Exhibit 10.24
AMENDED AND RESTATED
HERBALIFE INTERNATIONAL OF AMERICA, INC.
EXECUTIVE OFFICER SEVERANCE PLAN
Effective April 28, 2022
The purpose of this Executive Officer Severance Plan (the “Plan”) is to provide severance benefits to designated executives of HERBALIFE INTERNATIONAL OF AMERICA, INC. (the “Company”), or its subsidiaries or Affiliates, upon their termination of employment under the specified circumstances described below. The Plan is amended and restated in its entirety as set forth herein effective April 28, 2022, and replaces the Plan that was originally effective November 1, 2016, which was further amended on August 1, 2017 and May 4, 2018.
Subject to the approval of the Compensation Committee, an individual may qualify for severance benefits under this Plan if he or she is employed by the Company and is either: (i) an officer of Herbalife Nutrition Ltd. subject to Section 16 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, (ii) excluding any administrative staff, a direct report to the Chief Executive Officer of Herbalife Nutrition Ltd., or (iii) an executive vice president or above of the Company or Herbalife Nutrition Ltd. (each, an “Executive”). Company employees previously eligible under the Plan as it was in effect prior to the Effective Date shall continue to be eligible to participate in the Plan.
In no event shall the Executive be obligated to seek other employment or take any other action by way of mitigation of the amounts payable to the Executive under any of the provisions of this Plan and such amounts shall not be reduced whether or not the Executive obtains other employment.
The Executive shall only be entitled to receive payments under Section 5, respectively, if Executive: (i) executes within forty-five (45) days of the date of termination a general release of claims against the Company, its subsidiaries, Affiliates, officers, directors and shareholders, in a form and of a scope determined by the Company in its sole discretion, and such release becomes effective and irrevocable in accordance with its terms within sixty (60) days of the date of termination; (ii) has returned all Company property, confidential information and documentation to the Company; (iii) continues to comply with the provisions of any employment, non-disclosure or non-solicitation agreement and/or policy; and (iv) provides the Company with a signed, written resignation of Executive’s status as an officer of the Company or any of its subsidiaries or Affiliates, as applicable. In the event that the
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Company determines that Executive has breached, or has threatened to breach, any material provision of the aforementioned restrictive covenants set forth in a separate written agreement or policy, the Company shall immediately terminate all payments and benefits and Executive shall no longer be entitled to such benefits. Such termination of benefits shall be in addition to any and all legal and equitable remedies available to the Company, including injunctive relief.
An Executive shall be entitled severance payments as follows:
The severance benefits available under the Plan are the maximum made available by the Company in the event of an Executive’s termination of employment. To the extent that an Executive’s employment agreement or offer letter or any federal, state or local law requires the Company to make payment to an Executive because of involuntary termination of employment, or in accordance with a federal or state plant closing type law (e.g., the WARN Act) then the severance benefits available under this Plan will be reduced by the amount of such required payment(s).
In the event an Executive receives any payments pursuant to this Plan in error, the Executive shall promptly return any and all such mistaken payments.
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The Company makes no representations or warranties to any Executive with respect to any tax, economic or legal consequences of this Plan or any payments or other benefits provided hereunder, including without limitation under Section 409A of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended and the Treasury regulations and other guidance promulgated thereunder (“Section 409A”), and no provision of this Plan shall be interpreted or construed to transfer any liability for failure to comply with Section 409A or any other legal requirement from any Executive or any other individual to the Company.
A termination of employment shall not be deemed to have occurred for purposes of any provision of this Plan providing for the payment of any amounts or benefits upon or following a termination of employment unless such termination is also a “separation from service” within the meaning of Section 409A and, for purposes of any such provision of this Plan, references to a “termination,” “termination of employment” or like terms shall mean “separation from service.” If an Executive is deemed on his or her date of termination to be a “specified employee” within the meaning of that term under Section 409A(a)(2)(B) of the Code, then with regard to any payment or the provision of any benefit hereunder that is otherwise considered deferred compensation under Section 409A payable on account of a “separation from service,” and that is not exempt from Section 409A as involuntary separation pay or a short-term deferral (or otherwise), such payment or benefit shall be made or provided at the date which is the earlier of (i) the expiration of the six (6)-month period measured from the date of such “separation from service” of Executive, and (ii) the date of Executive’s death (the “Delay Period”). Upon the expiration of the Delay Period, all payments and benefits delayed pursuant to this Section 6 (whether they would have otherwise been payable in a single sum or in installments in the absence of such delay) shall be paid or reimbursed to Executive in a lump sum without interest, and any remaining payments and benefits due under this Plan shall be paid or provided in accordance with the normal payment dates specified for them herein.
