Company: XXII
Filing Date: 2025-04-30
Form Type: 10-K/A
Source: 0001641172-25-006806
Chunk: 12

Company: 22nd Century Group, Inc.
Filing Date: 2025-04-30
Form: 10-K/A
Chunk 12
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 section, and are referred to throughout this report as our “named executive officers.”

Executive Summary and Overview of 2024 Compensation

Our Company’s long-term success depends on our ability to fulfill the expectations of our customers and clients in a competitive environment and deliver value to stockholders. To achieve these goals, it is critical that we are able to attract, motivate, and retain highly talented individuals at all levels of the organization that are committed to our values and objectives.

We strive to provide compensation that is (a) linked to stockholder value creation, (b) reflective of the overall performance of the Company and each individual executive, and (c) considerate of the competitive market levels of compensation needed to recruit, retain and motivate top executive talent, while remaining consistent with the other objectives.

Compensation Philosophy and Objectives

The Company’s executive compensation program is based on the same principles that guide us in establishing all of the Company’s compensation programs:

| ● | Compensation                                                                                                                         
 fosters the long−term focus required for the Company’s success. In general, the compensation of Company executives includes          
 longer−term incentives because they are in a greater position to influence longer−term results.                                      |
| ● | Compensation                                                                                                                         
 reflects the level of job responsibility, individual performance, and Company performance. As employees progress to higher levels    
 in the organization, an increasing proportion of their pay should be linked to Company performance and stockholder returns because   
 those employees are more able to affect the Company’s results.                                                                       |
| ● | Compensation                                                                                                                         
 reflects the value of the job in the marketplace. To attract and retain a highly skilled work force, we must remain competitive with 
 the pay of other premier employers who compete with us for talent.                                                                   |
| ● | While                                                                                                                                
 compensation programs and individual pay levels will always reflect differences in job responsibilities, geographies and marketplace 
 considerations, the overall structure of the compensation and benefit programs should be broadly similar and equitable across the    
 organization.                                                                                                                        |

| 8 |

Overview of Executive Compensation

The Compensation Committee

Our Compensation Committee has primary responsibility for, among other things, determining our compensation philosophy, evaluating the performance of our executive officers, setting the compensation and other benefits of our executive officers, and considering the outcome of the advisory votes of stockholders on executive compensation.

To ensure alignment of compensation programs with the Company’s needs and goals, the Compensation Committee is informed by and responsive to the overall mission and strategies of the Company as determined by the full Board of Directors. As the strategic focus of