Company: FRME
Filing Date: 2025-04-01
Form Type: DEF 14A
Source: 0000712534-25-000077
Chunk: 21

Company: FIRST MERCHANTS CORP
Filing Date: 2025-04-01
Form: DEF 14A
Chunk 21
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 makes available the option of anonymous reporting of conduct and matters covered by the Policy through a toll-free ethics hotline operated by an outside company. Concerns reported through the ethics hotline go to the Audit Committee and the Senior Internal Auditing Executive, who collectively ensure appropriate handling of the concern. The Ethics and Integrity Policy is among the governance documents published on FMC’S website, at https://ir.firstmerchants.com , under Corporate Information/Ethics & Integrity Policy .

The Audit Committee is also responsible for ensuring the enforcement of the Company's Code of Conduct and for interpreting its provisions.

The Audit Committee may conduct or authorize investigations into matters within the scope of its responsibilities; and the Committee may retain independent counsel, accountants, or other outside advisors as it deems necessary to conduct such investigations or otherwise carry out its duties.

THE AUDIT COMMITTEE REPORT CONCERNING AUDITED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2024

The Audit Committee has reviewed and discussed together with management and the independent auditor, Forvis, First Merchants Corporation’s audited financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2024, including a discussion of the quality, not just the acceptability, of the accounting principles; critical audit matters; the reasonableness of significant estimates; the clarity of disclosures in the financial statements; the results of management’s assessment of the effectiveness of the Company’s internal controls over financial reporting; and the independent auditor’s audit of internal control over financial reporting.

The meetings of the Committee are designed to facilitate and encourage communication among the Committee, management, the Company’s internal audit function and the Company’s auditors. The Committee meets with the internal auditors and independent auditor, with and without management present, to discuss the results of their examinations; their evaluations of the Company’s internal control environment; and the overall quality of the Company’s financial reporting. The Audit Committee has discussed with Forvis the matters required to be discussed by the applicable requirements of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board ( “PCAOB” ) and the SEC.

19 First Merchants Corporation 2025 Proxy Statement

Each year, the Committee formally evaluates the qualifications, performance, tenure and independence of the Company’s independent auditor and determines whether to re-engage the current independent auditor. In the course of this evaluation, the Audit Committee considers, among other things, the following:

• Forvis' independence and its process for maintaining independence

• Judgments on critical accounting matters and difficult audit issues

• The quality and candor