Company: WTFCN
Filing Date: 2025-04-03
Form Type: DEF 14A
Source: 0001104659-25-031671
Chunk: 34

Company: WINTRUST FINANCIAL CORP
Filing Date: 2025-04-03
Form: DEF 14A
Chunk 34
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 the intern recipients and ensure that financial barriers do not hinder their educational pursuit. • We drive employee engagement and further foster organizational inclusiveness through business resource groups (“BRGs”), which are grassroots networks of employees who provide unique perspective to real business challenges such as the human capital matters of talent attraction, hiring and development, as well as market awareness to drive continued success for Wintrust. BRGs are open to all employees across the enterprise, allowing personal choice for membership. As of the end of 2024, approximately 23% of Wintrust employees have registered as members of one or more BRGs. • In 2024, we expanded our support of the BRGs by investing in a leading BRG management software called Diverst, that helps build inclusivity and community among BRG members across the entire enterprise. The platform enables employees to connect and enroll with BRGs, engage with content, easily register for events, and keep up with relevant programming. These and many other efforts are fortified by the unwavering commitment of senior executives from across the Company to promote commitment, accountability, and progress toward being an organization where everyone can excel and contribute to future Company success. PROPOSAL NO. 1 — ELECTION OF DIRECTORS The Company’s Board is currently comprised of 15 Directors, each serving a term that will expire at this year’s Annual Meeting or until a successor has been elected and qualified. Immediately following the Annual Meeting, the size of the Board will be set at 13 Directors. These 13 individuals standing for election at the Annual Meeting to serve on the Board until the next Annual Meeting or until a successor has been elected and qualified. The Board, acting pursuant to the recommendation of the Nominating Committee, has nominated the incumbent Directors, who are standing for election, other than Messrs. Heitmann and Wehmer, who are not standing for re-election. Each nominee has indicated a willingness to serve, and the Board has no reason to believe that any of the nominees will not be available for election. However, if any of the nominees is not available for election, proxies may be voted for the election of other persons selected by the Board. Proxies 25

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cannot, however, be voted for a greater number of persons than the number of nominees named. Shareholders of the Company have no cumulative voting rights with respect to the election of Directors. It is expected that, pending re-election at the Annual Meeting, H. Patrick Hackett, Jr. will continue serve as non