| · | Managing the sustainability risks in our supply chain.We have established action plans and targets for each of these priorities and we regularly monitor the progress achieved. Our response to the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on our key initiatives and performance is a cross-cutting theme throughout this year’s sustainability report described below.
Sustainability is about ensuring that our business will continue to thrive in the long-term by systematically considering all dimensions of our business in society. Autoliv’s sustainability commitment is founded on four pillars:
Innovate Life-Saving Products. Our innovation activities are guided by industry trends such as advanced driver assistance systems, autonomous driving, connectivity, and electrification, adaptivity to the size and age of occupants as well as vulnerable road user protection. To enable more lives to be saved, Autoliv is an active research organization. We participate in the development of in-depth, real-life data concerning traffic accidents and injuries as well as numerous crash tests, user clinics, simulations, and field operational tests each year. This research informs our product development. Our product portfolio spans airbags, seatbelts, steering wheels, and pedestrian protection. We also provide additional safety features such as pyro safety switches for electrical vehicles, automatic bolt releases, integrated child booster seats, and digital services.
Limit our Impact on the Environment. Our environmental targets support our ambitions to increase resource efficiency and to reduce our carbon footprint. Climate-related issues and their mitigation are integrated into the company’s enterprise risk management program. Autoliv has identified climate-related opportunities in the areas of resource efficiency and climate impact of products and services. In 2021, Autoliv intends to focus on updating its climate strategy and will continue to develop our climate risk assessment and reporting according to the FSB Task Force on Climate-Related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) recommendations. Autoliv’s environmental management system (EMS) emphasizes continuous improvement and learning aligned with ISO 14001:2015 requirements. The EMS applies to all our manufacturing sites, offices, logistic centers, and technical centers. The percentage of our production facilities externally certified in accordance with ISO 14001 increased in 2020 to 88% with the remaining 12% following the principles of our EMS standard. During 2020 we introduced several energy saving initiatives and in 2019-2020 Autoliv conducted detailed water risk assessments of its facilities. Scope 1 and Scope 2 location-based CO2 emissions from Autoliv’s operations in 2020 decreased year-over-year and total waste decreased by 5% year-over-year.
Commitment to our Employees. Employee health and safety, diversity, and respect for labor rights are the priorities of our employee-related sustainability agenda. In 2020, our activities focused on maintaining a safe working environment for all our employees. We fulfilled our incident and severity rate interim targets and made progress towards our ultimate goal of zero accidents. In 2020, many of our strategic health and safety initiatives planned for the year were disrupted by the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. We focused our attention on keeping our employees, customers, and suppliers safe while working at our sites and adopted a broad-spectrum approach with clear and continuous communication to all our employees as the topic focus. Guiding that work, was our “Smart Start Playbook” that included best practices based on guidelines from the World Health Organization and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. We made that document readily available to our employees and pro-actively shared it with our supplier base. Meanwhile, during the early phases of the pandemic, we used our global manufacturing capabilities to supply all our employees with fabric face masks. We also implemented disinfection and prevention protocols and provided pandemic-specific equipment for all our employees daily. We managed to keep a very low spread of infection within Autoliv’s own operations and facilities, for which we have been acknowledged by our employees and various authorities. Every Autoliv facility has implemented the Autoliv health and safety management system (HSMS) which is aligned with ISO 45001 requirements. Our sites undergo external health and safety audits. In 2020, we increased the percentage of facilities that are externally certified in accordance with OHSAS 18001 or ISO 45001 despite the disruptions of the pandemic. We will continue this progress in 2021. Our workforce reflects the diversity of the countries and cultures in which we operate. At the end of 2020, we made incremental improvements in the percentage of women in our workforce and in senior management positions year-over-year.
Act Ethically & Commit to Society. How we do business is as important as the business we do. Acting ethically and ensuring no corrupt, anti-competitive or other illegal behavior takes place in our business are key priorities for us. We also contribute to local communities through our business operations and engage in locally relevant community activities. The Code of Conduct is the foundation for business ethics and integrity. A critical aspect of our compliance program is education. The training activities that were rolled out during 2020 included both classroom training and e-learning, and covered for example, the Code of Conduct, antitrust, respect in the workplace, conflicts of interests, and whistleblowing among others.
As a reflection of the importance of these matters, we assign oversight responsibility for sustainability to the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee. The Company also publishes an annual report describing its sustainability goals, practices, and performance, in the areas of life-saving innovations, environment, health and safety of our employees, business ethics and supply chain.
Autoliv is committed to providing world-class life-saving solutions and improving safety for mobility and society. Delivering on that commitment in a sustainable way is a continuous journey and we are dedicated to continually strengthening our sustainability work and improving our performance. We encourage you to learn more about our activities and progress during 2020 by reading the Autoliv Sustainability Report 2020. Our annual sustainability reports are publicly available on our website at https://www.autoliv.com/sustainability/sustainability-report.
Board Independence
The Board believes that generally it should have no fewer than seven and no more than eleven directors absent special circumstances. The Board currently consists of twelve members but will be reduced to eleven members upon the retirement of
Board Independence The Board believes that, generally, it should have no fewer than seven and no more than eleven directors, absent special circumstances. The Board has determined that all the director nominees, except Mr. Ringler and conclusion of Mr. Kepler’s current term. The Board has determined that all the director nominees, except Messrs. Bratt, and Carlson, are independent directors under the applicable rules of the NYSE, the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, as amended, and the rules and regulations promulgated by the SEC. In making its independence determinations, the Board reviewed (i) information regarding relevant relationships, arrangements or transactions between the Company and each director or parties affiliated with such director, (ii) Company records and (iii) publicly available information. In this regard, the Board considered the following relationships:
| ■ | Mr. Bratt is not independent because he is a current officer of the Company,Company. |
| ■ | Mr. Lundstedt is the President of Volvo AB and Mr. Carlsonthe Chief Executive Officer of The Volvo Group, a global truck and commercial vehicle manufacturer, and Autoliv is a supplier to The Volvo Group. The amount received from The Volvo Group did not independent because he served as an officerexceed the greater of the Company in the last three years.$1 million or 2% of The Volvo Group’s consolidated gross revenues. The Board of Directors has also determined that none of theMr. Lundstedt is an independent directors has a relationship with the Company other than as a director and/or a stockholder of the Company. Retirement Age Policy and Director Tenure
It is the general policy of the Company that a director who has attained the age of 75 years during his or her term will not stand for re-election at the next annual meeting of stockholders.director.
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Other than as set forth above, the Board has determined that none of the independent directors has a relationship with the Company other than as a director and/or stockholder of the Company or a director of another company. Retirement Age Policy and Non-Employee Director Tenure It is the general policy of the Company that a director who has attained the age of 75 years during her or his term will not stand for re-election at the next annual meeting of stockholders. The Board of Directors may grant a waiver for a director to stand for re-election and, if such a waiver is granted, the reasons for that waiver will be disclosed in the relevant proxy statement. No such waiver has been granted for any of the directors of the Board. For each director nomination recommendation, the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee considers the issue of continuing director tenure and takes steps as may be appropriate to ensure that the Board maintains an openness to new ideas and a willingness to critically re-examine the status quo. An individual director’s repeated nomination is dependent upon such director’s performance evaluation, as well as a suitability review, each to be conducted by the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee regarding each director nomination recommendation. The average tenure of the non-employee directors nominated for election at the Annual Meeting measured at the Annual Meeting date since first appointment is seven years and the median tenure is six years, with two new directors within the last three years. Autoliv | | 22 | | 2024 Proxy Statement |
Board Refreshment We routinely assess the composition of our Board to ensure we have the right mix of attributes, experiences, qualifications, and skills to maximize our Board’s potential. We believe the Company, our stockholders, and our partners benefit from continuity of longer-tenured directors complemented by the fresh perspectives of newer directors. Over the last five years, our Board has undergone significant refreshment, resulting in a lower average tenure.
| 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | New Directors | Min Liu | Frédéric Lissalde | Martin Lundstedt | Gustav Lundgren | — | | Laurie Brlas | | | | | | | | | | Exiting Directors | | | Jim Ringler | Min Liu | — | | | Dave Kepler | | |
Core Director Skills The Board considers the following to be nine (9) core skills necessary to effectively oversee management and implement the Company’s strategy. In addition, the Board values directors with experience successfully leading and serving on the boards of other large, complex businesses. Our director nominees bring an important mix of these core skills, as well as additional attributes and qualifications, such as diversity of gender, race, and/or ethnicity and background to our Board.
| Carlson | Bratt | Brlas | H. Johansson | L. Johansson | Kortüm | Lissalde | Liu | Lundgren | Lundstedt | Senko | Public Company Leadership/Board Experience | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | | ✔ | ✔ | Automotive Industry Experience | ✔ | ✔ | | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | | ✔ | | Manufacturing/Operations Management | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | | ✔ | | International Business | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | | ✔ | | Finance/Accounting | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | | ✔ | | | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | Corporate Governance/ESG | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | | ✔ | ✔ | Technology/Digital | | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | | | ✔ | | ✔ | ✔ | Engineered Product Development | ✔ | ✔ | | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | | ✔ | | Strategic Leadership | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
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The following definitions and reasoning were used in the skills/qualifications matrix: | ■ | Public Company Leadership / Board Experience: Experience as a public company board member, CEO, or other executive position with significant interaction with a public company’s Board of Directors. This experience is important to give insight about our strategic leadership, and appointing, overseeing, and assessing leadership. | | ■ | Automotive Industry Experience: Experience at an executive level leading a business that produces automotive vehicles or supplies vehicle systems or components to automotive original equipment manufacturers. | | ■ | Manufacturing/Operations Management: Experience at an executive level or expertise in managing a business or company that has significant focus on manufacturing and supply chain. This is relevant to assessing senior management’s role of effectively and efficiently operating our production and logistics operations. | | ■ | International Business: Experience at an executive level overseeing international operations. This is important because we have international operations and our strategic plan includes a focus on continuing international growth. | | ■ | Finance/ Accounting: Experience at an executive level or expertise with financial reporting, internal controls, finance companies, hedge funds, or public accounting. This is relevant to use because it assists our directors in understanding our financial statements, understanding our capital structure, and overseeing our financial reporting and internal controls. | | ■ | Corporate Governance/ESG: Experience at an executive level or expertise with corporate governance of other U.S.-listed public companies, compliance, and/or ESG governance and reporting. | | ■ | Technology/Digital: Experience at an executive level or expertise in the use of information technology, digital media, assessment of cybersecurity threats or other technology to facilitate business objectives. This is important to us as we look for ways to use technology to expand our business, protect our assets, and enhance our internal operations. | | ■ | Engineered Product Development: Experience leading a business or company in which value is created from the development of complex products or technology. This is important to us because we sell complex, highly engineered products. | | ■ | Strategic Leadership: Experience at an executive level or expertise in driving strategic direction and growth of an enterprise. This provides our directors with a practical understanding that can be used to evaluate management’s strategies and help develop strategies. |
Onboarding and Continuing Education for Directors All new directors follow an onboarding program that is approved by the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee that includes meetings with management, review of key policies and programs, and visits to the Company’s key manufacturing and management locations. All directors are encouraged to pursue relevant educational programs for public company directors on key emerging topics and the Company highlights these opportunities for directors. Under the Corporate Governance Guidelines, the expenses relating to participating in pre-approved educational opportunities may be reimbursed by the Company.
Board and Committee Evaluations The Board has an ongoing process in place to regularly assess its performance. A formal evaluation of the Board and its committees is conducted on an annual basis to solicit feedback and determine appropriate action based on that feedback. The Chair of the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee leads the Board’s annual self-evaluation which considers the following topics among others:
| ■ | Board/Committee oversight responsibilities | | ■ | Board/Committee composition | | ■ | Board/Committee effectiveness | | ■ | Board/Committee materials | | ■ | Board/Committee meeting effectiveness |
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The results of the Board self-evaluation are reviewed by the full Board during an executive session. When appropriate, changes are implemented to improve Board performance and responsiveness. Similarly, the Board committees conduct their own self-evaluations led by that committee’s Chair and the results are reviewed in a committee meeting.
| 1. | Self-Evaluation Process and Materials Finalized: Proposed process and materials are reviewed and approved by the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee regarding each director nomination recommendation. The average tenurein November of the directors nominatedyear to be evaluated. |
| 2. | Process Begins: Self-Evaluation materials for election atBoard and Committees distributed in January with directions from the Annual MeetingChair of Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee. |
| 3. | Feedback: Board self-evaluation feedback is 4.1 yearsprovided directly to the Chair of the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee; early feedback is provided directly to the median tenure is 3 years, with seven (7) new directors withinChairs of the last three years.committees. |
Table
| 4. | Formal Self-Evaluation/Findings: Board, and committee as relevant, holds a robust discussion of Contentsthe feedback and findings in the February meetings. |
| 5. | Follow-Up: If necessary, the Board Leadership Structure and Risk Oversightor committee implements actions, as appropriate. |
Board Leadership Structure and Risk Oversight
Board Leadership The Board is responsible for selecting the Company’s Chairman of the Board (the “Chairman”) and Chief Executive Officer (the “CEO”). The Corporate Governance Guidelines permit the Board to determine the most appropriate leadership structure for the Company at any given time and give the Board the ability to choose a Chairmanchairman that it deems best for the Company. The Board periodically evaluates the Company’s leadership structure to determine what structure is in the best interests of the Company and its stockholders based on the current circumstances and needs of the Company.
The Board currently has a non-independent,an independent, non-CEO Chairman and a Lead Independent Director. The CEO and Chairman roles have been separated since June 2018 whenChairman. In May 2022, the Board determined that Mr. Carlson stepped down as CEOwas independent after his separation from Veoneer with the sale of Autoliv to become the CEO of Veoneer. The Board determinedVeoneer in 2018 that a separate Chairman and CEO and a lead independent director, with Mr. Carlson as the Chairman, was the appropriate leadership structure for the Company.April 2022. The Board continues to believe it is in the Company’s best interests for Mr. Carlson to serve as Chairman because his familiarity with the Company’s business enables him to effectively lead the Board in its discussion, consideration, and execution of the Company’s strategy. The Board believes that having Mr. Carlson serve as a non-independent Chairman is appropriately balanced by the designation of a Lead Independent Director. In May 2020, the Board appointed James M. Ringler as Lead Independent Director to serve as the principal liaison between the Chairman and the other independent directors and to provide independent leadership of the Board’s affairs on behalf of the Company’s stockholders. Mr. Ringler presides over the executive sessions of the independent directors. At the conclusion of Mr. Ringler’s term at the Annual Meeting, the Board intends to select a new Lead Independent Director from among the Independent Board members. The duties of the Lead Independent Director include, but are not necessarily limited to, the following:
Autoliv | · | Presides at all meetings of the Board at which the Chairman is not present, including chairing executive sessions of the independent directors;25 | | 2024 Proxy Statement |
| · | Serves as liaison between the independent and non-management directors and the Chairman; |
| · | Has the authority to call meetings of the independent and non-management directors; |
| · | Approves meeting agendas of the full Board after they are prepared by the Chairman, assures that there is sufficient time for discussion of all agenda items, and facilitates approval of the number and frequency of Board meetings; |
| · | Is regularly apprised of inquiries from stockholders and involved in correspondence responding to these inquiries when appropriate, and if requested by stockholders, ensures that he or she is available, when appropriate, for consultation and direct communication; |
| · | Assists the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee in its annual evaluation of the Chairman’s effectiveness, including an annual evaluation of his or her interactions with the directors and ability to provide leadership and direction to the full Board; and |
| · | Approves information sent to the Board, including the quality and timeliness of such information. |
Risk Oversight The Board is responsiblehas overall responsibility for the oversight of risk management of the Company with various aspects of risk oversight delegated to its committees. The Audit CommitteeCompany’s management team is responsible for monitoring financial risk and discussing risk oversight andthe day-to-day management as part of its obligations under the NYSE’s listing standards. The Audit Committee is also responsible for reviewing the Company’s disclosure controls and procedures, including those related to internally and externally disclosing cybersecurity risks and incidents. The Risk and Compliance Committee is responsible for monitoring legal and regulatory risks and other compliance risks, including those related to ethics practices and information technology and security. The Risk and Compliance Committee periodically receives reports from and reviews with management the Company’s risk management program. The Leadership Developmentgovernance and Compensation Committee oversees the Company’s succession planning programs and policies related to recruiting, retaining, and developing management. The Risk and Compliance Committee is responsible for coordinating with the Audit Committee and other Board committees to discuss matters pertaining to risk oversight.programs. In its meetings, the Board receives regular reports from various Board committees and management, including the CEO, the CFO, and General Counsel, regarding the main strategic, operational, and financial risks the Company is facing and the steps that management is taking to address and mitigate such risks. Additionally, the Board will receive periodic risk-related updates from other members of management as necessary. The Leadership Development and Compensation Committee has reviewed with management the design and operation of our incentive compensation arrangements for senior management, including executive officers, to determine whether such programs might encourage inappropriate risk-taking that could have Below is a material adverse effect on the Company. The Leadership Development and Compensation Committee considered, among other things, the featuressummary of the Company’s compensation programkey risk oversight responsibilities that are designedthe Board has delegated to mitigate compensation-related risk, such as the performance objectives and target levels for incentive awards (which are based on overall Company performance), and the Company’s compensation recoupment policy. The Leadership Development and Compensation Committee concluded that any risks arising from the Company’s compensation plans, policies and practices are not reasonably likely to have a material adverse effect on the Company. For additional information regarding compensation risk, see page 32 of this Proxy Statement.its committees.
■ | Audit and Risk Committee: The Audit and Risk Committee is responsible for (i) monitoring financial risk and discussing risk oversight and management as part of its obligations under the NYSE’s listing standards; (ii) reviewing the Company’s disclosure controls and procedures, including those related to internally and externally disclosing cybersecurity risks and incidents; (iii) monitoring legal and regulatory risks and other compliance risks, including those related to ethical practices and information technology and cybersecurity; (iv) overseeing the Company’s independent accountants’ qualifications, independence and performance; (v) reviewing the performance of the Company’s internal audit department; and (vi) routine oversight of the Company’s risk management framework and practices with at least semi-annual reports to the Board. As part of its oversight of IT security/cybersecurity matters, the Audit and Risk Committee receives information on at least a quarterly basis, supplemented by a briefing from management on at least a semi-annual basis, on IT security/cybersecurity matters, including applicable updates on IT security/ cybersecurity training programs and the results of external assessments. | | | ■ | Leadership Development and Compensation Committee: The Leadership Development and Compensation Committee oversees the Company’s succession planning programs and policies related to recruiting, retaining, and developing management. The Leadership Development and Compensation Committee also has oversight responsibilities for the Company’s human capital management initiatives, including with respect to diversity, equity and inclusion, employee engagement, pay equity practices, and workplace health and safety and cultural initiatives. The Leadership Development and Compensation Committee periodically receives reports from management on the implementation and results of the Company’s human capital management programs. The Company also occasionally conducts employee feedback surveys designed to measure employee engagement and evaluate employee programs which the Leadership Development and Compensation Committee reviews. The Leadership Development and Compensation Committee has reviewed with management the design and operation of our incentive compensation arrangements for senior management, including executive officers, to determine whether such programs might encourage inappropriate risk-taking that could have a material adverse effect on the Company. The Leadership Development and Compensation Committee considered, among other things, the features of the Company’s compensation program that are designed to mitigate compensation-related risk, such as the performance objectives and target levels for incentive awards (which are based on overall Company performance), and the Company’s compensation recoupment policy. The Leadership Development and Compensation Committee concluded that any risks arising from the Company’s compensation plans, policies and practices are not likely to have a material adverse effect on the Company. For additional information regarding compensation risk, see page 55 of this Proxy Statement. | | | ■ | Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee: The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee oversees our risks related to corporate governance practices and procedures, director independence, related party transactions, director succession planning and board composition, and sustainability, social, ethical, and environmental activities. |
Board Meetings The Board met fivefour times during the year ended December 31, 2020.2023. The Board also acted by written consent fourtwo times during the year. All directors serving during 20202023 participated in at least 80% of the total number of meetings of the Board and committees on which they served. Following each of the meetings of the full Board, the independent directors met in executive session without management participating, for a total of fivefour times in 2020.2023.
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Board Compensation Directors who are employees of the Company or any of its subsidiaries do not receive separate compensation for service on the Board or its committees. Non-employee directors receive an annual board retainer, and the non-employeenon- employee Chairman of the Board also receives a supplemental annual retainer as described below. The committee chairs and the Lead Independent Directorcommittee members receive compensation in addition to the standard non-employee director retainer. Effective beginning
Our pay philosophy for non-employee directors is to focus on US peers for best attracting and retaining a global board, with 2017 service, the Board amended themedian market pay-level positioning.
The Non-Employee Director Compensation Policy primarily toprovides (i) provide for semi-annual payments in advance, rather than in arrears for a service year that runs from annual meeting to annual meeting, and (ii) provide that more than one-half of the annual base retainer will be paid in the form of restricted stock units (RSUs), rather than fully-vested shares of stock,RSUs, which RSUs will be granted prospectively on the date of the annual meeting and will vest on the earlier of (a) the date of the next annual meeting, or (b) the one-year anniversary of the grant date. In addition,New non-employee directors appointed to the Board revisedbetween stockholder meetings receive a pro-rated grant at the non-employee director stock ownership policy to requiretime of joining for the estimated number of full months served in the service year.
The Non-Employee Director Stock Ownership Policy specifies a guideline for each non-employee director to acquire and hold shares of the Company’s common stock or SDRs in an amount equivalent to five times the cash component of the annual Board retainer (as opposedretainer. Our Non-Employee Chairman is required to threeacquire and hold shares equivalent to five times the cash component of the Board retainer and the cash component of the Non-Employee Chairman annual base retainer as a whole), with fivesupplement retainer. All non-employee directors elected prior to 2020 have achieved the guideline. All directors appointed in 2018 onward have six years for the existing directors to reach the new ownership requirements.targets. In 2020, the Board amended the
The Non-Employee Director Compensation Policy was updated effective May 2023 to increase the annual baseinclude supplemental retainer fees for non-employee directors elected and appointed for the 2020-2021 service year to a total of $260,000 with $120,000 paid in cash and $140,000 to be paid in the form of RSUs. Additionally, in 2020, considering the COVID-19 global pandemic, the Board voluntarily elected to reduce its cash annual base retainer by 20% in Q2 2020 in line with the 20% reduction in salaries taken by members of the Executive Management Team.
committee membership. Compensation levels for the non-employee directors elected in 2020 is2023 are as follows: Annual Base Retainer | Cash | Restricted Stock Units (Grant Date Value) | All Non-Employee Directors | $120,000 | $140,000 | Annual Supplemental Retainers | | | Non-Employee Chairman | $75,000 | $75,000 | Lead Independent Director | $40,000 | - | Audit Committee Chair | $30,000 | - | Leadership Development and Compensation Committee Chair | $20,000 | - | Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee Chair | $20,000 | - | Risk and Compliance Committee Chair | $20,000 | - |
Annual Base Retainer | Cash | Restricted Stock Units (Grant Date Value) | All Non-Employee Directors | $127,500 | $147,500 | Annual Supplemental Retainers | | | Non-Employee Chairman | $85,000 | $85,000 | Lead Independent Director(1) | $40,000 | — | Audit and Risk Committee Chair | $30,000 | — | Leadership Development and Compensation Committee Chair | $20,000 | — | Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee Chair | $20,000 | — | Audit and Risk Committee Member | $10,000 | — | Leadership Development and Compensation Committee Member | $7,500 | — | Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee Member | $7,500 | — |
(1) No Lead Independent Director was appointed for the 2023-2024 Board service year.
Non-employee directors can elect to defer payment of a pre-determined percentage of their equity compensation under the Autoliv, Inc. 2004 Non-Employee Director Stock-Related Compensation Plan. In 2020,2023, none of the directors elected to defer any of hisher or herhis equity compensation.
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The following table sets forth the compensation that our non-employee directors earned during the year ended December 31, 20202023 for services rendered as members of the Board. 2020
2023 Non-Employee Director Compensation Name | Fees Earned or Paid in Cash ($)(1) | Stock Awards ($)(2)(3) | Total ($)(1)(2) | Jan Carlson | 189,000 | 215,000 | 404,000 | Laurie Brlas | 50,000 | 105,000 | 155,000 | Hasse Johansson | 114,000 | 140,000 | 254,000 | Leif Johansson | 134,000 | 140,000 | 274,000 | David Kepler | 134,000 | 140,000 | 274,000 | Franz-Josef Kortüm | 114,000 | 140,000 | 254,000 | Frédéric Lissalde | 0 | 46,667 | 46,667 | Min Liu | 114,000 | 140,000 | 254,000 | Xiaozhi Liu | 114,000 | 140,000 | 254,000 | James M. Ringler | 174,000 | 140,000 | 314,000 | Ted Senko | 144,000 | 140,000 | 284,000 |
Name | Fees Earned or Paid in Cash ($)(1) | Stock Awards ($)(2) | Total ($)(1)(2) | Jan Carlson | 212,500 | 232,500 | 445,000 | Laurie Brlas | 139,167 | 147,500 | 286,667 | Hasse Johansson | 134,167 | 147,500 | 281,667 | Leif Johansson | 157,500 | 147,500 | 305,000 | Franz-Josef Kortüm | 132,500 | 147,500 | 280,000 | Frédéric Lissalde | 157,500 | 147,500 | 305,000 | Xiaozhi Liu | 132,500 | 147,500 | 280,000 | Gustav Lundgren | 134,167 | 147,500 | 281,667 | Martin Lundstedt | 132,500 | 147,500 | 280,000 | Ted Senko | 164,167 | 147,500 | 311,667 |
| (1) | (1) | The cash portion of director compensation is set in USD and converted to each director’s local currency, as applicable, at the then-current exchange rate on the quarterly date of payment. Reflects compensation earned for the calendar year. Fees reflect the 20% annual base retainer fee reduction for Q2 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic taken by the Board, except for Ms. Brlas and Mr. Lissalde who were appointed later, in line with members of the Executive Management Team. |
| (2) | (2) | Reflects the grant date fair value calculated in accordance with FASB Topic 718 for restricted stock unitsof RSUs which will vest in one installment on May 7, 2021 (which is the earlier of the one year anniversary of the grant date or the 2021 annual meeting of stockholders),10, 2024, subject to the non-employee director’s continued service on the vesting date subject toand certain exceptions. |
| (3) | As of December 31, 2020, each of our non-employee independent directors elected at the 2020 AGM held 2,415 unvested RSUs. Ms. Brlas and Mr. Lissalde, who were appointed after the 2020 AGM, hold 1,615 and 503 respectively. |
Corporate Governance Guidelines and Codes of Conduct and Ethics
The Board has adopted:
| ·■ | Corporate Governance Guidelines to guide the Board in the exercise of its responsibilities. |
| ■ | · | StandardsCode of Business Conduct and Ethics that applyapplies to all employees of the Company and to members of the Board (the “Code”). The Code constitutes a “code of ethics” as defined by the rules of the SEC. | | ■ | Related Person Transactions Reporting and Approval Policy (the “Related Person Transactions Policy”). |
The Company has also adopted a written policy regarding related person transactions (the “Related Person Transactions Policy”), which is part of the Code.
The Company’s Corporate Governance Guidelines, the CodesCode, the Related Person Transactions Policy, and any amendments or waivers related thereto, are posted on the Company’s website at www.autoliv.com – About UsCompany – Governance – Ethics andCorporate Policies and can also be obtained from the Company in print by request using the contact information below. TablePolitical Contributions and Lobbying
Under the Company’s Corporate Governance Guidelines, the Company will not make political contributions from corporate resources to any political party, candidate, or holder of Contentspublic office, or political committee in violation of any federal, state, local, or foreign law. This includes monetary contributions as well as in-kind contributions. The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee must approve in advance any contribution made by the Company. Directors may not make personal political contributions on behalf of, or in the name of, the Company or its subsidiaries. Directors will not be reimbursed or otherwise compensated for any personal political contributions.
Policy on Attending the Annual Meeting Under the Company’s Corporate Governance Guidelines, the Company’s policy is for all directors to attend the Annual Meeting. All directors elected at the 20202023 annual meeting of stockholders participated in the 20202023 annual meeting of stockholders.
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Related Person Transactions As a general matter, the Company prefers to avoid related person transactions (as defined below). The Company recognizes, however, that certain related person transactions may not be inconsistent with the best interests of the Company and its stockholders. The Company’s policy is that all related person transactions must be reviewed and approved or ratifiedpre-approved by the Audit Committee or, in certain circumstances, the Audit Committee Chair.and Risk Committee. As provided in the Related Person Transactions Policy, a “Related Person Transaction” is a transaction, arrangement or relationship (or any series of similar transactions, arrangements or relationships) in which the Company (including any of its subsidiaries) was, is or will be a participant and in which any “Related Person” (as defined in the Related Person Transactions Policy) had, has or will have a direct or indirect interest.material interest with certain exceptions. In determining whether to approve a related person transaction, the Audit and Risk Committee considers all of the known relevant facts and circumstances, including the benefit of the transaction to the Company, the terms of the agreement with the Related Person, the possible impact on a director’s independence, the availability of other sources for goods or services comparable to those provided by the Related Person, and any other information regarding the transaction or the Related Person that may be material. Mr. Franz-Josef Kortüm, who is nominated for election by the stockholders at the Annual Meeting, is a member of the Supervisory Board of Wacker Chemie AG, a German chemical manufacturer, and Autoliv is a customer of Wacker Chemie. The amounts paid to Wacker Chemie by Autoliv did not exceed the greater of $1 million or 2% of the reported annual revenues of Wacker Chemie in each of the last three fiscal years. The Board has determined that Mr. Kortüm is “independent” under the applicable rules of the NYSE, the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2022, as amended, and the rules and regulations promulgated by the SEC. Pursuant to the Company’s Related Person Transaction Policy, while Mr. Kortüm is both a director of Autoliv and Wacker Chemie, the Audit Committee has and will review and evaluate any transactions between Autoliv and Wacker Chemie.
Transactions with Veoneer relating to the Spin-Off
On June 29, 2018, Autoliv completed the spin-off of its former Electronics business, Veoneer, Inc. (“Veoneer”) to the Company’s stockholders, resulting in Autoliv and Veoneer being two independent, publicly-traded companies. As discussed above, Mr. Carlson, who was the CEO of Autoliv prior to the spin-off, is now a non-employee director and the Chairman of the Board of the Company and is also the Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board of Directors of Veoneer. Since Mr. Carlson is a related person of the Company, certain transactions between the Company and Veoneer are considered related person transactions that were approved by the Audit Committee and require disclosure pursuant to Section 404(a) of Regulation S-K.
Relating to the spin-off and the internal reorganization of Autoliv that was completed in advance of the spin-off to transfer the Electronics business to Veoneer, the Company entered into several agreements with Veoneer that were approved or ratified by the Audit Committee. When reviewing these transactions, in addition to considering Mr. Carlson’s positions with Autoliv and Veoneer, the Audit Committee also considered (i) the amounts involved, to the extent quantifiable, (ii) the benefits to Autoliv of the transactions (iii) the lack of availability of other sources of comparable products or services, and (iv) that, due to the nature of the spin-off, the transactions are not comparable to the terms available to unaffiliated entities or persons.
Distribution Agreement: Relating to the internal reorganization, Autoliv and Veoneer entered into a Master Transfer Agreement, which was amended and restated effective as of the spin-off (the “Distribution Agreement”). The Distribution Agreement governs certain transfers of assets and assumptions of liabilities by each of Veoneer and Autoliv and the settlement or extinguishment of certain liabilities and other obligations among the companies. Substantially all the assets and liabilities associated with the separated Electronics business were retained by or transferred to Veoneer or its subsidiaries and all other assets and liabilities were retained by or transferred to Autoliv or its subsidiaries. The Distribution Agreement also provided the principal corporate transactions required to effect the spin-off, certain conditions to the spin-off and provisions governing the relationship between us and Autoliv with respect to and resulting from the completion of the spin-off. The Distribution Agreement also provides for indemnification obligations designed to make the Company financially responsible for substantially all liabilities that may exist relating to its business activities, whether incurred prior to or after the completion of the internal reorganization, as well as those obligations of Autoliv assumed by us pursuant to the Master Transfer Agreement; provided, however, certain warranty, recall and product liabilities for Electronics products manufactured prior to the completion of the internal reorganization were retained by Autoliv and Autoliv will indemnify Veoneer for any losses associated with such warranty, recall, or product liabilities. At December 31, 2020, Autoliv’s indemnification liabilities under the Distribution Agreement are approximately $10 million.
Employee Matters Agreement: The Employee Matters Agreement governs Autoliv’s and Veoneer’s compensation and employee benefit obligations with respect to the current and former employees and non-employee directors of each company. Autoliv will be responsible for liabilities associated with Autoliv allocated employees and liabilities associated with former employees and Veoneer will be responsible for liabilities associated with Veoneer allocated employees, but Autoliv will retain and continue to be responsible for certain post-retirement liabilities relating to plans sponsored by Autoliv. The Employee Matters Agreement provided for the conversion of the outstanding awards granted under the Autoliv equity compensation programs into adjusted awards relating to both shares of Autoliv and Veoneer common stock.
Tax Matters Agreement: The Tax Matters Agreement governs the respective rights, responsibilities and obligations of Autoliv and Veoneer with respect to tax liabilities and benefits, tax attributes, tax contests and other tax sharing regarding U.S. federal, state, local and foreign income taxes, other tax matters and related tax returns. The agreement also specifies the portion, if any, of this tax liability for which Veoneer will bear responsibility and provides for certain indemnification provisions with respect to amounts for which they are not responsible. In addition, under the agreement, each party is expected to be responsible for any taxes imposed on Autoliv that arise from the failure of the Spin-offs and certain related transactions to qualify as a tax-free transaction for U.S. federal income tax purposes.
Transition Agreements. Autoliv and Veoneer entered into multiple agreements to provide each other with certain ongoing services for a limited amount of time following the completion of the spin-off. The Amended and Restated Transition Services Agreement (the “TSA”) provides that certain finance, information technology, human resources, facilities, and other services would be provided between Autoliv and Veoneer for a limited time to help ensure an orderly transition following the spin-off. Each party will pay the other for any such services utilized at agreed amounts as set forth in the agreement. Autoliv and Veoneer also entered into several Reseller Agreements to facilitate Veoneer’s ongoing use of critical assets such as leased facilities and intellectual property and transition the supply of products to customers who require involved processes to change suppliers. In 2020, Veoneer charged Autoliv an aggregate of $0.2 million for services provided under the Amended and Restated Transition Services Agreement and Autoliv charged Veoneer an aggregate of $0.4 million for services provided under the Amended and Restated Transition Services Agreements and the reseller agreements. Autoliv and Veoneer also entered into software sublicenses, a transitional trademark license and multiple lease guarantees to facilitate the transition following the completion of the spin-off. The TSA expired by its terms on March 31, 2020 and was extended by mutual consent for one month. Upon expiration of the TSA, Veoneer and Autoliv finalized ongoing agreements to extend a very limited set of services to facilitate ongoing business. These services are being provided at market rate and relate to continuing guarantees for property leases, transitional trademark usage, resale arrangements for customers who had not yet completed supply system transition to Veoneer, and some limited IT services. All extended resale arrangements terminated by the end of 2020.
Supply/Service Agreements. We entered into certain direct purchase and applications engineering agreements with Veoneer after the spin-off. In 2020, Veoneer charged Autoliv an aggregate of approximately $0.1 million for engineering services and $69.5 million for products (not including products sold through reseller agreements referenced above), and Autoliv charged Veoneer an aggregate of approximately $1.7 million for engineering services, under these commercial agreements.
Sublease Agreement: A subsidiary of Veoneer has subleased office space from a Company subsidiary under an agreement approved by the Company’s Audit Committee. The estimated value of this sublease to the Company is approximately $169,000 over the duration of the term based on year-end 2020 exchange rates between the US Dollar and the Swedish krona.
Agreements with Stockholders
Cooperation Agreement with Cevian On March 1, 2019, the Company entered into a Cooperation Agreement (the “Cooperation Agreement”) with Cevian Capital II GP Limited (“Cevian”), pursuant to which the Company agreed to nominate Ms. Min Liu for election to the Board at the 2019 annual meeting of stockholders. The Company agreed to nominate Ms. Min Liu or a replacement designee of Cevian at future annual meetings of Autoliv to elect directors, subject to the terms and conditions of the Cooperation Agreement. Ms. Min Liu resigned from the Board in August 2022 at which time Mr. Gustav Lundgren was appointed to the vacant position in accordance with the Cooperation Agreement.
The nomination of Ms. LiuMr. Lundgren for election at the 20212024 annual meeting of stockholders and herhis inclusion on future slates of directors during the Standstill Period (defined below) is conditioned upon Cevian owning at least 8% of the outstanding shares of common stock of the Company. Ms. LiuMr. Lundgren will offer herhis resignation from the Board if Cevian no longer owns at least 8% of the then-outstanding shares of common stock of Autoliv.
Under the terms of the Cooperation Agreement, Cevian agreed to certain standstill restrictions including restrictions on Cevian (i) acquiring more than 19.9% of the common stock of Company, (ii) soliciting or granting proxies to vote shares of the Company’s common stock, (iii) initiating stockholder proposals for consideration by the Company’s stockholders, (iv) nominating directors for election to the Board, (v) making public announcements or communications regarding a plan or proposal to the Board, including its management plans, and (vi) submitting proposals for or offers of certain extraordinary transactions involving the Company, in each case, subject to certain qualifications or exceptions.
The foregoing standstill restrictions began upon Ms. Min Liu’s election to the Board and terminate automatically upon the earliest of (i) 30 days following the time Ms. LiuMr. Lundgren (or herhis replacement, as applicable) no longer serves on the Company’s Board, (ii) the fifth business day after Cevian delivers written notice the Company of a material breach of the Cooperation Agreement by the Company if such breach is not cured within the notice period, (iii) the announcement by the Company of a definitive agreement with respect to certain transactions that would result in the acquisition by any person or group of more than 50% of the outstanding shares of the Company’s common stock, or (iv) the commencement of certain tender or exchange offers which if consummated would result in the acquisition by any person or group of more than 50% of the outstanding shares of the Company’s common stock (the “Standstill Period”). The Cooperation Agreement will terminate upon the expiration of the Standstill Period or any other date established by mutual written agreement of the parties.
The Cooperation Agreement contains mutual non-disparagement provisions and requires Cevian to keep confidential any non-public information it receives by reason of Ms. Liu’sMr. Lundgren’s role as a director and to abstain from trading in securities in violation of applicable law while in possession of confidential or material non-public information. The Cooperation Agreement is governed by Delaware law. The parties agree that any legal action related to the Cooperation Agreement will be brought in the federal or state courts located in Wilmington, Delaware.
