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UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549

SCHEDULE 14A

Proxy Statement Pursuant to Section 14(a) of
the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (Amendment No.           )

Filed by the Registrant ý

Filed by a Party other than the Registrant o

Check the appropriate box:

o

 

Preliminary Proxy Statement

o

 

Confidential, for Use of the Commission Only (as permitted by Rule 14a-6(e)(2))

ý

 

Definitive Proxy Statement

o

 

Definitive Additional Materials

o

 

Soliciting Material under §240.14a-12

 

SKYWORKS SOLUTIONS, INC.
(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):

ý

 

No fee required.

o

 

Fee computed on table below per Exchange Act Rules 14a-6(i)(1) and 0-11.

 

 

(1)

 

Title of each class of securities to which transaction applies:
  
    (2)   Aggregate number of securities to which transaction applies:
  
    (3)   Per unit price or other underlying value of transaction computed pursuant to Exchange Act Rule 0-11 (set forth the amount on which the filing fee is calculated and state how it was determined):
  
    (4)   Proposed maximum aggregate value of transaction:
  
    (5)   Total fee paid:
  

o

 

Fee paid previously with preliminary materials.

o

 

Check box if any part of the fee is offset as provided by Exchange Act Rule 0-11(a)(2) and identify the filing for which the offsetting fee was paid previously. Identify the previous filing by registration statement number, or the Form or Schedule and the date of its filing.

 

 

(1)

 

Amount Previously Paid:
  
    (2)   Form, Schedule or Registration Statement No.:
  
    (3)   Filing Party:
  
    (4)   Date Filed:
  

 


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    LOGO

March 27, 2020

Dear Stockholder:

I am pleased to invite you to attend the 2020 Annual Meeting of Stockholders (the “Annual Meeting”) of Skyworks Solutions, Inc., to be held at 2:00 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time, on Wednesday, May 6, 2020. The Annual Meeting will be held online due to the emerging public health impact of the coronavirus outbreak (COVID-19) and to support the health and well-being of our partners, employees, and stockholders. You will be able to attend and participate in the Annual Meeting online by visiting www.virtualshareholdermeeting.com/SWKS2020, where you will be able to listen to the meeting live, submit questions, and vote. In light of the public health and safety concerns related to COVID-19, we believe that hosting a “virtual meeting” will enable greater stockholder attendance and participation from any location around the world. We intend to resume our historical practice of holding an in-person meeting next year. We look forward to your participation online or by proxy. The attached Notice of Annual Meeting of Stockholders and Proxy Statement describe the matters that we expect to be acted upon at the Annual Meeting.

Whether or not you plan to attend the Annual Meeting online, and regardless of how many shares you own, it is important that your shares be represented at the Annual Meeting. Accordingly, if you are a stockholder of record, we urge you to complete the proxy and return it to us promptly in the postage-prepaid envelope provided, or to complete and submit your proxy by telephone or via the Internet in accordance with the instructions on the proxy card. If your shares are held in “street name,” that is, held for your account by a broker or other nominee, you will receive instructions from the holder of record that you must follow for your shares to be voted. If you do attend the Annual Meeting online and wish to vote at that time, you may revoke a previously submitted proxy by voting at the meeting.

Sincerely yours,

GRAPHIC

David J. Aldrich
Chairman of the Board

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Notice of Annual Meeting of Stockholders
To Be Held on Wednesday, May 6, 2020

To the Stockholders of Skyworks Solutions, Inc.:

The 2020 Annual Meeting of Stockholders (the “Annual Meeting”) of Skyworks Solutions, Inc. (the “Company”), will be held on Wednesday, May 6, 2020, at 2:00 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time. The Annual Meeting will be held online, accessed through the site www.virtualshareholdermeeting.com/SWKS2020, to consider and act upon the following proposals:

Only stockholders of record at the close of business on March 12, 2020, are entitled to notice of and to vote at the Annual Meeting. To ensure your representation at the Annual Meeting, we urge you to submit a proxy promptly in one of the following ways whether or not you plan to attend the Annual Meeting online: (a) by completing, signing, and dating the proxy card and returning it in the postage-prepaid envelope provided for that purpose; (b) by completing and submitting your proxy using the toll-free telephone number listed on the proxy card; or (c) by completing and submitting your proxy via the Internet by visiting the website address listed on the proxy card. The Proxy Statement accompanying this notice describes each of the items of business listed above in more detail. Our Board of Directors recommends: a vote “FOR” the election of the nominees for director named in Proposal 1 of the Proxy Statement; a vote “FOR” Proposal 2, ratifying the selection of KPMG LLP as the independent registered public accounting firm of the Company for fiscal year 2020; a vote “FOR” Proposal 3, approving, on an advisory basis, the compensation of the Company’s named executive officers; a vote “FOR” Proposal 4, approving the amendment to the Company’s 2002 Employee Stock Purchase Plan, as Amended; a vote “FOR” each of Proposals 5–8, approving amendments to the Company’s Restated Certificate of Incorporation; and a vote “AGAINST” Proposal 9, a non-binding stockholder proposal.

The accompanying Proxy Statement includes further information about how to attend the Annual Meeting online, vote your shares online during the Annual Meeting, and submit questions online during the Annual Meeting. A complete list of registered stockholders will be available for examination during the Annual Meeting at www.virtualshareholdermeeting.com/SWKS2020.

    By Order of the Board of Directors,

 

 


GRAPHIC
Robert J. Terry
Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary

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Proxy Statement 2020

    

LOGO


Table of Contents

Proxy Statement
2020 Annual Meeting of Stockholders

Table of Contents

Proxy Summary Statement     11  

General Information

 

 

12

 

Proposal 1: Election of Directors

 

 

18

 

Nominees for Election

   
20
 

Corporate Governance

   
26
 

Committees of the Board of Directors

   
29
 

Role of the Board of Directors in Risk
Oversight

   
33
 

Compensation Committee Interlocks and
Insider Participation

   
34
 

Certain Relationships and
Related Person Transactions

   
34
 

Proposal 2: Ratification of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

 

 

35

 

Audit Fees

   
36
 

Report of the Audit Committee

 

 

37

 

Proposal 3: Advisory Vote on the Compensation of Our Named Executive Officers (“Say-on-Pay Vote”)

 

 

38

 

Information About Executive and Director Compensation

 

 

39

 

Summary and Highlights

   
39
 

Compensation Discussion and Analysis

   
41
 

Compensation Tables for
Named Executive Officers

   
53
 

Director Compensation

   
63
 

Compensation Committee Report

 

 

65

 

Proposal 4: Approval of Amendment to the 2002 Employee Stock Purchase Plan     66  

Description of the ESPP as Proposed to be Amended

   
66
 

Plan Benefits

   
70
 

Equity Compensation Plan Information

   
71
 

Proposals 5-8: Approval of Amendments to Charter to Eliminate Supermajority Vote Provisions

 

 

72

 

Proposal 9: Stockholder Proposal Regarding Right to Act by Written Consent

 

 

77

 

Statement of Opposition by the Board of Directors

   
78
 

Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management

 

 

79

 

Other Proposed Action

 

 

81

 

Other Matters

 

 

81

 

Appendix A: Provisions of Charter Subject to Potential Amendment

 

 

83

 

Appendix B: Unaudited Reconciliations of Non-GAAP Financial Measures

 

 

90

 

Discussion Regarding the Use of Non-GAAP Financial Measures

   
91
 

LOGO

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Proxy Statement Summary

This summary highlights information generally contained elsewhere in this Proxy Statement. This summary does not contain all of the information that you should consider in advance of the 2020 Annual Meeting of Stockholders, and we encourage you to read the entire Proxy Statement before voting your shares.

2020 Annual Meeting of Stockholders
GRAPHIC   GRAPHIC   GRAPHIC

Date & Time

 

Virtual Meeting Access

 

Record Date
May 6, 2020
2:00 p.m. Eastern
Daylight Time
  www.virtualshareholdermeeting.com/SWKS2020   March 12, 2020

Matters to be Voted Upon

Your vote is very important to us. Please cast your vote on all of the proposals to ensure that your shares are represented.

GRAPHIC

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General Information

How do we refer to Skyworks in this Proxy Statement?

The terms “Skyworks,” “the Company,” “we,” “us,” and “our” refer to Skyworks Solutions, Inc., a Delaware corporation, and its consolidated subsidiaries.

When and where is our Annual Meeting?

The Company’s 2020 Annual Meeting of Stockholders (the “Annual Meeting”) will be held on Wednesday, May 6, 2020, at 2:00 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time. The Annual Meeting will be held online due to the emerging public health impact of the coronavirus outbreak (COVID-19) and to support the health and well-being of our partners, employees, and stockholders. You will be able to attend and participate in the Annual Meeting online by visiting www.virtualshareholdermeeting.com/SWKS2020. In light of the public health and safety concerns related to COVID-19, we believe that hosting a virtual meeting will facilitate stockholder attendance and participation at our Annual Meeting by enabling stockholders to participate remotely from any location around the world. We have designed the virtual Annual Meeting to provide the same rights and opportunities to participate as stockholders would have at an in-person meeting, including the right to vote and ask questions through the virtual meeting platform. We intend to return to holding an in-person annual meeting in 2021.

What is the purpose of the Annual Meeting?

At the Annual Meeting, stockholders will consider and vote on the following matters:

Proposal 1: The election of the nine nominees named in this Proxy Statement to our Board of Directors to serve until the 2021 Annual Meeting of Stockholders.
Proposal 2: The ratification of the selection of KPMG LLP as our independent registered public accounting firm for the fiscal year ending October 2, 2020 (“fiscal year 2020”).
Proposal 3: The approval, on a non-binding basis, of the compensation of our Named Executive Officers, as described below under “Compensation Discussion and Analysis,” and in the executive compensation tables and accompanying narrative disclosures in this Proxy Statement.
Proposal 4: The approval of an amendment to the Company’s 2002 Employee Stock Purchase Plan, as Amended.
Proposals 5, 6, 7, and 8: The approval of various amendments to the Company’s Restated Certificate of Incorporation regarding elimination of supermajority vote provisions.
Proposal 9: A non-binding stockholder proposal regarding a right by stockholders to act by written consent, if properly presented at the Annual Meeting.

The stockholders will also act on any other business that may properly come before the meeting.

What is included in our proxy materials?

The Company’s Annual Report, which includes financial statements and “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operation” for the fiscal year ended September 27, 2019 (“fiscal year 2019”), accompanies this Proxy Statement. This Proxy Statement and form of proxy, and/or notice of access thereto, are being first mailed to stockholders on or about March 27, 2020. The Proxy Statement and the Company’s Annual Report are available at www.skyworksinc.com/annualreport.

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Who can vote at our Annual Meeting?

Only stockholders of record at the close of business on March 12, 2020 (the “Record Date”), are entitled to notice of and to vote at the Annual Meeting. As of the Record Date, there were 169,562,821 shares of Skyworks’ common stock issued and outstanding. Pursuant to Skyworks’ Restated Certificate of Incorporation and By-laws, and applicable Delaware law, each share of common stock entitles the holder of record at the close of business on the Record Date to one vote on each matter considered at the Annual Meeting.

Is my vote important?

Yes. Your vote is important no matter how many shares you own. Please take the time to vote in the way that is easiest and most convenient for you, and cast your vote as soon as possible.

How do I vote if I am a stockholder of record?

As a stockholder of record, you may vote in one of the following three ways whether or not you plan to attend the Annual Meeting online: (a) by completing, signing, and dating the proxy card and returning it in the postage-prepaid envelope provided for that purpose, (b) by completing and submitting your proxy using the toll-free telephone number listed on the proxy card, or (c) by completing and submitting your proxy via the Internet at the website address listed on the proxy card. If you attend the Annual Meeting online, you may vote online at the Annual Meeting even if you have previously submitted your proxy by mail or telephone, or via the Internet (and your vote at the Annual Meeting will automatically revoke your previously submitted proxy, although mere virtual attendance at the meeting without voting will not have that result).

How do I vote if I am a beneficial owner of shares held in “street name”?

If your shares are held on your behalf by a third party such as your broker or another person or entity who holds shares of the Company on your behalf and for your benefit, which person or entity we refer to as a

“nominee,” and your broker (or other nominee) is the stockholder of record of such shares, then you are the beneficial owner of such shares and we refer to those shares as being held in “street name.” As the beneficial owner of your “street name” shares, you are entitled to instruct your broker (or other nominee) as to how to vote your shares. Your broker (or other nominee) will provide you with information regarding how to instruct your broker (or other nominee) as to the voting of your “street name” shares.

How do I vote if I am a participant in the Skyworks 401(k) Savings and Investment Plan?

If you are a participant in the Skyworks 401(k) Savings and Investment Plan (the “401(k) Plan”), you will receive an instruction card for the Skyworks shares you own through the 401(k) Plan. That instruction card will serve as a voting instruction card for the trustee of the 401(k) Plan, and your 401(k) Plan shares will be voted as you instruct.

Can I change my vote after I have voted?

Any proxy given pursuant to this solicitation may be revoked by the person giving it at any time before it is voted at the Annual Meeting. Proxies may be revoked by (a) delivering to the Secretary of the Company, before the taking of the vote at the Annual Meeting, a written notice of revocation bearing a later date than the proxy, (b) duly completing a later-dated proxy relating to the same shares and delivering it to the Secretary of the Company before the taking of the vote at the Annual Meeting, or (c) attending the Annual Meeting online and voting (although virtual attendance at the Annual Meeting will not in and of itself constitute a revocation of a proxy). Any written notice of revocation or subsequent proxy should be delivered to the Company’s executive offices at Skyworks Solutions, Inc., 5221 California Avenue, Irvine, CA 92617, Attention: Secretary, before the taking of the vote at the Annual Meeting. If you vote your shares over the Internet prior to the Annual Meeting, only your latest Internet vote submitted prior to the Annual Meeting will be counted at the Annual Meeting.

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How do I virtually attend the Annual Meeting?

You are invited to attend the Annual Meeting online by visiting www.virtualshareholdermeeting.com/SWKS2020, where you will be able to listen to the meeting live, submit questions, and vote. The meeting will begin at 2:00 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time. In order to participate in the meeting, you will need the multi-digit number included in your proxy card, voter instruction form, or notice. Instructions on how to attend and participate online, including how to demonstrate proof of stock ownership, will be posted at www.virtualshareholdermeeting.com/SWKS2020.

