false 0001959348 0001959348 2023-11-13 2023-11-13

 

 

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

 

 

FORM 8-K

 

 

CURRENT REPORT

Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d)

of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934

Date of report (Date of earliest event reported): November 13, 2023

 

 

WK Kellogg Co

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

 

 

 

Delaware   001-41755   92-1243173
(State or other jurisdiction
of incorporation)
 

(Commission

File Number)

  (IRS Employer
Identification No.)

 

One Kellogg Square
Battle Creek, Michigan 49016-3599
(Address of principal executive offices, including zip code)

(269) 401-3000

(Registrant’s telephone number, including area code)

Not Applicable

(Former name or former address, if changed since last report)

 

 

Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions (see General Instruction A.2 below):

 

Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)

 

Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12)

 

Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))

 

Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

 

Title of each class

 

Trading
Symbol(s)

 

Name of each exchange
on which registered

Common Stock, $.0001 par value per share   KLG   New York Stock Exchange

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an emerging growth company as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act of 1933 (17 CFR §230.405 of this chapter) or Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (17 CFR §240.12b-2 of this chapter).

Emerging growth company

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ☐

 

 

 


Item 5.02.

Departure of Directors or Certain Officers; Election of Directors; Appointment of Certain Officers; Compensatory Arrangements of Certain Officers.

Retention Agreements

On November 13, 2023, WK Kellogg Co (the “Company”) entered into Retention Agreements (the “Retention Agreements”) with each of its named executive officers pursuant to which each executive will be entitled to receive a retention award in the form of restricted share units (the “RSUs”) with an award value as follows: Gary Pilnick ($3,960,000), David McKinstray ($960,000), Bruce Brown ($750,000), Sherry Brice ($750,000) and Doug VanDeVelde ($750,000). Each of the Retention Agreements requires the respective executive to be bound by, and comply with, among other things, restrictive covenants, including non-competition, non-solicitation, non-disparagement and confidentiality obligations.

The RSUs will be granted under the WK Kellogg Co 2023 Long-Term Incentive Plan (the “Plan”) and, except as otherwise provided in the terms and conditions of the awards, will cliff vest on the third anniversary of the grant date, subject to the executive’s continued compliance with the aforementioned restrictive covenants and continued employment with the Company through the vesting date. The RSUs will otherwise be subject to the terms of the Plan and such terms and conditions set forth in Exhibit 10.1 to this Current Report on Form 8-K, which is incorporated herein by reference.

The foregoing description of the material terms of the Retention Agreements is not intended to be complete and is qualified in its entirety by the form of Retention Agreement and General Release attached as Exhibit 10.2 to this Current Report on Form 8-K and incorporated herein by reference.

 

Item 9.01.

Financial Statements and Exhibits.

(d) Exhibits

 

Exhibit

Number

  

Description

10.1    Restricted Share Unit Special Terms and Conditions.
10.2    Form of Retention Agreement and General Release.
104    Cover Page Interactive Data file (formatted as Inline XBRL).


SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.

 

WK KELLOGG CO
By:  

/s/ Norma Barnes-Euresti

Name: Norma Barnes-Euresti
Title: Chief Legal Officer

Date: November 15, 2023

Exhibit 10.1

 

LOGO

WK Kellogg Co

2023 Long-Term Incentive Plan

RESTRICTED SHARE UNIT TERMS AND CONDITIONS

For Special RSU Awards

WK Kellogg Co (“WK”) is offering to grant you (the “participant”) a Special Restricted Share Unit (“RSU”) award under WK’s 2023 Long-Term Incentive Plan (the “Plan”). There are a number of terms and conditions associated with this award, including non-competition, non-solicitation, non-disparagement, and confidentiality obligations, which are set forth in this terms and conditions document. The participant may accept or reject this award and these terms and conditions by following the process provided by WK. If the participant does not accept or reject this award and its terms and conditions by the end of the acceptance window established by WK, the participant will be deemed to have accepted this award and these terms and conditions.

The participant should review these terms and conditions carefully and are encouraged to consult an attorney before agreeing to any of these provisions, including but not limited to the non-competition, non-solicitation, non-disparagement, and confidentiality obligations.

Capitalized terms used but not otherwise defined herein shall have the meaning set forth in the Plan.

 

1.

Type of Award: Special RSU awards are typically provided on an ad hoc basis to key employees, upon the approval of the Compensation and Talent Management Committee of the Board of Directors of WK (the “Committee”) or an appropriately designated proxy. Employees who receive and accept an RSU award are participants in the Plan.

 

2.

Vesting: This RSU award will become unrestricted and no longer subject to forfeiture and will fully vest on the [] anniversary of the grant date (the “Vesting Date”). Participants will immediately forfeit any non-vested RSUs upon termination of employment with WK or any of its subsidiaries (collectively, the “Company”), for any reason other than death or Disability. Notwithstanding the preceding sentence, if the participant’s employment is terminated by the Company without “Cause” (as defined in the WK Kellogg Co Severance Benefit Plan or any applicable severance plan or policy adopted by the Company and in effect on the date the participant’s active employment with the Company ends) during the [] year vesting period, the RSUs shall continue to vest in accordance with their terms; provided, however, that if the Chief Legal Officer determines that the participant breached any provision in any severance agreement between the participant and the Company, the RSUs will be immediately forfeited as of such determination. RSUs will become immediately partially vested, with vesting pro-rated based on the number of days the participant was actively employed during the vesting period, if a participant’s employment terminates because of death or Disability prior to the Vesting Date.

 

3.

Change of Control: In the event of a Change of Control before the Vesting Date and this RSU award has not been assumed or replaced by a Substitute Award, all outstanding RSUs subject to this award will fully vest immediately as of the Change of Control and will be considered fully earned and will be payable as promptly as practicable following the Change of Control.

An award will qualify as a Substitute Award if it is assumed by any successor corporation, affiliate thereof, person or other entity, or replaced with awards that, solely in the


discretionary judgment of the Committee, preserves the existing value of the then-outstanding portion of this RSU award at the time of the Change of Control and provide vesting and settlement terms, as applicable, that are at least as favorable to participants as vesting and settlement terms applicable to this RSU award (including the terms and conditions that would apply in the event of a subsequent Change of Control).

If and to the extent this RSU award is assumed by a successor corporation (or affiliate, person or other entity thereto) or is replaced with a Substitute Award, then such Substitute Award shall remain outstanding and be governed by its respective terms and the provisions of the applicable plan.

