20222023 Proxy Statement and

Notice of Annual Meeting of Stockholders

STEPAN COMPANY

NOTICE OF ANNUAL MEETING OF STOCKHOLDERS

To be held on April 26, 202225, 2023

at 9:00 a.m. (CDT)

To the Stockholders:

Notice is hereby given that the 20222023 Annual Meeting of Stockholders (the “Annual Meeting”) of Stepan Company (the “Company”) will be held at the Company’s offices at 1101 Skokie Boulevard, Northbrook, Illinois 60062, on Tuesday, April 26, 2022,25, 2023, at 9:00 a.m. (CDT), for the following purposes:

The Board of Directors has designated the close of business on March 4, 2022,3, 2023, as the record date for determining the holders of record of the Company’s Common Stock entitled to notice of and to vote at the meeting.

The Board of Directors extends a cordial invitation to all stockholders to attend the Annual Meeting. Whether or not you plan to attend the meeting, please mark, sign and mail the enclosed proxy card in the return envelope provided or vote by internet or phone as promptly as possible.

As a reminder, your broker may not vote your shares for non-routine matters such as the election of directors, the Say-on-Pay vote or the approval of the 2022 Equity Incentive Compensation PlanSay-on-Frequency vote without your specific instructions as to how to vote. Therefore, we urge you to provide your broker with voting instructions by returning your proxy card so your votes for all proposals can be counted.

Directions to the Annual Meeting are available at https://stepan.gcs-web.com/annual-meeting for those stockholders who plan to attend the Annual Meeting.

By order of the Board of Directors,

DAVID G. KABBES

Secretary

Northbrook, Illinois

March 25, 202220, 2023

Important Notice Regarding the Availability of Proxy Materials for the

Annual Meeting of Stockholders to Be Held on April 26, 202225, 2023

The Company’s Proxy Statement, 20212022 Annual Report to Stockholders and Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2021,2022, are available at http://www.edocumentview.com/SCL.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

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March 25, 202220, 2023

PROXY STATEMENT

For the Annual Meeting of Stockholders of

STEPAN COMPANY

1101 Skokie Boulevard

Northbrook, Illinois 60062

To be held at 9:00 a.m. (CDT) on April 26, 202225, 2023

INFORMATION CONCERNING SOLICITATION AND VOTING

The enclosed proxy is solicited by the Board of Directors, and the Company will bear the entire expense of solicitation. Such solicitation is being made by mail, and the Company’s officers and employees may solicit proxies from stockholders personally or by telephone, mail or other means. The Company will make arrangements with the brokers, custodians, nominees and other fiduciaries who request the forwarding of solicitation material to the beneficial owners of shares of the Company’s stock held of record by such brokers, custodians, nominees and other fiduciaries, and the Company will reimburse them for their reasonable out-of-pocket expenses. This proxy statement and proxy are first being distributed to stockholders commencing on or about March 25, 2022.20, 2023.

At the close of business on March 4, 2022,3, 2023, the record date for the meeting, there were 22,423,07622,306,611 shares of the Company’s Common Stock (“Common Stock”) outstanding, each share of which is entitled to one vote on each matter to be voted on at the meeting. The required quorum at the Annual Meeting is a majority of the outstanding shares of the Company’s Common Stock as of the record date.

If you submit your proxy but abstain from voting on one or more matters, your shares will be counted as present at the meeting for the purposes of determining a quorum. You may revoke your proxy by attending the meeting and voting in person or by delivering to the Secretary of the Company a revocation of the proxy or an executed new proxy bearing a later date.

You may vote “FOR,” “AGAINST” or “ABSTAIN” on each of the nominees for the Board of Directors andDirectors. You may vote “ONE YEAR,” “TWO YEARS,” “THREE YEARS” or “ABSTAIN” on the Say-on-Frequency vote. You may vote “FOR,” “AGAINST” or “ABSTAIN” on each of the other proposals. If you vote to “ABSTAIN” with respect to a nominee for the Board of Directors, or a proposal, your abstention will not be included in the vote totals and will not affect the outcome of the vote. If you vote to “ABSTAIN” with respect to any proposal other than the Say-on-Frequency vote, your abstention will have the effect of a vote against the proposal.

For any other business that may properly come before the meeting, votes will be cast pursuant to the authority granted by the enclosed proxy in accordance with the best judgment of the individuals acting under the proxy. The Board of Directors is not currently aware of any other business that may come before the meeting.

If you submit your proxy but abstain from voting on one or more matters, your shares will be counted as present at the meeting for the purposes of determining a quorum. In tabulating the voting results for any particular proposal, abstentions have the same effect as votes against the matter (except in the case of director elections, in which abstentions have no effect). You may revoke your proxy by attending the meeting and voting in person or by delivering to the Secretary of the Company a revocation of the proxy or an executed new proxy bearing a later date.

If you hold your shares in street name and do not provide voting instructions to your broker, custodian, nominee or other fiduciary, your shares will not be voted on any non-routine matters and will be considered “broker non-votes.” Non-routine matters include the election of directors, the Say-on-Pay vote and the Equity Incentive Compensation PlanSay-on-Frequency vote. Your broker may vote your shares without instruction on the ratification of the appointment of the Company’s independent registered public accounting firm. Broker

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non-votes will be counted as present at the meeting for the purpose of determining a quorum.quorum but will not be included in the vote totals for non-routine matters and will not affect the outcome of those votes. Please instruct your broker or bank so your vote can be counted on all proposals.