Online check-in will begin at 1:45 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time on May 6, 2020, and you should allow ample time for the online check-in proceedings. We will have technicians standing by and ready to assist you with any technical difficulties you may have accessing the virtual meeting starting at 1:45 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time on May 6, 2020. If you encounter any difficulties accessing the virtual meeting during the check-in time or meeting time, please call the phone number that will be listed at that time at www.virtualshareholdermeeting.com/SWKS2020.

If I vote by proxy, how will my vote be cast?

The persons named as attorneys-in-fact in this Proxy Statement, Liam K. Griffin and Robert J. Terry, were selected by the Board of Directors and are officers of the Company. As attorneys-in-fact, Messrs. Griffin and Terry will vote any shares represented at the meeting by proxy. Each executed proxy card returned by a stockholder of record or proxy vote recorded via telephone or the Internet by a stockholder of record in the manner provided on the proxy card prior to the taking of the vote at the Annual Meeting will be voted. Where a choice has been specified in an executed proxy with respect to the matters to be acted upon at the Annual Meeting, the shares represented by the proxy will be voted in accordance with the choices specified.

How will my shares be voted if I do not give specific voting instructions when I deliver my proxy?

If you are a stockholder of record and deliver a proxy but do not give specific voting instructions, then the proxy holders will vote your shares as recommended by the Board of Directors.

If your shares are held in “street name,” your broker (or other nominee) is required to vote those shares in accordance with your instructions. If you do not give instructions to your broker (or other nominee), your broker (or other nominee) will only be entitled to vote your shares with respect to “discretionary” matters, as described below, but will not be permitted to vote the shares with respect to “non-discretionary” matters. If you beneficially own shares that are held in “street name” by your broker (or other nominee), we strongly encourage you to provide instructions to your broker (or other nominee) as to how to vote on the election of directors and all of the Proposals by signing, dating, and returning to your broker (or other nominee) the instruction card provided by your broker (or other nominee).

If you are a participant in the 401(k) Plan, the trustee of the 401(k) Plan will not vote your 401(k) Plan shares if the trustee does not receive voting instructions from you by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on May 1, 2020, unless otherwise required by law.

What is a “broker non-vote”?

A “broker non-vote” occurs when your broker (or other nominee) submits a proxy for your shares (because the broker (or other nominee) has either received instructions from you on one or more proposals, but not all, or has not received instructions from you but is entitled to vote on a particular “discretionary” matter) but does not indicate a vote “FOR” a particular proposal because the broker (or other nominee) either does not have authority to vote on that proposal and has not received voting instructions from you or has “discretionary” authority on the proposal but chooses not to exercise it. “Broker non-votes” are not counted to determine the number of votes present for the particular proposal, nor are

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they counted as votes “FOR” or “AGAINST” the proposal in question or as abstentions, except for Proposals 5, 6, 7, and 8 regarding the approval of amendments to the Company’s Restated Certificate of Incorporation, for which broker non-votes will have the same effect as votes “AGAINST” such proposals. We count “broker non-votes” for the purpose of determining a quorum for the Annual Meeting. If your shares are held in “street name” by your broker (or other nominee), please check the instruction card provided by your broker (or other nominee) or contact your broker (or other nominee) to determine whether you will be able to vote by telephone or via the Internet.

What vote is required for each matter?

Election of Directors.    Pursuant to the Company’s By-laws, a nominee will be elected to the Board of Directors if the votes cast “FOR” the nominee’s election at the Annual Meeting exceed the votes cast “AGAINST” the nominee’s election (as long as the only director nominees are those individuals set forth in this Proxy Statement). Abstentions and “broker non-votes” will not count as votes “FOR” or “AGAINST.” If the shares you own are held in “street name,” your broker (or other nominee), as the record holder of your shares, is required to vote your shares according to your instructions. Proposal 1 is not considered to be a “discretionary” matter for certain brokers. If you do not instruct your broker how to vote with respect to this item, your broker may not vote your shares with respect to the election of directors. In such case, a “broker non-vote” may occur, which will have no effect on the outcome of Proposal 1.

Ratification of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm.    The affirmative vote of a majority of the shares present, or represented by proxy, at the Annual Meeting, and entitled to vote on such matter at the Annual Meeting, is required to approve Proposal 2. Proposal 2 involves a matter on which a broker (or other nominee) does have “discretionary” authority to vote. If you do not instruct your broker how to vote with respect to this item, your broker may still vote

your shares with respect to this proposal in its discretion. With respect to Proposal 2, a vote of “ABSTAIN” will have the same effect as a vote of “AGAINST.”

Say-on-Pay Vote; Approval of 2002 Employee Stock Purchase Plan, as Amended; Stockholder Proposal.    The affirmative vote of a majority of the shares present online, or represented by proxy at the Annual Meeting, and entitled to vote on such matter at the Annual Meeting, is required to approve Proposals 3, 4, and 9. Proposals 3, 4, and 9 are not considered to be “discretionary” matters for certain brokers. If you do not instruct your broker how to vote with respect to these items, your broker may not vote your shares with respect to these proposals. In such case, a “broker non-vote” may occur, which will have no effect on the outcome of Proposals 3, 4, and 9. Votes that are marked “ABSTAIN” are counted as present and entitled to vote with respect to Proposals 3, 4, and 9 and will have the same impact as a vote that is marked “AGAINST” for purposes of Proposals 3, 4, and 9.

Approval of Amendments to the Company’s Restated Certificate of Incorporation.    Approval of Proposals 5, 6, 7, and 8 requires the affirmative vote of the holders of at least the following percentages of the shares of our outstanding common stock, respectively: 80%, 90%, 80%, and 80%. Proposals 5-8 are not considered to be “discretionary” matters for certain brokers. If you do not instruct your broker how to vote with respect to one or more of these items, your broker may not vote your shares with respect to such proposals. In such case, a “broker non-vote” may occur, which will have the same effect as a vote that is marked “AGAINST” for purposes of such proposal. Votes that are marked “ABSTAIN” as to any of Proposals 5-8 are counted as present and entitled to vote with respect to such proposal and will have the same impact as a vote that is marked “AGAINST” for purposes of such proposal.

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How does the Board of Directors recommend that I vote?

The Board of Directors recommends that you vote:

FOR the election of each of the nine director nominees (Proposal 1).

FOR the ratification of the selection of KPMG LLP as our independent registered public accounting firm for fiscal year 2020 (Proposal 2).

FOR the approval, on a non-binding basis, of the compensation of our Named Executive Officers, as described below under “Compensation Discussion and Analysis,” and in the executive compensation tables and accompanying narrative disclosures (Proposal 3).

FOR the approval of an amendment to the Company’s 2002 Employee Stock Purchase Plan, as Amended (Proposal 4).

FOR the approval of amendments to the Company’s Restated Certificate of Incorporation (Proposals 5-8).

AGAINST the approval, on a non-binding basis, of a stockholder proposal regarding a right by stockholders to act by written consent (Proposal 9).

How will the votes cast at our Annual Meeting be counted?

Broadridge Financial Solutions, Inc., and our independent inspector of elections will tabulate the votes at the Annual Meeting. The vote on each matter submitted to stockholders will be tabulated separately.

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

We expect to announce the preliminary voting results at our Annual Meeting. The final voting results will be reported in a Current Report on Form 8-K that will be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) within four business days after the end of our Annual Meeting and will be posted on our website.

Will my vote be kept confidential?

Yes. We will keep your vote confidential unless (1) we are required by law to disclose your vote (including in connection with the pursuit or defense of a legal or

administrative action or proceeding), or (2) there is a contested election for the Board of Directors. The inspector of elections will forward any written comments that you make on the proxy card to management without providing your name, unless you expressly request on your proxy card that your name be disclosed.

What is the quorum requirement for our Annual Meeting?

The holders of a majority of the issued and outstanding stock of the Company present either in person or by proxy at the Annual Meeting constitute a quorum for the transaction of business at the Annual Meeting. Shares present virtually during the Annual Meeting will be considered shares of common stock represented in person at the meeting. Shares that abstain from voting on any proposal and “broker non-votes” will be counted as shares that are present for purposes of determining whether a quorum exists at the Annual Meeting. If a “broker non-vote” occurs with respect to any shares of the Company’s common stock on any matter, then those shares will be treated as not present and not entitled to vote with respect to that matter (even though those shares are considered entitled to vote for purposes of determining whether a quorum exists because they are entitled to vote on other matters) and will not be voted.

How do I submit a question at the Annual Meeting?

If you wish to submit a question, beginning at 1:45 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time on May 6, 2020, you may log into the virtual meeting platform at www.virtualshareholdermeeting.com/SWKS2020, type your question into the “Ask a Question” field, and click “Submit.” Our virtual meeting will be governed by our Annual Meeting Rules of Conduct which will include rules on permissible topics for stockholder questions and will be posted at www.virtualshareholdermeeting.com/SWKS2020.

When will Skyworks next hold an advisory vote on the frequency of say-on-pay votes?

Skyworks currently conducts an annual say-on-pay vote. The next advisory vote on the frequency of say-on-pay votes is expected to be held at our 2023 Annual Meeting of Stockholders.

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What is “householding”?

Some brokers (or other nominees) may be participating in the practice of “householding” proxy statements and annual reports. This means that only one copy of this Proxy Statement and our Annual Report may have been sent to multiple stockholders in your household. If you are a stockholder and your household or address has received only one Annual Report and one Proxy Statement, the Company will promptly deliver a separate copy of the Annual Report and the Proxy Statement to you, upon your written request to Skyworks Solutions, Inc., 5221 California Avenue, Irvine, CA 92617, Attention: Investor Relations, or oral request to Investor Relations

at (949) 231-3433. If you would like to receive separate copies of our Annual Report and Proxy Statement in the future, you should direct such request to your broker (or other nominee). Even if your household or address has received only one Annual Report and one Proxy Statement, a separate proxy card should have been provided for each stockholder account. Each individual proxy card should be signed, dated, and returned in the postage-prepaid envelope (or completed and submitted by telephone or via the Internet, as described on the proxy card). If your household has received multiple copies of our Annual Report and Proxy Statement, you can request the delivery of single copies in the future by contacting your broker (or other nominee), or the Company at the address or telephone number above.

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 PROPOSAL 1:

Election of Directors

Under this Proposal 1, you are being asked to consider nine nominees for election to our Board of Directors to serve until the 2021 Annual Meeting of Stockholders and until their successors are elected and qualified or until their earlier resignation or removal. The names of the nine nominees for election as directors, their current occupations, the year such nominees were first elected as directors of the Company and their Board committee memberships are set forth in the table below. Each nominee for election has agreed to serve if elected, and the Board of Directors knows of no reason why any nominee should be unable or unwilling to serve. If a nominee is unable or unwilling to serve, the attorneys-in-fact named in this Proxy Statement will vote any shares represented at the meeting by proxy for the election of another individual nominated by the Board of Directors, if any. No nominee or executive officer is

related by blood, marriage, or adoption to any other director, nominee, or executive officer. No arrangements or understandings exist between any director or person nominated for election as a director and any other person pursuant to which such person is to be selected as a director or nominee for election as a director.

Balakrishnan S. Iyer, age 63, the current chairman of the Audit Committee, has served as a director since 2002 and is not a director nominee up for reelection at the Annual Meeting. As a result, the number of directors constituting the Board of Directors will be reduced from ten (10) to nine (9) effective upon the election of directors at the Annual Meeting. Proxies cannot be voted for a greater number of individuals than the number of nominees named in this Proxy Statement.

    Director Nominees                        
        Director       Committee Memberships    
    Name and Occupation   Since   Independent   AC   CC   NCGC    
    David J. Aldrich
Chairman of the Board, Skyworks Solutions, Inc.

 
2000            
    Alan S. Batey
Retired Executive Vice President and President of N. A., General Motors
  2019   ·           ·    
  Kevin L. Beebe
President and Chief Executive Officer, 2BPartners, LLC

 
2004   ·       C    
    Timothy R. Furey
Chief Executive Officer, MarketBridge
  1998   ·   ·       ·    
  Liam K. Griffin
President, Chief Executive Officer and Director

 
2016            
    Christine King
Lead Independent Director, Skyworks Solutions, Inc.
Retired Executive Chairman, QLogic Corporation
  2014   ·   ·   C        
  David P. McGlade
Chairman of the Board, Intelsat S.A.

 
2005   ·   ·   ·      
    Robert A. Schriesheim
Chairman, Truax Partners LLC
  2006   ·       ·   ·    
  Kimberly S. Stevenson
Senior Vice President and General Manager, NetApp, Inc.

 
2018   ·       ·    
    “AC” indicates Audit Committee, “CC” indicates Compensation Committee, “NCGC” indicates Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee, and “C” indicates Committee Chair    

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Immediately below this proposal is biographical information about each of the director nominees, including information regarding each nominee’s business experience for the past five years, and the names of other public companies for which each nominee has served as a director during the past five years. The information presented below regarding the specific experience, qualifications, attributes, and skills of each nominee led our Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee and our Board of Directors to conclude that he or she should serve as a director.

Majority Vote Standard for Election of Directors

A nominee for election as a director in an uncontested election (an election where the number of nominees for election as directors is equal to or less than the number of directors to be elected) will be elected if the number of votes cast “FOR” such nominee’s election exceeds the number of votes cast “AGAINST” the nominee’s election. In a contested election (in which the number of nominees for election as directors exceeds the number of directors to be elected at such meeting), directors are elected by a plurality of all votes cast in such election. The election of directors at this Annual Meeting is uncontested. As a result, each nominee for election as a director at the Annual Meeting will only be elected if the votes cast “FOR” such nominee exceed the number of votes cast

AGAINST” such nominee. As required by our corporate governance guidelines, which are available on the Investor Relations portion of the Company’s website at www.skyworksinc.com, each incumbent director who is a nominee for election as a director at the Annual Meeting submitted to the Board of Directors an irrevocable resignation that would become effective if the votes cast “FOR” such nominee’s election do not exceed the votes cast “AGAINST” such nominee’s election and our Board of Directors determines to accept his or her resignation. Upon such resignation by a nominee and pursuant to the procedures set forth in the corporate governance guidelines, the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee will evaluate the best interests of our Company and stockholders and will recommend to our Board of Directors the action to be taken with respect to the resignation. The Board of Directors will then decide whether to accept, reject, or modify the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee’s recommendation, and the Company will publicly disclose such decision by the Board of Directors with respect to the director nominee.