If this RSU award is assumed or replaced with a Substitute Award and the participant’s employment with the Company is thereafter terminated (i) by the Company or successor, as the case may be, for any reason other than Cause or (ii) if the participant is eligible to participate in the WK Kellogg Co Change of Control Severance Policy for Key Executives, or any other severance plan or policy adopted by the Company and in effect as of the date of the Change of Control, by the participant for Good Reason (as and to the extent defined in such plan or policy), in each case, within the two-year period commencing on the date of the Change of Control, then all Substitute Awards held by the participant will fully vest immediately as of the date of the participant’s termination and will be considered fully earned and will be payable promptly as practical following the date of the participant’s termination of employment.

The Committee may make additional adjustments or settlements of outstanding RSU awards, including this award, as it deems appropriate and consistent with the Plan’s purposes, including adjustments related to adverse tax consequences for participants or the Company.

 

4.

Non-Solicitation: As a condition for receipt of this RSU award, and in consideration of the compensation and benefits provided pursuant to this RSU award, the sufficiency of which is hereby acknowledged, acceptance of this RSU award is agreement by the participant that during the participant’s active employment and thereafter for a period of 18 months, the participant shall not, without the prior written consent of the Chief Legal Officer, directly or indirectly employ, solicit the employment of (whether as an employee, officer, director, agent, consultant or independent contractor), or otherwise encourage to leave the Company, any person who is, or at any time during the previous year was, an officer, director, representative, agent or employee of the Company. Nothing in this agreement will prohibit the hiring of any person who is, or at any time during the previous year was, an officer, director, representative, agent or employee of the Company, so long as the solicitation of the person was initiated through publicly available advertisements.

 

5.

Non-Disparagement of the Company: As a condition for receipt of this RSU award, and in consideration of the compensation and benefits provided pursuant to this RSU award, the sufficiency of which is hereby acknowledged, acceptance of this RSU award is agreement by the participant that during the term of the participant’s active employment and thereafter, the participant will not engage in any form of conduct or make any statements or representations that disparage, portray in a negative light, or otherwise impair

 

Special RSU Grant Terms and Conditions    Page 2


 

the reputation, goodwill or commercial interests of the Company or its past, present and future subsidiaries, divisions, affiliates, successors, officers, directors, attorneys, agents and employees. Notwithstanding this limitation, acceptance of this award is not intended to prevent or inhibit the participant from filing a charge or a complaint with a government agency or otherwise participating in or assisting a government investigation. In addition, to the extent required by Public Law 117-224, this non-disparagement provision shall not be enforceable with respect to any “sexual harassment dispute” or “sexual assault dispute” (as those terms are defined in Public Law 117-224) arising after the date the participant accepts this award.

 

6.

Non-Competition: If a participant voluntarily leaves employment of the Company within one year of the Vesting Date (or an earlier date on which the RSUs vest otherwise in accordance with this terms and conditions document) to work for a direct competitor of the Company, then the value of this RSU award on the Vesting Date (or an earlier date on which the RSUs vest otherwise in accordance with this terms and conditions document), less any tax withholding or tax obligations, but without regard to any subsequent market price decrease or increase (the “Net RSU Proceeds”), shall be immediately due and payable in cash by the participant without notice, to the Company. For purposes of this RSU award (i) “a direct competitor of the Company” means any person, firm, partnership, corporation or other business or entity that sells any of the Products (as defined below) in the Restricted Territory (as defined below) and any retailer that sells a private label version of any of the Products in the Restricted Territory; or any affiliate or successor to any such company, (ii) “Products” means ready-to-eat cereal, hot cereal, muesli, granola, cereal-based snacks and cookies and other food and beverage products, or any other product which the Company manufactures, distributes, sells or markets during the participant’s employment with the Company, and (iii) “Restricted Territory” means any territory, region, country or state where the participant worked or otherwise provided services or had a significant presence or influence during the participant’s employment or service relationship with the Company. Notwithstanding the foregoing, nothing in this Section 6 shall prohibit the participant from being employed by or otherwise providing services to a direct competitor of the Company (i) in a capacity that is not the same as or similar to any capacity in which the participant worked for the Company or (ii) exclusively in connection with a business line of a business or entity competing with the Company that is wholly unrelated to the Products and the confidential information which the participant received or accessed, including as set forth in Section 8.

 

7.

Confidentiality: Unless this RSU award is publicly filed by the Company in connection with its SEC filing obligations, acceptance of this RSU award is agreement by the participant (i) that the existence and terms of this RSU award are confidential and shall be kept strictly confidential; (ii) that these matters will not be disclosed to any third party except for the participant’s spouse, tax or legal advisor(s), provided such parties agree to keep such information confidential and, in the case of disclosure to any advisor(s), only to the extent necessary to perform services, or except as disclosure of such matters may be required by law; and (ii) to assume responsibility for any disclosure of the existence and terms of this award by such third parties.

 

Special RSU Grant Terms and Conditions    Page 3


8.

Preservation of Company Confidential Information: As a condition for receipt of this RSU award, and in consideration of the compensation and benefits provided pursuant to this RSU award, the sufficiency of which is hereby acknowledged, acceptance of this RSU award is agreement by the participant that the participant will not (without first obtaining the prior written consent in each instance from the Company) during the term of the participant’s employment and thereafter, disclose, make commercial or other use of, give or sell to any person, firm or corporation (other than agents or representatives of the Company in furtherance of the participant’s duties), any information received directly or indirectly from the Company or acquired or developed in the course of the participant’s employment, including, by way of example only, trade secrets (including organizational charts, employee information such as credentials, skill sets, salaries and background information), ideas, inventions, methods, designs, formulas, systems, improvements, prices, discounts, business affairs, products, product specifications, manufacturing processes, data and know-how and technical information of any kind whatsoever unless such information has been publicly disclosed by authorized officials of the Company.

 

9.

Release of Claims: In consideration of the compensation and benefits provided pursuant to this letter agreement, the sufficiency of which is hereby acknowledged, the participant, for themselves and for any person who may claim by or through the participant, irrevocably and unconditionally releases, waives and forever discharges the Company and its respective officers, directors, attorneys, agents and employees, from any and all legally waivable claims or causes of action the participant had, have or may have, known or unknown, relating to the participant’s employment with the Company up until the date of the acceptance of this RSU award.

 

10.

Settlement: If all conditions to the settlement of this RSU award are satisfied, this RSU award will be settled on or within sixty (60) days following the applicable vesting date in shares of Common Stock based on the applicable number of RSUs unless WK determines otherwise (see ‘Tax and Legal Issues’ below). Until the time of settlement, no shares of Common Stock will be issued for the RSUs.

 

11.

