Company: DLX
Filing Date: 2025-03-10
Form Type: DEF 14A
Source: 0000027996-25-000107
Chunk: 10

Company: DELUXE CORP
Filing Date: 2025-03-10
Form: DEF 14A
Chunk 10
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 board. In providing this oversight, the board adheres to a set of Corporate Governance Guidelines designed to ensure that the board has access to relevant information and is structured and operates in a manner allowing it to exercise independent business judgment.

A critical component of our corporate governance philosophy is that a majority of our directors meet strict standards of independence, meaning that they have no relationship with our company, directly or indirectly, that could impair their ability to make objective and informed judgments regarding all matters of significance to us and our shareholders. The listing standards of the NYSE require that a majority of our directors be independent, and that our Audit and Finance, Compensation and Talent, and Corporate Governance Committees be comprised entirely of independent directors. In order to be deemed independent, a director must be determined by the board to have no material relationship with us other than as a director. In accordance with the NYSE listing standards, our board has adopted formal Director Independence Standards setting forth the specific criteria by which the independence of our directors is determined. These standards include restrictions on the nature and extent of any affiliations that directors and their immediate family members may have with us, our independent registered public accounting firm, or any commercial or not-for-profit entity with which we have a relationship, and also require consideration of any other relationship that may impair independence. Consistent with regulations issued by the SEC and NYSE listing standards, our Director Independence Standards also have heightened standards for Audit and Finance Committee and Compensation and Talent Committee members. The complete text of our Director Independence Standards is posted on our website at www.investors.deluxe.com/governance/governance-documents.

Following its assessment, the board has determined that every director and nominee, with the exception of Mr. McCarthy, satisfies our Director Independence Standards. The board has also determined that each member of its Audit and Finance, Compensation and Talent, and Corporate Governance Committees is independent.

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#### Corporate Governance Guidelines
Our board has adopted a set of Corporate Governance Guidelines to assist it in carrying out its oversight responsibilities. These guidelines address a broad range of topics, including director qualifications, director nomination processes, director retirement policies, board and committee structure and processes, director education, CEO evaluation, management succession planning, and conflicts of interest. Investors may find these guidelines on our website at www.investors.deluxe.com/governance/governance-documents.

#### Board Effectiveness and Evaluations
Our board and each of its committees conducts an annual self-evaluation of its performance and processes, all of which is overse