efficiencies throughout the organization, including realizing various synergies through the integration of the Avention business which we acquired in January 2017. We also made progress against our strategic initiatives as we continued to launch modern delivery applications, such as D&B Hoovers, and forge new alliance partnerships, such as with Microsoft. A summary of our incentive plan payouts is outlined below, with further detail provided later in this CD&A.
Annual Cash Incentive. Our achievements and the resulting incentive payment are summarized below:
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For a reconciliation of "As Adjusted and Organic Revenue," "As Adjusted Operating Income," "As Adjusted Diluted Earnings Per Share" and "Free Cash Flow," refer to Schedules I, II, III and IV to this proxy statement, which provide:
For a definition of these and the other financial metrics used in this discussion and analysis, please see our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2017.
Based on an assessment of the above results and achievements, the C&BC awarded cash incentives to our named executive officers ranging from 44.7% to 89.3% of target (See the "2017 Annual Cash Incentive Plan" section of this proxy statement for a more detailed discussion of how the C&BC determined final awards).
Long-term Incentive (LTI) Program Overview
Our LTI program consists of two performance-based components: Leveraged Restricted Stock Units (LRSUs) and Performance Units. These awards provide a strong link to long-term performance, as illustrated by the payouts associated with the 2015 award:
A more detailed discussion of our long-term incentive program, including vehicles, metrics and performance periods, is included in the "Annual Long-term Incentive (LTI) Program" section of this proxy statement.
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This Compensation Discussion & Analysis, and the tables which follow, cover the compensation paid to our named executive officers (NEOs), who are the following five executives serving in the roles cited for the entire fiscal year:
Our three highest compensated executive officers, other than our principal executive officer and our principal financial officer, are:
Objectives of our Executive Compensation Program
The objectives of our executive compensation program are as follows:
Summary of Policies Contributing to Pay for Performance: Since one of our primary objectives is linking pay with performance, we have a number of policies supporting that objective, including:
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ultimate value is based on Dun & Bradstreet's TSR and our revenue CAGR over a three-year period.
Summary of Policies Contributing to Good Governance Practice: We strive to adhere to the highest standards of good governance, as reflected through the following practices:
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Our 2017 "Say on Pay" Vote and Shareholder Outreach
At our 2017 Annual Meeting of Shareholders, our advisory vote on executive pay received nearly 93% support. We believe the vote outcome indicates broad support for the current compensation program. However, to gain further insight on investor views, during 2017, we again conducted shareholder outreach, inviting investors representing nearly 25% of our outstanding shares to one-on-one discussions about our executive compensation program and policies. Shareholders who accepted our invitation provided feedback on the structure of our current program. After assessing the feedback we received, we determined that our current design continues to support the objectives of our compensation program. We continue to gather and consider feedback from shareholders, with director participation as appropriate, as well as emerging governance trends, and use them as important inputs into our thinking about executive compensation and any future changes we may make to our program.
Market data provides an important reference and framework for decisions about the base salary, target annual cash incentives and the appropriate level of long-term incentives for each of our named executive officers. Due to year-over-year variability in market data and the inexact science of matching executive jobs, we do not target a specific benchmark pay level. To set target pay for our named executive officers, the C&BC considers market data along with other factors, such as an executive's level of responsibility, experience, leadership competencies and individual performance, with a continued emphasis on variable and equity-based compensation. This approach provides the C&BC with flexibility to appropriately manage pay levels to best reflect these factors.
Our pay for performance objective requires that a significant portion of the target total compensation mix be variable. We reinforce the importance of long-term results by emphasizing equity in the target total compensation mix. Individual variable and equity-based compensation varies based on each named executive officer's role, experience, level of responsibility within the organization and market data for comparable jobs in the compensation comparison group. For our named executive officers as a group, on a weighted average basis, the target total compensation mix is 20% fixed and 80% variable, and 40% cash and 60% equity.
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The following charts illustrate the emphasis placed on variable and equity-based compensation for the Chairman and CEO and our other NEOs based on their annual 2017 target total compensation:
Mr. Carrigan served as Chairman and CEO until February 12, 2018 and left the Company on March 15, 2018. Mr. Peirez served as our President and Chief Operating Officer until March 15, 2018, when he resigned from the Company.
Elements of our Executive Compensation Program
To meet the objectives of our executive compensation program, the 2017 compensation of our named executive officers consisted of the following components and policies:
Our named executive officers generally do not receive any perquisites and participate in the same broad-based benefits programs offered by the Company on the same basis as other full-time employees. Perquisites are entitlement-driven rather than performance-based and, therefore, do not fit within the objectives of our executive compensation program. We eliminated our executive retirement plan prospectively in 2011, and only two of our named executive officers retain legacy benefits.
In addition to the components listed above, our named executive officers are eligible to participate in certain benefit programs that are available to all of our U.S. employees, including: our cash balance retirement account (which was frozen as of July 1, 2007 for all participants and closed to new entrants on that date), our qualified defined contribution plan, our medical, dental and vision benefits, our life, voluntary group accident, short- and long-term disability, legal, and business travel accident insurance benefits, and our health care and dependent care spending accounts.
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Salary provides each named executive officer with a fixed level of compensation related to the daily performance of his or her leadership position and responsibilities, and commensurate with the officer's role in the organization, experience, skill and job performance.
The C&BC reviews the base salaries of our named executive officers annually. The C&BC considers a number of factors in adjusting salary, including:
Using these factors in its review, the C&BC increased the base salary of one of our named executive officers in 2017 as noted below:
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Base Salary | |
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Name
|
Rationale | From | To | Increase % | Effective | ||||||||||
Christie A. Hill |
Reflects her new responsibilities as Head of Global Corporate Citizenship |
$ | 470,000 | $ | 500,000 | 6.4 | % | January 1, 2017 | |||||||
|
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Recognizes increased focus and expansion of our Government Affairs program and increased complexity of the global regulatory and compliance landscape |
Target Annual Cash Incentive Opportunity
Overview. In addition to base salary, our named executive officers have the opportunity to earn an annual cash incentive tied to Company and individual performance as discussed below. We offer this cash opportunity to reinforce the outcomes and behaviors necessary to meet or exceed our annual commitment to our shareholders and to achieve our strategic objectives.
We believe that consistent, year-over-year growth in revenue and earnings are key drivers of increased shareholder value over the long term. Therefore, our annual cash incentive rewards Company performance as measured by the following:
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In addition to Company performance, individual performance and leadership play an important role in our annual cash incentive. We tie the success of our Company directly to strong leadership that drives results and creates shareholder value. We expect all employees, especially our named executive officers, to demonstrate behaviors that are consistent with our Company values.
At the end of the year, our CEO evaluates the performance of the other named executive officers. In 2017, our CEO assessed each named executive officer on:
Through this process, the CEO applies judgment in assessing the named executive officer's success relative to individual performance and leadership. Based on the results of this assessment, the CEO may recommend an adjustment in the annual cash incentive award for each named executive officer up to 50%, positively or negatively. All adjustment recommendations by our CEO are subject to review and approval by the C&BC.
The Board also performs a similar assessment of our CEO after the conclusion of the fiscal year.
2017 Annual Cash Incentive Plan. In determining annual cash incentives, the C&BC considered performance against four measures weighted as follows:
Refer to Schedules I, II, III and IV to this proxy statement for a reconciliation of reported to "As Adjusted" and other non-GAAP financial results.
The 80% weight allocated to financial goals (growth in revenue, sales, operating income and earnings per share) links to our objective to provide profitable revenue growth year-over-year. Our strategy goal, weighted 20%, is tied to our long-term objective of increasing the level of sustained revenue growth. This allocation balanced our commitment to achieve strong financial results in 2017 with our commitment to deliver on our longer-term growth objectives.
The range of incentive payout for each performance goal was 0% to 200%, resulting in a potential annual cash incentive payment between 0% and 200% of the target incentive for each of our named executive officers. The C&BC approved the performance measures for 2017, as well as the principles for assessing results, on February 22, 2017. As in prior years, the C&BC does not set a formulaic scale for determining the payout for each measure. Rather, the C&BC considers our performance against the incentive target (which aligns with our public annual financial guidance as communicated on February 9, 2017, with the exception of our Sales and Strategy goals, for which guidance is not provided) as well as qualitative factors contributing to the actual performance level in making their final decision. We believe this approach ensures better alignment between pay and performance as it allows consideration of factors not known at the beginning of the year. This approach also ensures that the final payout aligns with overall Company performance.
