UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

WASHINGTON, DC 20549

SCHEDULE 14A

(Rule14a-101)

INFORMATION REQUIRED IN PROXY STATEMENT

SCHEDULE 14A INFORMATION

Proxy Statement pursuant to Section 14(a) of the

Securities Exchange Act of 1934

Filed by the Registrant  ☒                            Filed by a Party other than the Registrant  ☐

Check the appropriate box:

AMERISAFE, Inc.

(Name of Registrant as Specified in Its Charter)

(Name of Person(s) Filing Proxy Statement, if Other than the Registrant)

Payment of Filing Fee (Check the appropriate box):

April 27, 201826, 2019

Dear AMERISAFE Shareholder:

You are cordially invited to attend the annual meeting of shareholders of AMERISAFE, Inc. The meeting will be held on Friday, June 8, 2018,14, 2019, beginning at 9:00 a.m. at our corporate headquarters, which are located at 2301 Highway 190 West in DeRidder, Louisiana 70634.

Information about the meeting, including the nominees for election as directors and the other proposals to be considered is presented in the following notice of annual meeting and proxy statement. At the meeting, management will report on the Company’s operations during 20172018 and comment on our outlook for the remainder of 2018.2019. The report will be followed by a question and answer period.

We hope that you will attend the annual meeting. It is important that your shares be represented. Accordingly, please vote using the internet or telephone procedures described on the proxy card or sign, date and promptly mail the enclosed proxy card in the enclosedpre-addressed, postage-paid envelope.

Danny Phillips has served as a member of the AMERISAFE Board since 2007. He recently announced that he would retire as a director at the Annual Meeting. As a business owner, his experience and perspective has been an invaluable resource to the Company. On behalf of the Board and all our employees, I want to thank Danny for his years of service to AMERISAFE.

We look forward to seeing you at the meeting on June 8th.14th.

Sincerely,

Jared A. Morris

Chairman

NOTICE OF ANNUAL MEETING OF SHAREHOLDERS

To be held on June 8, 201814, 2019

The 20182019 annual meeting of shareholders of AMERISAFE, Inc. (the “Company”) will be held on June 8, 2018,14, 2019, beginning at 9:00 a.m. at the Company’s corporate headquarters, which are located at 2301 Highway 190 West in DeRidder, Louisiana 70634. The meeting will be held for the following purposes:

Information concerning the matters to be voted upon at the meeting is set forth in the accompanying proxy statement. Also enclosed is the Company’s annual report for the year ended December 31, 2017.2018. Holders of record of the Company’s common stock as of the close of business on April 18, 201817, 2019 are entitled to notice of, and to vote at, the meeting.

If you plan to attend the meeting and will need special assistance or accommodation, please describe your needs on the enclosed proxy card.

By Order of the Board of Directors,

Kathryn H. Shirley

Executive Vice President,

General Counsel and Secretary

DeRidder, Louisiana

April 27, 201826, 2019

TABLE OF CONTENTS

AMERISAFE, Inc.

2301 Highway 190 West

DeRidder, Louisiana 70634

PROXY STATEMENT

This proxy statement provides information in connection with the solicitation of proxies by the Board of Directors (the “Board”) of AMERISAFE, Inc. (the “Company”) for use at the Company’s 20182019 annual meeting of shareholders or any postponement or adjournment thereof (the “Annual Meeting”). This proxy statement also provides information you will need in order to consider and act upon the matters specified in the accompanying notice of annual meeting. This proxy statement and the enclosed proxy card are being mailed to shareholders on or about May 2, 2018.2019.

Record holders of the Company’s common stock as of the close of business on April 18, 201817, 2019 are entitled to vote at the Annual Meeting. Each record holder of common stock on that date is entitled to one vote at the Annual Meeting for each share of common stock held. As of April 18, 2018,17, 2019, there were 19,260,915shares19,274,980shares of common stock outstanding.

You cannot vote your shares unless you are present at the Annual Meeting or you have properly executed your proxy. You can vote by proxy in one of three convenient ways:

You may revoke your proxy at any time prior to the vote at the Annual Meeting by:

Unless revoked as described above, all properly executed proxies will be voted at the Annual Meeting in accordance with your directions on the proxy. If a properly executed proxy gives no specific instructions, the shares of common stock represented by your proxy will be voted:

If you own shares of common stock held in “street name” and you do not instruct your broker how to vote your shares using the instructions your broker provides you, your shares will be voted in the ratification of the appointment of Ernst & Young as the Company’s independent registered public accounting firm for 2018,2019, but not for any other proposal. To be sure your shares are voted in the manner you desire, you should instruct your broker how to vote your shares.

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Holders of a majority of the outstanding shares of the Company’s common stock must be present, either in person or by proxy, to constitute a quorum necessary to conduct the Annual Meeting. Abstentions and brokernon-votes are counted for purposes of determining a quorum and are considered present and entitled to vote.

The following table sets forth the voting requirements, whether broker discretionary voting is allowed and the treatment of abstentions and brokernon-votes for each of the matters to be voted on at the Annual Meeting.

The Company pays the costs of soliciting proxies. We have engaged Georgeson, Inc. to serve as our proxy solicitor for the Annual Meeting at a base fee of $8,500 plus reimbursement of reasonable expenses. Georgeson will conduct our broker search, solicit banks, brokers, institutional investors and hedge funds to determine voting instructions, monitor voting and deliver executed proxies to our voting tabulator. Our employees also may solicit proxies by telephone or in person. However, they will not receive additional compensation for soliciting proxies. The Company may request banks, brokers and other custodians, nominees and fiduciaries to forward copies of these proxy materials to the beneficial holders and to request instructions for the execution of proxies. The Company may reimburse these persons for their related expenses. Proxies are solicited to provide all record holders of the Company’s common stock an opportunity to vote on the matters to be presented at the Annual Meeting, even if they cannot attend the meeting in person.

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PROPOSAL 1

ELECTION OF DIRECTORS

At the Annual Meeting, threetwo directors will be elected to serve three-year terms expiring at our annual shareholder meeting in 2021.2022. This section of the proxy statement contains information relating to the director nominees and the directors whose terms of office continue after the Annual Meeting. The director nominees were selected by the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee and approved by the Board for submission to the shareholders. The nominees for election are PhilipTeri G. Fontenot and Jared A. Garcia, Millard E. Morris and Randall E. Roach. AllMorris. Both currently serve as directors.

