Item 5.02. Departure of Directors or Certain Officers; Election of Directors; Appointment of Certain Officers; Compensatory Arrangements of Certain Officers.
Chief Executive Officer Transition
On August 4, 2022, Bio-Techne Corporation (the “Company”) announced Chuck Kummeth’s plan to retire from his position as Chief Executive Officer effective June 30, 2024, the end of the Company's 2024 fiscal year. The Board of Directors of the Company has begun the process of identifying and evaluating both internal and external candidates to assume the CEO position upon Mr. Kummeth’s retirement.
Compensation Matters
In connection with the adoption of executive compensation for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2023 by the Compensation Committee (the “Committee”) of the Company's Board of Directors, the Committee, in consultation with the Board of Directors, developed and approved a two-year compensation plan for Mr. Kummeth. The multi-year plan was designed to encourage Mr. Kummeth to remain CEO for two full years while the Board implemented a thorough and seamless transition to a new CEO.
Consequently, the Committee structured and approved a two-year transition compensation plan for Mr. Kummeth with the following components: (i) performance-vesting incentive stock options to acquire up to 150,000 shares of common stock, which options will vest upon the achievement of certain performance goals during fiscal 2023, (ii) performance-vesting incentive stock options to acquire up to 150,000 shares of common stock, which options will vest upon the achievement of certain performance goals during fiscal 2024, (iii) a time-vesting restricted stock unit (RSU) award having an aggregate value of $5,000,000 that will vest in three equal annual increments, all of which will be issued with other annual employee equity grants on August 15, 2022. The incentive stock options are intended to compensate Mr. Kummeth for 2023 and 2024, respectively. The terms of the RSU award will provide that the RSUs will continue to vest after a Qualified Retirement (as defined in the form of RSU award under the Company's 2020 Equity Incentive Plan). Mr. Kummeth will not receive an increase in base salary in line with the increases in base salaries for the Company's other named executive officers, nor will he receive any adjustment to his current target bonus opportunity equal to 160% of his base salary.
Further information about the CEO transition and Mr. Kummeth’s planned retirement are included in the Company's press release issued on August 4, 2022, which is attached as Exhibit 99.1 to this Current Report on Form 8-K and is incorporated herein by reference.
Item 9.01. Financial Statements and Exhibits