Dividends: If cash dividends are declared and paid on Common Stock prior to the date the RSU award is vested and settled, an amount equal to the cash dividends payable on the Common Stock represented by the RSU award will be converted as of the dividend payment date to the equivalent number of whole shares of Common Stock, including fractional shares, and credited to a bookkeeping account maintained for the participant’s benefit (“Dividend Equivalent Units”). Cash dividends declared and paid on the Common Stock represented by Dividend Equivalent Units prior to the date the Dividend Equivalent Units are vested shall also be credited to the participant’s account and converted to Common Stock in the same manner as dividends with respect to RSU awards including this RSU award. Upon the vesting of the corresponding RSUs, the Dividend Equivalent Units will vest and be paid in shares of Common Stock (rounded up to the nearest whole number of shares). If the RSUs partially vest as the result of the termination of the participant’s employment due to the participant’s death or Disability, the Dividend Equivalent Units will vest in the same proportion that the RSUs vest. Dividend Equivalent Units attributable to forfeited RSUs shall also be forfeited.

 

Special RSU Grant Terms and Conditions    Page 4


12.

Voting: RSUs do not give their holder any voting rights, or any other right of a holder of Common Stock. The shares of Common Stock that are issued for RSUs upon vesting will have voting rights.

 

13.

Taxes: Taxes will be due when the RSUs vest based on the Fair Market Value of the shares on the applicable vesting date. This amount, considered taxable compensation, will be included in appropriate tax forms for the participant, for example, W2 income for U.S. employees and T4 income for Canadian employees. Participants are required to pay all withholding taxes as a condition to settlement of the RSUs. Withholding taxes may be settled in cash (including through a broker assisted cashless exercise) or, if permitted and communicated by the Company before the settlement date, by deducting shares of Common Stock issuable to the participant upon the settlement of the RSUs. The Company may require the participant to direct a broker, upon the vesting or settlement of the RSUs, to sell a portion of the shares subject to the RSUs determined by the Company in its discretion to be sufficient to cover the tax withholding obligations of the Company and to remit an amount equal to such tax withholding obligations to the Company in cash. The Fair Market Value of any shares of Common Stock withheld to satisfy any such tax withholding obligations shall not exceed the amount determined by the applicable minimum statutory withholding rates (or the maximum individual statutory withholding rates for the applicable jurisdiction if use of such rates would not result in adverse accounting consequences or cost). Taxes include, but are not limited to, Federal or national, social insurance or FICA taxes, state and local, if applicable and as required by local requirements.

 

14.

Share Registration: Participants will not receive stock certificates when RSUs are settled. The shares of Common Stock issued in settlement for RSUs will initially be held via book entry at Merrill Lynch. Those shares will be registered in the participant’s name as soon as administratively feasible. Participants can change the registration by requesting a transfer of the shares after the applicable vesting date and settlement in brokerage. Contact Merrill Lynch at 1-888-869-5856.

 

15.

Communication: Each participant will be provided with a written confirmation of the RSU award. Participants will also receive a notice at the time of settlement that explains the number of shares issued and, if applicable, the number of shares to be sold to pay the withholding tax.

 

16.

Disposition at Vesting: After RSUs vest and shares are issued, participants can leave the shares with Merrill Lynch, ask Merrill Lynch to sell the shares, have a certificate issued to the participant, or have the shares electronically transferred to another broker. Certain fees may apply to selling or transferring shares – contact Merrill Lynch for details.

 

17.

Benefits: RSU grants or vesting income will not be included in earnings for the purposes of determining benefits, including pension, defined contribution retirement, disability, life insurance and other survivor benefits.

 

18.

Insiders: Insiders cannot dispose of the shares issued after vesting without prior approval of the Legal & Compliance Department.

 

Special RSU Grant Terms and Conditions    Page 5


19.

Tax and Legal Issues: Prior to vesting and settlement, WK reserves the right to replace RSUs granted with a cash equivalent benefit if there are any adverse tax or legal consequences for either the participant or the Company related to the ownership of WK shares (generally for participants outside North America).

 

20.

Recoupment: If at any time (including after the applicable vesting date or after settlement), the Committee, including any person authorized pursuant to Section 3.2 of the Plan (an “Authorized Officer”):

 

  (a)

reasonably believes that a participant has engaged in “Detrimental Conduct” (as defined below), the Committee or an Authorized Officer may suspend the participant’s participation in this RSU award pending a determination of whether the participant has engaged in Detrimental Conduct;

 

  (b)

determines that a participant has engaged in Detrimental Conduct, then the grant of RSUs under the Plan and all rights thereunder shall terminate immediately without notice effective the date on which the participant engages in such Detrimental Conduct, unless terminated sooner by operation of another term or condition of this RSU award or the Plan; and/or

 

  (c)

determines the participant has engaged in Detrimental Conduct, then the participant may be required to repay to the Company, in cash and upon demand, any payment in shares from any RSU award made during and after the year in which the Detrimental Conduct occurred.

The return of RSU payment under paragraph (c) is in addition to and separate from any other relief available to the Company due to the participant’s Detrimental Conduct.

Detrimental Conduct” means conduct that is contrary or harmful to the interest of the Company, including, but not limited to, (i) conduct relating to the participant’s employment for which either criminal or civil penalties against the participant may be sought, (ii) breaching the participant’s fiduciary duty or deliberately disregarding any of the Company’s policies or code of conduct, (iii) violating the Company’s insider trading policy or the commission of an act or omission which causes the participant or the Company to be in violation of federal or state securities laws, rules, regulations, and/or the rules of any exchange or association of which the Company is a member, including statutory disqualification, (iv) disclosing or misusing any confidential information or material concerning the Company, (v) participating in a hostile takeover attempt of the Company, (vi) engaging in an act of fraud or intentional misconduct during the participant’s employment that causes the Company to restate all or a portion of the Company’s financial statements, or (vii) conduct resulting in a financial loss to the Company even though the Company is not required to or does not actually restate all or any portion of its financial statements.

For a participant who is an executive officer for purposes of Section 16 of the Exchange Act, any determination of whether the participant has engaged in an act of fraud or intentional misconduct during the participant’s employment that causes the Company to

 

Special RSU Grant Terms and Conditions    Page 6


restate all or a portion of the Company’s financial statements shall be made by the Committee and shall be subject to the review and approval of the Board of Directors.

If at any time the Company determines that a participant has breached the non-competition, non-solicitation, non-disparagement, or confidentiality provisions of this RSU award, the participant will be obligated, to the maximum extent permitted by law, to reimburse the Company for the Net RSU Proceeds paid to the participant pursuant to this RSU award. By accepting this RSU award, the participant also agrees and acknowledges that if the participant breaches the non-competition, non-solicitation, non-disparagement, or confidentiality provisions of this RSU award, because it would be impractical and excessively difficult to determine the actual damages to the Company as a result of such breach, any remedies at law (such as a right to monetary damages) would be inadequate. The participant therefore agrees that, if the participant breaches the non-competition, non-solicitation, non-disparagement, or confidentiality provisions of this RSU award, the Company shall have the right (in addition to, and not in lieu of, any other right or remedy available to it) to a temporary and permanent injunctive relief from a court of competent jurisdiction, without posting any bond or other security and without proof of actual damage. If this RSU award has not vested on the date the Company determines the participant breached the non-competition, non-solicitation, non-disparagement, or confidentiality provisions of this RSU award, this RSU award shall be forfeited by the participant and cancelled by the Company.