On February 25, 2019 V. Daniel Phillips, a current member of our Board, announced that he would retire as a director effective at the Annual Meeting. With Mr. Phillip’s retirement, the size of the Board will be reduced from eight members to seven members.

The Board recommends a vote “FOR” the election of each of the nominees.

Nominees to be elected for terms expiring at the Annual Meeting in 2022

Teri G. Fontenot, age 65, has served as a director of the Company since January 2016. Ms. Fontenot served as President and Chief Executive Officer of Woman’s Hospital from 1996 until her retirement in March 2019. Upon her retirement, Ms. Fontenot was named Chief Executive Officer Emeritus. Ms. Fontenot recently served for six years on the American Hospital Association Board and was the chair in 2012. Ms. Fontenot has served as a director for LHC Group, Inc. since March 2019.

Ms. Fontenot brings to the Board substantial experience as a former chief executive officer and chief financial officer of healthcare institutions and as chair of an insurance provider for over ten years. She is also an inactive certified public accountant. Her experience in the healthcare and insurance industries provide her with valuable insight into the issues affecting the Company and our policyholders. This experience enables her to serve on the Audit Committee as an “audit committee financial expert.”

Jared A. Morris, age 44, has served as a director of the Company since 2005. He served as our lead director from November 2012 until he was appointed Chairman of the Board in April 2016. Since 2002, he has been an officer and a principal owner of Marine One Acceptance Corporation and Dumont Land, LLC, both of which are specialty finance companies. Since 2002, he has also served as an officer of Dumont Management Group, LLC, a privately held company that provides management services to various affiliated finance and investment companies. He serves on the board of directors of First National Bank of DeRidder and Beauregard Health System. Jared A. Morris is the son of Millard E. Morris.

Jared A. Morris is currently our Chairman of the Board and the former chair of the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee. In these capacities, he has taken a lead role in developing and maintaining the Company’s corporate governance policies and practices. His experience and training in financial and credit management, as well as business investment, enhance the Board’s business sophistication.

Current directors whose terms expire at the Annual Meeting in 2020

Michael J. Brown, age 55, has served as a director of the Company since November 2014. Mr. Brown serves as Chair of the Compensation Committee. Mr. Brown is the Vice Chairman and Chief Operating Officer of Iberiabank Corp., a position he has held since September 2009. In that role, he manages Iberiabank’s retail and commercial banking operations. From 2001 to 2009, Mr. Brown served as Senior Executive Vice President of Iberiabank Corp. Prior to joining Iberiabank in 1999, Mr. Brown was a managing director with Bank One Capital Markets.

Mr. Brown’s experience in the financial services industry in a number of the Company’s key markets makes him well qualified to serve as a director of the Company.

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G. Janelle Frost,age 48, has served as a Director since April 2016. Ms. Frost has served as the Company’s Chief Executive Officer since April 2015 and President since September 2013. Prior to becoming Chief Executive Officer, Ms. Frost served as Chief Operating Officer from May 2013 to April 2015. She served as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer from November 2008 to April 2013 and Controller from May 2004 to November 2008. She has been employed with the Company since 1992. Ms. Frost currently serves as chair of the board of directors of the New Orleans Branch of the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta.

Ms. Frost’s over 25 years of experience with the Company and her performance in numerous roles with the Company gives herin-depth knowledge of the Company’s business and insurance industry. Her tenure with the Company provides valuable insight about operational and strategic matters impacting the Company.

Current directors whose terms expire at the Annual Meeting in 2021

Philip A. Garcia, age 61,62, has served as a director of the Company since 2010. Mr. Garcia serves as Chair of the Audit Committee. He retired from the Erie Insurance Group in April 2009, where he served as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer for the final 12 years of his28-year career with that company. Mr. Garcia was a director of Donegal Group Inc. from December 2009 to May 2011. He was previously a licensed Certified Public Accountant in Pennsylvania.

Mr. Garcia possesses a strong background in financial, accounting and investment management with a publicly traded property and casualty insurance company, as evidenced by his prior service as Chief Financial Officer of Erie Insurance Group. He brings substantial experience in the insurance industry to the Board, including a strategic understanding of the operations of a property and casualty insurance company, as well as an understanding of the current economic and other challenges facing our industry. His experience enables him to serve on the Audit Committee as an “audit committee financial expert.”

Millard E. Morris, age 73,74, founded the Company in 1985. He was our Chairman, Chief Executive Officer and principal shareholder until the Company was sold to a private investment group in 1997. He served on the Company’s Board from 1985 until 2005, when he voluntarily retired from our Board prior to the Company’s initial public offering. Mr. Morris wasre-elected to the Board in June 2007. Mr. Morris serves as Chair of the Risk Committee. From 1996 until 2015, he served as the managing member of Dumont Management Group, LLC, a privately held company that provides management services to various affiliated finance and investment companies. Millard E. Morris is the father of Jared A. Morris.

Millard E. Morris’s experience as founder of the Company and his long-term service as a director give him unique knowledge of the opportunities and challenges associated with the Company��sCompany’s business. His familiarity with the Company and the insurance industry make him uniquely qualified to serve as a director of the Company.

Randall E. Roach, age 66,67, has served as a director of the Company since March 2007. Mr. Roach serves as Chair of the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee. Mr. Roach retired as the Mayor of Lake Charles, Louisiana in 2017.2017, an office he had held since 2000. Prior to assuming his duties as Mayor, Mr. Roach was engaged in the practice of law focusing on real estate and commercial law. Mr. Roach has been a member of the Louisiana State Bar Association since 1976. He is a director of The First National Bank of Louisiana, Financial Corporation of Louisiana and Kimira, Inc. He is also a former member of the House of Representatives of the Louisiana Legislature.

Mr. Roach’s experience as a government official brings valuable insight to the Board given that the Company operates in a highly regulated industry. Mr. Roach’s background as an attorney, legislator and government official is particularly helpful in his role as a member of the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee.

