The Estée Lauder Companies Inc. (EL) DEF 14ADefinitive proxy

THE ESTÉE LAUDER COMPANIES INC.
767 Fifth Avenue
New York, New York 10153

Notice of Annual Meeting of Stockholders

Date: Friday, November 12, 2021​

Time: 10:00 a.m., Eastern Time​

Meeting Format:

Important Consideration for “street name” holders: You must instruct your broker if you want your shares to be counted in the election of directors at the Annual Meeting (Item 1) and the advisory vote to approve executive compensation (Item 3). New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”) rules prevent your broker from voting your shares on these matters without your instructions. Please follow the instructions provided by your broker so that your vote can be counted.

All proxies delivered pursuant to this solicitation are revocable at any time before they are exercised, at the option of the persons submitting them, by giving written notice to the Secretary of the Company at the mailing address set forth below or by submitting a later-dated proxy (either by mail, telephone, or Internet). The mailing address of our principal executive offices is 767 Fifth Avenue, New York, New York 10153. If you attend the Annual Meeting at www.virtualshareholdermeeting.com/EL2021, you may revoke your proxy and change your vote by voting online during the meeting.

The holders of a majority of the votes entitled to be cast by the stockholders entitled to vote generally, present in person or by proxy, shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business at the Annual Meeting. Abstentions, broker non-votes, and votes withheld are included in the count to determine a quorum.

In the event that a quorum does not exist, the Executive Chairman or the holders of a majority of the votes entitled to be cast by the stockholders who are present in person or by proxy may adjourn the meeting whether or not a quorum is present. At a subsequent meeting at which a quorum is present, any business may be transacted that might have been transacted at the meeting as originally called.

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In the election of directors (Item 1), shares present at the Annual Meeting that are not voted for a particular nominee, broker non-votes, and shares present by proxy where the stockholder withholds authority to vote for the nominee will not be counted toward the nominee’s achievement of a plurality.

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The advisory vote to approve executive compensation (Item 3) is not binding on the Company. However, the Compensation Committee and the Stock Plan Subcommittee, which are responsible for designing and administering the Company’s executive compensation program, value the opinions expressed by stockholders. See “Compensation Discussion and Analysis – Advisory Vote on Executive Compensation.”

Abstentions and broker non-votes do not count as votes cast, and therefore have no effect on vote outcomes.

All proxies properly submitted pursuant to this solicitation and not revoked will be voted at the Annual Meeting in accordance with the directions given. In the election of directors (Item 1), stockholders may vote in favor of, or withhold their votes from, each nominee. For the ratification of the appointment of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP (Item 2) and the advisory vote to approve executive compensation (Item 3), stockholders may vote in favor of the proposal, may vote against the proposal, or may abstain from voting. Stockholders should specify their choices on the proxy card or pursuant to the instructions thereon for telephone or Internet voting. If no specific choices are indicated, the shares represented by a properly submitted proxy will be voted:

