Election of Board of Directors
The following table provides summary information about each director nominee as of November 7, 2024. At our annual meeting, stockholders will be asked to elect the two director nominees in Class III listed in the table below. The Board unanimously recommends a vote FOR each nominee.
Class III - Directors whose terms expire at the 2025 annual meeting of stockholders and who are nominees for terms expiring at the 2026 annual meeting if the amendment to declassify our board of directors is approved by stockholders at the Annual Meeting and terms expiring at the 2028 annual meeting of the amendment to declassify our board of directors is not approved by stockholders at the Annual Meeting.
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Name |
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Director Since |
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Occupation and Experience |
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Board Committees(1) |
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Independent |
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AC |
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CGCC |
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EC |
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Robert V. Vitale |
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2019 |
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President and CEO, Post Holdings, Inc. |
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No |
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✓ |
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Chonda J. Nwamu |
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2021 |
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EVP, General Counsel and Secretary for Ameren Corporation |
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Yes |
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✓ |
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(1) |
AC – Audit Committee; CGCC – Corporate Governance and Compensation Committee; EC – Executive Committee |
Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
As a matter of good governance, we are asking our stockholders to ratify the selection of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP as our independent registered public accounting firm for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2025. The Board unanimously recommends a vote FOR ratification of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP as our independent registered public accounting firm.
Advisory Vote on Executive Compensation
As required by Section 14A of the Exchange Act, which was added to the Exchange Act by Section 951 of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2010, we are asking our stockholders to vote to approve or not approve, on a non-binding, advisory basis, the compensation of our named executive officers as disclosed in the “Compensation Discussion and Analysis” and “Executive Compensation” sections of this proxy statement. This vote is not intended to address any specific item of compensation, but rather the overall compensation of our named executive officers and our compensation philosophy, policies and practices with respect to our named executive officers. The Board unanimously recommends a vote FOR the approval of the executive compensation of our named executive officers.
Stockholder Proposal To Adopt a Director Election Resignation Guideline
In August 2024, the Company received a stockholder proposal (the “Stockholder Proposal”) from the North Atlantic States Carpenters Pension Fund (the “NASCP Fund”) for inclusion in the Company’s proxy statement in connection with the Annual Meeting pursuant to Rule 14a-8 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”). The Stockholder Proposal requests that the Board of Directors adopt and stockholders approve a director resignation guideline that requires each incumbent director to tender to the Board of Directors an irrevocable, conditional resignation conditioned on the director’s failure to receive a majority of votes in an uncontested director election. The Board of Directors opposes the Stockholder Proposal as the Board of Directors believes that the automatic effectiveness of the irrevocable resignation is an undue restriction on the Board’s decision-making authority and is inflexible in that it does not take into account the circumstances of the vote and whether any causes of the withhold votes can be remediated by the Board. In response to the Stockholder Proposal, in November 2024 the Board of Directors amended the Company’s Corporate Governance Guidelines
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PROXY AND VOTING INFORMATION
Why am I receiving these materials?
The Board of Directors (the “Board of Directors” or the “Board”) of BellRing Brands, Inc. (“BellRing,” the “Company” or “we”) is soliciting proxies for the 2025 annual meeting of stockholders. This proxy statement, the form of proxy and the Company’s 2024 annual report to stockholders will be available at www.envisionreports.com/BRBR beginning on December 17, 2024. On or about December 17, 2024, a Notice Regarding the Availability of Proxy Materials (the “Notice”) will be mailed to stockholders of record at the close of business on December 2, 2024, the record date for the 2025 annual meeting of stockholders. On the record date, there were 128,975,315 shares of our common stock outstanding.
How can I receive printed proxy materials?
We have elected to take advantage of the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) rules that allow us to furnish proxy materials to you online. We believe electronic delivery will expedite stockholders’ receipt of materials, while lowering costs and reducing the environmental impact of our annual meeting by reducing printing and mailing of full sets of materials. On or about December 17, 2024, we mailed to many of our stockholders a Notice containing instructions on how to access our proxy statement and annual report to stockholders online. If you received a Notice by mail, you will not receive a printed copy of the proxy materials, unless you specifically request one. However, the Notice contains instructions on how to receive a paper copy of the materials.
How can I attend the meeting?
The Board of Directors has decided that the annual meeting will be a completely virtual meeting of stockholders, which will be conducted exclusively online via a live audio-only webcast. There will be no physical location for the annual meeting. You are entitled to participate in the annual meeting only if you were a stockholder as of the close of business on the record date, or if you hold a valid proxy for the annual meeting. The virtual annual meeting has been designed to provide substantially the same rights to participate as you would have at an in-person meeting.
If you are a stockholder, you can attend the annual meeting online, vote and submit your questions prior to and during the meeting by visiting www.envisionreports.com/BRBR. Please follow the login and registration instructions outlined below. You will need a 15-digit control number to participate in the annual meeting.
Anyone may enter the annual meeting as a guest in listen-only mode at www.envisionreports.com/BRBR, but only stockholders of record and beneficial owners of shares who have registered for the meeting may participate in the annual meeting.
The online meeting will begin promptly at 9:00 a.m., Central Time on Tuesday, January 28, 2025. We encourage you to access the meeting prior to the start time to provide ample time for logging in. Rules of conduct for the annual meeting will be posted on the annual meeting website at www.envisionreports.com/BRBR.
I am a stockholder of record. How do I register for the annual meeting?
If you are a stockholder of record (i.e., you hold your shares through the Company’s transfer agent, Computershare), then you do not need to register to attend the annual meeting virtually. To attend the meeting, please visit the annual meeting website at www.envisionreports.com/BRBR to log in on the day of the meeting. To access the meeting, you will need to enter the 15-digit control number printed in the shaded bar on your proxy card or Notice.
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I am a beneficial owner of shares. How do I register for the annual meeting?
If your shares are held in “street name” (i.e., you hold your shares through an intermediary, such as in a stock brokerage account or by a bank or other nominee), then you must register in advance in order to attend the annual meeting virtually. To register, you must submit a legal proxy that reflects your proof of proxy power. The legal proxy must reflect your BellRing Brands, Inc. share holdings, along with your name. Please forward a copy of the legal proxy, along with your email address, to Computershare. Requests for registration should be directed to Computershare either by email to legalproxy@computershare.com (forwarding the email from your broker or attaching an image of your legal proxy) or by mail to Computershare, BellRing Brands Legal Proxy, P.O. Box 43001, Providence, RI 02940-3001.
Requests for registration must be labeled as “Legal Proxy” and be received by Computershare no later than Monday, January 27, 2025. You will receive a confirmation of your registration by email (or by mail, if no email address is provided) after Computershare receives your registration materials. To attend the meeting, please visit the annual meeting website at www.envisionreports.com/BRBR to log in on the day of the meeting. To access the meeting, you will need to enter the 15-digit control number provided in the confirmation sent by Computershare.
What if I have trouble accessing the annual meeting virtually?
If you have difficulties logging into the annual meeting virtually, you can utilize the technical resources available on the log-in webpage for the virtual annual meeting at www.envisionreports.com/BRBR or contact 888-724-2416 (locally) or +1 781-575-2748 (internationally) for technical assistance.
If there are any technical issues in convening or hosting the annual meeting, we will promptly post information to our newsroom website, www.bellring.com/news, under the Corporate and Financial Releases heading, including information on when the meeting will be reconvened.
What am I being asked to vote on at the meeting?
We are asking our stockholders to consider the following items:
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the approval of an amendment to our certificate of incorporation to declassify our Board of Directors; |
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the election of the two nominees to our Board of Directors named in this proxy statement; |
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the ratification of the appointment of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP as our independent registered public accounting firm for our fiscal year ending September 30, 2025; |
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to consider and vote, on an advisory basis, for the adoption of a resolution approving the compensation of our named executive officers, as such compensation is described under the “Compensation Discussion and Analysis” and “Executive Compensation” sections of this proxy statement; |
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to consider and vote on a stockholder proposal to adopt a director election resignation guideline; and |
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any other business properly introduced at the annual meeting. |
How many votes do I have?
You have one vote for each share of our common stock that you owned at the close of business on the record date. These shares include:
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shares registered directly in your name with our transfer agent, for which you are considered the “stockholder of record”; |
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shares held for you as the beneficial owner through a broker, bank or other nominee in “street name”; and |
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shares credited to your account in the BellRing Brands, Inc. 401(k) Plan. |
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What is the difference between holding shares as a “stockholder of record” and as a “beneficial owner”?
If your shares are registered directly in your name with our transfer agent, Computershare, you are considered the “stockholder of record” with respect to those shares. We have sent a Notice or proxy materials directly to you.
If your shares are held in a stock brokerage account or by a bank or other nominee, you are considered the “beneficial owner” of the shares held in “street name.” Your broker, bank or other nominee who is considered the stockholder of record with respect to those shares has forwarded a Notice or proxy materials to you. As the beneficial owner, you have the right to direct your broker, bank or other nominee on how to vote your shares by using the voting instruction card included in the mailing or by following its instructions for voting by telephone or the Internet.
How can I vote my shares?
You can vote by proxy or online at the virtual annual meeting. If you intend to vote at the virtual annual meeting, please refer to “Why is the Company holding a virtual annual meeting? How can I attend?” on page 4, “I am a stockholder of record. How do I register for the annual meeting?” on page 4 and “I am a beneficial owner of shares. How do I register for the annual meeting?” on page 5.
How do I vote by proxy?
Pursuant to rules adopted by the SEC, we are providing you access to our proxy materials over the Internet. Accordingly, we are sending a Notice to our stockholders of record. If you received a Notice by mail, you will not receive a printed copy of the proxy materials, including a printed proxy card, unless you request to receive these materials. The Notice will instruct you as to how you may access and review the proxy materials on the Internet on the website referred to in the Notice. The Notice also instructs you as to how you may vote on the Internet.
If you are a stockholder of record, you may vote by telephone, Internet or mail. Our telephone and Internet voting procedures are designed to authenticate stockholders by using individual control numbers that can be found on the Notice or proxy card mailed to you.
Registered Shares:
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Voting by telephone: You can vote by calling 800-652-VOTE (800-652-8683) within the United States, United States Territories and Canada and following the instructions provided. Telephone voting is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. |
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Voting by Internet: You can vote via the Internet by accessing www.envisionreports.com/BRBR and following the instructions provided. Internet voting is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. |
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Voting by mail: If you choose to vote by mail (if you request printed copies of the proxy materials by mail), simply mark your proxy card, date and sign it and return it in the postage-paid envelope provided. |
Street Name Shares: If you hold shares through a broker, bank or other nominee, you will receive materials from that person explaining how to vote.
If you submit your proxy using any of these methods, Paul A. Rode or Craig L. Rosenthal, who have been appointed by our Board of Directors as the proxies for our stockholders for this meeting, with full power of substitution, will vote your shares in the manner you indicate. You may specify whether your shares should be voted for all, some or none of the nominees to our Board of Directors and for or against any other proposals
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properly introduced at the annual meeting. If you vote by telephone or Internet and choose to vote with the recommendations of our Board of Directors, or if you vote by mail, sign your proxy card and do not indicate specific choices, your shares will be voted “FOR” the amendment to our certificate of incorporation to declassify our Board of Directors; “FOR” the election of the two nominees to our Board of Directors; “FOR” ratification of the appointment of our independent registered public accounting firm; “FOR” the advisory approval of executive compensation; and “AGAINST” the stockholder proposal to adopt a director election resignation guideline.
If any other matter is presented at the meeting, your proxy will authorize Paul A. Rode or Craig L. Rosenthal to vote your shares in accordance with their best judgment. At the time this proxy statement was printed, we knew of no matters to be considered at the annual meeting other than those referenced in this proxy statement.
If you wish to give a proxy to someone other than Paul A. Rode or Craig L. Rosenthal, you may strike out their names on the proxy card and write in the name of any other person, sign the proxy and deliver it to the person whose name has been substituted.
How can I authorize someone else to attend the annual meeting or vote for me?
Stockholders of Record: Stockholders of record can authorize someone other than the individual(s) named on the proxy card or Notice to attend the virtual meeting or vote on their behalf by crossing out the individual(s) named on the proxy card or Notice and inserting the name, address and email address of the authorized person. Request registration of an authorized representative for the annual meeting by forwarding an image of your updated proxy card or Notice to Computershare either by email to legalproxy@computershare.com or by mail to Computershare, BellRing Brands Legal Proxy, P.O. Box 43001, Providence, RI 02940-3001.
Beneficial Owners of Shares: Beneficial owners of shares can authorize someone other than the individual(s) named on the legal proxy obtained from their brokers or banks to attend the virtual meeting or vote on their behalf by providing a written authorization to the authorized individual along with a legal proxy. Contact information for the authorized individual, including name, address and email address, is required for registration of the authorized representative. Requests for registration of an authorized representative for the annual meeting, along with the contact information specified above and an image of your legal proxy, should be directed to Computershare either by email to legalproxy@computershare.com or by mail to Computershare, BellRing Brands Legal Proxy, P.O. Box 43001, Providence, RI 02940-3001.
Requests for registration of an authorized representative must be labeled as “Legal Proxy” and be received by Computershare no later than Monday, January 27, 2025.
How can I change or revoke my proxy?
Stockholders of Record: You may change or revoke your proxy by voting again on the Internet or by telephone after submitting your original vote, by submitting a written notice of revocation to BellRing Brands, Inc., c/o Corporate Secretary, 2503 S. Hanley Road, St. Louis, Missouri 63144 before the annual meeting, by requesting and returning a proxy card by mail with a later date, or by attending the annual meeting and voting in person. For all methods of voting, the last vote cast will supersede all previous votes.
Beneficial Owners of Shares: You may change or revoke your voting instructions by following the specific directions provided to you by your broker, bank or other nominee.
How do I vote in person?
You will not be able to vote in person at the annual meeting as the annual meeting will be exclusively virtual this year. However, you will be able to vote online at the virtual annual meeting. See “How can I vote my shares?” on page 6.
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If I hold shares in street name, how can I vote my shares?
You can submit voting instructions to your broker, bank or other nominee. In most instances, you will be able to do this by telephone, over the Internet or by mail. Please refer to the materials you receive from your broker, bank or other nominee.
How do I vote my shares in the BellRing Brands, Inc. 401(k) Plan?
