EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION
Non-competition
Mr. Sprecher agrees under his employment agreement that for the term of his employment agreement or, if less, for the one-year period (or, for Messrs. Gardiner, Jackson and Edmonds and Ms. Martin, the eighteen month period) which starts on the date that their employment terminates, they will not assume or perform any managerial or supervisory responsibilities and duties that are substantially the same as those that they perform for ICE for any other business entity that engages in operating global commodity and financial products marketplaces for the trading of physical commodities, futures contracts, options contracts, and other derivative instruments, providing risk management tools and clearing services, providing brokerage services, and providing market data relating to these services in which ICE is engaged as of the date of termination of the executive’s employment or in which ICE proposes to engage under its business plan as in effect on such date, if any site of any of the offices or equipment of such competitive business is located in the U.S., Canada, the U.K. or Singapore.
The employment agreements provide that each executive may own 5% or less of the stock of a publicly traded company that engages in such competitive business, so long as they are only passive investors and are not actively involved in such company in any way.
Non-solicitation
Each of the NEOs is restricted from soliciting, for the purpose of competing with ICE or its affiliates, any of its customers or customers of its affiliates with whom the executive had contact, knowledge or association (i) at any time during the executive’s employment with ICE or its affiliates and (ii) at any time during the twenty-four month period (the eighteen-month period for Messrs. Gardiner, Jackson and Edmonds and Ms. Martin) immediately preceding the beginning of the “restricted period.” “Restricted period” means, for Mr. Sprecher, the term of the executive’s employment agreement, including after termination of employment, the remainder of the term of the agreement without regard to the reason for the executive’s termination of employment (as such initial term may have been extended under the agreement). For Messrs. Gardiner, Jackson and Edmonds and Ms. Martin, “restricted period” means the eighteen-month period after termination of employment, without regard to the reason for termination of employment.
Confidentiality Provisions
Each of the NEOs is subject to customary confidentiality provisions during the term of employment and for at least a five-year period after termination, and each executive must not use or disclose any of ICE’s trade secrets for as long as they remain trade secrets.
Termination for Cause or Executive Resignation Other than for Good Reason
For each of the NEOs, if ICE terminates the executive for “Cause,” as such term is defined below, if the executive resigns other than for “Good Reason,” as such term is defined below, or if the executive’s employment terminates as a result of death or disability, ICE must pay the executive, among other benefits, all accrued but unpaid salary, annual bonus, if any, and unreimbursed expenses. If an executive’s employment terminates as a result of death, any unvested stock options, unvested RSUs and unvested PSUs will become immediately vested.
Qualifying Termination Unrelated to a Change in Control
For each of the NEOs, if there is a termination of employment by ICE without “Cause” or resignation by the executive for “Good Reason” (each, a “Qualifying Termination”) that is unrelated to a “Change in Control,” as such terms are defined below, ICE must pay a lump sum cash payment equal to (i) the amount of salary the executive would have received over the remainder of the term of employment and (ii) three (3) times (two (2) times in the case of Messrs. Gardiner, Jackson and Edmonds and Ms. Martin), the greater of the average of the last three bonuses and the last bonus paid to the executive prior to termination. In addition, for Mr. Sprecher, any stock options or other equity awards granted (including performance-based awards which were earned but not vested for any performance period that was completed as of the termination of employment) will become exercisable or vest upon the executive’s termination. For Messrs. Gardiner, Jackson and Edmonds and Ms. Martin, any stock options or other equity awards granted (including performance-based awards which were earned but not vested for any performance period that was completed as of the termination of employment) that would otherwise vest in the two-year period following termination will become exercisable or vest upon termination. Performance-based awards for any performance period in progress as of the termination of employment will be earned based on actual performance as determined after completion of the performance period, in accordance with the terms of such grants, and such earned awards will fully vest on such determination date.
Further, for Mr. Sprecher, ICE is required to continue to make available coverage under the employee benefits plans as if the executive remained employed for the “Welfare Benefit Continuation Period”, defined as the shorter of two years and the balance of the term of the employment agreement. Messrs. Gardiner, Jackson and Edmonds and Ms. Martin are eligible to receive a lump sum cash payment in respect of costs they would incur for two years’ group health coverage under COBRA.
“Cause,” as used in the employment agreements for each of the NEOs, generally means: (i) the employee is convicted of, pleads guilty to or otherwise admits to any felony or act of fraud, misappropriation or embezzlement; (ii) the employee knowingly engages or fails to engage in any act or course of conduct that (a) is reasonably likely to adversely affect ICE’s rights or qualification under applicable laws, rules or regulations to serve as an exchange or other form of a marketplace for trading the products defined in the non-competition section or (b) violates the rules of any exchange or market on which ICE effects trades (or at such time is actively contemplating effecting trades) and is reasonably likely to lead to a denial of ICE’s right or qualification to effect trades on such exchange or market;
42 Amendment No. 1 to 2022 10-K INTERCONTINENTAL EXCHANGE