Company: GWW
Filing Date: 2025-03-07
Form Type: DEF 14A
Source: 0001104659-25-021496
Chunk: 6

Company: W.W. GRAINGER, INC.
Filing Date: 2025-03-07
Form: DEF 14A
Chunk 6
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 is an evolving process and has established Operating Principles for the Board of Directors (the “Operating Principles”) as a general framework to assist the Board in fulfilling its duties and responsibilities. Each year, the Board reviews and, as appropriate, revises the Operating Principles to address emerging needs and practices. The Operating Principles are available under “Governance” in the Investor Relations section of our website at http://invest.grainger.com . Director Independence Our Board of Directors is committed to excellence in its governance practices, including director independence and Board composition. The Board determined that each Director nominee, except Mr. Macpherson, is independent. The Board has adopted “categorical standards” to assist it in making independence determinations of Director nominees. The categorical standards are intended to help the Board determine, for example, whether certain relationships between nominees and the Company are “material relationships” for purposes of the New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”) independence standards. The categorical standards adopted by the Board have more restrictive thresholds than the NYSE’s bright line revenue test for independence. The categorical standards adopted by the Board are set forth in Appendix A to this proxy statement and are also available under “Governance” in the Investor Relations section of our website at http://invest.grainger.com . The Board considered a variety of factors, including any related party transactions, in assessing the independence of our Directors against the NYSE’s independence standards and the Company’s categorical standards. The Board also considered ordinary course business transactions and charitable donations by the Company to companies or organizations where a Director serves as an officer and/or a board member. The Board has determined that all of our non-employee Director nominees have no direct or indirect material relationship with the Company within the meaning of the NYSE independence standards and the Company’s categorical standards and, accordingly, meet the requirements for “independence” set forth in the NYSE’s listing standards. The Board has also determined that Mr. Levenick, who is not standing for re-election at the 2025 Annual Meeting, has no direct or indirect material relationship with the Company within the meaning of the NYSE independence standards and the Company’s categorical standards and, accordingly, meets the requirements for “independence” set forth in the NYSE’s listing standards.

| ​ | CORPORATEGOVERNANCE | ​ | ​ | PROPOSAL 1:ELECTION OFDIRECTORS | ​ | ​ | PROPOSAL 2:RATIFY THEINDEPENDENTAUDITOR | ​ | ​ | EXECUTIVECOMPENSATION | ​ | ​ |