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PROPOSAL NO. 1: ELECTION OF DIRECTORS

Stockholders and the persons named in the enclosed proxy will vote, pursuant to the authority granted by the stockholder in the enclosed proxy, on the election of Mr. Scott R. Behrens, Ms. Lorinda A. BurgessDr. Joaquin Delgado and Mr. Edward J. WehmerF. Quinn Stepan, Jr. as directors of the Company, to hold office until the Annual Meeting of Stockholders to be held in 2025.2026. The Board of Directors is divided into three classes serving staggered three-year terms. Directors for each class are elected at the annual meeting of stockholders in the year in which the term for their class expires. The Board of Directors has nominated Mr. Behrens, currently President and Chief Operating Officer of the Company, for election to the Board of Directors in connection with his appointment as President and Chief Executive Officer of the Company effective on April 25, 2022. Ms. BurgessDr. Delgado and Mr. WehmerStepan are current directors whose terms expire in 2022. Ms. Burgess was elected by the Board of Directors on January 27, 2021.2023. Dr. Delgado and Mr. Wehmer wasStepan were last elected by the Company’s stockholders at the 20192020 Annual Meeting. The nominations of Mr. Behrens, Ms. BurgessDr. Delgado and Mr. WehmerStepan have each been reviewed and recommended by the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee and the Board of Directors.

Mr. Michael R. Boyce, a current director whose term also expires in 2022, has decided not to seek re-election. Mr. Boyce was first elected as a director in 2010. The Board of Directors and the Company wish to thank Mr. Boyce for the valuable leadership and guidance he has provided in his 12 years of service as a director.

In the event any of Mr. Behrens, Ms. BurgessDr. Delgado or Mr. WehmerStepan is unable to serve as director, votes will be cast, pursuant to the authority granted in the proxy, for such person or persons as may be designated by the Board of Directors. The Board of Directors at this time is not aware of any nominee who is or will be unable to serve as director, if elected.

Under the Company’s Amended and Restated By-laws, in an uncontested election directors are elected by a majority of the votes cast by stockholders. An uncontested election of directors means an election for which the number of nominees does not exceed the number of directors to be elected at the specific election. Because threetwo directors are to be elected, and Mr. Behrens, Ms. BurgessDr. Delgado and Mr. WehmerStepan are the sole nominees, this election is uncontested, and therefore the nominees must receive a majority of votes cast by stockholders to be elected.

Nominees for Director

The following table sets forth certain information about the nominees for director:

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PROPOSAL: The Board of Directors recommends that the stockholders vote FOR the election of Dr. Delgado and Mr. Stepan to the Board of Directors, each for a three-year term.

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Continuing Directors Whose Terms Are Not Expiring

The following table sets forth certain information about those directors who are not up for election:

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SECURITY OWNERSHIP

Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners

As of March 4, 2022,3, 2023, the following persons were the only persons known to the Company to beneficially own more than five percent of the Company’s Common Stock, other than members of the Company’s Board of Directors or management, whose ownership is set forth in the table below:

Security Ownership of the Board of Directors and Management

The following table sets forth, as of March 4, 2022,3, 2023, the security ownership of each executive officer listed in the Summary Compensation Table in this proxy statement, each director and nominee for director, and all currently serving directors and executive officers as a group. The address for each

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director, nominee for director, and executive officer is c/o Stepan Company, 1101 Skokie Boulevard, Northbrook, Illinois 60062.

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Equity Compensation Plan Information

The following table provides information as of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the “Exchange Act”) and the rules thereunder requireDecember 31, 2022, about the Company’s executive officers, directors, and persons who own more than ten percentsecurities that may be issued under the Company’s existing equity compensation plans, all of the Common Stock, to file reports of beneficial ownership and changes in beneficial ownership of Common Stock with the SEC. Based solely upon a review of such reports filed with the SEC and written representations from certain reporting persons, the Company believes that all such required reportswhich have been timely filed, other than reports dueapproved by Mr. Jason Keiper, Mr. Sean Moriarty, Mr. Arthur Mergner, Mr. Luis Rojo and Ms. Debra Stefaniak reporting shares acquired under a Company compensation plan as the result of performance shares vesting on February 15, 2022, which forms were inadvertently filed late due to administrative error.stockholders:

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CERTAIN RELATIONSHIPS AND RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS

Policies and Procedures for Approving Related Person Transactions

The Company has adopted a written policy entitled “Stepan Company Related Party Transaction Policy and Procedures.” The policy was initially approved by the Audit Committee of the Board of Directors in February 2007, has been annually reviewed by the Audit Committee and was last amended in April 2021 (“Related Party Transaction Policy”). This policy applies to material transactions (“Related Party Transactions”) involving the Company and a Related Party, which is defined as a person or entity who is a Company executive officer, director, nominee for election as a director, beneficial owner of five percent or more of the Company’s Common Stock, or immediate family member of these persons, or any entity for which any of the foregoing persons is an executive officer, general partner, managing member, principal or greater than five percent beneficial owner. The Related Party Transaction Policy states that the Company will consummate a Related Party Transaction only when the Audit Committee approves the transaction after considering the factors set forth in the Related Party Transaction Policy. If advance Audit Committee approval of a Related Party Transaction is not feasible, then the Company may preliminarily enter into the transaction upon prior approval by the Chair of the Audit Committee, subject to ratification of the transaction by the Audit Committee at its next regularly scheduled meeting. No director may participate in the approval of a Related Party Transaction for which he or she is a Related Party.

