UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

WASHINGTON, DC 20549

SCHEDULE 14A INFORMATION

 

PROXY STATEMENT PURSUANT TO SECTION 14(a) OF THE SECURITIES

EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
(AMENDMENT NO.      )

 

Filed by the Registrant þ

 

Filed by a Party other than the Registrant o

 

Check the appropriate box:

 

 

HARRIS CORPORATION

(Name of Registrant as Specified In Its Charter)

 

(Name of Person(s) Filing Proxy Statement, if other than the Registrant)

 

Payment of Filing Fee (Check the appropriate box):

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

HARRIS CORPORATION
1025 West NASA Boulevard
Melbourne, Florida 32919

 

 

September 16, 2011

 

Dear Fellow Shareholder:

 

You are cordially invited to attend the 2011 Annual Meeting of Shareholders of Harris Corporation. The meeting will be held at the Harris Customer Briefing Center located at 1025 West NASA Boulevard in Melbourne, Florida, on Friday, October 28, 2011, starting at 1:00 p.m., local time.

 

The accompanying Notice of the 2011 Annual Meeting and Proxy Statement describe the matters to be acted on at the meeting, which include:

 

 

Your Board of Directors believes that the election of its nominees for director, advisory approval of the compensation of our named executive officers, advisory approval of annual votes on the compensation of our named executive officers and the ratification of the appointment of our independent registered public accounting firm are in the best interests of Harris and its shareholders. Accordingly, your Board of Directors unanimously recommends a vote FOR the election of its nominees for director, FOR advisory approval of the compensation of our named executive officers, for advisory approval of EVERY YEAR as the preferred frequency of future advisory votes on the compensation of our named executive officers and FOR the ratification of the appointment of Ernst & Young LLP as our independent registered public accounting firm for fiscal year 2012. Your Board of Directors believes that an amendment to our By-Laws requiring an independent chairman of the board is unnecessary and not in the best interests of Harris and its shareholders and accordingly unanimously recommends a vote AGAINST such shareholder proposal. These matters are discussed in greater detail in the accompanying Proxy Statement.

 

Following the voting, we will report on our operations and future plans. There also will be an open discussion period during which your questions and comments will be welcome.

 

The attendance of shareholders at our annual meetings has been helpful in maintaining communication and understanding. We hope you will be able to join us. Whether or not you plan to attend, it is important that your shares be represented and voted at the meeting. You can ensure that your shares are represented at the meeting by voting over the Internet, by telephone or by using a traditional proxy card. Instructions for these convenient ways to vote are set forth on the enclosed proxy/voting instruction card.

 

Cordially,

 

Howard L. Lance

Chairman, President and

Chief Executive Officer

 

 

 

HARRIS CORPORATION

1025 West NASA Boulevard

Melbourne, Florida 32919

 

Notice of
2011 Annual Meeting of Shareholders
to be held on October 28, 2011

 

IMPORTANT NOTICE REGARDING THE AVAILABILITY OF PROXY

MATERIALS FOR THE SHAREHOLDER MEETING TO BE HELD ON

OCTOBER 28, 2011:

The Proxy Statement and 2011 Annual Report to Shareholders

are available at

www.harris.com/proxy/2011

 

TO THE HOLDERS OF COMMON STOCK
OF HARRIS CORPORATION:

 

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the 2011 Annual Meeting of Shareholders of Harris Corporation will be held at Harris Corporation’s Customer Briefing Center located at 1025 West NASA Boulevard, Melbourne, Florida, on Friday, October 28, 2011, at 1:00 p.m., local time, for the following purposes:

 

 

The accompanying proxy statement more fully describes these items. We have not received notice of other matters that may be properly presented at the Annual Meeting.

 

Only holders of common stock of record at the close of business on August 31, 2011 are entitled to notice of and to vote at the Annual Meeting and any adjournments or postponements thereof. No ticket is required for admission to the Annual Meeting. For security purposes, however, you may be required to present evidence of your share ownership and a valid, government-issued photo identification, such as a driver’s license or passport, to gain admission to the Annual Meeting. Packages, boxes, handbags and briefcases may be inspected.

By Order of the Board of Directors

Scott T. Mikuen

Vice President,

General Counsel and Secretary

Melbourne, Florida

September 16, 2011

 

 

 

 

 

HARRIS CORPORATION

 

2011 ANNUAL MEETING OF SHAREHOLDERS

 

PROXY STATEMENT

 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

 

Proxy Statement

for

2011 Annual Meeting of Shareholders

to be held on October 28, 2011

 

GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE ANNUAL MEETING

 

Why am I receiving this
proxy statement?

 

We are furnishing this proxy statement to you in connection with the solicitation of proxies by the Board of Directors (the “Board”) of Harris Corporation (which we refer to as “Harris,” “we,” “our” or “us”) and the solicitation of voting instructions by the Harris Corporation Retirement Plan Trustee, in each case for use at the 2011 Annual Meeting of Shareholders to be held on October 28, 2011, and at any adjournments or postponements thereof.

 

On September 16, 2011, we commenced mailing and made available electronically to our shareholders: (1) the notice of the 2011 Annual Meeting of Shareholders and this proxy statement, (2) the accompanying proxy/voting instruction card, and (3) a copy of our 2011 Annual Report to Shareholders, which includes our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended July 1, 2011 and our audited financial statements.

 

What is a proxy?

 

A proxy is your legal designation of another person to vote the shares you own. That other person is called a proxy. If you designate someone as your proxy, the document in which you make that designation is also called a proxy.

 

What is a proxy statement?

 

This document is a proxy statement. It is a document that we are required by law to provide to you when we ask you to name a proxy to vote your shares. We encourage you to read this proxy statement carefully.

 

What is the purpose of the meeting?

 

The purpose of the 2011 Annual Meeting of Shareholders is to obtain shareholder action on the matters outlined in the notice of meeting included with this proxy statement. These matters include: (1) election of the 11 nominees for director named in this proxy statement for a one-year term expiring at the 2012 Annual Meeting of Shareholders; (2) an advisory vote on the compensation of our named executive officers as disclosed in this proxy statement; (3) an advisory vote on the frequency of future advisory votes on the compensation of our named executive officers; (4) ratification of the appointment by our Audit Committee of Ernst & Young LLP as our independent registered public accounting firm for fiscal year 2012; and (5) consideration of a shareholder proposal requesting approval of an amendment to our By-Laws to require an independent chairman of the board, if such proposal is properly presented at the 2011 Annual Meeting. This proxy statement provides you with detailed information about each of these matters. In addition, management will report on our operations and future plans and respond to questions from shareholders.

 

What is a record date and
who is entitled to vote at the meeting?

 

A record date is a date, as of the close of business of which, shareholders of record are entitled to notice of and to vote at a meeting. The record date for the 2011 Annual Meeting is August 31, 2011. The record date was established by our Board as required under the laws of Delaware, our state of incorporation. Thus, owners of record of shares of Harris common stock at the close of business on August 31, 2011 are entitled to receive notice of and to vote at the 2011 Annual

Meeting and at any adjournments or postponements thereof.

 

How many shares can be voted and
what is a quorum?

 

You are entitled to one vote for each share of Harris common stock that you owned as of the close of business on August 31, 2011, and you may vote all those shares. Only our common stock has voting rights. On the record date, there were 118,602,049 shares outstanding and entitled to vote at the 2011 Annual Meeting and approximately 5,852 holders of record.

 

A quorum is the minimum number of shares that must be represented in person or by proxy in order for us to conduct the 2011 Annual Meeting. The attendance in person or by proxy of holders of a majority of the shares of common stock entitled to vote at the 2011 Annual Meeting, or 59,301,025 shares of our common stock based on the record date of August 31, 2011, will constitute a quorum to hold the 2011 Annual Meeting. If you grant your proxy over the Internet, by telephone or by the accompanying proxy/voting instruction card, your shares will be considered present at the 2011 Annual Meeting and counted toward the quorum.

 

What different methods can I
use to vote?

 

You have a choice of voting:

  • Over the Internet;

  • By telephone;

  • By mail; or

  • In person at the Annual Meeting.

 

Even if you plan to attend the Annual Meeting, we encourage you to vote over the Internet, by telephone or by mail. Please carefully read the instructions below on how to vote your shares. Because the instructions vary depending on how you own your shares and the method you use to vote, it is important that you follow the instructions that apply to your particular situation.

 

If you vote over the Internet or by telephone, you should not return your proxy/voting instruction card.

 

What is the difference between a “record holder”

and an owner holding shares in “street name”?

 

If your shares are registered in your name, you are a “record holder.” You will be a record holder if you hold a stock certificate or if you have an account directly with our transfer agent, BNY Mellon Shareowner Services. If your shares are registered or held in the name of your broker, bank or other nominee, your shares are held in “street name” and you are considered the beneficial owner of such shares.

 

How do I vote if my shares are

held in my name?

 

Voting over the Internet

 

Voting over the Internet is easy and fast and is available 24 hours a day. Read your proxy/voting instruction card and follow the directions. You will be able to confirm that the system has properly recorded your vote. Your vote will be counted immediately, and there is no need to return your proxy/voting instruction card.

 

Voting by telephone

 

Voting by telephone is also simple and fast and is available 24 hours a day. Call the toll-free telephone number on your proxy/voting instruction card and listen for further directions. To respond to the questions, you must have a touch-tone phone and will need your proxy/voting instruction card in hand. The telephone voting system allows you to verify that the system has properly recorded your vote. Your vote will be counted immediately, and there is no need to return your proxy/voting instruction card.

 

Voting by mail

 

If you are a shareholder of record, you can save us expense by voting over the Internet or by telephone. Alternatively, you can vote by mail by completing, signing, dating and promptly mailing the enclosed proxy/voting instruction card in the postage-paid return envelope provided.

 

Voting in person at the meeting

 

If you plan to attend the Annual Meeting, you can vote in person. To vote in person at the Annual Meeting, you will need to bring with you to present at the Annual Meeting evidence of your share ownership and a valid, government-issued photo identification, such as a driver’s license or passport.

How do I vote if my shares are
held in “street name”?

 

Voting over the Internet, by telephone or by mail

 

If your shares are held in the name of your broker, bank or other nominee, you have the right to direct your broker, bank or other nominee on how to vote, and you should vote your shares using the method directed by your broker, bank or other nominee. In addition to voting by mail, a large number of brokerage firms and banks are participating in Internet or telephonic voting programs. These programs provide eligible “street name” shareholders the opportunity to vote over the Internet or by telephone. Voting forms will provide instructions for shareholders whose brokerage firms or banks are participating in such programs.

 

Voting in person at the meeting

 

If your shares are held in the name of your broker, bank or other nominee and you plan to attend the Annual Meeting and to vote in person, you should contact your broker, bank or other nominee to obtain a broker’s proxy and bring it with you to the Annual Meeting, together with a valid, government-issued photo identification, such as a driver’s license or passport, and your account statement or other evidence of your share ownership.

 

Can I revoke my proxy or change my vote?

 

As long as your shares are registered in your name, you may revoke your proxy or change your vote at any time before your shares are voted at the Annual Meeting. There are several ways you can do this:

 

 

If your shares are held in street name, you must contact your broker, bank or other nominee to revoke your proxy or change your vote.

 

What are my voting choices and what is the
required vote on the matters proposed?

 

By giving us your proxy, you authorize Harris management to vote your shares at the 2011 Annual Meeting or at any adjournments or postponements thereof in the manner you indicate.

 

Proposal 1: Election of Directors

 

With respect to the proposal to elect 11 nominees for director for a one-year term expiring at the 2012 Annual Meeting of Shareholders, you may:

 

 

Pursuant to our By-Laws and Corporate Governance Principles, the voting standard for the election of our directors in uncontested elections is a majority voting standard. In contested director elections, the plurality voting standard will apply. We have nominated 11 directors for election at the 2011 Annual Meeting, and because we did not receive advance notice under our By-Laws of any shareholder nominees for director, the 2011 election of directors is an uncontested election. To be elected in an uncontested election, a director nominee must receive more “For” votes than “Against” votes. Abstentions and any broker non-votes will have no effect on the election of directors because only votes cast “For” or “Against” a nominee will be counted. If an incumbent director nominee does not receive a greater number of “For” votes than “Against” votes, he or she must promptly tender his or her resignation following certification of the vote. The Corporate Governance Committee shall make a recommendation to the Board regarding action to be taken with respect to such offer to resign. If the Board does not accept the resignation, the nominee will continue to serve until the next Annual Meeting and until his or her successor shall be duly elected and qualified, or until his or her prior resignation, death or removal. For additional information regarding the majority voting standard, see “Majority Voting for Directors” beginning on page 25.

 

With respect to the advisory vote on the compensation of our named executive officers as disclosed in this proxy statement, you may:

 

 

The affirmative vote of a majority of the shares present or represented at the Annual Meeting and entitled to vote on this proposal will be required to approve, on an advisory basis, the compensation of our named executive officers. Abstaining from voting on this proposal will have the effect of a vote against approval of the compensation of our named executive officers. Any broker non-votes will have no effect on the approval of the compensation of our named executive officers.

 

The vote on this proposal is advisory, and the result of the vote on this proposal is not binding on Harris, the Management Development and Compensation Committee or the Board. However, the Management Development and Compensation Committee and the Board will consider the voting results when making future decisions regarding compensation for our named executive officers.

 

 

With respect to the advisory vote on the frequency of future advisory votes on the compensation of our named executive officers, you may choose to express a preference for holding future advisory votes on the compensation of our named executive officers every year, every two years or every three years. You may also abstain from voting on the proposal. For any particular frequency to be approved, it must receive an affirmative vote of a majority of the shares present or represented at the Annual Meeting and entitled to vote on this proposal. If a particular frequency does not receive a majority vote, because this vote is advisory and non-binding, and is intended to indicate the preference of our shareholders, the frequency option receiving the greatest number of votes will be deemed the frequency alternative preferred by our shareholders. Abstaining from voting on this proposal will have the effect of a vote against each frequency alternative. Any broker non-votes will have no effect on the approval of the preferred frequency of future advisory votes on the compensation of our named executive officers.

 

The vote on this proposal is advisory, and the result of the vote on this proposal is not binding on Harris, the Management Development and Compensation Committee or the Board. However, the Board will take into consideration the outcome of the advisory vote when determining the frequency of future advisory votes on the compensation of our named executive officers.

 

 

With respect to the proposal to ratify the appointment by our Audit Committee of Ernst & Young LLP as our independent registered public accounting firm for fiscal year 2012, you may:

 

 

The affirmative vote of a majority of the shares present or represented at the Annual Meeting and entitled to vote on this proposal will be required to ratify our Audit Committee’s appointment of Ernst & Young LLP as our independent registered public accounting firm for fiscal year 2012. Abstaining from voting on this proposal will have the effect of a vote against ratification of the appointment of our independent registered public accounting firm. Any broker non-votes will have no effect on the ratification of the appointment of our independent registered public accounting firm.

 

 

With respect to the shareholder proposal requesting approval of an amendment to our By-

Laws to require an independent chairman of the board, you may:

 

 

The affirmative vote of a majority of the outstanding shares of our common stock entitled to vote as of the record date of August 31, 2011, or 59,301,025 shares of common stock based on 118,602,049 outstanding shares of our common stock entitled to vote as of August 31, 2011, will be required to approve the amendment to our By-Laws to require an independent chairman of the board. Abstentions and any broker non-votes will have the effect of a vote against approval of the amendment to our By-Laws to require an independent chairman of the board. Norges Bank submitted a virtually identical proposal for consideration at our 2009 and 2010 Annual Meetings and our shareholders voted in accordance with our Board’s recommendation and soundly rejected such proposals.

 

How do I vote shares held in
the Harris Retirement Plan?