Stockholders’ Agreement and Lauder Family Control. All Lauder Family Members who are party to a stockholders’ agreement with the Company (the “Stockholders’ Agreement”) have agreed to vote shares beneficially owned by them for Leonard A. Lauder (or for one of his sons), Ronald S. Lauder (or for one of his daughters), and one person, if any, designated by each as a director of the Company. Aerin Lauder and Jane Lauder are parties to the Stockholders’ Agreement solely as trustees of certain trusts. The term “Lauder Family Members” is defined below (see “Certain Relationships and Related Transactions – Lauder Family Relationships and Compensation”). Shares subject to the Stockholders’ Agreement represent approximately 83% of the voting power of the Company as of the Record Date. The right of each of Leonard A. Lauder (or his sons) and Ronald S. Lauder (or his daughters) to designate a nominee exists only when he (including his descendants) beneficially owns (other than by reason of the Stockholders’ Agreement) shares of Common Stock with at least 10% of the total voting power of the Company. Currently, William P. Lauder is the nominee of Leonard A. Lauder, and Jane Lauder is the nominee of Ronald S. Lauder. The right of each of Leonard A. Lauder (or one of his sons) and Ronald S. Lauder (or one of his daughters) to be nominated will exist so long as he (including his descendants) beneficially owns shares of Common Stock with at least 5% of the total voting power of the Company. In the event that Leonard A. Lauder ceases to be a member of the Board of Directors by reason of his death or disability, then his sons, William P. Lauder and Gary M. Lauder, will succeed to his rights to be nominated as a director and to designate one nominee. If either son is unable to serve by reason of his death or disability, the other son will have the right to designate a nominee. Similarly, Aerin Lauder and Jane Lauder, Ronald S. Lauder’s daughters, will succeed to their father’s rights upon his death or disability. If either daughter is unable to serve by reason of her death or disability, the other daughter will have the right to designate a nominee. In the event none of Leonard A. Lauder and his sons and Ronald S. Lauder and his daughters are able to serve as directors by reason of death or disability, then the rights under the Stockholders’ Agreement to be a nominee and to designate a nominee will cease. The Stockholders’ Agreement contains a “sunset provision.” Under this provision, the Stockholders’ Agreement will terminate upon the occurrence of certain specified events, including the transfer of shares of Common Stock by a party to the Stockholders’ Agreement that causes all parties thereto immediately after such transaction to own beneficially in the aggregate shares having less than 10% of the total voting power of the Company.

Controlled Company Exemptions. The Lauder family has direct and indirect holdings of approximately 85% of the voting power of the Company as of the Record Date. The Company is a “controlled company” under the rules of the New York Stock Exchange (the “NYSE”) because the Lauder family and their related entities hold more than 50% of the voting power of the outstanding voting stock. As such, the Company may avail itself of exemptions relating to the Board and certain Board committees. Despite the availability of such exemptions, the Board of Directors has determined that it will have a majority of independent directors and that both the Nominating and ESG Committee and the Compensation Committee will have otherwise required provisions in their charters. As permitted by the NYSE rules for “controlled companies,” our Board does not require that the Nominating and ESG Committee and the Compensation Committee be comprised solely of independent directors.

Board Committees. The Board of Directors has established the following standing committees: the Audit Committee; the Compensation Committee (which includes the Stock Plan Subcommittee); and the Nominating and ESG Committee (formerly the Nominating and Governance Committee). Each director on these committees is an independent director except for William P. Lauder and Richard D. Parsons. Each committee reports regularly to the Board and has the authority to engage its own advisors. From time to time, the Board considers the composition of our Board committees. As previously noted, Mr. Hockaday, the Chair of the Nominating and ESG Committee, has notified the Company that he will serve the remainder of his term, which expires at the 2021 Annual Meeting of Stockholders, and he will not stand for re-election.

The Compensation Committee establishes and approves compensation plans and arrangements with respect to the Company’s executive officers and administers the Company’s Executive Annual Incentive Plan. The Stock Plan Subcommittee has authority over all decisions regarding awards to executive officers under the Company’s share incentive plans and authority to administer the Company’s share incentive plans under which executive officers and other employees may receive equity grants. The Company also has an Employee Equity Award Committee, the sole member of which is Mr. Freda; the purpose of this committee is to make limited grants of equity awards under the share incentive plan to employees who are not executive officers.

Compensation Committee Interlocks and Insider Participation. During fiscal 2021, Ambassador Barshefsky, Ms. Bravo, Mr. Fribourg, and Mr. Parsons served on the Compensation Committee. None of these directors is a former or current officer or employee of the Company or any of its subsidiaries. During fiscal 2021, none of our executive officers served as a member of the compensation committee (or other committee performing similar functions) or as a director of any other entity of which an executive officer served on our Board or Compensation Committee. None of the directors who served on our Compensation Committee during fiscal 2021 has any relationship requiring disclosure under this caption under SEC rules.