If you are both a stockholder and a participant in the BellRing Brands, Inc. 401(k) Plan, you will receive a single Notice or proxy card that covers shares of our common stock credited to your plan account as well as shares of record registered in exactly the same name. If your plan account is not carried in exactly the same name as your shares of record, you will receive separate Notices or proxy cards for individual and plan holdings. If you own shares through the plan and you do not return your proxy by 11:59 p.m., Eastern Time, on January 23, 2025, the trustee will vote your shares in the same proportion as the shares that are voted by the other participants in the plan. The trustee also will vote unallocated shares of our common stock held in the plan in direct proportion to the voting of allocated shares in the plan for which voting instructions have been received unless doing so would be inconsistent with the trustee’s duties.
Is my vote confidential?
Voting tabulations are confidential, except in extremely limited circumstances. Such limited circumstances include contested solicitation of proxies, when disclosure is required by law, to defend a claim against us or to assert a claim by us, and when a stockholder includes written comments on a proxy or other voting materials.
What “quorum” is required for the annual meeting?
In order to have a valid stockholder vote, a quorum must exist at the annual meeting. For us, a quorum exists when holders of shares representing a majority of the total voting power of capital stock entitled to vote at the meeting are present or represented at the meeting, provided that in no event shall a quorum consist of less than a majority of the total voting power of outstanding shares entitled to vote.
What vote is required?
The approval of the amendment to our certificate of incorporation to declassify our Board of Directors must be approved by a majority of the issued and outstanding shares of our common stock. The election of each director nominee, the ratification of the appointment of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP as the Company’s independent registered public accounting firm for fiscal year 2025, the advisory approval of the executive compensation of our named executive officers, and the vote on the stockholder proposal to adopt a director election resignation guideline must each be approved by a majority the total voting power of the shares represented at the annual meeting in person or by proxy and entitled to vote on the matter.
Although the approval of the Company’s executive compensation is advisory and not binding on the Company, the Board of Directors and the Corporate Governance and Compensation Committee, which is responsible for administering the Company’s executive compensation programs, are interested in 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 our named executive officers.
How are the voting results determined?
A vote of “withhold” for a nominee will not be voted for that nominee. A vote of “abstain” on a matter will be considered to be represented at the annual meeting, but not voted for these purposes. If a broker indicates on its proxy that it does not have authority to vote certain shares held in street name, the shares not voted are referred to as “broker non-votes.” Broker non-votes occur when brokers do not have discretionary voting
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authority to vote certain shares held in street name on particular proposals under the rules of the New York Stock Exchange (the “NYSE”), and the beneficial owner of those shares has not instructed the broker to vote on those proposals. If you are a beneficial owner and you do not submit voting instructions to your broker, bank or other nominee, your broker, bank or other nominee is permitted to vote your shares only with regard to the ratification of the appointment of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP as our independent registered public accounting firm. Shares registered in the name of a broker, bank or other nominee, for which proxies are voted on some, but not all, matters, will be considered to be represented at the annual meeting for purposes of determining a quorum and voted only as to those matters marked on the proxy card.
Is any other business expected at the meeting?
The Board of Directors does not intend to present any business at the annual meeting other than the proposals described in this proxy statement. However, if any other matter properly comes before the annual meeting, including any stockholder proposal omitted from the proxy statement and form of proxy pursuant to Rule 14a-8 of the Exchange Act, your proxies will act on such matter in their discretion.
How can I ask questions pertinent to annual meeting matters?
Stockholders may submit questions either before the annual meeting (from Tuesday, January 7, 2025 until Tuesday, January 21, 2025) or during the annual meeting. If you wish to submit a question either before or during the annual meeting, please log into www.meetnow.global/MCUWRJJ, enter your 15-digit control number and follow the instructions to submit a question. Questions pertinent to meeting matters will be answered during the meeting after voting is completed, subject to time constraints. Questions or comments that relate to proposals that are not properly before the annual meeting, relate to matters that are not proper subject for action by stockholders, are irrelevant to the Company’s business, relate to material non-public information of the Company, relate to personal concerns or grievances, are derogatory to individuals or that are otherwise in bad taste, are in substance repetitious of a question or comment made by another stockholder, or are not otherwise suitable for the conduct of the annual meeting as determined in the sole discretion of the Company, will not be answered. In addition, questions may be grouped by topic by our management with a representative question read aloud and answered.
What happens if the annual meeting is adjourned or postponed?
If the annual meeting is adjourned or postponed, your proxy will still be valid and may be voted at the adjourned or postponed meeting.
Where can I find the voting results?
We intend to announce preliminary voting results at the annual meeting. We will publish the final results in a Current Report on Form 8-K, which we expect to file with the SEC on or before February 3, 2025. You also can go to our website at www.bellring.com to access the Form 8-K. Information on our website does not constitute part of this proxy statement.
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CORPORATE GOVERNANCE
Overview
We are dedicated to creating long-term stockholder value. It is our policy to conduct our business with integrity and a commitment to providing value to our customers and consumers. All of our corporate governance materials, including our Corporate Governance Guidelines, our code of conduct for directors, officers and employees, our Audit Committee charter and our Corporate Governance and Compensation Committee charter, are published under the Corporate Governance section within the Investor Relations portion of our website at www.bellring.com. Information on our website does not constitute part of (and shall not be deemed incorporated by reference in) this proxy statement or any other document we file with the SEC. Our Board of Directors regularly reviews these materials, Delaware law, the rules and listing standards of the NYSE and SEC rules and regulations, as well as best practices suggested by recognized governance authorities, and modifies our corporate governance materials as warranted.
Director Independence and Role of the Independent Lead Director
Our Board of Directors follows the categorical independence standards based on the NYSE listing standards and the SEC rules and regulations as described in our Corporate Governance Guidelines. Our Board has determined, in its judgment, that all of our non-employee directors, except for Mr. Vitale, our Chairman of the Board, are independent directors as defined in the NYSE listing standards and the SEC rules and regulations.
The independent members of the Board of Directors meet regularly in executive sessions without the presence of management. These sessions are normally held in conjunction with regular Board and committee meetings. The chairman of the Corporate Governance and Compensation Committee acts as the presiding director during an executive session of the Board, and the chairman of the committee then in session acts as the chairman during an executive session of that committee.
Our Corporate Governance Guidelines provide that if the Chairman of the Board is not an independent director, then the chairman of our Corporate Governance and Compensation Committee will serve as our independent Lead Director. Our Lead Director has a number of important responsibilities that are described in our Corporate Governance Guidelines, including (i) working with the Chief Executive Officer to develop Board and committee agendas, (ii) coordinating and chairing executive sessions of the Board’s independent directors and (iii) working with the Corporate Governance and Compensation Committee to identify for appointment the members of the various Board committees. Mr. Stein currently serves as our Lead Director and plays an active role in the Company. He serves as an independent liaison between the Chairman of the Board, the Chief Executive Officer, the other members of our Board and management of our Company. Mr. Stein has extensive knowledge of BellRing’s strategic objectives, the industry in which BellRing operates and the areas of strategic importance to BellRing. Our Chief Executive Officer confers regularly with Mr. Stein on a variety of topics, including updates on the Company’s business and other strategic matters. Mr. Stein also consults regularly with the Company’s independent compensation consultant, Aon, and works closely with Aon to develop proposals for the design of our executive compensation programs, which are then reviewed by our Corporate Governance and Compensation Committee.
Policy Relating to the Election of Directors
Elections of the Board of Directors are conducted in accordance with the Company’s Certificate of Incorporation, Bylaws and the laws of the state of Delaware and provide that directors are to be elected at a meeting of the Company’s stockholders by a plurality of the votes cast. Under the Company’s amended Corporate Governance Guidelines adopted in November 2024, if in any uncontested election of directors, a director nominee has a greater number of votes “withheld” from his or her election than votes cast “for” his or her election, such director nominee shall promptly tender his or her resignation for consideration by the
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Corporate Governance and Compensation Committee. A vote will be considered “withheld” from a director nominee if a stockholder withholds authority to vote for such director nominee in any proxy granted by such stockholder in accordance with instructions contained in the proxy statement or accompanying proxy card circulated for the meeting of stockholders at which the election of directors is to be held. The Corporate Governance and Compensation Committee will then promptly evaluate all factors or other information that it determines relevant including, without limitation, (i) the underlying reason for the vote result, if known, (ii) the incumbent director nominee’s contributions to the Company during his or her tenure, and (iii) the director’s qualifications.
Subject to any applicable legal or regulatory requirements, the Corporate Governance and Compensation Committee shall, within ninety (90) days from the date of the stockholder vote, decide whether to accept or reject the resignation. A full explanation of the Corporate Governance and Compensation Committee’s decision will be promptly publicly disclosed in a periodic or current report filed with the SEC. Any director who tenders his or her resignation pursuant to this director resignation policy will not participate in the deliberations and decisions made with respect to his or her resignation or the resignation of any other director nominee who similarly tendered his or her resignation by virtue of the vote at the same annual meeting of the stockholders.
Code of Conduct
Our code of conduct sets forth our expectations for the conduct of business by our directors, officers and employees. We intend to post amendments to or waivers from (to the extent applicable to one of our directors or our principal executive officer, principal financial officer, principal accounting officer or controller or persons performing similar functions) this document on our website or in a report on Form 8-K.
Insider Trading Policies and Procedures
We have adopted a global insider trading policy governing the purchase, sale, and/or other dispositions of our securities by directors, officers and employees. The insider trading policy requires compliance with all applicable laws, rules and regulations governing the offer and sale of securities and prohibits directors, officers and employees from engaging in transactions in our securities while in possession of material nonpublic information. The insider trading policy establishes quarterly blackout periods during which trading in our securities is prohibited. These blackout periods begin on the sixth business day of the last month of each calendar quarter and end on the start of the second business day following the issuance of the Company’s press release of its financial results for the reporting period that includes such calendar quarter. In addition, the insider trading policy requires senior officers and key employees to obtain pre-approval of any transactions in our securities from our Chief Compliance Officer. A copy of our global insider trading policy is filed as Exhibit 19.1 to our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended September 30, 2024.
Conflicts of Interest
Pursuant to our code of conduct, each director and officer has an obligation not to engage in any transaction that could be deemed a conflict of interest.
The Corporate Governance and Compensation Committee (the “Committee”) is responsible for approving and ratifying transactions in which one or more directors may have an interest. The Committee reviews the material facts of all interested party transactions that require the Committee’s approval and either approves or disapproves of the entry into the interested party transaction. In the event management, in the normal course of reviewing our records, determines an interested party transaction exists which was not approved by the Committee, management will present the transaction to the Committee for consideration.
No director may participate in the approval of an interested party transaction for which he or she is a related party. If an interested party transaction will be ongoing, the Committee may establish guidelines for our management to follow in its ongoing dealings with the related party.
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Policy on Hedging and Pledging Company Stock
We have a policy that prohibits directors and executive officers from engaging in derivative or hedging transactions in the Company’s securities and prohibits pledging of securities by directors and executive officers. Specifically, the policy prohibits directors and executive officers from (i) transactions in put and call options or other hedging transactions (including, but not limited to, prepaid variable forward contracts, equity swaps, collars or exchange funds) and (ii) pledging, hypothecating or otherwise encumbering the Company’s common stock or other equity securities as collateral for indebtedness, including holding such securities in a margin account.
Structure of the Board of Directors
The Board of Directors is currently comprised of seven members. Our Certificate of Incorporation and Bylaws provide for a classified Board of Directors that is divided into three classes as equal in size as possible. The classes have three-year terms, and the term of one class expires each year in rotation at that year’s annual meeting of stockholders. At the Annual Meeting, stockholders will be asked to vote on an amendment to our Certificate of Incorporation that would declassify the Board of Directors over a three-year phase-in period commencing with the Annual Meeting. If the amendment to our Certificate of Incorporation to declassify our Board of Directors is approved by stockholders at the Annual Meeting, beginning at the Annual Meeting, directors whose current terms expire at the annual meetings of stockholders in 2025, 2026, 2027 and every year thereafter will be elected for one year terms ending at the following year’s annual meeting or until a director’s earlier death, resignation or removal and until his or her successor is elected and qualified.
The size of the Board of Directors can be changed by a vote of its members, and in the event of any increase or decrease in the number of directors, the directors in each class shall be adjusted as necessary so that all classes shall be as equal in number as reasonably possible for so long as the Board of Directors remains classified. However, no reduction in the number of directors shall affect the term of office of any incumbent director. Vacancies on the Board of Directors may be filled by a majority vote of the remaining directors, and the Board of Directors determines the class to which any director shall be assigned for so long as the Board of Directors remains classified. A director elected to fill a vacancy, or a new directorship created by an increase in the size of the Board of Directors, serves until the next meeting of stockholders at which directors in his or her assigned class are elected, at which time he or she may stand for election if nominated by the full Board.
Board Meetings and Committees
The Board of Directors has the following three committees: Audit; Corporate Governance and Compensation; and Executive. The table below contains information concerning the membership of each of the committees and the number of times the Board of Directors and each committee met during fiscal year 2024. During fiscal year 2024, each director attended at least 75% of the total number of meetings of the Board of Directors and the committee(s) on which he or she served. Because our annual meeting of stockholders is purely routine in nature, our Corporate Governance Guidelines do not require our directors to attend the annual meeting
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of stockholders and, accordingly, two directors attended the 2024 annual meeting of stockholders. As of December 2, 2024, the Board of Directors and committee members were as follows:
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Corporate Governance and Compensation |
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Executive |
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Robert V. Vitale |
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Darcy Horn Davenport |
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Elliot H. Stein, Jr. |
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Shawn W. Conway |
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Thomas P. Erickson |
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Jennifer Kuperman Johnson |
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Chonda J. Nwamu |
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Meetings held in fiscal year 2024 |
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✓ — Chair ● — Member
Audit Committee
The Audit Committee’s primary responsibilities are to monitor and oversee (a) the quality and integrity of our financial statements and financial reporting, (b) the independence and qualifications of our independent registered public accounting firm, (c) the performance of our internal audit function and independent registered public accounting firm, (d) our systems of internal accounting, financial controls and disclosure controls and (e) compliance with legal and regulatory requirements, codes of conduct and ethics programs.
The Board of Directors has determined, in its judgment, that the Audit Committee is comprised solely of independent directors as defined in the NYSE listing standards and Rule 10A-3 of the Exchange Act. The Audit Committee operates under a written charter, adopted by the Board of Directors, which is available under the Corporate Governance section within the Investor Relations portion of our website at www.bellring.com. The Board of Directors also has determined, in its judgment, that Mr. Erickson, the chair of our Audit Committee, as “audit committee financial expert” as defined by SEC rules and that each member of the Audit Committee is “financially literate” as defined in the NYSE listing standards. Our Corporate Governance Guidelines and Audit Committee charter provide that no Audit Committee member may serve on more than two other public company audit committees absent a judgment that such simultaneous service would not impair the ability of that director to effectively serve on our Audit Committee. The Board of Directors has determined that none of the members of the Audit Committee currently serves on the audit committees of more than three public companies. The report of the Audit Committee can be found on page 28 of this proxy statement.