Shares represented by all proxies received by the Board of Directors that are properly completed, but do not specify a choice as to the election of directors, will be voted “FOR” the election of all nine of the nominees.

GRAPHIC

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Nominees for Election


 

 

David J. Aldrich
Chairman of the Board

 

 

Director since: 2000
Age: 63
Committee(s): None



 

 

Experience

Mr. Aldrich serves as Chairman of the Board, a position he has held since May 2014. Mr. Aldrich also served as Executive Chairman of the Company from May 2016 to May 2018, Chief Executive Officer from May 2014 to May 2016, and as President and Chief Executive Officer and as a director from April 2000 to May 2014. From September 1999 to April 2000, Mr. Aldrich served as President and Chief Operating Officer. From May 1999 to September 1999, he served as Executive Vice President, and from May 1996 to May 1999, he served as Vice President and General

Manager of the semiconductor products business unit. Mr. Aldrich joined the Company in 1995 as Vice President, Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer.

Qualifications

We believe that Mr. Aldrich’s qualifications to serve as a director include his leadership experience, his strategic decision-making ability, his knowledge of the semiconductor industry, and his in-depth knowledge of Skyworks’ business.

Other Public Company Boards

Current

Belden Inc.
Acacia Communications, Inc.

Past 5 Years

None
 



 

 

Christine King
Lead Independent Director

 

 

Director since: 2014
Age: 70
Committee(s): Audit, Compensation (Chair)

Experience

Ms. King has been Lead Independent Director since May 2019. Ms. King served as Executive Chairman of QLogic Corporation (a publicly traded developer of high-performance server and storage networking connectivity products) from August 2015 until August 2016, when it was acquired by Cavium, Inc. Previously, she served as a director and as Chief Executive Officer of Standard Microsystems Corporation (a publicly traded developer of silicon-based integrated circuits utilizing analog and mixed-signal technologies) from 2008 until the company’s acquisition in 2012 by Microchip Technology, Inc. Prior to Standard

Microsystems, Ms. King was Chief Executive Officer of AMI Semiconductor, Inc., a publicly traded company, from 2001 until it was acquired by ON Semiconductor Corp. in 2008.

Qualifications

We believe that Ms. King’s qualifications to serve as a director include her extensive management and operational experience in the high-tech and semiconductor industries as well as her significant strategic and financial expertise.

Other Public Company Boards

Current

IDACORP, Inc.

Past 5 Years

Cirrus Logic, Inc. (until 2018)
QLogic Corporation (until 2016)

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Liam K. Griffin
President and Chief Executive Officer

 

 

Director since: 2016
Age: 53
Committee(s): None



 

 

Experience

Prior to his appointment as Chief Executive Officer and to the Board of Directors in May 2016, Mr. Griffin had served as President of the Company since May 2014. He served as Executive Vice President and Corporate General Manager from November 2012 to May 2014, Executive Vice President and General Manager, High Performance Analog from May 2011 to November 2012, and Senior Vice President, Sales and Marketing from August 2001 to May 2011. Previously, Mr. Griffin was employed by Vectron International, a division of Dover Corp., as Vice President of

Worldwide Sales from 1997 to 2001 and as Vice President of North American Sales from 1995 to 1997.

Qualifications

We believe that Mr. Griffin’s qualifications to serve as a director include his strong relationships with Skyworks’ key customers, investors, employees, and other stakeholders, as well as a deep understanding of the semiconductor industry and its competitive landscape gained through serving in several different executive positions at Skyworks.

Other Public Company Boards

Current

National Instruments Corporation

Past 5 Years

Vicor Corp. (until 2019)
 



 

 

Alan S. Batey

 

 

 

 

Director since: 2019
Age: 57
Committee(s): Nominating and Corporate Governance

Experience

Mr. Batey served as Executive Vice President and President of North America for General Motors Company (a publicly traded automotive manufacturer), as well as the Global Brand Chief for Chevrolet, a division of General Motors Company, from 2014 until 2019. His career spans more than 39 years with General Motors where he held various senior management positions in operations, marketing, and sales around the world.

Qualifications

We believe that Mr. Batey’s qualifications to serve as a director include his extensive senior management experience at General Motors, where he developed expertise on a broad set of complex strategic, operational, and technological matters involving the automotive industry, an industry that is expected to be a growth market for the Company. Mr. Batey was identified as a director candidate by a search firm engaged by the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee.

Other Public Company Boards

Current

None

Past 5 Years

None

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Kevin L. Beebe

 

 

 

 

Director since: 2004
Age: 61
Committee(s): Nominating and Corporate Governance (Chair)

Experience

Mr. Beebe has been President and Chief Executive Officer of 2BPartners, LLC (a partnership that provides strategic, financial, and operational advice to private equity investors and management) since 2007. In 2014, Mr. Beebe became a founding partner of Astra Capital Management (a private equity firm based in Washington, D.C.). Previously, beginning in 1998, he was Group President of Operations at ALLTEL Corporation (a telecommunications services company).

Qualifications

We believe that Mr. Beebe’s qualifications to serve as a director include his two decades of experience as an operating executive in the wireless telecommunications industry as well as his experience and relationships gained from advising leading private equity firms that are transacting business in the global capital markets.

Other Public Company Boards

Current

SBA Communications Corporation
Frontier Communications Corporation

Past 5 Years

NII Holdings, Inc. (until 2019)
 



 

 

Timothy R. Furey

 

 

 

 

Director since: 1998
Age: 61
Committee(s): Audit, Nominating and Corporate Governance

Experience

Mr. Furey has been Chief Executive Officer of MarketBridge (a privately owned digital marketing software and services firm) since 1991. MarketBridge provides digital marketing, predictive analytics, and sales effectiveness solutions to clients that include Fortune 1000 companies in the software, communications, financial services, life sciences, and consumer products sectors. Mr. Furey also serves as Managing Partner of the Technology Marketing Group (which advises and invests in emerging growth

companies in the social media, mobile, and marketing automation markets).

Qualifications

We believe that Mr. Furey’s qualifications to serve as a director include his experience as Chief Executive Officer of MarketBridge, as well as his engagements with MarketBridge’s clients (many of which are Fortune 1000 companies), which provide him with a broad range of knowledge regarding business operations and growth strategies.

Other Public Company Boards

Current

None

Past 5 Years

None

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David P. McGlade

 

 

 

 

Director since: 2005
Age: 59
Committee(s): Audit, Compensation

Experience

Mr. McGlade serves as Chairman of the Board of Intelsat S.A. (a publicly traded worldwide provider of satellite communication services), a position he has held since April 2013. Mr. McGlade served as Executive Chairman of Intelsat from April 2015 to March 2018, prior to which he served as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. Mr. McGlade joined Intelsat in April 2005 and was the Deputy Chairman of Intelsat from August 2008 until April 2013. Previously, Mr. McGlade served as an Executive Director of mmO2 PLC and as the Chief Executive

Officer of O2 UK (a subsidiary of mmO2), a position he held from October 2000 until March 2005.

Qualifications

We believe that Mr. McGlade’s qualifications to serve as a director include his significant operational, strategic, and financial acumen, as well as his knowledge about global capital markets, developed over his 30 years of experience in the telecommunications business.

Other Public Company Boards

Current

Intelsat S.A.

Past 5 Years

None
 



 

 

Robert A. Schriesheim

 

 

 

 

Director since: 2006
Age: 59
Committee(s): Compensation, Nominating and Corporate Governance

Experience

Mr. Schriesheim currently serves as chairman of Truax Partners LLC (a consulting firm). He served as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Sears Holdings Corporation (a publicly traded nationwide retailer) from August 2011 to October 2016. From January 2010 to October 2010, Mr. Schriesheim was Chief Financial Officer of Hewitt Associates, Inc. (a global human resources consulting and outsourcing company that was acquired by Aon Corporation). From October 2006 until December 2009, he was the Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Lawson Software, Inc. (a publicly traded ERP software provider).

Qualifications

We believe that Mr. Schriesheim’s qualifications to serve as a director include his extensive knowledge of the capital markets and corporate financial capital structures, his expertise evaluating and structuring merger and acquisition transactions within the technology sector, and his experience gained through leading companies through major strategic and financial corporate transformations.

Other Public Company Boards

Current

Frontier Communications Corporation
Houlihan Lokey, Inc.

Past 5 Years

Forest City Realty Trust (until 2018)
NII Holdings, Inc. (until 2019)

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Kimberly S. Stevenson

 

 

 

 

Director since: 2018
Age: 57
Committee(s): Nominating and Corporate Governance

Experience

In January 2020, Ms. Stevenson became Senior Vice President and General Manager, Foundational Data Services Business Unit, at NetApp, Inc. (a publicly traded provider of cloud data services). From February 2019 to January 2020, she was a venture partner at RIDGE-LANE Limited Partners (a strategic advisory and venture development firm). Previously, Ms. Stevenson served as Senior Vice President and General Manager, Data Center Products and Solutions, at Lenovo Group Ltd. (a publicly traded manufacturer of personal computers, data center equipment, smartphones, and tablets) from May 2017 to October 2018. From September 2009 to February 2017, she served as a Corporate Vice President at Intel Corporation (a publicly traded semiconductor designer and manufacturer), holding various positions including

Chief Operating Officer for the Client and Internet of Things Businesses and Systems Architecture Group from September 2016 to February 2017, Chief Information Officer from February 2012 to August 2016, and General Manager, IT Operations and Services, from September 2009 to January 2012.

Qualifications

We believe that Ms. Stevenson’s qualifications to serve as a director include her extensive senior management experience in the semiconductor and technology industries and her expertise on best practices within information systems and operational risk management.

Other Public Company Boards

Current

Boston Private Financial Holdings, Inc.

Past 5 Years

Riverbed Technology, Inc. (until 2015)

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Nine of our currently serving directors have been nominated for election to our Board of Directors to serve until the 2021 Annual Meeting of Stockholders and until their successors are elected and qualified or until their earlier resignation or removal. The table below summarizes the key qualifications and attributes

relied upon by the Board of Directors in nominating our current directors for election. Marks indicate specific areas of focus or expertise relied on by the Board of Directors. The lack of a mark in a particular area does not necessarily signify a director’s lack of qualification or experience in such area.

GRAPHIC

In addition to the information presented above regarding each director’s specific experience, qualifications, attributes and skills that led our Board of Directors to conclude that he or she should serve as a director, we also believe that each of our directors has a reputation for integrity, honesty, and adherence

to high ethical standards. They have each demonstrated business acumen, an ability to exercise sound judgment, knowledge of our business and industry, and the willingness to devote the time needed to be an effective director.

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Corporate Governance

Stockholder Engagement and Best Practices

The following actions and policies, some of which were adopted in recent years after receiving feedback from our stockholders, demonstrate the commitment of our Board of Directors to robust corporate governance and responsiveness to stockholders:

all of our directors are elected annually by a majority of votes cast in uncontested elections, and directors can be removed by a majority of shares entitled to vote in the election of directors;
stockholders who meet the applicable requirements may nominate and include in the Company’s proxy materials director nominees, under the “proxy access” provisions in the Company’s By-laws;
our Lead Independent Director provides leadership to the Board of Directors if there is a real or perceived conflict of interest with regard to a particular matter between our Chairman and our Company or our stockholders;
the Board of Directors voluntarily implemented an amendment to the Company’s By-laws to provide a stockholder special meeting right; and
most recently, the Board of Directors has taken an additional step to refresh its membership, appointing Mr. Batey in August 2019.

Because responsiveness to the Company’s stockholders is a critical part of our commitment to corporate governance, we conduct outreach to our stockholders to understand their perspectives on various governance matters. Most recently, we engaged in formal stockholder outreach following the 2019 Annual Meeting at which our stockholders voted to approve a shareholder proposal requesting that the Board of Directors take steps to remove the supermajority provisions in the Company’s Restated Certificate of Incorporation, as amended, which we refer to as our Charter. Specifically, in addition to soliciting feedback from institutional stockholders on compensation-related topics related to the vote on our 2019 “Say-on-Pay” proposal, as discussed below under “Compensation Discussion and Analysis,” we solicited

investors’ input regarding whether the Board of Directors should reintroduce for stockholder vote four proposals that had previously been voted upon by stockholders in 2016 and would have eliminated all remaining supermajority voting provisions in the Charter, but had not received sufficient stockholder support. The majority of institutional stockholders with whom we spoke expressed their preference that the four proposals be reintroduced. The Board of Directors considered this input and decided to submit for stockholder vote at the Annual Meeting four proposals that would eliminate supermajority voting provisions in the Charter. In addition, as described further below, the Company has decided to engage in enhanced solicitation of stockholder votes for the Annual Meeting, with the objective of obtaining sufficient votes to approve the proposals.

Our Board of Directors values the opinions expressed by our stockholders and will continue to consider the voting results from stockholder meetings, as well as feedback obtained through our stockholder engagement efforts, when making future decisions regarding corporate governance matters.

Board of Director Meetings

The Board of Directors met five (5) times during fiscal year 2019. During fiscal year 2019, each director attended at least 75% of the aggregate of the total number of meetings of the Board of Directors and the total number of meetings held by all committees of the Board of Directors on which he or she served. The Company’s policy with respect to directors’ attendance at the Annual Meeting is included in our corporate governance guidelines, which are available on the Investor Relations portion of the Company’s website at www.skyworksinc.com. At the 2019 Annual Meeting, each director then in office was in attendance, with the exception of Mr. Schriesheim.

