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Knowles Corp

For the period ended Mar 14, 2025. Filed Mar 14, 2025.

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What shareholders are asked to vote on at a company's meeting. It is where to find what directors and top executives are paid, and who owns the most shares.

Mar 14, 2025 · Filed Mar 14, 2025

KN$31.27+3.1%Stored close · as of Nov 6, 2026
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UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

SCHEDULE 14A

Proxy Statement Pursuant to Section 14(a) of the

Securities Exchange Act of 1934

(Amendment No. )

Filed by the Registrant☒ Filed by a Party other than the Registrant☐

Check the appropriate box:

☐Preliminary Proxy Statement
☐Confidential, for Use of the Commission Only (as permitted by Rule 14a-6(e)(2))
☒Definitive Proxy Statement
☐Definitive Additional Materials
☐Soliciting Material Pursuant to § 240.14a-12

KNOWLES CORPORATION

(Name of Registrant as Specified in its Charter)

(Name of Person(s) Filing Proxy Statement, if Other Than the Registrant)

Payment of Filing Fee (Check all boxes that apply):

☒No fee required.
☐Fee paid previously with preliminary materials.
☐Fee computed on table in exhibit required by Item 25(b) per Exchange Act Rules 14a-6(i)(1) and 0-11.

NOTICE OF 2025 ANNUAL MEETING OF SHAREHOLDERS

Knowles Corporation u 1151 Maplewood Drive u Itasca, Illinois 60143

March 14, 2025

Dear Fellow Stockholders:

Notice is hereby given that the 2025 Annual Meeting of Shareholders (including any adjournments or postponements thereof, the "2025 Annual Meeting") of Knowles Corporation, a Delaware corporation (including any consolidated subsidiaries thereof, the "Company," "Knowles," "we," "us" and "our") will be held on April 29, 2025 at 9:00 a.m. Central Time at The Langham Chicago Hotel, 330 N. Wabash Avenue, Chicago, Illinois 60611. The principal business of the 2025 Annual Meeting will be the consideration of the following matters:

  1. to elect nine directors named in the attached Proxy Statement for a one-year term or until their respective successors have been duly elected and qualified;

  2. to ratify the appointment of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP as our independent registered public accounting firm for 2025;

  3. to approve, on a non-binding, advisory basis the compensation of our named executive officers; and

  4. to transact any other business that may properly come before the 2025 Annual Meeting.

All shareholders of record at the close of business on March 7, 2025 (the "Record Date") are entitled to vote at the 2025 Annual Meeting or any postponement or adjournment thereof. We plan to send a Notice of Internet Availability of Proxy Materials on or about March 14, 2025.

Your vote is very important. Whether or not you plan to attend the meeting, we urge you to review the proxy materials and vote your shares as soon as possible by carefully following the instructions on the Notice of Internet Availability of Proxy Materials. Alternatively, if you have requested written proxy materials, please sign, date and return the proxy card in the return envelope provided as promptly as possible.

Thank you for your continued support of our Company.

On behalf of the Board of Directors,

ROBERT J. PERNA

Senior Vice President, General Counsel, & Secretary

Important Notice of Internet Availability of Proxy Materials for the Annual Meeting to be Held on April 29, 2025:

The Notice of Meeting, Proxy Statement for the 2025 Annual Meeting, and Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2024 are available at www.proxyvote.com.

