ASSOCIATED BANC-CORP

Our executive compensation program is designed to be performance-based and aligned with the interests of our shareholders. The majority of the total compensation provided to the CEO and other NEOs is at risk and delivered primarily in the form of long-term equity. We also consider our strategic objectives along with industry trends when developing our executive compensation program. Our goal is to offer an executive compensation program that allows us to attract, retain, motivate and reward highly qualified and talented executives who will enable us to execute our strategic priorities, outperform our competitors and drive long-term shareholder value with strong risk management discipline.