IPG PHOTONICS CORP

Compensation Discussion and Analysis

Executive Overview

This Compensation Discussion and Analysis provides a review of our executive compensation philosophy and program, and Compensation Committee decisions for fiscal year 2024. The discussion in this section focuses on the compensation of the Named Executive Officers ("NEOs") for fiscal year 2024, who were:

Detailed bios of our executive officers are included in Item 1 of this Annual Report.

Leadership Transition

As the culmination of an orderly and thorough succession planning process led by our independent directors, our Board of Directors appointed Dr. Mark Gitin as our CEO and as a member of the Board, succeeding Dr. Eugene Scherbakov. Dr. Gitin joined IPG on June 5, 2024 with over 25 years of management and operating experience in the optics and laser industry. The Company entered into an employment agreement with Dr. Gitin on April 25, 2024, which includes provisions for his base salary, annual cash incentive compensation and new hire equity awards, as well as relocation assistance.

Dr. Eugene Scherbakov transitioned from the role of CEO on June 4, 2025. Given Dr. Scherbakov's long tenure with the Company, the Board viewed it as desirable to retain the services of Dr. Scherbakov to support a successful CEO transition. As a result, the Company also entered into an advisor agreement (the “Advisor Agreement”) with Dr. Scherbakov pursuant to which Dr. Scherbakov provides advisory services to assist with the CEO transition through June 5, 2026. Dr. Scherbakov remains a member of the Board without additional compensation for such service.

Please see the “Compensation Related to Leadership Transitions” section below for additional information.

2024 Pay and Performance Highlights

•Salaries flat (only increased salaries for two executives with expanded responsibilities)

•Annual bonus plan payout for 2024 performance:63% of total annual target opportunity

•Payout for 2022-2024 performance share units:33% of target

•Hired a new CEO with a strong track record as a strategic industry leader with an ability to identify and execute on growth opportunities.

In 2024, IPG maintained a compensation program consistent with the prior year and its pay for performance philosophy. IPG's revenue declined 25% compared to the prior year, with lower sales in materials processing, medical and advanced applications. Revenue continued to be negatively impacted by softer industrial demand across many geographies and weakness in demand in e-mobility and renewable energy markets. Additionally, increased competition impacted sales in cutting while weaker electric vehicle battery investment reduced sales in welding. In August 2024, IPG successfully exited Russia through the sale of its business there, which reduced sales in the second half and resulted in a charge of $198 million. Gross margin decreased in 2024 due to increased inventory provisions and reduced absorption of manufacturing expenses as a result of lower revenue. However, cash flow generation remained strong with cash flow from operating activities of $247.9 million. IPG finished the year with a strong balance sheet, with cash, cash equivalents and short-term investments of $930.2 million as of December 31, 2024. The Company allocated capital in 2024 through the return of $343.8 million to stockholders in share repurchases, as well as investments in new product development and the acquisition of cleanLaser, a maker of laser cleaning systems.

As a result of difficult conditions in its markets and business, the Compensation Committee of the Board determined that decisive action was necessary to support executive management in navigating these significant challenges and changes, to stabilize and retain the management team and to create value for stockholders over the long-term. As described in more detail below, such action included engagement of a new CEO with a competitive compensation package, an adjustment to the annual incentive plan with a lower payout potential, a redesign of performance share units (“PSUs”) and an enhanced long-term incentive opportunity for certain NEOs.

Stockholder-Minded Compensation Practices

Practices We Employ

•Align our NEO Pay with Performance: Strong links of compensation to Company performance and stockholder returns for annual and long-term incentives.

•Balance Annual and Long-Term Incentives: Incentive programs provide an appropriate balance of annual and long-term incentives and include multiple measures of performance.

•Use Long-Term Incentives to Link Executive Pay to Company Performance: Over half of NEO pay consists of long-term incentives.

•Cap Annual Incentive Compensation.

•Annual Risk Assessment of Compensation Program.

•Independent Compensation Consultant: The Compensation Committee retains a compensation consultant, who is independent and without conflicts of interest with the Company.

•Stock Ownership Requirements: Officers and directors are subject to stock ownership guidelines to further align their interests with those of our stockholders.

•Clawbacks on Executive Compensation: We maintain a compensation recovery policy covering cash and equity.

•Anti-Pledging Policy and Anti-Hedging Policy Applicable to Executives and Directors.

Practices We Avoid

•No Guaranteed Annual Incentive Plan Bonuses: Our annual incentive compensation plan is performance-based and does not include any minimum payout levels.

•No Excise Tax Gross-Ups: We do not provide excise tax gross reimbursements for change in control payouts.

•No Excessive Perquisites: We provide limited perquisites to our NEOs.

•No Single-Trigger Change in Control Payments or Benefits. Severance and equity acceleration for NEOs generally require a “double-trigger” of both a change-in-control and qualifying termination of employment.

•No Stock Option Repricing without Stockholder Approval. Our equity plans prohibit repricing underwater stock options.

•No Supplemental Executive Retirement Plans, Executive Pensions or Excessive Retirement Benefits.

Stockholder Feedback

At our 2024 annual meeting of stockholders, our stockholders overwhelmingly approved our executive compensation structure in a “say-on-pay” advisory vote, with over 96% of votes cast in favor of our executive compensation structure. After considering the results of the 2024 vote, the Compensation Committee determined to maintain its general pay philosophy and practices. Proposal 2 described herein is the "say-on-pay" advisory vote.

2024 Compensation of Named Executive Officers

Our Business and Our Compensation Philosophy

The guiding principles of our executive compensation philosophy and practices continue to be pay-for-performance, accountability for annual and long-term performance, alignment to stockholders’ interests and providing competitive pay to attract and retain executives. We believe our compensation program strikes the appropriate balance between utilizing responsible, measured pay practices and effectively incentivizing our executives to dedicate themselves fully to value creation for our stockholders.

Our executive compensation program is designed to focus our executive officers on both annual and long-term financial and operational performance without encouraging unnecessary risk. Approximately 76% and 79% of the total direct target compensation opportunities for our current CEO and other NEOs (average, excluding our former CEO), respectively, in 2024 was at risk. "At risk" compensation includes awards that are subject to performance conditions and/or stock price performance. Because Dr. Gitin received a new hire bonus for 2024 with a fixed payout pursuant to the terms of his employment agreement, the amount of "at risk" compensation for Dr. Gitin for 2024 was lower than is typical for our CEO.

The 2024 compensation program for our NEOs had three primary components: annual base salary, annual cash incentives and long-term equity incentives. The amounts below illustrate the average allocation of fiscal year compensation components at target for our current CEO and the average for our other NEOs (excluding our former CEO) in 2024 as a group.

The following is an overview of the primary compensation program elements for our NEOs.

Base Salary

We provide base salary to our NEOs and other employees to compensate them for services rendered on a day-to-day basis during the fiscal year. Unlike annual cash incentives and long-term equity incentives, base salary is not subject to performance risk. The Compensation Committee reviews data provided by its independent compensation consultant and considers the following factors when setting base salaries of the NEOs: experience, skills, seniority, knowledge and responsibilities of the executive and the individual’s performance assessment provided by the CEO. With respect to the CEO, the Compensation Committee additionally considers the performance of the Company as a whole in its recommendation to the independent directors, who set CEO compensation.

