Form of Performance Share Unit Award Agreement
Contract Categories:
Human Resources
- Bonus & Incentive Agreements
EX-10.1 2 d874379dex101.htm EX-10.1 EX-10.1 Each unit awarded represents the right to receive one share of the Company common stock, If the Participant’s employment with the Company or If the Participant’s employment with the Company or any subsidiary If a Participant dies while employed by the Company or any subsidiary or affiliated If the termination of employment is due to the divestiture, Subject to any applicable provisions in Attachment A, any dividends or other Upon vesting of the Performance Stock Units, settlement shall be The Participant acknowledges that, regardless of any action taken by the Company or, if The Participant agrees to cooperate with the Company in In accepting the Performance Stock Units, the Participant acknowledges and agrees that: By participating in the Plan, the Participant agrees to comply with the Each unit awarded represents the right to receive one share of the Company common stock, If the Participant’s employment with the Company or If the Participant’s employment by the Company If a Participant dies while employed by the Company or any subsidiary or If the termination of employment is due to the divestiture, Subject to any applicable provisions in Attachment A, any dividends or other Upon vesting of the Performance Stock Units, settlement shall be The Participant acknowledges that, regardless of any action taken by the Company or, if The Participant agrees to cooperate with the Company in In accepting the Performance Stock Units, the Participant acknowledges and agrees that: By participating in the Plan, the Participant agrees to comply with the
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Exhibit 10.1
GENERAL MILLS, INC.
PERFORMANCE STOCK UNIT AWARD AGREEMENT
GRANT DATE:
PARTICIPANT:
[Officer]
PERNR:
TARGET NUMBER OF UNITS SUBJECT TO
AWARD:
PERFORMANCE PERIOD:
EXPIRATION DATE OF RESTRICTED
PERIOD:
This Award is made under the General Mills, Inc. 2022 Stock Compensation Plan (the "Plan"), and is
subject to the terms and conditions contained in the Plan document and this Performance Stock Unit
Award Agreement (“Agreement”). The Participant: (i) acknowledges receipt of a copy of the Plan and
Plan prospectus, (ii) represents that the Participant has carefully read and is familiar with the provisions
of this Agreement and the Plan, and (iii) hereby accepts the Performance Stock Units subject to all of the
terms and conditions set forth herein, and in the Plan. If the Participant does not wish to receive the
Performance Stock Units and/or does not consent and agree to the terms and conditions on which the
Performance Stock Units are offered, as set forth in this Agreement and the Plan, then the Participant
must reject this Award via the website of the Company’s designated broker, no later than 60 days
following the Grant Date. If the Participant rejects this Award, this Award will immediately be forfeited
and cancelled. The Participant’s failure to reject this Award within this 60 day period will constitute the
Participant’s acceptance of this Award and all terms and conditions of this Award, as set forth in this
Agreement and the Plan.
THIS AWARD, dated on the above Grant Date, is made by General Mills, Inc., (the "Company"), and made to
the person named above (the "Participant" or referred to as “I”, “you”, or “my”) (“Award”).
1.
Award of Units.
par value USD 0.10 per share (“Stock”). The units granted pursuant to this Agreement are referred to as the
“Performance Stock Units”. The number of Performance Stock Units earned by the Participant for the
Performance Period will be determined at the end of the Performance Period based on the level of achievement
against the Performance Measures and conditions in accordance with Attachment A. The number of shares of
Stock the Participant is paid is dependent on the number of Performance Stock Units earned and satisfactory
completion of the service requirements described herein. Whether, and the extent to which Performance
Measures have been satisfied at the end of the Performance Period shall be certified by the Compensation &
Talent Committee before any payment is made, and all such determinations shall be made by the Compensation
& Talent Committee in its sole discretion. For each Performance Stock Unit earned and vested, if any, at the
Expiration Date of the Restricted Period, one share of the Company’s Stock shall be issued to the Participant on
the Expiration Date of the Restricted Period, subject to any additional restrictions or holding requirements in
Attachment A. Except as otherwise defined herein, capitalized terms shall have the same meanings ascribed to
them under the Plan.
2.
Vesting of Performance Stock Units; Forfeiture of Performance Stock Units.
(a)
Vesting Schedule
. The Performance Stock Units shall vest on the Expiration Date of the Restricted
Period set forth above (“Vesting Date”) subject to the terms of this Agreement and the Plan.
(b)
Forfeiture of Performance Stock Units
. The Participant acknowledges that the Performance Stock
Units awarded hereunder are subject to forfeiture if the Participant’s employment with the Company or
any subsidiary or affiliated companies terminates under certain circumstances before the Vesting Date,
as herein provided.
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(i)
Resignation or Termination for Cause.
any subsidiary or affiliated companies is terminated by either (i) resignation, or (ii) a discharge
due to Participant’s illegal activities, poor work performance, misconduct or violation of the
Company’s Code of Conduct, policies or practices, then these Performance Stock Units, to the
extent they are not fully vested as of the Termination Date, shall for no consideration be
cancelled and forfeited in their entirety. For the avoidance of doubt, “Termination Date” for
purposes of this Award will be deemed to occur as of the date Participant is no longer actively
providing services as an employee, unless otherwise determined by the Company in its sole
discretion, and no vesting shall continue during any notice period that may be specified under
contract or applicable law with respect to such termination, including any “garden leave” or
similar period, except as may otherwise be permitted in the Company’s sole discretion.
(ii)
Involuntary Termination.
or affiliated companies terminates involuntarily at the initiation of the Company for any reason
other than specified in Plan Section 11 (Change in Control), or (i), (iv) or (v) in this section 2,
and upon the execution (without revoking) of an effective general legal release and such other
documents as are satisfactory to the Company, the following rules shall apply:
a)
In the event that, at the Termination Date, the sum of the Participant’s age and
years of service with the Company or any subsidiary or affiliated companies
equals or exceeds 70, then if such involuntary termination occurs before the end
of the Company’s fiscal year within which this Award was granted, it shall vest
in a pro-rata amount based on actual employment completed during said fiscal
year. But if such involuntary termination occurs after the end of the fiscal year
in which it is awarded, then it shall vest fully. In either case, vested Performance
Stock Units shall be settled and paid (subject to any additional restrictions or
holding requirements in Attachment A) on the Expiration Date of the Restricted
Period, with a value, if any, that otherwise would be earned under the applicable
Performance Measures established in Attachment A based on actual
performance.
b)
In the event that, at the Termination Date, the sum of the Participant’s age and
years of service with the Company or any subsidiary or affiliated companies is
less than 70, this Award shall be settled and paid on the Expiration Date of the
Restricted Period (subject to any additional restrictions or holding requirements
in Attachment A) with a value, if any, that otherwise would be earned under the
applicable Performance Measures established in Attachment A based on actual
performance; and shall vest at the Expiration Date of the Restricted Period in a
pro-rata amount based on actual employment completed during the Performance
Period through the Termination Date. All other Performance Stock Units shall
be forfeited as of the Termination Date.
(iii)
Death.
companies during the Performance Period, this Award shall fully vest and shall be considered
to be earned in full “at target” as if the applicable Performance Measures established in
Attachment A have been achieved at target, and settled and paid on the first day of the month
following death to the designated beneficiary or beneficiaries.