Corporate Governance and Compensation Committee
The Corporate Governance and Compensation Committee (a) determines the compensation level of our Section 16 officers, (b) reviews management’s Compensation Discussion and Analysis relating to our executive compensation programs and approves the inclusion of the same in our proxy statement and/or annual report to stockholders, (c) issues a report confirming the Committee’s review and approval of the Compensation Discussion and Analysis for inclusion in our proxy statement and/or annual report to stockholders, (d) administers and makes recommendations with respect to director compensation, incentive compensation plans and stock-based plans, and (e) reviews and oversees risks arising from or in connection with our compensation policies and programs for all employees. The Corporate Governance and Compensation Committee also (i) reviews and revises, as necessary, our Corporate Governance Guidelines, (ii) considers and evaluates transactions between the Company and any director, officer or affiliate of the Company, (iii) identifies
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individuals qualified to become members of our Board of Directors, and (iv) makes determinations with respect to resignations tendered by directors pursuant to the Company’s director resignation policy in its Amended Corporate Governance Guidelines. The Corporate Governance and Compensation Committee has the authority to delegate any of its responsibilities to subcommittees as it deems appropriate, provided that any such subcommittees are composed entirely of independent directors.
The Board of Directors has determined, in its judgment, that the Corporate Governance and Compensation Committee is comprised solely of independent directors as defined in the NYSE listing standards. The Corporate Governance and Compensation Committee operates under a written charter, adopted by the Board of Directors, which is available under the Corporate Governance section within the Investor Relations portion of our website at www.bellring.com.
Executive Committee
The Executive Committee may exercise all Board authority in the intervals between Board meetings, to the extent such authority is in compliance with our Corporate Governance Guidelines and does not infringe upon the duties and responsibilities of other Board committees.
Nomination Process for Election of Directors
The Corporate Governance and Compensation Committee has responsibility for assessing the need for new directors to address specific requirements or to fill a vacancy. The Committee may, from time to time, initiate a search for a new candidate, seeking input from our Chairman of the Board and from other directors. The Committee may retain an executive search firm to identify potential candidates. All candidates must meet the requirements specified in our Bylaws and our Corporate Governance Guidelines. Candidates who meet those requirements and otherwise qualify for membership on our Board of Directors are identified, and the Committee initiates contact with preferred candidates. The Committee meets to consider and approve final candidates who are then presented to the Board of Directors for consideration and approval. Our Chairman or the chairman of the Corporate Governance and Compensation Committee may extend an invitation to join the Board of Directors.
The Committee relies primarily on recommendations from management and members of the Board of Directors to identify director nominee candidates. However, the Committee will consider timely written suggestions from stockholders. Such suggestions and the nominee’s consent to being nominated, together with appropriate biographical information (including principal occupation for the previous five years and business and residential addresses) and other relevant information, as outlined in our Bylaws, should be submitted in writing to our corporate secretary. Stockholders wishing to suggest a candidate for director nomination for the 2026 annual meeting of stockholders should mail their suggestions to our principal executive offices at BellRing Brands, Inc., 2503 S. Hanley Road, St. Louis, Missouri 63144, Attn: Corporate Secretary. Suggestions must be received by the corporate secretary no earlier than September 30, 2025 and no later than October 30, 2025.
Other Board Service
Our Corporate Governance Guidelines do not prohibit our directors from serving on boards or committees of other organizations, except that no Audit Committee member may serve on more than two other public company audit committees absent a judgment by the Board of Directors that such simultaneous service would not impair the ability of that director to effectively serve on our Audit Committee. Our Corporate Governance Guidelines provide, however, that each of our directors is expected to ensure that other commitments do not interfere with the director’s discharge of his or her duties.
In addition to being the chairman of our Board of Directors, Mr. Vitale serves as a member of the Board of Directors of our former parent company, the publicly traded Post Holdings, Inc. (“Post”), as well as the board of directors of the publicly traded company Energizer Holdings, Inc. We believe that Mr. Vitale has the capacity to
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serve in these various roles. From 2015 until BellRing’s initial public offering in October 2019, our business comprised the active nutrition business of Post. As part of his role as President, CEO and a director of Post since 2014, Mr. Vitale has overseen the business that now comprises BellRing for its entire existence and Mr. Vitale has served as chairman of BellRing since November 2024 and, before that, served as executive chairman of BellRing since its formation shortly before our October 2019 initial public offering. Since he began serving as BellRing’s executive chairman in 2019, Mr. Vitale’s service on the boards of Post and Energizer Holdings, Inc. has not impacted the discharge of his duties as executive chairman or chairman of BellRing. As such, our Board of Directors does not believe that Mr. Vitale’s other board commitments have interfered or will interfere with Mr. Vitale’s discharge of his duties as chairman of our Board of Directors.
Role of the Board in Risk Oversight
The Board of Directors is responsible for the oversight of risk, while management is responsible for the day-to-day management of risk. The Board of Directors, directly and through its committees, carries out its oversight role by regularly reviewing and discussing with management the risks inherent in the operation of our business and applicable risk mitigation efforts. Management meets regularly to discuss our business strategies, challenges, risks and opportunities and reviews those items with the Board of Directors at regularly scheduled meetings.
We do not believe that our compensation policies and practices encourage excessive and unnecessary risk- taking. The design of our compensation policies and practices encourages employees to remain focused on both short- and long-term financial and operational goals. For example, bonus plans measure performance on an annual basis but are subject to the Corporate Governance and Compensation Committee’s ultimate judgment and discretion. In addition, equity awards typically vest over a number of years, which we believe encourages employees to focus on sustained stock price appreciation over an extended period of time instead of on short- term financial results.
Board Leadership Structure
Our current Board leadership structure consists of:
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separate Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer roles; |
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an independent Lead Director; |
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all non-management directors except for the Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer; |
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independent Audit and Corporate Governance and Compensation Committees; and |
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governance practices that promote independent leadership and oversight. |
Separate Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
We do not have a formal policy with respect to separation of the offices of Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer, and the Board of Directors believes that it should maintain flexibility to select our chairperson and Board leadership structure from time to time. Robert V. Vitale serves as Chairman of the Board and Darcy Horn Davenport serves as our Chief Executive Officer. Ms. Davenport is also a member of the Board. The Board believes that this leadership structure, which separates the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer roles, is optimal at this time because it allows Ms. Davenport to focus on operating and managing our Company, while Mr. Vitale can focus on leading our Board. In addition, an independent director serves as Lead Director. As described below, we believe our governance practices ensure that skilled and experienced independent directors provide independent guidance and leadership. When determining the leadership structure that will allow the Board of Directors to effectively carry out its responsibilities and best represent our stockholders’ interests, the Board will consider various factors, including our specific business needs, our operating and financial performance, industry conditions, the economic and regulatory environment, Board and committee annual self-evaluations, advantages and disadvantages of alternative leadership structures and our corporate governance practices.
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Independent Lead Director and Independent Directors
Pursuant to our Corporate Governance Guidelines, the chairman of the Corporate Governance and Compensation Committee, currently Mr. Stein, acts in the role of our independent Lead Director. The Lead Director’s duties are described above under “Director Independence and Role of the Independent Lead Director.”
In addition to the Lead Director, five of our seven Board members are independent. The Audit Committee and Corporate Governance and Compensation Committee are composed solely of independent directors. Consequently, independent directors directly oversee critical matters and appropriately monitor the Chief Executive Officer. Our independent directors have the opportunity to meet in executive session at the conclusion of each of our Board of Directors meetings.
Director Evaluations
On an annual basis, the Corporate Governance and Compensation Committee is expected to conduct an evaluation of the Board of Directors and the functioning of the committees of the Board. In addition to this evaluation, and as a part of this process, the Board and each committee conducts a self-assessment. The Corporate Governance and Compensation Committee reviews the results of these self-assessments, shares the same with the Board and each committee, as appropriate, and makes any advisable recommendations based on this feedback.
Policy on Director Diversity
Although the Corporate Governance and Compensation Committee does not have a written policy regarding diversity in identifying new director candidates, the Committee takes diversity into account in its search for the best available candidates to serve on the Board of Directors. The Committee believes that maintaining a diverse membership with varying backgrounds, skills, expertise and other differentiating personal characteristics promotes inclusiveness, enhances the Board of Directors’ deliberations and enables the Board of Directors to better represent all of our constituents, including our diverse consumer base and workforce. Accordingly, the Committee seeks out highly qualified candidates with diverse backgrounds, skills and experience. The Committee looks to establish diversity on the Board of Directors through a number of demographics, experience (including operational experience), skills and viewpoints, all with a view to identify candidates who can assist the Board with its decision making. The Committee also considers factors such as diversity on the basis of race, color, national origin, gender, religion, disability and sexual orientation. Three of our seven directors are women, Ms. Davenport, also our Chief Executive Officer, Ms. Kuperman Johnson and Ms. Nwamu, and Ms. Nwamu is African American.
Communication with the Board
Stockholders and other parties interested in communicating directly with our Board of Directors, an individual director or with the non-management directors as a group may do so by writing to the individual director or group, c/o BellRing Brands, Inc., 2503 S. Hanley Road, St. Louis, Missouri 63144, Attn: Corporate Secretary or via email to investor.relations@bellringbrands.com. The Board of Directors has directed our corporate secretary to forward stockholder communications to our Chairman and any other director to whom the communications are directed. In order to facilitate an efficient and reliable means for directors to receive all legitimate communications directed to them regarding our governance or operations, our corporate secretary will use his discretion to refrain from forwarding the following: sales literature; defamatory material regarding us and/or our directors; incoherent or inflammatory correspondence, particularly when such correspondence is repetitive or was addressed previously in some manner; and other correspondence unrelated to the Board of Directors’ corporate governance and oversight responsibilities.
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Environmental Sustainability and Social Matters
We recognize the importance of Environmental, Social and Governance (“ESG”) issues for our stakeholders and are committed to incorporating ESG principles into our business strategies and organizational culture. The Audit Committee of our Board of Directors provides direction with respect to the evolving priorities of ESG topics and initiatives and receives quarterly reports and updates on relevant ESG topics and progress against our initiatives. Our Executive Sustainability Steering committee, which is comprised of senior leaders within our organization, provides guidance on goals and strategies and makes recommendations on disclosure and reporting guidelines. Our Sustainability Operations Committee, which is comprised of technical experts within key business functions, meets regularly to implement programs and track progress on key objectives.
Environmental Sustainability
Based on the materiality assessment we conducted in 2022, details of which can be found in last year’s annual Impact Report, we identified six strategic areas in which to focus our ESG efforts. This materiality assessment has had a concrete impact on the actions that we’ve taken over the past two years and continues to guide our approach to developing our strategy.
Because a majority of these areas are within our supply chain, we have focused our efforts on establishing a standardized data collection process to better understand performance, identify areas for improvement, and build initiatives and partnerships with suppliers and co-manufacturers. This work was based on data obtained through a third-party supported materiality assessment, Scope 1 & 2 greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions inventories and a Scope 3 GHG emissions screen. Based on the results of these processes, we set several ambitious sustainability goals: (i) transition to 100% renewable electricity in our direct operations (Scope 1 and 2) by 2025, (ii) achieve Net Zero emissions across our direct operations (Scope 1 and 2) by 2030, (iii) ensure all cardboard and paper packaging for our products is made from sustainable forestry certified materials or recycled content by 2025, (iv) source 30% of our plastic packaging from renewable or recycled materials by 2027 and (v) for 100% of our product packaging to be recyclable, reusable or compostable by 2030.
This past year we conducted a Taskforce on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) analysis to better assess climate-related risks embedded in our business. This exercise included both directly operated facilities, as well as much of our supply network including co-manufacturers, supplier facilities, and warehouses. The results of this exercise indicate a low potential for climate impact to our facilities in the near term from either physical or transitional risks.
We remain committed to improved transparency around our programs and practices that impact ESG. In the first calendar quarter of 2025, we will publish our annual Impact Report. Our Impact Report will be available on our website at www.bellring.com/impact. Information on our website, including our Impact Report, does not constitute part of (and shall not be deemed incorporated by reference into) this proxy statement or any other document we file with the SEC.
Empowering Our People
We are a people-first culture. Our people are critical to our success and we prioritize providing a safe, rewarding and respectful workplace where our people are provided with opportunities to pursue career paths based on capabilities, performance and mindset. We adhere to our Code of Conduct, which sets forth a commitment to our stakeholders, including our employees, to operate with integrity and mutual respect. For the sixth year running, Premier Nutrition Company, LLC, our primary operating subsidiary (“Premier Nutrition”) has been named in the top 12 best small and medium workplaces in our category in the U.S. by Fortune Magazine and Great Places to Work® Institute. And, in fiscal 2024, Premier Nutrition placed 3rd on the list.
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Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging
We recognize the importance of a diverse, equitable and inclusive culture for our employees and are dedicated to creating an inclusive environment that reflects the communities in which we live and work that creates a feeling of belonging. We have implemented initiatives to track and improve our performance in these areas, including having a CEO-sponsored, employee-led team that establishes strategies and initiatives towards this objective, tracks our progress and shares successes and key learnings. We also provide interactive anti-harassment and diversity training for all new supervisory employees taught by outside experts. Our Board of Directors receives periodic updates regarding our diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging efforts.
Community Involvement
We are passionate about supporting the communities in which we live and work and use our time, talent and resources to give back. We support local charities with our time during “all company” give back days each year and supporting our employees with paid volunteer time off. We also support our employees who are passionate about a cause by matching their donations one-to-one. Additionally, we make donations to philanthropic organizations that align with our purpose, culture and community. In 2024, the San Francisco Business Times again identified Premier Nutrition as one of the Top 100 Bay Area Corporate Philanthropists as it has for the last several years.