In February 2024, the Compensation Committee evaluated the base salaries and total cash compensation for the then-serving NEOs with the assistance of Frederic W. Cook & Co., Inc. ("FW Cook"), its independent compensation consultant. The base salaries for Drs. Scherbakov and Samartsev, and Messrs. Mammen and Lopresti were unchanged from 2023 levels. However, the Compensation Committee approved increasing the base salaries of Mr. Ness and Dr. Ovtchinnikov by 5% because of their expanded executive responsibilities following the passing of the Company’s Chief Operating Officer at the end of 2023. Mr. Ness assumed oversight of the medical and systems businesses, procurement, technical support and service, and Dr. Ovtchinnikov took over management of our electrical and software engineering, our Canadian operations, facilities and safety.

On April 25, 2024, the Company and Dr. Gitin entered into an employment agreement, which provides for an initial annual base salary of $775,000. The Compensation Committee engaged FW Cook to provide market data on peer compensation for CEOs as well as advice on the terms of his compensation package and new chief executive hiring practices. The Compensation Committee considered the data and advice from the independent compensation consultant in establishing Dr. Gitin’s compensation and employment terms.

Annual Incentives

A significant portion of an executive's potential short-term compensation is in the form of annual cash incentive pay tied to the achievement of goals set by the Compensation Committee under our Senior Executive Annual Incentive Plan ("AIP") administered by the Compensation Committee. The Compensation Committee determines who is eligible to receive awards under the AIP, defines performance goals and objectives for executives, establishes target awards for each participant for the relevant performance period, and determines the percentage of the target award that should be allocated to the achievement of each of the chosen performance goals. Generally, after the end of the fiscal year, the independent directors and the Compensation Committee determine the amount of the CEO’s and each of the other NEO’s actual annual incentive award, respectively, based upon their evaluation of achievement against pre-determined goals.

Financial performance above target results in a payout of a higher percentage of a NEO's target bonus, up to 200% of the NEO’s total target cash bonus. Performance below target results in a lower bonus payout for that goal if a minimum threshold is met, with 37.5% of the NEO’s total target cash bonus as the minimum in such circumstance, or no payout if the minimum threshold is not met. The CEO can earn up to 25% of his target award based upon personal goals and objectives determined by the independent directors. The other NEOs are also eligible for payouts up to 25% of the target award based on their individual performance in support of the CEO’s goals and other objectives, the recommendation of the CEO and other factors the Compensation Committee deems relevant. The maximum opportunity under the AIP is 225% of the total target payout.

In February 2024, The Compensation Committee approved annual performance targets and targeted individual payouts for the Company’s then-serving NEOs for fiscal year 2024. Consistent with prior years, the Compensation Committee identified two financial performance measures: net sales and adjusted EBIT, each as determined under the AIP, and assigned a 50% weighting factor to each financial performance goal. Net sales under the AIP is the same as net sales as reported in our financial statements and adjusted EBIT is defined as earnings before interest and taxes, excluding stock-based compensation and foreign exchange transaction gains and losses. The Compensation Committee chose to focus on net sales and adjusted EBIT so that our NEOs would be incentivized to deliver the types of financial performance that benefit our stockholders, namely, sales and profits. The total payout targets were set at 110% of base salary for Dr. Scherbakov and 80% of base salary for the other NEOs, except for Dr. Samartsev, whose annual incentive target was set at 50% of base salary. The target payouts as a percentage of salary were consistent with 2023.

Financial Objective and Funding Mechanism/Determination

In February 2024, the Compensation Committee set the financial performance goals for the year based upon the best available information at the time. The goals were challenging and were expected to incentivize the NEOs to advance IPG’s strategic and operational priorities. The funding levels for the 2024 AIP, as originally set in February 2024, for the achievement of the performance criteria range from 0% to 267% of the target financial performance payout, depending on the achievement of such criteria. The following table sets forth the original threshold, targets and maximum financial performance levels under the AIP approved in February (the "Original AIP"):

In August 2024, the broader macroeconomic environment led the Board to revise expectations for fiscal 2024. As a result, the Committee undertook a review and determined that financial performance measures and targets in the Original AIP were no longer appropriate to incentivize management to create long-term stockholder value in light of macroeconomic uncertainty, which impacted industrial and e-mobility markets and were outside of management's control. This uncertainty weighed on demand, leading to substantially lower revenue compared to the Company's 2024 annual operating plan earlier approved by the Board. The Compensation Committee considered, among other factors, the challenging demand environment across the Company's key economic regions and that uncertainty across all major geographies was likely to weigh on demand for the remainder of the year. The Committee also considered independent third-party market data and purchasing managers indices which reflected lower levels of industrial purchasing across the Company’s principal markets. In light of the Board's revised expectations for performance for the remainder of 2024, and taking into account management’s strong financial and operational execution to date in the year, including cost reductions, inventory reductions and planning to sell its Russian operations which position the Company for improved performance as the global demand environment recovers, and the need to retain and motivate the management in a year of CEO leadership transition, the Committee approved a revised AIP in August 2024 (the "Revised AIP") to align annual cash incentive pay more closely with the Company's goals and revised expectations for 2024.

The financial performance measure under the Revised AIP was net sales for the second half of 2024 and the total payout for financial and personal performance under the Revised AIP was capped at 62.5% of the original target payout, which corresponds to payout at threshold performance under the Original AIP. The Compensation Committee chose net sales as the sole financial measure for the Revised AIP because of the uncertainty of earnings in light of cost cutting measures that were in development then, potential restructuring charges, the potential financial impacts from the sale our Russian operations, and additional sanctions impacting the Company's supply chain. The following table sets forth the threshold, targets and maximum financial performance levels under the Revised AIP.

Pursuant to the terms of his employment agreement, Dr. Gitin, who commenced employment in June 2024, received a new hire bonus for fiscal year 2024 equal to 100% of his base salary, payable at the same time as payouts for the other NEOs under the 2024 AIP, and was not a participant in the Original AIP or the Revised AIP. Drs. Scherbakov and Ovtchinnikov were not impacted by the Revised AIP because they were no longer executive officers at the time of payout of the Revised AIP.

Individual Performance Factor

Individual objectives are set for each NEO to support the Company’s strategic objectives and are tied to the areas of responsibilities of each NEO. Below is a summary of the primary 2024 objectives for each NEO who received a personal performance award in 2024:

In addition, a portion of the individual performance achievement for each NEO was based on increasing collaboration within the leadership team and functional group. The Compensation Committee evaluated individual performance of each non-CEO NEO employed at year-end based Dr. Gitin’s recommendation, which was based on his assessment of their individual achievement of 2024 goals. The individual performance achievement for each of the non-CEO NEOs employed at year-end is set forth in the table below.

2024 Payouts

The table below includes the Revised AIP payouts to our NEOs in office at the end of 2024. Drs. Scherbakov and Ovtchinnikov were not eligible to receive bonuses under the 2024 AIP and Dr. Gitin did not participate in the Revised AIP in light of his new hire bonus.

(1)The "threshold" and "maximum" amounts under the AIP are provided in the 2024 Grants of Plan-Based Awards table. Under the Revised AIP, payout for financial and personal performance was capped at 62.5% of the original target payout.

Historical AIP Performance

The following graphic shows AIP payouts compared to targets for fiscal years 2022 to 2024, demonstrating the strong connection between pay and performance in the Company's annual incentive compensation practices.

• For 2024, represents payouts to continuing NEOs and excludes new hire bonus to newly hired CEO.

Long-Term Incentives

The goal of our equity-based award program is to provide employees and executives with the perspective of an owner having a long-term financial stake in our success, further increasing alignment with stockholders. Our equity-based incentives align the interests of our executives and stockholders by motivating executives to increase long-term stockholder value.

