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
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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:
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;
to ratify the appointment of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP as our independent registered public accounting firm for 2025;
to approve, on a non-binding, advisory basis the compensation of our named executive officers; and
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 SUMMARY | 1 |
| Annual Meeting Information | 1 |
| Agenda and Board Recommendations | 1 |
| Director Nominees | 2 |
| Board Composition and Diversity | 2 |
| Director Nominee Skills and Expertise | 3 |
| Corporate Governance Highlights | 3 |
| Executive Compensation Highlights | 4 |
| CORPORATE GOVERNANCE | 6 |
| Governance Guidelines and Codes | 6 |
| Director Independence | 6 |
| Board Leadership Structure | 6 |
| Risk Oversight | 6 |
| Director Attendance at Shareholders Meetings | 6 |
| Directors' Meetings | 6 |
| Audit Committee Procedures; Disclosure Controls and Procedures Committee | 7 |
| Complaints "Hotline" and Communication with Directors | 7 |
| Compensation Consultant Independence and Fee Disclosure | 7 |
| Qualifications and Nominations of Directors | 7 |
| Director Time Commitments and Service on Other Public Company Boards | 8 |
| Insider Trading Policy | 8 |
| Prohibition on Hedging, Pledging and Short Sales | 8 |
| Stock Ownership Guidelines | 9 |
| Clawback Policy | 9 |
| Ongoing Shareholders Engagement Program | 9 |
| CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY AND SUSTAINABILITY | 9 |
| Environmental, Social, and Governance | 9 |
| Talent, Development, and Culture | 10 |
| PROPOSAL 1 — ELECTION OF DIRECTORS | 12 |
| Director Nominee Skills and Experience | 12 |
| Nominees for Election to the Board | 12 |
| Director Nominee Biographies | 13 |
| Process for Director Elections | 17 |
| Overview of the Board Committees | 18 |
| Board, Committee, and Individual Director Evaluations | 19 |
| Procedures for Approval of Related Person Transactions | 19 |
| Directors' Compensation | 19 |
| PROPOSAL 2 — RATIFICATION OF THE APPOINTMENT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM | 22 |
| Audit Committee Report | 23 |
| Fees Paid to Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm | 24 |
| Pre-Approval of Services Provided by Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm | 24 |
| PROPOSAL 3 — NON-BINDING, ADVISORY VOTE TO APPROVE NAMED EXECUTIVE OFFICER COMPENSATION | 25 |
| EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION - COMPENSATION DISCUSSION & ANALYSIS | 26 |
| Executive Summary | 26 |
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| Executive Compensation Program Overview | 28 |
|---|---|
| Elements of Executive Compensation | 30 |
| Compensation Program Governance | 37 |
| Other Compensation Topics | 39 |
| Compensation Committee Report | 40 |
| EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION - TABLES | 41 |
| Summary Compensation Table | 41 |
| Grants of Plan-Based Awards in 2024 | 42 |
| Outstanding Equity Awards at Fiscal Year-End 2024 | 43 |
| Option Exercises and Stock Vested in 2024 | 44 |
| 2024 Nonqualified Deferred Compensation | 44 |
| Knowles Pension Replacement Plan | 45 |
| Pension Benefits Through 2024 | 45 |
| 2024 Potential Payments Upon Termination or Change-in-Control | 45 |
| Pay Ratio | 47 |
| Pay Versus Performance | 48 |
| SECURITY OWNERSHIP OF CERTAIN BENEFICIAL OWNERS AND MANAGEMENT | 53 |
| Directors and Executive Officers | 53 |
| Certain Other Shareholders | 54 |
| INFORMATION ABOUT THE 2025 ANNUAL MEETING | 55 |
| OTHER MATTERS | 58 |
| Shareholder Proposals and Director Nominations for the 2026 Annual Meeting | 58 |
| Shareholders Sharing the Same Address | 58 |
| APPENDIX A | A-1 |
| Reconciliation of GAAP Financial Measures to Non-GAAP Financial Measures | A-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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