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Communicating with the Board Any stockholder or other interested party who desires to communicate with the Board, the lead independent director,Chairman, or the independent directors regarding the Company can do so by writing to such person(s) at the following address: Board/Independent Directors c/o Executive Vice President Legal, Affairs; General Counsel; and Secretary Autoliv, Inc., Box 70381
SE-107 24 Stockholm, Sweden
Fax: +46 8 587 20633
E-mail: legalaffairs@autoliv.com
Communications with the Board or the independent directors may be sent anonymously and are not screened. Such communications will be distributed to the specific director(s) requested by the stockholder or interested party, to the Board, or to sessions of independent directors as a group.
Committees of the Board There are fourthree standing committees of the Board: the (i) Audit and Risk Committee, (ii) Leadership Development and Compensation Committee, and (iii) Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee, and (iv) Risk and Compliance Committee. The Board has determined that all members of the Board’s standing committees qualify as independent directors under the applicable rules of the NYSE, the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, as amended, and the rules and regulations promulgated by the SEC. While no formal policy exists regarding the attendance of the CEO and the Chairman at committee meetings, the practice of the Board is that the CEO and the Chairman are routinely invited to attend committee meetings and excuse them when matters relating to them are discussed or when the committees go into executive session. The Lead Independent Director is also invited to attend all committee meetings. The following table shows the composition of the committees of the Board:
| January 1, 2020- May 7, 2020 | May 7, 2020 – Present | Audit Committee
| Ted Senko (Chair) Hasse Johansson
David E. Kepler
Min Liu
| Ted Senko (Chair)
Laurie Brlas*
Hasse Johansson
David E. Kepler
Min Liu
| Audit and Risk Committee | Laurie Brlas Hasse Johansson Gustav Lundgren | | | | Frédéric Lissalde (Chair) | Leadership Development and
Compensation Committee | James M. Ringler (Chair)
Leif Johansson Min Liu
Xiaozhi Liu
| James M. Ringler (Chair)
Leif Johansson
Frédéric Lissalde*
Min Liu
Xiaozhi Liu
Martin Lundstedt | | | | Leif Johansson (Chair) | Nominating and Corporate
Governance Committee | Leif Johansson (Chair)
Laurie Brlas Franz-Josef Kortüm Xiaozhi Liu
James M. Ringler
| Leif Johansson (Chair)
Laurie Brlas*
Hasse Johansson
Franz-Josef Kortüm
Ted Senko
| Risk and Compliance Committee
| David E. Kepler (Chair)
Hasse Johansson
Ted Senko
| David E. Kepler (Chair)
Franz-Josef Kortüm
Xiaozhi Liu
James M. Ringler Frédéric Lissalde |
(*) Appointed to the Board of Directors
The Audit and its committees after the May 7, 2020 annual meeting of stockholders. The AuditRisk Committee appoints, subject to stockholder ratification, the Company’s independent registered public accounting firm and is responsible for the compensation, retention and oversight of the work of the independent registered public accounting firm and for any special assignments given to such auditors. The Audit and Risk Committee reviews the independence of the independent registered public accounting firm and considers whether there should be a regular rotation of the independent registered public accounting firm. The Audit and Risk Committee also evaluates the selection of the lead audit partner, including their qualifications and performance. The Audit and Risk Committee also (i) reviews the annual audit and its scope, including the independent registered public accounting firm ’ letter of comments and management’s responses thereto; (ii) reviews the performance of the independent registered public accounting firm, , including the lead audit partner; (iii) approves any non-audit services provided to the Company by its independent registered public accounting firm; (iv) reviews possible violations of the Company’s business ethics and conflicts of interest policies; (v) reviews any major accounting changes made or contemplated; (vi) reviews the effectiveness and efficiency of the Company’s internal audit staff; and (vii) monitors financial risk and discusses risk oversight and management as part of its obligations under the NYSE’s listing standards.standards and provides routine oversight
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of the Company’s risk management program framework and practices. The Audit and Risk Committee also oversees cybersecurity, receiving regularquarterly cybersecurity updates from Autoliv’s management team. In addition,Additionally, the Audit and Risk Committee reviews and oversees the Company’s compliance with applicable data privacy regulations. The Audit and Risk Committee confirms that no restrictions have been imposed by Company personnel on the scope of the independent registered public accounting firm’s examinations. The Audit and Risk Committee is also responsible for the review and approval of related person transactions. Members of this committee are Messrs.Mr. Senko (Chair), Ms. Brlas, Mr. H. Johansson, and KeplerMr. Lundgren. The Audit and Mss. Brlas and M. Liu. The AuditRisk Committee met eight times in 2020.2023.
The Leadership Development and Compensation Committee advises the Board with respect to the compensation to be paid to the directors and executive officers of the Company and is responsible for approving the terms of contracts for the senior executives of the Company. The committee also administers the Company’s cash and stock incentive plans and reviews and discusses with management the Company’s Compensation Discussion and Analysis (“CD&A”) included in this Proxy Statement. The Leadership Development and Compensation Committee assists the Board in developing principles and policies related to management succession and the recruiting, motivation, education, diversity, retention, and ongoing development of senior management. Members of this committee are Messrs. RinglerMr. Lissalde (Chair), Mr. L. Johansson, and Lissalde, Ms. M.Dr. Liu, and Dr. X. Liu.Mr. Lundstedt. The Leadership Development and Compensation Committee met threefour times in 2020.2023 and acted by written consent twice.
The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committeeidentifies and recommends individuals qualified to serve as members of the Board and assists the Board by reviewing the composition of the Board and its committees, monitoring a process to assess Board effectiveness, and developing and implementing the Company’s Corporate Governance Guidelines. The committee also reviews sustainability, social, ethical, and environmental activities of the Company. The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee will consider stockholder nominees for election to the Board if timely advance written notice of such nominees is received by the Secretary of the Company at its principal executive offices in accordance with the By-Laws, a copy of which may be obtained by written request to the Company’s Secretary or on the Company’s website at www.autoliv.com – About Us – Governance – Certificate and Bylaws.By-Laws. Members of this committee are Messrs.Mr. L. Johansson (Chair), H. Johansson,Ms. Brlas, Mr. Kortüm, and Senko and Ms. Brlas.Mr. Lissalde. The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee met four times in 2020.2023 and acted by written consent twice. The Risk and Compliance Committee was formed as a special committee of the Board in June 2011, and was made a standing committee in December 2018, to assist the Board in overseeing the Company’s compliance program with respect to (i) compliance with the laws and regulations applicable to the Company’s business and (ii) compliance with the Company’s Standards of Business Conduct and Ethics and related policies by employees, officers, directors and other agents and associates of the Company that are designed to support lawful and ethical business conduct by the Company and its employees and promote a culture of compliance. The Risk and Compliance committee reviews with and receives reports from management on the Company’s risk framework. The Risk and Compliance Committee also oversees risks relevant to our information technology environment and the investigation of any alleged noncompliance with law or the Company’s compliance programs policies or procedures that is reported to the Risk and Compliance Committee (except any relating to financial compliance, which are overseen by the Audit Committee). Members of this committee are Messrs. Kepler (Chair), Kortüm, and Ringler and Dr. Liu. The Risk and Compliance Committee works closely with the other committees of the Board. The Risk and Compliance Committee met three times in 2020.
The Board may establish such other committees as it deems appropriate, in accordance with the Company’s By-laws. In 2019, the Board formed the Funding Committee, which is not a standing committee but a special committee that meets only as needed. The sole purpose is to act on behalf of the Board with respect to renewals and issuances under the Company’s European Medium Term Note Programme. The members of the Funding Committee are Messrs. Bratt, L. Johansson,Dr. Liu, Mr. Kortüm, and Mr. Senko. No compensation is paid for service on this special committee. The Funding Committee acted by written consent once in 2020.2023.
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Audit and Risk Committee Report The Audit and Risk Committee of the Board is responsible for providing independent, objective oversight of the Company’s accounting functions, the financial reporting process, internal controls, legal and internal controls.regulatory compliance program, and risk management, including those relevant to the Company’s information technology environment. The committee is directly responsible for the selection, appointment, compensation, retention, and oversight of the independent registered public accounting firm.
The Audit and Risk Committee acts pursuant to a written charter. The committee’s current charter is posted on the Company’s website at www.autoliv.com – About UsCompany – Governance – Board of Directors – Committees–Committees and can also be obtained free of charge in print by request from the Company using the contact information below. Each member of the Audit and Risk Committee is “independent” as defined in, and is qualified to serve on the committee pursuant to, the rules of the NYSE, the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, as amended, and the rules and regulations promulgated by the SEC. Each member is financially literate and possesses accounting or related financial management expertise, and Mr. Senko and Ms. Brlas have each been determined by the Board to qualify as an “audit committee financial expert” as defined by the SEC. Pursuant to the charter of the Audit and Risk Committee, no member of the Audit and Risk Committee may serve on the audit committee of more than two other public companies unless the Board determines that such simultaneous service would not impair the ability of such Audit and Risk Committee member to effectively serve on the Audit and Risk Committee.
Meeting agendas are established by the Audit and Risk Committee Chair. In 2023, the Audit and Risk Committee held separate private sessions with the Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm Partners, Vice President of Group Internal Audit, and the Chief Financial Officer.
The Audit and Risk Committee is responsible for reviewing with management the Company’s disclosure controls and procedures related to internally reporting and processing information and cybersecurity risks and incidents to ensure that such information is reported to the appropriate personnel to enable senior management to make timely and appropriate disclosure decisions with respect to such information. The committee also oversees the general compliance and information security compliance training programs. In implementing its oversight, the Audit and Risk Committee receives at least quarterly updates from senior management.
The Audit and Risk Committee discussed with the independent registered public accounting firm the matters required to be discussed under the applicable auditing standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (“PCAOB”). In addition, the Company’s independent registered public accounting firm provided to the Audit and Risk Committee the written disclosures required by the PCAOB’s applicable requirements regarding the independent registered public accounting firm’s communications with the Audit and Risk Committee concerning independence. The Audit and Risk Committee has discussed with the independent registered public accounting firm the independent registered public accounting firm’s independence. The Audit and Risk Committee reviews and oversees the independence of the independent registered public accounting firm and has concluded that the independent registered public accounting firm’s provision of non-audit services to the Company is compatible with the independent registered public accounting firm’s independence. The Audit and Risk Committee evaluates the performance of the independent registered accounting firm and is satisfied with its performance.
The Audit and Risk Committee reviews the Company’s financial reporting process on behalf of the Board. In fulfilling its responsibilities, the Audit and Risk Committee has reviewed and discussed the audited financial statements contained in the Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 20202023 with the Company’s management and independent registered public accounting firm. The Company’s management is responsible for the financial statements and the reporting process, including the system of internal controls. The independent registered public accounting firm is responsible for expressing an opinion on the conformity of those audited financial statements with accounting principles generally accepted in the U.S. The Audit Committee is responsible for reviewing with management the Company’s cybersecurity risk Ernst and risk management practicesYoung AB has been retained as well as disclosure controls and procedures for the internally reporting and processing information related to cybersecurity risks and incidents to ensure that such information is reported to the appropriate personnel to enable senior management to make timely and appropriate disclosure decisions with respect to such information. In implementing its oversight, the Audit Committee, in addition to the Board and the Risk and Compliance Committee, receives regular updates from senior management.
Meeting agendas are established by the Audit Committee Chair. In 2020, the Audit Committee held separate private sessions with the Independent Auditors, Vice President of Internal Audit, and the Chief Financial Officer, at which candid discussions regarding financial management, legal, accounting, auditing, and internal control issues took place.
The Audit Committee discussed with the independent registered public accounting firm the matters required to be discussed under the applicable auditing standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (“PCAOB”). In addition, the Company’s independent registered public accounting firm provided tocontinuously since May 1997 and in the same capacity for Autoliv AB since 1984. The members of the Audit and Risk Committee and our Board recommend the written disclosures required bycontinued retention of Ernst and Young to serve as the PCAOB’s applicable requirements regarding the independent registered public accounting firm’s communications with the Audit Committee concerning independence. The Audit Committee has discussed with theCompany’s independent registered public accounting firm the independent registered public accounting firm’s independence. The Audit Committee reviews and oversees the independence of the independent registered public accounting firm and has concluded that the independent registered public accounting firm’s provision of non-audit services to the Company is compatible with the independent registered public accounting firm’s independence. The Audit Committee evaluates the performance of the independent registered accounting firm and is satisfied with its performance. for 2024.
In reliance on the reviews and discussions referred to above, the Audit and Risk Committee recommended to the Board (and the Board approved) that the audited financial statements be included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2020,2023, for filing with the SEC.
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The Audit and Risk Committee can be contacted regarding accounting, internal accounting controls, auditing, compliance, or auditingrisk management matters as follows:
The Audit and Risk Committee c/o Executive Vice President, Legal Affairs; General Counsel; and Secretary
Autoliv, Inc., Box 70381
SE-107 24 Stockholm, Sweden
Fax: +46 8 587 20 633
E-mail: legalaffairs@autoliv.com
Communications with the committee are not screened and can be made anonymously. The Chair of the committee will receive all such communications after it has been determined that the contents represent a message to the committee. Autoliv | | 33 | | 2024 Proxy Statement |
| Laurie Brlas | | Hasse Johansson | | David E. Kepler | | Min Liu |
Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee Report The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee of the Board is responsible for identifying and recommending to the Board individuals who are qualified to serve as directors and contribute as Board committee members. The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee further advises the Board on composition and procedures of committees and is responsible for maintaining the Company’s Corporate Governance Guidelines and overseeing the evaluation of the Board and its committees and members of the Company’s management. The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee of the Board also periodically reviews the significant sustainability, social, ethical, and environmental activities of the Corporation.
The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee acts pursuant to a written charter. A copy of the committee’s charter is available on the Company’s website at www.autoliv.com – About UsCompany – Governance – Board of Directors ––– Committees and can also be obtained free of charge in print by request from the Company using the contact information below. Each of the members of the committee is “independent” as defined in, and is qualified to serve on the committee pursuant to, the applicable rules of the NYSE, the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, as amended, and the rules and regulations promulgated by the SEC.
The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee considered and recommended that Mr. Mikael Bratt, Ms. Laurie Brlas, Mr. Jan Carlson, Mr. Hasse Johansson, Mr. Leif Johansson, Mr. Franz-Josef Kortüm, Mr. Frédéric Lissalde, Ms. Min Liu, Dr. Xiaozhi Liu, Mr. Gustav Lundgren, Mr. Martin Lundstedt, and Mr. Ted Senko be nominated for election by the stockholders at the Annual Meeting. Ms. Brlas, Dr. Liu, Ms. Liu and Messrs. Carlson, H. Johansson, L. Johansson, Kortüm, Lissalde, Lundgren, Lundstedt, and Senko are each “independent” as defined in the applicable rules of the NYSE, the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, as amended, and the rules and regulations promulgated by the SEC.
The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee will consider a director candidate nominated by a stockholder provided such nomination is submitted to the committee within the period set forth in Article II, Section 6 of the By-Laws. In considering candidates submitted by stockholders, the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee will take into consideration the needs of the Board and the candidate’s qualifications.
The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee understands the importance of and seeks a Board of Directors of individuals with a diverse range of experiences, qualifications, views, and backgrounds. When considering possible candidates for election as a director, the committee evaluates whether a candidate has (i) attained a position of leadership in the candidate’s area of expertise, (ii) business and financial experience relevant to the Company, (iii) demonstrated sound business judgment, (iv) expertise relevant to the Company’s lines of business, (v) independence from management, (vi) the ability to serve on standing committees, and (vii) the ability to serve the interests of all stockholders. The committee also considers attributes such as diversity of race, ethnicity, gender, age, and cultural background when selecting director nominees and seeks director nominees that reflect the global operations of the Company. The current Board consists of directors who are citizens of, or reside in, multiple countries including the China, France, Germany, Sweden, Switzerland and the U.S. and include directors with a diverse range of backgrounds, perspectives, and management, operating, finance and engineering skills and experiences. The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee continues to look for opportunities to further progress its diversity initiatives.initiatives and attract qualified diverse candidates whose expertise and personal characteristics align with the Company’s long-term business strategy. Although the Company has not adopted specific targets, the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee will continue to consider the level of representation of women and other diverse candidates on the Board when making recommendations for nominees to the Board.
The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee periodically engages firms that specialize in identifying director candidates. The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee also, from time to time, identifies potential director nominees by asking current directors and executive officers to notify the committee if they become aware of persons meeting the criteria described above. As described above, the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee will also consider candidates recommended by stockholders. Once a person has been identified by the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee as a potential candidate, the committee collects and reviews publicly available information regarding the person to determine whether further consideration should be given to the person’s candidacy. If the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee determines that the candidate warrants further consideration, the Chair of the committee or another member of the committee will contact such person. Generally, if the person
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expresses a willingness to be considered to serve on the Board, the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee will request information from the candidate, review the candidate’s accomplishments and qualifications in light of the qualifications of any individuals the committee might be considering, and conduct one or more interviews with the candidate. In certain instances, committee members may contact one or more references provided by the candidate or may contact other members of the business community or other persons that may have first-hand knowledge of the candidate’s accomplishments. The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee’s evaluation process does not vary when a candidate is recommended by a stockholder. The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee can be contacted as follows:
The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee c/o Executive Vice President, Legal Affairs; General Counsel; and Secretary
Autoliv, Inc., Box 70381
SE-107 24 Stockholm, Sweden
Fax: +46 8 587 20 633
E-mail: legalaffairs@autoliv.com
Communications with the committee are not screened and can be made anonymously. The Chair of the committee receives all such communications after it has been determined that the content represents a message to the committee.
| Leif Johansson, Chair | | | Laurie Brlas | | | Franz-Josef Kortüm | | | Frédéric Lissalde | |
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| Laurie Brlas | | Hasse Johansson | | Franz-Josef Kortüm | | Ted Senko |
Leadership Development and Compensation Committee Duties, Procedures and Policies The Leadership Development and Compensation Committee acts pursuant to a written charter. The charter is posted on the Company’s website at www.autoliv.com – About UsCompany – Governance – Board of Directors – Committees,–Committees and can also be obtained free of charge in print by request from the Company using the contact information below. Each member of the Leadership Development and Compensation Committee has been determined by the Board to be “independent” as defined in, and is qualified to serve on the committee pursuant to, the rules of the NYSE, the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, and the rules and regulations promulgated by the SEC.
The Leadership Development and Compensation Committee is responsible for (i) reviewing annually the Company’s executive compensation plans in light of the Company’s goals and objectives of such plans; (ii) evaluating annually the performance of the Chief Executive Officer (“CEO”) in light of the goals and objectives of the Company’s executive compensation plans and, together with the other independent directors, determining, and approving the Chief Executive Officer’sCEO’s compensation level based on this evaluation; (iii) evaluating annually the performance of the other executive officers of the Company in light of the goals and objectives of the Company’s executive compensation plans, and setting the compensation of such other executive officers based on this evaluation; (iv) evaluating annually the appropriate level of compensation for Board and committee service by non-employee directors; (v) reviewing and approving any severance or termination arrangements to be made with any executive officer of the Company; (vi) reviewing perquisites or other personal benefits to the Company’s executive officers and directors and recommending any changes to the Board; (vii) developing the Company’s plans for management succession and recruiting, retaining, and developing management; (viii) reviewing and discussing with management the CD&A, beginning on page 2446 of this Proxy Statement, and based on that review and discussion, recommending to the Board that the CD&A be included in the Company’s annual proxy statement or annual report on Form 10-K; (ix) preparing the Leadership Development and Compensation Committee Report for inclusion in the annual proxy statement or annual report on Form 10-K; (x) reviewing the description of the Leadership Development and Compensation Committee’s process and procedures for the consideration and determination of executive officer and non-employee director compensation to be included in the Company’s annual proxy statement or annual report on Form 10-K; (xi) reviewing the results of the most recent stockholder advisory vote on executive compensation and recommending to the Board the frequency of such vote; and (xii) performing such duties and responsibilities as may be assigned by the Board under the terms of the Company’s general compensation plans and other employee benefit plans, including oversight of compensation-related risk to the Company and pay equality on behalf of the Board.equality.
The Leadership Development and Compensation Committee from time to time uses independent compensation consultants to provide advice and ongoing recommendations regarding executive compensation. In 2020,Since 2021, the Leadership Development and Compensation Committee has engaged Frederic W. Cook & Co., Inc.Meridian Compensation Partners (“FW Cook”Meridian”) as its independent advisor. FW Cook reported directly to the Leadership Development and Compensation Committeeadvisor with respect to executive and non-employee director compensation matters. In 2020, theThe Company also engaged Willis Towers Watson Consulting AB (“Willis Towers Watson”) as aand Mercer Sweden AB (“Mercer”) to provide compensation consultant.survey data that was used in setting the 2023 executive compensation for the senior executive officers. For additional information regarding the role of each of these compensation consultantsMeridian, Towers Watson, and Mercer and the scope of their engagement, see page 32pages 54-56 of this Proxy Statement.
The Leadership Development and Compensation Committee considered the independence of Meridian, Mercer, and Towers Watson and FW Cook under the SEC rules and NYSE listing standards. The Leadership Development and Compensation Committee also received a letter from each of Meridian, Mercer, and Towers Watson and FW Cook addressing their independence. The Leadership Development and Compensation Committee considered the following factors in determining the independence of the compensation consultants: (i) other services provided to the Company by each of Towers Watson and FW Cook;the consultants; (ii) fees paid by the Company as a percentage of each consultant’s total revenue; (iii) policies or procedures maintained by Towers Watson and FW Cookthe consultants that are designed to prevent a conflict of interest; (iv) any business or personal relationships between the individual consultants involved in the engagement and any member of the Leadership Development and Compensation Committee; (v) any Company stock owned by the individual consultants involved in the engagement; and (vi) any business or personal relationships between the Company’s executive officers and Meridian, Mercer and Towers Watson or FW Cook or the individual consultants involved in the engagement. The Leadership Development and Compensation Committee discussed these independence factors and concluded that the work of Meridian, Mercer and Towers Watson and FW Cook did not raise any conflicts of interest.
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The Leadership Development and Compensation Committee may form subcommittees for any purpose it deems appropriate and may delegate to any subcommittee such power and authority as it deems appropriate provided that no subcommittee shall consist of fewer than two members and that the Leadership Development and Compensation Committee shall not delegate any power or authority required by any law, regulation or listing standard to be exercised by the Leadership Development and Compensation Committee as a whole. Under the Company’s 1997 Stock Incentive Plan, as amended and restated (the “1997 Plan”), the Leadership Development and Compensation Committee may, to the extent that any such action will not prevent the 1997 Plan from complying with applicable rules and regulations, delegate any of its authority thereunder to such persons as it deems appropriate. In addition, the Leadership Development and Compensation Committee has delegated to the CEO the authority to determine certain grants under the Company’s long-term incentive plan, subject to established grant limits. The Leadership Development and Compensation Committee reviews the compensation levels set by the CEO under the long-term incentive program.
The Leadership Development and Compensation Committee can be contacted as follows:
The Leadership Development and Compensation Committee c/o Executive Vice President, Legal Affairs; General Counsel; and Secretary
Autoliv, Inc., Box 70381
SE-107 24 Stockholm, Sweden
Fax: +46 8 587 20 633
E-mail: legalaffairs@autoliv.com
Communications with the committee are not screened and can be made anonymously. The Chair of the committee receives all such communications after it has been determined that the content represents a message to the committee.
Leadership Development and Compensation Committee Interlocks and Insider Participation The Leadership Development and Compensation Committee is comprised exclusively of directors who have never been employed by the Company and who are “independent” as defined in the applicable rules of the NYSE, the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, as amended, and the rules and regulations promulgated by the SEC. No executive officer of the Company served as a member of the compensation committee of another entity, one of whose executive officers served on the Company’s Leadership Development and Compensation Committee. No executive officer of the Company served as a director of another entity, one of whose executive officers either served on the compensation committee of such entity or served as a director of the Company (i.e., no interlocks exist).
Leadership Development and Compensation Committee Report1 The Leadership Development and Compensation Committee has reviewed and discussed with management the Company’s Compensation Discussion and AnalysisCD&A and, based on such review and discussions, has recommended to the Board that the Compensation Discussion and AnalysisCD&A be included in this Proxy Statement and incorporated by reference into the Company’s 20202023 Annual Report on Form 10-K.
| Frédéric Lissalde, Chair | | | Leif Johansson | | | Xiaozhi Liu | | | Martin Lundstedt | |
1 The material in this report is not soliciting material, is not deemed filed with the SEC and is not incorporated by reference in any filing of the Company under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, whether made on, before, or after the date of this Proxy Statement and irrespective of any general incorporation language in such filing.
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| Leif Johansson | | Frédéric Lissalde | | Min Liu | | Xiaozhi Liu |
The Swedish Corporate Governance Code Swedish companies with shares admitted to trading on a regulated market in Sweden, including the Nasdaq Stockholm, are subject to the Swedish Corporate Governance Code (the “Swedish Code”). This is a codification of best practices for Swedish listed companies based on Swedish practices and circumstances. The Swedish Code follows a “comply or disclose” approach; its recommendations are not binding on companies but if its recommendations are not complied with, the deviation must be explained. A non-Swedish company listed in Sweden can elect to either apply the Swedish Code or the corresponding local rules and codes where the company’s shares have their primary listing or where the company is headquartered. As a Delaware corporation with its primary listing on the NYSE, the Company has elected to apply U.S. corporate governance rules and standards. This section and other parts of this Proxy Statement provide detailed information on various subjects covered by the Swedish Code. 1 | The material in this report is not soliciting material, is not deemed filed with the SEC and is not incorporated by reference in any filing of the Company under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, whether made on, before, or after the date of this Proxy Statement and irrespective of any general incorporation language in such filing. |
In addition to, and consistent with, these statutory laws and regulations, Autoliv is governed by its own charter documents and internal standards and policies through its Restated Certificate of Incorporation, Third Restated By-Laws,By- Laws, Corporate Governance Guidelines, and Standardsthe Autoliv Code of Business Conduct and Ethics.Conduct. These charter documents and internal standards and policies guide and assist the Board in the exercise of its responsibilities and reflect the Board’s commitment to fostering a culture of integrity and monitoring the effectiveness of policy and decision-making, both at the Board and management level. The Board views corporate governance as an integral part of the basic operations of the Company and a necessary element for long-term, sustainable growth in stockholder value.
Forward-Looking Statements This Proxy Statement contains statements that are not historical facts but rather forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such forward-looking statements include those that address activities, events, or developments that the Company or its management believes or anticipates may occur in the future. All forward-looking statements are based upon our current expectations, various assumptions and/or data available from third parties. Our expectations and assumptions are expressed in good faith and we believe there is a reasonable basis for them. However, there can be no assurance that such forward-looking statements will materialize or prove to be correct as forward-looking statements are inherently subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause actual future results, performance, or achievements to differ materially from the future results, performance or achievements expressed in or implied by such forward-looking statements.
In some cases, you can identify these statements by forward-looking words such as “estimates,” “expects,” “anticipates,” “projects,” “plans,” “intends,” “believes,” “may,” “likely,” “might,” “would,” “should,” “could,” or the negative of these terms and other comparable terminology, although not all forward-looking statements contain such words.
Because these forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties, the outcome could differ materially from those set out in the forward-looking statements for a variety of reasons, including without limitation: general economic conditions; the disruptions and impacts relating to the ongoing conflict in the Red Sea and between Russia and Ukraine on the Company’s financial condition, business operations, operating costs, liquidity, competition and the global economy; changes in light vehicle production; fluctuation in vehicle production schedules for which the Company is a supplier; global supply chain disruptions including port, transportation and distribution delays or interruptions; supply chain disruptions and component shortages specific to the automotive industry or the Company; changes in general industry and market conditions or regional growth or decline; changes in and the successful execution of our capacity alignment, restructuring and cost reduction and efficiency initiatives and the market reaction thereto; loss of business from increased competition; higher raw material, fuel and energy costs; changes in consumer and customer preferences for end products; customer losses; changes in regulatory conditions; customer bankruptcies; consolidations or restructuring or divestiture of customer brands; unfavorable fluctuations in currencies or interest rates among the various jurisdictions in which we operate; component shortages; market acceptance of our new products; costs or difficulties related to the integration of any new or acquired businesses and technologies; continued uncertainty in pricing negotiations with customers; successful integration of acquisitions and operations of joint ventures; successful implementation of strategic partnerships and collaborations; our ability to be awarded new business; product liability, warranty and recall claims and investigations and other litigation, civil judgements or financial penalties and customer reactions thereto; higher expenses for our pension and other postretirement benefits including higher funding needs for our pension plans; work stoppages or other labor issues; possible adverse results of pending or future litigation or infringement claims;claims and the availability of insurance with respect to such matters; our ability to protect our intellectual property rights; negative impacts of antitrust investigations or other governmental investigations
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and associated litigation relating to the conduct of our business; tax assessments by governmental authorities and changes in our effective tax rate; dependence on key personnel; legislative or regulatory changes impacting or limiting our business; political conditions; our ability to meet our sustainability targets, goals and commitments; political conditions; dependence on and relationships with customers and suppliers; the conditions necessary to hit or mid- and long-term financial and greenhouse gas emission targets; and other risks and uncertainties identified in Item 1A “Risk Factors” in our Annual Report for the fiscal year ended December 31, 20202022 and in the “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” section of our Annual Report for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2020.2023.
For any forward-looking statements contained in this or any other document, we claim the protection of the safe harbor for forward-looking statements contained in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, and we assume no obligation to update publicly or revise any forward-looking statements in light of new information or future events, except as required by law.
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Executive Officers of the Company |
INFORMATION ABOUT OUR EXECUTIVE OFFICERS
Set forth below is information regarding the current executive officers of the Company who are not also directors (information about Mr. Mikael Bratt, President and Chief Executive Officer, can be found on page 414 of this Proxy Statement):
CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER AND EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT, FINANCE SINCE: 2020
AGE: 51 | Fredrik Westin Fredrik Westin, age 51, Chief Financial Officer and Executive Vice President, Finance since May 2020. From 2015 through 2020, Mr. Westin served as Chief Financial Officer at Sandvik Mining and Rock Technology, The Netherlands. Mr. Westin served as Chief Financial Officer and Vice President of Finance, Information Technology, Integration & Change Office for Johnson Controls’ Global Automotive Interiors business from 2014 to 2015, based in Japan. Prior to that, Mr. Westin held roles with Johnson Controls in Germany, China, and Japan from 2006 to 2014. Mr. Westin began his career with Volkswagen in 1998 and served in various leadership roles with WestLB from 2002 through 2006. Mr. Westin holds an MBA from Insead, France, and an MSc in Mechanical Engineering from RWTH Aachen, Germany. |
EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT, LEGAL AFFAIRS, GENERAL COUNSEL, AND SECRETARY SINCE: 2018 AGE: 56 | Anthony Nellis Anthony Nellis, age 56, Executive Vice President, Legal Affairs, General Counsel, and Secretary since June 2018. From 2002 until his appointment to his current position, Mr. Nellis served in several positions in the Autoliv Legal Department with increasing responsibilities. Most recently, he served as Vice President Legal, Autoliv Passive Safety, a segment of Autoliv, between July 2014 until June 2018. He served as Vice President, Legal for Autoliv Asia from May 2010 until July 2014. Overlapping with that role, he served as the Interim Vice President, General Counsel, and Secretary from January 2014 to December 2014. Prior to joining Autoliv, Mr. Nellis was a commercial litigator with Kitch Drutchas from 1996 to 2002. Mr. Nellis has a B.A. from Alma College and a J.D. from the University of Detroit. |
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EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT, HUMAN RESOURCES AND SUSTAINABILITY SINCE: 2023
AGE: 56 | Petra Albuschus Petra Albuschus, age 56, Executive Vice President, Human Resources and Sustainability since November 2023. Ms. Albuschus previously served as Chief Human Resources Officer and a member of the management team of ICA Gruppen AB between 2015-2023 after serving as the Senior Vice President, Logistics of ICA Sverige AB between 2008 and 2015. Prior to that, Ms. Albuschus held roles of increasing responsibility with Procter & Gamble in the United Kingdom, Belgium, and Sweden. Ms. Albuschus served as a Board member of Electra Gruppen AB from April 2014 through May 2022 when the company merged with Elon Group AB. Ms. Albuschus has a Master’s Degree in Industrial Engineering and Management from Chalmers University of Technology in Gothenburg, Sweden. |
EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT AND CHIEF TECHNOLOGY OFFICER SINCE: 2018 AGE: 56 | Jordi Lombarte Jordi Lombarte, age 56, Executive Vice President and Chief Technology Officer since April 2018. Mr. Lombarte first joined Autoliv in 1992. During his career with Autoliv, he has held numerous positions of increasing responsibility. Prior to his current role, Mr. Lombarte served as Vice President Engineering of Autoliv Passive Safety, a segment of Autoliv, between April 2017 and April 2018. Prior to that, he served as Vice President Engineering, Autoliv Americas, a division, from August 2013 to April 2017 after serving as Global Senior Director of Seatbelt Development between September 2008 and August 2013. Mr. Lombarte has a Master’s Degree in Mechanical Engineering from Escola Tecnica Superior d’Enginyers Industrials de Terrasa. |
EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT, GLOBAL SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT SINCE: 2019
AGE: 53 | Christian Swahn Christian Swahn, age 53, Executive Vice President, Global Supply Chain Management since August 2019. He previously served as Senior Vice President of Purchasing for Volvo Bus Corporation from April 2016 until August 2019. From October 2013 to March 2016, he served as Purchasing Director of Industrial Market and Global Categories of SKF AB. Previous roles also include positions with Volvo Penta and Finnveden. Mr. Swahn holds a Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering from the KTH Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm, Sweden and an Executive MBA from the School of Business, Economics and Law in Gothenburg, Sweden. |
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EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT QUALITY AND PROGRAM MANAGEMENT SINCE: 2023 AGE: 57 | Jonas Jademyr Jonas Jademyr, age 57, Executive Vice President Quality and Program Management since January 2023. Mr. Jademyr first joined Autoliv in February 2021 as Vice President and Head of Program Management. Prior to joining Autoliv, Mr. Jademyr had several roles with AB Volvo including Vice President, Head of Powertrain Product Management of Volvo Trucks between December 2020 and February 2021, Vice President, Head of Global Commercial Launches of Volvo Trucks between October 2018 and November 2020, Vice President, Head of Product Line FH between January 2017 and September 2018, Vice President, Head of Volvo Group Heavy Duty Powertrain Range between December 2016 and December 2017. Between November 2013 and November 2016, Mr. Jademyr served as Senior Vice President, Head of Quality, Safety & Sustainability of Volvo Construction Equipment and was a member of the Volvo Construction Executive Team. Mr. Jademyr is a member of the Board of Directors of Flexound Augmented Audio Oy, a private Finnish company, since September 2022. Mr. Jademyr holds an Engineering degree from Gothenburg Upper School of Technology, Gothenburg, Sweden and an MBA degree from Henley Business School, University of Reading, United Kingdom. |
PRESIDENT, AUTOLIV AMERICAS SINCE: 2020
AGE: 56 | Kevin Fox Kevin Fox, age 56, President, Autoliv Americas since June 2020. Mr. Fox previously served as Vice President Operations for Autoliv South America from September 2018 until June 2020. He previously served as Managing Director/Plant Manager for Autoliv Automotive Safety Products between May 2016 and August 2018 and Plant Manager of the ITO facility from April 2011 until May 2016. Mr. Fox holds an MBA degree from Utah State University and a Bachelor of Science in Manufacturing Engineering from Oregon State University. |
PRESIDENT, AUTOLIV EUROPE SINCE: 2023
AGE: 45 | Magnus Jarlegren Magnus Jarlegren, age 45, President, Autoliv Europe since June 2023. From August 2019 until June 2023, he served as Executive Vice President, Operations. Prior to joining Autoliv, Mr. Jarlegren was employed by Sandvik Coromant and various affiliates from 2024 until August 2019, first as Vice President of Production and then as Vice President of Supply. Prior to that, Mr. Jarlegren began his career in consulting, first with three years with Solving EFESO and then ten years with McKinsey & Co. Mr. Jarlegren studied Mechanical Engineering at Chalmers University of Technology in Gothenburg, Sweden. |
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PRESIDENT, AUTOLIV ASIA SINCE: 2020
AGE: 56 | Colin Naughton Colin Naughton, age 56, President, Autoliv Asia since November 2020, Mr. Naughton first joined Autoliv in 1995 and has held several positions of increasing responsibility over that period. He most recently served as President, Japan/Asean since April 2020. Prior to that, he served as Vice President, Seatbelt Operations, Division Asia from May 2018 until April 2020 and as Vice President, Seatbelt Operations, Japan/Asean from January 2015 until May 2018. Mr. Naughton has also previously served as President, Japan/Asean and President, Thailand in the past and is very familiar with the Asia division’s management team. Mr. Naughton holds a Bachelor of Technology degree from the National University of Ireland, Galway. |
PRESIDENT, AUTOLIV CHINA SINCE: 2022
AGE: 55 | Sng Yih Sng Yih, age 55, President, Autoliv China since January 2022. Mr. Yih joined Autoliv after serving as AP President of Lear E-Systems from September 2019 until January 2022, VP/GM of Tenneco Clean Air, Asia Pacific from April 2017 through August 2019, and VP/GM, Tenneco Clean Air, China from March 2015 to April 2017. Mr. Yih holds an MBA in Strategic Management from the Nanyan Business School in Singapore and a BSc. Economics and Sociology from the National University of Singapore. |
VICE PRESIDENT, CORPORATE CONTROL SINCE: 2020
AGE: 57 | Mikael Hagstrõm Mikael Hagstrõm, age 57, Vice President, Corporate Control since September 2020. Mr. Hagstrõm joined Autoliv in August 2020 after a lengthy career with a variety of businesses in the Volvo Group. He most recently served as the Chief Financial Officer of DongFeng Commercial Vehicles in China, a joint venture of DongFeng Group and AB Volvo, between July 2016 and December 2019. Prior to that, he served as the Senior Vice President, Head of Corporate Financial Reporting for the Volvo Group between October 2006 and March 2016. Mr. Hagstrõm holds a B.Sc. in Business Administration from the Gõteborg University Business School of Economics in Sweden. |
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Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management |
The following table sets forth certain information regarding the beneficial ownership of our common stock as of December 31, 2023 for each person known by us to beneficially own more than 5% of our common stock, except where otherwise noted, and as of March 15, 2024 for (i) each of our directors and nominees; (ii) our named executive officers (as defined on page 46 of this Proxy Statement); and (iii) our directors, named executive officers and executive officers as a group.
| | Common Stock Beneficially Owned(1)(2) | Name of Beneficial Owner | | Number of Shares | | Percent of Total | 5% Stockholders | | | | | Cevian Capital II GP Limited(3) 11-15 Seaton Place St. Helier, Jersey JE4 0QH, Channel Islands | | 9,319,667 | | 11.3% | FMR LLC(4) 245 Summer Street Boston, MA 02210, USA | | 5,506,503 | | 6.7% | Blackrock, Inc.(5) 50 Hudson Yards New York, NY 10001, USA | | 5,178,148 | | 6.3% | Alecta Tjãnstepension Õmsesidigt(6) Regeringsgatan 107, SE-103 73 Stockholm, Sweden | | 4,704,200 | | 5.7% | Directors | | | | | Jan Carlson | | 77,493 | | * | Laurie Brlas | | 5,242 | | * | Hasse Johansson | | 7,836 | | * | Leif Johansson | | 10,774 | | * | Franz-Josef Kortüm | | 11,442 | | * | Frédéric Lissalde | | 4,130 | | * | Xiaozhi Liu | | 12,820 | | * | Gustav Lundgren | | 926 | | * | Martin Lundstedt | | 3,305 | | * | Ted Senko | | 8,381 | | * | Named Executive Officers | | | | | Mikael Bratt | | 17,547 | | * | Fredrik Westin | | 5,458 | | * | Kevin Fox | | 2,657 | | * | Anthony Nellis | | 6,334 | | * | Sng Yih | | 5,286 | | * | All directors, named executive officers, and executive officers as a group (22 individuals)(7) | | 201,492 | | * |
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* Less than 1% | (1) | Based on 82,387,761 shares of the Company’s common stock outstanding as of February 29, 2024, except as noted below. The figures in the table and notes thereto represent beneficial ownership and sole voting and investment power except where indicated. |
| (2) | Includes restricted stock units and performance stock units that vested on February 18, 19, and 21 and shares which the following individuals have the right to acquire upon exercise of options exercisable within 60 days: Kevin Fox – 200. |
| (3) | The number of shares owned was provided by Cevian Capital II GP Limited (“Cevian”) pursuant to its Form 4 filed with the SEC on August 31, 2022, indicating beneficial ownership as of August 31, 2022. Cevian reported sole power to vote and dispose of all such shares. |
| (4) | The number of shares owned was provided by FMR LLC (“Fidelity”) pursuant to its Schedule 13G filed with the SEC on February 9, 2024, indicating beneficial ownership as of December 31, 2023. Fidelity reported sole power to vote and dispose of all such shares. |
| (5) | The number of shares owned was provided by BlackRock, Inc., pursuant to its Schedule 13G filed with the SEC on January 29, 2024, indicating beneficial ownership as of December 31, 2023. BlackRock, Inc., reported sole power to vote 5,044,590 shares and sole dispositive power of 5,178,148 shares. |
| (6) | The number of shares owned was provided by Alecta Tjänstepension Ömsesidigtpursuant to Amendment No. 7 to its Schedule 13G filed with the SEC on January 17, 2024, indicating beneficial ownership as of December 31, 2023. Alecta Tjänstepension Ömsesidigtreported sole power to vote and dispose of all such shares. |
| (7) | Includes (i) 960 shares issuable upon exercise of options exercisable within 60 days and (ii) restricted stock units and performance stock units that vested on February 18, 19, and 21. |
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Compensation Discussion and Analysis |
Introduction This Compensation Discussion and Analysis (“CD&A”) describes the material elements of compensation awarded to, earned by, or paid to each of the Company’s named executive officers during the last completed fiscal year, and discusses the principles and policies underlying our executive compensation decisions and the key factors relevant to an analysis of these decisions.