(iv)
Retirement
. If the termination of employment is due to the Participant’s retirement on or after
age 55 and completion of at least five (5) years of service with the Company or any subsidiary
or affiliated companies, then if such retirement occurs before the end of the Company’s fiscal
year within which this Award was granted, it shall vest in a pro-rata amount based on actual
employment completed during said fiscal year. But if such retirement occurs after the end of
the fiscal year in which it is awarded, then it shall vest fully. In either case, vested Performance
Stock Units shall be settled and paid on the Expiration Date of the Restricted Period (subject
to any additional restrictions or holding requirements in Attachment A), with a value, if any,
that otherwise would be earned under the applicable Performance Measures established in
Attachment A based on actual performance. Notwithstanding the above, the terms of this
paragraph (iv) shall not apply to a Participant who, prior to a Change of Control, is terminated
for cause as described in (b)(i); said Participant shall be treated as provided in paragraph (b)(i).
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(v)
Spin-offs and Other Divestitures.
cessation, transfer, or spin-off of a line of business or other activity of the Company, the
Committee, in its sole discretion, shall determine the conversion, vesting, or other treatment
of these Awards. Such treatment shall be consistent with Code Section 409A, and in particular
will take into account whether a separation from service has occurred within the meaning of
Code Section 409A.
3.
Dividend Equivalents.
distributions declared payable on the Company’s Stock on or after the Grant Date of this Award until the Award
is settled and/or forfeited shall be credited notionally to the Participant in an amount equal to such declared
dividends or other distributions on an equivalent number of shares of Stock (“Dividend Equivalents”). Dividend
Equivalents so credited shall be paid if, and only to the extent, the underlying Performance Stock Units to which
they relate become unrestricted and vest, as provided under the terms of the Plan and this Agreement. Dividend
Equivalents credited in respect to Performance Stock Units that are forfeited under the terms of the Plan and this
document, are correspondingly forfeited. No interest or other earnings shall be credited on Dividend
Equivalents. Vested Dividend Equivalents shall be paid in cash at the same time as the underlying Performance
Stock Units to which they relate are settled.
4.
Settlement of Performance Stock Units.
completed as soon as administratively practicable but in no event later than 30 days after the vesting date, except
where such settlement following a Section 409A Separation from Service requires a six-month delay. The
Company will provide for settlement in the form of shares of Stock. At the Company’s discretion, additional
restrictions or holding requirements may be imposed on settled Units and dividend equivalents, if any.
5.
Non-Transferability
. The Performance Stock Units may not be sold, assigned, pledged, exchanged,
hypothecated, encumbered, disposed of, or otherwise transferred, unless otherwise provided in the Plan or this
Agreement. Upon any attempt to transfer, assign, pledge, hypothecate or otherwise dispose of the Performance
Stock Units or of such rights contrary to the provisions hereof or in the Plan, the Performance Stock Units and
such rights shall immediately become null and void.
6.
Withholding of Tax.
different, the subsidiary or affiliated company that employs the Participant (the “Employer”), the ultimate
liability for all income tax, social contributions, payroll tax, fringe benefits tax, payment on account, hypothetical
tax or other tax-related items related to the Participant’s participation in the Plan and legally applicable to the
Participant or deemed by the Company or the Employer in their discretion to be an appropriate charge to the
Participant even if legally applicable to the Company or the Employer (“Tax-Related Items”), is and remains the
Participant’s responsibility and may exceed the amount actually withheld by the Company or the Employer, if
any. The Participant further acknowledges that the Company and/or the Employer (a) make no representations
or undertakings regarding the treatment of any Tax-Related Items in connection with any aspect of the
Performance Stock Units, including, but not limited to, the grant, vesting, the subsequent sale of shares of Stock
acquired pursuant to such vesting and the receipt of any dividends; and (b) do not commit to and are under no
obligation to structure the terms of the grant or any aspect of the Performance Stock Units to reduce or eliminate
the Participant’s liability for Tax -Related Items or achieve any particular tax result. Further, if the Participant is
subject to Tax -Related Items in more than one jurisdiction between the Grant Date and the date of any relevant
taxable or tax withholding event, as applicable, the Participant acknowledges that the Company and/or the
Employer (or former employer, as applicable) may be required to withhold or account for Tax -Related Items in
more than one jurisdiction.
Prior to the relevant taxable or tax withholding event, as applicable, the Participant agrees to make adequate
arrangements satisfactory to the Company and/or the Employer to satisfy all Tax-Related Items. In this regard,
unless otherwise approved by the Committee, the Company shall satisfy the obligations with regard to all Tax-
Related Items by one or a combination of the following: (i) withholding from the Participant’s wages or other
cash compensation paid to the Participant by the Company and/or the Employer; (ii) withholding from the shares
of Stock to be delivered upon settlement of the Performance Stock Units or other awards granted to the
Participant or (iii) permitting the Participant to tender to the Company cash or, if allowed by the Committee,
shares of Stock.
Depending on the withholding method, the Company may withhold or account for Tax-Related Items by
considering applicable statutory withholding rates (as determined by the Company in good faith and in its sole
discretion) or other applicable withholding rates, including maximum applicable rates, in which case the
Participant will receive a refund of any over-withheld amount and will have no entitlement to the share
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equivalent. If the obligation for Tax-Related Items is satisfied by withholding from the shares of Stock to be
delivered upon vesting of the Performance Stock Units, for tax purposes, the Participant is deemed to have been
issued the full number of shares of Stock subject to the Performance Stock Units, notwithstanding that a number
of shares of Stock are held back solely for the purpose of paying the Tax-Related Items. The Participant will
have no further rights with respect to any shares of Stock that are retained by the Company pursuant to this
provision.
The Participant agrees to pay to the Company or the Employer any amount of Tax-Related Items that the
Company or the Employer may be required to withhold or account for as a result of the Participant’s participation
in the Plan that cannot be satisfied by the means previously described. The Company may refuse to issue or
deliver shares of Stock or proceeds from the sale of shares of Stock until arrangements satisfactory to the
Company have been made in connection with the Tax -Related Items.
7.
Restrictive Covenants; Confidential Information.
any way needed in order to comply with, or fulfill the terms of the Plan and this Award document. As a term
and condition of this Award, Participant agrees to the following terms:
a.
I agree to use General Mills Confidential Information only as needed in the performance of my duties,
to hold and protect such information as confidential to the Company, and not to engage in any
unauthorized use or disclosure of such information for so long as such information qualifies as
Confidential Information. I agree that after my employment with the Company terminates for any
reason, including “retirement” as that term is used in the Plan, I will not use or disclose, directly or
indirectly, Company Confidential Information or trade secrets for any purpose, unless I get the prior
written consent of my manager to do so.
This document does not prevent me from filing a complaint with a government agency (including the
Securities and Exchange Commission, Department of Justice, Equal Employment Opportunity
Commission and others) or from participating in an agency proceeding. This document also does not
prevent me from providing an agency with information, including this document, unless such
information is legally protected from disclosure to third parties. I do not need prior company
authorization to take these actions, nor must I notify the company I have done so.
Also, as provided in 18 U.S.C. 1833(b), I cannot be held criminally or civilly liable under any federal
or state trade secret law for making a trade secret disclosure: (A) in confidence to a federal, state, or
local government official, either directly or indirectly, or to an attorney, solely for the purpose of
reporting or investigating a suspected violation of law; or (B) in a complaint or other document filed in
a lawsuit or other proceeding, if such filing is made under seal.
General Mills Confidential Information means any non-public information I create, receive, use or
observe in the performance of my job at General Mills, including trade secrets. Examples of
Confidential Information include marketing, merchandising, business plans, business methods, pricing,
purchasing, licensing, contracts, employee, supplier or customer information, financial data,
technological developments, manufacturing processes and specifications, product formulas, ingredient
specifications, software code, and all other proprietary information which is not publicly available to
others.
