COLFAX CORPORATION DEF 14A

DEF 14A 1 lcfx2021_def14a.htm COLFAX CORP - DEF 14A COLFAX CORPORATION DEF 14A

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

SCHEDULE 14A INFORMATION

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COLFAX CORPORATION

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Notice of 2021

Annual Meeting
of Stockholders

Wednesday, May 12, 2021

3:00 p.m. Eastern Time

Via live webcast at
www.virtualshareholdermeeting.com/CFX2021

To Our Stockholders:

Notice is hereby given that the 2021 Annual Meeting of Stockholders (the “Annual Meeting”) of Colfax Corporation will be held via live webcast at www.virtualshareholdermeeting.com/CFX2021 on Wednesday, May 12, 2021 at 3:00 p.m. Eastern Time, for the following purposes:

1.	To elect the eleven members of the Board of Directors named in the attached proxy statement;
2.	To ratify the appointment of Ernst & Young LLP as our independent registered public accounting firm for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2021;
3.	To approve the compensation of our named executive officers on an advisory basis (“say-on-pay”); and
4.	To consider any other matters that properly come before the Annual Meeting or any adjournment or postponement thereof.

The accompanying proxy statement describes the matters to be considered at the Annual Meeting. Only stockholders of record at the close of business on March 22, 2021 are entitled to notice of, and to vote at, the Annual Meeting and at any adjournments or postponements thereof.

We are pleased to take advantage of the Securities and Exchange Commission rules that allow us to furnish our proxy materials and our annual report to stockholders on the Internet. We believe that posting these materials on the Internet enables us to provide our stockholders with the information that they need more quickly while lowering our costs of printing and delivery and reducing the environmental impact of our Annual Meeting.

Due to continuing concerns relating to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and to support the health and well-being of our stockholders, directors, officers, employees and other meeting attendees, the Annual Meeting will be completely virtual. To attend, participate in, and vote during the Annual Meeting, stockholders of record must go to the meeting website at www.virtualshareholdermeeting.com/ CFX2021 and enter the control number found on their proxy card or Notice of Internet Availability of Proxy Materials (the “Notice”). If you are a beneficial stockholder who owns common stock in street name, meaning through a bank, broker or other nominee, and your voting instruction form or Notice indicates that you may vote those shares through the http://www.proxyvote.com website, then you may attend, participate in, and vote during the Annual Meeting using the 16-digit control number indicated on that voting instruction form or Notice. Otherwise, stockholders who hold their shares in street name should contact their bank, broker or other nominee (preferably at least five days before the Annual Meeting) and obtain a “legal proxy” in order to be able to attend, participate in or vote at the Annual Meeting.

As a stockholder of Colfax, your vote is important. Whether or not you plan to attend the Annual Meeting virtually, we urge you to vote your shares at your earliest convenience and thank you for your continued support of Colfax Corporation.

Dated: April 1, 2021

By Order of the Board of Directors

Bradley J. Tandy

Secretary

Table of Contents

PROXY SUMMARY		5

Corporate Social Responsibility and Sustainability		8
Proxy Statement for Annual Meeting of Stockholders		10

PROPOSAL 1	ELECTION OF DIRECTORS	12

Director Qualifications		12
Nominees for Director		13
Vote Required		15
Board Recommendation		15

CORPORATE GOVERNANCE		16

Director Independence		16
Board of Directors and its Committees		16
Compensation Committee Interlocks and Insider Participation		18
Identification of Director Candidates and Director Nomination Process		18
Board Leadership Structure		18
Board Evaluation Process		19
Board’s Role in Risk Oversight		19
Standards of Conduct		19
Certain Relationships and Related Person Transactions		20
Contacting the Board of Directors		21

DIRECTOR COMPENSATION		22

PROPOSAL 2	RATIFICATION OF SELECTION OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM	24

Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm Fees and Services		24
Audit Committee’s Pre-Approval Policies and Procedures		25
Vote Required		25
Board Recommendation		25

AUDIT COMMITTEE REPORT		26

COMPENSATION DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS		27

Executive Summary		27
Determination of Executive Compensation and Performance Criteria		31
Elements of Our 2020 Executive Compensation Program		31

COMPENSATION COMMITTEE REPORT		39

EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION		40

Summary Compensation Table		40
Grants of Plan-Based Awards for 2020		41
Outstanding Equity Awards at 2020 Fiscal Year-End		42
Option Exercises and Stock Vested During Fiscal 2020		44
Nonqualified Deferred Compensation		45
Potential Payments Upon Termination or Change of Control		49

CEO PAY RATIO DISCLOSURE		50

EQUITY COMPENSATION PLAN INFORMATION		51

DELINQUENT SECTION 16(A) REPORTS		52

PROPOSAL 3	APPROVAL OF NAMED EXECUTIVE OFFICERS’ COMPENSATION,ON A NON-BINDING ADVISORY BASIS (“SAY-ON-PAY”)	53

Why You Should Approve Our Executive Compensation Program		53
Vote Required		53
Board Recommendation		53

BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP OF OUR COMMON STOCK		54

GENERAL MATTERS		56

Outstanding Stock and Voting Rights		56
Stockholder Proposals and Nominations		57
Delivery of Documents to Stockholders Sharing an Address		57
Additional Information		58
Other Matters		58

Date and Time:	Wednesday, May 12, 2021 at 3:00 p.m., Eastern Time
Location:	Via live webcast at www.virtualshareholdermeeting.com/CFX2021
Record Date:	March 22, 2021

	Via the internet (www.proxyvote.com) through May 11, 2021;

	By telephone (1-800-690-6903) through May 11, 2021;

	By completing, signing and returning your proxy by mail in the envelope provided or to Vote Processing, c/o Broadridge, 51 Mercedes Way, Edgewood, NJ 11717 by May 11, 2021; or

	Via virtual attendance and voting at the Annual Meeting. To attend the Annual Meeting, you must go to the meeting website at www.virtualshareholdermeeting.com/CFX2021 and enter your control number. Once admitted, you may vote by following the instructions available on the meeting website. If you are a beneficial stockholder who owns shares in street name and have questions about your control number or how to obtain one, please contact the bank, broker or other nominee who holds your shares.

Proposal	Board Vote Recommendation	Page Reference
Proposal 1 – Election of Directors	FOR each director nominee	12
Proposal 2 – Approval of Auditor	FOR	24
Proposal 3 – Say-on-Pay	FOR	53

■	Balanced Board tenure with four new independent directors appointed since 2016, including two directors since 2020
■	82% independent Board with two female and two racially or ethnically diverse directors
■	Amended Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee Charter in 2020 to reflect our commitment to seeking highly qualified female and minority director candidates
■	Amended Audit Committee Charter to reflect Audit Committee’s oversight role with respect to information technology and cybersecurity
■	Stock ownership requirements for officers and directors
■	Anti-hedging, anti-pledging, and clawback policies


■	ESG matters are managed and monitored by senior management throughout the year. The Board exercises oversight over ESG matters at the full Board level and through our relevant committees. At our December 2020 Board meeting, the full Board participated in an ESG educational session facilitated by one of our outside advisors.
■	Under its charter, our Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee is expressly tasked with reviewing the Company’s undertakings with respect to ESG matters, including our role as a corporate citizen and policies and programs relating to health, safety and sustainability matters. An ESG update is included as a standing agenda item at each Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee Meeting.
■	In 2020, we amended our Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee charter to further reflect our commitment to actively seeking out highly qualified women and minority director candidates, as well as candidates with diverse backgrounds, experiences and skills as part of each director search the Company undertakes.
■	We recently amended our Audit Committee charter to expressly task the Audit Committee with reviewing the Company’s policies with respect to risk assessment and risk management related to information technology and cybersecurity.
■	We believe in giving back to our communities and supporting other worthwhile initiatives that contribute to the betterment of society. Beginning this year, we are encouraging all of our sites to participate in a “Creating Better in the Community Day.” The initiative will be led by our local teams and employees will be provided with an additional day of paid time off to participate.


■	Our full Board reviews our safety initiatives at the start of each regularly scheduled board meeting.
■	In addition, our executive leadership team reviews safety matters with our site leaders on a regular and ongoing basis, and our safety initiatives and safety performance are discussed and highlighted with all Colfax associates at each quarterly town hall meeting.
■	From the outset of the COVID-19 global pandemic, maintaining the health and safety of our associates has been a top priority. We quickly implemented health and safety protocols based on CDC, WHO and other applicable guidelines at all of our sites. In addition, we established a robust communications and feedback plan, led by our executive COVID-19 crisis response team.
■	We continued our highly successful Summer of Safety campaign for the third consecutive year. This program was initiated to increase awareness of risks at work and home, which have historically tended to increase during the summer. Key components of the program include:
	–	Weekly CEO communications to announce the focus area for the week
	–	Daily discussion topics and activities, which are incorporated into daily management meetings or other processes
	–	Use of QR codes for feedback and safety improvement suggestions
■	Many of our business units have set objectives for key environmental aspects, such as lowering energy and water use, and eliminating hazardous substances.


■	We have strengthened our diversity, equity and inclusion (DE&I) programs to include a DEI Council, proactive training, affinity groups and an increased focus in recruiting and talent development.
■	We conduct an annual global associate engagement survey to gather associate feedback. We share the survey results with all associates, and managers conduct formal focus groups and discussions with their teams to implement action plans to address key areas for improvement.
■	We have publicly stated our commitment to respecting human rights across all of our business operations in accordance with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights and the ILO Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work.


■	To further emphasize our commitment to human rights, we recently adopted a Global Human Rights Policy, which is available on our website at www.colfaxcorp.com on the Investors page under the Corporate Governance tab.