Director Independence

Each year, the Board of Directors reviews the relationships that each director has with the Company

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and with other parties. Only those directors who do not have any of the categorical relationships that preclude them from being independent within the meaning of the applicable Listing Rules of the Nasdaq Stock Market LLC (the “Nasdaq Rules”) and who the Board of Directors affirmatively determines have no relationships that would interfere with the exercise of independent judgment in carrying out the responsibilities of a director, are considered to be independent directors. The Board of Directors has reviewed a number of factors to evaluate the independence of each of its members. These factors include its members’ current and historic relationships with the Company and its competitors, suppliers, and customers; their relationships with management and other directors; the relationships their current and former employers have with the Company; and the relationships between the Company and other companies of which a member of the Company’s Board of Directors is a director or executive officer. After evaluating these factors, the Board of Directors has determined that a majority of the members of the Board of Directors, namely, Alan S. Batey, Kevin L. Beebe, Timothy R. Furey, Balakrishnan S. Iyer, Christine King, David P. McGlade, Robert A. Schriesheim, and Kimberly S. Stevenson, do not have any relationships that would interfere with the exercise of independent judgment in carrying out their responsibilities as directors and that each such director is an independent director of the Company within the meaning of applicable Nasdaq Rules.

Corporate Governance Guidelines

The Board of Directors has adopted corporate governance practices to help fulfill its responsibilities to the stockholders in overseeing the work of management and the Company’s business results. These guidelines are intended to ensure that the Board of Directors has the necessary authority and practices in place to review and evaluate the Company’s business operations, as needed, and to make decisions that are independent of the Company’s management. In addition, the guidelines are intended to align the interests of directors and management with those of

the Company’s stockholders. A copy of the Company’s corporate governance guidelines is available on the Investor Relations portion of the Company’s website at www.skyworksinc.com.

In accordance with these corporate governance guidelines, independent members of the Board of Directors of the Company met in executive session without management present four (4) times during fiscal year 2019. The Lead Independent Director served as presiding director for these meetings.

Stockholder Communications

Our stockholders may communicate directly with the Board of Directors as a whole or to individual directors by letter addressed directly to such individual or individuals at the following address:

c/o Skyworks Solutions, Inc.
5221 California Avenue
Irvine, CA 92617
Attention: Secretary

The Company will forward to each director to whom such communication is addressed, and to the Chairman of the Board in his capacity as representative of the entire Board of Directors, any mail received at the Company’s corporate office to the address specified by such director and the Chairman of the Board.

Code of Ethics

We have adopted a written code of business conduct and ethics that applies to our directors, officers, and employees, including our principal executive officer, principal financial officer, principal accounting officer or controller, or persons performing similar functions. We make available our code of business conduct and ethics through our website at www.skyworksinc.com. We intend to disclose any amendments to, or waivers from, our code of business conduct and ethics that are required to be publicly disclosed by posting any such amendment or waivers on our website pursuant to SEC requirements and Nasdaq Rules.

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Executive Officer and Director Stock Ownership Requirements

As described in detail below under “Compensation Discussion and Analysis,” we have adopted Executive Officer and Director Stock Ownership programs that require our executive officers (including those Named Executive Officers who are still currently serving as executive officers) and non-employee directors to hold a significant equity interest in Skyworks with the objective of more closely aligning the interests of our executive officers and directors with those of our stockholders. All of our Named Executive Officers and directors have met the stock ownership guidelines as of the date hereof (with the exception of Ms. Stevenson and Mr. Batey, who are not required to comply with the guidelines until the fifth anniversary of their respective appointment to the Board of Directors).

Board Leadership Structure

Our Board of Directors selects the Company’s Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer in the manner it determines to be in the best interests of the Company. Mr. Aldrich, the former Chief Executive Officer of the Company, has served as the Chairman of the Board since May 2014 and, as noted above, is standing for reelection as a non-employee director at the Annual Meeting. Mr. Griffin was appointed by our Board of Directors in May 2016 to succeed Mr. Aldrich as Chief Executive Officer and also to serve as a director, and he is standing for reelection at the Annual Meeting. In May 2014, at the time of Mr. Aldrich’s appointment as Chairman of the Board, our Board of Directors also first appointed an independent director within the meaning of applicable Nasdaq Rules (see above under “Director Independence”) to serve as the Lead Independent Director. Ms. King was appointed in May 2019 to be the current Lead Independent Director and is standing for reelection at the Annual Meeting.

The duties of the Lead Independent Director, as set forth in our corporate governance guidelines, include the following:

presiding at all meetings of the Board of Directors at which the Chairman of the Board is not present, including executive sessions of the independent directors;
calling meetings of the independent directors, as he or she deems appropriate, and assuring that the independent directors meet independently at least twice each year;
providing leadership to the Board of Directors if circumstances arise in which the Chairman of the Board may be, or may be perceived to be, in conflict with the interests of the Company and its stockholders with regard to a particular matter;
facilitating communications and serving as a liaison, when necessary, between the independent directors and the Chairman of the Board and/or the Chief Executive Officer;
consulting with the Chairman of the Board in the preparation of the schedules, agendas, and information provided to the Board of Directors for each meeting, and ensuring that there is sufficient time at each meeting for discussion of all agenda items;
retaining independent advisors on behalf of the Board of Directors as the Board of Directors or the independent directors may deem necessary or appropriate; and
being available for consultation and direct communication upon the reasonable request of major stockholders.

The Board believes our current leadership structure is appropriate and that the duties of the Lead Independent Director appropriately and effectively complement the duties of the Chairman of the Board.

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Committees of the Board of Directors

The Board of Directors has a standing Audit Committee, Compensation Committee, and Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee.

Audit Committee

We have established an Audit Committee consisting of the following individuals, each of whom the Board of Directors has determined is “independent” within the meaning of applicable Nasdaq Rules and meets the criteria for independence set forth in Rule 10A-3(b)(1) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”): Mr. Iyer (Chairman), Mr. Furey, Ms. King, and Mr. McGlade. As Mr. Iyer is not a director nominee up for reelection at the Annual Meeting, the Board of Directors intends to appoint a new Audit Committee Chairman following the election of directors at the Annual Meeting.

The primary responsibility of the Audit Committee is the oversight of the quality and integrity of the Company’s financial statements, the Company’s internal financial and accounting processes, and the independent audit process. Additionally, the Audit Committee has the responsibilities and authority necessary to comply with Rule 10A-3 under the Exchange Act. The Audit Committee meets privately with the independent registered public accounting firm, reviews their performance and independence from management, and has the sole authority to retain and dismiss the independent registered public accounting firm. These and other aspects of the Audit Committee’s authority are more particularly described in the Company’s Audit Committee Charter, which the Board of Directors adopted and is reviewed annually by the committee and is available on the Investor Relations portion of our website at www.skyworksinc.com.

The Audit Committee has adopted a formal policy concerning approval of audit and non-audit services to be provided to the Company by its independent registered public accounting firm, KPMG LLP. The

policy requires that all services provided by KPMG LLP, including audit services and permitted audit-related and non-audit services, be preapproved by the Audit Committee. The Audit Committee preapproved all audit and non-audit services provided by KPMG LLP for fiscal year 2019. The Audit Committee met six (6) times during fiscal year 2019.

Audit Committee Financial Expert

The Board of Directors has determined that each of Mr. Iyer (Chairman), Ms. King, and Mr. McGlade meets the qualifications of an “audit committee financial expert” under SEC rules and the qualifications of “financial sophistication” under the applicable Nasdaq Rules, and qualifies as “independent” as defined under the applicable Nasdaq Rules.

Compensation Committee

We have established a Compensation Committee consisting of the following individuals, each of whom the Board of Directors has determined is “independent” within the meaning of applicable Nasdaq Rules: Ms. King (Chairman), Mr. McGlade, and Mr. Schriesheim. The Compensation Committee met five (5) times during fiscal year 2019. The functions of the Compensation Committee include establishing the appropriate level of compensation, including short and long-term incentive compensation of the Chief Executive Officer, all other executive officers, and any other officers or employees who report directly to the Chief Executive Officer. The Compensation Committee also administers Skyworks’ equity-based compensation plans. The Compensation Committee’s authority to grant equity awards to the Company’s executive officers may not be delegated to the Company’s management or others. The Board of Directors has adopted a written charter for the Compensation Committee, and it is available on the Investor Relations portion of the Company’s website at www.skyworksinc.com.

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The Compensation Committee has engaged Aon/Radford Consulting (“Aon/Radford”) to assist it in determining the components and amounts of executive compensation. The consultant reports directly to the Compensation Committee, through its Chairman, and the Compensation Committee retains the right to terminate or replace the consultant at any time.

The process and procedures followed by the Compensation Committee in considering and determining executive and director compensation are described below under “Compensation Discussion and Analysis.”

Nominating and Corporate
Governance Committee

We have established a Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee consisting of the following individuals, each of whom the Board of Directors has determined is “independent” within the meaning of applicable Nasdaq Rules: Mr. Beebe (Chairman), Mr. Batey, Mr. Furey, Mr. Schriesheim, and Ms. Stevenson. The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee met four (4) times during fiscal year 2019. The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee is responsible for evaluating and recommending individuals for election or reelection to the Board of Directors and its committees, including any recommendations that may be submitted by stockholders, as well as the evaluation and recommendation of corporate governance policies. The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee oversees the annual evaluation process for the Board of Directors, each committee, and individual directors, by soliciting from each director his or her assessment of the effectiveness of the Board of Directors, the committees on which he or she serves, and other individual directors. These and other aspects of the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee’s authority are more particularly described in the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee Charter, which the Board of Directors adopted and is available on the Investor Relations portion of the Company’s website at www.skyworksinc.com.

Director Nomination Procedures

The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee evaluates director candidates in the context of the overall composition and needs of the Board of Directors, with the objective of recommending a group that can best manage the business and affairs of the Company and represent the interests of the Company’s stockholders using its diversity of experience. The committee seeks directors who possess certain minimum qualifications, including the following:

A director must have substantial or significant business or professional experience or an understanding of technology, finance, marketing, financial reporting, international business, or other disciplines relevant to the business of the Company.
A director (other than an employee-director) must be free from any relationship that, in the opinion of the Board of Directors, would interfere with the exercise of his or her independent judgment as a member of the Board of Directors or of a Board committee.
The committee also considers the following qualities and skills, among others, in its selection of directors and as candidates for appointment to the committees of the Board of Directors:
o
economic, technical, scientific, academic, financial, accounting, legal, marketing, or other expertise applicable to the business of the Company;
o
leadership or substantial achievement in their particular fields;
o
demonstrated ability to exercise sound business judgment;
o
integrity and high moral and ethical character;
o
potential to contribute to the diversity of viewpoints, backgrounds, or experiences of the Board of Directors as a whole;
o
capacity and desire to represent the balanced, best interests of the Company as a whole and not primarily a special interest group or constituency;
o
ability to work well with others;
o
high degree of interest in the business of the Company;

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    o
    dedication to the success of the Company;
    o
    commitment to the responsibilities of a director; and
    o
    international business or professional experience.

The committee believes that our Board of Directors, taken as a whole, should embody a diverse set of skills, experiences, and backgrounds in order to better inform its decisions. The committee considers age, tenure, gender, race, and ethnicity, in addition to business experience and other specific areas of focus or expertise, in its holistic approach to assessing and identifying director nominees. With respect to the recent director search that culminated with the appointment of Mr. Batey in August 2019, the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee instructed its retained search firm to include candidates reflecting gender and ethnic diversity in the pool of potential director nominees to be considered by the committee. The committee will also take into account the fact that a majority of the Board of Directors must meet the independence requirements of the applicable Nasdaq Rules. The Company expects that a director’s existing and future commitments will not materially interfere with such director’s obligations to the Company. For candidates who are incumbent directors, the committee considers each director’s past attendance at meetings and participation in and contributions to the activities of the Board of Directors. The committee identifies candidates for director nominees in consultation with the Chief Executive Officer of the Company and the Chairman of the Board, through the use of search firms or other advisors or through such other methods as the committee deems to be helpful to identify candidates. Once candidates have been identified, the committee confirms that the candidates meet all of the minimum qualifications for director nominees set forth above through interviews, background checks, or any other means that the committee deems to be helpful in the evaluation process. The committee then meets to discuss and evaluate the qualities and skills of each candidate, both on an individual basis and taking into account the overall composition and needs of the Board of Directors. Based on the results of the

evaluation process, the committee recommends candidates for director nominees for election to the Board of Directors.

Stockholder Nominees

The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee will consider director candidates recommended by stockholders provided such stockholders follow the procedures set forth below. The committee does not intend to alter the manner in which it evaluates candidates, including the criteria set forth above, based on whether the candidate was recommended by a stockholder or otherwise. Stockholders who wish to nominate director candidates for election at the 2021 Annual Meeting, but who are not to be included in the Company’s proxy materials pursuant to the proxy access provisions in our By-laws, may do so in accordance with the provisions of our By-laws by submitting a written recommendation to the Secretary of the Company at the address below no earlier than the close of business on January 6, 2021, and no later than the close of business on February 5, 2021. In the event that the 2021 Annual Meeting is held more than thirty (30) days before or after the first anniversary of the Company’s 2020 Annual Meeting, then the required notice must be delivered in writing to the Secretary of the Company at the address below no earlier than 120 days prior to the date of the 2021 Annual Meeting and no later than the later of 90 days prior to the 2021 Annual Meeting or the 10th day following the day on which the public announcement of the date of the 2021 Annual Meeting is first made by the Company. For nominees for election to the Board of Directors proposed by stockholders to be considered, the recommendation for nomination must be in writing and must include the following information:

name of the stockholder, whether an entity or an individual, making the recommendation;
a written statement disclosing such stockholder’s beneficial ownership of the Company’s capital stock;

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name of the individual recommended for consideration as a director nominee;
a written statement from the stockholder making the recommendation stating why such recommended candidate would be able to fulfill the duties of a director;
a written statement from the stockholder making the recommendation stating how the recommended candidate meets the independence requirements established by the SEC and the applicable Nasdaq Rules;
a written statement disclosing the recommended candidate’s beneficial ownership of the Company’s capital stock; and
a written statement disclosing relationships between the recommended candidate and the Company that may constitute a conflict of interest.

