AMENDED
CHANGE OF CONTROL
EMPLOYMENT
AGREEMENT
This Amended Change of Control
Employment Agreement (the “Amended Agreement”) by and
between Energizer Holdings, Inc. (the “Company”), a
Missouri corporation, and _____________
(“Executive”),
WITNESSETH:
WHEREAS, the Company, on
behalf of itself, its subsidiaries and its stockholders, and any
successor or surviving entity, wishes to encourage
Executive’s continued service and dedication in the
performance of his duties, notwithstanding the possibility, threat
or occurrence of a Change of Control of the Company; and
WHEREAS, the Board of
Directors of the Company (the “Board”) believes that
the prospect of a pending or threatened Change of Control
inevitably creates distractions and personal risks and
uncertainties for its executives, and that it is in the best
interests of Company and its stockholders to minimize such
distractions to certain executives, and the Board further believes
that it is in the best interests of the Company to encourage its
executives’ full attention and dedication to their duties,
both currently and in the event of any threatened or pending Change
of Control; and
WHEREAS, the Board has
determined that appropriate steps should be taken to reinforce and
encourage the continued retention of certain members of the
Company’s management, including Executive, and the attention
and dedication of management to their assigned duties without
distraction in the face of potentially disturbing circumstances
arising from the possibility of a Change of Control.
NOW, THEREFORE, in order to
induce Executive to remain in the employ of the Company and in
consideration of his continued service to the Company, the Company
agrees that Executive shall receive the benefits set forth in this
Amended Agreement in the event that Executive’s employment
with the Company is terminated subsequent to a Change of Control in
the circumstances described herein, and the parties further agree
as follows:
The meaning of each defined
term that is used in this Amended Agreement is set forth
below.
(a) AAA. The American Arbitration
Association.
(b) Accounting Firm. The meaning
of this term is set forth in Subsection IV(e)(ii).
(c) Additional Pay. The meaning
of this term is set forth in Subsection IV(b).
(d) After-Tax Amount. The meaning
of the term is set forth in Subsection IV(e)(i).
(e) After-Tax Floor Amount. The
meaning of this term is set forth in Subsection
IV(e)(i).
(f) Agreement Payments. The
meaning of this term is set forth in
Subsection IV(e).
(g) Beneficiaries. The meaning of
this term is set forth in Subsection VI(b).
(h) Board. The meaning of this
term is set forth in the second WHEREAS clause of this Amended
Agreement.
(i) Business Combination. The
meaning of this term is set forth in
Subsection I(i)(iii).
(j) Cause. For purposes of this
Amended Agreement, “Cause” shall mean Executive’s
willful breach or failure to perform his/her employment duties. For
purposes of this Subsection I(h), no act, or failure to act,
on the part of Executive shall be deemed “willful”
unless done, or omitted to be done, by Executive not in good faith
and without reasonable belief that such action or omission was in
the best interest of the Company. Notwithstanding the foregoing,
Executive’s employment shall not be treated as having been
terminated for Cause unless the Company delivers to Executive,
prior to or at termination of employment, a certificate of a
resolution duly adopted by the affirmative vote of not less than
seventy-five percent (75%) of the entire membership of the Board at
a meeting of the Board called and held for such purpose (after
reasonable notice to Executive and an opportunity for Executive,
together with Executive’s counsel, to be heard before the
Board), finding that in the good faith opinion of the Board,
Executive has engaged in such willful conduct and specifying the
details of such willful conduct.