Our Named Executive Officers in 2023 In accordance with the relevant rules and regulations promulgated by the SEC, our named executive officers include anyone who served as the CEO or CFO during 2023, and three other executive officers who had the highest total compensation during 2023. A former executive officer who left the Company during 2023 is also included. The named executive officers for 2023 are the following:
■ | Mikael Bratt (President and CEO) | | | ■ | Fredrik Westin (Executive Vice President, Finance and CFO) | | | ■ | Kevin Fox (President, Autoliv Americas) | | | ■ | Sng Yih (President, Autoliv China) | | | ■ | Anthony Nellis (Executive Vice President Legal Affairs, General Counsel and Secretary) | | | ■ | Frithjof Oldorff (Former President, Autoliv Europe) |
Executive Summary The following is a brief overview of the fiscal year 2023 compensation program for our named executive officers:
■ | Total compensation for our named executive officers generally consists of base salary, annual non-equity incentives, long-term incentive (“LTI”) equity awards, retirement/pension-related benefits, and other benefits. | | | ■ | The Leadership Development and Compensation Committee (the “LDCC”) approved an LTI program that reflects market practice and aligns pay with our financial performance. The CEO received 100% of his LTI grant value in performance stock units (“PSUs”). For executive officers other than the CEO, seventy-five percent (75%) of the grant value consisted of PSUs and twenty-five percent (25%) of the grant value consisted of restricted stock units (“RSUs”). | | | ■ | The 2023 PSU award is comprised of the sum of one-year performance periods for each of the calendar years 2023, 2024, and 2025, each having annual goals related to EPS (60%), Relative Organic Sales Growth (25%) and the Company‘s Emissions of Greenhouse Gas (15%). Any earned 2023 PSUs cliff vest in the first quarter of 2026. | | | ■ | The LDCC first approved a performance criterion related to the Greenhouse Gas Emissions of the company in the 2021 PSUs in order to support the sustainability agenda and being carbon neutral in its own operations by 2030. This performance criterion is also included in the 2023 and 2024 PSUs. | ■ | The compensation of our named executive officers is significantly affected by our financial results. | | | | – | Our annual non-equity incentive awards for 2023 were based on Adjusted Operating Income (50%) and Adjusted Cash Conversion (50%). For executive officers in Division Europe, the 2023 non-equity incentive awards were based on Division Europe Adjusted Operating Income (50%), Adjusted Operating Income (25%), and Adjusted Cash Conversion (25%). As a result of the achievement of the performance goals and considering an adjustment approved by the LDCC, each executive officer outside our Europe Division earned 164% of the target payout, and executive officers in our Europe Division earned 105% of the target payout. | | | | | – | Our PSU awards for 2021-2023 were based on the Company‘s Earnings Per Share (70%) and Order Intake (30%). As a result of achievement of the performance goals, each executive officer earned 83% of the target number of PSUs. | | | |
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■ | Based on the 2023 compensation risk assessment, the LDCC concluded that our compensation programs do not create risks that are likely to have a material adverse effect on Autoliv. | ■ | The LDCC reviewed and approved amendments to the Company’s compensation recoupment policy to comply with NYSE listing standards that became effective on October 2, 2023. The Company’s compensation recoupment policy continues to permit the Board to recoup compensation in a broader set of circumstances than the minimum mandatory clawbacks required by the NYSE listing standard in relation to required accounting restatements. | ■ | Company retirement/pension contributions provided to our named executive officers are limited to defined contribution plans since 2022, while Messrs. Fox and Nellis continue to participate in legacy defined benefit plans where benefits are frozen. | | |
Management Transitions | ■ | On May 30, 2023, the Company announced the appointment of Magnus Jarlegren as the Company’s new President, Europe effective as of June 1, 2023. Mr. Jarlegren succeeded Mr. Frithjof Oldorff who ceased to be an executive officer on May 31, 2023. |
Compensation Philosophy Our Compensation Philosophy for our executive management is set forth below.
Dimension | Description | Main Principles | The Company believes that to achieve its strategic and financial objectives, it is necessary to attract, motivate, and retain exceptional management talent. In addition, total compensation offered to our executive management should provide a shared responsibility for overall Company results which is aligned with the interests of the Company’s stockholders. Our compensation strategy is therefore based on principles of performance, competitiveness, and fairness. | Compensation Objectives | To meet our compensation philosophy, our executive compensation programs have the following objectives: Objective A: Offer total compensation and benefits sufficient to attract, motivate, and retain the management talent necessary to ensure the Company’s continued success. Objective B: Align the interests of the executives and the stockholders. Objective C: Reward performance each year and over a sustained period using straightforward, pre-established metrics and goals to communicate our performance expectations. Objective D: Encourage company-wide cooperation among members of the executive,divisional, and functional management teams and throughout the Company. | Compensation Mix | The Company seeks a balanced distribution of fixed and variable incentive compensation elements over time by using several components of compensation. Total compensation for our named executive officers consists of base salary, annual non-equity incentives, long- term equity incentives, retirement/pension, and other benefits. The Company believes that a balanced compensation structure focuses our executive officers on increasing long-term stockholder value while providing fewer incentives for undue risk in the short-term. | Component 1 Base Salary | Supporting Objective A Purpose: Provides a set level of pay warranted by market practice for position and sustained individual performance. A competitive base salary is important to attract and retain an appropriate caliber of talent for the position. | Component 2 Short-Term Incentives | Supporting Objectives A, B, C, & D Purpose: Recognizes short-term performance against established annual financial performance goals and creates focus and engagement in delivering results. Annual non-equity incentive awards are always capped and directly tied to the Company’s and/ or divisional performance. |
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Dimension | Description | Component 3 Stock Incentive | Supporting Objectives A, B, C & D Purpose: Provides our executive officers with incentives to build longer-term value for our stockholders while promoting retention of critical executives and creating ownership alignment. | Component 4 Pension/Retirement and Other Benefits | Supporting Objective A Purpose: Provides additional value for our executives by competitive and market-aligned benefits. All newly hired or promoted senior executives participate in defined contribution plans rather than defined benefit plans. | Market and Market Position | The LDCC’s objective is to consider and, where appropriate, approximate the market median for base salaries as well as target total direct compensation of the relevant market data primarily linked to the country in which the named executive officer is located. The LDCC also may take a relevant international peer group comparison into account as a secondary input to compensation setting process. | How to Use Market Data | We objectively select relevant peer groups for benchmarking and consider the competitive environment of our significant operations and market locations to provide a compensation package that optimizes value to the participant and cost to the Company. The LDCC and management believe that it is their responsibility to use informed judgment as to individual compensation packages or pay levels that may occasionally deviate above or below our target pay strategy based on such factors as: 1.Individual performance and potential relative to market. 2.Long-term succession planning and talent management. 3.Business conditions in our industry or the market overall as well as business or regulatory conditions in the executive’s area of responsibility. 4.Cases where individuals are asked to step into new roles and responsibilities for specific projects or strategic initiatives. |
Base Salaries Initial base salaries are primarily a function of the LDCC’s assessment of (i) market compensation levels, (ii) the references made to base salary in our compensation philosophy for executive management, (iii) the compensation required to attract and retain the executive, and (iv) the Company’s need to fill the position either internally or externally. Also, in deciding compensation levels during the compensation review at the beginning of 2023, one of the LDCC’s objectives was for base salaries and target total direct compensation to approximate the market median of the relevant market data linked to the country in which the named executive officer is located. As part of the 2023 compensation review at the beginning of 2023, the LDCC increased base salaries for our named executive officers between 3.0% to 4.3%, consistent with general market practice, but also considering adjustments necessary to reflect an individual’s performance, responsibilities, and retention needs. Autoliv | | 48 | | 2024 Proxy Statement |
Annual Non-Equity Incentives Members of our executive management team, including our named executive officers, are eligible to earn an annual non-equity incentive award based on achievement against pre-established performance criteria. Market-based target payout opportunities are reflected as a percentage of the executive’s base salary, as set forth in the following table.
Annual Non-Equity Incentive Opportunity for Our Named Executive Officers in 2023 | | Incentive as a % of Base Salary | Named Executive Officer | Threshold | Target | Maximum | Mikael Bratt President and CEO | 0% | 60% | 120% | Fredrik Westin Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer | 0% | 50% | 100% | Kevin Fox President, Autoliv Americas | 0% | 50% | 100% | Sng Yih President, Autoliv China | 0% | 50% | 100% | Anthony Nellis EVP Legal Affairs, General Counsel, and Secretary | 0% | 35% | 70% | Frithjof Oldorff Former President, Autoliv Europe | 0% | 50% | 100% |
Our annual non-equity incentive award program used a limited number of performance criteria for many years. The Company believes that using a limited number of established metrics critical for the success of our business provides clear direction to our executives. In addition, the Company believes that a limited number of performance metrics enhances the transparency of our annual incentive program and provides easy-to-understand information to our investors. Finally, we believe that a limited number of metrics based on overall company performance rather than individual or local performance mitigates the risk of excessive risk-taking that could arise from individual performance- based incentives. We still believe this simple, transparent approach supports good corporate governance, a belief that is evidenced by the program operating with limited changes for several years.
The financial performance metrics for our 2023 annual non-equity incentive award program were as follows:
“Adjusted Operating Income”(1)— Reported US GAAP earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT), adjusted for costs related to antitrust matters and restructuring (capacity alignment). Fifty percent (50%) of the non-equity incentive award was based on Adjusted Operating Income.
Payments on Adjusted Operating Income achievement:
| ■ | No annual incentive payment if the 2023 Adjusted Operating Income was equal to or less than 70% of the 2022 Adjusted Operating Income. |
| ■ | If the 2023 Adjusted Operating Income was equal to or more than 130% of the 2022 Adjusted Operating Income, the incentive payment would be equal to two times the target amount for the respective performance period, the maximum payout. |
| ■ | If the 2023 Adjusted Operating Income was between 70% and 130% of the 2022 Adjusted Operating Income, the incentive payment would be calculated through linear interpolation between said levels. |
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“Adjusted Cash Conversion”(1)— Free Cash Flow (Operating Cash Flow minus Capex, net) in relation to Net Income expressed in percentage of and adjusted for effects from antitrust related matters, capacity alignment, and their related tax impacts. Fifty percent (50%) of the non-equity incentive award was based on Adjusted Cash Conversion.
Payments on Adjusted Cash Conversion achievement: | ■ | No annual incentive payment if the Adjusted Cash Conversion was equal to or less than 50%. |
| ■ | If the Adjusted Cash Conversion was equal to or more than 90%, the incentive payment would be equal to two times the target amount for the respective performance period, the maximum payout. |
| ■ | If the Adjusted Cash Conversion was between 50% and 90%, the incentive payment would be calculated through linear interpolation between said levels. |
The LDCC may exercise its informed judgement, subject to the terms and conditions of the Company’s compensation plans, to propose certain adjustments to the outcomes of performance metrics. In 2023, the LDCC exercised such judgment, when approving the 2023 payout, to maintain focus on operating performance compared to assumptions reflected in the pre-established goals that remained unchanged. The Adjusted Cash Conversion performance was positively adjusted as described below to consider the one-time deferred tax asset relating to the ongoing reorganization of our global functions and European operations that was recognized in f 2023, which was unplanned when the goal for Adjusted Cash Conversion was established.
Actual Adjusted Operating Income for 2023 was $920 million, which was 154% of 2022 Adjusted Operating Income. Actual Adjusted Cash Conversion for 2023 was 64.3% but was positively adjusted by the LDCC, as described above to exclude the impact of the deferred tax asset recognized in 2023, to 75.5%. The performance outcome resulted in an annual non- equity incentive award of 164% of the target opportunity for named executive officers outside the Europe Division.
Mr. Oldorff, the former President, Autoliv Europe, and his successor, Mr. Jarlegren, participated in a slightly different 2023 annual non-equity incentive award program. That program had 25% based on Adjusted Operating Income, 25% based on Adjusted Cash Conversion, both as described above, and the remaining 50% was based on Europe Division Adjusted Operating Income.
“Europe Division Adjusted Operating Income”(1)— Europe Division Adjusted EBIT (reported US GAAP EBIT adjusted for costs related to Antitrust matters and restructuring (capacity alignment), and adjustments for IPU-fees and Brand Royalty fees).
Actual Europe Division Adjusted Operating Income for 2023 was above threshold but below target. Together with the Adjusted Operating income and Adjusted Cash Conversion for 2023, the performance outcome resulted in an annual non-equity incentive award of 105% of the target opportunity for participating executives in the Europe Division.
2023 Non-Equity Incentive Award Pay-outs The amount of the non-equity incentive awards earned by our named executive officers has varied over the years, as reflected in the table below.
Annual Non-Equity Incentive Program Pay-Outs | Year | Pay-out % Target | 2023 | 164% 105% (Europe Division) | 2022 | 94% | 2021 | 166% | 2020 | 100% |
(1) | | For a reconciliation of these measures to financial measures derived in accordance with U.S. GAAP for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2023, Annex A. |
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LTI Equity LTI equity for our named executive officers and other key employees represents a significant part of their total compensation. In 2023, the LTI program had 339 participants, compared to 318 participants in 2022, and 309 participants in 2021.
For our executive officers, equity incentives granted since 2019 consist of both PSUs (75%) and RSUs (25%), except for our CEO who has been granted 100% PSUs since 2021. The LDCC determined 2023 grant levels by first reviewing competitive market pay levels and trends provided by its independent consultant, historical grant levels, and the recommendations of our CEO for grants to senior executives excluding himself (for more information, please refer to the “2023 Executive Compensation Decisions” section below). The LDCC also considered the total compensation of our named executive officers relative to the median levels of total compensation of our peer groups, subject to any modifications the LDCC believed appropriate based on individual performance, industry conditions, and other criteria as discussed in the “Compensation Philosophy” above. The LDCC delegated to the CEO the authority for the determination and allocation of certain grants below our named executive officers and other executives, subject to established grant limits and the LDCC’s review.
RSUs. We believe that RSUs provide a powerful tool to create executive ownership and retain valuable executives because:
| ■ | RSUs are easy to communicate and understand; |
| ■ | Due to the three-year vesting schedule and regular annual overlapping grants, RSUs encourage the executive to stay with the Company or forfeit significant accumulated value; and |
| ■ | RSUs mitigate excessive risk-taking by focusing management on long-term value creation and ownership accumulation that provides alignment with stockholders. |
RSUs granted in 2023 cliff-vest on the third anniversary of the grant date, subject to the grantee’s continued employment with the Company on such vesting date, subject to limited exceptions.
PSUs. We believe that PSUs focus and direct the efforts of our executives toward the attainment of critical strategic corporate objectives as well as further encourage employment retention because:
| ■ | The performance metrics selected for the PSUs are reflected in our long-term value creation; and |
| ■ | Due to the three-year vesting period, PSUs similarly serve as a retention tool, encouraging the executive to continue with the Company or forfeit potential significant accumulated value. |
PSUs granted in 2023 may be earned based on the Company’s achievement of performance goals related to EPS (60%), Relative Organic Sales Growth (25%), and Greenhouse Gas Emissions (15%). The LDCC believes these metrics support the Company’s strategic objectives and long-term stockholder value creation.
The 2023 PSU award is comprised of three one-year performance periods (Tranche A, Tranche B, and Tranche C), with goals for each tranche associated with full calendar years 2023, 2024 and 2025, respectively. Each tranche vests on or about the third anniversary of the grant date (during Q1 2026), subject to the named executive officer’s continued employment. At the beginning of 2023, the LDCC approved the goals for the first tranche (2023). The goals for tranches B (2024) and C (2025) will be set by the LDCC in the beginning of 2024 and 2025, respectively.
Treatment Upon Change in Control. All outstanding LTI equity awards are subject to “double-trigger” vesting acceleration in the event of a change in control (“CIC”), as is the LDCC’s intent for future awards, where awards assumed by the acquiring company in a CIC will become fully vested only upon the holder’s subsequent qualifying termination. If the awards are not assumed by the acquiring entity, then they will become fully vested upon the CiC.
Dividend Equivalents. All outstanding PSUs and RSUs have dividend equivalent rights. Provisions provide that any cash dividend paid with respect to our common stock for which the record date occurs on or after the grant date and the payment date occurs on or before the vesting date results in a credit of additional PSUs and RSUs, which additional PSUs and RSUs are subject to the same earnout and vesting schedule as the underlying PSUs and RSUs. Autoliv | | 51 | | 2024 Proxy Statement |
How We Value Equity Awards. When internally assessing and communicating equity compensation, we use a model that assumes that the value of an RSU and a PSU at target performance level is the closing price for a share of our common stock on the NYSE on the last trading day before of the grant date.
Annual Grant Date. The annual grant date for our regular annual LTI equity awards is in the first quarter of the fiscal year, on the date of, or following publication of, our fourth quarter financial results. This is done to enhance corporate governance procedures and to avoid unintended burdens to participants because of routine “black-out periods,” as well as to avoid making awards in proximity to material nonpublic information that could impact award value.
Payout of 2021 PSUs. The performance period for the 2021 PSUs concluded on December 31, 2023, and the LDCC certified the level of achievement of the applicable performance goals in February 2024. The following tables outline our results relative to the established goals related to EPS and New Order Intake Level and the corresponding payout levels per Tranche: | Tranche A (2021) | | Weight | Threshold | Target | Max | Actual | Payout | Order Intake Level(1)(2) | 30% | 40% | 44% | 48% | 50% | 200% | Earnings Per Share | 70% | 4.5 | 6.5 | 8.5 | 5.02 | 26% | Final Payout | | | | | | 78% | Tranche B (2022) | | Weight | Threshold | Target | Max | Actual | Payout | Order Intake Level(1)(2) | 30% | 40% | 44% | 48% | 40% | 5% | Earnings Per Share | 70% | 4.0 | 6.0 | 8.0 | 4.4 | 20% | Final Payout | | | | | | 16% | Tranche C (2023) | | Weight | Threshold | Target | Max | Actual | Payout | Order Intake Level(1)(2) | 30% | 40% | 44% | 48% | 47% | 173% | Relative EPS Growth(3) | 70% | 4.0 | 6.0 | 8.0 | 7.0 | 148% | Final Payout | | | | | | 156% |
| (1) | Consistent with our public disclosure in our Annual Report for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2023, and quarterly earnings release presentations, we are disclosing approximate results for our order intake. Specific, unrounded results are not material to an understanding of the PSU program. | | (2) | Order intake is calculated by comparing Autoliv’s projected average yearly sales for the lifetime of each program in relation to the projected average yearly sales for the lifetime of each program available for award in the market, expressed in%. | | (3) | As compared to global light vehicle production (LVP) growth. Additional information and a reconciliation of EPS vs. LVP Growth to financial measures derived in accordance with U.S. GAAP for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2023, is set forth in Annex A to this Proxy Statement. |
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Pension/Retirement and Other Post-Employment Benefits Autoliv provides certain supplemental retirement/pension and other post-employment benefits, in addition to the mandatory benefits required by applicable national statutes and maintains defined benefit or defined contribution plans for our named executive officers that are competitive with customary local practice. The major terms are as follows:
Defined Contribution Programs (individual retirement investment from Company contributions). Since 2007, all newly hired senior executives participate only in defined contribution plans rather than defined benefit plans (except for certain senior executives that participated in location-specific defined benefit plans). The Company contributes a percentage of each executive’s annual base salary to the plan, as follows. Defined contribution levels are determined by the LDCC after considering local market practices for executives in similar roles and therefore vary significantly.
Retirement–Defined Contribution Level | Name | Level of Contribution | Mikael Bratt | 47% of base salary | Fredrik Westin | 35% of base salary | Anthony Nellis Kevin Fox | See below | Sng Yih | None | Frithjof Oldorff | 10% of base salary |
Messrs. Fox and Nellis participated in a 401(k) plan available to U.S.-based employees in 2023. Under this plan, the Company made an employer matching contribution equal to 100% of the first 3%, and then equal to 50% of the next 2% of employee contributions (expressed as percentage of base pay), up to certain limits. Effective January 1, 2022, the plan introduced a non-elective contribution, which contributes an additional 2% of eligible earnings to the savings account. Messrs. Fox and Nellis also participate in a non-qualified defined contribution plan. Defined Benefits Program. Messrs. Fox and Nellis participated in a U.S. tax-qualified defined benefit plan and an excess pension plan, which froze for the purpose of additional contributions effective December 31, 2021. Additional information regarding these plans is described later under “Pension Benefits”. Other than Messrs. Fox and Nellis, none of our named executive officers are parties to a defined benefit arrangement with the Company. Retiree Medical Plan. Messrs. Fox and Nellis are eligible to participate in a retiree medical plan, available to all employees employed in the U.S. who were hired prior to January 1, 2004, at which time the plan was frozen to new participants. Effective from December 31, 2014, the retirement arrangement was adjusted so that eligible participants, including Messrs. Fox and Nellis, are covered by a Health Retirement Account (“HRA”), pursuant to which, upon attaining age 55 and a minimum of 15 years of service, the Company will provide an annual benefit of $3,000 to an HRA upon retirement prior to age 65 and an annual benefit of $875 to an HRA after age 65. This annual benefit will be reduced if the participant retires prior to age 60. If the annual benefit is not used by the participant during the year, the benefit is forfeited back to the company. This plan may be terminated at any time for both current employees and current retirees/participants with no obligation of benefit payout. Termination/Severance Agreements. Named executive officers have agreements with the Company, pursuant to which they are entitled to certain severance benefits in the event of termination of employment. A detailed summary of the terms of these agreements is provided on page 68 of this Proxy Statement. All severance benefits and equity acceleration related to a CIC of the Company are subject to double-trigger provisions that include consummation of a transaction and covered termination within a defined protected period. We do not provide tax gross-up protection for CiC excise taxes (i.e., U.S. taxes under Section 4999 of the United States Internal
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Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “U.S. Internal Revenue Code”) applied to change-in-control payments that exceed certain amounts under Section 280G) to our named executive officers.
Executive Compensation Responsibilities
Role of the LDCC The LDCC annually reviews our named executive officers’ pay levels and target incentive opportunities versus the competitive market and considers information provided by (i) the independent consultant regarding trends, (ii) input from the Executive Vice President, Human Resources and Sustainability, (iii) the CEO’s recommendations for our named executive officers (other than himself), and (iv) other relevant factors as discussed above in the “Compensation Philosophy” section.
Role of the Independent LDCC Consultant The LDCC regularly engages an independent advisor, who reports directly to the LDCC. The independent advisor attends routine meetings of the LDCC and provides independent perspective and advice to the LDCC on various aspects of the Company’s total compensation system and the market environment in which the Company operates. Additional information regarding the role of the LDCC’s advisor, Meridian, is found in the “2023 Executive Compensation Decisions” section.
Role of Data Providers to Management Management periodically solicits data from third parties to ensure that the Company’s compensation program is competitive with compensation programs offered by the companies in its peer groups and companies in the markets in which the named executive officers are located. In setting the compensation at the beginning of 2023, Willis Towers Watson provided compensation survey data for executive roles based in the United States, China, and Germany. Mercer provided compensation survey data for executive roles based in Sweden and Japan.
Role of the CEO Our CEO regularly participates in the meetings of the LDCC. The CEO and Executive Vice President, Human Resources and Sustainability work together to develop a recommendation to present to the LDCC with respect to compensation packages for each of our named executive officers, other than the CEO. As a result, our CEO generally has a significant influence on the compensation paid to the other named executive officers. In addition, the LDCC has delegated the authority for the determination of certain grants to employees other than executive officers under our long-term incentive plan to the CEO, subject to established grant limits. The LDCC regularly holds executive sessions, excusing the CEO from the meeting, to discuss matters related to the CEO’s compensation.
Policies and Practices that Govern Executive Compensation at Autoliv Stock Ownership Guidelines. The Company has adopted stock ownership guidelines for its executive officers. Pursuant to these guidelines, the (i) CEO is expected to accumulate and hold shares of Company common stock having a value at least equal to 2x his annual base salary and (ii) other executive officers are expected to accumulate and hold shares of Company common stock having a value at least equal to 1x annual base salary. Executives are expected to make continuous progress toward their respective ownership requirements. Until the executive has satisfied the stock ownership guidelines, he or she will be required to retain 75% of the net shares received upon settlement of RSUs. For purposes of these stock ownership guidelines, “net shares” are those shares held by the executive after deducting any shares withheld by the Company or sold by the executive for the sole purpose of satisfying the executive’s tax liabilities and related fees, if any, related to the settlement event.
Policy Against Hedging, Short-Selling, and Pledging. All employees and non-employee directors are prohibited from engaging in hedging, short-selling, or pledging of Autoliv securities.
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Compensation Recoupment Policy. Our Board is required to recoup earned performance-based incentive compensation from current and former SEC 16 officers in the event of a financial restatement under NYSE listing standards. It is also authorized to clawback and cause the forfeiture of certain compensation from a broader group of executives in the event an executive is found acting in a manner that is harmful to the interests of the Company including “harmful conduct” defined as:
| ■ | Conduct that would constitute “cause” as defined in LTI grant agreements. |
| ■ | Any violation of the Company’s code of conduct, insider trading policy, or other published policies. |
| ■ | Egregious misconduct including, but not limited to, fraud, criminal activities, falsification of Company records, theft, violent acts or threats of violence, or a violation of law, unethical conduct or inappropriate behavior that causes substantial reputational harm to the Company or exposes the Company to legal liability. |
| ■ | The commission of act or omission that causes an executive officer or senior manager or the Company to be in violation of federal or state securities laws or rules. |
| ■ | Any misconduct, negligence, or dereliction of duty by an executive officer or senior manager that caused or contributed to the need for the restatement or material adjustment of any financial performance measure upon which the payment or his or her non-equity incentive compensation and/or vesting of his or her LTI awards are or were based. |
Compensation Risk Assessment The LDCC annually considers potential risks when reviewing and approving our compensation program. We have designed our compensation program to encourage behaviors aligned with the long-term interests of stockholders. There is appropriate balance in program design to mitigate compensation-related risk including fixed and variable pay, cash and equity, short- and long-term incentives, etc. Policies also are in place to mitigate compensation-related risk such as ownership guidelines, insider-trading prohibitions, recoupment provisions, and independent LDCC oversight. Additionally, the LDCC annually reviews an inventory of incentive arrangements below the executive level.
Additionally, the LDCC annually reviews an assessment of compensation-related risks including an inventory of incentive arrangements below the executive level. Based on this assessment, the LDCC concluded that our compensation program does not create risks that are reasonably likely to have a material adverse effect on Autoliv. In making this determination, the LDCC reviewed the key design elements of our compensation program in relation to industry “best practices” as presented by the LDCC’s independent compensation consultant, as well as the means by which any potential risks may be mitigated, such as through our internal controls and oversight by management and the Board of Directors.
2023 Executive Compensation Decisions The Process The total compensation of our named executive officers is reviewed annually. The LDCC considers changes in the compensation levels after it reviews the relevant peer group or local market data (per position). The LDCC uses this information as one input in its decision-making process. In addition to market data, the LDCC also reviews the Company’s financial performance, the named executive officers’ individual performance, input from the EVP Human Resources & Sustainability, and the recommendations of the CEO with respect to the compensation packages for the named executive officers other than himself. The LDCC reviews, provides feedback, and approves the final recommendations for the compensation of our named executive officers.
The LDCC reviewed and decided on the 2023 compensation for our executives during its meetings held in November 2022. The review was supported by data obtained from Willis Towers Watson and Mercer.
The LDCC Consultant Throughout the decision-making process for 2023 compensation, which included the LDCC’s November 2022 meeting, the LDCC engaged Meridian who reported directly to the LDCC. Meridian provided input as per the following:
| (i) | independent perspective and advice to the LDCC on various aspects of the Company’s total compensation system; | | (ii) | information about the market environments in which the Company operates, including guidance regarding compensation trends, compensation levels, and compensation mix within the market; |
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| (iii) | regulatory and statutory developments; |
| (iv) | recommendations regarding program design and structure; and |
| (v) | recommendations regarding compensation levels and mix for our executive officers and non-employee directors. |
Meridian did not provide any additional services to the Company other than those described herein. Peer Groups In line with the principles of our compensation philosophy applicable as of December 2022 for the compensation review of our named executive officers, the LDCC reviewed the most-current compensation data available in selected markets, including market data from Sweden and the U.S. In 2022, the Company engaged Willis Towers Watson and Mercer to provide data that was used in setting the 2023 compensation for our senior executive officers. Willis Towers Watson and Mercer used their proprietary non-disclosed compensation databases to assess local market compensation levels for executive roles operating within the general, automotive, and manufacturing industries. Such market assessments are based on our named executive officers’ roles, characteristics, and responsibilities including job function, reporting level, and other organizational financial and organizational scope measures, including revenue responsibility, employees, and geographical responsibility. The market data contained information regarding the assessed level of base salary, total cash compensation, total direct compensation, and total compensation.
Swedish Peer Group Messrs. Bratt and Westin. In considering 2023 compensation for our named executive officers based in Sweden, the LDCC reviewed, among other factors, market data (base salary, total target cash compensation, total direct compensation, and total compensation) from a peer group consisting of large-cap Swedish companies that have global industrial operations of substantial size in major manufacturing markets of North America, Europe, and Asia (the “Swedish Peer Group”) headquartered in Sweden and with executives based in Sweden with Swedish employment conditions. The Swedish Peer Group used by the LDCC in connection with its review of 2023 compensation consisted of the following companies:
AB Volvo | Electrolux | Skanska | Alfa Laval | Ericsson | SKF | Assa Abloy | Sandvik | SSAB | Atlas Copco | Scania | Stora Enso |
The Swedish Peer Group for 2023 compensation review remained the same as compared to the year before.
U.S. Peer Group Messrs. Fox and Nellis. In considering 2023 compensation for our executive officers based in the U.S., the LDCC reviewed, among other factors, market data (base salary, total target cash compensation, total direct compensation, and total compensation) from a peer group consisting of U.S. companies that were selected based on market capitalization, total revenue, and number of employees.
The LDCC updated our U.S. Peer Group before the 2023 compensation review following a comprehensive review of companies based on data availability, relevancy, and size. One company (Cooper Standard) from the 2022 U.S. Peer Group was removed from the 2023 peer group due to its reduced market cap.
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The following is the U.S. Peer Group used by the LDCC to benchmark our U.S. executives’ 2023 compensation.
Continental AG | Johnson Controls International | Yazaki | Stanley Black & Decker | BorgWarner Inc. | Dana Inc. | Rockwell Automation | Terex Corp. | Timken Corp. | Trinity Industries | Parker-Hannifin Corp. | Trane Technologies | Dover Corp. | Fortive Corp. | Faurecia | Adient Plc. |
Compensation Benchmarking for Divisional Presidents Not Based in Sweden or the U.S.A Mr. Oldorff. In considering 2023 compensation for Mr. Oldorff, the LDCC considered information provided by Willis Towers Watson about German executive pay levels in general industry survey data.
Mr. Yih. In considering 2023 compensation for Mr. Yih, the LDCC considered information provided by Willis Towers Watson about China executive pay levels in general industry survey data.
Decisions for 2023 Compensation The following section of this CD&A focuses on the decisions linked to compensation paid to our named executive officers for 2023.
The LDCC reviews the compensation for the executives taking into consideration current market position and internal, external, and personal factors, including, but not limited to, the experience, performance, retention risk, internal equitability, and advancement potential. Although the market analysis provides additional input for compensation decisions, the Company is aware that the limited number of peer companies in Sweden and potential changes to peer groups based on data availability may result in inconsistencies in a year-over-year analysis.
Mikael Bratt. As compared to 2022, Mr. Bratt’s:
| ■ | base salary increased by 4.3% (in Swedish Kronor); | | ■ | annual target non-equity incentive level (60% of base salary) and the associated cap (2x target) remained unchanged; | | ■ | approved grant value for stock incentive program participation was increased from a fixed amount of SEK 8,000,000 to a fixed amount of 9,000,000 SEK; and | | ■ | retirement plan contribution level was increased from 46% to 47% of base salary. |
Fredrik Westin. As compared to 2022, Mr. Westin’s:
| ■ | base salary increased by 3.5% (in Swedish Kronor); | | ■ | annual target non-equity incentive level was increased from 45% to 50% of base salary with the associated cap remaining at 2x target; | | ■ | approved grant value for stock incentive program participation remained unchanged at USD 280,000; | | ■ | retirement plan contributions level (35% of base salary) remained unchanged. |
Kevin Fox. As compared to 2022, Mr. Fox’s:
| ■ | base salary increased by 4.0% (in USD); | | ■ | annual target non-equity incentive level was increased from 45% to 50% of base salary with the associated cap remaining at 2x target | | ■ | approved grant value for stock incentive program participation remained unchanged at USD 200,000; and | | ■ | retirement plan contribution levels remained unchanged under U.S. plans. |
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Sng Yih. As compared to 2022, Mr. Yih’s:
| ■ | base salary increased by 3.0% (in Chinese Yuan); | | ■ | annual target non-equity incentive level was increased from 45% to 50% of base salary with the associated cap remaining at 2x target; | | ■ | approved grant value for stock incentive program participation remained unchanged at USD 250,000; and | | ■ | No retirement plan contributions |
Anthony Nellis. As compared to 2022, Mr. Nellis’:
| ■ | base salary increased by 4.0% (in USD); | | ■ | annual target non-equity incentive level (35% of base salary) and the associated cap (2x target) remained unchanged; | | ■ | approved grant value for stock incentive program participation was increased from USD 200,000 to USD 220,000; | | ■ | retirement plan contribution levels remained unchanged under U.S. plans. |
Frithjof Oldorff. As compared to 2022, Mr. Oldorff’s:
| ■ | base salary increased by 3.0% (in Euros); | | ■ | annual target non-equity incentive level was increased from 45% to 50% of base salary with the associated cap remaining at 2x target | | ■ | approved grant value for stock incentive program participation remained unchanged at USD 250,000; and | | ■ | retirement plan contributions level (10% of base salary) remained unchanged. |
2023 Additional Benefits The Company’s executive compensation program also includes certain “other elements” (see page 61 of this Proxy Statement). The LDCC believes these additional other elements are appropriate for each of our named executive officers.
Additional 2023 and 2024 Compensation Decisions There were no other decisions relating to named executive officer compensation in 2023 or 2024 outside normal procedures.
Results of Say-on-Pay At our 2023 annual meeting of stockholders held on May 11, 2023, approximately 97.1% of the stockholders who voted on the “say-on-pay” proposal approved the compensation of our named executive officers, while approximately 1.5% voted against (with approximately 1.3% abstaining). In considering the results of this most recent advisory vote on executive compensation, the LDCC concluded that the stockholder vote continues to reflect favorable stockholder support of the compensation paid to our named executive officers and the compensation philosophy and objectives of the Company.
Also, at the annual meeting held on May 11, 2023, our stockholders expressed a preference that advisory votes on executive compensation occur every year. In accordance with the results of this vote, the Board determined to implement an advisory vote on executive compensation every year until the next required vote on the frequency of stockholder votes on the compensation of executives, which occurs at the 2029 annual meeting.
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Currencies for Executive Compensation The Company generally sets cash-based compensation (including for all our named executive officers) in the local currency of the country of service with limited exceptions. Accordingly, the Company set compensation in Swedish kronor (“SEK”) for Messrs. Bratt and Westin, in U.S. dollars (“USD”) for Messrs. Fox and Nellis, in Euros (“EUR”) for Mr. Oldorff, and in Chinese Yuan (“CNY”) for Mr. Yih, except for the annual target grant value of the LTI awards for which the compensation is set in USD for all our named executive officers.
