Texas Instruments (TXN) DEF 14ADefinitive proxy

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

SCHEDULE 14A

Dear Stockholder:

You are cordially invited to attend the 2022 annual meeting of stockholders on Thursday, April 28, 2022, in the auditorium on our property at 12500 TI Boulevard, Dallas, Texas, at 8:30 a.m. (Central time). If you plan to attend the annual meeting, please see “Attendance and instructions for the annual meeting.” At the meeting we will consider and act upon the following matters:

Stockholders of record at the close of business on March 2, 2022, are entitled to vote at the annual meeting.

PROXY STATEMENT – MARCH 15, 2022

EXECUTIVE OFFICES

12500 TI BOULEVARD, DALLAS, TX 75243

MAILING ADDRESS: P.O. BOX 660199, DALLAS, TX 75266-0199

Voting procedures, quorum and attendance requirements

TI’s board of directors requests your proxy for the annual meeting of stockholders on April 28, 2022. If you sign and return the enclosed proxy, or vote by telephone or on the internet, you authorize the persons named in the proxy to represent you and vote your shares for the purposes mentioned in the notice of annual meeting. This proxy statement and related proxy are being distributed on or about March 15, 2022. If you come to the meeting, you can vote in person. If you do not come to the meeting, your shares can be voted only if you have returned a properly signed proxy or followed the telephone or internet voting instructions, which can be found on the enclosed proxy. If you sign and return your proxy but do not give voting instructions, the shares represented by that proxy will be voted as recommended by the board of directors. You can revoke your authorization at any time before the shares are voted at the meeting.

A quorum of stockholders is necessary to hold a valid meeting. If at least a majority of the shares of TI common stock issued and outstanding and entitled to vote are present in person or by proxy, a quorum will exist. Abstentions and broker non-votes are counted as present for purposes of establishing a quorum. Broker non-votes occur when a beneficial owner who holds company stock through a broker does not provide the broker with voting instructions as to any matter on which the broker is not permitted to exercise its discretion and vote without specific instruction.

Shown below is a list of the matters to be considered at the meeting (each of which is discussed elsewhere in this proxy statement) and the vote required for election or approval, as the case may be.

Attendance at the annual meeting is limited to stockholders or their legal proxy holders. Each attendee must present a government-issued photo ID, such as a driver's license or passport, and an advance registration form to gain access. You may be denied entrance if the required identification and registration form are not presented. All attendees will be required to comply with TI’s then-current site visitor policy, which will be posted on our Investor Relations website on or before April 21, 2022.

If you plan to attend the annual meeting in person, you must print your own advance registration form and bring it to the meeting. Advance registration forms can be printed by clicking on the “Register for Meeting” button found at www.proxyvote.com and following the instructions provided. You will need the 16-digit control number included in your notice, proxy card or voting instruction form. You must request your advance registration form by April 27, 2022, at 11:59 p.m. (Eastern time). If you are unable to print your advance registration form, please call Stockholder Meeting Registration Phone Support (toll free) at 1-844-318-0137 or 1-925-331-6070 (international toll) for assistance.

Guest advance registration forms are not available. Exceptions may be granted to stockholders who require a companion in order to facilitate their own attendance (for example, due to a physical disability) by contacting Investor Relations.

Additionally, if you plan to attend as proxy for a stockholder of record, you must present a valid legal proxy from the stockholder of record to you. If you plan to attend as proxy for a street name stockholder, you must present a valid legal proxy from the stockholder of record (i.e., the bank, broker or other holder of record) to the street name stockholder that is assignable and a valid legal proxy from the street name stockholder to you. Stockholders may appoint only one proxy holder to attend on their behalf.

Important governance update

On January 20, 2022, TI’s board of directors approved by-law amendments to add a new provision allowing net long owners of 25% or more of the company’s outstanding common stock to call a special meeting of stockholders. These amendments were publicly disclosed pursuant to a Form 8-K filed on January 26, 2022. See “Adoption of special meeting right in response to 2021 written consent proposal” for more information regarding the bases on which the company took this action, including a description of the company’s robust stockholder outreach campaign.

Election of directors

Directors are elected at the annual meeting to hold office until the next annual meeting and until their successors are elected and qualified. The board of directors has designated the following persons as nominees: Mark A. Blinn, Todd M. Bluedorn, Janet F. Clark, Carrie S. Cox, Martin S. Craighead, Jean M. Hobby, Michael D. Hsu, Haviv Ilan, Ronald Kirk, Pamela H. Patsley, Robert E. Sanchez and Richard K. Templeton.

If you return a proxy that is not otherwise marked, your shares will be voted FOR each of the nominees.

All of the nominees for directorship are directors of the company. If any nominee becomes unable to serve before the meeting, the persons named as proxies may vote for a substitute or the number of directors will be reduced accordingly.

The board prefers a mix of background and experience among its members. The board does not follow any ratio or formula to determine the appropriate mix. Rather, it uses its judgment to identify nominees whose backgrounds, attributes and experiences, taken as a whole, will contribute to the high standards of board service at the company. The board actively seeks women and minority candidates for the pool from which board candidates are chosen. Maintaining a balance of tenure among the directors is also part of the board’s consideration. Longer-serving directors bring valuable experience with the company and familiarity with the strategic and operational challenges it has faced over the years, while newer directors bring fresh perspectives and ideas. To help maintain this balance, the company has a mandatory retirement policy, pursuant to which directors cannot stand for election after reaching age 70. The effectiveness of the board’s approach to board composition decisions is evidenced by the directors’ participation in the insightful and robust, yet respectful, deliberation that occurs at board and committee meetings, and in shaping the agendas for those meetings.

In evaluating prospective nominees and as stated in our corporate governance guidelines, the Governance and Stockholder Relations (GSR) Committee considers the following criteria:

As it considered director nominees for the 2022 annual meeting, the board kept in mind that the most important issues it considers typically relate to the company’s strategic direction; succession planning for senior executive positions; the company’s financial performance; the challenges of running a large, complex enterprise, including the management of its risks; major acquisitions and divestitures; and significant research and development (R&D) and capital investment decisions. These issues arise in the context of the company’s operations, which primarily involve the manufacture and sale of semiconductors all over the world into industrial, automotive, personal electronics, communications equipment and enterprise systems markets.

As described below, each of our director nominees has achieved an extremely high level of success in his or her career, whether at multibillion dollar, multinational corporate enterprises or significant governmental organizations. In these positions, each has been directly involved in the challenges relating to setting the strategic direction and managing the financial performance, personnel and processes of large, complex organizations, which includes key sustainability matters. Each has had exposure to effective leaders and has developed the ability to judge leadership qualities. Ten of the director nominees have experience in serving on the board of directors of at least one other major corporation, and one has served in high political office, all of which provides additional relevant experience on which each nominee can draw.

In concluding that each nominee should serve as a director, the board relied on the specific experiences and attributes listed below and on the direct personal knowledge, born of previous service on the board, that each of the nominees brings insight to board deliberations as well as a willingness to ask challenging questions.

All nominees for directorship are currently directors. Mr. Ilan is the only director nominee at the 2022 annual meeting of stockholders who is standing for election by the stockholders for the first time.

The board believes its current size is within the desired range as stated in the board’s corporate governance guidelines.

