Company: COST
Filing Date: 2025-12-04
Form Type: DEF 14A
Source: 0000909832-25-000159
Chunk: 13

Company: COSTCO WHOLESALE CORP /NEW
Filing Date: 2025-12-04
Form: DEF 14A
Chunk 13
---
 accounting controls or auditing matters and for the confidential and anonymous submission by employees of concerns regarding questionable accounting or auditing matters;

• Reviewing the relationships between the Company and the external auditors to ascertain the independence of the external auditors; and

• Approving compensation of the external auditors.

The members of the committee are Mr. Denman (chair) and Mmes. Decker, Foulkes, and Jewell. The Board has determined that all members of the committee are “audit committee financial experts” as defined by the rules of the SEC. To ensure continuing auditor independence, the Audit Committee periodically considers whether there should be a regular rotation of the external auditors. In conjunction with the mandated rotation of the external auditor's lead engagement partner, the Audit Committee and its chairperson are directly involved in the selection of the new lead engagement partner. The Board and the Audit Committee periodically review with members of management of the Company issues and developments relating to information security, fraud, data security and cybersecurity risk, including controls to monitor and mitigate the related risks. The Audit Committee met eight times during fiscal 2025. A report of the Audit Committee is set forth below.

Compensation Committee . The Compensation Committee reviews the salaries, bonuses and stock-based compensation provided to executive officers of the Company and oversees the overall administration of the Company’s compensation and stock-based compensation programs. The committee has authority to administer the Company's policies with respect to the recovery or "clawback" of compensation granted, awarded or paid to the CEO, senior executives or other employees of the Company. Except with respect to setting the compensation of the Chief Executive Officer, the committee may delegate its authority to a subcommittee of the committee (consisting either of a subset of members of the committee or any members of the Board who would be eligible to serve on the committee). In addition, to the extent permitted by applicable law, the committee may delegate to one or more executive officers of the Company the authority to grant stock awards to employees who are not executive officers or members of the Board. The committee has delegated certain authority to the Chief Executive Officer with respect to such awards not involving executive officers. See Compensation Discussion and Analysis below for a further description of the role of the committee. The members of the committee, which met five times during fiscal 2025, are Mr. Stanton (chair) and Mmes. Jewell and Wilderotter. A report of the Compensation Committee is set forth below.

Nominating and Governance Committee . The functions of the Nominating and Governance Committee