The rights contained in this section shall be in addition to, and shall not limit, any other rights or remedies that the Company may have under law or in equity, including, without limitation, (i) any right that the Company may have under any other Company recoupment policy or other agreement or arrangement with a participant, or (ii) any right or obligation that the Company may have regarding the clawback of “incentive-based compensation” under Section 10D-1 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (as determined by the applicable rules and regulations promulgated thereunder from time to time by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission) and under any clawback policy of the Company implemented to comply with such requirements.

 

21.

Offsets: Any amounts the Company owes the participant from time to time (including amounts owed to the participant as wages or other compensation, fringe benefits, or vacation pay, as well as, any other amounts owed to the participant by the Company) may be offset, to the extent of the amounts the participant owes the Company, provided that amounts owed to the participant which constitute “non-qualified deferred compensation” under Code Section 409A shall only be offset to the extent allowed under Code Section 409A. Whether or not the Company elects to make any set-off for the full amount owed, calculated as set forth above, the participant agrees to pay immediately the unpaid balance to the Company. The participant may be released from obligations under this Section 21 only if the Committee or an Authorized Officer determines in its sole discretion that such action is in the best interests of the Company.

 

22.

Administration: The Plan and this RSU award shall be administered and interpreted by the Committee, as provided in the Plan. Any decision, interpretation or other action made or taken in good faith by the Committee or an appropriately designated proxy, arising out

 

Special RSU Grant Terms and Conditions    Page 7


 

of or in connection with the Plan shall be final, binding and conclusive on the Company and all employees and their respective heirs, executors, administrators, successors and assigns. Determinations by the Committee or an appropriately designated proxy, including without limitation determinations of employee eligibility, the form, amount and timing of awards, the terms and provisions of awards, and the agreements evidencing awards, need not be uniform and may be made selectively among eligible employees who receive or are eligible to receive awards under the Plan, whether or not such eligible employees are similarly situated. The Committee may amend this RSU award to the extent provided in the Plan or this RSU award.

The Plan is hereby incorporated by reference. In the event of any conflict between the Plan and this RSU award, the provisions of the Plan shall control and this RSU award shall be deemed modified accordingly.

 

23.

Assignability and Transfer: RSUs may not be assigned, transferred, sold, exchanged, encumbered, pledged or otherwise hypothecated or disposed of prior to vesting, except as provided in the Plan.

 

24.

Recordkeeping and Authorization: By accepting this RSU award, the participant (i) authorizes the Company and any agent of the Company administering the Plan or providing Plan recordkeeping services to disclose to the Company such information and data as the Company shall request in order to facilitate the grant of this RSU award and the administration of the Plan; (ii) waives any data privacy rights the participant may have with respect to such information; and (iii) authorizes the Company to store and transmit such information in electronic form.

 

25.

Severability: The provisions of this RSU award are severable and if any one or more provisions may be determined to be illegal or otherwise unenforceable, in whole or in part, the remaining provisions, and any partially unenforceable provision to the extent enforceable in any jurisdiction, shall nevertheless be binding and enforceable.

These terms and conditions are subject to the provisions of the WK Kellogg Co 2023 Long-Term Incentive Plan document and any additional terms and conditions as determined by the Committee.

Updated October 2023

 

Special RSU Grant Terms and Conditions    Page 8

Exhibit 10.2

 

     LOGO

RETENTION AGREEMENT AND GENERAL RELEASE

This Retention Agreement (this “Agreement”) is entered into by and between WK Kellogg Co, a Delaware corporation, together with its subsidiaries, divisions, affiliates and successors (“WK” or the “Company”), and [], [] (“Employee”), whose address is []. This Agreement shall become effective as of the Effective Date (as defined in Paragraph 24 below).

Employee has demonstrated significant leadership of the Company’s spin-off before and after the spin-off date and is expected to have a major impact on WK’s future success. Employee plays a key role in leading WK to achieve its strategic plan over the next [] years and beyond. As a result, WK desires to recognize all Employee has done and will do as they lead the Company into the future. WK is offering Employee a special, one-time, retention award consisting of a grant of WK Kellogg Co Restricted Share Units (“RSUs”), as outlined below, subject to the terms in this Agreement.

NOW THEREFORE, in consideration of the mutual covenants contained in this Agreement, and other good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which are hereby acknowledged, the parties agree as follows:

1.    Retention Award. In consideration for Employee entering into this Agreement and fully abiding by its terms, the Company agrees to provide Employee with the following consideration:

(a).    RSU Grant. Provided that Employee executes this Agreement and complies with the terms hereunder, the Company will grant Employee a number of RSUs (the “Retention Award”) equal to $[] divided by the closing stock price of a share of the Company’s common stock on the date of grant (the “Grant Date”) under the WK Kellogg 2023 Long-Term Incentive Plan (as may be amended from time to time, the “Plan”) pursuant and subject to the Restricted Share Unit Terms and Conditions For Special RSU Awards Granted in 2023 attached as Exhibit A hereto (the “Terms and Conditions”). Please note the dollar value of this Retention Award may change based on changes in the Company’s stock price between the Grant Date and the Vesting Date (as defined below). Notwithstanding the foregoing, if Employee revokes this Agreement as provided below, Employee shall not be eligible to receive the Retention Award, and if such revocation occurs following the grant of the RSUs, all of the RSUs comprising the Retention Award shall be immediately forfeited for no consideration.

(b).    Retention Award Terms. Subject to the terms of the Plan, the Retention Award will vest in accordance with the Terms and Conditions, which shall provide for the Retention Award to fully vest on the Required Retention Date (as defined below) which shall also be referred to as the “Vesting Date,” subject to and strictly conditioned on Employee satisfying the following conditions: (i) complying with the terms of this Agreement, including the restrictive covenants set forth in this Agreement (“Restrictive Covenants”); (ii) remaining continuously employed as [], or another role with the Company, through [] (the “Required Retention Date”) (except as provided otherwise in the Terms and Conditions, as described below); and (iii) Employee (or Employee’s estate, as applicable) executing and not revoking an agreement that contains a release of claims (“General Release Agreement”) and other provisions, such as a non-compete and other restrictive

 

1


LOGO

 

covenant provisions, in a form satisfactory to the Company, which shall be in substantially the same form as the release contained within this Agreement, and such General Release Agreement becomes effective no later than 15 days following the Required Retention Date.