The board is responsible for approving nominees for election as directors. To assist in this task, the board has designated a standing committee, the GSR Committee, that is responsible for reviewing and recommending nominees to the board. The GSR Committee is comprised solely of independent directors as defined by the rules of the Nasdaq Stock Market (Nasdaq) and the board’s corporate governance guidelines. Our board of directors has adopted a written charter for the GSR Committee. It can be found on our website at www.ti.com/corporategovernance.

It is a long-standing policy of the board to consider prospective board nominees recommended by stockholders. A stockholder who wishes to recommend a prospective board nominee for the GSR Committee’s consideration can write to the Secretary of the GSR Committee, Texas Instruments Incorporated, P.O. Box 655936, MS 8658, Dallas, TX 75265-5936. The GSR Committee will evaluate the stockholder’s prospective board nominee in the same manner as it evaluates other nominees.

Under the company’s by-laws, a stockholder, or a group of up to 20 stockholders, owning at least 3% of the company’s outstanding common stock continuously for at least three years, may nominate and include in the company’s proxy materials director nominees constituting up to the greater of two individuals or 20% of the board of directors, provided that the stockholder(s) and the nominee(s) satisfy the requirements specified in the by-laws, which can be found on our website at www.ti.com/corporategovernance.

The company’s by-laws also allow stockholders to nominate directors without involving the GSR Committee or including the nominee in the company’s proxy materials. To do so, stockholders must comply with the requirements set forth in the by-laws.

Stockholders and others who wish to communicate with the board, a board committee or an individual director may write to them at: P.O. Box 655936, MS 8658, Dallas, TX 75265-5936. All communications addressed to the board, a board committee or an individual director that are sent to this address will be shared with the addressee.

The board has a long-standing commitment to responsible and effective corporate governance. We annually conduct extensive governance reviews and engage in investor outreach specific to governance, executive compensation and environmental and social matters. The board’s corporate governance guidelines (which include the director independence standards), the charters of each of the board’s committees, TI’s “Living our Values: TI’s ambitions, values and code of conduct,” our code of ethics for our CEO and senior financial officers and our by-laws are available on our website at www.ti.com/corporategovernance. Stockholders may request copies of these documents free of charge by writing to Texas Instruments Incorporated, P.O. Box 660199, MS 8657, Dallas, TX 75266-0199, Attn: Investor Relations.

At the 2021 annual meeting, holders of approximately 63% of our outstanding shares expressed support for a non-binding stockholder proposal to allow action by written consent without a meeting of stockholders (the “2021 proposal”).

The board described its concerns with a stockholder right to act by written consent in its 2021 Proxy Statement at pages 46-47. Following the 2021 annual meeting, the board remained concerned about the disruptive effects of a stockholder written consent right. For example, shareholder action by written consent could impede the company’s and our stockholders’ ability to thoroughly consider significant corporate actions and possible alternatives. In addition, stockholders without full economic interests or voting rights in the company could force the company to expend significant company resources, and a small number of stockholders could potentially unduly influence corporate actions. Given these concerns, and so that it could be well-positioned to incorporate stockholder feedback into its response to the 2021 proposal, the Governance and Stockholder Relations Committee requested that management engage with stockholders to understand the reasoning for their votes on the 2021 proposal.

Following the 2021 annual meeting, management undertook a robust stockholder outreach campaign to understand stockholder votes on the 2021 proposal and their views with respect to potential responses. Specifically, the company sought to understand whether stockholder support for the 2021 proposal represented a desire for the right to act by written consent, or if stockholders instead intended their votes to convey other preferences (for example, a desire for the right to act between annual meetings, such as a stockholder right to call a special meeting). With respect to the possibility of amending the company’s by-laws to allow stockholders to call a special meeting, management also sought feedback to understand stockholder preferences with respect to the ownership threshold at which such a right would apply.

Importantly, during these interactions, approximately 90% of stockholders who provided feedback indicated they would consider an amendment to the company’s by-laws to provide stockholders the right to call a special meeting responsive to the 2021 proposal.

In addition to the stockholder feedback described above, the company believes that the right for stockholders to call a special meeting is a better alternative to the right for shareholders to act by written consent because it provides for a more balanced and orderly process, including a more transparent discussion of the topic under consideration. It is also more common, as according to data collected by FactSet, approximately 30% of S&P 500 companies either provide stockholders the right to act by written consent or allow action by non-unanimous written consent. In contrast, approximately 70% of S&P 500 companies afford stockholders the right to call a special meeting, typically subject to an ownership threshold (with approximately 55% of S&P 500 companies with a special meeting right having an ownership threshold of 25% or greater).

Based on the extensive analyses and stockholder feedback described above, our board concluded that the adoption of a shareholder right to act by written consent would not be in the best interests of the company and its stockholders. Our board, however, is mindful of being responsive to stockholders’ expressed wishes regarding the ability to act outside of the regular annual meeting cycle. Therefore, the board amended the company’s by-laws to provide a stockholder right to call special meetings.

The special meeting right adopted by the board is consistent with prevailing corporate governance practices and the adopted 25% ownership threshold is supported by a significant number of the company’s stockholders. Indeed, most stockholders that engaged with us supported the 25% ownership threshold to call special meetings. No other ownership threshold received a comparable level of support from stockholders who engaged with us. Moreover, an analysis of market data showed that 25% is the most prevalent threshold among S&P 500 companies.

For all of the reasons described above, the company determined that it would be consistent with the wishes of the majority of our stockholders, and responsive to the vote on the 2021 proposal, to amend the company’s by-laws to provide the right for a combined 25% of stockholders to call a special meeting. The board adopted this amendment on January 20, 2022, and the by-law amendment was publicly disclosed pursuant to a Form 8-K filed on January 26, 2022.

It is a policy of the board to encourage directors to attend the annual meeting of stockholders. Attendance allows for interaction between stockholders and board members. In 2021, all directors attended TI’s annual meeting of stockholders.

The board has determined that each of our directors is independent except for Messrs. Templeton and Ilan. In connection with this determination, information was reviewed regarding directors’ business and charitable affiliations, directors’ immediate family members and their employers, and any transactions or arrangements between the company and such persons or entities. The board has adopted the following standards for determining independence.

Board organization

During 2021, the board held eight meetings. The board has three standing committees described below. The standing committees of the board collectively held 18 meetings in 2021. Each director attended at least 90% of the board and relevant committee meetings combined. Overall attendance at board and committee meetings was approximately 99%.

The Audit Committee is a separately designated standing committee established in accordance with Section 3(a)(58)(A) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. All members of the Audit Committee are independent under Nasdaq rules and the board’s corporate governance guidelines. Since April 22, 2021, the committee members have been Ms. Clark (chair), Ms. Hobby and Mr. Hsu.

The Audit Committee is generally responsible for:

The board has determined that all members of the Audit Committee are financially sophisticated, as the board has interpreted such qualifications in its business judgment. In addition, the board has designated Ms. Clark as the audit committee financial expert as defined in the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.

The Audit Committee met six times in 2021. The Audit Committee holds regularly scheduled meetings and reports its activities to the board. The committee also continued its long-standing practice of meeting directly with our internal audit staff to discuss the audit plan and to allow for direct interaction between Audit Committee members and our internal auditors.

All members of the Compensation Committee are independent. Since April 22, 2021, the committee members have been Ms. Patsley (chair), Mr. Blinn, Ms. Cox and Mr. Craighead. The committee is responsible for:

The Compensation Committee met five times in 2021. The Compensation Committee holds regularly scheduled meetings, reports its activities to the board, and consults with the board before setting annual executive compensation.