(k) Change of Control. For
purposes of this Amended Agreement, a “Change of
Control” shall be deemed to have occurred if there is a
change of control of a nature that would be required to be reported
in response to Item 6(e) of Schedule 14A of Regulation 14A
promulgated under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended
(the “Exchange Act”), whether or not the Company is
then subject to such reporting requirement; provided that, without
limitation, such a Change of Control shall be deemed to have
occurred if:
(i) any “person” (as
such term is used in Sections 13(d) and 14(d)(2) as currently in
effect, of the Exchange Act) is or becomes a “beneficial
owner” (as determined for purposes of Regulation 13D-G, as
currently in effect, of the Exchange Act), directly or indirectly,
of securities representing twenty percent (20%) or more of the
total voting power of all of the Company’s then outstanding
voting securities. For purposes of this Amended Agreement, the term
“person” shall not include: (A) the Company or any
of its Subsidiaries, (B) a trustee or other fiduciary holding
securities under an employee benefit plan of the Company or any of
its Subsidiaries, or (C) an underwriter temporarily holding
securities pursuant to an offering of said securities;
(ii) during any period of two (2)
consecutive calendar years, individuals who at the beginning of
such period constitute the Board and any new director(s) whose
election by the Board or nomination for election by the
Company’s stockholders was approved by a vote of at least
two-thirds of the directors then still in office who either were
directors at the beginning of such period or whose election or
nomination for election was previously so approved, cease for any
reason to constitute a majority of the Board;
(iii) the stockholders of the
Company approve a merger, consolidation or sale or other
disposition of all or substantially all of the assets of the
Company (a “Business Combination”), in each case,
unless following such Business Combination: (i) all or
substantially all of the individuals and entities who were the
“beneficial owners” (as determined for purposes of
Regulation 13D-G, as currently in effect, of the Exchange Act) of
the outstanding voting securities of the Company immediately prior
to such Business Combination beneficially own, directly or
indirectly, securities representing more than fifty percent (50%)
of the total voting power of the then outstanding voting securities
of the corporation resulting from such Business Combination or the
parent of such corporation (the “Resulting
Corporation”); (ii) no “person” (as such
term is used in Section 13(d) and 14(d)(2), as currently in
effect, of the Exchange Act), other than a trustee or other
fiduciary holding securities under an employee benefit plan of the
Company or the Resulting Corporation, is the “beneficial
owner” (as determined for purposes of Regulation 13D-G, as
currently in effect, of the Exchange Act), directly or indirectly,
of voting securities representing twenty percent (20%) or more of
the total voting power of then outstanding voting securities of the
Resulting Corporation; and (iii) at least a majority of the
members of the board of directors of the Resulting Corporation were
members of the Board at the time of the execution of the initial
agreement, or at the time of the action of the Board, providing for
such Business Combination;
(iv) the stockholders of the
Company approve a plan of complete liquidation or dissolution of
the Company; or
(v) any other event that a simple
majority of the Board, in its sole discretion, shall determine
constitutes a Change of Control.
(l) Code. For purposes of this
Amended Agreement, “Code” shall mean the Internal
Revenue Code of 1986, as amended.
(m) Company. The meaning of this
term is set forth in the first paragraph of this Amended Agreement
and in Subsection VI(a).
(n) Controlled Group. For
purposes of this Amended Agreement, “Controlled Group”
shall mean the Company and all of the Company’s
Subsidiaries.
(o) Disability. For purposes of
this Amended Agreement, “Disability” shall mean an
illness, injury or similar incapacity which 52 weeks after its
commencement, continues to render Executive unable to perform the
material and substantial duties of Executive’s position or
any substantially similar occupation or substantially similar
employment for which Executive is qualified or may reasonably
become qualified by training, education or experience. Any question
as to the existence of a Disability upon which Executive and the
Company cannot agree shall be determined by a qualified independent
physician selected by Executive (or, if Executive is unable to make
such selection, by any adult member of Executive’s immediate
family or Executive’s legal representative), and approved by
the Company, such approval not to be unreasonably withheld. The
determination of such physician made in writing to both the Company
and Executive shall be final and conclusive for all purposes of
this Amended Agreement.
(p) Employer. For purposes of
this Amended Agreement, “Employer” shall mean the
Company or the Subsidiary, as the case may be, with which Executive
has an employment relationship.
(q) Exchange Act. This term shall
have the meaning set forth in Subsection I(i).
(r) Executive. This term shall
have the meaning set forth in the first paragraph of this Amended
Agreement.
(s) Excise Tax. This term shall
have the meaning set forth in Subsection IV(e)(i).
(t) Floor Amount. This term shall
have the meaning set forth in Subsection IV(e)(i).
