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RLI CORP

For the period ended May 13, 2025. Filed Mar 28, 2025.

View on SEC.gov

About this filing

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.

May 13, 2025 · Filed Mar 28, 2025

RLI$68.35-2.0%Stored close · as of Nov 6, 2026
See the whole filing, with its images and exhibits
Contents

PROXY SUMMARY

This Proxy Statement Summary (“Summary”) highlights information contained in this Proxy Statement, the Annual Report on Form 10-K, or on our website at www.rlicorp.com. This Summary does not contain all the information you should consider, so please read the entire Proxy Statement carefully before voting. For more information regarding our 2024 performance, please review the Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2024, a copy of which is available at the Investors section of our website at www.rlicorp.com.

MATTERS TO BE VOTED ON:

The following is a summary of the proposals to be voted on at the Annual Meeting and the Board’s voting recommendations with respect to each proposal:

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PROPOSAL 1: Election of Directors​FOR​14
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PROPOSAL 2: Non-Binding, Advisory Vote to Approve the Compensation of the Company’s Named Executive Officers​FOR​31
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PROPOSAL 3: Ratification of the Selection of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm​FOR​58

CORPORATE GOVERNANCE HIGHLIGHTS:

●Annual election of Directors
●9 of our 10 Director nominees are Independent
●Split Chairman & CEO roles effective January 1, 2022
●Independent Chairman of the Board effective May 2, 2024
●Comprehensive Code of Conduct that applies to all employees and Directors
●Executive sessions of Independent Directors conducted at regularly scheduled board meetings
●Oversight of executive succession planning by the Human Capital & Compensation Committee of the Board
●Directors elected by majority vote
●Regular Board, Committee, and Director Evaluations
●Ethics and corporate compliance program and anonymous whistleblower hotline
●Stock ownership guidelines for Directors and Officers

BOARD OF DIRECTORS TRANSITIONS:

On May 2, 2024, Kaj Ahlmann and Jonathan E. Michael retired from the Board of Directors. Mr. Michael was the Company’s prior Chairman of the Board, and upon his retirement, David B. Duclos was appointed as Independent Chairman of the Board.

BOARD COMPOSITION & EXPERIENCE:

Our Directors bring a balance of skills, qualifications, and experience to their oversight of our Company. The matrix on the following page identifies certain skills, qualifications, and experience of Directors that the Board believes are relevant to our business; support sound governance; and are aligned with the Company’s strategic plans. These skills, qualifications, and experience may have been gained through job experience, other board service, education or otherwise and do not necessarily indicate a given Director is a subject matter expert where indicated. A Director may possess other skills, qualifications, and experience not indicated in the matrix that may be relevant and valuable to their service on our Board.

4| RLI Corp. 2025 Proxy Statement

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Skill, Qualification, or ExperienceMichaelAngelinaDavidDuclosSusanFlemingJordanGrahamClarkKelloggCraigKliethermesPaulMediniRobertRestrepoDebbieRobertsMichaelStone
CEO or Senior Executive RoleExperience in an executive leadership position provides the perspective required to understand and direct business operations, analyze risk, manage human capital, oversee implementation of organizational change, and develop and execute strategic plans.••​•••••••
Customer Experience, Branding, MarketingExperience with customer experience, branding, or marketing provides insight that assists the Board in overseeing the operation of our business and implementation of our strategic plan.​•​•••​•••
Strategy Planning and FormulationExperience with strategic planning provides insights to evaluate and challenge strategic plans.••••••••••
Financial Reporting, Audit, AccountingKnowledge of or experience in accounting, financial reporting or auditing processes and standards assists the Board in overseeing our financial position and condition and ensuring accuracy and transparency in reporting.••••••••••
Risk Management, ActuarialRisk is inherent in the operation of our business. Having directors with experience and expertise in risk management or actuarial allows the Board to provide guidance in its independent oversight of the design and implementation of our risk management framework.•••​​•••​•
Information Technology, CybersecurityExperience with and understanding of technology, data and analytics, information systems, and cybersecurity is important in overseeing our ongoing investment in and development of critical technology, as well as the security of our operations, digital assets and systems.••​•​•••​•
Human Capital ManagementDirectors with an understanding of human capital management and compensation help the Board to effectively oversee our efforts to recruit, retain and develop key talent and provide valuable insight in determining compensation of the CEO and other executive officers.•••​••••••
Insurance or Financial Services IndustryKnowledge with experience in the insurance or financial services industry provide insight into our strategic planning, risk management, and market conditions.••••​•••​•
Investments, Capital Markets, M&AInvested assets represent one of RLI’s largest balance sheet exposures, providing a foundation of support to insurance operations and a resource for long term growth in book value. Knowledge of investment strategies, capital markets and macroeconomic influences provides the appropriate oversight of governance, portfolio allocation and capital structure.••••••••​•
Demographics
Race/Ethnicity​​​​​​​​​​
African American​​​​•​​​•​
White / Caucasian••••​•••​•
Gender​​​​​​​​​​
Male••​•••••​•
Female​​•​​​​​•​

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COMPANY HIGHLIGHTS

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6| RLI Corp. 2025 Proxy Statement

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2024 FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE

FINANCIAL RESULTS:

As a result of the efforts of our associates, we achieved outstanding financial results in 2024. These results included posting an 86.2 combined ratio, which marked our 29th consecutive year of underwriting profit; delivering return on equity of 22.2 percent, a testament to our sustained profitability; growing book value per share by 24 percent during the year, inclusive of dividends; and continuing to reward shareholders through regular dividends and a $2.00 per share special dividend which resulted in returning $183 million to shareholders in 2024 and paying nearly $1.5 billion in dividends over the last 10 years.