In performing its functions, the committee is supported by the company’s Human Resources organization. The committee has the authority to retain any advisors it deems appropriate to carry out its responsibilities. The committee retained Pearl Meyer & Partners as its compensation consultant for the 2021 compensation cycle. The committee instructed the consultant to advise it directly on executive compensation philosophy, strategies, pay levels, decision-making processes and other matters within the scope of the committee’s charter. Additionally, the committee instructed the consultant to assist the company’s Human Resources organization in its support of the committee in these matters with such items as peer-group assessment, analysis of the executive compensation market and compensation recommendations.

The Compensation Committee considers it important that its compensation consultant’s objectivity not be compromised by other engagements with the company or its management. In support of this belief, the committee has a policy on compensation consultants, a copy of which may be found on www.ti.com/corporategovernance. During 2021, the committee determined that its compensation consultant was independent of the company and had no conflict of interest.

The Compensation Committee considers executive compensation in a multistep process that involves the review of market information, performance data and possible compensation levels over several meetings leading to the annual determinations in January. Before setting executive compensation, the committee reviews the total compensation and benefits of the executive officers and considers the impact that their retirement, or termination under various other scenarios, would have on their compensation and benefits.

The CEO and the senior vice president responsible for Human Resources, who is an executive officer, are regularly invited to attend meetings of the committee. The CEO is excused from the meeting during any deliberations or vote on his compensation. No executive officer determines his or her own compensation or the compensation of any other executive officer. As members of the board, the members of the committee receive information concerning the performance of the company during the year and interact with our management. The CEO gives the committee and the board an assessment of his own performance during the year just ended. He also reviews the performance of the other executive officers with the committee and makes recommendations regarding their compensation. The senior vice president responsible for Human Resources assists in the preparation of and reviews the compensation recommendations made to the committee other than for her compensation.

The Compensation Committee’s charter provides that it may delegate its power, authority and rights with respect to TI’s long-term incentive plans, employee stock purchase plan and employee benefit plans to (i) one or more committees of the board established or delegated authority for that purpose; or (ii) employees or committees of employees except that no such delegation may be made with respect to compensation of the company’s executive officers.

Pursuant to that authority, the Compensation Committee has delegated to a special committee established by the board the authority to, among other things, grant a limited number of stock options and restricted stock units (RSUs) under the company’s long-term incentive plans. The sole member of the special committee is Mr. Templeton. The special committee has no authority to grant, amend or terminate any form of compensation for TI’s executive officers. The Compensation Committee reviews all activity of the special committee.

All members of the GSR Committee are independent. Since April 23, 2020, the committee members have been Mr. Kirk (chair), Mr. Bluedorn and Mr. Sanchez. The GSR Committee is generally responsible for:

The GSR Committee met seven times in 2021. The GSR Committee holds regularly scheduled meetings and reports its activities to the board.

The board recognizes that a robust and constructive evaluation process is an essential part of good corporate governance and board effectiveness. The board and committee annual evaluation processes are designed to assess board and committee effectiveness, as well as individual director performance and contribution levels. The results of the evaluations are part of the GSR Committee’s and the board’s consideration in connection with their review of director nominees to ensure the board continues to operate effectively.

Annually, each of our directors completes comprehensive board and committee questionnaires. Each committee oversees its own evaluation process, and the GSR Committee also oversees the board evaluation process. The questionnaires, and ongoing feedback from individual directors, facilitate a candid assessment of (i) the board and committees’ oversight of risk, strategy and operations; (ii) the board’s culture, leadership structure and mix of director skills, qualifications and experiences; and (iii) board and committee meeting mechanics. Our directors are willing to have honest and difficult conversations as needed during the evaluation and nomination process.

The board’s current leadership structure combines the positions of chairman and CEO and includes a lead director who presides at executive sessions and performs the duties listed below. The board believes that this structure, combined with its other practices (such as (a) including on each board agenda an opportunity for the independent directors to comment on and influence the proposed strategic agenda for future meetings and (b) holding an executive session of the independent directors at each board meeting), allows it to maintain the active engagement of independent directors and appropriate oversight of management.

The lead director is elected by the independent directors annually. The independent directors have elected Ms. Clark to serve as lead director. The duties of the lead director are to:

In addition, the lead director has authority to call meetings of the independent directors.

The board, led by its GSR Committee, regularly reviews the board’s leadership structure. The board’s consideration is guided by two questions: would stockholders be better served and would the board be more effective with a different structure. The board’s views are informed by a review of the practices of other companies and insight into the preferences of top stockholders, as gathered from face-to-face dialogue and review of published guidelines. The board also considers how board roles and interactions would change if its leadership structure changed. The board’s goal is for each director to have an equal stake in the board’s actions and equal accountability to the company and its stockholders.

The board continues to believe that there is no uniform solution for a board leadership structure. Indeed, the company has had varying board leadership models over its history, at times separating the positions of chairman and CEO and at times combining the two, and now utilizing a lead director.

It is management’s responsibility to assess and manage the various risks TI faces. It is the board’s responsibility to oversee management in this effort. In exercising its oversight, the board has allocated some areas of focus to its committees and has retained areas of focus for itself, as more fully described below.

Management generally views the risks TI faces as falling into the following categories: strategic, operational, financial and compliance. The board as a whole has oversight responsibility for the company’s strategic and operational risks (e.g., major initiatives, competitive markets and products, sales and marketing, R&D and cybersecurity). Throughout the year the CEO discusses these risks with the board. Additionally, at least once each year, the company’s chief information officer provides information on the cybersecurity risks and the company’s approach to protecting the company’s data and systems infrastructure to the board or Audit Committee. In the event of a material cybersecurity event, management would notify the board and, in compliance with our procedures, determine the timing and extent of the response and public disclosure, and whether any future vulnerabilities are expected.

TI’s Audit Committee has oversight responsibility for financial risk (such as accounting, finance, internal controls and tax strategy). Oversight responsibility for compliance risk is shared by the board committees. For example, the Audit Committee oversees compliance with the company’s code of conduct and finance- and accounting-related laws and policies, as well as the company’s compliance program itself; the Compensation Committee oversees compliance with the company’s executive compensation plans and related laws and policies; and the GSR Committee oversees compliance with governance-related laws and policies, including the company’s corporate governance guidelines.

The Audit Committee oversees the company’s approach to risk management as a whole, including cybersecurity and environmental-related risks. The company’s CFO reviews the company’s risk management process with the Audit Committee at least annually. In addition, the company’s chief information officer reviews the company’s information technology systems with the Audit Committee periodically and includes a discussion of key cybersecurity risks as appropriate.

The board’s leadership structure is consistent with the board and committees’ roles in risk oversight. As discussed above, the board has found that its current structure and practices are effective in fully engaging the independent

directors. Allocating various aspects of risk oversight among the committees provides for similar engagement. Having the chairman and CEO review strategic and operational risks with the board ensures that the director most knowledgeable about the company, the industry in which it operates and the competition and other challenges it faces shares those insights with the board, providing for a thorough and efficient process.

