Company: ATO
Filing Date: 2025-12-09
Form Type: PRE 14A
Source: 0000731802-25-000061
Chunk: 36

Company: ATMOS ENERGY CORP
Filing Date: 2025-12-09
Form: PRE 14A
Chunk 36
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 total cash compensation, which is generally his last annual base salary and the amount of his last award under the Incentive Plan, subject to reductions for retirement prior to age 62.

Mr. Forsythe, Ms. Bateman, Mr. McDill, and Ms. Hartsfield participate in the Account Balance SERP, which is a non-qualified account based plan, under which the Company currently provides an annual contribution of 25% of the participant’s total annual earnings (base salary and incentive payment under our Incentive Plan) into a notional supplemental retirement account, as well as provides supplemental death benefits.

The HR Committee believes that these retirement benefits are an important component of Total Rewards and are required to ensure that our overall executive compensation package remains competitive with executive compensation packages offered by other major public companies in our industry. See the discussion under “Retirement Plans,” beginning on page 50, for more information on our retirement benefits.

#### Change in Control Severance Benefits
We have severance agreements in place with each of our named executive officers to provide certain severance benefits to them in the event of the termination of their employment within three years following a “change in control” of the Company (as defined in the severance agreements and described generally in “Change in Control Severance Agreements,” beginning on page 52). In connection with a qualifying termination, the severance agreement for each named executive officer generally provides that the Company will pay such officer a lump sum equal to (a) 2.5 times their total cash compensation (annual base salary and the higher of the last annual award under the Incentive Plan or the average of the three highest annual awards received under such plan) and (b) the total of (i) an amount that is actuarially equivalent to an additional three years of annual age and service credits payable to the officer under the PAP or the FACC, as applicable, and (ii) an amount that is actuarially equivalent to an additional three years of Company matching contributions payable to the officer under the RSP.

In addition, each named executive officer would be paid (i) an amount that is generally actuarially equivalent to an additional 36 months of health and welfare benefits and (ii) an amount that is actuarially equivalent to 36 months of disability, accident and life insurance coverage. If the total of such lump sum severance payment results in the imposition of excise taxes under Section 4999 of the Internal Revenue Code (“IRC”), the named executive officer has