In 2024, our equity-based award program for our NEOs included PSUs and RSUs, with each award type representing half of the overall 2024 long-term incentive award opportunity (at target for the PSUs). The type and proportion of the equity grants reflected a review by our Compensation Committee, with the assistance of FW Cook, of equity award practices at peer companies. The Committee believes that granting a balance of PSUs and RSUs appropriately aligns executive compensation with the achievement of the Company’s strategic goals and long-term stockholder value creation. Additionally, the value of the PSUs and RSUs is tied to the Company's stock price, which further links pay to performance.

2024 EQUITY ELEMENTS

(at target)

In February 2024, the Compensation Committee evaluated the size of long-term incentive award against applicable market comparisons. In addition to market comparisons, the Compensation Committee retains the flexibility to adjust individual award levels, taking into account variations in the individual’s job experience and responsibility. In 2024, the Compensation Committee used competitive market data from the total compensation study of peer companies and broader market survey data to gain perspective of appropriately competitive executive compensation. The Compensation Committee analyzed several aspects of the equity grant program, including (i) the degree to which executives have incentives to remain employed by the Company through unvested award value and (ii) the aggregate equity usage in terms of (a) annual usage, typically called burn rate, and (b) cumulative equity delivery, typically called overhang, to determine the dilutive effect of equity awards on investors.

In setting equity award values for 2024, the Compensation Committee also took into consideration the actual performance of the NEOs in driving long-term stockholder value during the prior periods’ challenges and uncertainties facing IPG, including competition, geopolitical events and dynamic economic and market environments. In order to provide additional incentive, to further align the interests of the NEOs with our stockholders, and to motivate the NEOs to drive continued future performance in 2024 and beyond, the Compensation Committee approved a one-time, additional equity award opportunity for NEOs other than the CEO as part of the annual grant cycle in 2024.

The form and value of such awards were determined after considering a variety of factors and using input from the Compensation Committee’s independent compensation consultant. In evaluating the size of 2024 equity grants and the one-time, additional equity award, the Compensation Committee considered the value of the unvested equity awards held by the executive team prior to and after the granting of 2024 equity awards. Prior to the 2024 grants, all of our NEOs held less than 1x their annual equity award grant in unvested equity awards (taking into account the vesting event in March 2024), which the Compensation Committee determined was not sufficiently motivating or retentive.

The one-time, additional equity award was in the form of additional RSUs and PSUs in proportion to the annual equity awards, with three-year vesting and a three-year performance period for retention and to incent long-term performance. The Compensation Committee believed the additional value was reasonable, consistent with our pay-for-performance philosophy, and it was intended to support retention and further align the long-term interests of the NEOs with those of our stockholders. The enhanced target value opportunities for the NEOs, other than Drs. Scherbakov and Samartsev, represented 40% of the regular annual equity awards. Dr. Samartsev received an enhanced equity award that represented 10% of his regular annual equity award. The Committee did not provide a one-time enhanced equity award to Dr. Scherbakov.

The 2024 equity awards are comprised of PSUs that are earned based upon organic revenue growth (at target, 25% of award value), and operating margin (at target, 25% of award value), and service-based RSUs (50% of award value). The Committee chose organic revenue growth and adjusted operating margin as the PSU performance metrics because they are generally accepted as two fundamental drivers of sustained stockholder value and provide clearer line-of-sight measurements than many alternative measures. The Committee determined that the 2024 PSUs would be eligible to be earned based on annual performance over a three-year performance period starting on January 1, 2024.

Performance for each measure is based on the annual growth rate for the period measured against revenue or operating margin actually achieved in the prior period. Organic revenue and operating margin targets for 2024 were set based upon the annual budget approved by the Board with the intent to incentivize and reward the NEOs for achieving targeted revenue growth. Organic revenue means total revenues, as determined under GAAP and recorded in our audited financial statements, adjusted to exclude the impact of acquisitions and dispositions, other than acquisitions that account for additional revenue of $50 million or less in the relevant year. Operating margin is calculated by dividing our GAAP operating income by GAAP net sales. For purposes of this calculation, operating income is adjusted to exclude stock-based compensation, the impact of all restructurings, impairments, legal settlements, employee separation costs, product liability charges and foreign exchange transaction gains and losses, to the extent such items were not contemplated and included in the target upon which the operating margin goals were based.

Performance below the target results in below target payout, subject to a threshold performance level below which no award would be earned, and performance above the target results in payout above target, subject to a maximum cap of 200% of the target award. The Committee lowered the threshold payout to 25% of target from 60% in the prior year. Forward-looking targets for our PSUs are not disclosed because these targets involve confidential financial information, the disclosure of which would result in competitive harm and be detrimental to our operating performance. However, the Compensation Committee has set such goals at challenging levels that they believe are difficult to achieve and would require sustained performance against our annual operating plan. The chart below under "Historical PSU Payouts" sets forth the payouts under the PSUs over the last several years illustrating the difficulty of attaining the performance goals set by the Compensation Committee. The goals will be disclosed at the end of the performance period along with the achievement levels and corresponding vesting of the performance-based restricted stock awards, if any.

The PSUs granted in 2024 cliff vest to the extent earned in March 2027. They serve as a valuable retention tool and motivate executives to achieve our longer-term business objectives. RSUs vest annually in March over a three-year period and also encourage retention. PSUs and RSUs granted in 2024 are entitled to dividends equivalents, should any dividends be paid. Any dividends equivalents on shares underlying the PSUs and RSUs are not paid unless and until the corresponding awards vest.

The table below provides information on grants of PSUs and RSUs to the NEOs in 2024. As described below, Dr. Gitin's awards were granted in June 2024 in connection with his appointment as CEO and have the same performance measures as those granted to other NEOs in February 2024.

Historical Performance of Performance-Based Stock Units.

Half of PSUs granted in 2021 (which vested in 2024) were eligible to be earned based on the ratio of operating cash flow to adjusted net income ("OCF PSUs") over a three-year performance period beginning January 1, 2021 and ending December 31, 2023. Such OCF PSUs vested in March 2024 at 66.3% of target. PSUs granted in 2021 that were eligible to be earned based on three-year relative total stockholder return ("TSR") compared to the approved index were not earned, as performance was below threshold.

The following table shows the performance of the 2021 OCF PSUs:

The following table shows the relative TSR performance assessment beginning on the grant date of March 1, 2021 and ending on March 1, 2024.

Half of PSUs granted in 2022 (which vested in 2025) were based upon organic revenue growth and half were based on average adjusted operating margin over a three-year performance period beginning January 1, 2022 and ending December 31, 2024. As three-year performance was below threshold for PSUs granted in 2022, the NEOs did not earn any payouts on the performance-based long-term incentives vesting in March 2025.

The following graphic shows payouts compared to targets for PSUs granted in 2017 (vesting in 2020) to 2022 (vesting in 2025), demonstrating the strong connection between pay and performance in the Company's long-term incentive compensation practices.

Compensation Related to Leadership Transitions

The Board appointed Dr. Gitin as CEO of the Company, effective June 5, 2024, and also appointed Dr. Gitin to the Board of Directors. Dr. Gitin does not receive any additional compensation for his service on the Board.