The Nominating and ESG Committee’s responsibility for corporate governance matters includes oversight of the Company’s environmental, social, and governance (“ESG”) activities and practices, including citizenship and sustainability matters. Among other things, the committee proposes candidates to fill vacancies on the Board and recommends nominees for election as members of the Board; oversees CEO succession planning; considers and makes recommendations regarding Board practices and procedures; considers corporate governance issues that arise from time to time and makes appropriate recommendations for the Board regarding such matters; and reviews the compensation for service as a Board member. As previously noted, Mr. Hockaday is not standing for re-election at the 2021 Annual Meeting, and therefore he will no longer be on this committee after such meeting.

Board and Board Committee Meetings; Annual Meeting Attendance; and Executive Sessions. Directors are expected to devote sufficient time to carrying out their duties and responsibilities effectively, and should be committed to serve on the Board for an extended period of time. In furtherance of the Board’s role, directors are expected to attend all scheduled Board and Board committee meetings and all meetings of stockholders. In fiscal 2021, the Board of Directors met six times, the Audit Committee met eight times, the Compensation Committee met five times (and the Stock Plan Subcommittee met six times), and the Nominating and Governance Committee (now the Nominating and ESG Committee) met four times. The total combined attendance for all Board and committee meetings in fiscal 2021 was over 95%. No director attended less than 75% of Board and committee meetings in fiscal 2021. The non-employee directors met five times in executive session in fiscal 2021. Directors are expected to attend the Annual Meeting of Stockholders. All of the directors who were on the Board attended our Annual Meeting of Stockholders in November 2020, which was held in a virtual-only meeting format via live webcast.

Board Leadership Structure. Our Board is currently led by our Executive Chairman, who is a member of the Lauder family. In addition, we have an independent director who serves as our Presiding Director. A majority of the directors on our Board are independent. At present, there are 16 directors on our Board, comprised of: (i) our President and Chief Executive Officer (“CEO”); (ii) 11 non-employee directors (10 of whom are independent); and (iii) 4 directors who are members of the Lauder family, including our Executive Chairman. As previously noted, Mr. Hockaday is not

As referenced above, we are a “controlled company” under the rules of the New York Stock Exchange (the “NYSE”) because the Lauder family and their related entities hold more than 50% of the voting power of the outstanding voting stock. We note that the controlled company structure is not uncommon in the beauty industry. Our controlled company structure includes dual class stock, a classified board, and a Stockholders’ Agreement that requires the members of the family who are party to the agreement to vote in favor of up to four director nominees designated by members of the family. In addition, we have non-independent directors on our Nominating and ESG Committee and Compensation Committee. Each of these matters is explained below.

Dual Class Stock Structure. Under our dual class stock structure, holders of Class A Common Stock have one vote per share, and holders of Class B Common Stock (limited to members of the Lauder family and related entities) have 10 votes per share. Our Certificate of Incorporation contains a sunset provision, which provides that if on the record date for any meeting of stockholders of the Company, the outstanding Class B Common Stock constitutes less than 10% of the total outstanding Common Stock, then each share of Class B Common Stock shall be converted automatically as of the record date into one share of Class A Common Stock with one vote per share. As of the record date

Board Composition; Voting under the Stockholders’ Agreement. Our Board of Directors is divided into three classes, each serving for a period of three years. As explained above, Lauder Family Members who are party to the Stockholders’ Agreement have agreed to vote shares beneficially owned by them in favor of up to four individuals as directors. The Stockholders’ Agreement contains a sunset provision, pursuant to which the agreement will terminate upon the occurrence of certain specified events, including the transfer of shares of Common Stock by a party to the agreement that causes all parties thereto immediately after such transaction to own beneficially in the aggregate shares having less than 10% of the total voting power of the Company. Shares subject to the Stockholders’ Agreement represented approximately 83% of the voting power of the Company as of the record date for the 2021 Annual Meeting of Stockholders.