Nominees to be elected for terms expiring at the Annual Meeting in 2019

Teri G. Fontenot, age 64, has served as a director of the Company since January 2016. Ms. Fontenot is the President and Chief Executive Officer of Woman’s Hospital, a position she has held since 1996. Ms. Fontenot recently served for six years on the American Hospital Association Board and was the chair in 2012.

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PROPOSAL 2

AMENDMENT OFNON-EMPLOYEE DIRECTOR

RESTRICTED STOCK PLAN

Background

The AMERISAFE, Inc.Non-Employee Director Restricted Stock Plan, which we refer to as the Director Plan, was first approved by our Board and shareholders in 2005. There are seven directors currently eligible to participate in the Director Plan. The Director Plan authorized the issuance of up to 100,000 shares of our common stock to ournon-employee directors. As of December 31, 2017, 13,668 shares were available for future issuance under the Director Plan.

Under the existing Director Plan, each electednon-employee director is automatically granted a restricted stock award for a number of shares of our common stock equal to $50,000 divided by the closing price of our common stock on the date of our annual meeting of shareholders. Each restricted stock award vests on the date of the next annual meeting of shareholders following the date of the grant, subject to the continued service of thenon-employee director. Under the terms of the Restricted Stock Plan, the Company’s Board of Directors may increase the dollar amount of the annual award to an amount up to $75,000 without further shareholder approval. If anon-employee director is elected to the Board other than at an annual meeting of shareholders, thenon-employee director receives apro-rated initial grant of restricted stock based upon the number of full months of service until the next annual meeting of shareholders.

In February 2018, our Board approved an amendment to the Director Plan to increase the number of shares available for issuance by 50,000 shares. Our Board has determined that the amendment to the Director Plan is advisable and in the best interests of the Company and our shareholders, and has submitted the amendment to be voted on by our shareholders at the Annual Meeting.

Proposed Amendment

If our shareholders approve the amendment to the Director Plan, the maximum number of shares of our common stock available for issuance under the Director Plan will be increased by 50,000, subject to the authority of our Board to adjust this amount in the event of a merger, consolidation, reorganization, stock split, combination of shares, recapitalization, or similar transaction affecting our common stock. As of April 18, 2018, this increase would result in 63,668 shares being available for future issuance under the Director Plan.

At the company’s annual meeting of shareholders in June 2016, our shareholders approved an amendment to the Director Plan that permitted the Board to set the dollar amount of initial and annual awards of restricted stock tonon-employee directors at an amount not to exceed $75,000. This amendment also updates the Director Plan to reflect that the Board has currently set the initial and annual restricted stock awards at $50,000.

A copy of the Director Plan, as proposed to be amended, is attached asAppendix A.

Reasons for the Amendment

We are proposing to increase the maximum number of shares available for issuance under the Director Plan to ensure that we have sufficient shares available for restricted stock awards to ournon-employee directors.

The Director Plan was first adopted in connection with the Company’s initial public offering in 2005. Since that time, the seven individuals that are currentlynon-employee members of the Board have received, in the aggregate, 61,144 shares of Common Stock as compensation as Board members pursuant to the Plan. As of April 18, 2018, these directors continue to hold 58,144 of those shares, or over 95% of the shares received as Board compensation under the Plan. Six of the seven currentnon-management directors have never sold any of

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PROPOSAL 43

RATIFICATION OF APPOINTMENT OF

ERNST & YOUNG LLP AS THE COMPANY’S INDEPENDENT

REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM FOR 20182019

The Audit Committee has appointed Ernst & Young LLP as the Company’s independent registered public accounting firm for 2018.2019. The Board is asking shareholders to ratify this appointment. SEC regulations and the Nasdaq listing requirements require the Company’s independent registered public accounting firm to be engaged, retained and supervised by the Audit Committee. However, the Board considers the selection of an independent registered public accounting firm to be an important matter to shareholders. Accordingly, the Board considers a proposal for shareholders to ratify this appointment to be an opportunity for shareholders to provide input to the Audit Committee and the Board on a key corporate governance issue.

Representatives of Ernst & Young LLP are expected to be present at the Annual Meeting and will be offered the opportunity to make a statement if they so desire. They will also be available to respond to appropriate questions. For additional information regarding our independent registered public accounting firm, see “Independent Public Accountants.”

The Board recommends a vote “FOR” the ratification of Ernst & Young LLP

as the Company’s independent registered public accounting firm.

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THE BOARD, ITS COMMITTEES AND ITS COMPENSATION

Board of Directors

The Board presently consists of sevennon-employee directors and one employee director. The Board is divided into three classes, with each class serving three-year terms. The term of one class expires at each annual meeting of shareholders.

Director Compensation

The elements of compensation payable to ournon-employee directors in 20172018 are briefly described below.

Committee Chairs do not receive annual cash retainers for being members of the committees they chair. Meeting fees are not paid for attendance at the first five committee meetings during the year. Directors do not receive additional compensation for serving on our Risk Committee. The Company reimburses directors for reasonableout-of-pocket expenses incurred in connection with their service as directors. Any director who is an employee of the Company does not receive additional compensation for serving as a director.

The amount of restricted stock granted to eachnon-employee director is equal to $50,000 divided by the closing price of our common stock on the date of the annual meeting of shareholders at which thenon-employee director is elected or continues to be a member of the Board. The shares of restricted stock granted tonon-employee directors vest at the next annual meeting of shareholders. If anon-employee director is first elected or appointed to the Board at a time other than at an annual meeting of shareholders, thenon-employee director is awarded a prorated initial restricted stock grant at that time. Awards tonon-employee directors are made under the Director Plan. For additional information regarding the Director Plan, see “Proposal 2—Amendment ofNon-Employee Director Restricted Stock Plan.”

On June 9, 2017,8, 2018, eachnon-employee director was granted 922823 shares of restricted stock.

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The following table provides information regarding the compensation of ournon-employee directors for the year ended December 31, 2017.2018.

Non-Employee Director Stock Ownership and Retention Guidelines

Our Board recognizes that ownership of common stock is an effective means to align the interests of our directors with those of our shareholders. The following is a summary of our stock ownership and retention guidelines for ournon-employee directors.