A stockholder (or a group of up to twenty stockholders) who has owned at least three percent of the Company’s outstanding shares of common stock continuously for at least three years, and has complied with the other requirements in the Company’s By-laws, may nominate and include in the Company’s proxy materials a number of director nominees up to the greater of two individuals or 20% of the Board of Directors. Written notice of a proxy access nomination

for inclusion in our proxy statement for the 2021 Annual Meeting of Stockholders must be submitted to the Secretary of the Company at the address below no earlier than the open of business on December 7, 2020, and no later than the close of business on January 6, 2021. In the event that the 2021 Annual Meeting is held more than thirty (30) days before, or more than sixty (60) days after, the first anniversary of the Company’s 2020 Annual Meeting, then the required notice must be delivered in writing to the Secretary of the Company at the address below no earlier than 150 days prior to the date of the 2021 Annual Meeting and no later than the later of 120 days prior to the 2021 Annual Meeting or the 10th day following the day on which the public announcement of the date of the 2021 Annual Meeting is first made by the Company.

Written notice of proxy access nominations and written recommendations for nomination may be sent to the General Counsel and Secretary of the Company via U.S. mail or expedited delivery service to:

Skyworks Solutions, Inc.
5221 California Avenue
Irvine, California 92617

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Role of the Board of Directors in Risk Oversight

Our Board of Directors oversees our risk management processes directly and through its committees. Our management team is responsible for risk management on a day-to-day basis. The role of our Board of Directors and its committees is to oversee the risk management activities of our management team. They fulfill this duty by discussing with management the policies and practices utilized by management in assessing and managing risks and providing input on those policies and practices. In general, our Board of Directors oversees risk management activities relating to business strategy, capital allocation, organizational structure, certain operational risks, and acquisitions; our Audit Committee oversees risk management activities related to financial controls, legal and compliance risks, and cybersecurity risk; our Compensation Committee oversees risk management activities relating to our compensation policies and practices as well as management succession planning; and our Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee oversees risk management activities relating to Board composition. Each committee reports to the Board of Directors on a regular basis, including reports with respect to the committee’s risk oversight activities as appropriate. For example, the Board of Directors periodically reviews and approves the executive succession plan in consultation with the Compensation Committee and the Chief Executive Officer. In addition, since risk issues often overlap, committees from time to time request that the Board of Directors discuss particular risks.

Our Compensation Committee does not believe that any risks arising from our employee compensation policies and practices are reasonably likely to have a material adverse effect on our company. Our Compensation Committee believes that any such risks are mitigated by:

The multiple elements of our compensation packages, including base salary, our annual short-term incentive compensation plan and (for our executive officers and other key employees) equity awards that vest (or are issuable) over multiple years and are intended to motivate employees to take a long-term view of our business.
The structure of our short-term incentive compensation plan (described in greater detail in this Proxy Statement under “Compensation Discussion and Analysis”), which is based on (i) a number of different financial and operating performance metrics to avoid employees placing undue emphasis on any particular performance metric at the expense of other aspects of our business, and (ii) performance targets that we believe are appropriately aggressive yet will not require undue risk-taking to achieve. Further, the structure of the short-term incentive compensation plan aids in driving sustained long-term financial performance as the goals and targets from the prior year’s plan are significant factors used in determining goals for the current year’s plan.

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Compensation Committee Interlocks and Insider Participation

The Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors currently consists of Ms. King (Chairman), Mr. McGlade, and Mr. Schriesheim. Mr. Beebe and Mr. Furey served on the Compensation Committee until January 30, 2019, when Mr. Schriesheim was appointed to the Compensation Committee. No member of this committee was at any time during fiscal year 2019 an officer or employee of the Company, was formerly an officer of the Company or

any of its subsidiaries, or had any employment relationship with the Company or any of its subsidiaries. No executive officer of the Company has served as a director or member of the compensation committee (or other committee serving an equivalent function) of any other entity, one of whose executive officers served as a director of or member of the Compensation Committee.

Certain Relationships and Related Person Transactions

Other than compensation agreements and other arrangements described below under “Information About Executive and Director Compensation,” since September 29, 2018, there has not been a transaction or series of related transactions to which the Company was or is a party involving an amount in excess of $120,000 and in which any director, executive officer, holder of more than five percent (5%) of any class of our voting securities, or any member of the immediate family of any of the foregoing persons, had or will have a direct or indirect material interest. In January 2008, the Board of Directors adopted a written related person transaction approval policy, which was amended in November 2018, and which sets forth the Company’s policies and procedures for the review,

approval or ratification of any transaction required to be reported in its filings with the SEC. The Company’s policy with regard to related person transactions is that all related person transactions between the Company and any related person (as defined in Item 404 of Regulation S-K) or their affiliates, in which the amount involved is equal to or greater than $120,000, be reviewed by the Company’s General Counsel and approved by the Audit Committee. In addition, the Company’s Code of Business Conduct and Ethics requires that employees discuss with the Company’s Compliance Officer any significant relationship (or transaction) that might raise doubt about such employee’s ability to act in the best interest of the Company.

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 PROPOSAL 2:

Ratification of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

The Audit Committee has selected KPMG LLP as the Company’s independent registered public accounting firm for fiscal year 2020 and has further directed that management submit the selection of the independent registered public accounting firm for ratification by the stockholders at the Annual Meeting. KPMG LLP was the independent registered public accounting firm for the Company for fiscal year 2019, and has been the independent registered public accounting firm for the Company since 2002. We are asking the stockholders to ratify the selection of KPMG LLP as the Company’s independent registered public accounting firm for fiscal year 2020.

Representatives of KPMG LLP are expected to attend the Annual Meeting online. They will have an opportunity to make a statement if they desire to do so and will be available to respond to appropriate stockholder questions.

Stockholder ratification of the selection of KPMG LLP as the Company’s independent registered public

accounting firm is not required by the Company’s By-laws or other applicable legal requirements. However, the Audit Committee is submitting the selection of KPMG LLP to the stockholders for ratification as a matter of good corporate practice. The affirmative vote of a majority of the shares present online or represented by proxy at the Annual Meeting and entitled to vote on such matter at the Annual Meeting is required to approve the selection of KPMG LLP as the Company’s independent registered public accounting firm. In the event stockholders fail to ratify the appointment, the Audit Committee may reconsider this appointment. Even if the appointment is ratified, the Audit Committee, in its discretion, may direct the appointment of a different independent registered public accounting firm at any time during the year if the Audit Committee determines that such a change would be in the Company’s and stockholders’ best interests.

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Audit Fees

KPMG LLP provided audit services to the Company consisting of the annual audit of the Company’s 2019 consolidated financial statements contained in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K and reviews

of the financial statements contained in the Company’s Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q for fiscal year 2019. The following table summarizes the fees of KPMG LLP billed to the Company for the last two fiscal years.

    Fee Category   Fiscal Year
2019 ($)
  % of
Total (%)
  Fiscal Year
2018 ($)
  % of
Total (%)
   
    Audit Fees(1)   2,315,150   93.1   2,479,090   89.9    
    Audit-Related Fees            
  Tax Fees(2)   170,500   6.9   240,500   8.7    
    All Other Fees(3)       38,500   1.4    
  Total Fees   2,485,650   100   2,758,090   100    
(1)
Audit fees consist of fees for the audit of our annual financial statements, review of the interim financial statements included in our quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, statutory audits and related filings in various foreign locations and audit procedures related to acquisition activity during fiscal years 2019 and 2018. Fiscal year 2019 and 2018 audit fees included fees for services incurred in connection with rendering an opinion under Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act.
(2)
Tax fees consist of fees for tax compliance, tax advice, and tax planning services. Tax compliance services, which primarily relate to the review of our U.S. tax returns and certain trade and customs forms, accounted for $160,000 and $230,000 of the total tax fees for fiscal years 2019 and 2018, respectively.
(3)
All other fees for fiscal year 2018 relate to fees incurred for conflict mineral reporting compliance and licenses to accounting and research software.

In 2003, the Audit Committee adopted a formal policy concerning approval of audit and non-audit services to be provided to the Company by its independent registered public accounting firm, KPMG LLP. The policy requires that all services provided by KPMG LLP, including audit services and permitted

audit-related and non-audit services, be preapproved by the Audit Committee. The Audit Committee preapproved all audit and non-audit services provided by KPMG LLP during fiscal year 2019 and our fiscal year ended September 28, 2018 (“fiscal year 2018”).

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Report of the Audit Committee

The Audit Committee of Skyworks’ Board of Directors is responsible for providing independent, objective oversight of Skyworks’ accounting functions and internal controls. Seven different directors served on the Audit Committee for all or part of fiscal year 2019, each of whom is independent within the meaning of applicable Nasdaq Rules and meets the criteria for independence set forth in Rule 10A-3(b)(1) under the Exchange Act. The Audit Committee operates under a written charter approved by the Board of Directors.

Management is responsible for the Company’s internal control and financial reporting process. The Company’s independent registered public accounting firm is responsible for performing an independent audit of Skyworks’ consolidated financial statements in accordance with generally accepted auditing standards and for issuing a report concerning such financial statements. The Audit Committee’s responsibility is to monitor and oversee these processes.

In connection with these responsibilities, the Audit Committee met with management and representatives of KPMG LLP, the Company’s independent registered public accounting firm, and reviewed and discussed the audited financial statements for fiscal year 2019, results of the internal and external audit examinations, evaluations of the Company’s internal controls, and the overall quality of Skyworks’ financial reporting. The Audit Committee also discussed with the independent registered public accounting firm the

matters required to be discussed by Auditing Standard No. 1301, “Communications with Audit Committees,” issued by the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board. In addition, the Audit Committee has received the written disclosures and the letter from its independent registered public accounting firm required by applicable requirements of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board and the SEC regarding the independent accountant’s communications with the Audit Committee concerning independence and has discussed with the independent registered public accounting firm the independent registered public accounting firm’s independence from the Company and its management, including the matters in the written disclosures and letter that were received by the committee from such firm.

Based upon the Audit Committee’s review and discussions described above, the Audit Committee recommended that the Board of Directors include the audited consolidated financial statements in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for fiscal year 2019, as filed with the SEC.

THE AUDIT COMMITTEE    

Balakrishnan S. Iyer, Chairman
Timothy R. Furey
Christine King
David P. McGlade

 

 

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 PROPOSAL 3:

Advisory Vote on the Compensation of Our Named Executive Officers (“Say-on-Pay Vote”)

We are providing our stockholders with the opportunity to vote to approve, on a non-binding basis, the compensation of our Named Executive Officers as described below under “Information About Executive and Director Compensation” pursuant to Section 14A of the Exchange Act. As we describe below under “Compensation Discussion and Analysis,” our

executive compensation program embodies a pay-for-performance philosophy that supports our business strategy and aligns the interests of our executives with our stockholders.

Our Board of Directors is asking stockholders to approve a non-binding advisory vote on the following resolution:

As an advisory vote, this proposal is not binding and will not overrule any decision by the Company or the Board of Directors (or any committee thereof), nor will it create or imply any change or addition to the fiduciary duties of the Company or the Board of Directors (or any committee thereof). However, our Compensation Committee and Board of Directors

value the opinions expressed by our stockholders in their vote on this proposal and will consider the outcome of the vote when making future compensation decisions for Named Executive Officers. The next non-binding say-on-pay vote is scheduled to be held at our 2021 Annual Meeting of Stockholders.

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Information About Executive and Director Compensation

Summary and Highlights

Financial Highlights from Fiscal Year 2019

Despite a decrease in overall global demand for our products as a result of the U.S.-China trade war, the Company delivered strong financial results in fiscal year 2019:

Achieved net revenue of $3.4 billion
Achieved operating margin of 28.2% on a GAAP basis (34.5% on a non-GAAP basis)1
Achieved diluted earnings per share of $4.89 on a GAAP basis ($6.17 on a non-GAAP basis)1
Generated operating cash flow of $1.4 billion
Increased our quarterly dividend from $0.38 per share to $0.44 per share
Returned $932 million to stockholders through repurchasing 8.9 million shares of our common stock for $658 million and through payments of $274 million in cash dividends

Other Accomplishments from Fiscal Year 2019

During fiscal year 2019, we broadened our customer set and expanded our suite of applications. Highlights from the year include:

Accelerated ramp of Sky5® portfolio supporting multiple 5G smartphone launches
Supported leading wireless infrastructure customers with 5G massive MIMO and small cell architectures
Launched Wi-Fi 6 solutions with key customers
Commenced volume production of BAW-enabled devices
Extended reach into aerospace and defense markets with the introduction of C-band filters
Secured design wins from major automotive manufacturers for fully integrated connectivity solutions
Expanded portfolio of analog SoCs and cognitive chipsets across numerous wireless gaming headsets
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1
Please see table on page 90 for a full reconciliation of non-GAAP results to GAAP results.

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Our Executive Compensation Program Reflects Our Pay-for-Performance Philosophy

Alignment with Stockholder Interests.  We believe that through the combination of our equity-based incentive compensation program and rigorous executive stock ownership guidelines, the interests of our executives are strongly aligned with those of our long-term stockholders—namely, increasing stockholder value over time.

High At-Risk Compensation Levels.  The only fixed component of our Named Executive Officers’ annual compensation is base salary. All short-term cash incentive awards and long-term equity incentive awards are tied either to Company performance or to stock price performance. The charts below show the target total direct compensation mix for fiscal year 2019 for our Chief Executive Officer and the average for the other Named Executive Officers. The target total direct compensation mix for fiscal year 2019 reflects actual salary, target short-term incentive award, and the grant date fair value of performance share and restricted stock unit awards.
Short-Term Cash Incentives Paid Below Target.  Payments under our short-term incentive plan for fiscal year 2019 were based on achievement of certain revenue and non-GAAP operating income performance metrics. Taking into account the extraordinary and unexpected impact of the U.S.-China trade war, the payment to each Named Executive Officer was equal to 64.5% of the Named Executive Officer’s target incentive, as described below under “Components of Compensation—Short-Term Incentives.”

Failure to Achieve Threshold Level under Portion of Performance Share Award Based on Fiscal Year 2019 Performance.  The Named Executive Officers received performance share awards that would vest upon achievement of one-year non-GAAP EBITDA growth and three-year TSR percentile ranking against pre-established targets. The Company’s performance under the one-year non-GAAP EBITDA growth performance metric, measured over fiscal year 2019, failed to achieve the threshold performance goal. As a result, no shares were earned by the Named Executive Officers with respect to such metric. The Company’s performance under the three-year TSR percentile ranking performance metric will be determined following fiscal year 2021.