Prior to leaving the Company, I agree to return all materials in my possession containing Confidential
Information, as well as all other documents and other tangible items provided to me by General Mills,
or developed by me in connection with my employment with the Company.
b.
[
This Section 7.b. does not apply to California, Colorado, Minnesota, and Washington -based
employees.
] I agree that for one year after I leave the Company, including retiring from the Company,
I will not work on any product, brand category, process, or service: (A) on which I worked, or about
which I had access to Confidential Information, in the year immediately preceding my termination
(including retirement) from General Mills, and (B) which competes with General Mills products, brand
categories, processes, or related services.
c.
I agree that for one year after I leave General Mills, including retiring from the Company, I will refrain
from directly or indirectly soliciting Company employees for the purpose of hiring them or inducing
them to leave their employment with the Company.
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d.
I agree that after I leave General Mills, including retiring from the Company, I will indefinitely refrain
from using Company client or contact lists, and for two years I will refrain from soliciting the
Company’s customers.
A breach of the obligations set forth in this paragraph may result in the rescission of the Award, termination and
forfeiture of any unvested Units, and/or required payment to the Company of all or a portion of any monetary
gains acquired by the Participant as a result of the Award, unless the Award vested and was settled more than
four (4) years prior to the breach. The foregoing remedies are in addition to, and not in lieu of injunctive relief
and/or any other legal or equitable remedies available under applicable law.
8.
Nature of Grant.
(a)
the Plan is established voluntarily by the Company, it is discretionary in nature and it may be modified,
amended, suspended or terminated by the Company, in its sole discretion, at any time (subject to any
limitations set forth in the Plan);
(b)
the grant of the Performance Stock Units is voluntary and occasional and does not create any contractual
or other right to receive future grants of Performance Stock Units, or benefits in lieu of Performance
Stock Units, even if Performance Stock Units s or other awards have been granted in the past;
(c)
all decisions with respect to future awards, if any, will be at the sole discretion of the Company;
(d)
the Participant’s participation in the Plan is voluntary;
(e)
the Performance Stock Units and the Participant’s participation in the Plan shall not create a right to
employment or be interpreted as forming an employment contract with the Company or any of its
Subsidiaries or affiliated companies and shall not interfere with the ability of the Company or the
Employer, as applicable, to terminate the Participant’s employment relationship (as otherwise may be
permitted under local law);
(f)
unless otherwise agreed with the Company, the Performance Stock Units and any shares of Stock
acquired upon vesting of the Performance Stock Units, and the income from and value of same, are not
granted as consideration for, or in connection with, any service the Participant may provide as a director
of any subsidiary or affiliate of the Company;
(g)
the Performance Stock Units and any shares of Stock acquired under the Plan and the income and value
of same, are not part of normal or expected compensation for purposes of calculating any severance,
resignation, termination, redundancy, dismissal, end-of-service payments, bonuses, long-service
awards, pension or retirement or welfare benefits or similar payments and in no event should be
considered as compensation for, or relating in any way to, past services for the Company, the Employer
or any subsidiary or affiliate of the Company;
(h)
the future value of the shares of Stock underlying the Performance Stock Units is unknown,
indeterminable, and cannot be predicted with certainty;
(i)
upon vesting of the Performance Stock Units, the value of such shares of Stock may increase or decrease
in value;
(j)
no claim or entitlement to compensation or damages shall arise from forfeiture of the Performance
Stock Units resulting from termination of the Participant’s employment (for any reason whatsoever and
whether or not in breach of local labor laws or later found invalid) and, in consideration of the
Performance Stock Units, the Participant agrees not to institute any claim against the Company or the
Employer;
(k)
the Performance Stock Units and the benefits evidenced by this Agreement do not create any
entitlement not otherwise specifically provided for in the Plan or provided by the Company in its
discretion, to have the Performance Stock Units or any such benefits transferred to, or assumed by,
another company, nor to be exchanged, cashed out or substituted for, in connection with any corporate
transaction affecting the shares of Stock; and
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(l)
neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries or affiliated companies shall be liable for any foreign
exchange rate fluctuation between the Participant’s local currency and the U.S. dollar that may affect
the value of the Performance Stock Units or any amounts due to the Participant pursuant to the vesting
of the Performance Stock Units or the subsequent sale of any shares of Stock acquired upon vesting of
the Performance Stock Units.
9.
Data Privacy.
If the Participant would like to participate in the Plan, the Participant will need to review the
information provided in this Section 9 and, where applicable, declare the Participant’s consent to the processing
of personal data by the Company and the third parties stated below.
If the Participant is based in the European Union (“EU”), European Economic Area (“EEA”) or United
Kingdom, please note that General Mills, Inc. with registered address at One General Mills Boulevard,
Minneapolis, MN ###-###-####, is the controller responsible for the processing of the Participant’s personal data
in connection with the Agreement and the Plan.
(a)
Data Collection and Usage. The Company collects, processes, uses and transfers certain personally-
identifiable information about the Participant, specifically, the Participant’s name, home address and
telephone number, email address, date of birth, social insurance, passport number or other
identification number, salary, nationality, job title, any shares of Stock or directorships held in the
Company or any affiliated company, details of all Performance Stock Units or any other entitlement to
shares of Stock awarded, canceled, exercised, settled, vested, unvested or outstanding in the
Participant’s favor, which the Company receives from the Participant or the Employer (the “Data”).
The Company collects, processes and uses the Data for the purposes of performing its contractual
obligations under this Agreement, implementing, administering and managing the Participant’s
participation in the Plan and facilitating compliance with applicable tax and securities law.
(b)
.
If the Participant is based in the EU, EEA or United Kingdom, the legal basis for the processing of the
Data by the Company is the necessity of the processing for the Company to perform its contractual
obligations under this Agreement and the Plan and the Company’s legitimate business interests of
managing the Plan, administering employee equity awards and complying with its contractual and
statutory obligations.
If the Participant is based in any other jurisdiction, the legal basis for the processing of the Data by
the Company is the Participant’s consent as further described below.
(c)
Stock Plan Administration Service Providers. The Company transfers Data to E*TRADE Financial
Corporate Services, Inc. (including its affiliated companies), an independent service provider which
assists the Company with the implementation, administration and management of the Plan. In the
future, the Company may select a different service provider, which will in a similar manner, share Data
with such service provider. The Company’s service provider will maintain an account for the
Participant to administer the Performance Stock Units. The processing of Data will take place through
both electronic and non-electronic means. Data will only be accessible by those individuals requiring
access to it for purposes of implementing, administering and operating the Plan.
(d)
International Data Transfers. The Company and its service providers are based in the United States
and India. The Participant’s country or jurisdiction may have different data privacy laws and
protections than the United States and India. An appropriate level of protection can be achieved by
implementing safeguards such as the Standard Contractual Clauses adopted by the EU Commission.
If the Participant is based in any other jurisdiction, the Data will be transferred from the Participant’s
jurisdiction to the Company and onward from the Company to any of its service providers based on the
Participant’s consent, as further described below.
(e)
Data Retention. The Company will use the Data only as long as necessary to implement, administer
and manage the Participant’s participation in the Plan, or as required to comply with legal or
regulatory obligations, including tax and securities laws. When the Company no longer needs the
Data, the Company will remove it from its systems. If the Company keeps data longer, it would be to
satisfy legal or regulatory obligations and the Company’s legal basis would be relevant laws or
regulations (if the Participant is in the EU, EEA or United Kingdom) or the Participant’s consent (if
the Participant is outside the EU, EEA or United Kingdom).