As a condition of accepting employment, the Company and Dr. Gitin entered into an employment agreement (the “Gitin Employment Agreement”) with an initial term commencing on June 5, 2024 and ending on December 31, 2025. The term of the Gitin Employment Agreement will automatically renew for successive one-year periods unless Dr. Gitin or the Company provides at least 180 days’ prior written notice or unless the agreement is earlier terminated according with its provisions. Under the terms of the Gitin Employment Agreement, Dr. Gitin received an initial annual base salary of $775,000, which is subject to periodic review by the Board. Dr. Gitin is also eligible to earn an annual cash bonus calculated as a percentage of his base salary. The Gitin Employment Agreement provided Dr. Gitin a new hire bonus equal to 100% of his base salary for fiscal year 2024, provided that his employment was not terminated by the Company for “cause” or by Dr. Gitin without “good reason” (each as defined in the Gitin Employment Agreement) prior to the date that bonuses were paid for fiscal year 2024. Dr. Gitin also received initial equity awards with a target aggregate grant date fair value of $5,000,000, with 50% in the form of PSUs that are earned only if pre-determined financial performance metrics are achieved and 50% in the form of RSUs. The Compensation Committee determined the target aggregate value after consultation with its independent compensation consultant and taking into account both the Company’s customary target annual equity award and a partial buyout of equity forfeited upon Dr. Gitin's departure from his former employer. The RSUs vest in three equal annual installments following Dr. Gitin’s start date. The PSUs vest on the third anniversary of Dr. Gitin’s start date, subject to achievement of the applicable performance metrics. The PSUs have the same performance criteria and measurement periods as those granted to the Company’s other NEOs in February 2024.

After reviewing competitive market references, the Company granted Dr. Gitin a relocation stipend of $500,000 to facilitate his relocation from California to Massachusetts and provided him with temporary housing for up to six months. Dr. Gitin is also eligible to participate in the employee benefit plans and programs made available by the Company to senior executives generally, subject to the terms of those plans.

The compensation payable to Dr. Gitin under the Gitin Employment Agreement in the event of a qualifying termination of his employment with the Company is described in Post-Employment Compensation and Other Employment Agreements below.

In connection with the CEO transition, the Board viewed it as desirable to retain the services of Dr. Scherbakov through the period of transition, and to provide appropriate compensation to Dr. Scherbakov for supporting the transition to Dr. Gitin. Therefore, the Company entered into the Advisor Agreement with Dr. Scherbakov pursuant to which Dr. Scherbakov provides advisory services to assist in the transition of Dr. Gitin through June 5, 2026 or the earlier termination of Dr. Scherbakov’s services for “cause” or Dr. Scherbakov’s death or “disability” (each as defined in the Advisor Agreement). Dr. Scherbakov remains a member of the Board without additional compensation for such service. Under the Advisor Agreement, the Company pays Dr. Scherbakov a consulting fee of €1,240,000 through June 5, 2025, a consulting fee of €800,000 from June 6, 2025 to June 5, 2026 and an additional cash payment of approximately €400 per month to cover out of pocket payments for health insurance premiums during the term of the Advisor Agreement. In addition, pursuant to the terms of those awards, Dr. Scherbakov continues to vest in his outstanding equity awards for so long as he continues to provide services to the Company.

Dr. Ovtchinnikov retired from the Company, effective September 15, 2024. The Company and Dr. Ovtchinnikov entered into a services agreement pursuant to which Dr. Ovtchinnikov agreed to provide to the Company consulting services through March 31, 2025 for a consulting fee of $17,000 per month. Outstanding equity awards previously granted to Dr. Ovtchinnikov continue to vest for so long as he continues to provide consulting services to the Company pursuant to the services agreement. The Company also pays the cost of monthly COBRA premiums for Dr. Ovtchinnikov and his dependents until March 16, 2026.

Other Compensation

Severance Benefits. The severance benefits that we offer to our NEOs assist us in recruiting and retaining talented individuals and are consistent with the range of severance benefits offered by our peer group. The severance provisions of our NEO employment agreements are summarized in Potential Payments upon Termination or Change in Control below.

Retirement Benefits. We do not offer an executive retirement plan or a non-qualified deferred compensation plan. Executives in the United States are eligible to participate in our 401(k) retirement savings plan on the same terms as all other U.S. employees. Our 401(k) retirement savings plan is a tax-qualified plan and therefore is subject to certain Internal Revenue Code limitations on the dollar amounts of deferrals and Company contributions that can be made to plan accounts. These limitations apply to our more highly-compensated employees (including the NEOs). We make matching contributions to our employees at a rate of 50% of deferrals subject to a maximum of 6% of eligible compensation under the 401(k) retirement savings plan, including the NEOs, who participate in the plan as set forth in the Summary Compensation Table. Dr. Scherbakov has historically participated in a German government-sponsored retirement program.

Other Benefits. Our executives are eligible to participate in our employee benefit plans, subject to the terms of those plans, including medical, dental, life and disability insurance and vacation plans as well as an employee stock purchase plan, which is intended to be qualified under Section 423 of the Internal Revenue Code. The employee stock purchase plan allows participants to purchase Company shares at a price equal to 85% of the lesser of the fair market value at the first day or last day of the six month offering period, subject to limitations on the amount of shares. These plans generally are available to all salaried employees and do not discriminate in favor of executives. Benefits are intended to be competitive with the overall market in order to facilitate attraction and retention of highly-qualified employees.

Executive Compensation Decision-Making

Role of Compensation Committee

The Compensation Committee determines, approves and administers the compensation programs for our executive officers, including our NEOs. The Compensation Committee recommends to the independent directors the CEO’s annual base salary, annual incentive opportunity and long-term incentive opportunity. The independent directors approve the CEO’s compensation and our Compensation Committee approves the compensation for other executive officers in consultation with our CEO. Our Compensation Committee is also responsible for making recommendations to the Board with respect to the adoption of equity plans and certain other benefit plans. The Compensation Committee and the independent directors meet in executive sessions when determining executive compensation.

The Compensation Committee may delegate authority whenever it deems appropriate. In 2024, the Compensation Committee delegated authority to grant equity awards for non-executives to the CEO, subject to certain conditions, including amounts of awards and review of awards by the Compensation Committee.

Role of Management

The CEO participates in the establishment of compensation levels and payouts for individual performance for other NEOs. He assesses the performance of all NEOs and recommends to the Compensation Committee the overall levels of achievement and personal performance in the year. Upon request, the NEOs provide supplemental material to the Compensation Committee to assist in the determination and implementation of compensation, policies and practices. The CEO is not involved in decisions regarding the setting of any component of his compensation. The CEO and other members of senior management attend Compensation Committee meetings at the invitation of the Compensation Committee.

Role of Independent Consultant

The Compensation Committee engaged FW Cook, an independent compensation consultant, to analyze our executive and non-employee director compensation programs and advise on incentive design and other compensation-related policies and programs. The consultation included non-executive compensation data and valuation services for equity incentives. FW Cook does not perform any other work for the Company. The Compensation Committee reviewed the independence of FW Cook in light of SEC rules and Nasdaq listing standards regarding compensation consultants. Based on such review, the Compensation Committee determined that there were no actual or potential conflicts of interest with FW Cook in 2024.

Pay Positioning Strategy and Peer Group

Our Compensation Committee’s policy is to set executive pay in accordance with the objectives of the Company’s compensation programs as described above. In the Compensation Committee’s view, the Company’s executive compensation program provides an overall level of compensation opportunity that is competitive with peer companies. Actual compensation levels may be greater or less than target compensation levels provided by similar companies based upon annual and long-term Company performance, as well as individual performance, contributions, skills, seniority, knowledge, experience and responsibilities.

The Committee does not benchmark specific compensation elements or total compensation to any specific percentile relative to the peer companies or the broader United States market. Instead, the Committee applies judgment and discretion in establishing targeted pay levels, taking into account not only competitive market data, but also factors such as Company, business and individual performance, scope of responsibility, critical needs and skill sets, leadership potential, length of tenure and succession planning. No single factor takes precedence over any other, nor is any formula used in making these decisions.

