Company: GWW
Filing Date: 2025-02-20
Form Type: PRE 14A
Source: 0001104659-25-015730
Chunk: 23

Company: W.W. GRAINGER, INC.
Filing Date: 2025-02-20
Form: PRE 14A
Chunk 23
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 environment, ESG, and executive compensation matters. Engagement with shareholders includes quarterly earnings calls, the annual meeting of shareholders, our annual Lead Director meetings, investor conferences, individual meetings and other channels of communication. Consistent with prior years, in 2024, the Company engaged shareholders representing over 50% of the shares outstanding as of December 31, 2024. Succession Planning, Talent and Human Capital Management The Board recognizes that it has an important duty to ensure senior leadership continuity by overseeing the development of executive talent and planning for the efficient succession of the CEO and other key leadership positions. The Board has delegated primary oversight responsibility for management development and leadership succession planning to the BANC, which is comprised of all of the Board’s independent Directors. The BANC reports on its activities to the full Board, which routinely addresses planned succession scenarios and annually reviews emergency succession plans. Recruiting, developing, promoting and retaining top talent is a key priority for the Company. The Board annually reviews our talent strategy to ensure we have the right culture and people to support our strategic imperatives well into the future. This strategy has four pillars: • Evolving our culture; • Empowering our people leaders; • Building our talent pipeline; and • Developing our future leaders.

| ​ | CORPORATEGOVERNANCE | ​ | ​ | PROPOSAL 1:ELECTION OFDIRECTORS | ​ | ​ | PROPOSAL 2:RATIFY THEINDEPENDENTAUDITOR | ​ | ​ | EXECUTIVECOMPENSATION | ​ | ​ | PROPOSAL 3:SAY ON PAY | ​ | ​ | PROPOSAL 4: APPROVALAND ADOPTION | ​ | ​ | QUESTIONS ANDANSWERS | ​ | ​ | APPENDICES | ​ |

TABLE OF CONTENTS

| ​ | invest.grainger.com | ​ | ​ | 25 | ​ | ​ | ● | ​ |

While the BANC has oversight of the Company’s talent strategy, the Compensation Committee has oversight of the Company’s programs and policies for human capital management and supports the BANC in its oversight of employee engagement and leadership effectiveness. Consistent with this framework, the BANC annually conducts in-depth reviews of senior leader development. These reviews address the Company’s management development initiatives, assesses senior management resources, and identifies individuals who should be considered as potential future senior executives. To ensure that the succession planning and management development process supports and enhances the Company’s strategic objectives, the Board and the BANC also regularly consult with the CEO