COMPENSATION RECOUPMENT POLICY
This Compensation Recoupment Policy (the “Policy”) has been adopted by the Committee on November 14, 2023 and by the Board of Directors (the “Board”) of ICL Group Ltd. (the “Company”) on November 15, 2023. This Policy provides for the recoupment of certain executive compensation in the event of an accounting restatement in accordance with the requirements of Section 10D of the Exchange Act (as defined below) and Section 303A.14 of the NYSE Listed Company Manual (the “Listing Rule”). This Policy is intended to comply with the requirements of Section 10D of the Exchange Act and the Listing Rule.
1. Definitions. For the purposes of this Policy, the following terms shall have the meanings set forth below. Capitalized terms used but not defined in this Policy shall have the meanings set forth in the Company’s Compensation Policy for Office Holders (as may be amended from time to time), as adopted from time to time by the shareholders of the Company in accordance with the Israeli Companies Law, 5759- 1999 (the “Israeli Companies Law”) (the “Compensation Policy”).
(a) “Committee” means the HR & Compensation Committee of the Board or any successor committee thereof.
(b) “Covered Compensation” means any Incentive-based Compensation “received” by a Covered Executive during the applicable Recoupment Period; provided that:
(i) such Incentive-based Compensation was received by such Covered Executive (A) after the Effective Date, (B) after he or she commenced service as an Executive Officer and (C) while the Company had a class of securities publicly listed on a United States national securities exchange; and
(ii) such Covered Executive served as an Executive Officer at any time during the performance period applicable to such Incentive-based Compensation.
For purposes of this Policy, Incentive-based Compensation is “received” by a Covered Executive during the fiscal period in which the Financial Reporting Measure applicable to such Incentive-based Compensation (or portion thereof) is attained, even if the payment or grant of such Incentive-based Compensation is made thereafter.
(c) “Covered Executive” means any (i) current or former Executive Officer; and (ii) current or former Office Holder, as such term is defined in the Israeli Companies Law.
(d) “Effective Date” means the date on which the Listing Rule becomes effective.
(e) “Exchange Act” means the U.S. Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.
(f) “Executive Officer” means, with respect to the Company, (i) its president, (ii) its principal financial officer, (iii) its principal accounting officer (or if there is no such accounting officer, its controller), (iv) any vice-president in charge of a principal business unit, division or function (such as sales, administration or finance), (v) any other officer who performs a policy-making function for the Company (including any officer of the Company’s parent(s) or subsidiaries if they perform policy-making functions for the Company) and (vi) any other person who performs similar policy-making functions for the Company. Policy-making function is not intended to include policy-making functions that are not significant. The determination as to an individual’s status as an Executive Officer shall be made by the Committee and such determination shall be final, conclusive and binding on such individual and all other interested persons.
(g) “Financial Reporting Measure” means any (i) measure that is determined and presented in accordance with the accounting principles used in preparing the Company’s financial statements, (ii) stock price measure or (iii) total shareholder return measure (and any measures that are derived wholly or in part from any measure referenced in clause (i), (ii) or (iii) above). For the avoidance of doubt, any such measure does not need to be presented within the Company’s financial statements or included in a filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission to constitute a Financial Reporting Measure.
(h) “Financial Restatement” means a restatement of the Company’s financial statements due to the Company’s material noncompliance with any financial reporting requirement under U.S. federal securities laws that is required in order to correct:
| (i) | an error in previously issued financial statements that is material to the previously issued financial statements; or
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| (ii) | an error that would result in a material misstatement if the error were (A) corrected in the current period or (B) left uncorrected in the current period. |
For purposes of this Policy, a Financial Restatement shall not be deemed to occur in the event of a revision of the Company’s financial statements due to an out-of-period adjustment (i.e., when the error is immaterial to the previously issued financial statements and the correction of the error is also immaterial to the current period) or a retrospective (1) application of a change in accounting principles; (2) revision to reportable segment information due to a change in the structure of the Company’s internal organization; (3) reclassification due to a discontinued operation; (4) application of a change in reporting entity, such as from a reorganization of entities under common control; (5) revision for stock splits, reverse stock splits, stock dividends or other changes in capital structure; or (6) adjustment to provisional amounts in connection with a prior business combination.