The factors considered by the Audit Committee in its evaluation of a Related Party Transaction include the relevant facts and circumstances of the proposed Related Party Transaction, whether the Related Party Transaction is on terms comparable to those that could be obtained in arm’s-length dealings with an unrelated third party, the extent of the related party’s interest in the transaction and the conflicts of interest and corporate opportunity provisions of the Company’s Code of Conduct.

Transactions with Related Persons, Promoters and Certain Control Persons

Mr. Richard Stepan, brother of F. Quinn Stepan, Jr., Chairman of the Board, is a current officer of the Company. Mr. Richard Stepan is neither a director ornor a nominee for director. As an employee of the Company, Mr. Richard Stepan receives a base salary, short-term and long-term incentive compensation as appropriate for his position and other regular and customary employee benefits generally available to all Company employees, and is eligible for other limited perquisites available to employees at his level within the organization. For 2021,2022, Mr. Richard Stepan was paid a salary of $300,000,$315,000, short-term incentive compensation of $179,265$347,235 and a long-term incentive compensation award of stock options, SARs and performance shares with a target value of $450,000. Mr. Richard Stepan also participated in other regular and customary employee benefit programs generally available to all Company employees. The Audit Committee approved the Company’s employment of Mr. Richard Stepan pursuant to the Related Party Transaction Policy and procedures described above.

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CORPORATE GOVERNANCE PRINCIPLES AND BOARD MATTERS

Corporate Governance Guidelines and Code of Conduct

The Company is committed to having sound corporate governance principles and has adopted Corporate Governance Guidelines and a Code of Conduct to maintain those principles. The Company’s Code of Conduct applies to all of the Company’s directors, officers and employees, including the Company’s Chairman and Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer. The Company’s Corporate Governance Guidelines and Code of Conduct are available at https://stepan.gcs-web.com/corporate-governance/highlights. Stockholders may also request free printed copies of the Company’s Corporate Governance Guidelines and Code of Conduct by contacting the Company’s Secretary at Stepan Company, Secretary’s Office, 1101 Skokie Boulevard, Northbrook, Illinois 60062.

Board Committees

The Board of Directors has four standing committees: the Audit Committee, the Compensation and DevelopmentCompliance Committee, the ComplianceHuman Capital and Compensation Committee, and the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee, each composed entirely of independent directors. The charter of each committee is available at https://stepan.gcs-web.com/corporate-governance/highlights.

Audit Committee

The primary functions of the Audit Committee are to (a) assist the Board of Directors in fulfilling its oversight responsibilities to stockholders, the investment community and creditors in relation to (i) the quality and integrity of the Company’s financial statements, (ii) the adequacy of the Company’s internal control over financial reporting, (iii) the Company’s compliance with legal and regulatory requirements (in coordination with the Compliance Committee), (iv) the registered public accounting firm’s qualifications and independence, and (v) the performance of the independent auditors and the Company’s internal audit function; and (b) prepare the Audit Committee report included in each proxy statement. The responsibilities of the Audit Committee include annual selection and engagement of the Company’s independent registered public accounting firm, review of the proposed fees and scope of work of the independent registered public accounting firm’s year-end audit, review with the Company’s independent registered public accounting firm of the results of the year-end audits of the Company’s financial statements and internal control over financial reporting, review of the Company’s financial statements with the Company’s independent registered public accounting firm prior to the Company’s filing of each quarterly report on Form 10-Q and annual report on Form 10-K, review of findings reported by the Company’s internal audit department and management’s responses, review of the internal audit program of the Company and review, approval or disapproval of Related Party Transactions pursuant to the Company’s Related Party Transaction Policy and review of the Company’s risk assessment and risk management policies and procedures, including those relating to the Company’s enterprise risks, financial risks and information security risks. The Audit Committee held fivefour meetings in 2021.2022.

The Audit Committee is comprised of Mr. Boyce, Ms. Burgess (Chair), Mr. Dearth, Dr. Delgado, Mr. Lawton, Ms. Reed and Mr. Wehmer, (Chair), all of whom are financially literate and are independent directors in accordance with the rules of the New York Stock Exchange and the SEC and as described below under “Director Independence.” Mr. Boyce has not been re-nominated as a director and will not stand for re-election at the Annual Meeting. The Board of Directors has determined that each of Ms. Burgess and Mr. Wehmer qualifies as an audit committee financial expert within the meaning of SEC regulations.

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regulatory requirements, as well as (b) compliance with its business ethics policies and Code of Conduct. The Compliance Committee held four meetings in 2022.

The Compliance Committee is comprised of Ms. Burgess, Mr. Dearth, Dr. Delgado, Mr. Lawton, Ms. Reed (Chair) and Mr. Wehmer, all of whom are independent directors in accordance with the rules of the New York Stock Exchange and as described below under “Director Independence.”