Non-Employee Director Stock Ownership Guidelines.Non-employee directors are expected to acquire and hold during their Board service shares of our common stock equal in value to at least three times the annual cash retainer paid to our directors, or $150,000.Non-employee directors have five years from their initial election to the Board to meet these ownership guidelines.

Non-Employee Director Retention Guidelines. Directors are expected to continuously own sufficient shares to meet the guidelines once attained. Until a director meets the ownership guidelines, the director will be required to hold 75% of the shares of common stock received from any equity award, net of any shares used to pay the exercise price or tax withholding. If a director attains compliance with the stock ownership guideline and subsequently falls below the guideline because of a decrease in the price of our common stock, the director will be deemed in compliance provided that the director retains the shares then held.

The following table provides the equity ownership of each of ournon-employee directors as of December 31, 2017,2018, measured in dollars. Ownership was calculated based on a price of $61.60$56.69 per share, the closing price of the Company’s common stock on December 29, 2017,31, 2018, the last trading day of the year.

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Corporate Governance

The Board and senior management of the Company believe that one of their primary responsibilities is to promote a corporate culture of accountability, responsibility and ethical conduct throughout the Company. Consistent with these principles, the Company has, among other things, adopted:

Our corporate governance guidelines, code of business conduct and ethics, committee charters, majority voting and director resignation policy and certain other governance policies are available on the Company’s website (www.amerisafe.com) in the Investor Relations section. Copies of these documents are also available upon written request to the Company’s Secretary. The Company will post information regarding any amendment to, or waiver from, its code of business conduct and ethics on its website in the Investor Relations section.

Management regularly meets with shareholders and potential investors. In those meetings, investors and shareholders express their views regarding the Company’s executive compensation practices and corporate governance policies. Management reports to the Board and the NCG Committee regarding the discussions at these meetings. The NCG Committee and the Board periodically review the Company’s corporate governance policies and practices. Based on these reviews, input from shareholders and recommendations from the NCG Committee, the Board adopts changes to policies and practices that it believes are in the best interests of the Company, including complying with any new SEC or Nasdaq listing requirements.

The NCG Committee intends to continue to periodically review the Company’s corporate governance policies, taking into consideration, among other things, the views of our shareholders and developments in the governance practices of other public companies.

Corporate Responsibility

AMERISAFE is defined by its corporate culture of helping to provide security for employers and their injured employees through the insurance coverage and services we offer, by paying legitimate claims to injured workers promptly and fairly during their time of need, by encouraging and supporting our employees to be actively engaged in the communities in which they live, investing in our employees and minimizing the impact we have on the environment. AMERISAFE manages its business with the goal of responsibly delivering long-term value to all of the Company’s stakeholders by adhering to the philosophy that good stewardship is good business.

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Environmental

Starting early in the decade, AMERISAFE initiated a program to reduce the use and storage of paper and focus on migrating our records to electronic form. This has decreased our usage of paper and ink, increased efficiency, and saved money for the Company. Additionally, the Company has focused on increasing recycling of paper and other materials.

Social

The Communities We Serve.We actively engaged and supported local communities through agencies such as United Way, the Community Foundation of Southwest Louisiana and the Southwest Louisiana Economic Development Alliance. The Company supports numerous other charitable and social organizations in the communities in which we operate. To encourage a culture of giving back to the Communities in which we operate, the Company allows all employees time off for volunteer activities.

The Company has also established an endowment to provide scholarships to dependents of our employees and members of the community in which we do business, recognizing the importance of education of future generations.

Our Employees.Beginning in 2017, the Company began a partnership with the Community Foundation of Southwest Louisiana to providetax-free assistance to employees that have experienced a catastrophic event through an employee assistance fund. In addition to funding from the Company, this fund also allows employees to make a monetary donation to assist their fellow employees.

AMERISAFE also provides employees time off for annual wellness exams, reimbursements of health club memberships, confidential counseling services, quarterly wellness luncheons and an annual health fair to promote a culture of wellness.

Board Leadership

The Board appointed Jared A. Morris as Chairman of the Board in April 2016. As Chairman, Mr. J. Morris’shis key responsibilities include:

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by our Chief Executive Officer, G. Janelle Frost. The Board believes this leadership structure affords the Company an effective combination of management andnon-management experience, continuity and independence that currently serves the Board and the Company well.

Director Independence

As part of the Company’s corporate governance guidelines, the Board has established a policy requiring a majority of the members of the Board to be independent, as that term is defined in the Nasdaq listing requirements. The Board has determined that each of its currentnon-employee directors, Mr. Brown, Ms. Fontenot, Mr. Garcia, Mr. J. Morris, Mr. M. Morris, Mr. Phillips, and Mr. Roach, is independent of the Company and its management within the meaning of the Nasdaq listing requirements.

In determining that Mr. Phillips is independent, the Board considered that Mr. Phillips is President, Chief Executive Officer and an owner of PAX, LLC, a policyholder of the Company. The Board determined that this relationship does not interfere with Mr. Phillips’ exercise of independent judgment and that he is independent within the meaning of the Nasdaq listing requirements. See “Certain Relationships and Related Transactions.”

Board Meetings

The Board held five meetings during 2017.2018. Each director serving on the Board in 20172018 attended at least 75% of the total number of meetings of the Board and committees on which he or she served. Under the Company’s corporate governance guidelines, each director is expected to devote the time necessary to appropriately discharge his or her responsibilities and to rigorously prepare for, attend and participate in all Board meetings and meetings of Board committees on which he or she serves.

Annual Meetings of Shareholders

The Company’s directors are encouraged to attend our annual shareholder meetings, but we do not currently have a policy relating to directors’ attendance at these meetings. Four directors, Mr. J. Morris, Mr. M. Morris, Ms. Fontenot, Mr. Garcia,Phillips, and Ms. Frost, attended our 20172018 annual meeting of shareholders, either in person or by teleconference.

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The Audit Committee met six times during 2017.2018. Our independent registered public accounting firm reports directly to the Audit Committee. Each member of the Audit Committee has the ability to read and understand fundamental financial statements. The Board has determined that each member of the Audit Committee is “independent” as defined in the Nasdaq listing requirements and SEC requirements relating to the independence of audit committee members. The Board has also determined that Ms. Fontenot and Mr. Garcia each meet the requirements of an “audit committee financial expert” as defined by SEC rules. The Audit Committee has the authority to engage independent counsel and other advisors as the Committee deems necessary to carry out its duties.

