Company: HLX
Filing Date: 2025-04-02
Form Type: DEF 14A
Source: 0001140361-25-011655
Chunk: 46

Company: HELIX ENERGY SOLUTIONS GROUP INC
Filing Date: 2025-04-02
Form: DEF 14A
Chunk 46
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 continuing efforts to emphasize and promote our Safety culture, executive management recommended, and the Compensation Committee affirmed, that management not be awarded compensation under the program’s Safety metric, and that management be awarded a prorated amount of the portions of the STI relating to achievement of the metrics for Emissions and Engagement. Accordingly, each of our NEOs was paid STI at 76.2% of target, as follows:

| 2024 STI Payouts: Target v. Actual |     |            |     |          |
| Named Executive Officer            |     |     Target |     |   Actual |
| Mr. Kratz                          |     | $1,200,000 |     | $914,400 |
| Mr. Sparks                         |     |   $460,000 |     | $350,520 |
| Mr. Staffeldt                      |     |   $440,000 |     | $335,280 |
| Mr. Neikirk                        |     |   $400,000 |     | $304,800 |

Long-Term Incentive Program The Compensation Committee believes that equity-based incentive awards serve to align the economic interests of our executive officers with those of our shareholders. RSU and PSU awards provide proper incentives to avoid undue risk taking while increasing long-term shareholder value. In addition, these awards are an important retention tool.

| 46 |     | 2025 Proxy Statement |     | Helix Energy Solutions Group, Inc. |

TABLE OF CONTENTS Compensation Discussion and Analysis

Issuances of RSUs and PSUs are made pursuant to our 2005 Long-Term Incentive Plan (as amended and restated, our “Plan”) and are governed by the terms of the Plan in addition to the terms and conditions stated in the applicable award documents. Long-term incentive program design and metrics, as well as the value of individual NEO long-term incentive awards, are generally established at the December meeting of the Compensation Committee in the prior year (at the same as time base salary and STI targets). In determining the value of each NEO’s long-term incentive award, the Compensation Committee reviews the data provided by its independent compensation consultant, and takes into consideration historical awards and the CEO’s recommendation. 2024 Long-Term Incentive Awards For 2024, the long-term incentive awards consisted of: (1) 50% in the form of a performance-contingent cliff-vesting PSU award, the payout of which (if any) is measured by our performance