 

If you are a participant in the Harris Corporation Retirement Plan (“Retirement Plan”) and you own shares of Harris common stock through the Retirement Plan, the accompanying proxy/voting instruction card also serves as a voting instruction card to the trustee of the Retirement Plan for all shares of Harris common stock you own through the Retirement Plan. If you do not provide voting instructions for such shares, then as directed by the terms of the Retirement Plan, those shares will be voted by the trustee in the same proportion as the shares for which other participants have timely provided voting instructions.

 

How do I vote shares held in the Harris
Dividend Reinvestment Plan?

 

If you are a participant in the Harris Dividend Reinvestment Plan (“DRIP”) administered by The Bank of New York Mellon, your proxy/voting instruction card covers the Harris common stock held in your DRIP account. The Bank of New York Mellon, as the DRIP administrator, is the shareholder of record of Harris common stock owned through the DRIP and will not vote those shares unless you provide it with instructions, which you may do over the Internet, by telephone or by mail using your proxy/voting instruction card.

 

What are the Harris Board’s voting
recommendations and what happens if I
return an unmarked proxy/voting
instruction card?

 

If you properly execute and return your proxy/voting instruction card with no votes marked, your shares will be voted as recommended by the Board. The Board’s recommendations are set forth together with the description of each proposal in this proxy statement. In summary, the Board unanimously recommends a vote:

 

 

Could other matters be decided
at the meeting?

 

At the date of this proxy statement, our Board did not know of any matters to be raised at the Annual Meeting other than those referred to in this proxy statement and did not intend to bring before the Annual Meeting any matter other than the proposals described in this proxy statement. With respect to other matters that may properly be brought before the Annual Meeting or any

adjournments or postponements thereof, your shares will be voted at the discretion of the proxy holders.

 

How will my shares be voted if I do not
provide instructions to my broker?

 

It is possible for a proxy to indicate that some of the shares represented are not being voted with respect to certain proposals. This occurs, for example, when a broker, bank or other nominee does not have discretion under the New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”) rules to vote on a matter without instructions from the beneficial owner of the shares and has not received such instructions. In these cases, non-voted shares will not be considered present and entitled to vote with respect to that matter, although they may be considered present and entitled to vote for other purposes and will be counted in determining the presence of a quorum. Under NYSE rules, brokers, banks or other nominees have discretionary voting power to vote without receiving voting instructions from the beneficial owner on “routine” matters, but not on “non-routine” matters. Under the rules of the NYSE as currently in effect, routine matters include, among other things, the ratification of the appointment of an independent registered public accounting firm. The proposal to ratify the appointment of Ernst & Young LLP as our independent registered public accounting firm is the only proposal set forth in this proxy statement that is considered “routine” under the NYSE rules. This means that if you hold your shares through a broker, bank or other nominee, and you do not provide voting instructions by the tenth day before the Annual Meeting, your broker, bank or other nominee has the discretion to vote your shares on the proposal relating to the ratification of the appointment of Ernst & Young LLP as our independent registered public accounting firm for fiscal year 2012. Under the rules of the NYSE, the proposal relating to the election of the 11 nominees for director named in this proxy statement, the proposal relating to an advisory vote on the compensation of our named executive officers, the proposal relating to an advisory vote on the frequency of future advisory votes on the compensation of our named executive officers and the shareholder proposal requesting approval of an amendment to our By-Laws to require an independent chairman of the board are not “routine” and your broker, bank or other nominee will not have the discretion to vote your shares on such proposals.

 

What does it mean if I receive more
than one proxy/voting instruction card?

 

If you receive more than one proxy/voting instruction card, it means you own shares in multiple accounts with brokers and/or our transfer agent. Please vote all of these shares. We recommend that you contact your broker and/or our transfer agent to consolidate as many accounts as possible under the same name and address. Our transfer agent is BNY Mellon Shareowner Services, which may be reached by telephone at 1-888-261-6777 or over the Internet at www.bnymellon.com/shareowner/isd.

 

Who pays for the solicitation of proxies?

 

We actively solicit proxy participation. We will bear the cost of soliciting proxies, including the cost of preparation, assembly, printing and mailing. In addition to this proxy statement, we request and encourage brokers, custodians, nominees and others to supply proxy materials to shareholders, and, upon request, we will reimburse them for their expenses. Our officers, directors and employees may, by letter, telephone, electronic mail or in person, make additional requests for the return of proxies, although we do not reimburse our own officers, directors or employees for soliciting proxies. We also have engaged Georgeson Inc. to assist in the solicitation of proxies for a fee of $9,450 plus reimbursement of out-of-pocket expenses. We also will reimburse brokers and other custodians, nominees and fiduciaries for forwarding proxy and solicitation materials to our shareholders in accordance with the fee schedule approved by the NYSE.

 

May I access this year’s proxy statement and
annual report over the Internet?

 

The notice of Annual Meeting, this proxy statement and our 2011 Annual Report to Shareholders, which includes our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended July 1, 2011, are available by accessing our website at www.harris.com/proxy/2011.

 

Will there be a webcast of the
Annual Meeting of Shareholders?

 

Our 2011 Annual Meeting of Shareholders will be webcast live on October 28, 2011. You may visit

the Investor Relations section of our website at www.harris.com/investors to access the webcast of the Annual Meeting. The webcast will enable you to listen only. You will not be able to ask questions or vote your shares via the webcast. A replay of the webcast also will be available on our website through November 28, 2011. The information contained on our website is not incorporated by reference into this proxy statement.

 

Who will tabulate and oversee the vote?

 

Representatives of our transfer agent, BNY Mellon Shareowner Services, will tabulate and oversee the vote.

 

Do I need an admission ticket to
attend the Annual Meeting?

 

All shareholders are welcome to attend the Annual Meeting. No ticket is required for admission to the Annual Meeting. Since seating is limited, admission to the meeting will be on a first-come, first-served basis. If you attend, please note that you may be asked to present evidence of your share ownership and a valid, government-issued photo identification, such as a driver’s license or passport. For the safety of attendees, all packages, boxes, handbags and briefcases are subject to inspection.

 

Where can I find the voting results
of the Annual Meeting?

 

We intend to announce the preliminary voting results at the Annual Meeting and to disclose final results in a current report on Form 8-K, which we will file with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) and make available through the investor relations section of our website at www.harris.com/investors within four business days of the Annual Meeting (or if final results are not available at that time, within four business days of the date on which final results become available).

PROPOSAL 1: ELECTION OF DIRECTORS

 

Our Restated Certificate of Incorporation provides that our Board shall consist of not less than eight or more than 13 directors, the exact number of directors to be determined from time to time by the Board. The authorized number of directors is presently fixed at 11. Prior to our 2008 Annual Meeting of Shareholders, our Restated Certificate of Incorporation classified our Board into three classes of approximately equal size with three-year terms of office ending in different years. At the 2008 Annual Meeting, our shareholders approved an amendment to our Restated Certificate of Incorporation that provided for the phased-in declassification of our Board of Directors and the annual election of our directors commencing with the class of directors standing for election at the 2009 Annual Meeting. As a result, at the 2011 Annual Meeting, all of our directors are standing for election for one-year terms expiring at the 2012 Annual Meeting of Shareholders.

 

Based upon the recommendation of our Corporate Governance Committee, the Board has nominated the 11 incumbent members of the Board (Ms. Katen, Ms. Kenne and Messrs. Lance, Dattilo, Growcock, Hay, Kaufman, Rickard, Stoffel, Swienton and Tookes) for a new one-year term expiring at the 2012 Annual Meeting of Shareholders. In accordance with our Restated Certificate of Incorporation, a director holds office until the Annual Meeting of Shareholders for the year in which that director’s term expires, and until that director’s successor is elected and qualified, subject, however, to his or her prior death, resignation, retirement or removal from office. Vacancies may be filled by the remaining directors.

 

Proxies will be voted for the election of each of Ms. Katen, Ms. Kenne and Messrs. Lance, Dattilo, Growcock, Hay, Kaufman, Rickard, Stoffel, Swienton and Tookes to serve for a one-year term expiring at the 2012 Annual Meeting of Shareholders, unless otherwise specified in the proxy/voting instruction card or Internet or telephone voting instructions. Each of the nominees has consented to stand for election. If any nominee becomes unavailable for election, which is not currently anticipated by us, proxies instructing a vote for that nominee may be voted for a substitute nominee selected by our Board or, in lieu thereof, our Board may determine to leave the vacancy temporarily unfilled or reduce the number of directors in accordance with our By-Laws.

 

None of our directors, including each of the nominees, is related to any other director, or to any executive officer of Harris or its subsidiaries, by blood, marriage or adoption.

 

Biographical summaries of the nominees, as well as information on their experience, qualifications, attributes and skills that our Board has determined support their nomination and service as a director of Harris, appear on subsequent pages, and data with respect to the number of shares of our common stock beneficially owned by each of them as of August 3, 2011 is set forth in the table on page 30.

 

Under NYSE rules, brokers, banks or other nominees are prohibited from voting in favor or against director nominees without receiving voting instructions from the beneficial owner of the shares. We, therefore, urge you to vote your shares.

 

NOMINEES UP FOR ELECTION

 

Howard L. Lance, 55, is our Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer. Mr. Lance joined Harris in January 2003 as President and Chief Executive Officer and was appointed Chairman in June 2003. Prior to joining Harris, Mr. Lance was President of NCR Corporation, an information technology services provider, and Chief Operating Officer of its Retail and Financial Group from July 2001 until October 2002. Prior to joining NCR, he spent 17 years with Emerson Electric Company, an electronic products and systems company, where he held increasingly senior management positions with different divisions of the company. In 1999, Mr. Lance was named Executive Vice President with operating responsibility for its Electronics and Telecommunications businesses. Earlier, Mr. Lance held sales and marketing positions with the Scott-Fetzer Company and Caterpillar, Inc.

 

Mr. Lance has been a member of our Board since January 2003.

 

Mr. Lance also is a director of Eastman Chemical Company (since 2005) and Stryker Corporation (since 2009) and serves on the Board of Governors of the Aerospace Industries Association and on the Board of Trustees of the Manufacturers Alliance/MAPI, Inc., the Florida Council of 100 and the Florida Institute of Technology. Mr. Lance served as a director of Harris Stratex Networks (now Aviat Networks, Inc.) from 2007 to 2009.

 

Qualifications Statement:  Our Board nominated Mr. Lance for election as a director based upon his current role as our Chief Executive Officer and his extensive leadership and management skills and his knowledge of our businesses, operations, customers, capabilities and resources. Mr. Lance’s service with us as well as his prior service as a senior executive officer of large, public companies, including more than 17 years with Emerson Electric Company, and long-term overseas assignments, provides him extensive knowledge of complex strategic, operational, management, regulatory, financial, human resources and governance issues faced by a large public company. This experience brings our Board important knowledge, expertise and insight related to strategic planning, supply chain, business development, sales and marketing, international business, corporate finance, regulatory challenges, domestic and international mergers and acquisitions, accounting and internal controls, enterprise risk management, human resources and talent management, and investor relations. His engineering and finance education and experience also have provided him with expertise relevant to many of our businesses and our overall capital structure and financial processes. In addition, Mr. Lance’s experience serving on the boards of other large public companies has broadened his experience and knowledge of important corporate governance and executive compensation matters.

 

Thomas A. Dattilo, 60, is an advisor and consultant to various private investment firms. He served as a Senior Advisor for Cerberus Operations and Advisory Company, LLC, a unit of Cerberus Capital Management, a private investment firm, from June 2007 until June 2009. Prior to joining Cerberus, Mr. Dattilo was most recently Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of Cooper Tire & Rubber Company, a company that specializes in the design, manufacture and sale of passenger and truck tires.

 

He joined Cooper in January 1999 as President and Chief Operating Officer and was Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer from April 2000 until August 2006. Prior to joining Cooper, he held senior positions with Dana Corporation. His last position with Dana was President of its sealing products group.

 

Mr. Dattilo has been a member of our Board since August 2001 and is Chairperson of the Management Development and Compensation Committee and a member of the Corporate Governance Committee.

 

Mr. Dattilo is also a director of Haworth, Inc., a privately-held global designer and manufacturer of office furniture and organic workspaces. He is past Chairman of the Rubber Manufacturers Association and past Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Manufacturers Alliance. Mr. Dattilo served as a director of Cooper Tire & Rubber Company from 1999 to 2006 and Alberto-Culver Company from 2006 to May 2011.

 

Qualifications Statement:  Mr. Dattilo’s prior service as a senior executive of large, publicly traded companies, including as a former Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of Cooper Tire & Rubber Company and as an executive of a manufacturing company, provides him with extensive knowledge of complex operational, management, financial, strategic and governance issues faced by a large global public company. This experience brings our Board important knowledge and expertise related to global supply chain and distribution, mergers and acquisitions, lean manufacturing and related initiatives, international operations, human resources and talent management, accounting and internal controls, and investor relations. His more recent experience as an advisor to private investment firms also provides him with additional experience and knowledge related to strategic planning, capital raising, mergers and acquisitions, and economic analysis. Based on his senior executive experience and his service on other public company boards, Mr. Dattilo also brings to our Board a strong understanding of public company governance and executive compensation. With more than 10 years service on our Board, Mr. Dattilo also brings to our Board significant institutional knowledge and perspective.

Terry D. Growcock, 65, is retired Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of The Manitowoc Company, Inc., a diversified industrial manufacturer of cranes and foodservice equipment and a provider of ship building and ship repair services. He joined Manitowoc in 1994 as Executive Vice President and General Manager of Manitowoc Ice. He became President of Manitowoc Foodservice Group in 1995 and served in that capacity until his promotion to President, Chief Executive Officer and a member of the Board of Directors of The Manitowoc Company, Inc. in 1998. He was named Chairman of the Board of Directors and Chief Executive Officer of Manitowoc in October 2002. Mr. Growcock retired as Chief Executive Officer of Manitowoc in May 2007 and as Chairman of the Board in December 2008.

 

Mr. Growcock has been a member of our Board since August 2005 and is a member of the Business Conduct and Corporate Responsibility Committee and the Management Development and Compensation Committee.

 

Mr. Growcock also is a director of Carlisle Companies Incorporated (since 2008) and Harsco Corporation (since 2008) and an advisory member of the Kelley School of Business at Indiana University. Mr. Growcock served as a director of The Manitowoc Company, Inc. from 1998 to 2008.

 

Qualifications Statement:  Mr. Growcock’s prior service as a senior executive of The Manitowoc Company, Inc., including as former Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer and as an executive in several of Manitowoc’s business units, provides him with extensive knowledge of complex operational, management, financial and governance issues faced by a large industrial manufacturing company with international operations. This experience brings our Board important knowledge and expertise related to domestic and international merger and acquisition transactions, joint ventures and strategic alliances, international sales, marketing and operations, global procurement, lean manufacturing and related initiatives, human resources and talent management, global compliance, and strategic planning. He also has experience with government projects and the government procurement process as well as international trade. Mr. Growcock also has gained a strong understanding of public company governance and executive compensation through his senior executive experience and his service on several public company boards.

 

Lewis Hay III, 55, is Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of NextEra Energy, Inc., one of the nation’s leading electricity-related services companies and the largest renewable energy generator in North America. He was elected President and Chief Executive Officer in June 2001 and Chairman of the Board in January 2002. Mr. Hay also is Chairman of NextEra Energy’s two primary subsidiaries, Florida Power & Light Company and NextEra Energy Resources, LLC. Mr. Hay relinquished the title of President of NextEra Energy in December 2006 and Chief Executive Officer of Florida Power & Light Company in July 2008. He joined NextEra Energy as Vice President, Finance and Chief Financial Officer in 1999 and in 2000 was appointed President of NextEra Energy Resources LLC.

 

Mr. Hay has been a member of our Board since February 2002 and is Chairperson of the Corporate Governance Committee and a member of the Audit Committee, and currently serves as Lead Independent Director.

 

In addition to being a director of NextEra Energy, Inc. (since 2001), Mr. Hay is a director of Capital One Financial Corporation (since 2003), the Institute of Nuclear Power Operations and the Edison Electric Institute, where he is also the Vice Chairman. He is a member of the Business Board of Advisors at Carnegie Mellon University’s Tepper School of Business, the Business Roundtable and the Florida Council of 100. Mr. Hay also serves on the President’s Council on Jobs and Competitiveness.