Information Technology and Cybersecurity Risk Oversight
We rely on information technology (“IT”) systems for management of our business, including sourcing and supply chain, inventory management, receivables and payables, human capital management, finance and reporting tools and other business processes. The reliability and capacity of these systems is an important part of our ability to efficiently and effectively manage our business. With this in mind, we maintain a comprehensive information technology, data governance and cybersecurity program that leverages people, processes and technology to support our information technology systems and detect, identify, prevent, defend against and mitigate information technology and data security risks. Our cybersecurity program is aligned with the National Institute of Standards and Technology Cybersecurity Framework. This framework encompasses key processes, policies and controls to ensure protection, detection, identification, response and recovery capabilities across our organization. Safeguards included in this framework include, but are not limited to:
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industry standard targeted controls to protect our environment, including antivirus, antimalware, multi- factor authentication, long and regularly changed passwords, email security and firewalls to protect our assets and our ability to maintain operations; |
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managed detect and response (MDR), security information and event management (SIEM) and vulnerability management; |
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incident response processes that incorporate third party response retainers; |
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regular assessments to our cybersecurity program using external parties including cyber maturity assessments & penetration tests; |
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required Service Organization Controls (SOC) reports for any supplier housing financial or mission critical data; |
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third-party risk scoring of our critical suppliers; |
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central system backups and associated disaster recovery plans; and |
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employee training and awareness programs addressing cybersecurity and data privacy challenges. |
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APPROVAL OF AMENDMENT TO OUR CERTIFICATE OF INCORPORATION TO
DECLASSIFY OUR BOARD OF DIRECTORS
(PROXY ITEM NO. 1)
After careful consideration, on November 7, 2024, our Board of Directors unanimously approved and declared advisable, and resolved to recommend to our stockholders that they approve the adoption of, an amendment to our Certificate of Incorporation (the “Certificate of Incorporation”) to declassify the Board of Directors over a three-year phase-in period commencing at the Annual Meeting. Declassifying the Board of Directors will allow our stockholders to vote on the election of our entire Board of Directors each year, rather than on a staggered basis as with our current classified board structure.
If approved by our stockholders, our Certificate of Incorporation will be amended during the Annual Meeting to provide for the annual election of all directors as their current terms expire at each of the 2025, 2026 and 2027 annual meetings of stockholders. If our stockholders do not approve this amendment to our Certificate of Incorporation to declassify our Board of Directors, our board will remain classified, and the two director nominees whose terms expire at the Annual meeting will, if elected, serve a three-year term ending at the 2028 annual meeting of stockholders.
Current Classified Board Structure
Under Section 7 of our Certificate of Incorporation and Section 1 of Article II of our bylaws, the Board of Directors is currently separated into three classes nearly equal in size. Absent the earlier resignation or removal of a director, each year the stockholders are asked to elect the directors comprising one of the classes for a three-year term. The term of the current Class III directors is set to expire at the Annual Meeting. The term of the Class I directors is set to expire in 2026 and the term of the Class II directors is set to expire in 2027. Under the current classified board structure, stockholders may only elect approximately one-third of the Board of Directors each year.
Reasons for Declassifying the Board of Directors
The Board of Directors considered a number of factors that favor continuing with a classified board structure, as well as a number of factors that favor adopting a declassified board structure. Ultimately, after weighing the various factors, the Board of Directors determined that it would be in the best interests of the Company and our stockholders to amend our Certificate of Incorporation to declassify the board.
A classified board structure has a number of advantages. It allows a majority of the board to remain in place from year to year, which promotes continuity, stability, and encourages the board to plan for long-term goals. Further, at any one time, approximately two-thirds of the elected board has experience with the business and operations of the company it manages.
The Board of Directors also recognizes that a classified board structure can be viewed as diminishing a board’s accountability to stockholders, because such a structure does not enable stockholders to express a view on each director’s performance by means of an annual vote. Annual voting allows stockholders to express their views on the individual performance of each director and on the entire board of directors more frequently than with a classified board structure, which provides stockholders a more active role in shaping and implementing corporate governance policies. Moreover, many institutional investors believe that the election of directors is the primary means for stockholders to influence corporate governance policies and to hold management accountable for implementing those policies. Public companies with classified boards also face increased scrutiny from proxy advisory firms.
After weighing the factors above, among other things, the Board of Directors determined that retaining a classified board structure is no longer in the best interests of the Company and its stockholders. For this reason,
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lights and auto care, appearance, performance, refrigerant and fragrance products, since August 2017. He served as President and Chief Executive Officer of AHM Financial Group, LLC, a diversified provider of insurance brokerage and wealth management services, from 2006 until 2011 and previously was a partner of Westgate Equity Partners, LLC, a consumer-oriented private equity firm. Mr. Vitale has experience in significant leadership positions, an extensive understanding of finance and financial reporting processes, experience in leadership roles in industries relevant to our business, including consumer packaged goods, retail and consumer product manufacturing, experience in mergers and acquisitions, experience as an executive with direct operational responsibilities and experience as an executive and as a director of other publicly traded companies. Age 58.
CHONDA J. NWAMU has served as a member of our Board of Directors since May 2021. Ms. Nwamu is Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary for Ameren Corporation, a public utility holding company, since August 2019, and is a director of its subsidiaries, Ameren Services, Ameren Missouri and Ameren Transmission Company of Illinois. From September 2016 to August 2019, Ms. Nwamu served as Vice President and Deputy General Counsel of Ameren Services. Ms. Nwamu was managing counsel and senior director at Pacific Gas and Electric Company, a California-based public utility, from June 2014 to June 2016 and regulatory counsel there from September 2000 until May 2014. Prior to joining Pacific Gas and Electric, Ms. Nwamu was in private practice at Hoyle, Morris & Kerr LLP where she specialized in complex commercial litigation. Ms. Nwamu has extensive experience in legal, regulatory and compliance matters. Age 53.
Directors Continuing in Service
Class I Directors - Terms Expire in 2026
DARCY HORN DAVENPORT has served as our President and Chief Executive Officer since September 2019 and as a member of our Board of Directors since October 2019. Prior to our IPO, Ms. Davenport has served as President of Post’s active nutrition business since October 2017 and as President of Premier Nutrition since November 2016. Ms. Davenport previously served as General Manager of Premier Nutrition from October 2014 to November 2016 and Vice President of Marketing from October 2011 to October 2014. Prior to joining Premier Nutrition, Ms. Davenport served as Director of Brand Marketing at Joint Juice, Inc., a liquid dietary supplement manufacturer, from May 2009 to October 2011, when it combined with Premier Nutrition. Ms. Davenport has served as a member of the board of directors of Blentech Corporation, a company focusing on developing custom-made, food processing solutions including equipment, integrated systems and software, since January 2010. Ms. Davenport has experience in significant leadership positions, extensive experience in leadership roles in industries relevant to our business, an understanding of finance and financial reporting processes, experience in marketing and sales and experience as an executive with direct operational responsibilities. Age 51.
ELLIOT H. STEIN, JR. has served as a member of our Board of Directors since October 2019. Mr. Stein has been chairman of Acertas, LLC and Senturion Forecasting, LLC, two privately owned data analytics firms, since 2013. In addition, Mr. Stein has been a director of Midcap Financial Investment Corporation, a publicly traded closed-end, externally managed, non-diversified management investment company, since 2004, and a director of two publicly traded diversified, closed-end management investment companies: Midcap Financial Investment Corporation, successor in interest to Apollo Senior Floating Rate Fund, Inc., since 2011, and Apollo Tactical Income Fund Inc., since 2013. He also previously served as a director of various private companies in the media, manufacturing, retail and finance industries. Mr. Stein has experience in significant leadership positions, an extensive understanding of financial and financial reporting processes and experience as a director of other publicly traded companies. Age 75.
Class II Directors - Terms Expire in 2027
SHAWN W. CONWAY has served as a member of our Board of Directors since October 2023. Mr. Conway is Chief Executive Officer for Ste. Michelle Wine Estates, a privately owned company and the largest winery in the Pacific Northwest, since March 2023. Prior thereto, Mr. Conway served as Chief Executive
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Officer of Peet’s Coffee, Inc., an original craft coffee and tea company, from January 2020 to April 2022. Mr. Conway also served as Chief Operating Officer of Peet’s Coffee, Inc. from November 2012 to December 2019 and Chief Supply Chain Officer of Peet’s Coffee, Inc. from January 2010 to November 2012. Prior to joining Pete’s Coffee, Inc., Mr. Conway served as Senior Vice President of Operations at SKYY Spirits LLC from April 2005 to January 2010 and Vice President – Finance and Technology at SKYY Spirits, LLC from 2002 to 2005. Since August 2022, Mr. Conway has served on the Board of Directors of SAMBAZON, an acronym for Sustainable Management of the Brazilian Amazon, a leading supplier of certified fair trade and organic Acai. Mr. Conway previously served as Chairman of the Board of Directors of Peet’s China Inc. from 2017 to 2022; Intelligentsia Coffee Inc. from 2015 to 2022 (as Chairman from 2020 to 2022); Stumptown Coffee Inc. from 2015 to 2022 (as Chairman from 2020 to 2022); and Mighty Leaf Tea Inc. as Chairman from 2014 to 2017. Mr. Conway has experience in significant leadership positions, operations, supply chain and finance in high- growth, premium-branded specialty food and beverage, and consumer packaged goods companies. Age 59
THOMAS P. ERICKSON has served as a member of our Board of Directors since October 2019. Mr. Erickson has been the managing member of Thomas P. Erickson, CPA, LLC, a tax consulting firm, since May 2016 and is a retired tax partner from KPMG, where he worked from 1980 to September 2015. From September 2015 to May 2016, Mr. Erickson provided tax consulting services to various companies and individuals. Mr. Erickson has over 40 years of public accounting experience and has previously been an instructor of advanced partnership planning, taxable and nontaxable corporate transactions and formations and S corporation planning for KPMG. Mr. Erickson has extensive expertise in tax matters and finance and financial reporting processes. Mr. Erickson is a Certified Public Accountant. Age 69.
JENNIFER KUPERMAN JOHNSON has served as a member of our Board of Directors since October 2019. Ms. Kuperman Johnson serves as Chief Corporate Affairs Officer at Chime Financial, Inc. since 2024 and, prior thereto, she served as the Senior Vice President of Corporate Affairs at Chime since September 2022. Prior to Chime, Ms. Kuperman Johnson was head of international corporate affairs at Alibaba Group Holding Limited, a multinational conglomerate holding company specializing in eCommerce, retail, internet and technology, from April 2016 to January 2021 and served as vice president, international corporate affairs at Alibaba Group Holding Limited from August 2014 to April 2016. Prior to joining Alibaba Group Holding Limited, Ms. Kuperman Johnson was senior vice president of corporate brand and reputation at Visa Inc., a global payments technology company, from April 2013 to August 2014 and chief of staff, office of the chairman and chief executive officer at Visa Inc. from August 2010 to April 2013. Ms. Kuperman Johnson also served as head of global corporate communications and citizenship at Visa Inc. from August 2008 to July 2010 and head of employee and client communication at Visa Inc. from August 2004 to June 2008. Ms. Kuperman Johnson has served on the board of directors of Post Holdings, Inc. since May 2021 and on the board of Post Holdings Partnering Corporation, a publicly traded affiliate of Post that was a SPAC formed for the purpose of effecting a partnering transaction with one or more businesses, from May 2021 to June 2023. She has also served on the board of directors to Kyriba Corp., a privately held cloud treasury and finance solutions company, since August 2021. Ms. Kuperman Johnson has experience in significant leadership positions and extensive international experience. Age 51.
The Board of Directors unanimously recommends a vote “FOR” each of Mr. Vitale and Ms. Nwamu for election to the Board of Directors at the Annual Meeting.
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The peer group used to assist with fiscal year 2024 pay decisions was unchanged from the 2023 peer group, and consisted of the following 14 companies:
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• B&G Foods, Inc. |
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• Medifast, Inc. |
• Calavo Growers, Inc. |
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• Sovos Brands, Inc. |
• Flowers Foods, Inc. |
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• The Hain Celestial Group, Inc. |
• Hostess Brands, Inc. |
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• The Simply Good Foods Company |
• J&J Snack Foods Corp. |
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• Treehouse Foods, Inc. |
• Lamb Weston Holdings, Inc. |
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• Utz Brands, Inc. |
• Lancaster Colony Corporation |
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• WW International, Inc. |
The Committee uses competitive compensation data from the annual total compensation study of peer companies to inform its decisions about overall compensation opportunities and specific compensation elements. Additionally, the Committee uses multiple reference points when establishing targeted compensation levels. The Committee does not benchmark specific compensation elements or total compensation to any specific percentile relative to the peer companies or the broader United States market. Instead, the Committee applies judgment and discretion in establishing targeted pay levels, taking into account not only competitive market data, but also factors such as Company, business and individual performance, scope of responsibility, critical needs and skill sets, leadership potential and succession planning.
Timing of Compensation Decisions and Equity Grants
Pay recommendations for our executives, including our executive officers, are typically made by the Committee at its first regularly scheduled meeting in the first fiscal quarter of the year, normally held in November. This meeting is typically held around the same time as we report our annual financial results for the preceding fiscal year. This timing allows the Committee to have a complete financial performance picture prior to making compensation decisions. In advance of its regularly scheduled November meeting, the Committee often has pre-meetings or other off-cycle discussions to give thorough consideration to the appropriate amount and structure of compensation for our executives.
In accordance with Item 402(x) of Regulation S-K, the Company has established clear guidelines regarding the timing of equity grants to ensure transparency and fairness. The Company does not issue stock options. Rather, it grants equity-based compensation in the form of restricted stock units (RSUs), and performance-based restricted stock units (PRSUs) as part of its executive compensation program. The Company adheres to a predictable and structured process for approving and issuing equity awards. Decisions with respect to prior fiscal year performance, as well as annual equity awards, base salary increases and target performance levels for the current fiscal year and beyond, are typically made at the Committee’s first regularly scheduled meeting for the fiscal year, the date of which is set at the beginning of the fiscal year—well in advance of any material non-public information disclosure. This practice ensures that grant dates are scheduled well in advance, and the timing of grants is not adjusted based on fluctuations in stock price or pending corporate announcements. Further, any equity awards approved by the Committee at this meeting are dated as of the date of the Committee meeting. As such, the Committee does not time the grants of equity incentives to the release of material non-public information. The Company does not reprice or backdate any equity grants. Additionally, no equity awards are made retroactively to avoid any appearance of impropriety or manipulation of award timing.
The exceptions to this timing are awards to executives who are promoted or hired from outside of the Company during the fiscal year. These executives may receive equity awards effective or dated, as applicable, as of the date of their promotion or hire or the next nearest scheduled Committee meeting. There were no such awards under these exceptions in fiscal year 2024.
36
Determination of CEO Compensation
At its first regularly scheduled meeting of the fiscal year, normally held in November, the Committee reviews and evaluates CEO performance, and determines performance achievement levels, for the prior fiscal year. The Committee also reviews competitive compensation data. Following review and discussion, the Committee or the Board, as applicable, approves the CEO’s compensation.