For historic numbers, we have converted the compensation paid in prior years by the same exchange rate we applied for 2023 compensation to facilitate comparison. While the historic amounts paid do not change, amounts reflecting historic figures in this Proxy Statement may differ significantly from disclosure in previous years due to fluctuations in exchange rates. We also note that the exchange rate prevailing at the time of the LDCC’s review of compensation may vary significantly from the exchange rates prevailing at the time this Proxy Statement is prepared. As a result, the year- to-year percentage changes in compensation reviewed and approved by the LDCC may differ significantly from the percentage changes in compensation presented in this Proxy Statement due to fluctuations in exchange rates.
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Summary Compensation Table |
The following table shows information concerning the annual compensation for services provided by our named executive officers in the fiscal years ended December 31 in the periods 2021, 2022 and 2023.1
Name and Principal Position | Year | Salary $ | Bonus $ | Stock Awards $(2) | Non-Equity Incentive Plan Compensation $ | Change in Pension Value and Nonqualified Deferred Compensation Earnings $(3) | All Other Compensation $(4) | TOTAL ($) | Mikael Bratt President and CEO | 2023 | 1,304,818(5) | — | 878,778 | 1,182,811 | — | 594,519 | 3,960,926 | | 2022 | 1,188,245 | — | 570,351 | 649,704 | — | 553,749 | 2,962,049 | | 2021 | 1,141,541 | — | 280,599 | 1,006,011 | — | 531,450 | 2,959,601 | Fredrik Westin Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer | 2023 | 599,672 | — | 278,351 | 491,731 | — | 235,573 | 1,605,327 | 2022
| 579,392 | — | 203,744 | 245,083 | — | 231,018 | 1,259,237 | 2021 | 564,710 | — | 125,031 | 421,838 | — | 221,281 | 1,332,861 | Kevin Fox(6)
| 2023 | 530,244 | — | 204,583 | 434,800 | 75,800 | 102,019 | 1,347,446 | President, Americas | 2022 | 509,850 | | 151,061 | 215,667 | —(7) | 95,089 | 971,667 | | 2021 | 463,500 | — | 99,989 | 346,235 | 189,100 | 138,164 | 1,236,988 | Sng Yih(6)
| 2023 | 522,791 | — | 189,743 | 428,689 | — | 192,885 | 1,334,108 | President, China | 2022 | 484,493 | — | 624,994 | 204,941 | — | 163,177 | 1,477,605 | Anthony Nellis(6) General Counsel and EVP Legal | 2023 | 583,002 | | 214,557 | 334,643 | 82,900 | 88,966 | 1,304,068 | 2022
| 560,579 | — | 151,061 | 184,430 | —(7) | 91,986 | 988,056 | Frithjof Oldorff Former President, Europe | 2023 | 649,623(5) | — | 255,622 | 308,248 | — | 1,026,720 | 2,240,213 | 2022
| 622,947 | — | 188,750 | 263,507 | — | 68,058 | 1,143,261 | | 2021 | 604,802 | — | 125,031 | 451,787 | — | 65,090 | 1,246,711 |
| (1) | The amounts contained in the table were paid in SEK, USD, EUR, and CNY. All amounts have been converted to U.S. dollars using the following exchange rates: 1 USD = 9.983 SEK = 0.9031 EUR = 7.0927 CNY. Amounts are rounded to the nearest whole number and, because of such rounding, the amounts reflected in the “Total” column may differ slightly from the sum of amounts set forth in each individual column. | | (2) | The numbers reflect the aggregate grant-date fair value of the RSUs granted in each respective year and the PSUs granted in each respective year, calculated in accordance with FASB Topic 718. The fair value of the RSUs and PSUs granted in 2021, 2022 and 2023 was calculated based on the closing price per share of stock on the grant date. The grant date fair value of the PSUs was computed by multiplying (i) the target number of PSUs awarded to each named executive officer, which was the assumed probable outcome as of the grant date, by (ii) the grant date fair value per share used for financial reporting purposes. Assuming, instead, that the highest level of performance conditions would be achieved, the grant date fair values of the PSU and RSU awards (as applicable) would have been as follows: (i) 2021: Mr. Bratt, $561,198; Mr. Westin, $187,547; and Mr. Oldorff, $187,547; (ii) 2022: Mr. Bratt, $1,140,702; Mr. Westin, $337,482; Mr. Yih, $687,553; Mr. Oldorff, $315,040; and Mr. Nellis, $252,074; and (Iii) 2023: Mr. Bratt, $1,757,556; Mr. Westin, $486,701; Mr. Yih, $316,943; Mr. Fox $359,203; Mr. Nellis $374,120 and Mr. Oldorff, $448,701. The PSUs granted in 2023 (referred to herein as the 2023 PSU Tranche A, the 2023 PSU Tranche B, and the 2023 PSU Tranche C) are comprised of three one-year performance periods with goals related to EPS (60%), Relative Organic Sales Growth (25%) and Greenhouse Gas Emissions (15%). The performance goals for 2023 PSU Tranche B and 2023 PSU Tranche C were not established at the date of grant in 2023 and, as a result, for accounting purposes, 2023 PSU Tranche B and 2023 PSU Tranche C are not considered granted until the respective performance goals |
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| | are established. Accordingly, the grant date fair value of the 2023 PSU Tranche A is reported in the Stock Awards column for 2023, but the grant date fair value of the 2023 PSU Tranche B and the 2023 PSU Tranche C will not be reported in the Stock Awards column until 2024 and 2025, respectively. On the other hand, performance goals were set in January 2023 for Tranche B of the PSUs granted in 2022 and for Tranche C of the PSUs granted in 2021. The grant date fair values of these awards are therefore included in this year´s Stock Awards column, together with dividend equivalents earned on these two Tranches during 2021 and 2022. | | (3) | Change in Pension Value as used for accounting purposes according to U.S. GAAP. |
| (4) | The following table reflects the items that are included in the All Other Compensation column for 2023. |
2023 All Other Compensation | | Perquisites | Company Contributions to Defined Contribution Plans | Tax Payment | Vacation Supplement | Other allowances / payments | Severance | TOTAL | Name | $(a) | $(b) | $(c) | $(d) | $ | $(e) | $ | Mikael Bratt | 19,274 | 564,960 | 0 | 10,284 | 0 | 0 | 594,519 | Dividend Equivalents. All outstanding PSUs and RSUs have dividend equivalent rights. Provisions provide that any cash dividend paid with respect to our common stock for which the record date occurs on or after the grant date and the payment date occurs on or before the vesting date results in a credit of additional PSUs and RSUs, which additional PSUs and RSUs are subject to the same earnout and vesting schedule as the underlying PSUs and RSUs.Autoliv | | 51 | | 2024 Proxy Statement |
How We Value Equity Awards. When internally assessing and communicating equity compensation, we use a model that assumes that the value of an RSU and a PSU at target performance level is the closing price for a share of our common stock on the NYSE on the last trading day before of the grant date.
Annual Grant Date. The annual grant date for our regular annual LTI equity awards is in the first quarter of the fiscal year, on the date of, or following publication of, our fourth quarter financial results. This is done to enhance corporate governance procedures and to avoid unintended burdens to participants because of routine “black-out periods,” as well as to avoid making awards in proximity to material nonpublic information that could impact award value.
Payout of 2021 PSUs. The performance period for the 2021 PSUs concluded on December 31, 2023, and the LDCC certified the level of achievement of the applicable performance goals in February 2024. The following tables outline our results relative to the established goals related to EPS and New Order Intake Level and the corresponding payout levels per Tranche: | Tranche A (2021) | | Weight | Threshold | Target | Max | Actual | Payout | Order Intake Level(1)(2) | 30% | 40% | 44% | 48% | 50% | 200% | Earnings Per Share | 70% | 4.5 | 6.5 | 8.5 | 5.02 | 26% | Final Payout | | | | | | 78% | Tranche B (2022) | | Weight | Threshold | Target | Max | Actual | Payout | Order Intake Level(1)(2) | 30% | 40% | 44% | 48% | 40% | 5% | Earnings Per Share | 70% | 4.0 | 6.0 | 8.0 | 4.4 | 20% | Final Payout | | | | | | 16% | Tranche C (2023) | | Weight | Threshold | Target | Max | Actual | Payout | Order Intake Level(1)(2) | 30% | 40% | 44% | 48% | 47% | 173% | Relative EPS Growth(3) | 70% | 4.0 | 6.0 | 8.0 | 7.0 | 148% | Final Payout | | | | | | 156% |
| (1) | Consistent with our public disclosure in our Annual Report for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2023, and quarterly earnings release presentations, we are disclosing approximate results for our order intake. Specific, unrounded results are not material to an understanding of the PSU program. | | (2) | Order intake is calculated by comparing Autoliv’s projected average yearly sales for the lifetime of each program in relation to the projected average yearly sales for the lifetime of each program available for award in the market, expressed in%. | | (3) | As compared to global light vehicle production (LVP) growth. Additional information and a reconciliation of EPS vs. LVP Growth to financial measures derived in accordance with U.S. GAAP for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2023, is set forth in Annex A to this Proxy Statement. |
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Fredrik WestinPension/Retirement and Other Post-Employment Benefits
Autoliv provides certain supplemental retirement/pension and other post-employment benefits, in addition to the mandatory benefits required by applicable national statutes and maintains defined benefit or defined contribution plans for our named executive officers that are competitive with customary local practice. The major terms are as follows:
Defined Contribution Programs (individual retirement investment from Company contributions). Since 2007, all newly hired senior executives participate only in defined contribution plans rather than defined benefit plans (except for certain senior executives that participated in location-specific defined benefit plans). The Company contributes a percentage of each executive’s annual base salary to the plan, as follows. Defined contribution levels are determined by the LDCC after considering local market practices for executives in similar roles and therefore vary significantly.
Retirement–Defined Contribution Level | Name | Level of Contribution | Mikael Bratt | 47% of base salary | Fredrik Westin | 35% of base salary | Anthony Nellis Kevin Fox | See below | Sng Yih | None | Frithjof Oldorff | 10% of base salary |
Messrs. Fox and Nellis participated in a 401(k) plan available to U.S.-based employees in 2023. Under this plan, the Company made an employer matching contribution equal to 100% of the first 3%, age 48, Chief Financial Officer and Executive Vice President, Finance since May 2, 2020. From 2015 through 2020, Mr. Westin servedthen equal to 50% of the next 2% of employee contributions (expressed as Chief Financial Officer at Sandvik Miningpercentage of base pay), up to certain limits. Effective January 1, 2022, the plan introduced a non-elective contribution, which contributes an additional 2% of eligible earnings to the savings account. Messrs. Fox and Rock Technology, The Netherlands. Mr. Westin served as Chief Financial OfficerNellis also participate in a non-qualified defined contribution plan. Defined Benefits Program. Messrs. Fox and Vice President of Finance, Information Technology, Integration & Change Office for Johnson Controls’ Global Automotive Interiors business from 2014 to 2015, basedNellis participated in Japan. Prior to that, Mr. Westin held roles with Johnson Controls in Germany, China, and Japan from 2006 to 2014. Mr. Westin began his career with Volkswagen in 1998 and served in various leadership roles with WestLB from 2002 through 2006. Mr. Westin holds an MBA from Insead, France,a U.S. tax-qualified defined benefit plan and an MScexcess pension plan, which froze for the purpose of additional contributions effective December 31, 2021. Additional information regarding these plans is described later under “Pension Benefits”. Other than Messrs. Fox and Nellis, none of our named executive officers are parties to a defined benefit arrangement with the Company. Retiree Medical Plan. Messrs. Fox and Nellis are eligible to participate in Mechanical Engineering from RWTH Aachen, Germany. Anthony Nellis, age 53, Executive Vice President, Legal Affairs, General Counsel, and Secretary since June 2018. From 2002 until his appointmenta retiree medical plan, available to his current position, Mr. Nellis served in several positionsall employees employed in the Autoliv Legal Department with increasing responsibilities. Most recently, he served as Vice President Legal, Autoliv Passive Safety,U.S. who were hired prior to January 1, 2004, at which time the plan was frozen to new participants. Effective from December 31, 2014, the retirement arrangement was adjusted so that eligible participants, including Messrs. Fox and Nellis, are covered by a segment of Autoliv, between July 2014 until June 2018. He served as Vice President, Legal for Autoliv Asia from May 2010 until July 2014. Overlapping with that role, he served as the Interim Vice President, General Counsel, and Secretary from January 2014Health Retirement Account (“HRA”), pursuant to December 2014. Prior to joining Autoliv, Mr. Nellis was a commercial litigator with Kitch Drutchas from 1996 to 2002. Mr. Nellis has a B.A. from Alma Collegewhich, upon attaining age 55 and a J.D.minimum of 15 years of service, the Company will provide an annual benefit of $3,000 to an HRA upon retirement prior to age 65 and an annual benefit of $875 to an HRA after age 65. This annual benefit will be reduced if the participant retires prior to age 60. If the annual benefit is not used by the participant during the year, the benefit is forfeited back to the company. This plan may be terminated at any time for both current employees and current retirees/participants with no obligation of benefit payout.
Termination/Severance Agreements. Named executive officers have agreements with the Company, pursuant to which they are entitled to certain severance benefits in the event of termination of employment. A detailed summary of the terms of these agreements is provided on page 68 of this Proxy Statement. All severance benefits and equity acceleration related to a CIC of the Company are subject to double-trigger provisions that include consummation of a transaction and covered termination within a defined protected period. We do not provide tax gross-up protection for CiC excise taxes (i.e., U.S. taxes under Section 4999 of the United States Internal
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Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “U.S. Internal Revenue Code”) applied to change-in-control payments that exceed certain amounts under Section 280G) to our named executive officers.
Executive Compensation Responsibilities
Role of the LDCC The LDCC annually reviews our named executive officers’ pay levels and target incentive opportunities versus the competitive market and considers information provided by (i) the independent consultant regarding trends, (ii) input from the University of Detroit. Per Ericson, age 57, Executive Vice President, Human Resources and Sustainability, since July 2020. Mr. Ericson previously served as Senior Vice President and a member of(iii) the management team of Husqvarna Group from October 2011 until joining Autoliv in July 2020. During his employment at Husqvarna, Mr. Ericson oversaw several functions including business development, communications, brand & marketing, and people & organization. Between April 2006 and July 2011, he was an Executive Vice President and member of the executive committee of Haldex Group and served as Chairman of the Board of Directors of Persona Brands AB from 2012-2018. He is a member of the Board of Directors of the Blue Institute AB, a Swedish non-profit that promotes research and knowledge developmentCEO’s recommendations for entrepreneurs and organizations. Mr. Ericson holds a degree from the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences in Sweden.
Jordi Lombarte, age 53, Chief Technology Officer since April 2018. Mr. Lombarte first joined Autoliv in 1992. During a twenty-eight year career with Autoliv, he has held numerous positions of increasing responsibility. Prior to his current role, Mr. Lombarte served as Vice President Engineering of Autoliv Passive Safety, a segment of Autoliv, between April 2017 and April 2018. Prior to that, he served as Vice President Engineering, Autoliv Americas, a division, from August 2013 to April 2017 after serving as Global Senior Director of Seatbelt Development between September 2008 and August 2013. Mr. Lombarte has a Master’s Degree in Mechanical Engineering from Escola Tecnica Superior d’Enginyers Industrials de Terrasa.
Svante Mogefors, age 66, Executive Vice President Quality from April 2005 to June 2018, and has since served as Executive Vice President, Quality. Mr. Mogefors additionally served as the acting Vice President, Operations following the departure of Mr. Carpenter in September 2018 until August 2019. In March 2009, Mr. Mogefors took the additional role of Vice President Manufacturing. Mr. Mogefors initially joined Autoliv in 1985 and has experience in several roles within the Company, including in the areas of product development, process implementations, and quality control. Between 1990 and 1996, Mr. Mogefors was for a period President of Lesjöfors Herrljunga AB and for another period President of Moelven E-Modul AB. Mr. Mogefors holds a Master of Science degree from the Chalmers University of Technology in Gothenburg, Sweden.
Christian Swahn, age 50, Executive Vice President, Global Supply Chain Management since August 2019. His previously served as Senior Vice President of Purchasing for Volvo Bus Corporation from April 2016 until August 2019. From October 2013 to March 2016 he served as Purchasing Director of Industrial Market and Global Categories of SKF AB. Pervious roles also include positions with Volvo Penta and Finnveden. Mr. Swahn holds a Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering from the KTH Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm, Sweden and an Executive MBA from the School of Business, Economics and Law in Gothenburg, Sweden.
Magnus Jarlegren, age 42, Executive Vice President, Operations since August 2019. From 2014 until August 2019, Mr. Jarlegren was employed by Sandvik Coromant and various affiliates, first as Vice President of Production and then as Vice President of Supply. Prior to that, Mr. Jarlegren began his work in consulting first with three years with Solving EFESO and then ten years with McKinsey & Co. Mr. Jarlegren studied Mechanical Engineering from Chalmers University of Technology in Gothenburg, Sweden.
Jennifer Cheng, age 55, President Autoliv China, a division since April 2018. Ms. Cheng previously served as PAS President TCH since April 2015 and PAS Vice President China Technical Center since November 2013. Before serving in those roles, she served as PAS Autoliv China Vice President for Seat Belts between 2010 and November 2013. She began her career with Autoliv as NHA General Manager in November 2006. Before joining Autoliv, Ms. Cheng served various roles of increasing responsibility with BorgWarner between 1998 and 2008. Ms. Cheng has a B.S. degree in Nuclear Power and Engineering from Shanghai Jiaotong University and an MBA from the joint program between Ningbo University and Canberra University.
Frithjof Oldorff, age 54, President Autoliv Europe since September 2019. From July 2013 until September 2019, he previously served as President of Gentherm, Inc.’s Automotive Business Unit with assignments first in Odelzhausen, Germany then in Northville, Michigan, USA. Preceding that, he held various positions with Faurecia, an operations role with Freudenberg, and was COO of W.E.T. Automotive Systems. Mr. Oldorff has a diploma in Industrial Engineering from the Technical University in Darmstadt, Germany.
Kevin Fox, age 53, President, Americas since June 2020. Mr. Fox previously served as Vice President Operations for Autoliv South America from September 2018 until June 2020. He previously served as Managing Director/Plant Manager for Autoliv Automotive Safety Products between May 2016 and August 2018 and Plant Manager of the ITO facility from April 2011 until May 2016. Mr. Fox holds an MBA degree from Utah State University and a Bachelor of Science in Manufacturing Engineering from Oregon State University.
Colin Naughton, age 53, President, Autoliv Asia since November 2020, Mr. Naughton first joined Autoliv in 1999 and has held several positions of increasing responsibility over that period. He most recently served as President, Japan/Asean since April 2020. Prior to that, he served as Vice President, Seatbelt Operations, Division Asia from May 2018 until April 2020 and as Vice President, Seatbelt Operations, Japan/Asean from January 2015 until May 2018. Mr. Naughton has also previously served as President, Japan/Asean and President, Thailand in the past and is very familiar with the Asia division’s management team. Mr. Naughton holds a Bachelor of Technology degree from the National University of Ireland, Galway.
Mikael Hagstrom, age 54, Vice President, Corporate Control since September 2020. Mr. Hagström joined Autoliv in August 2020 after a lengthy career with a variety of businesses in the Volvo Group. He most recently served as the Chief Financial Officer of DongFeng Commercial Vehicles in China, a joint venture of DongFeng Group and AB Volvo, between July 2016 and December 2019. Prior to that, he served as the Senior Vice President, Head of Corporate Financial Reporting for the Volvo Group between October 2006 and March 2016. Mr. Hagström holds a B.Sc. in Business Administration from the Göteborg University Business School of Economics in Sweden.
SECURITY OWNERSHIP OF CERTAIN BENEFICIAL OWNERS AND MANAGEMENT
The following table sets forth certain information regarding the beneficial ownership of our common stock as of December 31, 2020 for each person known by us to beneficially own more than 5% of our common stock, except where otherwise noted, and as of March 24, 2021 for (i) each of our directors and nominees; (ii) our named executive officers (as defined(other than himself), and (iv) other relevant factors as discussed above in the “Compensation Philosophy” section.
Role of the Independent LDCC Consultant The LDCC regularly engages an independent advisor, who reports directly to the LDCC. The independent advisor attends routine meetings of the LDCC and provides independent perspective and advice to the LDCC on page 24 of this Proxy Statement); and (iii) our directors, named executive officers and executive officers as a group. | Common Stock | | Beneficially Owned(1)(2) | Name of Beneficial Owner | Number of Shares | Percent of Total | 5% Stockholders | | | Cevian Capital II GP Limited (3) 11-15 Seaton Place St. Helier, Jersey JE4 0QH, Channel Islands | 8,376,924 | 9.6% | Alecta pensionsförsäkring, ömsesidigt (4) Regeringsgatan 107, SE-103 73 Stockholm, Sweden | 6,442,200 | 7.4% | AMF Pensionsförsäkring AB (5) Klara Södra Kyrkogata 18 SE-113 88 Stockholm, Sweden | 5,518,533 | 6.3% | Swedbank Robur Fonder AB (6) Vasagatan 11, 7th Floor, SE-111 20 Stockholm, Sweden | 5,488,052 | 6.3% | | Directors | Jan Carlson | 82,083 | * | Laurie Brlas | - | * | Hasse Johansson | 2,276 | * | Leif Johansson | 16,293 | * | David E. Kepler | 5,190 | * | Franz-Josef Kortüm | 5,400 | * | Frédéric Lissalde | - | * | Min Liu | 1,649 | * | Xiaozhi Liu | 6,939 | * | James M. Ringler | 8,333 | * | Ted Senko | 2,339 | * | Currently Employed Named Executive Officers | | | Mikael Bratt | 6,065 | * | Fredrik Westin | 1,040 | * | Jordi Lombarte | 2,272 | * | Frithjof Oldorff | 1,879 | * | Formerly Employed Named Executive Officers | | | Christian Hanke (7) | 478 | * | Brad Murray (8) | 1,462 | * |
All directors, named executive officers, and executive officers as a group (26 individuals)(9) | 170,880 | * |
* Less than 1%
| (1) | Based on 87,418,405 shares of the Company’s common stock outstanding as of February 28, 2021 except as noted below. The figures in the table and notes thereto represent beneficial ownership and sole voting and investment power except where indicated. |
| (2) | Includes restricted stock units that vested on February 13, 2021 and March 2, 2021 and shares which the following individuals have the right to acquire upon exercise of options exercisable within 60 days: Jan Carlson - 18,726 shares. |
| (3) | The number of shares owned was provided by Cevian Capital II GP Limited (“Cevian”) pursuant to Amendment No. 5 to its Schedule 13D filed with the SEC on March 1, 2019, indicating beneficial ownership as of March 1, 2019. Cevian reported sole power to vote and dispose of all such shares. |
| (4) | The number of shares owned was provided by Alecta pensionsförsäkring, ömsesidigt pursuant to Amendment No. 7 to its Schedule 13G filed with the SEC on January 25, 2021, indicating beneficial ownership as of December 30, 2020. Alecta pensionsförsäkring, ömsesidigt reported sole power to vote and dispose of all such shares. |
| (5) | The number of shares owned was provided by AMF Pensionsförsäkring AB, pursuant to Amendment No. 8 to its Schedule 13G filed with the SEC on January 29, 2021, indicating beneficial ownership as of December 31, 2020. AMF Pensionsförsäkring AB reported sole power to vote and dispose of 4,435,000 shares and shared power to vote and dispose of 1,083,533 shares. |
| (6) | The number of shares owned was provided by Swedbank Robur Fonder AB, pursuant to Schedule 13G filed with the SEC on February 10, 2021, indicating beneficial ownership as of December 31, 2020. Swedbank Robur Fonder AB reported sole power to vote 4,792,051 shares and sole power to dispose of 5,488,052 shares. |
| (7) | Resigned employment effective as of March 1, 2020. |
| (8) | Employment ended on December 31, 2020. |
| (9) | Includes 27,529 shares issuable upon exercise of options exercisable within 60 days and restricted stock units that vested on February 13, 2021 and March 2, 2021. |
COMPENSATION DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS
Introduction
This Compensation Discussion and Analysis (“CD&A”) describes the material elements of compensation awarded to, earned by, or paid to eachvarious aspects of the Company’s “named executive officers” during the last completed fiscal year, and discusses the principles and decisions underlying our executivetotal compensation policiessystem and the most important factors relevantmarket environment in which the Company operates. Additional information regarding the role of the LDCC’s advisor, Meridian, is found in the “2023 Executive Compensation Decisions” section.
Role of Data Providers to an analysis of these decisions and policies.Management Our Named Executive Officers in 2020
In accordanceManagement periodically solicits data from third parties to ensure that the Company’s compensation program is competitive with the relevant rules and regulations promulgatedcompensation programs offered by the SEC, our “named executive officers” include anyone who served ascompanies in its peer groups and companies in the CEO or CFO during 2020, and three other executive officers who had the highest total compensation during 2020. These named executive officers for 2020 are as follows:
| · | Mikael Bratt (President and CEO) |
| · | Fredrik Westin (Executive Vice President, Finance and CFO) |
| · | Christian Hanke (Former Interim CFO and VP, Corporate Control)(1) |
| · | Brad Murray (Former President, Asia)(2) |
| · | Frithjof Oldorff (President, Europe) |
| · | Jordi Lombarte (Chief Technology Officer) |
(1) | Mr. Hanke resigned from the Company effective March 2, 2020. |
| (2) | Mr. Murray resigned as President, Asia effective November 1, 2020 and remained as an executive officer in a senior advisor role through December 31, 2020. |
Executive Summary
COVID 19 Impact
| · | Due to the impact of COVID-19 pandemic, all named executive officers, except Christian Hanke who left the company during the first quarter of 2020, agreed to a 20% base salary reduction for their services in April, May, and June 2020. |
| · | To minimize the negative impact of COVID-19 pandemic on its employees, and its business, Autoliv introduced and implemented several employment related processes, programs, and projects during 2020 across its divisions and countries. |
| · | Autoliv focused its attention on keeping employees, customers, and suppliers safe while working at our sites, adopting a broad-spectrum approach with clear and continuous communication to all our employees as our top focus. All our activities and projects in 2020 emphasized maintaining a safe working environment for our employees. |
Fiscal Year 2020 Compensation Program
The following is a brief overview of the fiscal year 2020 compensation program for our named executive officers:
| · | Total compensation for our named executive officers in 2020 generally consists of base salary, annual non-equity incentives, long-term equity incentives, retirement/pension related benefits, and other benefits. |
| · | During 2020, the Leadership Development and Compensation Committee (the “Compensation Committee”) approved a new long-term equity incentive (LTI) program to closely reflect market practice and align pay delivery with our financial performance. For executive officers, seventy-five percent (75%) of the grant value consisted of performance stock units (PSUs) and twenty-five percent (25%) of the grant value consisted of restricted stock units (RSUs). PSUs granted in 2020 were based on the Company’s Order Intake Ratio (30%) and EPS Growth in relation to Light Vehicle Production Growth (70%). |
| · | The compensation of our named executive officers is significantly affected by our financial results. Our annual non-equity incentive awards for 2020 were based on Adjusted Operating Income (50%) and Adjusted Cash Conversion (50%). As a result of achievement of the performance goals, each executive officer earned 100% of the target payout. |
| · | Starting in 2019, to mitigate potential compensation-related risk, the Company implemented a double-trigger acceleration feature for unvested equity in the event of a qualifying termination following a change in control in which outstanding awards are assumed by a publicly-traded surviving entity, instead of the previous single-trigger acceleration. |
| · | Based on the 2020 compensation risk assessment, the Compensation Committee concluded that our compensation programs do not create risks that are reasonably likely to have a material adverse effect on Autoliv. |
Management Transitions
| · | Mr. Fredrik Westin succeeded Mr. Christian Hanke as the Company’s Chief Financial Officer and Executive Vice President, Finance on March 1, 2020. Mr. Hanke had resigned from his employment with the Company. A description of Mr. Hanke’s employment conditions with the Company is set forth below under “Additional 2020 and 2021 Compensation Decisions”. |
| · | Mr. Murray resigned as President, Asia effective November 1, 2020 and remained as an executive officer in a senior advisor role through December 31, 2020. Mr. Colin Naughton succeeded Mr. Murray as President, Asia. Mr. Murray concluded his international assignment agreement and time-bound employment with the Company on December 31, 2020 |
Compensation Philosophy
Our Compensation Philosophy for our executive management is set forth below.
Dimension | Description | Main Principles | The Company believes that to achieve its strategic and financial objectives, it is necessary to attract, motivate, and retain exceptional management talent. In addition, total compensation offered to our executive management should provide a shared responsibility for overall Company results which is aligned with the interests of the Company’s stockholders. Our compensation strategy is therefore based on principles of performance, competitiveness, and fairness. | Compensation
Objectives | To meet our compensation philosophy, the compensation programs we provide have the following objectives:
Objective A: Offer total compensation and benefits sufficient to attract, motivate, and retain the management talent necessary to ensure the Company’s continued success.
Objective B: Align the interests of the executives and the stockholders.
Objective C: Reward performance in a given year and over a sustained period using straightforward programs to communicate our performance expectations.
Objective D: Encourage company-wide cooperation among members of the executive, divisional, and functional management teams and throughout the Company.
| Compensation
Mix | The Company seeks a balanced distribution of fixed and variable incentive compensation elements over time by using several components of compensation. Total compensation for our named executive officers consists of base salary, annual non-equity incentives, long-term equity incentives, retirement/pension, and other benefits. The Company believes that a balanced compensation structure focuses our executive officers on increasing long-term stockholder value while providing fewer incentives for undue risk in the short-term. | Component 1
Base Salary | Supporting Objective A
Purpose: Provides a set level of pay warranted by position and sustained individual performance. A competitive base salary is important to attract and retain an appropriate caliber of talent for the position.
| Component 2
Short-Term
Incentive
| Supporting Objectives A, B, C, & D
Purpose: Recognizes short-term performance against established annual financial performance goals and creates focus and engagement in delivering results.
Annual non-equity incentive awards are always capped and directly tied to the Company’s and/or divisional performance. | Component 3
Stock Incentive | Supporting Objectives A, B, C & D
Purpose: Provides our executive officers with incentives to build longer-term value for our stockholders while promoting retention of critical executives. | Component 4
Pension /
Retirement
and Other
Benefits | Supporting Objective A
Purpose: Provides additional value for our executives by competitive and market- aligned benefits.
All newly hired or promoted senior executives participate in defined contribution plans rather than defined benefit plans (except certain senior executives that participate in location-specific defined benefits plans).
| Market and
Market
Position | The Compensation Committee’s objective is to consider and, where appropriate, approximate the market median for base salaries as well as total direct compensation of the relevant market data primarily linked to the country in which the named executive officer is located. The Committee also may take a relevant international peer group comparison into account as a secondary input to compensation setting process. |
How to Use
Market Data | We consider the competitive environment of our significant operations and market locations to provide a compensation package that optimizes value to the participant and cost to the Company. The Compensation Committee and management believe that it is their responsibility to use discretion and make informed judgments as to individual compensation packages or pay levels that may occasionally deviate above or below our target pay strategy based on such factors as:
1. Individual performance and potential relative to market.
2. Long-term succession planning and talent management.
3. Business conditions in our industry or the market overall as well as business or regulatory conditions in the executive’s area of responsibility.
4. Cases where individuals are asked to step into new roles and responsibilities for specific projects or strategic initiatives.
|
Base Salaries
Initial base salaries are primarily a function of the Compensation Committee’s assessment of (i) market compensation levels, (ii) the references made to base salary in our compensation philosophy for executive management, (iii) the compensation required to attract and retain the executive, and (iv) the Company’s need to fill the position either internally or externally. Also, in deciding compensation levels during the compensation review at the beginning of 2020, one of the Compensation Committee’s objectives was for base salaries and total direct compensation to approximate the market median of the relevant market data linked to the countrymarkets in which the named executive officer isofficers are located. As part ofIn setting the 2020 compensation review at the beginning of 2020,2023, Willis Towers Watson provided compensation survey data for executive roles based in the Compensation Committee increased base salariesUnited States, China, and Germany. Mercer provided compensation survey data for executive roles based in Sweden and Japan.
Role of the CEO Our CEO regularly participates in the meetings of the LDCC. The CEO and Executive Vice President, Human Resources and Sustainability work together to develop a recommendation to present to the LDCC with respect to compensation packages for each of our named executive officers, between 1.5% to 5.8%, consistent with general market practice, but also considering adjustments necessary to reflect an individual’s performance, responsibilities and retention needs. For more information, please referother than the CEO. As a result, our CEO generally has a significant influence on the compensation paid to the “2020other named executive officers. In addition, the LDCC has delegated the authority for the determination of certain grants to employees other than executive officers under our long-term incentive plan to the CEO, subject to established grant limits. The LDCC regularly holds executive sessions, excusing the CEO from the meeting, to discuss matters related to the CEO’s compensation.
Policies and Practices that Govern Executive Compensation Decisions” section below.at Autoliv As described earlier in this CD&A, dueStock Ownership Guidelines. The Company has adopted stock ownership guidelines for its executive officers. Pursuant to these guidelines, the impact(i) CEO is expected to accumulate and hold shares of the COVID-19 pandemic, all named executive officers, except Christian Hanke who left the Company during the first quarter of 2020, agreedcommon stock having a value at least equal to a voluntary 20%2x his annual base salary reduction for their services in April, May and June 2020. All(ii) other compensation and benefit components (e.g. non-equity incentives for 2020, pensions, retirement plan contributions) are based on the unadjusted base salaries as previously approved by the Committee. The Committee determined to use unadjusted base salaries for these other components of compensation, in particular the non-equity incentive award for 2020, as an acknowledgement of the voluntary nature of the base salary reduction by the named executive officers.
Non-Equity Incentives
Members of our executive management team, including our named executive officers are eligibleexpected to earn anaccumulate and hold shares of Company common stock having a value at least equal to 1x annual non-equity incentive award based on achievement against pre-established performance criteria. Target payout amountsbase salary. Executives are reflected as a percentageexpected to make continuous progress toward their respective ownership requirements. Until the executive has satisfied the stock ownership guidelines, he or she will be required to retain 75% of the net shares received upon settlement of RSUs. For purposes of these stock ownership guidelines, “net shares” are those shares held by the executive after deducting any shares withheld by the Company or sold by the executive for the sole purpose of satisfying the executive’s base salary, as set forthtax liabilities and related fees, if any, related to the settlement event.
Policy Against Hedging, Short-Selling, and Pledging. All employees and non-employee directors are prohibited from engaging in hedging, short-selling, or pledging of Autoliv securities.
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Compensation Recoupment Policy. Our Board is required to recoup earned performance-based incentive compensation from current and former SEC 16 officers in the following table. Annual Non-Equity Incentive Opportunity for Our Named Executive Officers in 2020 | Named Executive Officer | Incentive as a % of Base Salary | | Threshold | Target | Maximum | Mikael Bratt | 0% | 50% | 100% | Fredrik Westin1 | 0% | 45% | 90% | Christian Hanke1 | 0% | 25% | 50% | Brad Murray | 0% | 45% | 90% | Frithjof Oldorff | 0% | 45% | 90% | Jordi Lombarte | 0% | 35% | 70% |
| (1) | Mr. Westin’s non-equity incentive award for 2020 was pro-rated based on actual time of employment during the year. Mr. Hanke was not eligible for a non-equity incentive award for 2020 due to his resignation in March 2020. |
Our annual non-equity incentive award program used a limited number of performance criteria for many years. The Company believes that using a limited number of established measures critical for the success of our business provides clear direction to our executives and promotes our goalevent of a “one Autoliv” approach through shared responsibility for overall results. In addition,financial restatement under NYSE listing standards. It is also authorized to clawback and cause the forfeiture of certain compensation from a broader group of executives in the event an executive is found acting in a manner that is harmful to the interests of the Company believes that a limited number of performance metrics enhances the transparency of our annual incentive program and provides easy-to-understand information to our investors. Finally, we believe that a limited number of metrics based on overall company performance rather than individual or local performance mitigates the risk of excessive risk-taking that could arise from individual performance-based incentives. We still believe this simple, transparent approach supports good corporate governance, a belief that is evidenced by the program operating with limited changes for several years.
including “harmful conduct” defined as: The Company, however, recognizes that using a limited number of performance metrics has limitations. For instance, when the overall market for the Company’s products is impacted by extraordinary economic circumstances, it may result in no annual non-equity incentive awards being attainable, even if the Company out-performs its competitors and the overall market generally. Similarly, extraordinary, non-recurring events may also impact whether annual non-equity incentive awards are attained or not, resulting in unintended incentives for management.
For the year 2020, the performance criteria for our annual non-equity incentive award program were as follows:
“Adjusted Operating Income” - Reported US GAAP EBIT adjusted for costs related to Antitrust matters and restructuring (capacity alignment). Fifty percent (50%) of the non-equity incentive award was based on Adjusted Operating Income.
Payments on Adjusted Operating Income achievement:
| ■ | · | No annual incentive payment if the 2020 Adjusted Operating Income was equal to or less than 70% of 2019 Adjusted Operating Income.Conduct that would constitute “cause” as defined in LTI grant agreements. |
| ■ | · | IfAny violation of the 2020 Adjusted Operating Income was equal toCompany’s code of conduct, insider trading policy, or more than 130% of 2019 Adjusted Operating Income, the incentive payment would be equal to two times the target amount for the respective performance period, the maximum payout.other published policies. |
| ■ | ·Egregious misconduct including, but not limited to, fraud, criminal activities, falsification of Company records, theft, violent acts or threats of violence, or a violation of law, unethical conduct or inappropriate behavior that causes substantial reputational harm to the Company or exposes the Company to legal liability. |
| ■ | IfThe commission of act or omission that causes an executive officer or senior manager or the 2020 Adjusted Operating Income was between 70% and 130%Company to be in violation of 2019 Adjusted Operating Income,federal or state securities laws or rules. |
| ■ | Any misconduct, negligence, or dereliction of duty by an executive officer or senior manager that caused or contributed to the need for the restatement or material adjustment of any financial performance measure upon which the payment or his or her non-equity incentive payment would be calculated through linear interpolation (“along a straight line”) between said levels.compensation and/or vesting of his or her LTI awards are or were based. |
“Adjusted Cash Conversion”Compensation Risk Assessment - Free Cash Flow (Operating Cash Flow minus Capex, net)
The LDCC annually considers potential risks when reviewing and approving our compensation program. We have designed our compensation program to encourage behaviors aligned with the long-term interests of stockholders. There is appropriate balance in program design to mitigate compensation-related risk including fixed and variable pay, cash and equity, short- and long-term incentives, etc. Policies also are in place to mitigate compensation-related risk such as ownership guidelines, insider-trading prohibitions, recoupment provisions, and independent LDCC oversight. Additionally, the LDCC annually reviews an inventory of incentive arrangements below the executive level.
