LOWES COMPANIES INC filed this DEF 14A on 04/17/2025
LOWES COMPANIES INC - DEF 14A - 20250417 - PROXY_STATEMENT

 

 

 

Compensation Best Practices

 

 

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CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY

Corporate responsibility is a cornerstone of our Company and a key focus of management and the Board of Directors (the “Board”). We are committed to our people, communities and planet. The Sustainability Committee of the Board oversees Lowe’s environmental and social strategies, and our Sustainability Steering Committee, which is composed of executives and subject matter experts from across the Company, leads the Company’s efforts to integrate corporate responsibility into our business. Our sustainability strategy focuses on goals and commitments across three pillars – Our People & Our Communities, Product Sustainability and Operational Excellence.

 

 

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Our People & Our Communities

Human Capital

The full Board oversees workforce management and regularly engages with our Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer, our Executive Vice President, Human Resources and senior leadership on a broad range of related topics. The full Board reviews talent management topics as standing agenda items.

Lowe’s strives to be the employer of choice in retail. At Lowe’s, we are committed to creating valuable career opportunities for our associates, supporting them and the communities where they live and cultivating a culture that invites and encourages diverse opinions and ideas. We would like our associates to see Lowe’s as a “Home to Possibility” with good jobs, a sense of belonging and a promising future. We have a proactive associate listening strategy, most notably through our annual Building Engagement and Success Together (“BEST”) engagement survey. In fiscal 2024, more than 90% of our associates participated in our survey, and our people leaders use the feedback to improve our associate experience.

 

 

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Creating Good Jobs

We have a strong track record of investing in our workforce by offering locally competitive salaries and wages. Since 2018, we have invested over $4 billion in incremental wages and share-based compensation for our frontline associates, which included creating many new roles for our associates to grow into as they advance along their career path. In 2024, we awarded approximately $300 million in discretionary and profit-sharing bonuses to our frontline associates. We offer an array of health, welfare and financial benefits to our full-time and part-time associates, including health care and insurance benefits, retirement plans, an employee stock purchase plan, paid time off and leave programs, among others.

We have implemented workforce management tools that enable us to offer various scheduling options to our full-time associates to foster an improved experience in balancing their work and life responsibilities. This includes such options for a shortened workweek, consistent shifts or consecutive days off.

Our focus on the associate experience begins at initial application. The implementation of improved technology in the hiring process has simplified the experience for those looking to join Lowe’s and helped to drive the experience overall. We have Spanish language capabilities to promote bilingual hiring by guiding Spanish-speaking candidates through the full application process.

Providing a safe environment for both working and shopping is one of our highest priorities at Lowe’s. We strive to maintain a culture of safety, which begins with our leaders modeling the behaviors we want our associates to adopt. We embed safety into associate onboarding, developmental e-learning and on-the-job training.

Sense of Belonging

We believe that by building inclusive teams with a range of perspectives, backgrounds and experiences, and equal opportunity for all, we drive better ideas, positive business results and improve service through a deeper connection with the communities we serve. Earlier this year, we evolved our inclusion initiatives, combining our eight Business Resource Groups into one umbrella associate engagement organization. By shifting to one, unified program, Lowe’s is able to foster networking and development for all associates across all areas of the business. Additionally, we eliminated our sponsorship of outside festivals, parades and fairs to focus on our four community pillars: safe and affordable housing, community improvements, skilled trades education, and disaster response. Finally, we are evaluating our participation in external surveys, factoring in the goals of each survey and whether we will gain any actionable insights as a result of our participation. These changes were made with the goal of creating a more respectful and inclusive workplace for all of our associates.

Promising Future

We are committed to securing top talent and providing ongoing training and other developmental opportunities to facilitate meaningful careers at Lowe’s. We offer a variety of role-specific leadership and development programs that build and reinforce functional-technical/professional skills, business acumen and leadership skills to prepare high-performing leaders for their next role. Our focus on leadership development enables us to grow talent internally and has resulted in more than 85% of store leadership positions being filled internally in the last year.

Our Lowe’s University offerings include the district manager and store manager immersive week-long leadership experience programs, delivered from the Lowe’s University training center; the virtually-delivered store department supervisor fundamentals series; the virtually-delivered field supply chain leadership director, manager and supervisor experience programs; and the certification programs for store and technology associates that further develop their skills and knowledge base. In addition, our in-person Lowe’s University offerings include an assistant store manager leadership training to further develop our store leaders.

Additionally, through Lowe’s Track to the Trades program, we offer all Lowe’s associates the opportunity to enroll in programs to complete apprentice certifications in electrical, plumbing, HVAC, appliance repair or multi-family maintenance. The program also connects associates with Pros to help them start a career in their area of interest. The Track to the Trades program demonstrates Lowe’s commitment to our industry and the communities we serve. This program, combined with our tuition-free education program, are further examples of how we are investing in the development of our associates.

 

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Our Communities

We understand the important role Lowe’s plays in supporting our communities through our philanthropic efforts. With our community engagement initiatives and continued partnerships with nonprofits across the nation, we are revitalizing neighborhoods, improving community spaces, responding when natural disasters strike and preparing the next generation of skilled tradespeople. We carry out these initiatives with a special focus on veterans, the active military community and first responders. Additionally, since awarding its first Gable Grants in 2023, the Lowe’s Foundation has invested over $25 million to help expand skilled trades career pathways through a growing network of community colleges and nonprofits in rural and urban communities across the country. From funding new skilled trade facilities and instructors to accreditation programs, these grants support carpentry and construction, HVAC, electrical, plumbing and appliance repair training.

Product Sustainability

Lowe’s strives to put the customer first by providing high-quality items that help our customers live more sustainably. We begin by selecting suppliers and offering products that support human and environmental health. We are also expanding our pursuit of innovative, more efficient eco-products and educating customers on how to reduce their footprint at home.

We focus our product sustainability efforts on supplier social and environmental practices, responsible sourcing of natural resources and improvements to the environmental performance of our products. These include promoting compliance with our Vendor Code of Conduct, Human Rights Policy and Conflict Minerals Compliance Programs, pursuing our commitment to responsible wood sourcing, seeking to maintain products that are safe and compliant with applicable industry standards and state and federal regulations and increasing our offering of independently-certified products that have validated environmental claims.

We have a wood sourcing policy with principles that we expect our vendors to follow, including no illegal logging; no deforestation; no sourcing of endangered species; the protection and preservation of biodiversity; and undergoing and securing Free, Prior and Informed Consent, as defined by the United Nations, wherever applicable. We have enhanced our wood sourcing policy to include a more robust risk-based approach, including new wood sourcing risk levels by country, improved monitoring practices and a new forestry grievance process.