Human Capital and Compensation Committee

The Human Capital and Compensation Committee was called the Compensation and Development Committee until February 15, 2023. The primary functions of the Human Capital and Compensation Committee are to (a) establish and administer the Company’s policies, programs and procedures for compensating its executive management and (b) provide advice and counsel to the Company regarding executive development and succession planning. The responsibilities of the CompensationHuman Capital and DevelopmentCompensation Committee include reviewing and setting or recommending the compensation of the Company’s executive officers, recommending and administering cash-based and equity-based incentive compensation plans, reviewing and recommending director compensation, reviewing and recommending the Company’s Compensation Discussion and Analysis included in each proxy statement, and preparing the CompensationHuman Capital and DevelopmentCompensation Committee Report included in each proxy statement. The CompensationHuman Capital and DevelopmentCompensation Committee also reviews and advises management regarding the Company’s human capital management, including culture, diverse representation, inclusion and pay equity strategies, programs and initiatives. The CompensationHuman Capital and DevelopmentCompensation Committee held fourthree meetings in 2021.2022.

The CompensationHuman Capital and DevelopmentCompensation Committee is comprised of Mr. Boyce, Ms. Burgess, Mr. Dearth, Dr. Delgado, Mr. Lawton (Chair), Ms. Reed and Mr. Wehmer, all of whom are independent directors in accordance with the rules of the New York Stock Exchange and the SEC and as described below under “Director Independence.” Mr. Boyce has not been re-nominated as a director and will not stand for re-election at the Annual Meeting.

Compliance Committee

The primary functions of the Compliance Committee are to assist the Board in fulfilling its oversight responsibilities with respect to (a) the Company’s overall compliance with significant legal and regulatory requirements, as well as (b) compliance with its business ethics policies and Code of Conduct. The Compliance Committee held four meetings in 2021.

The Compliance Committee is comprised of Mr. Boyce, Ms. Burgess, Mr. Dearth, Dr. Delgado, Mr. Lawton, Ms. Reed (Chair) and Mr. Wehmer, all of whom are independent directors in accordance with the rules of the New York Stock Exchange and as described below under “Director Independence.” Mr. Boyce has not been re-nominated as a director and will not stand for re-election at the Annual Meeting.

Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee

The primary functions of the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee are to (a) identify individuals qualified to become board members and recommend the director nominees for election at each annual meeting of stockholders, (b) develop and recommend the Company’s Corporate Governance Guidelines, (c) oversee the evaluation of the Board of Directors and (d) recommend the members for each Board committee. In addition, the responsibilities of the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee include making recommendations to the Board on corporate governance matters and the Board’s structure. The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee held fourthree meetings in 2021.2022.

The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee is comprised of Mr. Boyce (Chair), Ms. Burgess, Mr. Dearth, Dr. Delgado (Chair), Mr. Lawton, Ms. Reed and Mr. Wehmer, all of whom are independent directors in accordance with the rules of the New York Stock Exchange and as described below under “Director Independence.” Mr. Boyce has not been re-nominated as a director and will not stand for re-election at the Annual Meeting.

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any director, the assessment results are also discussed at Executive Sessions of the non-management directors and at Executive Sessions of the independent directors. This assessment evaluates the Board of Directors’ composition and contribution as a whole to the Company and reviews areas in which the Board of Directors and/or management believes a stronger contribution could be made. The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee is also responsible for evaluating the performance of current members of the Board of Directors at the time they are considered for re-nomination to the Board of Directors.

Board Meetings and Attendance

During 2021,2022, the Board of Directors held sevenfive meetings. During 2021,2022, all of the directors attended more than 75% of the total number of meetings of the Board of Directors and the meetings of committees of the Board of Directors of which each director was a member. While all directors are encouraged to attend, the Company does not have a formal policy requiring attendance at the Company’s annual meeting of stockholders. Due to COVID-19-related precautions, Mr. Stepan was the only director whoAll directors attended the 20212022 Annual Meeting of Stockholders.Stockholders in person or via remote communication. The Company currently expects that all directors and nominees will attend the 20222023 Annual Meeting.

Director Nomination Process

The Corporate Governance Guidelines contain the Board of Directors membership criteria that apply to nominees recommended by the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee for a position on the Board of Directors. Under these criteria, members of the Board of Directors should possess qualities that include strength of character, an inquiring and independent mind, practical wisdom and mature judgment. In addition to these qualities, director nominees should also possess recognized achievement, an ability to contribute to some aspect of the Company’s business, and the willingness to make the commitment of time and effort required of a director. The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee’s process for identifying and evaluating director nominees includes recommendations by stockholders, non-management directors and executive officers, a review and background check of specific candidates, an assessment of the candidate’s independence under the director independence standards described below, and interviews of director candidates by the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee.

It is the policy of the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee to consider candidates recommended by stockholders for membership on the Board of Directors. The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee’s evaluation of a nominee recommended by a stockholder would consider the general criteria and required information previously described in this section, and any other factors the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee deems relevant. Any stockholder recommendation proposed for consideration by the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee must comply with the requirements set forth in the Company’s By-laws. Among other things, a stockholder must give written notice containing the information required by the Company’s By-laws to the Secretary of the Company at Stepan Company, Secretary’s Office, 1101 Skokie Boulevard, Northbrook, Illinois 60062. The deadline to submit a director recommendation for the 20232024 Annual Meeting of Stockholders is set forth in the “2023“2024 Stockholder Proposals and Director Nominations” section below.