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Compensation Best Practices

What We Do

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Heavily weight executive compensation toward “at risk,” performance-based compensation

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Balance short-term and long-term incentive compensation

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Use multi-year vesting for executive officer equity awards

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Base half of annual performance share award on three-year relative TSR performance metric

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Maintain robust stock ownership guidelines for executive officers and non-executive directors

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Structure our executive officer compensation program to encourage appropriate risk-taking

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Benchmark pay practices against selected peer companies with whom we compete for executive talent

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Solicit advice from the Compensation Committee’s independent compensation consultant

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Hold annual “Say-on-Pay” advisory vote

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Conduct regular engagement with stockholders on compensation-related topics
What We Don’t Do

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Guarantee bonus payments or base salary increases

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Provide single-trigger change-in-control benefits

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Provide excise tax gross-up payments in connection with a change in control of the Company

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Provide excessive perquisites to our executive officers

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Provide retirement or pension benefits to our executive officers that are not available to employees generally

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Permit hedging or other forms of speculative transactions by employees or directors

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Permit pledging by employees or directors

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Allow for the repricing of stock options without stockholder approval

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Pay dividends or dividend equivalents on unearned performance shares or restricted stock units

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Include “evergreen” provisions or “liberal” change-in-control definitions in our equity incentive award plans

Compensation Discussion and Analysis

Table of Contents


Named Executive Officers

 

 

42

 

Response to Stockholder Vote on Executive Compensation at 2019 Annual Meeting

 

 

42

 

Approach for Determining Form and Amounts of Compensation

 

 

42

 

Components of Compensation

 

 

44

 

Severance and Change-in-Control Benefits     51  

Executive Officer Stock Ownership Requirements

 

 

51

 

Prohibition on Hedging and Certain Other Transactions

 

 

52

 

Compliance with Internal Revenue Code Section 162(m)

 

 

52

 

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Named Executive Officers

This Compensation Discussion and Analysis section discusses the compensation policies and programs for our Chief Executive Officer, our Chief Financial Officer, and our three next most highly paid executive officers during fiscal year 2019 as determined under the rules of the SEC. We refer to this group of executive officers as our “Named Executive Officers.” For fiscal year 2019, our Named Executive Officers were:

Liam K. Griffin, President and Chief Executive Officer;
Kris Sennesael, Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer;
Carlos S. Bori, Senior Vice President, Sales and Marketing;
Robert J. Terry, Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary; and
Peter L. Gammel, Former Chief Technology Officer (retired as Chief Technology Officer and as an executive officer effective as of November 19, 2019).

Response to Stockholder Vote on Executive Compensation at 2019 Annual Meeting

At our 2019 Annual Meeting of Stockholders, approximately 72% of the votes cast approved our “Say-on-Pay” proposal—the annual advisory vote regarding the compensation of the Company’s named executive officers. Although we understood this to mean that stockholders generally approved of our compensation policies and determinations in 2019, we also noted that ISS recommended a vote against our Say-on-Pay proposal and that our proposal received lower stockholder support than in prior years.

In response to these voting results, we engaged in formal stockholder outreach following the 2019 Annual Meeting, soliciting feedback from our top 25 institutional stockholders (not including brokerage firms and quantitative funds who have previously indicated that they do not engage in individual conversations with companies) representing approximately 54% of the Company’s shares outstanding, including a significant portion of those

stockholders who we believed had voted “against” the 2019 Say-on-Pay proposal. Stockholders told us that they appreciated the opportunity to engage with management, and conversations covered a variety of governance and compensation-related topics. During our conversations, most of these institutional stockholders expressed approval of the Company’s strategy, performance, and management, as well as support for the Company’s compensation policies, plan designs, and performance metrics. However, nearly all of the stockholders who had voted against the Say-on-Pay proposal, as well as several of the stockholders who had supported the proposal, indicated a strong preference that the Company provide additional disclosure regarding its performance metrics and achievement against those metrics. Some of the stockholders also noted that their votes had been influenced by ISS’s report which recommended against the Say-on-Pay proposal and highlighted concerns about our disclosure of performance metrics and achievement.

After considering this input from our stockholders and reviewing the disclosure of several of our peer companies, the Company has enhanced its disclosure of performance metrics and achievement, providing additional quantitative disclosure regarding our short-term and long-term incentive award programs.

Approach for Determining Form and Amounts of Compensation

The Compensation Committee, which is composed solely of independent directors within the meaning of applicable Nasdaq Rules, outside directors within the meaning of Section 162(m) of the Internal Revenue Code (“IRC”) (solely for purposes of administering any equity awards that may qualify as grandfathered performance-based compensation), and non-employee directors within the meaning of Rule 16b-3 under the Exchange Act, is responsible for determining all components and amounts of compensation to be paid to our Named Executive Officers, as well as any other executive officers or employees who report directly to the Chief Executive Officer. The Compensation Committee sets compensation for the Named Executive

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Officers, including base salary, short-term incentives, and long-term stock-based incentives, at levels generally intended to be competitive with the compensation of comparable executives in semiconductor companies with which the Company competes for executive talent.

Compensation Program Objectives

The objectives of our executive compensation program are to attract, retain and motivate highly qualified executives to operate our business, and to link the compensation of those executives to improvements in the Company’s financial performance and increases in stockholder value. Accordingly, the Compensation Committee’s goals in establishing our executive compensation program include:

ensuring that our executive compensation program is competitive with a group of companies in the semiconductor industry with which we compete for executive talent;
providing a base salary that serves as the foundation of a compensation package that attracts and retains the executive talent needed to achieve our business objectives;
providing short-term variable compensation that motivates executives and rewards them for achieving Company financial performance targets;
providing long-term stock-based compensation that aligns the interest of our executives with stockholders by rewarding them for long-term increases in stockholder value; and
ensuring that our executive compensation program is perceived as fundamentally fair to our employees.

Retention of Compensation Consultant

The Compensation Committee has engaged Aon/Radford to assist in determining the components and amount of executive compensation. Aon/Radford reports directly to the Compensation Committee, through its chairman, and the Compensation Committee retains the right to terminate or replace the consultant at any time. The consultant advises the

Compensation Committee on such compensation matters as are requested by the Compensation Committee. The Compensation Committee considers the consultant’s advice on such matters in addition to any other information or factors it considers relevant in making its compensation determinations. In fiscal year 2019, Aon/Radford received $188,430 for survey data and compensation consulting services to the Compensation Committee.

The Compensation Committee has considered the relationships that Aon/Radford has with the Company, the members of the Compensation Committee and our executive officers, as well as the policies that Aon/Radford has in place to maintain its independence and objectivity, and has determined that Aon/Radford’s work for the Compensation Committee has not raised any conflicts of interest. Company management has separately engaged Aon Risk Solutions, an affiliate of Aon/Radford, for risk management and insurance brokerage services. The Company paid $259,925 to Aon Risk Solutions in fiscal year 2019 for those services. Additionally, Company management has engaged certain affiliates of Aon/Radford in various jurisdictions for consulting and brokerage services unrelated to executive compensation and benefits, for which the Company paid a total of $23,904 in fiscal year 2019. The Company’s management did not seek the Compensation Committee’s approval for such engagements with affiliates of Aon/Radford.

Role of Chief Executive Officer

The Compensation Committee also considers the recommendations of the Chief Executive Officer regarding the compensation of the other Named Executive Officers and each of his other direct reports. These recommendations include an assessment of each individual’s responsibilities, experience, performance and contribution to the Company’s performance, and also generally take into account internal factors such as scope of role and level in the organization, in addition to external factors such as the current environment for attracting and retaining executives.

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Establishment of Comparator Group Data

In determining compensation for each of the Named Executive Officers, the committee utilizes “Comparator Group” data for each position. For fiscal year 2019, the Compensation Committee approved Comparator Group data consisting of a 50/50 blend of (i) Aon/Radford survey data of 14 semiconductor companies (where sufficient data was not available in the Aon/Radford semiconductor survey data for a given executive position, the Comparator Group data also included survey data regarding high-technology companies), and (ii) the “peer” group data for 16 publicly traded semiconductor companies with which the Company competes for executive talent:

Advanced Micro Devices

Analog Devices

Applied Materials

Broadcom Limited

KLA-Tencor

Lam Research

Marvell Technology

Maxim Integrated
Products

 

Microchip Technology

Micron Technology

NVIDIA

ON Semiconductor

Qorvo

QUALCOMM

Texas Instruments

Xilinx

Use of Comparator Group Data

The Compensation Committee annually compares the components and amounts of compensation that we provide to our Chief Executive Officer and other Named Executive Officers with the components and amounts of compensation provided to their counterparts in the Comparator Group and uses this comparison data as a guideline in its review and determination of base salaries, short-term incentives, and long-term stock-based compensation awards, as discussed in further detail below under “Components of Compensation.” In addition, in setting fiscal year 2019 compensation, the Compensation Committee sought and received input from Aon/Radford regarding the base salaries for the Chief Executive Officer and each of the other executive officers, the incentive targets relating to the short-term incentive program for executive officers, and the individual stock-based compensation awards for executive officers, as well as the related vesting schedules. After reviewing the data

and considering the input, the Compensation Committee established (and the full Board of Directors was advised of) the base salary, short-term incentive target, and long-term stock-based compensation award for each Named Executive Officer.

In determining the compensation of our Chief Executive Officer for fiscal year 2019, the Compensation Committee focused on (i) competitive levels of compensation for chief executive officers who are leading a company of similar size and complexity, (ii) the importance of retaining a chief executive officer with the strategic, financial, and leadership skills necessary to ensure our continued growth and success, (iii) our Chief Executive Officer’s role relative to the other Named Executive Officers, (iv) input from the full Board of Directors on our Chief Executive Officer’s performance, and (v) the length of our Chief Executive Officer’s service to the Company. Aon/Radford advised the Compensation Committee that the base salary, short-term incentive target opportunity, performance metrics, and equity-based compensation established by the Compensation Committee for fiscal year 2019 were competitive for chief executive officers leading companies of similar size and complexity in the semiconductor industry. Our Chief Executive Officer was not present during the voting or deliberations of the Compensation Committee concerning his compensation. As stated above, however, the Compensation Committee did consider the recommendations of the Chief Executive Officer regarding the compensation of the other Named Executive Officers and each of his other direct reports.

Components of Compensation

The key elements of compensation for our Named Executive Officers are base salary, short-term incentives, long-term stock-based incentives, and health and welfare benefits. For fiscal year 2019, the Compensation Committee sought to make decisions regarding each Named Executive Officer’s base salary, short-term incentive opportunity, and long-term stock-based incentive award that were competitive within the Comparator Group, with consideration given to the

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executive’s role, responsibility, performance, and length of service. Consistent with our objective of having compensation programs that are considered fair to our employees, the Named Executive Officers are eligible to participate in the Company’s medical, dental, vision, insurance, and retirement plans under the same terms as such benefits are offered to other benefits-eligible employees.

Base Salary

Base salaries provide our executive officers with a degree of financial certainty and stability in order to attract and retain their services in a competitive market. The Compensation Committee determines a competitive base salary for each executive officer using the Comparator Group data and input provided by Aon/Radford. In order to provide flexibility in consideration of differences in individual executives’ scope of responsibilities, length of service, and performance, the Compensation Committee did not target a specific percentile of the Comparator Group for executive officer salaries; however, the salaries of the executive officers were generally near the median of the Comparator Group. The base salary for fiscal year 2019 for each Named Executive Officer, as reflected in the table below, increased on average 6.9% from the Named Executive Officer’s base salary in fiscal year 2018, with increases ranging from 2.0% to 8.9%. Salary increases were based on the market-based salary adjustments recommended by Aon/Radford as well as recommendations by the Chief Executive Officer.

        FY2019
Base Salary ($)
  FY2018
Base Salary ($)
   
    Liam K. Griffin   980,000   900,000    
    Kris Sennesael   500,000   460,000    
  Carlos Bori   431,000   403,000    
    Robert J. Terry   446,000   413,000    
  Peter L. Gammel   410,000   402,000    

Short-Term Incentives

Overview

Our short-term incentive compensation plan for executive officers is established annually by the Compensation Committee. For fiscal year 2019, the Compensation Committee adopted the Fiscal Year 2019 Executive Incentive Plan (the “Incentive Plan”). The Incentive Plan established short-term incentive awards for fiscal year 2019 for certain officers of the Company, including the Named Executive Officers, based on the Company’s achievement of corporate performance goals established at the beginning of the fiscal year. Short-term incentive compensation is intended to motivate and reward executives by tying a significant portion of their total cash compensation to the Company’s achievement of pre-established performance goals that are generally one year or less in duration. Pursuant to the Incentive Plan, the Compensation Committee set a range of short-term incentive compensation that could be earned by each executive officer based on the Comparator Group data, which is expressed as a percentage of the executive officer’s base salary and which corresponds to the level of achievement of the performance goals.

Incentive Opportunities

For each executive officer, short-term incentive compensation at the “target” level is designed to be near the median short-term incentive compensation of the Comparator Group. After reviewing Comparator Group data, the Compensation Committee increased the target incentive, as a percentage of base salary, for the Chief Financial Officer from 90% for fiscal year 2018 to 100% for fiscal year 2019, and for the Named Executive Officers other than the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer from 70% for fiscal year 2018 to 80% for fiscal year 2019. The target incentive, as a percentage of base salary, for the Chief Executive Officer was not increased.

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The following table shows the range of short-term incentive compensation that each Named Executive Officer could earn in fiscal year 2019 as a percentage of such executive officer’s annual base salary.

        Threshold   Target   Maximum    
  Chief Executive Officer   80%   160%   320%    
    Chief Financial Officer   50%   100%   200%    
  Other Executive Officers   40%   80%   160%    

Performance Goals

In November 2018, the Compensation Committee established performance goals for fiscal year 2019 based on achieving certain revenue and non-GAAP operating income performance metrics. Each of these two performance goals was weighted equally (50% each) toward payments under the Incentive Plan. The non-GAAP operating income performance goal is based on the Company’s publicly disclosed non-GAAP operating income—which is calculated by excluding from GAAP operating income share-based compensation expense; acquisition-related expenses; amortization of acquisition-related intangibles; settlements, gains, losses, and impairments; restructuring-related charges; and certain deferred executive compensation—after accounting for any incentive award payments, including those to be made under the Incentive Plan.