Additionally, the LDCC annually reviews an assessment of compensation-related risks including an inventory of incentive arrangements below the executive level. Based on this assessment, the LDCC concluded that our compensation program does not create risks that are reasonably likely to have a material adverse effect on Autoliv. In making this determination, the LDCC reviewed the key design elements of our compensation program in relation to Net Income expressed in %industry “best practices” as presented by the LDCC’s independent compensation consultant, as well as the means by which any potential risks may be mitigated, such as through our internal controls and adjusted for effects from antitrust related matters, capacity alignment and unusual tax items. Fifty percent (50%) of the non-equity incentive award was based on Adjusted Cash Conversion. Payments on Adjusted Cash Conversion achievement:
| · | No annual incentive payment if the Adjusted Cash Conversion was equal to or less than 50%. |
| · | If the Adjusted Cash Conversion was equal to or more than 90%, the incentive payment would be equal to two times the target amount for the respective performance period, the maximum payout. |
| · | If the Adjusted Cash Conversion was between 50% and 90%, the incentive payment would be calculated through linear interpolation (“along a straight line”) between said levels. |
Actual Adjusted Operating Income for 2020 was $481.6 million and Actual Adjusted Cash Conversion for 2020 was 199%, resulting in an annual non-equity incentive award of 100% of the target opportunity.
For a reconciliation of these measures, see Annex A.
Actual Non-Equity Incentive Award Levels
Over the last several years, the amount of the non-equity incentive awards earnedoversight by our named executive officers has varied greatly, as reflected in the table below.
Year | Non-Equity Incentive Outcome
| 2020 (1) | 1.00 x target | 2019 (2) | 0.75 x target | 2018 (3) | 0.50 x target |
| (1) | Mr. Hanke did not receive a non-equity incentive award for 2020 due to his resignation in March 2020. |
| (2) | Mr. Westin did not receive a non-equity incentive award for 2019 because he was not an employee. |
| (3) | Messrs. Westin and Oldorff did not receive non-equity incentive awards for 2018 because they were not employees. |
The Compensation Committee may exercise its discretion, subject to the terms and conditions of the Company’s compensation plans, to propose certain adjustments to performance metrics. The Compensation Committee did not exercise such discretion with respect to the non-equity incentive awards for 2020.
Changes to Non-Equity Incentive Program. For information regarding the changes we implemented to our Non-Equity Incentive Program in 2021, see “Material Changes to 2021 Compensation Program” later in this CD&A.
Equity Incentives
Long-term equity incentives (LTI) for our named executive officers and other key employees represents a significant part of their total direct compensation. In 2020, the LTI program had 298 participants, compared to 300 participants in 2019 and 401 participants in 2018. The number of LTI participants decreased significantly as a result of Veoneer’s spin-off from Autoliv in 2018.
In 2016 and 2017, the approved target value of our named executive officers’ LTI mix was comprised of PSUs (50%) and RSUs (50%). In connection with the spin-off of Veoneer, these awards were converted to Autoliv RSUs and Veoneer RSUs. There were no PSUs vesting in 2020 as all outstanding PSUs were converted to RSUs during the spin-off in 2018. A reconciliation of the performance conversions from PSUs to RSUs were provided as an annex to our proxy statement issued in March 2019.
For 2018, the Compensation Committee only granted RSUs (100%) due to the difficulty of setting performance targets during the year in which the spin-off was completed.
For our executive officers, equity incentives granted in 2019 and 2020 consist of both PSUs (75%) and RSUs (25%). The Compensation Committee determined 2020 grant levels by first reviewing competitive market pay levels and trends provided by its independent consultant, historical grant levels,management and the recommendationsBoard of our CEO for grants to senior executives excluding himself (for more information, please refer to the “2020Directors.
2023 Executive Compensation Decisions” section below). Decisions The Compensation Committee also considered theProcess The total direct compensation of our named executive officers relativeis reviewed annually. The LDCC considers changes in the compensation levels after it reviews the relevant peer group or local market data (per position). The LDCC uses this information as one input in its decision-making process. In addition to market data, the LDCC also reviews the Company’s financial performance, the named executive officers’ individual performance, input from the EVP Human Resources & Sustainability, and the recommendations of the CEO with respect to the median levels of total directcompensation packages for the named executive officers other than himself. The LDCC reviews, provides feedback, and approves the final recommendations for the compensation of our peer groups, subject to any modificationsnamed executive officers.
The LDCC reviewed and decided on the Compensation Committee believed appropriate based on individual performance, industry conditions,2023 compensation for our executives during its meetings held in November 2022. The review was supported by data obtained from Willis Towers Watson and other criteria as discussed inMercer.
The LDCC Consultant Throughout the “Compensation Philosophy” above. The Compensation Committee delegateddecision-making process for 2023 compensation, which included the LDCC’s November 2022 meeting, the LDCC engaged Meridian who reported directly to the CEOLDCC. Meridian provided input as per the authorityfollowing:
| (i) | independent perspective and advice to the LDCC on various aspects of the Company’s total compensation system; | | (ii) | information about the market environments in which the Company operates, including guidance regarding compensation trends, compensation levels, and compensation mix within the market; |
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| (iii) | regulatory and statutory developments; |
| (iv) | recommendations regarding program design and structure; and |
| (v) | recommendations regarding compensation levels and mix for our executive officers and non-employee directors. |
Meridian did not provide any additional services to the Company other than those described herein. Peer Groups In line with the principles of our compensation philosophy applicable as of December 2022 for the determination and allocationcompensation review of certain grants below our named executive officers, subject to established grant limitsthe LDCC reviewed the most-current compensation data available in selected markets, including market data from Sweden and the Compensation Committee’s review.U.S. In 2022, the Company engaged Willis Towers Watson and Mercer to provide data that was used in setting the 2023 compensation for our senior executive officers. Willis Towers Watson and Mercer used their proprietary non-disclosed compensation databases to assess local market compensation levels for executive roles operating within the general, automotive, and manufacturing industries. Such market assessments are based on our named executive officers’ roles, characteristics, and responsibilities including job function, reporting level, and other organizational financial and organizational scope measures, including revenue responsibility, employees, and geographical responsibility. The market data contained information regarding the assessed level of base salary, total cash compensation, total direct compensation, and total compensation.
Restricted Stock Units (“RSUs”)Swedish Peer Group
Messrs. Bratt and Westin. We believeIn considering 2023 compensation for our named executive officers based in Sweden, the LDCC reviewed, among other factors, market data (base salary, total target cash compensation, total direct compensation, and total compensation) from a peer group consisting of large-cap Swedish companies that RSUs provide a powerful tool to retain valuablehave global industrial operations of substantial size in major manufacturing markets of North America, Europe, and Asia (the “Swedish Peer Group”) headquartered in Sweden and with executives because:based in Sweden with Swedish employment conditions. The Swedish Peer Group used by the LDCC in connection with its review of 2023 compensation consisted of the following companies:
AB Volvo | ·Electrolux | Skanska | Alfa Laval | Ericsson | SKF | Assa Abloy | Sandvik | SSAB | Atlas Copco | Scania | Stora Enso |
The Swedish Peer Group for 2023 compensation review remained the same as compared to the year before.
U.S. Peer Group Messrs. Fox and Nellis. In considering 2023 compensation for our executive officers based in the U.S., the LDCC reviewed, among other factors, market data (base salary, total target cash compensation, total direct compensation, and total compensation) from a peer group consisting of U.S. companies that were selected based on market capitalization, total revenue, and number of employees.
The LDCC updated our U.S. Peer Group before the 2023 compensation review following a comprehensive review of companies based on data availability, relevancy, and size. One company (Cooper Standard) from the 2022 U.S. Peer Group was removed from the 2023 peer group due to its reduced market cap.
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The following is the U.S. Peer Group used by the LDCC to benchmark our U.S. executives’ 2023 compensation.
Continental AG | Johnson Controls International | Yazaki | Stanley Black & Decker | BorgWarner Inc. | Dana Inc. | Rockwell Automation | Terex Corp. | Timken Corp. | Trinity Industries | Parker-Hannifin Corp. | Trane Technologies | Dover Corp. | Fortive Corp. | Faurecia | Adient Plc. |
Compensation Benchmarking for Divisional Presidents Not Based in Sweden or the U.S.A Mr. Oldorff. In considering 2023 compensation for Mr. Oldorff, the LDCC considered information provided by Willis Towers Watson about German executive pay levels in general industry survey data.
Mr. Yih. In considering 2023 compensation for Mr. Yih, the LDCC considered information provided by Willis Towers Watson about China executive pay levels in general industry survey data.
Decisions for 2023 Compensation The following section of this CD&A focuses on the decisions linked to compensation paid to our named executive officers for 2023.
The LDCC reviews the compensation for the executives taking into consideration current market position and internal, external, and personal factors, including, but not limited to, the experience, performance, retention risk, internal equitability, and advancement potential. Although the market analysis provides additional input for compensation decisions, the Company is aware that the limited number of peer companies in Sweden and potential changes to peer groups based on data availability may result in inconsistencies in a year-over-year analysis.
Mikael Bratt. As compared to 2022, Mr. Bratt’s:
| ■ | base salary increased by 4.3% (in Swedish Kronor); | | ■ | annual target non-equity incentive level (60% of base salary) and the associated cap (2x target) remained unchanged; | | ■ | approved grant value for stock incentive program participation was increased from a fixed amount of SEK 8,000,000 to a fixed amount of 9,000,000 SEK; and | | ■ | retirement plan contribution level was increased from 46% to 47% of base salary. |
Fredrik Westin. As compared to 2022, Mr. Westin’s:
| ■ | base salary increased by 3.5% (in Swedish Kronor); | | ■ | annual target non-equity incentive level was increased from 45% to 50% of base salary with the associated cap remaining at 2x target; | | ■ | approved grant value for stock incentive program participation remained unchanged at USD 280,000; | | ■ | retirement plan contributions level (35% of base salary) remained unchanged. |
Kevin Fox. As compared to 2022, Mr. Fox’s:
| ■ | base salary increased by 4.0% (in USD); | | ■ | annual target non-equity incentive level was increased from 45% to 50% of base salary with the associated cap remaining at 2x target | | ■ | approved grant value for stock incentive program participation remained unchanged at USD 200,000; and | | ■ | retirement plan contribution levels remained unchanged under U.S. plans. |
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Sng Yih. As compared to 2022, Mr. Yih’s:
| ■ | base salary increased by 3.0% (in Chinese Yuan); | | ■ | annual target non-equity incentive level was increased from 45% to 50% of base salary with the associated cap remaining at 2x target; | | ■ | approved grant value for stock incentive program participation remained unchanged at USD 250,000; and | | ■ | No retirement plan contributions |
Anthony Nellis. As compared to 2022, Mr. Nellis’:
| ■ | base salary increased by 4.0% (in USD); | | ■ | annual target non-equity incentive level (35% of base salary) and the associated cap (2x target) remained unchanged; | | ■ | approved grant value for stock incentive program participation was increased from USD 200,000 to USD 220,000; | | ■ | retirement plan contribution levels remained unchanged under U.S. plans. |
Frithjof Oldorff. As compared to 2022, Mr. Oldorff’s:
| ■ | base salary increased by 3.0% (in Euros); | | ■ | annual target non-equity incentive level was increased from 45% to 50% of base salary with the associated cap remaining at 2x target | | ■ | approved grant value for stock incentive program participation remained unchanged at USD 250,000; and | | ■ | retirement plan contributions level (10% of base salary) remained unchanged. |
2023 Additional Benefits The Company’s executive compensation program also includes certain “other elements” (see page 61 of this Proxy Statement). The LDCC believes these additional other elements are appropriate for each of our named executive officers.
Additional 2023 and 2024 Compensation Decisions There were no other decisions relating to named executive officer compensation in 2023 or 2024 outside normal procedures.
Results of Say-on-Pay At our 2023 annual meeting of stockholders held on May 11, 2023, approximately 97.1% of the stockholders who voted on the “say-on-pay” proposal approved the compensation of our named executive officers, while approximately 1.5% voted against (with approximately 1.3% abstaining). In considering the results of this most recent advisory vote on executive compensation, the LDCC concluded that the stockholder vote continues to reflect favorable stockholder support of the compensation paid to our named executive officers and the compensation philosophy and objectives of the Company.
Also, at the annual meeting held on May 11, 2023, our stockholders expressed a preference that advisory votes on executive compensation occur every year. In accordance with the results of this vote, the Board determined to implement an advisory vote on executive compensation every year until the next required vote on the frequency of stockholder votes on the compensation of executives, which occurs at the 2029 annual meeting.
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Currencies for Executive Compensation The Company generally sets cash-based compensation (including for all our named executive officers) in the local currency of the country of service with limited exceptions. Accordingly, the Company set compensation in Swedish kronor (“SEK”) for Messrs. Bratt and Westin, in U.S. dollars (“USD”) for Messrs. Fox and Nellis, in Euros (“EUR”) for Mr. Oldorff, and in Chinese Yuan (“CNY”) for Mr. Yih, except for the annual target grant value of the LTI awards for which the compensation is set in USD for all our named executive officers.
For historic numbers, we have converted the compensation paid in prior years by the same exchange rate we applied for 2023 compensation to facilitate comparison. While the historic amounts paid do not change, amounts reflecting historic figures in this Proxy Statement may differ significantly from disclosure in previous years due to fluctuations in exchange rates. We also note that the exchange rate prevailing at the time of the LDCC’s review of compensation may vary significantly from the exchange rates prevailing at the time this Proxy Statement is prepared. As a result, the year- to-year percentage changes in compensation reviewed and approved by the LDCC may differ significantly from the percentage changes in compensation presented in this Proxy Statement due to fluctuations in exchange rates.
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Summary Compensation Table |
The following table shows information concerning the annual compensation for services provided by our named executive officers in the fiscal years ended December 31 in the periods 2021, 2022 and 2023.1
Name and Principal Position | Year | Salary $ | Bonus $ | Stock Awards $(2) | Non-Equity Incentive Plan Compensation $ | Change in Pension Value and Nonqualified Deferred Compensation Earnings $(3) | All Other Compensation $(4) | TOTAL ($) | Mikael Bratt President and CEO | 2023 | 1,304,818(5) | — | 878,778 | 1,182,811 | — | 594,519 | 3,960,926 | | 2022 | 1,188,245 | — | 570,351 | 649,704 | — | 553,749 | 2,962,049 | | 2021 | 1,141,541 | — | 280,599 | 1,006,011 | — | 531,450 | 2,959,601 | Fredrik Westin Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer | 2023 | 599,672 | — | 278,351 | 491,731 | — | 235,573 | 1,605,327 | 2022
| 579,392 | — | 203,744 | 245,083 | — | 231,018 | 1,259,237 | 2021 | 564,710 | — | 125,031 | 421,838 | — | 221,281 | 1,332,861 | Kevin Fox(6)
| 2023 | 530,244 | — | 204,583 | 434,800 | 75,800 | 102,019 | 1,347,446 | President, Americas | 2022 | 509,850 | | 151,061 | 215,667 | —(7) | 95,089 | 971,667 | | 2021 | 463,500 | — | 99,989 | 346,235 | 189,100 | 138,164 | 1,236,988 | Sng Yih(6)
| 2023 | 522,791 | — | 189,743 | 428,689 | — | 192,885 | 1,334,108 | President, China | 2022 | 484,493 | — | 624,994 | 204,941 | — | 163,177 | 1,477,605 | Anthony Nellis(6) General Counsel and EVP Legal | 2023 | 583,002 | | 214,557 | 334,643 | 82,900 | 88,966 | 1,304,068 | 2022
| 560,579 | — | 151,061 | 184,430 | —(7) | 91,986 | 988,056 | Frithjof Oldorff Former President, Europe | 2023 | 649,623(5) | — | 255,622 | 308,248 | — | 1,026,720 | 2,240,213 | 2022
| 622,947 | — | 188,750 | 263,507 | — | 68,058 | 1,143,261 | | 2021 | 604,802 | — | 125,031 | 451,787 | — | 65,090 | 1,246,711 |
| (1) | The amounts contained in the table were paid in SEK, USD, EUR, and CNY. All amounts have been converted to U.S. dollars using the following exchange rates: 1 USD = 9.983 SEK = 0.9031 EUR = 7.0927 CNY. Amounts are rounded to the nearest whole number and, because of such rounding, the amounts reflected in the “Total” column may differ slightly from the sum of amounts set forth in each individual column. | | (2) | The numbers reflect the aggregate grant-date fair value of the RSUs granted in each respective year and the PSUs granted in each respective year, calculated in accordance with FASB Topic 718. The fair value of the RSUs and PSUs granted in 2021, 2022 and 2023 was calculated based on the closing price per share of stock on the grant date. The grant date fair value of the PSUs was computed by multiplying (i) the target number of PSUs awarded to each named executive officer, which was the assumed probable outcome as of the grant date, by (ii) the grant date fair value per share used for financial reporting purposes. Assuming, instead, that the highest level of performance conditions would be achieved, the grant date fair values of the PSU and RSU awards (as applicable) would have been as follows: (i) 2021: Mr. Bratt, $561,198; Mr. Westin, $187,547; and Mr. Oldorff, $187,547; (ii) 2022: Mr. Bratt, $1,140,702; Mr. Westin, $337,482; Mr. Yih, $687,553; Mr. Oldorff, $315,040; and Mr. Nellis, $252,074; and (Iii) 2023: Mr. Bratt, $1,757,556; Mr. Westin, $486,701; Mr. Yih, $316,943; Mr. Fox $359,203; Mr. Nellis $374,120 and Mr. Oldorff, $448,701. The PSUs granted in 2023 (referred to herein as the 2023 PSU Tranche A, the 2023 PSU Tranche B, and the 2023 PSU Tranche C) are easycomprised of three one-year performance periods with goals related to understandEPS (60%), Relative Organic Sales Growth (25%) and communicate;Greenhouse Gas Emissions (15%). The performance goals for 2023 PSU Tranche B and 2023 PSU Tranche C were not established at the date of grant in 2023 and, as a result, for accounting purposes, 2023 PSU Tranche B and 2023 PSU Tranche C are not considered granted until the respective performance goals |
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| | are established. Accordingly, the grant date fair value of the 2023 PSU Tranche A is reported in the Stock Awards column for 2023, but the grant date fair value of the 2023 PSU Tranche B and the 2023 PSU Tranche C will not be reported in the Stock Awards column until 2024 and 2025, respectively. On the other hand, performance goals were set in January 2023 for Tranche B of the PSUs granted in 2022 and for Tranche C of the PSUs granted in 2021. The grant date fair values of these awards are therefore included in this year´s Stock Awards column, together with dividend equivalents earned on these two Tranches during 2021 and 2022. | | (3) | Change in Pension Value as used for accounting purposes according to U.S. GAAP. |
| (4) | · | Due toThe following table reflects the three-year vesting schedule, RSUs encourageitems that are included in the executive to stay with the Company or forfeit significant accumulated value; and |
| · | RSUs also mitigate excessive risk-taking by focusing management on long-term value creation and ownership accumulation that provides alignment with stockholders.All Other Compensation column for 2023. |
RSUs granted in 2020 cliff-vest on the third anniversary of the grant date, subject to the grantee’s continued employment with the Company on such vesting date, subject to limited exceptions.
Performance Stock units (“PSUs”). We believe that PSUs focus and direct the efforts of our executives toward the attainment of critical multi-year corporate objectives as well as further encourage employment retention because:
The performance metrics selected for the PSUs are reflected in our long-term value creation; and
| · | Due to the three-year performance period, PSUs parallel the RSUs in encouraging the executive to stay with the Company or forfeit potential significant accumulated value. |
PSUs granted in 2020 may be earned based on the Company’s achievement of performance goals related to Order Intake Ratio (30%) and EPS Growth in relation to Light Vehicle Production Growth (70%) following the conclusion of a 3-year performance period. The Committee believes these metrics are supportive of the Company’s strategic objectives and support the creation of long-term shareholder value.
Treatment Upon Change in Control. The 1997 Plan provides that outstanding equity awards will become fully vested upon the occurrence of a change in control (“CiC”). However, the Compensation Committee approved “double-trigger” for LTI awards in 2019 and 2020, such that the awards assumed by the acquiring company in a CiC will become fully vested only upon the holder’s subsequent qualifying termination. If the awards are not assumed by the acquiring entity, then they will become fully vested upon the CiC.
2023 All Other Compensation | | Perquisites | Company Contributions to Defined Contribution Plans | Tax Payment | Vacation Supplement | Other allowances / payments | Severance | TOTAL | Name | $(a) | $(b) | $(c) | $(d) | $ | $(e) | $ | Mikael Bratt | 19,274 | 564,960 | 0 | 10,284 | 0 | 0 | 594,519 | Dividend Equivalents. Commencing with the February 2017 grant,All outstanding PSUs and RSUs have dividend equivalent rights were introduced for PSUs and RSUs. Anyrights. Provisions provide that any cash dividend paid with respect to our common stock for which the record date occurs on or after the grant date and the payment date occurs on or before the vesting date results in a credit of additional PSUs and RSUs, which additional PSUs and RSUs are subject to the same earnout and vesting schedule as the underlying PSUs and RSUs.Autoliv | | 51 | | 2024 Proxy Statement |
How We Value Equity Awards. For accounting purposes and whenWhen internally assessing and communicating equity compensation, we use a model whichthat assumes that the value of an RSU and a PSPSU at target performance level is the closing price for a share of our common stock on the NYSE on the last trading day before of the grant.grant date.
Annual Grant Date. The annual grant date for our stock incentive programregular annual LTI equity awards is in the first quarter of the fiscal year, on the date of, or following publication of, our fourth quarter financial results. This is done to enhance corporate governance procedures and to avoid unintended burdens to participants because of routine “black-out periods.periods,” as well as to avoid making awards in proximity to material nonpublic information that could impact award value. Changes
Payout of 2021 PSUs. The performance period for the 2021 PSUs concluded on December 31, 2023, and the LDCC certified the level of achievement of the applicable performance goals in February 2024. The following tables outline our results relative to LTI Program. For information regarding the changes we implementedestablished goals related to our Long-Term Incentive Program in 2021, see “Material Changes to 2021 Compensation Program” later in this CD&A.EPS and New Order Intake Level and the corresponding payout levels per Tranche: | Tranche A (2021) | | Weight | Threshold | Target | Max | Actual | Payout | Order Intake Level(1)(2) | 30% | 40% | 44% | 48% | 50% | 200% | Earnings Per Share | 70% | 4.5 | 6.5 | 8.5 | 5.02 | 26% | Final Payout | | | | | | 78% | Tranche B (2022) | | Weight | Threshold | Target | Max | Actual | Payout | Order Intake Level(1)(2) | 30% | 40% | 44% | 48% | 40% | 5% | Earnings Per Share | 70% | 4.0 | 6.0 | 8.0 | 4.4 | 20% | Final Payout | | | | | | 16% | Tranche C (2023) | | Weight | Threshold | Target | Max | Actual | Payout | Order Intake Level(1)(2) | 30% | 40% | 44% | 48% | 47% | 173% | Relative EPS Growth(3) | 70% | 4.0 | 6.0 | 8.0 | 7.0 | 148% | Final Payout | | | | | | 156% |
| (1) | Consistent with our public disclosure in our Annual Report for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2023, and quarterly earnings release presentations, we are disclosing approximate results for our order intake. Specific, unrounded results are not material to an understanding of the PSU program. | | (2) | Order intake is calculated by comparing Autoliv’s projected average yearly sales for the lifetime of each program in relation to the projected average yearly sales for the lifetime of each program available for award in the market, expressed in%. | | (3) | As compared to global light vehicle production (LVP) growth. Additional information and a reconciliation of EPS vs. LVP Growth to financial measures derived in accordance with U.S. GAAP for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2023, is set forth in Annex A to this Proxy Statement. |
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Pension / Pension/Retirement and Other Post-Employment Benefits
Autoliv provides certain supplemental retirement/pension and other post-employment benefits, in addition to the mandatory programsbenefits required by applicable national statutes and maintains defined benefit or defined contribution plans for our named executive officers that are competitive with customary local practice. The programs’major terms are as follows:
Defined Contribution Programs (individual retirement investment from Company contributions). Since 2007, all newly hired senior executives participate only in defined contribution plans rather than defined benefit plans (except for certain senior executives that participated in location-specific defined benefit plans, e.g. Mr. Murray and Mr. Hanke)plans). The Company contributes a percentage of each executive’s annual base salary to the plan, as follows:follows. Defined contribution levels are determined by the LDCC after considering local market practices for executives in similar roles and therefore vary significantly.
Retirement - Retirement–Defined Contribution Level | Name | Level of Contribution | Mikael Bratt | 44%47% of base salary | Fredrik Westin | 35% of base salary | Brad Murray1Anthony Nellis Kevin Fox | See below description about 401(k) plan and “Nonqualified Deferred Compensation” table | Jordi Lombarte1Sng Yih | None | Frithjof Oldorff | 10% of base salary |
| (1) | Comprises contributions to both 401(k) and non-qualified contribution plans for Messrs. Murray and Lombarte. |
Messrs. MurrayFox and LombarteNellis participated in a 401(k) plan available to U.S.-based employees in 2020.2023. Under this plan, the Company makesmade an employer matching contribution equal to 100% of the first 3%, and then equal to 50% of the next 2% of employee contributions (expressed as percentage of base pay), up to certain limits. Effective January 1, 2022, the plan introduced a non-elective contribution, which contributes an additional 2% of eligible earnings to the savings account. Messrs. MurrayFox and LombarteNellis also participatedparticipate in a non-qualified defined contribution plan. Defined Benefits Program. Mr. MurrayMessrs. Fox and Nellis participated in a U.S. tax-qualified defined benefit plan and an excess pension plan.plan, which froze for the purpose of additional contributions effective December 31, 2021. Additional information regarding these plans is described later under “Pension Benefits”. Mr. Hanke participated in a mandatory, multi-employer defined benefit plan (ITP 2) in Sweden. Other than Mr. MurrayMessrs. Fox and Mr. Hanke,Nellis, none of our named executive officers are parties to a defined benefit arrangement with the Company. Retiree Medical Plan. Mr. Murray wasMessrs. Fox and Nellis are eligible to participate in a retiree medical plan, available to all employees employed in the U.S. thatwho were hired prior to January 1, 2004, at which time the plan was frozen to new participants. Effective from December 31, 2014, the retirement arrangement was adjusted so that eligible participants, including Mr. Murray,Messrs. Fox and Nellis, are covered by a Health Retirement Account (“HRA”), pursuant to which, upon attaining age 55 and a minimum of 15 years of service, the Company will provide an annual benefit of $3,000 to an HRA upon retirement prior to age 65 and an annual benefit of $875 to an HRA after age 65. This annual benefit will be reduced if the participant retires prior to age 60. If the annual benefit is not used by the participant during the year, the benefit is forfeited back to the company. This plan may be terminated at any time for both current employees and current retirees/participants with no obligation of benefit payout. Termination / Termination/Severance Agreements. Except for Messrs. Murray and Hanke, each of our namedNamed executive officers has an employment agreementhave agreements with the Company, pursuant to which they are entitled to certain severance benefits in the event of termination of employment. A detailed summary of the terms of these agreements is provided on page 4368 of this Proxy Statement. Mr. Murray had
All severance benefits and equity acceleration related to a time-bound international assignment agreement that provided certain termsCIC of employment until the end of his employment on December 31, 2020. and he had a change-in-control (“CiC”) severance agreement with the Company until January 2020, pursuantare subject to which he was entitled to certain severance benefits in the event of his termination of employment in connection with a CiC. In December 2010, the Board approved a policy limiting future CiC agreements to a “double-trigger” arrangement, which meansdouble-trigger provisions that the severance benefit is not provided unless the participant incurs an involuntary termination or diminution of duties within a designated period following a CiC. In addition, in November 2011, the Board approved a policy providing that new hires will receive CiC severance benefits, if at all, in accordance with local market practice, as opposed to all officers receiving the same CiC severance benefits by reason of being an officer. The “change-in-control” definition contained in the 1997 Plan and Mr. Murray’s now expired CiC severance arrangement are predicated on actualinclude consummation of a corporate transaction such asand covered termination within a merger, rather than upon stockholder approval of the transaction. This avoids an inadvertent “early trigger” of any CiC provisions should the transaction fail to close.
defined protected period. We do not provide tax gross-up protection for CiC excise taxes (i.e., U.S. taxes under Section 4999 of the United States Internal
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Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “U.S. Internal Revenue Code”) applied to change-in-control payments that exceed certain amounts under Section 280G) to our named executive officers.
Executive Compensation Responsibilities
Role of the Compensation CommitteeLDCC The Compensation CommitteeLDCC annually reviews our named executive officers’ pay levels and target incentive opportunities versus the competitive market and considers information provided by (i) the consultantsindependent consultant regarding trends, (ii) input from the Executive Vice President, Human Resources and Sustainability, (iii) the CEO’s recommendations as to compensation for our named executive officers (other than himself), and (iv) other relevant factors as discussed above in the “Compensation Philosophy” section.
Role of the Independent Compensation CommitteeLDCC Consultant The Compensation CommitteeLDCC regularly engages an independent advisor, who reports directly to the Compensation Committee.LDCC. The independent advisor attends routine meetings of the Compensation CommitteeLDCC and provides independent perspective and advice to the Compensation CommitteeLDCC on various aspects of the Company’s total compensation system and the market environment in which the Company operates. Additional information regarding the role of the Compensation Committee’sLDCC’s advisor, FW Cook,Meridian, is found later in this CD&A in the “2020“2023 Executive Compensation Decisions” section.
Role of theData Providers to Management Consultant Management periodically solicits the advice of external compensation consultantsdata from third parties to ensure that the Company’s compensation program is competitive with compensation programs offered by the companies in its peer groupgroups and companies in the markets in which the named executive officers are located. In setting the compensation at the beginning of 2020,2023, Willis Towers Watson assisted management with reviewingprovided compensation survey data for executive roles based in the Company’sUnited States, China, and Germany. Mercer provided compensation programsurvey data for executives, as describedexecutive roles based in more detail below.Sweden and Japan.
Role of the Chief Executive OfficerCEO Our CEO regularly participates in the meetings of the Compensation Committee.LDCC. The CEO and Executive Vice President, Human Resources and Sustainability work together to develop a recommendation to present to the Compensation CommitteeLDCC with respect to compensation packages for each of our named executive officers, other than the CEO. As a result, our CEO generally has a significant influence on the compensation paid to the other named executive officers. In addition, the Compensation CommitteeLDCC has delegated the authority for the determination of certain grants to employees other than executive officers under our long-term incentive plan to the CEO, subject to established grant limits. The Compensation CommitteeLDCC regularly holds executive sessions, excusing the CEO from the meeting, to discuss matters related to the CEO’s compensation.
Policies and Practices that Govern Executive Compensation at Autoliv Stock Ownership Guidelines. Effective January 1, 2013, and as amended and restated in December 2015, theThe Company has adopted stock ownership guidelines for its executive officers. Pursuant to these guidelines, each executive officerthe (i) CEO is expected to accumulate and hold shares of Company common stock having a value at least equal to (i) 2x his annual base salary in the caseand (ii) other executive officers are expected to accumulate and hold shares of the CEO, and (ii)Company common stock having a value at least equal to 1x annual base salary, in the case of each executive other than the CEO.salary. Executives are expected to make continuous progress toward their respective ownership requirements. Until the executive has satisfied the stock ownership guidelines, he or she will be required to retain 75% of the net shares received upon settlement of restricted stock units granted on or after January 1, 2013.RSUs. For purposes of these stock ownership guidelines, “net shares” are those shares held by the executive after deducting any shares withheld by the Company or sold by the executive for the sole purpose of satisfying the executive’s tax liabilities and related fees, if any, related to the settlement event.
Policy Against Hedging, Short-Selling, and Pledging. Any employee orAll employees and non-employee director holding Autoliv securities isdirectors are prohibited from engaging in hedging, short-selling, or pledging.pledging of Autoliv securities.
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Compensation Recoupment Policy. Our Board is authorizedrequired to recoup earned performance-based incentive compensation from current and former SEC 16 officers in the event of a materialfinancial restatement of the Company’s financial results due to fraud, intentional misconduct, negligence, or dereliction of duties by the executive officer.under NYSE listing standards. It is also authorized to recoup equityclawback and cause the forfeiture of certain compensation from a broader group of executives in the event an executive is found acting in a manner that is harmful to the interests of the Company such as a violation of Company policy.including “harmful conduct” defined as: | ■ | Conduct that would constitute “cause” as defined in LTI grant agreements. |
| ■ | Any violation of the Company’s code of conduct, insider trading policy, or other published policies. |
| ■ | Egregious misconduct including, but not limited to, fraud, criminal activities, falsification of Company records, theft, violent acts or threats of violence, or a violation of law, unethical conduct or inappropriate behavior that causes substantial reputational harm to the Company or exposes the Company to legal liability. |
| ■ | The commission of act or omission that causes an executive officer or senior manager or the Company to be in violation of federal or state securities laws or rules. |
| ■ | Any misconduct, negligence, or dereliction of duty by an executive officer or senior manager that caused or contributed to the need for the restatement or material adjustment of any financial performance measure upon which the payment or his or her non-equity incentive compensation and/or vesting of his or her LTI awards are or were based. |
Table of Contents
Compensation Risk Assessment The Compensation CommitteeLDCC annually considers potential risks when reviewing and approving our compensation program. We have designed our compensation program to encourage behaviors aligned with the long-term interests of stockholders. There is appropriate balance in program design to mitigate compensation-related risk including our incentive compensation plans, with specific featuresfixed and variable pay, cash and equity, short- and long-term incentives, etc. Policies also are in place to address potential risks while rewarding employees for achieving long-term financialmitigate compensation-related risk such as ownership guidelines, insider-trading prohibitions, recoupment provisions, and strategic objectives through prudent business judgment and appropriate risk taking. The following elements have been incorporated in our compensation program for executive officers: | - | A Balanced Mix of Compensation Components – The target compensation-mix for our executive officers is composed of base salary, annual cash incentives, long-term equity incentives and retirement/pension provisions, representing a mix that is not overly weighted toward short-term cash incentives. |
| - | Long-term Incentives – Our long-term incentives are equity-based and generally have a three-year vesting schedule to complement our annual cash-based incentives. In 2019, the Company increased the weight for PSUs to 75% and reduced the weight for RSUs to 25% for all executive and senior management roles. This practice continued in 2020. |
| - | Performance Factors – Our group-common incentive compensation plans normally use Company-wide goals. Annual cash incentives for participants in 2020 depended on Operating Income and Cash Conversion performance. PSUs for the program introduced in 2020 depended on the Company’s Order Intake Ratio and EPS Growth (in relation to global light vehicle production growth) |
| - | Capped Incentive Awards – Annual incentive awards are capped at 200% of target. |
| - | Stock Ownership Guidelines – Our guidelines call for meaningful share ownership, which aligns the interests of our executive officers with the long-term interests of our stockholders. |
| - | Clawback Policy – Our Board is authorized to recoup earned incentive compensation in the event of a material restatement of the Company’s financial results due to fraud, intentional misconduct, negligence, or dereliction of duties by the executive officer. |
independent LDCC oversight. Additionally, the Compensation CommitteeLDCC annually considersreviews an inventory of incentive arrangements below the executive level.
Additionally, the LDCC annually reviews an assessment of compensation-related risks including an inventory of incentive arrangements below the executive level. Based on this assessment, the Compensation CommitteeLDCC concluded that our compensation program does not create risks that are reasonably likely to have a material adverse effect on Autoliv. In making this determination, the Compensation CommitteeLDCC reviewed the key design elements of our compensation program in relation to industry “best practices” as presented by FW Cook, the Compensation Committee’sLDCC’s independent compensation consultant, as well as the means by which any potential risks may be mitigated, such as through our internal controls and oversight by management and the Board of Directors. Starting in 2019, to mitigate potential compensation-related risk, the Company began requiring double-trigger acceleration of unvested equity in the event of a qualified termination following a change in control in which outstanding awards are assumed by a publicly-traded surviving entity, instead of the previous single-trigger acceleration.
20202023 Executive Compensation Decisions
The Process The total compensation of our named executive officers is reviewed annually. The Compensation CommitteeLDCC considers changes in the compensation levels after it reviews the relevant peer group or local market data (per position). The Compensation CommitteeLDCC uses this information as one input in its decision-making process. In addition to market data, the Compensation CommitteeLDCC also reviews the Company’s financial performance, the named executive officers’ individual performance, input from the Executive Vice President,EVP Human Resources & Sustainability, and the recommendations of the CEO with respect to the compensation packages for the named executive officers other than himself. The Compensation CommitteeLDCC reviews, provides feedback, and approves the final recommendations for the compensation of our named executive officers.
The Compensation CommitteeLDCC reviewed and decided on the 20202023 compensation for our executives during its meetings held in November and December 2019.2022. The review was supported by the comprehensive analysisdata obtained from Willis Towers Watson and market review prepared by Towers Watson.Mercer.
The AdvisorsLDCC Consultant Throughout the decision-making process for 20202023 compensation,, which included the Compensation Committee’sLDCC’s November and December 2019 meetings and all 2020 meetings,2022 meeting, the Compensation CommitteeLDCC engaged FW CookMeridian who reported directly to the Compensation Committee. During 2020, FW Cook attended most of the Compensation Committee’s meetings andLDCC. Meridian provided input for each meeting, including:as per the following:
| (i) | (i) | independent perspective and advice to the Compensation CommitteeLDCC on various aspects of the Company’s total compensation system; |
| (ii) | (ii) | information about the market environments in which the Company operates, including guidance regarding compensation trends, compensation levels, and compensation mix within the market; |
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| (iii) | regulatory and statutory developments; |
| (iv) | (iii) | the regulatory developments in executive and director compensation; |
| (iv) | recommendations regarding program design and structure; and |
| (v) | recommendations regarding compensation levels and mix for our executive officers and Board members.non-employee directors. |
FW Cook
Meridian did not provide any additional services to the Company other than those described herein. In 2019, the Company engaged Willis Towers Watson Consulting AB (“Towers Watson”) to assist in setting the compensation for 2020. At the direction of management, Towers Watson was assigned specific tasks related to the compensation of our senior executive officers, including: (i) review of peer group and pay changes in the 2019 employment market, (ii) compilation of peer groups for our named executive officers, and (iii) compensation analysis for the Compensation Committee. Certain Towers Watson affiliates also provided services unrelated to compensation advise; specifically: (i) risk and insurance advisory broking services, (ii) forensic accounting (iii) support for our Quality Culture System survey, and (iv) complex claims services. The fees for such additional services were approximately $422,000, and the fee for compensation-related services was $23,000.
The Peer Groups
In line with the principles of our compensation philosophy applicable as of December 20192022 for the compensation review of our named executive officers, the Compensation CommitteeLDCC reviewed the most currentmost-current compensation data available in selected markets, including market data from Sweden and the U.S. In 2022, the Company engaged Willis Towers Watson and Mercer to provide data that was used itsin setting the 2023 compensation for our senior executive officers. Willis Towers Watson and Mercer used their proprietary non-disclosed compensation databasedatabases to assess local market compensation levels for executive roles operating within the general, automotive, and manufacturing industries. Such market assessments are based on our named executive officers’ roles, characteristics, and responsibilities including job function, reporting level, and other organizational financial and organizational scope measures, including revenue responsibility, employees, and geographical responsibility. The market data contained information regarding the assessed level of base salary, total cash compensation, total direct compensation, and total compensation.