For fiscal year 2024, our executive compensation programs were determined by our Board of Directors, through our Corporate Governance and Compensation Committee. See Compensation Decision Process above for further information.
2024 Compensation Elements
Base Salary
Base salaries are designed to recognize the competency, experience and performance an executive brings to the position. Changes in base salary will result primarily from a comparison to peer group market data, individual and Company performance, internal equity, value to the organization, promotions and the specific responsibilities compared to market. The Committee reviews base salaries for our executive officers annually.
The following salaries were approved for fiscal year 2024, based on a thorough review of competitive market data provided by Aon, bringing our executive team into alignment with the competitive market for their position and our objective for internal alignment:
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|
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|
|
|
|
|
|
Name |
|
Fiscal Year 2024 Base Salary |
|
|
Change from Fiscal Year 2023 |
|
|
|
|
Robert V. Vitale(1) |
|
|
N/A |
|
|
|
N/A |
|
|
|
|
Darcy Horn Davenport |
|
$ |
750,000 |
|
|
|
+7.1 |
% |
|
|
|
Paul A. Rode |
|
$ |
500,000 |
|
|
|
+9.9 |
% |
|
|
|
Douglas J. Cornille |
|
$ |
460,000 |
|
|
|
+7.0 |
% |
|
|
|
Craig L. Rosenthal |
|
$ |
430,000 |
|
|
|
+7.5 |
% |
|
|
|
Robin Singh |
|
$ |
400,000 |
|
|
|
+8.1 |
% |
(1) |
Mr. Vitale does not receive a base salary in his role as Chairman of the Board of Directors. |
Annual Bonus (Senior Management Bonus Program)
Our NEOs are eligible to earn incentives based on fiscal year performance. Our Senior Management Bonus Program is designed to reward our executives who attain superior annual performance in key areas that we believe create long-term value for stockholders. Performance is measured at both the corporate and business unit level.
For fiscal year 2024, the Committee approved Net Revenue (25%) and Adjusted EBITDA (75%) as the performance metrics for both the corporate and Premier Nutrition business unit level. The Compensation Committee believes that using adjusted EBITDA as the primary performance metric for NEO bonuses is important for aligning this incentive with the Company’s growth-oriented strategy. This metric reflects the Company’s commitment to controlling operating costs, enhancing operational efficiency, sustainable growth, and value creation, ensuring that, as the Company drives sales growth, NEOs are rewarded for results that drive long-term stockholder value.
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• |
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Up to 100% of target annual bonus opportunity may be earned if the participant’s targeted corporate / business unit financial performance is achieved. |
37
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period, with limited exceptions in cases of death, disability or involuntary termination of employment associated with a change in control of the Company (or absent an involuntary termination, failure of the acquirer in a change in control to assume, on substantially the same terms, the PRSUs). |
Long-Term Incentives — Special Fiscal Year 2024 Equity Grants
The Committee views special grants as an important way to meet the Company’s needs for a specific purpose or during a specific period, and only uses them in a very limited and judicious way.
Attracting and retaining executive talent of the caliber of our leaders, and maintaining a stable, consistent team, are both extremely challenging and vitally important. Our ability to execute our strategy, our future success and the promotion and protection of the interest of our stockholders depend largely on our continuing ability to retain highly qualified and skilled executive leaders.
The Committee determined that it was aligned with the Company’s long-term strategic goals and in the best interest of the Company and our stockholders to make certain special grants to our NEOs.
In November 2023, the Committee approved special equity grants in an enhanced amount to our NEOs to (1) recognize the Company’s extraordinary financial and long-term TSR performance since becoming a public company, (2) recognize the NEOs’ exceptional leadership in navigating a challenging period of product capacity constraints during the past two years, delivering results that exceeded established goals and (3) enhance retention for a critical period of growth for our Company over the next three years.
In accordance with the pay-for-performance philosophy, the special equity grants consisted of 50% PRSU target value and 50% RSU value. The performance requirements, the performance period, the termination provisions, and the payout opportunities for the PRSUs are the same as our regular grants described above. The PRSUs and RSUs cliff vest 100% on the third anniversary of the grant date, subject to continued employment, which further strengthens the alignment of interests between our executive officers and our stockholders.
The value of the special grants ultimately earned depends on the price of BellRing shares and is subject to the Company’s stock ownership guidelines, which, as discussed below, require executive officers to hold a multiple of their base salary in Company equity, to further strengthen the alignment of interests between the executive officers and our stockholders. A recipient is also subject to our “clawback” policy.
The following target LTI values were approved for the special fiscal year 2024 equity grants:
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|
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Name |
|
PRSU Value |
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|
RSU Value |
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|
Total Value |
|
|
|
|
|
Robert V. Vitale |
|
|
N/A |
|
|
|
N/A |
|
|
|
N/A |
|
|
|
|
|
Darcy Horn Davenport |
|
$ |
2,100,000 |
|
|
$ |
2,100,000 |
|
|
$ |
4,200,000 |
|
|
|
|
|
Paul A. Rode |
|
$ |
650,000 |
|
|
$ |
650,000 |
|
|
$ |
1,300,000 |
|
|
|
|
|
Douglas J. Cornille |
|
$ |
600,000 |
|
|
$ |
600,000 |
|
|
$ |
1,200,000 |
|
|
|
|
|
Craig L. Rosenthal |
|
$ |
500,000 |
|
|
$ |
500,000 |
|
|
$ |
1,000,000 |
|
|
|
|
|
Robin Singh |
|
$ |
400,000 |
|
|
$ |
400,000 |
|
|
$ |
800,000 |
|
Certain Other Compensation Policies
Stock Ownership Guidelines
We have stock ownership guidelines applicable to non-employee directors and Section 16 officers. Our Board of Directors believes it is in the best interests of the Company and our stockholders to align the financial
42
Director Compensation for the Fiscal Year Ended September 30, 2024
In fiscal year 2024, the Committee reviewed competitive peer company board of director compensation market data provided by Aon. For fiscal year 2024, we modified our annual RSU grant to $125,000 and our annual board retainer to $70,000 to maintain a competitive total compensation posture. The chairperson of our Audit Committee received an additional annual retainer of $20,000, and the chairperson of our Corporate Governance and Compensation Committee received an additional annual retainer of $15,000. Other members of our Audit Committee received an additional annual retainer of $10,000, and other members of our Corporate Governance and Compensation Committee received an additional annual retainer of $7,500. The independent lead director of our Board received an additional annual retainer of $20,000.
All RSU grants fully vest on the first anniversary of the date of grant. In addition, all awards fully vest at the director’s disability or death. Directors may elect to defer settlement of RSUs until separation from service.
We also pay the premiums on directors’ and officers’ liability and travel accident insurance policies insuring directors. We reimburse directors for their reasonable expenses incurred in connection with attending Board meetings.
Under our Deferred Compensation Plan for Directors, any non-management director may elect to defer, with certain limitations, his or her retainer. Deferred compensation may be notionally invested in BellRing common stock equivalents or in a number of mutual funds operated by The Vanguard Group Inc. with a variety of investment strategies and objectives. Deferrals in our common stock equivalents receive a 33 and 1/3% Company matching contribution, also credited in BellRing common stock equivalents. Balances are paid upon leaving the Board of Directors, generally in cash, in one of three ways: (1) lump sum payout; (2) five-year installments or (3) ten-year installments.
Directors who also are full-time officers or employees of the Company receive no additional compensation for serving as directors.
We maintain stock ownership guidelines applicable to all non-management directors. See Certain Other Compensation Policies — Stock Ownership Guidelines for more detail.
45
Additional vesting rules for equity awards are as follows:
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• |
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Equity awards issued to officers under the 2019 LTIP vest in whole upon a termination because of death or disability. |
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• |
|
Award agreements issued under the 2019 LTIP provide that if the officer’s employment with a Company affiliate terminates as a result of the sale of his or her employing business or that Company affiliate, and the acquirer does not agree to assume the award on substantially the same terms, then the award fully vests. |
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• |
|
Vested stock options granted under the 2019 LTIP will remain exercisable until the expiration of the award under its terms. |
Employment Agreements
None of our named executive officers has an employment agreement with the Company.
Director Compensation for the Fiscal Year Ended September 30, 2024
All non-management directors received an annual retainer of $70,000. The chairperson of our Audit Committee receives an additional annual retainer of $20,000 and all other members of the Audit Committee receive an additional annual retainer of $10,000. The chairperson of our Corporate Governance and Compensation Committee receives an additional annual retainer of $15,000 and all other members of the Corporate Governance and Compensation Committee receives an additional annual retainer of $7,500. The independent lead director of our Board receives an additional annual retainer of $20,000.
In addition to cash compensation, all non-management directors received an annual grant in the form of RSUs with a grant date fair value of approximately $125,000 calculated in accordance with FASB ASC Topic 718. All awards fully vest on the first anniversary of the date of grant. All RSU awards fully vest at the director’s disability or death, but RSUs shall be forfeited and cancelled upon a director’s earlier resignation or removal. Directors may elect to defer settlement of RSUs until separation from service.
We also pay the premiums on directors’ and officers’ liability and travel accident insurance policies insuring directors. We reimburse directors for their reasonable expenses incurred in connection with attending Board meetings.
Under our Deferred Compensation Plan for Directors, any non-management director may elect to defer, with certain limitations, his or her cash retainer, in whole or in part. Deferred compensation may be notionally invested in BellRing common stock equivalents or in a number of mutual funds operated by The Vanguard Group Inc. with a variety of investment strategies and objectives. Deferrals in our common stock equivalents receive a 33 1/3% Company matching contribution, also credited in BellRing common stock equivalents. Balances are paid upon leaving the Board of Directors, generally in cash, in one of three ways at the election of each director: (1) lump sum payout; (2) five-year installments or (3) ten-year installments.
Directors who also are full-time officers or employees of the Company or Post receive no additional compensation for serving as directors.
We maintain stock ownership guidelines applicable to all non-management directors. See Other Compensation Policies - Stock Ownership Guidelines under Compensation Discussion for more details.
56
CERTAIN RELATIONSHIPS AND RELATED TRANSACTIONS
Policies and Procedures Governing Related Party Transactions
Our written code of conduct for directors, officers and employees contains written conflict of interest policies that are designed to prevent each director and executive officer from engaging in any transaction that could be deemed a conflict of interest.
Our related person transactions policy provides that any related person transaction covered by the policy must be reviewed and approved or ratified by our Audit Committee (or an independent and disinterested sub-committee thereof). Our related party transactions policy applies to any transaction that would be required by the SEC to be disclosed in our proxy statement, as well as certain transactions with Post.
The Audit Committee will not approve or ratify any related person transaction unless, after considering all relevant information, it has determined that the transaction is in, or is not inconsistent with, the best interests of us and our stockholders and complies with applicable law. In considering a related party transaction, the Committee will take into account relevant facts and circumstances, including the following:
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• |
|
whether the terms of the transaction are no less favorable to us than terms generally available to an unaffiliated third party under similar circumstances; |
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• |
|
the materiality of the director’s or officer’s interest in the transaction, including any actual or perceived conflicts of interest; and |
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• |
|
the importance of the transaction and the benefit (or lack thereof) of such transaction to us. |
Related Party Transactions
In addition to the director and executive officer compensation arrangements discussed above under Compensation of Officers and Directors, the following is a description of each transaction since the beginning of our last fiscal year and each currently proposed transaction in which:
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• |
|
we have been or are to be a participant; |
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• |
|
the amount involved exceeded or exceeds $120,000; and |
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• |
|
any of our directors, executive officers or holders of more than five percent of our capital stock, or any immediate family member of or person sharing the household with any of these individuals, had or will have a direct or indirect material interest. |
On March 10, 2022, we and Post completed a series of transactions resulting in the spin-off of approximately 80.1% of Post’s ownership interests in us to its stockholders and our reorganization, as more fully disclosed in our Current Report on Form 8-K as filed with the SEC on March 10, 2022 (the “Reorganization Transactions”). In connection with the Reorganization Transactions, on March 10, 2022, we and Post and certain of our predecessor affiliates agreed to amend and restate the below-described employee matters agreement and master services agreement and entered into a new tax matters agreement and registration rights agreement. As of November 25, 2022, Post no longer owns any outstanding shares of our common stock. Transactions with Post continue to be considered related party transactions as certain of the Company’s directors serve as officers or directors of Post.
Amended and Restated Employee Matters Agreement
The amended and restated employee matters agreement covers a wide range of compensation and benefit matters, including:
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• |
|
RSU awards issued to employees of us or our subsidiaries (or our or their predecessors) under certain Post equity incentive plans, which remain unsettled or outstanding as of March 10, 2022, will either: |
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and certain related transactions to qualify as tax-free transactions to the extent such failure to qualify is attributable to certain actions taken by such party (or, in certain circumstances, is attributable to actions taken by other persons) as described below.
Pursuant to the tax matters agreement, we are expected to indemnify Post for (i) all taxes for which we are responsible, as described above, and (ii) all taxes incurred by reason of certain actions or events, or by reason of any breach by us or any of our subsidiaries of any of our respective representations, warranties or covenants under the tax matters agreement that, in each case, affect the intended tax-free treatment of the transactions.
Pursuant to the tax matters agreement, Post is expected to indemnify us for (i) the taxes for which Post is responsible, as described above, and (ii) taxes attributable to a failure of the transactions to qualify as tax free, to the extent incurred by any action or failure to take any action within the control of Post.
