Company: FRME
Filing Date: 2025-04-01
Form Type: DEF 14A
Source: 0000712534-25-000077
Chunk: 64

Company: FIRST MERCHANTS CORP
Filing Date: 2025-04-01
Form: DEF 14A
Chunk 64
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 to approve the compensation of the Company’s NEOs, as disclosed in the Compensation Discussion and Analysis , the compensation tables, and related material in the proxy statement.

The Company’s executive compensation policies and programs are designed to link the interests of the NEOs and the other shareholders by aligning the NEOs’ pay and other financial incentives with the Company’s and their own individual long-term and short-term performance and by increasing their ownership of the Company’s stock. The material elements of these programs are discussed in the Compensation Discussion and Analysis .

At the 2024 Annual Meeting, shareholders voted 92.65% of the shares to approve the NEOs’ compensation. Only 7.34% of the shares were voted against approval, and 0.01% of the shares abstained. The Board and the Compensation and Human Resources Committee considered these results and have concluded that the shareholders support a continuation of the

49 First Merchants Corporation 2025 Proxy Statement

Company’s existing executive compensation policies and programs. The Committee did not make any significant changes in 2024 to the previous year’s policies and programs.

We are again asking our shareholders to approve, on an advisory basis, the compensation of the Company’s NEOs, as disclosed and discussed in the Compensation Discussion and Analysis , the compensation tables, and related material in Section VII of this proxy statement, entitled “ Compensation of Named Executive Officers ,” on pages 28-43. Shareholders are encouraged to consider this information prior to voting on the resolution. While this vote is non-binding, the Board and the Compensation and Human Resources Committee value shareholder opinion as expressed through this vote and will consider it when deciding whether to continue the existing executive compensation philosophy and programs or to make significant changes in the future.

After the upcoming vote in association with the 2025 Annual Meeting, the next following shareholder advisory vote to approve the compensation of the Company’s NEOs will occur in association with the 2026 Annual Meeting.

THE BOARD RECOMMENDS THAT SHAREHOLDERS VOTE FOR APPROVAL OF THE FOLLOWING RESOLUTION:

RESOLVED, THAT THE SHAREHOLDERS APPROVE THE COMPENSATION OF THE NAMED EXECUTIVE OFFICERS AS DISCLOSED IN THE “COMPENSATION DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS,” THE COMPENSATION TABLES AND ANY RELATED MATERIAL IN THE PROXY STATEMENT FOR THE 2025 ANNUAL MEETING OF SHAREHOLDERS.

#### VIII.

#### COMPENSATION OF DIRECTORS
Each of the non-employee directors was paid