Management implements ESG-related policies and practices under the board’s oversight, including by (1) establishing broad policies for guidance of the organization, such as those contained in the document “Living our Values: TI’s ambitions, values and code of conduct,” which was approved by the board; (2) implementing those policies by delegation of authority and assigning responsibility to board committees, the chief executive officer, and other officers or employees as appropriate; and (3) monitoring and evaluating performance to assure that the stated policies are being followed.

Where ESG-related issues may have significance for TI, these matters are reviewed in the relevant committee. We believe this approach ensures that ESG issues are overseen by the Committee with the appropriate focus. For example, climate-related issues are reviewed with the Audit Committee by the vice president of worldwide environmental, safety and health. The GSR Committee also oversees ESG matters in connection with its responsibility to review public issues of interest to company stakeholders. Management also provides updates to the GSR Committee at least annually on shareholder policies and proposals regarding ESG matters that are relevant to the company.

Director compensation

The GSR Committee has responsibility for reviewing and making recommendations to the board on compensation for non-employee directors, with the board making the final determination. The committee has no authority to delegate its responsibility regarding director compensation. In carrying out this responsibility, it is supported by TI’s Human Resources organization. The CEO, the senior vice president responsible for Human Resources and the Secretary review the recommendations made to the committee. The CEO also votes, as a member of the board, on the compensation of non-employee directors.

The board has determined that annual grants of equity compensation to non-employee directors will be timed to occur in January when grants are made to our U.S. employees in connection with the annual compensation review process. See “Process for equity grants” for a discussion regarding the timing of equity compensation grants.

It is against TI policy for any employee, including an executive officer, or director to engage in trading in “puts” (options to sell at a fixed price), “calls” (similar options to buy) or other options or hedging techniques on TI stock specifically designed to limit losses on TI stock or equity compensation held by the employee or director. It is also against TI policy for directors and executive officers to pledge TI stock.

Directors are not paid a fee for meeting attendance, but we reimburse non-employee directors for their travel, lodging and related expenses incurred in connection with attending board, committee and stockholders meetings and other designated events. In addition, non-employee directors may travel on company aircraft to and from these meetings and other designated events.

Under the Director Plan, some directors have chosen to defer all or part of their cash compensation. These deferred amounts are credited to either a cash account or stock unit account. Cash accounts earn interest from TI at a rate currently based on Moody’s Seasoned Aaa Corporate Bonds. For 2021, that rate was 2.32%. Stock unit accounts fluctuate in value with the underlying shares of TI common stock, which will be issued after the deferral period. Dividend equivalents are paid on these stock units. Directors may also defer settlement of the restricted stock units they receive.

We have arrangements with certain customers whereby our employees may purchase consumer products containing TI components at discounted pricing. In addition, the TI Foundation has a matching gift program. In both cases, directors are entitled to participate on the same terms and conditions available to employees.

Non-employee directors are not eligible to participate in any TI-sponsored pension plan.

The following table shows the compensation of all persons who were non-employee members of the board during 2021 for services in all capacities to TI in 2021.

Executive compensation

We are providing shareholders the opportunity to cast advisory votes on named executive officer compensation as required by Section 14A of the Securities Exchange Act.

The “named executive officers” are the chief executive officer, the chief financial officer and the three other most highly compensated executive officers, as named in the compensation tables on pages 36-50.

We ask shareholders to approve the following resolution:

We encourage shareholders to review the Compensation Discussion and Analysis section of the proxy statement, which follows. It discusses our executive compensation policies and programs and explains the compensation decisions relating to the named executive officers for 2021. We believe that the policies and programs serve the interests of our shareholders and that the compensation received by the named executive officers is commensurate with the performance and strategic position of the company.

Although the outcome of this annual vote is not binding on the company or the board, the Compensation Committee of the board will consider it when setting future compensation for the executive officers.

This section describes TI’s compensation program for executive officers. It will provide insight into the following:

For years, we have run our business and invested in our people and communities with three overarching ambitions in mind. First, we will act like owners who will own the company for decades. Second, we will adapt and succeed in a world that is ever changing. And third, we will be a company that we are personally proud to be a part of and that we would want as our neighbor. When we are successful in achieving these ambitions, our employees, customers, communities and shareholders all win. Central to our ambitions, which are the foundation of our approach to environmental, social, and governance (ESG) and sustainability, is a belief that in order for all stakeholders to benefit, the company must grow stronger over the long term. Our compensation program is structured with these ambitions in mind.

The Compensation Committee of TI’s board of directors is responsible for setting the compensation of all TI executive officers. The committee consults with the other independent directors and its compensation consultant, Pearl Meyer & Partners, before setting annual compensation for the executives. The committee chair regularly reports on committee actions at board meetings.

In assessing performance and compensation decisions, the committee does not use formulas, thresholds or multiples. Because market conditions can quickly change in our industry, thresholds established at the beginning of a year could prove irrelevant by year-end. The committee believes its approach, which assesses the company’s absolute and relative performance in hindsight after year-end (for the most recent one- and three-year periods), gives it the insight to most effectively and critically judge results and encourages executives to pursue strategies that serve the long-term interests of the company and its shareholders. It also promotes accuracy in our assessment and comparison to competition and eliminates the need for adjustments to formulas, targets or thresholds during times of uncertain market conditions.

The primary elements of our executive compensation program are as follows:

The Compensation Committee considers the market level of compensation when setting the salary, bonuses and equity compensation of the executive officers. To estimate the market level of pay, the committee uses information provided by its compensation consultant and TI’s Compensation and Benefits organization about compensation paid to executives in similar positions at a peer group of companies (the “Comparator Group”).

The committee sets the Comparator Group and reviews it annually. In general, the Comparator Group companies (i) are U.S.-based, (ii) engage in the semiconductor business, other electronics or information technology activities or use sophisticated manufacturing processes, (iii) have executive positions comparable in complexity to those of TI and (iv) use forms of executive compensation comparable to TI’s.

Shown in the table below is the Comparator Group used for the compensation decisions for 2021.

In July 2021, the committee conducted its regular review of the Comparator Group in terms of industry, revenue and market capitalization. With the advice of its compensation consultant and to maintain comparability of company size and degree of industry similarity to TI, the committee decided to remove DXC Technology Company and to add Micron Technology, Inc. to the group. The committee used the new Comparator Group for the bonus decisions in January 2022 relating to 2021 performance. The table below compares the Comparator Group to TI in terms of revenue and market capitalization.

Before finalizing the compensation of the executive officers, the committee reviewed all elements of compensation. The information included total cash compensation (salary, profit sharing and projected bonus), the grant date fair value of equity compensation, the impact (if any) that proposed compensation would have on other compensation elements, and a summary of benefits that the executives would receive under various termination scenarios. The review enabled the committee to see how various compensation elements relate to one another and what impact its decisions would have on the total earnings opportunity of the executives. In assessing the information, the committee did not target a specific level of total compensation or use a formula to allocate compensation among the various elements. Instead, it used its judgment in assessing whether the total was consistent with the objectives of the program. Based on this review, the committee determined that the level of compensation was appropriate.

The committee set the 2021 rate of base salary for the following named executive officers as follows:

For each of these executive officers, the committee set the 2021 base-salary rate listed above in January 2021. In keeping with its strategy, the committee targeted the annual base-salary rates to be at the estimated median level of salaries expected to be paid to similarly situated executives (considering job scope and tenure) of companies within the Comparator Group in January 2021.

The salary differences between the named executive officers were driven primarily by the market rate of pay (considering job scope and tenure) for each officer and not the application of a formula designed to maintain a differential between the officers.