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The Compensation Committee met six times during 2017.2018. The Board has determined that each member of the Compensation Committee is independent under the Nasdaq listing requirements.

The Compensation Committee has the sole authority to retain and terminate compensation consultants to assist in the evaluation of director or executive officer compensation and the sole authority to approve the fees and other retention terms of such compensation consultants. The committee may also retain independent counsel and other independent advisors to assist it in carrying out its responsibilities.

Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee

The NCG Committee currently consists of Mr. Roach (Chair), Ms. Fontenot, Mr. J. Morris, and Mr. Phillips. The functions and responsibilities of the NCG Committee include:

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The NCG Committee will also consider other criteria for director candidates included in its committee charter, the Company’s corporate governance guidelines or as may be established from time to time by the Board. The NCG Committee has not adopted a separate policy pertaining to the consideration of diversity in the selection of nominees to the Board. The NCG Committee will identify nominees based upon recommendations by committee members or other Board members, members of the Company’s management or, as discussed below, by shareholders of the Company. Upon identifying a potential nominee, members of the NCG Committee will interview the candidate, and based upon that interview, make a recommendation to the Board.

Shareholder Recommendations. The NCG Committee will evaluate director candidates recommended by a shareholder according to the same criteria as a candidate identified by the NCG Committee.

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Louisiana 70634, Attn: Corporate Secretary (Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee Communication/Director Candidate Recommendation).

Risk Committee

The Board views risk management as one of its primary responsibilities. The Board initially formed the Risk Committee in 2010 to facilitate its risk management functions. The Risk Committee’s charter provides that all members of the Board are members of the Risk Committee. Mr. M. Morris serves as chair of the Risk Committee and establishes the agenda for the meetings. Risk Committee members periodically receive presentations on risk-related topics from the Company’s management. The Risk Committee’s responsibilities include:

The Risk Committee met four times in 2017.2018. The Risk Committee has the authority to select, retain, terminate, and approve the fees and other terms of retention of special counsel, experts and consultants. This Committee also has direct access to anyall Company employee.employees.

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COMPENSATION DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS

This Compensation Discussion and Analysis, or CD&A, is designed to provide shareholders with an understanding of the Company’s compensation philosophy and objectives, as well as the analysis that the Compensation Committee (referred to in this CD&A as the “Committee”) performed in setting executive compensation. It discusses the determination of how and why, in addition to what, compensation actions were taken by the Committee with respect to compensation for each of our executive officers during 2017.2018. Those individuals are:

Executive Summary

Recent Company Performance Highlights

We are a holding company that markets and underwrites workers’ compensation insurance through our insurance subsidiaries. The Company had solid operating performance during 2017,2018, in a declining premium environment. Our net income for 20172018 was $46.2$71.6 million, our earnings per diluted share were $2.40,$3.71, our GAAP Combined Ratio was 84.7%,82.9% and our return on average equity was 10.5%, and our17.2%. Total shareholder return was down 1.18% in 2018, consistent with the decline in the P&CMid-Cap Index of 1.15%. The S&P 500 Index declined 4.4% in 2018. The Company’s average annual total shareholder return for the three-year and five-year periods ended December 31, 2018 was 5.85%10.9% and 13.1%, respectively.    The P&CMid-Cap Index average annual return for the three-year and five-year periods ended December 31, 2018 was 9.4% and 10.5%, respectively. The S&P 500 Index average annual return for the three-year and five-year periods ended December 31, 2018 was 9.2% and 8.5%.

In 2017,2018, the Company paid regular quarterly dividends of $0.80$0.88 per share and an extraordinary dividend of $3.50 per share.share, or total dividends of $4.38 per share in 2018. Effective February 2018,2019, the Board of Directors increased the regular quarterly dividend from $0.20$0.22 per share to $0.22$0.25 per share, an increase of 10.0%13.6%.

Compensation Best Practices

Over the last several years, the Committee has reviewed and modified our executive compensation program so we canto retain and attract top executive talent to the Company and ensure that our program is aligned with the interests of our shareholders and meets evolving governance standards. The following highlights some of the compensation and governance best practices that are part of our program:

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advisory vote and believes the results affirm shareholder approval of the Board’s approach to the Company’s executive compensation program. Although the Committee did not adopt any changes to our program as a result of this vote, as noted above the Committee is continually evaluating our executive compensation and has made changes in the past few years to strengthen the performance elements of the program and further align the program with our shareholders’ interests.

Role of Compensation Consultant

Since early 2012, the Committee has engaged McLagan, an AON Hewitt Company, as its independent compensation consultant. Most recently, McLagan has conducted executive compensation surveys during 2016

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In addition to compensation data specifically relating to the 1110 companies named above, McLagan also used market compensation data from published survey sources relating to companies in the insurance and financial services industry in developing the recommendations contained in the 2016 survey.2017 Survey.

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Overview of Executive Compensation Program

The principal components of our executive compensation program provide for a combination of fixed and variable compensation. In addition to the principal components, we also provide our executive officers with broad-based employee benefits, certain severance benefits and limited perquisites. For 2017,2018, the principal components, which we refer to as our executive officer’s total direct compensation, are summarized as follows:

20172018 Executive Compensation Program at a Glance

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The table below summarizes our executive officers’ target compensation for 20172018 under the principal components (including annual base salary as of the end of 2017,2018, and the target award values under the annual incentive program and the LTIP) as well as the percentage of total target compensation represented by each component. The actual base salary received, the actual annual incentive compensation award earned for 20172018 and the grant date value of LTIP awards are reflected in “Executive Compensation—Summary Compensation Table.”