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Board Diversity

The following charts summarize the current composition of the Board of Directors:

In accordance with the Company’s Corporate Governance Guidelines, when identifying director nominees, the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee and the Board of Directors consider a broad definition of diversity. This definition includes, but is not limited to, diversity of professional, technical, operational, international and financial experience, skills and characteristics. In addition, the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee and the Board will consider demographics such as age, race, ethnicity, gender and sexual orientation. The Board has also considered experience related to the Company’s business and industry. If the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee utilizes an outside search firm to identify director nominees, it instructs the search firm to consider broadly-defined diversity in identifying potential nominees.

As the Company has grown, the composition of the Board has evolved. In addition to adding valuable expertise and experience, the Company’s fourfive most recently appointed directors added diversity with respect to age, ethnicity and gender to the Board. For example, two of the Board’s two most recently appointed directors, Jan Stern Reed, who is Chair of the Board’s Compliance Committee, and Lorinda Burgess, who is Chair of the Board’s Audit Committee, brought gender diversity to the Board. Ms. Burgess and Joaquin Delgado also added ethnic diversity to the Board. The Company sees tremendous value in having diversity of experience, skills, characteristics and demographics on the Board.

Director Independence

For purposes of determining director independence, the Company uses the New York Stock Exchange director independence standards. No director qualifies as “independent” unless the Board of Directors affirmatively determines that the director has no material relationship with the Company (either directly or as a partner, shareholder or officer of an organization that has a relationship with the Company). In addition, a director is not independent if:

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Under the New York Stock Exchange rules and the Company’s Corporate Governance Guidelines, at least a majority of the Company’s directors and each member of the Audit Committee, CompensationCompliance Committee, Human Capital and Development Committee, ComplianceCompensation Committee and Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee must meet the independence standards set forth above. The Board of Directors has determined that each of Ms. Burgess, Mr. Dearth, Dr. Delgado, Mr. Lawton, Ms. Reed and Mr. Wehmer is independent under the standards set forth above. The Board of Directors also determined that Mr. Boyce, who served as a director during 2021 but who will not stand for re-election at the Annual Meeting, is independent under the standards set forth above. In addition, the Board of Directors has determined that each of the members of the standing committees satisfies the Company’s independence standards, including the additional independence standards and financial literacy requirements required for audit committee members and compensation committee members, as applicable, established by SEC and New York Stock Exchange rules. Mr. Stepan is not deemed independent under the rules of the New York Stock Exchange because he currently servesserved as the Chairman and Chief Executive Officeran employee of the Company.Company until April 25, 2022. Mr. Behrens is not deemed independent under the rules of the New York Stock Exchange because he currently serves as the President and Chief OperatingExecutive Officer of the Company, and will be the President and Chief Executive Officer at the time of his election to the Board.Company.

In making independence determinations, the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee, with assistance from the Company’s legal counsel, evaluated responses to a questionnaire completed annually by each director regarding relationships and possible conflicts of interest between each director, the Company and management. In its review of director independence, the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee considered the commercial, industrial, banking, consulting, legal, accounting, charitable, and familial relationships any director may have with the Company or management. In addition, the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee considered any relationships between the Company and entities for which any director serves as management or a member of the board of directors. The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee recommended, and the Board of Directors approved, that the sevensix directors named above be considered independent.

Board Leadership Structure

The Board of Directors regularly reviews its leadership structure in light of the Company’s then-current needs, trends, internal assessments of Board effectiveness, and other factors. The Board does not have a policy regarding the separation of the roles of Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board because the Board believes it is in the best interests of the Company to make that determination based on the position and direction of the Company and the membership of the Board.

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Mr. Stepan, will becomewho served as the non-executiveCompany’s Chief Executive Officer until April 25, 2022, continues to serve as Chairman of the Board andBoard. Mr. Behrens currently President and Chief Operating Officer of the Company, will become President andsucceeded Mr. Stepan as Chief Executive Officer onand is a member of the same date.Board.

The Board believes that Mr. Stepan’s experience puts him in the best position to provide broad leadership for the Board as Chairman as the Board works to deliver value to stockholders. Mr. Stepan possesses extensive knowledge and understanding of the Company and its operations, strategic planning matters, and the industry in general, developed during his over 30-year career with the Company.

ToBecause Mr. Stepan is not deemed independent, the Board has elected Mr. Wehmer as Lead Independent Director to aid the Board of Directors’ independent oversight of the Company and management, the Board has elected Mr. Wehmer as Lead Independent Director.management. The Board believes that the election of the Lead Independent Director enhances the Board’s commitment to maintaining strong corporate governance and provides effective independent Board leadership. Among other responsibilities, the Lead Independent Director presides at all Executive Sessions of the independent directors, advises the Chairman on Board meeting schedules, agendas and materials, and serves as principal liaison between the independent directors and the Chairman. In addition, prior to Mr. Stepan’s retirement, theThe Lead Independent Director, in consultation with the chairs of the CompensationHuman Capital and DevelopmentCompensation Committee and the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee, also leads the process for the evaluation of the Chief Executive Officer.

In addition, the independent directors regularly meet in Executive Sessions without the Chairman, andthe Chief Executive Officer orand other members of management present in accordance with the Company’s Corporate Governance Guidelines.