In late 2023, FW Cook performed an analysis of similarly-situated public companies and supplemented the peer group with broader, size-appropriate comparisons in the high technology industry using applicable survey data. Consistent with prior years, in 2024 the Compensation Committee used competitive compensation data from the annual total compensation study of peer companies to inform its decisions about overall compensation opportunities and specific compensation elements.

The Compensation Committee reviews this peer group annually with input from its independent compensation consultant to ensure that the comparisons are meaningful. In this review, the Compensation Committee considers several factors: it considers the current peer group to determine appropriateness, the peers used by institutional governance advisors, the companies that list our Company as a peer to understand crossover peers and broader research based upon established selection criteria to identify potential future peers. The Committee then develops criteria for business sector, including but not limited to revenue and market capitalization. In determining peer companies for 2024, the Compensation Committee reviewed peer companies with then recent revenue and average market capitalization between approximately 0.2x to 5.0x the Company's size at that time for laser-related companies and 0.4x to 2.5x the Company's size for non-laser related companies.

Based upon the process and applying the criteria above, the Compensation Committee, with input from FW Cook, approved adding Allegro MicroSystems Inc. and OSI Systems, Inc. to our 2024 peer group and removing National Instruments, Inc. from our 2024 peer group because it was acquired in October 2023.

For 2024, the peer companies were:

The peer companies selected by the Compensation Committee are companies that operate in the semiconductor equipment and electronic manufacturing industries, and are comparable in terms of revenue and market capitalization.

COMPANY VS. PEER GROUP

Other Factors Affecting Compensation

Tax Deductibility under Section 162(m). Section 162(m) of the Internal Revenue Code (“Section 162(m)”) limits the deductibility for federal income tax purposes of certain compensation paid in any year by a publicly held corporation to its “covered employees” as defined by Section 162(m) (generally, our current and former NEOs) to $1 million per executive (the “$1 million cap”). While our Board and Compensation Committee consider the potential effects of Section 162(m) of the Code on the compensation paid to our NEOs, the Compensation Committee believes it is appropriate to retain the flexibility to authorize compensation that may exceed the $1 million cap if, in the Compensation Committee’s judgment, it is in the Company’s best interest to do so. We generally will continue to emphasize performance-based compensation, even though it may no longer be deductible.

Accounting Considerations. We consider the accounting implications of our executive compensation program. In addition, accounting treatment is just one of many factors impacting plan design and pay determinations. Our executive compensation program is designed to achieve a favorable accounting and tax treatment so long as doing so does not conflict with the intended plan design or program objectives.

Compensation Risk

Management conducts an annual risk assessment of the Company’s compensation policies and practices for all employees, including non-executives, and reports its findings to the Compensation Committee. In 2024, management concluded that the Company’s compensation policies and practices are balanced and do not motivate imprudent risk taking. Management believes that the Company's compensation policies do not create risks that are reasonably likely to have a material adverse effect on the Company. In reaching this conclusion, they considered the following factors:

•our compensation program is designed to provide a mix of both fixed and variable incentive compensation;

•our senior executives are subject to stock ownership guidelines, which we believe incentivize our executives to consider the long-term interests of the Company and our stockholders and discourage excessive risk-taking that could negatively impact our stock price;

•our senior executives are subject to compensation recovery policy, which discourages excessive risk-taking that could negatively affect our stock price;

•our incentive compensation programs are designed with vesting terms that are relatively consistent, spread out over several years, and do not contain steep payout “cliffs” that might encourage short-term business decisions in order to meet a vesting or payout threshold; and

•our senior executive incentive compensation program caps the amounts that may be paid for performance above target level.

Other Policies

Anti-Hedging and Anti-Pledging. The Board adopted policies prohibiting hedging transactions and the pledging of our common stock. Under our insider trading policy, no director or employee may engage in shorting shares of our common stock or any type of securities that we may issue, or buying or selling puts, calls or derivatives related to our common stock. Additionally, directors and officers of the Company may not pledge any Company shares.

Executive Officer Stock Ownership Guidelines. The Board adopted stock ownership guidelines to closely align the interests of our executives with those of our long-term stockholders. Generally, the CEO must hold five times his annual salary in Company equity, and senior executive officers must hold at least two times their respective annual salaries in Company equity. Unvested RSUs subject solely to time-based vesting count toward required stock ownership levels, however stock options (whether vested or unvested) and unvested PSUs do not. Indirect ownership of shares through a separate legal entity counts toward fulfillment of the ownership guidelines. Ownership requirements are to be achieved no later than four years after being appointed as an executive officer, except that prior to such time the officer is expected to retain a certain portion of stock issued upon exercise of stock options or vesting of RSUs and PSUs until the minimum ownership levels are attained. As of December 31, 2024, each of our NEOs exceeded their respective ownership requirements or was within the four-year phase-in period.

Clawback Policies. In July 2023, the Compensation Committee approved a new clawback policy. The Incentive Based Compensation Recoupment Policy (the "Required Clawback Policy”) complies with the SEC’s clawback rules as required under the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (the “Dodd Frank Act”), and provides that in the event the Company is required to prepare a “financial restatement” (as defined in the Required Clawback Policy), the Company will, subject to certain limited exceptions as described in the Required Clawback Policy, recover certain incentive based compensation from “covered persons” (i.e., current and former “executive officers”, defined to include any president/CEO, principal financial officer, principal accounting officer (or if there is no such accounting officer, the controller), any vice president in charge of a principal business unit, division or function, or any officer or person who performs a policy making functions who served during the performance period applicable to “incentive based compensation” and received “incentive based compensation” after beginning service in any such role). Compensation to be recovered under the Required Clawback Policy includes “incentive based compensation” received during the three-year period prior to the “restatement date” (as defined in the Required Clawback Policy) that exceeds the amount that otherwise would have been received by the “covered person” had such compensation been determined based on the restated amounts in the financial restatement. Under the Required Clawback Policy, “incentive based compensation” includes any cash or equity compensation that is granted, earned or vested based, in whole or in part, upon the attainment of a financial reporting measure. The Required Clawback Policy applies to "incentive based compensation” received by a “covered person” on or after October 2, 2023.

The Board had previously adopted a compensation recovery policy in 2015 that allows the Company to recapture cash and equity performance-based compensation from executives if the amount of the award was based upon achieving certain financial results that were later restated due to the participant’s misconduct. This policy remains in effect and would apply to compensation received prior to October 2, 2023 that is not covered by the Required Clawback Policy. In addition, all equity award agreements covering equity awarded to executives since 2007 contain a provision under which employees may be required to forfeit equity awards or profit from equity awards if they engage in certain conduct, including competing against the Company, disclosing confidential information, or soliciting its employees or customers.

Policy Regarding Options and Similar Equity Awards

We do not currently grant new awards of stock options, stock appreciation rights or similar option-like equity awards. Accordingly, we have no specific policy or practice on the timing of grants of such awards in relation to the disclosure of material nonpublic information. In the event we determine to grant new awards of stock options or similar equity awards in the future, the Compensation Committee will evaluate the appropriate steps to take in relation to the foregoing.

Compensation Committee Interlocks and Insider Participation

Messrs. Dougherty, Meurice and Peeler and Ms. Desmond served as members of our Compensation Committee in 2024. None of these persons has at any time been an officer or employee of our Company or any of our subsidiaries or had any other relationship with the Company requiring disclosure herein. During fiscal year 2024, none of the Company’s executive officers served as a member of the board of directors or compensation committee of another entity in which one of the executive officers of such entity served as a member of the Company’s Board or Compensation Committee.

