Starwood 2011 Annual Report Download - page 13

nominee to vote the shares held on your behalf. Please contact your broker, bank or other nominee for further
information on such authorization. Ballots will be made available and distributed at the Annual Meeting. If you
do not plan to attend the Annual Meeting or do not wish to vote in person, you may authorize proxies to vote
your shares by written proxy, by telephone or over the Internet.
By Written Proxy. If you are a stockholder of record and wish to authorize proxies to vote your shares by
written proxy, you may request a proxy card at any time by following the instructions on the Notice. If you are a
stockholder of record who holds shares in “street name” you should receive instructions on how you may vote by
written proxy from your broker, bank or other nominee.
By Telephone or Internet. If you are a stockholder of record and wish to authorize proxies to vote your
shares by telephone or over the Internet, you may use the toll-free telephone number or access the electronic link
to the proxy voting site by following the instructions on the Notice. If you are a stockholder of record who holds
shares in “street name,” you may authorize proxies to vote your shares by telephone or over the Internet if your
broker, bank or other nominee makes these methods available, in which case you will receive instructions with
the proxy materials.
Each share represented by a properly completed written proxy or properly authorized proxy by telephone or
over the Internet will be voted at the Annual Meeting in accordance with the stockholder’s instructions specified
in the proxy, unless such proxy has been revoked. If no instructions are specified, the shares will be voted
“FOR” the election of each of the ten nominees for director named in this proxy statement, “FOR” the approval,
on a non-binding advisory basis, of the compensation of our named executive officers, “FOR” ratification of the
appointment of Ernst & Young LLP as our independent registered public accounting firm for fiscal year 2012,
and, with respect to other matters to properly come before the meeting, pursuant to the discretionary authority
granted in the proxy to the proxy holder.
How many Notices will I receive? What does it mean if I receive more than one Notice?
If you are a stockholder of record, you will receive only one Notice (or proxy card upon request) for all of
the shares of common stock you hold in certificate form, book entry form and in any of our savings plans.
If you are a stockholder of record who holds in “street name”, you will receive one Notice or voting
instruction form for each account you have with a bank or broker. If you hold shares in multiples accounts, you
may need to provide voting instructions for each account. Please sign and return all proxy cards or voting
instruction forms you receive to ensure that all of the shares you hold are voted.
What if I hold shares through the Company’s 401(k) savings plan or employee stock purchase plan?
If you participate in the Company’s Savings and Retirement Plan (the “Savings Plan”) or Employee Stock
Purchase Plan (the “ESPP”), your proxy card or vote by telephone or over the Internet will serve as a voting
instruction for the trustee of the Savings Plan or ESPP. Whether you authorize vote by proxy card, telephone or
over the Internet, you must transmit your vote to the transfer agent on or prior to 11:59 p.m., Eastern Time on
April 30, 2012. If you participate in the Savings Plan and your vote is not received by the transfer agent by that
date or if you sign and return your proxy card without specifying your voting instructions, the trustee for the
Savings Plan will vote your shares in the same proportion as the other shares for which such trustee has received
timely voting instructions unless contrary to ERISA. If you participate in the ESPP and your proxy card is not
received by the transfer agent by that date or if you sign and return your proxy card without specifying your
voting instructions, the trustee of the ESPP will not vote your shares.
If I submit a proxy, may I later revoke it and/or change my vote?
If you are a stockholder of record, you may revoke your proxy and change your vote at any time before the
final vote at the Annual Meeting by:
• signing and returning another proxy card with a later date;
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