| SEARCH |
| Advanced Search | ||||||||
| ExecuCite Blogger |
| Articles |
| Legal Cases |
| Glossary |
| Additional Resources |
| Bookshelf |
| International |
| Custom Research |
COMPENSATION COMMITTEE REPORT ON EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION
The Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors (the “Committee”) reviews the Company’s compensation practices and policies, annually reviews and approves (subject to ratification by the independent directors of the Board) the compensation of the Chief Executive Officer, annually reviews and approves the compensation for the other senior executives, evaluates the performance of the Chief Executive Officer, and annually prepares this report on executive
47
compensation for inclusion in the proxy statement. The Committee’s membership is determined by the Board of Directors, and is composed solely of independent nonemployee directors.
Executive Compensation Philosophy and Practices
The Board believes that providing appropriate motivation of the Company’s executives and effective leadership are essential for establishing 3M’s preeminence in the markets we serve and creating an attractive investment for stockholders. The Committee is responsible to the Board for ensuring that Company executives are highly qualified and are compensated in a manner that aligns the interests of executives and stockholders. Consistent with this philosophy, the following core principles provide a framework for the Company’s executive compensation programs:
· Total compensation must be competitive to attract the best talent to 3M; motivate employees to perform at their highest levels; reward outstanding achievement; and retain those individuals with the leadership abilities and skills necessary for building long-term stockholder value;
· A significant portion (targeted at 65 percent to 89 percent) of an executive’s total compensation is variable and at risk and tied to both the annual and long-term financial performance of the Company, such as economic profit and stock price appreciation; and
· Stock ownership is emphasized so that executives manage from an owner’s perspective. The Committee believes that broad and deep employee stock ownership effectively aligns the interests of employees with those of stockholders and strongly motivates executives to build stockholder value. The Committee has established specific stock ownership guidelines for key management employees and has created programs that encourage employees to have an ownership interest in the Company.
The Committee annually surveys the executive compensation practices of large industrial companies that are likely competitors for executive talent. The Committee’s objective of maintaining the total compensation at a competitive level has resulted in short-term compensation (base salary and profit sharing) being at or very close to the median and long-term compensation (Performance Unit Plan and stock options) in the 50th to 75th percentile, with more variability and risk based on Company performance.
Executive compensation is linked to Company performance compared to specific financial and nonfinancial objectives. These objectives range from achieving earnings and sales growth targets to upholding the Company’s Statement of Corporate Values (which include customer satisfaction through superior quality and value, attractive investor return, ethical business conduct, respect for the environment, and employee pride in the Company).
Components of Executive Compensation
The compensation program for executive officers consists of the following components: base salary, profit sharing, Performance Unit Plan, stock options, and (in appropriate circumstances) restricted stock or restricted stock units. The Committee determines the amount of compensation under each component of executive compensation granted to the executive officers to achieve the appropriate ratio between performance-based compensation and other forms of compensation, and to reflect the level of responsibility of the executive officer.
Base Salary
The Committee establishes base salaries annually in relation to base salaries paid by companies included in the compensation surveys. Base salary for an executive officer is established each year
48
based on (1) a compensation range corresponding to the executive’s responsibilities and (2) the executive’s overall individual job performance.
Profit Sharing
Profit sharing is variable compensation based on the quarterly economic profit of the Company and its business units. Economic profit is defined as quarterly net operating income minus a charge for operating capital used by the business. The economic profit measurement is directly related to the creation of stockholder value since it emphasizes the effective use of capital and solid profitable growth. Compensation paid under the profit sharing plan fluctuates based on Company performance.
The amount payable under this plan is based on the number of shares of profit sharing assigned to a participant, multiplied by an amount based on quarterly economic profit. The total amount paid under this plan to the Company’s five most highly compensated executive officers never exceeds one-half percent of the Company’s consolidated net income for any period, and no single executive officer ever receives more than one-sixth percent of the Company’s consolidated net income for any period. Profit sharing payments to these individuals are subject to limitations when individual amounts exceed specified relationships to planned compensation.
Currently, all profit sharing payments are made in cash. However, the plan does permit the Committee to pay all or a portion of the profit sharing payable to the Named Executive Officers in shares of the Company’s common stock.
Performance Unit Plan
The Performance Unit Plan is variable compensation based on the Company’s long-term performance. The amount payable with respect to each performance unit granted is determined by and is contingent upon attainment of the performance criteria selected each year by the Committee over the applicable three-year performance period (each year weighted equally).
The performance criteria selected by the Committee for performance units granted during 2005 were designed to focus management attention on two key factors that create stockholder value: Economic Profit Growth and Sales Growth.
Performance Criteria:
(1) “Economic Profit Growth” is the percentage amount by which the Economic Profit of the Company for a year exceeds the Economic Profit of the Company for the immediately preceding year; and
(2) “Sales Growth” is the percentage amount by which the Company’s worldwide organic sales growth (sales growth adjusted for acquisitions, inflation and currency effects) exceeds worldwide real sales growth as reflected in the Industrial Production Index, as published by the Federal Reserve.
Performance Unit Plan Payments:
The amount payable for each performance unit granted in 2005 is linked to the performance criteria of Economic Profit Growth and Sales Growth. The amount payable may be anywhere from $0 to $360 per unit, depending on the performance of the Company during the three-year performance period ending on December 31, 2007. Payment for the units granted in 2005 will be made no later than March 15, 2008, in the form (at the discretion of the Committee) of cash, stock, or a combination of cash and stock.