Committee Composition including Independent Committee Leadership; Independent Presiding Director; Majority of Independent Directors. As permitted by the NYSE rules for “controlled companies” such as ours, we do not require that our Nominating and ESG Committee be comprised solely of independent directors. Our Executive Chairman William P. Lauder, who is not an independent director, serves on our Nominating and ESG Committee, and Richard D. Parsons, who is not an independent director, serves on our Nominating and ESG Committee and our Compensation Committee. We believe this committee service is appropriate because of the valuable contributions that Messrs. W. Lauder and Parsons make; as reflected in the biographical information above, each has extensive business, leadership and financial experience. In addition, Mr. Lauder is a significant stockholder and member of the founding family. We note that all the directors on our Audit Committee, including the Chair, are independent, as are the Chairs of our Nominating and ESG Committee and our Compensation Committee. Our Stock Plan Subcommittee, which approves all equity grants to our executive officers including the CEO, is comprised solely of independent directors. In addition, our Presiding Director is independent. As a controlled company, we are not required by the NYSE rules to have a majority of independent directors. However, our Board has determined that it will have a majority of independent directors. As of the record date for the 2021 Annual Meeting of Stockholders, 10 of our 16 Board members (approximately 63%) are independent.

We believe that the Lauder family control and its long-term stewardship have provided a strategic advantage to our Company. Mrs. Estée Lauder formulated our unique marketing philosophy to provide “High-Touch” services and high-quality products as the foundation for a solid and loyal consumer base. The Lauder family envisioned and effected the remarkable expansion of the business from a handful of products sold under a single brand in a few prestigious department stores in the United States to a beloved multi-brand, multi-category, multi-channel global icon. Today, we are one of the world’s leading manufacturers, marketers, and sellers of quality skin care, makeup, fragrance, and hair care products sold in approximately 150 countries and territories under more than 25 brands. We believe that historically, our ownership structure and the Lauder family’s “patient capital” approach have provided a strategic advantage, helping to mitigate some of the short-term pressures faced by widely-held companies and allowing management and the Board to focus more on long-term sustainable growth that generally benefits all stockholders. For example, the close strategic alignment between our CEO and our largest stockholders provides management the flexibility to efficiently pivot as needed to address short-term matters while also supporting transformational changes necessary for the Company’s long-term success. In addition, the Lauder family values have played an important role in our unique work culture that celebrates inclusion, diversity, and equity, which we believe has helped us to attract and retain top talent. Between the Company’s initial public offering in November 1995 and the end of our most recent fiscal year (June 30, 2021), we have achieved an annualized Total Stockholder Return (“TSR”) of 16%, as compared to an annualized TSR of 10% for the S&P 500 Index and 9% for the S&P Consumer Staples Index.

Board Role in Risk Oversight. Our Board of Directors regularly receives reports from our CEO and other members of senior management regarding areas of significant risk to us, including strategic, operational, financial, legal and regulatory, cybersecurity, and reputational risks. However, senior management is responsible for assessing and managing the Company’s various risk exposures on a day-to-day basis. In this regard, various management functions within the Company, such as Legal, Finance, Treasury, Internal Audit, Information Technology, Global Supply Chain, Research & Development, and Environmental Affairs and Safety, focus on particular risks. Management has a systemic and integrated approach to overall risk management that includes the identification of risks and mitigation plans in the strategic planning process. The Board’s role is one of oversight, assessing major risks facing the Company and reviewing options for their mitigation with management. In addition, the Audit Committee reviews and discusses with management our enterprise risk management processes.

Risk in Compensation Programs. The Company has a framework for evaluating incentive plan design features that may encourage or help mitigate risk, such as a mix of compensation elements, metrics, leverage, caps, and time horizons, in order to determine whether the risks arising from our compensation programs (in addition to those applicable only to executive officers) are reasonably likely to have a material adverse effect on the Company. Using this framework in fiscal 2021, we concluded that our compensation programs are not reasonably likely to have a material adverse effect on the Company. The results were reviewed with senior management and the Compensation Committee.

Board Membership Criteria. The Nominating and ESG Committee works with the Board on an annual basis to determine the appropriate characteristics, skills, and experience for the Board as a whole and its individual members. The Committee has engaged a third-party firm to assist with identifying and evaluating potential director candidates.

