POLYONE CORPORATION INCENTIVE AWARD Grant of Performance Units
Exhibit 10.2
[DATE]
Attn: [ ]
PolyOne Corporation
PolyOne Corporation
POLYONE CORPORATION INCENTIVE AWARD
Grant of Performance Units
THIS AGREEMENT CONSTITUTES PART OF A PROSPECTUS COVERING SECURITIES REGISTERED UNDER THE SECURITIES
ACT OF 1933, AS AMENDED. THE COMMON SHARES OF THE COMPANY ARE LISTED ON THE NEW YORK STOCK
EXCHANGE.
Dear [ ]:
Subject to the terms and conditions of the [INSERT PLAN] (the “Plan”) and this letter agreement
(this “Agreement”), the Compensation and Governance Committee of the Board of Directors (the
“Committee”) of PolyOne Corporation (“PolyOne”) (or a subcommittee thereof) has granted to you as
of [DATE], the following award:
[___] performance units (the “Performance Units”), with each such Performance Unit being
equal in value to $1.00, payment of which depends on PolyOne’s performance as set forth in
this Agreement and in your Statement of Performance Goals.
A copy of the Plan is available for your review through the Corporate Secretary’s office.
Unless otherwise indicated, the capitalized terms used in this Agreement shall have the same
meanings as set forth in the Plan.
1. | Performance Units. |
(a) | Your right to receive all or any portion of the Performance Units will be contingent upon the achievement of certain management objectives (the “Management Objectives”), as set forth in your Statement of Performance Goals. The achievement of the Management Objectives will be measured during the period from January 1, 20___ through December 31, 20___(the “Performance Period”). |
(b) | The Management Objectives for the Performance Period will be based solely on achievement of performance goals relating to PolyOne’s operating income (“Operating Income”), as defined in your Statement of Performance Goals. |
2. | Earning of Performance Units. |
(a) | The Performance Units shall be earned as follows: |
(i) | If, upon the conclusion of the Performance Period, Operating Income equals or exceeds the threshold level, but is less than the 100% target level, as set forth in the Performance Matrix contained in your Statement of Performance Goals, a proportionate number of the Performance Units shall become earned, as determined by mathematical interpolation and rounded up to the nearest whole unit. | ||
(ii) | If, upon the conclusion of the Performance Period, Operating Income equals or exceeds the 100% target level, but is less than the maximum level, as set forth in the Performance Matrix contained in your Statement of Performance Goals, a proportionate number of the Performance Units shall become earned, as determined by mathematical interpolation and rounded up to the nearest whole unit. | ||
(iii) | If, upon the conclusion of the Performance Period, Operating Income equals or exceeds the maximum level, as set forth in the Performance Matrix contained in your Statement of Performance Goals, 200% of the Performance Units shall become earned. |
(b) | In no event shall any Performance Units become earned if actual performance falls below the threshold level for Operating Income. | ||
(c) | If the Committee determines that a change in the business, operations, corporate structure or capital structure of PolyOne, the manner in which it conducts business or other events or circumstances render the Management Objectives to be unsuitable, the Committee may modify such Management Objectives or the related levels of achievement, in whole or in part, as the Committee deems appropriate; provided, however, that no such action may result in the loss of the otherwise available exemption of the award under Section 162(m) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”). | ||
(d) | Your right to receive any Performance Units is contingent upon your remaining in the continuous employ of PolyOne or a Subsidiary through the end of the Performance Period. Following the Performance Period, the Committee shall determine the number of Performance Units that shall have become earned hereunder. In all circumstances, the Committee shall have the ability and authority to reduce, but not increase, the amount of Performance Units that become earned hereunder. |
2
3. | Change of Control. If a Change of Control (as defined on Exhibit A to this Agreement) occurs during the Performance Period, PolyOne shall pay to you 100% of the Performance Units as soon as administratively practicable after the Change of Control. |
4. | Retirement, Disability or Death. If your employment with PolyOne or a Subsidiary terminates before the end of the Performance Period due to (1) retirement at age 55 or older with at least 10 years of service or retirement under other circumstances entitling you to receive benefits under one of PolyOne’s (including its predecessors) defined benefit pension plans, (2) permanent and total disability (as defined under the relevant disability plan or program of PolyOne or a Subsidiary in which you then participate) or (3) death, PolyOne shall pay to you or your executor or administrator, as the case may be, after the end of the Performance Period, the portion of the Performance Units to which you would have been entitled under Section 2 above, had you remained employed by PolyOne through the end of the Performance Period, prorated based on the portion of the Performance Period during which you were employed by PolyOne. The pro-rata portion of the Performance Units required to be paid under this Section 4 shall be paid to you within two and one-half months of the expiration of the Performance Period. |
5. | Other Termination. If your employment with PolyOne or a Subsidiary terminates before the end of the Performance Period for any reason other than as set forth in Section 4 above, the Performance Units will be forfeited. |