Swedish Peer Group Mr.Messrs. Bratt and Westin. In considering 20202023 compensation for our named executive officers based in Sweden, the Compensation CommitteeLDCC reviewed, among other factors, market data (base salary, total target cash compensation, total direct compensation, and total compensation) from a peer group consisting of large-cap Swedish companies that have global industrial operations of substantial size in major manufacturing markets of North America, Europe, and Asia (the “Swedish Peer Group”) headquartered in Sweden and with executives based in Sweden with Swedish employment conditions. The Swedish Peer Group used by the Compensation CommitteeLDCC in connection with its review of 20202023 compensation consisted of the following companies:
AB Volvo | Alfa LavalElectrolux | Assa Abloy | Atlas Copco | Electrolux | EricssonSkanska | SandvikAlfa Laval | ScaniaEricsson | SkanskaSKF | Assa Abloy | SKFSandvik | SSAB | Atlas Copco | Scania | Stora Enso |
The Swedish Peer Group for 20202023 compensation review remained the same as compared to 2019 remained the same.year before.
U.S. Peer Group Mr. Murray,Messrs. Fox and Lombarte.Nellis. In considering 20202023 compensation for our named executive officers based in the U.S., the Compensation CommitteeLDCC reviewed, among other factors, market data (base salary, total target cash compensation, total direct compensation, and total compensation) from a peer group consisting of U.S. companies that were selected based on market capitalization, total revenue, and number of employees.
Our
The LDCC updated our U.S. Peer Group was changed by the Committee significantly before the 20202023 compensation review following a comprehensive review of companies based on data availability, relevancy, and size.(1) One company (Cooper Standard) from the 2022 U.S. Peer Group was removed from the 2023 peer group due to its reduced market cap.
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The following is the U.S. Peer Group used by the Compensation CommitteeLDCC to review 2020benchmark our U.S. executives’ 2023 compensation.
BorgWarner Inc.Continental AG | Continental
AGJohnson Controls International | Cooper-
Standard
Holdings | Dana
Incorporated | DENSO
Corporation | Adient Plc.Yazaki | ZF TRW
Automotive
Holdings
Corporation | Johnson
Controls
International
PLC | Lear
Corporation | Oshkosh
Corporation | Yazaki
Corporation | Faurecia | Stanley Black & Decker Inc. | SPX
CorporationBorgWarner Inc. | Terex
CorporationDana Inc. | Rockwell Automation | The Timken
CompanyTerex Corp. | Timken Corp. | Trinity Industries
Inc. | Navistar
International
CorporationParker-Hannifin Corp. | Trane Technologies |
Dover Corp. | (1)Fortive Corp. | Companies in bold above are new additions to the U.S. Peer Group for 2020 as compared to 2019.Faurecia | Adient Plc. |
| (2) | The following six companies included in the U.S. Peer Group for 2019 were removed when creating the U.S. Peer Group for 2020 for the reasons noted above: Jabil Circuit Inc., The Good Year Tire & Rubber, Ingersoll Rand, Parker Hannifin Corporation, Snap-on Incorporated and Tenneco Inc. |
Compensation Benchmarking for Divisional Presidents Not Based in Sweden or USAthe U.S.A Mr. Oldorff. In considering 20202023 compensation for Mr. Oldorff, the Compensation CommitteeLDCC considered information provided by Willis Towers Watson about German executive pay levels in relevant companiesgeneral industry survey data.
Mr. Yih. In considering 2023 compensation for Mr. Yih, the LDCC considered information provided by Willis Towers Watson about China executive pay levels in general industry survey data.
Decisions for 20202023 Compensation
The following section of this CD&A focuses on the decisions linked to compensation paid to our named executive officers for 2020, with the exception of Mr. Westin who was not employed with the Company at the time of the 2020 compensation review and Mr. Hanke who resigned from the Company prior to the 2020 compensation review.2023.
The Compensation CommitteeLDCC reviews the compensation for the executives taking into consideration current market position and internal, external, and personal factors, including, but not limited to, the current market position of each respective named executive officer.experience, performance, retention risk, internal equitability, and advancement potential. Although the market analysis provides additional input for compensation decisions, the Company is aware that the limited number of peer companies in Sweden and potential changes to peer groups based on data availability may result in inconsistencies in a year-over-year analysis.
Mikael Bratt. As compared to 2019,2022, Mr. Bratt’s:
| ·■ | base salary increased by 5.8%4.3% (in Swedish Kronor); |
| ·■ | annual target non-equity incentive level (as %(60% of base salary) and the associated cap (2x target) remained unchanged; |
| ·■ | approved grant value for stock incentive program participation was increased from $550,000 in 2019a fixed amount of SEK 8,000,000 to 65%a fixed amount of base salary in 2020;9,000,000 SEK; and |
| ·■ | retirement plan contribution level (as % of base salary) was increased from 40%46% to 44%.47% of base salary. |
Brad MurrayFredrik Westin. As compared to 2019,2022, Mr. Murray’s:Westin’s:
| ·■ | base salary increased by 1.5%3.5% (in USD)Swedish Kronor); |
| ·■ | annual target non-equity incentive level (as %was increased from 45% to 50% of base salary) andsalary with the associated cap remained unchanged;remaining at 2x target; |
| ·■ | approved grant value for stock incentive program participation remained unchanged (in USD); andat USD 280,000; |
| ·■ | retirement plan contributions and defined benefit plan componentslevel (35% of base salary) remained unchanged. |
Mr. Murray signed a new international assignment agreement with the company on January 23, 2020. Further details about his new international assignment agreement are described under the section “Additional 2020 and 2021 Compensation Decisions”.
Frithjof OldorffKevin Fox. As compared to 2019,2022, Mr. Oldorff’s:Fox’s:
| ·■ | base salary increased by 1.5%4.0% (in Euros)USD); |
| ·■ | annual target non-equity incentive level (as %was increased from 45% to 50% of base salary) andsalary with the associated cap remained unchanged;remaining at 2x target |
| ·■ | approved grant value for stock incentive program participation remained unchanged (in USD);at USD 200,000; and |
| ·■ | retirement plan contributionscontribution levels remained unchanged.unchanged under U.S. plans. |
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Jordi LombarteSng Yih. As compared to 2019,2022, Mr. Lombarte’s:Yih’s:
| ·■ | base salary increased by 5.0%3.0% (in USD)Chinese Yuan); |
| ·■ | annual target non-equity incentive level (as %was increased from 45% to 50% of base salary) andsalary with the associated cap remained unchanged;remaining at 2x target; |
| ·■ | approved grant value for stock incentive program participation remained unchanged at USD 250,000; and | | ■ | No retirement plan contributions |
Anthony Nellis. As compared to 2022, Mr. Nellis’:
| ■ | base salary increased by 4.0% (in USD); | | ■ | annual target non-equity incentive level (35% of base salary) and the associated cap (2x target) remained unchanged; | | ■ | approved grant value for stock incentive program participation was increased from USD 200,000 to USD 220,000; | | ■ | retirement plan contribution levels remained unchanged under U.S. plans. |
Frithjof Oldorff. As compared to 2022, Mr. Oldorff’s:
| ·■ | base salary increased by 3.0% (in Euros); | | ■ | annual target non-equity incentive level was increased from 45% to 50% of base salary with the associated cap remaining at 2x target | | ■ | approved grant value for stock incentive program participation remained unchanged at USD 250,000; and | | ■ | retirement plan contributions level (10% of base salary) remained unchanged. |
In addition to the annual compensation review described above, Mr. Lombarte signed an employment agreement amendment with the Company on July 1, 2020. Further details about his employment agreement amendment are described under the section “Additional 2020 and 2021 Compensation Decisions”.
20202023 Additional Benefits
The Company’s executive compensation program also includes certain retirement / pension benefits“other elements” (see page 4161 of this Proxy Statement) and certain other items of compensation, such as a company car.. The Compensation CommitteeLDCC believes these benefitsadditional other elements are appropriate for each of our named executive officers.
Additional 20202023 and 20212024 Compensation Decisions Mr. Hanke’s Employment Conditions upon his Resignation
At the termination of his employment with the Company following his resignation, Mr. Hanke was eligible for the non-equity incentive payment for the year 2019 and unused vacation days accumulated throughout his employment with the company. Mr. Hanke was not eligible for anyThere were no other payment and all outstanding equity grants as of his last day of employment on March 2, 2020 were forfeited according the stock plan rules.
Mr. Murray’s International Assignment Agreement
On January 23, 2020, Mr. Murray signed a new international assignment agreement, pursuantdecisions relating to which he agreed to remain employed by the Company through December 31, 2020. The agreement included the following clauses to encourage the retention of Mr. Murray until the end of the assignment period:
| · | Mr. Murray would continue to be based in Japan until the end of the assignment. |
| · | He would continue to be eligible for his base salary, international assignment allowance, short-term incentive for 2020, long-term incentive grant in 2020, his existing retirement and pension solutions, international assignment benefits and tax equalization according to the company’s international assignment policies. |
| · | If Mr. Murray’s employment terminates for any reason other than for cause, then any RSUs and PSUs granted to him in February 2018 and February 2019 that remain outstanding as of the date of termination would be cancelled and he would receive: (i) a lump sum cash payment equivalent to the value of forfeited RSUs, calculated based on the Company’s share price on the date of termination (the “RSU Cash Payment”); and (ii) a lump sum cash payment equivalent to the value of the forfeited PSUs, if any, calculated based on the Company’s share price on the original vesting date and based on actual performance results. If Mr. Murray’s employment was terminated at the end of the assignment period, then any RSUs and PSUs granted to Mr. Murray in February 2020 that remain outstanding as of the date of termination would be forfeited and he would receive the RSU Cash Payment and PSU Cash Payment in respect thereof. In addition, for a period of 12 months following Mr. Murray’s termination of employment for any reason, the Company would subsidize Mr. Murray’s medical and dental benefits. |
| · | Mr. Murray is prohibited from competing with the Company for a period of 12 months following his termination of employment for any reason other than a termination by the Company without cause. If the non-competition covenant becomes operative, then the Company will pay to Mr. Murray up to a maximum of 60% of his salary as consideration for such covenant. |
| · | The Change-in-Control Severance Agreement dated August 15, 1999, as amended December 15, 2008, was terminated and became void. |
| · | The agreement preserved Mr. Murray’s previously-agreed upon retention payment of $800,000, pursuant to the original terms and conditions thereof. |
Amendment to Mr. Murray’s International Assignment Agreement
On October 1, 2020, Mr. Murray signed an amendment to his international assignment agreement according to which he stepped down from his role as President, Asia as of November 1, 2020 and continued as Senior Advisor to the President and CEO until the end of his employment on December 31, 2020. All other conditions of his international assignment agreement remained unchanged. Mr. Murray maintained hisnamed executive officer status until the end of his employment on December 31, 2020.compensation in 2023 or 2024 outside normal procedures.
Mr. Westin’s Employment Agreement
Mr. Westin entered into an employment agreement with the Company effective March 1, 2020, which provided for the following key compensation and benefits:
| · | annual base salary of 5,500,000 SEK (i.e. approx. $671,000); |
| · | target non-equity incentive award equal to 45% of base salary, subject to achievement of applicable performance goals; |
| · | participation in LTI program commencing in 2020, with an initial maximum grant date value of $208,333 (amount is pro-rated for actual employment time during the year based on an annual value of $250,000); and |
| · | participation in the Swedish pension scheme and private health insurance program, provision of a company car, and certain other perquisite and benefit programs on the same basis as similarly situated senior executives. |
Mr. Westin received a 1,000,000 SEK (i.e. approx. $122,000) sign-on cash award payable within one month following his commencement of employment. He also received, on his first day of employment, a sign-on award of RSUs (“Sign-on RSUs”) having a grant date value of 4,000,000 SEK (i.e. approx. $420,000), which Sign-on RSUs will vest in three equal installments over the three-year period following the grant. The Sign-on RSUs were granted in addition to the annual LTI award described above.
In addition, upon a qualifying termination of Mr. Westin’s employment (which includes an involuntary termination without cause or a resignation by him for good reason, as such terms are defined therein), he is entitled to receive a lump sum severance payment equal to 1.5 times his base salary, subject to Mr. Westin’s entry into a settlement agreement, which shall include, for example, a general release of claims, non-competition provision, and other covenants.
Amendment to Mr. Lombarte’s Employment Agreement
Mr. Lombarte signed an amendment to his employment agreement on July 1, 2020 according to which his principle workplace of employment would be Stockholm, Sweden, effective no later than December 31, 2021. His temporary housing allowance will continue to be paid until the earlier of the relocation to Sweden or February 28, 2021.
Results of Say-on-Pay At our 20202023 annual meeting of stockholders held on May 7, 2020,11, 2023, approximately 81.1%97.1% of the stockholders who voted on the “say-on-pay” proposal approved the compensation of our named executive officers, while approximately 18.2%1.5% voted against (with approximately 0.8%1.3% abstaining). In considering the results of this most recent advisory vote on executive compensation, the Compensation CommitteeLDCC concluded that the stockholder vote continues to reflect favorable stockholder support of the compensation paid to our named executive officers and the compensation philosophy and objectives of the Company. At
Also, at the annual meeting of stockholdersheld on May 9, 2017,11, 2023, our stockholders expressed a preference that advisory votes on executive compensation occur every year. In accordance with the results of this vote, the Board determined to implement an advisory vote on executive compensation every year until the next required vote on the frequency of stockholder votes on the compensation of executives, which will occuroccurs at the 20232029 annual meeting. Material Changes to 2021 Compensation Program
Autoliv | · | The performance criteria for the 2021 non-equity incentive award program for 2021 are Adjusted Operating Income (50%) and Adjusted Cash Conversion (50%).58 | | 2024 Proxy Statement |
| · | Mr. Bratt received 100% of his 2021 LTI grant in the form of PSUs. Similar to 2019 and 2020, named executive officers (other than the CEO) and certain other senior officers received 75% of their 2021 LTI grant value in PSUs and 25% in RSUs. |
| · | The 2021 PSU award is comprised of three separate one-year performance periods for each of calendar years 2021, 2022 and 2023. All PSUs will vest following 2023, to the extent earned and subject to the officer’s continued employment. |
| · | 70% of the 2021 PSUs may be earned based on achievement of goals related to the Company’s Earnings Per Share (EPS) in USD and 30% may be earned based on achievement of goals related to the Company’s Order Intake Ratio (%). |
Currencies for Executive Compensation The Company generally sets cash-based compensation (including for all our named executive officers) in the local currency of the country of service with limited exceptions. Accordingly, the Company set compensation in Swedish kronor (“SEK”) for Messrs. Bratt Westin and Hanke,Westin, in U.S. dollars (“USD”) for Messrs. Murray,Fox and Lombarte,Nellis, in Euros (“EUR”) for Mr. Oldorff, and in EurosChinese Yuan (“CNY”) for Mr. Oldorff,Yih, except for the annual target grant value of the LTI awards for which the compensation is set in USD for all our named executive officers.
For historic numbers, we have converted the compensation paid in prior years by the same exchange rate we applied for 20202023 compensation to facilitate comparison. While the historic amounts paid do not change, amounts reflecting historic figures in this Proxy Statement may differ significantly from disclosure in previous years due to fluctuations in exchange rates. We also note that the exchange rate prevailing at the time of the Compensation Committee’sLDCC’s review of compensation may vary significantly from the exchange rates prevailing at the time this Proxy Statement is prepared. As a result, the year-to-yearyear- to-year percentage changes in compensation reviewed and approved by the Compensation CommitteeLDCC may differ significantly from the percentage changes in compensation presented in this Proxy Statement due to fluctuations in exchange rates. Autoliv | | 59 | | 2024 Proxy Statement |
Summary Compensation Table (1)
The following table shows information concerning the annual compensation for services provided by our named executive officers in the fiscal years ended December 31 in the periods 2018, 20192021, 2022 and 2020. The “Salary” column below reflects the actual salaries paid in each calendar year and, for 2020, reflects the voluntary pay reductions in Q2 2020.2023.1 Name and Principal | | Salary | Bonus | Stock Awards | Non-Equity Incentive Plan Compensation | Change in Pension Value and Nonqualified Deferred Compensation Earnings | All Other Compensation | | Position | Year | $ | $ | $ (2) | $ | $ (3) | $ (4) | TOTAL ($) | | | | | | | | | | Mikael Bratt | 2020 | 1,193,122(5) | - | 663,616 | 610,605 | - | 571,046 | 3,038,388 | President and CEO | 2019 | 1,185,203 | - | 550,035 | 432,766 | - | 486,013 | 2,654,017 | 2018 | 959,653 | - | 371,289 | 176,602 | - | 381,828 | 1,889,371 | | | | | | | | | | Fredrik Westin (6) | 2020 | 526,138 (5) | 122,121 | 628,629 | 251,875 | - | 205,536 | 1,734,299 | Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Christian Hanke (6) | 2020 | 127,423(5) | - | - | - | - | 25,204 | 152,627 | Former Interim CFO; VP Corporate Control | 2019 | 302,220 | - | 79,169 | 56,131 | - | 87,180 | 524,700 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Brad Murray | 2020 | 403,118(5) | - | 199,928 | 191,031 | 295,100 | 2,997,867 | 4,087,044 | Former President, Asia | 2019 | 418,240 | - | 199,956 | 141,156 | 671,700 | 1,370,852 | 2,801,904 | 2018 | 414,099 | - | 141,504 | 86,661 | 155,900 | 508,802 | 1,306,966 | | | | | | | | | | Frithjof Oldorff (6) | 2020 | 620,544(5) | - | 199,928 | 293,937 | - | 77,271 | 1,191,680 | President, Europe | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Jordi Lombarte (6) | 2020 | 441,196(5) | - | 199,928 | 162,766 | - | 174,255 | 978,145 | Executive Vice President and Chief Technology Officer | 2019 | 442,900 | - | 199,956 | 116,261 | - | 180,745 | 939,862 | | | | | | | | |
Name and Principal Position | Year | Salary $ | Bonus $ | Stock Awards $(2) | Non-Equity Incentive Plan Compensation $ | Change in Pension Value and Nonqualified Deferred Compensation Earnings $(3) | All Other Compensation $(4) | TOTAL ($) | Mikael Bratt President and CEO | 2023 | 1,304,818(5) | — | 878,778 | 1,182,811 | — | 594,519 | 3,960,926 | | 2022 | 1,188,245 | — | 570,351 | 649,704 | — | 553,749 | 2,962,049 | | 2021 | 1,141,541 | — | 280,599 | 1,006,011 | — | 531,450 | 2,959,601 | Fredrik Westin Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer | 2023 | 599,672 | — | 278,351 | 491,731 | — | 235,573 | 1,605,327 | 2022
| 579,392 | — | 203,744 | 245,083 | — | 231,018 | 1,259,237 | 2021 | 564,710 | — | 125,031 | 421,838 | — | 221,281 | 1,332,861 | Kevin Fox(6)
| 2023 | 530,244 | — | 204,583 | 434,800 | 75,800 | 102,019 | 1,347,446 | President, Americas | 2022 | 509,850 | | 151,061 | 215,667 | —(7) | 95,089 | 971,667 | | 2021 | 463,500 | — | 99,989 | 346,235 | 189,100 | 138,164 | 1,236,988 | Sng Yih(6)
| 2023 | 522,791 | — | 189,743 | 428,689 | — | 192,885 | 1,334,108 | President, China | 2022 | 484,493 | — | 624,994 | 204,941 | — | 163,177 | 1,477,605 | Anthony Nellis(6) General Counsel and EVP Legal | 2023 | 583,002 | | 214,557 | 334,643 | 82,900 | 88,966 | 1,304,068 | 2022
| 560,579 | — | 151,061 | 184,430 | —(7) | 91,986 | 988,056 | Frithjof Oldorff Former President, Europe | 2023 | 649,623(5) | — | 255,622 | 308,248 | — | 1,026,720 | 2,240,213 | 2022
| 622,947 | — | 188,750 | 263,507 | — | 68,058 | 1,143,261 | | 2021 | 604,802 | — | 125,031 | 451,787 | — | 65,090 | 1,246,711 |
| (1) | (1) | The amounts contained in the table were paid in SEK, USD, EUR, and JPY.CNY. All amounts have been converted to U.S. dollars using the following exchange rates: 1 USD = 8.18869.983 SEK = 0.81580.9031 EUR = 103.3288 JPY.7.0927 CNY. Amounts are rounded to the nearest whole number and, because of such rounding, the amounts reflected in the “Total” column may differ slightly from the sum of amounts set forth in each individual column. |
| (2) | (2) | The numbers reflect the aggregate grant-date fair value of the RSUs granted in each respective year and the PSUs granted in 2019 and 2020,each respective year, calculated in accordance with FASB Topic 718. The fair value of the RSUs granted in 2018, 2019 and 2020 and PSUs granted in 20192021, 2022 and 20202023 was calculated based on the closing price per share of stock on the grant date. The grant date fair value of the PSUs was computed by multiplying (i) the target number of PSUs awarded to each named executive officer, which was the assumed probable outcome as of the grant date, by (ii) the grant date fair value per share used for financial reporting purposes. Assuming, instead, that the highest level of performance conditions would be achieved, the grant date fair values of the PSU and RSU and PS awards (as applicable) would have been as follows: (i) 2019:2021: Mr. Bratt, $962,542;$561,198; Mr. Hanke, $138,545;Westin, $187,547; and Mr. Murray, $349,923; Mr. Lombarte, $349,923; andOldorff, $187,547; (ii) 2020:2022: Mr. Bratt, $1,161,328;$1,140,702; Mr. Westin, $784,860;$337,482; Mr. Murray, $349,893;Yih, $687,553; Mr. Oldorff, $349,893;$315,040; and Mr. Lombarte, $349,893.Nellis, $252,074; and (Iii) 2023: Mr. Bratt, $1,757,556; Mr. Westin, $486,701; Mr. Yih, $316,943; Mr. Fox $359,203; Mr. Nellis $374,120 and Mr. Oldorff, $448,701. The PSUs granted in 2023 (referred to herein as the 2023 PSU Tranche A, the 2023 PSU Tranche B, and the 2023 PSU Tranche C) are comprised of three one-year performance periods with goals related to EPS (60%), Relative Organic Sales Growth (25%) and Greenhouse Gas Emissions (15%). The performance goals for 2023 PSU Tranche B and 2023 PSU Tranche C were not established at the date of grant in 2023 and, as a result, for accounting purposes, 2023 PSU Tranche B and 2023 PSU Tranche C are not considered granted until the respective performance goals |
Autoliv | (3) | All amounts relate to 60 | | 2024 Proxy Statement |
| | are established. Accordingly, the grant date fair value of the 2023 PSU Tranche A is reported in the Stock Awards column for 2023, but the grant date fair value of the 2023 PSU Tranche B and the 2023 PSU Tranche C will not be reported in the Stock Awards column until 2024 and 2025, respectively. On the other hand, performance goals were set in January 2023 for Tranche B of the PSUs granted in 2022 and for Tranche C of the PSUs granted in 2021. The grant date fair values of these awards are therefore included in this year´s Stock Awards column, together with dividend equivalents earned on these two Tranches during 2021 and 2022. | | (3) | Change in Pension Value as used for accounting purposes according to U.S. GAAP. |
| (4) | (4) | The following table reflects the items that are included in the All Other Compensation column for 2020.2023. |
2023 All Other Compensation | | Perquisites | Company Contributions to Defined Contribution Plans | Tax Payment | Vacation Supplement | Other allowances / payments | Severance | TOTAL | Name | $(a) | $(b) | $(c) | $(d) | $ | $(e) | $ | Mikael Bratt | 19,274 | 564,960 | 0 | 10,284 | 0 | 0 | 594,519 | Fredrik Westin | 16,946 | 209,885 | 0 | 8,741 | 0 | 0 | 235,573 | Kevin Fox | 47,593 | 54,426 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 102,019 | Sng Yih | 182,319 | 0 | 10,566 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 192,885 | Anthony Nellis | 31,363 | 57,603 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 88,966 | Frithjof Oldorff | 5,452 | 58,816 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 962,452 | 1,026,720 |
Table of Contents
2020 All Other Compensation | | Perquisites | Company Contributions to Defined Contribution Plans | Tax Payment | Vacation Supplement | Other allowances / payments | Severance | TOTAL | Name | $ (a) | $ (b) | $ ( c) | $ (d) | $ (e) | $ (f) | $ | Mikael Bratt | 20,821 | 532,332 | 0 | 12,892 | 0 | 0 | 571,046 | Fredrik Westin | 8,290 | 195,903 | 0 | 1,343 | 0 | 0 | 205,536 | Christian Hanke | 3,174 | 20,973 | 0 | 1,057 | 0 | 0 | 25,204 | Brad Murray | 245,001 | 33,250 | 793,016 | 0 | 222,119 | 1,704,481 | 2,997,867 | Frithjof Oldorff | 11,951 | 65,319 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 77,271 | Jordi Lombarte | 138,860 | 35,395 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 174,255 |
| a. | a. | For Mr. Bratt, reflects the value of a company car, including runningoperating costs, and company-paid healthcare benefits. For Mr. Westin, reflects the value of a company car, including runningoperating costs, and company-paid healthcare benefits. For Mr. Hanke,Yih, reflects the value of a company car, including running costs.operating costs and driver ($41,019), housing benefit ($88,119), school fees for dependent children ($31,379), and medical insurance. For Mr. Fox, reflects an auto allowance ($25,200), fuel, and company-paid healthcare benefits. For Mr. Nellis, reflects an auto allowance ($25,200), fuel, and company-paid healthcare benefits. For Mr. Oldorff, reflects the value of a company car, including runningoperating costs. For Mr. Murray reflects the value of a company car including running costs, company-paid healthcare benefits, club membership fee, home leave, and company-paid housing and utilities of $186,415. For Mr. Lombarte, reflects an auto allowance of $25,200, company-provided housing of $85,578, home leave, fuel, and company-paid healthcare benefits. For all perquisites, the value reported reflects the aggregate incremental cost to the Company of providing the benefit. The Company determined the cost of the company car based on the value of the lease payment/amortization or car allowance paid, as applicable.applicable. |
| b. | b. | Reflects for Messrs. Bratt and Westin contributions to the named executive officer’s defined contribution plans in Sweden. Reflects for Mr. Hanke contributions to his pension plan in Sweden. Reflects for Mr. MurrayMessrs. Fox and Nellis matching contributions to the U.S. 401(k) plan and $22,574.70 matching contributions to the Autoliv North America Non-Qualified Retirement Plan. Reflects for Mr. Lombarte matchingOldorff contributions to the U.S. 401(k)his defined contribution plan and $24,707 in matching contributions to the Autoliv North America Non-Qualified Retirement Plan.Germany. |
| c. | c. | Per the terms of his international assignment agreement,employment, Mr. MurrayYih is entitled to a benefit of tax equalization. The amount reported reflects Mr. Murray’s tax gross-up payments on the 2020 benefits related to his international assignment to Japan ($14,014), and the final costreimbursed for tax equalization for income year 2019 ($779,002) (which amount which was not final nor paid at the time of the filing of the 2019 proxy statement). As of the date of this proxy statement, the tax equalization cost related to compensation earned in 2020 had not yet been finalized or paid. Accordingly, the Company is not able to include such amounts in this proxy statement.on certain non-cash benefits. |
| d. | d. | Reflects for Messrs. Bratt Westin and HankeWestin the vacation supplement required by Swedish labor law.law. | | e. | Reflects for Mr. Oldorff severance payment equaling 18 months’ salary paid in accordance with his separation agreement. |
| (5) | e. | Reflects for Mr. Murray a net foreign service allowance. |
| f. | Reflects for Mr. Murray cash payment in lieu of outstanding 2018-2020 Autoliv and Veoneer stock awards assuming that the PSUs are paid out at target upon conclusion of the performance period ($592,627), retention bonus ($800,000), payment in lieu of unused vacation ($57,146), and non-competition payment ($254,708). |
| (5) | Reflects each NEO’s 20% base salary reduction for services in April, May, and June 2020. Includes payment in 2020 in lieu of unused vacation days for Mr. Bratt ($32,973)102,775) and Mr. HankeOldorff ($72,856)61,458). For Mr. Hanke also includes his allowance as Interim EVP Finance | | (6) | Messrs. Yih and CFO described above. |
| (6) | Messrs. Hanke and LombarteNellis were not named executive officers in 2018.2021. Mr. Westin and Mr. Oldorff wereFox was not a named executive officersofficer in either 2018 or 2019.2022. | | (7) | The change in pension value in 2022 was -$371,800 for Mr. Nellis and -$307,100 for Mr. Fox. Negative numbers are not included in the table. |
Autoliv | | 61 | | 2024 Proxy Statement |
2023 Grants of Plan-Based Awards Table |
2020 Grants of Plan-Based Awards Table (1)
The following table summarizes grants of plan-based awards to named executive officers made in the year ended December 31, 2020.2023.1 | | | Estimated Possible Payouts under Non-Equity Incentive Plan Awards | Estimated Possible Payouts under Equity Incentive Plan Awards | All Other Stock Awards: Number of Shares of Stock or Units (#) | Grant Date Fair Value of Stock Awards ($) | | | | | | Grant Date | Threshold ($) | Target ($) | Maximum ($) | Threshold (#) | Target (#) | Maximum (#) | Mikael Bratt | | 02/19/2020 | - | - | - | - | 6,495 | 12,990 | - | 497,712 | | | 02/19/2020 | - | - | - | - | - | - | 2,165 | 165,904 | | | | - | 610,605 | 1,221,210 | - | - | - | - | - |
| | Estimated Possible Payouts under Non-Equity Incentive Plan Awards | Estimated Possible Payouts under Equity Incentive Plan Awards(2) | All Other Stock Awards: Number of Shares of Stock or Units (#) | Grant Date Fair Value of Stock Awards ($) | | Grant Date | Threshold ($) | Target ($) | Maximum ($) | Threshold (#) | Target (#) | Maximum (#) | | 02/15/2023 | — | — | — | — | 9,460 | 18,920 | — | 878,778 | Mikael Bratt | 02/15/2023 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | | | — | 721,226 | 1,442,452 | — | — | — | — | — | | 02/15/2023 | — | — | — | — | 2,240 | 4,480 | — | 208,350 | Fredrik Westin | 02/15/2023 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 779 | 70,001 | | | | 299,836 | 599,672 | — | — | — | — | — | | 02/15/2023 | — | — | — | — | 1,664 | 3,329 | — | 154,621 | Kevin Fox | 02/15/2023 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 556 | 49,962 | | | — | 265,122 | 530,244 | — | — | — | — | — | | 02/15/2023 | — | — | — | — | 1,347 | 2,694 | — | 127,200 | Sng Yih | 02/15/2023 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 696 | 62,543 | | | — | 261,396 | 522,791 | — | — | — | — | — | | 02/15/2023 | — | — | — | — | 1,719 | 3,439 | — | 159,563 | Anthony Nellis | 02/15/2023 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 612 | 54,994 | | | — | 204,051 | 408,101 | — | — | — | — | — | | 02/15/2023 | — | — | — | — | 2,034 | 4,067 | — | 193,079 | Frithjof Oldorff | 02/15/2023 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 696 | 62,543 | | | — | 294,082 | 588,165 | — | — | — | — | — |
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Fredrik Westin | | 03/02/2020 | - | - | - | - | 2,319 | 4,368 | - | 156,231 | | | 03/02/2020 | - | - | - | - | - | - | 7,012 | 472,398 | | | | | 251,875 | 503,749 | - | - | - | - | - | Christian Hanke | | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | Brad Murray | | 02/19/2020 | - | - | - | - | 1,957 | 3,914 | - | 149,965 | | | 02/19/2020 | - | - | - | - | - | - | 652 | 49,963 | | | | - | 191,031 | 382,063 | - | - | - | - | - | Frithjof Oldorff | | 02/19/2020 | - | - | - | - | 1,957 | 3,914 | - | 149,965 | | | 02/19/2020 | - | - | - | - | - | - | 652 | 49,963 | | | | - | 293,937 | 587,874 | - | - | - | - | - | Jordi Lombarte | | 02/19/2020 | - | - | - | - | 1,957 | 3,914 | - | 149,965 | | 02/19/2020 | - | - | - | - | - | - | 652 | 49,963 | | | | - | 162,766 | 325,532 | - | - | - | - | - |
| (1) | (1) | The numbers reflect the aggregate grant date fair value of the RSUs calculated with the actual share price on the day of grant. Each |
| (2) | Reflects the 2023 PSU Tranche A, 2022 PSU Tranche B and 2021 PSU Tranche C with the applicable grant date share price in 2021, 2022 and 2023 respectively. See footnote (2) to the Summary Compensation Table for a description of the named executive officers received his or her RSUs and PSUs in February 2020.performance share program. |
Autoliv | | 62 | | 2024 Proxy Statement |
Outstanding Equity Awards at 2023 Fiscal Year-End |
Outstanding Equity Awards at 2020 Fiscal Year-End
A summary of securities underlying outstanding plan awards for the named executive officers in the year ended December 31, 20202023, is provided below. | | | Option Awards (1) | Stock Awards (1) | | Name | Grant Year | Awards linked to which company | Number of Securities Underlying Unexercised Options (#) Exercisable | Option Exercise Price ($) | Option Expiration Date ($) | Number of Shares or Units of Stock That Have Not Vested (#)(2)) | Market Value of Shares or Units of Stock That Have Not Vested ($)(3) | Equity Incentive Plan Awards: Number of Unearned Shares, Units or Other Rights That Have Not Vested (#)(2)(4) | Equity Incentive Plan Awards: Market or Payout Value of Unearned Shares, Units or Other Rights That Have Not Vested ($)(3) | | Mikael Bratt | 2020 | Autoliv | - | - | - | 2,186 | 201,331 | 6,558 | 603,992 | | | | 2019 | Autoliv | - | - | - | 1,834 | 168,911 | 5,503 | 506,826 | | | | | 2018 | Autoliv | - | - | - | 1,968 | 181,253 | - | - | | | Veoneer | - | - | - | 4,363 | 92,932 | - | - | | | | | | | | | | | | | Fredrik Westin | 2020 | Autoliv | - | - | - | 7,012 | 645,805 | 2,319 | 213,580 | | |
| | Option Awards(1) | | Stock Awards(1) | | Name | Grant year | Number of Securities Underlying Unexercised Options (#) Exercisable | Option Exercise Price ($) | Option Expiration Date ($) | Number of Shares or Units of Stock That Have Not Vested (#)(2) | Market Value of Shares or Units of Stock That Have Not Vested ($) | Equity Incentive Plan Awards: Number of Unearned Shares, Units or Other Rights That Have Not Vested (#)(2) | Equity Incentive Plan Awards: Market or Payout Value of Unearned Shares, Units or Other Rights That Have Not Vested ($) | | 2023 | — | — | — | 6,307(3) | 694,968 | 6,604(4) | 727,695 | Mikael Bratt | 2022 | — | — | — | 7,896(5) | 870,060 | 3,048(6) | 335,859 | | 2021 | — | — | — | 8,452(7) | 931,326 | 0 | 0 | | 2023 | — | — | — | 2,331(3) | 256,853 | 1,602(4) | 176,524 | Fredrik Westin | 2022 | — | — | — | 2,695(5) | 296,962 | 750(6) | 82,643 | | 2021 | | | | 2,635(7) | 290,351 | 0 | 0 | | 2023 | — | — | — | 1,666(3) | 183,577 | 1,143(4) | 125,947 | Kevin Fox | 2022 | — | — | — | 1,926(5) | 212,226 | 535(6) | 58,952 | | 2021 | | | | 2,108(7) | 232,281 | 0 | 0 | | 2015 | 200 | 80.40 | 02/16/2025 | — | — | — | — | Sng Yih | 2023 | — | — | — | 2,083(3) | 229,526 | 1,430(4) | 157,572 | | 2022 | — | — | — | 5,085(5) | 560,316 | 669(6) | 73,717 | | 2023 | — | — | — | 1,832(3) | 201,868 | 1,259(4) | 138,729 | Anthony Nellis | 2022 | — | — | — | 1,926(5) | 212,226 | 536(6) | 59,062 | | 2021 | — | — | — | 2,108(7) | 232,281 | — | | | 2015 | 760 | 80.40 | 02/16/2025 | — | — | — | — | | 2022 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Frithjof Oldorff | 2021 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | | 2020 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
39
| | | | | | | | | | | Christian Hanke (5) | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | | | | | | | | | | | | | Brad Murray (6) | 2015 | Autoliv | 1,319 | 80.40 | 02/16/25 | - | - | - | - | | | | Veoneer | 3,099 | 34.25 | 02/16/25 | - | - | - | - | | | 2014 | Autoliv | 1,577 | 67.29 | 02/19/24 | - | - | - | - | | | | Veoneer | 3,703 | 28.67 | 02/19/24 | - | - | - | - | | | 2013 | Autoliv | 2,219 | 49.07 | 02/19/23 | - | - | - | - | | | | Veoneer | 5,211 | 20.91 | 02/19/23 | - | - | - | - | | | 2012 | Autoliv | 710 | 47.52 | 02/22/22 | - | - | - | - | | | | Veoneer | 1,668 | 20.25 | 02/22/22 | - | - | - | - | | | | | | | | | | | | | Frithjof Oldorff | 2020 | Autoliv | - | - | - | 658 | 60,602 | 1,976 | 181,990 | | | | 2019 | Autoliv | - | - | - | 3,966 | 365,269 | - | - | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Jordi Lombarte | 2020 | Autoliv | - | - | - | 658 | 60,602 | 1,976 | 181,990 | | | | 2019 | Autoliv | - | - | - | 666 | 61,339 | 2,000 | 184,200 | | | | | 2018 | Autoliv | - | - | - | 477 | 43,932 | - | - | | | Veoneer | - | - | - | 1,057 | 22,514 | - | - | |
| (1) | (1) | The above plan awards were granted on February 22, 2012, February 19, 2013, February 19, 2014, February 16, 2015, February 13, 2018,18, 2021, February 18, 2019,21, 2022, and February 19, 202015, 2023, respectively. All options granted are for 10-year terms with an exercise price equal to the fair market value (as defined in the 1997 Plan) per share on the date of grant and become exercisable after one year of continued employment following the grant date. RSUs and PSUs generally cliff vest after three years. The closing price on the NYSE for our common stock on December 29, 2023, the last trading day of the year, was $110.19. |
| (2) | (2) | For all RSU and PSU grants, the numbers reflect both the number of RSUs and PSUs originally granted and the additional RSUs and PSUs accrued through dividend equivalent rights through December 31, 2020.2023. |
| (3) | (3)Includes the 2023 PSU Tranche A, which was earned based on Company’s performance in 2023 but will vest in the first quarter of 2026, subject to the executive’s continued employment on such date. | | (4) | The closing priceReflects the 2023 PSU Tranche B and C, which may be earned based on the NYSECompany´s EPS (60%), Relative Sales Growth (25%) and Greenhouse Gas Emissions (15%) for our common stock on December 31, 2020,two separate one-year performance periods for each of calendar years 2024 and 2025. The number of PSUs reflected in the last trading day of the year, was $92,10. The closing price on the NYSE for the Veoneer Inc. common stock on December 31, 2020 was $21.30. |
| (4) | Reflects PSUs, assumingtable assumes performance at the target performance level for both metrics for each of the relevant metrics.two performance periods. |
| (5) | (5) | Mr. Hanke forfeited his outstanding equity awardsIncludes the 2022 PSU Tranche A and B, which were earned based on Company’s performance in connection with his resignation2022 and 2023 but will vest in the first quarter of 2025, subject to the executive’s continued employment on Marchsuch date. | | (6) | Reflects the 2022 PSU Tranche C which may be earned based on the Company´s EPS (60%), Relative Sales Growth (25% and Greenhouse Gas Emissions (15%) in the one-year performance period for calendar year 2024. The number of PSUs reflected in the table assumes performance at the target performance level for both metrics. | | (7) | Includes the 2021 PSUs, which were earned based on the Company’s Order Intake Ratio (30%) and Adjusted EPS (70%) over a performance period commencing January 1, 2020. He did not hold any vested stock options as of2021, and concluding December 31, 2020. |
| (6) | Mr. Murray forfeited his unvested equity awards in connection with his termination of employment on December 31, 2020. His vested stock options expire on March 31, 2021.2023. |
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Option Exercises and Stock Vested During 2020
The following table summarizes for each of our named executive officers the RSUs and PSUs that vested and stock options that were exercised during the year ended December 31, 2020. None of our named executive officers exercised any option awards during the year.2023. Name | Stock Awards | Number of Shares Acquired on Vesting (#) | Value Realized on Vesting ($)(1) | Mikael Bratt | Autoliv | 2,243 | 171,881 | Veoneer | 5,021 | 72,654 | Fredrik Westin | - | - | - | Christian Hanke | Autoliv | 478 | 36,629 | Veoneer | 1,070 | 15,483 | Brad Murray | Autoliv | 853 | 65,365 | Veoneer | 1,911 | 27,652 | Frithjof Oldorff | Autoliv | 2,974 | 233,400 | Jordi Lombarte | Autoliv | 542 | 41,533 | Veoneer | 1,215 | 17,581 |
| Stock Awards | Name | Number of Shares Acquired on Vesting (#) | Value Realized on Vesting ($)(1) | Mikael Bratt | 5,352 | 482,223 | Fredrik Westin | 4,085 | 377,279 | Kevin Fox | 436 | 39,284 | Sng Yih | 2,606 | 235,087 | Anthony Nellis | 1,411 | 127,133 | Frithjof Oldorff | 1,411 | 127,133 |
| (1) | The value realized on vesting of RSUs and PSUs shown in the table above was calculated as the product of the closing price of a share of our common stock andon the Veoneer Inc. common stock respectively, on therespective vesting date multiplied by the number of RSUs vested.and PSUs vested. No stock options were exercised by the named executive officers in 2023. |
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Pension Benefits
The following table summarizes the present value of the benefit (andand other information)information under the defined benefit plan of the Company for the named executive officer in the year ended December 31, 2020.2023. Of our named executive officers, only Mr. Murray participatedMessrs. Fox and Nellis participate in a defined benefit plan.