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(f)
Data Subject Rights. The Participant may have a number of rights under data privacy laws in the
Participant’s jurisdiction. Subject to the conditions set out in the applicable law and depending on
where the Participant is based, such rights may include the right to (i) request access to, or copies of,
the Data processed by the Company, (ii) rectification of incorrect Data, (iii) deletion of Data, (iv)
restrictions on the processing of Data, (v) object to the processing of Data for legitimate interests, (vi)
portability of Data, (vii) lodge complaints with competent authorities in the Participant’s jurisdiction,
and/or to (viii) receive a list with the names and addresses of any potential recipients of Data. To
receive clarification regarding these rights or to exercise these rights, the Participant can contact HR
Direct.
(g)
Necessary Disclosure of Personal Data. The Participant understands that providing the Company with
Data is necessary for the performance of the Agreement and that the Participant’s refusal to provide
the Data would make it impossible for the Company to perform its contractual obligations and may
affect the Participant’s ability to participate in the Plan.
(h)
Declaration of Consent (if the Participant is outside the EU, EEA and United Kingdom). The
Participant hereby unambiguously consents to the collection, use and transfer, in electronic or other
form, of the Data, as described above and in any other grant materials, by and among, as applicable,
the Employer, the Company and any affiliated company for the exclusive purpose of implementing,
administering and managing the Participant’s participation in the Plan. The Participant understands
that the Participant may, at any time, refuse or withdraw the consents herein, in any case without cost,
by contacting HR Direct. If the Participant does not consent or later seeks to revoke the Participant’s
consent, the Participant’s employment status or service with the Employer will not be affected; the
Participant’s consequence of refusing or withdrawing consent is that the Company would not be able
to award the Participant Performance Stock Units or any other equity award to the Participant or
administer or maintain such awards. Therefore, the Participant understands that refusing or
withdrawing consent may affect the Participant’s ability to participate in the Plan. For more
information on the consequences of refusal to consent or withdrawal of consent, the Participant should
contact HR Direct.
10.
Clawback
. This Award is specifically made subject to the Company’s Executive Compensation Clawback
Policies.
11.
Insider Trading; Market Abuse Laws.
Company’s policy on insider trading (to the extent that it is applicable to the Participant), the Participant further
acknowledges that, depending on the Participant’s or his or her broker’s country of residence or where the shares
of Stock are listed, the Participant may be subject to insider trading restrictions and/or market abuse laws that
may affect the Participant’s ability to accept, acquire, sell or otherwise dispose of shares of Stock, rights to shares
of Stock (e.g., Performance Stock Units) or rights linked to the value of shares of Stock, during such times the
Participant is considered to have “inside information” regarding the Company as defined by the laws or
regulations in the Participant’s country. Local insider trading laws and regulations may prohibit the cancellation
or amendment of orders the Participant places before he or she possessed inside information. Furthermore, the
Participant could be prohibited from (i) disclosing the inside information to any third party (other than on a “need
to know” basis) and (ii) “tipping” third parties or causing them otherwise to buy or sell securities. The Participant
understands that third parties include fellow employees. Any restriction under these laws or regulations are
separate from and in addition to any restrictions that may be imposed under any applicable Company insider
trading policy. The Participant acknowledges that it is the Participant’s responsibility to comply with any
applicable restrictions, and that the Participant should therefore consult the Participant’s personal advisor on this
matter.
12.
Electronic Delivery.
The Participant agrees, to the fullest extent permitted by law, in lieu of receiving
documents in paper format, to accept electronic delivery of any documents that the Company and its Subsidiaries
or affiliated companies may deliver in connection with this grant and any other grants offered by the Company,
including prospectuses, grant notifications, account statements, annual or quarterly reports, and other
communications. Electronic delivery of a document may be made via the Company’s email system or by
reference to a location on the Company’s intranet or website or a website of the Company’s agent administering
the Plan. By accepting this grant, whether electronically or otherwise, the Participant hereby consents to
participate in the Plan through such system, intranet, or website, including but not limited to the use of electronic
signatures or click-through electronic acceptance of terms and conditions.
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13.
English Language.
The Participant acknowledges and agrees that it is the Participant’s express intent that this
Agreement and the Plan and all other documents, notices and legal proceedings entered into, given or instituted
pursuant to the Performance Stock Units be drawn up in English. To the extent the Participant has been provided
with a copy of this Agreement, the Plan, or any other documents relating to this Award in a language other than
English, the English language documents will prevail in case of any ambiguities or divergences as a result of
translation.
14.
Addendum.
Notwithstanding any provisions in this Agreement, the Performance Stock Units shall be subject
to any special terms and conditions set forth in the Country-Specific Addendum to this Agreement (the
“Addendum”). Moreover, if the Participant transfers to one of the countries included in such Addendum, the
special terms and conditions for such country will apply to the Participant, to the extent the Company determines
that the application of such terms and conditions is necessary or advisable to comply with local law or facilitate
the administration of the Plan (or the Company may establish alternative terms and conditions as may be
necessary or advisable to accommodate the Participant’s transfer). The Addendum constitutes part of this
Agreement.
15.
Not a Public Offering
. The award of the Performance Stock Units is not intended to be a public offering of
securities in the Participant’s country of employment (or country of residence, if different). The Company has
not submitted any registration statement, prospectus or other filings with the local securities authorities (unless
otherwise required under local law), and the award of the Performance Stock Units is not subject to the
supervision of the local securities authorities.
No employee of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries or affiliated
companies is permitted to advise the Participant on whether he/she should participate in the Plan. Acquiring
shares of Stock involves a degree of risk. Before deciding to participate in the Plan, the Participant should
carefully consider all risk factors relevant to the acquisition of shares of Stock under the Plan and carefully
review all of the materials related to the Performance Stock Units and the Plan. In addition, the Participant
should consult with his/her personal advisor for professional investment advice.
16.
Repatriation; Compliance with Law
. The Participant agrees to repatriate all payments attributable to the shares
of Stock and/or cash acquired under the Plan in accordance with applicable foreign exchange rules and
regulations in the Participant’s country of employment (and country of residence, if different). In addition, the
Participant agrees to take any and all actions, and consent to any and all actions taken by the Company and any
of its Subsidiaries and affiliated companies, as may be required to allow the Company and any of its Subsidiaries
and affiliated companies to comply with local laws, rules and/or regulations in the Participant’s country of
employment (and country of residence, if different). Finally, the Participant agrees to take any and all actions as
may be required to comply with the Participant’s personal obligations under local laws, rules and/or regulations
in the Participant’s country of employment and country of residence, if different).
17.
Imposition of Other Requirements
. The Company reserves the right to impose other requirements on the
Participant’s participation in the Plan, on the Performance Stock Unit, and on any shares of Stock acquired under
the Plan, to the extent the Company determines it is necessary or advisable for legal or administrative reasons,
and to require the Participant to sign any additional agreements or undertakings that may be necessary to
accomplish the foregoing.
18.
Committee’s Powers
. No provision contained in this Agreement shall in any way terminate, modify or alter, or
be construed or interpreted as terminating, modifying or altering any of the powers, rights or authority vested in
the Committee or, to the extent delegated, in its delegate, pursuant to the terms of the Plan or resolutions adopted
in furtherance of the Plan, including, without limitation, the right to make certain determinations and elections
with respect to the Performance Stock Unit. Any dispute regarding the interpretation of this Agreement or the
terms of the Plan shall be submitted to the Committee or its delegate who shall have the discretionary authority
to construe the terms of this Agreement, the Plan, and all documents ancillary to this Award. The decisions of
the Committee or its delegate shall be final and binding and any reviewing court of law or other party shall defer
to its decision, overruling if, and only if, it is arbitrary and capricious. In no way is it intended that this review
standard subject the Plan or Award to the U.S. Employee Retirement Income Security Act.
