Company: WBS-PG
Filing Date: 2025-04-11
Form Type: DEF 14A
Source: 0000801337-25-000015
Chunk: 16

Company: WEBSTER FINANCIAL CORP
Filing Date: 2025-04-11
Form: DEF 14A
Chunk 16
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ominating and Corporate Governance; Executive                                     |
| Mark Pettie             |     |  68 |     |     2009 |     |       2025 |     | Risk (Chair); Compensation and Human Resources; Executive                                |
| Lauren C. States♠♣      |     |  68 |     |     2016 |     |       2025 |     | Audit; Risk; Technology                                                                  |
| William E. Whiston      |     |  71 |     |     2022 |     |       2025 |     | Audit; Compensation and Human Resources                                                  |

◆ Mr. O’Toole serves as our Lead Independent Director.

♠ Self-identifies as a female director.

♣ Self-identifies as a racially or ethnically diverse director.

Current Board Composition, Experience and Refreshment

• Majority Independent Board: Mr. O’Toole serves as the Lead Independent Director of the Board, and all of our director nominees, except for Mr. Ciulla, are independent, as defined by the rules of the NYSE. In addition, independent directors comprise 100% of each of the Board’s Audit, Risk, Compensation and Human Resources, Nominating and Corporate Governance, and Technology Committees.

• Range of Backgrounds, Skills and Experience: The Board believes different points of view brought through directors with a broad range of backgrounds, perspectives, experiences and skill sets leads to better business performance, decision making, and understanding of the needs of our customers, colleagues, stockholders, business partners, and other stakeholders. Consistent with those values, the Board adopted a set of director qualification guidelines for directors in the Corporate Governance Policy, which provide that the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee will consider, among other qualifications, connections to the markets in which Webster and Webster Bank operate to ensure broad representation reflective of these markets when deciding on nominations for the Board. Among the nominees for election to the Board, four self-identify as female. The Board believes that these nominees for election as directors offer a broad range of backgrounds, skills and experience in relevant areas that contribute to overall effective leadership, exercise of oversight responsibilities by the Board and reflect the representation of the markets in which Webster operates.

• Board Structure and Strong Board Refreshment Practices: The Board believes it is critical to maintain a mix of experienced, longer-tenured directors to ensure continuity and institutional knowledge through economic cycles and an evolving competitive landscape, along with newer directors who have different expertise, backgrounds and fresh perspectives