Name |
Plan Name | Number of
Years Credited
Services (#) | Present Value of Accumulated
Benefit ($) | Payments during Last Fiscal Year ($) | Brad MurrayKevin Fox | Autoliv ASP, Inc. Pension Plan Excess Pension Plan | 27 27 | $567,600 $ 96,200 | — — | Anthony Nellis | Autoliv ASP, Inc. Pension Plan Excess Pension Plan | 3321
3321
| 1,481,000 (1)$438,400
1,817,500(1)$325,700
| -— — |
| (1) | The actuarial present value of the accumulated plan benefit is based on the accrued benefit in each plan as of December 31, 2020,2023, using the plan’s benefit formula and actual earnings and service through December 31, 2020.2023. The calculation is based on the same assumptions used for financial reporting purposes under generally accepted accounting principles with the following exceptions: (a) Mr. Murray wasMessrs. Nellis and Fox were assumed to retire on histheir normal retirement datedates at the age of July 1, 2024,65, (b) Mr. Murray wasMessrs. Nellis and Fox were assumed to elect a lump sum payment in both plans, payable on JulyMarch 1, 20242033 and August 1, 2032 respectively and (c) no pre-retirement decrements (withdrawal, retirement, disability, or death) were assumed.
Key assumptions used to calculate the defined benefit value as of December 31, 2023 are as follows: (i) discount rate of 5.13%, (ii) lump sum interest rates of 5.44% for the first five years, 5.23% for the next 15 years, and 5.17% thereafter, and (iii) solely for determination of the projected lump sum amounts, the estimated future applicable mortality rates is based on future 417(e) rates based on actual 417(e) tables through 2024 projected forward using MP-2021. |
Key assumptions used to calculate the defined benefit value as of December 31, 2020 are as follows: (i) discount rate of 2.37%, (ii) lump sum interest rates of 1.41% for the first five years, 3.40% for the next 15 years, and 3.44% thereafter, and (iii) solely for determination of the projected lump sum amounts, the assumed future applicable mortality table under U.S. Internal Revenue Code Section 417(e) rates based on RP2014 base table back-projected to 2006 and projected forward using MP-2019.
U.S. Pension Plan. During 2020, Mr. Murray2023, Messrs. Fox and Nellis participated in the Autoliv ASP, Inc. Pension Plan (which we refer to as the “Pension Plan”). The Pension Plan is a funded, defined benefit pension plan that provides benefits for the Company’s U.S. employees hired prior to January 1, 2004, who meet minimum age and service eligibility requirements. Subject to certain limitations, the monthly retirement benefit under the Pension Plan (assuming attainment of age 65, the retirement age specified by the plan, and an election to receive payments in the form of a life annuity), is determined in accordance with a formula that takes into account the following factors: the highest average of any consecutive five calendar years of pensionable earnings during the last ten years of employment ending December 31, 2021 (“average final earnings”), and the number of years of benefit service. The retirement benefit for Mr. MurrayMessrs. Fox and Nellis under the Pension Plan is a monthly pension equal to 1/12th of the amount determined as follows:
| ·■ | 1.0% of average final earnings times years of benefit service prior to 12/31/2005, plus |
| ·■ | 0.5% of average final earnings in excess of “Covered Compensation” times years of benefit service prior to 12/31/2005, plus |
| ·■ | 0.7% of average final earnings times years of benefit service on or after 1/1/2006, plus |
| ·■ | 0.5% of average final earnings in excess of “Covered Compensation” times years of benefit service on or after 1/1/2006. |
For purposes of this formula, “earnings” in a given year means the participant’s gross annual compensation, excluding amounts credited or paid under the key employees stock option and performance unit plan, long-term incentive plans, excluded allowances, severance pay and reimbursement for employment-related expenses, but including bonuses and incentive pay which is not, and has not been, subject to deferred income taxation under the U.S. Internal Revenue Code. “Covered Compensation” means the average of the Social Security taxable wage bases during the 35-year period ending with the year in which the participant reaches the Social Security normal retirement age. Pension Plan benefits will begin when a participant reaches normal retirement age, defined as age 65. Benefits can commence immediately upon termination if the participant is vested after five years of vesting service, but if benefits are commenced prior to age 60, the benefit will be lower than at normal retirement age. Disability retirement is offered under the Pension Plan to participants who have at least 15 years of vesting service, are eligible to receive Social Security Disability benefits, become totally and permanently disabled while employed, and are not eligible to participate in long-term disability insurance.
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Benefits under the Pension Plan are payable in the form of a lump sum or annuity, as selected by the participant. Participants in the Pension Plan will be 100% vested in their plan benefit after five years of vesting service or if they reach age 65 while employed by Autoliv. Mr. Murray isMessrs. Fox and Nellis are fully vested in histheir Pension Plan benefits. Messrs. Fox and Nellis are eligible for early retirement beginning at the age of 55. If they elect to take early retirement, their retirement benefit under the Pension Plan is a monthly pension equal to 1/12th of the amount determined as follows: | ■ | 1.0% of average final earnings times years of benefit service prior to 12/31/2005, plus | | ■ | 0.5% of average final earnings in excess of “Covered Compensation” times years of benefit service prior to 12/31/2005, plus | | ■ | 0.7% of average final earnings times years of benefit service on or after 1/1/2006, plus | | ■ | 0.5% of average final earnings in excess of “Covered Compensation” times years of benefit service on or after 1/1/2006. |
Excess Pension Plan. Mr. MurrayMessrs. Fox and Nellis also participated in the Autoliv ASP, Inc. Excess Pension Plan (which we refer to as the “Excess Pension Plan”). The Excess Pension Plan is an unfunded, nonqualified defined benefit retirement plan, pursuant to which participating U.S. employees are eligible to receive a retirement benefit based on the benefit they would receive under the Pension Plan. Benefits payable under the Excess Pension Plan are calculated without regard to the limitations imposed by the U.S. Internal Revenue Code on the amount of compensation that may be considered under the Pension Plan. The purpose of the Excess Pension Plan is to supplement the benefits payable under the Pension Plan. The benefit payable under the Excess Pension Plan is equal to the excess, if any, of (i) the monthly benefit that would be payable to the executive under the Pension Plan as of the later of age 65 or the executive’s separation from service, computed without regard to applicable U.S. Internal Revenue Code limitations, and computed as if amounts deferred under a bonus or incentive compensation plan had been counted as “earnings” under the Pension Plan), over (ii) the amount of monthly benefit payable to the executive under the Pension Plan as of the later of age 65 or the executive’s separation from service, as limited by the U.S. Internal Revenue Code and the terms of the Pension Plan. Benefits under the Excess Pension Plan will be payable in a single lump sum on the first daypay date of the seventh month following the month in which the executive retires or otherwise separates from service. Mr. Murray isMessrs. Fox and Nellis are fully vested in his benefits in the Excess Pension Plan. Nonqualified Deferred CompensationBoth the U.S. Pension Plan and the Excess Pension Plan froze future benefits accruals after December 31, 2021.
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Nonqualified Deferred Compensation |
The following table sets forth certain information with respect to the Autoliv North America Non-Qualified Retirement Plan (which we refer to as the Non-Qualified Retirement Plan). Messrs. LombarteNellis and MurrayFox are the only named executive officers that participate in the Non-Qualified Retirement Plan. Name | Executive Contributions in Last Fiscal Year ($)(1) | Registrant Contributions in Last Fiscal Year ($)(2) | Aggregate Earnings in Last Fiscal Year ($)(3) | Aggregate Withdrawals/Distributions ($) | Aggregate Balance at Last Fiscal Year-End ($)(4) | Brad Murray | 48,374.19 | 22,574.70 | 63,208.33 | 0.00 | $542,466.63 | Jordi Lombarte | 30,883.70 | 24,706.91 | 20,410.45 | 0.00 | $167,192.29 |
Name | Executive Contributions in Last Fiscal Year ($)(1) | Registrant Contributions in Last Fiscal Year ($)(2) | Aggregate Earnings in Last Fiscal Year ($)(3) | Aggregate Withdrawals/ Distributions ($) | Aggregate Balance at Last Fiscal Year-End ($)(4) | Kevin Fox | $79,537 | $29,694 | $43,845 | — | $382,107 | Anthony Nellis | $69,960 | $32,648 | $119,291 | — | $748,506 |
| (1) | (1) | Messrs. Murray’sFox’s and Lombarte’sNellis’ contributions to the Non-Qualified Retirement Plan are included in the amount reported as “Salary” in the Summary Compensation table for fiscal year 2020.2023. |
| (2) | (2) | The Company’s matching contributions to the Non-Qualified Retirement Plan are included in the “All Other Compensation” in the Summary Compensation table for Messrs. MurrayFox and LombarteNellis for fiscal year 2020.2023. |
| (3) | (3) | Aggregate earnings are not includable in the Summary Compensation Table because such earnings are not above-market or preferential interest rates. |
| (4) | (4) | Includes amounts previously reported in the Summary Compensation Table, in the previous years when earned if that executive officer’s compensation was required to be disclosed in a previous year. Amounts previously reported in such years include previously earned, but deferred, salary and Company matching contributions. |
42 Pursuant to the Non-Qualified Retirement Plan, participants may elect to defer a stated percentage of their base salary for each plan year, as determined by the administrative committee of the plan; provided, however, the amount deferred may not exceed 25% of a participant’s base salary. Earnings (and losses) are credited to participants’ accounts based on participant choices between various investment options and the rate of return. The investment options are determined by the administrative committee of the plan.
Participants are eligible to receive matching contributions equal to 80% of their deferred amounts. For plan years ending on or before December 31, 2008, deferred amounts in excess of 12% of the participant’s compensation were not eligible for matching contributions. For plan years beginning on or after January 1, 2009, deferred amounts in excess of 7% of the participant’s compensation are not eligible for matching contributions. Participants are always 100% vested in their deferred amounts and earnings thereon; provided, however, matching contributions and earnings thereon in a participant’s account are subject to forfeiture if the participant is determined by the Board to have stolen Company assets, violated the Company’s Standards of Business Conduct and Ethics or disclosed confidential business or technical information of the Company to unauthorized third parties.
Participants may elect to receive distributions from their accounts on the first day of the seventh month following the occurrence of any one of the following distribution events as designated by the participant: (i) separation from service, (ii) death, (iii) attainment of normal retirement age (65), or (iv) attainment of early retirement age (age 55 and at least five years of service with the Company). Amounts will be distributed in one of the following forms, as selected by the participant: (i) a single lump sum, (ii) 60 approximately equal monthly installments or (iii) 120 approximately equal monthly installments.
Autoliv | | 67 | | 2024 Proxy Statement |
Potential Payments Upon Termination or Change in Control
The Company has entered into agreements and maintains plans that may require the Company to make payments and/or provide benefits to our named executive officers in the event of termination of employment or a change in control. The paragraphs below summarize the material terms of such agreements with our named executive officers.
Employment Agreements. The Company is party to an employment agreement with each of Messrs. Bratt, Westin, LombarteYih, Fox, and OldorffNellis (the “employment agreements”). Mr. Murray had a time limited international assignment agreement (the “IA Agreement”) that would have expired on March 31, 2020. Mr. Murray and the Company entered into a new international assignment agreement on January 23, 2020 to extend his employment with the Company until December 31, 2020.
The employment agreements obligate the Company to provide 12twelve (Mr. Bratt) or 6six (all others) monthsmonths’ notice of termination of employment for each of the named executive officers (for Mr. Murray, 6 months or last day of the IA Agreement, whichever is earlier) unless the employment is terminated for “cause,” in which case termination would be effective immediately. In addition to notice of termination, the named executive officers are eligible for certain severance payments or end-of-service benefits. Each of the named executive officers must provide the Company with 12 (Mr. Bratt) or 6six (all others) months’ notice of resignation (for Mr. Murray, 6 months or last day of the IA Agreement, whichever is earlier).resignation.
Except as provided below, following the executive’s termination of employment, each of the named executive officers are prohibited from competing with the Company for a period of 12 months. Such noncompetition covenant does not apply if the Company terminates the named executive officer’s employment for any reason other than for “Cause”, or the named executive officer resigns for “Good Reason”. In consideration for such noncompetition covenant, the Company is obligated to make up to 12 monthly payments equal to the difference between the executive’s monthly gross salary as of the date of his employment termination and any lower salary earned by the executive in any new employment, if any. The aggregate monthly payments are limited to a maximum of 60% of the gross salary earned as of the date of his employment termination, and the Company will cease making payments once such aggregate amount has been reached. The Company is not obligated to make such payments if the executive’s employment terminates due to his retirement.
In addition to receiving full base salary and benefits during the requisite notice period, if the Company terminates the employment involuntarily other than for Cause or if the executive resigns for Good Reason, then the executive would be entitled to a lump sum severance payment equal to one and one-half times his then-current base salary, except for Mr. Murray who was eligible for a previously earned but deferred end-of-service payment of $800,000 following the end of employment with the Company (the “End-of-Service Payment”). Under the new IA Agreement with Mr. Murray, he was also eligible for a retention payment of the cash value of the unvested equity outstanding on the expiration date of the IA Agreement subject to certain requirements for continued employment.salary. As part of the IA Agreement signed between Mr. Murray and the Company on January 23, 2020, his change-in-control severance agreement (“CiC Severance Agreement”) with the Company terminated and became void. After the termination of this agreement, none of the named executive officers or other executives has an applicable CIC Severance Agreement with the Company.
Our named executive officers (except for Mr. Murray) may generally terminate their employment with Good Reason or without Good Reason. “Good Reason” shall generally mean; (1) the assignment of any duties inconsistent with the executives status as an executive officer of the Company or a substantial adverse alteration in the nature or status of responsibilities other than any such alteration primarily attributable to the fact that the Company may no longer be a public company; or (2) a reduction by the Company in the Executive’s annual base salary; or (3) the relocation of the Executive’s principal place of employment; or (4) the failure by the Company to pay to the Executive any portion of the Executive’s current compensation on a timely basis; or (5) the failure by the Company to continue in effect any compensation plan in which the Executive participates on the Effective Date which is material to the Executive’s total compensation; or (6) the failure by any successor to the business of the Company (whether direct or indirect, by purchase, merger, consolidation or otherwise) to expressly assume and agree to perform the employment agreement in the same manner.
The Company may generally terminate our named executive officers’ employment (except for Mr. Murray) with or without Cause. “Cause” for termination by the Company of the Executive’s employment shall mean; (1) willful and continued failure by the executive to substantially perform the duties; or (2) the willful engaging by the Executive in conduct, which is demonstrably and materially injurious to the Company, monetarily or otherwise.
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Equity Awards. Awards. Pursuant to the 1997 Plan and subsequent grant agreements until 2019, upon the occurrence of a change in control, any outstanding RSUs held by the executive would fully vest and the PSUs will vest at the target level. Pursuant to the agreements evidencing awards granted under the 1997 Plan, upon the executive’s death or retirement, any outstanding RSUs held by the executive would become fully vested and the PSUs will remain outstanding and may be earned, in whole, in part, or not at all, following the conclusion of the performance period to the extent that the performance objectives are attained. Upon an executive’s termination of employment, absent a change in control, any outstanding options, RSUs and PSUs that would vest during the applicable notice period, if any, would become fully vested. For awards granted in 2019 and 2020,2021, a change of control acceleration only occurs if the surviving entity does not assume or otherwise equitably convert or substitute the unvested equity in connection with the change in control. If the surviving company does assume or otherwise equitably convert or substitute the unvested equity, then the awards become fully vested only if the executive’s employment is terminated without cause or he resigns for good reason within two years following the change in control event. Estimated Payments to Named Executive Officers upon Termination of Employment under Various Circumstances or a Change in Control.Control. The following tables set forth the estimated value of the payments and benefits described above to each of Messrs. Bratt, Westin, Oldorff,Yih, Fox, and LombarteNellis upon termination of employment under various circumstances or a change in control. The amounts shown assume that the triggering events occurred on December 31, 2020.2023. For the calculations, the 20202023 defined contribution payment for each named executive officer has been used. The amounts contained in the table would be paid in Swedish Kronor, Euros,CNY or USD. All amounts have been converted to USD using the following exchange rate: 1 USD = 8.18869.9830 SEK = 0.8158 EUR.7.0927 CNY. In addition to the estimated payments and benefits in the tables, the Company would in each case reimburse the executive officer for accrued but unused vacation, if any, in accordance with the respectively applicable local legislation and Company policy. Mikael Bratt | Mikael Bratt | Mikael Bratt | | | Estimated Potential Payment or Benefit | Resignation without Good Reason ($) | Termination without Cause or Resignation for Good Reason ($) | Termination for Cause ($) | Change in Control ($) | Change in Control and Termination ($)(8) | Death or Retirement ($) | Resignation without Good Reason ($) | Termination without Cause or Resignation for Good Reason ($) | Termination for Cause ($) | Change in Control ($) | Change in Control and Termination ($)(7) | Death or Retirement ($) | Lump sum cash severance payment | - | 1,831,815 | - | - | 1,831,815 | - | — | 1,803,065 | — | 1,803,065 | — | Continuing salary/annual incentive payments during requisite notice period | 1,221,210 | - | - | 1,221,210 | - | 1,202,043 | — | 1,202,043 | — | Salary differential payments in consideration for noncompetition with the Company(1) | 732,726 | - | 732,726 | - | - | | Continuing health, welfare, and retirement benefits(2) | 539,362 | - | - | 539,362 | - | | Vesting of equity(3) | 274,185(4) | 274,185(5) | - | 274,185(6) | 1,755,245 | 1,755,245(7) | | Company car(9) | 18,791 | - | - | 18,791 | - | | Salary differential payments in consideration for noncompetition with the Company(1) | | 721,226 | — | 721,226 | — | — | Continuing health, welfare and retirement benefits(2) | | 566,898 | — | 566,898 | — | Vesting of equity(3) | | 931,326(4) | 931,326(5) | — | 3,559,908 | 3,559,908(6) | Company car(8) | | 17,337 | — | 17,337 | — | Total | 2,786,274 | 3,885,363 | 732,726 | 274,185 | 5,366,423 | 1,755,245 | 3,438,830 | 4,520,669 | 721,226 | — | 7,149,252 | 3,559,908 |
Fredrik Westin | | Estimated Potential Payment or Benefit | Resignation without Good Reason ($) | Termination without Cause or Resignation for Good Reason ($) | Termination for Cause ($) | Change in Control ($) | Change in Control and Termination ($)(8) | Death or Retirement ($) | Lump sum cash severance payment | - | 1,007,498 | - | - | 1,007,498 | - | Continuing salary/annual incentive payments during requisite notice period | 335,833 | 335,833 | - | - | 335,833 | - | Salary differential payments in consideration for noncompetition with the Company(1) | 402,999 | - | 402,999 | - | - | - | Continuing health, welfare, and retirement benefits(2) | 117,884 | 117,884 | - | - | 117,884 | - | Vesting of equity(3) | 191,568(4) | 191,568(5) | - | - | 859,385 | 859,385(7) | Company car(9) | 4,676 | 4,676 | - | - | 4,676 | - | Total | 1,052,960 | 1,657,459 | 402,999 | - | 2,325,276 | 859,385 |
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Fredrik Westin | Estimated Potential Payment or Benefit | Resignation without Good Reason ($) | Termination without Cause or Resignation for Good Reason ($) | Termination for Cause ($) | Change in Control ($) | Change in Control and Termination ($)(7) | Death or Retirement ($) | Lump sum cash severance payment | — | 899,508 | — | — | 899,508 | — | Continuing salary/annual incentive payments during requisite notice period | 299,836 | 299,836 | — | — | 299,836 | — | Salary differential payments in consideration for noncompetition with the Company(1) | 359,803 | — | 359,803 | — | — | — | Continuing health, welfare and retirement benefits(2) | 103,150 | 103,150 | — | — | 103,150 | — | Vesting of equity(3) | 290,351(4) | 290,351(5) | — | — | 1,103,332 | 1,103,332(6) | Company car(8) | 6,717 | 6,717 | — | — | 6,717 | — | Total | 1,063,405 | 1,603,110 | 359,803 | — | 2,416,092 | 1,103,332 |
Kevin Fox | Estimated Potential Payment or Benefit | Resignation without Good Reason ($) | Termination without Cause or Resignation for Good Reason ($) | Termination for Cause ($) | Change in Control ($) | Change in Control and Termination ($)(7) | Death or Retirement ($) | Lump sum cash severance payment | — | 795,366 | — | — | 795,366 | — | Continuing salary/annual incentive payments during requisite notice period | 265,122 | 265,122 | — | — | 265,122 | — | Salary differential payments in consideration for noncompetition with the Company(1) | 318,146 | — | 318,146 | — | — | — | Continuing health, welfare and retirement benefits(2) | 36,462 | 36,462 | — | — | 36,462 | — | Vesting of equity(3) | 232,281(4) | 232,281(5) | — | — | 812,982 | 812,982(6) | Company car(8) | 14,548 | 14,548 | — | — | 14,548 | — | Total | 866,558 | 1,343,778 | 318,146 | — | 1,924,479 | 812,982 |
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Frithjof Oldorff | | | | Sng Yih | | Sng Yih | Estimated Potential Payment or Benefit | Resignation without Good Reason ($) | Termination without Cause or Resignation for Good Reason ($) | Termination for Cause ($) | Change in Control ($) | Change in Control and Termination ($)(8) | Death or Retirement ($) | Resignation without Good Reason ($) | Termination without Cause or Resignation for Good Reason ($) | Termination for Cause ($) | Change in Control ($) | Change in Control and Termination ($)(7) | Death or Retirement ($) | Lump sum cash severance payment | - | 979,790 | - | 979,790 | - | — | 784,187 | — | 784,187 | — | Continuing salary/annual incentive payments during requisite notice period | 326,597 | 326,597 | - | 326,597 | - | 261,396 | — | 261,396 | — | Salary differential payments in consideration for noncompetition with the Company(1) | 391,916 | - | 391,916 | - | | Continuing health, welfare, and retirement benefits(2) | 32,660 | - | 32,660 | - | | Vesting of equity(3) | - | - | - | 607,860 | 607,860(7) | | Company car(9) | 5,976 | 5,976 | - | 5,976 | - | | Salary differential payments in consideration for noncompetition with the Company(1) | | 313,675 | — | 313,675 | — | Continuing health, welfare and retirement benefits(2) | | 75,933 | — | 75,933 | — | Vesting of equity(3) | | 295,309(4) | 295,309(5) | — | 1,021,131 | 1,021,131(6) | Company car(8) | | 20,510 | — | 20,510 | — | Total | 757,148 | 1,345,022 | 391,916 | - | 1,952,882 | 607,860 | 966,822 | 1,437,334 | 313,675 | — | 2,163,155 | 1,021,131 |
Jordi Lombarte | | | | Anthony Nellis | | Anthony Nellis | Estimated Potential Payment or Benefit | Resignation without Good Reason ($) | Termination without Cause or Resignation for Good Reason ($) | Termination for Cause ($) | Change in Control ($) | Change in Control and Termination ($)(8) | Death or Retirement ($) | Resignation without Good Reason ($) | Termination without Cause or Resignation for Good Reason ($) | Termination for Cause ($) | Change in Control ($) | Change in Control and Termination ($)(7) | Death or Retirement ($) | Lump sum cash severance payment | - | 697,568 | - | 697,568 | - | — | 874,503 | — | 874,503 | — | Continuing salary/annual incentive payments during requisite notice period | 232,523 | 232,523 | - | 232,523 | - | 291,501 | — | 291,501 | — | Salary differential payments in consideration for noncompetition with the Company(1) | 279,027 | - | 279,027 | - | | Continuing health, welfare, and retirement benefits(2) | 73,495 | - | 73,495 | - | | Vesting of equity(3) | 66,446(4) | 66,446(5) | - | 66,446(6) | 554,576 | 554,576(7) | | Company car(9) | 13,633 | 13,633 | - | 13,633 | - | | Salary differential payments in consideration for noncompetition with the Company(1) | | 349,801 | — | 349,801 | — | — | Continuing health, welfare and retirement benefits(2) | | 29,656 | — | 29,656 | — | Vesting of equity(3) | | 232,281(4) | 232,281(5) | — | 844,166 | 844,166(6) | Company car(8) | | 14,828 | — | 14,828 | — | Total | 665,123 | 1,083,663 | 279,027 | 66,446 | 1,571,793 | 554,576 | 918,066 | 1,442,768 | 349,801 | — | 2,054,653 | 844,166 |
The following footnotes apply to each of the tables above: | (1) | Reflects a monthly payment of 60% of the monthly gross salary earned as of the date of the executive’s employment termination, multiplied by 12, which is the maximum amount available to the executive pursuant to the terms of his employment agreement. |
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| (2) | Reflects the value of the benefits disclosed in footnote (4) to the Summary Compensation table (except for amounts paid as vacation supplements or settlements) that the executive would be entitled to during the requisite notice period. The estimated values are determined based on the Company’s cost of providing such benefits during 2020.2023. |
| (3) | Reflects the value of RSUs and PSUs that vest (in whole or in part) upon the designated event, based on the closing prices forprice of our common stock and the Veoneer, Inc. common stock on December 31, 202029, 2023 ($92.10 and $21.30 respectively)110.19), the last trading day of the year. None of the namedNo executive officersofficer held unvested options as of December 31, 2020.2023. |
| (4) | As discussed above, upon termination, the executive would be entitled to receive current compensation and benefits during the relevant notice period, as applicable, including any equity awards that would vest during such period. However, per the terms of the RSU and PSU agreements, the RSUs and PSUs will not continue to vest if the executive has given notice of termination. Accordingly, the value of the equity awards upon a voluntary termination reflects only the value RSUs and PSUs granted in February 20182021 that would otherwise vest in February 2021,2024, which vesting date falls within the requisite notice period. For Mr. WestinYih, reflects the 1/3second half of his retention RSU award granted in March 2020February 2022 that will vestvested in March 2021.February 2024. |
| (5) | As discussed above, upon an involuntary termination, the executive would be entitled to receive his compensation and benefits during the relevant notice period, as applicable, including any equity awards that would vest during such period. The value of the equity awards upon an involuntary termination reflects the value of the RSUs and PSUs that would vest during the applicable notice period following December 31, 2020.2023. For Mr. Yih, reflects the second half of his retention RSU award granted in February 2022 that vested in February 2024. |
| (6) | Upon a change in control, all RSUs (Autoliv and Veoneer) from the 2018 programs vest in full. The value of the equity awards upon a change in control reflects the value of all RSUs from the 2018 program including such RSUs acquired through dividend equivalent rights rounded down to the nearest whole share on December 31, 2020. Starting in 2019, LTI awards include a double-trigger acceleration of unvested equity in the event of a qualifying termination following a change in control in which outstanding awards are assumed by a publicly-traded surviving entity, instead of the previous single-trigger acceleration. The value reflected in this table assumes that outstanding awards granted in 2019 and later are assumed by a publicly-traded surviving entity and, therefore, do not accelerate in connection with the change in control alone. |
| (7) | The executive’s unvested RSUs and PSUs will become fully vested upon termination of employment by reason of death or retirement. None of the executives were eligible for retirement in 2023. |
| (8)(7) | Qualifying termination after a change in control includes resignation for good reason, termination without cause or termination due to disability. |
| (9)(8) | Reflects the value of the company car and runningoperating costs during the requisite notice period. The estimated values are determined based on the Company’s cost of providing such benefits during 2020.2023. |
CEO Pay Ratio
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The following ratio compares the annual total compensation of our median-paid employee with the annual total compensation of our CEO. The pay ratio included below is calculated in a manner consistent with Item 402(u) of Regulation S-K. Given the different methodologies that various public companies use to determine an estimate of their pay ratio, the estimated ratio reported below should not be used as a basis for comparison between companies. We determined a newour median employee for the year 2018 based on our determination that there was a significant changemost recently in the Company’s demographics following the spin-off of Veoneer.2021. As permitted by the SEC rules, for the compensation years 2019 and 2020,402(u) of Regulation S-K, we are using the same determinationmedian employee for the calculation of the “median employee” as in 2018 as there were no significant changes that would have an impact on our employee population, demographics or compensation arrangements. However, there was a significant change to the compensation of the previously identified “median employee” resulting in 2020 compensation being significantly lower than in previous years due to the “median employee” being on a leave of absence in 2020. Accordingly, and as permitted by SEC rules, we have chosen the next median employee identified in the 2018 determination for the 2020 ratio whose compensation was substantially similar to that of the original median employee.2023 CEO pay ratio. To capture the compensation paid to Mr. Bratt for his services as our CEO, we have used the annual total compensation as disclosed in Summary Compensation Table of this Proxy Statement for the year 2020.
For fiscal year 2020:
| · | The annual compensation of our median-paid employee (other than the CEO) was $33,070 and |
| · | the annual total compensation of the CEO was $3,038,388. |
Based on this information, the ratio of the annual total compensation of our CEO to the annual total compensation of our median-paid employee is 92 to 1.
The methodology, material assumptions, adjustments, and estimates that we used to identify the median of the annual total compensation of all our employees, as well as to determine the annual total compensation of our median employee were as follows: | 1. | 1. | Our median employee identification date was October 31, 2018, since we are using the same determination process to identify the median employee in 2020.2021. |
| 2. | 2. | As of October 31, 2018,2021, our total employee population consisted of 63,53959,299 individuals working at our parent company and consolidated subsidiaries worldwide.subsidiaries. Our employee population which we have used to identify our median employee, after taking into consideration the adjustments permitted by SEC rules, consisted of 63,53959,265 individuals. All “Autoliv Employee” categories who were employed by Autoliv as of October 31, 2018,2021, whose compensation were set by Autoliv and who were paid through Autoliv payroll, were included in the analysis (permanent, temporary and part-time). We based our analysis on the entire employee population (other than our CEO), as opposed to statistical sampling. |
| 3. | 3. | Given the geographical distribution of our employee population and varying local requirements, we use a variety of pay elements that differ by country to structure the compensation arrangements of our employees. Consequently, for purposes of measuring compensation of our employees, we selected “Actual Gross Taxable Compensation Reported Through Payroll” (or “Actual Gross Taxable Compensation”) as the measure of compensation to identify the median employee. |
| 4. | 4. | Given our multiple payroll systems, schedules and the differing fiscal years of our Company and its subsidiaries, we measured “Actual Gross Taxable Compensation” as the total of payment made during the 10-month period starting on January 1, 20182021, and ending on October 31, 20182021 (the “measurement period”). |
| 5. | 5. | We did not annualize or calculate the full measurement period equivalent of “Actual Gross Taxable Compensation” compensation paid during the measurement period. |
| 6. | 6. | As permitted by Item 402(u), we made cost-of-living (COL) adjustments to the compensation of all our employees in jurisdictions other than the jurisdiction in which our CEO resides to identify the median employee and used the same COL adjustment to determine the median employee’s annual total compensation. Because of the geographical distribution of our employee population, we believe that COL adjustments provide a more meaningful comparison of our CEO’s compensation to the actual value of the median employee’s compensation. In accordance with Item 402(u), we are providing the following additional disclosure related to the COL adjustments: |
| ·■ | The median employee in 2020 resided in Hungary.China. |
| ·■ | The COL adjustments were based on 20172020 purchasing power parity conversation factors provided by the World Bank, International Comparison Program database. 20182021 conversion factors were not available at the time of our analysis. |
| ·■ | We also identified who our median employee would have been had we not used any COL adjustments. Had we not used any COL adjustments, our median employee would have been an employee residing in RomaniaMexico with an annual total compensation of $13,402$19,658 for the compensation year 2020.2023. For the purposes of this disclosure, this amount was converted from Romanian LeuMexican Peso to U.S. dollars using the exchange rate 1 USD = 3.9737 RON16.9347 MXN on December 31, 2020.2023. The ratio of the annual total compensation of our President and Chief Executive Officer to the annual total compensation of our median employee identified without the effect of the COL adjustments would have been 227201 to 1 using the 20202023 compensation levels. |
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| 7. | In calculating the CEO Pay Ratio, we then identified and calculated the elements of such employee’s compensation for the fiscal year 20202023 in accordance with the requirements of Item 402(c)(2)(x) of Regulation S-K, resulting in annual total compensation in the amount of $33,070.$24,419. The December 31, 20202023, exchange rate used for the conversion to U.S. dollars was 1 USD = 0.0033613 HUF.7.0927 CNY. |
| | Salary | Stock Awards | Non-Equity Incentive Plan Compensation | All Other Compensation | TOTAL | | Year | $ | $ | $ | $ | ($) | CEO | 2020 | 1,193,122 | 663,616 | 610,605 | 571,045 | 3,038,388 | Median paid employee(1) | 2020 | 30,678 | - | - | 2,392 | 33,070 |
| Year | Salary $ | Bonus $ | Stock Awards $ | Non-Equity Incentive Plan Compensation $ | Change in Pension Value and Nonqualified Deferred Compensation Earnings $ | All Other Compensation $ | TOTAL ($) | CEO | 2023 | 1,304,818 | — | 878,778 | 1,182,811 | — | 594,519 | 3,960,926 | Median paid employee(1) | 2023 | 19,559 | — | — | 4,568 | — | 293 | 24,419 |
| 1)(1) | The total amount includes shift and overtime compensationcompensation. |
To capture the compensation paid to Mr. Bratt for his services as our CEO, we have used the annual total compensation as disclosed in Summary Compensation Table of this Proxy Statement for the year 2023. PROPOSAL
For fiscal year 2023: ■ | The annual compensation of our median-paid employee (other than the CEO) was $24,419 and |
■ | the annual total compensation of the CEO was $3,960,926. |
Based on this information, the ratio of the annual total compensation of our CEO to the annual total compensation of our median-paid employee is 162 to 1.