The tax matters agreement prohibits Post and us from taking actions (or refraining from taking actions) that could reasonably be expected to cause the Reorganization Transactions to fail to qualify for their intended tax treatment. In particular, for two years after March 10, 2022, we in general were not permitted to:
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• |
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issue any equity securities or securities that could be converted into our equity securities, including as acquisition currency for a merger or acquisition (but excluding certain equity compensation for our employees), redeem or repurchase our equity securities or our debt, or enter into any transaction pursuant to which our stock would be acquired, whether by merger or otherwise; |
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• |
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cease, or permit certain of our wholly owned subsidiaries to cease, the active conduct of the nutrition business or from holding certain assets held at the time of the distribution; |
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• |
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dissolve, liquidate or take any action that is a liquidation for U.S. federal income tax purposes (other than pursuant to the Reorganization Transactions); |
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• |
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approve or allow an extraordinary contribution to us by our stockholders in exchange for stock, redeem or otherwise repurchase (directly or indirectly) any of our common stock or amend our certificate of incorporation or other organizational documents if such amendment or other action would affect the relative voting rights of our capital stock, or redeem or otherwise repurchase (directly or indirectly) any of the debt obligations issued by us to Post (and subsequently exchanged by Post for Post debt securities) in connection with the Reorganization Transactions; or |
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• |
|
sell or transfer 30% or more of the gross assets of our nutrition business, other than pursuant to sales or transfers of assets in the ordinary course of business, cash acquisitions of assets from unrelated persons in arm’s-length transactions, transfers to a person that is disregarded as an entity separate from the transferor for U.S. federal income tax purposes, mandatory or optional repayment (or pre-payment) of any indebtedness of us or our subsidiaries or a sale or transfer among us and our subsidiaries. |
Nevertheless, we were permitted to take any of the actions described above during the two-year period following the distribution if Post obtained an IRS private letter ruling or, in certain circumstances, our tax counsel delivered an unqualified “will”-level tax opinion in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to Post) to the effect that the action would not affect the tax-free status of the transactions. Notwithstanding the above, under the tax matters agreement, we may make certain stock issuances that meet certain safe harbors provided in Section 1.355-7(d) of the Treasury Regulations so long as such issuances are not inconsistent with any applicable formal or informal written guidance provided by the IRS in connection with any IRS ruling request or any applicable assumptions, representations and warranties, covenants or certificates relied upon in any unqualified “will”-level tax opinion.
The tax matters agreement will be binding on and inure to the benefit of any permitted assignees and any successor to any of the parties of the tax matters agreement. The tax matters agreement may be amended only by a written instrument signed by each of the parties, and any right may be waived only in a written instrument signed by the party against whom the waiver is to be effective. No failure or delay by any party to the tax matters agreement to exercise a right operates as a waiver thereof.
64
Amended and Restated Master Services Agreement
Under the amended and restated master services agreement, as amended on August 4, 2023 to modify the scope and pricing, and extended the term of certain services provided under it, Post provides some combination of the following services, among others, to us:
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• |
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assistance with certain finance, internal audit, treasury, information technology support, insurance and tax matters, including assistance with certain public company reporting obligations; |
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• |
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the use of office and/or data center space; |
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• |
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payroll processing services; |
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• |
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tax compliance services; and |
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• |
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such other services as to which Post and we may agree. |
The charges for these services were $3.4 million, plus certain third-party costs, in fiscal 2024. In general, the services provided by Post will continue for the periods specified in the amended and restated master services agreement, but not to exceed four years from March 10, 2022, subject to any subsequent extension or truncation agreed to by us and Post. In addition, Post may terminate (i) the amended and restated master services agreement or any services provided thereunder in the event of a change of control of Post, or a change of control of us or the sale of all or substantially all of the consolidated assets of Post or us, (ii) the amended and restated master services agreement or any services provided thereunder upon six months’ notice, or, if Post stops providing a service for its own operations, upon 60 days’ notice, (iii) any services provided to a subsidiary of us in the event of a change of control of the subsidiary or the sale of all or substantially all of its assets and (iv) any services provided to a business line or operating division of us or our subsidiaries in the event of a sale of such business line or operating division. We may terminate the amended and restated master services agreement with respect to one or more particular services being received upon such notice as provided for in the amended and restated master services agreement.
Tax Receivable Agreement
In connection with the completion of our IPO on October 21, 2019, we entered into a tax receivable agreement with Post. The tax receivable agreement provides for the payment by us to Post of 85% of the amount of cash savings, if any, in U.S. federal income tax, as well as state and local income tax and franchise tax, that we realize (or are deemed to realize) as a result of (a) the increase in the tax basis of the assets of BellRing Brands, LLC attributable to (i) the redemption of BellRing Brands, LLC Units by Post pursuant to the limited liability company agreement, (ii) deemed sales by Post of BellRing Brands, LLC Units or assets to us or BellRing Brands, LLC, (iii) certain actual or deemed distributions from BellRing Brands, LLC to Post and (iv) certain formation transactions, (b) disproportionate allocations of tax benefits to us as a result of Section 704(c) of the Internal Revenue Code and (c) certain tax benefits (e.g., imputed interest, basis adjustments, deductions, etc.) attributable to payments under the tax receivable agreement. Payments under the tax receivable agreement are not conditioned on Post’s continued ownership of BellRing Brands, LLC Units or our common stock after the IPO. The rights of Post under the tax receivable agreement are assignable to transferees of Post’s BellRing Brands, LLC Units. We are expected to benefit from the remaining 15% of tax benefits, if any, that it may realize (or in some cases, be deemed to realize).
The actual increase in tax basis and the amount and timing of any payments under the tax receivable agreement will vary depending upon a number of factors, including:
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• |
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the price of shares of our common stock in connection with the IPO and at the time of redemptions— the basis adjustments, as well as any related increase in any tax deductions, are directly related to the price of shares of our common stock at the time of the consummation of the IPO and each redemption; |
65
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• |
|
the timing of any redemptions-for instance, the increase in any tax deductions will vary depending on the fair value, which may fluctuate over time, of the depreciable or amortizable assets of BellRing Brands, LLC at the time of each redemption; |
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• |
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the extent to which such redemptions are taxable—if a redemption is not taxable for any reason, increased tax deductions will not be available; |
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• |
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the amount and timing of our income—the tax receivable agreement generally requires us to pay 85% of the tax benefits as and when those benefits are treated as realized under the terms of the tax receivable agreement. If we do not have taxable income, we generally will not be required to make payments under the tax receivable agreement for that taxable year because no tax benefits will have been actually realized. However, any tax benefits that do not result in realized tax benefits in a given taxable year will likely generate tax attributes that may be utilized to generate tax benefits in previous or future taxable years. The utilization of any such tax attributes will result in payments under the tax receivable agreement; |
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• |
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any future changes in federal tax laws—if future changes in federal tax laws result in changes in the amount and timing of payments (for example, changes to interest expense limitations); and |
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• |
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any future changes in federal corporate income tax rates. |
Co-Packing Agreement
On September 30, 2022, Premier Nutrition entered into a Co-Packaging Agreement with Comet Processing, Inc. (“Comet”), a wholly owned subsidiary of Post. Under the Co-Packaging Agreement, Comet Processing will manufacture for Premier Nutrition, and Premier Nutrition will purchase from Comet, certain RTD shakes. Additionally, pursuant to the Co-Packing Agreement, Premier Nutrition will reimburse Comet for certain costs and expenses incurred in the acquisition and development of property for the processing plant. During fiscal 2024, purchases of RTD shakes manufactured by Comet were $8.6 million.
Intellectual Property License Agreement—Dymatize Enterprises, LLC and Post Consumer Brands, LLC
Effective January 1, 2020, Dymatize Enterprises, LLC (“Dymatize”) entered into an Intellectual Property License Agreement with Post Consumer Brands, LLC (“Post Consumer Brands”), a wholly owned subsidiary of Post. Under the intellectual property license agreement, which was negotiated by the parties at arm’s length, Post Consumer Brands provides Dymatize a non-exclusive license to use certain intellectual property on or in association with its manufacture, sale and distribution of certain Dymatize products in exchange for the payment of royalties. In fiscal 2024, royalty payments from Dymatize to Post Consumer Brands were $1.3 million.
Intellectual Property License Agreement – Premier Nutrition Company, LLC and Post Consumer Brands, LLC
Effective March 1, 2020, Premier Nutrition entered into an Intellectual Property License Agreement with Post Consumer Brands, a wholly owned subsidiary of Post. Under the intellectual property license agreement, which was negotiated by the parties at arm’s length, Premier Nutrition provides Post Consumer Brands a non-exclusive license to use certain intellectual property on or in association with its manufacture, sale and distribution of certain Post Consumer Brands products in exchange for the payment of royalties. In fiscal 2024, royalty payments from Post Consumer Brands to Premier Nutrition were $0.5 million.
66
STOCKHOLDER PROPOSAL TO ADOPT A DIRECTOR ELECTION RESIGNATION GUIDELINE
(Proxy Item No. 5)
The North Atlantic States Carpenters Pension Fund (the “NASCP Fund”), 750 Dorchester Avenue, Boston, MA 02125, which states that it owns at least $25,000 of shares of BellRing Brands, Inc. common stock, has notified the Company in writing that it intends to present a resolution for action by the stockholders at the Annual Meeting in accordance with Rule 14a-8 of the Exchange Act. The text of the resolution and the supporting statement submitted by the NASCP Fund are as follows:
Director Election Resignation Guideline Proposal:
Resolved: The shareholders of Bellring Brands, Inc. (the “Company”) request that the Board adopt a new Director Election Resignation Guideline (“Resignation Guideline” or “Guideline”) provision to address those situations when one or more incumbent Board nominees fail to receive the required majority vote for re-election. The Resignation Guideline shall provide that each director upon joining the Board tender an irrevocable conditional resignation conditioned on the director’s failure to receive the required majority vote support in an uncontested election. The Guideline shall provide that the resignation will be effective ninety days following the certification of the election vote.
Supporting Statement: Delaware corporate law provides that a director remains on the board until his or her successor is elected and qualified, or until he or she resigns or is removed from office. An incumbent director who fails to receive the required vote for election continues to serve as a “holdover director.” Delaware corporate law was amended in 2006 to provide for director resignations conditioned on an incumbent director’s failure to be re-elected under the majority vote standard that was broadly adopted in the market. The law provided that the resignation could be conditional and irrevocable and was designed to effectuate the majority vote election standard as incumbent directors in uncontested director elections could now be unelected but continue to serve. The proposed Resignation Guideline would establish a straightforward process for effectuating the election outcome determined by shareholders.
Shareholder voting rights to elect the corporate board of directors established under Delaware corporate law are foundational rights in the governance of corporations. The majority vote director election standard adopted by the Company gives shareholders voting rights that have legal effect. It is important that corporate director resignation guidelines and bylaws not undermine shareholder voting rights. The proposed Resignation Guideline establishes shareholder voting in director elections as a more consequential governance right.
End of Shareholder Proposal and Supporting Statement
The Board recommends that stockholders vote AGAINST this proposal because it believes the Company’s current policies regarding director elections already provide significant and sufficient accountability to stockholders, making the proposal unnecessary and not in the best interests of the stockholders as described below.
We already require directors who fail to receive majority support in uncontested elections to tender their resignation.
Our Charter and Bylaws provide for majority voting in an uncontested election of directors, and in November 2024 the Board of Directors amended the Company’s Corporate Governance Guidelines to adopt a director resignation policy that requires any incumbent director who receives more votes “against” than votes “for” to offer his or her resignation for Board consideration. Pursuant to the amended Corporate Governance Guidelines:
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• |
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A director will submit a resignation promptly following a stockholder meeting where he or she does not receive a majority vote in an uncontested director election; |
73
OTHER MATTERS
Proxy Solicitation
We will bear the expense of preparing, making available or otherwise transmitting this proxy statement and the accompanying materials. We have paid certain entities for assistance with preparing this proxy statement and the proxy card. We also will pay for the solicitation of proxies. We hired Georgeson LLC to assist in the solicitation of proxies for a fee of $16,500 plus expenses. We will reimburse brokers, banks and other nominees for costs, including postage and handling, reasonably incurred by them in sending proxy materials to the beneficial owners of our common stock. In addition to the standard mail, our employees may make proxy solicitations via telephone or personal contact. Our employees will not receive additional compensation for these activities.
Stockholder Director Nominations and Proposals for the 2026 Annual Meeting
Under our Bylaws, stockholders who desire to nominate a director or present any other business at an annual meeting of stockholders must follow certain procedures. Generally, to be considered at the 2026 annual meeting of stockholders, a stockholder nomination of a director or a proposal not to be included in the proxy statement and notice of meeting must be received by the corporate secretary between September 30, 2025 and October 30, 2025. However, if the stockholder desires that the proposal be included in our proxy statement and notice of meeting for the 2026 annual meeting of stockholders, then it must be received by our corporate secretary no later than August 19, 2025 and also must comply in all respects with the rules and regulations of the SEC and the laws of the State of Delaware. A copy of the Bylaws will be furnished to any stockholder without charge upon written request to our corporate secretary.
Form 10-K and Other Filings
Promptly upon written or oral request and at no charge, we will provide a copy of any of our filings with the SEC, including our annual report on Form 10-K, with financial statements and schedules for our most recent fiscal year. We may impose a reasonable fee for expenses associated with providing copies of separate exhibits to the report when such exhibits are requested. To request a copy, stockholders can contact our corporate secretary. Our corporate secretary may be reached by telephone at (314) 644-7600 or by mail at our principal executive offices at BellRing Brands, Inc., 2503 S. Hanley Road, St. Louis, Missouri 63144, Attention: Corporate Secretary. These documents also are available on our website at www.bellring.com and the website of the SEC at www.sec.gov. Information on our website does not constitute part of (and shall not be deemed incorporated by reference in) this proxy statement or any other document we file with the SEC.
Internet Availability of Proxy Materials
The notice of annual meeting, proxy statement and our 2024 annual report to stockholders may be viewed online at www.envisionreports.com/BRBR and on our website at www.bellring.com. Information on our website does not constitute part of (and shall not be deemed incorporated by reference in) this proxy statement or any other document we file with the SEC. You may find more information about the date, time and location of the annual meeting of stockholders, as well as the items to be voted on by stockholders at the annual meeting, in the section entitled Proxy and Voting Information beginning on page 4 of this proxy statement. There, you also will find information about attending the annual meeting and voting your proxy, including where you may find the individual control numbers necessary to vote your shares by telephone or over the Internet.
If you are a stockholder of record and are interested in receiving future proxy statements and annual reports electronically, you should contact our transfer agent by accessing your account at www.envisionreports.com/ BRBR and following the instructions as listed. If you hold shares of our common stock through a broker, bank or other nominee, please refer to the instructions provided by that entity for instructions on how to elect this option.
75
APPENDIX A
CERTIFICATE OF AMENDMENT
TO CERTIFICATE OF INCORPORATION
OF
BELLRING BRANDS, INC.
BellRing Brands, Inc. (the “Company”), a corporation organized and existing under and by virtue of the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware (the “DGCL”), hereby certifies that:
1. The name of the Company is BellRing Brands, Inc. The Company’s Certificate of Incorporation was originally filed with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware on October 20, 2021.