19.
Binding Effect
. This Agreement shall be binding upon and inure to the benefit of any successors to the Company
and all persons lawfully claiming under the Participant.
20.
Governing Law and Forum
. Without limiting the effect of section 16, this Agreement shall be governed by,
and construed in accordance with, the laws of the State of Delaware without regard to principles of conflict of
laws.
9
21.
Severability
. The provisions of this Agreement are severable and if any one or more of the provisions are
determined to be illegal or otherwise unenforceable, in whole or in part, the Agreement shall be reformed and
construed so that it would be enforceable to the maximum extent legally possible, and if it cannot be so reformed
and construed, as if such unenforceable provision, or part thereof, had never been contained herein.
22.
Waiver
. The waiver by the Company with respect to Participant’s (or any other participant’s) compliance with
any provision of this Agreement shall not operate or be construed as a waiver of any other provision of this
Agreement, or of any subsequent breach by such party of a provision of this Agreement.
A copy of the Plan and the Prospectus to the General Mills, Inc. 2022 Stock Compensation Plan is available on G&Me
by searching “2022 Stock Compensation Plan”. A copy of the Company’s latest Annual Report on Form 10-K is also
available on the Company’s website at www.generalmills.com under Investor Information/Annual Reports.
GENERAL MILLS, INC.
10
GENERAL MILLS, INC.
PERFORMANCE STOCK UNIT AWARD AGREEMENT
GRANT DATE:
PARTICIPANT:
[CEO]
PERNR:
TARGET NUMBER OF UNITS SUBJECT TO
AWARD:
PERFORMANCE PERIOD:
EXPIRATION DATE OF RESTRICTED
PERIOD:
This Award is made under the General Mills, Inc. 2022 Stock Compensation Plan (the "Plan"), and is
subject to the terms and conditions contained in the Plan document and this Performance Stock Unit
Award Agreement (“Agreement”). The Participant: (i) acknowledges receipt of a copy of the Plan and
Plan prospectus, (ii) represents that the Participant has carefully read and is familiar with the provisions
of this Agreement and the Plan, and (iii) hereby accepts the Performance Stock Units subject to all of the
terms and conditions set forth herein, and in the Plan. If the Participant does not wish to receive the
Performance Stock Units and/or does not consent and agree to the terms and conditions on which the
Performance Stock Units are offered, as set forth in this Agreement and the Plan, then the Participant
must reject this Award via the website of the Company’s designated broker, no later than 60 days
following the Grant Date. If the Participant rejects this Award, this Award will immediately be forfeited
and cancelled. The Participant’s failure to reject this Award within this 60 day period will constitute the
Participant’s acceptance of this Award and all terms and conditions of this Award, as set forth in this
Agreement and the Plan.
THIS AWARD, dated on the above Grant Date, is made by General Mills, Inc., (the "Company"), and made to
the person named above (the "Participant" or referred to as “I”, “you”, or “my”) (“Award”).
23.
Award of Units.
par value USD 0.10 per share (“Stock”). The units granted pursuant to this Agreement are referred to as the
“Performance Stock Units”. The number of Performance Stock Units earned by the Participant for the
Performance Period will be determined at the end of the Performance Period based on the level of achievement
against the Performance Measures and conditions in accordance with Attachment A. The number of shares of
Stock the Participant is paid is dependent on the number of Performance Stock Units earned and satisfactory
completion of the service requirements described herein. Whether, and the extent to which Performance
Measures have been satisfied at the end of the Performance Period shall be certified by the Compensation &
Talent Committee before any payment is made, and all such determinations shall be made by the Compensation
& Talent Committee in its sole discretion. For each Performance Stock Unit earned and vested, if any, at the
Expiration Date of the Restricted Period, one share of the Company’s Stock shall be issued to the Participant on
the Expiration Date of the Restricted Period, subject to any additional restrictions or holding requirements in
Attachment A. Except as otherwise defined herein, capitalized terms shall have the same meanings ascribed to
them under the Plan.
24.
Vesting of Performance Stock Units; Forfeiture of Performance Stock Units.
(a)
Vesting Schedule
. The Performance Stock Units shall vest on the Expiration Date of the Restricted
Period set forth above (“Vesting Date”) subject to the terms of this Agreement and the Plan.
(b)
Forfeiture of Performance Stock Units
. The Participant acknowledges that the Performance Stock
Units awarded hereunder are subject to forfeiture if the Participant’s employment with the Company or
any subsidiary or affiliated companies terminates under certain circumstances before the Vesting Date,
as herein provided.
(vi)
Resignation or Termination for Cause.
any subsidiary or affiliated companies is terminated by either (i) resignation, or (ii) a discharge
due to Participant’s illegal activities, poor work performance, misconduct or violation of the
11
Company’s Code of Conduct, policies or practices, then these Performance Stock Units, to the
extent they are not fully vested as of the Termination Date, shall for no consideration be
cancelled and forfeited in their entirety. For the avoidance of doubt, “Termination Date” for
purposes of this Award will be deemed to occur as of the date Participant is no longer actively
providing services as an employee, unless otherwise determined by the Company in its sole
discretion, and no vesting shall continue during any notice period that may be specified under
contract or applicable law with respect to such termination, including any “garden leave” or
similar period, except as may otherwise be permitted in the Company’s sole discretion.
(vii)
Involuntary Termination/ Early Retirement.
terminates involuntarily at the initiation of the Company for any reason other than specified
in Plan Section 11 (Change in Control), or (i), (iv) or (v) in this section 2, and upon the
execution (without revoking) of an effective general legal release and such other documents
as are satisfactory to the Company, or if the Participant retires on or after age 55 but before
age 62, this Award shall be payable on the Expiration Date of the Restricted Period with a
value, if any, that otherwise would be earned under the applicable performance goals
established under Attachment A based on actual performance; and shall vest at the Expiration
Date of the Restricted Period in a pro-rata amount based on actual employment completed
during the Performance Period through the date of termination. All other Performance Share
Units shall be forfeited as of the date of termination.
(viii)
Death.
affiliated companies during the Performance Period, this Award shall fully vest and shall be
considered to be earned in full “at target” as if the applicable Performance Measures
established in Attachment A have been achieved at target, and settled and paid on the first day
of the month following death to the designated beneficiary or beneficiaries.
(ix)
Normal Retirement
. If the termination of employment is due to a Participant’s retirement on
or after age 62, then if such retirement occurs before the end of the Company’s fiscal year
within which this Award was granted, it shall vest in a pro-rata amount based on actual
employment completed during said fiscal year. But if such retirement occurs after the end of
the fiscal year in which it is awarded, then it shall vest fully. In either case, vested Units shall
be paid on the Expiration Date of the Restricted Period, with a value, if any, that otherwise
would be earned under the applicable performance goals established in the Attachment based
on actual performance.
(x)
Spin-offs and Other Divestitures.
cessation, transfer, or spin-off of a line of business or other activity of the Company, the
Committee, in its sole discretion, shall determine the conversion, vesting, or other treatment
of these Awards. Such treatment shall be consistent with Code Section 409A, and in particular
will take into account whether a separation from service has occurred within the meaning of
Code Section 409A.
25.
Dividend Equivalents.
distributions declared payable on the Company’s Stock on or after the Grant Date of this Award until the Award
is settled and/or forfeited shall be credited notionally to the Participant in an amount equal to such declared
dividends or other distributions on an equivalent number of shares of Stock (“Dividend Equivalents”). Dividend
Equivalents so credited shall be paid if, and only to the extent, the underlying Performance Stock Units to which
they relate become unrestricted and vest, as provided under the terms of the Plan and this Agreement. Dividend
Equivalents credited in respect to Performance Stock Units that are forfeited under the terms of the Plan and this
document, are correspondingly forfeited. No interest or other earnings shall be credited on Dividend
Equivalents. Vested Dividend Equivalents shall be paid in cash at the same time as the underlying Performance
Stock Units to which they relate are settled.