 

Qualifications Statement:  Mr. Hay’s service as a senior executive of a large, publicly traded company, including as NextEra Energy, Inc.’s Chairman and Chief Executive Officer and previously as its Chief Financial Officer, and his prior experience as a chief financial officer of another large company, as well as his nine years of experience as a strategy consultant, provide him with extensive knowledge of complex strategic, operational, management, regulatory, financial and governance issues faced by a large public company. This experience brings our Board important knowledge and expertise related to strategic planning, capital raising, financial planning, enterprise risk management, accounting and internal controls, mergers and acquisitions, and investor relations. His science and engineering education and training also have provided him with knowledge and experience relevant to some of our businesses. Mr. Hay also brings to us a strong understanding of executive compensation and public company governance as he serves on the boards of several publicly-held companies.

Karen Katen, 62, is a Senior Advisor to Essex Woodlands Health Ventures, a healthcare-based venture capital firm. She joined Essex Woodlands in October 2007. Ms. Katen recently was Chairman of the Pfizer Foundation. Ms. Katen retired in March 2007 as Vice Chairman of Pfizer Inc., a research-based, global pharmaceutical company. Ms. Katen joined Pfizer in 1974 and held a series of management positions, including serving as President of Pfizer Human Health, the company’s principal operating group.

 

Ms. Katen has been a member of our Board since December 1994 and is a member of the Business Conduct and Corporate Responsibility Committee and the Corporate Governance Committee.

 

Ms. Katen also is a director of The Home Depot, Inc. (since 2007) and Air Liquide (since 2008) and a member of the Takeda Global Advisory Board. In addition, she serves on the Catalyst Board, the RAND Corporation’s Health Board of Advisors and ARMGO Pharma, Inc.’s board of directors. Ms. Katen is a trustee for the University of Chicago and is a council member of the Booth Graduate School of Business at the University of Chicago. Ms. Katen served as a director of General Motors Corporation from 1997 to 2009.

 

Qualifications Statement:  Ms. Katen’s prior service as a senior executive officer of Pfizer Inc., including as Vice Chairman, as President of Pfizer’s principal operating group and as an executive in other operations, provides her with extensive knowledge of complex strategic, operational, management, regulatory, research and development, financial and governance issues faced by a large public company with international operations. This experience brings our Board important knowledge and expertise related to strategic planning, supply chain, marketing, research and development, new product introductions, operations, human resources, international trade, regulatory challenges, enterprise risk management, mergers and acquisitions, and investor relations. In addition, Ms. Katen brings our Board a wide range of experience as a board member of some of the largest U.S.-based companies, including extensive experience with governance and compliance matters. With more than 16 years of service on our Board, Ms. Katen also brings to our Board significant institutional knowledge and perspective.

 

Stephen P. Kaufman, 69, has been a Senior Lecturer of Business Administration at the Harvard Business School since January 2001. He is a retired Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Arrow Electronics, Inc., a distributor of semiconductors, peripherals and components. He became President and Chief Operating Officer of Arrow in 1985, Chief Executive Officer in 1986, and Chairman in 1994. He retired as Chief Executive Officer in June 2000 and reassumed that position in June 2002 on an interim basis until September 2002. Previously, Mr. Kaufman was a consultant for McKinsey & Company for 10 years.

 

Mr. Kaufman has been a member of our Board since December 1999 and is a member of the Finance Committee and the Management Development and Compensation Committee.

 

Mr. Kaufman also is a director of KLA-Tencor Corporation (since 2002) and serves on the Board of Overseers of the Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital and WGBH Public Television. Mr. Kaufman served as a director of Thermo Fischer Scientific Inc. from 2007 to 2010, Freescale Semiconductor, Inc. from July 2004 to December 2006 and again from July 2007 to November 2009, Arrow Electronics, Inc. from 1984 to 2003 and Polaroid Corporation from 1997 to 2001.

 

Qualifications Statement:  Mr. Kaufman’s prior service as a senior executive of Arrow Electronics, Inc., including as former Chairman and Chief Executive Officer as well as Chief Operating Officer, together with his experience as a strategy consultant, provides him with extensive knowledge of complex strategic, operational, management, financial and governance issues. This experience brings our Board important knowledge and expertise related to strategic planning, executive compensation, capital raising, financial planning, domestic and international mergers and acquisitions, global procurement and distribution, and human resources and talent management. His more recent experience as a Senior Lecturer at the Harvard Business School also provides him with insight on evolving business development techniques and trends. In addition, Mr. Kaufman brings our Board a wide range of experience, including extensive experience in governance and executive compensation matters, based upon more than 25 years of service on public company boards. With more than 11 years of service on our Board, Mr. Kaufman also brings to our Board significant institutional knowledge and perspective.

Leslie F. Kenne, Lieutenant General USAF (Ret.), 63, retired in September 2003 from the U.S. Air Force, where she had a 32-year military career and had most recently been Deputy Chief of Staff for Warfighting Integration at Air Force headquarters in Washington, D.C. Previously, she commanded the Electronic Systems Center at Hanscom Air Force Base in Massachusetts. She also directed a number of major procurement programs, including the F-16 and Joint Strike Fighter programs. Since her retirement from the U.S. Air Force, Ms. Kenne is a private independent consultant for various defense companies and/or agencies.

 

Ms. Kenne has been a member of our Board since April 2004 and is Chairperson of the Business Conduct and Corporate Responsibility Committee and a member of the Corporate Governance Committee.

 

Ms. Kenne also is a director of Unisys Corporation (since 2006) and Oshkosh Corporation (since 2010). Ms. Kenne served as a director of EDO Corporation from 2004 to 2007.

 

Qualifications Statement:  Ms. Kenne had a distinguished career in the U.S. Air Force prior to joining our Board in 2004. Her responsibility as a senior Air Force officer provides her with experience managing significant operating budgets and addressing complex operational and strategic issues and with first-hand experience on large government projects and the government procurement process. Ms. Kenne’s experience also provides her with an appreciation for the complexities of both the U.S. Military and the defense industry, which brings our Board important knowledge and expertise in these areas and makes her a valuable strategic advisor to our U.S. Government businesses. Her experience also brings to our Board important knowledge and expertise regarding program development, resourcing and other aspects of managing major Department of Defense programs as well as operations and systems engineering. Ms. Kenne’s recent experience serving as a compliance monitor for large organizations also brings to our Board an in-depth appreciation and understanding of business conduct and compliance matters that is particularly relevant for a U.S. Government contractor. Ms. Kenne also has gained an understanding of public company governance and operations through her service on several public company boards.

 

David B. Rickard, 64, retired from CVS Caremark Corporation, a retail pharmacy chain and provider of healthcare services and pharmacy benefits management, in December 2009. Prior to his retirement, Mr. Rickard was the Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer and Chief Administrative Officer. He held this position since joining CVS in September 1999. Prior to joining CVS, he was Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of RJR Nabisco Holdings Corporation from March 1997 to August 1999. Previously, he was Executive Vice President of International Distillers and Vintners Americas.

 

Mr. Rickard has been a member of our Board since October 2001 and is Chairperson of the Audit Committee and a member of the Finance Committee.

 

Mr. Rickard also is a director of Jones Lang LaSalle Incorporated (since 2007) and Dollar General Corporation (since 2010), and chairs the Audit Committee of each of these boards. He is also a former member of the Financial Accounting Standards Advisory Committee (extended term).

 

Qualifications Statement:  Mr. Rickard’s prior service as the Chief Financial Officer and the Chief Administrative Officer of CVS Caremark Corporation and his more than 37 years experience in various businesses adds important experience to our Board in terms of corporate finance, strategic planning, banking relationships, operations, complex information technology and other systems, acquisition evaluation and integration, enterprise risk management and investor relations. His finance education and experience also have provided him with knowledge and expertise particularly relevant to our capital structure and related credit and finance matters. His experience with complex financial and accounting functions, including service as a chief financial officer for complex organizations and as the chairman of the audit committees of two other publicly traded companies, contributes perspectives on the functioning of audit committees and internal control-related matters that are beneficial to our Board and Audit Committee. Based on this experience, our Board also has determined that Mr. Rickard is an Audit Committee financial expert. Based on his senior executive experience and his service on other public company boards, Mr. Rickard also brings us an understanding of public company governance.

Dr. James C. Stoffel, 65, is a General Partner of Trillium International, a private equity company. He was an executive at Eastman Kodak Company, a film and digital imaging company, until April 2005, having served as Senior Vice President, Chief Technical Officer since 2000, and Director of Research and Development, after joining the firm in 1997 as Vice President, Director Electronic Imaging Products Research and Development. Prior to joining Kodak, he was with Xerox Corporation for more than 20 years, serving as Vice President of Corporate Research and Technology, Vice President and General Manager of the Advanced Imaging Business Unit, Vice President and Chief Engineer, as well as other executive positions.

 

Dr. Stoffel has been a member of our Board since August 2003 and is a member of the Finance Committee and the Management Development and Compensation Committee.

 

Dr. Stoffel also is a director of Aviat Networks, Inc. (since 2007) and currently serves as Aviat’s Lead Independent Director. He is a trustee of the George Eastman House museum. He also serves on the Advisory Board for Research and Graduate Studies at the University of Notre Dame and is Chairman of the advisory board of ASTRI, Hong Kong.

 

Qualifications Statement:  Dr. Stoffel’s prior service as a senior executive of large, publicly traded, technology-driven companies, including as a Chief Technical Officer and Director of Research and Development at Eastman Kodak Company, and his more than 30 years experience focused on technology development, provide him with an extensive knowledge of complex technical research and development projects and management, financial and governance issues faced by a large public company with international operations. This experience brings our Board important knowledge and expertise related to research and development, new product introductions, strategic planning, manufacturing, operations and corporate finance. He also provides the Board with experience and perspective related to classified programs. His more recent experience as an advisor to, and general partner in, private equity firms also provides him with additional experience and knowledge related to strategic planning, capital raising, mergers and acquisitions, and economic analysis. His scientific and engineering education and training also have provided him with knowledge and experience relevant to many of our businesses. Dr. Stoffel also has gained an understanding of public company governance and executive compensation through his service on public company boards, including as a lead independent director.

 

Gregory T. Swienton, 61, is Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Ryder System, Inc., a logistics and transportation services company. He joined Ryder in June 1999 as President and Chief Operating Officer, and was named Chief Executive Officer in November 2000 and Chairman in May 2002. Prior to joining Ryder, he was Senior Vice President-Growth Initiatives of Burlington Northern Santa Fe Corporation (“BNSF”). He held senior positions with BNSF and the former Burlington Northern Railroad from 1994 to 1999, and various executive and management positions with DHL Worldwide Express from 1982 to 1994.

 

Mr. Swienton has been a member of our Board since February 2000 and is Chairperson of the Finance Committee and a member of the Audit Committee.

 

In addition to being a director for Ryder System, Inc. (since 1999), Mr. Swienton is a director of Lennox International Inc. (since 2010). He also is on the Board of Trustees of St. Thomas University in Miami, Florida.

 

Qualifications Statement:  Mr. Swienton’s service as a senior executive of large, publicly-traded companies, including as Ryder System, Inc.’s Chairman and Chief Executive Officer and previously as its President and Chief Operating Officer, and his more than 35 years experience in large, global businesses, including long-term overseas assignments, provides him with extensive knowledge of complex strategic, operational, financial, management and governance issues faced by a large public company. This experience brings our Board important knowledge and expertise in terms of supply chain, logistics, domestic and international operations, business development, corporate finance, banking, human resources and talent management, accounting and internal controls, safety management, enterprise risk management, complex information technology, and investor relations. His finance education and experience also have provided him with knowledge and expertise particularly relevant to our capital structure and related credit and finance matters. With more than 11 years of service on our Board, Mr. Swienton also brings to our Board significant institutional knowledge and perspective.

Hansel E. Tookes II, 63, retired from Raytheon Company, a company engaged in defense and government electronics, space and airborne systems, information technology, technical services and business and special mission aircraft, in December 2002. He joined Raytheon in September 1999 as President and Chief Operating Officer of its Raytheon Aircraft Company subsidiary, a commercial, military and regional aircraft manufacturing company. He was appointed Chief Executive Officer of Raytheon Aircraft Company in January 2000 and Chairman in August 2000. He became President of Raytheon International in May 2001. Prior to joining Raytheon in 1999, he served United Technologies Corporation as President of its Pratt & Whitney Large Military Engines Group since 1996. He joined United Technologies Corporation in 1980 and held a variety of senior leadership positions. Mr. Tookes was a Lieutenant Commander and pilot in the U.S. Navy and later served as a commercial pilot with United Airlines.

 

Mr. Tookes has been a member of our Board since April 2005 and is a member of the Audit Committee and the Business Conduct and Corporate Responsibility Committee.

 

Mr. Tookes also is a director of BBA Aviation plc (since 2007), Corning Incorporated (since 2001), NextEra Energy, Inc. (since 2005) and Ryder System, Inc. (since 2002). He is also Vice Chairman of the United Negro Fund Special Programs Corporation.

 

Qualifications Statement:  Mr. Tookes’ prior service as a senior executive of large international public aerospace and defense companies, including as Chief Executive Officer, President and Chief Operating Officer of Raytheon Aircraft Company and his prior management and leadership positions at Pratt & Whitney, adds important experience to our Board in terms of operations, manufacturing, regulatory issues, performance excellence, global compliance, business development, technology-driven business environment, accounting and internal controls, and enterprise risk management. He also has extensive experience on large aerospace and defense government projects and the government procurement process, including experience with major U.S. Department of Defense programs, which brings our Board important knowledge and experience in these areas and makes him a valuable strategic advisor to our U.S. Government businesses. His science, engineering and business education and training also have provided him with knowledge and experience relevant to many of our businesses. In addition, he brings to our Board significant and broad public company governance experience, including service on several other public company boards and audit committees.

 

Recommendation Regarding Proposal 1

 

To be elected in an uncontested election of directors, a nominee must receive more “For” votes than “Against” votes. Abstentions and any broker non-votes will have no effect on the election of directors because only votes cast “For” or “Against” a nominee will be counted.

 

Our Board of Directors unanimously recommends that you vote “FOR” the election of each of the nominees in this uncontested election of directors.

 

Board of Directors

 

Our business, property and affairs are managed under the direction of our Board. Members of the Board are kept informed of our business through discussions with the Chairman and officers, by reviewing materials provided to them or requested by them, by visiting our offices and plants and by participating in meetings of the Board and its committees.

 

Corporate Governance Principles

 

Our Board has long been focused on and committed to responsible and effective corporate governance. Our Board has adopted Corporate Governance Principles that trace their history to 1960 and that have evolved and been revised over time. Our Corporate Governance Committee is responsible for overseeing the Corporate Governance Principles and reporting and making recommendations to our Board concerning corporate governance matters. The Board regularly reviews our Corporate Governance Principles and updates them periodically in response to changing regulatory requirements and evolving governance practices. Our Corporate Governance Principles address matters including Board composition, director independence, responsibilities of our Lead Independent Director, selection of Board nominees, Board membership criteria, majority voting for directors, director compensation, mandatory retirement, stock ownership guidelines, prohibitions on hedging transactions, meetings, executive sessions of non-management directors, evaluation of the performance of our Chief Executive Officer, committees, succession planning, director responsibilities, orientation and continuing education, and self-evaluation of the Board and Board committees. A copy of our Corporate Governance Principles is available on the Corporate Governance section of our website at www.harris.com/harris/cg/.

 

Director Independence

 

The NYSE listing standards and our Corporate Governance Principles require us to have a board of directors with at least a majority of independent directors. Our Board has, and has had for many years, a substantial majority of independent directors. Our Board has adopted Director Independence Standards to assist in the evaluation of the independence of each of our directors. Our Board assesses the independence of our directors and examines the nature and extent of any relationships between us and our directors, their families and their affiliates. A copy of our Director Independence Standards is available on the Corporate Governance section of our website at www.harris.com/harris/cg/.