Compensation Committee Report

The Compensation Committee of the Board has reviewed and discussed with management the Compensation Discussion and Analysis. Based on this review and discussion, the Compensation Committee recommended to the Board that the Compensation Discussion and Analysis be included in the Company’s Proxy Statement for the Company’s 2025 Annual Meeting of Stockholders and in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2024.

COMPENSATION COMMITTEE

Gregory Dougherty, Chair

Jeanmarie Desmond

Eric Meurice

John Peeler

The information in the Compensation Committee Report shall not be considered “soliciting material” or “filed” with the SEC, nor shall this information be incorporated by reference into any previous or future filings under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, except to the extent that the Company incorporates it by specific reference.

Executive Compensation Tables

Summary Compensation Table

The following table provides information regarding the total compensation of our NEOs for fiscal year 2024 and, to the extent such NEOs were NEOs in either the 2024 or 2023 proxy statements, fiscal years 2023 and/or 2022 compensation, as applicable.

(1)During the periods in the table above, the Company granted PSUs and service-based RSUs, which are reflected in the Stock Awards column. The value of the PSUs is based on the probable outcome of the performance conditions (at the grant date), calculated in accordance with ASC Topic 718 disregarding forfeitures related to service-based vesting. For PSUs granted in 2024, the values of the award at the grant date assuming the highest level of performance conditions will be achieved are $4,999,671, $2,262,317, $1,928,504, $1,869,006, $489,823, $4,994,393 and $1,944,416 for Dr. Gitin, Messrs. Mammen, Ness and Lopresti, and Drs. Samartsev, Scherbakov and Ovtchinnikov, respectively. There is no assurance that any of the performance targets will be achieved, that the service-based awards will vest or that the any of the recipients will realize the values listed above.

(2)Represents amounts earned under our Revised AIP for services rendered in 2024, and amounts earned under our AIP for services rendered in 2023 and 2022, respectively.

(3)The amount reported for Dr. Gitin for 2024 consists of a relocation stipend ($500,000) and temporary housing ($14,720) pursuant to the terms of the Gitin Employment Agreement entered into in connection with his appointment as CEO in June 2024. The amounts reported for Messrs. Mammen, Ness and Lopresti and Dr. Samartsev for 2024 consists of matching 401(k) contributions. The amount reported for Dr. Scherbakov for 2024 consists of U.S. tax preparation fees ($3,000) and dental insurance ($569), tax gross-ups associated with the foregoing U.S.-based benefits ($2,330), the expense of an automobile in Germany ($12,715), as well as consulting fees ($771,163) earned following his transition to an advisor on June 5, 2024 pursuant to the terms of his Advisor Agreement with the Company. The amount reported for Dr. Ovtchinnikov for 2024 consists of consulting fees ($59,500) and COBRA medical and dental coverage ($3,852) following his transition to an advisor on September 16, 2024 pursuant to the terns of his services agreement with the Company, vacation payout at termination ($48,567) and matching 401(k) contributions ($10,195).

(4)Dr. Gitin commenced employment on June 5, 2024. His annual base salary for 2024 was $775,000. The amount reported in the Bonus column for Dr. Gitin represents a new hire bonus paid pursuant to the terms of the Gitin Employment Agreement in connection with his appointment as CEO.

(5)On June 5, 2024, Dr. Scherbakov transitioned from his role as CEO to an advisor to the Company. The amount reported for 2024 in the Salary column for Dr. Scherbakov represents his base salary for services as CEO through June 4, 2024.

(6)A portion of the amounts paid to Dr. Scherbakov were denominated in Euros. Dr. Scherbakov’s salary as CEO in 2024, 2023 and 2022 was approved in Euro. Amounts paid in Euros were translated into U.S. dollars at the average daily exchange rates for the full years. The average daily rates in 2024, 2023 and 2022 for the Euro were 0.92, 0.92 and 0.95, respectively. As a result of compensation being paid in a currency that fluctuates against the U.S. dollar, the amount of salary paid may vary slightly from the salary stated in an employment agreement or approved by the Compensation Committee.

(7)On September 15, 2024, Dr. Ovtchinnikov transitioned from his role as Senior Vice President, Chief Technology Officer to an advisor to the Company. The amount reported for 2024 in the Salary column for Dr. Ovtchinnikov’s represents his base salary earned for services as Senior Vice President, Chief Technology Officer through September 15, 2024.

2024 Grants of Plan-Based Awards

(1)Amounts shown include possible payouts under the AIP for 2024 financial performance at threshold, target and maximum levels plus individual performance at the maximum level for each NEO as approved by the Compensation Committee in February 2024. As discussed in Compensation Discussion and Analysis—Annual Incentives above, in August 2024, the Compensation Committee revised the possible threshold, target and maximum payouts under the AIP to $188,545, $269,350 and $269,350 for Mr. Mammen, $175,350, $250,500 and $250,500 for Mr. Ness, $169,925, $242,750 and $242,750 for Mr. Lopresti, and $92,815, $132,563 and $132,563 for Dr. Samartsev. The performance measures under the AIP and the Revised AIP are discussed in Compensation Discussion and Analysis—Annual Incentives above. Actual amounts paid for 2024 performance are shown in the “Non-Equity Incentive Plan Compensation” column in the Summary Compensation Table above. Drs. Scherbakov and Ovtchinnikov were not eligible to receive a payout under the AIP or the Revised AIP as discussed above and Dr. Gitin did not participate in the Revised AIP.

(2)Dr. Scherbakov’s salary as CEO for 2024 was approved in Euro. The amounts included as possible payouts under the AIP for 2024 financial performance at threshold, target and maximum levels plus individual performance at the maximum level for Dr. Scherbakov were translated into U.S. Dollars at the average daily exchange rate for 2024.

(3)For a description of the PSUs, see Compensation Discussion and Analysis–Long-Term Incentives above.

(4)The amounts reported reflect service-based RSUs granted under our 2006 Incentive Compensation Plan, which vest in three annual installments commencing on March 1, 2025.

(5)Valuation based on the fair value of such awards as of the grant date determined pursuant to ASC Topic 718. The assumptions that we used with respect to the valuation of equity awards are set forth in Note 15 to our Consolidated Financial Statements in this Annual Report. Regardless of the value placed on an equity award on the grant date, the actual value of the equity award will depend on the market value of our common stock when such equity award vests, and, with respect to PSUs, on the Company's performance relative to the applicable performance metrics under such PSUs, as described above under Compensation Discussion and Analysis-Long Term Incentives. For PSUs granted in 2024, the maximum number of PSUs that can be earned is two times the target number of PSUs and the values of the award at the grant date assuming the highest level of performance conditions will be achieved are $4,999,671, $2,262,317, $1,928,504, $1,869,006, $489,823, $4,994,393 and $1,944,416 for Dr. Gitin, Messrs. Mammen, Ness and Lopresti, and Drs. Samartsev, Scherbakov and Ovtchinnikov, respectively.

2024 Outstanding Equity Awards at Fiscal Year-End

(1)The vesting dates assume the continued service of the NEO through the applicable vesting date. Service-based RSUs granted prior to 2022 vest in four annual installments commencing on March 1 of the year following the grant. Service-based RSUs granted in February 2022 and subsequent years vest in three annual installments commencing on March 1 of the year following the grant. PSUs granted in 2024, 2023 and 2022 vest in one installment on March 1 of 2027, 2026 and 2025, respectively, if at all. However, (a) RSUs granted on May 7, 2021 to Dr. Scherbakov vest in four annual installments commencing on May 7, 2022 and PSUs granted on May 7, 2021 to Dr. Scherbakov vest in one installment on May 7, 2024, and (b) the RSUs granted on June 5, 2024 to Dr. Gitin vest in three annual installments commencing on June 5, 2025 and PSUs granted on June 5, 2024 to Dr. Gitin vest in one installment on June 5, 2027.