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In 2017, the C&BC used the following results to determine the level of annual incentive payout for Company performance:
Company Goal
|
Weight
|
Financial Incentive Target Range or Strategy Goal |
Result
|
Assessment
|
||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Company As Adjusted Revenue Growth and Company Sales Growth(1) | 50% | Revenue: 3% to 5% Sales: per internal measures |
Revenue 3% Sales below target | Overall, Company As Adjusted Revenue growth was 3%, in line with our incentive target range of 3% to 5%. The Company did not achieve our internal goal for sales, which was set substantially above the prior year's actual result. We do not disclose sales goals publicly due to the potential competitive harm that could result. | ||||
Based on these considerations, the C&BC determined the payout for this goal to be 60% of target, consistent with our overall revenue growth and corresponding result within the incentive target range as well as consideration of the below target sales result. |
||||||||
Company As Adjusted Operating Income Growth(2) |
15% |
Target based on original guidance (2%) to 2% |
3% |
3% Company As Adjusted Operating Income growth was above our incentive target range. We were able to deliver strong operating income growth while continuing to invest in our strategy through effective planning and expense controls, resulting in a 10 basis point increase in operating margin. |
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Based on these considerations, the C&BC determined the payout for this goal to be 175% of target, consistent with results relative to the incentive target range and the C&BC's qualitative review. |
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As Adjusted Diluted EPS Growth(2) |
15% |
Target based on original guidance (9%) to (4%) |
0% |
As Adjusted Diluted EPS growth for the year of 0% was above our incentive target range. Results were due to favorable interest rate expense through effective capital planning, combined with strong operating income results. |
||||
Although the results were above the incentive target range, based on the C&BC's qualitative review, the payout was capped at 100% of target given flat year over year growth. |
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Strategy Goal |
20% |
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|
Make global and cross-border deals easier and faster Increase our global reach by expanding product rollouts to unserved markets Ensure compliance with global regulatory change to enrich our competitive advantage |
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Improve global data, linkage and matching/identity resolution Expand Global Beneficial Ownership (GBO) coverage Drive more improvements to data access |
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Accelerate revenue shift to data-as-a-service offerings Grow Trade Credit Own the sales acceleration space |
90% | All but one of our strategic goals were met or exceeded. | |||||
Based on these considerations, the C&BC determined the payout for the overall results of the strategy goal to be 90% of target. | ||||||||
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Increase new business sales Become the Supply & Comply business partner of choice Infuse more of our content with advanced analytics solutions |
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Be an amazing place to work for and do business with |
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Other relevant achievements in 2017 considered by the C&BC included:
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Management updated the C&BC at separate meetings throughout the year on its quantitative and qualitative assessment of Company performance for the annual incentive, based on the outlook at the time, and the projected level of aggregate reward for that performance. The C&BC reviewed and approved the final assessment at its meeting in February 2018.
The C&BC determined the final payout for 2017 Company performance to be 89.3% of the target annual cash incentive opportunity. That determination was based on:
As also noted earlier, we combine the payout for Company performance with any positive or negative discretionary adjustments, up to 50%, for individual leadership and performance to determine the final 2017 annual cash incentive payments to our named executive officers. In consideration of our results versus targets for revenue and sales, the C&BC decreased the annual cash incentive awards for Messrs. Carrigan and Peirez by applying a negative discretionary adjustment of 50%. The table below summarizes the final payouts to our named executive officers.
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Award for Company Performance |
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Executive Officer
|
Target | % of Target | Amount | Final Award (as reported in "Summary Compensation Table" in "Non-equity Incentive Plan Compensation" column) |
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Robert P. Carrigan |
$ | 1,105,000 | 89.3 | % | $ | 986,765 | $ | 493,383 | |||||
Richard H. Veldran |
$ | 481,500 | 89.3 | % | $ | 429,980 | $ | 429,980 | |||||
Joshua L. Peirez |
$ | 747,500 | 89.3 | % | $ | 667,518 | $ | 333,759 | |||||
Curtis D. Brown |
$ | 513,000 | 89.3 | % | $ | 458,109 | $ | 458,109 | |||||
Christie A. Hill |
$ | 400,000 | 89.3 | % | $ | 357,200 | $ | 357,200 |
Mr. Carrigan served as Chairman and CEO until February 12, 2018 and left the Company on March 15, 2018. Mr. Peirez served as our President and Chief Operating Officer until March 15, 2018, when he resigned from the Company.
Annual Long-term Incentive (LTI) Program
Overview. While we tie cash to the achievement of short-term results, we link equity directly to the creation of increased shareholder value over the longer term. 60% of the target total compensation opportunity provided to our named executive officers as a group in 2017 was equity-based. This emphasis reflects our view that there should be a close alignment between executive officer rewards and shareholder value creation.
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Under our 2017 LTI program, 100% of the total economic value of our named executive officers' annual equity-based compensation is performance-based: 50% is delivered in LRSUs and the remaining 50% is delivered in three-year performance units. For 2017, we tied our long-term incentives to the following measures and performance periods:
Grant
|
Measure(s) | Performance Period | Rationale for Vehicle | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
LRSUs |
Dun & Bradstreet stock price appreciation or depreciation |
One-third tied to
2017 One-third tied to
2017-2018 One-third tied to 2017-2019 |
Links executives'
interests directly with the interests of our shareholders Is less volatile and more
retentive than stock options Has a considerably stronger tie to performance than time-based restricted shares or units |
|||
Performance Units |
50% tied to relative
total shareholder return (TSR) 50% tied to Dun & Bradstreet's organic revenue compound annual growth rate (CAGR) |
2017-2019 (3 years) |
Links executives'
interests directly with the interests of our shareholders Drives and rewards revenue growth,
which we believe is key to growing shareholder value Rewards executives for outperforming the market |
This structure creates a strong link to long-term performance, as illustrated by the overall payouts associated with the 2015 award of the same design:
LRSUs (50% of grant value) |
Performance Units (50% of grant value) |
Overall 2015 Grant Payout |
||
| | | | |
Aggregate Payout = 93% |
Aggregate Payout = 21% |
Combined Payout = 57% |
The LRSUs noted above include tranches that vested after the end of 2015, 2016 and 2017.
2017 Equity Grant Levels. In determining the amounts of equity-based compensation for each named executive officer, the C&BC considered a variety of factors, including individual performance, leadership competencies, prior executive experience, scope of responsibility and accountability within the organization as well as the total compensation levels for comparable executive positions in the compensation comparison group as noted in the "Pay Positioning and Pay Mix" section of this proxy
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statement. Early in 2017, the C&BC approved the following grants of long-term equity within the context of target total compensation:
Named Executive Officer |
Economic Value of Target Grant |
Reason for Grant Level |
||
---|---|---|---|---|
| | | | |
Robert P. Carrigan |
$5,000,000 | Consistent with prior year's grant level, reflecting competitive compensation levels | ||
| | | | |
Richard H. Veldran |
$1,100,000 | |||
|
Increased the economic value of the 2017 grants to: | |||
Joshua L. Peirez Curtis D. Brown Christie A. Hill |
$1,500,000 $950,000 $850,000 |
- Drive long-term value creation - Reflect progress on implementation of the strategy - Provide team alignment and internal equity (same increase amount) |
Mr. Carrigan served as Chairman and CEO until February 12, 2018 and left the Company on March 15, 2018. Mr. Peirez served as our President and Chief Operating Officer until March 15, 2018, when he resigned from the Company.
2017 LRSU Grant. As part of our annual LTI program, the C&BC granted LRSUs to our named executive officers on March 1, 2017 (shown below in the "Grants of Plan-Based Awards Table"). To determine the number of LRSUs to grant, we divide the economic value of the LRSU grant by the grant date fair market value (FMV) of Dun & Bradstreet's stock price (i.e., the average of the high and low trading price of the stock on that day). However, if the average stock price for the first 30 trading days of the year is more than 5% above or below the grant date FMV, then we will divide by 105% of the grant date FMV if the 30-day average is above the corridor, or 95% of the grant date FMV if the 30-day average is below it. This approach allows us to smooth the impact of potential stock price volatility leading up to the grant date. Since the average FMV of Dun & Bradstreet's stock over the first 30 trading days of 2017 was more than 5% above the grant date FMV, we divided the economic value of the LRSU grant by $112.53, representing 105% of the grant date FMV. The C&BC approved the LRSU grant economic values under our annual program at its meeting on February 22, 2017.
Each tranche of LRSUs vests after the conclusion of the performance period and upon review and approval of the level of attainment of applicable performance measures by the C&BC. The vesting schedule for the 2017 target LRSU grant is as follows:
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Grant Date
|
Tranche | Performance Period | Vesting Date | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
March 1, 2017 | First one-third | 1 year | March 1, 2018 | |||||
Second one-third | 2 years | March 1, 2019 | ||||||
Third one-third | 3 years | March 1, 2020 |
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Actual payouts at the end of each vesting period are determined based on the following parameters:
Appreciation or Depreciation in D&B Stock Price
|
Payout as % of Target LRSU Grant |
|||
---|---|---|---|---|
100% |
200 | % | ||
50% |
150 | % | ||
0% |
100 | % | ||
25% |
75 | % | ||
50% |
50 | % | ||
Below 50% |
0 | % | ||
Interpolation in between |
2017 Three-Year Performance Unit Grant. In addition to the LRSU grant, the other component of our annual long-term incentive program was a three-year performance unit grant (also shown below in the "Grants of Plan-Based Awards Table").
We will adjust the initial grant of performance units up or down based on results over the three-year performance period. To determine the target number of performance units, we divided the economic value of the three-year performance unit grant by $112.53 (i.e., 105% of the grant date FMV of Dun & Bradstreet's stock price as described in the LRSU section above). The grant date of the three-year performance units was March 1, 2017 (the same date as the target LRSU grant).
We split the grant of performance units into two equal components. We tied the first component to Dun & Bradstreet's three-year TSR performance relative to the S&P 500 companies. We tied the second component to Dun & Bradstreet's three-year organic revenue CAGR. At the end of the three-year performance period (January 1, 2017 to December 31, 2019), the actual payout in Dun & Bradstreet shares for the performance unit component can range from 0% to 200% of the initial grant.