In 2021, the committee awarded equity compensation to each of the named executive officers listed below. The grants are shown in the table under “Grants of plan-based awards in 2021.” The grant date fair value of the awards is reflected in that table and in the “Stock Awards” and “Option Awards” columns of the 2021 summary compensation table. The table below is provided to assist the reader in comparing the grant date fair values and number of shares for each of the years shown in the summary compensation table.

In January 2021, the committee awarded equity compensation to each of the named executive officers listed above. The committee’s general objective was to award to those officers equity compensation that had a grant date fair value at approximately the median market level of the most recently disclosed equity compensation granted by the Comparator Group.

In assessing the market level, the committee considered information presented by TI’s Compensation and Benefits organization (prepared using data provided by the committee’s compensation consultant) on the estimated value of the awards expected to be granted to similarly situated executives (considering job scope and tenure) of companies within the Comparator Group. The award value was estimated using the same methodology used for financial accounting.

For each officer, the committee set the desired grant value. The committee decided to allocate the value equally between restricted stock units and options for each officer, to give equal emphasis to promoting retention and performance, motivating the executive and aligning interests with those of shareholders.

Before approving the grants, the committee reviewed the amount of unvested equity compensation held by the officers to assess its retention value. In making this assessment, the committee used its judgment and did not apply any formula, threshold or maximum. This review did not result in an increase or decrease of the awards.

The exercise price of the options was the closing price of TI stock on January 28, 2021, the second trading day after the company released its annual and fourth-quarter financial results for 2020. All grants were made under the Texas Instruments 2009 Long-Term Incentive Plan, which shareholders approved in April 2009 and amended in 2016.

All grants have the terms described under “Outstanding equity awards at fiscal year-end 2021.” The differences in the equity awards between the named executive officers were primarily the result of differences in the applicable estimated market level of equity compensation for their positions, and not the application of any formula designed to maintain differentials between the officers.

In January 2022, the committee set the 2021 bonus compensation for executive officers based on its assessment of 2021 performance. In setting the bonuses, the committee used the following performance measures to assess the company:

In addition, the committee considered strategic progress by reviewing company and strategic positioning (including ESG), operating performance, and revenue growth, including TI competitiveness in key markets with core products and technologies, and the strength of relationships with customers.

In the comparison of relative performance, the committee used the following companies (the “competitor companies”):

To the extent the companies had not released financial results for the year or the most recent quarter, the committee based its evaluation on estimates and projections of the companies’ financial results for 2021.

This list includes both broad-based and niche suppliers that operate in our key markets or offer technology that competes with our products. The committee considers annually whether the list is still appropriate in terms of revenue, market capitalization and changes in business activities of the companies. In 2021, Maxim Integrated Products, Inc. and Xilinx, Inc. were removed from the list because of acquisitions. Consequently, the committee added Qorvo, Inc. and Renesas Electronics Corporation.

Assessment of 2021 performance

The committee spent extensive time in December and January assessing TI’s results and strategic progress for 2021. In setting bonuses, the committee considered quantitative and qualitative measures on both an absolute and relative basis, and the company’s strategic focus on long-term growth of free cash flow per share, and made certain that resulting decisions were founded on both solid data and sound judgment. On an absolute basis, revenue and operating profit margin were both positive, with operating profit being better than median relative to competitors while revenue remained below median. TSR was also positive on an absolute basis and below median relative to competitors. Free cash flow for the year was $6.3 billion and 34.3% of revenue. In aggregate, the committee determined that the company continued to strengthen its strategic position and operating performance, while also growing 2021 revenue. Therefore, the committee targeted a bonus increase of 10% for 2021. Details on the committee’s assessment are below.

Before setting the bonuses for the named executive officers, the committee considered the officers’ individual performance. The performance of Mr. Templeton was judged according to the performance of the company. For the other officers, the committee considered the factors described below in assessing individual performance. In making this assessment, the committee did not apply any formula or performance targets.

Mr. Lizardi is the chief financial officer. The committee noted the financial management of the company.

Mr. Ilan is responsible for all business and sales operations, information technology, and global technology and manufacturing operations. The committee noted the financial performance and strategic position of the product lines and activities for which he was responsible.

Mr. Kozanian is responsible for our analog signal chain product line within our analog business. The committee noted the financial performance and strategic position of this product line.

Mr. Flessner is responsible for our semiconductor technology and manufacturing operations. The committee noted the performance of those operations, including their cost-competitiveness and inventory management.

The bonuses awarded for 2021 performance are shown in the table below. The differences in the amounts awarded to the named executive officers were primarily the result of differences in the officers’ level of responsibility and related performance and the applicable market level of total cash compensation expected to be paid to similarly situated officers at companies within the Comparator Group.

In September 2021, the committee approved one-time, off-cycle cash bonuses in an amount equal to 10% of base salary for certain employees and executive officers, including Messrs. Kozanian and Flessner, in recognition of their extraordinary efforts to manage issues related to the semiconductor supply shortage.

Results of the compensation decisions made by the committee relating to the named executive officers are summarized in the following table. This table is provided as a supplement to the summary compensation table for investors who may find it useful to see the data presented in this form. Although the committee does not target a specific level of total compensation, it considers information similar to that in the table to ensure that the sum of these elements is, in its judgment, in a reasonable range.

*    Consists of performance bonus awarded for 2021 in the amount of $1,325,000 for Mr. Kozanian and $1,325,000 for Mr. Flessner, and a one-time cash bonus of $68,000 for Mr. Kozanian and $70,000 for Mr. Flessner for extraordinary effort managing issues related to the semiconductor supply shortage.

This table shows the annual rate of base salary for each named executive officer. In the summary compensation table, the “Salary” column shows the actual salary paid in the year. Please see Notes 1 and 2 to the summary compensation table for information about how grant date fair value was calculated.

For Messrs. Ilan and Kozanian, the “Total” for 2021 was higher than 2020 primarily due to higher equity awards in 2021, reflecting an effort to align with the projected market range for similarly situated executives in our comparator group.

The compensation decisions shown above resulted in the following 2021 compensation mix for the named executive officers:

*    Average data for the named executive officers other than Mr. Templeton

Equity dilution

The Compensation Committee’s goal is to keep net annual dilution from equity compensation under 2%. “Net annual dilution” means the number of shares under equity awards granted by the committee each year to all employees (net of award forfeitures) as a percentage of the shares of the company’s outstanding common stock. Equity awards granted in 2021 resulted in 0.3% net annual dilution.

The Compensation Committee makes grant decisions for equity compensation at its January meeting each year. The dates on which these meetings occur are generally set three years in advance. The January meetings of the board and the committee generally occur in the week or two before we announce our financial results for the previous quarter and year.

The committee has a policy concerning recoupment (“clawback”) of executive bonuses and equity compensation. Under the policy, in the event of a material restatement of TI’s financial results due to misconduct, the committee will review the facts and circumstances and take the actions it considers appropriate with respect to the compensation of any executive officer or senior vice president whose fraud or willful misconduct contributed to the need for such restatement. Such action may include (a) seeking reimbursement of any bonus paid to such officer exceeding the amount that, in the judgment of the committee, would have been paid had the financial results been properly reported and (b) seeking to recover profits received by such officer during the 12 months after the restated period under equity compensation awards. All determinations by the committee with respect to this policy are final and binding on all interested parties.

