Company: CFG-PE
Filing Date: 2025-03-10
Form Type: DEF 14A
Source: 0000759944-25-000044
Chunk: 117

Company: CITIZENS FINANCIAL GROUP INC/RI
Filing Date: 2025-03-10
Form: DEF 14A
Chunk 117
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, then your shares will not be voted and will not count in deciding the matters presented for shareholder consideration at the Annual Meeting.

If your shares are held in street name through a bank or broker or other intermediary and you do not provide voting instructions before the Annual Meeting, your bank or broker may vote your shares under certain limited circumstances in accordance with the NYSE rules that govern banks and brokers. These circumstances include voting your shares on “routine matters,” such as the ratification of the appointment of our independent registered public accountants described in this proxy statement. With respect to the proposal to ratify the appointment of our independent registered public accounting firm, if you do not vote your shares, your bank or broker may vote your shares on your behalf or leave your shares unvoted.

The election of directors and the advisory vote to approve the Company’s executive compensation are not considered routine matters under the NYSE rules relating to voting by banks and brokers. When a proposal is not a routine matter and the brokerage firm has not received voting instructions from the beneficial owner of the shares with respect to that proposal, the brokerage firm cannot vote the shares on that proposal. This is called a “broker non-vote”. Broker non-votes that are represented at the Annual Meeting will be counted for purposes of establishing a quorum, but not for determining the number of shares voted for or against the non-routine matter.

We encourage you to provide instructions to your bank or brokerage firm by voting your proxy. This action ensures your shares will be voted at the meeting in accordance with your wishes.

#### Who bears the cost of the proxy materials?
The Company pays for preparing, printing and mailing this proxy statement, the 2024 Annual Report on Form 10-K and the 2024 Annual Review. Officers and employees of the Company may solicit the return of proxies but will not receive additional compensation for those efforts. We may retain Okapi, LLC for proxy solicitation services for a fee of $10,000 plus reasonable expenses. The Company will request that brokers, banks, custodians, nominees and other fiduciaries send proxy materials to all beneficial owners and upon request will reimburse them for their expenses. Solicitation may be made by mail, telephone or other means.

Can I receive future proxy materials and annual reports electronically?

Yes. Instead of receiving future paper copies in the mail, you can elect to receive our future annual reports and proxy materials electronically. Opting to receive your proxy materials electronically will save us the cost of producing and mailing documents to your home or business and will