At its meeting on February 22, 2017, the C&BC approved the following performance parameters to determine the actual award for the first component tied to TSR:
2017-2019 Performance Units
Total Shareholder Return (TSR) Parameters
D&B 3-year Relative TSR Percentile Ranking vs. S&P 500
|
Payout as % of Target Grant |
|||
---|---|---|---|---|
80th |
200 | % | ||
50th |
100 | % | ||
30th |
50 | % | ||
< 30th |
0 | % | ||
Interpolation in between |
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Similarly, the C&BC approved the following parameters to determine the actual award for the second component tied to Dun & Bradstreet's organic revenue CAGR:
2017-2019 Performance Units
Organic Revenue Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) Parameters
D&B 3-year Organic Revenue CAGR
|
Payout as % of Target Grant |
|||
---|---|---|---|---|
5.0% |
200 | % | ||
4.0% |
150 | % | ||
3.0% |
100 | % | ||
2.0% |
25 | % | ||
< 2.0% |
0 | % | ||
Interpolation in between |
Each component of the performance unit grant will vest 100% after the conclusion of the three-year performance period, on the third anniversary of the grant date or March 1, 2020.
Actual LTI Payouts Related to 2017
LRSU Awards. The C&BC approved actual payouts for prior LRSU grants made to the named executive officers covering the following performance periods:
LRSU Grant
|
Performance Period | Metric | Payout as % of Target Grant |
|||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Third tranche of March 2, 2015 grant |
3 years: 2015-2017 | Dun & Bradstreet | 99.8 | % | ||||
Second tranche of March 1, 2016 grant |
2 years: 2016-2017 | common stock price | 125.1 | % | ||||
First tranche of March 1, 2017 grant |
1 year: 2017 | appreciation / depreciation | 99.2 | % |
As noted above, the measure for these equity awards was Dun & Bradstreet's stock price change during the performance period. The parameters used to determine these payouts were the same as described above for the 2017 target LRSU grant. The approved LRSU awards to our named executive officers were as follows:
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Actual LRSU Awards Related to 2017
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|
|
|
|
Actual Payout | ||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
|
|
D&B Stock Price Appreciation or Depreciation |
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|
Target LRSUs Vesting |
D&B Starting Stock Price |
D&B Ending Stock Price |
Number of Shares |
Payout as % of Tranche Target LRSUs |
||||||||||||||
|
3rd Tranche of 2015 LRSU Grant for 2015-2017 Performance Period (1) | ||||||||||||||||||
Robert P. Carrigan |
5,579 | $ | 119.50 | $ | 119.26 | 0.2 | % | 5,567 | 99.8 | % | |||||||||
Richard H. Veldran |
1,186 | $ | 119.50 | $ | 119.26 | 0.2 | % | 1,183 | 99.8 | % | |||||||||
Joshua L. Peirez |
1,395 | $ | 119.50 | $ | 119.26 | 0.2 | % | 1,392 | 99.8 | % | |||||||||
Curtis D. Brown |
1,046 | $ | 119.50 | $ | 119.26 | 0.2 | % | 1,043 | 99.8 | % | |||||||||
Christie A. Hill |
837 | $ | 119.50 | $ | 119.26 | 0.2 | % | 835 | 99.8 | % | |||||||||
|
2nd Tranche of 2016 LRSU Grant for 2016-2017 Performance Period (1) |
||||||||||||||||||
Robert P. Carrigan |
8,739 | $ | 95.35 | $ | 119.26 | 25.1 | % | 10,932 | 125.1 | % | |||||||||
Richard H. Veldran |
1,748 | $ | 95.35 | $ | 119.26 | 25.1 | % | 2,186 | 125.1 | % | |||||||||
Joshua L. Peirez |
2,447 | $ | 95.35 | $ | 119.26 | 25.1 | % | 3,061 | 125.1 | % | |||||||||
Curtis D. Brown |
2,359 | $ | 95.35 | $ | 119.26 | 25.1 | % | 2,951 | 125.1 | % | |||||||||
Christie A. Hill |
1,311 | $ | 95.35 | $ | 119.26 | 25.1 | % | 1,640 | 125.1 | % | |||||||||
|
1st Tranche of 2017 LRSU Grant for 2017 Performance Period (1) |
||||||||||||||||||
Robert P. Carrigan |
7,405 | $ | 120.21 | $ | 119.26 | 0.8 | % | 7,345 | 99.2 | % | |||||||||
Richard H. Veldran |
1,629 | $ | 120.21 | $ | 119.26 | 0.8 | % | 1,615 | 99.2 | % | |||||||||
Joshua L. Peirez |
2,221 | $ | 120.21 | $ | 119.26 | 0.8 | % | 2,203 | 99.2 | % | |||||||||
Curtis D. Brown |
1,406 | $ | 120.21 | $ | 119.26 | 0.8 | % | 1,394 | 99.2 | % | |||||||||
Christie A. Hill |
1,259 | $ | 120.21 | $ | 119.26 | 0.8 | % | 1,248 | 99.2 | % | |||||||||
Mr. Carrigan served as Chairman and CEO until February 12, 2018 and left the Company on March 15, 2018. Mr. Peirez served as our President and Chief Operating Officer until March 15, 2018, when he resigned from the Company. |
(1) | The awarded shares associated with each tranche vested as of March 2018 (March 2 for the 2015 grant and March 1 for the 2016 and 2017 grants) and will be reported in the "Option Exercises and Stock Vested Table" in our 2019 proxy statement. This year they continue to be reported in our "Outstanding Equity Awards at Fiscal Year-end Table" for 2017. |
2015 Three-Year Performance Unit Award. The C&BC also approved the actual results for the prior three-year performance unit grants made to the named executive officers in 2015. This award covered the performance period of 2015 - 2017. As described above, we tied 50% of the award to Dun & Bradstreet's three-year TSR performance relative to the S&P 500 companies and the other 50% to Dun & Bradstreet's three-year total revenue CAGR. The parameters used to determine the award for Dun & Bradstreet's TSR performance were the same as noted in the chart above for the 2017 target three-year performance unit grant. The parameters used to determine the award for Dun & Bradstreet's revenue CAGR were as follows:
D&B 3-year (2015-2017) Total Revenue CAGR
|
Payout as % of Target Grant |
|||
---|---|---|---|---|
8.0% |
200 | % | ||
6.0% |
100 | % | ||
4.0% |
25 | % | ||
< 4.0% |
0 | % | ||
Interpolation in between |
This is the final performance period that utilizes total revenue for our revenue CAGR (the 2016 and 2017 grants are based on three-year organic revenue CAGR). The targets for 2015 were set by
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incorporating revenue resulting from our 2015 acquisitions. Our revenue CAGR result for this three-year period was 4.5%, which results in a payout of 42.0%.
Actual Three-year Performance Units Results for 2015-2017
3-year Performance Unit Grant |
Performance Period |
Metric | Weight | 3-year CAGR Result & 3-year Relative TSR Percentile Ranking |
Payout as % of Target Grant |
||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
March 2, 2015 grant |
3 years: 2015-2017 | Dun & Bradstreet 3-year Total Revenue CAGR | 50 | % | 4.5 | % | 42.0 | % | |||||||
|
Dun & Bradstreet TSR vs. S&P 500 |
50 |
% |
26.7th |
% |
0.0 |
% |
||||||||
Combined Payout |
21.0 | % | |||||||||||||
|
The approved three-year performance unit results for our named executive officers were as follows:
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|
|
|
Actual Payout | |||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Performance Period |
Measure | Target Units |
Payout % |
Number of Shares (1) |
||||||||||
Robert P. Carrigan |
2015-2017 | Revenue CAGR | 8,368 | 42.0 | % | 3,514 | |||||||||
|
TSR | 8,368 | 0.0 | % | 0 | ||||||||||
Richard H. Veldran |
2015-2017 |
Revenue CAGR |
1,778 |
42.0 |
% |
746 |
|||||||||
|
TSR | 1,778 | 0.0 | % | 0 | ||||||||||
Joshua L. Peirez |
2015-2017 |
Revenue CAGR |
2,092 |
42.0 |
% |
878 |
|||||||||
|
TSR | 2,092 | 0.0 | % | 0 | ||||||||||
Curtis D. Brown |
2015-2017 |
Revenue CAGR |
1,569 |
42.0 |
% |
658 |
|||||||||
|
TSR | 1,569 | 0.0 | % | 0 | ||||||||||
Christie A. Hill |
2015-2017 |
Revenue CAGR |
1,255 |
42.0 |
% |
527 |
|||||||||
|
TSR | 1,255 | 0.0 | % | 0 | ||||||||||
Mr. Carrigan served as Chairman and CEO until February 12, 2018 and left the Company on March 15, 2018. Mr. Peirez served as our
President and Chief Operating Officer until March 15, 2018, when he resigned from the Company. |
(1) | The shares vested as of March 2, 2018 and will be reported in the "Option Exercises and Stock Vested Table" in our 2019 proxy statement. This year they continue to be reported in our "Outstanding Equity Awards at Fiscal Year-end Table" for 2017. |
Under the Company's stock ownership guidelines, we expect our named executive officers and all other executive officers of the Company over time to achieve a minimum specified level of ownership in our common stock. These guidelines reinforce the objectives of our executive compensation program to:
57
The levels of stock ownership are a multiple of the executive officer's salary. These multiples (shown in the table below), which are above our peer group median levels, demonstrate our senior executives' commitment to Dun & Bradstreet and their personal financial stake in the Company.