In April 2021, our shareholders cast an advisory vote on the company’s executive compensation decisions and policies as disclosed in the proxy statement issued by the company in March 2021. Approximately 88% of the shares voted on the matter were cast in support of the compensation decisions and policies as disclosed. The committee considered this result and determined that it was not necessary at this time to make any material changes to the company’s compensation policies and practices in response to the advisory vote.

The executive officers participate in our retirement plans under the same rules that apply to other U.S. employees. We maintain these plans to have a competitive benefits program and for retention.

We have a U.S. qualified defined benefit pension plan that was closed to new participants in 1997. Then-current participants were given the choice to continue participating in the plan, or to have their plan benefits frozen (i.e., no benefit increase attributable to years of service or change in eligible earnings) and begin participating in an enhanced defined contribution plan. Messrs. Templeton and Flessner chose to have their benefits frozen. The other named executive officers joined the company after 1997 and are not eligible to participate in the defined benefit plan.

The Internal Revenue Code (IRC) imposes certain limits on the retirement benefits that may be provided under a qualified plan. To maintain the desired level of benefits, we have non-qualified defined benefit pension plans for participants in the qualified pension plan. Under the non-qualified plans, participants receive benefits that would ordinarily be paid under the qualified pension plan but for the limitations under the IRC. For additional information about the defined benefit plans, please see “2021 pension benefits.”

In general, if an employee who participates in the pension plan (including an employee whose benefits are frozen as described above) dies after having met the requirements for normal or early retirement, his or her beneficiary will receive a benefit equal to the lump-sum amount that the participant would have received if he or she had retired before death. Having already reached the age of 55 and at least 20 years of employment, Mr. Templeton is eligible for early retirement under the pension plans.

All employees who are not accruing benefits in the qualified pension plan are eligible to participate in a defined contribution plan that provides employer matching contributions. All named executive officers participate. This plan provides for (i) a fixed employer contribution plus an employer matching contribution for employees hired on or before December 31, 2003 or (ii) an employer matching contribution for employees hired after December 31, 2003.

The committee considers the potential effect on the executives’ retirement benefits when it sets salary and performance bonus levels.

Any U.S. employee whose base salary and management responsibility exceed a certain level may defer the receipt of a portion of his or her salary, bonus and profit sharing. Rules of the U.S. Department of Labor require that this plan be limited to a select group of management or highly compensated employees. The plan allows employees to defer the receipt of their compensation in a tax-efficient manner. Eligible employees include, but are not limited to, the executive officers. We have the plan to be competitive with the benefits packages offered by other companies.

The executive officers’ deferred compensation account balances are unsecured and all amounts remain part of the company’s operating assets. The value of the deferred amounts tracks the performance of investment alternatives selected by the participant. These alternatives are identical to those offered to participants in the defined contribution plans described above. The company does not guarantee any minimum return on the amounts deferred. In accordance with SEC rules, no earnings on deferred compensation are shown in the summary compensation table for 2021 because no “above market” rates were earned on deferred amounts in that year.

We have an employee stock purchase plan. Under the plan, which our shareholders approved, all employees in the U.S. and certain other countries may purchase a limited number of shares of the company’s common stock at a 15% discount. The plan is designed to offer the broad-based employee population an opportunity to acquire an equity interest in the company and thereby align their interests with those of shareholders. Consistent with our general approach to benefit programs, executive officers are also eligible to participate.

Executive officers are eligible under the same plans as all other U.S. employees for medical, dental, vision, disability and life insurance. These benefits are intended to be competitive with benefits offered in the semiconductor industry.

Executive officers receive only a few benefits that are not available to all other U.S. employees. They are eligible for a company-paid physical and financial counseling. In addition, the board of directors has determined that for security reasons, it is in the company’s interest to allow Mr. Templeton, at his option, to use company aircraft for personal air travel. Please see Footnote 5 of the summary compensation table for 2021 and “Potential payments upon termination or change in control – Termination – Perquisites” for further details. The company provides no tax gross-ups for perquisites to any of the executive officers.

None of the executive officers has an employment contract. Executive officers are eligible for benefits on the same terms as other U.S. employees upon termination of employment or a change in control of the company. The current programs are described under “Potential payments upon termination or change in control.” None of the few additional benefits that the executive officers receive continue after termination of employment, except that financial counseling is provided for a transition period following retirement. The committee reviews the potential impact of these programs before finalizing the annual compensation for the named executive officers. The committee did not raise or lower compensation for 2021 based on this review.

The Texas Instruments 2009 Long-Term Incentive Plan generally establishes double-trigger change-in-control terms for grants made in 2010 and later years. Under those terms, options become fully exercisable and shares are issued under restricted stock unit awards (to the extent permitted by Section 409A of the IRC) if the grantee is involuntarily terminated within 24 months after a change in control of TI. These terms are intended to encourage employees to remain with the company through a transaction while reducing employee uncertainty and distraction in the period leading up to any such event.

Our board of directors has established stock ownership guidelines for executive officers. The guideline for the CEO is six times base salary and the guideline for other executive officers is three times base salary. Executive officers have five years from their election as executive officers to reach these targets. Directly owned shares and restricted stock units count toward satisfying the guidelines.

Current tax law limits the tax deductibility of annual compensation paid to any publicly held corporation’s “covered employees,” which includes all of our named executive officers. The Compensation Committee considers the impact of this deductibility limit as one factor in its determination of compensation.

When setting equity compensation, the committee considers the cost for financial reporting purposes of equity compensation it intends to grant. Its consideration of the cost of grants made in 2021 is discussed under “Analysis of compensation determinations – Equity compensation.”

The Compensation Committee of the board of directors has furnished the following report:

The table below shows the compensation of the CEO, the CFO and each of the other three most highly compensated individuals who were executive officers during 2021 (collectively called the “named executive officers” (NEOs)) for services in all capacities to the company in 2021.

None of the options or other equity awards granted to the named executive officers was repriced or modified by the company.

For additional information regarding TI’s equity compensation grant practices, see the Compensation Discussion and Analysis.

The “Option Awards” shown in the table above are non-qualified stock options, each of which represents the right to purchase shares of TI common stock at the stated exercise price. The exercise price is the closing price of TI common stock on the grant date. The term of each option is 10 years unless the option is terminated earlier pursuant to provisions summarized in the chart below and in the paragraph following the chart. Options become exercisable in increments of 25% per year beginning on the first anniversary of the date of the grant. The chart below shows the termination provisions relating to stock options outstanding as of December 31, 2021. The Compensation Committee of the board of directors established these termination provisions to promote employee retention while offering competitive terms.

Options may be cancelled if, during the two years after employment termination, the grantee competes with TI or solicits TI employees to work for another company, or if the grantee discloses TI trade secrets. In addition, for options received while the grantee was an executive officer, the company may reclaim (or “claw back”) profits earned under grants if the officer engages in such conduct. These provisions are intended to strengthen retention and provide a reasonable remedy to TI in case of competition, solicitation of our employees or disclosure of our confidential information.

Options become fully vested if the grantee is involuntarily terminated from employment with TI (other than for cause) within 24 months after a change in control of TI. “Change in control” is defined as provided in the Texas Instruments 2009 Long-Term Incentive Plan and occurs upon (i) acquisition of more than 50% of the voting stock or at least 80% of the assets of TI or (ii) change of a majority of the board of directors in a 12-month period unless a majority of the directors then in office endorsed the appointment or election of the new directors (“Plan definition”). These terms are intended to reduce employee uncertainty and distraction in the period leading up to a change in control, if such an event were to occur.