Operational Excellence

We are focused on strengthening our business resilience and improving operational efficiency to reduce our impact on the environment. Our Board’s Sustainability Committee monitors and oversees progress toward our climate-related goals and targets, our Sustainability Steering Committee leads management’s efforts to integrate corporate responsibility into our business, and our retail facilities and sustainability teams manage and track our operational energy use.

In December 2022, we established a goal to reach net-zero emissions across the Company’s scope 1, 2 and 3 greenhouse gas emissions (“GHG”) by 2050. Last year, after reviewing our recent progress, we increased our original 2030 interim emissions reduction targets from our 2021 emissions baseline for scope 1 and 2 from 40% to 42% and scope 3 from 22.5% to 25%. We report on our progress annually in our Corporate Responsibility Report, to CDP and via lowes.com/net-zero.

To reach these targets, we will focus on increasing operational efficiency and working to reduce emissions across our full value chain. We are making further investments in energy efficiency and renewable energy within our operations, while exploring emerging technologies to reduce emissions associated with our vehicle fleet and facilities. We are also focused on partnering with suppliers to decrease scope 3 emissions. We encourage suppliers to report their emissions to CDP, giving suppliers more insight into how they generate emissions, which is the first step toward helping them reduce upstream emissions. This collaboration can help suppliers increase their operational efficiency and reduce their emissions through the use of renewable energy and low-carbon innovations. When our suppliers mitigate their impacts on the climate, Lowe’s own scope 3 emissions can be reduced.

 

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Lowe’s participates in the CDP’s climate change, forests and water security questionnaires to benchmark and quantify our environmental practices and provide transparency on our progress. Additionally, our annual Corporate Responsibility Report references the Sustainable Accounting Standards Board, the Global Reporting Initiative, and the U.N. Sustainable Development Goals, and we publish our Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (“TCFD”) Report to assess our climate-related risks and opportunities and better understand the potential impacts on our value chain.

More information about Lowe’s corporate responsibility efforts is available on our website at responsibility.lowes.com. Our corporate responsibility goals are aspirational and may change, and statements regarding our goals are not guarantees or promises that they will be met.

SHAREHOLDER ENGAGEMENT

Lowe’s recognizes the value of engaging with our shareholders and understanding their views. This past year, members of Lowe’s management and the Board’s Lead Independent Director continued our long-standing practice of shareholder engagement, reinforcing our history of strong, long-term relationships with our shareholders. In December 2024, we continued our biennial tradition of holding an Analyst and Investor Conference and invited institutional shareholders to attend presentations by the Lowe’s executive team on key growth initiatives and near- and long-term financial targets. We conduct shareholder outreach throughout the year so we can understand and consider the issues of importance to our shareholders and are able to address them appropriately.

 

 

 

Key Items Discussed with Shareholders in 2024 and 2025

 

   

 

Business Performance and Strategic Direction

 

 

Workforce Management Efforts

   

Inclusion Programs and Initiatives

 

Associate Safety

   

GHG Emissions and Net-Zero Goal

 

Environmental Sustainability and Nature-Related Impacts

   

Board Oversight of Artificial Intelligence

 

Board Refreshment and Director Skills

   

Board Leadership Structure

 

Executive Compensation Metrics and Goals

Since the beginning of fiscal 2024, we have met with shareholders representing over 75% of our institutionally-held shares in a number of forums, including as part of our regular investor relations outreach efforts and governance and sustainability focused dialogues. We report the feedback from our shareholders on a regular cadence to the Board’s Nominating and Governance Committee and other relevant committees as appropriate, who also provide updates to the full Board. The Board and the management teams have used this shareholder feedback to inform numerous changes to enhance our compensation, governance, human capital and sustainability efforts over the past several years, including:

 

   

Releasing our gender and racial pay gap analyses and consolidated EEO-1 report data annually;

 

   

Setting a net-zero goal for scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions by 2050, and disclosing scope 3 emissions from use of sold products by product category;

 

   

Releasing an annual TCFD Report;

 

   

Conducting a double materiality assessment in 2024 to define and prioritize key sustainability topics from an impact and financial perspective;

 

   

Enhancing our wood sourcing policy to include a more robust risk-based approach, including new wood sourcing risk levels by country, improved monitoring practices and a new forestry grievance process;

 

   

Disclosing director racial and ethnic identity on an individualized basis;

 

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Performing an internal risk assessment relating to worker misclassification by certain Company vendors and reporting such findings to our Audit Committee; and

 

   

Committing to provide enhanced disclosure on lobbying practices and expenditures.

The following diagram provides an overview of Lowe’s shareholder engagement cycle:

 

 

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This past winter, we conducted a round of investor engagement focused primarily on governance, sustainability and human capital topics. As part of this engagement effort, we contacted 30 investors, representing approximately 45% of our outstanding shares at the time of outreach and met with 22 investors, representing approximately 37% of our outstanding shares, and one proxy advisory firm. Our Lead Independent Director met with shareholders representing approximately 29% of our outstanding shares. Overall, we received generally positive feedback on our current governance, compensation and sustainability practices.

 

 

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CORPORATE GOVERNANCE BEST PRACTICES

Sound and Effective Board Practices

 

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Active Board oversight of Lowe’s strategy, business initiatives, industry positioning, workforce management, culture and environmental and social topics

 

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Active Board oversight of risk management, including cybersecurity, data protection, privacy and artificial intelligence

 

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Active Board engagement in succession planning of executive officers

 

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Annual Board, committee, individual director and CEO evaluations

 

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Robust shareholder engagement program, including participation of Lead Independent Director

Diverse, Engaged Board with Demonstrated Commitment to Refreshment and Independence

 

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11 out of 12 director nominees (92%) are independent

 

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Eight out of 12 director nominees (67%) are diverse with six (50%) people of color and four (33%) women

 

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Annual review of Board leadership structure

 

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Lead Independent Director with robust and well-defined responsibilities

 

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Audit, Compensation, Nominating and Governance, Sustainability and Technology Committees are composed solely of independent directors

 

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Executive sessions of independent directors led by the Lead Independent Director at each Board meeting

 

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Director mandatory retirement age of 75 years old

 

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Proactive Board and committee refreshment with focus on optimal mix of skills and experience

Commitment to Shareholder Rights

 

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Shareholder ability to call special meetings

 

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Market standard shareholder right of proxy access

 

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Directors elected annually to serve one-year terms

 

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Majority voting standard with director resignation policy in uncontested director elections

 

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No shareholder rights plan

 

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Robust year-round shareholder engagement process

 

 2025 PROPOSALS

  Board
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  Proposal 1:  Election of Directors

 

 

 

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  Proposal 2: Advisory Vote to Approve the Company’s Named Executive Officer Compensation in Fiscal 2024

 

 

 

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  Proposal 3: Ratification of the Appointment of Deloitte & Touche LLP as the Company’s Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm for Fiscal 2025

 

 

 

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Proposal 1: Election of Directors

 

 

Proxy Statement

The Board of Directors of Lowe’s Companies, Inc. is providing these materials to you in connection with the 2025 Annual Meeting of Shareholders. The Annual Meeting will be held online via audio webcast at 10:00 a.m., Eastern Time, on Friday, May 30, 2025 at www.virtualshareholdermeeting.com/LOW2025. This Proxy Statement and related materials were first made available starting April 17, 2025.

