CHARLES RIVER LABORATORIES INTERNATIONAL INC

We have a number of supplemental elements in the Compensation Program which are considered by the Committee, but do not factor directly into the annual determination of executive compensation. These elements have features and roles in the Program which led to their initial implementation and they continue to be important to the Program generally.

Post-Termination Benefits and Agreements

As described in more detail in this Proxy Statement under “Executive Compensation and Related Information—Potential Payments upon Termination or Change in Control,” the Compensation Program includes both (1) an Executive Separation Plan and (2) Change in Control Agreements. Historically, Company policy has been to provide eligibility under both the Executive Separation Plan to officers with the position of corporate vice president or higher, and a Change in Control Agreement to officers with the position of corporate executive vice president or higher. Both of these compensatory elements operate similarly: upon specified events which result in either the termination of the officer and/or a change in control of the Company, particular benefits will accrue to the officer (although payments made under the Change in Control Agreements will generally reduce or offset payments and benefits to which the officer may be entitled under the Executive Separation Plan). Each of the named executives is eligible to receive benefits under the Executive Separation Plan and each has a Change in Control Agreement.

The Company views these compensatory elements as serving three important purposes:

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there is a critical recruitment and retention aspect;

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these policies protect the benefits of executive officers who have provided long and meritorious service to the Company, particularly if there is an unexpected employment termination by the Company due to ongoing changes in our employment needs; and

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these elements avoid personal distractions and encourage employees to remain focused on our business in the event of a rumored or actual takeover.

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The Committee periodically conducts formal and informal market checks and believes that both the levels of payment to be made under these programs and the applicable triggers are appropriate and consistent with current general market practices.

Deferred Compensation Plan Contributions

As described in more detail in this Proxy Statement under “Executive Compensation and Related Information—2024 Non-qualified Deferred Compensation”, the named executives in the United States receive a compensatory element in connection with our Deferred Compensation Plan. For Mr. Foster, who was a participant in the Company’s now discontinued Executive Supplemental Life Insurance Retirement Plan (ESLIRP), the Company credits to his accounts the present value of the annual Company accrual as it would have been calculated under the ESLIRP. These credits can vary significantly year-to-year as the ESLIRP formula is dependent on the average of the highest five consecutive years of compensation.

For Mses. Girshick, Pease and Creamer, and Mr. LaPlume, the Company currently provides an annual contribution to their Deferred Compensation Plan account equal to 10% of the sum of their base salary plus the lesser of (1) their target annual bonus or (2) actual annual bonus.

We provide a Deferred Compensation Plan because the Company wishes to permit our executive employees to defer the obligation to pay taxes on certain elements of their compensation while also potentially receiving earnings on deferred amounts. The Deferred Compensation Plan was implemented to motivate and ensure the retention of employees by providing them greater flexibility in structuring the timing of their compensation payments. The employer contributions to the Deferred Compensation Plan ultimately

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have their origins in the legacy ESLIRP program, which was a long-standing element of our executive compensation package.