2. The Board of Directors of the Company (the “Board”), acting in accordance with the provisions of Sections 141 and 242 of the DGCL, duly adopted resolutions amending the Certificate of Incorporation as follows:
The Certificate of Incorporation of BellRing Brands, Inc. (the “Corporation”) as currently in effect is hereby amended by deleting therefrom in its entirety Section 7.1 of and inserting in lieu thereof the following:
7.1 Number and Classification. Subject to the special rights, if any, of the holders of any outstanding series of Preferred Stock to elect directors, the number of directors shall be fixed by, or in the manner provided in, the Bylaws, but shall not be less than five nor more than twelve members. Subject to the special rights, if any, of the holders of any outstanding series of Preferred Stock to elect directors, the names of the seven (7) current directors who shall serve until the expiration of the respective terms for which they were elected, and until their successors are duly elected and qualified or until their earlier death, resignation or removal, and the year in which the current term of each such director shall expire are:
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Name |
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Year of Expiration |
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Robert V. Vitale |
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2025 |
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Chonda J. Nwamu |
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2025 |
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Darcy Horn Davenport |
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2026 |
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Elliot H. Stein, Jr. |
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2026 |
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Shawn W. Conway |
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2027 |
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Thomas P. Erickson |
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2027 |
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Jennifer Kuperman Johnson |
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2027 |
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Each director shall serve for the term of office for which he or she is elected, and until his or her successor is duly elected and qualifies or until their earlier death, resignation or removal. At each annual meeting of stockholders commencing with the annual meeting of stockholders held in 2025, the successors to the directors whose term expires at such annual meeting of stockholders shall be elected to hold office until the next annual meeting of stockholders and until their successors are duly elected and qualified or until their earlier death, resignation or removal. Notwithstanding the foregoing, whenever the holders of any one or more classes or series of capital stock of the Corporation, other than shares of Common Stock, shall have the right, voting separately by class or series, to elect directors, the election, term of office, filling of vacancies and other features of such directorship shall be governed by the terms of this Certificate of Incorporation or any certificate of designation thereunder applicable thereto. As used in this Certificate of Incorporation, the term “entire Board” means the total number of directors fixed by, or in accordance with, this Certificate of Incorporation and the Bylaws.
3. Thereafter, pursuant to a resolution of the Board, this Certificate of Amendment to the Certificate of Incorporation was submitted to the stockholders of the Company for their approval and was duly adopted in accordance with Section 242 of the DGCL.
A-1
APPENDIX B
PROPOSED BYLAW AMENDMENT
The Bylaws of BellRing Brands, Inc. as currently in effect are hereby amended as follows:
1. Section 1 of Article II is hereby deleted in its entirety and amended and inserting in lieu thereof the following:
SECTION 1. ELECTION; TENURE; QUALIFICATIONS; NOMINATIONS:
(a) The Board shall consist of not less than five nor more than twelve members. The number of directors that shall constitute the Board of Directors shall be fixed exclusively by resolutions adopted by a majority of the authorized number of directors constituting the Board of Directors.
(b) At each annual meeting of stockholders commencing with the annual meeting of stockholders held in 2025, the successors to the directors whose term expires at such annual meeting of stockholders shall be elected to hold office until the next annual meeting of stockholders and until their successors are duly elected and qualified or until their earlier death, resignation or removal.
(c) Subject to Section 1(g) in this Article II and in addition to the qualifications set out in Section 11 of Article II of these Bylaws, only persons who are nominated in accordance with the procedures set forth in these Bylaws shall be eligible as directors at a meeting of stockholders. Nominations of persons for election to the Board may be made at an annual meeting of stockholders (i) pursuant to the Corporation’s notice of the meeting (or any supplement thereto), (ii) by or at the direction of the Board or any committee thereof or (iii) by any stockholder of the Corporation who is a stockholder of record of the Corporation at the time of giving of the notice provided for in this Section 1 of Article II of these Bylaws, and at the time of the annual meeting, who shall be entitled to vote for the election of directors at the annual meeting and who shall have complied with the notice procedures set forth in this Section 1 of Article II of these Bylaws; the foregoing clause (iii), subject to Section 1(g) in this Article II, shall be the exclusive means for a stockholder to make nominations of persons for election to the Board at an annual meeting of stockholders. Nominations of persons for election to the Board may be made at a special meeting of stockholders at which directors are to be elected pursuant to the notice of meeting (x) by or at the direction of the Board or any committee thereof or (y) provided that the Board has determined that directors shall be elected at such meeting, by any stockholder of the Corporation who is a stockholder of record at the time the notice provided in this Section 1(c) of Article II of these Bylaws is delivered to the Secretary of the Corporation, and at the time of the special meeting, who shall be entitled to vote at the special meeting for the election of directors at the special meeting and who shall have complied with the notice provisions set forth in this Section 1 of Article II of these Bylaws; the foregoing clause (y), subject to Section 1(h) in this Article II, shall be the exclusive means for a stockholder to make nominations of persons for election to the Board at a special meeting of stockholders.
Subject to Section 1(g) in this Article II, for any nominations by a stockholder to be properly brought before an annual or special meeting of stockholders pursuant to clauses (c)(iii) and (c)(y) of the preceding paragraph of these Bylaws, the stockholder must have given timely notice thereof in writing to the Secretary of the Corporation. To be timely, a stockholder’s notice in writing must be delivered or mailed to and received by the Secretary of the Corporation at the principal executive office of the Corporation (i) in the case of an annual meeting, not less than 90 days nor more than 120 days prior to the first anniversary of the preceding year’s annual meeting, provided, however, that in the event that the date of the meeting is more than 30 days before or more than 60 days after such anniversary date, notice by the stockholder must be received not earlier than the 120th day prior to the date of such annual meeting and not later than the close of business on the later of the 90th day prior to the date of such annual meeting or the 10th day following the day on which public announcement (as defined in Section 8(c) of Article I of these Bylaws) of the date of the annual meeting is first made; or (ii) in the
B-1
case of a special meeting at which directors are to be elected pursuant to the notice of meeting, not earlier than the 120th day prior to the date of such special meeting and not later than the close of business on the later of the 90th day prior to the date of such special meeting or the 10th day following the day on which public announcement of the date of the meeting and of the nominees proposed by the Board to be elected at such meeting is first made. In no event shall any adjournment or postponement of a meeting or the announcement thereof commence a new time period (or extend any time period) for the giving of a stockholder’s notice as described above.
At the request of the Board, any person nominated by the Board for election as a director shall furnish to the Secretary of the Corporation that information required to be set forth in a stockholder’s notice of nomination under Section 1(d) in this Article II which pertains to the nominee. Notwithstanding anything in this Section 1 of Article II of these Bylaws to the contrary, in the event that the number of directors to be elected to the Board at an annual meeting is increased effective at the annual meeting and there is no public announcement by the Corporation naming all of the nominees proposed by the Board for the additional directorships at least 70 days prior to the first anniversary of the preceding year’s annual meeting, a stockholder’s notice required by this Section 1 of Article II of these Bylaws also shall be considered timely, but only with respect to nominees for such additional directorships, if it shall be delivered to the Secretary of the Corporation at the principal executive office of the Corporation not later than the close of business on the 10th day following the day on which such public announcement is first made by the Corporation.
(d) For nominations to be properly brought before an annual or special meeting, such stockholder’s notice to the Secretary shall set forth as to each person whom the stockholder proposes to nominate for election or re-election as a director:
(i) the name, age, business address and residence of such person;
(ii) the principal occupation or employment of such person currently and for the previous five years;
(iii) a description of all direct and indirect compensation and other material monetary agreements, arrangements and understandings during the past three years, and any other material relationships between or among such stockholder and beneficial owner, if any, on whose behalf the nomination is being made, and their respective affiliates and associates or others acting in concert therewith (on the one hand) and each proposed nominee and his or her respective affiliates and associates or others acting in concert therewith (on the other hand), including without limitation all information that would be required to be disclosed pursuant to Item 404 of Regulation S-K if the stockholder making the nomination and any beneficial owner on whose behalf the nomination is made, if any, or any affiliate or associate thereof or person acting in concert therewith, were the “registrant” for purposes of such requirement and the nominee were a director or executive officer of such registrant;
(iv) such person’s representation that he or she is eligible to serve as a director pursuant to Section 11 of Article II of these Bylaws and whether such person has acted in any manner contrary to the best interest of the Corporation, including, but not limited to, the violation of any federal or state law or breach of any agreement between that person and the Corporation relating to his or her services as a director, employee or agent of the Corporation;
(v) such person’s written consent to being named as a nominee and to serving as a director if elected; and
(vi) any other information relating to such person that would be required to be disclosed in a proxy statement or other filing required to be made in connection with the solicitation of proxies for election of directors in a contested election, or is otherwise required, pursuant to Section 14 of the Exchange Act and the rules and regulations thereunder.
B-2
(e) Such stockholder’s notice also shall set forth as to the stockholder(s) giving the notice and the beneficial owner, if any, on whose behalf the nomination is made:
(i) the name and address of such stockholder and beneficial owner, as they appear in the Corporation’s stockholder records;
(ii) the Proposing Stockholder Information as defined in Section 8(e) of Article I of these Bylaws;
(iii) a representation that the stockholder is a holder of record of shares of the Corporation, is entitled to vote at such meeting and intends to appear in person or by proxy at the meeting to nominate the person or persons specified in the notice;
(iv) any other information relating to such stockholder or beneficial owner that would be required to be disclosed in a proxy statement or other filing required to be made in connection with the solicitation of proxies for the election of directors in a contested election, or is otherwise required pursuant to Section 14 of the Exchange Act and the rules and regulations thereunder; and
(v) a representation as to whether the stockholder or beneficial owner, if any, is or intends to be part of a group (as defined in Section 8(e) of Article I of these Bylaws) which intends (i) to deliver a proxy statement and/or form of proxy to holders of at least the percentage of the Corporation’s outstanding capital stock required to elect the nominee, or (ii) otherwise solicit proxies from stockholders in support of such nominee.
(f) In addition to the qualifications set out in Section 11 of Article II of these Bylaws, to be eligible to be a nominee for election or reelection as a director of the Corporation, the prospective nominee (whether nominated by or at the direction of the Board or by a stockholder), or someone acting on such prospective nominee’s behalf, must deliver (in accordance with any applicable time periods prescribed for delivery of notice under this Section 1 of Article II of these Bylaws) to the Secretary of the Corporation at the principal executive office of the Corporation a written questionnaire providing such information with respect to the background and qualification of such person and the background of any other person or entity on whose behalf the nomination is being made that would be required to be disclosed to stockholders pursuant to applicable law or the rules and regulations of any stock exchange applicable to the Corporation, including without limitation (i) all information concerning such person that would be required to be disclosed in solicitation of proxies for election of directors pursuant to and in accordance with Regulation 14A under the Exchange Act and (ii) any information the Corporation may reasonably request to determine the eligibility of the proposed nominee to serve as an independent director under the rules of any exchange upon which shares of the Corporation’s capital stock are then listed or that could be material to a reasonable stockholder’s understanding of the independence or lack thereof of such nominee (which questionnaire shall be provided by the Secretary upon written request). The prospective nominee also must provide a written representation and agreement, in the form provided by the Secretary of the Corporation upon written request, that such prospective nominee: (A) is not and will not become a party to (1) any agreement, arrangement or understanding with, and has not given any commitment or assurance to, any person or entity as to how such prospective nominee, if elected as a director of the Corporation, will act or vote on any issue or question (a “Voting Commitment”) that has not been disclosed to the Corporation or (2) any Voting Commitment that could limit or interfere with such prospective nominee’s ability to comply, if elected as a director of the Corporation, with such prospective nominee’s fiduciary duties under applicable law; (B) is not and will not become a party to any agreement, arrangement or understanding with any person or entity (other than the Corporation) with respect to any direct or indirect compensation, reimbursement or indemnification in connection with service or action as a director that has not been disclosed therein; and (C) would be in compliance, if elected as a director of the Corporation, and will comply with all applicable corporate governance, conflict of interest, confidentiality and stock ownership and trading policies and guidelines of the Corporation. For purposes of this Section 1(f) of Article II of these Bylaws a “nominee” shall include any person being considered to fill a vacancy on the Board.
B-3
Pay vs Performance Disclosure
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12 Months Ended |
Sep. 30, 2024
USD ($)
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Sep. 30, 2023
USD ($)
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Sep. 30, 2022
USD ($)
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Sep. 30, 2021
USD ($)
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Pay vs Performance Disclosure |
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Pay vs Performance Disclosure, Table |
Pay Versus Performance Disclosure In accordance with rul es adopted by the Securities and E xcha nge Commission pursuant to the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2010, we provide the following disclosure regarding executive compensation actually paid by us to our principal executive officer (“PEO”), Darcy Horn Davenport, and Non-PEO NEOs and Company performance for the fiscal years listed below. The disclosures included in this section are required by technical SEC rules and do not necessarily align with how the Company or the Compensation Committee views the link between our performance and the compensation of our NEOs. The Compensation Committee did not consider the pay versus performance disclosure below in making its pay decisions for any of the years presented. For information regarding the decisions made by our Compensation Committee with respect to the compensation of our NEOs for each fiscal year, including alignment with Company performance, please see the “Compensation Discussion and Analysis” section of the proxy statement for the fiscal years covered.