(u) Good Reason. For purposes of
this Amended Agreement, “Good Reason” shall mean the
occurrence, without Executive’s prior express written
consent, of any of the following circumstances:
(i) The assignment to Executive
of any duties inconsistent with Executive’s status or
responsibilities as in effect immediately prior to a Change of
Control, including imposition of travel obligations which differ
materially from required business travel immediately prior to the
Change of Control;
(ii) (A) A reduction in
Executive’s annual base salary as in effect immediately
before the Change of Control; or (B) the failure to pay a
bonus award to which Executive is entitled under any short-term
incentive plan(s) or program(s), any long-term incentive plan(s) or
program(s), or any other incentive compensation plan(s) or
program(s) of Company in which Executive participated immediately
prior to the time of the Change of Control;
(iii) A change in the principal
place of Executive’s employment, as in effect immediately
prior to the Change of Control to a location more than fifty (50)
miles distant from the location of such principal place at such
time;
(iv) The failure by the Company to
offer Executive participation in incentive compensation or stock or
stock option plans on at least a substantially equivalent basis,
both in terms of the nature and amount of benefits provided and the
level of Executive’s participation, as is then being provided
by the Company to similarly situated peer executives of the
Company;
(v) (A) Except as required by
law, the failure by the Company to offer Executive benefits on at
least a substantially equivalent basis, in the aggregate, to those
then being provided by the Company to similarly situated peer
executives of the Company under the qualified and non-qualified
employee benefit and welfare plans of the Company, including,
without limitation, any pension, deferred compensation, life
insurance, medical, dental, health and accident, disability,
retirement or savings plan(s) or program(s) offered by the Company;
(B) the taking of any action by the Company that would,
directly or indirectly, materially reduce or deprive Executive of
any other perquisite or benefit then being offered by the Company
to similarly situated peer executives of the Company (including,
without limitation, Company-paid and/or reimbursed club
memberships, financial counseling fees and the like); or
(C) the failure by the Company to treat Executive under the
Company’s vacation policy, past practice or special agreement
in the same manner and to the same extent as then being provided by
the Company to similarly situated peer executives of the
Company;
(vi) The failure of the Company to
obtain a satisfactory written agreement from any successor prior to
consummation of the Change of Control to assume and agree to
perform this Amended Agreement, as contemplated in
Subsection VI(a); or
(vii) Any purported termination by
the Company of Executive’s employment that is not effected
pursuant to a Notice of Termination satisfying the requirements of
Subsection III(d) or, if applicable, Subsection I(h). For
purposes of this Amended Agreement, no such purported termination
shall be effective except as constituting Good Reason.
Executive’s continued
employment with the Company or any Subsidiary shall not constitute
a consent to, or a waiver of rights with respect to, any
circumstances constituting Good Reason hereunder. Any good faith
determination of “Good Reason” made by the Executive
shall be conclusive for purposes of this Amended
Agreement.
(v) Gross-Up Payment. The meaning
of this term is set forth in Subsection IV(e)(i).
(w) Notice of Termination. The
meaning of this term is set forth in
Subsection III(d).
(x) Other Payments. The meaning
of this term is set forth in Subsection IV(e)(i).
(y) Payments. The meaning of this
term is set forth in Subsection IV(e)(i).
(z) Resulting Corporation. The
meaning of this term is set forth in
Subsection I(i)(iii).
(aa) Retirement. For purposes of
this Amended Agreement, “Retirement” shall mean
Executive’s voluntary termination of employment with the
Company, other than for Good Reason, and in accordance with the
Company’s retirement policy generally applicable to its
employees or in accordance with any prior or contemporaneous
retirement agreement or arrangement between Executive and the
Company.
(bb) Severance Bonus Amount. For
purposes of this Amended Agreement, “Severance Bonus
Amount” means an amount determined by averaging the
percentages of Executive’s base salary which were actually
awarded to Executive as incentive bonuses under short-term
incentive plans of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries for the
five most recently completed fiscal years prior to the fiscal year
in which the Change of Control occurs, and multiplying such average
percentage by the greater of (A) Executive’s annual base
salary in effect immediately prior to the Termination Date, or (B)
Executive’s annual base salary in effect as of the date of
the Change of Control. For purposes of the calculation above, if
the five most recently completed fiscal years include any periods
during which Executive was awarded an incentive bonus under any
short-term incentive plans of Ralston Purina Company, such bonuses
shall be included in determining the average percentage of base
salary. If Executive was not employed by the Company or any of its
Subsidiaries, or by Ralston Purina Company, for the entire
five-year period, the average shall be determined only for those
years during which Executive was so employed.
(cc) Subsidiary. For purposes of
this Amended Agreement, “Subsidiary” shall mean any
corporation of which fifty percent (50%) or more of the voting
stock is owned, directly or indirectly, by the Company.
(dd) Target Bonus. For purposes of
this Amended Agreement, “Target Bonus” means the
assigned bonus target for the Executive under any short-term
incentive plan(s) of the Company, multiplied by his or her base
salary, for the relevant fiscal year. If the Executive’s base
salary is changed during the relevant fiscal year, the Target Bonus
shall be calculated by multiplying the Executive’s assigned
bonus target by the highest base salary in effect during that
fiscal year.
(ee) Terminate(d) or Termination.
The meaning of this term is set forth in
Subsection III(c).
(ff) Termination Date. For
purposes of this Amended Agreement, “Termination Date”
shall mean:
(i) If Executive’s
employment is terminated for Disability, thirty (30) calendar days
after Notice of Termination is given (provided that Executive shall
not have returned to the full-time performance of his/her duties
during such thirty-day period); and
(ii) If Executive’s
employment is terminated for Cause or Good Reason or for any reason
other than death or Disability, the date specified in the Notice of
Termination (which in the case of a termination for Cause shall not
be less than thirty (30) calendar days and in the case of a
termination for Good Reason shall not be less than thirty (30)
calendar days nor more than sixty (60) calendar days, respectively,
from the date such Notice of Termination is given).