(c).    Termination of Employment. Employee will immediately forfeit the RSUs upon termination of employment with the Company prior to the Vesting Date, for any reason other than due to Employee’s death or Disability (as defined in the Plan). Notwithstanding the preceding sentence, if Employee is terminated by WK without “cause” (as defined on the date hereof in the WK Kellogg Co Severance Benefit Plan ) prior to the Vesting Date, the RSUs shall remain eligible to vest in accordance with, and to the extent provided under, the Terms and Conditions. If Employee’s employment with the Company is terminated prior to Vesting Date due to Employee’s death or Disability, the RSUs will pro-rata vest (and not fully vest) upon such termination date, with the number of RSUs vesting equal to the product of the number of RSUs comprising this Retention Award, and a fraction, the numerator of which is the number of days the Employee was actively employed between the Grant Date and the date of Employee’s death or Disability, as applicable, and the denominator of which is the number of days between the Grant Date and the Required Retention Date.

2.    No Other Benefits. Employee acknowledges and agrees that the Retention Award is special incentive compensation and no portion of the Retention Award is benefit bearing and therefore will not be eligible for 401(k) deferral, matching contributions, or retirement contributions, will not be considered for pension determination or for ESPP deduction, and will not be taken into account in computing the amount of salary or compensation for purposes of determining any bonus, incentive, pension, retirement, death or other benefit under any other bonus, incentive, pension, retirement, insurance or other employee benefit plan of the Company or any of its subsidiaries (or any of their successors and assigns), notwithstanding any plan or agreement provision which provides otherwise.

3.    Tax Liability, Withholding & Offsets. Employee acknowledges and agrees that:

(a).    Required withholdings and deductions for tax purposes and any other withholdings required by law or regulation must be satisfied by Employee prior to any issuance of shares in connection with any vesting of the Retention Award, or, in the alternative, the Company will withhold sufficient shares of the Company’s common stock necessary to satisfy Employee’s tax obligations related to the Retention Award as required by any applicable law or regulation;

(b).    All tax liability, with respect to any and all payments or services received by Employee under this Agreement (other than employer payroll taxes or any other taxes required to be paid by Employee’s employer under applicable law) will be Employee’s responsibility; and

(c).    This Agreement does not cancel or alter in any way Employee’s obligation to reimburse or repay amounts Employee owes to the Company under any program or policy, including, Company credit card, vacation, short-term disability overpayments, tuition reimbursement, relocation, and tax equalization policies, and Employee agrees that,, subject to applicable law and Code Section 409A (as defined below), the Company may reduce any portion of the Retention Award in satisfaction of the amount Employee owes the Company under such policies or programs as may be

 

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in effect from time to time and Employee acknowledges that such reduction may be subject to tax withholding.

4.    No Other Compensation or Benefits Owing. Employee acknowledges and agrees that, except as otherwise expressly provided for in this Agreement, the Company has paid Employee in full for any and all hours worked up to and through the date of this Agreement, and the Company shall have no further obligations of any kind or nature to Employee with respect to the time period prior to the Effective Date. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the language in this paragraph is not intended to operate as a waiver or relinquishment of any pension plan and/or 401(k) plan benefits that are vested, the eligibility and entitlement to which shall be governed by the terms of the applicable written plan.

5.    No Other Representations. Employee represents and warrants that no promise or inducement has been offered or made except as set forth in this Agreement and that Employee is entering into and executing this Agreement without reliance on any statement or representation not set forth within this Agreement by the Company, or any person(s) acting on its behalf.

6.    Non-Assignment of Rights. Employee represents and warrants that Employee has not sold, assigned, transferred, conveyed or otherwise disposed of to any third party, by operation of law or otherwise, any action, cause of action, debt, obligation, contract, agreement, covenant, guarantee, judgment, damage, claim, counterclaim, liability or demand of any nature whatsoever relating to any matter covered in this Agreement.

7.    Employee Obligations; Restrictive Covenants. In consideration of the foregoing, and to the fullest extent permitted by law, Employee agrees to be subject to, and comply at all times with following Restrictive Covenants and agrees that the Retention Award is conditioned on Employee’s compliance with the same. If any restriction of the Restrictive Covenants in this Agreement is found by any court of competent jurisdiction to be unenforceable because it extends for too long a period of time or over too great a range of activities or in too broad a geographic area, it shall be interpreted to extend over the maximum period of time, range of activities or geographic area as to which it may be enforceable. In the event of any violation of the provisions of the Restrictive Covenants, Employee agrees that the post-termination restrictions will be extended by a period of time equal to the period of such violation, it being the intention of the parties hereto that the running of the restricted period will be tolled during any period of such violation.

8.    Non-Compete. Employee agrees that, during employment and for a period of twenty-four months following Employee’s termination of employment for any or no reason, Employee will not, directly or indirectly:

(a).    Accept any employment, consult for or with, or otherwise provide or perform any services of any nature to, for or on behalf of any person, firm, partnership, corporation, or other business or entity that sells or markets any of the Restricted Products in the Geographic Area (each as defined below); or

 

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(b).    Own, manage, operate or control, either individually or jointly with others, any business, entity or organization that sells or markets any of the Restricted Products in the Geographic Area.

For purposes of this Agreement, “Restricted Products” means all products the Company manufacturers, produces, distributes, sales or markets that Employee worked on or with in any capacity at any time during the 12-month period immediately preceding the Required Retention Date, or the date on which Employee’s employment terminated. For purposes of this Agreement, the “Geographic Area” means any country in North America or the Caribbean where the company manufactures, produces, distributes, sells or markets any of the Restricted Products.

9.    Non-Solicitation. Employee agrees that, during employment and for a period of twenty-four months following Employee’s termination of employment for any or no reason, Employee will not:

(a).    Directly or indirectly employ, or solicit the employment of (whether as an employee, officer, director, agent, consultant or independent contractor) any person who is or was at any time during the previous year an officer, director, representative, agent or employee of the Company; or

(b).    Directly or indirectly, divert or take away, or attempt to divert or take away, any customers, business or suppliers of Kellogg upon whom Employee called, serviced, or solicited, or with whom Employee became acquainted as a result of Employee’s employment with the Company.

10.    Non-Disparagement of the Company. Employee agrees not to engage in any form of conduct or make any statements or representations that disparage, portray in a negative light, or otherwise impair the reputation, goodwill or commercial interests of the Company and its past, present and future subsidiaries, divisions, affiliates, successors, officers, directors, attorneys, agents and employees. Notwithstanding this limitation, Employee and the Company agree that nothing in this Agreement is intended to prevent or inhibit Employee from filing a charge or a complaint with a government agency or otherwise participating in or assisting a government investigation.