(i) “Incentive-based Compensation” means any compensation (including, for the avoidance of doubt, any cash or equity or equity-based compensation, whether deferred or current) that is granted, earned and/or vested based wholly or in part upon the achievement of a Financial Reporting Measure. For purposes of this Policy, “Incentive-based Compensation” shall also be deemed to include any amounts which were determined based on (or were otherwise calculated by reference to) Incentive-based Compensation (including, without limitation, any amounts under any long-term disability, life insurance or supplemental retirement or severance plan or agreement or any notional account that is based on Incentive-based Compensation, as well as any earnings accrued thereon).
(j) “NYSE” means the New York Stock Exchange, or any successor thereof.
(k) “Recoupment Period” means the three fiscal years completed immediately preceding the date of any applicable Recoupment Trigger Date. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Recoupment Period additionally includes any transition period (that results from a change in the Company’s fiscal year) within or immediately following those three completed fiscal years, provided that a transition period between the last day of the Company’s previous fiscal year end and the first day of its new fiscal year that comprises a period of nine (9) to twelve (12) months would be deemed a completed fiscal year.
(l) “Recoupment Trigger Date” means the earlier of (i) the date that the Board (or a committee thereof or the officer(s) of the Company authorized to take such action if Board action is not required) concludes, or reasonably should have concluded, that the Company is required to prepare a Financial Restatement, and (ii) the date on which a court, regulator or other legally authorized body directs the Company to prepare a Financial Restatement.
| 2. | Recoupment of Erroneously Awarded Compensation. |
(a) In the event of a Financial Restatement, if the amount of any Covered Compensation received by a Covered Executive (the “Awarded Compensation”) exceeds the amount of such Covered Compensation that would have otherwise been received by such Covered Executive if calculated based on the Financial Restatement (the “Adjusted Compensation”), the Company shall reasonably promptly recover from such Covered Executive an amount equal to the excess of the Awarded Compensation over the Adjusted Compensation, each calculated on a pre-tax basis (such excess amount, the “Erroneously Awarded Compensation”).
(b) If (i) the Financial Reporting Measure applicable to the relevant Covered Compensation is stock price or total shareholder return (or any measure derived wholly or in part from either of such measures) and (ii) the amount of Erroneously Awarded Compensation is not subject to mathematical recalculation directly from the information in the Financial Restatement, then the amount of Erroneously Awarded Compensation shall be determined (on a pre-tax basis) based on the Company’s reasonable estimate of the effect of the Financial Restatement on the Company’s stock price or total shareholder return (or the derivative measure thereof) upon which such Covered Compensation was received.
(c) For the avoidance of doubt, the Company’s obligation to recover Erroneously Awarded Compensation is not dependent on (i) if or when the restated financial statements are filed or (ii) any fault of any Covered Executive for the accounting errors or other actions leading to a Financial Restatement.
(d) Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in Sections 2(a) through (c) hereof, the Company shall not be required to recover any Erroneously Awarded Compensation if both (x) the conditions set forth in either of the following clauses (i), (ii), or (iii) are satisfied and (y) the Committee (or a majority of the independent directors serving on the Board) has determined that recovery of the Erroneously Awarded Compensation would be impracticable:
(i) the direct expense paid to a third party to assist in enforcing the recovery of the Erroneously Awarded Compensation under this Policy would exceed the amount of such Erroneously Awarded Compensation to be recovered; provided that, before concluding that it would be impracticable to recover any amount of Erroneously Awarded Compensation pursuant to this Section 2(d), the Company shall have first made a reasonable attempt to recover such Erroneously Awarded Compensation, document such reasonable attempt(s) to make such recovery and provide that documentation to the NYSE;
(ii) recovery of the Erroneously Awarded Compensation would violate Israeli law to the extent such law was adopted prior to November 28, 2022 (provided that, before concluding that it would be impracticable to recover any amount of Erroneously Awarded Compensation pursuant to this Section 2(d)), the Company shall have first obtained an opinion of home country counsel of Israel, that is acceptable to the NYSE, that recovery would result in such a violation, and the Company must provide such opinion to the NYSE; or
(iii) recovery of the Erroneously Awarded Compensation would likely cause an otherwise tax-qualified retirement plan, under which benefits are broadly available to employees of the Company, to fail to meet the requirements of Sections 401(a)(13) or 411(a) of the U.S. Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”).