 

For a director to be considered independent, our Board must affirmatively determine that a director does not have any direct or indirect material relationship with us, other than as a director, that will impair the director’s independence. A director will not be considered independent if, within the preceding three years:

 

 

Our Board has determined that the following relationships will not be considered to be material relationships that would impair a director’s independence:

 

 

Pursuant to our Corporate Governance Principles, the Board undertook its annual review of director independence in August 2011, which included a review of the responses of the directors to questions regarding each director’s commercial, industrial, banking, consulting, legal, accounting, charitable and family relationships, and discussions with the directors and nominees. Based upon the NYSE listing standards and our Director Independence Standards, our Board has affirmatively determined in its business judgment that all of our directors (including each nominee for election), with the exception of Mr. Lance, our Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer, are independent and have no direct or indirect material relationship with Harris, other than as a director, that will impair the director’s independence.

 

Related Person Transaction Policy

 

In August 2007, our Board approved a written policy and procedures for the review, approval and ratification of transactions among Harris and our directors, executive officers and their related interests. This policy supplements the conflicts of interest policies set forth in our Standards of Business Conduct and our Directors’ Standards of Business Conduct and our other internal procedures. Under the policy, all related person transactions (as defined in the policy) are to be reviewed by the Corporate Governance Committee. The Corporate Governance Committee may approve or ratify related person transactions if, in its business judgment, it determines that the transaction is in, or is not inconsistent with, the best interests of Harris and its shareholders. This may include situations where we provide or receive products or services to or from related persons on an arm’s-length basis on terms comparable to those provided to or received from unrelated third parties. Any director who participates in or is the subject of an existing or potential related person transaction may not participate in the approval or ratification decision-making process of the Corporate Governance Committee.

 

Under the policy, and consistent with SEC regulations, a related person transaction is any transaction, arrangement or relationship in which Harris was, is or will be a participant, where the amount involved exceeds $120,000 and in which a related person had, has or will have a direct or indirect material interest. A related person includes any of our directors, nominees for director or executive officers, any person who is known to be

the beneficial owner of more than 5% of any class of our common stock, an immediate family member of any person described above and any firm, corporation or other entity controlled by any person described above. The policy requires each director and executive officer annually to complete a questionnaire to identify their related interests and persons, and to notify us of changes in that information. Before entering into a proposed related person transaction, the related person or involved business area of Harris is requested to notify our Secretary of the facts and circumstances of the potential transaction. If the Secretary determines the proposed transaction is a related person transaction, it shall be submitted to the Corporate Governance Committee for review and consideration. A related person transaction entered into without the Corporate Governance Committee’s prior approval will not violate this policy or be unenforceable, so long as the transaction is brought to the Corporate Governance Committee promptly after it is entered into or after it becomes apparent that the transaction is covered by this policy and is ratified by the Corporate Governance Committee.

 

Based on its holdings reported on a Schedule 13G/A filed with the SEC, Blackrock, Inc. beneficially owned more than 5% of our common stock as of August 3, 2011. Blackrock, Inc. and certain of its affiliates provided asset management services in fiscal 2011 for our Retirement Plan for which participants paid or will pay approximately $474,000.

 

Board Leadership Structure and
Lead Independent Director

 

Board Leadership Structure. Our Board’s leadership is currently structured as follows: a combined Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer; a Lead Independent Director with well-defined duties that support the Board’s oversight responsibilities; a robust committee structure comprised solely of independent directors; and an engaged and independent Board that conducts candid and constructive discussions and deliberations. The Board believes that its current leadership structure provides independent board leadership and oversight while also benefiting from having Mr. Lance, our Chief Executive Officer, serve as Chairman of the Board. Mr. Lance’s employment agreement provides that if the Board removes or fails to re-elect Mr. Lance as Chairman of the Board or Chief Executive Officer, he shall be entitled to treat such failure as termination of his employment for “good reason” and would be entitled to a severance payment as described in the “Potential Payments Upon Termination or a Change in Control” section of this proxy statement beginning on page 62. Our independent directors believe that Mr. Lance’s in-depth knowledge of our businesses and its challenges, as well as his extensive understanding of our day-to-day operations and his ability to provide insight and direction on important strategic initiatives, make him well positioned to chair regular Board meetings and to bring key business and stakeholder issues to the Board’s attention. The independence of our Board, together with the Lead Independent Director structure, the ability of independent directors to participate in the agenda-setting process for our Board and Committee meetings, regularly scheduled executive sessions of independent directors and the directors’ access to management provide appropriate opportunities for oversight, discussion and evaluation of Harris’ decisions and direction. Our Board also believes it is fundamentally wrong to permanently and inflexibly separate or combine the positions of Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer. Our Board believes that its members possess considerable experience and unique knowledge of the challenges and opportunities Harris faces, and therefore, are in the best position to evaluate the needs of Harris and how best to organize the capabilities of our directors and senior management to meet those needs. In May 2011 we announced that we are implementing a CEO succession plan after Mr. Lance advised the Board that he would like to retire at the end of our fiscal 2012, or such earlier or later time as a suitable successor can be appointed by our Board. In connection with the CEO succession plan, our Board has reaffirmed its position that a mandated separation of the CEO and Chairman positions or a requirement for an independent Chairman is not in the best interests of our shareholders. Mandated separation of the positions or a requirement for an independent Chairman also could adversely impact the CEO transition process and our Board’s ability to evaluate and implement a leadership structure believed to be in the best interests of our shareholders based upon the then-existing facts and circumstances.

 

Lead Independent Director. In 2003, we created the position of “Presiding Independent Director,” which included the functions of chairing the executive

sessions of independent directors and acting as a liaison between our Chairman and independent directors. In 2009, we changed the title of our Presiding Independent Director to “Lead Independent Director” and more formally defined and enumerated the duties of the Lead Independent Director position. At all times while our Chairman is not independent, our independent directors will designate one of our independent Board members to serve as Lead Independent Director, which position is currently rotated annually among the chairpersons of each of our standing committees. The duties and authority of the Lead Independent Director include: presiding at all meetings of our Board at which our Chairman is not present, including executive sessions of the independent directors; serving as liaison between our Chairman and our independent directors; in consultation with the Chairman, approving the information sent to our Board and the meeting agendas for our Board; in consultation with the Chairman, approving meeting schedules to assure there is sufficient time for discussion of all agenda items; to call meetings of our independent directors; if requested by major shareholders, to ensure that he or she is available, when appropriate, for consultation and direct communication consistent with our policies regarding shareholder communications; and such other responsibilities and duties as the Board may determine from time to time. The designation of a Lead Independent Director is not intended to inhibit communications among the directors or between any of them and the Chairman. For additional information regarding the duties of our Lead Independent Director, see our Corporate Governance Principles and the discussion on page 76.

 

The position of Lead Independent Director is currently held by Mr. Lewis Hay III.

 

Board Meetings and Attendance

 

General. In fiscal 2011, our Board held 10 meetings, and the standing committees of our Board met a total of 22 times. Each director attended at least 75% of the meetings of the Board and of those committees of which he or she was a member. All of the directors taken together attended an average of 96% of such meetings of the Board and committees on which they serve. In addition to meetings at our corporate headquarters, the Board periodically holds meetings at other facilities and locations where we have operations.

 

Attendance at Annual Meetings of Shareholders. We typically schedule a Board meeting in conjunction with our Annual Meeting of Shareholders. In the absence of unavoidable conflict, all Board members are expected to attend each Annual Meeting of Shareholders. Ten of our eleven Board members attended the 2010 Annual Meeting of Shareholders.

 

Executive Sessions of Independent Directors

 

Our Board and its standing committees meet throughout the year on a set schedule and also hold special meetings and may act by written consent from time to time as appropriate. Executive sessions of independent directors are provided for in the agenda for each regularly scheduled Board meeting. Our Lead Independent Director chairs these executive sessions of independent directors. Executive sessions of independent directors are also provided for in the agenda for each regularly-scheduled standing committee meeting (other than quarterly earnings review meetings of the Audit Committee).

 

Board Committees and Committee Charters

 

Currently our Board has five standing committees to assist in the discharge of its responsibilities. These committees are the Audit Committee, the Business Conduct and Corporate Responsibility Committee, the Corporate Governance Committee, the Finance Committee and the Management Development and Compensation Committee. The committees regularly report their activities and actions to the full Board, generally at the next Board meeting following the committee meeting. Our Board has adopted a written charter for each committee, copies of which are available on the Corporate Governance section of our website at www.harris.com/harris/cg/. The charter of each of the Audit Committee, Corporate Governance Committee and Management Development and Compensation Committee complies with the NYSE corporate governance requirements. There are no NYSE requirements with respect to the charters of the Business Conduct and Corporate Responsibility Committee or Finance Committee. Copies of all such charters and our Corporate Governance Principles also are available to shareholders free of charge upon written request to our Secretary at Harris Corporation, 1025 West NASA Boulevard, Melbourne, Florida 32919. The principal functions of each committee are summarized below.

Audit Committee

 

The Audit Committee oversees our independent registered public accounting firm and accounting and internal control matters. The Audit Committee also assists our Board in fulfilling its responsibilities to oversee, among other things:

 

 

The purposes and responsibilities of the Audit Committee also include:

 

 

A more detailed description of the Audit Committee’s purposes and responsibilities is contained in its charter.

 

Our Board has determined in its business judgment that each member of the Audit Committee is independent within the meaning of the NYSE listing standards, the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 and related SEC rules and our Director Independence Standards.

 

Our Board also has determined in its business judgment that each of the members of the Audit Committee satisfies the “financial literacy” requirements of the NYSE and has “accounting or related financial management expertise” and that David B. Rickard, Chairperson of the Audit Committee, satisfies the “audit committee financial expert” criteria, as that term is defined by regulation of the SEC, and is independent of Harris.

 

The Audit Committee held eight meetings during our fiscal year 2011, including meeting regularly with Ernst & Young LLP and our internal auditors, both privately and with management present.

 

Business Conduct and Corporate Responsibility Committee

 

The purposes and responsibilities of the Business Conduct and Corporate Responsibility Committee include:

 

 

 

A more detailed description of the Business Conduct and Corporate Responsibility Committee’s purposes and responsibilities is contained in its charter.

 

Our Board has determined in its business judgment that each member of the Business Conduct and Corporate Responsibility Committee is independent within the meaning of the NYSE listing standards and our Director Independence Standards. The Business Conduct and Corporate Responsibility Committee held two meetings during our fiscal year 2011.

 

Corporate Governance Committee

 

The purposes and responsibilities of the Corporate Governance Committee include:

 

 

A more detailed description of the Corporate Governance Committee’s purposes and responsibilities is contained in its charter and our Corporate Governance Principles.

 

For additional information regarding the role of the Corporate Governance Committee and our director compensation process and procedures, including the role of compensation consultants relating to director compensation, see the “Director Compensation and Benefits” section of this proxy statement beginning on page 25.

 

Our Board has determined in its business judgment that each member of the Corporate Governance Committee is independent within the meaning of the NYSE listing standards and our Director Independence Standards. The Corporate Governance Committee held three meetings during our fiscal year 2011.

 

Finance Committee

 

The Finance Committee is authorized to review periodically our financial position, capital structure, working capital, capital transactions, debt ratings, and bank and lender relationships, and the financial and investment aspects of our benefit plans, including our Retirement Plan. The Finance Committee also reviews our dividend policy, capital asset plan and capital expenditures, and share repurchase policy and makes recommendations to our Board relating to such plan or policies. A more detailed description of the Finance Committee’s purposes and responsibilities is contained in its charter. Our Board has determined in its business judgment that each member of the Finance Committee is independent within the meaning of the NYSE listing standards and our Director Independence Standards. The

Finance Committee held three meetings during our fiscal year 2011.

 

Management Development and Compensation Committee

 

The purposes and responsibilities of the Management Development and Compensation Committee include:

 

 

A more detailed description of the Management Development and Compensation Committee’s purposes and responsibilities is contained in its charter.

 

The Management Development and Compensation Committee has delegated to the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer the authority to make equity grants to employees who are not executive officers. The Management Development and Compensation Committee sets an annual maximum number of shares and options that may be granted by the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer and annually reviews these awards.

 

For additional information regarding the role of the Management Development and Compensation Committee and our executive compensation process and procedures, including the role of executive officers and compensation consultants in recommending the amount or form of executive compensation, see the “Compensation Discussion and Analysis” section of this proxy statement beginning on page 34.

 

Our Board has determined in its business judgment that each member of the Management Development and Compensation Committee is independent within the meaning of the NYSE listing standards and our Director Independence Standards. The Management Development and Compensation Committee held six meetings during our fiscal year 2011.

 

Chief Executive Officer Succession

 

In May 2011, we announced that we are implementing a CEO succession plan after Mr. Lance advised the Board he would like to retire at the end of our fiscal 2012, or such earlier or later time as a suitable successor can be appointed by the Board. In May 2011, a special CEO Search Committee comprised of independent directors was established to assist the Board in identifying, screening, evaluating and interviewing external and internal candidates for CEO. The CEO Search Committee is comprised of Messrs. Dattilo, Kaufman and Swienton. While the successor CEO search process is well underway and could be completed in the near term, the specific timing of

the naming of a successor CEO is uncertain. Mr. Lance has advised the Board that he is willing to continue as Chairman or in other roles or capacities should the Board request that he stay for an additional period of time after a new CEO is selected in order to facilitate the transition.

 

The Board’s Role in Risk Oversight

 

The responsibility for the day-to-day management of risk lies with our management and our management continually monitors the material risks facing Harris, including strategic risk, financial risk, operational risk, and legal and compliance risk. We have in place an enterprise risk management (“ERM”) process that, among other things, is designed to identify material risks across Harris with input from each business unit and function. Under this ERM process, which is coordinated through a cross-functional management committee, various material business risks are regularly identified, assessed and prioritized. The top risks to Harris, and any mitigation plans associated with those risks are reported to our Board. In addition, in order to ensure dissemination of information about identified risks to management and throughout Harris, our management ERM committee regularly provides reports to our senior executives. The ERM process has been reviewed by our Board and is the subject of oversight and regular review by our Audit Committee. Harris also manages risk through numerous controls and processes embedded in our operations and such controls and processes are reviewed from time to time with the Board and/or the relevant committees.

 

Risk considerations also are raised in the context of a range of matters that are reported by management to our Board or one of its committees for review. For example, elements of risk are discussed by the full Board in presentations concerning Company-wide and business unit annual operating plans, three-year strategic growth plans, merger and acquisition opportunities, market environment updates, regular operations updates and other strategic discussions. Elements of risk related to financial reporting, internal audit, internal control over financial reporting, auditor independence and related areas of accounting, taxation, law and regulation are regularly reviewed by our Audit Committee. Elements of risks related to various aspects of U.S. and international regulatory compliance, business conduct, social responsibility, environmental matters and export/import controls are regularly reviewed by our Business Conduct and Corporate Responsibility Committee. Elements of risk related to governance issues are regularly reviewed by our Corporate Governance Committee. Elements of risk related to liquidity, financial arrangements, capital structure and our ability to access the capital markets are regularly reviewed by our Finance Committee. The Finance Committee also reviews risks related to our retirement plans and their related investments. Elements of risk related to compensation policies and practices and talent management and succession planning are regularly reviewed by our Management Development and Compensation Committee. Each committee also regularly provides reports to the full Board.

 

Committee Membership

 

The current committee members for each of the five standing committees of our Board of Directors are as follows, with the chairperson listed first:

 

 

Director Retirement

 

We do not impose term limits for directors. It is our policy that a director who would be age 72 or older at the time of election shall not stand for re-election. A director also is expected to offer to tender automatically his or her resignation in the event of retirement or other significant change in employment position or employer, and our Board then will determine whether such director’s continued Board membership under the new circumstances is in the best interests of Harris and our shareholders, free from conflicts of interest and otherwise appropriate.