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The following disclosure includes a comparison between the compensation to our PEO and average compensation to our non-PEO NEOs as reported in the Summary Compensation Table (“SCT”) (in each year’s respective proxy statement) and “compensation actually paid (“CAP”) as defined in the SEC’s pay versus performance disclosure rules. For context on the corresponding performance, the disclosure also compares Cumulative Total Stockholder Return (“TSR”) for Autoliv and our selected peer group index and provides Autoliv’s Net Income and an additional company- selected performance measure (Adjusted Operating Income). | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Value of initial fixed $100 investment based on: | | | | | Year | SCT Total Compensation for PEO(1) | Compensation Actually Paid to PEO(5) | Average SCT Total Compensation, Non-PEO NEOs(1)(2) | Average Compensation Actually Paid to Non-PEO NEOs(5) | Autoliv TSR | Peer Group TSR(3) | Net Income (in millions) | Adjusted Operating Income(4) (in millions) | | | 2023 | $3,960,926 | $5,260,000 | $1,566,232 | $1,715,452 | $143 | $100 | $489 | $920 | | | 2022 | $2,857,991 | $1,312,652 | $1,201,076 | $ 789,617 | $ 96 | $101 | $425 | $598 | | | 2021 | $3,237,849 | $3,361,904 | $1,255,520 | $1,273,514 | $126 | $139 | $437 | $683 | | | 2020 | $3,038,388 | $3,729,091 | $1,628,759 | $1,568,066 | $110 | $116 | $188 | $482 | |
| (1) | The “SCT Total Compensation” figures provided in the table above for 2021 and 2022 do not match the total compensation figures provided in the SCT of this proxy statement. In the SCT table provided on page 60, we have converted the compensation paid in prior years by the same exchange rate we applied for 2023 to facilitate comparison across years as described in the footnotes to the table. Instead, the compensation figures in the table above are directly taken from each year’s respective proxy statement and reflects the actual USD compensation paid to make comparison of pay versus performance more meaningful. |
| (2) | The Non-PEO NEOs reflected in the above table are the NEOs for each covered year as follows: 2020: Fredrik Westin, Christian Hanke, Frithjof Oldorff, Jordi Lombarte and Brad Murray; 2021: Fredrik Westin, Frithjof Oldorff, Colin Naughton, Kevin Fox, and Jennifer Cheng; 2022: Fredrik Westin, Sng Yih, Frithjof Oldorff, and Anthony Nellis; 2023: Fredrik Westin, Sng Yih, Anthony Nellis, Kevin Fox, and Frithjof Oldorff. |
| (3) | Represents peer group TSR, weighted according to the respective companies’ stock market capitalization at the beginning of each period for which a return is indicated. The peer group selected for purposes of this table is the Dow Jones U.S. Auto Parts Index, which is the industry peer group used in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2023 (see notes below for further details). |
| (4) | We have identified the “company selected measure” as Adjusted Operating Income because it constitutes 50% of the performance criteria used to calculate our annual short-term incentives payable to our NEOs. Adjusted Operating Income is calculated as provided in Annex A. |
| (5) | The dollar amounts reported as CAP to the PEO and the Non-PEO NEOs, respectively, are computed in accordance with Item 402(v) of Regulation S-K. The dollar amounts do not reflect the actual amount of compensation earned by or paid to the PEO or the Non-PEO NEOs, respectively, during the applicable year. In calculating the CAP, the following amounts were deducted from and added to the SCT total compensation: |
PEO Year | SCT Total Compensation | Deductions from SCT: Value of Equity Awards(a) | Deductions from SCT: Pension Value(b) | Additions to SCT Total: Equity Award Adjustments(c) | Additions to SCT Total: Pension Benefit Adjustments(d) | CAP | 2023 | $3,960,926 | -$878,778 | 0 | $2,177,852 | 0 | $5,260,000 | 2022 | $2,857,991 | -$570,351 | 0 | -$ 974,988 | 0 | $1,312,652 | 2021 | $3,237,849 | -$280,599 | 0 | $ 404,654 | 0 | $3,361,904 | 2020 | $3,038,388 | -$663,616 | 0 | $1,354,319 | 0 | $3,729,091 |
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Non-PEO NEOs Year | Average SCT Total Compensation | Deductions from SCT: Average Value of Equity Awards(a) | Deductions from SCT, Average Pension Value(b) | Additions to SCT Total: Average Equity Awards Adjustments(c) | Additions to SCT Total: Average Pension Benefit Adjustments(d) | Average CAP | 2023 | $ 1,566,232 | -$228,571 | -$31,740 | $ 409,531 | $ 0 | $ 1,715,452 | 2022 | $ 1,201,076 | -$292,137 | $ 0 | -$ 119,321 | $ 0 | $ 789,617 | 2021 | $ 1,255,520 | -$110,006 | -$37,820 | $ 161,420 | $ 4,400 | $ 1,273,514 | 2020 | $ 1,628,759 | -$245,683 | -$59,020 | $ 231,410 | $12,600 | $ 1,568,066 |
| (a) | Represents the grant date fair value of stock-based awards granted in each year, as reported in the “Stock Awards” column of the SCT. |
| (b) | Represents amounts reported in the “Change in Pension and Nonqualified Deferred Compensation” column of the SCT, where applicable. |
| (c) | Represents the value of equity awards, calculated in accordance with the SEC rules for determining CAP for each respective year, as further detailed in the tables below. |
| (d) | Represents the pension benefit adjustments, where applicable, calculated in accordance with SEC rules for determining CAP for each respective year. Total pension benefit adjustments are equal to the “service costs” incurred during the relevant period. No “prior service costs” were incurred as no modifications were made to the pension plan during the relevant period. |
PEO Equity Component of CAP | Fair value of current Year Equity Awards at 12/31 | Change in Value of Prior Years’ Awards Unvested at 12/31 | | Change in Value of Prior Years’ Awards That Vested during the year | | Equity Value Included in CAP | | | | | | | | | | Year | Equity Type | | | | 2023 | PSUs | $ | 1,933,942 | (1) | $ | 171,594 | | $ | 40,385 | | $ | 2,145,920 | | 2023 | RSUs | $ | 0 | | $ | 0 | | $ | 31,931 | | $ | 31,931 | | 2023 | Total | $ | 1,933,942 | | $ | 171,594 | | $ | 72,316 | | $ | 2,177,852 | | 2022 | PSUs | $ | 215,225 | (2) | -$ | 1,099,554 | | -$ | 23,174 | | -$ | 907,503 | | 2022 | RSUs | $ | 0 | | -$ | 59,797 | | -$ | 7,688 | | -$ | 67,485 | | 2022 | Total | $ | 215,225 | | -$ | 1,159,351 | | -$ | 30,862 | | -$ | 974,988 | | 2021 | PSUs | $ | 365,730 | (3) | $ | 61,502 | | -$ | 72,329 | | $ | 354,902 | | 2021 | RSUs | $ | 0 | | $ | 45,479 | | $ | 4,272 | | $ | 49,751 | | 2021 | Total | $ | 365,730 | | $ | 106,980 | | -$ | 68,056 | | $ | 404,654 | | 2020 | PSUs | $ | 1,115,726 | | $ | 27,734 | | -$ | 7,176 | | $ | 1,136,285 | | 2020 | RSUs | $ | 199,397 | | $ | 28,967 | | -$ | 10,329 | | $ | 218,035 | | 2020 | Total | $ | 1,315,123 | | $ | 56,701 | | -$ | 17,504 | | $ | 1,354,319 | |
| (1) | Includes fair value of 2021 PSU Tranche C, 2022 PSU Tranche B and 2023 PSU Tranche A. Includes value of dividend equivalents. |
| (2) | Includes fair value of 2021 PSU Tranche B and 2022 PSU Tranche A. Includes value of dividend equivalents. |
| (3) | Includes fair value of 2021 PSU Tranche A and value of dividend equivalents. |
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Non-PEO NEOs Equity Component of CAP | Average Fair value of current Year Equity Awards at 12/31(5) | Average Change in Value of Prior Years’ Awards Unvested at 12/31 | | Average Change in Value of Prior Years’ Awards That Vested during the year | | Equity Value Included in Average CAP | | | | | | | | | | Year | Equity Type | | | | 2023 | PSUs | $ | 295,001 | (1) | $ | 23,116 | | $ | 7,920 | | $ | 326,038 | | 2023 | RSUs | $ | 58,246 | | $ | 45,463 | | -$ | 20,216 | | $ | 83,493 | | 2023 | Total | $ | 353,248 | | $ | 68,579 | | -$ | 12,296 | | $ | 409,531 | | 2022 | PSUs | $ | 51,951 | (2) | -$ | 247,620 | | -$ | 1,851 | | -$ | 197,520 | | 2022 | RSUs | $ | 143,626 | (3) | -$ | 42,812 | | -$ | 22,615 | | $ | 78,199 | | 2022 | Total | $ | 195,577 | | -$ | 290,432 | | -$ | 24,465 | | -$ | 119,321 | | 2021 | PSUs | $ | 75,450 | (4) | $ | 22,753 | | $ | 0 | | $ | 98,203 | | 2021 | RSUs | $ | 51,664 | | $ | 16,798 | | -$ | 5,245 | | $ | 63,216 | | 2021 | Total | $ | 127,114 | | $ | 39,551 | | -$ | 5,245 | | $ | 161,420 | | 2020 | PSUs | $ | 214,680 | | -$ | 85,888 | | -$ | 1,228 | | $ | 127,564 | | 2020 | RSUs | $ | 153,181 | | -$ | 44,042 | | -$ | 5,293 | | $ | 103,845 | | 2020 | Total | $ | 367,860 | | -$ | 129,930 | | -$ | 6,521 | | $ | 231,409 | |
| (1) | Includes fair value of 2021 PSU Tranche C, 2022 PSU Tranche B and 2023 PSU Tranche A. Includes value of dividend equivalents. |
| (2) | Includes fair value of 2021 PSU Tranche B and 2022 PSU Tranche A. Includes value of dividend equivalents. |
| (3) | Includes Mr. Yih’s one-time sign-on RSU grant. |
| (4) | Includes fair value of 2021 PSU Tranche A and value of dividend equivalents. |
| (5) | The fair value of the RSUs was determined based on the stock price on the applicable valuation dates. The fair value of the PSUs was determined based on the probable outcome of the performance condition and the stock price on the applicable valuation dates. The assumptions used in calculating the fair value of the RSUs and the PSUs did not differ in any material respect from the assumptions used to calculate the grant date fair value of the awards as reported in the Summary Compensation Table for the applicable year. The fair value calculation used herein is consistent with the fair value methodology used to account for share-based payments in our financial statements. |
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REQUIRED DISCLOSURE OF THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN CAP, TSR AND CERTAIN FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE MEASURES AUTOLIV TSR VS. PEER GROUP TSR The following chart shows Autoliv’s cumulative TSR in comparison to the cumulative TSR of our selected peer group. The peer group selected for purposes of this disclosure is the Dow Jones U.S. Auto Parts Index (DJUSA-DJX), which is float market capitalization-weighted and aims to provide 95% market capitalization coverage of U.S.-traded stocks for the Auto Parts Subsection (3355). The companies included in the index are Tier 1 and Tier 2 - ADVISORY VOTEsuppliers of non- safety products to the automotive industry and are producers of very different offerings such as drivetrains, electronic and technology systems, fuel systems and many have after-market businesses. This index includes some companies included in our compensation benchmarking for our U.S. based executives. MAIN DRIVERS OF CAP | ■ | Our CEO and several of our NEOs are not based in the U.S. and their compensation is paid in local currencies of countries in which they are employed and so exchange rate volatility impacts the CAP. |
| ■ | Our compensation program has several variable components (short term incentive, RSUs and PSUs) that are directly related to Autoliv’s TSR and financial performance. |
| 1. | Autoliv’s share price increased from $84.41 at the end of 2019 to $92.10 at the end of 2020 and to $103.41 at the end of 2021. This increase in share price aligned with an increase in CAP in relation to outstanding equity awards (both RSUs and PSUs). By the end of 2022, however, Autoliv’s share price dropped to $76.58, having a negative impact on CAP in 2022. In 2023, the share price improved significantly and closed the year at $110.19, having a positive impact on CAP in 2023. |
| 2. | In addition to share price increase and dividends, the outcome for several performance measures used by our incentive programs (both short-term incentives and PSUs) resulted in significant variation in CAP. In 2023, the outcome was significantly better than in 2022, contributing to a strong increase in CAP versus previous years. |
| ■ | The tranche structure introduced to our PSUs in 2021, which includes setting annual goals on an annual basis and a payout based on the results of the three individual performance years, significantly impacted the compensation attributable to PSUs reported as grant date fair value under GAAP in years 2021, 2022, and 2023. |
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CAP VS. COMPANY TSR The following chart shows the correlation between CAP to our CEO and average CAP to our non-PEO NEOs in comparison to Autoliv’s cumulative TSR. CAP to the CEO and average CAP to our Non-PEO NEOs declined from 2020 to 2022 but strongly increased from 2022 to 2023 because of the main drivers above. A significant part of our compensation structure is stock based. The factors leading to an increase in TSR in 2023 also significantly affected CAP, primarily the share price increase from the end of 2022 to the end of 2023.
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CAP VS. NET INCOME and ADJUSTED OPERATING INCOME The following chart shows the correlation between CAP to our CEO and average CAP to our non-PEO NEOs in comparison to Autoliv’s Net Income and Adjusted Operating Income. | ■ | CAP to the CEO and average CAP to the non-PEO NEOs increased significantly from 2022 to 2023, in line with the increase of Autoliv’s Adjusted Operating Income. |
| ■ | Adjusted Operating Income represents 50% of the performance criteria of our non-equity incentive program while Earnings per Share, which is directly linked to our Net Income, represents 60% of the performance criteria related to our PSUs. Autoliv’s positive performance in both performance measures significantly affected the CAP levels. |
Autoliv | | 80 | | 2024 Proxy Statement |
TABULAR DISCLOSURE OF MOST IMPORTANT MEASURES LINKING CAP DURING 2023 TO APPROVE NAMED EXECUTIVE OFFICER COMPENSATIONCOMPANY PERFORMANCE Adjusted Operating Income | Relative Organic Sales Growth | Adjusted Cash Conversion | Greenhouse Gas Emissions | Adjusted Earnings Per Share (EPS) |
| ■ | EPS, Relative Organic Sales Growth (Autoliv’s sales in relation to Light Vehicle Production Growth) and Greenhouse Gas Emissions have been the selected metrics for our PSU awards since 2022. In addition, Autoliv’s annual short- term incentive program has been based on performance related to Adjusted Operating Income and Adjusted Cash Conversion for several years. |
| ■ | Adjusted Cash Conversion converts profit into cash, allowing the company to reduce risk, support growth and strengthen the balance sheet. Availability of cash and a good liquidity allows the company to invest for the future and is vital for Autoliv to remain competitive and operate in a sustainably and efficient way. |
| ■ | Adjusted Operating Income is the general result of revenues minus costs related to the company’s operations. Adjusted Operating Income and Adjusted EPS are two critical KPIs for the company’s long-term success and for Autoliv to be able to provide value to its stockholders. Organic Sales Growth also support this by increasing the top line and creating opportunity for increased profits. |
| ■ | The reduction of Greenhouse Gas Emissions supports the company’s long-term sustainability agenda and is critical for Autoliv to remain relevant and to deliver on the company’s overall vision of Saving More Lives. |
Autoliv | | 81 | | 2024 Proxy Statement |
PROPOSAL 2 | Advisory Vote to Approve Named Executive Officer Compensation |
Pursuant to Section 14A of the Exchange Act, Autoliv stockholders are entitled to cast an advisory vote on the Company’s executive compensation program. As discussed in the Compensation Discussion and Analysis beginning on page 2446 of this Proxy Statement, our compensation system plays a significant role in the Company’s ability to attract, retain, and motivate management talent, which the Board believes is necessary for the Company’s long-termlong- term success. The Board believes that its current compensation program directly links executive compensation to performance, aligning the interests of the Company’s executive officers with those of its stockholders. The Board invites you to review carefully the Compensation Discussion and Analysis beginning on page 2446 of this Proxy Statement and the tabular and other disclosures on compensation under 20202023 Executive Compensation Decisions beginning on page 3255 of this Proxy Statement, and cast a vote either to endorse or not endorse the Company’s compensation of its named executive officers through the following resolution: “Resolved, that stockholders approve the compensation of the Company’s named executive officers, including the Company’s compensation practices and principles, as discussed and disclosed in the Compensation Discussion and Analysis, the executive compensation tables, and any narrative executive compensation disclosure contained in this Proxy Statement.” While the vote does not bind the Board to any particular action, the Board values the input of our stockholders and will consider the outcome of this vote in considering future compensation arrangements.
THE BOARD RECOMMENDS A VOTE “FOR” THE PROPOSAL. PROPOSAL 3 - RATIFICATION OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM APPOINTMENT
Autoliv | | 82 | | 2024 Proxy Statement |
PROPOSAL 3 | Ratification of the Appointment of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm |
The Audit and Risk Committee of the Board has appointed Ernst & Young AB (“EY”) as the independent registered public accounting firm for the Company’s fiscal year ending December 31, 2021.2024. The committee has been advised that EY has no relationship with the Company or its subsidiaries other than that arising from the firm’s employment as accountants. In accordance with directions of the Audit and Risk Committee, this appointment is being presented to the stockholders for ratification at the Annual Meeting. While ratification by stockholders of this appointment is not required by law or the Company’s Restated Certificate of Incorporation or the By-Laws, the Audit and Risk Committee and management believe that such ratification is desirable. In determining whether to reappoint EY as our independent registered public accounting firm, the Audit and Risk Committee considered a number of factors, including, among others, the firm’s independence and objectivity, capability and expertise in handling the breadth and complexity of the Company’s global operations, historical and recent performance, communication and interaction with the Audit and Risk Committee and management, and the reasonableness of its fees for audit and non-audit services. In the event this appointment is not ratified by the affirmative vote of a majority of shares present or represented by proxy and entitled to vote on the appointment at the Annual Meeting, the Audit and Risk Committee will consider that fact when it selects its independent registered public accounting firm for the following year. Ernst & Young AB has been the independent registered public accounting firm for the Company since May 1997. EY has been the independent registered public accounting firm for Autoliv AB since 1984. Audit services provided to the Company by EY during 20202023 and 2022 consisted of the audit of the consolidated financial statements of the Company and its subsidiaries for that year and the preparation of various reports based thereon. The Company has been advised that a representative of EY will attend the Annual Meeting to respond to appropriate questions and will be afforded the opportunity to make a statement, if desired.
THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS RECOMMENDS A VOTE “FOR” THE PROPOSAL.
Fees of the Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm (Dollars in millions) | Type of Fees | 2020 | 2019 | Audit Fees | $6.891 | $8.263 | Audit-Related Fees | $0.245 | $0.179 | Tax Fees | $0.169 | $0.203 | All Other Fees | $0.015 | $0.008 | Total | $7.320 | $8.653 | Percent of total that were Audit or Audit-Related | 97.5% | 97.6% |
Calculated in accordance with Autoliv’s average exchange rates for 2020 or 2019, as applicable.
Autoliv | | 83 | | 2024 Proxy Statement |
Fees of the Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm (Dollars in millions) | Type of Fees | 2023 | | 2022 | Audit Fees | $8.906 | | $8.170 | | Audit-Related Fees | $0.294 | | $0.233 | | Tax Fees | $0.084 | | $0.057 | | All Other Fees | $0.017 | | $0.014 | | Total | $9.301 | | $8.474 | | Percent of total that were Audit or Audit-Related | 98.9% | | 99.2% | |
Audit Fees Audit fees for the fiscal years ended December 31, 20202023 and 20192022 relate to professional services provided by EY for the audit of the Company’s annual financial statements for such years, including the audit of the Company’s internal control over financial reporting, included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K, and the reviews of the financial statements included in the Company’s Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q for those fiscal years. Audit fees also include fees associated with the statutory audits of various subsidiary financial statements and procedures related to comfort letters, consents and assistance with and review of documents filed with the SEC. Audit fees also include accounting and financial reporting consultations necessary to comply with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board, including audit procedures related to acquisitions. Audit-Related Fees The Audit-Related Fees for the fiscal years ended December 31, 20202023, and 20192022 relate mainly to EY’s audits of benefit plans and other attestation services other than the audit of the Company’s consolidated financial statements and certain other accounting consultations. Tax Fees Tax Fees for the fiscal years ended December 31, 20202023, and 20192022 relate to professional services provided by EY for tax compliance and tax advice. All Other Fees All Other Fees for the fiscal years ended December 31, 20202023, and 20192022 mainly related to use of an EY online service and certain other permitted advisory services. EY billed no significant fees related to any other services for the fiscal years ended December 31, 2020 or 2019.2023, and 2022.
Autoliv | | 84 | | 2024 Proxy Statement |
Audit and Risk Committee Pre-Approval Policies The Audit and Risk Committee has adopted guidelines for the provision of audit and non-audit services by Ernst & Young AB, including requiring Audit and Risk Committee pre-approval of any such audit and non-audit services. In developing these guidelines, the Audit and Risk Committee took into consideration the need to ensure the independence of Ernst & Young AB while recognizing that Ernst & Young AB may possess the expertise on certain matters that best positions it to provide the most effective and efficient services on certain matters unrelated to accounting and auditing. On balance, the Audit and Risk Committee will only pre-approve the services that it believes enhance the Company’s ability to manage or control risk. The Audit and Risk Committee was also mindful of the relationship between fees for audit and non-audit services in deciding whether to pre-approve any such services and may determine, for each fiscal year, the appropriate ratio between the total amount of fees for audit, audit-related and tax services, and the total amount of fees for permissible non-audit services (excluding tax services). The guidelines provide for the pre-approval by the Audit and Risk Committee of described services to be performed, such as audit, audit-related, tax and other permissible non-audit services. Approval of audit and permitted non-audit services may also be made by the Chair of the Committee, and the person granting such approval must report such approval to the Committee at the next scheduled meeting. The Audit and Risk Committee has considered the audit, audit-related, tax, and all other services discussed above, and additional information provided to the Company by Ernst & Young AB and determined that the provision of these services is compatible with the independence of Ernst & Young AB. The Audit and Risk Committee pre-approved all such services in 20202023 and 2019.2022. DISCRETIONARY VOTING OF PROXIES ON OTHER MATTERS
Autoliv | | 85 | | 2024 Proxy Statement |
Discretionary Voting of Proxies on Other Matters |
For business to be properly brought by a stockholder before an annual meeting of stockholders, timely advance written notice thereof must be received by the Secretary of the Company at its principal executive offices in accordance with the By-Laws, a copy of which may be obtained by written request to the Company’s Secretary or on the Company’s website at www.autoliv.com – About UsCompany – Governance – Certificate and By-Laws.Corporate Policies. No such notices were received for the 20212024 Annual Meeting. Should any other matter requiring a vote of the stockholders be properly brought before the Annual Meeting, the proxy card confers upon the person or persons entitled to vote the shares represented by such proxies discretionary authority to vote such shares in respect of any such matter in accordance with their best judgment, to the extent permitted by applicable law and the listing standards of the NYSE, see “How Your Shares Will Be Voted” on page 110 of this Proxy Statement. OTHER MATTERS
Autoliv | | 86 | | 2024 Proxy Statement |
Stockholder Proposals for 20222025 Annual Meeting Proposals Pursuant to Rule 14a-814a-8. . Under Rule 14a-8(e) of the Exchange Act, stockholder proposals intended to be presented at the 20222024 annual stockholders meeting must be received by us on or before November 28, 202125, 2024, to be eligible for inclusion in our proxy statement and proxy card related to that meeting. Only proper proposals under Rule 14a-8 of the Exchange Act that are timely received will be included in the proxy statement and proxy card for the 20222024 annual stockholders meeting. Proposals Pursuant to the By-LawsBy-Laws. . Under the By-Laws, to bring any business before the stockholders at the 20222025 annual stockholders meeting, other than proposals that will be included in our proxy statement, you must comply with the procedures described below. In addition, you must notify us in writing, and such notice must be delivered to or mailed and received by our Secretary at our principal executive offices no earlier than the close of business on February 11, 20229, 2025, and no later than the close of business on March 13, 2022.11, 2025. A stockholder’s notice to the Secretary shall set forth as to each matter the stockholder proposes to bring before the annual meeting (a) a brief description of the business desired to be brought before the annual meeting, including the text of the proposed business and any resolutions proposed for consideration and any proposed amendment to the By-Laws and the reasons for conducting such business at the annual meeting, (b) a representation that the stockholder is a holder of record of the shares entitled to vote at the Annual Meeting of Stockholders and intends to appear in person or by proxy, (c) the name and record address of the stockholder proposing such business and the beneficial owner, if any, on whose behalf the proposal is submitted, (d) the class or series and number of shares of stock of the Company which are owned beneficially and of record by the stockholder and the beneficial owner, if any, on whose behalf the proposal is submitted, (e) any material interest of the stockholder in such business, and (f) a description of any agreement, arrangement or understanding with respect to such business between or among the stockholder any affiliates, associates or others acting in concert with the stockholder. Nominations Pursuant to the By-LawsBy-Laws. . Under the By-Laws, to nominate a director for election to the Board, stockholders must comply with the notice procedures and requirements found in Article II, Section 6 of the By-Laws, a copy of which may be obtained by written request to the Company’s Secretary or on the Company’s website at www.autoliv.com – About UsCompany – Governance – CertificateCorporate Policies. In addition to complying with the procedures of the By-Laws, stockholders who intend to solicit proxies in support of director nominees other than the Company’s nominees must also provide notice that sets forth the information required by Rule 14a-19 of the Exchange Act no later than March 11, 2025. By Order of the Board of Directors of Autoliv, Inc.: Anthony Nellis Executive Vice President, Legal Affairs; General Counsel; and By-Laws.Secretary
March 25, 2024 Stockholm, Sweden
Autoliv | | 87 | | 2024 Proxy Statement |
| By Order of the Board of Directors of Autoliv, Inc.: |
| | | Anthony Nellis | | Executive Vice President, Legal Affairs; | | General Counsel; and Secretary | | | | March 24, 2021 | | Stockholm, Sweden |
Autoliv, Inc. Mailing address: Box 70381, SE-107 24 Stockholm, Sweden Visiting address: Klarabergsviadukten 70, Section B7, Stockholm, Sweden Tel: +46 8 587 206 00; Fax +46 8 24 44 9300 Company website: www.autoliv.com Investor relations: Sweden Tel: +46 8 587 206 27, U.S. Tel: +1 (248) 223 8107
Autoliv | | 88 | | 2024 Proxy Statement |
ANNEX A Reconciliation of Non-U.S. GAAP Measures The reconciliations for the non-U.S. GAAP measures discussed in the Compensation Discussion & Analysis sectionand Pay Versus Performance sections of this Proxy Statement are included below. 2020 Non-Equity Incentive Program
Performance Period (January 1, 2020 – December 31, 2020)
2021 – 2023 Performance Share Units Program (“PSUs”) | Performance Period Tranche A: January 1, 2021 – December 31, 2021 Performance Period Tranche B: January 1, 2022 – December 31, 2022 Performance Period Tranche C: January 1, 2023 – December 31, 2023 | Performance Criterion: Order intake 30% weight Adjusted EPS 70% weight |
Tranche A – performance period 2021 | Order intake percentage | A1 | 49.20% | LTI outcome on parameter Order intake | B1 | 200% | EPS as reported | C1 | 4.96 | EPS adjustments | D1 | 0.06 | EPS adjustments unusual tax items | E1 | — | Adjusted EPS | C1+D1+E1 = F1 | 5.02 | LTI outcome on parameter Adjusted EPS | G1 | 26% | Weighted outcome | B1*30%+G1*70% = H1 | 78% |
Tranche B – performance period 2022 | Order intake percentage | A2 | 40.20% | LTI outcome on parameter Order intake | B2 | 5% | EPS as reported | C2 | 4.85 | EPS adjustments | D2 | -0.45 | EPS adjustments unusual tax items | E2 | — | Adjusted EPS | C2+D2+E2 = F2 | 4.40 | LTI outcome on parameter Adjusted EPS | G2 | 20% | Weighted outcome | B2*30%+G2*70% = H2 | 16% |
Tranche C – performance period 2023 | Order intake percentage | A3 | 46.9% | LTI outcome on parameter Order intake | B3 | 172.5% | EPS as reported | C3 | 5.72 | EPS adjustments in the Earnings release | D3 | 2.46 | EPS adjustments unusual tax items | E3 | -1.21 | Adjusted EPS | C3+D3+E3 = F3 | 6.97 | LTI outcome on parameter Adjusted EPS | G3 | 148.5% | Weighted outcome | B3*30%+G3*70% = H3 | 156% |
Autoliv | | A-1 | | 2024 Proxy Statement |
2023 Non-Equity Incentive Program Group | Performance Criterion:Period: January 1, 2023 – December 31, 2023 | Performance Criterion 1: Adjusted Operating Income ($) | | – Weight: 50% | 20202023 Adjusted Operating Income -– As Reported (in MUSD) | A | 382.1920 | Performance Criterion 2: Adjusted Cash Conversion – Weight: 50% | | | 2023 Reported Cash Conversion (in %) | A | 85% | Adjustments to 2020 Operating Income2023 Reported Cash Conversion to exclude the impact of costs related tofor capacity alignment and antitrust related matters (in %) | B | 99.5-20.7% | 2020 Operating Income - AdjustedAdjustment of unusual tax item | C = A+B | 481.611.2% | | | | Performance Criterion:2023 Adjusted Cash Conversion – After Adjustments (in %) | D = A+B+C | 75.5% |
2023 Non-Equity Incentive Program AEU Division | 2020 Free Cash Flow (Operating Cash Flow minus Capex, net)Performance Period: January 1, 2023 – December 31, 2023 | A | 509.3 | Performance Criterion 1: Adjusted Operating Income Group – Weight: 25% | | | 2023 Adjusted Operating Income – As Reported (in MUSD) Group | | 920 | Performance Criterion 2: Adjusted Operating Income – Weight: 50% | | | 2023 Adjusted Operating Income – As Reported (in MUSD) European Division | | 62 | Performance Criterion 3: Adjusted Cash Conversion Group – Weight: 25% | | | 2023 Reported Cash Conversion (in %) | A | 85% | Adjustments to 2020 Free2023 Reported Cash FlowConversion to exclude the impact of costs related to capacity alignment and antitrust related matters | B | 38.4 | 2020 Free Cash Flow - adjusted | C = A+B | 547.7 | 2020 Net Income - reported | D | 186.9 | Adjustments to 2020 Net income to exclude the impact of costs related tofor capacity alignment and antitrust related matters net of tax(in %) | EB | 88.4-20.7% | 2020 Net Income - adjustedAdjustment of unusual tax item | F = D+EC | 275.311.2% | 20202023 Adjusted Cash Conversion - adjusted– After Adjustments (in %) | GD = C/FA+B+C | 199%75.5% |
Autoliv | | A-2 | | 2024 Proxy Statement |
Your vote matters – here’s how to vote! You may vote online or by phone instead of mailing this card. Online Go to www.envisionreports.com/ALV or scan the QR code — login details are located in the shaded bar below.01 - Mikael Bratt 04 - Hasse Johansson 07 - Frédéric Lissalde 02 - Laurie Brlas 05 - Leif Johansson 08 - Xiaozhi Liu 03 - Jan Carlson 06 - Franz-Josef Kortüm 09 - Gustav Lundgren For Withhold For Withhold For Withhold 1 U P X 10 - Martin Lundstedt 11 - Ted Senko Using a black ink pen, mark your votes with an X as shown in this example. Please do not write outside the designated areas. Phone Call toll free 1-800-652-VOTE (8683) within the USA, US territories and Canada Save paper, time and money! Sign up for electronic delivery at www.envisionreports.com/ALV 2021 Annual Meeting Proxy Card q IF VOTING BY MAIL, SIGN, DETACH AND RETURN THE BOTTOM PORTION IN THE ENCLOSED ENVELOPE. q A03YGEB + + Proposals — The Board of Directors recommend a vote FOR all the nominees listed and A FOR Proposals 2 and 3. For Withhold For Withhold For Withhold + 1. Election of Directors: 01 - Mikael Bratt 04 - Hasse Johansson 07 - Frédéric Lissalde 02 - Laurie Brlas 05 - Leif Johansson 08 - Min Liu 03 - Jan Carlson 06 - Franz-Josef Kortüm 09 - Xiaozhi Liu 10 - Martin Lundstedt 11 - Ted Senko For Against Abstain 2. Advisory Vote on Autoliv, Inc.’s 2020 Executive Compensation. 3. Ratification of Ernst & Young AB as independent registered public accounting firm of the company for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2021. For Against Abstain B Authorized Signatures — This section must be completed for your vote to count. Please date and sign below. Please sign exactly as name(s) appears hereon. Joint owners should each sign. When signing as attorney, executor, administrator, corporate officer, trustee, guardian, or custodian, please give full title. Date (mm/dd/yyyy) — Please print date below. Signature 1 — Please keep signature within the box. Signature 2 — Please keep signature within the box. 03E0VC 1 U P X + The 2021B Authorized Signatures — This section must be completed for your vote to count. Please date and sign below. qIF VOTING BY MAIL, SIGN, DETACH AND RETURN THE BOTTOM PORTION IN THE ENCLOSED ENVELOPE.q 2024 Annual Meeting of Stockholders ofProxy Card 2. Advisory Vote on Autoliv, Inc. will be held on May 12, 2021 at 11:00am ET, virtually via’s 2023 Executive Compensation For Against Abstain 3. Ratification of Ernst & Young AB as independent registered public accounting firm of the internet at www.meetingcenter.io/225830469. To accesscompany for the virtual meeting, you must havefiscal year ending December 31, 2024. Online Go to www.envisionreports.com/ALV or scan the information that is printedQR code — login details are located in the shaded bar located onbelow. Save paper, time and money! Sign up for electronic delivery at www.envisionreports.com/ALV Phone Call toll free 1-800-652-VOTE (8683) within the reverse sideUSA, US territories and Canada You may vote online or by phone instead of mailing this form. The password for this meeting is — ALV2021. Important notice regarding the Internet availability of proxy materials for the Annual Meeting of Stockholders. The material is available at: www.envisionreports.com/ALV card. Your vote matters – here’s how to vote!
Small steps make an impact. Help the environment by consenting to receive electronic delivery, sign up at www.envisionreports.com/ALV Autoliv, Inc. q IF VOTING BY MAIL, SIGN, DETACH AND RETURN THE BOTTOM PORTION IN THE ENCLOSED ENVELOPE. q + Notice of 20212024 Annual Meeting of Stockholders Proxy Solicited by Board of Directors for Annual Meeting — May 12, 202110, 2024 The undersigned hereby revokes all proxies and appoints Fredrik Westin and Anthony Nellis, and Fredrik Westin, with full power of substitution, to attend the Annual Meeting of Autoliv, Inc. to be held on Wednesday,Friday, May 12, 202110, 2024 at 11:2:00 a.m. Eastern Timep.m. local time, both virtually via the internet at www.meetingcenter.io/225830469www.meetnow.global/MJGH2D6 and in person at The Westin Book Cadillac Hotel, 1114 Washington Blvd, Detroit, MI 48226 USA and at any adjournment or postponement thereof and to vote as specified in this proxy all the shares of Autoliv, Inc. common stock which the undersigned would be entitled to vote if personally present upon all subjects that may properly come before the meeting. In their discretion, Mr. NellisWestin and Mr. WestinNellis are also authorized to vote upon such other matters as may properly come before the meeting. Management is not presently aware of any such matters to be presented for action. If any nominee should become unavailable for election prior to the meeting, the proxies will vote for the election of a substitute nominee or nominees proposed by the Board of Directors. If specific voting instructions are not given with respect to matters to be acted upon and the signed card is returned, the proxies will vote in accordance with the directors’ recommendations and at their discretion on any other matters that may properly come before the meeting to the extent permitted by applicable law and the listing requirements of the New York Stock Exchange. This will allow your proxy to address currently unforeseen matters that may arise during the meeting as well as matters incidental to the conduct of the meeting. For more information see “Voting on Matters Not in Proxy Statement” in the Proxy Statement. If you do not sign and return a proxy, submit a proxy by telephone or Internet or attend the meeting and vote by ballot, shares that you own directly cannot be voted. The signer hereby revokes all proxies heretofore given by the signer to vote at said meeting or any adjournment or postponement thereof. This proxy, when properly executed, will be voted in the manner directed herein. If no direction is made, this proxy will be voted in accordance with the recommendation of the Board of Directors and FOR the election of the nominees to the Board and FOR proposalsProposals 2 and 3. Your vote is important! Please sign and date this card on the reverse side and return promptly in the enclosed postage-paid envelope or utilize the Vote by Phone or Vote by Net service to cast your vote. (Items to be voted appear on reverse side) C Non-Voting ItemsAutoliv, Inc. qIF VOTING BY MAIL, SIGN, DETACH AND RETURN THE BOTTOM PORTION IN THE ENCLOSED ENVELOPE.q Change of Address — Please print new address below. Comments — Please print your comments below. +
C Non-Voting Items + The Sample Company Online Go to www.envisionreports.com/ALV or scan+ Important notice regarding the QR code — login details are located in the shaded bar below. Stockholder Meeting Notice Important Notice Regarding the AvailabilityInternet availability of Proxy Materials for the Autoliv, Inc. Stockholder Meeting to be Held on May 12, 2021 Under Securities and Exchange Commission rules, you are receiving this notice that the proxy materials for the annual stockholders’ meeting are available on the Internet. Follow the instructions below to view the materials and vote online or request a copy.Annual Meeting of Stockholders. The items to be voted on and location of the annual meeting are on the reverse side. Your votematerial is important! This communication presents only an overview of the more complete proxy materials that are available to you on the Internet. We encourage you to access and review all of the important information contained in the proxy materials before voting. The 2021 proxy statement and annual report to stockholders are available at: www.envisionreports.com/ALV Easy Online Access — View your proxy materials and vote. Step 1: Go to www.envisionreports.com/ALV. Step 2: Click on Cast Your Vote or Request Materials. Step 3: Follow the instructions on the screen to log in. Step 4: Make your selections as instructed on each screen for your delivery preferences. Step 5: Vote your shares. When you go online, you can also help the environment by consenting to receive electronic delivery of future materials. Obtaining a Copy of the Proxy Materials – If you want to receive a copy of the proxy materials, you must request one. There is no charge to you for requesting a copy. Please make your request as instructed on the reverse side on or before April 30, 2021 to facilitate timely delivery. 03EOXD 2 N O T + Stockholder Meeting Notice Autoliv, Inc.The 2024 Annual Meeting of Stockholders of Autoliv, Inc. will be held on May 12, 202110, 2024 at 11:00am ET,2:00pm local time, both virtually via the internet at www.meetingcenter.io/225830469.www.meetnow.global/MJGH2D6 and in person at The Westin Book Cadillac Hotel 1114 Washington Blvd, Detroit, MI 48226 USA To access the virtual meeting, you must have the information that is printed in the shaded bar located on the reverse side of this form. The password for this meeting is — ALV2021 Proposals to be voted on at the meeting are listed below along with the Board of Directors’ recommendations. The Board of Directors recommend a vote FOR all the nominees listed and FOR Proposals 2 and 3: 1. Election of eleven (11) directors to the Board of Directors for a term of office expiring on the date of the 20222024 Annual Meeting Admission Ticket 2024 Annual Meeting of Stockholders: 01 - Mikael Bratt 02 – Laurie Brlas 03 – Jan Carlson 04 – Hasse Johansson 05 – Leif Johansson 06 – Franz-Josef Kortüm 07 – Frédéric Lissalde 08 – Min Liu 09 – Xiaozhi Liu 10 – Martin Lundstedt 11 – Ted Senko 2. Advisory Vote on Autoliv, Inc.’s 2020 Executive Compensation. 3. Ratification of Ernst & Young AB as independent registered public accounting firm of the company for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2021. PLEASE NOTE – YOU CANNOT VOTE BY RETURNING THIS NOTICE. To vote your shares you must go online or request a paper copy of the proxy materials to receive a proxy card. Here’s how to order a copy of the proxy materials and select delivery preferences: Current and future delivery requests can be submitted using the options below. If you request an email copy, you will receive an email with a link to the current meeting materials. PLEASE NOTE: You must use the number in the shaded bar on the reverse side when requesting a copy of the proxy materials. — Internet – Go to www.envisionreports.com/ALV. Click Cast Your Vote or Request Materials. — Phone – Call us free of charge at 1-866-641-4276. — Email – Send an email to investorvote@computershare.com with “Proxy Materials Autoliv, Inc.” in the subject line. Include your full name and address, plus the number located in the shaded bar on the reverse side, and state that you want a paper copy of the meeting materials. To facilitate timely delivery, all requests for a paper copy of proxy materials must be received by April 30, 2021. Stockholders
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