Each year, the C&BC reviews each of our named executive officer's status and progress toward achieving the guidelines. All of our named executive officers have either met their ownership target, or are in compliance with our 100% retention policy. Noted below is the stock ownership of each of our named executive officers as of December 31, 2017. The ownership level for Mr. Brown reflects the fact that he became an executive officer on November 2, 2015.
Stock Ownership as a Multiple of Salary
Name
|
Guideline as Multiple of Salary |
Actual Ownership as Multiple of Salary |
|||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Robert P. Carrigan |
6 | 12.1 | |||||
Richard H. Veldran |
4 | 4.9 | |||||
Joshua L. Peirez |
4 | 5.9 | |||||
Curtis D. Brown |
4 | 3.8 | |||||
Christie A. Hill |
4 | 4.5 |
Mr. Carrigan served as Chairman and CEO until February 12, 2018 and left the Company on March 15, 2018. Mr. Peirez served as our President and Chief Operating Officer until March 15, 2018, when he resigned from the Company.
Shares counted toward satisfaction of the ownership guidelines include all stock owned outright, restricted stock units, half of target performance-based restricted stock units (both LRSUs and three-year performance units), units in the Dun & Bradstreet Common Stock Fund of our 401(k) Plan and half of the shares underlying vested stock options. There is no timeframe for achieving the ownership guidelines. However, we expect the named executive officer covered by these guidelines to retain 100% of the net shares resulting from equity-based compensation payouts and shares otherwise acquired by them outright until the named executive officer achieves the guideline multiple. Once met, the named executive officer must retain a sufficient number of shares to comply with the guidelines until termination of service with the Company. The named executive officer may only trade shares in excess of the guidelines within designated open window periods in accordance with the Company's Inside Information and Securities Trading Policy.
Non-qualified Retirement Benefits
Mr. Peirez participated and Mr. Veldran participates in our non-qualified Executive Retirement Plan (ERP). We designed the plan originally to provide retirement income and disability benefits to attract and retain the executives of the Company, including, in particular, those executives who joined the Company in the middle of their career. Effective April 4, 2011, we closed the ERP to new participants. Mr. Peirez resigned from the Company on March 15, 2018.
Additional details on the non-qualified retirement plans are in the applicable section following the Pension Benefits Table.
We believe that change in control benefits help protect shareholder interests. These benefits enable our named executive officers to make decisions in the interest of our shareholders without concern
58
over the impact on them personally. In addition, these benefits provide an incentive for our named executive officers to continue their employment with Dun & Bradstreet during the change in control event.
Equity and all cash benefits are only "triggered" (i.e., vested or payable on an accelerated basis) if the named executive officer is terminated without cause or resigns for good reason in connection with a change in control and within the specified twenty-four month period following a change in control event. All cash benefits (including severance) under the revised Change in Control Plan are also subject to a "double trigger."
A detailed description of our change in control benefits is set forth in the "Overview of Change in Control, Severance and Other Arrangements" section of this proxy statement.
We also provide our named executive officers with severance benefits if their employment is terminated as a result of a reduction in force, job elimination, unsatisfactory job performance (not constituting cause), a resignation for good reason, or other circumstances as approved by the C&BC, in each case not related to a change in control of Dun & Bradstreet. We provide severance benefits through our Career Transition Plan, in which all of our named executive officers participate. Severance benefits under this plan are available to all employees of the Company. We believe that severance benefits enable our compensation program to remain competitive with the market for executive talent and allow for orderly transitions without individual negotiations.
A detailed description of our severance plan is set forth in the "Overview of Change in Control, Severance and Other Arrangements" section of this proxy statement.
Market data provides a reference and framework for decisions about the base salary, target annual cash incentives and the appropriate level of long-term incentives for each of our named executive officers. However, due to year-over-year variability and the inexact science of matching and pricing executive jobs, we do not use market data as the sole criterion in determining a specific pay level. Therefore, in setting the target pay for our named executive officers, the C&BC reviews market data along with other factors, including the scope of responsibility and accountability within the organization, prior experience, marketability, leadership competencies and individual performance.
Market data also helps ensure our other executive compensation program components are competitive with prevalent practice and trends. Therefore, we review the design of our annual cash incentive opportunity and long-term incentive program, the prevalence of executive benefits and perquisites, our stock ownership guidelines and severance and change in control benefits against our compensation comparison group as well as the general industry.
Compensation Comparison Group. In consultation with Meridian, our independent compensation consultant, each year the C&BC reviews and selects companies for our compensation comparison group because they:
59
Our compensation comparison group used for 2017 compensation decisions included the following 24 companies in financial services, business information and technology services:
Acxiom Corporation | IHS Markit Ltd. | |
Broadridge Financial Solutions, Inc. | IMS Health Holdings, Inc. | |
CEB Inc. | Moneygram International, Inc. | |
Convergys Corporation | Moody's Corporation | |
Corelogic, Inc. | Morningstar, Inc. | |
Deluxe Corporation | MSCI Inc. | |
DST Systems, Inc. | Navigant Consulting, Inc. | |
Equifax, Inc. | Paychex, Inc. | |
Factset Research Systems, Inc. | S&P Global (McGraw Hill Financial, Inc.) | |
Fair Isaac Corporation | Total System Services, Inc. | |
Global Payments, Inc. | The Ultimate Software Group, Inc. | |
ICF International, Inc. | Verisk Analytics, Inc. |
The C&BC reviews our pay positioning and performance versus our compensation comparison group, covering:
We strongly believe that there should be a link between a company's performance and its pay levels. Therefore, the analyses included the relationship between executive officer compensation and Company performance over several years.
60
During our annual peer group review this past year, we updated our compensation comparison group for 2018 pay decisions, to maintain a peer group characteristic of Dun & Bradstreet's size and market for executive team talent:
Action
|
Company | Industry | Reason | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Deleted |
CEB Inc. | Management Services | Acquired by Gartner, Inc. | |||
Deleted |
IMS Health Holdings, Inc. |
Information Technology Services |
Merged with Quintiles Transnational Holdings Inc. |
|||
Deleted |
S&P Global (McGraw Hill Financial, Inc.) |
Financial Services |
Size: market cap greater than four times |
Based on the size parameters as well as the qualitative criteria cited above, the C&BC views the compensation comparison group as an appropriate group for benchmarking. These changes place Dun & Bradstreet near the median of the peer group in terms of revenue and market capitalization.
Executive Compensation Recoupment Policy
The Incentive Compensation Recoupment Policy (ICRP), covers former, current and future members of the Company's executive team and any other Section 16 officers. The ICRP covers all of our named executive officers and applies to all cash and equity incentive compensation awarded or still outstanding on or after January 1, 2013. This policy, as originally adopted in 2013, gives the C&BC authority to recover or reduce cash and equity incentive awards based on certain financial results that the Company subsequently restates. Effective January 2018, the policy was amended to provide the C&BC with additional flexibility to consider recoupment of incentive compensation for detrimental conduct by a covered executive, whether or not there is a financial restatement. Recoupment for either a financial restatement or for detrimental conduct is as follows:
Restatement
Detrimental Conduct
61
The Company can recoup excess payments by:
The C&BC may forego requiring recoupment of incentive compensation that was unconditionally received by a covered executive more than three years before the date on which the Company is required to prepare an accounting restatement or if it determines, in its sole discretion, that recovery would be impracticable.
None of our named executive officers has an employment agreement with the Company.
Section 162(m) of the Internal Revenue Code limits the deductibility of compensation in excess of $1 million paid to certain officers unless certain specific and detailed criteria are satisfied. The C&BC considers the anticipated tax treatment to Dun & Bradstreet and our named executive officers in its review and establishment of compensation programs and payments. With regard to the annual cash incentive and the LTI program (i.e., RSUs, LRSUs and three-year performance unit grants) as described above, we intended to comply with the performance-based compensation exemption available under Section 162(m) in order to enhance the likelihood that these amounts will be fully deductible. We also intended compensation resulting from the exercise of outstanding stock options to be deductible, without regard to Section 162(m). However, notwithstanding the C&BC's efforts, no assurance can be given that compensation will be fully deductible under Section 162(m). The C&BC has determined, and in the future may determine, to award compensation that is not deductible under Section 162(m). Deductibility of performance-based compensation under Section 162(m) was eliminated by the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 effective January 1, 2018 (2017 Tax Act), and the Section 162(m) limit on tax deductibility of compensation has been extended to our Chief Financial Officer beginning in 2018.
With respect to our annual cash incentive program, the C&BC designated our named executive officers as participants in our Covered Employee Incentive Plan (CEIP), which is a shareholder approved plan. On February 22, 2017, the C&BC established a maximum annual cash incentive opportunity of eight-tenths of one percent of our 2017 earnings before taxes (defined as the Company's income from continuing operations before provision for income taxes and equity in net income of affiliates, on an As Adjusted basis) for our CEO and five-tenths of one percent of our 2017 earnings before taxes for each of our other named executive officers. Consistent with prior years, the C&BC selected earnings before taxes as the appropriate measure in setting the maximum incentive opportunity since it considers profitable revenue growth over time as a key driver in creating shareholder value. We deemed the percentages selected for our CEO and for our other named executive officers, based on historical results, to generate reasonable levels of maximum incentive opportunity given the nature and scope of our executive positions. Actual annual cash incentive payouts to our CEO and our other
62
named executive officers were less than these maximums as described above. In 2017, our earnings before taxes were $403.0 million. Therefore, the maximum annual cash incentive opportunity for our CEO was $3.2 million, and for our other named executive officers, the maximum was $2.0 million per participant.