Communications with Members of our
Board of Directors

 

General. Shareholders and other interested persons who wish to communicate with a member or members of our Board, including the Lead Independent Director, the chairperson of any standing committee of the Board or the independent directors as a group, may do so by sending an e-mail message to the intended recipient or recipients c/o Corporate Secretary at corporate.secretary@harris.com. Shareholders and others also may write to the intended recipient or recipients, c/o Corporate Secretary, Harris Corporation, 1025 West NASA Boulevard, Melbourne, Florida 32919. Our Secretary will review each such communication and if it is related to the duties and responsibilities of our Board and its committees, it will be forwarded to the appropriate recipient or recipients. Our Board has instructed our Secretary not to forward communications the Secretary deems unduly hostile, threatening, illegal or similarly inappropriate (such as surveys, spam, junk mail, resumes, service or product inquiries or complaints, solicitations or advertisements). Our Secretary will periodically provide our Board a summary of all communications received that were not forwarded to the intended recipient or recipients (other than surveys, spam, junk mail, resumes, service or product inquiries or complaints, solicitations or advertisements), and will make those communications available to any director upon request. The Lead Independent Director or other director in receipt of a communication for which he or she was the intended recipient will determine whether it will be sent to our full Board or a committee. If a communication is determined to be a complaint or concern pertaining to accounting, internal control or auditing matters, it will be handled in accordance with the procedures discussed below under “Accounting, Internal Control or Auditing Matters.”

 

Accounting, Internal Control or Auditing Matters. Our Audit Committee has established procedures for the receipt, retention and treatment of complaints and concerns regarding accounting, internal control or auditing matters. Any of our employees may communicate concerns about any of these matters to such employee’s supervisor, manager or business standards advisor, or to the Vice President, Internal Audit and Compliance or the Director of Business Conduct or certain other individuals, or on a confidential and anonymous basis by way of e-mail or our toll-free hotline numbers listed on our website and in our Standards of Business Conduct. Other persons with such complaints or concerns may contact our Vice President, Internal Audit and Compliance or Director of Business Conduct at 1025 West NASA Boulevard, Melbourne, Florida 32919. Upon receipt of a complaint or concern, a determination will be made whether it pertains to accounting, internal control or auditing matters and if it does, it will be handled in accordance with the procedures established by the Audit Committee.

 

Standards of Business Conduct

 

All Harris employees, including the Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer, Principal Accounting Officer and other senior financial officers, are required to abide by the Harris Standards of Business Conduct, originally adopted in 1987, to help ensure that our business is conducted in a consistently ethical and legal manner. All directors are required to abide by our Directors’ Standards of Business Conduct. These standards of business conduct form the foundation of a comprehensive business conduct program that includes compliance with all laws, corporate policies and procedures, an open relationship among employees that contributes to good business conduct, and an abiding belief that we should conduct all business dealings with integrity, honesty and responsibility. Our business conduct policies cover many topics, including employment, confidentiality, environmental, health and safety, insider trading, corporate opportunities, antitrust, export control, boycotts, government contracts, international business practices, entertainment and gifts, and use of company assets. Employees are required to report any conduct they believe in good faith to be a violation of any of our business conduct policies.

 

Our Standards of Business Conduct and our Directors’ Standards of Business Conduct are posted on our website at www.harris.com/business-conduct and also are available free of charge by written request to our Director of Business Conduct, Harris Corporation, 1025 West NASA Boulevard, Melbourne, Florida 32919. Any amendment to, or waiver from, our Standards of Business Conduct that is required to be disclosed to shareholders will be posted on our website within four business days following such amendment or waiver.

Director Nomination Process and Criteria,
and Board Diversity

 

Our Board is responsible for approving nominees to stand for election as directors. The Corporate Governance Committee assists the Board in this process and identifies individuals it believes to be qualified to become Board members and recommends nominees.

 

It is a long-standing policy of our Board to consider director nominees recommended by shareholders. A shareholder who wishes to recommend a nominee for the Corporate Governance Committee’s consideration must include at least the following information about the proposed nominee: the proposed nominee’s name, age, business or residence address, principal occupation or employment, and the written consent of the nominee to be named in the proxy statement as a nominee and to serve as a director if elected. The required information should be sent to our Secretary at 1025 West NASA Boulevard, Melbourne, Florida 32919. The Secretary will forward properly submitted shareholder-recommended nominations to the Chairperson of the Corporate Governance Committee for consideration at a future Corporate Governance Committee meeting. Individuals recommended by shareholders in accordance with these procedures will be evaluated and considered by the Corporate Governance Committee in the same manner as it evaluates other proposed nominees.

 

In addition to recommending nominees for consideration to the Corporate Governance Committee, shareholders also may directly propose nominees for consideration at an annual meeting of our shareholders. The requirements and procedures to be followed by shareholders for directly nominating directors are discussed beginning on page 78 under “Shareholder Proposals for the 2012 Annual Meeting of Shareholders.”

 

The Corporate Governance Committee also has a process for considering, reviewing and evaluating incumbent directors up for re-election. Pursuant to this process, prior to the annual meeting each director discusses participation on our Board and its committees and other relevant matters with our Chairman. Directors are also requested to discuss any concerns or issues regarding continued membership on our Board with the Chairperson of the Corporate Governance Committee. In addition, the Corporate Governance Committee reviews each director’s experience, qualifications, attributes and skills, tenure, experience, contributions, other directorships, attendance record, any changes in employment status and other information it deems helpful in considering and evaluating the director for nomination.

 

Our Corporate Governance Principles contain Board membership criteria that apply to nominees for a position on our Board. Our Board, based upon the recommendation of the Corporate Governance Committee (which recommendation will be based on the criteria set forth below, regardless of whether the nominee is recommended by shareholders or is identified by the Corporate Governance Committee or otherwise), will select new nominees considering the following criteria:

 

 

Our Board values diversity as a factor in selecting nominees to serve on the Board. Although there is no specific policy on diversity, the

Corporate Governance Committee considers the Board membership criteria in selecting nominees for directors, including “diversity of viewpoints, background, experience and similar demographics.” Such considerations may include personal characteristics, functional background, executive or professional experience, and international experience. As a general matter the Board considers diversity in the context of the Board as a whole and takes into account the personal characteristics and experience of current and prospective directors to facilitate Board deliberations and decisions that reflect a broad range of perspectives.

 

Our Corporate Governance Committee has as a general matter retained a third-party search firm to assist in identifying and evaluating potential nominees, and all of our current independent directors have been identified using this process.

 

Majority Voting for Directors

 

Pursuant to our By-Laws and Corporate Governance Principles, the voting standard applicable for the election of our directors in uncontested elections is a majority voting standard. An uncontested election for directors is an election where the number of properly nominated directors does not exceed the number of director positions to be filled. In contested director elections, the plurality voting standard will apply, which means the nominees receiving the greatest numbers of votes will be elected to serve as directors.

 

To be elected in an uncontested election under the majority voting standard, a director nominee must receive more “For” votes than “Against” votes. Abstentions and broker non-votes will have no effect in an uncontested election of directors since only votes cast “For” or “Against” a nominee will be counted. If an incumbent director nominee does not receive a greater number of “For” votes than “Against” votes, he or she must promptly offer to tender his or her resignation following certification of the vote. The Corporate Governance Committee shall consider the resignation offer and shall recommend to our Board the action to be taken. Our Board shall take action within 90 days following certification of the vote, unless such action would cause us to fail to comply with NYSE independence or other legal requirements, in which event our Board shall take action as promptly as practicable while continuing to meet such requirements. Our Board also will promptly publicly disclose its decision and the reasons therefor. If our Board does not accept the resignation, the nominee will continue to serve until the next annual meeting and until his or her successor shall be duly elected and qualified, or until his or her prior resignation, death or removal. If our Board accepts the resignation, then our Board, in its sole discretion, may fill any resulting vacancy or may chose not to fill the vacancy and to decrease the size of our Board.

 

The election of directors at the 2011 Annual Meeting of Shareholders is an uncontested election and thus the majority voting standard applies.

 

DIRECTOR COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS

 

Our Board compensation program is intended to attract and retain directors with demonstrated ability, integrity, judgment and experience to fulfill their responsibility to oversee management and to develop and oversee the implementation of strategies aimed at creating sustainable long-term value for our shareholders. The program also is intended to recognize the time commitments and liability associated with serving on the board of a public company.

 

The form and amount of director compensation is periodically reviewed and assessed by the Corporate Governance Committee. The Corporate Governance Committee reviews broad survey data concerning director compensation practices, levels and trends for companies comparable to us in revenue, businesses and complexity, which data is requested by or on behalf of the Corporate Governance Committee from compensation consultants, including Towers Watson & Co. Changes to director compensation, if any, are recommended by the Corporate Governance Committee to our Board for action. Employee directors are not separately compensated for service as a director.

 

Retainer and Attendance Fees

 

Directors who are not employees of Harris currently receive the following fees, as applicable, for their services on our Board:

 

 

 

The cash retainer payable for a quarter is pro-rated, based upon period of service, if a director does not serve on the Board for the entire quarter. Independent directors may not receive, directly or indirectly, any consulting, advisory or other compensatory fees from us.

 

Equity Awards and Deferred Compensation

 

We maintain the Harris Corporation 2005 Directors’ Deferred Compensation Plan, as amended and restated (the “Directors’ Deferred Compensation Plan”), an unfunded, non-qualified, deferred compensation plan for the benefit of our non-management directors. Under the Directors’ Deferred Compensation Plan, on January 1, April 1, July 1 and October 1 of each year, we currently credit each non-employee director’s account with a number of Harris stock equivalent units (each unit is equivalent in value to one share of our common stock) having an aggregate fair market value equal to $29,000 (for an annual rate of $116,000), which amount may be changed from time to time by our Board. In October 2010, on the recommendation of the Corporate Governance Committee, the Board approved effective January 1, 2011 a $2,500 increase in this quarterly amount from $26,500 (which represented a previous annual rate of $106,000) to the current quarterly rate of $29,000.

 

In addition, under the Directors’ Deferred Compensation Plan, prior to the commencement of a calendar year, each non-employee director may make an irrevocable election to defer all or a portion of his or her cash director compensation for the subsequent year or years. The Directors’ Deferred Compensation Plan replaced the 1997 Directors’ Deferred Compensation and Annual Stock Unit Award Plan (the “1997 Directors’ Plan”). Effective December 31, 2004 no further deferrals of director compensation were permitted and no further annual awards of Harris stock equivalent units were made under the 1997 Directors’ Plan.

 

Amounts deferred at the election of a non-employee director under such plans are deemed to be invested, in the non-employee director’s discretion, in investment alternatives that mirror those available under our Retirement Plan or in Harris stock equivalent units based upon the fair market value of Harris common stock on the date of deferral. A non-employee director may not transfer or reallocate amounts deferred into other investments into Harris stock equivalent units. Amounts credited in Harris stock equivalent units may be reallocated into any other investment alternatives provided director minimum stock ownership guidelines are satisfied. Each Harris stock equivalent unit is credited with dividend equivalents equal to the dividends paid on our common stock, which are deemed reinvested in additional Harris stock equivalent units.

 

A non-employee director may elect to receive deferred amounts either in a cash lump sum on a date certain within five years after his or her resignation or retirement, or in annual substantially equal cash installments over a designated number of years beginning on a date certain within five years after a director’s resignation or retirement, provided that all amounts are fully paid within 10 years after resignation or retirement.

 

In the event of the non-employee director’s death, payment will be made to the non-employee director’s beneficiary within 90 days following the death.

 

Within 90 days following a change in control and to the extent permitted by Section 409A of the Internal Revenue Code, each non-employee director (or former non-employee director) will receive a lump sum cash payment equal to the then-remaining balance in his or her deferred accounts. If payment within 90 days following a change in control is not permitted by Section 409A of the Internal Revenue Code, then payment will be made at the time and in the form that payment would have been made if a change in control had not occurred.

 

Amounts credited to directors’ accounts in the director deferred compensation plans may be partially or fully funded by a grantor trust, also known as a “rabbi trust.” Upon a change in control, we are required to fund such “rabbi trust” in an amount equal to the amounts credited to the directors’ accounts, as

well as anticipated trust and trustee fees and expenses. In all cases, the assets in such trust are subject to the claims of our creditors, and directors are treated as our unsecured general creditors.

 

Reimbursement, Insurance and Charitable
Gift Matching

 

We reimburse each non-employee director for travel and out-of-pocket expenses incurred in
connection with attendance at Board and committee meetings and other meetings on our behalf and for the costs and expenses of attending director education programs. Spouses or guests are invited occasionally to accompany directors to Board-related events, for which we pay or reimburse travel and related expenses. In addition, we provide each non-employee director with accidental death and dismemberment insurance in the amount of up to $200,000 and business travel insurance of up to an additional $200,000 in the event that he or she is involved in an accident while traveling on business relating to our affairs. We pay the premiums for such insurance, and the total aggregate premiums for coverage for all non-employee directors during fiscal 2011 was $238. We also provide liability insurance coverage for all of our directors and officers.

 

Non-employee directors may participate in the Harris Foundation charitable gift matching program available to all employees, where the Harris Foundation matches contributions to eligible post-secondary educational institutions and charitable organizations up to an annual maximum of $10,000 per employee or director.

Fiscal 2011 Compensation of Non-Employee Directors

 

The following table sets forth information regarding compensation paid to each of our non-employee directors for fiscal 2011. We currently do not have a non-equity incentive plan or pension plan for directors.

 

 

 

Stock Ownership Guidelines for
Non-Employee Directors

 

To further align the interests of members of our Board and shareholders, our Board has previously approved stock ownership guidelines for our non-employee directors. Our directors are expected to own, within five years after election or appointment to our Board, Harris stock or stock equivalents having a minimum value of $275,000 (based upon the current $55,000 basic annual cash retainer). As of September 16, 2011, all of our non-employee directors met the stock ownership guidelines.

 

Indemnification

 

We have entered into indemnification agreements with each of our directors and Board- elected officers, including the executive officers named in the Summary Compensation Table on page 50. These agreements require us to indemnify these directors and officers with respect to their activities as a director, officer or employee of Harris, or when serving at our request as a director, officer or trustee of another corporation, trust or other enterprise, against expenses (including attorneys’ fees, judgments, fines and amounts paid in settlement) actually and reasonably incurred by them in any threatened, pending or completed action, suit or proceeding, whether civil, criminal, administrative or investigative to which they are, or are threatened to be made, parties as a result of their service to us.

 

Under the indemnification agreements, each director or officer will continue to be indemnified with respect to suits or proceedings arising from his or her service to us, even after ceasing to occupy a position as an officer, director, employee or agent of Harris.

 

 

The rules of the SEC require disclosure regarding any persons known to us to be a beneficial owner of more than 5% of our common stock. The following table sets forth as of August 3, 2011 the beneficial ownership of our common stock by each person who has reported to the SEC beneficial ownership of more than 5% of our common stock, based on the reports filed by these persons.

 

 

 

 

 

The following table sets forth the beneficial ownership of shares and equivalent units of our common stock, as of August 3, 2011, by: (a) each director, including the nominees for election at the 2011 Annual Meeting, (b) our Chief Executive Officer and each other named executive officer, and (c) all of our directors and executive officers as a group. Except as otherwise noted, the named individual had sole voting and investment power with respect to the securities. As of August 3, 2011, no individual director, nominee for director or named executive officer beneficially owned 1% or more of our common stock. As of August 3, 2011, our directors and executive officers, as a group, beneficially owned 1.9% of our common stock.

 

 

 

 

In accordance with the new requirements of Section 14A of the Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (which were added by the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act enacted in July 2010), and the related rules of the SEC, we are providing our shareholders with the opportunity to vote, on a non-binding, advisory basis, to approve the compensation of our named executive officers as disclosed in this proxy statement pursuant to the compensation disclosure rules of the SEC (including the Compensation Discussion and Analysis section, the Summary Compensation Table and other related tables and accompanying footnotes and narratives).