Fee Category (fees in thousands)	2020		2019
Audit Fees	$	5,575	$	7,417
Audit-Related Fees		—		1,628
Tax Fees		646		1,023
All Other Fees		4		4
TOTAL	$	6,225	$	10,072

■	We link rewards to performance and foster a team-based approach by setting clear objectives that, if achieved, we believe will contribute to our overall success;
■	We emphasize long-term stockholder value creation by using stock options and performance-based restricted stock units, in combination with a stock ownership policy, to deliver long-term compensation incentives while minimizing risk-taking behaviors that could negatively affect long-term results;
■	We set Annual Incentive Plan operational and financial performance targets based on the results of our Board’s strategic planning process and corporate budget, and provide payouts that vary significantly from year-to-year based on the achievement of those targets; and
■	We believe the design of our overall compensation program, as well as our internal controls and policies, serve to limit excessive risk-taking behavior, as described further on page 37.

■	personal and professional integrity;
■	skills, business experience and industry knowledge useful to the oversight of the Company based on the perceived needs of the Company and the Board at any given time;
■	the ability and willingness to devote the required amount of time to the Company’s affairs, including attendance at Board and committee meetings;
■	the interest, capacity and willingness to serve the long-term interests of the Company and its stockholders; and
■	the lack of any personal or professional relationships that would adversely affect a candidate’s ability to serve the best interests of the Company and its stockholders.

MITCHELL P. RALES
Age 64 Director since: 1995 CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD Committees: • None		Mitchell P. Rales is a co-founder of Colfax and has served as a director of the Company since its founding in 1995. He is the Chairman of our Board of Directors. Mr. Rales is a co-founder and has served as a member of the board of directors of Danaher Corporation, a global science and technology company, since 1983 and as Chairman of Danaher’s Executive Committee since 1984, and is also a member of the Fortive Corporation board of directors, which is a diversified industrial growth company that was spun-off from Danaher in 2016. He has been a principal in a number of private business entities with interests in manufacturing companies and publicly traded securities for over 25 years. Mr. Rales was instrumental in the founding of our Company and has played a key leadership role on our Board since that time. He helped create the Danaher Business System, on which the Colfax Business System is modeled, and has provided critical strategic guidance to the Company during its development and growth. In addition, as a result of Mr. Rales’ substantial ownership stake in our Company, he is well-positioned to understand, articulate and advocate for the rights and interests of the Company’s stockholders.

MATTHEW L. TREROTOLA
Age 53 Director since: 2015 Committees: • None		Matthew L. Trerotola has been our President and Chief Executive Officer and has served as a director of the Company since July 2015. Prior to joining Colfax, Mr. Trerotola was an Executive Vice President and a member of DuPont’s Office of the Chief Executive, responsible for DuPont’s Electronics & Communications and Safety & Protection segments. Mr. Trerotola also had corporate responsibility for DuPont’s Asia-Pacific business. Many of Mr. Trerotola’s roles at DuPont involved applying innovation to improve margins and accelerate organic growth in global businesses. Prior to rejoining DuPont in 2013, Mr. Trerotola had served in leadership roles at Danaher since 2007, and was most recently Vice President and Group Executive for Life Sciences. Previously, Mr. Trerotola was Group Executive for Product Identification from 2009 to 2012, and President of the Videojet business from 2007 to 2009. While at McKinsey & Company from 1995 to 1999, Mr. Trerotola focused primarily on helping industrial companies accelerate growth. Mr. Trerotola’s day-to-day leadership of Colfax, combined with his significant international business experience and familiarity with the Danaher Business System, gives the Board an invaluable Company-focused perspective supplemented by his global operational expertise.

PATRICK W. ALLENDER
Age 74 Director since: 2008 INDEPENDENT Committees: • Audit • Nominating and Corporate Governance (Chair)		Patrick W. Allender has served as a director of the Company since May 13, 2008. He is the former Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Danaher Corporation, where he served from 1987 until his retirement in 2007. Prior to joining Danaher, Mr. Allender was an audit partner with a large international accounting firm. Mr. Allender is a director of Brady Corporation, where he is a member of the audit and corporate governance committees and the chairman of the finance committee. Mr. Allender’s prior experience as the Chief Financial Officer of a publicly traded company provides him with substantial expertise in financial reporting and risk management. In addition, his familiarity with the Danaher Business System provides targeted insight on the nature of the Company’s operations to the Board.