(2)Represents the closing price of a share of our common stock on the grant date.

(3)Based upon the closing common stock price on December 31, 2024, the last trading day of 2024, which was $72.72 per share.

(4)The three-year PSU performance measurement periods end March 1, 2026 and 2025 for PSUs granted in 2023 and 2022, respectively. The PSUs granted in 2024 are eligible to be earned over a three-year performance period starting on January 1, 2024. The number of shares that can be earned ranges from 0% to 200% of the target number of PSUs based upon achievement of pre-determined performance metrics and the amounts presented above assume attainment of the threshold performance levels. See "2024 Compensation of Named Executive Officers—Long-Term Incentives—Historical Performance of Performance-Based Stock Units" for more information on the vesting of PSUs granted in 2021 and 2022.

Option Exercises and Stock Vested in 2024

The following table provides information on NEO stock option exercises and vesting of RSUs and PSUs during 2024. PSUs granted in 2021 were eligible to vest in March 2024. IPG performance fell below threshold for PSUs based on three-year relative TSR compared to the approved index, resulting in no shares paid out for such awards. For PSUs based on the ratio of operating cash flow to adjusted net income over a three-year performance period beginning January 1, 2021, IPG performance resulted in a distribution of common stock at 66.3% of target.

(1)The value realized is based on the difference between the reported closing common stock price on the date of exercise and the exercise price of the stock option; the dollar amount represents the pre-tax value received on exercise.

(2)The value realized is based on the closing common stock prices on the vesting dates of service-based RSUs and PSUs; the dollar amount represents the pre-tax value received on vesting.

Post-Employment Compensation and Other Employment Agreements

The Company has entered into employment agreements with each of the NEOs, effective through December 31, 2024 (or December 31, 2025 for Dr. Gitin) and was party to employment agreements with Drs. Scherbakov and Ovtchinnikov during their employment. Upon expiration, the currently effective employment agreements automatically renew for successive one-year periods, unless the Company or a NEO provides written notice of non-renewal at least six months prior to the end of the then-current term. In the event of a change in control, the agreements would extend through the second anniversary of the change in control. The employment agreements set the annual base salaries and stipulate that the Compensation Committee may adjust the salaries annually, as noted in Compensation Discussion and Analysis - Base Salary above. The agreements entitle these executive officers to participate in bonus plans, standard insurance plans such as life, short-term disability and long-term disability insurance and retirement benefits, such as the 401(k) retirement savings plan and equity award plans described above, on similar terms and on a similar basis as such benefits are available to executives at similar levels within the Company.

Termination without "cause" or for "good reason"

If the Company terminates the employment of any of the NEOs without cause (as defined in the respective employment agreements and, for Dr. Gitin, including a non-renewal of the term of the Gitin Employment Agreement by the Company) or any of the NEOs terminates his employment for good reason (as defined in the respective employment agreements) (such terminations are referred to below as “Involuntary Terminations”), then the NEO would receive:

•continuation of salary for twenty-four months for the CEO and eighteen months for the other NEOs;

•a pro-rata portion of the annual bonus that the NEO would have received had he remained employed through the end of the applicable bonus period, based on actual performance, provided that, with respect to any personal performance evaluation element of the annual bonus calculation, if all financial metric components meet or exceed the target level of performance, the NEO shall be deemed awarded 100% of the potential personal performance evaluation bonus; if no financial metric bonus is awarded, no personal performance evaluation bonus will be deemed awarded, and amounts in between the threshold and target levels of performance will be determined by linear interpolation (such portion based on the percentage of the year that the NEO was employed by the Company) (the "Pro-Rated Bonus");

•cash reimbursement for continuation of health benefits for up to twenty-four months for the CEO and eighteen months for the other NEOs; and

•accelerated vesting of time-based RSU awards held by Dr. Gitin and equity compensation awards held by the other NEOs that otherwise would have vested within twelve months following the termination of employment, except that awards granted to Dr. Gitin in connection with his appointment as CEO in June 2024 will vest in their entirety, with

PSUs vesting at target performance and, for purposes of accelerated vesting, time-based RSUs held by Dr. Gitin shall be deemed to vest in equal monthly installments over three years.

Termination without "cause" or for "good reason" within 24 months following a change in control

Upon an Involuntary Termination within twenty-four months following a change in control of the Company, the NEO would be entitled to continuation of salary and reimbursement of COBRA premiums for health benefits for twenty-four months or, in the case of Dr. Gitin, a lump-sum payment equal to twenty-four months of his base salary and reimbursement for health premiums for up to twenty-four months, the Pro-Rated Bonus for the year of termination plus a payment of two times the average annual bonus paid to the NEO for the three full years preceding the year of termination, or, in the case of Dr. Gitin, two times his target annual bonus for the year in which the change in control occurs if such change of control occurs before three completed years of employment. Under the employment agreements, all equity awards vest fully upon an Involuntary Termination that occurs within two years of a change in control, with PSUs vesting at target performance. Upon a change in control, the term of the employment agreements would automatically be extended to the second anniversary of the change in control if such date is later than expiration of the current term.

If the total value of all payments and benefits, including any equity vesting (“total payments”), made to a NEO in connection with or on account of a change in control would result in an excise tax under the provisions of Internal Revenue Code Section 4999 (the “golden parachute tax”), the total payments will be reduced so that the maximum amount of total payments (after reduction) is $1.00 less than the amount that would cause the total payments to be subject to the golden parachute tax; provided, however, that the total payments will only be reduced to the extent that the after-tax value of amounts received by the NEO after application of the above reduction would exceed the after-tax value of the total payments received without application of such reduction (so called “best after-tax treatment”).

Death

If a NEO's employment is terminated by death, the NEO will receive a Pro-Rated Bonus, and all RSUs outstanding on such date will immediately vest and all PSUs outstanding on such date will immediately vest at one hundred percent (100%) of target level.

Disability

If a NEO's employment is terminated due to "disability" (as defined in the respective employment agreement), the NEO will receive a Pro-Rated Bonus for the year of termination.

With respect to equity awards granted after July 2021, if a NEO's employment is terminated due to disability, such RSUs outstanding on such date shall immediately vest and such PSUs outstanding on such date will vest, if at all, on the vesting date set forth in the award agreement on a pro-rated basis at the actual achievement level earned at the end of the performance period.

With respect to equity awards granted prior to July 2021, if a NEO's employment is terminated due to disability, such unvested awards will immediately be forfeited as of such date.

Termination following non-renewal

If the term of the employment agreement of any of the NEOs other than Dr. Gitin terminates and the Company does not offer such NEO continued employment in the same or a substantially similar position or in a higher position than the NEO's position at the end of the term and at a compensation level that is the same or substantially similar to the compensation level in effect at the end of the employment period, then such NEO may resign from employment and would receive continuation of salary and health benefits for twelve months, plus a Pro-Rated Bonus.

For Cause or Other Than for Good Reason

Under the employment agreements, the Company would not be obligated to provide any severance payments or benefits if employment were terminated by the Company for cause or by the NEO other than for good reason.