We intended the established maximum incentive opportunity payments under the CEIP to comply with the performance-based compensation exemption under Section 162(m) of the Internal Revenue Code and to enhance the likelihood that any cash amount paid to our participating named executive officers under the CEIP will be fully deductible. Accordingly, we conditioned the maximum incentive opportunity upon performance requirements intended to comply with Section 162(m). However, no assurance can be given that payments under the CEIP will be fully deductible under Section 162(m), particularly after giving effect to the 2017 Tax Act.
63
REPORT OF THE COMPENSATION & BENEFITS COMMITTEE
The C&BC has reviewed and discussed with management of Dun & Bradstreet the CD&A section of this proxy statement. Based on our review and discussions, we recommended to the Board, and the Board has approved, that the CD&A be included in this proxy statement for the year ended December 31, 2017 for filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Compensation & Benefits Committee
Paul
R. Garcia, Chairman
Cindy Christy
Judith A. Reinsdorf
March 13, 2018
64
The following table sets forth the compensation earned by or paid to our Chairman and CEO, our Chief Financial Officer and each of our other three most highly compensated executive officers of the Company and our subsidiaries with respect to the fiscal year ended December 31, 2017. All of these individuals are collectively referred to as our named executive officers.
Name and Principal Position |
Year | Salary ($) |
Bonus ($) |
Stock Awards ($) (1) |
Non-equity Incentive Plan Compensation ($) (2) |
Change in Pension Value and Nonqualified Deferred Compensation Earnings ($) (3) |
All Other Compensation ($) (4)(5)(6) |
Total ($) |
|||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Robert P. Carrigan | 2017 | 850,000 | 0 | 4,410,860 | 493,383 | 0 | 13,192 | 5,767,435 | |||||||||||||||||
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer |
2016 | 850,000 | 0 | 5,390,865 | 1,105,000 | 0 | 4,958 | 7,350,823 | |||||||||||||||||
("Principal Executive Officer") |
2015 | 850,000 | 0 | 5,186,932 | 884,000 | 0 | 9,665 | 6,930,597 | |||||||||||||||||
Richard H. Veldran |
2017 |
535,000 |
0 |
970,382 |
429,980 |
982,365 |
12,443 |
2,930,170 |
|||||||||||||||||
Chief Financial Officer |
2016 | 535,000 | 0 | 1,078,112 | 481,500 | 655,957 | 16,099 | 2,766,668 | |||||||||||||||||
("Principal Financial Officer") |
2015 | 520,000 | 25,000 | 1,102,101 | 374,400 | 505,142 | 19,120 | 2,545,763 | |||||||||||||||||
Joshua L. Peirez |
2017 |
650,000 |
0 |
1,323,202 |
333,759 |
1,434,925 |
22,933 |
3,764,819 |
|||||||||||||||||
President and Chief Operating Officer |
2016 | 650,000 | 0 | 1,509,377 | 747,500 | 785,140 | 27,620 | 3,719,637 | |||||||||||||||||
2015 | 600,000 | 100,000 | 1,296,735 | 480,000 | 625,365 | 30,024 | 3,132,124 | ||||||||||||||||||
Curtis D. Brown |
2017 |
570,000 |
0 |
838,052 |
458,109 |
0 |
6,396 |
1,872,557 |
|||||||||||||||||
Chief Content and Technology Officer |
2016 | 570,000 | 0 | 1,455,507 | 615,600 | 0 | 5,410 | 2,646,517 | |||||||||||||||||
2015 | 520,000 | 250,000 | 972,549 | 374,400 | 0 | 4,916 | 2,121,865 | ||||||||||||||||||
Christie A. Hill |
2017 |
500,000 |
0 |
749,804 |
357,200 |
0 |
14,345 |
1,621,349 |
|||||||||||||||||
Chief Legal Officer and Head of |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||
Global Corporate Citizenship |
Mr. Carrigan served as Chairman and CEO until February 12, 2018 and left the Company on March 15, 2018. Mr. Peirez served as our President and Chief Operating Officer until March 15, 2018, when he resigned from the Company.
65
GRANTS OF PLAN-BASED AWARDS TABLE
The following table sets forth a summary of all grants of plan-based awards made to our named executive officers during the fiscal year ended December 31, 2017:
|
|
|
|
|
Estimated Future Possible Payouts Under Equity Incentive Plan Awards (2) |
|
||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
|
Estimated Future Possible Payouts Under Non-equity Incentive Plan Awards (1) |
|
||||||||||||||||||
|
|
|
Grant Date Fair Value of Stock and Option Awards ($) (3) |
|||||||||||||||||||
Name
|
Grant Date |
Committee Approval Date |
Target ($) |
Maximum ($) |
Target (#) |
Maximum (#) |
||||||||||||||||
Robert P. Carrigan |
03/01/2017 | 02/22/2017 | 1,105,000 | 2,210,000 | 22,216 | 44,432 | 2,256,630 | (4) | ||||||||||||||
|
03/01/2017 | 02/22/2017 | 11,108 | 22,216 | 1,190,500 | (5) | ||||||||||||||||
|
03/01/2017 | 02/22/2017 | 11,108 | 22,216 | 963,730 | (6) | ||||||||||||||||
Richard H. Veldran |
03/01/2017 |
02/22/2017 |
481,500 |
963,000 |
4,887 |
9,774 |
496,405 |
(4) |
||||||||||||||
|
03/01/2017 | 02/22/2017 | 2,444 | 4,888 | 261,936 | (5) | ||||||||||||||||
|
03/01/2017 | 02/22/2017 | 2,444 | 4,888 | 212,041 | (6) | ||||||||||||||||
Joshua L. Peirez |
03/01/2017 |
02/22/2017 |
747,500 |
1,495,000 |
6,665 |
13,330 |
677,011 |
(4) |
||||||||||||||
|
03/01/2017 | 02/22/2017 | 3,332 | 6,664 | 357,107 | (5) | ||||||||||||||||
|
03/01/2017 | 02/22/2017 | 3,332 | 6,664 | 289,084 | (6) | ||||||||||||||||
Curtis D. Brown |
03/01/2017 |
02/22/2017 |
513,000 |
1,026,000 |
4,220 |
8,440 |
428,656 |
(4) |
||||||||||||||
|
03/01/2017 | 02/22/2017 | 2,111 | 4,222 | 226,246 | (5) | ||||||||||||||||
|
03/01/2017 | 02/22/2017 | 2,111 | 4,222 | 183,150 | (6) | ||||||||||||||||
Christie A. Hill |
03/01/2017 |
02/22/2017 |
400,000 |
800,000 |
3,777 |
7,554 |
383,655 |
(4) |
||||||||||||||
|
03/01/2017 | 02/22/2017 | 1,888 | 3,776 | 202,346 | (5) | ||||||||||||||||
|
03/01/2017 | 02/22/2017 | 1,888 | 3,776 | 163,803 | (6) |
Mr. Carrigan served as Chairman and CEO until February 12, 2018 and left the Company on March 15, 2018. Mr. Peirez served as our President and Chief Operating Officer until March 15, 2018, when he resigned from the Company.
If the employment with Dun & Bradstreet of any of our named executive officers terminates for any reason (other than death or disability) prior to the first anniversary of the grant date or for any reason (other than death, disability or retirement) on or after the first anniversary of the grant date, the named executive officer forfeits all rights to and interests in the unvested LRSUs and/or performance units. If the named executive officer's employment with Dun & Bradstreet terminates due to death or disability, any unvested LRSUs and/or performance units will become vested. If the named executive officer's employment with Dun & Bradstreet terminates on or after the first anniversary of the grant date due to retirement, a pro-rata portion of the actual number of LRSUs and/or performance units will vest based on attainment of the performance parameters corresponding to each performance period. Refer to "Potential Post-Employment Compensation Table" section for details on treatment of equity in the event of a change in control.
For more information on how we value stock-based awards (including assumptions made in such valuation), refer to "Note 11 Employee Stock Plans" in the "Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements" in our Annual Report on Form 10-K
66
for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2017. These assumptions may or may not be fulfilled. The amounts shown cannot be considered predictions of future value.
