ARTICLE I
PURPOSE AND EFFECTIVE DATE
Dow Inc. sponsors The Dow Chemical Company Elective Deferral Plan (“Plan”) to aid The Dow Chemical Company and its affiliates and subsidiaries in retaining and attracting executive employees by providing them with tax deferred savings opportunities. The Plan provides a select group of management and highly compensated employees of The Dow Chemical Company and certain affiliates and subsidiaries with the opportunity to elect to defer receipt of specified portions of compensation, and to have these deferred amounts treated as if invested in specified Hypothetical Investment Benchmarks. The benefits provided under the Plan shall be provided in consideration for services to be performed after the effective date of the Plan, but prior to the executive’s Separation from Service. Any reference to “plan document” with respect to this Plan is a reference to the document herein.
The Plan is intended to (1) constitute an unfunded program maintained primarily for the purpose of providing deferred compensation for a select group of management or highly compensated Employees consistent with the requirements of sections 201(2), 301(a)(3) and 401(a)(1) of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended (“ERISA”), and (2) comply with section 409A of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (“Code”) and official guidance issued thereunder. Notwithstanding any other provision of this Plan, this Plan shall be interpreted, operated and administered in a manner consistent with these intentions.
The Plan shall be effective for deferrals made hereunder on or after January 1, 2005. Amendments were made to the Plan on January 10, 2005 and March 11, 2005 to comply with the provisions of Code section 409A, and a minor amendment was made to the Plan on January 23, 2006. On September 1, 2006, the Plan was amended to further comply with the provisions of Code section 409A and, effective September 1, 2006 and January 1, 2007, to change the Hypothetical Investment Benchmarks. On November 1, 2006, the Plan was amended for Change of Control language. On December 31, 2008, the Plan was amended and restated to comply with the requirements of Code section 409A and the final regulations thereunder, effective January 1, 2009. On January 1, 2010, minor amendments to the Plan were made via a Plan restatement to change the Hypothetical Investment Benchmarks, to clarify the valuation date used for the calculation of installment payments, and to eliminate the small balance distribution. On April 14, 2010, the Plan was amended and restated to make certain changes to the administrative provisions of the Plan.
On January 19, 2017, the Plan was amended to add provisions regarding participation by employees of Dow Corning Corporation and certain subsidiaries. On September 1, 2017, the Plan was amended and restated to make certain changes to the definitions of Key Employee and Change of Control.
The instant amended and restated Plan document is adopted effective as of the Spinoff Date, and is intended to, inter alia, reflect the establishment of Dow Inc. as the parent of The Dow Chemical Company and the Spinoff of Dow Inc. from the DowDuPont Inc. controlled group. For purposes of this restated Plan document, the “Spinoff” means the separation of Dow Inc. from DowDuPont Inc. by means of a pro rata distribution of all of the then-issued and outstanding shares of Common Stock to DowDuPont’s stockholders and the “Spinoff Date” means April 1, 2019, the effective date of the Spinoff. Effective as of the Spinoff Date, Dow Inc. shall be the sponsor of the Plan with all the rights and obligations attendant thereto, and The Dow Chemical Company and other participating employers shall have the rights and obligations set forth herein and shall remain responsible for the contributions credited, and payments due, under the Plan.