Additional Terms

Severance payments to the NEOs are conditioned upon the release of claims by the NEO in favor of the Company. Each of the NEOs entered into a separate restrictive agreement that prohibits each from competing with the Company for a period of one year after the termination of his employment with the Company for any reason and from hiring or attempting to hire the Company’s employees or soliciting customers or suppliers of the Company for a period ending eighteen months following the termination of his employment for any reason. Each of the NEOs is entitled to receive his base salary for the period during which the Company enforces the non-competition provisions of the agreement but not for more than one year following termination of his employment.

Potential Payments upon Termination or Change in Control

The following table provides information regarding compensation and benefits that would be payable to our NEOs as of December 31, 2024, upon an Involuntary Termination absent a change in control and within twenty-four months following a change in control and upon terminations in other circumstances. The incentive plan severance was calculated using the actual amount awarded under the Revised AIP. There can be no assurance that the event triggering payments would produce the same or similar results as those described below if such event occurs on any other date or at any other price, or if any other assumption used to estimate the potential payments and benefits is changed. Any actual payments and benefits may be different due to a number of factors that affect the nature and amount of any potential payments or benefits.

Drs. Scherbakov and Ovtchinnikov terminated employment on June 4, 2024 and September 15, 2024, respectively, and were not entitled to severance payments or benefits in connection with their termination of employment. Drs. Scherbakov and Ovtchinnikov are eligible for payments and continued vesting of equity awards during the periods in which they are providing consulting services to the Company, as described in Compensation Discussion and Analysis – Compensation Related to Leadership Transitions above.

(1)Equity acceleration is calculated at the full value of service-based RSUs. For PSUs tied to the performance period ending on December 31, 2024, the actual number of PSUs earned was used in the calculation; for PSUs tied to performance beyond 2024, the target number of PSUs was used in the calculations.

CEO Pay Ratio

As required by Section 953(b) of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act and Item 402(u) of Regulation S-K, we are providing the following information on the relationship of the annual total compensation of our employees and the annual total compensation of Dr. Mark Gitin, our CEO.

Determining our Median Employee: As of December 31, 2024, the measurement date, we employed 4,602 employees, 58% of whom were located outside of the U.S. This includes all full-time, part-time, and temporary employees. It does not include independent contractors. Prior to the measurement date, IPG completed the disposition of its Russian subsidiary, IRE-Polus, and employees of IRE-Polus are therefore not included in this total.

As permitted by applicable SEC rules, in identifying our median employee, we used the "de minimis" exemption to exclude from our employee population 224 workers in the following jurisdictions (employees excluded in parenthesis): Mexico (54), India (44), Korea (40), Turkey (18), United Kingdom (15), Brazil (12), Czech Republic (9), France (8), Spain (6), Thailand (5), Taiwan (5), Malaysia (3), Vietnam (2) and Singapore (1).

The SEC rules required us to identify our median employee by use of a consistently applied compensation measure (“CACM”). We chose a CACM that closely approximates the annual total cash compensation of our employees. Specifically, we identified the median employee as of December 31, 2024, by looking at total wages and bonuses paid in 2024. An average 2024 U.S. dollar exchange rate was applied to compensation reported in a foreign currency. After applying our CACM methodology and excluding the employees listed above, we identified the median employee.

Calculating the Pay Ratio: As required by the SEC rules, we calculated our median employee’s total annual compensation in accordance with the requirements of Item 402(c)(2)(x) of Regulation S-K (which is the calculation method for reporting total compensation in the Summary Compensation Table). The total compensation of our median employee was $42,185.

With respect to the annual total compensation of our CEO, we annualized the compensation of Dr. Gitin (2024 base salary and annual bonus earned in respect of 2024 performance), who was appointed in June 2024, and otherwise included the amounts set forth for him in the Summary Compensation Table above. We determined that the 2024 annualized total compensation of our CEO was $7,064,479. As a result, the estimated ratio of the annual total compensation of our CEO to median employee in 2024 was approximately 167 to 1.

The pay ratio included in this information is a reasonable estimate calculated in a manner consistent with rules promulgated by the SEC. The SEC rules for identifying the median compensated employee allow companies to adopt a variety of methodologies, to apply certain exclusions and to make reasonable estimates and assumptions that reflect their employee populations and compensation practices. Accordingly, the pay ratio reported by other companies may not be comparable to the pay ratio reported above, as other companies have different employee populations and compensation practices and may use different methodologies, exclusions, estimates and assumptions in calculating their own pay ratios. This information is being provided solely for compliance with SEC disclosure rules. The Compensation Committee does not consider this ratio when evaluating compensation arrangements.

Director Compensation

In 2024, our non-employee directors received the following annual compensation from us:

We provide cash compensation through retainers for Board and committee service, as well as additional cash retainers to the non-executive Chair of the Board and chairs of our standing Board committees. We do not provide Board and committee meeting fees. Compensating our directors in this manner simplifies the administration of our program and creates greater equality in rewarding service on committees of the Board. The additional retainers for Board or committee leadership compensate directors for the additional responsibilities and time commitments involved with chair responsibilities.

Following our annual meeting of stockholders in 2024, non-employee directors, received an equity award of service-based restricted stock units ("RSUs") with a value of approximately $250,000. The awards vest in a single installment on the earlier of the first anniversary of the date of grant or the next annual meeting of stockholders.

Upon election to the Board, each new non-employee director receives a grant of approximately $250,000 in RSUs vesting on the first anniversary of the date of grant subject to the director’s continued service on the Board through the vesting date. If the election to the Board for a new director occurs other than at an annual meeting of stockholders, the subsequent annual equity grant is pro-rated based upon time the director served since first election. Any director who retires after at least eight years of service on the Board will be entitled to full vesting of all RSUs then held by the director.

We pay for, provide or reimburse directors for expenses, including business class travel, incurred to attend Board and committee meetings and director education programs. We do not pay our non-employee directors any additional payments or perquisites. Our directors do not have a retirement plan. Directors who are also employees receive no additional compensation for service on the Board.

Director Compensation Table

The following table summarizes the compensation of each of our non-employee directors for 2024:

(1)The amount reported is equal to the fair value of the RSU awards as of the grant date determined pursuant to Financial Accounting Standards Board Accounting Standards Codification Topic 718 ("ASC Topic 718") disregarding any estimates of forfeitures related to service-based vesting. The assumptions that we used with respect to the valuation of RSU awards are set forth in Note 15 to our Consolidated Financial Statements in our Annual Report.

Outstanding Equity Awards

The following table provides information regarding unexercised stock options and unvested RSUs held by each of our non-employee directors on December 31, 2024:

The Company no longer grants stock options to non-employee directors. All previously-granted options were vested as of December 31, 2024.

Our Charter limits the dollar amount of personal liability of our directors for breaches by them of their fiduciary duties. Our Charter requires us to indemnify our directors to the fullest extent permitted by the Delaware General Corporation Law ("DGCL"). We have also entered into indemnification agreements with all of our directors and we have purchased directors’ and officers’ liability insurance.

Director Stock Ownership Guidelines

The Board adopted stock ownership guidelines to more closely align the interests of our directors with those of our long-term stockholders. Under the guidelines, non-employee directors are expected to maintain a minimum investment in our common stock of five times their annual cash Board retainers (excluding committee or leadership retainers).

Unvested time-based RSUs count toward required stock ownership levels; stock options (whether vested or unvested) do not. Ownership requirements are to be achieved no later than four years after the election as a director, except that prior to such time the director is expected to retain a certain portion of stock issued upon exercise of stock options or vesting of RSUs until the minimum ownership level is attained. All directors were in compliance with our stock ownership guidelines as of December 31, 2024.