 

As described in the Compensation Discussion and Analysis section of this proxy statement beginning on page 34, the overall objective of our executive compensation program is to encourage and reward the creation of sustainable, long-term shareholder value.

 

As set forth more fully under “Overall Philosophy and Objectives of Our Compensation Program” on page 34 of this proxy statement, the principles of our executive compensation program include the following:

 

 

In furtherance of these objectives and principles, our executive compensation program includes a number of features intended to reflect sound practices and ensure that our program reinforces pay-for-performance and the creation of long-term shareholder value. These features are described in more detail in the Compensation Discussion and Analysis section of this proxy statement and include the following:

 

 

We believe that the features of our executive compensation program align with our pay-for-performance philosophy and further align the interest of our executive officers with the long-term interests of our shareholders, while appropriately balancing risk and reward.

 

Additionally, in fiscal 2011 we delivered strong financial results despite a challenging economic environment. Our revenue and operating income growth and cash flow from operations were strong. We generated these results while undertaking several strategic initiatives, including significant acquisitions to complement the strengths in our core businesses and investments in new vertical markets, such as cyber and healthcare.

 

Highlights of our fiscal 2011 financial results include:

 

 

For the reasons discussed above, our Board recommends that our shareholders approve the compensation of our named executive officers as disclosed in this proxy statement by voting in favor of the following resolution:

 

“RESOLVED, the compensation of the named executive officers as disclosed in the Company’s proxy statement pursuant to the compensation disclosure rules of the SEC, including the Compensation Discussion and Analysis, the Summary Compensation Table and other related tables and accompanying footnotes and narratives, is hereby APPROVED.”

 

The vote on this proposal is not intended to address any specific element of compensation; rather, the vote relates to the compensation of our named executive officers as disclosed in this proxy statement in accordance with the compensation disclosure rules of the SEC. The vote is advisory, which means that the vote is non-binding on Harris, our Board or the Management Development and Compensation Committee. However, our Board and the Management Development and Compensation Committee, which is responsible for designing and administering our executive officer compensation program, values the opinions expressed by our shareholders and will consider the outcome of the advisory vote in connection with future named executive officer compensation decisions.

 

Vote Required and Related Matters

 

The affirmative vote of a majority of the shares present or represented at the 2011 Annual Meeting of Shareholders and entitled to vote on this proposal will be required to approve the compensation of our named executive officers as disclosed in this proxy statement. Abstentions will have the effect of a vote against approval of the compensation of our named executive officers. Any broker non-votes will have no effect on the approval of the compensation of our named executive officers.

 

Recommendation Regarding Proposal 2

 

Our Board of Directors unanimously recommends that you vote “FOR” approval of the compensation of our named executive officers as disclosed in this proxy statement. If not otherwise specified, proxies will be voted “FOR” approval of this proposal.

 

In accordance with the new requirements of Section 14A of the Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the related rules of the SEC, we are also providing our shareholders with the opportunity to vote, on a non-binding, advisory basis, for their preference on whether future advisory votes on the compensation of our named executive officers (similar to the non-binding, advisory vote in Proposal 2 of this proxy statement) should occur every year, every two years or every three years. You have the option to vote for any one of the three frequency alternatives or to abstain from voting on this proposal.

 

After careful consideration of the frequency alternatives, our Board currently believes that holding an advisory vote on executive compensation every year is the most appropriate alternative for Harris at this time. The Board believes that an annual advisory vote on the compensation of our named executive officers enables our shareholders to provide regular input on our executive compensation philosophy, policies and practices. We will continue to focus our executive compensation program on driving sustainable, long-term shareholder value. Our Board recommends that you vote for future advisory votes on executive compensation to occur every year.

 

The advisory vote on the frequency of future advisory votes on executive compensation is non-binding on Harris, our Board or the Management Development and Compensation Committee. However, our Board and the Management Development and Compensation Committee will take into account the outcome of the advisory vote when determining the frequency of future advisory votes on the compensation of our named executive officers.

 

Vote Required and Related Matters

 

The proxy/voting instruction card provides you with the opportunity to choose among the following four choices for this proposal: every year, every two years, every three years or abstain. Shareholders will not be voting to approve or disapprove the recommendation of our Board. For any particular frequency alternative to be approved, it must receive the affirmative vote of a majority of the shares present or represented at the 2011 Annual Meeting of Shareholders and entitled to vote on this proposal. If no frequency alternative receives the affirmative vote of a majority of the shares present or represented at the 2011 Annual Meeting of Shareholders and entitled to vote on this proposal, the frequency alternative which receives the greatest number of votes at the 2011 Annual Meeting of Shareholders will be deemed the frequency alternative preferred by our shareholders. Abstentions will have the effect of a vote against each frequency alternative. Any broker non-votes will have no effect on the approval of the preferred frequency of future advisory votes on the compensation of our named executive officers.

 

Recommendation Regarding Proposal 3

 

Our Board of Directors unanimously recommends that you vote “EVERY YEAR” as the preferred frequency of future advisory votes on the compensation of our named executive officers. If not otherwise specified, proxies will be voted for the “EVERY YEAR” voting option with respect to this proposal.

 

 

 

Overview

 

The Compensation Discussion and Analysis section of this proxy statement is intended to help shareholders understand our overall executive compensation program, objectives, framework and elements and to discuss and analyze the basis for the compensation paid with respect to fiscal 2011 to Howard L. Lance, our Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer (“CEO”), Gary L. McArthur, our Chief Financial Officer, and Messrs. Mehnert, Pearson and Shuman, our three other most highly compensated executive officers for fiscal 2011 (our “named executive officers”), detailed in the Summary Compensation Table on page 50 and in the other tables and narrative discussion that follow.

 

Overall Philosophy and Objectives of Our
Compensation Program

 

Harris is an international communications and information technology company serving government and commercial markets in more than 150 countries. We are dedicated to developing best-in-class assured communications^® products, systems and services for global markets, including RF communications, integrated network solutions and government communications systems. In fiscal 2011 our annual revenue was approximately $6.0 billion and we have more than 16,000 employees. Our common stock is listed on the New York Stock Exchange.

 

The overall objective of our executive compensation program is to encourage and reward the creation of sustainable, long-term shareholder value. The following principles provide a framework for our executive compensation program:

 

 

Our Executive Compensation Process

 

The philosophy, objectives, elements, policies and practices of compensation for our executive officers are set by the Management Development and Compensation Committee of our Board (the “Compensation Committee”). In approving compensation levels, individual objectives and financial targets for our named executive officers, the Compensation Committee reviews the relationship between our executive compensation program and the achievement of our financial goals and strategic objectives, with an emphasis on creating a “pay for profitable growth” environment.

 

The Compensation Committee has the authority to retain compensation consultants and other advisors to assist in fulfilling its duties and responsibilities. For fiscal 2011, the Compensation Committee directly retained Pearl Meyer & Partners, an independent executive compensation consulting firm, to provide objective analysis, advice and information, including competitive market data, to the Compensation Committee

related to CEO compensation and the compensation of other executive officers. Pearl Meyer & Partners performs services at the direction and under the supervision of the Compensation Committee and does not provide any other services to Harris.

 

For fiscal 2011, our management retained and utilized the services of Aon Hewitt Associates LLC to provide competitive market data and compensation plan analysis and advice for our broader senior management group.

 

The Compensation Committee considers recommendations from our CEO in making decisions regarding our executive compensation program and the compensation of our other executive officers. As part of the annual compensation planning process, our CEO recommends targets for our incentive compensation programs. Following an annual performance review process, our CEO also recommends specific compensation for our other executive officers, including base salary adjustments and incentive and equity awards. Our CEO also presents to the Compensation Committee his evaluation of each such executive officer’s contributions during the previous year, including strengths and development needs, and reviews succession plans for each of the executive positions.

 

After input from our CEO, as well as from Pearl Meyer & Partners, and following the assessment of compensation trends and competitive market data, the Compensation Committee determines what changes, if any, should be made to the executive compensation program and sets the level of compensation for our executive officers, other than our CEO. As part of this process, the Compensation Committee reviews each executive officer’s three-year compensation history, including base salary, annual cash incentive and equity awards, and also reviews the types and levels of other benefits such as change in control severance agreements and retirement plans. In the case of our CEO, the review and final compensation decisions are made by the independent directors of our Board, giving due consideration to the Compensation Committee’s recommendations.

 

In setting the levels of compensation at the start of the fiscal year, the Compensation Committee also establishes the short- and long-term financial measures, weighting and targets for performance-based, at-risk compensation. For our CEO, such measures, weighting and targets are established by the independent directors of our Board, giving due consideration to the Compensation Committee’s recommendations. The specific financial measures, weighting and targets are intended to encourage and reward the creation of sustainable, long-term value for our shareholders and are aligned with our Board-approved, long-term strategic growth plan and our annual operating plan.

 

At the end of each fiscal year, the independent directors of our Board meet in executive session without the CEO or other members of management present under the leadership of the Chairperson of the Compensation Committee to conduct a performance review of our CEO. During such review, the directors evaluate the CEO’s achievement of agreed-upon objectives established at the start of the fiscal year, our overall performance, the CEO’s personal self-evaluation of his effectiveness over the past fiscal year and other accomplishments. At the end of the fiscal year, the Compensation Committee also receives a specific compensation recommendation from our CEO for the other executive officers, which recommendation is based upon an assessment of each executive’s performance, achievement of objectives established at the start of the fiscal year for the executive and his or her business unit or organization within the company, contribution to our performance and other accomplishments.

 

While compensation levels may differ among our named executive officers based upon competitive factors and the role, responsibilities and performance of each named executive officer, there are no material differences in our compensation policies or the manner in which total direct compensation opportunity is determined for any of our named executive officers. The material elements of our executive compensation program applicable to our named executive officers also apply to our other executive officers.

 

Information regarding consideration of elements of our risk related to our compensation policies and practices is set forth below in the “Relationship Between Compensation Plans and Risk” section of this proxy statement beginning on page 48.

 

Competitive Considerations

 

Each element of our executive compensation program is addressed in the context of competitive practices. In general, the Compensation Committee sets total target compensation for our CEO and other executives to approximate the 40th to 60th percentile of our comparison group. While the

Compensation Committee reviews survey data, it uses discretion in setting an executive’s compensation after considering experience, position, tenure and contributions. For fiscal 2011, the Compensation Committee engaged Pearl Meyer & Partners to assess the composition of our comparison group, median pay levels for our CEO and other executive officers, the competitive position of the compensation for our CEO and other executive officers and the mix and elements of such compensation. The comparison group used for our CEO and other executive officers consists of companies with one or more of the following attributes: business operations in the markets in which we participate; similar revenue and market capitalization; and businesses that compete with us for executive talent. For fiscal 2011, the comparison group consisted of the following 21 companies:

 

 

The Compensation Committee reviews the composition of the comparison group used for assessing the compensation for our CEO and other executive officers on an annual basis and makes changes it determines are appropriate based on changes to the attributes of each such company and whether it continues to make its compensation data available. Pearl Meyer & Partners, our CEO and management provide input to the Compensation Committee as to changes to the attributes of companies in the comparison group.

 

Elements of Our Compensation Program

 

During fiscal 2011, the compensation program for our executive officers consisted of the following elements:

 

• base salary;

 

• annual cash incentive opportunities;

 

 

• health, welfare and other personal benefits; and

 

• change in control, severance, retirement and other post-employment pay and benefits.

 

The Compensation Committee believes that the elements of our executive compensation program are competitive and further our objectives of motivating achievement of our short- and long-term financial goals and strategic objectives, rewarding superior performance and aligning the interests of our executives and shareholders. We do not have a formal policy relating to the mix among the various elements of our compensation program. However, we believe the more responsibility an executive has, the greater the amount of overall compensation that should be performance-based, at-risk compensation.

 

Named Executive Officer Fiscal 2011 Target Direct Compensation Mix

 

The following bar graphs set forth, for our CEO and for our other named executive officers on average, respectively, the percentage of fiscal 2011 total target direct compensation represented by each major element of target direct compensation, indicating the percentage of fiscal 2011 target direct compensation that was at risk in the form of performance-based awards and equity awards. Total direct compensation does not include other benefits such as retirement benefits, severance benefits or health, welfare or other personal benefits. The percentages are based upon the fiscal 2011 base salary, annual cash incentive awards for achievement of financial goals at target and the value of equity awards at the time of approval. A description of the valuation and how each major element is determined is discussed below.

 

 

Base Salary and How Base Salary is
Determined

 

General Considerations

 

We provide executives with a base salary for services rendered during the year. The Compensation Committee reviews executive base salaries on an annual basis as well as any time there is a substantial change in an executive’s responsibilities or in market conditions. The Compensation Committee generally targets an executive officer’s base salary to be within 10% below or 10% above the median of the market for base salaries for comparable positions at companies in our comparison group. However, the specific base salary for an executive also is influenced by the executive’s experience, position, changes in responsibilities, tenure and contributions, individual performance, and by current market conditions and our outlook. Base pay generally represents a relatively small proportion of total compensation opportunity. In general, executive officers with higher levels of responsibility have a lower percentage of their compensation fixed as base salary and a higher percentage of their compensation at risk.

 

2011 Base Salary for Named Executive Officers

 

In August 2010, the Compensation Committee conducted its annual base salary review for our CEO and other named executive officers. At the request of Mr. Lance, for the second consecutive fiscal year his base salary was not increased (base salaries for our named executive officers in fiscal 2010 remained frozen at fiscal 2009 levels). Mr. McArthur’s base salary was increased in fiscal 2011 by 10%, based upon a merit increase and market adjustment. Mr. Pearson’s base salary was increased in fiscal 2011 by 15.7%, reflecting increased responsibilities as a result of his promotion to Chief Operating Officer in June 2010, as well as a merit increase. Mr. Mehnert’s base

salary was increased in fiscal 2011 by 6.3% based upon a merit increase and market adjustment. Mr. Shuman’s base salary was increased in fiscal 2011 by 6.4% reflecting increased responsibilities as well as a merit increase. Base salary increases were effective August 28, 2010. Information regarding base salaries in fiscal 2011 is set forth in the Summary Compensation Table on page 50 under the “Salary” column.

 

Annual Cash Incentive Pay and How Annual
Cash Incentive Pay is Determined

 

Annual Incentive Plan

 

Under the Harris Corporation Annual Incentive Plan, which was most-recently approved by our Board in August 2010 and by our shareholders in October 2010, at the start of each fiscal year the Compensation Committee sets an annual cash incentive compensation target for each executive officer and recommends to the independent directors of our Board the target to set for our CEO. The Compensation Committee and independent directors of our Board, as applicable, also establish specific financial performance measures and targets at the start of each fiscal year, including the relative weighting and thresholds, as well as individual performance objectives for each executive officer for payouts under our Annual Incentive Plan. In certain instances, financial performance targets are adjusted by the Compensation Committee, and in the case of Mr. Lance, the independent directors of our Board, to take into account items determined not to be reflective of normal, ongoing business operations. The Compensation Committee believes the annual cash incentive motivates our executives to focus on achieving or exceeding the fiscal year financial performance targets and individual objectives.

 

The amount of fiscal 2011 annual cash incentive compensation for our named executive officers was based upon actual performance for the year compared with the financial performance targets discussed below and individual objectives established at the start of the fiscal year.

