Company: IONQ
Filing Date: 2025-04-28
Form Type: DEF 14A
Source: 0000950170-25-059289
Chunk: 36

Company: IonQ, Inc.
Filing Date: 2025-04-28
Form: DEF 14A
Chunk 36
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 to technical roadmap progression and financial measures that correlate strongly with total stockholder returns (“TSR”).

Balance short-term financial results with long-term strategic objectives.

Reward achievement of challenging corporate objectives and exceeding rigorous performance goals, without encouraging inappropriate risk-taking.

Provide competitive pay packages capable of attracting and retaining top talent, sometimes from larger, well-established technology companies.

Reward extraordinary results and performance.

Compensation Program Design

Our executive compensation program for 2024 reflected our stage of development as a growing publicly traded company. Accordingly, the compensation of our NEOs consisted of base salary, a short-term incentive compensation opportunity payable in a mix of cash and equity, long-term incentive (“LTI”) cash and equity compensation, and employee health and welfare benefits.

We offer cash compensation in the form of base salaries and incentive compensation opportunities with an annual payment component, settled in a mix of cash and stock. Typically, we have structured our annual incentive compensation opportunities to focus on the achievement of specific short-term financial and operational objectives that will complement our longer-term growth objectives.

Additionally, equity awards for shares of our common stock serve as the key component of our executive compensation program. In 2023, we delivered approximately one-third of intended annual equity incentive value via service-vesting equity (together with the portion of the incentive compensation plan bonus payout that was paid via equity awards), and two-thirds of annual equity incentive value via performance-vesting equity. However, to leverage the opportunity for future price growth and retain our key executives we granted performance-vesting PSUs that were front-loaded with respect to the number of shares subject to the grant, with awards covering the expected regular performance-vesting equity value to be delivered to our senior executives, except Mr. Chapman, through 2026. As a result of these grants, other than awards to newly hired executives, we generally expect to make no further performance-vesting equity grants to our executives until 2027, and only to grant the service-vesting portion (that was not front-loaded) on an annual basis.

In 2024, we maintained our performance-vesting philosophy. None of our executive officers, other than Mr. Chapman, received any performance-vesting equity because the awards issued in 2023 were front-loaded as to the number of shares subject to the grant, as intended to meet the incentive needs. Mr. Kramer and Ms. Alameddine received one-thirdof their intended annual equity incentive value via service-vesting equity (together with the portion of the incentive