THOMAS S. GAYNER
Age 59 Director since: 2008 INDEPENDENT Committees: • Audit		Thomas S. Gayner has served as a director of the Company since May 13, 2008. He is Co-Chief Executive Officer of Markel Corporation, a financial holding company whose principal business markets and underwrites specialty insurance products. Since 1990, Mr. Gayner has served as President of Markel Gayner Asset Management, Inc. Mr. Gayner has served as a director of Markel Corporation since August 2016 and previously served on the Markel Corporation board from 1998 to 2003. Mr. Gayner also currently serves on the board of directors of Graham Holdings Company and Cable One, Inc., as well as a director of The Davis Series Funds. Through his experience and investment knowledge with the Markel Corporation as well as his service on the boards and committees of other publicly traded companies, Mr. Gayner brings extensive leadership, financial acumen and public company expertise to our Board.

RHONDA L. JORDAN
Age 63 Director since: 2009 INDEPENDENT Committees: • Nominating and Corporate Governance • Compensation (Chair)		Rhonda L. Jordan has served as a director of the Company since February 17, 2009. She served as President, Global Health & Wellness, and Sustainability for Kraft Foods Inc. until 2012 and in that role led the development of Kraft’s health & wellness and sustainability strategies and plans for the company, including marketing, product development, technology, alliances and acquisitions. Prior to being named President, Health & Wellness in 2010, she was the President of the Cheese and Dairy business unit of Kraft. From 2006 to 2008 she served as the President of the Grocery business unit of Kraft and from 2004 to 2005 she was the Senior Vice President, Global Marketing of Kraft Cheese and Dairy. Ms. Jordan is a director of Ingredion Incorporated, where she is chair of the compensation committee, and the private companies Bush Brothers & Company and G&L Holdings. Ms. Jordan’s management and operations experience within a large, global corporation gives her an important strategic voice in Board deliberations, and her knowledge and decision making with respect to business unit development and sustainable top-line performance makes her a valued member of our Board.

LIAM J. KELLY
Age 54 Director since: 2020 INDEPENDENT Committees: • Nominating and Corporate Governance		Liam J. Kelly has served as a director of the Company since January 1, 2020. Mr. Kelly has served as the Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of Teleflex Incorporated, a global provider of medical technology products, since May 1, 2020. Prior to that Mr. Kelly held the office of President and Chief Executive Officer since January 1, 2018. Since joining Teleflex in 2009, Mr. Kelly has held a variety of senior leadership roles. From May 2016 to December 2017, Mr. Kelly served as Teleflex’s President and Chief Operating Officer and from April 2015 to April 2016, he served as Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer. Prior to joining Teleflex, Mr. Kelly held various senior level positions with Hill-Rom Holdings, Inc., a medical device company, from October 2002 to April 2009, serving as its Vice President of International Marketing and R&D from August 2006 to February 2009. As a result of his significant experience in the medical technology industry, Mr. Kelly brings a valuable perspective to our Board, particularly in light of our acquisition of DJO.

PHILIP A. OKALA
Age 52 Director since: 2021 INDEPENDENT Committees: • Compensation		Philip A. Okala has served as a director of the Company since February 22, 2021. Mr. Okala has served as the Chief Operating Officer of the University of Pennsylvania Health Systems, a network of leading hospitals and associated care facilities serving Philadelphia County and the surrounding area, since 2017. Prior to this role, Mr. Okala held various positions with Penn Medicine since 2007, including serving as Senior Vice President for Business Development from 2013 to 2017. Before joining Penn Medicine, Mr. Okala held various positions with other healthcare organizations including System Vice President of the Cancer Service Line at Geisinger Health System, Vice President for Clinical Strategic Planning at Roswell Park Cancer Institute and management positions at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. He is a Fellow in the American College of Healthcare Executives (FACHE) and currently serves on the boards of the Hospital and Healthsystem Association of Pennsylvania, Holy Child School at Rosemont and Vizient Mid-Atlantic Region. Mr. Okala’s experience as a hospital executive who has led major health system initiatives for strategic marketing positioning, overseen the expansion of clinical service lines and facilitated the growth of the Penn Medicine health system, including through successful mergers and strategic alliances, brings an important perspective to our Board.

A. CLAYTON PERFALL
Age 62 Director since: 2010 INDEPENDENT Committees: • Audit (Chair)		A. Clayton Perfall has served as a director of the Company since September 21, 2010. He is currently an Operating Executive of Tailwind Capital, a private equity fund manager focused on growing middle market companies in the Healthcare, Technology, Business Services and Industrial services sectors. He previously served as the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Archway Marketing Services, Inc., a provider of marketing logistics and fulfillment services, from 2008 through 2013. From 2001 until 2008 Mr. Perfall served as the Chief Executive Officer and as a member of the board of directors of AHL Services, Inc. Mr. Perfall also served as the Chief Executive Officer of Union Street Acquisition Corp. from 2006 until 2008. He served as the Chief Financial Officer of Snyder Communications, Inc. from 1996 until 2000 and was previously a partner with a large international accounting firm. Mr. Perfall currently serves on the board of directors of the private company Distinct Holdings Group, LLC and previously served on the boards of directors of Comstock Holding Companies, Inc. from 2004 to 2018, Tailwind Premier Holdings, LLC from 2015 until 2019, Archway Marketing Services, Inc. from 2008 until 2013, RT Acquisition Corp. from 2012 until 2015 and inVentiv Health, Inc. from 1999 to 2010. He served as the audit committee chairman for Comstock Holding Companies, Inc. and InVentiv Health during his time on those boards. Mr. Perfall’s significant financial expertise and experience as an audit committee chairman and public company Chief Financial Officer, combined with his substantial executive leadership background, are assets to both our Board and our Audit Committee.