With regard to any provision herein that provides for reimbursement of costs and expenses or in-kind benefits, except as permitted by Section 409A, (i) the right to reimbursement or in-kind benefits shall not be subject to liquidation or exchange for another benefit, (ii) the amount of expenses eligible for reimbursement, or in-kind benefits, provided during any taxable year shall not affect the expenses eligible for reimbursement, or in-kind benefits to be provided, in any other taxable year, provided that the foregoing clause (ii) shall not be violated without regard to expenses reimbursed under any arrangement covered by Internal Revenue Code Section 105(b) solely because such expenses are subject to a limit related to the period the arrangement is in effect and (iii) such payments shall be made on or before the last day of Executive’s taxable year following the taxable year in which the expense occurred. Whenever a payment hereunder specifies a payment period with reference to a number of days, the actual date of payment within the specified period shall be within the sole discretion of the Company. Each payment due hereunder shall be treated as a separate payment.
Notwithstanding any other provision of this Plan to the contrary, this Plan shall be interpreted, operated and administered in a manner consistent with such intentions.
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If any payment or benefit due under this Plan, together with all other payments and benefits (including, without limitation, the acceleration of vesting of stock options and/or other equity-based compensation awards) to which an Executive is entitled from the Company, or any affiliate thereof, would (if paid or provided) constitute an “excess parachute payment” (as defined in Section 280G(b)(1) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”), or any successor provision), the amounts otherwise payable and benefits otherwise due under this Plan will either (i) be delivered in full, or (ii) be limited to the minimum extent necessary to ensure that no portion thereof will fail to be tax-deductible to the Company by reason of Section 280G of the Code, whichever of the foregoing amounts, taking into account the applicable federal, state or local income and employment taxes and the excise tax imposed under Section 4999 of the Code, results in the Executive’s receipt, on an after-tax basis, of the greatest amount of benefits, notwithstanding that all or some portion of such benefits may be subject to the excise tax imposed under Section 4999 of the Code. In the event that the payments and/or benefits are to be reduced pursuant to this Section 7, such payments and benefits shall be reduced such that the reduction of compensation to be provided to Executive as a result of this Section 7 is minimized. In applying this principle, the reduction shall be made in a manner consistent with the requirements of Section 409A of the Code and where two economically equivalent amounts are subject to reduction but payable at different times, such amounts shall be reduced on a pro rata basis but not below zero.
The provisions of this Plan do not constitute a contract of employment between the Company and any employee. The Plan creates no contractual rights with respect to the continuation of an Executive’s employment with the Company.
Severance payments under this Plan will be subject to local, state and federal tax deductions and withholdings in accordance with applicable law.
This Plan shall be administered and interpreted by the Compensation Committee.
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“Accrued Obligations” means the sum of any portion of the Executive’s base salary earned but not yet paid through the date of termination and any accrued and unpaid vacation pay, in each case, to the extent earned, but not yet paid by the Company through the date of termination, along with any other benefits or compensation payable under any of the Company’s employee benefit plans in accordance with the applicable plan’s terms.
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“Affiliate” means each of the following: (i) any subsidiary of the Company; (ii) Herbalife Nutrition Ltd.; (iii) any corporation, trade or business (including, without limitation, a partnership or limited liability company) which is directly or indirectly controlled 50% or more (whether by ownership of stock, assets or an equivalent ownership interest or voting interest) by the Company or one of its Affiliates; (iv) any trade or business (including, without limitation, a partnership or limited liability company) which directly or indirectly controls 50% or more (whether by ownership of stock, assets or an equivalent ownership interest or voting interest) of the Company; and (v) any other entity in which the Company or any of its Affiliates has a material equity interest and which is designated as an “Affiliate” by resolution of the Compensation Committee; provided that, unless otherwise determined by the Compensation Committee, the Common Stock subject to any Award constitutes “service recipient stock” for purposes of Section 409A of the Code or otherwise does not subject the Award to Section 409A of the Code.
“Board” means the Board of Directors of Herbalife Nutrition Ltd. (formerly Herbalife Ltd.).
“Cause” means, with respect to an Executive’s termination of employment, the Executive’s: (i) failure to perform substantially all of his or her duties, (ii) commission of, or indictment for a felony or any crime involving fraud or embezzlement or dishonesty or conviction of, or plea of nolo contendere to a misdemeanor (other than a traffic violation) punishable by imprisonment under federal, state or local law; (iii) engagement in an act of fraud or of willful dishonesty towards the Company or any of its Affiliates; (iv) willful misconduct or negligence resulting in a material economic harm to the Company or any of its Affiliates; (v) violation of a federal or state securities law or regulation; (vi) dishonesty detrimental to the best interests of the Company or any of its Affiliates; (vii) conduct involving any immoral acts which is reasonably likely to impair the reputation of the Company or any of its Affiliates; (viii) willful disloyalty to the Company or any of its Affiliates; (ix) violation, as determined by the Board based on opinion of its counsel, of any securities or employment laws or regulations; (x) use of a controlled substance without a prescription or the use of alcohol which impairs his or her ability to carry out his or her duties and responsibilities; or (xi) material violation of the Company’s policies and procedures or any breach of any agreement between the Company and him or her.
