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

Filed by the Registrant

Filed by a Party other than the Registrant

Check the appropriate box:

Preliminary Proxy Statement

CONFIDENTIAL, FOR USE OF THE COMMISSION ONLY (AS PERMITTED BY RULE 14a-6(e)(2))

Definitive Proxy Statement

Definitive Additional Materials

Soliciting Material Pursuant to §240.14a-12

Korn Ferry

(Name of Registrant as Specified In Its Charter)

(Name of Person(s) Filing Proxy Statement, if other than the Registrant)

Payment of Filing Fee (Check the appropriate box):

No fee required.

Fee computed on table below per Exchange Act Rules 14a-6(i)(1) and 0-11.

  1. Title of each class of securities to which transaction applies:
  2. Aggregate number of securities to which transaction applies:
  3. Per unit price or other underlying value of transaction computed pursuant to Exchange Act Rule 0-11 (set forth the amount on which the filing fee is calculated and state how it was determined):
  4. Proposed maximum aggregate value of transaction:
  5. Total fee paid:

Fee paid previously with preliminary materials.

Check box if any part of the fee is offset as provided by Exchange Act Rule 0-11(a)(2) and identify the filing for which the offsetting fee was paid previously. Identify the previous filing by registration statement number, or the form or schedule and the date of its filing.

  1. Amount Previously Paid:
  2. Form, Schedule or Registration Statement No.:
  3. Filing Party:
  4. Date Filed:

TABLE OF

CONTENTS

01

GOVERNANCE

PROPOSAL No. 1

ELECTION OF DIRECTORS

8

THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS

9

Governance Insights: Environmental, Social and Governance ("ESG") Issues

9

Director Qualifications

10

Snapshot of Director Nominees

11

Board Diversity

11

Director Tenure

11

Background Information Regarding Director Nominees

12

CORPORATE GOVERNANCE

17

Director Independence

17

Board Leadership Structure

18

Board's Oversight of Enterprise Risk and Risk Management

18

Board Committees

19

Board Refreshment

21

Culture of Integrity and Code of Business Conduct and Ethics

22

Corporate Governance Guidelines

22

02

COMPENSATION

PROPOSAL NO. 2

ADVISORY RESOLUTION TO APPROVE EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION

24

COMPENSATION DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS

25

Executive Summary: Focus on Pay-For-Performance

25

Governance Insights: Selection of Performance Metrics

26

Executive Compensation Philosophy And Oversight

28

Our Process: From Strategy to Compensation-Related Metrics

29

Elements of Compensation & Compensation Decisions and Actions

31

Other Compensation Elements

35

Other Policies

36

Compensation and Personnel Committee Report on Executive Compensation

37

Compensation Committee Interlocks and Insider Participation

37

COMPENSATION OF EXECUTIVE OFFICERS AND DIRECTORS

38

Fiscal Year 2019, 2018, and 2017 Summary Compensation Table

38

Fiscal Year 2019 Grants of Plan-Based Awards

39

Employment Agreements

40

Fiscal Year 2019

Outstanding Equity Awards at Fiscal Year-End

41

Stock Vested In Fiscal Year 2019

42

Fiscal Year 2019

Pension Benefits

42

Fiscal Year 2019

Nonqualified Deferred Compensation

43

Potential Payments Upon Termination or Change of Control

43

Pay Ratio Disclosure

49

Fiscal Year 2019

Compensation of Directors

50

03

STOCK INCENTIVE PLAN

PROPOSAL NO. 3

APPROVAL OF FOURTH AMENDED AND RESTATED 2008 STOCK INCENTIVE PLAN

52

Executive Summary of Key Changes to the Plan

52

Reasons for the Proposal

52

Key Data

53

Promotion of Good Corporate Governance Practices

53

Plan Summary

54

U.S. Federal Income Tax Consequences

58

New Plan Benefits

59

Equity Compensation Plan Information

59

04

AUDIT MATTERS

PROPOSAL NO. 4

RATIFICATION OF THE APPOINTMENT OF ERNST & YOUNG LLP AS INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM

62

AUDIT COMMITTEE MATTERS

63

Fees Paid to Ernst & Young LLP

63

Recommendation to Appoint Ernst & Young LLP as Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