DIDIER TEIRLINCK
Age 64 Director since: 2017 INDEPENDENT Committees: • Audit		Didier Teirlinck has served as a director of the Company since September 18, 2017. He retired from Ingersoll Rand, a diversified industrial manufacturing company, in September 2018. He has been a strategic advisor to the CEO of Ingersoll Rand since 2017, and previously served from November 2013 as executive vice president for Ingersoll Rand’s Climate segment, overseeing climate businesses around the world and enhancing competitive position and market share. After joining Ingersoll Rand in 2005, Mr. Teirlinck served as president of Climate Control in Europe before becoming President of the global Climate Solutions sector in 2009. Before joining Ingersoll Rand, he was President of Volvo Construction Equipment’s Compact Business Line worldwide and was previously general manager of DANISCO Flexible Group for southern Europe. Mr. Teirlinck’s international operating history and wealth of knowledge in the climate sector brings key geographic and market experience to our Board.

RAJIV VINNAKOTA
Age 50 Director since: 2008 INDEPENDENT Committees: • Nominating and Corporate Governance • Compensation		Rajiv Vinnakota has served as a director of the Company since May 13, 2008. Since July 2019, he has served as President of the Institute for Citizens & Scholars (formerly the Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation), a 75 year-old non-profit organization that has played a significant role in shaping higher education. With an expanded mission, Citizens & Scholars is now rebuilding how we develop citizens in our country. From 2015 to September 2018 he was an Executive Vice-President at the Aspen Institute, leading a division focused on youth and engagement. Prior to this role, Mr. Vinnakota was the Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of The SEED Foundation, a non-profit educational organization, at which he served from 1997 to 2015. Mr. Vinnakota was the chairman of The SEED Foundation board from 1997 until 2006. Prior to co-founding SEED, Mr. Vinnakota was an associate at Mercer Management Consulting. He was also a trustee of Princeton University from 2004 until 2007 and a member of the Executive Committee of the Princeton University board of directors from 2006 to 2007, and he served as the national chairman of Annual Giving at Princeton from 2007 until 2009. Mr. Vinnakota’s management experience, combined with his experience in the non-profit sector, brings a valuable perspective to our Board.

SHARON WIENBAR
Age 59 Director since: 2016 INDEPENDENT Committees: • Compensation		Sharon Wienbar has served as a director of the Company since June 15, 2016. She was previously with Scale Venture Partners, a venture capital firm, from 2001 to 2018, where she led investments in technology companies and served on the board of numerous portfolio businesses. She was also a strategy consultant to Capella Education Company after it acquired Hackbright Academy, a leading software engineering training company for women, where she was the CEO from 2015 to 2016. Ms. Wienbar currently serves on the boards of Resideo Technology, a New York Stock Exchange-listed public company, Covetrus, Inc. a Nasdaq-listed public company, and True Anthem, a privately held software provider. She previously served on other public and private boards, including the board of Everyday Health, Inc., a New York Stock Exchange-listed public company, until its acquisition in December 2016. Prior to her venture capital career, Ms. Wienbar was an executive in several software companies and a consultant at Bain & Company. Ms. Wienbar’s leadership of technology investments, deep understanding of innovation drivers, and business acumen bring an important perspective to our Board.

Name	Audit Committee	Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee	Compensation Committee
Mitchell P. Rales
Matthew L. Trerotola
Patrick W. Allender
Thomas S. Gayner
Rhonda L. Jordan
Liam J. Kelly
Philip A. Okala
A. Clayton Perfall
Didier Teirlinck
Rajiv Vinnakota
Sharon Wienbar

Action and Timeframe		Description
Preparation – November/December		Each director receives draft materials for the annual evaluation of (i) the Board’s performance and (ii) the performance of his or her committee(s). The materials include the Board and committee self-assessment questionnaires. In advance of the assessment, questions are revised and supplemented based on the input received from the Board members and, prior to distribution, the Chair of the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee leads a final review in the December Board and committee meetings.
Assessment – December/January		Each director is asked to consider a list of questions to assist with the evaluation of the Board and its committees, covering topics such as Board composition, the conduct and effectiveness of meetings, quality of discussions, roles and responsibilities, quality and quantity of information provided, and other opportunities for improvement.
Review and Discussion – February		The Board and its committees receive a report summarizing the annual evaluations as well as a year-over-year comparison. The reports are distributed for consideration in advance of and discussed at the February Board meeting. The committee chairs report to the Board on their respective committee evaluations, noting any actionable items. Past evaluations have addressed a wide range of topics such as Board materials, director education and on-boarding, and allocation of meeting times.
Actionable Items and Follow-Up – Ongoing		The Board and committees address any actionable items throughout the year, including a mid-year check-in and end of year assessment against the actionable items identified in February.