II. Term of Agreement.
(a) General. Upon execution by
Executive, this Amended Agreement shall commence effective as of
May 1, 2005. This Amended Agreement shall continue in effect
through May 1, 2008; provided, however, that commencing on May 1,
2006, and every May 1 thereafter, the term of this Amended
Agreement shall automatically be extended for an additional year
unless, not later than ninety (90) calendar days prior to the date
on which this Amended Agreement otherwise automatically would be
extended, the Company shall have given notice to Executive that it
does not wish to extend this Amended Agreement; provided further,
however, that if a Change of Control shall have occurred during the
original or any extended term of this Amended Agreement, this
Amended Agreement shall continue in effect for a period of
thirty-six (36) months beyond the month in which the Change of
Control occurred.
(b) Disposition of Employer. In
the event Executive is employed by a Subsidiary, the terms of this
Amended Agreement shall expire if such Subsidiary is sold or
otherwise disposed of prior to the date on which a Change of
Control occurs, unless Executive continues in employment with the
Controlled Group after such sale or other disposition. If
Executive’s Employer is sold or disposed of on or after the
date on which a Change of Control occurs, this Amended Agreement
shall continue through its original term or any extended term then
in effect.
(c) Deemed Change of Control. If
Executive’s employment with Employer is terminated prior to
the date on which a Change of Control occurs, and such termination
was at the request of a third party who has taken steps to effect a
Change of Control, or otherwise was in connection with the Change
of Control, then for all purposes of this Amended Agreement, a
Change of Control shall be deemed to have occurred prior to such
termination.
(d) Expiration of Agreement. No
termination or expiration of this Amended Agreement shall affect
any rights, obligations or liabilities of either party that shall
have accrued on or prior to the date of such termination or
expiration.
III. Benefits Following Change of
Control.
(a) Accelerated Vesting in All
Equity. If a Change of Control shall have occurred, Executive shall
be entitled to, immediately upon the date of the Change of Control,
accelerated vesting of all unvested stock options and restricted
stock that have been granted or sold to the Executive by the
Company under any restricted terms, such that following said
acceleration, all restrictions as to the sale and ownership of this
equity, as imposed by the Company, shall have lapsed.
(b) Prorated Payout of Short Term
Bonus. If a Change of Control shall have occurred, Executive shall
be entitled to, immediately upon the date of the Change of Control,
payment in full of Executive’s prorated bonus for the fiscal
year in which the Change of Control occurs. The prorated bonus
amount shall be calculated as Executive’s Target Bonus for
the fiscal year in which the Change of Control occurs, or, if
greater, the actual bonus awarded to Executive under any short-term
incentive plan(s) of the Company for the fiscal year immediately
preceding the fiscal year in which the Change of Control occurs,
divided by 365 and multiplied by the number of calendar days in
said year immediately up to the day on which the Change of Control
occurs.
(c) Entitlement to Benefits Upon
Termination. If a Change of Control shall have occurred, Executive
shall be entitled to, in addition to the benefits described in
Subsections III(a) and (b), the benefits provided in
Section IV hereof upon the subsequent termination of his/her
employment with the Company within three (3) years after the date
of the Change of Control unless such termination is (i) a
result of Executive’s death or Retirement, (ii) for
Cause, (iii) a result of Executive’s Disability, or
(iv) by Executive other than for Good Reason. For purposes of
this Amended Agreement, “Termination” shall mean a
termination of Executive’s employment that is not as a result
of Executive’s death, Retirement or Disability and (x) if by
the Company, is not for Cause, or (y) if by Executive, is for Good
Reason.
(d) Notice of Termination. Any
purported termination of Executive’s employment by either the
Company or Executive shall be communicated by written Notice of
Termination to the other party hereto in accordance with
Section VIII. For purposes of this Amended Agreement, a
“Notice of Termination” shall mean a written notice
that indicates the specific provision(s) of this Amended Agreement
relied upon and sets forth in reasonable detail the facts and
circumstances claimed to provide a basis for termination of
Executive’s employment under the provision(s) so indicated.
If Executive’s employment shall be terminated by the Company
for Cause or by Executive for other than Good Reason, the Company
shall pay Executive his/her full base salary through the
Termination Date at the salary level in effect at the time Notice
of Termination is given and shall pay any amounts to be paid to
Executive pursuant to any other