11.    Employment Status. WK and Employee understand and agree that Employee’s employment with the Company will continue on an at-will basis for the duration of Employee’s employment with the Company, from the Effective Date through the date of Employee’s termination of employment with the Company. For purposes of clarity and to avoid confusion, WK and Employee agree that nothing in this Agreement will confer upon Employee any right to continued employment or interfere in any way with the right of the Company to terminate Employee’s employment at any time with or without just cause and Employee may resign from employment at any time with or without just cause.

12.    Disclosure of Any Material Information. As of the date Employee signs this Agreement, Employee represents and warrants that Employee has disclosed to WK any information concerning any conduct involving the Company or any of its officers, directors, representatives, agents or

 

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employees that Employee has any reason to believe may be unlawful, or violates Company policy, or would otherwise reflect poorly on the Company in any respect. If Employee subsequently comes into possession of any such information Employee agrees Employee has obligation to disclose such information to the Company.

13.    Non-Admission of Liability. Employee understands and agrees that this Agreement does not and will not be deemed or construed as an admission of liability or responsibility by the Company for any purpose. Employee further agrees that nothing contained in this Agreement can be used by Employee or any other past, present or future employee of the Company in any way as precedent for future dealings with the Company or any of its successors, officers, directors, attorneys, representatives, agents or employees.

14.    Releases, Representations and Covenants. In consideration of the Retention Award and for other good and valuable consideration, the sufficiency of which Employee expressly acknowledges, Employee unconditionally and irrevocably releases, waives and forever discharges the Company and its past, present and future subsidiaries, divisions, affiliates, successors, and their respective officers, directors, attorneys, agents and employees, from any and all legally waivable claims or causes of action that Employee had, has or may have, known or unknown, including those relating to Employee’s employment with the Company up until the date Employee signs this Agreement, including but not limited to, any claims arising under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended, Section 1981 of the Civil Rights Act of 1866, as amended, the Civil Rights Act of 1991, as amended, the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1992, as amended, the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act (including state and local analogues), the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, as amended by the Older Workers Benefit Protection Act of 1990, the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, as amended, the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended; claims under any other federal, state or local statute, regulation or ordinance; claims for discrimination or harassment of any kind, breach of contract or public policy, wrongful or retaliatory discharge, defamation other business or personal injury of any kind; claims related to severance pay, bonus, expense reimbursement, stock, stock options, equity or equity-based awards, phantom equity, ownership interest, sick leave, holiday pay, vacation pay, life insurance, health or medical insurance or any other employee or fringe benefit; breach of any express or implied contract; breach of any implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing; defamation; slander; worker’s compensation; disability; personal injury; negligence; discrimination or harassment on the basis of Employee’s race, color, national origin, ancestry, religion, sex or pregnancy, age, physical or mental disability, sexual orientation, marital or veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable state, federal or local law; retaliation; negligent or intentional infliction of emotional distress; fraud; misrepresentation; invasion of privacy; and any and all other claims, including any state or local wage and hour related claims that are subject to waiver, by which Employee seeks any form of legal or equitable relief, damages, compensation or benefits (except as set forth in subparagraph (b), below); damages of any nature, include compensatory, general, special or punitive damages; and/or costs, fees, or other expenses, including attorneys’ fees, incurred in connection with any of these matters. Employee understands that Employee may later discover claims or facts that may be different than, or in addition to, those which Employee now knows or believes to exist with regards to the subject matter of this Agreement, and which, if known at the time of executing this Agreement, may have

 

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materially affected this Agreement or Employee’s decision to enter into it. Employee hereby waives any right or claim that might arise as a result of such different or additional claims or facts.

15.    No Pending Claims/Withdrawal of Claims. Employee represents and warrants that, with the exception of those types of claims listed in subparagraph (b) below, as of the date Employee signs this Agreement, Employee, whether individually or as part of a class or group, has no charges, claims or lawsuits of any kind pending against the Company or any of its past, present and future subsidiaries, divisions, affiliates, successors, or their respective officers, directors, attorneys, agents and employees that fall within the scope of the release set forth in this Paragraph. To the extent that Employee has such pending charges, claims or lawsuits as of the date Employee signs this Agreement, Employee agrees to disclose in writing to the Company all such pending charges, claims or lawsuits and to obtain the immediate dismissal with prejudice of such matters or withdraw from participation in such matters and provide written confirmation immediately of same (i.e., court order, and/or agency determination) as a condition precedent to WK’s obligations under this Agreement on and after the Effective Date (including, providing any payments under this Agreement). Employee acknowledges and agrees that to the extent Employee has an existing charge, this Agreement constitutes consideration for resolution and dismissal of that charge.

16.    Exclusion for Certain Claims. Notwithstanding the foregoing, WK and Employee agree that the release given above shall not apply to any claims arising after the date Employee signs this Agreement. WK and Employee also agree that nothing in this Agreement prevents Employee or the Company, from instituting any action to enforce the terms of this Agreement or challenge the Agreement’s validity under the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, as amended, or any other right or recovery that cannot by express and unequivocal terms of law, be limited, waived or extinguished or released (such as claims for workers’ compensation, statutory unemployment benefits, or statutory disability benefits). In addition, Employee and WK agree that nothing in this Agreement shall be construed to prevent Employee from enforcing any rights Employee may have under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 to recover vested benefits or to prohibit Employee from filing a charge or otherwise cooperating or participating in an investigation or proceeding conducted by any federal, state or local agency. Employee understands and agrees that Employee is waiving the right to recover monetary damages or other individual relief in connection with any such charge, or investigation or in any proceeding brought by Employee or on Employee’s behalf; provided, that nothing in this Agreement shall prohibit Employee from receiving any monetary award to which Employee becomes entitled pursuant to Section 922 of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act.

17.    Whistleblower Activity Not Prohibited. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained herein, no provision of this Agreement will be interpreted so as to impede Employee (or any other individual) from (i) making any disclosure of relevant and necessary information or documents in any action, investigation, or proceeding relating to this Agreement, or as required by law or legal process, including with respect to possible violations of law, (ii) participating, cooperating, or testifying in any action, investigation, or proceeding with, or providing information to, any governmental agency, legislative body or any self-regulatory organization, including, but not limited to, the Department of Justice, the Securities and Exchange Commission, the Congress, and any agency Inspector General, (iii)

 

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accepting any U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission Awards, or (iv) making other disclosures under the whistleblower provisions of federal law or regulation. In addition, nothing in this Agreement or any other agreement or Company policy prohibits or restricts Employee from initiating communications with, or responding to any inquiry from, any administrative, governmental, regulatory or supervisory authority regarding any good faith concerns about possible violations of law or regulation. Employee does not need the prior authorization of the Company to make any such reports or disclosures and Employee will not be required to notify the Company that such reports or disclosures have been made.