67
OUTSTANDING EQUITY AWARDS AT FISCAL YEAR-END TABLE
The following table sets forth a summary of all outstanding equity awards held by each of our named executive officers as of December 31, 2017:
|
|
Option Awards | Stock Awards | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Name
|
Grant Date | Equity- Incentive Plan Awards Number of Securities Underlying Unexercised Options (#) Exercisable (1) |
Equity- Incentive Plan Awards Number of Securities Underlying Unexercised Options (#) Unexercisable (1) |
Equity- Incentive Plan Awards Option Exercise Price ($) |
Equity- Incentive Plan Awards Option Expiration Date |
Equity- Incentive Plan Awards Number of Shares or Units of Stock That Have Not Vested (#) (2)(3) |
Equity- Incentive Plan Awards Market Value of Shares or Units of Stock That Have Not Vested ($) |
Equity- Incentive Plan Awards Number of Unearned Shares or Units of Stock That Have Not Vested (#) (3) |
Equity- Incentive Plan Awards Market Value of Unearned Shares or Units of Stock That Have Not Vested ($) |
|||||||||||||||||||
Robert P. Carrigan |
03/03/2014 | 3,335 | (4) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
03/02/2015 | 5,567 | (5) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
03/02/2015 | 3,514 | (6) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
03/02/2015 | 0 | (7) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
03/01/2016 | 10,932 | (8) | 8,740 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
03/01/2016 | 13,110 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
03/01/2016 | 13,110 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
03/01/2017 | 7,345 | (9) | 14,811 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
03/01/2017 | 11,108 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
03/01/2017 | 11,108 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
3,634,358 | 8,523,981 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Richard H. Veldran |
03/03/2014 |
834 |
(4) |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
03/02/2015 | 1,183 | (5) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
03/02/2015 | 746 | (6) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
03/02/2015 | 0 | (7) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
03/01/2016 | 2,186 | (8) | 1,748 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
03/01/2016 | 2,622 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
03/01/2016 | 2,622 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
03/01/2017 | 1,615 | (9) | 3,258 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
03/01/2017 | 2,444 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
03/01/2017 | 2,444 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
777,243 | 1,792,491 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Joshua L. Peirez |
03/03/2014 |
4,446 |
(2) |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
03/03/2014 | 1,112 | (4) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
03/02/2015 | 1,392 | (5) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
03/02/2015 | 878 | (6) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
03/02/2015 | 0 | (7) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
03/01/2016 | 3,061 | (8) | 2,447 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
03/01/2016 | 3,671 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
03/01/2016 | 3,671 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
03/01/2017 | 2,203 | (9) | 4,444 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
03/01/2017 | 3,332 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
03/01/2017 | 3,332 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
1,550,224 | 2,474,414 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Curtis D. Brown |
10/01/2014 |
834 |
(4) |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
03/02/2015 | 1,043 | (5) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
03/02/2015 | 658 | (6) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
03/02/2015 | 0 | (7) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
03/01/2016 | 2,951 | (8) | 2,360 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
03/01/2016 | 3,540 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
03/01/2016 | 3,540 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
03/01/2017 | 1,394 | (9) | 2,814 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
03/01/2017 | 2,111 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
03/01/2017 | 2,111 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
814,661 | 1,950,923 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Christie A. Hill |
09/12/2011 |
850 |
61.76 |
09/12/2021 |
||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
03/01/2012 | 10,700 | 82.80 | 03/01/2022 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
03/03/2014 | 612 | (4) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
03/02/2015 | 835 | (5) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
03/02/2015 | 527 | (6) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
03/02/2015 | 0 | (7) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
03/01/2016 | 1,640 | (8) | 1,311 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
03/01/2016 | 1,966 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
03/01/2016 | 1,966 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
03/01/2017 | 1,248 | (9) | 2,518 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
03/01/2017 | 1,888 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
03/01/2017 | 1,888 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
575,709 | 1,366,096 |
Mr. Carrigan served as Chairman and CEO until February 12, 2018 and left the Company on March 15, 2018. Mr. Peirez served as our President and Chief Operating Officer until March 15, 2018, when he resigned from the Company.
68
For grants prior to 2015, if any of our named executive officers is terminated due to retirement, death or disability on or after the first anniversary of the grant date, any unvested RSUs become fully vested as of the termination date. For grants during or after 2015, if any of our named executive officers is terminated due to death or disability or on or after the first anniversary of the grant date due to retirement, any unvested RSUs become fully vested as of the termination date. For all other terminations, the named executive officer forfeits all rights to and interests in the unvested RSUs.
Refer to "Potential Post-Employment Compensation Table" section for details on treatment of equity in the event of a change in control.
For our LRSUs and performance units, if any of our named executive officer's employment with Dun & Bradstreet terminates for any reason (other than death, disability or retirement) the named executive officer forfeits all rights to and interests in the unvested LRSUs and/or performance units. For terminations due to death or disability, any unvested LRSUs become fully vested as of the termination date. For terminations on or after the first anniversary of the grant date due to retirement, a pro-rata portion of the actual number of LRSUs and/or performance units will be earned and vested based on attainment of the performance parameters corresponding to each performance period.
The performance units granted in 2014 are earned and vest in 2018. If termination occurs for any reason (other than death, disability or retirement) prior to the vest date, the named executive officer forfeits all rights to and interests in the unvested performance units. Refer to "Potential Post-Employment Compensation Table" section for details on treatment of equity in the event of a change in control.
69
As required by Section 953(b) of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, and Item 402(u) of Regulation S-K, we are providing the following estimate of the ratio between the median annual total compensation of our employees and the annual total compensation of Mr. Carrigan, our CEO throughout 2017.
We selected November 15, 2017, which is within the last three months of 2017, as the date upon which we would identify the median employee. We chose "base pay" as the measure to determine our median employee. We then calculated an annual base pay based on a reasonable estimate of hours worked during 2017 for hourly workers, and upon salary levels for the remaining employees. We annualized pay for those who commenced work during 2017. We identified the median base pay and selected an employee with the median pay. With respect to the annual total compensation of the "median employee," we identified and calculated the elements of such employee's compensation for 2017 in accordance with the requirements of Item 402(c)(2)(x) of Regulation S-K, consistent with how we calculate executive compensation in the Summary Compensation Table, resulting in annual total compensation of $82,645. The ratio of CEO pay to our median employee pay is 70:1.
OPTION EXERCISES AND STOCK VESTED TABLE
The following table sets forth the number of shares acquired and the value realized by our named executive officers upon the exercise of stock options and the vesting of RSU and LRSU awards during the fiscal year ended December 31, 2017:
|
Option Awards | Stock Awards | |||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Name
|
Number of Shares Acquired on Exercise (#) |
Value Realized on Exercise ($) |
Number of Shares Acquired on Vesting (#) (1)(2) |
Value Realized on Vesting ($) (1)(2) |
|||||||||
Robert P. Carrigan |
0 | 0.00 | 24,717 | 2,643,786 | |||||||||
Richard H. Veldran |
0 | 0.00 | 8,004 | 856,612 | |||||||||
Joshua L. Peirez |
0 | 0.00 | 13,203 | 1,411,895 | |||||||||
Curtis D. Brown |
0 | 0.00 | 6,047 | 666,273 | |||||||||
Christie A. Hill |
0 | 0.00 | 4,722 | 505,199 |
Mr. Carrigan served as Chairman and CEO until February 12, 2018 and left the Company on March 15, 2018. Mr. Peirez served as our President and Chief Operating Officer until March 15, 2018, when he resigned from the Company.
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The table below sets forth a summary of the benefits accrued for the two named executive officers under our defined benefit pension plans as of December 31, 2017. Messrs. Carrigan and Brown and Ms. Hill were not eligible for these benefits since the plans were frozen prior to their employment with the Company.
Name
|
Plan Name | Number of Years of Credited Service (#) |
Present Value of Accumulated Benefit ($) |
Payments During Last Fiscal Year ($) |
||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Richard H. Veldran |
Executive Retirement Plan | 10.0 | 5,242,451 | $ | 0 | |||||||
|
Pension Benefit Equalization Plan | 2.8 | 19,762 | $ | 0 | |||||||
|
Retirement Account | 2.8 | 57,804 | $ | 0 | |||||||
Joshua L. Peirez |
Executive Retirement Plan |
7.3 |
4,290,251 |
$ |
0 |
|||||||
|
Pension Benefit Equalization Plan* | 0.0 | 0 | $ | 0 | |||||||
|
Retirement Account* | 0.0 | 0 | $ | 0 |
Our pension plans for executives are as follows:
All of the above plans were either frozen or closed to new participants as described below in the summary for each plan.
Under the Retirement Account and PBEP, years of credited service are counted starting one year after the date of hire and stopping on June 30, 2007, the date the plan was frozen. Under the ERP, years of credited service are counted starting on the date of hire to ensure that participants can attain a competitive retirement benefit at retirement. The following actuarial assumptions were used in the calculation of the benefits in the Pension Benefits Table:
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Normal forms of payment are reflected for each plan unless our named executive officer has elected a lump sum in either the PBEP or ERP. Messrs. Peirez (who resigned from the Company on March 15, 2018) and Veldran have a lump sum election in effect for the ERP; Mr. Veldran also has a lump sum election for the PBEP. The interest rates used to value the lump sum at the assumed retirement date are the December 2017 Internal Revenue Code Section 417(e) segment rates and the mortality assumption is the Internal Revenue Code Section 417(e) mortality table for 2018 per each plan's provisions.
Retirement Account. The Retirement Account was frozen for all of our employees effective July 1, 2007, and the plan was closed to new participants on that date. The accrued benefits in the Retirement Account for all non-vested participants active as of June 30, 2007 became 100% vested on that date. As a result of the freeze, no additional benefits have accrued under the Retirement Account after June 30, 2007, although existing balances will continue to accrue interest.
The Retirement Account's normal retirement age is 65. Upon termination of employment, a vested participant can elect to immediately receive 50% of his or her benefit as a lump sum or annuity, with the residual 50% being paid at age 55 or later as an annuity. In addition, if a participant meets the requirements for an Early or Normal Retirement, the participant can elect to receive 50% of his or her benefit as a lump sum and the remainder as an annuity or his or her entire benefit as an annuity. The single life annuity option provides the highest monthly dollar amount under the Retirement Account. A participant can elect other actuarially equivalent annuity options that provide lower monthly dollar amounts to the participant in order to provide survivor benefits.