All directors should possess the highest personal and professional ethics as well as an inquisitive and objective perspective, practical wisdom, and mature judgment. In evaluating the suitability of individual Board members, the Board takes into account many factors, including general understanding of marketing, finance, and other disciplines relevant to the success of a large publicly traded company in today’s business environment; understanding of the Company’s business on a technical level; and educational and professional background. The Board evaluates each individual in the context of the Board as a whole, with the objective of recommending a group that can best support the success of the business and, based on its diversity of experience, represent stockholder interests through the exercise of sound judgment. In determining whether to recommend a director for re-election, the Nominating and ESG Committee also considers the director’s past attendance at meetings and participation in and contributions to the activities of the Board.

Upon determining the need for a new director candidate, the Nominating and ESG Committee will identify one or more director candidates and evaluate each candidate under the criteria described above based on the information it receives with a recommendation or that it otherwise possesses, which information may be supplemented by additional inquiries. Application of these criteria involves the exercise of judgment and cannot be measured in any mathematical or routine way. Based on its assessment of each candidate’s independence, skills, and qualifications and the criteria described above, the Committee will make recommendations regarding potential director candidates to the Board. The Committee will evaluate stockholder-recommended candidates in the same manner as other candidates. Candidates may also be designated pursuant to the Stockholders’ Agreement. See “Additional Information Regarding the Board of Directors – Stockholders’ Agreement and Lauder Family Control.”

Contributions to tax exempt organizations shall not be considered payments for purposes of these independence standards. An “immediate family member” includes a director’s spouse, parents, children, siblings, mothers- and fathers-in-law, sons- and daughters-in-law, brothers- and sisters-in-law, and anyone (other than domestic employees) who shares such person’s home.

The Board reviews at least annually whether directors meet these Director Independence Standards. The following directors have been determined by the Board to be “independent” pursuant to NYSE rules and the Company’s Independent Director Standards described above: Charlene Barshefsky, Rose Marie Bravo, Wei Sun Christianson, Paul J. Fribourg, Irvine O. Hockaday, Jr., Jennifer Hyman, Lynn Forester de Rothschild, Barry S. Sternlicht, Jennifer Tejada, and Richard F. Zannino. In addition to the foregoing, in order to be considered “independent” under NYSE rules for purposes of serving on the Company’s Audit Committee or Compensation Committee, a director also may not accept, directly or indirectly, any consulting, advisory, or other compensatory fee from the Company, other than as a director, and may not be an “affiliated person” of the Company.

Communications with the Board. A stockholder or any other interested party may communicate with the Board, any Committee thereof, the non-management directors as a group, or any individual director, including the Presiding Director, by addressing the correspondence to that individual or group, c/o General Counsel, The Estée Lauder Companies Inc., 767 Fifth Avenue, New York, New York 10153. The General Counsel or a designee will review such correspondence and forward to the intended recipient(s) if the substance relates to the duties and responsibilities of the Board or director; at the discretion of the General Counsel or a designee, materials considered to be inappropriate or harassing, unsolicited advertisements, or promotional materials may not be forwarded.

Director Nominees Recommended by Stockholders. The Nominating and ESG Committee will consider stockholder recommendations of nominees in the same manner as and pursuant to the same criteria by which it considers all other nominees, except for nominations received pursuant to the Stockholders’ Agreement. Stockholders who wish to suggest qualified candidates should send their written recommendation to the Nominating and ESG Committee, c/o General Counsel, The Estée Lauder Companies Inc., 767 Fifth Avenue, New York, New York 10153. The following information must accompany any such recommendation by a stockholder: (i) the name and address of the stockholder making the recommendation; (ii) the name, address, telephone number, and social security number of the proposed nominee; (iii) the class or series and number of shares of the Company that are beneficially owned by the stockholder making the recommendation; (iv) a description of all arrangements or understandings between the stockholder and the candidate, and an executed written consent of the proposed nominee to serve as a director of the Company if so elected; (v) a copy of the proposed nominee’s resume and references; and (vi) an analysis of the candidate’s qualifications to serve on the Board of Directors and on each of the Board’s committees in light of the criteria for Board membership established by the Board. See “Board Membership Criteria.” For stockholders intending to nominate an individual for election as a director directly, there are specific procedures set forth in our bylaws. See “Stockholder Proposals and Director Nominations for the 2022 Annual Meeting” below.