Notwithstanding the foregoing, in no event shall the Company rely on any of the foregoing clauses (i), (ii) or (iii) if doing so would (or would be reasonably likely to) violate any obligation of the Company to recover compensation under Israeli law.
(e) The Company shall not indemnify any Covered Executive, directly or indirectly, for any losses that such Covered Executive may incur in connection with the recovery of Erroneously Awarded Compensation pursuant to this Policy, including through the payment of insurance premiums or gross-up payments.
(f) The Committee shall determine, in its sole discretion, the manner and timing in which any Erroneously Awarded Compensation shall be recovered from a Covered Executive in accordance with applicable law. For the avoidance of doubt, except as set forth in Section 2(d) (if applicable), in no event may the Company accept an amount that is less than the amount of Erroneously Awarded Compensation; provided that, to the extent necessary to avoid any adverse tax consequences to the Covered Executive pursuant to Section 409A of the Code, any offsets against amounts under any nonqualified deferred compensation plans (as defined under Section 409A of the Code) shall be made in compliance with Section 409A of the Code; provided, further, that in no event shall the manner and timing of recovery of Erroneously Awarded Compensation pursuant to this Section 2(f) result in a violation of Israeli law.
3. Administration. This Policy shall be administered by the Committee. All decisions of the Committee shall be final, conclusive and binding upon the Company and the Covered Executives, their beneficiaries, executors, administrators and any other legal representative. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained herein, to the extent permitted by Section 10D of the Exchange Act and the Listing Rule, the Board may, in its sole discretion, at any time and from time to time, administer this Policy in the same manner as the Committee. This Section 3 does not derogate from any required approval or consent, if mandatory, under the Israeli Companies Law.
4. Amendment. Subject to Section 10D of the Exchange Act and the Listing Rule, this Policy may be amended or terminated by the Committee and the Board at any time.
To the extent that any applicable law, including Israeli law, or stock market or exchange rules or regulations or any applicable policy (including the Compensation Policy) require recovery of Erroneously Awarded Compensation (or any other recoupment of compensation) in circumstances and / or terms in addition to or more restrictive than those specified herein, nothing in this Policy shall be deemed to limit or restrict the right or obligation of the Company to recover any such compensation to the fullest extent required by such applicable law, stock market or exchange rules and regulations or policy. Unless otherwise required by any applicable law, this Policy shall no longer be effective from and after the date that the Company no longer has a class of securities publicly listed on a United States national securities exchange. This Section 4 does not derogate from any required approval or consent, if mandatory, under Israeli law.
5. Interpretation. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary herein, this Policy is intended to comply with, and shall be interpreted in a manner that satisfies, the requirements of Section 10D of the Exchange Act and the Listing Rule (and any applicable regulations, administrative interpretations or stock market or exchange rules and regulations adopted in connection therewith), but subject to any applicable law.
6. Other Compensation Clawback/Recoupment Rights. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Policy, any right of recoupment under this Policy is in addition to, and not in lieu of, any other remedies, rights, obligations or requirements with respect to the clawback or recoupment of any compensation that may apply to the Company pursuant to the terms of any other recoupment or clawback policy of the Company (or any of its affiliates) that may be in effect from time to time (including, without limitation, the provisions of the Compensation Recovery (“Claw-Back”) Section of the Compensation Policy), any provisions in any employment agreement, offer letter, equity plan, equity award agreement or similar plan or agreement, and any other legal remedies available to the Company, as well as applicable law (including, without limitation, Israeli law), stock market or exchange rules, listing standards or regulations; provided, however, that any amounts recouped or clawed back under any other policy that would be recoupable under this Policy shall count toward any required clawback or recoupment under this Policy and vice versa.
(a) Any applicable award agreement or other document setting forth the terms and conditions of any compensation covered by this Policy shall be deemed to include the restrictions imposed herein and incorporate this Policy by reference and, in the event of any inconsistency, the terms of this Policy will govern.
(b) This Policy shall be binding and enforceable against all Covered Executives and their beneficiaries, heirs, executors, administrators or other legal representatives.
(c) If any provision of this Policy is determined to be unenforceable or invalid under any applicable law, such provision will be applied to the maximum extent permitted by applicable law and shall automatically be deemed amended in a manner consistent with its objectives to the extent necessary to conform to any limitations required under applicable law.