■	an annual cash retainer of $85,000;
■	an annual equity award valued at $130,000, calculated under the same valuation approach applied in determining our annual equity grants as described in “Compensation Discussion and Analysis—Additional Compensation Information—Equity Grant Practice,” and awarded in connection with our annual meeting of stockholders, which consists of 50% director restricted stock units that vest after one year of service on the Board and 50% director stock options, which are fully vested upon grant and exercisable for a seven-year term;
■	a $20,000 annual retainer for service as the Chair of our Audit Committee and a $15,000 annual retainer for service as Chair of the Compensation Committee or of the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee; and

	Fees Earned or			Stock			Option
	Paid in Cash			Awards			Awards		Total
Name⁽¹⁾	($)			($)		⁽³⁾	($)	⁽⁵⁾	($)
Mitchell P. Rales		1			—		—		1
Patrick W. Allender		92,500	⁽²⁾		65,009	⁽⁴⁾	65,007		222,516
Thomas S. Gayner		78,625	⁽²⁾		65,009	⁽⁴⁾	65,007		208,641
Rhonda L. Jordan		92,500			65,009	⁽⁴⁾	65,007		222,516
Liam J. Kelly		78,625			89,514		89,512		257,651
A. Clayton Perfall		97,125	⁽²⁾		65,009	⁽⁴⁾	65,007		227,141
Didier Teirlinck		78,625	⁽²⁾		65,009	⁽⁴⁾	65,007		208,641
Rajiv Vinnakota		78,625			65,009		65,007		208,641
Sharon Wienbar		78,625	⁽²⁾		65,009	⁽⁴⁾	65,007		208,641

(1)	Mr. Okala was appointed to our Board on February 21, 2021. Accordingly, he did not receive any compensation for 2020.

(2)	Messrs. Allender, Gayner, Perfall and Teirlinck and Ms. Wienbar elected to receive DSUs in lieu of their annual cash retainers and committee chairperson retainers. DSUs convert to shares of our common stock after termination of service from the Board, based upon a schedule elected by the director in advance. During 2020, the amount of DSUs received in lieu of annual cash retainers and committee chairperson retainers by these directors was as follows: Mr. Allender— 3,352, Mr. Gayner— 2,850, Mr. Perfall— 3,520, Mr. Teirlinck— 2,850 and Ms. Wienbar— 2,850. DSUs received for these cash retainers are considered “vested” and thus are not reflected in the table below.

(3)	Amounts shown in the “Stock Awards” column represent the grant date fair value for stock awards granted to each director during 2020, as computed pursuant to Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) Topic 718 (“FASB ASC Topic 718”). See Note 14 to our consolidated financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2020, included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on February 18, 2021. The amounts reflect the grant date fair value of the 2020 annual grant of 2,568 restricted stock units made to each director in connection with the 2020 annual meeting of stockholders, which vest in full on May 21, 2021. For Mr. Kelly, who was appointed to our Board on January 1, 2020, the amount also reflects the grant date fair value of a grant of 692 restricted stock units in connection with a pro-rated annual grant for the period beginning with his appointment to the Board through the date of the 2020 annual meeting of stockholders which vested in full on January 2, 2021.

(4)	2,568 restricted stock units granted to each of these directors, which were awarded in connection with the 2020 annual meeting of stockholders, were converted into DSUs at the election of each director. DSUs convert to shares of our common stock after termination of service on the Board, based upon a schedule selected by each director in advance. These DSUs will vest in full on May 21, 2021 in accordance with the vesting schedule applicable to the underlying restricted stock units.

(5)	Amounts represent the aggregate grant date fair value for options to purchase 5,899 shares of our common stock granted to each director in connection with the 2020 annual meeting of stockholders, as computed pursuant to FASB ASC Topic 718. See Note 14 to our consolidated financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2020, included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on February 18, 2021. The director stock options are fully vested upon grant and exercisable for a seven-year term. For Mr. Kelly, who was appointed to our Board on January 1, 2020, the amount also reflects the grant date fair value for options to purchase 1,842 shares of our common stock in connection with a pro-rated annual grant for the period beginning with his appointment to the Board through the date of the 2020 annual meeting of stockholders.