The target level performance goals established by the Compensation Committee under the Incentive Plan are based on the Company’s historical operating results and growth rates as well as the Company’s expected future results and are designed to require significant effort and operational success on the part of our executives and the Company to achieve them. The maximum level performance goals established by the Compensation Committee have historically been difficult to achieve and are designed to represent outstanding performance that the Compensation Committee believes should be rewarded.

The performance goals established under the Incentive Plan for fiscal 2019 were as follows (in millions):

    Company Metric   Threshold   Target   Maximum    
    Revenue   $3,868   $4,000   $4,120    
    Non-GAAP Operating Income   $1,450   $1,500   $1,555    

The Incentive Plan stipulated that any payouts to executives, under either of the performance metrics, were conditioned upon the Company achieving a nominal level of non-GAAP operating income of $1,305 million.

Calculation of Incentive Plan Payments

Following the end of the fiscal year, the Compensation Committee determines the total amount of short-term incentive compensation payable to each executive for such period by comparing the actual level of achievement of each performance goal against the “threshold,” “target,” and “maximum” levels of achievement that it set for that performance goal. Specifically, the Compensation Committee determines the amount of short-term incentive compensation the executive is eligible to receive with respect to each performance goal as follows:

If the level of achievement for the performance goal falls below the “threshold” level, then the executive will not earn any short-term incentive compensation with respect to that performance goal.
If the level of achievement for the performance goal is equal to the “threshold,” “target,” or “maximum” level, then the executive earns the product obtained by multiplying (i) the “threshold,” “target,” or “maximum” percentage, as applicable, by (ii) the executive’s base salary during the fiscal year, by (iii) the weighting assigned to that performance goal.
If the level of achievement for the performance goal falls in between either the “threshold” and “target” levels or the “target” and “maximum” levels, the executive would earn short-term incentive compensation equal to the short-term incentive compensation payable at the “threshold” or “target” level, as applicable, plus a pro rata amount of the

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difference between the short-term incentive compensation payable for the performance goal at the “threshold” and “target” levels or the “target” and “maximum” levels, as applicable.
If the level of achievement for the performance goal exceeds the “maximum” level, the executive will only earn the amount payable for achievement at the “maximum” level.

Each executive’s payment under the Incentive Plan is calculated by evaluating achievement of each performance goal individually, determining the portion of the total eligible incentive payment earned with respect to each such performance goal, and totaling the resulting amounts. The Compensation Committee retained the discretion to make payments, upon consideration of recommendations by the Chief Executive Officer, even if the threshold performance metrics were not met or if the nominal level of non-GAAP operating income was not met or to make payments in excess of the maximum level if the Company’s performance exceeded the maximum metrics. The Compensation Committee believed it was appropriate to retain this discretion in order to make short-term incentive compensation awards in extraordinary circumstances.

Fiscal Year Results

The Company’s revenue and non-GAAP operating income achieved in fiscal year 2019 were $3,377 million and $1,166 million, respectively, resulting in the Company’s failure to meet either the revenue or non-GAAP operating income goals at the “threshold” level or to meet the nominal level of non-GAAP operating income under the Incentive Plan. These financial results reflected the adverse impact of the U.S.-China trade war (the “Trade War”) during fiscal year 2019. In connection with the Trade War, not only did the Company experience an overall reduction in customer demand for its products, but the U.S. Bureau of Industry and Security of the U.S. Department of Commerce also placed Huawei and certain of its affiliates on the Bureau’s Entity List in May 2019 (the “Huawei Ban”). The Huawei Ban

resulted in significantly reduced shipments to, and revenue from, Huawei during the remainder of the fiscal year. The negative effects of the Trade War had not been anticipated by the Compensation Committee when it originally established performance targets for fiscal year 2019.

In November 2019, following the end of the fiscal year, the Compensation Committee determined that the adverse impact of the Trade War (as described above) was outside of management’s control. Given the extraordinary and unexpected nature of such impact, the Compensation Committee waived the condition under the Incentive Plan that the Company achieve a nominal level of non-GAAP operating income and made adjustments to the revenue and non-GAAP operating income metrics of the Incentive Plan. Specifically, after considering a detailed analysis of multiple effects of the Trade War on the Company’s financial results, the Compensation Committee adjusted the Company’s performance metrics, for purposes of calculating payments under the Incentive Plan, to account for $564 million and $285 million in estimated revenue and non-GAAP operating income lost by the Company during fiscal year 2019, respectively, as a result of the Trade War. The Company’s revenue and non-GAAP operating income achieved in fiscal year 2019, under the Incentive Plan as adjusted, equated to achievement of 77.7% and 51.3% of the target level, respectively, and resulted in a payment to each Named Executive Officer equal to 64.5% of the Named Executive Officer’s target incentive.

With respect to the Company’s non-executive incentive plans—which originally had performance goals that were, depending on the business unit, either equivalent to or based on the performance goals established under the Incentive Plan—the Compensation Committee elected in February 2019 to make a downward adjustment to the respective performance goals, in order to account for the initial impacts of the Trade War on the Company’s financial performance. These midyear goal adjustments, together with later adjustments related to the Huawei Ban, resulted in

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incentive payments to non-executive employees equal to, on average, 78% of the employees’ target incentives. The Incentive Plan awards paid to the Named Executive Officers were lower, as a percentage of the target incentive, than the average short-term incentive awards paid to non-executive employees of the Company for fiscal year 2019.

Long-Term Stock-Based Compensation

Overview

The Compensation Committee generally makes long-term stock-based compensation awards to executive officers on an annual basis. Long-term stock-based compensation awards are intended to align the interests of our executive officers with those of our stockholders and to reward our executive officers for increases in stockholder value over periods of time greater than one year. It is the Company’s practice to make stock-based compensation awards to executive officers in November of each year at a prescheduled Compensation Committee meeting. For fiscal year 2019, the Compensation Committee made awards to each of the Named Executive Officers on November 6, 2018, at a regularly scheduled Compensation Committee meeting.

Fiscal Year 2019 Stock-Based Compensation Awards

In making annual stock-based compensation awards to executive officers for fiscal year 2019, the Compensation Committee first reviewed the Comparator Group grant data by executive position. The Compensation Committee used that data to determine a dollar value equivalent for the long-term equity-based award for each executive officer, targeting awards for fiscal year 2019 that were competitive within the Comparator Group. After setting award levels by position and evaluating the Company’s business needs for the attraction and retention of executives and employees as well as internal and external circumstances impacting the Company and its employees, the Compensation Committee also reviewed the Comparator Group data to set the

aggregate number of shares of the Company’s common stock that would be made available for annual equity awards to eligible employees of the Company, as a percentage of the total number of the outstanding shares of the Company’s common stock.

Sixty percent (60%) of the dollar equivalent value of each executive officer’s long-term equity-based award served as the basis for determining a number of performance share awards (“PSAs”) to award to the executive using the fair market value of the Company’s common stock on the date of such award and an assumption that the Company would achieve the “target” level of performance required to earn the PSA. The remaining forty percent (40%) of the dollar value equivalent served as the basis for determining a number of restricted stock units (“RSUs”) to award to the executive using the fair market value of the Company’s common stock on the date of such award. The Compensation Committee’s rationale for awarding PSAs is to further align the executive’s interest with those of the Company’s stockholders by using equity awards that will vest only if the Company achieves pre-established performance metrics, and we believe the Compensation Committee’s decision to award a portion of the PSAs subject to a performance metric measured over a three-year performance period more closely aligns the executive’s interests with those of the Company’s stockholders.

FY19 PSAs

The PSAs granted on November 6, 2018 (the “FY19 PSAs”), have both “performance” and “continued employment” conditions that must be met in order for the executive to receive shares underlying the award.

The “performance” condition of the FY19 PSAs compares the non-GAAP EBITDA growth achieved (with respect to 50% of the shares underlying the PSA award) and the total stockholder return, or TSR, percentile ranking achieved with respect to our peer group (with respect to the other 50% of the shares underlying the PSA award) during the applicable

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performance period against a range of pre-established targets, as follows:

    Company Metric   Threshold   Target   Maximum    
    1-year Non-GAAP EBITDA Growth (%)   0.0%   3.3%   7.1%    
    3-year TSR Percentile Ranking   40th   50th   90th    

The performance period with respect to the non-GAAP EBITDA growth metric was the Company’s fiscal year 2019 and the performance period with respect to the TSR percentile ranking metric is the three-year period comprising the Company’s fiscal years 2019, 2020, and 2021. The peer group for purposes of the TSR percentile ranking metric includes each of the companies in the S&P Semiconductor Select Industry Index as of November 6, 2018, but excludes any such company that during the three-year performance period is acquired by or merged with (or enters into an agreement to be acquired by or merged with) another entity.

The number of shares issuable under the FY19 PSAs corresponds to the level of achievement of the performance goals, as follows:

        Performance Achieved    
        Threshold   Target   Maximum    
    % of Target Level Shares Earned With Respect to Non-GAAP EBITDA Growth Metric   50%   100%   200%    
    % of Target Level Shares Earned With Respect to TSR Percentile Ranking Metric   50%   100%   300%    

Performance in between either the “threshold” and “target” levels or the “target” and “maximum” levels results in the issuance of an interpolated number of shares between the number of shares issuable under the FY19 PSAs at, respectively, the “threshold” and “target” levels or the “target” and “maximum” levels.

The non-GAAP EBITDA growth performance goal is calculated by adding depreciation and amortization to the Company’s non-GAAP operating income, as publicly reported in the Company’s earnings release

for the applicable period, after making certain adjustments if necessary to account for certain qualifying acquisition or disposition activities.

The “continued employment” condition of the FY19 PSAs provides that, to the extent that the non-GAAP EBITDA growth performance metric was met, 50% of the total shares earned under such metric would vest on the first anniversary of the grant date and the remaining 50% of the total shares earned under such metric would vest on the second anniversary of the grant date, and to the extent that the TSR percentile ranking performance metric was met, 100% of the total shares earned under such metric would vest on the third anniversary of the grant date, provided, in each case, that the executive remains employed by the Company through each such vesting date. In the event of termination by reason of death or permanent disability, the holder of an FY19 PSA (or the holder’s estate) would receive any earned but unissued shares that would have been issuable thereunder during the remaining term of the award.

During fiscal year 2018, the base period against which fiscal year 2019 performance was measured, the Company achieved non-GAAP EBITDA of $1,728 million. During fiscal year 2019, the Company achieved non-GAAP EBITDA of $1,494 million, failing to achieve the threshold non-GAAP EBITDA growth performance goal. Although the Company’s non-GAAP EBITDA for fiscal year 2019 was negatively affected by the Trade War, the Compensation Committee elected not to make an adjustment to the non-GAAP EBITDA Growth performance metric for the FY19 PSAs. As a result, no shares were earned by the executives with respect to the non-GAAP EBITDA growth performance metric, and all FY19 PSAs with respect to such performance metric were cancelled.

In February 2019, the Compensation Committee authorized a supplemental RSU grant to non-executive employees who had received FY19 PSAs (which were granted on the same terms as FY19 PSAs awarded to the Named Executive Officers) in recognition that the threshold non-GAAP EBITDA growth performance

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goal under the FY19 PSAs was unlikely to be met as a result of the initial impacts of the Trade War. The Company’s executive officers did not receive this supplemental RSU grant.

Currently Outstanding PSAs

As summarized in the table below of PSAs granted since fiscal year 2018 (the first year in which the

Compensation Committee awarded PSAs subject to a performance metric measured over a three-year performance period), achievement of the TSR percentile ranking performance metric under the FY19 PSAs, which is subject to a three-year performance period, will be determined following the conclusion of the Company’s fiscal year 2021.

 

PSA Fiscal Year

  Grant
Date
  Performance Metric   Performance
Period
  Achieved (% of Target)    

 

FY18

  11/7/2017   Non-GAAP EBITDA Growth   FY18   99.8%    

 

FY18

  11/7/2017   3-year TSR Percentile Ranking   FY18–FY20   Performance Period in Progress(1)    

                       

 

FY19

  11/6/2018   Non-GAAP EBITDA Growth   FY19   0%    

 

FY19

  11/6/2018   3-year TSR Percentile Ranking   FY19–FY21   Performance Period in Progress(2)    
(1)
As of March 12, 2020, performance under this metric during the applicable performance period is below the “threshold” level of performance.
(2)
As of March 12, 2020, performance under this metric during the applicable performance period is slightly above the “target” level of performance.

Other Compensation and Benefits

We provide other benefits to our executive officers that are intended to be part of a competitive overall compensation program and are not tied to any company performance criteria. The Company offers medical, dental, vision, life, and disability insurance plans to executive officers under the same terms as such benefits are offered to other benefits-eligible employees. Executive officers are also permitted to participate in the Company’s 401(k) Savings and Investment Plan and Employee Stock Purchase Plan under the same terms as other benefits-eligible employees. The Company does not provide executive officers with any enhanced retirement benefits (i.e., executive officers are subject to the same limits on contributions as other employees, as the Company does not offer any supplemental executive retirement plan or other similar non-qualified deferred compensation plan), and they are eligible for 401(k) company-match contributions under the same terms as other employees.

In previous years, the Company offered executives the opportunity to participate in financial planning

services through a third-party firm at a cost of up to approximately $19,000 per executive paid by the Company. The Compensation Committee replaced this benefit for fiscal year 2019 with a reimbursement program providing up to an aggregate of $20,000 to each executive for the purchase of financial planning services, estate planning services, personal tax planning and preparation services, and/or an executive physical. No tax gross-up was provided for such reimbursements. In fiscal year 2019, Messrs. Griffin, Sennesael, Gammel, and Terry received reimbursement in connection with such services.

International Assignment Agreement with Mr. Gammel

In connection with his relocation to Japan, the Company and Mr. Gammel entered into an International Assignment Agreement (the “International Assignment Agreement”), pursuant to which Mr. Gammel received: (a) tax equalization payments, which were intended to leave Mr. Gammel in a net after-tax position substantially equivalent to what he would experience if he were subject only to

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U.S. federal and state income taxes during the period of the assignment, (b) payment of, or reimbursement for, certain costs related to his relocation to Japan, including moving expenses, a car allowance, housing costs in Japan, and travel costs to return periodically to the United States, and (c) repatriation relocation benefits at the completion of his assignment.