6. | Payment of Performance Units. Payment of any Performance Units that become earned as set forth herein will be made in cash. Payment will be made as soon as practicable after the receipt of audited financial statements of PolyOne relating to the last fiscal year of the Performance Period, the determination by the Committee of the level of attainment of the Management Objectives and certification by the Board that such Management Objectives were satisfied, but payment shall in all cases be made within two and one-half months of the expiration of the Performance Period. If PolyOne determines that it is required to withhold any federal, state, local or foreign taxes from any payment, PolyOne will withhold the amount of these taxes from the payment. |
7. | Non-Assignability. The Performance Units subject to this grant of Performance Units are personal to you and may not be sold, exchanged, assigned, transferred, pledged, encumbered or otherwise disposed of by you until they become earned as provided in this Agreement; provided, however, that your rights with respect to such Performance Units may be transferred by will or pursuant to the laws of descent and distribution. Any purported transfer or encumbrance in violation of the provisions of this Section 7 shall be void, and the other party to any such purported transaction shall not obtain any rights to or interest in such Performance Units. |
8. | Miscellaneous. |
(a) | The contents of this Agreement are subject in all respects to the terms and conditions of the Plan as approved by the Board and the shareholders of PolyOne, which are controlling. The interpretation and construction by the Board and/or the Committee of any provision of the Plan or this Agreement shall be final and |
3
conclusive upon you, your estate, executor, administrator, beneficiaries, personal representative and guardian and PolyOne and its successors and assigns. | |||
(b) | The grant of the Performance Units is discretionary and will not be considered to be an employment contract or a part of your terms and conditions of employment or of your salary or compensation. Your acceptance of this grant constitutes your consent to the transfer of data and information concerning or arising out of this grant to PolyOne and to non-PolyOne entities engaged by PolyOne to provide services in connection with this grant from non-U.S. entities related to PolyOne for purposes of any applicable privacy, information or data protection laws and regulations. | ||
(c) | Any amendment to the Plan shall be deemed to be an amendment to this Agreement to the extent that the amendment is applicable hereto. The terms and conditions of this Agreement may not be modified, amended or waived, except by an instrument in writing signed by a duly authorized executive officer at PolyOne. Notwithstanding the foregoing, no amendment shall adversely affect your rights under this Agreement without your consent. | ||
(d) | [FOR U.S. PARTICIPANTS ONLY:] It is a condition to your receipt of the Performance Units that you execute and agree to the terms of PolyOne’s standard Employee Agreement. If you do not sign and return the Employee Agreement to PolyOne Human Resources within 60 days of your receipt of this Grant of Performance Units, this Grant of Performance Units and any rights to the Performance Units will terminate and become null and void. |
9. | Notice. All notices under this Agreement to PolyOne must be delivered personally or mailed to PolyOne Corporation at PolyOne Center, Avon Lake, Ohio 44012, Attention: Corporate Secretary. PolyOne’s address may be changed at any time by written notice of such change to you. Also, all notices under this Agreement to you will be delivered personally or mailed to you at your address as shown from time to time in PolyOne’s records. |
10. | Compliance with Section 409A of the Code. |
(a) | To the extent applicable, it is intended that this Agreement and the Plan comply with the provisions of Section 409A of the Code, so that the income inclusion provisions of Section 409A(a)(1) of the Code do not apply to you. This Agreement and the Plan shall be administered in a manner consistent with this intent, and any provision that would cause this Agreement or the Plan to fail to satisfy Section 409A of the Code shall have no force and effect until amended to comply with Section 409A of the Code (which amendment may be retroactive to the extent permitted by Section 409A of the Code and may be made by PolyOne without your consent). | ||
(b) | To the extent you have a right to receive payment of the Performance Units, the payment is subject to Section 409A, and the event triggering the right to payment |
4
does not constitute a permitted distribution event under Section 409A(a)(2) of the Code, then notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Agreement, the payment of the Performance Units will be made, to the extent necessary to comply with Section 409A of the Code, to you on the earliest of (a) your “separation from service” with PolyOne (determined in accordance with Section 409A of the Code); provided, however, that if you are a “specified employee” (within the meaning of Section 409A of the Code), your date of payment of the Performance Units shall be the date that is six months after the date of your separation from service with PolyOne; (b) the date of the end of the Performance Period; (c) your death; or (d) your disability (within the meaning of Section 409A(a)(2)(C) of the Code). | |||
(c) | Reference to Section 409A of the Code will also include any proposed, temporary or final regulations, or any other guidance, promulgated with respect to such Section by the U.S. Department of the Treasury or the Internal Revenue Service. |
5
This Agreement, and the terms and conditions of the Plan, shall bind, and inure to the benefit
of you, your estate, executor, administrator, beneficiaries, personal representative and guardian
and PolyOne and its successors and assigns.