18.    Remedies for Breach. If Employee breaches any portion of this Agreement, including any provision of the Restrictive Covenants, or disavows any portion of the release set forth in Paragraph 14, Employee acknowledges and agrees that, in addition to any damages, Employee shall be liable for all expenses, including costs and attorney’s fees, incurred by any entity released in recovering those amounts or defending a lawsuit or claim, regardless of the outcome. Employee also agrees and acknowledges that if Employee breaches this Agreement, because it would be impractical and excessively difficult to determine the actual damages to the Company, as a result of such breach, any remedies at law (such as a right to monetary damages) would be inadequate. Employee therefore agrees that, if Employee breaches this Agreement, including any provision of the Restrictive Covenants, to the extent permitted by law, the Company, shall have the immediate right (in addition to, and not in lieu of, any other right or remedy available to it) to a temporary and permanent injunctive relief from a court of competent jurisdiction, without posting any bond or other security and without proof of actual damage. A breach by Employee of any one or more provisions of this Agreement does not excuse Employee from performing any other of Employee’s obligations and undertakings as set forth in this Agreement, and Employee expressly agrees that this Agreement will remain in effect as to Employee’s obligations and undertakings. In the event of a violation by Employee of the Restrictive Covenants, Employee’s right to receive the Retention Award will immediately cease and be forfeited.

19.    Confidentiality of Agreement. Employee agrees that the Retention Award terms contained in this Agreement will not be disclosed to any third party except for Employee’s spouse, tax or legal advisor(s), provided such parties agree to keep such information confidential and, in the case of disclosure to any advisor(s), only to the extent necessary to perform services, or except as disclosure of such matters may be required by law.

20.    Cooperation. Employee agrees to cooperate truthfully and fully with the Company in connection with any and all existing or future investigations or litigation of any nature brought against the Company, involving events that occurred during Employee’s employment. Employee agrees to notify the Company, immediately if subpoenaed or asked to appear as a witness in any matter related to the Company. The Company will reimburse Employee for reasonable out-of-pocket expenses incurred by Employee as a result of such cooperation.

21.    General.

(a).    Severability; Survival; Interpretation. If any provision of this Agreement is found by a court of competent jurisdiction to be unenforceable, in whole or in part, then that provision will be eliminated, modified or restricted in whatever manner is necessary to make the remaining provisions enforceable to the maximum extent allowable by law. Employee’s obligations

 

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contained in the Restrictive Covenants, and the related provisions herein, will survive the termination of this Agreement and are fully enforceable thereafter. Whenever the words “include,” “includes” or “including” are used in this Agreement, they shall be deemed to be followed by the words “without limitation.”

(b).    Successors. This Agreement shall be binding upon, enforceable by, and inure to the benefit of Employee and the Company, and Employee’s personal or legal representatives, executors, administrators, successors, heirs, distributees, devisees and legatees, and to any successor or assignee of the Company, but neither this Agreement, nor any rights, payments, or obligations arising hereunder may be assigned, pledged, transferred, or hypothecated by Employee. For purposes of clarity, Employee acknowledges that the Company may assign this Agreement and the obligations arising under it at any time.

(c).    Controlling Law; Arbitration and Forum for Disputes; Waiver of Jury Trial. Employee agrees that the laws of the State of Michigan shall govern this Agreement. Employee and WK also agree that, except as provided otherwise in this Agreement, any controversy, claim or dispute between the parties, directly or indirectly, concerning this Agreement, the breach of this Agreement or Employee’s employment with the Company, including the termination thereof, will only be resolved in individual arbitration before JAMS (Judicial Arbitration Mediation Services) subject to JAMS’ Streamlined Arbitration Rules and Procedures, unless the parties jointly agree to resolution in individual arbitration before the American Arbitration Association (“AAA”), subject to the AAA’s Employment Dispute Arbitration Rules. Employee understands and agrees that by agreeing to arbitrate any aforementioned controversies, claims or disputes, Employee and WK are waiving the right to have such controversies, claims and disputes heard or resolved by a jury. Notwithstanding their mutual agreement to arbitrate disputes that may arise between them, and to waive their right to a jury trial with respect to such disputes, Employee and WK agree that either may file an action in Court for the limited purpose of securing injunctive relief in order to preserve the status quo pending arbitration, provided that any such court action for injunctive relief is filed in an appropriate state or federal court in the State of Michigan and each party hereby irrevocably and unconditionally submits to the exclusive jurisdiction of the court.

(d).    Waiver. Neither party to this Agreement can discharge or waive any claim or right arising out of a breach or default under this Agreement unless the waiver or discharge is in writing and is signed by the party that will be bound by the waiver or discharge. A waiver by either party to this Agreement of a breach or default by the other party of any provision of this Agreement shall not be deemed a waiver of future compliance with that provision and that provision shall remain in full force and effect.

(e).    Unfunded Arrangement. The Retention Award hereunder shall not be deemed to create a trust or other funded arrangement. Employee’s rights with respect to the Retention Award shall be those of a general unsecured creditor of the Company, and under no circumstances shall Employee have any other interest in any assets of the Company by virtue of the award of the Retention Award.

 

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(f).    Notices. All notices, requests, demands, claims, and other communications regarding this Agreement shall be in writing and delivered in person or sent by registered or certified mail, postage prepaid, return receipt requested, and properly addressed as follows:

To WK: WK Kellogg Co

One Kellogg Square

P.O. Box 3599

Battle Creek, MI 49016

Attention: Chief Legal Officer

To Employee: At Employee’s email address on file with the Company or the address set forth in the preamble of this Agreement.

22.    Entire Agreement/Amendment. Employee agrees that this Agreement (including the Terms and Conditions attached as Exhibit A) and the Plan constitutes the entire agreement between Employee and WK related to the subject matter of this Agreement, and that this Agreement supersedes any and all prior and/or contemporaneous written and/or oral agreements relating to the subject matter of this Agreement; provided, however, that (i) in the event of conflict between the provisions in Paragraph 1 and the Terms and Conditions attached as Exhibit A hereto, the Terms and Conditions shall control, and (ii) the Restrictive Covenants are in addition to and complement, and are not in substitution of and do not replace or supersede, any confidentiality, trade secrets, non-competition, non-solicitation, non-disparagement, inventions and patent rights restrictions or any other similar restrictions by which Employee is currently bound or by which Employee may be bound in respect of the Company or any of its affiliates. Employee acknowledges that this Agreement may not be modified except by written document, signed by Employee and an authorized officer of the Company.