The “Stock Awards” column in the table of outstanding equity awards at fiscal year-end 2021 are RSU awards. Each RSU represents the right to receive one share of TI common stock on a stated date (the “vesting date”) unless the award is terminated earlier under terms summarized below. In general, the vesting date is approximately four years after the grant date. Each RSU includes the right to receive dividend equivalents, which are paid annually in cash at a rate equal to the amount paid to stockholders in dividends.

The table below shows the termination provisions of RSUs outstanding as of December 31, 2021.

These termination provisions are intended to promote retention. All RSU awards contain cancellation and clawback provisions like those described above for stock options. The terms provide that, to the extent permitted by Section 409A of the IRC, the award vests upon involuntary termination of TI employment within 24 months after a change in control. Change in control is the Plan definition. These cancellation, clawback and change-in-control terms are intended to conform RSU terms with those of stock options (to the extent permitted by the IRC) and to achieve the objectives described above in the discussion of stock options.

In addition to the “Stock Awards” shown in the outstanding equity awards at fiscal year-end 2021 table, Mr. Templeton holds an award of RSUs that was granted in 1995. The award, for 120,000 shares of TI common stock, vested in 2000. Under the award terms, the shares will be issued to Mr. Templeton in March of the year after his termination of employment for any reason. These terms were designed to provide a tax benefit to the company by postponing the related compensation expense until it was likely to be fully deductible. In accordance with SEC requirements, this award is reflected in the 2021 non-qualified deferred compensation table.

The following table lists the number of shares acquired and the value realized as a result of option exercises by the named executive officers in 2021 and the value of any RSUs that vested in 2021. For option exercises, the value realized is calculated by multiplying the number of shares acquired by the difference between the exercise price and the market price of TI common stock on the exercise date. For RSUs, the value realized is calculated by multiplying the number of RSUs that vested by the market price of TI common stock on the vesting date.

The TI Employees Pension Plan is a qualified defined benefit pension plan. See “Benefits – Retirement plans” for a discussion of the origin and purpose of the plan. Employees who joined the U.S. payroll after November 30, 1997, are not eligible to participate in this plan.

Plan participants are eligible for normal retirement under the terms of the plan at 65 years of age with one year of credited service. Participants are eligible for early retirement at 55 years of age with 20 years of employment or 60 years of age with five years of employment. As of December 31, 2021, Mr. Templeton was eligible for early retirement.

Participants may request payment of accrued benefits at termination or any time thereafter. Participants may choose a lump-sum payment or one of six forms of annuity. In order of largest to smallest periodic payment, the forms of annuity are (i) single life annuity, (ii) 5-year certain and life annuity, (iii) 10-year certain and life annuity, (iv) joint and 50% survivor annuity, (v) joint and 75% survivor annuity and (vi) joint and 100% survivor annuity. Participants who do not request payment will begin to receive benefits in April of the year after reaching the age of 72 in the form of annuity required under the IRC.

The pension formula for the qualified plan is intended to provide a participant with an annual retirement benefit equal to 1.5% multiplied by the product of (i) years of credited service and (ii) the average of the five highest consecutive years of the participant’s base salary plus bonus up to a limit imposed by the IRS, less a percentage (based on the participant’s year of birth, when the participant elects to retire and the participant’s years of service with TI) of the amount of compensation on which the participant’s Social Security benefit is based.

If an individual takes early retirement and chooses to begin receiving an annual retirement benefit at that time, such benefit is reduced by an early retirement factor. As a result, the annual benefit is lower than the one the participant would have received at age 65.

Participants whose employment terminates due to disability may choose to receive their accrued benefits at any time prior to age 65. Alternatively, the participant may choose to defer receipt of the accrued benefit until reaching age 65 and then take a disability benefit. The disability benefit paid at age 65 is based on salary and bonus, years of credited service the participant would have accrued to age 65 had the participant not become disabled, and disabled status.

The benefit payable in the event of death is based on salary and bonus, years of credited service and age at the time of death, and may be in the form of a lump sum or annuity at the election of the beneficiary. The earliest date of payment is the first day of the second calendar month following the month of death.

TI has two non-qualified pension plans: the TI Employees Non-Qualified Pension Plan (Plan I), which governs amounts earned before 2005; and the TI Employees Non-Qualified Pension Plan II (Plan II), which governs amounts earned after 2004. Each is a non-qualified defined benefit pension plan. See “Benefits – Retirement plans” for a discussion of the purpose of the plans. As with the qualified defined benefit pension plan, employees who joined the U.S. payroll after November 30, 1997, are not eligible to participate in Plan I or Plan II. Eligibility for normal and early retirement under these plans is the same as under the qualified plan (see above). Benefits are paid in a lump sum.

A participant’s benefits under Plan I and Plan II are calculated using the same formula as described above for the TI Employees Pension Plan. However, the IRS limit on the amount of compensation on which a qualified pension benefit may be calculated does not apply. Additionally, the IRS limit on the amount of qualified benefit the participant may receive does not apply to these plans. Once this non-qualified benefit amount has been determined using the formula described above, the individual’s qualified benefit is subtracted from it. The resulting difference is multiplied by an age-based factor to obtain the amount of the lump-sum benefit payable to an individual under the non-qualified plans.

Amounts under Plan I will be distributed when payment of the participant’s benefit under the qualified pension plan commences. Amounts under Plan II will be distributed subject to the requirements of Section 409A of the IRC. Because the named executive officers are among the 50 most highly compensated officers of the company, Section 409A of the IRC requires that they not receive any lump-sum distribution payment under Plan II before the first day of the seventh month following termination of employment.

If a participant terminates due to disability, amounts under Plan I will be distributed when payment of the participant’s benefit under the qualified plan commences. For amounts under Plan II, distribution is governed by Section 409A of the IRC, and the disability benefit is reduced to reflect the payment of the benefit prior to age 65.

In the event of death, payment under both plans is based on salary and bonus, years of credited service and age at the time of death and will be in the form of a lump sum. The earliest date of payment is the first day of the second calendar month following the month of death.

Balances in the plans are unsecured obligations of the company. For amounts under Plan I, in the event of a change in control, the present value of the individual’s benefit would be paid not later than the month following the month in which the change in control occurred. For such amounts, “change in control” is defined as (i) acquisition of 20% of TI common stock other than through a transaction approved by the board of directors, or (ii) change of a majority of the board of directors in a 24-month period unless a majority of the directors then in office have elected or nominated the new directors. For all amounts accrued under this plan, if a sale of substantially all of the assets of the company occurred, the present value of the individual’s benefit would be distributed in a lump sum as soon as reasonably practicable following the sale of assets. For amounts under Plan II, no distribution of benefits is triggered by a change in control.

TI’s qualified and non-qualified pension plans provide that upon the death of a retirement-eligible employee, the employee’s beneficiary receives a payment equal to half of the benefit to which the employee would have been entitled under the pension plans had the employee retired instead of died. We have a survivor benefit plan that pays the beneficiary a lump sum that, when added to the reduced amounts the beneficiary receives under the pension plans, equals the benefit the employee would have been entitled to receive had the employee retired instead of died. Because Mr. Templeton was eligible for early retirement as of December 31, 2021, his beneficiaries would be eligible for benefits under the survivor benefit plan if he were to die.

