Autodesk, Inc.
For the period ended Jan 31, 2026. Filed May 6, 2026.
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What shareholders are asked to vote on at a company's meeting. It is where to find what directors and top executives are paid, and who owns the most shares.
Jan 31, 2026 · Filed May 6, 2026
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UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
SCHEDULE 14A
Proxy Statement Pursuant to Section 14(a) of the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934
(Amendment No.)
Filed by the registrantx Filed by a Party other than the registrant¨
Check the appropriate box:
| ¨ | Preliminary proxy statement |
|---|---|
| ¨ | Confidential, for use of the commission only (as permitted by Rule 14a-6(e)(2)) |
| x | Definitive proxy statement |
| ¨ | Definitive additional materials |
| ¨ | Soliciting material under § 240.14a-12 |
| AUTODESK, INC. | |
| (Name of Registrant as Specified in Its Charter) | |
| (Name of Person(s) Filing Proxy Statement, if other than the Registrant) | |
| Payment of Filing Fee (Check the appropriate box): | |
| x | No fee required. |
| ¨ | Fee paid previously with preliminary materials. |
| ¨ | Fee computed on table in exhibit required by Item 25(b) per Exchange Act Rules 14a-6(i)(1) and 0-11. |
May 6, 2026
Dear Autodesk Stockholder:
You are cordially invited to attend Autodesk’s 2026 Annual Meeting of Stockholders to be held on Wednesday, June 17, 2026, beginning at 3:00 p.m., Pacific Time. This year’s Annual Meeting will be held in a virtual format, through a live audio webcast. We will provide the webcast of the Annual Meeting at www.virtualshareholdermeeting.com/ADSK2026. Autodesk stockholders will have the opportunity to listen to the meeting live, submit questions, and vote online. A webcast with the entire Annual Meeting will be available on the Autodesk Investor Relations website after the meeting. For further information on how to participate in the meeting, please see the section titled “Information About the 2026 Annual Meeting of Stockholders” in this Proxy Statement.
This Notice of 2026 Annual Meeting of Stockholders and Proxy Statement contain details of the business to be conducted during the Annual Meeting.
Whether or not you plan to attend the Annual Meeting, it is important that your shares be represented and voted. We urge you to promptly vote and submit your proxy card (1) via the Internet, (2) by phone, or (3) if you received your proxy materials by mail, by signing, dating, and returning the enclosed proxy card or voting instruction form in the envelope provided for your convenience. Your vote is very important.
We hope you will be able to attend this year’s Annual Meeting. As in prior years, this year’s Annual Meeting will include an opportunity for stockholders to ask questions. Live questions may be submitted online beginning shortly before the start of the Annual Meeting through www.virtualshareholdermeeting.com/ADSK2026.
On behalf of the Board of Directors, I would like to express our appreciation for your continued support of Autodesk.
Very truly yours,
Andrew Anagnost
President and Chief Executive Officer
Notice of 2026 Annual Meeting of Stockholders
| Date | Wednesday, June 17, 2026 |
|---|---|
| Time | 3:00 p.m., Pacific Time |
| Virtual Meeting | This year’s meeting is a virtual stockholders meeting at www.virtualshareholdermeeting.com/ADSK2026 |
| Record Date | April 22, 2026. Only stockholders of record at the close of business on the record date are entitled to receive notice of, and to vote at, the Annual Meeting. |
| Proxy Voting | Your vote is very important. Even if you plan to attend the Annual Meeting, we encourage you to vote in advance. You can vote your shares now via the Internet, by telephone, or by signing, dating, and returning the enclosed proxy card or voting instruction form. If you attend the Annual Meeting, you may vote online during the Annual Meeting even if you previously voted. |
| Address of Corporate Headquarters | One Market Street, Suite #400, San Francisco, CA 94105 |
| Meeting Details | See the section titled “Information About the 2026 Annual Meeting of Stockholders” in this Proxy Statement. |
| ITEMS OF BUSINESS | BOARD RECOMMENDATION | |
| (1) | To elect the 11 directors listed in the accompanying Proxy Statement to serve for the coming year and until their successors are duly elected and qualified. | FOR each director nominee |
| (2) | To ratify the appointment of Ernst & Young LLP as our independent registered public accounting firm for the fiscal year ending January 31, 2027. | FOR |
| (3) | To hold a non-binding vote to approve compensation for our named executive officers. | FOR |
| (4) | To approve an amendment of our Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation to provide for officer exculpation as permitted by Delaware law. | FOR |
| (5) | If properly presented at the meeting, to consider and conduct an advisory (non-binding) vote on a stockholder proposal, as described in the accompanying proxy statement. | AGAINST |
Important notice regarding the availability of proxy materials for the Annual Meeting to be held on June 17, 2026. Our Proxy Statement and Annual Report to Stockholders are available at:
https://materials.proxyvote.com/052769.
