Staples 2014 Annual Report Download - page 9

PROXY STATEMENT SUMMARY
www.staplesannualmeeting.com STAPLES 5
CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY HIGHLIGHTS
Staples is committed to making a positive impact on society, associates and the planet. We’re dedicated to bringing awareness
to and effecting meaningful change in the areas of Community & Giving, Environment, Ethics and Diversity & Inclusion. For more
information, see the Corporate Responsibility section of www.staples.com.
Environment
•
Aligning our efforts with global sustainability strategy and
2020 performance goals to benefit the environment, our
customers and our business
• Offering customers more than 12,000 eco-responsible
products, and providing diverse recycling and other
environmental services
• Improving operational environmental footprint by
maximizing energy efficiency and renewable energy use,
and eliminating waste
Community & Giving
• Enabling associates globally to direct funds to
organizations they care about through the 2 Million &
Change grant program
• Providing educational support in times of disaster
through Staples Emergency Education Fund with Save
the Children
• Supporting associate participation in community volunteer
activities
• Inspiring customers to donate through cause marketing
and disaster relief campaigns
Ethics
•
Supporting our culture of high integrity by continually
promoting our Code of Ethics and Ethics Program
• Encouraging associates to speak up and raise questions
and concerns through our global ethics helpline and other
available options
Diversity & Inclusion
•
Focusing on building a diverse, high-performing workforce
that reflects all segments of our society
• Emphasizing a culture that empowers associates and
encourages collaboration, flexibility and fairness
• Leveraging Associate Resource Groups to promote our
Employer of Choice strategy, create awareness and
increase business value
EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION
Staples is engaged in a strategic reinvention designed to position the company to generate long-term sales and earnings growth.
The Compensation Committee of the Board sets rigorous financial metrics tied directly to the success of our strategy and the
creation of long-term shareholder value.
For more information about the reinvention strategy and 2014 highlights, see “Performance Overview” in the “CD&A” section
of this proxy statement.
With changes to our executive compensation program over the last several years, both our long-term and short-term incentive
plans now are fully performance based. Going forward, we intend to rely solely on three-year, 100% performance based awards
for our long-term equity program. Staples is among only 11% of S&P 500 companies that grant 100% of long-term equity awards
in the form of performance shares, according to Equilar.
Our highly performance-based, long-term and equity-focused compensation program is illustrated below with respect to our
CEO’s target opportunity.
CEO Target Opportunity Mix
Base
Salary
11%
Elements of
Compensation
Fixed vs.
Performance Based
Short-Term vs.
Long-Term
Cash vs. Equity
Fixed
11%
Short-Term
28%
Cash
28%
Annual
Incentives
17%
Long-Term Incentives
72%
Performance Based
89%
Long-Term
72%
Equity
72%
Our Board values the opportunity to engage directly with our shareholders. In 2015, we completed an intensive shareholder
engagement and solicited feedback on our executive compensation program. See “Shareholder Feedback, Board Response and
2015 Changes” in the “CD&A” section of this proxy statement for more information.