“Compensation Committee” means the Compensation Committee of the Board.
“Disability” means, unless otherwise determined by the Compensation Committee in the applicable Award Agreement, with respect to a Participant’s termination, a permanent and total disability as defined in Section 22(e)(3) of the Code. A Disability shall only be deemed to occur at the time of the determination by the Compensation Committee of the Disability. Notwithstanding the foregoing, for Awards that are subject to Section 409A of the Code, Disability shall mean that a Participant is disabled under Section 409A(a)(2)(C)(i) or (ii) of the Code.
“Effective Date” means April 28, 2022.
“Executive” has the meaning set forth in Section 2 hereof.
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“Good Reason” means: (i) a material reduction in the Executive’s annual base salary unless such reduction is part of an across-the-board reduction in executive officer base salaries approved by the Company’s Chief Executive Officer; (ii) a material diminution in the Executive’s authority, duties and responsibilities from those either previously in effect or, if applicable, as defined in an employment agreement between the Executive and the Company (serving in a similar functional role (e.g., financial, legal) following a corporate transaction shall not in and of itself be deemed a material diminution); or (iii) the relocation of the Executive’s primary office location of more than 50 miles that places the primary office farther from Executive’s residence than it was before; provided, however, that Good Reason shall not exist unless the Executive has given written notice to the Company within ninety (90) days of the initial existence of the Good Reason event or condition(s) giving specific details regarding the event or condition; and unless the Company has had at least thirty (30) days to cure such Good Reason event or condition after the delivery of such written notice and has failed to cure such event or condition within such thirty (30) day cure period.
“Termination Without Cause” An involuntary termination of an Executive by the Company for any reason other than for Cause.
If an Executive makes a written request alleging a right to receive benefits under this Plan or alleging a right to receive an adjustment in benefits being paid under the Plan, the Company shall treat it as a claim for benefits. All claims for benefits under the Plan shall be sent to the General Counsel of the Company and must be received within 30 days after the date of termination. If the Company determines that any individual who has claimed a right to receive benefits under the Plan is not entitled to receive all or a part of the benefits claimed, it will inform the claimant in writing of its determination and the reasons therefore in terms calculated to be understood by the claimant. The notice will be sent within 90 days of the written request, unless the Company determines additional time, not exceeding 90 days, is needed and provides the claimant with notice, during the initial 90-day period, of the circumstances requiring the extension of time and the length of the extension. The notice shall make specific reference to the pertinent Plan provisions on which the denial is based, and describe any additional material or information that is necessary. Such notice shall, in addition, inform the claimant what procedure the claimant should follow to take advantage of the review procedures set forth below in the event the claimant desires to contest the denial of the claim. The claimant may within 90 days thereafter submit in writing to the Compensation Committee a notice that the claimant contests the denial of his or her claim by the Company and desires a further review. The Compensation Committee shall within 60 days thereafter review the claim and authorize the claimant to appear personally and review the pertinent documents and submit issues and comments relating to the claim to the persons responsible for making the determination on behalf of the Compensation Committee. The Compensation Committee will render its final decision with specific reasons therefor in writing and will transmit it to the claimant within 60 days of the written request for review, unless the Compensation Committee determines additional time, not exceeding 60 days, is needed, and so notifies the claimant during the initial 60-day period. The Compensation Committee may revise the foregoing procedures as it determines necessary to comply with changes in the applicable U.S. Department of Labor regulations.
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Participants in the Plan are entitled to certain rights and protection under Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (“ERISA”). ERISA provides that you shall be entitled to:
If participants have any questions about your plan, please contact the plan administrator. If participants have any questions about this statement or about participants’ rights under ERISA, or if a participant needs assistance in obtaining documents from the plan administrator, the participant should contact the nearest office of the Employee Benefits Security Administration, U.S. Department of Labor, listed in a telephone directory or the Division of Technical Assistance and Inquiries, Employee Benefits Security Administration, U.S. Department of Labor, 200 Constitution Avenue N.W., Washington, D.C. 20210.
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Participants may also obtain certain publications about their rights and responsibilities under ERISA by calling the publications hotline of the Employee Benefits Security Administration at 1-866-444-EBSA (3272) or accessing their website at http://www.dol.gov/ebsa.
Executive Officer Severance Plan |
|
Name of Plan |
Executive Officer Severance Plan |
Type of Plan |
“Welfare” plan |
Plan Records |
Kept on a calendar-year basis |
Plan Year |
January 1 – December 31 |
Plan Funding |
Unfunded - Company and Affiliates provide severance benefits from general assets. |
Plan Sponsor |
Herbalife International of America, Inc. |
Plan Number |
503 |
Plan Administrator |
Herbalife International of America, Inc. 800 West Olympic Blvd. Suite 406 Los Angeles, CA 90015 |
Agent for |
Herbalife International of America, Inc. Los Angeles, CA 90015 |
Trustee |
Not applicable |
Insurance Company |
Not applicable |
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