63

Audit Committee Pre-Approval Policies and Procedures

64

Governance Insights: Korn Ferry Achieves ISO Security and Privacy Certifications

64

Report of the Audit Committee

65

05

OTHER PROPOSALS

PROPOSAL NO. 5

STOCKHOLDER PROPOSAL REQUESTING AMENDMENTS TO ALLOW HOLDERS OF 10% OF OUTSTANDING SHARES TO CALL

SPECIAL STOCKHOLDER MEETINGS

68

Stockholder Proposal

68

Board Statement in Opposition

69

06

GENERAL INFORMATION

SECURITY OWNERSHIP OF CERTAIN BENEFICIAL OWNERS AND MANAGEMENT

72

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS ABOUT THE PROXY MATERIALS AND THE ANNUAL MEETING

73

OTHER MATTERS

76

Certain Relationships and Related Transactions

76

Related Person Transaction Approval Policy

76

Delinquent Section 16(a) Reports

76

Annual Report to Stockholders

77

Communications with Directors

77

Submission of Stockholder Proposals for Consideration at the 2020 Annual Meeting

77

Stockholders Sharing an Address

78

APPENDIX A - NON-GAAP FINANCIAL MEASURES

A-1

APPENDIX B - KORN FERRY FOURTH AMENDED AND RESTATED 2008 STOCK INCENTIVE PLAN

B-1

Back to Contents

DEAR FELLOW

STOCKHOLDERS

Korn Ferry is on a transformative journey aligned with our vision to expand our position as the preeminent organizational consulting firm.

As the new Chair of the Board, as we mark Korn Ferry's 50th year anniversary, I want to express my excitement and enthusiasm as Korn Ferry builds upon its great foundation. Our Company is pursuing an ambitious strategy that emphasizes intense collaboration across our own organization - focused on service to our clients.

We are seeking to retain the best of our past - with a clear path to the future focused on initiatives that increase our relevance to our clients and our commercial impact.

Our strategy for growth focuses on a multi-pronged framework:

  • Drive a One Korn Ferry Go-to-Market Strategy
    Our synergistic go-to-market strategy brings together our core solutions, driving more integrated, scalable client relationships.
  • Deliver Client Excellence and Innovation
    We are leveraging our formidable data on organizational and employee motivation, work and rewards, and our proven products and solutions to produce new and enhanced offerings which will help our clients make better talent decisions.
  • Create the Top-of-Mind Brand in Organizational Consulting
    Next to our people, the Korn Ferry brand is our strongest asset of the Company. We are also very proud to now be the umbrella sponsor of the Korn Ferry Tour and the Official Leadership Development Firm of the PGA Tour, PGA Tour Champions and the Korn Ferry Tour.
  • Advance Korn Ferry as a Premier Career Destination
    We continue to invest in building a world-class organization that is aligned to our strategy with a talented, motivated and agile workforce.
  • Pursue Transformational Opportunities at the Intersection of Talent and Strategy
    Our disciplined approach to M&A is a vital component of our future growth and capital deployment strategies.

We believe we are changing the lives of the many executives and the organizations with whom we interact. We have evolved from a mono-line business to a global organizational consulting firm operating in 104 offices in 52 countries. We provide organizational advisory services, talent acquisition, strategy execution and leadership development. Added to that are compensation and rewards offerings and more - all enriched by our deep databases and intellectual property.

Korn Ferry will hold its annual stockholder meeting on October 3, 2019. At this year's annual meeting, two of our board members - George Shaheen and William Floyd - will be retiring from our Board. We are extremely grateful for their service. They have each helped Korn Ferry achieve new heights and left it well positioned to continue to advance.

Ultimately, our success is dependent on our people. I want to acknowledge and thank each of our more than 8,600 colleagues. Our accomplishments together are based upon your efforts and contributions. I am honored to stand alongside you all as we continue on our journey.

Sincerely,

Christina A. Gold,

Chair of the Board

August 20, 2019

Korn Ferry

1900 Avenue of the Stars, Suite 2600

Los Angeles, CA 90067

(310) 552-1834

i | 2019 Proxy Statement

This is an excerpt of the original content. To continue reading it, access the original document here.

Attachments

  • Original document
  • Permalink

Disclaimer

Korn Ferry International published this content on 20 August 2019 and is solely responsible for the information contained therein. Distributed by Public, unedited and unaltered, on 20 August 2019 20:47:09 UTC