Pension Benefit Equalization Plan. Effective July 1, 2007, the PBEP also was frozen for all of our employees and the plan was closed to new participants. As a result of the freeze, no additional benefits have accrued under this plan after June 30, 2007, although existing balances will continue to accrue interest.
Executive Retirement Plan. Effective April 4, 2011, the ERP was closed to new participants. The two named executive officers who remain participants will continue to accrue a benefit in accordance with plan rules. The ERP provides a target annual benefit equal to 4% of the participant's average final compensation (salary plus actual cash incentive) for each of the first 10 years of service to a maximum benefit percentage of 40% of the participant's average final compensation. This benefit is reduced by 15% for vested participants who leave prior to age 55. Average final compensation is equal to the participant's highest consecutive 60 months of compensation out of his or her last 120 months. A participant is 100% vested in the applicable benefit upon completion of five years of participation in the plan.
The target annual benefit payment from the ERP is offset by any pension benefits earned in the Retirement Account, PBEP or any other pension plan sponsored by Dun & Bradstreet or one of its affiliates and the participant's estimated Social Security retirement benefit. Compensation used in determining the ERP benefit includes base salary, cash bonus payments, commissions and lump sum payments in lieu of merit increases. The normal form of benefit payment under the ERP is a straight
72
life annuity for single participants and a fully subsidized joint and 50% survivor annuity for married participants.
The interest rates used to value the lump sum at the assumed retirement date are the December 2017 Internal Revenue Code Section 417(e) segment rates and the mortality assumption is the Internal Revenue Code Section 417(e) mortality table for 2018. Benefit payments under the ERP begin on the later of attainment of age 55 or the first of the month following the date a participant retires. If a participant dies while actively employed, his or her spouse is entitled to receive 50% of the benefit that otherwise would have been payable to the participant at age 55. If a participant dies while receiving benefit payments, the surviving spouse receives a benefit equal to 50% of what the participant was receiving. In the event a participant becomes totally and permanently disabled, he or she will receive annual disability payments equal to 60% of his or her compensation until age 65 offset by any other disability income the participant is receiving.
73
NON-QUALIFIED DEFERRED COMPENSATION TABLE
The following table sets forth a summary of the non-qualified deferred compensation benefits as of December 31, 2017. Effective January 1, 2017, The Dun & Bradstreet Corporation Key Employees' Non-Qualified Deferred Compensation Plan (NQDCP) was amended to suspend all future deferrals of compensation under the plan. Mr. Veldran is the only named executive officer who has a balance.
Name
|
Plan Name | Executive Contributions in Last FY ($) |
Registrant Contributions in Last FY ($) |
Aggregate Earnings in Last FY ($) (1) |
Aggregate Withdrawals/ Distributions in Last FY ($) |
Aggregate Balance at Last FY ($) |
||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Richard H. Veldran |
Key Employees' Non-Qualified Deferred Compensation Plan | 0 | 0 | 173,615 | 0 | 913,399 |
Key Employees' Non-Qualified Deferred Compensation Plan. The NQDCP, which was amended effective January 1, 2017 to suspend all deferrals of compensation earned after 2016, is a voluntary, unfunded plan which allowed participants to defer, in 5% increments, up to 75% of their base salary and 100% of their annual cash incentive payments. Deferrals of amounts earned prior to January 1, 2017 remain under the NQDCP and participants can elect to make deemed investments of these prior deferrals in the same investment funds that are offered in our 401(k) Plan, including the Dun & Bradstreet Common Stock Fund. Participants can also elect to transfer these prior balances among other funds on a daily basis subject to our Inside Information and Securities Trading Policy. All prior amounts deferred by our named executive officers have been reported in the Non-Qualified Deferred Compensation Table in our previously filed proxy statements in the year earned, provided the individual was a named executive officer for that year for purposes of the SEC's executive compensation disclosure.
The automatic time and form of payment of prior deferrals under the NQDCP is a lump sum upon employment termination (subject to the six-month delay following termination required by Internal Revenue Code Section 409A if the participant is a "specified employee" for purposes of Internal Revenue Code Section 409A). However, at the time the participant made a deferral election, the participant may have elected to receive payment at the earlier of a specified time period following deferral (the deferral must be for a minimum of three years) or upon termination of employment and to receive any distribution made upon termination in the form of five annual installments or ten annual installments instead of a lump sum. A participant may change the time and form of payment applicable to his NQDCP benefits in accordance with the rules of Internal Revenue Code Section 409A. In addition, lump sum payments are made in the event of a participant's death or disability, or upon a change in control (within the meaning of Internal Revenue Code Section 409A) of Dun & Bradstreet.
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The deemed investment earnings received by participants under the NQDCP in 2017 are based on the performance of the investment funds designated by participants for the deemed investment of their NQDCP accounts. The 2017 annual returns for the available investment funds are noted in the following table:
Investment Fund Option
|
2017 Annual Return | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Balanced Index |
14.30 | % | ||
BlackRock Small Cap Growth |
14.86 | % | ||
D&B Stock Fund |
0.58 | % | ||
Fidelity Blue Chip Growth |
36.20 | % | ||
Fidelity Diversified International |
26.79 | % | ||
Fidelity Low Priced Stock |
20.79 | % | ||
JP Morgan Equity Income |
17.84 | % | ||
Northern Small Cap Value |
6.42 | % | ||
PIMCO Total Return |
5.13 | % | ||
Stable Value Fund |
2.04 | % | ||
Vanguard Developed Markets Index |
26.46 | % | ||
Vanguard Extended Market Index |
18.12 | % | ||
Vanguard Institutional Index |
21.82 | % | ||
Vanguard Target Retirement 2020 |
14.19 | % | ||
Vanguard Target Retirement 2025 |
16.01 | % | ||
Vanguard Target Retirement 2030 |
17.60 | % | ||
Vanguard Target Retirement 2035 |
19.18 | % | ||
Vanguard Target Retirement 2040 |
20.81 | % | ||
Vanguard Target Retirement 2045 |
21.51 | % | ||
Vanguard Target Retirement 2050 |
21.48 | % | ||
Vanguard Target Retirement 2055 |
21.49 | % | ||
Vanguard Target Retirement Income |
8.60 | % | ||
Vanguard Total Bond Market Index |
3.57 | % | ||
Victory Munder Mid Cap Core Growth |
24.73 | % | ||
Wells Fargo Advantage Special Mid Cap Value |
11.27 | % |
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EQUITY COMPENSATION PLAN INFORMATION
The following table summarizes our equity compensation plan information as of December 31, 2017:
Plan Category
|
(A) Number of Securities to Be Issued Upon Exercise of Outstanding Options, Warrants and Rights |
(B) Weighted-Average Exercise Price of Outstanding Options, Warrants and Rights |
(C) Number of Securities Remaining Available for Future Issuance Under Equity Compensation Plans (Excluding Securities Reflected in Column (A)) |
|||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Equity Compensation Plans approved by security holders (1) | 515,686 | (2) | $ | 11.18 | 4,473,225 | (3) |
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OVERVIEW OF CHANGE IN CONTROL, SEVERANCE AND OTHER ARRANGEMENTS
We provide change in control benefits for our named executive officers through our Change in Control Plan (CICP). During 2017, all of our named executive officers were participants in the CICP. A summary of benefits under the CICP is as follows:
Benefit Category | CICP | |
---|---|---|
Benefits Subject to "Double Trigger" (CIC Plus Qualifying Termination within 24 Months) | Cash benefits Unvested Equity |
|
| | |
Cash Severance as Multiple of Base Salary Plus Target Cash Incentive | 2 times | |
| | |
Settlement of Outstanding Performance-based Cash Incentives | Pro-rata target award | |
| | |
Health and Life Insurance Continuation | 2 years | |
| | |
Outplacement Services Reimbursement | Lesser of 15% of target total cash or $50,000 | |
| | |
Excise Tax Treatment | No benefit, executive's benefits may be voluntarily reduced if such reduction provides a better after-tax benefit | |
| | |
Stock Incentive Plan. Equity awards require both a change in control and qualified termination within 24 months of the change in control, or a "double trigger," before vesting.
Career Transition Plan. Each of our named executive officers is eligible for severance benefits under our Career Transition Plan (CTP). This plan also applies to all employees of the Company.
The CTP provides for the payment of benefits if an eligible executive's employment terminates by reason of a reduction in force, job elimination, unsatisfactory performance (not constituting cause, as defined in the CTP), a resignation for good reason (as defined in the CTP), or other circumstances as approved by the C&BC. The CTP does not apply to terminations of employment that are:
In the event of an eligible termination, we will pay the executive 52 weeks of base salary continuation at the rate in effect at the time of termination. We will reduce this amount of severance by one-half if the Company terminates the executive for unsatisfactory performance not constituting cause. We will make severance payments in semi-monthly installmentsthe same as the executive's normal salary payment schedule had employment not terminated.
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In addition, the executive will receive continued health-care benefits during the applicable salary continuation period as well as outplacement services.
Except in the case of a termination by Dun & Bradstreet for unsatisfactory performance or cause, the executive will also receive a prorated portion of the actual cash incentive for the year of termination, otherwise payable to the executive under the annual cash incentive plan. To be eligible, the executive must be employed for at least six full months during the calendar year of termination.
