Company: LIN
Filing Date: 2025-04-30
Form Type: DEF 14A
Source: 0000950170-25-060925
Chunk: 44

Company: LINDE PLC
Filing Date: 2025-04-30
Form: DEF 14A
Chunk 44
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 over the three-year performance period, resulting in a payout of 184% of target. Alignment of Executive Compensation with Company Performance

The HC Committee seeks to achieve its executive compensation objectives by aligning the design of the Company’s executive compensation programs with the Company’s business objectives, ensuring a balance between financial and strategic non-financial goals. FINANCIAL BUSINESS OBJECTIVES: Achieve sustained growth in profitability and shareholder return resulting in a robust cash flow to fund capital investment growth opportunities, dividend payments, and share repurchases.

| · | Annual performance-based variable compensation earned by meeting or exceeding pre-established financial goals.             |
| · | Annual grants of PSUs that vest based upon performance results over three years.                                           |
| · | Annual grants of stock options, the value of which is directly linked to the growth in the Company’s stock price.          |
| · | Annual grants of restricted stock units (RSUs) with three-year cliff vesting and value based on the Company’s stock price. |

STRATEGIC BUSINESS OBJECTIVES: Maintain world-class standards in safety, environmental responsibility, global compliance, strategic positioning, productivity, talent management, and financial controls.

| · | Annual payout of variable compensation is impacted by performance in these strategic and non-financial objectives. |

Attract and retain executives who thrive in a sustainable performance-driven culture.

| · | A competitive compensation and benefits program regularly benchmarked against peer companies of similar size in market capitalization, revenue, and other financial metrics and business attributes. |
| · | Realized compensation that varies with Company performance, with downside risk and upside opportunity.                                                                                               |

| 42 | Linde plc |

Executive Compensation Matters

Compensation Discussion and Analysis

Overview of Executive Compensation Program Executive Compensation Philosophy The HC Committee established its compensation philosophy to serve as the basis for designing executive compensation programs. Key Objectives • Attract and retain talented executives. • Motivate executives to deliver strong business results in line with shareholder expectations. • Build and support a performance-driven culture. • Encourage executives to earn and own Company stock, aligning their interests with those of shareholders. Other Main Principles • Comparator groups should reflect talent markets, customer segments, and investment markets, and will be adjusted to meet changes in these elements. • Target total direct compensation will include a fixed base pay component plus variable short- and long-term incentives. • Total target direct compensation will be focused at the median (50th percentile) of the competitive market. • Challenging but achievable performance goals to be established with performance levels defined as