See “Benefits – Retirement plans” for a discussion of the purpose of the plan. An employee’s deferred compensation account contains eligible compensation the employee has elected to defer and contributions by the company that are in excess of the IRS limits on (i) contributions the company may make to the enhanced defined contribution plan and (ii) matching contributions the company may make related to compensation the executive officer deferred into his deferred compensation account.

Participants in the deferred compensation plan may choose to defer up to (i) 25% of their base salary, (ii) 90% of their performance bonus and (iii) 90% of profit sharing. Elections to defer compensation must be made in the calendar year prior to the year in which the compensation will be earned.

During 2021, participants could choose to have their deferred compensation mirror the performance of one or more of the following mutual funds, each of which is managed by a third party (these alternatives, which may be changed at any time, are the same as those offered to participants in the defined contribution plans): BlackRock MSCI ACWI ex-U.S. IMI Index Lendable Fund F, Northern Trust Short Term Investment Fund, Northern Trust Aggregate Bond Index Fund-Lending, Northern Trust Russell 1000 Value Index Fund-Lending, Northern Trust Russell 1000 Growth Index Fund-Lending, Northern Trust Russell 2000 Index Fund-Lending, Northern Trust MidCap 400 Index Fund-Lending, BlackRock Equity Index Fund F, BlackRock (EAFE) (Europe, Australia, Far East) Equity Index Fund F, BlackRock Lifepath Index 2030 Fund F, BlackRock Lifepath Index 2040 Fund F, BlackRock Lifepath Index 2050 Fund F, BlackRock Lifepath Index 2025 Fund F, BlackRock Lifepath Index 2035 Fund F, BlackRock Lifepath Index 2045 Fund F, BlackRock Lifepath Index 2055 Fund F, BlackRock Lifepath Index 2060 Fund F and BlackRock Lifepath Index Retirement Fund F.

From among the available investment alternatives, participants may change their instructions relating to their deferred compensation daily. Earnings on a participant’s balance are determined solely by the performance of the investments that the participant has chosen. The company does not guarantee any minimum return on investments. A third party administers the company’s deferred compensation program.

A participant may request distribution from the plan in the case of an unforeseeable emergency. To obtain an unforeseeable emergency withdrawal, a participant must meet the requirements of Section 409A of the IRC. Otherwise, balances are paid to participants pursuant to their distribution elections and are subject to applicable IRC limitations.

Amounts contributed by the company, and amounts earned and deferred by the participant for which there is a valid distribution election on file, will be distributed in accordance with the participant’s election. Annually participants may elect separate distribution dates for deferred compensation attributable to a participant’s (i) bonus and profit sharing and (ii) salary. Participants may elect that these distributions be in the form of a lump sum or annual installments to be paid out over a period of five or ten consecutive years. Amounts for which no valid distribution election is on file will be distributed three years from the date of deferral.

In the event of the participant’s death, payment will be in the form of a lump sum and the earliest date of payment is the first day of the second calendar month following the month of death. For any other circumstance resulting in termination of employment, payments are distributed in accordance with the participant’s valid distribution election.

Like the balances under the non-qualified defined benefit pension plans, deferred compensation balances are unsecured obligations of the company. For amounts earned and deferred prior to 2010, a change in control does not trigger a distribution under the plan. For amounts earned and deferred after 2009, distribution occurs, to the extent permitted by Section 409A of the IRC, if the participant is involuntarily terminated within 24 months after a change in control. Change in control is the Plan definition.

None of the named executive officers has an employment contract with the company. They are eligible for benefits on generally the same terms as other U.S. employees upon termination of employment or change in control of the company. TI does not reimburse executive officers for any income or excise taxes that are payable by the executive as a result of payments relating to termination or change in control. For a discussion of the impact of these programs on the compensation decisions for 2021, see “Analysis of compensation determinations – Total compensation” and “Compensation following employment termination or change in control.”

The following programs may result in payments to a named executive officer whose employment terminates. Most of these programs have been discussed above.

Our policies concerning bonus and the timing of payments are described under “Compensation philosophy and elements.” Whether a bonus would be awarded under other circumstances and in what amount would depend on the facts and circumstances of termination and is subject to the Compensation Committee’s discretion. If awarded, bonuses are paid by the company.

The purposes of these plans are described under “Benefits – Retirement plans.” The formula for determining benefits, the forms of benefit and the timing of payments are described under “2021 pension benefits.” The amounts disbursed under the qualified and non-qualified plans are paid, respectively, by the TI Employees Pension Trust and the company.

The purpose of this plan, along with the formula for determining the amount of benefit, the form of benefit and the timing of payments, are described under “2021 pension benefits – TI Employees Survivor Benefit Plan.” Amounts distributed are paid by the TI Employees Health Benefit Trust.

The purpose of this plan is described under “Benefits – Deferred Compensation.” The amounts payable under this program depend solely on the performance of investments that the participant has chosen. The timing of payments is discussed under “2021 non-qualified deferred compensation” and except in the case of death, payments are made according to the participant’s distribution election. Amounts distributed are paid by the company.

Depending on the circumstances of termination, grantees whose employment terminates may retain the right to exercise previously granted stock options and receive shares under outstanding RSU awards as described in the discussion following the outstanding equity awards at fiscal year-end 2021 table. RSU awards include a right to receive dividend equivalents. The dividend equivalents are paid annually by the company in a single cash payment after the last dividend payment of the year.

Financial counseling is provided to executive officers for a transition period following retirement. Otherwise, no perquisites continue after termination of employment.

In the case of a resignation pursuant to a separation agreement, employees above a certain job grade level, including executive officers, might be offered a 12-month paid leave of absence before termination, in exchange for a non-compete and non-solicitation commitment and a release of claims against the company. The leave period will be credited to years of service under the pension plans described above. During the leave, the executive officer’s stock options will continue to become exercisable and his or her RSUs will continue to vest. Amounts paid to an individual during a paid leave of absence are not counted when calculating benefits under the qualified and non-qualified pension plans.

In the case of a separation agreement in which the executive officer will be at least 50 years old and have at least 10 years of employment with the company on his or her last day of active employment before beginning the paid leave of absence, the separation agreement will typically include an unpaid leave of absence, to commence at the end of the paid leave and end when the executive officer has reached age 55 (bridge to retirement). During the bridge to retirement, the executive officer will continue to accrue years of service under the qualified and non-qualified pension plans described above. Stock options will continue to become exercisable and RSUs will remain in effect.

Our only program, plan or arrangement providing benefits triggered by a change in control is the TI Employees Non-Qualified Pension Plan. A change in control at December 31, 2021, would have accelerated payment of the balance under that plan. See “2021 pension benefits – TI employees non-qualified pension plans” for a discussion of the purpose of change in control provisions of that plan as well as the circumstances and the timing of payment.

Upon a change in control there is no acceleration of vesting of stock options and RSUs granted after 2009. Only upon an involuntary termination (not for cause) within 24 months after a change in control of TI will the vesting of such stock options and RSUs accelerate. See the discussion following the outstanding equity awards at fiscal year-end 2021 table for further information concerning change in control provisions relating to stock options and RSUs.

The table below shows as of December 31, 2021, the potential payments upon termination or change in control for each of the named executive officers.