Very Truly Yours, | ||||||
POLYONE CORPORATION | ||||||
By: | ||||||
Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxx, Senior Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer |
Accepted:
(Date)
6
Exhibit A
A “Change of Control” means:
(a) the acquisition by any individual, entity or group (within the meaning of Section 13(d)(3) or
14(d)(2) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”)) (a “Person”) of
beneficial ownership (within the meaning of Rule 13d-3 promulgated under the Exchange Act) of
voting securities of the Company where such acquisition causes such Person to own 25% or more of
the combined voting power of the then outstanding voting securities of the Company entitled to vote
generally in the election of directors (the “Outstanding Company Voting Securities”); provided,
however, that for purposes of this paragraph (a), the following acquisitions shall not be deemed to
result in a Change of Control: (i) any acquisition directly from the Company that is approved by
the Incumbent Board (as defined in paragraph (b) below), (ii) any acquisition by the Company, (iii)
any acquisition by any employee benefit plan (or related trust) sponsored or maintained by the
Company or any corporation controlled by the Company or (iv) any acquisition by any corporation
pursuant to a transaction that complies with clauses (i), (ii) and (iii) of paragraph (c) below;
provided, further, that if any Person’s beneficial ownership of the Outstanding Company Voting
Securities reaches or exceeds 25% as a result of a transaction described in clause (i) or (ii)
above, and such Person subsequently acquires beneficial ownership of additional voting securities
of the Company, such subsequent acquisition shall be treated as an acquisition that causes such
Person to own 25% or more of the Outstanding Company Voting Securities; and provided, further, that
if at least a majority of the members of the Incumbent Board determines in good faith that a Person
has acquired beneficial ownership (within the meaning of Rule 13d-3 promulgated under the Exchange
Act) of 25% or more of the Outstanding Company Voting Securities inadvertently, and such Person
divests as promptly as practicable a sufficient number of shares so that such Person beneficially
owns (within the meaning of Rule 13d-3 promulgated under the Exchange Act) less than 25% of the
Outstanding Company Voting Securities, then no Change of Control shall have occurred as a result of
such Person’s acquisition; or
(b) individuals who, as of August 31, 2000, constitute the Board (the “Incumbent Board” as modified
by this paragraph (b)) cease for any reason to constitute at least a majority of the Board;
provided, however, that any individual becoming a director subsequent to August 31, 2000 whose
election, or nomination for election by the Company’s shareholders, was approved by a vote of at
least a majority of the directors then comprising the Incumbent Board (either by specific vote or
by approval of the proxy statement of the Company in which such person is named as a nominee for
director, without objection to such nomination) shall be considered as though such individual were
a member of the Incumbent Board, but excluding, for this purpose, any such individual whose initial
assumption of office occurs as a result of an actual or threatened election contest with respect to
the election or removal of directors or other actual or threatened solicitation of proxies or
consents by or on behalf of a Person other than the Board; or
(c) the consummation of a reorganization, merger or consolidation or sale or other disposition of
all or substantially all of the assets of the Company or the acquisition of assets of another
corporation or other transaction (“Business Combination”) excluding, however, such a Business
Combination pursuant to which (i) the individuals and entities who were the beneficial
A-1
owners of the Outstanding Company Voting Securities immediately prior to such Business Combination
beneficially own, directly or indirectly, more than 60% of, respectively, the then outstanding
shares of common stock and the combined voting power of the then outstanding voting securities
entitled to vote generally in the election of directors, as the case may be, of the entity
resulting from such Business Combination (including, without limitation, an entity that as a result
of such transaction owns the Company or all or substantially all of the Company’s assets either
directly or through one or more subsidiaries), (ii) no Person (excluding any employee benefit plan
(or related trust) of the Company, the Company or such entity resulting from such Business
Combination) beneficially owns, directly or indirectly, 25% or more of the combined voting power of
the then outstanding securities entitled to vote generally in the election of directors of the
entity resulting from such Business Combination and (iii) at least a majority of the members of the
board of directors of the corporation resulting from such Business Combination were members of the
Incumbent Board at the time of the execution of the initial agreement, or of the action of the
Board, providing for such Business Combination; or
(d) approval by the shareholders of the Company of a complete liquidation or dissolution of the
Company except pursuant to a Business Combination that complies with clauses (i), (ii) and (iii) of
paragraph (c) above.
A-2