 

 

For each financial performance measure, there is no payout for performance below the threshold. For fiscal 2011, the threshold to receive a payment for each of the revenue and operating income performance measures was 80% of target performance, a level more consistent with the customary more aggressive thresholds than the 50% operating income performance measure threshold established for fiscal 2010 in response to significant market uncertainty. Payout calculations established at the start of fiscal 2011 were based upon the following table:

 

 

2011 Annual Cash Incentive Awards for Named Executive Officers

 

Fiscal 2011 approved financial performance measures, targets and weighting, annual cash incentive compensation targets and actual annual cash payouts, which also reflect an assessment of individual objectives, for the named executive officers under our Annual Incentive Plan were as follows:

 

								Participant’s
								Annual										Actual
								Incentive					Actual Annual					Payout
Named			Fiscal 2011 Financial Performance					Plan					Cash Incentive					as a % of
Executive			Measures, Targets and					Compensation					Compensation					Compensation
Officer			Weighting					Target					Payment					Target
Howard L. Lance			• Revenue-$6,040 million		50%
Chairman, President and CEO			• Operating income-$988 million		50%			$	1,260,000				$	1,264,000					100.3%
Gary L. McArthur			• Revenue-$6,040 million		50%
Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer			• Operating income-$988 million		50%			$	395,000				$	396,185					100.3%
Daniel R. Pearson			• Revenue-$6,040 million		50%
Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer			• Operating income-$988 million		50%			$	345,000				$	328,733					95.3%
Dana A. Mehnert			• RF Communications		50%
Group President, RF			Revenue-$2,280 million
Communications			• RF Communications Operating income-$730 million		50%			$	290,000				$	330,000					113.8%
Jeffrey S. Shuman			• Revenue-$6,040 million		50%
Senior Vice President and Chief Human Resources and Administrative Officer			• Operating income-$988 million		50%			$	300,000				$	315,945					105.3%

 

These financial performance measures and targets represent internal measurements of performance, and, while the calculations are based upon our financial results calculated in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States (“GAAP”), our results may be adjusted by the Compensation Committee to take into account items determined not to be reflective of normal, ongoing business operations. The Compensation Committee has adopted guidelines in making specific decisions for these purposes on which items to include or exclude from our financial results, including that any adjustment must be objectively measurable under GAAP.

 

In addition to incentives payable under our Annual Incentive Plan, annual cash incentive opportunity also includes amounts payable under the broad-based Performance Reward Plan which is described on page 40.

 

For purposes of calculations under our Annual Incentive Plan and Performance Reward Plan, the Compensation Committee adjusted Harris’ fiscal 2011 operating income results to exclude charges and expenses related to acquisitions. The Compensation Committee also adjusted Harris’ fiscal 2011 operating income results to exclude operating income and losses from businesses acquired during fiscal 2011. In addition, the Compensation Committee adjusted Harris’ fiscal 2011 revenue results to also exclude the revenue from businesses acquired during fiscal 2011.

 

Results and adjusted fiscal 2011 financial performance measure results, targets and adjusted fiscal 2011 performance results as a percentage of target were as follows:

 

Annual incentive payouts under our Annual Incentive Plan for the named executive officers were subject to an upward or downward adjustment. For fiscal 2011, annual incentive payouts under our Annual Incentive Plan for the named executive officers, as calculated based upon the financial performance measures adjusted results, were adjusted from 5% lower to 5% higher. The adjustments made were approved by the Compensation Committee based upon an assessment of individual performance versus the pre-established individual objectives as well as the individual’s contribution to our overall results.

 

The annual cash incentive payouts under our Annual Incentive Plan in respect of fiscal 2011 are also set forth in the note to the “Non-Equity Incentive Plan Compensation” column of the Summary Compensation Table on page 50.

 

Broad-based Profit Sharing Plans

 

We maintain broad-based annual cash incentive plans, available to most of our U.S.-based employees. Our executive officers participate in our broad-based “Performance Reward Plan.” Under this plan, if we are profitable, we will make a cash payment equal to a minimum of 2% up to a maximum of 6% of an employee’s eligible compensation. The actual payment is based upon our performance against financial targets. For fiscal 2011, the target payout was 3.5% of an employee’s eligible compensation if we achieved operating income of $988 million. For amounts of an employee’s eligible compensation above the Social Security wage base, the payment is increased up to an additional 5.7% of such eligible compensation above the Social Security wage base. Based upon the operating income results, as adjusted by the Compensation Committee in the same manner as discussed above regarding our Annual Incentive Plan, a payout of 3.86% of eligible compensation plus an additional 3.86% of eligible compensation above the Social Security wage base was approved for fiscal 2011 under our Performance Reward Plan. Participants may elect to receive the payment in cash or to defer either half or all of the payment into the Retirement Plan or our SERP. The amounts earned by our named executive officers under our Performance Reward Plan in respect of fiscal 2011 are set forth in the note to the “Non-Equity Incentive Plan Compensation” column of the Summary Compensation Table on page 50.

 

Long-Term Compensation —

Equity Incentives and How Long-Term

Compensation is Determined

 

We provide long-term incentives to our executive officers through a combination of stock options and performance share awards. As part of long-term compensation, as discussed below, the Compensation Committee also may grant shares of restricted stock primarily to facilitate retention and succession planning. The long-term compensation elements of our executive compensation program are designed to motivate our executives to focus on achievement of our long-term financial goals and strategic objectives. The Compensation Committee awards different types of equity compensation because it believes that each type rewards shareholder value creation in a different way. Although the value of all forms of equity-based compensation is directly impacted by both increases and decreases in the price of our common stock, performance share grants motivate our executives to achieve our multi-year financial and operating goals because the number of shares ultimately earned depends upon the level of our performance over a three-year period. Under such grants, each new fiscal year begins a new three-year performance cycle for which the Compensation Committee establishes financial performance targets and award targets. Stock option grants motivate our executives to increase shareholder value because the options only have value to the extent the price of our common stock on the date of exercise exceeds the stock price on the grant date, and thus compensation is realized only if our stock price increases over the term of the award. Equity awards also are intended to retain executives, encourage share ownership and maintain a direct link between our executive compensation program and the value and appreciation in value of our stock.

 

Equity Compensation Mix

 

In determining the appropriate mix of equity compensation elements, the Compensation Committee considers the mix of such elements at competitors and our comparison group, the retention value of each element and other factors important to us, including tax and accounting treatment, and the recommendation of the Compensation Committee’s independent compensation consultant. The total value of long-term compensation for our executive officers is typically set by reference to a multiple of such executive officers’ base salaries, which equity-based multiple is assessed using our comparison group. For fiscal 2011, the Compensation

Committee targeted that approximately 50% of the value of long-term equity incentive opportunity at the time of award would be allocated as stock options and 50% of the value would be allocated as performance shares. This was the same target mix that was approved by the Compensation Committee for fiscal 2010 long-term equity compensation. The number of stock options and performance shares awarded to the named executive officers in fiscal 2011 was determined based upon the 60-day average closing market price of our common stock prior to the grant date, which was $45.17 per share. This average price compares to the actual closing market price on the grant date of $42.87 per share, which serves as the basis for the calculation of amounts presented for 2011 in the Stock Awards and Options Awards columns of the Summary Compensation Table on page 50.

 

Stock Options

 

Stock options granted to our named executive officers and other employees during fiscal 2011 were made pursuant to our Harris Corporation 2005 Equity Incentive Plan (As Amended and Restated Effective August 27, 2010), which was initially approved by our shareholders in October 2005 and was re-approved by our shareholders in October 2010. Stock option grants made in fiscal 2011 have the following terms:

 

 

 

A listing of the stock options granted to our named executive officers in fiscal 2011 and information relating to the terms and conditions of such stock options appears in the Grants of Plan-Based Awards in Fiscal 2011 Table on page 53 and the related notes. For additional information relating to the terms and conditions of stock options, see the notes to the Outstanding Equity Awards at 2011 Fiscal Year End Table on page 55.

 

Without prior approval of our shareholders, stock options granted by us may not be repriced, replaced, regranted through cancellation or modified by us, other than in connection with a change in our capitalization, including spin-offs, if the effect thereof would be to reduce the exercise price of such stock options.

 

Performance Share Awards

 

Financial performance measures for performance shares granted in fiscal 2011 covering the three-year performance period of fiscal 2011 through fiscal 2013 include the achievement of targets, weighted equally, for three-year cumulative operating income for the fiscal 2011 through fiscal 2013 period and average annual return on invested capital for the same period. The Compensation Committee also will review our total shareholder return performance over the fiscal 2011 through fiscal 2013 period compared with the Standard and Poor’s 500 Industrial Sector and Information Technology Sectors, excluding the semiconductor and semiconductor equipment industries. Depending upon our total shareholder return performance compared with such sectors, the payout may be adjusted upward or downward as much as 33% depending upon our quartile ranking. The actual performance share award payout with respect to fiscal year 2011 grants can range from 0% to 200% of the target number of performance shares. The Compensation Committee believes that the focus on operating income, average annual return on invested capital and comparative total shareholder return measures should improve earnings and capital management over the long term and that such measures motivate financial performance that management can influence directly and will create long-term shareholder value. For additional information relating to the terms and conditions of performance shares, see the notes to the Grants of Plan-Based Awards in Fiscal 2011 Table on page 53 and the notes to the Outstanding Equity Awards at 2011 Fiscal Year End Table on page 55.

 

For fiscal 2011, the Compensation Committee, and with respect to Mr. Lance, the independent directors of our Board, approved the grant of performance shares to our named executive officers for the three-year performance period covering fiscal years 2011 through 2013 as set forth in the Grants of Plan-Based Awards in Fiscal 2011 Table on page 53 and related notes.

In August 2011, the Compensation Committee, and for Mr. Lance, the independent directors of our Board, determined the payout of performance shares for the three-year performance period of fiscal year 2009 through fiscal 2011. Financial performance measures for awards made in fiscal 2009 for the fiscal 2009 through fiscal 2011 performance period were three-year cumulative operating income and average annual return on invested capital for each fiscal year of such period. Such measures were equally weighted. In determining the performance share award payouts for the fiscal 2009 through fiscal 2011 performance period, the financial performance targets and our actual results were adjusted by the Compensation Committee, and in the case of Mr. Lance, the independent directors of our Board. The fiscal 2010 and 2011 operating income targets were adjusted to exclude the financial impact of Harris Stratex Networks, our former majority-owned publicly-traded subsidiary that was spun-off on May 27, 2009, and to include acquisition related income based upon our Board-approved operating plan for the acquired businesses. The results were adjusted in the same manner as the adjustments under our Annual Incentive Plan for our financial results for the fiscal years in the fiscal 2009 through fiscal 2011 performance period, except that the results were adjusted to include 50% of the fiscal 2009 charges for impairment of goodwill and other long-lived assets for our broadcast communications business within our Integrated Network Solutions segment, thus lowering the adjusted cumulative operating income results. These adjustments were made in accordance with the same guidelines for annual cash incentive compensation awards adopted by the Compensation Committee as discussed above. As adjusted, the three-year cumulative operating income financial performance measure result on which performance was measured for purposes of the fiscal 2011 performance share payout was $2.672 billion, or approximately 94% of the $2.840 billion adjusted target. Also, as adjusted, the average annual return on invested capital financial measure result on which performance was measured for purposes of the fiscal 2011 performance share payout was 20.3%, or 162% of the 12.5% target set at the start of fiscal 2009. Our average operating income growth and average annual return on invested capital performance approximated the 50^th and 71^st percentile compared to the Standard and Poor’s 500 and Midcap 400 indices, respectively. The Compensation Committee determined that such results warranted a payout at 130% of the target number of performance shares originally granted in fiscal 2009. See the Option Exercises and Stock Vested in Fiscal 2011 Table on page 57 and related notes for additional information regarding these payouts for our named executive officers.

 

Restricted Stock

 

As part of long-term incentive compensation, the Compensation Committee also may grant shares of restricted stock or restricted stock units primarily to facilitate retention and succession planning and as a mechanism to replace the value of equity awards that may have been forfeited as a result of leaving a former employer. The restrictions typically expire at the end of a three-year period. The restrictions provide that the shares or units may not be sold or otherwise transferred, and the shares or units will be immediately forfeited in the event of the recipient’s termination of employment for any reason other than death, disability or retirement; provided that for restricted shares or restricted stock units granted after June 28, 2008 but prior to August 26, 2011, the Compensation Committee may determine otherwise in its discretion in the event of involuntary termination for other than misconduct. The Compensation Committee did not grant restricted shares or restricted stock units to any named executive officers in fiscal 2011. For further information related to restricted stock previously granted to our named executive officers, see the Outstanding Equity Awards at 2011 Fiscal Year End Table on page 55 and related notes.

 

Recovery of Executive Compensation

(“Clawback”)

 

Our executive compensation program permits us to recover all or a portion of any performance-based compensation if our financial statements are restated as a result of errors, omissions or fraud. The amount which may be recovered shall be the amount by which the affected compensation exceeded the amount that would have been payable had the financial statements been initially filed as restated, or any greater or lesser amount that the Compensation Committee or our Board shall determine. In no case shall the amount to be recovered by us be less than the amount required to be repaid or recovered as a matter of law. Recovery of such amounts by us would be in addition to any actions imposed by law, enforcement agencies, regulators or other authorities.

Treatment of Incentive Awards Upon

Change in Control

 

Under our Annual Incentive Plan and equity incentive plans, upon a change in control and irrespective of employment status:

 

 

 

Information regarding severance payments and obligations to named executive officers for termination of employment following a change in control is set forth below in the “Change in Control Severance Agreements” section of this Compensation Discussion and Analysis and the “Potential Payments Upon Termination or a Change in Control” section of this proxy statement beginning on page 62.

 

Post-Employment Compensation

 

Severance Arrangements

 

As a general matter, most of our employees are “employees at-will” and only a limited number of our executive officers have contracts requiring us to pay amounts to them upon termination of employment. Mr. Lance’s employment and payments upon termination of employment are governed by an employment letter agreement discussed below. Pursuant to his offer letter, Mr. Shuman is entitled to severance benefits in the form of one year of base salary and pro-rated incentive compensation in the event his employment is terminated other than for cause or performance reasons. While Messrs. McArthur, Mehnert and Pearson do not have severance agreements, we have a long-standing practice of providing severance compensation for terminating an executive’s employment other than for cause. The specific amount may be based upon the relevant circumstances, including the reason for termination, length of employment and other factors.

 

We also have a severance plan for all full-time, U.S.-based employees who are terminated as a result of a reduction-in-force. Amounts payable under this plan are based upon length of service.

 

Employment Agreement with our CEO

 

We are party to a letter agreement with Mr. Lance that provides for his continued employment as our CEO and President and his continued service as a director and as Chairman of the Board. The agreement provides for certain benefits in the event Mr. Lance’s employment is terminated by us without “cause” or by Mr. Lance for “good reason” (as defined in the agreement). Obligations in the event of a termination following a change in control will be governed by Mr. Lance’s change in control severance agreement. The Compensation Committee and the independent directors of our Board approved Mr. Lance’s employment agreement in the belief that such agreement assists in retaining Mr. Lance’s valued service. In addition, Mr. Lance’s agreement also binds Mr. Lance to certain non-compete and non-solicitation undertakings which are valuable to us.

 

Change in Control Severance Agreements

 

Each of our Board-elected corporate officers, including the named executive officers, is party to a change in control severance agreement with us. We believe that such agreements align the interests of our officers and shareholders during the period of an actual or rumored change in control and also are necessary in some cases to attract and retain executives. Under these agreements, our officers are provided with severance benefits in the event the officer’s employment is terminated without “cause,” or by the officer for “good reason,” within two years following a change in control. These agreements are designed so that benefits are provided only if there is both a change in control and a termination of employment, a “double-trigger.” Such severance benefits are designed to

preserve the focus and productivity of our officers, avoid disruption and prevent attrition during a period of uncertainty. These agreements also are believed to facilitate the objectiveness of an executive’s assessment of a potential transaction that may be in our shareholders’ best interests notwithstanding the potential negative impact of a transaction on an executive’s future employment.