49
Stock Options, Restricted Stock and Restricted Stock Units
The objectives of the Management Stock Ownership Program are to help the Company attract and retain outstanding employees, and to promote the growth and success of the Company’s business by aligning the financial interests of these employees with the other stockholders of the Company. The Program authorizes the Committee to grant stock options, restricted stock, restricted stock units, stock appreciation rights, and other stock awards to employees of the Company. Currently, the Committee makes annual grants of stock options under the Program to the executive officers. These options have an exercise price equal to the market price of the Company’s common stock on the grant date, and generally expire ten years after the grant date. Stock options encourage executives to become owners of the Company, which further aligns their interests with those of the stockholders. These options only have value to the recipients if the price of the Company’s stock appreciates after the options are granted. Currently, the Committee has made grants of restricted stock and restricted stock units under the Program only to selected executive officers and other employees in appropriate circumstances. These circumstances have included the hiring of new executive officers as well as the need to retain current executive officers. These shares of restricted stock and restricted stock units vest over periods ranging from one to ten years after the grant date, which encourage the executives to remain employed by the Company until the shares or units have vested.
The Company’s stock ownership guidelines are designed to increase an executive’s equity stake in 3M and more closely align his or her interests with those of our stockholders. The guidelines provide that the CEO should attain beneficial ownership of 3M stock equal to five times his or her annual base salary, Executive and Senior Vice Presidents should attain beneficial ownership of 3M stock equal to three times their annual base salary, and Vice Presidents who are members of 3M’s Quarterly Management Council should attain beneficial ownership of 3M stock equal to two times their annual base salary. While the stock ownership guidelines provide that executives attain this beneficial ownership of 3M stock within five years of their appointment to these positions, most of our executives have already attained or exceeded these ownership levels.
Chief Executive Officer Compensation
Mr. McNerney’s employment agreement with the Company expired when his resignation became effective on June 30, 2005. Pursuant to this agreement and the provisions of the Company’s equity compensation and long-term incentive compensation plans, Mr. McNerney forfeited his outstanding stock options, shares of restricted common stock, Performance Unit Plan awards, and supplemental retirement benefits that had not vested by the effective date of his resignation. No severance or termination benefits were paid to Mr. McNerney upon the termination of his employment.
On August 8, 2005, the Committee approved (and the independent directors of the Board ratified, as necessary) a compensation plan (the “Plan”) for Robert S. Morrison relating to his service as interim Chief Executive Officer (“CEO”) of the Company (the “Service”). Mr. Morrison, a director of the Company since 2002, served as interim CEO from June 30, 2005 until the effective date of Mr. Buckley’s hiring on December 6, 2005. In determining Mr. Morrison’s compensation, the Board focused on competitive levels of compensation for interim CEOs managing companies of similar size and complexity in similar situations.
The terms of the Plan appear under “Employment Contracts, Termination of Employment, and Change-In-Control Arrangements” of this proxy statement.
On December 6, 2005, the Committee approved (and the independent directors of the Board ratified, as necessary) both the terms of an employment agreement with George W. Buckley and his
50
compensation as President and Chief Executive Officer of the Company. The terms of this agreement, of Mr. Buckley’s initial compensation, and of the initial grants to Mr. Buckley under the Company’s equity compensation and long-term incentive compensation plans are described under “Employment Contracts, Termination of Employment, and Change-in-Control Arrangements” of this proxy statement.
Mr. Buckley’s compensation generally consists of the same short-term and long-term components (base salary, profit sharing, Performance Unit Plan awards, and stock options) as those of the other Named Executive Officers. In addition, Mr. Buckley was granted restricted stock units and will receive a cash bonus designed to replace compensation that was forfeited when he left his previous employer to join the Company. During the process of negotiating Mr. Buckley’s employment agreement and designing his compensation arrangements, the Committee was represented by independent legal counsel and advised by an independent compensation consultant retained by the Committee.
Limit on Tax Deductible Compensation
Section 162(m) of the Internal Revenue Code prohibits the Company from deducting compensation paid in any year to certain executives in excess of $1 million but does not subject performance-based compensation to this limit. The Committee continues to emphasize performance-based compensation for executives and thus minimize the effect of Section 162(m). However, the Committee believes that its primary responsibility is to provide a compensation program that attracts, retains, and rewards the executive talent necessary for the Company’s success. Consequently, in any year the Committee may authorize nonperformance-based compensation in excess of $1 million. The Committee recognizes that the loss of the tax deduction may be unavoidable under these circumstances.
The Committee is satisfied that the short-term and long-term compensation paid to the executive officers of the Company is aligned with the Company’s strategic objectives and ensures that payouts are determined by Company and employee performance.
Submitted by the Compensation Committee
Edward
A. Brennan, Chair
Rozanne L. Ridgway
Kevin W. Sharer
Louis W. Sullivan
COMPENSATION COMMITTEE INTERLOCKS AND INSIDER PARTICIPATION
The members of the Compensation Committee are named in the preceding section. With the exception of Mr. Morrison, who resigned from the Committee upon his appointment as interim Chief Executive Officer, no members of the Compensation Committee were officers or employees of 3M or any of its subsidiaries during the year, were formerly 3M officers, or had any relationship otherwise requiring disclosure.
51