Company: FRME
Filing Date: 2025-04-01
Form Type: DEF 14A
Source: 0000712534-25-000077
Chunk: 13

Company: FIRST MERCHANTS CORP
Filing Date: 2025-04-01
Form: DEF 14A
Chunk 13
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hi also serves on the Board of Directors of Weaver Popcorn and St. Vincent Foundation.                                                                                                                           
 As a leader in the community, “giving back” has been a top priority for Mr. Sondhi over his career. He sits on the board of Weaver Popcorn Fundraising, an organization that empowers individuals and organizations in need by fulfilling a goal through technology and products. He created IT Equipment Round UP which provides gently used IT equipment to non-profits, and he started Jingle Books, a yearly holiday fundraiser providing Indianapolis children books to inspire and educate. To date, 8,000+ books have been collected. Mr. Sondhi has been an active donor and volunteer with the Christel DeHaan Foundation and sits on the Park Tudor Alumni Board. |
| Mr. Sondhi's specific experience                                                             
 and qualifications to serve as a                                                             
 director                                                                                     |     | Mr. Sondhi provides the Board with critical experience in technology and cybersecurity.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     |

Consistent with the Company’s focus on community banking, all of the FMC directors are actively and visibly involved in community, civic, charitable and other non-profit organizations and activities in the communities where they live and in which the Company does business.

14 First Merchants Corporation 2025 Proxy Statement

#### IV.

#### CORPORATE GOVERNANCE

#### CORPORATE GOVERNANCE GUIDELINES
The Board has established Corporate Governance Guidelines to address key areas of corporate governance. The Corporate Governance Guidelines are on FMC’s website, at https://ir.firstmerchants.com , under Corporate Information/Governance Documents . Together with FMC’s Articles of Incorporation, Bylaws and Committee charters, the Corporate Governance Guidelines provide the framework for the Company’s governance. The topics covered by these Guidelines include: director qualifications and responsibilities, the director nomination process, the Board leadership structure, standing committees of the Board, director compensation, director orientation and continuing education, Board self-assessment, evaluation of executive performance, succession planning for the CEO and other senior management positions, executive ownership of FMC stock, the Code of Conduct, and policies on ethics and integrity and recovery of erroneously awarded executive compensation.

#### CODE OF CONDUCT
The Company is committed to the highest standards of ethical conduct. It has adopted a Code of Conduct that applies to all directors, executive officers and employees. The Code of Conduct incorporates a Code of Ethics, within the meaning of Item 406(b) of SEC Regulation S-K, that applies to FMC