The Board of Directors has developed corporate governance practices to help it fulfill its responsibilities to stockholders in providing general direction and oversight of management of the Company. These practices are set forth in the Company’s Corporate Governance Guidelines. The Company also has a Code of Conduct (the “Code”) applicable to all employees, officers, and directors of the Company including the Chief Executive Officer and the Chief Financial Officer. These documents, as well as any waiver of a provision of the Code granted to any senior officer or director or any material amendment to the Code, may be found in the “Investors” section of the Company’s website: www.elcompanies.com under “Corporate Governance.”

We have a written policy (the “Related Person Transactions Policy”) that sets forth procedures for the review, approval, and ratification of transactions involving “Related Persons.” Such persons consist of any director, director nominee, executive officer, any beneficial owner of more than 5% of the Company’s Common Stock, any immediate family member of such persons, and any other person deemed to be a Related Person under the rules of the SEC. Under the Related Person Transactions Policy, a “Transaction” includes any financial transaction, arrangement, or relationship (including any indebtedness or guarantee of indebtedness) or any series of similar transactions, arrangements, or relationships where the Company and a Related Person are participants. The Audit Committee is responsible for administering this policy.

Impact of COVID-19 on Compensation Matters for Certain Lauder Family Members. As part of the Company’s initiatives to enhance financial flexibility and liquidity in light of COVID-19, certain base salary reductions were made over a six-month period from May 1 through October 31, 2020 (i.e. the last two months of fiscal 2020 and the first four months of fiscal 2021), including the following: (i) for Leonard A. Lauder and Ronald S. Lauder, base salaries reduced by nearly 100% and (ii) for Jane Lauder, base salary reduced by 30%.

Fiscal 2021 Compensation for Certain Lauder Family Members. Leonard A. Lauder’s annual base salary for fiscal 2021 was $1,206,667, as adjusted for the above-referenced reduction for the first four months of fiscal 2021; without this adjustment, his fiscal 2021 annual base salary would have been $1,800,000. Ronald S. Lauder’s annual base salary for fiscal 2021 was $440,000, as adjusted for the above-referenced salary reduction; without this adjustment, his fiscal 2021 annual base salary would have been $650,000. In addition to his salary, Mr. R. Lauder also received a bonus of $511,100 for fiscal 2021. Jane Lauder’s annual base salary for fiscal 2021 was $810,000, as adjusted for the above-referenced salary reduction; without this adjustment, her fiscal 2021 annual base salary would have been $900,000. In addition to her salary, Ms. J. Lauder also received a bonus of $1,155,250, PSUs with a target payout of 2,946 shares of Class A Common Stock, stock options for 11,062 shares of Class A Common Stock with an exercise price of  $218.06 per share, and RSUs for 2,946 shares of Class A Common Stock, in each case for fiscal 2021. Each of these Lauder Family Members is entitled to participate in standard benefit plans, such as the Company’s pension and medical plans. For information regarding fiscal 2021 compensation for William P. Lauder, see “Executive Compensation.”

Fiscal 2022 Compensation for Certain Lauder Family Members. Leonard A. Lauder’s annual base salary for fiscal 2022 is $1,800,000. Ronald S. Lauder’s annual base salary for fiscal 2022 is $650,000, and he has a target incentive bonus opportunity of $350,000. Jane Lauder’s annual base salary for fiscal 2022 is $930,000. For fiscal 2022, Ms. Lauder also has a target incentive bonus opportunity of