26.
Settlement of Performance Stock Units.
completed as soon as administratively practicable but in no event later than 30 days after the vesting date, except
where such settlement following a Section 409A Separation from Service requires a six-month delay. The
Company will provide for settlement in the form of shares of Stock. At the Company’s discretion, additional
restrictions or holding requirements may be imposed on settled Units and dividend equivalents, if any.
12
27.
Non-Transferability
. The Performance Stock Units may not be sold, assigned, pledged, exchanged,
hypothecated, encumbered, disposed of, or otherwise transferred, unless otherwise provided in the Plan or this
Agreement. Upon any attempt to transfer, assign, pledge, hypothecate or otherwise dispose of the Performance
Stock Units or of such rights contrary to the provisions hereof or in the Plan, the Performance Stock Units and
such rights shall immediately become null and void.
28.
Withholding of Tax.
different, the subsidiary or affiliated company that employs the Participant (the “Employer”), the ultimate
liability for all income tax, social contributions, payroll tax, fringe benefits tax, payment on account, hypothetical
tax or other tax-related items related to the Participant’s participation in the Plan and legally applicable to the
Participant or deemed by the Company or the Employer in their discretion to be an appropriate charge to the
Participant even if legally applicable to the Company or the Employer (“Tax-Related Items”), is and remains the
Participant’s responsibility and may exceed the amount actually withheld by the Company or the Employer, if
any. The Participant further acknowledges that the Company and/or the Employer (a) make no representations
or undertakings regarding the treatment of any Tax-Related Items in connection with any aspect of the
Performance Stock Units, including, but not limited to, the grant, vesting, the subsequent sale of shares of Stock
acquired pursuant to such vesting and the receipt of any dividends; and (b) do not commit to and are under no
obligation to structure the terms of the grant or any aspect of the Performance Stock Units to reduce or eliminate
the Participant’s liability for Tax -Related Items or achieve any particular tax result. Further, if the Participant is
subject to Tax -Related Items in more than one jurisdiction between the Grant Date and the date of any relevant
taxable or tax withholding event, as applicable, the Participant acknowledges that the Company and/or the
Employer (or former employer, as applicable) may be required to withhold or account for Tax -Related Items in
more than one jurisdiction.
Prior to the relevant taxable or tax withholding event, as applicable, the Participant agrees to make adequate
arrangements satisfactory to the Company and/or the Employer to satisfy all Tax-Related Items. In this regard,
unless otherwise approved by the Committee, the Company shall satisfy the obligations with regard to all Tax-
Related Items by one or a combination of the following: (i) withholding from the Participant’s wages or other
cash compensation paid to the Participant by the Company and/or the Employer; (ii) withholding from the shares
of Stock to be delivered upon settlement of the Performance Stock Units or other awards granted to the
Participant or (iii) permitting the Participant to tender to the Company cash or, if allowed by the Committee,
shares of Stock.
Depending on the withholding method, the Company may withhold or account for Tax-Related Items by
considering applicable statutory withholding rates (as determined by the Company in good faith and in its sole
discretion) or other applicable withholding rates, including maximum applicable rates, in which case the
Participant will receive a refund of any over-withheld amount and will have no entitlement to the share
equivalent. If the obligation for Tax-Related Items is satisfied by withholding from the shares of Stock to be
delivered upon vesting of the Performance Stock Units, for tax purposes, the Participant is deemed to have been
issued the full number of shares of Stock subject to the Performance Stock Units, notwithstanding that a number
of shares of Stock are held back solely for the purpose of paying the Tax-Related Items. The Participant will
have no further rights with respect to any shares of Stock that are retained by the Company pursuant to this
provision.
The Participant agrees to pay to the Company or the Employer any amount of Tax-Related Items that the
Company or the Employer may be required to withhold or account for as a result of the Participant’s participation
in the Plan that cannot be satisfied by the means previously described. The Company may refuse to issue or
deliver shares of Stock or proceeds from the sale of shares of Stock until arrangements satisfactory to the
Company have been made in connection with the Tax -Related Items.
29.
Restrictive Covenants; Confidential Information.
any way needed in order to comply with, or fulfill the terms of the Plan and this Award document. As a term
and condition of this Award, Participant agrees to the following terms:
e.
I agree to use General Mills Confidential Information only as needed in the performance of my duties,
to hold and protect such information as confidential to the Company, and not to engage in any
unauthorized use or disclosure of such information for so long as such information qualifies as
Confidential Information. I agree that after my employment with the Company terminates for any
reason, including “retirement” as that term is used in the Plan, I will not use or disclose, directly or
indirectly, Company Confidential Information or trade secrets for any purpose, unless I get the prior
written consent of my manager to do so.
13
This document does not prevent me from filing a complaint with a government agency (including the
Securities and Exchange Commission, Department of Justice, Equal Employment Opportunity
Commission and others) or from participating in an agency proceeding. This document also does not
prevent me from providing an agency with information, including this document, unless such
information is legally protected from disclosure to third parties. I do not need prior company
authorization to take these actions, nor must I notify the company I have done so.
Also, as provided in 18 U.S.C. 1833(b), I cannot be held criminally or civilly liable under any federal
or state trade secret law for making a trade secret disclosure: (A) in confidence to a federal, state, or
local government official, either directly or indirectly, or to an attorney, solely for the purpose of
reporting or investigating a suspected violation of law; or (B) in a complaint or other document filed in
a lawsuit or other proceeding, if such filing is made under seal.
General Mills Confidential Information means any non-public information I create, receive, use or
observe in the performance of my job at General Mills, including trade secrets. Examples of
Confidential Information include marketing, merchandising, business plans, business methods, pricing,
purchasing, licensing, contracts, employee, supplier or customer information, financial data,
technological developments, manufacturing processes and specifications, product formulas, ingredient
specifications, software code, and all other proprietary information which is not publicly available to
others.
Prior to leaving the Company, I agree to return all materials in my possession containing Confidential
Information, as well as all other documents and other tangible items provided to me by General Mills,
or developed by me in connection with my employment with the Company.
f.
[
This Section 7.b. does not apply to California, Colorado, Minnesota, and Washington -based
employees.
] I agree that for one year after I leave the Company, including retiring from the Company,
I will not work on any product, brand category, process, or service: (A) on which I worked, or about
which I had access to Confidential Information, in the year immediately preceding my termination
(including retirement) from General Mills, and (B) which competes with General Mills products, brand
categories, processes, or related services.
g.
I agree that for one year after I leave General Mills, including retiring from the Company, I will refrain
from directly or indirectly soliciting Company employees for the purpose of hiring them or inducing
them to leave their employment with the Company.
h.
I agree that after I leave General Mills, including retiring from the Company, I will indefinitely refrain
from using Company client or contact lists, and for two years I will refrain from soliciting the
Company’s customers.
A breach of the obligations set forth in this paragraph may result in the rescission of the Award, termination and
forfeiture of any unvested Units, and/or required payment to the Company of all or a portion of any monetary
gains acquired by the Participant as a result of the Award, unless the Award vested and was settled more than
four (4) years prior to the breach. The foregoing remedies are in addition to, and not in lieu of injunctive relief
and/or any other legal or equitable remedies available under applicable law.
30.
Nature of Grant.