TABLE OF CONTENTS
PROXY STATEMENT SUMMARY1
Annual Meeting Information1
Agenda and Board Recommendations1
Director Nominees2
Board Composition and Diversity2
Director Nominee Skills and Expertise3
Corporate Governance Highlights3
Executive Compensation Highlights4
CORPORATE GOVERNANCE6
Governance Guidelines and Codes6
Director Independence6
Board Leadership Structure6
Risk Oversight6
Director Attendance at Shareholders Meetings6
Directors' Meetings6
Audit Committee Procedures; Disclosure Controls and Procedures Committee7
Complaints "Hotline" and Communication with Directors7
Compensation Consultant Independence and Fee Disclosure7
Qualifications and Nominations of Directors7
Director Time Commitments and Service on Other Public Company Boards8
Insider Trading Policy8
Prohibition on Hedging, Pledging and Short Sales8
Stock Ownership Guidelines9
Clawback Policy9
Ongoing Shareholders Engagement Program9
CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY AND SUSTAINABILITY9
Environmental, Social, and Governance9
Talent, Development, and Culture10
PROPOSAL 1 — ELECTION OF DIRECTORS12
Director Nominee Skills and Experience12
Nominees for Election to the Board12
Director Nominee Biographies13
Process for Director Elections17
Overview of the Board Committees18
Board, Committee, and Individual Director Evaluations19
Procedures for Approval of Related Person Transactions19
Directors' Compensation19
PROPOSAL 2 — RATIFICATION OF THE APPOINTMENT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM22
Audit Committee Report23
Fees Paid to Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm24
Pre-Approval of Services Provided by Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm24
PROPOSAL 3 — NON-BINDING, ADVISORY VOTE TO APPROVE NAMED EXECUTIVE OFFICER COMPENSATION25
EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION - COMPENSATION DISCUSSION & ANALYSIS26
Executive Summary26

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Executive Compensation Program Overview28
Elements of Executive Compensation30
Compensation Program Governance37
Other Compensation Topics39
Compensation Committee Report40
EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION - TABLES41
Summary Compensation Table41
Grants of Plan-Based Awards in 202442
Outstanding Equity Awards at Fiscal Year-End 202443
Option Exercises and Stock Vested in 202444
2024 Nonqualified Deferred Compensation44
Knowles Pension Replacement Plan45
Pension Benefits Through 202445
2024 Potential Payments Upon Termination or Change-in-Control45
Pay Ratio47
Pay Versus Performance48
SECURITY OWNERSHIP OF CERTAIN BENEFICIAL OWNERS AND MANAGEMENT53
Directors and Executive Officers53
Certain Other Shareholders54
INFORMATION ABOUT THE 2025 ANNUAL MEETING55
OTHER MATTERS58
Shareholder Proposals and Director Nominations for the 2026 Annual Meeting58
Shareholders Sharing the Same Address58
APPENDIX AA-1
Reconciliation of GAAP Financial Measures to Non-GAAP Financial MeasuresA-1

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This Proxy Statement contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, Section 21E of the Exchange Act and the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including statements regarding our environmental, social, and governance commitments and strategies and our executive compensation program. All statements relating to events or results that may occur in the future are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements generally can be identified by words such as"believe," "expect," "anticipate," "project," "estimate," "budget," "continue," "could," "intend," "may," "plan," "potential," "predict," "seek," "should," "will," "would," "expect," "objective," "forecast," "goal," "guidance," "outlook," "effort," "target,"and similar expressions. These statements are based on numerous assumptions and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that could significantly affect the Company's operations and may cause the Company's actual actions, results, financial condition, performance or achievements to be substantially different from any future actions, results, financial condition, performance or achievements expressed or implied by any such forward-looking statements. Those factors include, but are not limited to, the risks, uncertainties and factors indicated from time to time in the Company's reports and filings with the SEC, including, without limitation, the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2024, under the heading "Item 1A — Risk Factors" and the heading "Item 7 — Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations."

Unless required by law, the Company does not intend, and undertakes no obligation, to update or publicly release any revision to any such forward-looking statements, whether as a result of the receipt of new information, the occurrence of subsequent events, a change in circumstances or otherwise. Each forward-looking statement contained in this Proxy Statement is specifically qualified in its entirety by the aforementioned factors. Readers are advised to carefully read this Proxy Statement in conjunction with the important disclaimers set forth above prior to reaching any conclusions or making any investment decisions, and not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statement, which apply only as of the date of this Proxy Statement. Website references throughout this Proxy Statement are provided for convenience only, and the content of the referenced websites is not incorporated by reference into this document.

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