Name	Restricted Stock Units	Stock Options
Mitchell P. Rales	—	—
Patrick W. Allender	2,568	31,732
Thomas S. Gayner	2,568	31,732
Rhonda L. Jordan	2,568	31,732
Liam J. Kelly	3,260	7,741
A. Clayton Perfall	2,568	31,732
Didier Teirlinck	2,568	18,139
Rajiv Vinnakota	2,568	31,732
Sharon Wienbar	2,568	22,377

Name	Title
Matthew Trerotola	President and Chief Executive Officer
Christopher Hix	EVP, Finance, Chief Financial Officer
Daniel Pryor	EVP, Strategy and Business Development
Shyam Kambeyanda	Chief Executive Officer of ESAB
Brady Shirley	Chief Executive Officer of DJO

Link rewards to performance and foster a team-based approach		Each executive has clear performance expectations and must contribute to our overall success rather than solely to objectives within his or her primary area of responsibility.
Align the performance responsibilities of executives with the long-term interests of stockholders		Our program emphasizes long-term stockholder value creation by using predominantly stock options and performance-based restricted stock units, in combination with a stock ownership policy, to deliver long-term compensation incentives while minimizing risk-taking behaviors that could negatively affect long-term results.
Provide transparency through simplicity of design and practices		We provide three main elements in our compensation program–base salary, annual incentive cash bonuses, and long-term incentives–with an appropriate blend of purposes and incentives linked to easily understood objectives, as described further on page 29.

■	*No base salary increases and voluntary reductions.* Due to concerns about the potential effects of COVID-19 on the business, no base salary increases were provided to the CEO or other NEOs in 2020. In light of the impact of COVID-19 on our business, the CEO and other NEOs voluntarily took a 20% reduction to their base salaries during the second quarter and a 10% reduction to their base salaries during the third quarter of 2020. Their base salaries were returned to 100% at the beginning of the fourth quarter of 2020.

■	*Continued focus on long-term performance.* Each of Messrs. Trerotola, Hix, Kambeyanda and Pryor’s annual equity awards consisted of (i) 50% PRSUs that cliff vest in three years based on relative TSR performance over a three-year performance period, (ii) 25% RSUs that vest in equal installments over a three-year period following their grant date, and (iii) 25% stock options that vest in equal installments over a three-year period following their grant date. Mr. Shirley’s annual equity awards consisted of 50% PRSUs and 50% RSUs.

■	*Change in Control Agreements.* On the recommendation of the Compensation Committee, the Board approved a form of change in control agreement for executive officers. Messrs. Hix, Kambeyanda, Shirley and Pryor each entered into a change in control agreement on October 27, 2020 (the “Change in Control Agreements”). Mr. Trerotola did not enter into a change in control agreement with the Company, as his current Executive Employment Agreement, which has a current term that runs through July 24, 2021, addresses any potential change in control.

Element of Compensation	Purpose/Description	Form/Timing of Payout
Base Salary	Established at a competitive level to attract and retain our executive talent. Provides a base level of compensation that is not at risk to avoid fluctuations in compensation that could distract executives from the performance of their responsibilities.	Paid in cash throughout the year.
Annual Incentive Plan (“AIP”)	Variable compensation that rewards our executive officers for achievement of critical annual operational and financial performance goals by the Company and, if applicable, respective business units, and recognizes the executive’s individual performance during the year.	Paid in cash after the year has ended and performance has been measured. See page 32 for further detail.
Long-Term Incentive Plan	Variable compensation that aligns the rewards of executives with the interests of stockholders to encourage actions and long-term prioritization that we believe will increase stockholder value by generating sustained and superior operational and financial performance over an extended period of time.	See page 34 for further detail.

What we do		What we don’t do
	Pay for performance focus – Our AIP compensation is linked to pre-established financial and operational goals that are intended to drive performance over the annual performance plan period. Options, RSUs and PRSUs are linked with longer-term performance, our stock price, and, for PRSUs, relative TSR performance, which we believe incentivizes long-term Company success and stockholder value creation.		No gross-up payments to cover excise taxes or perquisites – We do not provide tax gross-ups to our executives in connection with severance benefits or executive perquisites other than relocation.
	Varying performance metrics under short-term and longer-term incentive plans – In balancing compensation objectives linked to short-term and long-term time horizons, the Company seeks to align compensation with several performance metrics that are critical to achievement of sustained growth and stockholder value creation.		No pledging or hedging of Company stock – We prohibit our executives and directors from hedging Colfax stock and from entering into new pledge arrangements or derivative agreements using Colfax stock.
	Caps on Annual Incentive Plan payouts – Executive bonus payments are capped under our AIP, as approved by our stockholders, in part to discourage excessive risk taking. The Compensation Committee is prohibited from increasing the results with respect to each financial and operational performance metric once established, but retains the discretion to reduce or eliminate compensation under our AIP even if performance goals are attained.		No repricing or buyout of underwater stock options – We do not permit the repricing of underwater stock options without the express approval of our stockholders.
	Double trigger provisions for change in control – Severance payable upon a change in control is only received upon executive’s employment termination without cause or resignation for good reason within two years following, or the three months preceding, the change in control. This approach is commonly referred to as “double trigger.”		No excessive change in control payments – No severance upon a change in control in excess of two times salary and target bonus.
	Clawback Policy and Insider Trading Policy – We have a comprehensive compensation clawback policy that is triggered by a material restatement of the Company’s financial statements and applies to all of our executive officers, and enforce a strict insider trading policy and blackout periods for executives and directors.		No short-term vesting – We do not award any long-term incentives with a vesting period shorter than one year.
	Stock Ownership Policy – We have a robust stock ownership policy to further align the long-term financial interests of Company executives with those of our stockholders.		No compensation programs or policies that reward for material or excessive risk taking – We annually review the Company’s compensation policies and practices in relation to our risk management practices and any potential risk-taking incentives. Our most recent assessment concluded that the risks arising from our compensation policies and practices are not reasonably likely to have a material adverse effect on the Company.
	Independent Compensation Committee and Consultant – Our Compensation Committee is comprised solely of independent directors. The compensation consultant to the Compensation Committee during 2020, FW Cook (i) is, based on the Compensation Committee’s assessment, independent and without any conflicts of interest with the Company and (ii) has never provided any services to the Company other than the compensation-related services provided to the Compensation Committee. See page 37 for further details.		No pension plan – We do not maintain a defined benefit pension plan for any senior executives.