Risk Management

The Board of Directors takes an active role in overseeing the Company’s financial and non-financial risks. The Audit Committee, which is chaired by Mr. Wehmer,Ms. Burgess, leads the Board’s oversight of Company risks. The Audit Committee reviews the Company’s risk assessment and risk management policies and procedures, including those relating to the Company’s enterprise risks, financial risks and information security risks. The Audit Committee receives reports from the Company’s Director of Internal Audit, the Chief Financial Officer, and the General Counsel, all of whom are responsible for various aspects of the Company’s risk management. The Director of Internal Audit reports directly to the Audit Committee. The Audit Committee also meets with the Company’s external auditors separately from management.

The Compensation and Development Committee, which is chaired by Mr. Lawton, takes the lead role in overseeing the management of risks as they relate to the Company’s compensation policies and practices. During 2021, the Compensation and Development Committee reviewed these compensation policies and practices and did not identify any risks that are reasonably likely to have a material adverse effect on the Company.

The Compliance Committee, which is chaired by Ms. Reed, oversees risk assessment and risk mitigation related to matters within the Compliance Committee’s oversight responsibilities, which may include environmental protection, employee health, safety and security, data privacy, employment, anti-bribery and anti-corruption, product quality compliance, and ethics and compliance training.

The Human Capital and Compensation Committee, which is chaired by Mr. Lawton, takes the lead role in overseeing the management of risks as they relate to the Company’s compensation policies and practices. During 2022, the Human Capital and Compensation Committee reviewed these compensation policies and practices and did not identify any risks that are reasonably likely to have a material adverse effect on the Company.

Executive Sessions

The Company’s Corporate Governance Guidelines require Executive Sessions of independent directors to be held at least once per year. Any independent director can request that additional

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the independent directors and chaired by Mr. Wehmer in his capacity as Lead Independent Director. In addition, Executive Sessions without management were also held after many Board committee meetings during 20212022 and were chaired by the respective chairs of the Board committees.

Communication with the Board

A stockholder may communicate with the Board of Directors by writing c/o Secretary’s Office, Stepan Company, 1101 Skokie Boulevard, Northbrook, Illinois 60062. Mail addressed to a specific director or Board committee will be delivered to that director or Board committee. The Secretary initially reviews all correspondence to directors and delivers the correspondence to the addressee, as appropriate. Correspondence that is unrelated to the duties and responsibilities of the Board will not be distributed to the Board, including spam, product complaints or inquiries, new product suggestions, resumes or job inquiries, advertisements or any inappropriate communications.

Compensation Committee Interlocks and Insider Participation

The members of the Company’s CompensationHuman Capital and DevelopmentCompensation Committee in 20212022 were Mr. Boyce,Ms. Burgess, Mr. Dearth, Dr. Delgado, Mr. Lawton (Chair), Ms. Reed and Mr. Wehmer. Michael R. Boyce also served as a member of the Human Capital and Compensation Committee until his term as a director ended on April 26, 2022. None of the members of the CompensationHuman Capital and DevelopmentCompensation Committee during 20212022 were at any time an officer or employee of the Company nor did any member participate in a Related Party Transaction. In 2021,2022, none of the Company’s executive officers served as a member of the compensation committee of another entity, or as a director of another entity, one of whose executive officers served on the CompensationHuman Capital and DevelopmentCompensation Committee or as one of the Company’s directors.

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EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION

Compensation Discussion and Analysis

Summary of Executive Compensation in 20212022

In 2021,2022, the Company and the CompensationHuman Capital and DevelopmentCompensation Committee of the Board of Directors (the “Committee”) applied the compensation policies and principles described in this Compensation Discussion and Analysis in determining the compensation for the individuals named in the Summary Compensation Table. Those individuals are referred to herein as the named executive officers (“NEOs”). The NEOs for 20212022 were:

Significant Achievements and Developments in 20212022

Record Company Performance

Key Developments Impacting Executive Compensation

¹ Adjusted net income is a financial measure that has not been calculated pursuant to U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”). See Appendix A for further discussion and a reconciliation of this non-GAAP financial measure to net income, the most directly comparable GAAP reconciliation.financial measure.

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Role of the Committee and Executives in Establishing Executive Compensation

The Committee determines the compensation of the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. The Chairman and Chief Executive Officer and Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer make recommendations to the Committee regarding compensation for all other executive officers, including the NEOs, other than with respect to their own compensation. The Committee then reviews these recommendations and approves the final compensation for all executive officers. All recommendations made to the Committee and all determinations made by the Committee are based upon the Company’s policies and guidelines and other relevant factors outlined in the “Compensation Peer Group and Survey Data” and “Elements of Compensation” sections below.

Advisory Vote on Executive Compensation

The advisory vote in 20212022 was the eleventhtwelfth consecutive year that the Company’s Say-on-Pay vote was supported by its stockholders with the approval of more than 96% of the votes cast at the annual meeting of stockholders. As discussed above, the Company’s advisory Say-on-Pay vote was supported by 99% of votes cast at the Company’s 2022 Annual Meeting. The Committee acknowledges and values the feedback from the Company’s stockholders on the annual Say-on-Pay vote and believes that these results demonstrate stockholder support of the Company’s executive compensation programs. As a result of the strong stockholder support for the 2021 2022 Say-on-Pay vote, the Committee determined that the Company’s compensation practices and processes did not require any significant modifications to achieve the desired results of the Company’s compensation program or to address stockholder concerns.concerns and therefore did not make any changes as a direct result of such vote results. The Committee will continue to consider the outcome of these advisory votes when determining future executive compensation arrangements.

