Company: WTFCN
Filing Date: 2025-04-03
Form Type: DEF 14A
Source: 0001104659-25-031671
Chunk: 6

Company: WINTRUST FINANCIAL CORP
Filing Date: 2025-04-03
Form: DEF 14A
Chunk 6
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 treated? A broker non-vote occurs when a broker who holds its customer’s shares in street name submits proxies for such shares, but indicates that it does not have authority to vote on a particular matter. Generally, this occurs when brokers have not received any instructions from their customers. In these cases, the brokers, as the holders of record, are permitted to vote on “routine” matters only, but not on other matters. In this Proxy Statement, brokers who have not received instructions from their customers would only be permitted to vote on the ratification of the appointment of Ernst & Young LLP as the Company’s independent registered public accounting firm for fiscal year 2025. Brokers who have not received instructions from their customers would not be permitted to vote on the remaining proposals to be presented at the Annual Meeting, which are considered “non-routine” matters. Broker non-votes will have no impact on the voting results with regard to such proposals. We will treat broker non-votes as present to determine whether or not we have a quorum at the Annual Meeting, but they will not be treated as entitled to vote on the “non-routine” matters described above, for which the broker indicates it does not have discretionary authority. How will abstentions be treated? For purposes of determining whether we have a quorum at the Annual Meeting, if you vote to abstain, your shares will be counted as present at the Annual Meeting. If you abstain from voting for one or more of the nominees for Director, this will have the same effect as a vote against such nominee. If you abstain from voting on the proposal to approve the 2025 Plan, the 3 TABLE OF CONTENTS advisory (non-binding) proposal approving the Company’s executive compensation as described in this Proxy Statement, or on the ratification of the Audit Committee’s appointment of Ernst & Young LLP as the Company’s independent registered public accounting firm for fiscal year 2025, your abstention will have the same effect as a vote against the proposal or proposals on which you abstain from voting. What if other matters come up during the Annual Meeting? If any matters other than those referred to in the Notice of Annual Meeting properly come before the Annual Meeting, the individuals named in the proxy card will vote the proxies held by them in accordance with their best judgment. The Company is not aware of any business other than the items referred to in the Notice of Annual Meeting that may be considered at the Annual Meeting. Your vote is important . Whether or not you plan to attend the Annual