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of our executive officers. The 2017 performance metrics did not include loss ratio as it had in prior years. The Committee believed that the loss ratio metric is more appropriately included in the long-term incentive plan as evaluated over a three-year time period rather than one year as in the annual incentive plan. It should be noted loss ratio is included in the long-term incentive plan as a component of combined ratio. In removing the loss ratio, the GPW metric was lowered, allowing the Committee to emphasize expense management and profitability in a declining premium environment. The Committee also established individual performance goals for each executive officer, except for our chief executive officer. The individual performance goals established were principally qualitative rather than quantitative. The weighting of the individual performance goals for our chief executive officer, Ms. Frost, are lower because the Committee believes that her performance should be evaluated primarily on the outcome of Company quantitative metrics. The Committee believes that this approach appropriately incentivizes the chief executive officer to focus her efforts on the financial performance of the Company.

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At its meeting in February 2018,2019, the Committee approved annual incentive award payouts for our named executive officers related to the Company performance goals as follows:

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20172018 Long-Term Incentive Compensation Awards.In 2017,2018, the Committee set an aggregate target value, which was a percentage of salary as set forth below, for the 20172018 LTIP awards for each executive officer at an amount generally below the market median for the long-term compensation component of pay as shown in the 20162017 Survey. This aggregate target value was then awarded to each executive in the form of a performance award and in connection with the elimination of the time-based component of the program, the Committee increased the target award percentages by 20 percentage points for Ms. Frost and 10 percentage points for each of our other executive officers.award.

Description of 20172018 Performance Awards.The performance awards provide a target dollar amount that may be earned by the executive, which amount will be paid in shares of our common stock, subject to certain limited exceptions. The amount earned under the performance award will be between 0% and 150% of the award’s target value. The amount earned, if any, is dependent on the Company’s operating performance over a three-year period beginning on January 1, 20172018 and ending December 31, 2019,2020, relative to the performance of a designated peer group of insurance companies selected by the Committee. In 2017,2018, the Committee reviewed the peer group selected for the performance awards in 20172018 and confirmed that the companies selected continued to be significant competitors of the Company in the workers’ compensation markets in which it operates. The following 22 companies comprise the performance peer group for the 20172018 performance awards under the LTIP:

The Committee selected two metrics to measure the Company’s operating performance under the 20172018 performance-based awards: combined ratio (“CR”), and direct premiums written (“DPW”), each determined on the basis of statutory accounting principles used by insurance companies (including the Company) in filings made with state regulatory authorities. Direct premiums written are gross premiums written minus assumed premiums written (for mandatory pooling arrangements). Combined ratio is a standard industry profitability measure and is calculated as the sum of: 1) incurred losses divided by net premiums earned; 2) underwriting

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The Committee selected these measures as they were deemed to be significant performance benchmarks for insurance companies, including the Company.

Relative Weighting of Performance Measures for each Executive.The relative weighting for each of the performance measures is evaluated annually based on market factors and determined by the Committee. The table below represents the relative weighting for the 20172018 performance awards to executives:

Calculation of Earned Amounts under the Performance Awards. Following the end of the applicable performance period, the Committee will determine the percentage of the target award earned (the “Earned Value”) as follows:

Step 1: Application of Threshold Basis Points Concept to Calculation of Awards. In designing the performance-based award under the LTIP, the Committee recognized that the Company had demonstrated outstanding operating performance and consistently outperformed the workers’ compensation industry, including the peer companies listed above. As a consequence, the Committee’s award design considered this historical performance when determining the level of performance that would result in maximum payout under the performance-based awards. The Committee incorporated the concept of threshold basis points (“TBP”) into the calculation of the Earned Value. TBP is the amount by which the Company’s performance for each measure must exceed the results of the performance peer group for the payout of that measure to equal two times the target level (as noted above, the overall award is limited to 150% of the target award value). TBP is expressed in basis points (“BP”). The first step in the calculation of the Earned Value is to compare the performance of the Company over the performance period to that of the 22 companies in the peer group for the applicable performance and to determine whether the TBP level for each measure has been achieved. For example, the TBP for each measure in the 20172018 performance awards were as follows:

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Step 2: Reduction Based on Total Shareholder Return. Following a determination of the payout level based on the metrics described above, the payout is then reduced if the total shareholder return (“TSR”) of the Company is more than 500 basis points lower than the total shareholder return of 50% of the S&P Property Casualty Insurance Small Cap Index and 50% of the S&P Property & Casualty Insurance Mid Cap Index over the three-year period. The TSR measure cannot increase payouts under the awards, but is only used to reduce the payout when the Company TSR lags the index by more than 500 basis points. The TSR measure operates as a third metric in the award design and reduces the payout factor 37.5 points for every 500 BP of underperformance. The Committee believes this negative weighting aligns the interests of shareholders with that of our executive officers.

Step 3: Conversion of Earned Value to Shares of Common Stock. After determination of the Earned Value under each performance award, payment is made in shares of common stock (rounded to the nearest whole share) equal to (a) the Earned Value under the award divided by (b) the volume weighted trading price per share of common stock for the 10 trading days immediately preceding the date the value of the award is approved by the Committee (after the expiration of the three-year vesting period).

Payout of the 20142015 – 20162017 Performance Awards.The following table sets forth the performance measures established under the performance awards for the 20142015 – 20162017 performance period, and the results achieved. The shares of common stock earned under this award were issued in May 2017.2018.

The following tables set forth the applicable target values and weighting of performance measures, as well as the final payout, under the performance award for the 2014-20162015-2017 performance periods for each named executive officer, other than Mr. Fuller and Ms. Shirley who did not receive performance awards in 2014:2015:

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Current Estimates of Potential Payout Value of Outstanding Performance Awards.The following table shows the estimated potential payout “value” of the performance-based awards granted in 2015, 2016, 2017 and 20172018 as of September 30, 2017,2018, which is the most current information available to the Company. These estimated values are presented for information purposes only, as the actual payout values will be determined following the end of the respective performance periods and will be impacted by the Company’s performance during the remainder of the performance periods.

Because of the timing of when information becomes available regarding the peer group performance, the Committee expects awards for the 2015-20172016-2018 performance period will be determined late in the second quarter of 2018.2019.

Employee Benefits.We do not provide our executives or other employees with defined benefit pensions, supplemental retirement benefits, post-retirement payments or deferred compensation programs. We do provide a 401(k) defined contribution plan that is available to all employees. We match 50% of employee contributions up to 6% of compensation for participating employees, subject to limitations under applicable law. Our executives and other employees are fully vested in Company contributions under this plan after five years. We also provide health, life and other insurance benefits to our executives on the same basis as our other full-time employees.