■	The nature of the executive’s position
■	The Compensation Committee’s assessment of pay levels and practices for executives with the skills and experience our executives possess (see “Role of Compensation Consultants and Peer Data Review” on page 36)
■	The experience and performance record of the executive
■	The Company’s operational and financial performance
■	The executive’s leadership potential
■	The retention value of our compensation program over time

Named Executive Officer	2019 Annual Base Salary		2020 Annual Base Salary*		Percentage Increase
Mr. Trerotola	$	1,077,000	$	1,077,000	—
Mr. Hix	$	650,000	$	650,000	—
Mr. Pryor	$	565,000	$	565,000	—
Mr. Kambeyanda	$	625,000	$	625,000	—
Mr. Shirley	$	850,000	$	850,000	—

■	Continued improvements in safety performance, despite the challenges of COVID-19, including a reduction in total recordable incident rate by more than 30%

■	Exemplary leadership and crisis management in responding to the COVID-19 pandemic, prioritizing the health and safety of our associates while ensuring continuity of supply to our customers

■	Successfully and aggressively flexed costs in order to keep the Company financially strong and healthy during the height of the pandemic, while protecting key strategic investments

■	Excellent cash flow management, which included efforts that ensured that the Company stayed cash flow-positive during a difficult second quarter, and resulted in strong cash conversion for the second half of 2020

■	Delivered strong sequential revenue and profit growth in the third and fourth quarter as markets began to recover

■	Fabrication Technology segment continued to outperform peers, even in a market impacted by COVID-19

■	Continued focus on innovation, resulting in the introduction of 112 new products into the market, as well as increased market penetration in the digital space in both of our businesses, with a 90% increase in the number of devices connected to our ESAB WeldCloud solution and 900 new accounts at our DJO business, where we are now servicing 2.5 million patient agreements through MotionMD

■	Completed five strategic acquisitions and three other investments in our Medical Technology platform, building out our portfolio and moving into the fast growing foot and ankle segment

■	Strengthened DJO management team to provide a solid foundation for growth, significantly improved associate engagement and enhanced diversity, equity and inclusion programs

Period	% of Target Bonus Opportunity Attributable to Period	Financial Targets Utilized* and Target/Threshold/Maximum Goals	Performance Achieved	CPF for Measurement Period	Total CPF Achieved
Q1 2020	25%	Corporate – (Annual Target) ■ *Net Sales (as adjusted):* $3.56 billion ■ *Adjusted EBITA:* $507 million ■ *Cash Conversion:* 83% ■ *Adjusted EPS:* $2.18 ESAB/DJO (Annual Target) ■ *Net Sales (as adjusted):* ESAB: $2.26 *billion; DJO:* $1.30 billion ■ *Adjusted EBITA:* ESAB: $351.6 million: DJO: $221.6 million ■ *Cash Conversion:* ESAB: 90%; DJO: 85%	Q1 performance above target for all metrics on an annualized basis for Corporate, DJO and ESAB	100%	25% (100% of 25%)
Q2 2020	25%	Same as Q1	Q2 performance below target for all metrics on an annualized basis for Corporate, DJO and ESAB	0%	0% (0% of 25%)
H2 2020	50%	Adjusted EPS ■ Threshold (50% of target attributable to period): $0.75 ■ Target (100% of target attributable to period): $0.85 ■ Max (125% of target attributable to period): $0.95	$0.91	115% (however, as noted above, management recommended, and Compensation Committee approved, a CPF of 100% for H2 2020)	50% (100% of 50%)

SEC Form DEF 14A filed by Colfax Corporation