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Executive Pay Mix

The Company targets a total compensation mix where fixed pay, consisting of base salary, is less than half of the total compensation that any NEO or executive officer may earn in any given year. The combined mix of both short-term and long-term incentives for executive officer compensation is structured to encourage the necessary focus and motivation to achieve outstanding results on an ongoing basis, both in the short term and long term. In addition, the combined focus on both short-term and long-term objectives is designed to align executive officers’ and stockholders’ interests. Short-term incentives for executive officers are based on individual and Company performance. Long-term incentives for executive officers are based only on Company performance. The Company’s total compensation targets assume above-average Company performance, and potential compensation can vary considerably depending on overall Company performance. The graphics below illustrate the pay mix for our Chairman and Chief Executive Officer (Mr. Behrens) and other NEOs other than Mr. Stepan (on an average basis) using target level of performance for all incentive awards.

Compensation Peer Group and Survey Data

To better understand the compensation practices of similar companies, the Committee reviews data gathered from a custom peer group (“Peer Group”) and general market survey data from Mercer LLC (“Mercer”). Information gathered from the Peer Group serves as the primary reference point for the Committee, with Mercer survey data used as a secondary reference.

The Peer Group consists of companies selected on the basis of chemical industry affiliation and size as compared to the Company (e.g., total revenues and market capitalization). The following companies comprised the Peer Group that the Committee referenced when setting 20212022 compensation:

The Committee undertakes annual evaluations of the Peer Group in order to ensure the Company is comparing itself with companies that have the characteristics to appropriately match the Company.

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Albemarle Corporation and added The Chemours Company due to a privately held company in April 2020.stronger business fit. The Committee and its independent compensation consultant will continue to monitor the Peer Group going forward as appropriate.

When assessing the competitiveness of Company compensation programs, the Committee, in part, uses median compensation levels in the Peer Group as a reference point to provide a framework for and on which to base individual compensation decisions. The Committee generally references median total compensation for executive officers, (plus or minus 15% of the 50^th percentile), but the Committee retains discretion to determine appropriate compensation levels. The Committee believes that all NEOs’ and executive officers’ total compensation amounts are within appropriate and reasonable levels as compared to the Peer Group data considering performance, experience level, time in position and both external and internal equity evaluations.

Elements of Compensation

For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2021,2022, the principal elements of compensation for the executive officers, including the NEOs, were as follows:

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Short-Term Incentive Compensation

NEOs and certain other employees are eligible for short-term incentive compensation as set forth in the Management Incentive Plan. The purpose of the Company’s short-term incentive compensation program is to promote improvement in year-over-year financial performance; to motivate, attract and retain executive, managerial and key employees of outstanding ability; and to align participants’ interests directly with the Company’s financial targets. The target amount of short-term incentive

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The Corporate Growth Goal consisted of profit goals for three categories of products and customers. Together, the three categories of products and customers had an assigned profit goal, with a target

² Corporate Net Income is a non-GAAP measure that differs from the Company’s reported net income. See Appendix A for a definition.

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For 2021,2022, the Corporate Financial Performance Objective and Individual Performance Objective Target payouts and results (as percentages of base salary)salary earned in 2022) for the NEOs were as follows:

The following chart reflects the total Corporate Financial Performance Objective and Individual Performance Objective results, and the resulting Annual Incentive Award earned for each NEO for 20212022 under the terms of the Management Incentive Plan. Because the Company’s Corporate Net Income result in 2022 exceeded the Target objective, the payouts earned based on Corporate Financial Performance Objective and Individual Performance Objective results were multiplied by 156.5%. The amounts earned by the NEOs under the Company’s short-term compensation program for 20212022 are set forth in the Non-Equity Incentive Plan Compensation column of the Summary Compensation Table.

Long-Term Incentive Compensation

The Committee typically grants stock options, SARs and performance sharesequity awards annually to the NEOs under the Company’s long-term incentive plan. In 2021,2022, the Committee reviewed and approved an allocation of long-term incentives for the NEOs other than the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer at approximately 15%60% of the total grant amountvalue as stock options, 45% of the total grant amount as SARs

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reflect additional responsibilities associated with such role and to align his compensation with the market rates for such position.

The chart below shows the number of each type of equity award that the Committee granted to the NEOs as part of the annual 20212022 equity grant:grant. The number of SARs granted was calculated by dividing the amounts in the table above by the Black-Scholes value of a SAR on the date of the grant. The number of performance shares granted was calculated by dividing the amounts in the table above by the average of the opening price and closing price of the Company’s common stock on the date of the grant.

The grants of stock options, SARs and performance share awards to the NEOs are shown in the Grants of Plan-Based Awards Table. The Board of Directors believes that the mix of such awards provideprovides long-term incentive compensation that is market competitive to attract and retain executives who drive the long-term growth of the Company and further align the interests of those executives with the interests of the Company’s stockholders.

In addition to the annual long-term incentive awards, grants of stock options, SARs, performance shares and other stock awards may be awarded to executive officers at other times based on factors that the Committee determines to be relevant, including upon hire, upon promotion or for extraordinary job performance.