By Order of the Board of Directors,
Ruth Ann Keene
Executive Vice President, Corporate Affairs, Chief Legal Officer and Corporate Secretary
May 6, 2026
| Table of Contents | |
|---|---|
| Fiscal Year 2026 Strategic Priorities and Performance Highlights | 1 |
| Governance and our Board of Directors | 6 |
| Board of Directors | 6 |
| Experience and Knowledge of Director Nominees | 7 |
| Independence of the Board | 7 |
| Director Nominees | 8 |
| Board Leadership Structure | 19 |
| Stockholder Engagement | 19 |
| Fiscal Year 2026 Board Meetings | 19 |
| Board Committees | 20 |
| Independence of the Board and our Governance Practices | 22 |
| Certain Relationships and Related Party Transactions | 23 |
| Director Orientation and Continuing Education | 23 |
| Director Stock Ownership Policy | 23 |
| Outside Board Memberships | 24 |
| Director Selection, Qualifications, and Evaluations | 24 |
| Stockholder Recommendations and Nominations of Director Candidates | 25 |
| Board Evaluations | 25 |
| Corporate Governance Guidelines | 25 |
| Code of Business Conduct and Code of Ethics | 26 |
| Risk Oversight | 26 |
| Executive Succession Planning and Leadership Development | 27 |
| Contacting the Board | 27 |
| Governance and Impact Programs | 27 |
| Executive Compensation | 30 |
| Compensation Discussion and Analysis | 30 |
| Executive Summary | 30 |
| The Compensation-Setting Process | 36 |
| Competitive Compensation Positioning and Peer Group | 37 |
| Principal Elements of the Executive Compensation Program | 38 |
| Executive Benefits | 44 |
| Employment Agreement and Post-Employment Compensation | 45 |
| Compensation Committee Report | 48 |
| Summary Compensation Table | 49 |
| Grants of Plan-Based Awards in Fiscal Year 2026 | 50 |
| Outstanding Equity Awards at Fiscal Year 2026 Year End | 51 |
| Option Exercises and Stock Vested at Fiscal Year 2026 Year End | 52 |
| Nonqualified Deferred Compensation for Fiscal Year 2026 | 52 |
| Pay versus Performance | 53 |
| CEO Pay Ratio | 58 |
| Change-in-Control Arrangements, Severance Plan, Retirement Arrangements, and Employment Agreement | 58 |
| Potential Payments Upon Termination or Change in Control | 61 |
| Compensation of Directors | 65 |
|---|---|
| Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management | 70 |
| Equity Compensation Plan Information | 71 |
| Delinquent Section 16(a) Reports | 71 |
| Report of the Audit Committee of the Board of Directors | 72 |
| Proposals | 73 |
| Proposal One: Election of Directors | 73 |
| Proposal Two: Ratification of the Appointment of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm | 74 |
| Principal Accounting Fees and Services | 74 |
| Pre-Approval of Audit and Non-Audit Services | 75 |
| Rotation | 75 |
| Proposal Three: Non-Binding Vote to Approve Compensation for Named Executive Officers | 76 |
| Stockholder Engagement on Executive Compensation | 76 |
| Compensation Guiding Principles | 77 |
| Leading Compensation Governance Practices | 78 |
| Proposal Four: Approval of an Amendment of our Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation | 79 |
| Proposed Amendment | 79 |
| Reasons for the Proposal | 80 |
| Board of Directors Approval | 80 |
| Certificate of Amendment | 80 |
| Vote Required | 81 |
| Proposal Five: Shareholder Proposal Requesting Amendment to Reduce Threshold to Call Special Meetings of Stockholders | 82 |
| The Stockholder’s Resolution | 82 |
| The Company’s Statement in Opposition to Proposal 5 | 83 |
| Vote Required | 84 |
| Information About the 2026 Annual Meeting of Stockholders | 85 |
| Other Matters | 91 |
| Appendix A - Reconciliation of GAAP to Non-GAAP Financial Measures | A-1 |
| Appendix B - Proposed Amendment of Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation | B-1 |
Special Note About Forward-Looking Statements
This proxy statement includes statements regarding future plans, expectations, beliefs, intentions and prospects that are “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Forward-looking statements may appear throughout this proxy statement. The words “will,” “expects,” “could,” “would,” “may,” “anticipates,” “intends,” “plans,” “believes,” “seeks,” “targets,” “estimates,” “looks for,” “looks to,” “continues” and similar expressions, as well as statements regarding our focus for the future, are generally intended to identify forward-looking statements. Each of the forward-looking statements we make in this proxy statement involves risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from these forward-looking statements. Factors that might cause or contribute to such differences include, but are not limited to, those discussed in the section titled “Risk Factors” of our Forms 10-K and 10-Q filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”). Undue reliance should not be placed on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this proxy statement. We undertake no obligation to publicly release any revisions to the forward-looking statements or reflect events or circumstances after the date of this proxy statement, except as required by law.
No Incorporation By Reference
This proxy statement includes several website addresses and references to additional materials found on those websites. These websites and materials are not incorporated by reference herein.
Fiscal Year
Our fiscal year ends on January 31. References to “fiscal year 2026,” for example, refer to the fiscal year ended January 31, 2026.
The text of this filing, as the company filed it with the SEC, without its images or exhibits. This is not investment advice.