Proposal 1: Election of Directors

We are asking our shareholders to vote on the election of the 12 candidates nominated by the Board of Directors for election as directors.

The Board has nominated the 12 candidates named in this proposal for election as directors at the Annual Meeting. If elected, each nominee will serve until his or her term expires at the 2026 Annual Meeting of Shareholders or until his or her successor is duly elected and qualified. Each nominee has agreed to be named in this Proxy Statement and to serve if elected.

All of the nominees are currently serving as directors and were elected to the Board at the 2024 Annual Meeting of Shareholders. In accordance with the Board’s mandatory retirement policy, David H. Batchelder will retire after seven years of service on the Board and is not a nominee for re-election at the 2025 Annual Meeting of Shareholders. Therefore, the Board has set the size of the Board at 12 effective as of the date of the 2025 Annual Meeting of Shareholders.

The Nominating and Governance Committee identifies, considers and recommends to the Board director nominees who have expertise that would complement and enhance the current Board’s skills and experience. It also reviews the existing time commitments of director nominees to confirm that they do not have any obligations that would conflict with the time commitments of serving as a director of the Company. The Nominating and Governance Committee also looks to recruit candidates with varying perspectives, professional experience and skills. The Nominating and Governance Committee considers candidates for nomination to the Board from a number of sources, including third-party search firms and business and organizational contacts of the directors and management, so that the Committee can select the nominees who best support Lowe’s present and future business needs.

The Board has remained mindful of refreshing its membership, with five new independent director nominees in the last six years. At the same time, the Company also believes that it benefits from having several longer tenured directors on the Board, including our Lead Independent Director, who are familiar with the Company’s business and can help facilitate the transfer of institutional knowledge. We believe the average tenure for our independent director nominees of 6.9 years reflects the appropriate balance the Board seeks between different perspectives brought by longer-serving and new directors.

Although the Company knows of no reason why any of the nominees would not be able to serve, if any nominee is unavailable for election, the proxy holders intend to vote your shares for any substitute nominee proposed by the Board. At the Annual Meeting, proxies cannot be voted for a greater number of individuals than the 12 nominees named in this Proxy Statement.

 

 

 

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The Board of Directors unanimously recommends a vote “FOR” the election of each of the 12 nominees named in this proposal.

 

 

 

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Proposal 1: Election of Directors

 

IDENTIFYING AND EVALUATING DIRECTOR NOMINEES

 

IDENTIFYING AND EVALUATING DIRECTOR NOMINEES

 

 

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Board Nomination Process

The Nominating and Governance Committee annually reviews each director’s continuation on the Board prior to his or her re-nomination to serve on the Board. The Nominating and Governance Committee evaluates whether or not the director, based upon his or her skills, background, expertise, commitments, availability and contributions to the Board, continues to support Lowe’s present and future business needs. After the evaluation of a director, the Chair of the Nominating and Governance Committee and the Chairman of the Board inform each director under consideration of the Committee’s decision.

Additionally, with the assistance of an independent search firm, the Nominating and Governance Committee conducts targeted searches to identify and evaluate well-qualified candidates who may have particular or complementary skills or backgrounds needed for the Company to execute its strategic vision. When an independent search firm is used, the Nominating and Governance Committee retains the search firm, directs and oversees its work and approves payment of its fees.

The Nominating and Governance Committee will consider nominees recommended by shareholders, and its process for doing so is no different than its process for screening and evaluating candidates suggested by directors, management of the Company or third parties. See “Shareholder Proposals for the 2026 Annual Meeting” elsewhere in this Proxy Statement for the timeframe for shareholders to provide notice of any nominations of persons for election to the Board.

Board Composition, Refreshment and Onboarding

The Board regularly seeks input from each of its directors with respect to the current composition of the Board in light of changes in our current and future business strategies, as well as our operating environment, as a means to identify any backgrounds or skill sets that may be helpful in maintaining or improving alignment between our Board composition and our business. In addition, we seek feedback from our shareholders regarding the backgrounds and skill sets that they would like to see represented on our Board. The Nominating and Governance Committee considers this feedback in its director search and nomination process.

In order to promote thoughtful Board refreshment and to provide additional opportunities to maintain a balanced mix of perspectives, experience and skills, the Board has adopted a mandatory retirement policy for non-employee directors as set forth in our Corporate Governance Guidelines. No director who is or would be the age of 75 or older at the expiration of his or her current term may be nominated to a new term. The policy does not provide for, and the Board has not granted, any exemptions or waivers.

The Board prioritizes robust director orientation and onboarding programs to help new directors become rapidly integrated into boardroom discussions and maximize their contributions. This includes orientation programs, sessions or materials for newly elected directors of the Company for their benefit either prior to or within a reasonable period of time after their

 

 

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Proposal 1: Election of Directors

 

IDENTIFYING AND EVALUATING DIRECTOR NOMINEES

 

nomination or election as a director. New directors must participate in the orientation programs after they are elected.

The Board also encourages directors to periodically pursue continuing education programs, sessions or other materials addressing the responsibilities of directors of publicly-traded companies.

Board Commitments

The Board understands the significant time commitment involved with serving on the Board and its committees, and it takes steps to affirm that all director nominees will commit the time and attention expected to fulfill their duties and serve as an effective member of the Board. Our Nominating and Governance Committee and Board only nominate candidates who they believe are capable of devoting the necessary time to successfully meet their duties, taking into account principal occupations, memberships on other boards and other responsibilities. Our Corporate Governance Guidelines state that no director shall serve on more than four public company boards, inclusive of the Company’s Board. Subject to any exception approved by the Nominating and Governance Committee, independent directors who serve as an executive officer of another public company may only serve on the board of directors of that company in addition to service on the Company’s Board. Management directors may not serve on more than two public company boards, inclusive of the Company’s Board. Our Board believes that these guidelines are appropriate for Lowe’s in light of feedback received from our directors on reasonable time commitments required for board service, as well as discussions with our investors regarding their expectations on this topic.

The Nominating and Governance Committee assesses directors’ time commitment to the Board throughout the year and annually reviews outside director time commitments, including any leadership positions on another public company’s board of directors, to evaluate and confirm that all director nominees have demonstrated that they have committed and expect to commit appropriate time to serve effectively on the Board and its committees. Under our Corporate Governance Guidelines, directors must advise our Chairman of the Board and the Lead Independent Director prior to joining the board of another public company or accepting any assignment to serve on the audit or compensation committee of the board of

directors of any public company of which such director is a member, or as non-executive chair, lead independent director or committee chair on any such board of directors. In addition, directors are expected to offer to resign from the Board as a result of a substantial change to their principal occupation, subject to further consideration by the Nominating and Governance Committee.

This year, the Nominating and Governance Committee determined that all of the director nominees demonstrated that they have committed and will continue to commit the appropriate time to fulfill their duties and effectively serve on our Board and its committees. Additionally, based upon their current board commitments, all director nominees are expected to be in compliance with our Corporate Governances Guidelines regarding director commitments as of our 2025 Annual Meeting. This assessment included a review of the following directors.

•  Raul Alvarez serves as the Chair of our Compensation Committee while also serving as the lead independent director and chair of the compensation committee of Traeger, Inc., the independent chairman of First Watch Restaurant Group, Inc. and a director and chair of the talent and compensation committee at Eli Lilly and Company. Based upon Mr. Alvarez’s attendance, tenure, skills and qualifications and contributions as a member of the Board and as the Chair of the Compensation Committee, the Committee has determined that it is in the best interests of shareholders that Mr. Alvarez be included as a director nominee.

•  Bertram L. Scott serves as the lead director of Becton, Dickinson and Company, a director at Dollar Tree, Inc. and a director and chair of the compensation and talent committee at Equitable Holdings, Inc. Based upon Mr. Scott’s attendance, tenure, skills and qualifications and contributions as a member of the Board, the Committee has determined that it is in the best interests of shareholders that Mr. Scott be included as a director nominee.

In making these determinations, the Committee has taken into account the individual skills and experience of these two directors, their unique contributions to the Board’s oversight of Company strategy, as well as the Company’s own Corporate Governance Guidelines and the stated preferences of our institutional investors. The Committee intends to maintain its annual assessment of director commitments.

 

 

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Proposal 1: Election of Directors

 

IDENTIFYING AND EVALUATING DIRECTOR NOMINEES

 

Board Diversity

The Board is committed to having diverse individuals (in the broadest sense of that term, including from different backgrounds and with varying perspectives, professional experience and skills) serving as members of the Board. The Board believes that a membership with a variety of perspectives and experiences is an important feature of a well-functioning board, and the composition of the Board reflects the Board’s commitment. The Nominating and Governance Committee actively considers diversity in the broadest sense when identifying director nominees and considering potential new director candidates, and during its annual assessment of the composition of the Board, so that the Committee can select the nominees who best support Lowe’s present and future business needs.

Board Qualifications and Criteria

Candidates nominated for election or re-election to the Board should possess the following qualifications:

 

 

High personal and professional ethics, integrity, practical wisdom and mature judgment;

 

 

Diverse perspectives and experience;

 

 

Broad training and experience at the policy-making level in business, government, education or technology;

 

 

Expertise that is useful to the Company and complementary to the background and experience of other Board members;

 

 

Willingness to devote the required amount of time to carrying out duties and responsibilities of Board membership;

 

 

Commitment to serve on the Board over a period of several years to develop knowledge about the Company’s principal operations; and

 

 

Willingness to represent the best interests of all shareholders and objectively appraise management performance.

When determining whether to recommend a director for re-election, the Nominating and Governance Committee also considers the evaluation results of the Board, committees and individual directors and the attendance and overall engagement of the director in Board activities.

 

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Director Nominees’ Skills, Backgrounds and Expertise

Each of our director nominees has substantial leadership experience as a senior executive or director of a public company, providing them with deep corporate governance expertise and insights, and the human capital management experience needed to oversee our workforce as we strive to become the employer of choice in retail. Key qualifications and attributes of our director nominees relevant to our strategic objectives reflect their perspectives, skills and professional experience, and include:

 

 

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Proposal 1: Election of Directors

 

DIRECTOR NOMINEES

 

DIRECTOR NOMINEES

 

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RAUL ALVAREZ

       
   

 

Independent Director Since: 2010

Age: 69

Lowe’s Board Committees:

•  Compensation, Chair

•  Technology

 

 

Career Highlights:

 

  2017–present Operating Partner of Advent International Corporation, a global private equity firm

 

  2013–2018 Executive Chairman of Skylark Co., Ltd., a leading restaurant operator in Japan

 

  2006–2009 President and Chief Operating Officer of McDonald’s Corporation, a leading global foodservice retailer

 

  1994–2006 Variety of leadership positions at McDonald’s Corporation, including President of McDonald’s North America and President of McDonald’s USA

 

  Prior to 1994 Variety of leadership positions at Wendy’s International Inc. and Burger King Corporation

Current Public Company Directorships:

  Eli Lilly and Company
  First Watch Restaurant Group, Inc.
  Traeger, Inc.

Previous Public Company Boards:

  Dunkin’ Brands Group, Inc. (2012–2020)

 

Specific Experience, Qualifications, Attributes and Skills Relevant to Lowe’s

Mr. Alvarez brings to the Lowe’s Board more than 40 years of experience in the retail industry, as well as extensive executive leadership experience in managing some of the world’s best known brands. As a senior executive of the leading global foodservice retailer and other global restaurant businesses, he developed in-depth knowledge of consumer marketing, brand management, supply chain management and strategic planning. Mr. Alvarez also has a strong background in capital investment and financial analysis through his role as an Operating Partner at a global private equity firm. He brings extensive corporate governance experience through his service as a director on other public and private company boards and is an experienced people leader with valuable perspectives on talent development topics. Mr. Alvarez also provides deep institutional knowledge of Lowe’s through his service as a director on the Board since 2010.

 

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SCOTT H. BAXTER

       
   

 

Independent Director Since: 2022

Age: 60

Lowe’s Board Committees:

•  Compensation

•  Sustainability

•  Technology

 

 

Career Highlights:

 

  August 2021–present President, Chief Executive Officer and Chair of the Board of Kontoor Brands, Inc., a global lifestyle apparel company

 

  August 2018–August 2021 President and Chief Executive Officer of Kontoor following announcement by VF Corporation, one of the world’s largest apparel, footwear and accessories companies, of its intention to separate its jeanswear organization into an independent, publicly traded company

 

  January 2018–August 2018 Group President, Americas West at VF Corporation

 

  2007–2017 Variety of leadership positions at VF Corporation, including Group President, Outdoor & Action Sports, Americas; Vice President, VF Corporation & Group President, Jeanswear, Imagewear and South America; and President of the Licensed Sports Group

 

  Prior to 2007 Senior Vice President, Services division at The Home Depot, Inc. and leadership roles at Edward Don & Company, PepsiCo and Nestle

Current Public Company Directorships:

  Kontoor Brands, Inc.

Previous Public Company Boards:

  Topgolf Callaway Brands Corp. (2019–2023)

 

Specific Experience, Qualifications, Attributes and Skills Relevant to Lowe’s

Mr. Baxter brings to the Lowe’s Board extensive executive leadership experience in the retail industry as well as expertise in marketing and brand management and developing digital growth strategies in support of an omnichannel customer experience. He has a strong background in a number of important areas, including operations, sales and strategic planning. Through his leadership positions, including as Chief Executive Officer, at leading global apparel companies, Mr. Baxter brings deep knowledge of large-scale supply chain functions, including sourcing, manufacturing and logistics, and background in overseeing sustainability strategies designed to advance customer loyalty, including responsible sourcing efforts. Mr. Baxter is skilled in human capital matters and brings to the Board valuable insights on talent management and development.

 

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Proposal 1: Election of Directors

 

DIRECTOR NOMINEES

 

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SANDRA B. COCHRAN

       
   

 

Independent Director Since: 2016

Age: 66

Lowe’s Board Committees:

•  Audit, Chair

•  Sustainability

 

 

Career Highlights:

 

  November 2023–February 2024 Executive Chair of Cracker Barrel Old Country Store, Inc., a restaurant and retail concept with locations throughout the United States

 

  2011–October 2023 President and Chief Executive Officer of Cracker Barrel

 

  2010–2011 President and Chief Operating Officer of Cracker Barrel

 

  2009–2010 Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Cracker Barrel

 

  2004–2009 Chief Executive Officer of Books-A-Million, Inc., a book retailer in the southeast United States

 

  1992–2004 Variety of leadership positions at Books-A-Million, including President, Chief Financial Officer and Vice President of Finance

Current Public Company Directorships:

  Signet Jewelers Limited

Previous Public Company Boards:

  Cracker Barrel Old Country Store, Inc. (2011–2024)
  Dollar General Corporation (2012–2020)

 

Specific Experience, Qualifications, Attributes and Skills Relevant to Lowe’s

Ms. Cochran brings to Lowe’s Board more than 30 years of retail experience as well as expertise in a number of important areas, including marketing, brand management and strategic planning. Ms. Cochran has significant executive-level financial analysis and accounting experience, which she developed while serving in multiple leadership finance positions, including as Chief Financial Officer of both Cracker Barrel Old Country Store, Inc. and Books-A-Million, Inc. In her tenure as Chief Executive Officer, Ms. Cochran oversaw Cracker Barrel’s expansion of online ordering, delivery services and retail e-commerce platform, and through that experience provides valuable knowledge and perspectives on omnichannel and digital platform growth. She also brings experience in overseeing strategies designed to drive long-term value creation, including integrating sustainable practices into supply chain management.

 

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LAURIE Z. DOUGLAS

       
   

 

Independent Director Since: 2015

Age: 61

Lowe’s Board Committees:

•  Audit

•  Technology, Chair

 

 

Career Highlights:

 

  2019–Present Senior Vice President, Chief Information Officer and Chief Digital Officer of Publix Super Markets, Inc., an operator of retail food and pharmacy in the southeast United States

 

  2006–2018 Senior Vice President, Chief Information Officer and Chief Security Officer of Publix Super Markets

 

  2004–2005 Senior Vice President and Chief Information Officer of FedEx Kinko’s Office and Print Services, Inc.

 

  2003–2004 Senior Vice President and Chief Information Officer of Kinko’s, Inc.

 

Specific Experience, Qualifications, Attributes and Skills Relevant to Lowe’s

Ms. Douglas brings to Lowe’s Board many years of setting the enterprise technology, digital and security visions and driving the related implementations for two Fortune 500 companies. Ms. Douglas’ expertise spans broad IT disciplines, including application development and infrastructure, digital and mobile, omnichannel, cybersecurity, data protection, risk management and regulatory compliance. Ms. Douglas is a highly respected technology leader in the retail industry focused on driving shareholder value with technology solutions that foster premier customer service, operational excellence and profitable growth. Ms. Douglas has financial management responsibility for IT investments and is skilled in financial strategy planning and analysis. Ms. Douglas also has relevant experience with emerging technologies, which provides for effective oversight as technology changes at an unprecedented rate. Additionally, Ms. Douglas is skilled in the area of human capital management, having been responsible for the hiring, training and retention of technology and digital teams.

 

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Table of Contents

Proposal 1: Election of Directors

 

DIRECTOR NOMINEES

 

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RICHARD W. DREILING

       
   

 

Lead Independent Director

Independent Director Since: 2012

Age: 71

Lowe’s Board Committees:

•  Nominating and Governance, Chair

 

 

Career Highlights:

 

  January 2023–November 2024 Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Dollar Tree, Inc., a leading operator of discount variety stores

 

  March 2022–January 2023 Executive Chairman of Dollar Tree

 

  2015–2016 Chairman of Dollar General Corporation, one of the nation’s largest discount retailers

 

  2008–2015 Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of Dollar General

 

  2007–2008 President, Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of Duane Reade Holdings, Inc. and Duane Reade Inc., an operator of a chain of retail drug stores in New York City

 

  2005–2007 President and Chief Executive Officer of Duane Reade Holdings, Inc. and Duane Reade Inc.

 

  Prior to 2005 Variety of senior leadership positions at Longs Drug Stores Corporation, Safeway, Inc. and Vons Co Inc.

Current Public Company Directorships:

  Aramark Corporation

Previous Public Company Boards:

  Dollar Tree, Inc. (2022–2024)
  Kellogg Company (2016–2023)
  PulteGroup, Inc. (2015–2022)
  Aramark Corporation (2016–2022)

 

Specific Experience, Qualifications, Attributes and Skills Relevant to Lowe’s

Mr. Dreiling brings to Lowe’s Board more than 50 years of retail industry experience at all operating levels, including as Chief Executive Officer, and a unique perspective as a result of his experience progressing through the ranks within various retail companies. Over the course of his career, Mr. Dreiling has developed deep insight into all key areas of a retail business as a result of his experience overseeing the operations, marketing, manufacturing and distribution functions of a number of retail companies. Mr. Dreiling also has strong business development expertise in expanding the footprint and offerings provided by several retailers into new regions. Mr. Dreiling provides deep institutional knowledge of Lowe’s through his service as a director on the Board since 2012.

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MARVIN R. ELLISON

       
   

 

Chairman of the Board     

Director Since: 2018

Age: 60

 

 

Career Highlights:

 

  May 2021–Present Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of Lowe’s

 

  2018–May 2021 President and Chief Executive Officer of Lowe’s

 

  2016–2018 Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of J. C. Penney Company, Inc., a department store retailer

 

  2015–2016 Chief Executive Officer of J. C. Penney Company

 

  2014–2015 President of J. C. Penney Company

 

  2002–2014 Variety of leadership positions at The Home Depot Inc., a home improvement retailer, including Executive Vice President–U.S. Stores; President–Northern Division; Senior Vice President–Logistics; Vice President–Logistics; and Vice President–Loss Prevention

 

  1987–2002 Variety of operational roles with Target Corporation

Current Public Company Directorships:

  FedEx Corporation

 

Specific Experience, Qualifications, Attributes and Skills Relevant to Lowe’s

Mr. Ellison has more than 35 years of leadership and operational experience in the retail industry, including expertise in managing a large network of stores and employees as well as global logistics networks. He brings extensive experience in the home improvement industry, having spent 12 years in senior-level operations roles with The Home Depot, where he oversaw U.S. sales, operations, installation services, tool rental and Pro strategic initiatives, and improved customer service and efficiency across the organization to serve both DIY and Pro customers. Mr. Ellison is also skilled in shaping compelling brand strategies to enhance customer engagement and driving digital transformation and e-commerce growth initiatives in support of an omnichannel customer experience.

 

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Table of Contents

Proposal 1: Election of Directors

 

DIRECTOR NOMINEES

 

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NAVDEEP GUPTA

       
   

 

Independent Director Since: 2024

Age: 52

Lowe’s Board Committees:

•  Compensation

•  Technology

 

 

Career Highlights:

 

  2021–Present Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer of DICK’S Sporting Goods, Inc., a leading omnichannel sporting goods retailer

 

  2017–2021 Senior Vice President, Chief Accounting Officer of DICK’S

 

  2006–2017 Variety of senior leadership positions at Advance Auto Parts, Inc., a leading retailer of automotive replacement parts and accessories, including Senior Vice President, Finance; Chief Audit Executive; and Vice President, Finance and Treasurer

 

  2003–2006 Management roles at Sprint Nextel Corporation

 

  1993–2000 Lieutenant in the Indian Navy

 

Specific Experience, Qualifications, Attributes and Skills Relevant to Lowe’s

Mr. Gupta brings extensive retail finance and management experience to the Lowe’s Board. Over the course of his career, Mr. Gupta has developed deep insight into the complex financial and strategic issues facing large public retail companies, and he provides valuable perspectives in the areas of financial strategy planning and analysis, capital allocation, risk management and accounting. In his role as Chief Financial Officer at DICK’S, Mr. Gupta also oversees GameChanger, a live streaming, scoring and statistic mobile app for youth sports, and brings to the Lowe’s Board experience in digital platforms and technology.

 

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BRIAN C. ROGERS

       
   

 

Independent Director Since: 2018

Age: 69

Lowe’s Board Committees:

•  Audit

•  Nominating and Governance

•  Technology

 

 

Career Highlights:

 

  2017–2019 Non-Executive Chairman of T. Rowe Price Group, Inc., a global investment management organization

 

  2007–2017 Chairman of T. Rowe Price Group

 

  2004–2017 Chief Investment Officer of T. Rowe Price Group

 

  1982–2004 Variety of senior leadership positions at T. Rowe Price Group

 

  Prior to 1982 Employed at Bankers Trust Company

Current Public Company Directorships:

  RTX Corporation

 

Specific Experience, Qualifications, Attributes and Skills Relevant to Lowe’s

Through his extensive investment and management roles, including as Chief Investment Officer and Chairman of T. Rowe Price, Mr. Rogers brings to the Board extensive financial, investment and risk management expertise. In addition, his experience at T. Rowe Price, including as portfolio manager of one of the firm’s largest funds, The T. Rowe Price Equity Income Fund, from its inception until 2015, provides our Board valuable insights into the views of institutional investors and perspectives on Company performance and opportunities. Mr. Rogers also has deep experience in strategies designed to drive sustainable long-term value creation, including overseeing the integration of sustainability factors into investment decisions.

 

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Table of Contents

Proposal 1: Election of Directors

 

DIRECTOR NOMINEES

 

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BERTRAM L. SCOTT

       
   

 

Independent Director Since: 2015

Age: 74

Lowe’s Board Committees:

•  Audit

•  Nominating and Governance

 

 

Career Highlights:

 

  2015–2019 Senior Vice President of Population Health and Value Based Care at Novant Health, a leading healthcare provider

 

  2012–2014 President and Chief Executive Officer of Affinity Health Plan, a provider of New York State-sponsored health coverage

 

  2010–2011 President, U.S. Commercial of CIGNA Corporation, a global health services organization

 

  2000–2010 Executive Vice President and Chief Institutional Development and Sales Officer of TIAA-CREF

 

  2000–2007 President and Chief Executive Officer of TIAA-CREF Life Insurance Company

Current Public Company Directorships:

  Becton, Dickinson and Company
  Dollar Tree, Inc.
  Equitable Holdings, Inc.

Previous Public Company Boards:

  AllianceBernstein Holding L.P (2020–2022)

 

Specific Experience, Qualifications, Attributes and Skills Relevant to Lowe’s

Mr. Scott has served in a variety of senior leadership positions in organizations that are in highly regulated industries and brings valuable experience to Lowe’s Board in the areas of development and implementation of strategy and risk management. Mr. Scott also brings significant experience and responsibility in the areas of sales and marketing in his roles as Executive Vice President and Chief Institutional Development and Sales Officer of TIAA-CREF and President and Chief Executive Officer of TIAA-CREF Life Insurance Company. Through his extensive experience as a board member of several public companies in a variety of industries, including retail, Mr. Scott provides valuable perspectives on corporate governance and supports the Lowe’s Board with deep knowledge of the financial and strategic issues facing large retail companies. He also brings a strong background in financial analysis and accounting oversight, including through his service as the Lowe’s Audit Committee Chair from 2019 to 2024.

 

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LAWRENCE SIMKINS

       
   

 

Independent Director Since: 2024

Age: 63

Lowe’s Board Committees:

•  Nominating and Governance

•  Sustainability

 

 

Career Highlights:

 

  2001–2022 President and Chief Executive Officer of The Washington Companies, a group of privately owned companies and select public company investments in the sectors of rail and marine transportation, shipyards, mining, environmental construction, heavy equipment sales and aviation products

 

  1988–2001 Variety of senior leadership roles at The Washington Companies, including Executive Vice President; President of Westran, Inc., a long haul trucking company; Controller of Washington Construction, an engineering and construction services company; Vice President of Envirocon, Inc., an environmental remediation company; and Internal Auditor of The Washington Companies

 

  1985–1988 Bank Examiner at the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis

Previous Public Company Boards:

  Atlas Corp. (2019–2023)
  Seaspan Corporation (2017–2020)

 

Specific Experience, Qualifications, Attributes and Skills Relevant to Lowe’s

Mr. Simkins has more than 30 years of leadership and operational management experience. As Chief Executive Officer of The Washington Companies, Mr. Simkins led multiple operating companies in a variety of highly-regulated sectors and provides in-depth knowledge into the key areas of strategic business development, risk management, safety and supply chain management. In addition to extensive investment management, financial analysis and accounting expertise, Mr. Simkins brings valuable perspectives on corporate governance through his past service as a member of the board of each individual Washington company where he provided enterprise-wide leadership and strategic direction. His background also provides insights into overseeing sustainability strategies designed to drive long-term value creation and responsible business practices across industrial and natural resource sectors.

 

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Table of Contents

Proposal 1: Election of Directors

 

DIRECTOR NOMINEES

 

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COLLEEN TAYLOR

       
   

 

Independent Director Since: 2022

Age: 57

Lowe’s Board Committees:

•  Audit

•  Sustainability

•  Technology

 

 

Career Highlights:

 

  2020–Present President, U.S. Merchant Services at American Express Company, a diversified financial services company

 

  2019–2020 Executive Vice President, Merchant Services at Wells Fargo & Company, a banking and financial services company

 

  2017–2019 Executive Vice President, New Payments at Mastercard Incorporated, a technology company in the global payments industry

 

  2009–2017 Variety of leadership positions at Capital One Financial Corporation, a diversified financial services holding company, including Executive Vice President, Head of Treasury Management, Merchant Services and Enterprise Payments

Previous Public Company Boards:

  Bill.com Holdings, Inc. (2020–2022)

 

Specific Experience, Qualifications, Attributes and Skills Relevant to Lowe’s

Ms. Taylor brings to the Lowe’s Board many years of senior leadership experience in the highly-regulated financial services industry with expertise in merchant services, banking and payments as well as a strong background in a number of other important areas, including risk management, strategic planning, investment management, financial analysis and brand management. As an experienced payments executive, she has been the accountable executive for technology and e-commerce capabilities delivered to some of the world’s largest merchants and has gained a deep understanding of the key operational and financial issues facing large retailers. In her roles, Ms. Taylor has been responsible for technology risk management, the development of complex enterprise technology roadmaps and cybersecurity oversight. Additionally, Ms. Taylor is a highly experienced people leader and has led large global sales, product management and operations teams.

 

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MARY BETH WEST

       
   

 

Independent Director Since: 2021

Age: 62

Lowe’s Board Committees:

•  Compensation

•  Sustainability, Chair

 

 

Career Highlights:

 

  2017–2020 Senior Vice President, Chief Growth Officer of The Hershey Company, a global confectionary manufacturer and marketer

 

  2015–2017 Executive Vice President, Chief Customer and Marketing Officer of J. C. Penney Company, Inc., a department store retailer

 

  2012–2014 Executive Vice President, Chief Category and Marketing Officer of Mondelez International, Inc., one of the world’s largest snack companies

 

  2007–2012 Chief Marketing Officer of Kraft Foods, Inc.

 

  1986–2007 Variety of other general management and marketing roles at Kraft Foods, Inc.

Current Public Company Directorships:

  Albertsons Companies, Inc.
  Hasbro, Inc.

 

Specific Experience, Qualifications, Attributes and Skills Relevant to Lowe’s

Ms. West brings to the Lowe’s Board extensive executive leadership experience in marketing and building some of the world’s most iconic brands. Ms. West has a strong background in developing compelling retail and sales experiences as well as managing large teams and possesses expertise in a number of important areas, including strategic and operational planning and execution. Throughout her career, Ms. West has played a key oversight role in the integration of sustainability principles into brand and corporate growth strategies to advance customer loyalty. In addition, Ms. West brings deep experience in developing digital and omnichannel growth strategies for complex consumer-brand and retail organizations using insights, analytics, innovation and research and development. Through her prior roles, Ms. West offers the Lowe’s Board valuable perspectives in the areas of investment management, financial planning and capital allocation.

 

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Table of Contents

Corporate Governance

 

CORPORATE GOVERNANCE GUIDELINES AND CODE OF BUSINESS CONDUCT AND ETHICS

 

Corporate Governance

CORPORATE GOVERNANCE GUIDELINES AND CODE OF BUSINESS CONDUCT AND ETHICS

The Board has adopted Corporate Governance Guidelines setting forth guidelines and standards with respect to the role and composition of the Board, the functioning of the Board and its committees, the compensation of directors, succession planning and management development, the Board’s and its committees’ access to independent advisors and other matters. The Nominating and Governance Committee of the Board regularly reviews and assesses corporate governance developments and recommends to the Board modifications to the Corporate Governance Guidelines as warranted. The Company has also adopted a Code of Business Conduct and Ethics for its directors, officers and associates. The Corporate Governance Guidelines and the Code of Business Conduct and Ethics are posted on the Company’s website at ir.lowes.com.