Parties to the Stockholders’ Agreement may, without restriction under the agreement, sell their shares in a widely distributed underwritten public offering, in sales made in compliance with Rule 144 under the Securities Act of 1933, or to other Lauder Family Members. In addition, each party to the Stockholders’ Agreement may freely donate shares in an amount not to exceed 1% of the outstanding shares of Common Stock in any 90-day period. In the case of other private sales, each stockholder who is a party to the Stockholders’ Agreement (the “Offering Stockholder”) has granted to each other party (the “Offeree”) a right of first offer to purchase shares of Class A Common Stock that the Offering Stockholder intends to sell to a person (or group of persons) who is not a Lauder Family Member. Each Offeree has the opportunity to purchase the Offeree’s pro rata portion of the shares to be offered by the Offering Stockholder, as well as additional shares not purchased by other Offerees. Any shares not purchased pursuant to the right of first offer may be sold at or above 95% of the price offered to the Offerees. The Stockholders’ Agreement also includes provisions for bona fide pledges of shares of Common Stock and procedures related to such pledges. The Stockholders’ Agreement will terminate upon the occurrence of certain specified events, including the transfer of shares of Common Stock by a party to the Stockholders’ Agreement that causes all parties thereto immediately after such transaction to own beneficially in the aggregate shares having less than 10% of the total voting power of the Company.

Agreements with Aerin Lauder. Estee Lauder Inc. (“ELI”), a subsidiary of the Company, is party to (i) a creative consultant agreement with Aerin Lauder (the “Creative Consultant Agreement”) and (ii) a brand license agreement with Ms. Lauder and Aerin LLC, a limited liability company wholly owned by Ms. Lauder (the “License Agreement”).

Creative Consultant Agreement. Under the Creative Consultant Agreement, Aerin Lauder, as the Style and Image Director for the Estée Lauder brand, acts as a creative consultant and is a spokesperson for the brand. In her role, she collaborates with the Estée Lauder Creative Director on creative aspects of the brand and promotes the brand through personal appearances and her social media presence. For fiscal 2021, Ms. Lauder received approximately $680,000 for her services under

The grant of stock units explained above reflects a change made by the Board in July 2021 regarding the initial equity grant to any new non-employee director who joins the Board going forward. Previously, each new non-employee director was granted a fixed number of shares of Class A Common Stock (most recently 2,000 shares) plus a cash payment in an amount to cover related income taxes, pursuant to the Director Share Plan, on the date of the first annual meeting of stockholders that was more than six months after a non-employee director’s initial election to the Board.

Stock Ownership Requirement. As set forth in the Company’s Corporate Governance Guidelines, the Board believes that in order to align the interests of directors and stockholders, directors should have a significant financial stake in the Company.

Effective July 2021, each director should own shares of the Company’s Common Stock with a value equal to or greater than five times the annual cash retainer for Board service, no later than five years after initial election to the Board. Applying this guideline, each director is required to own shares of the Company’s Common Stock with a value equal to or greater than $500,000 (i.e. $100,000 × 5). Previously, each director was required to own shares of the Company’s Common Stock with a value equal to or greater than four times the annual cash retainer for Board service, no later than three years after initial election to the Board. As of June 30, 2021, each of the directors owned shares of the Company’s Common Stock with a value in excess of  $500,000.

Company Products. The Company provides directors with certain Company products from different brands and product categories. The Company believes that providing these products serves a business purpose by expanding the directors’ knowledge of the Company’s business. The Company also provides each non-employee director with the opportunity to purchase up to $1,280 worth of the Company’s products each calendar year (based on suggested retail prices) at no charge; if a director chooses to take advantage of this opportunity and purchases more than $640 worth of the Company’s products, the excess is imputed as taxable income to the director. For the year ended June 30, 2021, the aggregate incremental cost to the Company for products provided to the directors was substantially less than $10,000 per director. Non-employee directors may also purchase Company products with the same discount made available to employees of the Company.

Reimbursement of Expenses. Non-employee directors are reimbursed for their reasonable expenses (including costs of travel, food, and lodging) incurred in attending Board, committee, and stockholder meetings. Directors are also reimbursed for any other reasonable expenses relating to their service on the Board, including participating in director continuing education and Company site visits.