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of cash severance payments paid in monthly installments and continued health benefits for a period of 12 months (18 months for our chief executive officer), in the event that an executive’s employment is terminated by us without cause or by the executive under certain circumstances. The cash severance payment for the covered executives (other than our chief executive officer) is an amount equal to the officer’s then current annual base salary plus the average of the three most recent annual incentive bonuses received by the executive. For our chief executive officer, the cash severance payment is one andone-half times the amount described in the preceding sentence. These employment agreements also provide that the terminated executive will not engage in activities that are competitive with our business for 12 months (18 months for our chief executive officer). For additional information regarding the employment agreements with our executives, see“Employment Agreements” below.

The LTIP awards partially vest upon death, disability, retirement (for performance-based awards only) or a termination of employment without cause or for good reason following a change in control of the Company. These awards do not vest solely upon a change in control. The partial vesting is still conditioned upon the performance measures. To qualify for partial vesting upon retirement, an executive officer must be at least age 60, have 10 or more years of service with the Company and not have accepted a substantial employment or consulting arrangement with another company engaged in the workers’ compensation insurance industry.

The Committee believes that these benefits are necessary and appropriate in order to attract and retain qualified executive officers as these benefits are generally made available by other companies. In addition, the Committee recognizes that it may be difficult for our executive officers to find comparable employment in a short period of time. Therefore these benefits, particularly the severance payments, address a valid concern, making an executive position with our Company more attractive. These issues are particularly significant to us, given that our corporate headquarters is not located in a major metropolitan area and it is unlikely that our executives could secure comparable employment without relocating to another city. The Company does not provide excise taxgross-ups under any change in control arrangement.

Executive Perquisites.Executive compensation also includes a limited number of perquisites that have historically been provided to our executives and that the Committee believes enhance our ability to attract and retain qualified executives. These perquisites include car allowances, disability insurance and reimbursement for annual medical examinations. Our executive officers are also permitted to accrue unused vacation on a more favorable basis than that available to other Company employees. Our executive officers are permitted to accrue up to 200 hours of vacation, a limit slightly higher than the 180 hour maximum available to employees with more than ten years of service. The Committee believes that this policy is appropriate given that the management responsibilities of our executive officers often do not permit them the flexibility to use their vacation time on an annual basis. The Company does not provide taxgross-ups on these perquisites or additional benefits. For additional information regarding perquisites provided to our executives, see “Executive Compensation—All Other Compensation.”

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Stock Ownership Guidelines.The Committee has approved stock ownership guidelines for our executive officers. The target ownership for our chief executive officer is a dollar amount equal to three times her average base salary and annual incentive bonus for the three immediately preceding calendar years. The target ownership for each of our other executive officers is a dollar amount equal to two times their average base salary for the three immediately preceding calendar years (or, if less, all complete calendar years employed by the Company). All forms of Company equity, whether vested or unvested, including common stock, restricted stock, and stock options, are counted for purposes of determining compliance with the ownership guidelines.

In determining whether an executive meets the applicable guideline, the value of shares of common stock, including restricted stock and shares purchased by executives in the open market, is based on the closing price of our common stock on the last trading day of the most recent calendar year. In addition, the value of stock options is equal to the greater of (a) the value of the award on the grant date calculated in accordance with the Black-Scholes-Merton option pricing model, and (b) the difference between the applicable exercise price and the closing price of our common stock on the last trading day of the most recent calendar year.

Until an executive officer meets the ownership target provided under the guidelines, he or she is required to retain all shares received under the Company’s compensation plans, except for shares sold to pay the exercise price, if any, and to satisfy tax obligations. After an executive meets the applicable guideline, he or she is required to retain 20% of any shares obtained as the result of exercising a stock option, vesting of a restricted stock award or payout of an LTIP performance award, net of shares sold to pay the exercise price, if any, and to satisfy tax obligations.

The following table sets forth for each current executive officer the applicable stock ownership guideline and equity ownership as of December 31, 2017,2018, measured in dollars, using the guideline methodology described above. As noted in the table, each of our current executive officers exceeds his or her ownership guideline.

Internal Revenue Code Section 162(m). Section 162(m) of the Internal Revenue Code generally places a $1 million limit on the amount of compensation a company can deduct in any one year for certain executive officers. Until recent changes to the tax code, however, compensation that qualified as “performance-based” under Section 162(m) did not count against the $1.0 million deduction limit. The Committee’s policy in the past has been to structure compensation awards that will be deductible where doing so will further the purposes of our executive compensation programs, but to retain flexibility to design compensation programs that recognize a full range of criteria important to our success, even where compensation payable under the programs may not be fully deductible.

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to make appropriate executive compensation decisions annually, so that our executives receive a total compensation package that is both competitive, and has a significant portion of compensation at risk. The Committee recognizes the increase in the value of restricted stock awards is directly linked to an increase in shareholder return, and unvested awards are conditioned on continued employment. In addition, the payment under any performance-based awards is tied to the Company meeting or exceeding quantitative performance objectives. As a result, the Committee believes, as a general matter, that positive results with respect to prior incentive awards should not negatively impact future compensation decisions.

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COMPENSATION COMMITTEE REPORT

The Compensation Committee has reviewed and discussed with management the Compensation Discussion and Analysis. Based on that review and discussion, the Compensation Committee recommended to the Board of Directors of the Company that the Compensation Discussion and Analysis be included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form10-K for the year ended December 31, 20172018 and this proxy statement.

This report is submitted by the members of the Compensation Committee of the Board named below, who received, discussed with management and recommended that this Compensation Discussion and Analysis be included in the Company’s Annual Report.

Members of the Compensation Committee

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EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION

Summary Compensation Table

The following table provides information regarding the compensation of our chief executive officer, our chief financial officer and each of our other executive officers for the years ended December 31, 2018, 2017 2016 and 2015.2016.

Pursuant to SEC rules, the amounts shown in this column exclude the impact of estimated forfeitures related to service-based vestingtesting conditions. For additional information regarding the awards granted in 2017,2018, see “Compensation Discussion and Analysis—2017 Long-Term Incentive Compensation.”