Stock Options

Stock options are granted annually with an exercise price equal Upon his promotion to President and Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Behrens was awarded the average of the opening price and closing price of Common Stock on the date of grant and have a ten-year term. Options vest ratably over a three-year period. Backdating of stock options is prohibited under all circumstances.following grants in April 2022.

28The chart below shows the number of each type of equity award the Committee granted to Mr. Behrens in April 2022 in connection with his promotion to President and Chief Executive Officer.

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Stock Appreciation Rights

SARs are granted annually at the average of the opening price and closing price of Common Stock on the date of the grant and have a ten-year term. SARs vest ratably over a three-year period and are settled in stock.

Stock Awards (Performance Shares)

Performance shares are contingently awarded at a target number of shares and subject to certain performance conditions established by the Committee. The Committee chose Corporate Net Income as a performance measure because the Company uses net income as an important indicator of business performance. The Company uses an adjusted measure, rather than reported net income, because the adjusted measure excludes items that may not be indicative of the Company’s core operating results. The initial target number of shares may increase or decrease by up to 50% based upon ofon the Company’s Corporate Net Income results for the calendar year in which the grant is made versus Threshold, Target and Maximum Corporate Net Income objectives. If the Company’s Corporate Net Income result for such year is below the Threshold objective, then the performance shares are forfeited entirely. If the Company’s Corporate Net Income result for such year exceeds the Maximum objective, then the target number of shares will be increased by 50%. Following completion of the three-year performance period, the number of shares may further increase or decrease by up to 30%, based on a three-year average Corporate Return on Invested Capital (“ROIC”) modifier.³ For the performance shares granted in 2021,2022, the initial calculation of the number of performance shares was based on the following Corporate Net Income objectives:

The Company will determine the actual number of performance shares issued after the three-year performance period ending December 31, 2023,2024, based on the following ROIC modifiers:

The 20212022 Corporate Net Income result of $143.5$153.5 million was belowabove the Target objective level. Therefore, the number of shares ultimately earned and issued for the 20212022 grant will be 96.1%128.25% of the initial target number of shares, as increased or decreased up to 30% by the ROIC modifier described above and calculated over the three-year period ending December 31, 2023.2024.

Retirement Benefits

Retirement Plan for Salaried Employees

Effective June 30, 2006, the Company froze the Retirement Plan for Salaried Employees (the “Retirement Plan for Salaried Employees”) and ended the benefit accrual for all participants. Eligible participants were all employees not covered by a collective bargaining agreement who were employees prior to July 1, 2006. The Retirement Plan for Salaried Employees was replaced by the

³ Return on Invested Capital is a non-GAAP measure. See Appendix A for a definition.

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Savings and Investment Retirement Plan (“SIRP”), which provides for Company contributions into the employee’s SIRP account (see the discussion below in the “Savings and Investment Retirement Plan” section). The primary purpose of both the Retirement Plan for Salaried Employees and the SIRP is to retain valuable employees.

³ Return on Invested Capital is a non-GAAP measure. See Appendix A for a definition.

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Employee Stock Ownership Plan

The Stepan Company Employee Stock Ownership Plan II (“ESOP II”), which is applicable to NEOs, is designed to (i) expand stock ownership among employees, (ii) encourage greater employee interest in

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Clawback Policy

The Company has adopted a Clawback Policy that applies to the Company’s executive officers who are subject to Section 16 of the Exchange Act. Under this policy, in the event that any executive covered by the policy engages in willful misconduct or fraud that substantially contributes to a material restatement of the Company’s financial statements, the Company will recover from all covered

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officers who received their initial stock grant over five years ago are in full compliance and executive officers who received their initial stock grant within the last five years have made the requisite progress towards full compliance. If an executive fails to comply with stock ownership policy and annual progress requirements, the executive is not eligible to receive grantsmust retain 100% of their vested long-term incentive plan shares. In addition, all executives, including NEOs, are prohibited from selling Company stock acquired by exercising stock options SARs, performance shares, or any other awards underuntil such executive is in compliance with the 2011 Incentive Compensation Plan (or successor plan), until the executive complies with these requirements.ownership requirement.

Hedging and Trading Restrictions

The Company has an Insider Trading Policy that, among other things, prohibits NEOs, officers, directors and employees from hedging the economic risk of their ownership in the Company’s Common

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CompensationHuman Capital and DevelopmentCompensation Committee Report

In 2021, the Company’s Compensation and Development Committee was comprised of the following independent directors: Mr. Boyce, Mr. Burgess, Mr. Dearth, Dr. Delgado, Mr. Lawton, Ms. Reed and Mr. Wehmer. Each of these directors satisfies the New York Stock Exchange’s rules for independence. During 2021, Mr. Lawton served as Chair of the Committee.

The CompensationHuman Capital and DevelopmentCompensation Committee has reviewed and discussed the Compensation Discussion and Analysis with the management of the Company. Based on this review and discussion, we have recommended to the Board of Directors that the Compensation Discussion and Analysis be included in the proxy statement and in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2021.2022.

            COMPENSATIONHUMAN CAPITAL AND DEVELOPMENTCOMPENSATION COMMITTEE

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20212022 Summary Compensation Table

The table below summarizes the total compensation paid to or earned by each of the NEOs for the fiscal years ended on December 31, 2019,2020, December 31, 20202021, and December 31, 2021.2022. Additional information related to each component of compensation for the NEOs is provided above in the Compensation Discussion and Analysis.