During a six-month period in late fiscal 2020 and early fiscal 2021, members of senior management took reductions in their base salaries to contribute to the Company’s initiatives to reduce expenses and enhance financial flexibility and liquidity. These temporary reductions were part of the numerous actions we took at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic to reduce expenses so we could prioritize areas of growth and cash generation among our geographic regions, product categories, brands, and channels of distribution. The salary reductions for executive officers were for the six-month period from May 1 to October 31, 2020, so they impacted salaries in both fiscal 2020 and fiscal 2021. For the NEOs, the salary reduction was 50% for William P. Lauder and Mr. Freda and 30% for Ms. Travis, Mr. Demsey, and Mr. Prouvé. The base salaries for Leonard A. Lauder, Chairman Emeritus, and Ronald S. Lauder, Chairman of Clinique Laboratories, LLC, were reduced by nearly 100%, and the base salaries for the remainder of the Company’s executive officers were reduced by 30%. Base salary reductions for the NEOs in the last fiscal year (i.e. between July 1 and October 31, 2020) are reflected in the fiscal 2021 Summary Compensation Table.

As initially explained in our fiscal 2020 Proxy Statement, in determining the total amounts for each officer’s fiscal 2021 annual equity grants, the Subcommittee decided to include certain additional amounts equally in the annual PSU, RSU, and Stock Option grants. These additional amounts were driven by the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on the EAIP payouts for fiscal 2020. While the additional amounts were not intended to, and did not, close the gap on fiscal 2020 bonus payouts, the Subcommittee determined that they further aligned employees’ and stockholders’ interests on a long term basis while driving collaboration across the enterprise and recognizing the continued resiliency and creativity of the Company’s employees.

In determining the additional amounts for each officer’s fiscal 2021 annual equity grants, the Subcommittee considered the difference between the actual payout under the EAIP and the amount the individual would have received for fiscal 2020 (a) assuming a floor of 40% for the Business Unit Multiplier and (b) assuming a floor of 90% for the Corporate Multiplier. Based on this calculation, the NEOs received the following additional amounts in their fiscal 2021 annual equity grants: W. Lauder: $383,750; F. Freda: $618,950; T. Travis: $210,050; J. Demsey: $449,800; and C. Prouvé: $450,750. These additional amounts are reflected in “Grants of Plan-Based Awards in Fiscal 2021.” The Subcommittee believes that these actions better protected the stronger performing business units while at the same time providing a reasonable reward and incentives to the more deeply affected business units.

The Compensation Committee and the Subcommittee, each in consultation with management and the compensation consultant Semler Brossy Consulting Group (“Semler Brossy”), decided to simplify both the fiscal 2021 EAIP and fiscal 2021 PSU design in order to focus employee efforts on the Company’s overall Net Sales and Operating Margin recovery, and to continue to incent performance and reward agility through challenging and unprecedented times in connection with the global pandemic. At the same time, they recognized the importance of maintaining the core design of our plans and energizing participants by increasing the maximum payouts.

For other information regarding changes to the EAIP and PSU designs, for fiscal 2021 and fiscal 2022, see “Impact of COVID-19 on Compensation Matters.”

The Committee, Subcommittee, and our senior management begin their review of compensation by looking first at the components of total direct compensation, gauging, for each type of position in the executive officer group, the extent to which total direct compensation is broadly aligned with that of our executive compensation peer group. The Committee, Subcommittee, and our senior management then review the elements of compensation (i.e. base salary, annual cash incentive bonus opportunities, and long-term equity-based compensation opportunities) and determine a mix of these elements as a percentage of total direct compensation. The mix is intended to be predominantly performance-based (i.e. provide a greater percentage of compensation in the form of variable annual and long-term incentive compensation) and reasonable when compared with the peer group. As shown below, the CEO annual target pay mix for fiscal 2021 was 89% performance-based, and the average annual target pay mix for the other NEOs for fiscal 2021 was 84% performance-based. Executive officers with similar responsibilities generally have a similar mix of pay elements. There is internal pay equity among similarly situated executive officers, which is intended to foster a team-oriented approach to managing the business. Total direct compensation and allocations of metrics within the EAIP are determined based on the type and level of responsibility of the particular executive officer, internal pay equity, and competitive considerations.

Generally, we believe that executive officers should have a greater percentage of their compensation based on performance in the form of annual long-term equity-based incentives (“LTI”), followed by annual cash incentives, and then by base salary.

Based on target levels for incentive compensation for fiscal 2021, the mix of pay for our NEOs is shown below: