UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
SCHEDULE 14A
Proxy Statement Pursuant to Section 14(a) of the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934
(Amendment No. )
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☐ | Soliciting Material Pursuant to § 240.14a-12 |
AT&T Inc.
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Notice of At & T inc. 2019 Annual Meeting Of Stockholders and Proxy Statement.
TO OUR STOCKHOLDERS
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AT&T Inc. One AT&T Plaza Whitacre Tower 208 S. Akard Street Dallas, TX 75202 |
NOTICE OF 2019 ANNUAL MEETING
OF STOCKHOLDERS AND PROXY STATEMENT
i |
GUIDE TO AT&TS PROXY STATEMENT
GENERAL
This Proxy Statement is furnished in connection with the solicitation of proxies by the Board of Directors of AT&T Inc. (AT&T, the Company, or we) for use at the 2019 Annual Meeting of Stockholders of AT&T. The meeting will be held at 9:00 a.m. local time on Friday, April 26, 2019, at the Moody Performance Hall, 2520 Flora Street, Dallas, Texas 75201.
The purposes of the meeting are set forth in the Notice of Annual Meeting of Stockholders (see page i). This Proxy Statement and form of proxy are being sent or made available beginning March 11, 2019, to stockholders who were record holders of AT&Ts common stock, $1.00 par value per share, at the close of business on February 27, 2019. These materials are also available at www.edocumentview.com/att. Each share entitles the registered holder to one vote. As of January 31, 2019, there were 7,290,236,907 shares of AT&T common stock outstanding.
To constitute a quorum to conduct business at the meeting, stockholders representing at least 40% of the shares of common stock entitled to vote at the meeting must be present or represented by proxy.
TABLE OF CONTENTS | INDEX OF FREQUENTLY ACCESSED INFORMATION |
Acronyms Used
ii |
This summary highlights information contained elsewhere in this Proxy Statement. Please read the entire Proxy Statement carefully before voting.
Attending the Annual Meeting of Stockholders
If you plan to attend the meeting in person, please bring the admission ticket (attached to the proxy card or the Notice of Internet Availability of Proxy Materials) to the Annual Meeting. If you do not have an admission ticket or if you hold your shares in the name of a bank, broker, or other institution, you may obtain admission to the meeting by presenting proof of your ownership of AT&T stock.
Agenda and Voting Recommendations
Item
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Description
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Board Recommendation
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Page
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MANAGEMENT PROPOSALS: |
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1
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Election of Directors
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FOR each nominee
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5
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2
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Ratification of Ernst & Young LLP as auditors for 2019
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FOR
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13
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3
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Advisory Approval of Executive Compensation
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FOR
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14
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STOCKHOLDER PROPOSAL:
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4
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Independent Chair
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AGAINST
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15
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Corporate Governance Highlights
We are committed to good corporate governance, which promotes the long-term interests of stockholders, strengthens Board and management accountability, and helps build public trust in the Company. The Corporate Governance section beginning on page 16 describes our governance framework, which includes the following highlights:
Independent Lead Director
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Proxy access
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Stockholder right to call special meetings | ||||||
11 independent Director nominees
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Independent Audit, Human Resources, and Corporate Governance and Nominating Committees |
Directors required to hold shares until they leave the Board | ||||||
Demonstrated Board refreshment and diversity |
Robust Board, Committee, and Director evaluation process |
Clawback policy | ||||||
Annual election of Directors by majority vote
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Long-standing commitment to sustainability
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Regular sessions of non-management Directors
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1 |
Current Directors*
Our Directors exhibit an effective mix of skills, experience, diversity, and perspectives
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Senior leadership/Ceo experience global business/ affairs finance/public accounting government/ regulatory industry/ technology investment/private equity
Name
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Age
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Director Since
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Principal Occupation
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Randall L. Stephenson
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58
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2005
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Chairman, CEO, and President, AT&T Inc.
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Samuel A. Di Piazza, Jr.
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68
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2015
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Retired Global CEO, PricewaterhouseCoopers International Limited
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Richard W. Fisher
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69
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2015
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Former President and CEO, Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas
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Scott T. Ford
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56
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2012
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Member and CEO, Westrock Group, LLC
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Glenn H. Hutchins
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63
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2014
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Chairman, North Island and Co-Founder, Silver Lake
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William E. Kennard
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62
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2014
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Former United States Ambassador to the European Union and former Chairman of the Federal Communications Commission
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Michael B. McCallister
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66
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2013
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Retired Chairman and CEO, Humana Inc.
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Beth E. Mooney
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64
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2013
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Chairman and CEO, KeyCorp
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Joyce M. Roché**
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71
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1998
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Retired President and CEO, Girls Incorporated
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Matthew K. Rose
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59
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2010
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Chairman and CEO, Burlington Northern Santa Fe, LLC
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Cynthia B. Taylor
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57
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2013
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President and CEO, Oil States International, Inc.
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Laura DAndrea Tyson
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71
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1999
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Distinguished Professor of the Graduate School, Haas School of Business, and Chair of the Blum Center for Developing Economies Board of Trustees at the University of California, Berkeley
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Geoffrey Y. Yang
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60
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2016
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Founding Partner and Managing Director, Redpoint Ventures
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* All Directors are independent, except for Mr. Stephenson
** Retiring effective April 26, 2019
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2 |
Executive Compensation Highlights
2019 Program Enhancement
The Committee has approved the use of Net-Debt-to-Adjusted-EBITDA as a new performance metric with a 20% weighting for determining 2019 short-term incentive awards (payable 2020) for all Executive Officers.
The narrative on pages 40-60 more fully describes how the Committee, with the input of its consultant, has designed and evolved our Executive Officer compensation and benefits program using the Committees guiding pay principles as the pillars of the program. We also outline how we establish pay targets and how actual Executive Officer pay is determined. Finally, we provide a description of other benefits.
PAY AND PERFORMANCE AT A GLANCE*
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What We Do |
What We Dont Do |
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✓ Multiple Performance Metrics and Time Horizons: Use multiple performance metrics and multi-year vesting timeframes to discourage unnecessary short-term risk taking.
✓ Stock Ownership and Holding Period Requirements: NEOs must comply with stock ownership guidelines and hold 25% of post-2015 stock award distributions until retirement.
✓ Dividend Equivalents: Paid at the end of performance period on earned Performance Shares.
✓ Annual Compensation-Related Risk Review: Performed annually to confirm that our programs do not encourage excessive risk taking and are not reasonably likely to have a material adverse effect on the Company.
✓ Clawback Policy: Provides for the recovery of previously paid executive compensation for any fraudulent or illegal conduct.
✓ Severance Policy: Limits payments to 2.99 times salary and target bonus.
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✘ No Single Trigger Change in Control Provisions: No accelerated vesting of equity awards upon change in control.
✘ No Tax Gross-Ups: No excise tax gross-up payments; no other tax gross-ups, except in extenuating circumstances.
✘ No Credit for Unvested Shares when determining stock ownership guideline compliance.
✘ No Repricing or Buy-Out of underwater stock options.
✘ No Hedging or Short Sales of AT&T stock.
✘ No Supplemental Executive Retirement Benefits for officers promoted/hired after 2008.
✘ No Guaranteed Bonuses: The Company does not guarantee bonus payments.
✘ No Excessive Dilution: Our annual equity grants represent less than 1% of the total outstanding Common Stock each year. As of July 31, 2018, our total dilution was 1.4% of outstanding Common Stock.
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3 |
Item No. 1 - Election of Directors
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The Board recommends you vote FOR each of the following candidates: |
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Name
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Age
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Director Since
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Principal Occupation
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Randall L. Stephenson
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58
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2005
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Chairman, CEO, and President, AT&T Inc.
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Samuel A. Di Piazza, Jr.
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68
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2015
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Retired Global CEO, PricewaterhouseCoopers International Limited
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Richard W. Fisher
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69
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2015
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Former President and CEO, Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas
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Scott T. Ford
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56
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2012
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Member and CEO, Westrock Group, LLC
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Glenn H. Hutchins
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63
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2014
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Chairman, North Island and Co-Founder, Silver Lake
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William E. Kennard
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62
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2014
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Former United States Ambassador to the European Union and former Chairman of the Federal Communications Commission
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Michael B. McCallister
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66
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2013
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Retired Chairman and CEO, Humana Inc.
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Beth E. Mooney
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64
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2013
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Chairman and CEO, KeyCorp
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Matthew K. Rose
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59
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2010
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Chairman and CEO, Burlington Northern Santa Fe, LLC
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Cynthia B. Taylor
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57
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2013
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President and CEO, Oil States International, Inc.
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Laura DAndrea Tyson
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71
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1999
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Distinguished Professor of the Graduate School, Haas School of Business, and Chair of the Blum Center for Developing Economies Board of Trustees at the University of California, Berkeley
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Geoffrey Y. Yang
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60
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2016
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Founding Partner and Managing Director, Redpoint Ventures
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All Director nominees are independent, except for Mr. Stephenson.
5 |
VOTING ITEMS
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Age 58 Director since 2005 | |||||||||||||||
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Mr. Stephenson is Chairman of the Board, Chief Executive Officer, and President of AT&T Inc. and has served in this capacity since 2007. He has held a variety of high-level finance, operational, and marketing positions with AT&T, including serving as Chief Operating Officer from 2004 until his appointment as Chief Executive Officer in 2007 and as Chief Financial Officer from 2001 to 2004. He began his career with the Company in 1982. Mr. Stephenson received his B.S. in accounting from Central State University (now known as the University of Central Oklahoma) and earned his Master of Accountancy degree from the University of Oklahoma.
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AT&T Board Committees Executive (Chair)
Past Directorships The Boeing Company (2016-2017); Emerson Electric Co. (2006-2017) |
Qualifications, Attributes, Skills, and Experience
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Mr. Stephensons qualifications to serve on the Board include his more than 35 years of experience in the telecommunications industry, his intimate knowledge of our Company and its history, his expertise in finance and operations management, and his years of executive leadership experience across various divisions of our organization, including serving as Chief Executive Officer, Chief Operating Officer, Chief Financial Officer, Senior Vice President of Finance, and Senior Vice President of Consumer Marketing.
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Senior Leadership/Chief Executive Officer Experience |
Extensive Knowledge of the Companys Business and/or Industry | ||||||||||||||
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High Level of Financial Experience
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Public Company Board Service and Governance Experience
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Samuel A. Di Piazza, Jr.
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Age 68 Director since 2015 | |||||||||||||||
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Mr. Di Piazza served as Global Chief Executive Officer of PricewaterhouseCoopers International Limited (an international professional services firm) from 2002 until his retirement in 2009. Mr. Di Piazza began his 36-year career with PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC, formerly Coopers & Lybrand) in 1973 and was named Partner in 1979 and Senior Partner in 2000. From 1979 to 2002, Mr. Di Piazza held various regional leadership positions with PwC. After his retirement from PwC, Mr. Di Piazza joined Citigroup where he served as Vice Chairman of the Global Corporate and Investment Bank from 2011 until 2014. Since 2010, Mr. Di Piazza has served as the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of The Mayo Clinic. He received his B.S. in accounting from the University of Alabama and earned his M.S. in tax accounting from the University of Houston. He served as a Director of DIRECTV from 2010 until the company was acquired by AT&T Inc. in 2015.
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AT&T Board Committees Audit (Chair); Executive; Public Policy and Corporate Reputation
Other Public Company Directorships Jones Lang LaSalle Incorporated; ProAssurance Corporation; Regions Financial Corporation
Past Directorships DIRECTV (2010-2015) |
Qualifications, Attributes, Skills, and Experience
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Mr. Di Piazzas qualifications to serve on the Board include his executive leadership skills, his vast experience in public accounting with a major accounting firm, and his experience in international business and affairs, all strong attributes for the Board of AT&T. His qualifications also include his prior service as a Director of DIRECTV, a digital entertainment services company that we acquired.
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Senior Leadership/Chief Executive Officer Experience |
Extensive Knowledge of the Companys Business and/or Industry | ||||||||||||||
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High Level of Financial Experience
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Global Business/Affairs Experience
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6 |
VOTING ITEMS
Richard W. Fisher
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Age 69 Director since 2015 | |||||||||||
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Mr. Fisher served as President and Chief Executive Officer of the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas from 2005 until March 2015. He has been Senior Advisor to Barclays PLC (a financial services provider) since 2015. From 2001 to 2005, Mr. Fisher was Vice Chairman and Managing Partner of Kissinger McLarty Associates (a strategic advisory firm). From 1997 to 2001, Mr. Fisher served as Deputy U.S. Trade Representative with the rank of Ambassador. Previously, he served as Managing Partner of Fisher Capital Management and Fisher Ewing Partners LP (investment advisory firms) and prior to that was Senior Manager of Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. (a private banking firm). He is an Honorary Fellow of Hertford College, Oxford University, and a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. Mr. Fisher received his B.A. in economics from Harvard University and earned his M.B.A. from Stanford University.
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AT&T Board Committees Corporate Development
Other Public Company Directorships PepsiCo, Inc.; Tenet Healthcare |
Qualifications, Attributes, Skills, and Experience
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Mr. Fishers qualifications to serve on the Board include his extensive financial, trade and regulatory expertise, and a deep understanding of Mexico and Latin America, all of which enable him to provide valuable financial and strategic insight to AT&T.
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Senior Leadership/Chief Executive Officer Experience |
Government/Regulatory Expertise |
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High Level of Financial Experience
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Global Business/Affairs Experience
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Scott T. Ford
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Age 56 Director since 2012 | |||||||||||
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Mr. Ford founded Westrock Group, LLC (a private investment firm in Little Rock, Arkansas) in 2013, where he has served as Member and Chief Executive Officer since its inception. Westrock Group operates Westrock Coffee Company, LLC (a fully integrated coffee company), which Mr. Ford founded in 2009, and where he has served as Chief Executive Officer since 2009. Westrock Group also operates Westrock Asset Management, LLC (a global alternative investment firm), which Mr. Ford founded in 2014, and where he has served as Chief Executive Officer and Chief Investment Officer since 2014. Mr. Ford previously served as President and Chief Executive Officer of Alltel Corporation (a provider of wireless voice and data communications services) from 2002 to 2009 and served as an executive member of Alltel Corporations board of directors from 1996 to 2009. He also served as Alltel Corporations President and Chief Operating Officer from 1998 to 2002. Mr. Ford led Alltel through several major business transformations, culminating with the sale of the company to Verizon Wireless in 2009. Mr. Ford received his B.S. in finance from the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville.
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AT&T Board Committees Corporate Development and Finance (Chair); Executive; Human Resources
Past Directorships Bear State Financial, Inc. (2011-2018) |
Qualifications, Attributes, Skills, and Experience
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Mr. Fords qualifications to serve on the Board include his extensive experience and expertise in the telecommunications industry, his strong strategic focus, his leadership experience in the oversight of a large, publicly traded company, and his experience in international business and private equity, all of which bring valuable contributions to AT&Ts strategic planning and industry competitiveness.
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Senior Leadership/Chief Executive Officer Experience | Extensive Knowledge of the Companys Business and/or Industry | |||||||||||
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Public Company Board Service and Governance Experience | Investment/Private Equity Experience
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7 |
VOTING ITEMS
Glenn H. Hutchins
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Age 63 Director since 2014 | |||||||||||
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Mr. Hutchins is Chairman of North Island (an investment firm based in New York, New York) and of Tide Mill, LLC (the Hutchins family office, formerly North Island, LLC, in New York, New York). He is also a co-founder of Silver Lake (a technology investment firm based in New York, New York and Menlo Park, California), which was founded in 1999, and where Mr. Hutchins served as Co-CEO until 2011 and as Managing Director from 1999 until 2011. Prior to that, Mr. Hutchins was Senior Managing Director at The Blackstone Group (a global investment firm) from 1994 to 1999. Mr. Hutchins served as Chairman of the Board of SunGard Data Systems Inc. (a software and technology services company) from 2005 until 2015. He is a Director of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York and Co-Chairman of the Brookings Institution. Previously, Mr. Hutchins served as a Special Advisor in the White House on economic and health-care policy from 1993 to 1994 and as Senior Advisor on the transition of the Administration from 1992 to 1993. He holds an A.B. from Harvard College, an M.B.A. from Harvard Business School, and a J.D. from Harvard Law School.
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AT&T Board Committees Corporate Development
Other Public Company Directorships Virtu Financial, Inc.
Past Directorships Nasdaq, Inc. (2005-2017) |
Qualifications, Attributes, Skills, and Experience
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Mr. Hutchins qualifications to serve on our Board include his extensive experience and expertise in the technology and financial sectors, his public policy experience, and his strong strategic focus, all of which enable him to provide valuable financial and strategic insight to AT&T.
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Senior Leadership/Chief Executive Officer Experience | Government/Regulatory Expertise
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Technology Expertise
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Investment/Private Equity Experience
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William E. Kennard
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Age 62 Director since 2014 | |||||||||||
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Mr. Kennard served as the United States Ambassador to the European Union from 2009 to 2013. From 2001 to 2009, Mr. Kennard was Managing Director of The Carlyle Group (a global asset management firm) where he led investments in the telecommunications and media sectors. Mr. Kennard served as Chairman of the U.S. Federal Communications Commission from 1997 to 2001. Before his appointment as FCC Chairman, he served as the FCCs General Counsel from 1993 until 1997. Mr. Kennard joined the FCC from the law firm of Verner, Liipfert, Bernhard, McPherson and Hand (now DLA Piper) where he was a partner and member of the firms board of directors. Mr. Kennard received his B.A. in communications from Stanford University and earned his law degree from Yale Law School.
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AT&T Board Committees Corporate Governance and Nominating; Public Policy and Corporate Reputation
Other Public Company Directorships Duke Energy Corporation; Ford Motor Company; MetLife, Inc. |
Qualifications, Attributes, Skills, and Experience
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Mr. Kennards qualifications to serve on our Board include his expertise in the telecommunications industry, his understanding of public policy, and his international perspective, as well as his background and experience in law and regulatory matters, all strong attributes for the Board of AT&T.
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Senior Leadership/Chief Executive Officer Experience |
Government/Regulatory Expertise |
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Extensive Knowledge of the Companys Business and/or Industry
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Legal Experience
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8 |
VOTING ITEMS
Michael B. McCallister
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Age 66 Director since 2013 | |||||||||||
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Mr. McCallister served as Chairman of Humana Inc. (a health care company in Louisville, Kentucky) from 2010 to 2013, and as a member of Humanas Board of Directors beginning in 2000. He also served as Humanas Chief Executive Officer from 2000 until his retirement in 2012. During Mr. McCallisters tenure, he led Humana through significant expansion and growth, nearly quadrupling its annual revenues between 2000 and 2012, and led the company to become a FORTUNE 100 company. Mr. McCallister received his B.S. in accounting from Louisiana Tech University and earned his M.B.A. from Pepperdine University.
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AT&T Board Committees Audit; Human Resources
Other Public Company Directorships Fifth Third Bancorp; Zoetis Inc. |
Qualifications, Attributes, Skills, and Experience
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Mr. McCallisters qualifications to serve on the Board include his executive leadership experience in the oversight of a large, publicly traded company and his depth of experience in the health care sector, which is of increasing importance to a company like AT&T.
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Senior Leadership/Chief Executive Officer Experience | Public Company Board Service and Governance Experience
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Healthcare Expertise
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High Level of Financial Experience
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Beth E. Mooney
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Age 64 Director since 2013 | |||||||||||
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Ms. Mooney is Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of KeyCorp (a bank holding company in Cleveland, Ohio) and has served in this capacity since 2011. She previously served as KeyCorps President and Chief Operating Officer from 2010 to 2011. Ms. Mooney joined KeyCorp in 2006 as a Vice Chair and head of Key Community Bank. Prior to joining KeyCorp, beginning in 2000 she served as Senior Executive Vice President at AmSouth Bancorporation (now Regions Financial Corporation), where she also became Chief Financial Officer in 2004. Ms. Mooney served as a Director of the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland in 2016 and was appointed to represent the Fourth Federal Reserve District on the Federal Advisory Council beginning in 2017. She received her B.A. in history from the University of Texas at Austin and earned her M.B.A. from Southern Methodist University.
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AT&T Board Committees Corporate Development
Other Public Company Directorships KeyCorp |
Qualifications, Attributes, Skills, and Experience
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Ms. Mooneys qualifications to serve on the Board include her executive leadership skills in the oversight of a large, publicly traded and highly-regulated company and her more than 30 years of experience in the banking and financial services industry, which bring valuable financial and strategic insight to AT&T.
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Senior Leadership/Chief Executive Officer Experience |
Government/Regulatory Expertise
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High Level of Financial Experience
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Public Company Board Service and Governance Experience
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9 |
VOTING ITEMS
Matthew K. Rose
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Age 59 Director since 2010 | |||||||||||
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Mr. Rose is Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of Burlington Northern Santa Fe, LLC (a freight rail system based in Fort Worth, Texas and a subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway Inc., formerly known as Burlington Northern Santa Fe Corporation) and has served in this capacity since 2002, having also served as President until 2010. Before serving as its Chairman, Mr. Rose held several leadership positions there and at its predecessors, including President and Chief Executive Officer from 2000 to 2002, President and Chief Operating Officer from 1999 to 2000, and Senior Vice President and Chief Operations Officer from 1997 to 1999. Mr. Rose also serves as Executive Chairman of BNSF Railway Company (a subsidiary of Burlington Northern Santa Fe, LLC), having served as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer from 2002 to 2013. He earned his B.S. in marketing from the University of Missouri. Mr. Rose has announced his intention to retire from BNSF in April of 2019.
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AT&T Board Committees Corporate Governance and Nominating (Chair); Executive; Human Resources
Other Public Company Directorships BNSF Railway Company; Burlington Northern Santa Fe, LLC; Fluor Corporation |
Qualifications, Attributes, Skills, and Experience
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Mr. Roses qualifications to serve on the Board include his extensive experience in the executive oversight of a large, complex and highly-regulated organization, his considerable knowledge of operations management and logistics, and his experience and skill in managing complex regulatory and labor issues comparable to those faced by AT&T.
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Senior Leadership/Chief Executive Officer Experience |
Government/Regulatory Expertise |
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Labor Experience
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Operations/Logistics Experience
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Cynthia B. Taylor
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Age 57 Director since 2013 | |||||||||||
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Ms. Taylor is President, Chief Executive Officer and a Director of Oil States International, Inc. (a diversified solutions provider for the oil and gas industry in Houston, Texas) and has served in this capacity since 2007. She previously served as Oil States International, Inc.s President and Chief Operating Officer from 2006 to 2007 and as its Senior Vice President-Chief Financial Officer from 2000 to 2006. Ms. Taylor was Chief Financial Officer of L.E. Simmons & Associates, Inc. from 1999 to 2000 and Vice President-Controller of Cliffs Drilling Company from 1992 to 1999, and prior to that, held various management positions with Ernst & Young LLP, a public accounting firm. She received her B.B.A. in accounting from Texas A&M University and is a Certified Public Accountant.
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AT&T Board Committees Audit; Public Policy and Corporate Reputation
Other Public Company Directorships Oil States International, Inc.
Past Directorships Tidewater Inc. (2008-2017) |
Qualifications, Attributes, Skills, and Experience
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Ms. Taylors qualifications to serve on the Board include her executive leadership skills in the oversight of a large, publicly traded company, her vast experience in finance and public accounting, and her experience in international business and affairs, all of which bring a broad spectrum of management experience to our Board.
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Senior Leadership/Chief Executive Officer Experience |
Global Business/Affairs Experience |
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High Level of Financial Experience |
Operations/Logistics Experience |
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10 |
VOTING ITEMS
Laura DAndrea Tyson
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Age 71 Director since 1999 | |||||||||||
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Dr. Tyson is a Distinguished Professor of the Graduate School at the Haas School of Business, University of California, Berkeley, and has served in this capacity since 2016. She is also the Chair of the Blum Center for Developing Economies Board of Trustees, University of California, Berkeley, and has served in this capacity since 2007. Dr. Tyson has also been the Faculty Director of the Berkeley Haas Schools Institute for Business and Social Impact since 2013. Dr. Tyson was interim Dean of UC Berkeleys Haas School of Business from July 1, 2018, through December 31, 2018. She previously served as Dean of the Haas School from 1998 to 2001. She also served as Dean of London Business School from 2002 until 2006. Dr. Tyson was Professor of Business Administration and Economics at Berkeley Haas from 2007 until 2016 and was Professor of Global Management at the Haas School from 2008 until 2013. From 1997 to 1998, she served as UC Berkeleys Professor of Economics and Business Administration. Dr. Tyson has served in various government roles, including serving as a member of the U.S. Department of State Foreign Affairs Policy Board (2011-2013), the Council on Jobs and Competitiveness for the President of the United States (2011-2013), and the Economic Recovery Advisory Board to the President of the United States (2009-2011), and has also served as National Economic Adviser to the President of the United States (1995-1996) and as Chair of the White House Council of Economic Advisers (1993-1995). Since 2007, Dr. Tyson has served as an adviser and faculty member of the World Economic Forum. Dr. Tyson received her B.A. in economics from Smith College and earned her Ph.D. in economics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Dr. Tyson served as a Director of Ameritech Corporation from 1997 until the company was acquired by AT&T (then known as SBC Communications Inc.) in 1999.
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AT&T Board Committees Audit; Executive; Public Policy and Corporate
Other Public Company Directorships CBRE Group, Inc.
Past Directorships Morgan Stanley (1997-2016); Silver Spring Networks, Inc. (2009-2018) |
Qualifications, Attributes, Skills, and Experience
|
|||||||||||
Dr. Tysons qualifications to serve on the Board include her expertise in economics and public policy, her experience as an advisor in various business and political arenas, and her vast knowledge of international business and affairs, all strong attributes for the Board of AT&T. Her qualifications also include her prior service as a director of a telecommunications company that we acquired.
|
||||||||||||
Senior Leadership/Chief Executive Officer Experience | Government/Regulatory Expertise |
|||||||||||
|
High Level of Financial Experience
|
|
Public Company Board Service and Governance Experience |
|||||||||
11 |
VOTING ITEMS
Geoffrey Y. Yang
|
Age 60 Director since 2016 | |||||||||||
|
Mr. Yang is a founding partner and Managing Director of Redpoint Ventures (a global private equity and venture capital firm based in Menlo Park, California) and has served in this capacity since 1999. Prior to founding Redpoint, Mr. Yang was a General Partner with Institutional Venture Partners (a private equity investment firm in Menlo Park, California), which he joined in 1987. Mr. Yang has over 30 years of experience in the venture capital industry and has helped found or served on the boards of a variety of consumer media, internet, and infrastructure companies. Mr. Yang holds a B.S.E. in engineering from Princeton University and an M.B.A. from Stanford University.
|
|||||||||||
AT&T Board Committees Corporate Development
Other Public Company Directorships Franklin Resources, Inc.
|
Qualifications, Attributes, Skills, and Experience
|
|||||||||||
Mr. Yangs qualifications to serve on the Board include his extensive experience in technology and emerging forms of media and entertainment, his decades of experience and expertise in venture capital, his strong strategic focus, as well as his vast experience in serving on the boards of private and public technology companies, all of which enable him to provide valuable contributions to AT&Ts financial and strategic planning and industry competitiveness.
|
||||||||||||
Senior Leadership/Chief Executive Officer Experience | Global Business/Affairs Experience |
|||||||||||
|
Investment/Private Equity Experience
|
Technology Expertise
|
||||||||||
12 |
VOTING ITEMS
A stockholder has advised the Company that he intends to introduce at the 2019 Annual Meeting the proposal set forth below. The name and address of, and the number of shares owned by, such stockholder will be provided upon request to the Senior Vice President and Secretary of AT&T at 208 S. Akard Street, Suite 2954, Dallas, Texas 75202.
15 |
|
Table of Contents
| |||||||
|
16 |
|
THE ROLE OF THE BOARD |
23 |
ETHICS AND COMPLIANCE PROGRAM
| |||
|
17 |
|
RISK OVERSIGHT |
24 |
ANNUAL MULTI-STEP BOARD EVALUATION | |||
|
18 |
|
BOARD STRUCTURE |
25 |
COMMUNICATING WITH YOUR BOARD | |||
|
19 |
|
DIRECTOR NOMINATION PROCESS |
25 |
AVAILABILITY OF CORPORATE GOVERNANCE DOCUMENTS | |||
|
19 |
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BOARD COMPOSITION AND REFRESHMENT |
25 |
HOW TO SUBMIT A STOCKHOLDER PROPOSAL | |||
|
20 |
|
DIRECTOR INDEPENDENCE |
26 |
RELATED PERSON TRANSACTIONS | |||
|
21 |
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BOARD COMMITTEES |
26 |
DIRECTOR COMPENSATION | |||
|
23 |
|
PUBLIC POLICY ENGAGEMENT
|
29 |
COMMON STOCK OWNERSHIP |
AT&T is committed to strong corporate governance principles. Effective governance protects the long-term interests of our stockholders, promotes public trust in AT&T, and strengthens management accountability. AT&T regularly reviews and updates its corporate governance practices to reflect evolving corporate governance principles and concerns identified by stockholders and other stakeholders.
| ||||||||
Key Responsibilities of the Board
| ||||||||
| ||||||||
| ||||||||
Strategy Oversight
|
Risk Oversight
|
Succession Planning
| ||||||
Ö The Board oversees and monitors strategic planning. |
Ö The Board oversees risk management. |
Ö The Board oversees succession planning and talent development for senior executive positions. | ||||||
Ö Business strategy is a key focus at the Board level and is embedded in the work of Board committees. |
Ö Board committees, which meet regularly and report back to the full Board, play significant roles in carrying out the risk oversight function. |
Ö The Human Resources Committee, which meets regularly and reports back to the Board, has primary responsibility for developing succession plans for the CEO position. | ||||||
Ö Company management is charged with executing business strategy and provides regular performance updates to the Board. |
Ö Company management is charged with managing risk, through robust internal processes and effective internal controls. |
Ö The CEO is charged with preparing and reviewing with the Human Resources Committee talent development plans for senior executives and their potential successors. |
16 |
CORPORATE GOVERNANCE
BOARDS ROLE IN RISK OVERSIGHT
| ||||||||
Risk Assessment Responsibilities and Processes
| ||||||||
| ||||||||
THE BOARD
The full board has primary responsibility for risk oversight.
The Board executes its oversight duties through:
Assigning specific oversight duties to the Board committees Periodic briefing and informational sessions by management on risk identification, mitigation, and control |
MANAGEMENT
Management is primarily responsible for:
Identifying risk and risk controls related to significant business activities Mapping the risks to company strategy Developing programs and recommendations to determine the sufficiency of risk identification, the balance of potential risk to potential reward, and the appropriate manner in which to manage risk
With respect to the risk assessment of the companys compensation programs, management is primarily responsible for:
Reviewing all significant compensation programs, focusing on programs with variable payouts Assessing the companys executive and broad-based compensation and benefits programs to determine whether the programs provisions and operation create undesired or unintentional material risk. | |||||||
BOARD COMMITTEES | ||||||||
¯ Audit
Oversees issues related to financial, compliance, ethics, and operational risks. |
¯ Human Resources
Oversees issues related to risk in the Companys compensation programs, including the Boards conclusion that the Companys compensation policies and practices do not create risks that are reasonably likely to have a material adverse effect on the company. |
|||||||
17 |
CORPORATE GOVERNANCE
Duties and Responsibilities
|
Lead Independent Director
Randall Stephenson currently serves as both Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer. The Board believes that having Mr. Stephenson serve in both capacities is in the best interests of AT&T and its stockholders because it enhances communication between the Board and management and allows Mr. Stephenson to more effectively execute the Companys strategic initiatives and business plans and confront its challenges. The Board believes that the appointment of a strong independent Lead Director and the use of regular executive sessions of the non-management Directors, along with the Boards strong committee system and substantial majority of independent Directors, allow it to maintain effective oversight of management.
18 |
CORPORATE GOVERNANCE
19 |
CORPORATE GOVERNANCE
From time to time the Board establishes permanent standing committees and temporary special committees to assist the Board in carrying out its responsibilities. The Board has established six standing committees of Directors, the principal responsibilities of which are described below. The charters for each of these committees may be found on our website at www.att.com.
Audit Committee
| ||||
Meetings in Fiscal 2018: 13
Samuel A. Di Piazza, Jr., Chair ∎ Michael B. McCallister Cynthia B. Taylor ∎ Laura D. Tyson
∎ Financial Expert
Consists of four independent Directors. |
Oversees:
- the integrity of our financial statements
- the independent auditors qualifications and independence
- the performance of the internal audit function and independent auditors
- our compliance with legal and regulatory matters.
Responsible for the appointment, compensation, retention and oversight of the work of the independent auditor.
The independent auditor audits the financial statements of AT&T and its subsidiaries.
|
Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee
| ||||
Meetings in Fiscal 2018: 4
Matthew K. Rose, Chair Richard W. Fisher William E. Kennard Beth E. Mooney Joyce M. Roché*
Consists of five independent Directors. |
Responsible for recommending candidates to be nominated by the Board for election by the stockholders, or to be appointed by the Board of Directors to fill vacancies, consistent with the criteria approved by the Board, and recommending committee assignments.
Periodically assesses AT&Ts Corporate Governance Guidelines and makes recommendations to the Board for amendments and also recommends to the Board the compensation of Directors.
Takes a leadership role in shaping corporate governance and oversees an annual evaluation of the Board.
|
* Retiring effective April 26, 2019
Human Resources Committee
| ||||
Meetings in Fiscal 2018: 6
Joyce M. Roché, Chair* Scott T. Ford Michael B. McCallister Matthew K. Rose Geoffrey Y. Yang
Consists of five independent Directors. |
Oversees the compensation practices of AT&T, including the design and administration of employee benefit plans.
Responsible for:
- establishing the compensation of the Chief Executive Officer and the other Executive Officers
- establishing stock ownership guidelines for officers and developing a management succession plan.
|
* Retiring effective April 26, 2019
21 |
CORPORATE GOVERNANCE
Corporate Development and Finance Committee
| ||||
Meetings in Fiscal 2018: 5
Scott T. Ford, Chair Richard W. Fisher Glenn H. Hutchins Beth E. Mooney Geoffrey Y. Yang
Consists of five independent Directors. |
Assists the Board in its oversight of our finances, including recommending the payment of dividends and reviewing the management of our debt and investment of our cash reserves.
Reviews mergers, acquisitions, dispositions and similar transactions; reviews corporate strategy and recommends or approves transactions and investments.
Reviews and makes recommendations about the capital structure of the Company, and the evaluation, development and implementation of key technology decisions.
|
Public Policy and Corporate Reputation Committee
| ||||
Meetings in Fiscal 2018: 6
Laura D. Tyson, Chair Samuel A. Di Piazza, Jr. Glenn H. Hutchins William E. Kennard Cynthia B. Taylor
Consists of five independent Directors. |
Assists the Board in its oversight of policies related to corporate social responsibility including public policy issues affecting AT&T, its stockholders, employees, customers, and the communities in which it operates.
Oversees the Companys management of its brands and reputation.
Recommends to the Board the aggregate amount of contributions or expenditures for political purposes, and the aggregate amount of charitable contributions to be made to the AT&T Foundation.
Consults with the AT&T Foundation regarding significant grants proposed to be made by the Foundation. |
Executive Committee
| ||||
Randall L. Stephenson, Chair Samuel A. Di Piazza, Jr. Scott T. Ford Joyce M. Roché* Matthew K. Rose Laura D. Tyson
Consists of the Chairman of the Board and the Chairmen of our five other standing committees. |
Established to assist the Board by acting upon urgent matters when the Board is not available to meet. No meetings were held in 2018.
Has full power and authority of the Board to the extent permitted by law, including the power and authority to declare a dividend or to authorize the issuance of common stock.
|
* Retiring effective April 26, 2019
ACTIVE ONGOING STOCKHOLDER ENGAGEMENT
22 |
CORPORATE GOVERNANCE
ANNUAL MULTI-STEP BOARD EVALUATIONS
One-on-One Director Peer Evaluations
|
Committee Self-Evaluations
| |||
Members discuss the performance of other members of the Board including, their: Understanding of the business Meeting attendance Preparation and participation in Board activities Applicable skill set to current needs of the business Responses are discussed with the individual Director if applicable
|
Candid open discussion to review the following: Committee process and substance Committee effectiveness, structure, composition, and culture Overall Committee dynamics Committee Charter | |||
|
| |||
Ongoing Feedback
|
Board Self-Evaluation Survey
| |||
Directors provide ongoing, real-time feedback outside of the evaluation process.
Lines of communication between our directors and management are always open. |
Evaluation survey (reviewed annually by the Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee) addresses key topics such as those below, among other things: Process and substance Effectiveness, structure, composition, culture, and overall Board dynamics Performance in key areas Specific issues which should be discussed in the future Responses are discussed and changes and improvements are implemented, if applicable
|
24 |
CORPORATE GOVERNANCE
HOW TO SUBMIT A PROPOSAL FOR NEXT YEAR
25 |
CORPORATE GOVERNANCE
27 |
CORPORATE GOVERNANCE
2018 DIRECTOR COMPENSATION TABLE
The following table contains information regarding compensation provided to each person who served as a Director during 2018 (excluding Mr. Stephenson, whose compensation is included in the Summary Compensation Table and related tables and disclosure).
Name | Fees Earned (a) |
Stock (b) |
Nonqualified ($) (c) |
All Other (d) |
Total ($) |
|||||||||||||||
Samuel A. Di Piazza, Jr.
|
|
$ 165,000
|
|
|
$ 170,000
|
|
|
$ 0
|
|
|
$ 15,000
|
|
$
|
350,000
|
| |||||
Richard W. Fisher
|
|
$ 140,000
|
|
|
$ 170,000
|
|
|
$ 982
|
|
|
$ 0
|
|
$
|
310,982
|
| |||||
Scott T. Ford
|
|
$ 155,000
|
|
|
$ 170,000
|
|
|
$ 0
|
|
|
$ 0
|
|
$
|
325,000
|
| |||||
Glenn H. Hutchins
|
|
$ 140,000
|
|
|
$ 170,000
|
|
|
$ 0
|
|
|
$ 0
|
|
$
|
310,000
|
| |||||
William E. Kennard
|
|
$ 140,000
|
|
|
$ 170,000
|
|
|
$ 0
|
|
|
$ 0
|
|
$
|
310,000
|
| |||||
Michael B. McCallister
|
|
$ 140,000
|
|
|
$ 170,000
|
|
|
$ 0
|
|
|
$ 14,655
|
|
$
|
324,655
|
| |||||
Beth E. Mooney
|
|
$ 140,000
|
|
|
$ 170,000
|
|
|
$ 0
|
|
|
$ 0
|
|
$
|
310,000
|
| |||||
Joyce M. Roché
|
|
$ 165,000
|
|
|
$ 170,000
|
|
|
$ 0
|
|
|
$ 17,700
|
|
$
|
352,700
|
| |||||
Matthew K. Rose
|
|
$ 215,000
|
|
|
$ 170,000
|
|
|
$ 0
|
|
|
$ 14,113
|
|
$
|
399,113
|
| |||||
Cynthia B. Taylor
|
|
$ 140,000
|
|
|
$ 170,000
|
|
|
$ 0
|
|
|
$ 23,145
|
|
$
|
333,145
|
| |||||
Laura DAndrea Tyson
|
|
$ 155,000
|
|
|
$ 170,000
|
|
|
$ 5,153
|
|
|
$ 30,000
|
|
$
|
360,153
|
| |||||
Geoffrey Y. Yang
|
|
$ 140,000
|
|
|
$ 170,000
|
|
|
$ 0
|
|
|
$ 15,000
|
|
$
|
325,000
|
|
Note (a). Fees Earned or Paid in Cash
Note (b). Stock Awards
Amounts in this column represent the annual grant of deferred stock units that are immediately vested but are not distributed until after the retirement of the Director. The grant date value was determined by applying an illiquidity discount of 26.7%. The illiquidity discount was determined by taking the average expected remaining tenure of the Directors (8.2 years) and then using that average to calculate the illiquidity discount under FASB ASC Topic 718. The nominal value of each award (before applying the discount) was $231,924. The deferred stock units will be paid out in cash in the calendar year after the Director ceases his or her service with the Board, at the times elected by the Director. The aggregate number of stock awards outstanding at December 31, 2018, for each Director can be found in the Common Stock Ownership section beginning on page 29.
28 |
CORPORATE GOVERNANCE
Note (c). Nonqualified Deferred Compensation Earnings
Amounts shown represent the excess earnings, if any, based on the actual rates used to determine earnings on deferred compensation over the market interest rates determined pursuant to SEC rules.
Certain Beneficial Owners
The following table lists the beneficial ownership of each person holding more than 5% of AT&Ts outstanding common stock as of December 31, 2018 (based on a review of filings made with the Securities and Exchange Commission on Schedules 13D and 13G).
Name and Address of Beneficial Owner | Amount and Nature
of Beneficial Ownership |
Percent of Class | ||
BlackRock, Inc. 55 East 52nd St., New York, NY 10055
|
454,818,785(1) | 6.2% | ||
The Vanguard Group 100 Vanguard Blvd., Malvern, PA 19355
|
548,446,423(2) | 7.53% |
1. | Based on a Schedule 13G/A filed by BlackRock, Inc. with the SEC on February 4, 2019, which reported the following: sole voting power of 389,628,303 shares; shared voting power of 0 shares; sole dispositive power of 454,818,785 shares, and shared dispositive power of 0 shares. |
2. | Based on a Schedule 13G/A filed by The Vanguard Group with the SEC on February 11, 2019, which reported the following: sole voting power of 8,439,370 shares; shared voting power of 1,688,764 shares; sole dispositive power of 538,488,124 shares, and shared dispositive power of 9,958,299 shares. |
29 |
CORPORATE GOVERNANCE
30 |
CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY
Governance
|
AT&Ts commitment to CSR means integrating it into every aspect of our business, starting with governance. | |||
Environment
|
AT&T is demonstrating corporate leadership on climate change by setting strong goals and taking purposeful action in and outside our company. | |||
31 |
CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY
Progress Toward 2020 Goals2
60% energy intensity reduction 75% of goal completed |
|
30% fleet emissions reduction 66% of goal completed |
Refurbish, reuse or recycle 200m devices 73% of goal completed | |||||
Social
|
AT&T is focused on issues important to our business and our communities, including safety, education, diversity and inclusion, and the welfare of our fellow citizens. | |||||
1AT&T utilizes the 90% threshold standard for zero waste as defined by the Zero Waste International Alliance, http://zwia.org/standards/zw-business-principles/b/
2Represents progress through end of year 2017
3Represents total U.S. workforce numbers, excluding WarnerMedia, through end of year 2018
32 |
PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES
The Audit Committee is responsible for oversight of management in the preparation of AT&Ts financial statements and financial disclosures. The Audit Committee relies on the information provided by management and the independent auditors. The Audit Committee does not have the duty to plan or conduct audits or to determine that AT&Ts financial statements and disclosures are complete and accurate. AT&Ts Audit Committee charter provides that these are the responsibility of management and the independent auditors.
33 |
AUDIT COMMITTEE
AUDIT COMMITTEE REPORT
The Audit Committee: (1) reviewed and discussed with management AT&Ts audited financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2018; (2) discussed with the independent auditors the matters required to be discussed by Auditing Standard No. 1301, Communications with Audit Committees; (3) received the written disclosures and the letter from the independent auditors required by applicable requirements of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board regarding the independent auditors communications with the Audit Committee concerning independence; and (4) discussed with the auditors the auditors independence.
Based on the review and discussions referred to above, the Audit Committee recommended to the Board of Directors that the audited financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2018, be included in AT&Ts Annual Report on Form 10-K for filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
|
February 13, 2019 |
The Audit Committee |
|||
Samuel A. Di Piazza, Jr., Chairman |
||||
Michael B. McCallister |
||||
Cynthia B. Taylor |
||||
Laura DAndrea Tyson |
35 |
COMPENSATION DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS
Our Human Resources Committee (Committee) takes great care to develop and refine an executive compensation program that recognizes its stewardship responsibility to our stockholders while ensuring the availability of talent to support a culture of growth, innovation, and performance in an extraordinarily large and complex organization.
In this section, we summarize the elements of our compensation program, how our program supports pay for performance, and our key performance achievements.
Topic | Overview | More Information | ||||
The foundation of our program |
Our Committee believes that our programs should: |
Page 40 | ||||
be aligned with stockholder interests, |
||||||
be competitive and market-based, |
||||||
pay for performance, |
||||||
balance both short- and long-term focus, and |
||||||
be aligned with generally accepted approaches. |
||||||
To that end, we incorporate many best practices in our compensation program and avoid ones that are not aligned with our guiding pay principles. |
||||||
Stockholder Engagement | Each year, we engage with large stockholders to understand their views on executive compensation. In light of their feedback, results of the stockholder advisory vote on our executive compensation program, and market trends, the Committee adjusts our compensation program periodically as it determines to be appropriate. |
Page 41 | ||||
Our compensation program elements and percentage of pay tied to performance and stock price |
Our program includes a number of different elements, from fixed compensation (base salaries) to performance-based variable compensation (short- and long-term incentives), to key benefits, which minimize distractions and allow our executives to focus on our success. |
Page 42 | ||||
Each element is designed for a specific purpose, with an overarching goal of encouraging a high level of sustainable individual and Company performance well into the future. |
||||||
For NEOs, the combination of short- and long-term incentives ranges from 86% to 93% of target pay. Payouts are formula-driven for: 90% of short-term incentives; and 100% of Performance Shares (which represent 75% of the long-term incentive). |
||||||
All long-term grants are tied to our stock price performance. |
||||||
Our Committee retains the authority to increase or decrease final award payouts, after adjustment for financial performance, to ensure pay is aligned with performance. |
||||||
How we make compensation decisions | The starting point for determining Executive Officer compensation is an evaluation of market data. Our consultant compiles compensation information for our Peer Group companies and then presents this information to our Committee for it to consider when making compensation decisions. Our Peer Group companies were chosen based on their similarity to AT&T on a number of factors, including alignment with our business, scale, and/or complexity. |
Page 43 |
37 |
COMPENSATION DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS
2018 COMPANY PERFORMANCE HIGHLIGHTS
|
STRATEGIC EXECUTION
| ||
Successfully defended our acquisition of Time Warner in U.S. v. AT&T, the first litigated challenge to a vertical merger by the DOJ in decades. Obtained a comprehensive order from the U.S. District Court categorically rejecting each of DOJs claims and permitting the transaction to close promptly without any divestitures of assets.
Closed the acquisitions of Time Warner, now WarnerMedia, and AppNexus, creating a modern media company built around premium content, direct-to-consumer relationships, advertising technology, and high-speed wireless and wireline networks.
|
Revenues of $170.8 billion, up 6.4%. Reported diluted EPS was $2.85, down 40.1% from $4.76 in 2017 (2017 impacted by tax reform remeasurement). Adjusted diluted EPS of $3.52, up 15.4% from 2017.1 Strong Cash from Operations of $43.6 billion with record FCF of $22.4 billion.1 Dividend increased for 35th consecutive year. Full-year dividend payout ratio of 60%.2 Ranked #1 among telecom companies in the 2018 Fortune Most Admired Companies rankings and among the 50 Most Admired Companies across any industry.
| |
OPERATIONAL ACCOMPLISHMENTS
| ||
AT&T Communications Returned to revenue growth in Mobility, with full-year total revenues up 2.1% and service revenues up 0.9%, both on a comparable basis. Recognized as having the best wireless network video streaming quality, quickest loading times and best voice retainability by Global Wireless Solutions, Americas biggest test.3 First to introduce standards-based mobile 5G service, ending 2018 with 5G in parts of 12 cities. Ended the year 6 months ahead of schedule on the FirstNet deployment and with more than 425,000 FirstNet subscribers across 5,250 agencies. Covered more than 11 million customer locations with our fiber network. Extended the companys high-speed fiber network to nearly 2.2 million U.S. business customer locations.
Xandr Acquired AppNexus, bringing expertise in automation, engineering and advanced advertising to Xandr. Including AppNexus, revenues grew by 26.7%.
|
WarnerMedia Continued CNNs run as the #1 digital news destination.4 Had 3 of the top 5 ad-supported cable networks TNT, TBS, and Adult Swimin primetime among adults 18-49 for the full year. Saw Warner Bros. films gross more than $5.5 billion in global box office receipts, making 2018 the studios biggest year ever, led by hits including Aquaman, Crazy Rich Asians, Fantastic Beasts, The Crimes of Grindelwald, Ready Player One, and A Star is Born.
AT&T Latin America Vrio, a leader in the Latin America prepaid video segment, grew subscribers by 1.5%. Added 3.2 million wireless subscribers in Mexico to reach a total of 18.3 million, up 21.3% year over year. AT&T has added more subscribers in Mexico than any other wireless provider each of the last 10 quarters.
| |
Notes 1 See Annex A for EPS and FCF reconciliation. 2 FCF dividend payout ratio is dividends divided by FCF. 3 Based on OneScore Sept. 2018 report. Excludes crowdsourced studies. 4 Based on multiplatform unique visitors and video starts for the 12th and 15th consecutive quarters, respectively. |
38 |
COMPENSATION DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS
SUMMARY OF INCENTIVE PAYOUTS
|
2018 CORPORATE SHORT TERM AWARDS*
Metric | Type of Metric |
Metric Weight |
Attainment | Payout% | ||||||
2018 EPS |
Quantitative | 60% | 92% | 81% | ||||||
2018 FCF |
Quantitative | 30% | 98% | 98% | ||||||
Collaboration |
Qualitative | 10% | n/a | 100% | ||||||
Weighted Average Payout |
88% |
* Mr. Donovans Award payout is based on a mix of corporate and business unit performance attainment. Please see page 45 for more information.
LONG TERM AWARD PERFORMANCE SHARE COMPONENT
2016-2018 PERFORMANCE PERIOD
Metric | Metric Weight |
Attainment | Payout% | |||||
3-Year ROIC |
75% | 7.56% | 101% | |||||
3-Year Relative TSR |
25% | Level 6 | 0% | |||||
Weighted Average Payout |
76% |
After the impact of change in stock price over the 2016 2018 performance period, our NEOs received approximately 64% of their original Performance Share grant value.
2019 PROGRAM ENHANCEMENT
|
The Committee has approved the use of Net-Debt-to-Adjusted-EBITDA as a performance metric with a 20% weighting for determining 2019 short-term incentive awards (payable 2020) for all Executive Officers.
The narrative on the following pages more fully describes how the Committee, with the input of its consultant, has designed and evolved our Executive Officer compensation and benefits program using the Committees guiding pay principles as the pillars of the program. We also outline how we establish pay targets and how actual Executive Officer pay is determined. Finally, we provide a description of other benefits.
39 |
COMPENSATION DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS
ROLE OF THE HUMAN RESOURCES COMMITTEE
The Committees charter is available on our website at www.att.com. Our Committee is composed entirely of independent Directors. The current members of the Committee are: Ms. Roché (Chairman), Mr. Ford, Mr. McCallister, Mr. Rose, and Mr. Yang. Our Committee is responsible for:
Compensation-related Tasks | Organizational Tasks | |
|
| |
Determining the compensation for our Executive Officers, including salary and short- and long-term incentive opportunities; Reviewing, approving, and administering our executive compensation plans, including our stock plans; Establishing performance objectives under our short- and long-term incentive compensation plans; Determining the attainment of those performance objectives and the awards to be made to our Executive Officers; Evaluating Executive Officer compensation practices to ensure that they remain equitable and competitive; and Approving employee benefit plans, as needed. |
Evaluating the performance of the CEO; Reviewing the performance and capabilities of the other Executive Officers, based on input from the CEO; and Reviewing succession planning for Executive Officer positions including the CEOs position. |
Our Committee has designed an executive compensation program that encourages our leaders to produce outstanding financial and operational results, create sustainable long-term value for our stockholders, and lead the company with ethics and integrity. Our guiding pay principles are:
Alignment with Stockholders
Provide compensation elements and set performance targets that closely align executives interests with those of stockholders. For example, approximately 69% of target pay for NEOs is tied to stock price performance. In addition, we have executive stock ownership guidelines and stock holding requirements, as described on page 60.
Competitive and Market Based
Evaluate all components of our compensation and benefits program in light of appropriate peer company practices to ensure we are able to attract and retain world-class talent with the leadership abilities and experience necessary to develop and execute business strategies, obtain superior results, and build long-term stockholder value in an organization as large and complex as AT&T.
Tie a significant portion of compensation to the achievement of predetermined goals and recognize individual accomplishments that contribute to our success. For example, in 2018, 93% of the CEOs target compensation (and, on average, 89% for other NEOs) was variable and tied to short- and long-term performance incentives, including stock price performance.
Balanced Short- and Long-Term Focus
Ensure that the compensation program provides an appropriate balance between the achievement of short- and long-term performance objectives, with a clear emphasis on managing the sustainability of the business and mitigating risk.
Alignment with Generally Accepted Approaches
Provide policies and programs that fit within the framework of generally accepted approaches adopted by leading major U.S. companies.
40 |
COMPENSATION DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS
These guiding pay principles serve as the pillars of our compensation and benefits program and any potential changes to the program are evaluated in light of their ability to help us meet these goals.
CHECKLIST OF COMPENSATION PRACTICES
Our compensation program is designed around the following market-leading practices:
PRACTICES WE USE | PRACTICES WE DONT USE | |||
✓ Pay for Performance: Tie compensation to performance by setting clear and challenging performance goals. The vast majority of Executive Officer compensation is tied to performance metrics and/or stock price performance.
✓ Multiple Performance Metrics and Time Horizons: Use multiple performance metrics and multi-year vesting timeframes to discourage unnecessary short-term risk taking.
✓ Stock Ownership and Holding Period Requirements: NEOs must comply with stock ownership guidelines and hold the equivalent of 25% of post-2015 stock award distributions until retirement.
✓ Regular Engagement with Stockholders: We engage with large stockholders no less than annually regarding executive compensation matters.
✓ Dividend Equivalents: Paid at the end of the performance period on earned Performance Shares.
✓ Compensation-Related Risk Review: Performed annually to confirm that our programs do not encourage excessive risk taking and are not reasonably likely to have a material adverse effect on the Company.
✓ Clawback Policy: Provides for the recovery of previously paid executive compensation for any fraudulent or illegal conduct.
✓ Severance Policy: Limits payments to 2.99 times salary and target bonus.
|
û No Single Trigger Change in Control Provisions: No accelerated vesting of equity awards upon a change in control.
û No Tax Gross-Ups: No excise tax gross-up payments; no other tax gross-ups, except in extenuating circumstances.
û No Credit for Unvested Shares when determining compliance with stock ownership guidelines.
û No Repricing or Buy-Out of underwater stock options.
û No Hedging or Short Sales of AT&T stock.
û No Supplemental Executive Retirement Benefits for officers promoted/hired after 2008.
û No Guaranteed Bonuses.
û No Excessive Dilution: Our annual equity grants represent less than 1% of the total outstanding Common Stock each year. As of July 31, 2018, our total dilution was 1.4% of outstanding Common Stock. |
The Committee has taken into account feedback from our annual outreach to large stockholders when evaluating our program. Of the votes cast at the 2018 Annual Meeting of Stockholders, over 90% were in favor of the advisory vote on executive compensation.
41 |
COMPENSATION DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS
It is in our stockholders interest that our compensation program be structured to make attraction, retention, and motivation of the highest quality talent a reality. Our executive compensation and benefits program includes a number of different elements, designed for different purposes, with an overarching goal to encourage a high level of sustainable individual and Company performance well into the future:
Current Year Performance | + | Multi-Year Performance | + | Attraction & Retention | ||||||||||||
Salary and Short-Term Incentives |
Long-Term Incentives (75% Performance Shares and 25% Restricted Stock Units) |
Retirement, Deferral/Savings Plans, Benefits, and Personal Benefits |
The chart below more fully describes the three elements of total direct compensation and their link to our business and talent strategies.
Weightings | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Reward Element |
Form | Link to Business and Talent Strategies |
CEO | Average for Other NEOs |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Base Salary
|
Cash
|
| Provides compensation to |
|
7% |
|
|
11% |
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||
A portion may be contributed to AT&T stock and cash deferral plans. |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Fixed Pay |
| Pay level recognizes experience, skill, and performance, with the goal of being market-competitive.
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Adjustments may be made based on individual performance, pay relative to other executives, and | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
pay relative to market. |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Cash
|
| Aligns pay with the achievement of short-term objectives.
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
A portion may be contributed to AT&T stock and cash deferral plans. |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Short-Term Incentives (see page 45)
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
| Payouts based on achievement of goals, with potential for upward or downward adjustment by the Committee to align pay with performance. |
|
23% |
|
|
24% |
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
At Risk Pay |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Stock
|
70% | 65% | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Long-Term Incentives (see page 48) |
75% Performance Shares (paid 34% in stock, 66% in cash)
25% Restricted Stock Units (paid in stock) |
| Motivates and rewards the achievement of long-term performance.
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Aligns executive and stockholder interests. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
42 |
COMPENSATION DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS
DETERMINING 2018 TARGET COMPENSATION
The starting point for determining Executive Officer compensation begins with an evaluation of market data. The consultant compiles data for the Peer Group companies from both proxy and third-party compensation surveys.
How the Peer Group was chosen
|
The Committees compensation consultant developed the Peer Group with input from the Committee and management based on the following criteria: similarity to AT&T in terms of size, organizational and business complexity, and/or industry, global scope of operations and/or diversified product lines, ability of the company to compete with AT&T for talent, and similarity to jobs at AT&T in terms of complexity and scope of positions. |
Following is the Peer Group our consultant used to assess market-based compensation for Executive Officers in 2018.
2018 Peer Group
| ||||||
21st Century Fox Alphabet Amazon Apple Boeing CBS
|
Charter Chevron Cisco Comcast Exxon Mobil General Electric
|
Intel IBM Microsoft Oracle Sprint T-Mobile US
|
Verizon Communications Viacom Wal-Mart Walt Disney
| |||
Note: These same 22 companies are also used to determine our relative TSR performance for the 2018 Performance Share grant.
|
The consultant reviewed the market data for the Peer Group with members of management and the CEO (for Executive Officers other than himself) to confirm the job matches and scoping of market data based on the relative value of each position and differences in responsibilities between our jobs and those in the comparator groups. After completing this review, the consultant presented the market data to the Committee.
The Committee used the market data and the CEOs compensation recommendations for the other Executive Officers and then applied its judgment and experience to set Executive Officer compensation for the coming year. When setting compensation, the Committee may determine that Executive Officers with significant experience and responsibilities or who demonstrate exemplary performance have higher target compensation, while other Executive Officers may have lower target compensation.
43 |
COMPENSATION DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS
AT&T is a global leader in telecommunications, media, entertainment, and technology. We are transforming into a truly modern media company that will work to create the best entertainment and communications experiences in the world. 2018 was a transformational year as we completed the acquisition of Time Warner, and we continued to successfully execute on our strategic goals.
To put in perspective the scale, scope, and complexity of our business as compared to our 22 compensation benchmark companies (as shown on page 43), below is a comparison of market cap, revenues, and net income:
Comparison of Scope and Scale
AT&T and Peer Group1 ($M)
For more information on our financial and operational performance, please see our Annual Report at www.att.com.
We continue to deliver positive returns to our stockholders over the long-term and have a long history of increasing dividends.
35
Years
Consecutive Increase in
Quarterly Dividend
|
2.0
Percent
Increase in Quarterly
Dividend in 2018
|
44 |
COMPENSATION DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS
DETERMINATION OF AWARD PAYOUTS FOR PERFORMANCE PERIODS ENDING DECEMBER 31, 2018
2018 Short-Term Incentive Plan Metrics and Performance Attainment
After reviewing our business plan and determining the business metrics on which our Executive Officers should focus, the Committee established the following performance targets applicable to payment of short-term awards for 2018:
2018 SHORT-TERM INCENTIVE PLAN METRICS
Mr. Stephenson, Mr. McAtee, Mr. Stankey, and Mr. Stephens |
Mr. Donovan | |||||||
Metric | Weight | Metric | Weight | |||||
EPS |
60% |
EPS |
10% | |||||
FCF |
30% | Collaboration | 10% | |||||
Collaboration |
10% | AT&T Communications FCF | 40% | |||||
AT&T Communications Operating Contribution |
40% | |||||||
AT&T Communications Revenue Kicker (see below) |
0 to + 75% |
2018 SHORT TERM INCENTIVE AWARD PAYOUT STRUCTURE
Name/(Metric Set) | Performance Metrics | Relevance of Metric | Threshold Performance Payout% |
Target Performance Payout% |
Maximum Performance Payout% 1 | |||||
Mr. Stephenson Mr. Stephens Mr. McAtee Mr. Stankey Mr. Donovan (EPS only)
(Corporate) |
EPS |
Indicator of profitability and a window into our long-term sustainability |
Performance 80% of target |
100% |
Performance achievement of 120% of target results in a 150% payout | |||||
FCF |
Important to continue to invest, pay down debt, and provide strong | |||||||||
Mr. Donovan
(AT&T Communications) |
AT&T Communications FCF | dividends to our stockholders |
No payout for performance below 80% of target | |||||||
AT&T Communications Operating Contribution |
Incorporates a focus on revenues and expense control/reduction | |||||||||
AT&T Communications Revenue Kicker |
Top and bottom line growth of largest subsidiary to drive stockholder returns |
Potential for up to an additional 75% payout for revenue growth in excess of 1.25% and operating contribution of 110% or higher of target | ||||||||
All NEOs |
Collaboration |
Leverage robust portfolio of assets to benefit stockholders |
Qualitative assessment by the Committee |
1 | In each case, an overall payout cap of 125% applies to the final, weighted payout before any applicable AT&T Communications Revenue Kicker (Mr. Donovan only). |
45 |
COMPENSATION DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS
The following charts show the performance goals, actual performance attainment and payout percentage for each short-term performance metric.
Short-Term Incentive Performance Goals and Attainment Corporate Financial Metrics Earnings Per Share 60% Weighting Free Cash Flow 30% Weighting Payout %125% 100% 75% 50% 25% 0%Payout 81% $3.50 $3.21 92% of Goal Performance Goal Attainment (after performance adjustments) 1Payout 98% $21.5B $21.1B98% of Goal Performance Goal Attainment (after performance adjustments) 2 1. EPS results were adjusted as follows: Reported EPS Adjustments per per-established award terms: M&A Pension Plan Gains/Losses Tax Reform Discretionary Reductions: Asset Revaluation EPS for Compensation $2.85 .94(.43)(.10)(.05) $3.21 2. Free Cash Flow is net cash from operating activities minus capital expenditures. Free Cash Flow results were adjusted as follows: Reported Free Cash Flow Adjustments per pre-established award terms: M&A Excess Benefit Plan Contributions Free Cash Flow for Compensation $22.4B (1.6) 0.4 $21.1B
46 |
COMPENSATION DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS
Short-Term Incentive Performance Goals and Attainment AT&T Communications Financial Metrics Free Cash Flow 40% Weighting Operating Contribution 40% Weighting Payout %125% 100% 75% 50% 25% 0% Payout 78% $24.5B $22.2B91% of Goal Performance Goal Attainment Payout 87% $34.5B $32.3B 94% of Goal Performance Goal Attainment Mr. Donovan was also eligible for an AT&T Communications 2018 Revenue Kicker. This kicker provided for a potential payout of up to an additional 75% of Mr. Donovans short-term target. However, AT&T Communications revenue and operating contribution did not meet the criteria for a payout.
Collaboration - 10% Weighting
The Committee reviewed the ways the executive team and four operating entities worked together to leverage AT&T assets to drive results that benefit stockholders. The Committee determined that each of the NEOs earned a payout of 100% based on the following accomplishments (among others):
| Our merger synergies remain on target to achieve a $2.5B billion run rate by the end of 2021. |
| Launch of the first, large-scale integrated marketing campaign between WarnerMedia and AT&T Communications. |
| More relevant advertising across Turners TV networks, through the combined efforts of Xandr, AT&T Communications, and WarnerMedia. |
| Creation of the WarnerMedia Innovation Lab that will combine emerging technologies such as AT&Ts 5G services, Xandrs advanced ad tech platform capabilities, and content from WarnerMedia to create new and innovative business and consumer experiences. |
| Deployment of a low cost Direct to Consumer Video service in AT&T Latin America that delivered 85+ live channels, Video on Demand, and multi-language capabilities, with the assistance of Turners iStreamPlanet. |
| Because of the Time Warner acquisition, AT&T was able to launch WatchTV, a 30+ channel, live-TV streaming service. |
Final Award Determination
The NEOs whose awards are based on corporate performance metrics each received a performance-adjusted award payout of 88%, and Mr. Donovans performance-adjusted award payout was 84%. The Committee maintains the ability to make adjustments to the formula-driven payout as it deems appropriate in order to ensure alignment of Executive Officer pay with performance.
47 |
COMPENSATION DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS
Long-Term Incentive Plan Metrics and Performance Attainment Performance/Restriction Periods Ending in 2018
The following chart describes the structure and terms of long-term awards with performance or restriction periods ending in 2018 or early 2019:
Form of Award
|
Weight
|
Performance Metrics and Vesting Period
|
Description
| |||
Performance Shares Granted in 2016 | 50% | 3-year performance period (2016-2018)
Performance metrics: 75% ROIC 25% Relative TSR
Payout value based on combination of performance attainment and stock price performance. |
Each Performance Share is equal in value to a share of stock, which causes the value of the award to fluctuate directly with changes in our stock price over the performance period.
Performance Shares are paid in cash based on our stock price on the date an award payout is approved.
Because awards are based on a 3-year performance period, they maximize the leverage of both short- and long-term performance. The impact of a single years performance is felt in each of the three Performance Share grants that are outstanding at any given time, so that strong performance must be sustained every year in order to provide favorable payouts.
Dividend equivalents are paid at the end of the performance period, based on the number of Performance Shares earned. | |||
RSUs Granted in 2015 |
50% | 4-year restriction period
Payout value based on stock price performance.
|
We structure RSUs to be paid in stock at the end of the restriction period, regardless of whether they vest earlier. RSUs vest 100% after four years or upon retirement eligibility, whichever occurs earlier. |
ROIC Payout Table and Actual Performance Attainment 2016-2018 Performance Period
Determination of Performance Goal |
Performance Below Target Range | |
We established a performance target range of 6.50% to 7.50% at the beginning of the 3-year performance period. This target range does not reward or penalize Executive Officers for performance achievement within close proximity to the midpoint of the range. The lower end of the performance target range was set so that it exceeded our internally calculated cost of capital (determined, in part, based on input from banks) by 75 basis points, ensuring a reasonable return is delivered to stockholders before Executive Officers are eligible for full payout of their target award. |
No payout is earned if less than 65% of the performance target range is achieved. Achievement below the target range results in decreasing levels of award payout. The payout drops to 0% of the Performance Shares tied to this metric if less than 65% of the low end of the target range is achieved.
Performance Within Target Range
100% payout if performance falls within the target range.
Performance Above Target Range
Maximum payout of 150% is earned if 137% or more of the performance target range is achieved. Achievement above the target range provides for higher levels of award payout, up to the maximum payout.
| |
Actual Performance |
||
After conclusion of the performance period, the Committee determined (using the ROIC payout table) that we achieved 7.56%, which was above the ROIC target range, and 181 basis points above the cost of capital we established based on input from banks. As a result, the Committee directed that 101% of the related Performance Shares be distributed in accordance with the payout table as follows. Our actual performance attainment is also shown: |
48 |
COMPENSATION DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS
ROIC Performance metric (2016-2018 performance period) Performance adjustments used in ROIC calculation Adjustments per pre-established award terms: Reported amount Net Income Plus Interest Expense was adjusted as follows: $ 67.2B 1. M&A Transaction Costs $ 10.5B 2. Asset Abandonments and Impairments (Gains)/Losses$ 2.3B 3. Natural Disasters $ 0.4B 4. Pension Remeasurementc (Gains)/Losses $ 0.3B 5. Changes in Accounting Principle$ (2.9)B 6. Tax Reform $ (20.3)B Adjusted Net Income Plus Interest Expense $ 57.4B Performance Range For100% Payout ACTUAL PERFORMANCE Weighted Average Cost of Capital 8.00% 7.75% 6.75% 6.00%
TSR Payout Table and Actual Performance Attainment 2016-2018 Performance Period
At the beginning of the performance period, the Committee established the following table for determining payout of the Performance Shares tied to the TSR metric.
Our actual performance attainment is also shown:
TSR Performance metric (2015-2017 performance period) AT&T Return vs. S&P 100 Index Payout %* If AT&T is top company 200% Level 1 (82-99.99%) 150% Level 2 (63-81.99%) 125% Level 3 (44-62.99%) 100% Level 4 (25-43.99%) 50% Level 5 (<25%) 0% * Payouts are capped at 90% of the target award if absolute AT&T 3-year TSR is negative, regardless of relative performance. Our 3-year TSR of 35.15% ranks us at the 54th percentile of the S&P 100 Index
49 |
COMPENSATION DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS
TSR was measured relative to the following 37 companies, as determined when the grant was established in 2016*:
Alphabet Amazon Apple Boeing CenturyLink Charter Communications Chevron Cisco Coca-Cola Comcast |
Exxon Mobil General Electric Gilead Sciences Hewlett Packard Home Depot Honeywell IBM Intel |
Johnson & Johnson Johnson Controls Lockheed Martin Merck Microsoft Oracle PepsiCo Pfizer Phillip Morris Intl |
Procter & Gamble Qualcomm Twenty-First Century Fox United Technologies Verizon Walt Disney Wal-Mart Sprint T-Mobile |
*Time Warner Inc. was included in this group; AT&T completed its acquisition of Time Warner Inc. in 2018.
PERCENT OF GRANT VALUE REALIZED 2016 PERFORMANCE SHARE GRANT (2016-2018 PERFORMANCE PERIOD)
As a result of the combined ROIC and TSR performance attainment, each NEO received 76% of the number of shares granted.
75% of Performance Shares Granted |
Ó |
Payout Percentage of 101% for ROIC |
Ì | 25% of Performance Shares Granted |
Ó |
Payout Percentage of 0% for TSR |
= |
76% of Shares to be Paid | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
However, the Performance Shares were also subject to stock price fluctuation over the 3-year performance period as another element of our long-term incentive pay-for-performance design. Based on the $5.47 decrease in our stock price from $35.53 at grant to $30.06 at payout, the value of the shares actually payable decreased 15.4% over the 3-year performance period.
Ending Stock Price of $30.06* |
- |
Beginning Stock Price of $35.53** |
÷ |
Beginning Stock Price of $35.53** |
= |
15.4% Decline in Stock Price | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
As a result of both ROIC and relative TSR performance and the absolute change in our stock price, our NEOs realized approximately 64% of their original performance share grant value.
NEOs Received 64% of Original Grant Value |
PERCENT OF GRANT VALUE REALIZED 2015 RSUs
Our 2015 RSUs had a 4-year vesting period and were paid in early 2019. The final value delivered from these awards was based on our stock price. Over the 4-year restriction period, the stock price decreased $2.26 per share, delivering 93% of the original grant value.
Ending Stock Price of $30.70* |
- |
Beginning Stock Price of $32.96** |
÷ |
Beginning Stock Price of $32.96** |
= |
6.9% Decline in Stock Price | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
NEOs Received 93% of Original Grant Value |
* | Stock price when award payout is approved for Performance Shares (typically the first Committee meeting after the end of the performance period), or the stock price on the last date of the restriction period for RSU grants. |
** Stock price used to determine the number of shares to be granted (target award value is divided by this stock price).
50 |
COMPENSATION DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS
NAMED EXECUTIVE OFFICER COMPENSATION
In this section we detail how each NEOs compensation was impacted by performance attainment. The following tables summarize the compensation our NEOs realized in 2018. The long-term values below do not align to what is reported in the 2018 Summary Compensation Table (SCT) because the SCT reflects long-term grant values for 2018 whereas these tables show the values of the long-term distributions for awards with performance/restriction periods ending in 2018 or early 2019.
AT&Ts 2018 performance highlights are summarized on page 38.
Randall Stephenson Chairman of the Board, Chief Executive Officer, and President | ||||
|
Mr. Stephenson has served as Chairman of the Board, Chief Executive Officer, and President since 2007. Throughout his career at the Company, he has held a variety of high-level finance, operational, and marketing positions, including serving as Chief Operating Officer from 2004 until his appointment to Chief Executive Officer in 2007, and as Chief Financial Officer from 2001 to 2004. He began his career with the Company in 1982. | |||
Element of Compensation
|
Compensation Amount
|
Rationale
| ||
2018 Base Salary
|
$1,800,000
|
Mr. Stephensons salary did not increase in 2018.
| ||
2018 STIP |
Target Award = $5,900,000
Final Award Paid = $5,192,000
88% of target award value realized
|
Mr. Stephensons STIP payout was based on: A formulaic payout of 78% of his target award based on EPS and FCF performance attainment, plus 100% of the qualitative collaboration goal. The Committee did not make any discretionary adjustment to the formulaic results.
| ||
Performance Share Payout (2016-2018 Performance Period)
|
Target Award = $7,750,000
Final Award Paid = $4,983,219
64% of grant value realized
|
Mr. Stephensons performance share payout was based on: A formulaic payout of 76% of the 218,126 shares granted, based on the Companys performance achievement for ROIC and relative TSR, plus The companys stock price change over the 3-year performance period, which decreased the value of the shares earned by 15.4%.
Performance Shares were paid in cash.
| ||
RSU Payout (2015 Grant)
|
Target Award = $7,375,000
223,756 shares paid; valued at $6,869,309
93% of grant value realized
|
The companys stock price change over the 4-year vesting period decreased the value of the units granted by 6.9%.
RSUs were paid in stock.
| ||
Total Realized Compensation
|
$18,844,528
|
51 |
COMPENSATION DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS
John Stephens Senior Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer | ||||
|
John Stephens has 26 years of service with the Company. Mr. Stephens was appointed to his current position in 2011. He has responsibility for financial planning, corporate development, accounting, tax, auditing, treasury, investor relations, corporate real estate and shared services. Prior to his current position, Mr. Stephens held a series of successive positions in the finance department. Before joining the Company, Mr. Stephens held a variety of roles in public accounting.
| |||
2018 Realized Compensation
| ||||
Element of Compensation | Compensation Amount |
Rationale | ||
Commensurate with the close of the Time Warner merger, the Committee increased Mr. Stephens compensation to reflect the expanded scope and complexity of his position after the merger. In addition, the Committee determined that Mr. Stephens unique skills and experience are critical to executing the Companys post-close strategic plan. In setting his compensation, the Committee used data provided by its independent consultant for comparable positions in the marketplace.
| ||||
2018 Base Salary |
$1,096,875 |
Mr. Stephens received a base salary increase to $1,100,000 effective March 1, 2018. Effective June 16, 2018, Mr. Stephens received an increase to $1,125,000 to reflect the increased scope and complexity of his role following the merger with Time Warner.
| ||
2018 STIP |
Target Award = $2,338,542
Final Award Paid = $2,057,917
88% of target award value realized |
Mr. Stephens target STIP was increased to $2,000,000 effective January 1, 2018, and to $2,625,000 effective June 16, 2018. His award targets were applied to the associated time periods and the resulting weighted STIP target award for 2018 was $2,338,542.
Mr. Stephens STIP payout was based on: A payout of 78% of his target award based on formulaic performance attainment of EPS and FCF goals, plus 100% of the qualitative collaboration goal. No discretionary adjustment was made by the Committee.
| ||
Performance Share Payout (2016-2018 Performance Period) |
Target Award = $2,575,000
Final Award Paid = $1,655,712
64% of grant value realized |
Mr. Stephens performance share payout was based on: A formulaic payout of 76% of the 72,474 shares granted, based on the Companys performance achievement for ROIC and relative TSR, plus The companys stock price change over the 3-year performance period, which decreased the value of the shares earned by 15.4%.
Performance Shares were paid in cash.
| ||
RSU Payout (2014 Grant)
|
Target Award = $2,350,000
71,299 shares paid; valued at $2,188,879
93% of grant value realized
|
The companys stock price change over the 4-year vesting period decreased the value of the units granted by 6.9%.
RSUs were paid in stock.
| ||
Merger Completion Bonus |
$2,000,000 |
The Committee awarded Mr. Stephens a cash payment in recognition of his significant contributions that led to the structure and completion of the merger. As Chief Financial Officer and head of corporate development, Mr. Stephens effectively managed the companys balance sheet to provide for a successful merger close despite a protracted close date due to litigation.
| ||
Total Realized Compensation
|
$8,999,383
|
52 |
COMPENSATION DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS
John Donovan Chief Executive Officer, AT&T Communications, LLC | ||||
|
John Donovan joined the Company 10 years ago, and is the head of AT&T Communications, LLC, where he is responsible for the AT&T Business, Mobility/Entertainment, and Technology & Operations groups, providing mobile, broadband, and video services to U.S. consumers, including nearly 3.5 million businesses. Until August 1, 2017, he was Chief Strategy Officer and Group President, overseeing corporate strategy and our Technology and Operations groups. Prior to joining the Company, Mr. Donovan was Executive Vice President of Product, Sales, Marketing, and Operations at Verisign, Inc. From 2000 to 2006 he was Chairman and CEO of inCode Telecom Group, Inc.; prior to that he was a partner with Deloitte Consulting.
| |||
2018 Realized Compensation | ||||
Element of Compensation | Compensation Amount |
Rationale | ||
2018 Base Salary
|
$1,175,000
|
Mr. Donovan did not receive a base salary increase in 2018.
| ||
2018 STIP |
Target Award = $2,750,000
Final Award Paid = $2,410,000
88% of target award value realized |
Mr. Donovans target STIP did not increase in 2018.
Mr. Donovans STIP payout was based on: A payout of 74% of his target award based on formulaic performance attainment of corporate EPS and AT&T Communications FCF and Operating Income, plus 100% of the qualitative collaboration goal. The Committee also made a $100,000 discretionary award to recognize 2018 accomplishments, including being ahead of schedule on our FirstNet deployment, a return to revenue growth in Mobility, and extending our high-speed fiber network to an additional 500,000 U.S. business locations.
| ||
Performance Share Payout (2016-2018 Performance Period) |
Target Award = $2,100,000
Final Award Paid = $1,350,289
64% of grant value realized |
Mr. Donovans performance share payout was based on: A formulaic payout of 76% of the 59,105 shares granted, based on the Companys performance achievement for ROIC and relative TSR, plus The companys stock price change over the 3-year performance period, which decreased the value of the shares earned by 15.4%.
Performance Shares were paid in cash.
| ||
RSU Payout (2015 Grant)
|
Target Award = $1,950,000
59,163 shares paid; valued at $1,816,304
93% of grant value realized
|
The companys stock price change over the 4-year vesting period decreased the value of the units granted by 6.9%.
RSUs were paid in stock.
| ||
Total Realized Compensation
|
$6,751,593
|
53 |
COMPENSATION DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS
David McAtee Senior Executive Vice President and General Counsel | ||||
|
David McAtee has served at AT&Ts General Counsel since 2015. He has responsibility for all legal matters affecting AT&T, including the Companys litigation, regulatory, and compliance matters before various judicial and regulatory agencies, as well as all merger agreements, dispositions of non-strategic assets, commercial agreements, and labor contracts. In 2018, Mr. McAtee and his team successfully managed thousands of litigation matters involving AT&T, including approximately 80 appeals to various federal and state courts of appeal and the U.S. Supreme Court. Mr. McAtee joined the company in 2012 as Senior Vice President and Assistant General Counsel after 18 years in government and private practice.
| |||
2018 Realized Compensation | ||||
Element of Compensation | Compensation Amount |
Rationale | ||
Commensurate with the close of the Time Warner merger, the Committee increased Mr. McAtees compensation to reflect the expanded scope and complexity of his position after the merger. In addition, the Committee determined that Mr. McAtees unique skills and experience are critical to executing the Companys post-close strategic plan. In setting his compensation, the Committee used data provided by its independent consultant for comparable positions in the marketplace. | ||||
2018 Base Salary |
$1,058,333 |
Mr. McAtee received a base salary increase from $800,000 to $900,000 effective March 1, 2018. Effective July 1, 2018, Mr. McAtees base salary was increased from $900,000 to $1,250,000 to reflect the increased scope and complexity of his role following the merger with Time Warner.
| ||
2018 STIP |
Target Award = $1,925,000
Final Award Paid = $1,694,000
88% of target award value realized |
Mr. McAtees target STIP was increased to $1,600,000 effective January 1, 2018, and to $2,250,000 effective July 1, 2018. Mr. McAtees award targets were applied to the associated time periods and the resulting weighted STIP target award for 2018 was $1,925,000.
Mr. McAtees STIP payout was based on: A payout of 78% of his target award based on formulaic performance attainment of EPS and FCF goals, plus 100% of the qualitative collaboration goal. The Committee did not make any discretionary adjustment to formulaic results.
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Performance Share Payout (2016-2018 Performance Period) |
Target Award = $1,625,000
Final Award Paid = $1,044,866
64% of grant value realized |
Mr. McAtees Performance Share payout was based on: A formulaic payout of 76% of the 45,736 shares granted, based on the Companys performance achievement for ROIC and relative TSR, plus The companys stock price change over the 3-year performance period, which decreased the value of the shares earned by 15.4%.
Performance Shares were paid in cash.
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RSU Payout (2014 Grant) |
Target Award = $1,000,000
30,339 shares paid; valued at $931,407
93% of grant value realized |
Mr. McAtee was granted 8,343 RSUs in January 2015 and received a supplemental grant of 21,996 units in August 2015 upon his promotion to Executive Officer. The companys stock price change over the vesting period decreased the value of the units granted, on a combined basis, by 6.9%.
RSUs were paid in stock.
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Merger Completion Bonus |
$5,000,000 |
The Committee awarded Mr. McAtee a cash payment in recognition of his significant contributions that led to the completion of the merger. Mr. McAtee led the legal strategy and litigation teams that diligently prepared for litigation and successfully defended our acquisition of Time Warner against the DOJs antitrust lawsuit, which was a departure from decades of antitrust precedent. After conducting a full and fair trial on the merits, the U.S. District Court categorically rejected the governments lawsuit to block our merger with Time Warner. The transaction also received regulatory and competition approvals in 20 jurisdictions outside the United States.
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Total Realized Compensation
|
$9,728,606 |
54 |
COMPENSATION DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS
John Stankey Chief Executive Officer, Warner Media, LLC | ||||
|
John Stankey leads WarnerMedia, whose HBO, Turner, and Warner Bros. divisions are leaders in creating premium content, operate the worlds largest TV and film studio, and own a world-class library of entertainment. Mr. Stankey has held various roles during his 33 years of service with the Company, including CEO-AT&T Entertainment Group; Chief Strategy Officer; President and CEO of AT&T Business Solutions; President and CEO of AT&T Operations; Group President-Telecom Operations; Chief Technology Officer; and Chief Information Officer. | |||
2018 Realized Compensation
| ||||
Element of Compensation | Compensation Amount |
Rationale | ||
Commensurate with the close of the Time Warner merger, the Committee increased Mr. Stankeys compensation to reflect his new responsibility for all of AT&Ts content-related assets, including each of Time Warners businesses. In addition, the Committee determined that Mr. Stankeys unique skills and experience are critical to executing the Companys post-close strategic plan. In setting his compensation, the Committee used data provided by its independent consultant for comparable positions in the market. Mr. Stankeys target compensation pay mix was adjusted to be more consistent with pay mixes in the media industry. | ||||
2018 Base Salary |
$2,058,333 |
Mr. Stankey received a base salary increase to $1,100,000 effective March 1, 2018. Effective June 16, 2018, Mr. Stankeys base salary was increased from $1,100,000 to $2,900,000 to reflect the increased scope and complexity of his new role as CEO of WarnerMedia.
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2018 STIP |
Target Award = $4,970,833
Final Award Paid = $4,374,333
88% of target award value realized |
Mr. Stankeys target STIP was increased to $2,100,000 effective January 1, 2018, and to $7,400,000 effective June 16, 2018. Mr. Stankeys award targets were applied to the associated time periods and the resulting weighted STIP target award for 2018 was $4,970,833.
Mr. Stankeys STIP payout was based on: A payout of 78% of his target award based on formulaic performance attainment of EPS and FCF goals, plus 100% of the qualitative collaboration goal. The Committee did not make any discretionary adjustment to the formulaic results.
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Performance Share Payout (2016-2018 Performance Period) |
Target Award = $2,837,500
Final Award Paid = $1,824,495
64% of grant value realized |
Mr. Stankeys performance share payout was based on: A formulaic payout of 76% of the 79,862 shares granted, based on the Companys performance achievement for ROIC and relative TSR, plus The companys stock price change over the 3-year performance period, which decreased the value of the shares earned by 15.4%.
Performance Shares were paid in cash.
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RSU Payout (2015 Grant)
|
Target Award = $2,662,500
80,780 shares paid; valued at $2,479,946
93% of grant value realized
|
The companys stock price change over the 4-year vesting period decreased the value of the units granted by 6.9%.
RSUs Units were paid in stock.
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Merger Completion Bonus |
$2,000,000 |
The Committee awarded Mr. Stankey a cash payment in recognition of his significant contributions that led to the completion of the merger. Mr. Stankey played a key role in assisting the legal strategy and litigation teams with the antitrust lawsuit defense. In addition, he led both merger integration planning and strategy development, roles that were unexpectedly extended due to the DOJs antitrust lawsuit.
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Total Realized Compensation
|
$12,737,107 |
55 |
COMPENSATION DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS
Our previous sections detailed compensation paid in 2018 and/or compensation for grants with performance or restriction periods ending in 2018 or early 2019. This section addresses the long-term grants we made in 2018.
The forms of long-term compensation granted to NEOs in 2018 were:
Forms of Grants
|
Weight
|
Performance Metrics
|
Vesting Period
| |||
Performance Shares |
75% | Performance Metrics - 100% ROIC Payout Modifier - Relative TSR Modifier |
3-year performance period | |||
RSUs |
25% | Payout value based on stock price performance only | 4-year restriction period |
Grant values for these awards were as follows:
2018 LONG TERM INCENTIVE TARGET GRANT VALUES FOR NEOS
Name |
Performance Shares ($)(1) |
RSUs ($)(1) | ||||||||
Randall Stephenson |
13,725,000 |
4,575,000 | ||||||||
John Stephens(2) |
6,750,000 |
2,250,000 | ||||||||
John Donovan |
8,531,250 |
2,843,750 | ||||||||
David McAtee(2) |
3,750,000 |
1,250,000 | ||||||||
John Stankey(2) |
5,531,250 |
1,843,750 |
(1) These amounts represent the rounded value of the awards on February 1, 2018, the date the Committee authorized the awards; however, the final terms of the Performance Share grants were not determined until March 29, 2018, which is the grant date for valuation of the awards in the Summary Compensation Table.
(2) Target value includes the value of supplemental long-term grants made upon the Time Warner merger close. The grants made were in the same form (weight 75% Performance Shares and 25% Restricted Stock Units) and subject to the same terms and conditions as the annual grants.
2018 Performance Share Grants
The Performance Shares granted in 2018 are for the 2018-2020 performance period. The Committee determined that the Performance Shares would be tied to a ROIC performance metric with a payout modifier based on a comparison of AT&Ts TSR to our 22-company Peer Group (as shown on page 43).
ROIC Performance Metric
We calculate ROIC for the 2018-2020 performance period by averaging over the three-year performance period: (1) our annual reported net income plus after-tax interest expense minus minority interest, divided by (2) the total of the average debt and average stockholder equity for the relevant year. For mergers and acquisitions over $2.0 billion, we exclude the dilutive impacts of intangible amortization, asset write-offs, accelerated depreciation, and transaction and restructuring costs so that the impact of certain significant transactions, including those which may not have been contemplated in the determination of a performance metric, will not have an impact on the performance results. We also exclude the net impact of certain of the following items after taxes and available collectible insurance, if they exceed, individually or in certain combinations, $500 million in a calendar year and satisfy other conditions; changes in tax laws, changes in accounting principles (except for the impacts of Revenue Recognition under ASC 606, Revenue from Contracts with Customers), expenses caused by natural disasters or intentionally caused damage to the Companys property, and non-cash accounting write-downs of goodwill, other intangible assets and fixed assets. Additionally, we disregard gains and losses related to the assets and liabilities of pension and other post-retirement benefit plans (and associated tax effects).
The ROIC target range for the 2018-2020 performance period was set 100 basis points above our cost of capital, a target that we believe to be challenging, but attainable. For performance above or below the performance target range, the number of Performance Shares are increased or reduced, respectively. Potential payouts range from 0% to 150% of the number of Performance Shares granted.
56 |
COMPENSATION DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS
TSR Performance Modifier
This measure compares our TSR (stock appreciation plus reinvestment of dividends) relative to that of the 22 companies in our Peer Group. We believe that TSR is an important measure because it helps ensure that our executives remain focused on the value they are delivering to our stockholders.
At the end of the performance period, the number of Performance Shares to be paid out, if any, will be determined by comparing the actual performance of the Company against the predetermined performance objective for ROIC, and modifying the award for relative TSR achievement, if applicable. Performance Shares, if earned, are paid 34% in stock, 66% in cash.
2018 Restricted Stock Unit Grants
RSUs granted in 2018 vest 100% after four years or upon retirement eligibility, whichever occurs earlier, but do not pay out until the scheduled distribution date. These RSUs receive quarterly dividend equivalents, paid in cash, at the time regular dividends are paid on our stock. RSUs pay 100% in stock to further tie executive and stockholder interests.
57 |
COMPENSATION DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS
Benefits and Personal Benefits
Benefits are an important tool to maintain the market competitiveness of our overall compensation package. We provide personal benefits to our Executive Officers for three main reasons:
| To effectively compete for talent: We must have a program that is robust and competitive enough to attract and retain key talent. |
| To support Executive Officers in meeting the needs of the business: We require the around-the-clock commitment and availability of our Executive Officers. Therefore, we provide benefits that allow us to have greater access to them. These benefits should not be measured solely in terms of any incremental financial cost, but rather the value they bring to us through maximized productivity and availability. |
| To provide for the safety, security, and personal health of executives: We provide Executive Officers certain personal benefits to provide for their safety and personal health. |
Benefits for our Executive Officers are outlined below. The Committee continues to evaluate our personal benefits based on needs of the business and market practices/trends.
Benefits
WarnerMedia employees did not participate in the following plans in 2018:
Deferral Opportunities