Company: WTFCN
Filing Date: 2025-04-03
Form Type: DEF 14A
Source: 0001104659-25-031671
Chunk: 98

Company: WINTRUST FINANCIAL CORP
Filing Date: 2025-04-03
Form: DEF 14A
Chunk 98
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 to attract key employees to manage our banks and other businesses. The 2025 Plan will also help promote the retention of key employees while further aligning their interests with those of our shareholders. Accordingly, management believes the ability to award equity incentives is an important component in continuing the Company’s growth.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS Key Features of the 2025 Plan We believe that the following features of the 2025 Plan will help assure that the 2025 Plan both provides incentives to our employees and protects shareholder value: • the 2025 Plan will be administered by the Compensation Committee, comprised entirely of independent directors; • under the 2025 Plan, 1,825,000 shares, plus any shares of Common Stock that are available for awards under the 2022 Plan as of the effective date of the 2025 Plan will initially be available for awards; • the 2025 Plan prohibits repricing of stock options or stock appreciation rights (“SARs”) without prior shareholder approval; • except with respect to substitute awards granted in connection with a corporate transaction or due to a capitalization adjustment, the purchase price of stock options and the base price for SARs granted under the 2025 Plan may not be less than the fair market value of a share of Common Stock on the date of grant; • subject to certain exceptions described in the 2025 Plan, the 2025 Plan includes a minimum vesting period of 12 months for awards granted under the plan; • no dividend equivalents on stock options or SARs; • no dividend or dividend equivalents paid on unearned awards; • annual non-employee director compensation limit, which cannot be amended without shareholder approval; • the 2025 Plan does not include liberal share recycling provisions with respect to stock options and SARs; and • the 2025 Plan does not contain a liberal change in control definition and the 2025 Plan includes “double-trigger” provisions for the acceleration of vesting of outstanding equity awards following a change in control of the Company. Description of the 2025 Plan The following is a description of the terms of the 2025 Plan. This description is qualified in its entirety by reference to the plan document, a copy of which is attached to this Proxy Statement as Annex A and incorporated herein by reference. Shares Available . Under the 2025 Plan, the number of shares of our Common Stock available for awards will initially equal (i) 1,825,000 shares plus (ii) any shares of Common Stock that are available for awards