(m)
the Plan is established voluntarily by the Company, it is discretionary in nature and it may be modified,
amended, suspended or terminated by the Company, in its sole discretion, at any time (subject to any
limitations set forth in the Plan);
(n)
the grant of the Performance Stock Units is voluntary and occasional and does not create any contractual
or other right to receive future grants of Performance Stock Units, or benefits in lieu of Performance
Stock Units, even if Performance Stock Units s or other awards have been granted in the past;
(o)
all decisions with respect to future awards, if any, will be at the sole discretion of the Company;
(p)
the Participant’s participation in the Plan is voluntary;
14
(q)
the Performance Stock Units and the Participant’s participation in the Plan shall not create a right to
employment or be interpreted as forming an employment contract with the Company or any of its
Subsidiaries or affiliated companies and shall not interfere with the ability of the Company or the
Employer, as applicable, to terminate the Participant’s employment relationship (as otherwise may be
permitted under local law);
(r)
unless otherwise agreed with the Company, the Performance Stock Units and any shares of Stock
acquired upon vesting of the Performance Stock Units, and the income from and value of same, are not
granted as consideration for, or in connection with, any service the Participant may provide as a director
of any subsidiary or affiliate of the Company;
(s)
the Performance Stock Units and any shares of Stock acquired under the Plan and the income and value
of same, are not part of normal or expected compensation for purposes of calculating any severance,
resignation, termination, redundancy, dismissal, end-of-service payments, bonuses, long-service
awards, pension or retirement or welfare benefits or similar payments and in no event should be
considered as compensation for, or relating in any way to, past services for the Company, the Employer
or any subsidiary or affiliate of the Company;
(t)
the future value of the shares of Stock underlying the Performance Stock Units is unknown,
indeterminable, and cannot be predicted with certainty;
(u)
upon vesting of the Performance Stock Units, the value of such shares of Stock may increase or decrease
in value;
(v)
no claim or entitlement to compensation or damages shall arise from forfeiture of the Performance
Stock Units resulting from termination of the Participant’s employment (for any reason whatsoever and
whether or not in breach of local labor laws or later found invalid) and, in consideration of the
Performance Stock Units, the Participant agrees not to institute any claim against the Company or the
Employer;
(w)
the Performance Stock Units and the benefits evidenced by this Agreement do not create any
entitlement not otherwise specifically provided for in the Plan or provided by the Company in its
discretion, to have the Performance Stock Units or any such benefits transferred to, or assumed by,
another company, nor to be exchanged, cashed out or substituted for, in connection with any corporate
transaction affecting the shares of Stock; and
(x)
neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries or affiliated companies shall be liable for any foreign
exchange rate fluctuation between the Participant’s local currency and the U.S. dollar that may affect
the value of the Performance Stock Units or any amounts due to the Participant pursuant to the vesting
of the Performance Stock Units or the subsequent sale of any shares of Stock acquired upon vesting of
the Performance Stock Units.
31.
Data Privacy.
If the Participant would like to participate in the Plan, the Participant will need to review the
information provided in this Section 9 and, where applicable, declare the Participant’s consent to the processing
of personal data by the Company and the third parties stated below.
If the Participant is based in the European Union (“EU”), European Economic Area (“EEA”) or United
Kingdom, please note that General Mills, Inc. with registered address at One General Mills Boulevard,
Minneapolis, MN ###-###-####, is the controller responsible for the processing of the Participant’s personal data
in connection with the Agreement and the Plan.
(i)
Data Collection and Usage. The Company collects, processes, uses and transfers certain personally-
identifiable information about the Participant, specifically, the Participant’s name, home address and
telephone number, email address, date of birth, social insurance, passport number or other
identification number, salary, nationality, job title, any shares of Stock or directorships held in the
Company or any affiliated company, details of all Performance Stock Units or any other entitlement to
shares of Stock awarded, canceled, exercised, settled, vested, unvested or outstanding in the
Participant’s favor, which the Company receives from the Participant or the Employer (the “Data”).
The Company collects, processes and uses the Data for the purposes of performing its contractual
15
obligations under this Agreement, implementing, administering and managing the Participant’s
participation in the Plan and facilitating compliance with applicable tax and securities law.
If the Participant is based in the EU, EEA or United Kingdom, the legal basis for the processing of the
Data by the Company is the necessity of the processing for the Company to perform its contractual
obligations under this Agreement and the Plan and the Company’s legitimate business interests of
managing the Plan, administering employee equity awards and complying with its contractual and
statutory obligations.
If the Participant is based in any other jurisdiction, the legal basis for the processing of the Data by
the Company is the Participant’s consent as further described below.
(j)
Stock Plan Administration Service Providers. The Company transfers Data to E*TRADE Financial
Corporate Services, Inc. (including its affiliated companies), an independent service provider which
assists the Company with the implementation, administration and management of the Plan. In the
future, the Company may select a different service provider, which will in a similar manner, share Data
with such service provider. The Company’s service provider will maintain an account for the
Participant to administer the Performance Stock Units. The processing of Data will take place through
both electronic and non-electronic means. Data will only be accessible by those individuals requiring
access to it for purposes of implementing, administering and operating the Plan.
(k)
International Data Transfers. The Company and its service providers are based in the United States
and India. The Participant’s country or jurisdiction may have different data privacy laws and
protections than the United States and India. An appropriate level of protection can be achieved by
implementing safeguards such as the Standard Contractual Clauses adopted by the EU Commission.
If the Participant is based in any other jurisdiction, the Data will be transferred from the Participant’s
jurisdiction to the Company and onward from the Company to any of its service providers based on the
Participant’s consent, as further described below.
(l)
Data Retention. The Company will use the Data only as long as necessary to implement, administer
and manage the Participant’s participation in the Plan, or as required to comply with legal or
regulatory obligations, including tax and securities laws. When the Company no longer needs the
Data, the Company will remove it from its systems. If the Company keeps data longer, it would be to
satisfy legal or regulatory obligations and the Company’s legal basis would be relevant laws or
regulations (if the Participant is in the EU, EEA or United Kingdom) or the Participant’s consent (if
the Participant is outside the EU, EEA or United Kingdom).
(m)
Data Subject Rights. The Participant may have a number of rights under data privacy laws in the
Participant’s jurisdiction. Subject to the conditions set out in the applicable law and depending on
where the Participant is based, such rights may include the right to (i) request access to, or copies of,
the Data processed by the Company, (ii) rectification of incorrect Data, (iii) deletion of Data, (iv)
restrictions on the processing of Data, (v) object to the processing of Data for legitimate interests, (vi)
portability of Data, (vii) lodge complaints with competent authorities in the Participant’s jurisdiction,
and/or to (viii) receive a list with the names and addresses of any potential recipients of Data. To
receive clarification regarding these rights or to exercise these rights, the Participant can contact HR
Direct.
(n)
Necessary Disclosure of Personal Data. The Participant understands that providing the Company with
Data is necessary for the performance of the Agreement and that the Participant’s refusal to provide
the Data would make it impossible for the Company to perform its contractual obligations and may
affect the Participant’s ability to participate in the Plan.
(o)
Declaration of Consent (if the Participant is outside the EU, EEA and United Kingdom). The
Participant hereby unambiguously consents to the collection, use and transfer, in electronic or other
form, of the Data, as described above and in any other grant materials, by and among, as applicable,
the Employer, the Company and any affiliated company for the exclusive purpose of implementing,
administering and managing the Participant’s participation in the Plan. The Participant understands
that the Participant may, at any time, refuse or withdraw the consents herein, in any case without cost,
by contacting HR Direct. If the Participant does not consent or later seeks to revoke the Participant’s
consent, the Participant’s employment status or service with the Employer will not be affected; the
16
Participant’s consequence of refusing or withdrawing consent is that the Company would not be able
to award the Participant Performance Stock Units or any other equity award to the Participant or
administer or maintain such awards. Therefore, the Participant understands that refusing or
withdrawing consent may affect the Participant’s ability to participate in the Plan. For more
information on the consequences of refusal to consent or withdrawal of consent, the Participant should
contact HR Direct.