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Year |
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Summary Compensation Table Total for Darcy Horn Davenport¹ ($) |
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Compensation Actually Paid to Darcy Horn Davenport 1,2,3
($) |
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Average Summary Compensation Table Total for Non-PEO NEOs 1 ($) |
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Average Compensation Actually Paid to Non-PEO NEOs ($) |
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Value of Initial Fixed $100 Investment based on: 4 |
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Net Income ($ Millions) |
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1-Year Relative TSR Percentile Rank 5 |
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TSR ($) |
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Peer Group TSR ($) |
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1. |
Darcy Horn Davenport was our PEO for each year presented in the table above. The individuals comprising the Non-PEO NEOs for each year presented are listed below. |
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Robert V. Vitale |
Paul A. Rode |
Douglas J. Cornille |
Craig L. Rosenthal |
Robin Singh |
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2. |
The amounts shown for Compensation Actually Paid have been calculated in accordance with Item 402(v) of Regulation S-K and do not reflect compensation actually earned, realized, or received by the Company’s NEOs. These amounts reflect the Summary Compensation Table Total with certain adjustments as described in footnote 3 below. |
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3. |
Compensation Actually Paid reflects the exclusions and inclusions of certain amounts for the PEO and the Non-PEO NEOs as set forth below. Equity values are calculated in accordance with FASB ASC Topic 718. Amounts in the Exclusion of Stock Awards and Option Awards column are the totals from the Stock Awards and Option Awards columns set forth in the Summary Compensation Table. |
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Summary Compensation Table Total for Darcy Horn Davenport ($) |
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Exclusion of Stock Awards for Darcy Horn Davenport ($) |
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Inclusion of Equity Values for Darcy Horn Davenport ($) |
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Compensation Actually Paid to Darcy Horn Davenport ($) |
2024 |
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9,901,653 |
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(7,499,798) |
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27,237,177 |
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29,639,032 |
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Average Summary Compensation Table Total for Non-PEO NEOs ($) |
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Average Exclusion of Stock Awards for Non-PEO NEOs ($) |
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Average Inclusion of Equity Values for Non-PEO NEOs ($) |
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Average Compensation Actually Paid to Non-PEO NEOs ($) |
2024 |
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2,027,491 |
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(1,273,978) |
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7,700,071 |
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8,453,584 | The amounts in the Inclusion of Equity Values in the tables above are der ive d from the amounts set forth in the following tables:
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Year-End Fair Value of Equity Awards Granted During Year That Remained Unvested as of Last Day of Year for Darcy Horn Davenport ($) |
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Change in Fair Value from Last Day of Prior Year to Last Day of Year of Unvested Equity Awards for Darcy Horn Davenport ($) |
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Vesting-Date Fair Value of Equity Awards Granted During Year that Vested During Year for Darcy Horn Davenport ($) |
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Change in Fair Value from Last Day of Prior Year to Vesting Date of Unvested Equity Awards that Vested During Year for Darcy Horn Davenport ($) |
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Fair Value at Last Day of Prior Year of Equity Awards Forfeited During Year for Darcy Horn Davenport ($) |
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Total - Inclusion of Equity Values for Darcy Horn Davenport ( $ ) |
2024 |
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17,288,148 |
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9,660,363 |
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— |
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288,666 |
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— |
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27,237,177 |
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Average Year-End Fair Value of Equity Awards Granted During Year That Remained Unvested as of Last Day of Year for Non-PEO NEOs ($) |
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Average Change in Fair Value from Last Day of Prior Year to Last Day of Year of Unvested Equity Awards for Non-PEO NEOs ($) |
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Average Vesting-Date Fair Value of Equity Awards Granted During Year that Vested During Year for Non-PEO NEOs ($) |
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Average Change in Fair Value from Last Day of Prior Year to Vesting Date of Unvested Equity Awards that Vested During Year for Non-PEO NEOs ($) |
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Average Fair Value at Last Day of Prior Year of Equity Awards Forfeited During Year for Non-PEO NEOs ($) |
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Total - Average Inclusion of Equity Values for Non-PEO NEOs ($) |
2024 |
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2,835,092 |
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4,698,454 |
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— |
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166,524 |
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— |
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7,700,071 |
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4. |
The Peer Group TSR set forth in this table utilizes the S&P Composite 1500 Packaged Foods & Meats (“S&P 1500 Packaged Foods & Meats”), which we also utilize in the stock performance graph required by Item 201(e) of Regulation S-K included in our Annual Report for the year ended September 30, 2024. The comparison assumes $100 was invested for the period starting September 30, 2020, through the end of the listed year in the Company and in the S&P 1500 Packaged Foods & Meats, respectively. Historical stock performance is not necessarily indicative of future stock performance. |
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5. |
We determined 1-Year Relative TSR Perce nt ile Rank of Russell 3000 Food Products Index (“1-Year Relative TSR Percentile”) to be the most important financial performance measure used to link Company performance to Compensation Actually Paid to our PEO and Non-PEO NEOs in 2024. This performance measure may not have been the most important financial performance measure in prior years, and we may determine a different financial performance measure to be the most important financial performance measure in future years. |
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Company Selected Measure Name |
1-YearRelativeTSRPercentileRank
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Named Executive Officers, Footnote |
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1. |
Darcy Horn Davenport was our PEO for each year presented in the table above. The individuals comprising the Non-PEO NEOs for each year presented are listed below. |
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Robert V. Vitale |
Paul A. Rode |
Douglas J. Cornille |
Craig L. Rosenthal |
Robin Singh |
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Peer Group Issuers, Footnote |
The Peer Group TSR set forth in this table utilizes the S&P Composite 1500 Packaged Foods & Meats (“S&P 1500 Packaged Foods & Meats”), which we also utilize in the stock performance graph required by Item 201(e) of Regulation S-K included in our Annual Report for the year ended September 30, 2024. The comparison assumes $100 was invested for the period starting September 30, 2020, through the end of the listed year in the Company and in the S&P 1500 Packaged Foods & Meats, respectively. Historical stock performance is not necessarily indicative of future stock performance.
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PEO Total Compensation Amount |
$ 9,901,653
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$ 4,321,300
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$ 5,046,013
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$ 3,565,067
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PEO Actually Paid Compensation Amount |
$ 29,639,032
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17,994,026
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2,706,699
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6,055,248
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Adjustment To PEO Compensation, Footnote |
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3. |
Compensation Actually Paid reflects the exclusions and inclusions of certain amounts for the PEO and the Non-PEO NEOs as set forth below. Equity values are calculated in accordance with FASB ASC Topic 718. Amounts in the Exclusion of Stock Awards and Option Awards column are the totals from the Stock Awards and Option Awards columns set forth in the Summary Compensation Table. |
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Summary Compensation Table Total for Darcy Horn Davenport ($) |
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Exclusion of Stock Awards for Darcy Horn Davenport ($) |
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Inclusion of Equity Values for Darcy Horn Davenport ($) |
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Compensation Actually Paid to Darcy Horn Davenport ($) |
2024 |
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9,901,653 |
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(7,499,798) |
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27,237,177 |
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29,639,032 |
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Year-End Fair Value of Equity Awards Granted During Year That Remained Unvested as of Last Day of Year for Darcy Horn Davenport ($) |
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Change in Fair Value from Last Day of Prior Year to Last Day of Year of Unvested Equity Awards for Darcy Horn Davenport ($) |
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Vesting-Date Fair Value of Equity Awards Granted During Year that Vested During Year for Darcy Horn Davenport ($) |
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Change in Fair Value from Last Day of Prior Year to Vesting Date of Unvested Equity Awards that Vested During Year for Darcy Horn Davenport ($) |
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Fair Value at Last Day of Prior Year of Equity Awards Forfeited During Year for Darcy Horn Davenport ($) |
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Total - Inclusion of Equity Values for Darcy Horn Davenport ( $ ) |
2024 |
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17,288,148 |
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9,660,363 |
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— |
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288,666 |
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— |
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27,237,177 |
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Non-PEO NEO Average Total Compensation Amount |
$ 2,027,491
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900,745
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3,976,161
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816,593
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Non-PEO NEO Average Compensation Actually Paid Amount |
$ 8,453,584
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7,132,747
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3,006,251
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1,196,210
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Adjustment to Non-PEO NEO Compensation Footnote |
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3. |
Compensation Actually Paid reflects the exclusions and inclusions of certain amounts for the PEO and the Non-PEO NEOs as set forth below. Equity values are calculated in accordance with FASB ASC Topic 718. Amounts in the Exclusion of Stock Awards and Option Awards column are the totals from the Stock Awards and Option Awards columns set forth in the Summary Compensation Table. |
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Average Summary Compensation Table Total for Non-PEO NEOs ($) |
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Average Exclusion of Stock Awards for Non-PEO NEOs ($) |
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Average Inclusion of Equity Values for Non-PEO NEOs ($) |
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Average Compensation Actually Paid to Non-PEO NEOs ($) |
2024 |
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2,027,491 |
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(1,273,978) |
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7,700,071 |
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8,453,584 |
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Average Year-End Fair Value of Equity Awards Granted During Year That Remained Unvested as of Last Day of Year for Non-PEO NEOs ($) |
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Average Change in Fair Value from Last Day of Prior Year to Last Day of Year of Unvested Equity Awards for Non-PEO NEOs ($) |
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Average Vesting-Date Fair Value of Equity Awards Granted During Year that Vested During Year for Non-PEO NEOs ($) |
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Average Change in Fair Value from Last Day of Prior Year to Vesting Date of Unvested Equity Awards that Vested During Year for Non-PEO NEOs ($) |
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Average Fair Value at Last Day of Prior Year of Equity Awards Forfeited During Year for Non-PEO NEOs ($) |
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Total - Average Inclusion of Equity Values for Non-PEO NEOs ($) |
2024 |
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2,835,092 |
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4,698,454 |
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— |
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166,524 |
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— |
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7,700,071 |
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Compensation Actually Paid vs. Total Shareholder Return |
Relationship Between PEO and Non-PEO NEO Compensation Actually Paid and Company Total Shareholder Return (“TSR”) The following chart sets forth the relationship between Compensation Actually Paid to our PEO, the average of Compensation Actually Paid to our Non-PEO NEOs, the Company’s cumulative TSR over the four most rec ently completed fiscal years, and the S&P 1500 Packaged Foods & Meats TSR over the same period.
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Compensation Actually Paid vs. Net Income |
Relationship Between PEO and Non-PEO NEO Compensation Actually Paid and Net Income The following chart sets forth the relationship between Compensation Actually Paid to our PEO, the average of Compensation Actually Paid to our Non-PEO NEOs, and our net income during the four most recently completed fiscal years.
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Compensation Actually Paid vs. Company Selected Measure |
Relationship Between PEO and Non-PEO NEO Compensation Actually Paid and Company-Selected Measure, 1-Year Relative TSR Percentile Rank The following chart sets forth the relationship between Compensation Actually Paid to our PEO, the average of Compensation Actually Paid to our Non-PEO NEOs, and our 1-Year Relative TSR Percentile Rank during the four most recently completed fiscal years.
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Total Shareholder Return Vs Peer Group |
Relationship Between PEO and Non-PEO NEO Compensation Actually Paid and Company Total Shareholder Return (“TSR”) The following chart sets forth the relationship between Compensation Actually Paid to our PEO, the average of Compensation Actually Paid to our Non-PEO NEOs, the Company’s cumulative TSR over the four most rec ently completed fiscal years, and the S&P 1500 Packaged Foods & Meats TSR over the same period.
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Tabular List, Table |
Tabular List of Most Important Financial Performance Measures The following table presents the financial performance measures that the Company considers to have been the most important in linking Compensation Actually Paid to our PEO and other NEOs for 2024 to Company performance. The measures in this table are not ranked.
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1- Year Relative TSR Percentile Rank Net Revenue – Corporate Net Revenue – Premier Nutrition Adjusted EBITDA – Corporate Adjusted EBITDA – Premier Nutrition |
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Total Shareholder Return Amount |
$ 328.23
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222.87
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111.41
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148.26
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Peer Group Total Shareholder Return Amount |
126.34
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113.96
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111.29
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105.63
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Net Income (Loss) |
$ 246,500,000
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$ 165,500,000
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$ 116,000,000
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$ 114,400,000
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Company Selected Measure Amount |
83
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92
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28
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97
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PEO Name |
Darcy Horn Davenport
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Measure:: 1 |
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Pay vs Performance Disclosure |
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Name |
1-Year Relative TSR Percentile Rank
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Measure:: 2 |
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Pay vs Performance Disclosure |
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Name |
Net Revenue – Corporate
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Measure:: 3 |
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Pay vs Performance Disclosure |
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Name |
Net Revenue – Premier Nutrition
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Measure:: 4 |
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Pay vs Performance Disclosure |
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Name |
Adjusted EBITDA – Corporate
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Measure:: 5 |
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Pay vs Performance Disclosure |
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Name |
Adjusted EBITDA – Premier Nutrition
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PEO | Exclusion of Stock Awards for Darcy Horn Davenport [Member] |
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Pay vs Performance Disclosure |
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Adjustment to Compensation, Amount |
$ (7,499,798)
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PEO | Inclusion of Equity Values for Darcy Horn Davenport [Member] |
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Pay vs Performance Disclosure |
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Adjustment to Compensation, Amount |
27,237,177
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PEO | Fair Value of Equity Awards Granted During Year That Remained Unvested as of Last Day of Year for Darcy Horn Davenport [Member] |
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Pay vs Performance Disclosure |
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Adjustment to Compensation, Amount |
17,288,148
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PEO | Fair Value from Last Day of Prior Year to Last Day of Year of Unvested Equity Awards for Darcy Horn Davenport [Member] |
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Pay vs Performance Disclosure |
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Adjustment to Compensation, Amount |
9,660,363
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PEO | Vesting Date Fair Value of Equity Awards Granted During Year that Vested During Year for Darcy Horn Davenport [Member] |
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Pay vs Performance Disclosure |
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Adjustment to Compensation, Amount |
0
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PEO | Fair Value from Last Day of Prior Year to Vesting Date of Unvested Equity Awards that Vested During Year for Darcy Horn Davenport [Member] |
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Pay vs Performance Disclosure |
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Adjustment to Compensation, Amount |
288,666
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PEO | Fair Value at Last Day of Prior Year of Equity Awards Forfeited During Year for Darcy Horn Davenport [Member] |
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Pay vs Performance Disclosure |
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Adjustment to Compensation, Amount |
0
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Non-PEO NEO | Exclusion of Stock Awards for Darcy Horn Davenport [Member] |
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Pay vs Performance Disclosure |
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Adjustment to Compensation, Amount |
(1,273,978)
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Non-PEO NEO | Inclusion of Equity Values for Darcy Horn Davenport [Member] |
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Pay vs Performance Disclosure |
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Adjustment to Compensation, Amount |
7,700,071
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Non-PEO NEO | Fair Value of Equity Awards Granted During Year That Remained Unvested as of Last Day of Year for Darcy Horn Davenport [Member] |
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Pay vs Performance Disclosure |
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Adjustment to Compensation, Amount |
2,835,092
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Non-PEO NEO | Fair Value from Last Day of Prior Year to Last Day of Year of Unvested Equity Awards for Darcy Horn Davenport [Member] |
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Pay vs Performance Disclosure |
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Adjustment to Compensation, Amount |
4,698,454
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Non-PEO NEO | Vesting Date Fair Value of Equity Awards Granted During Year that Vested During Year for Darcy Horn Davenport [Member] |
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Pay vs Performance Disclosure |
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Adjustment to Compensation, Amount |
0
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Non-PEO NEO | Fair Value from Last Day of Prior Year to Vesting Date of Unvested Equity Awards that Vested During Year for Darcy Horn Davenport [Member] |
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Pay vs Performance Disclosure |
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Adjustment to Compensation, Amount |
166,524
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Non-PEO NEO | Fair Value at Last Day of Prior Year of Equity Awards Forfeited During Year for Darcy Horn Davenport [Member] |
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Pay vs Performance Disclosure |
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Adjustment to Compensation, Amount |
$ 0
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