 

If triggered, the lump-sum severance benefit payable under the change in control severance agreement equals the sum of: (a) the executive’s unpaid base salary through the date of termination, a pro-rated annual bonus (as determined under the change in control severance agreement), any unpaid accrued vacation pay and, to the extent permitted under Section 409A of the Internal Revenue Code, any other benefits or awards that have been earned or become payable pursuant to the terms of any compensation plan but which have not been paid to the executive; and (b) a multiple of one to three times the executive’s highest annual rate of base salary during the 12-month period prior to the date of termination plus a multiple of one to three times the greatest of the executive’s highest annual bonus in the three fiscal years prior to the change in control, the executive’s target bonus for the year during which the change in control occurs or the executive’s target bonus for the year in which the executive’s employment is terminated. Payment multiples are three times salary and bonus for Messrs. Lance and Shuman, which for Mr. Lance was agreed upon in his employment letter agreement and for Mr. Shuman was agreed to in his offer letter, and two times salary and bonus for Messrs. McArthur, Mehnert and Pearson. The change in control severance agreements entered into by our executive officers prior to April 22, 2010, including the change in control severance agreement with each of our named executive officers, also provide for a tax gross-up payment to the executive in the event that payment of any severance benefits is subject to excise taxes imposed by the IRS on “parachute payments” under Section 4999 of the Internal Revenue Code. All other applicable taxes remain the responsibility of the officer.

 

The Compensation Committee annually reviews the terms of the change in control severance agreements and potential compensation and payouts resulting from a potential change in control in light of competitive practices and market trends. In April 2010, our Compensation Committee determined that any new or materially modified change in control severance agreements entered into with executive officers will not provide for any tax gross-ups of excise taxes. The Compensation Committee has determined, in its business judgment, that the substantive terms of these severance agreements are competitive and reasonable.

 

A description of the material terms of the change in control severance agreements, Mr. Lance’s employment letter agreement and Mr. Shuman’s offer letter, as well as a summary of potential payments upon termination or a change in control for our named executive officers, is set forth in the “Potential Payments Upon Termination or a Change in Control” section of this proxy statement beginning on page 62.

 

Retirement Programs

 

Retirement Plan

 

We maintain a Retirement Plan, which is a tax-qualified, defined contribution retirement plan available to most of our U.S.-based employees. Subject to applicable Internal Revenue Code limits, employees may generally contribute up to 25% of eligible compensation, with named executive officers and certain other highly compensated employees limited to contributing 12% of eligible compensation. After one year (or, in certain cases, six months) of service we will make a matching contribution of up to 6% of eligible compensation. In addition, employees generally may contribute into the Retirement Plan up to 100% of cash payments made under our Performance Reward Plan, subject to Internal Revenue Code limits.

 

Supplemental Executive Retirement Plan

 

To the extent contributions to our Retirement Plan are subject to certain limitations under the Internal Revenue Code, certain of our salaried employees, including the named executive officers, are eligible to participate in our nonqualified SERP. In addition, the Compensation Committee may, in its discretion, provide for the deferral of other compensation under our SERP, including equity awards.

 

The value of our contributions to our named executive officers under our Retirement Plan and SERP is set forth in the Summary Compensation Table on page 50 under the “All Other Compensation” column and related notes. Additional information regarding our SERP and

credits to accounts under our SERP are set forth in the “Nonqualified Deferred Compensation” section of this proxy statement beginning on page 59.

 

Supplemental Pension Plan for Mr. Lance

 

In October 2006, we entered into an agreement to provide Mr. Lance with a defined retirement benefit. The Compensation Committee and independent directors of our Board determined in their business judgment to provide a supplemental pension plan to Mr. Lance because of the stage of his career during which he joined us and because he did not have a retirement benefit believed to be competitive with those of other chief executive officers. In December 2008, the Compensation Committee and independent directors of our Board approved changes to Mr. Lance’s supplemental pension plan to comply with Section 409A of the Internal Revenue Code and to make certain clarifying and other changes. The intent of the plan is to provide sufficient funds so that Mr. Lance’s annual retirement benefit in the aggregate, including our presumed level of additional contributions to our Retirement Plan and SERP and benefits under the Social Security Act and retirement benefits from prior employment, equals 50% of his final annual base salary and annual cash incentive target at retirement following age 60. The terms of Mr. Lance’s supplemental pension plan are believed to be competitive and result in a retirement benefit consistent with those provided to chief executive officers of our comparison group. Additional information regarding Mr. Lance’s supplemental pension plan is set forth in the Pension Benefits in Fiscal 2011 Table and related discussion beginning on page 58.

 

Health, Welfare and Other Benefits

 

We maintain health and welfare benefit programs for our U.S.-based employees, including medical and prescription coverage, dental and vision programs, short-term disability insurance, basic life insurance, supplemental life insurance and dependent life insurance, accidental death and dismemberment insurance and travel insurance as well as customary vacation, leave of absence and other similar policies. Our executive officers are eligible to participate in these programs on the same basis as our other salaried employees. We also offer a long-term disability plan to our U.S.-based employees. The plan is self-insured and funded through employee contributions. The plan provides a benefit of 60% of eligible compensation before offsets for Social Security and other company or government provided disability benefits. Eligible compensation for the purposes of the long-term disability plan is currently limited to $245,000 per year. For employees with eligible compensation in excess of $245,000, we provide a company-paid supplemental long-term disability benefit of 50% of eligible compensation above $245,000 up to $800,000, for a maximum annual additional disability benefit of up to $277,500. We provide Mr. Lance a life insurance benefit at two and one-half times eligible compensation, subject to a limit of $10 million in coverage.

 

Perquisites

 

Prior to fiscal 2011, we provided a limited number of perquisites to our Board-elected officers, including our named executive officers. Such perquisites consisted of the following: reimbursement of the costs of tax preparation and financial planning services; annual physical examinations; reimbursement of the costs of the initiation fees and ongoing dues in one approved social or country club; and personal use of company-owned aircraft for the CEO, and in very limited instances as approved by the CEO, other executives.

 

The Compensation Committee annually reviews the types and values of the perquisites provided to our Board-elected officers. Based upon an assessment of competitive trends, at the end of fiscal 2010 management recommended, and the Compensation Committee approved, the elimination of the reimbursement of costs of tax preparation and financial planning services, and reimbursement of the costs of the initiation fees and ongoing dues for an approved social or country club. These changes were effective the start of our fiscal 2011.

 

During fiscal 2010, our executive officer compensation policies were also revised such that we will no longer provide tax reimbursement or gross-up payments with respect to any perquisites provided to executive officers. Tax gross-up payments made pursuant to a plan, policy or arrangement applicable to a broad base of management employees, such as a relocation or tax equalization policy, are not affected by such revision to our executive officer compensation policies.

 

In consideration of the time demands on our CEO and to minimize and more effectively utilize his travel time, the Compensation Committee has authorized the personal use of company aircraft by

our CEO and his family and guests. Such personal usage is subject to limits on the number of hours for personal usage which are set by the Compensation Committee and reviewed annually. Personal use of aircraft includes travel undertaken by our CEO to participate in outside board meetings, which is considered personal use under SEC rules, but which we view as having a useful business purpose. For fiscal 2011, Mr. Lance’s personal use of company aircraft was below the guidelines set by the Compensation Committee. In addition, our CEO is responsible for paying the tax on income imputed to him for personal use of the aircraft.

 

Perquisites provided in fiscal 2011, namely annual physical examinations and limited personal use of company aircraft, represent a small portion of the total compensation of each named executive officer. The dollar values ascribed to these perquisites are set forth in the Summary Compensation Table on page 50 under the “All Other Compensation” column and related notes.

 

Policies Relating to Our Common Stock

 

Stock Ownership Guidelines

 

To further promote ownership of shares by management and to more closely align management and shareholder interests, the Compensation Committee has established stock ownership guidelines for our Board-elected officers. Executives are expected to own Harris stock having a minimum value, denominated as a multiple of their annual base salaries, which can be accumulated over a five-year period from the date of hire or promotion into a covered position. The Compensation Committee annually reviews the stock ownership guidelines, including reviewing the stock ownership guidelines of our comparison group.

 

The current stock ownership guidelines, are as follows:

 

 

Shares that count toward the stock ownership guidelines include shares owned outright or jointly by the executive, shares owned in our Retirement Plan, share equivalents represented by amounts deferred in the Harris stock fund account of our SERP, and restricted stock and restricted stock unit awards (on an after-tax basis). Stock options and unearned performance shares and performance share units do not count for the purpose of measuring compliance with the ownership guidelines. Executives age 62 or older are not subject to the guidelines. An annual review is conducted by the Compensation Committee to assess compliance with the guidelines. As of September 16, 2011, the named executive officers met their applicable ownership guidelines, or were on track to achieve their ownership guidelines within the applicable compliance timeframe.

 

Our Equity-Based Compensation Award Practices

 

As described above, the annual grant cycle for executive officer stock option grants and other equity awards typically occurs at the same time as decisions relating to salary increases and other annual cash incentive awards. This occurs at the start of each fiscal year, typically in late August, following the release of our financial results for the preceding fiscal year and the completion of the audit of our financial statements. The dates for the meetings at which such grants are typically made are set well in advance of such meetings, typically one year or more. For the past several years, the annual equity grant date for our eligible employees has occurred on the same date as the grant to executive officers. The Compensation Committee may also make grants of equity awards to executive officers at other times during the year due to special circumstances, such as new hires or promotions or for retention. We have not repriced options and if our stock price declined after the grant date, we have not replaced options. The exercise price of stock options is the closing market price of our common stock on the date of grant or, if the grant is made on a weekend or holiday, the closing market price of our common stock on the prior business day. Our Compensation Committee or Board also has the discretion to set the exercise price of stock options higher than the closing market price of our common stock on the date of grant.

 

Pursuant to our policy on equity grant practices previously adopted by the Compensation Committee, the grant date of equity awards made outside of the annual grant cycle, whether for promotions, recognition or for new hires, shall be the first trading day of the month following the promotion, recognition

or hire date, provided if such trading day is during a “quiet period” under our insider trading policy, the grant will be made on the first trading day following the end of such period. We do not time equity grants to take advantage of information, either positive or negative, about Harris that has not been publicly disclosed.

 

As permitted by the terms of our 2005 Equity Incentive Plan, our Board has delegated to our Chairman, President and CEO the authority to make equity grants to employees who are not executive officers. Such grants are subject to our equity grant policy. The maximum number of shares and options that can be awarded pursuant to this delegation is set by the Compensation Committee, which reviews these awards annually.

 

Insider Trading Policy and Policy Against Hedging

 

Our insider trading policy prohibits directors, employees and certain of their family members from purchasing or selling any type of security, whether issued by us or another company, while such person is aware of material non-public information relating to the issuer of the security or from providing such material non-public information to any person who may trade while aware of such information. This policy also prohibits directors and employees from engaging in short sales with respect to our securities, or entering into puts, calls or other “derivative” transactions with respect to our securities. We also have procedures that require trades by directors and executive officers to be pre-cleared by our General Counsel or his staff.

 

Tax and Accounting Considerations

 

Tax Deductibility of Executive Compensation

 

Section 162(m) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Internal Revenue Code”), generally prohibits a public company from deducting compensation paid in any year to any named executive officer in excess of $1 million. Certain compensation is specifically exempt from the deduction limit to the extent it is “performance-based.” In evaluating whether to structure executive compensation components as performance-based and thus, tax deductible, the Compensation Committee considers the net cost to us, and its ability to effectively administer executive compensation in the long-term interest of shareholders. Stock option grants and performance share or performance share unit awards made to executive officers under our equity incentive plans, and cash payments under our Annual Incentive Plan and Performance Reward Plan, are structured generally to be fully deductible under Section 162(m). The Compensation Committee believes, however, that it is important to preserve flexibility in administering compensation programs in a manner designed to promote corporate goals. Accordingly, the Compensation Committee from time to time has approved elements of compensation that were consistent with the objectives of our executive compensation program, but that may not be fully deductible. For example, grants of restricted stock or restricted stock units are not performance-based under Section 162(m) and, in certain instances, deductibility of such compensation may be limited. Additionally, in fiscal 2010 and 2011 a small portion of Mr. Lance’s base salary was non-deductible.

 

Nonqualified Deferred Compensation

 

Section 409A of the Internal Revenue Code requires that “nonqualified deferred compensation” be deferred and paid under plans or arrangements that satisfy the requirements of the law with respect to the timing of deferral elections, timing of payments and certain other matters. If such requirements are not complied with, amounts that are deferred under compensation arrangements will be currently includable in income and subject to an excise tax. In general, it is our intention to design and administer our compensation and benefits plans and arrangements for all of our employees so that they are either exempt from, or satisfy the requirements of, Section 409A. We believe we are currently operating such plans in compliance with Section 409A.

 

Accounting for Share-Based Compensation

 

Before we grant share-based compensation awards, we consider the accounting impact of the award as structured and other scenarios in order to analyze the expected impact of the award.

 

The following Report of the Management Development and Compensation Committee does not constitute soliciting material and the Report should not be deemed filed or incorporated by reference into any other previous or future filings by Harris under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, except to the extent that Harris specifically incorporates this Report by reference therein.

 

The Compensation Committee has reviewed and discussed with management the “Compensation Discussion and Analysis” section of this proxy statement. Based on its review and discussion, the Compensation Committee has recommended to the Board, and the Board has approved, that this Compensation Discussion and Analysis be included in this proxy statement for the 2011 Annual Meeting of Shareholders and incorporated by reference in Harris’ Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended July 1, 2011.

 

Submitted on September 9, 2011 by the Management Development and Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors.

 

Thomas A. Dattilo, Chairperson

Terry D. Growcock

Stephen P. Kaufman

Dr. James C. Stoffel

RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN COMPENSATION
PLANS AND RISK

 

In response to the heightened focus on risk in incentive plans in fiscal 2010 and again in fiscal 2011, the Compensation Committee, and management with the assistance of Aon Hewitt Associates LLC, conducted a comprehensive review of our compensation programs, policies and practices, including executive compensation and major broad-based compensation programs in which salaried and hourly employees at various levels of our organization participate. The goal of this review was to assess whether any of our compensation programs, policies or practices, either individually or in the aggregate, would encourage executives or employees to undertake unnecessary or excessive risks that were reasonably likely to have a material adverse impact on Harris.

 

We reviewed our variable pay, sales commission plans and other compensation plans and considered the number of participants in each plan, the participants’ level within the organization, the target and maximum payment potential and the performance criteria under each plan, and the type of plan. Management and the Compensation Committee also applied a risk assessment to those plans that were identified as having the potential to deliver a material amount of compensation, which for fiscal 2011 were the annual and long-term incentive plans that are described in the “Compensation Discussion and Analysis” section of this proxy statement. Management and the Compensation Committee concluded that our executive compensation strategy, programs, policies and practices do not pose material risk due to a variety of mitigating factors. These factors include:

 

 

 

As a result of this review, both management and the Compensation Committee concluded that our compensation plans, programs, policies and practices are not reasonably likely to have a material adverse effect on Harris.

 

The following table summarizes the compensation paid to, or accrued on behalf of, our named executive officers for the fiscal years ended July 1, 2011, July 2, 2010 and July 3, 2009. The named executive officers are our CEO, our Chief Financial Officer, and our three other most highly compensated executive officers based upon their total compensation as reflected in the table below for the fiscal year ended July 1, 2011 (not including amounts, if any, in the “Change in Pension Value and Nonqualified Deferred Compensation Earnings” column). Consistent with our executive compensation program objectives, performance-based compensation, particularly long-term incentive compensation, is emphasized in determining compensation packages. The Summary Compensation Table and the Grants of Plan-Based Awards in Fiscal 2011 Table should be viewed together for a more complete representation of both the annual and long-term incentive compensation elements of our program.

 

 

 

 

Fiscal 2011 All Other Compensation Table

 

 

 

 

Salary and Bonus as a Proportion of 2011 Total Compensation

 

Using the amounts shown under the “Salary” and “Bonus” columns and the amounts shown under the “Total” column in the Summary Compensation Table, the salary and bonus of each of our named executive officers as a proportion of their respective 2011 total compensation was as follows: Mr. Lance-12.24%; Mr. McArthur-25.77%; Mr. Pearson-26.17%; Mr. Mehnert-27.80%; and Mr. Shuman-26.17%.