32.
Clawback
. This Award is specifically made subject to the Company’s Executive Compensation Clawback
Policies.
33.
Insider Trading; Market Abuse Laws.
Company’s policy on insider trading (to the extent that it is applicable to the Participant), the Participant further
acknowledges that, depending on the Participant’s or his or her broker’s country of residence or where the shares
of Stock are listed, the Participant may be subject to insider trading restrictions and/or market abuse laws that
may affect the Participant’s ability to accept, acquire, sell or otherwise dispose of shares of Stock, rights to shares
of Stock (e.g., Performance Stock Units) or rights linked to the value of shares of Stock, during such times the
Participant is considered to have “inside information” regarding the Company as defined by the laws or
regulations in the Participant’s country. Local insider trading laws and regulations may prohibit the cancellation
or amendment of orders the Participant places before he or she possessed inside information. Furthermore, the
Participant could be prohibited from (i) disclosing the inside information to any third party (other than on a “need
to know” basis) and (ii) “tipping” third parties or causing them otherwise to buy or sell securities. The Participant
understands that third parties include fellow employees. Any restriction under these laws or regulations are
separate from and in addition to any restrictions that may be imposed under any applicable Company insider
trading policy. The Participant acknowledges that it is the Participant’s responsibility to comply with any
applicable restrictions, and that the Participant should therefore consult the Participant’s personal advisor on this
matter.
34.
Electronic Delivery.
The Participant agrees, to the fullest extent permitted by law, in lieu of receiving
documents in paper format, to accept electronic delivery of any documents that the Company and its Subsidiaries
or affiliated companies may deliver in connection with this grant and any other grants offered by the Company,
including prospectuses, grant notifications, account statements, annual or quarterly reports, and other
communications. Electronic delivery of a document may be made via the Company’s email system or by
reference to a location on the Company’s intranet or website or a website of the Company’s agent administering
the Plan. By accepting this grant, whether electronically or otherwise, the Participant hereby consents to
participate in the Plan through such system, intranet, or website, including but not limited to the use of electronic
signatures or click-through electronic acceptance of terms and conditions.
35.
English Language.
The Participant acknowledges and agrees that it is the Participant’s express intent that this
Agreement and the Plan and all other documents, notices and legal proceedings entered into, given or instituted
pursuant to the Performance Stock Units be drawn up in English. To the extent the Participant has been provided
with a copy of this Agreement, the Plan, or any other documents relating to this Award in a language other than
English, the English language documents will prevail in case of any ambiguities or divergences as a result of
translation.
36.
Addendum.
Notwithstanding any provisions in this Agreement, the Performance Stock Units shall be subject
to any special terms and conditions set forth in the Country-Specific Addendum to this Agreement (the
“Addendum”). Moreover, if the Participant transfers to one of the countries included in such Addendum, the
special terms and conditions for such country will apply to the Participant, to the extent the Company determines
that the application of such terms and conditions is necessary or advisable to comply with local law or facilitate
the administration of the Plan (or the Company may establish alternative terms and conditions as may be
necessary or advisable to accommodate the Participant’s transfer). The Addendum constitutes part of this
Agreement.
37.
Not a Public Offering
. The award of the Performance Stock Units is not intended to be a public offering of
securities in the Participant’s country of employment (or country of residence, if different). The Company has
not submitted any registration statement, prospectus or other filings with the local securities authorities (unless
otherwise required under local law), and the award of the Performance Stock Units is not subject to the
supervision of the local securities authorities.
No employee of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries or affiliated
companies is permitted to advise the Participant on whether he/she should participate in the Plan. Acquiring
shares of Stock involves a degree of risk. Before deciding to participate in the Plan, the Participant should
carefully consider all risk factors relevant to the acquisition of shares of Stock under the Plan and carefully
17
review all of the materials related to the Performance Stock Units and the Plan. In addition,
the Participant
should consult with his/her personal advisor for professional investment advice.
38.
Repatriation; Compliance with Law
. The Participant agrees to repatriate all payments attributable to the shares
of Stock and/or cash acquired under the Plan in accordance with applicable foreign exchange rules and
regulations in the Participant’s country of employment (and country of residence, if different). In addition, the
Participant agrees to take any and all actions, and consent to any and all actions taken by the Company and any
of its Subsidiaries and affiliated companies, as may be required to allow the Company and any of its Subsidiaries
and affiliated companies to comply with local laws, rules and/or regulations in the Participant’s country of
employment (and country of residence, if different). Finally, the Participant agrees to take any and all actions as
may be required to comply with the Participant’s personal obligations under local laws, rules and/or regulations
in the Participant’s country of employment and country of residence, if different).
39.
Imposition of Other Requirements
. The Company reserves the right to impose other requirements on the
Participant’s participation in the Plan, on the Performance Stock Unit, and on any shares of Stock acquired under
the Plan, to the extent the Company determines it is necessary or advisable for legal or administrative reasons,
and to require the Participant to sign any additional agreements or undertakings that may be necessary to
accomplish the foregoing.
40.
Committee’s Powers
. No provision contained in this Agreement shall in any way terminate, modify or alter, or
be construed or interpreted as terminating, modifying or altering any of the powers, rights or authority vested in
the Committee or, to the extent delegated, in its delegate, pursuant to the terms of the Plan or resolutions adopted
in furtherance of the Plan, including, without limitation, the right to make certain determinations and elections
with respect to the Performance Stock Unit. Any dispute regarding the interpretation of this Agreement or the
terms of the Plan shall be submitted to the Committee or its delegate who shall have the discretionary authority
to construe the terms of this Agreement, the Plan, and all documents ancillary to this Award. The decisions of
the Committee or its delegate shall be final and binding and any reviewing court of law or other party shall defer
to its decision, overruling if, and only if, it is arbitrary and capricious. In no way is it intended that this review
standard subject the Plan or Award to the U.S. Employee Retirement Income Security Act.
41.
Binding Effect
. This Agreement shall be binding upon and inure to the benefit of any successors to the Company
and all persons lawfully claiming under the Participant.
42.
Governing Law and Forum
. Without limiting the effect of section 16, this Agreement shall be governed by,
and construed in accordance with, the laws of the State of Delaware without regard to principles of conflict of
laws.
43.
Severability
. The provisions of this Agreement are severable and if any one or more of the provisions are
determined to be illegal or otherwise unenforceable, in whole or in part, the Agreement shall be reformed and
construed so that it would be enforceable to the maximum extent legally possible, and if it cannot be so reformed
and construed, as if such unenforceable provision, or part thereof, had never been contained herein.
44.
Waiver
. The waiver by the Company with respect to Participant’s (or any other participant’s) compliance with
any provision of this Agreement shall not operate or be construed as a waiver of any other provision of this
Agreement, or of any subsequent breach by such party of a provision of this Agreement.
A copy of the Plan and the Prospectus to the General Mills, Inc. 2022 Stock Compensation Plan is available on G&Me
by searching “2022 Stock Compensation Plan”. A copy of the Company’s latest Annual Report on Form 10-K is also
available on the Company’s website at www.generalmills.com under Investor Information/Annual Reports.
GENERAL MILLS, INC.