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All Other Compensation

The following table provides information regarding each component of compensation included in the All Other Compensation column for 20172018 in the Summary Compensation Table above.

Employment Agreements

We have employment agreements with each of our executive officers. The term of each agreement is automatically extended for an additional consecutiveone-year period at expiration unless either party provides notice not to extend the term at least 30 days prior to the applicable expiration date.

The agreements provide for an annual base salary of not less than $400,000 for Ms. Frost, $300,000 for Mr. Fuller, $170,000 for Mr. Gagliano and $210,000 for Ms. Shirley. The executive officers are also eligible to participate in the Company’s incentive compensation plans and receive employee benefits provided to other executive officers of the Company.

Under the agreements with each of our executive officers, if we terminate their employment without cause, the terminated executive officer will be entitled to receive severance compensation consisting of cash paid in installments, and continued health benefits. The cash severance payment for the covered executives is paid monthly for a period of 12 months (18 months for Ms. Frost), in an amount equal to the officer’s then current annual base salary plus the average annual incentive award received by the executive in the prior three years. The calculation of severance benefits under the employment agreement with each of our executive officers excludes any long-term incentive based compensation.

An executive officer is deemed to have been terminated without cause if:

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Each of our executive officers has agreed not to compete with us or solicit our employees, agents or policyholders without our prior written consent while they are employed by us. If one of our executive officers is terminated by us without cause, the prohibition on engaging in competitive activities or soliciting our employees, agents or policyholders extends for a period of 12 months (18 months for Ms. Frost) after the date of termination. If an executive officer is terminated by us for cause, the executive officer terminates employment other than for one of the reasons specified above, or if an executive officer elects not to renew the term of the employment agreement, we have the option to extend the restriction on engaging in competitive or solicitation activities for a period of 12 months (18 months for Ms. Frost) after the date of termination ornon-renewal by (a) delivering a written notice to the executive officer within 180 days after termination ornon-renewal and (b) paying the executive officer the severance compensation provided under the employment agreement.

CEO Pay Ratio

For 2017,2018, the ratio of the annual total compensation of Ms. Frost, our President and Chief Executive Officer (“CEO Compensation”), to the median of the annual total compensation of all of our employees and those of our consolidated subsidiaries other than Ms. Frost (“Median Annual Compensation”) was 3330 to 1. We refer to the employee who received the Median Annual Compensation as the “Median Employee.”

This ratio is a reasonable estimate calculated in a manner consistent with Item 402(u) of RegulationS-K using the data and assumptions summarized below. The assumptions we used are specific to our company and our employee population. As a result, our pay ratio may not be comparable to the pay ratios of other companies.

CEO Compensation.CEO Compensation for 20172018 was$1,869,102.1,782,044. We calculated the CEO Compensation by totaling all applicable elements of compensation reported in the Summary Compensation Table.

Median Annual Compensation.Median Annual Compensation for 20172018 was $55,825.$58,695. We calculated the Median Annual Compensation by totaling all applicable elements of compensation for our Median Employee in accordance with Item 402(c)(2)(x) of RegulationS-K. We did not make anycost-of-living adjustments in identifying the Median Employee.

Determination Date and Measurement Period.We identified our Median Employee as of December 31, 20172018 (the “Determination Date”). We used the12-month period ended December 31, 20172018 as the compensation measurement period.

Employee Pool Used to Identify Median Employee.As of the Determination Date, we had 438429 employees. This number includes all full-time, part-time, seasonal and temporary employees of AMERISAFE and its subsidiaries. This number does not include any independent contractors or “leased” workers.

Compensation Used to Identify Median Employee.We used 20172018 taxable wages as reflected in our payroll records and as reported to the Internal Revenue Service on FormW-2 to identify our Median Employee.W-2 taxable wages include, among other things, salary, wages, bonuses and stock compensation.

Adjustments to Compensation.A portion of our permanent employee workforce (full-time and part-time) worked for less than the full year due to, among other things, commencing employment after the beginning of the year or taking an unpaid leave of absence. In determining our Median Employee, we annualized the total compensation for those individuals (but not for individuals in temporary or seasonal positions).

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Equity Incentive Plans

The AMERISAFE, Inc. 2012 Equity and Incentive Compensation Plan (the “Incentive Plan”) was approved by our shareholders and is administered by our Compensation Committee.

The Incentive Plan permits awards in the form of option rights, appreciation rights, restricted shares, restricted stock units, cash incentive awards, performance shares and units. Options granted under the Incentive Plan are required to have an exercise price of not less than the fair market value of our common stock on the grant date. The maximum number of shares of our common stock that may be issued pursuant to equity awards under the Incentive Plan is 500,000 shares. As of April 18, 2018, 346,45117, 2019, 343,147 shares of our common stock were available for further issuance under the Incentive Plan. See “Equity Compensation Plan Information.” It is our Company’s policy to award grants under our Incentive Plan only during periods in which the Company’s executives and other employees are normally permitted to buy and sell the Company’s securities under our Company’s securities trading policy.

Agreements evidencing awards may provide for a partial acceleration of vesting if a grantee’s employment is terminated by the Company without cause (as defined in the award agreement) or by the grantee for good reason (as defined in the award agreement) following a change in control of our Company. A change in control will be deemed to have occurred under the Incentive Plan if:

Grantees of time-based restricted stock and performance-based awards are entitled to accelerated vesting if the grantee’s employment is terminated in connection with a change in control or due to death or disability (or for performance-based awards only, due to retirement), in each case as defined in the award agreement, as follows:

In any event, a grantee of a performance-based award will only receive payment for an award after the performance period has ended and the awards are determined and paid to all other grantees.

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Grants of Plan-Based Awards

In 2017,2018, under our long-term incentive compensation program, each of our executive officers received performance-based awards. Additionally, in 20172018 each of our executive officers received annual incentive compensation awards. See “Compensation Discussion and Analysis—20172018 Compensation.” The following table contains information regarding grants of plan-based awards to our executive officers in the year ended December 31, 2017.2018. In this table, annual incentive compensation awards are abbreviated as “AIC,” and long-term performance-based incentive awards are abbreviated as “LTIP.”