DIRECTOR INDEPENDENCE

 

 

11 of 12 Director Nominees are Independent

All Committees are Composed Solely of

Independent Directors

 

The Company’s Corporate Governance Guidelines provide that, in accordance with Lowe’s long-standing policy and the applicable rules of the New York Stock Exchange (the “NYSE”), a substantial majority of the members of the Board must qualify as independent directors. The rules and regulations of the NYSE (the “NYSE rules”) provide that a director does not qualify 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). The NYSE rules recommend that a board of directors consider all of the relevant facts and circumstances in determining the materiality of a director’s relationship with a company. The Board has adopted Categorical Standards for Determination of Director Independence (the “Categorical Standards”), which incorporate the independence standards of the NYSE rules, to assist the Board in determining whether a particular relationship a director has with the Company is a material relationship that would impair the director’s independence. The Categorical Standards establish thresholds at which directors’ relationships with the Company are deemed to

be not material and, therefore, shall not disqualify any director or director nominee from being considered “independent.” A copy of the Categorical Standards is attached as Appendix B to this Proxy Statement.

The Board, with the assistance of the Nominating and Governance Committee, conducted an evaluation of director independence based on the Categorical Standards, NYSE rules and SEC rules and regulations (the “SEC rules”). The Board considered all relevant transactions, relationships or arrangements between each director or director nominee (and such individual’s immediate family members and affiliates) and each of Lowe’s, its management and its independent registered public accounting firm in each of the most recent three completed fiscal years. In determining the independence of each director or director nominee, the Board considered and deemed immaterial to such individual’s independence transactions involving the purchase or sale of products and services in the ordinary course of business between the Company, on the one hand, and, on the other, companies or organizations at which some of our directors or their immediate family members were officers, employees or directors in each of the most recent three completed fiscal years. In each case, the amount paid to or received from these companies or organizations was well below 2% of total revenue of such companies or organizations and consequently below the threshold set forth in our Categorical Standards. For Mr. Scott, the Board considered that his son commenced employment with the Company in a non-officer and non-strategic position in February 2024, and does not receive greater than $120,000 in annual compensation.

In addition, the Board considered the amount of any discretionary charitable contributions made by the Company in each of the most recent three completed fiscal years to charitable organizations where a director, a director nominee or a member of such individual’s immediate family serves as a director or trustee. The Company has not made payments to any such organization in any of the last three fiscal years exceeding $120,000, except for a $125,000 donation in each of fiscal 2022 and 2023 to the American Heart Association where Mr. Scott is a director and was the immediate past chairman in 2022.

As a result of the evaluation of the transactions, relationships or arrangements that do exist or did exist within the most recent three completed fiscal years (except for Mr. Ellison’s), the Board determined that they all fall well below the thresholds in the Categorical Standards. Consequently, the Board determined that

each of Messrs. Alvarez, Batchelder, Baxter, Dreiling,

 

 

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Table of Contents

Corporate Governance

 

COMPENSATION OF DIRECTORS

 

Gupta, Rogers, Scott and Simkins and Mses. Cochran, Douglas, Taylor and West qualifies as an independent director under the Categorical Standards, NYSE rules and SEC rules. The Board also determined that each member of the Audit, Compensation, Nominating and Governance, Sustainability and Technology Committees (see membership information below under “Board Meetings, Board Leadership Structure, Key Board Responsibilities and Committees—Board Committees”) is independent, including that each member of the Audit Committee is “independent” as that term is defined under Rule 10A-3(b)(1)(ii) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), and that each member of the Compensation Committee is a “non-employee director” as defined under Rule 16b-3(b)(3)(i) of the Exchange Act. Mr. Ellison is not independent due to his employment by the Company as President and Chief Executive Officer.

COMPENSATION OF DIRECTORS

Compensation Philosophy

The Compensation Committee reviews director compensation annually with the advice of its independent compensation consultant and recommends changes to the Board for approval. The Compensation Committee assesses director compensation to align with Board and committee requirements and for market competitiveness against the Company’s Peer Group as described in the “Compensation Market Data and Peer Group” section of this Proxy Statement and other large general industry companies. When reviewing director compensation for fiscal 2024, the Compensation Committee’s independent compensation consultant advised that director pay levels were aligned with the median of the Company’s Peer Group and pay practices align with market.

Lowe’s philosophy on compensating directors who are not employees (“non-employee directors”) is to use a mix of cash and equity that will align the interests of our directors with the long-term interests of Lowe’s shareholders and compensate our directors fairly and competitively for the obligations and responsibilities of serving as a director at a company of Lowe’s size and scope. To implement this philosophy, we target a split of one-third cash and two-thirds equity, with total target compensation at the median of the market. A director who is an employee of the Company receives no additional compensation for his or her services as a director. A non-employee director receives compensation for his or her services as described in the following paragraphs. All directors are reimbursed for reasonable expenses incurred in connection with attendance at Board and committee meetings,

conducting store visits and fulfilling other activities in their role as directors.

Annual Retainer Fees

For fiscal 2024, each non-employee director was paid an annual cash retainer of $100,000. Our directors do not receive any meeting fees and do not receive any additional compensation for committee service other than for serving as a committee chair. Non-employee directors who served as the Chair of the Compensation Committee, Nominating and Governance Committee, Sustainability Committee or Technology Committee received an additional $20,000, and the Chair of the Audit Committee received an additional $25,000. The Lead Independent Director received an additional $100,000. All annual retainer, committee chair and Lead Independent Director fees are paid quarterly.

Stock Awards

The Board believes that director stock ownership provides greater alignment of interests between directors and shareholders and promotes strong corporate governance practices. The compensation plan adopted by the Board for non-employee directors adheres to this principle by providing a substantial portion of such director’s compensation in deferred stock units, which are credited to a deferral account during the term of such director’s service and are payable to the director upon the director’s termination of service as a director (or to the director’s estate if the director should die while serving on the Board) in one share of common stock per deferred stock unit only upon the director’s termination of service as a director.

Non-employee directors receive grants of deferred stock units at the first Board meeting following the Annual Meeting of Shareholders each year (the “Award Date”). The annual grant of deferred stock units for each of the Company’s non-employee directors is determined by taking the annual grant amount and dividing it by the closing price of a share of common stock as reported on the NYSE on the Award Date, which amount is then rounded up to the next 100 units. Grants are pro-rated for directors elected to the Board other than at the Annual Meeting of Shareholders. The deferred stock units receive dividend equivalent credits, in the form of additional units, for any cash dividends subsequently paid with respect to common stock. Beginning in 2022, all units credited to a director vest on the earlier of the first anniversary of the Award Date and the day immediately preceding the next Annual Meeting of Shareholders, subject to acceleration in certain circumstances.

For fiscal 2024, each non-employee director received an annual equity award of $200,000.

 

 

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