Potential Post-Employment Compensation Table
The table below aggregates the potential post-employment compensation that is or may become payable to each of our named executive officers pursuant to the plans and arrangements described above upon an actual or constructive termination of any of our named executive officer's employment or a change in control of Dun & Bradstreet. We calculated the information in the table below based on plan provisions using the following assumptions and the triggering events as defined in the applicable plans and agreements. The amounts shown represent estimates for each component based on these assumptions and do not reflect any actual payments received by our named executive officers. The components that may be applicable in calculating the post-employment compensation amount include:
In the table below, we totaled the applicable compensation and benefit components for each termination scenario. This total represents the estimated value of the potential post-employment compensation. The percentage below each termination scenario total indicates how much each of our named executive officers already earned of the estimated value irrespective of the particular triggering event (i.e., the value each of our named executive officers has already earned and would be entitled to in the event of a termination). The remainder is the incremental value payable to the executive as a result of the specific triggering event. For example, the total value of Mr. Veldran's potential post-employment compensation in the event of a termination due to disability is $11,392,693, and approximately 45% of that total, or $5,144,665, has already been earned irrespective of the particular triggering event (e.g., part of the value of defined benefit plans) and the approximately 55% remaining, or $6,248,028, is the value due exclusively to the triggering event.
78
In addition, we have indicated the total value of compensation forfeited as a result of the triggering event. For example, Mr. Veldran would forfeit $2,852,615 in the event of a voluntary termination, which consists of forfeited RSUs, LRSUs and performance units.
|
Termination Scenario | |||||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Executive Compensation or Benefit Component |
If Voluntary Termination |
If Termination is Due to Death |
If Termination is Due to Disability |
If Termination is Due to Retirement |
If Involuntary Termination without Cause or Quit for Good Reason |
If Involuntary Termination for Cause |
If Change in Control Termination Occurs Under 2014 Plan |
|||||||||||||||
Robert P. Carrigan |
||||||||||||||||||||||
Severance |
||||||||||||||||||||||
Base Salary |
$ | 0 | $ | 0 | $ | 0 | Not Eligible | $ | 850,000 | $ | 0 | $ | 1,700,000 | |||||||||
Target Cash Incentive |
$ | 0 | $ | 0 | $ | 0 | Not Eligible | $ | 0 | $ | 0 | $ | 2,210,000 | |||||||||
Pro Rata Target Cash Incentive |
$ | 1,105,000 | $ | 1,105,000 | $ | 1,105,000 | Not Eligible | $ | 1,105,000 | $ | 0 | $ | 1,105,000 | |||||||||
Outstanding Equity & Long-term Incentives |
||||||||||||||||||||||
Unvested Equity |
$ | 0 | $ | 13,472,808 | $ | 13,472,808 | Not Eligible | $ | 0 | $ | 0 | $ | 13,472,808 | |||||||||
Vested Equity |
$ | 0 | $ | 0 | $ | 0 | Not Eligible | $ | 0 | $ | 0 | $ | 0 | |||||||||
Pension Plan Payments |
||||||||||||||||||||||
Pension Benefit Equalization Plan |
Not Eligible | Not Eligible | Not Eligible | Not Eligible | Not Eligible | Not Eligible | Not Eligible | |||||||||||||||
Executive Retirement Plan |
Not Eligible | Not Eligible | Not Eligible | Not Eligible | Not Eligible | Not Eligible | Not Eligible | |||||||||||||||
401(k) Plan |
$ | 40,284 | $ | 40,284 | $ | 40,284 | Not Eligible | $ | 40,284 | $ | 40,284 | $ | 40,284 | |||||||||
Health and Welfare Benefits Continuation |
N/A | N/A | N/A | Not Eligible | $ | 16,908 | N/A | $ | 33,970 | |||||||||||||
Outplacement Services |
N/A | N/A | N/A | Not Eligible | N/A | N/A | $ | 50,000 | ||||||||||||||
Excise Tax and Gross-Up (Paid to I.R.S.) |
N/A | N/A | N/A | Not Eligible | N/A | N/A | N/A | |||||||||||||||
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Total Compensation Upon Termination |
$ | 1,145,284 | $ | 14,618,092 | $ | 14,618,092 | N/A | $ | 2,012,192 | $ | 40,284 | $ | 18,612,062 | |||||||||
% Already Earned |
100 | % | 8 | % | 8 | % | N/A | 57 | % | 100 | % | 6 | % | |||||||||
Forfeitures |
$ | 13,472,808 | $ | 0 | $ | 0 | N/A | $ | 13,472,808 | $ | 13,472,808 | $ | 0 | |||||||||
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
79
|
Termination Scenario | |||||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Executive Compensation or Benefit Component |
If Voluntary Termination |
If Termination is Due to Death |
If Termination is Due to Disability |
If Termination is Due to Retirement |
If Involuntary Termination without Cause or Quit for Good Reason |
If Involuntary Termination for Cause |
If Change in Control Termination Occurs Under 2014 Plan |
|||||||||||||||
Richard H. Veldran |
||||||||||||||||||||||
Severance |
||||||||||||||||||||||
Base Salary |
$ | 0 | $ | 0 | $ | 0 | Not Eligible | $ | 535,000 | $ | 0 | $ | 1,070,000 | |||||||||
Target Cash Incentive |
$ | 0 | $ | 0 | $ | 0 | Not Eligible | $ | 0 | $ | 0 | $ | 963,000 | |||||||||
Pro Rata Target Cash Incentive |
$ | 481,500 | $ | 481,500 | $ | 481,500 | Not Eligible | $ | 481,500 | $ | 0 | $ | 481,500 | |||||||||
Outstanding Equity & Long-term Incentives |
||||||||||||||||||||||
Unvested Equity |
$ | 0 | $ | 2,852,615 | $ | 2,852,615 | Not Eligible | $ | 0 | $ | 0 | $ | 2,852,615 | |||||||||
Vested Equity |
$ | 0 | $ | 0 | $ | 0 | Not Eligible | $ | 0 | $ | 0 | $ | 0 | |||||||||
Pension Plan Payments |
||||||||||||||||||||||
Pension Benefit Equalization Plan |
$ | 20,205 | $ | 20,205 | $ | 19,762 | Not Eligible | $ | 20,205 | $ | 20,205 | $ | 25,705 | |||||||||
Executive Retirement Plan |
$ | 4,413,050 | $ | 2,091,606 | $ | 7,808,463 | Not Eligible | $ | 4,413,050 | $ | 0 | $ | 7,298,201 | |||||||||
401(k) Plan |
$ | 230,353 | $ | 230,353 | $ | 230,353 | Not Eligible | $ | 230,353 | $ | 230,353 | $ | 230,353 | |||||||||
Health and Welfare Benefits Continuation |
N/A | N/A | N/A | Not Eligible | $ | 16,908 | N/A | $ | 33,970 | |||||||||||||
Outplacement Services |
N/A | N/A | N/A | Not Eligible | N/A | N/A | $ | 50,000 | ||||||||||||||
Excise Tax and Gross-Up (Paid to I.R.S.) |
N/A | N/A | N/A | Not Eligible | N/A | N/A | N/A | |||||||||||||||
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Total Compensation Upon Termination |
$ | 5,145,108 | $ | 5,676,279 | $ | 11,392,693 | N/A | $ | 5,697,016 | $ | 250,558 | $ | 13,005,344 | |||||||||
% Already Earned |
100 | % | 50 | % | 45 | % | N/A | 90 | % | 100 | % | 40 | % | |||||||||
Forfeitures |
$ | 2,852,615 | $ | 0 | $ | 0 | N/A | $ | 2,852,615 | $ | 7,265,665 | $ | 0 | |||||||||
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
80
|
Termination Scenario | |||||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Executive Compensation or Benefit Component |
If Voluntary Termination |
If Termination is Due to Death |
If Termination is Due to Disability |
If Termination is Due to Retirement |
If Involuntary Termination without Cause or Quit for Good Reason |
If Involuntary Termination for Cause |
If Change in Control Termination Occurs Under 2014 Plan |
|||||||||||||||
Joshua L. Peirez |
||||||||||||||||||||||
Severance |
||||||||||||||||||||||
Base Salary |
$ | 0 | $ | 0 | $ | 0 | Not Eligible | $ | 650,000 | $ | 0 | $ | 1,300,000 | |||||||||
Target Cash Incentive |
$ | 0 | $ | 0 | $ | 0 | Not Eligible | $ | 0 | $ | 0 | $ | 1,495,000 | |||||||||
Pro Rata Target Cash Incentive |
$ | 747,500 | $ | 747,500 | $ | 747,500 | Not Eligible | $ | 747,500 | $ | 0 | $ | 747,500 | |||||||||
Outstanding Equity & Long-term Incentives |
||||||||||||||||||||||
Unvested Equity |
$ | 0 | $ | 4,345,884 | $ | 4,345,884 | Not Eligible | $ | 0 | $ | 0 | $ | 4,345,884 | |||||||||
Vested Equity |
$ | 0 | $ | 0 | $ | 0 | Not Eligible | $ | 0 | $ | 0 | $ | 0 | |||||||||
Pension Plan Payments |
||||||||||||||||||||||
Pension Benefit Equalizat |