Severance and Change-in-Control Benefits

None of our executive officers, including the Named Executive Officers, has an employment agreement that provides a specific term of employment with the Company. Accordingly, the employment of any such employee may be terminated at any time. We do provide certain benefits to our Named Executive Officers upon certain qualifying terminations of employment and in connection with terminations of employment under certain circumstances following a change in control. A description of the material terms of our severance and change-in-control arrangements with the Named Executive Officers can be found immediately below and further below under “Potential Payments Upon Termination or Change in Control.

The Compensation Committee believes that severance protections can play a valuable role in recruiting and retaining superior talent. Severance and other termination benefits are an effective way to offer executives financial security to incent them to forego an opportunity with another company. These agreements also protect the Company as the Named Executive Officers are bound by non-compete and/or non-solicit covenants for up to two years after termination of employment. Outside of the change-in-control context, each Named Executive Officer is entitled to severance benefits if his employment is involuntarily terminated by the Company without cause and, in the case of the Chief Executive Officer, if he terminates his own employment for good reason (as defined in the Chief Executive Officer’s change-in-control agreement). The level of each Named Executive Officer’s cash severance or other termination benefit is generally tied to his annual base salary and short-term incentive amounts.

Additionally, each Named Executive Officer would receive enhanced severance benefits and accelerated vesting of equity awards if his employment were terminated under certain circumstances in connection with a change in control of the Company. These benefits are described in detail further below under “Potential Payments Upon Termination or Change in Control.” The Compensation Committee believes these enhanced severance benefits and accelerated vesting are appropriate because the occurrence, or potential occurrence, of a change-in-control transaction would likely create uncertainty regarding the continued employment of executive officers that typically occurs in a change-in-control context, and such severance benefits and accelerated vesting encourage the Named Executive Officers to remain employed with the Company through the change-in-control process and to focus on enhancing stockholder value both before and during the process. In addition, the vesting protection helps assure the Named Executive Officers that they will not lose the expected value of their equity awards because of a change in control of the Company.

Executive Officer Stock Ownership Requirements

We have adopted Executive Stock Ownership guidelines with the objective of more closely aligning the interests of our executive officers with those of our stockholders. Under the Executive Officer Ownership guidelines, our Chief Executive Officer is required to hold the lower of (a) the number of shares with a fair market value equal to six (6) times such executive’s current base salary, or (b) 147,000 shares; and our Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, our Senior Vice President, Sales and Marketing, and our Senior Vice President and General Counsel are each required to hold the lower of (a) the number of shares with a fair market value equal to two and one-half (21/2) times such executive’s current base salary, or (b) 31,300, 26,900 or 27,900 shares, respectively. For purposes of the Executive Stock Ownership guidelines, the fair market value of the Company’s common stock is the average closing price per share of the Company’s common stock as reported on the Nasdaq Global

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Select Market (or if the common stock is not then traded on such market, such other market on which the common stock is traded) for the twelve (12) month period ending with the determination date. All of our Named Executive Officers who remain employed by the Company are in compliance with the stock ownership guidelines as of the date hereof.

Prohibition on Hedging and Certain Other Transactions

We prohibit our directors, officers, and employees (or any of their designees) from directly or indirectly engaging in the following transactions with respect to securities of the Company:

selling short, including short sales “against the box”;
buying or selling put or call options; or
purchasing financial instruments (including prepaid variable forward contracts, equity swaps, collars, and exchange funds), or otherwise engaging in transactions, that hedge or offset, or are designed to hedge or offset, any decrease in the market value of securities of the Company, whether through the use of traded securities, privately negotiated derivative securities or synthetic financial instruments.

In addition, we prohibit our directors, officers, and employees from purchasing Company securities on margin, borrowing against Company securities held in a margin account, or pledging Company securities as collateral for a loan.

Compliance with Internal Revenue Code Section 162(m)

For fiscal years beginning on or before December 31, 2017, certain compensation, including qualified performance-based compensation and compensation paid to our Chief Financial Officer, was not subject to the deduction limit imposed by Section 162(m) of the IRC on annual compensation in excess of $1 million paid to certain of our executive officers if applicable requirements were met. Pursuant to tax reform legislation enacted at the end of 2017, subject to certain transition rules, for fiscal years beginning after December 31, 2017, including fiscal year 2019 (which began on September 29, 2018), the performance-based compensation exception to the deduction limit under Section 162(m) is no longer available, and compensation paid to our Chief Financial Officer is also subject to the deduction limit. As a result, with the exception of compensation grandfathered pursuant to the transition rules, for such fiscal years the Company will be unable to deduct compensation in excess of $1 million paid to certain executive officers, as specified under Section 162(m). The Compensation Committee reviews the potential effect of Section 162(m) periodically and uses its judgment to authorize compensation payments that may be subject to the limit when the Compensation Committee believes such payments are appropriate and in the best interests of the Company and its stockholders.

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Compensation Tables for Named Executive Officers

Summary Compensation Table

The following table summarizes compensation earned by, or awarded or paid to, our Named Executive Officers for fiscal year 2019, fiscal year 2018, and our fiscal year ended September 29, 2017 (“fiscal year 2017”).

    Name and Principal
Position
  Year   Salary
($)
  Stock
Awards
($)(1)
  Option
Awards
($)(1)
  Non-Equity
Incentive Plan
Compensation
($)(2)
  All Other
Compensation
($)(3)
  Total
($)
   
    Liam K. Griffin   2019   972,000   11,658,937     1,011,257   18,399   13,660,593    
   

President and Chief

  2018   894,808   7,150,399     1,284,664   12,242   9,342,113    
   

Executive Officer

  2017   850,000   5,336,603   1,230,158   1,273,055   12,042   8,701,858    
  Kris Sennesael   2019   496,000   3,264,443     322,467   15,352   4,098,262    
   

Senior Vice President and

  2018   456,366   2,491,910     369,341   13,075   3,330,692    
   

Chief Financial Officer

  2017   425,000   1,289,639   297,268   358,047   235,494   2,605,448    
  Carlos S. Bori   2019   428,200   3,147,860     222,373   12,561   3,810,994    
   

Senior Vice President,

  2018   398,535   2,491,910     251,669   12,346   3,154,460    
   

Sales and Marketing

  2017   356,493   1,245,174   287,025   235,890   31,244   2,155,826    
  Robert J. Terry(4)   2019   442,700   1,981,920     230,112   15,287   2,670,019    
   

Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary

  2018   409,054   1,557,371     257,914   12,466   2,236,805    
  Peter L. Gammel(5)   2019   409,200   1,165,835     211,538   1,140,824   2,927,397    
   

Former Chief

  2018   400,754   1,245,896     251,045   389,623   2,287,318    
   

Technology Officer

  2017   389,065   978,287   225,523   255,547   73,367   1,921,789    
(1)
The amounts in the Stock Awards and Option Awards columns represent the grant date fair values, computed in accordance with the provisions of FASB ASC Topic 718—Compensation—Stock Compensation (“ASC 718”), of stock options, PSAs, and RSUs granted during the applicable fiscal year, without regard to estimated forfeiture rates. For fiscal years 2017, 2018, and 2019, assuming the highest level of performance achievement with respect to the PSAs, the grant date fair values of the Stock Awards would be as follows: Mr. Griffin (FY 2017: $7,136,568; FY 2018: $9,216,421; FY 2019: $14,658,935), Mr. Sennesael (FY 2017: $1,724,613; FY 2018: $3,211,920; FY 2019: $4,104,438), Mr. Bori (FY 2017: $1,665,160; FY 2018: $3,211,920; FY 2019: $3,957,856), Mr. Terry (FY 2018: $2,007,357; FY 2019: $2,491,891), and Mr. Gammel (FY 2017: $1,308,264; FY 2018: $1,605,873; FY 2019: $1,465,818). For a description of the assumptions used in calculating the fair value of equity awards in 2019 under ASC 718, see Note 9 of the Company’s financial statements included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC on November 14, 2019.
(2)
Reflects amounts paid to the Named Executive Officers pursuant to the executive incentive plan adopted by the Compensation Committee for each year indicated.
(3)
“All Other Compensation” includes the Company’s contributions to the executive’s 401(k) Plan account, the cost of group term life insurance premiums, relocation expenses, tax equalization payments, and financial planning benefits. For fiscal year 2019, it specifically includes $11,200 in Company contributions to each Named Executive Officer’s 401(k) Plan account, as well as $135,878 in relocation expenses and $989,855 in tax equalization payments for Mr. Gammel in connection with the International Assignment Agreement.
(4)
Mr. Terry was not a named executive officer prior to fiscal year 2018.
(5)
Mr. Gammel retired as Chief Technology Officer effective as of November 19, 2019.

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Grants of Plan-Based Awards Table

The following table summarizes all grants of plan-based awards made to the Named Executive Officers in fiscal year 2019, including incentive awards payable under our Fiscal Year 2019 Executive Incentive Plan.

                                    All Other        
                                    Stock   Grant    
            Estimated Future Payouts Under   Estimated Future Payouts   Awards:   Date Fair    
            Non-Equity Incentive Plan   Under Equity Incentive Plan   Number   Value of    
            Awards(1)   Awards(2)   of Stock   Stock and    
    Name   Grant
Date
  Threshold
($)
  Target
($)
  Maximum
($)
  Threshold
(#)
  Target
(#)
  Maximum
(#)
  Or Units
(#)(3)
  Option
Awards ($)
   
    Liam K. Griffin       784,000   1,568,000   3,136,000            
        11/6/2018               36,302   72,604   181,510       7,658,996(4)    
        11/6/2018                           48,402   3,999,941(5)    
  Kris Sennesael     250,000   500,000   1,000,000            
        11/6/2018               10,164   20,329   50,822       2,144,506(4)    
        11/6/2018                           13,552   1,119,937(5)    
  Carlos S. Bori     172,400   344,800   689,600            
        11/6/2018               9,801   19,603   49,007       2,067,920(4)    
        11/6/2018                           13,068   1,079,940(5)    
  Robert J. Terry     178,400   356,800   713,600            
        11/6/2018               6,171   12,342   30,855       1,301,958(4)    
        11/6/2018                           8,228   679,962(5)    
  Peter L. Gammel     164,000   328,000   656,000            
        11/6/2018               3,630   7,260   18,150       765,857(4)    
        11/6/2018                           4,840   399,978(5)    
(1)
The amounts shown represent the potential value of awards earned under the Incentive Plan. The amounts actually paid to the Named Executive Officers under the Incentive Plan are shown above in the “Summary Compensation Table” under “Non-Equity Incentive Plan Compensation.” For a more complete description of the Incentive Plan, please see description above under “Components of Compensation—Short-Term Incentives.”
(2)
The amounts shown represent shares potentially issuable pursuant to the FY19 PSAs granted on November 6, 2018, under the Company’s 2015 Long-Term Incentive Plan, as described above under “Components of Compensation—Long-Term Stock-Based Compensation.”
(3)
Represents shares underlying RSU awards granted under the Company’s 2015 Long-Term Incentive Plan. The RSU award vests over four years at a rate of twenty-five percent (25%) per year commencing one year after the date of grant and on each subsequent anniversary of the grant date for the following three years, provided the executive remains employed by the Company through each such vesting date.
(4)
Reflects the grant date fair value of the FY19 PSAs, computed in accordance with the provisions of ASC 718, using (a) a Monte Carlo simulation (which weights the probability of multiple potential outcomes) to value the portion of the award related to TSR percentile ranking, and (b) a price of $82.64 per share, which was the closing sale price of the Company’s common stock on the Nasdaq Global Select Market on November 6, 2018, to value the portion of the award related to non-GAAP EBITDA growth, assuming performance at the “target” level. For a description of the assumptions used in calculating the fair value of equity awards granted in fiscal year 2019 under ASC 718, see Note 9 of the Company’s financial statements included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC on November 14, 2019.
(5)
Reflects the grant date fair value of the RSUs granted on November 6, 2018, computed in accordance with the provisions of ASC 718 using a price of $82.64 per share, which was the closing price of the Company’s common stock on the Nasdaq Global Select Market on November 6, 2018.

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Outstanding Equity Awards at Fiscal Year End Table

The following table summarizes the unvested stock awards and all stock options held by the Named Executive Officers as of the end of fiscal year 2019.

 

 

  Option Awards   Stock Awards

 

Name

  Number of
Securities
Underlying
Unexercised
Options
(#)
Exercisable
  Number of
Securities
Underlying
Unexercised
Options
(#)
Unexercisable
  Option
Exercise
Price
($)
  Option
Expiration
Date
  Number of
Shares or
Units of
Stock
that Have
Not Vested
(#)
  Market
Value of
Shares or
Units of
Stock that
Have Not
Vested
($)(1)
  Equity
Incentive
Plan
Awards:
Number of
Unearned
Shares,
Units or
other Rights
that Have
Not Vested
(#)
  Equity
Incentive
Plan Awards:
Market or
Payout Value
of Unearned
Shares,
Units or
other Rights
that Have
Not Vested
($)(1)

 

Liam K. Griffin

  21,500   10,750(2)   84.89   11/9/2022   46,356(5)   3,591,199   9,290(11)   719,696

      18,250   18,250(3)   64.59   5/11/2023   9,271(6)   718,224   18,151(12)   1,406,158

      13,211   26,422(4)   77.66   11/9/2023   6,500(7)   503,555   18,151(13)   1,406,158

                      7,725(8)   598,456        

                      18,581(9)   1,439,470        

                      48,402(10)   3,749,703        

 

Kris Sennesael

  30,000   10,000(14)   75.22   8/29/2023   11,202(5)   867,819   3,238(11)   250,848

      6,386   6,384(4)   77.66   11/9/2023   3,231(6)   250,306   5,082(12)   393,703

                      6,250(15)   484,188   5,082(13)   393,703

                      1,866(8)   144,559        

                      6,475(9)   501,618        

                      13,552(10)   1,049,873        

 

Carlos S. Bori

  1,500     60.97   11/10/2021   10,816(5)   837,916   3,238(11)   250,848

      3,894   1,297(2)   84.89   11/9/2022   3,231(6)   250,306   4,900(12)