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Gross Premiums Written (in millions)$2,013Compared to $1,807 million in the previous year​Comprehensive Earnings (in millions)$338.4Compared to $367.4 million in the previous year
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Combined Ratio 86.229th consecutive year below 100​Net Cash Flow from Operations (in millions)$560.2Compared to $464.3 million in the previous year
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Regular / Special Dividend Per Share Paid in 2024$0.57 / $2.0049 years of paying and increasing regular dividends​Book Value per Share at December 31$16.5924% increase from year-end 2023, inclusive of dividends
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FINANCIAL STRENGTH:

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AM BestA+ (Superior)​Standard & Poor’sA (Strong)​
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Moody’sA2​Ward’s 50® Top P&C Performer34 Consecutive YearsThe only company named every year since inception
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8| RLI Corp. 2025 Proxy Statement

SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS PRACTICES

The Company is a specialty underwriting company and our financial performance starts with our entrepreneurial and ownership culture. We are steadfast in our belief that to deliver strong returns for our shareholders, we must also remain a sustainable organization. Our approach to sustainability reflects our focus on doing the right thing – for our customers, our employees, our communities, and the environment. With that philosophy guiding our efforts, we are committed to continue integrating sound and relevant sustainable business practices into our business. Additional detail on how we are integrating these principles into our work can be found in our Sustainability Report which can be viewed at www.rlicorp.com/sustainability.

Ethical Business Conduct:

Our Code of Conduct, which applies to all employees and Directors, provides guidance on ethical business behavior to support our strong reputation as a leading specialty property and casualty insurance company. Annually, employees and Directors are asked to read, understand, agree to comply with the Code and other Company policies, and confirm they have complied with the Code in the last year. No waiver of the Code was made in 2024 for any executive or Director. We also maintain a Third-Party Code of Conduct for our suppliers, vendors, consultants, and business partners to communicate ethical business standards under which third-parties are expected to operate when providing goods and services to the Company.

Diversity and Inclusion:

The Company strives to deliver excellent customer service and achieve superior business results by cultivating an exceptional workforce. Our goal is to attract, develop and retain the best employee talent from diverse backgrounds while promoting an environment where different viewpoints are valued and individuals feel respected, are treated fairly, and have an opportunity to excel in their chosen careers. Our Diversity and Inclusion Council ensures employees and management are engaged on topics related to an inclusive workforce. Employee resource groups (ERGs) provide further opportunities for employees to connect with each other on shared interested and experiences. We actively support, and participate in, initiatives led by the American Property Casualty Insurance Association that aim to increase diversity in the insurance industry.

The Company sustains its high-performance ownership culture through ongoing investments in our greatest assets - our people. Our Total Rewards program is designed to attract the best talent in the industry and we strive to help all employees realize their potential through training, mentoring and professional development.

The Company believes in fostering an open and collaborative workplace that encourages employees to take ownership of their performance and development. We consistently track employee engagement and satisfaction metrics, along with other workforce data and insights, to assess the health of our workforce culture on an ongoing basis and make improvements based on employee feedback. Every two years, we conduct an employee engagement survey. Results from RLI’s last employee engagement survey reflected strong employee engagement scores exceeding a finance and insurance benchmark.

The Company also has a goal of establishing diversity among members of its Board of Directors reflecting, but not limited to, profession, background, experience, geography, skills, ethnicity, and gender. The Nominating & Corporate Governance Committee of the Board is committed to actively seeking highly qualified candidates, including women and minority candidates, and will include such candidates in each director search it undertakes, including those by third-party search firms.

Environmental Stewardship:

Information on the Company’s environmental stewardship and climate change-related risk management can be found at www.rlicorp.com/environment.

The Company has demonstrated its commitment to a renewable future through its $5 million investment in a 1.8-megawatt solar field on our corporate campus in Peoria, Illinois. Located on six and a half acres, the 4,752-panel solar field is capable of producing annual electrical power equal to or exceeding annual electrical usage for our office buildings in Peoria, which house approximately 39% of our workforce.

In 2024, the Company’s solar field produced 1.56 million kilowatt hours (“kWh”) of electricity. The Company purchased 155,560 kWh of electricity for Peoria facilities for times when the solar field was not producing electricity and returned 590,113 excess kWh produced by the solar farm to the electrical grid.

While we are doing our part to support the global transition to more sustainable energy sources, we also believe this process will be lengthy and complex. Current energy needs cannot be met solely through green technologies and many, including those who are the most economically vulnerable, cannot simply stop using fossil fuels. By providing insurance products to the energy market, our responsible underwriting and sound risk management practices serve to support a reliable energy supply and enable a transition to more sustainable energy sources over time.

RLI Corp. | 9025 N. Lindbergh Drive | Peoria, Illinois 61615

PROXY STATEMENT

Annual Meeting of Shareholders to be held May 13, 2025

ContentsView on SEC.gov

The text of this filing, as the company filed it with the SEC, without its images or exhibits. This is not investment advice.