23.    Knowing and Voluntary Action. Employee acknowledges that Employee has been advised to consult an attorney before signing this Agreement. Employee further acknowledges that Employee has read this Agreement and add addenda, if any, attached to this Agreement; has been given a period of at least twenty-one (21) days to consider this Agreement; understands its meaning and application; and is signing this Agreement of Employee’s own free will with the intent of being bound by it. If Employee elects to sign this Agreement prior to the expiration of twenty-one (21) days, Employee has done so voluntarily and knowingly, without any improper inducement or coercion by the Company.

24.    Revocation of Agreement. Employee further acknowledges that Employee may revoke this Agreement at any time within a period of seven (7) days following the date Employee signs this Agreement. Notice of revocation shall be made in writing addressed to WK in accordance with Paragraph 21(f) above. Such revocation must be received by WK before midnight on the seventh day following the date Employee signs the Agreement. Provided that Employee does not revoke Employee’s execution of this Agreement within such seven (7)-day revocation period, the “Effective Date” shall occur on the eighth (8th) calendar day after the date on which Employee executes this Agreement.

 

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25.    Agreements; Releases of Claims. Employee acknowledges and understands, in addition to the release set forth herein, that vesting of the Retention Award described in this Agreement is strictly contingent upon Employee’s (or Employee’s estate, as applicable) execution and non-revocation of a General Release Agreement that is effective on the Vesting Date.

26.    Defense of Trade Secrets Act Notice. Notwithstanding any provision in this Agreement, Kellogg and Employee agree that nothing in this Agreement is intended to impede Employee’s contact or communication with government officials and that Employee has the right, without criminal or civil penalty, to disclose confidential trade secrets to federal, state and local government officials, or to an attorney, for the sole purpose of reporting or investigating a suspected violation of law, and to disclose trade secrets in a document filed in a lawsuit or other proceeding, but only if the filing is made under seal and protected from public disclosure.

27.    Reasonableness. In signing this Agreement, Employee gives the Company assurance that Employee has carefully read and considered all of the terms of this Agreement, including the restraints imposed under the Restrictive Covenants. Employee agrees that these restraints are necessary for the reasonable and proper protection of the Company and its affiliates and their confidential information and that each and every one of the restraints is reasonable in respect to subject matter, length of time and geographic area, and that these restraints, individually or in the aggregate, will not prevent Employee from obtaining other suitable employment during the period in which Employee is bound by the restraints. Employee acknowledges that each of these covenants has a unique, substantial and immeasurable value to the Company and its affiliates and that Employee has sufficient assets and skills to provide a livelihood while such covenants remain in force. Employee further agrees that Employee will not challenge the reasonableness or enforceability of any of the Restrictive Covenants, and that Employee will reimburse the Company and its affiliates for all costs (including reasonable attorneys’ fees) incurred in connection with any action to enforce any of the provisions of the Restrictive Covenants if Employee challenges the reasonableness or enforceability of any of the provisions of the Restrictive Covenants. It is also agreed that each of the Company’s affiliates will have the right to enforce all of Employee’s obligations to that affiliate under this Agreement, including, without limitation, pursuant to the Restrictive Covenants.

28.    Code Section 409A.

(a).    The intent of the parties is that payments and benefits under this Agreement comply with, or be exempt as a short-term deferral from, Internal Revenue Code Section 409A and the regulations and guidance promulgated thereunder (collectively, “Code Section 409A”) and, accordingly, to the maximum extent permitted, this Agreement shall be interpreted to be in compliance therewith or exempt therefrom. In no event whatsoever will the Company be liable for any additional tax, interest or penalty that may be imposed on Employee by Code Section 409A or damages for failing to comply with Code Section 409A.

(b).    A termination of employment shall not be deemed to have occurred for purposes of any provision of this Agreement providing for the payment of any amount or benefit that constitutes “nonqualified deferred compensation” upon or following a termination of employment, unless such termination is also a “separation from service” within the meaning of Code Section 409A,

 

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and, for purposes of any such provision of this Agreement, references to a “termination,” “termination of employment” or like terms shall mean “separation from service.” Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Agreement, if Employee is deemed on the date of termination to be a “specified employee” within the meaning of that term under Code Section 409A(a)(2)(B), then with regard to any payment or the provision of any benefit that is considered “nonqualified deferred compensation” under Code Section 409A payable on account of a “separation from service,” such payment or benefit shall not be made or provided until the date which is the earlier of (A) the expiration of the six (6)-month period measured from the date of such “separation from service” of Employee and (B) the date of Employee’s death, solely to the extent required under Code Section 409A. Upon the expiration of the foregoing delay period, all payments and benefits delayed pursuant to this Paragraph (whether they would have otherwise been payable in a single sum or in installments in the absence of such delay) shall be paid or reimbursed to Employee in a lump sum, and all remaining payments and benefits due under this Agreement shall be paid or provided in accordance with the normal payment dates specified for them herein. In the event any benefit is subject to Section 409A and is conditioned upon the execution of a release, and the review and rescission period carries into a succeeding calendar year, any benefit payable shall be paid within in, and no later than March 15th of, the succeeding calendar year.

(c).    To the extent that reimbursements or other in-kind benefits under this Agreement constitute “nonqualified deferred compensation” for purposes of Code Section 409A, (i) all expense or other reimbursements hereunder shall be made on or prior to the last day of the taxable year following the taxable year in which such expenses were incurred by Employee, (ii) any right to reimbursement or in-kind benefits shall not be subject to liquidation or exchange for another benefit, and (iii) no such reimbursement, expenses eligible for reimbursement, or in-kind benefits provided in any taxable year shall in any way affect the expenses eligible for reimbursement, or in-kind benefits to be provided, in any other taxable year.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have executed and agreed to this Agreement consisting of 11 pages, plus Exhibit A.

 

EMPLOYEE       WK Kellogg Co
By:  

 

     

 

       

 

11

v3.23.3
Document and Entity Information
Nov. 13, 2023
Cover [Abstract]  
Amendment Flag false
Entity Central Index Key 0001959348
Document Type 8-K
Document Period End Date Nov. 13, 2023
Entity Registrant Name WK Kellogg Co
Entity Incorporation State Country Code DE
Entity File Number 001-41755
Entity Tax Identification Number 92-1243173
Entity Address, Address Line One One Kellogg Square
Entity Address, City or Town Battle Creek
Entity Address, State or Province MI
Entity Address, Postal Zip Code 49016-3599
City Area Code (269)
Local Phone Number 401-3000
Written Communications false
Soliciting Material false
Pre Commencement Tender Offer false
Pre Commencement Issuer Tender Offer false
Security 12b Title Common Stock, $.0001 par value per share
Trading Symbol KLG
Security Exchange Name NYSE
Entity Emerging Growth Company false

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