Exhibit 10.2
CHITTENDEN CORPORATION
Performance Share Program
As Amended and Restated as of
November 15, 2006
CHITTENDEN CORPORATION
Performance Share Program
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Page
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1.
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Purpose
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1
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2.
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Definitions
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1
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3.
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Determination
of Performance Shares
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3
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4.
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Payment of
Awards
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5
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5.
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Termination of
Employment
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6
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6.
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Administration
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6
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7.
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General
Provisions
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7
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CHITTENDEN CORPORATION
Performance Share Program
1. PURPOSE
Chittenden Corporation (the
“Company”) has adopted this Performance Share Program
(the “Program”), subject to the approval of the
Company’s stockholders of the Amended and Restated Chittenden
Corporation Stock Incentive Plan, in order to strengthen the
ability of the Company to attract and retain talented executives
and to promote the long-term growth and profitability of the
Company by linking a significant element of participating
employee’s compensation opportunity to the performance of the
Company over an extended period of time. This Program shall be
administered pursuant to the terms and conditions of the Chittenden
Corporation Stock Incentive Plan (the “SIP”). All
common stock of the Company issued in connection with the Program
shall be deemed to be issued from shares authorized and reserved
pursuant to the SIP. Any term used herein shall, in the absence of
a specific definition, have the meaning assigned to such term in
the SIP.
2. DEFINITIONS
(a) “ Account ”
means the bookkeeping account established for the Participant under
Section 4(b).
(b) “ Affiliated
Corporations ” means members of the controlled group of
corporations as defined in Section 1563 of the
Code.
(c) “ Award ”
means any grant of Common Stock in accordance with
Section 4(a).
(d) “ Board ”
means the Board of Directors of Chittenden Corporation.
(e) “ Change in Control
” shall have the meaning assigned to such term in the
SIP.
(f) “ Code ”
means the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended from time to
time, including regulations thereunder and successor provisions and
regulations thereto.
(g) “ Committee ”
means the committee designated by the Board to administer the
Program. With respect to Covered Employees for whom the Program is
intended to provide Qualified Performance-based Compensation within
the meaning of Section 162(m) of the Code, any Committee must
consist of two or more persons each of whom are “outside
directors” within the meaning of Section 162(m) of the
Code. To the extent the Committee delegates authority pursuant to
Section 6(a), references to the Committee in the Program
shall, as appropriate, be deemed to refer to the Committee’s
delegate.
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CHITTENDEN CORPORATION
Performance Share Program
(h) “ Common Stock
” or “ Stock ” means the common stock of
the Company.
(i) “ Comparison Group
” means the peer group of companies designated by the
Committee as the Comparison Group relative to a given Performance
Cycle, as described in Section 3(a)(iii). The Comparison Group
for the 2005-2007 Performance Cycle is attached hereto as Exhibit
C.
(j) “ Covered Employee
” has the meaning given such term under Section 162(m)
of the Code.
(k) “ Dividend
Equivalent ” means credits in respect of each Performance
Share or other Stock Unit representing an amount equal to the
dividends or distributions declared and paid on a share of Common
Stock.
(l) “ EPS Growth Rate
” means the Company’s fully diluted compound earnings
per share growth rate over the relevant Performance
Cycle.
(m) “ Effective Date
” means the date that the Company’s stockholders
approve the Amended and Restated Chittenden Corporation Stock
Incentive Plan, the effective date of this Program.
(n) “ Exchange Act
” means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended and
in effect from time to time, including all rules and regulations
promulgated thereunder.
(o) “ Participant
” means an executive officer or other key employee of the
Company or an Affiliated Corporation who is selected by the
Committee to participate in this Program.
(p) “ Performance Cycle
” means the period over which Performance Shares designated
in respect of the Performance Cycle potentially may be earned.
Performance Cycles will generally be three-year periods extending
from January 1 of the initial year through December 31 of
the third year in the Performance Cycle. Performance Cycles
generally will begin each year, and therefore will overlap with one
another. The three-year performance cycle beginning on
January 1, 2005 shall be referred to herein as the 2005 - 2007
Performance Cycle. Exhibit A illustrates the timing of the
Performance Cycles under this Program. A Performance Cycle shall be
a period of no less than one year.
(q) “ Performance Goals
” means the levels of achievement specified in the table,
grid or formula described in Section 3(a)(i)(d)
herein.
(r) “ Performance
Shares ” means the shares of Common Stock which a
Participant may earn hereunder.
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CHITTENDEN CORPORATION
Performance Share Program
(s) “ Pro Rata Portion
” means, for any individual, a portion of a specified number
of Performance Shares relating to a given Performance Cycle
determined by multiplying such number of Performance Shares by a
fraction, the numerator of which is the number of calendar days in
the Performance Cycle during which the individual was a Participant
in the Program and the denominator of which is the number of
calendar days in the Performance Cycle (subject to adjustment under
Section 3(b)).
(t) “ Qualified
Performance-based Compensation ” has the meaning given
such term under Section 162(m) of the Code and the regulations
promulgated thereunder.
(u) “ Stock Unit
” is a bookkeeping unit which represents a right to receive
one share of Common Stock upon settlement, together with a right to
accrual of additional Stock Units as a result of Dividend
Equivalents, subject to the terms and conditions of this Program.
Stock Units are arbitrary accounting measures created and used
solely for purposes of this Program, and do not represent ownership
rights in the Company, shares of Common Stock, or any asset of the
Company.
(v) “ Target Performance
Shares ” means a number of Performance Shares designated
as a target number that may be earned by a Participant in respect
to a given Performance Cycle.
(w) “ Termination of
Employment ” means the Participant’s termination of
employment with the Company and any Affiliated
Corporations.
(x) “ Total Shareholder
Return ” means the amount, expressed as a percentage, of
market price appreciation or depreciation of a share of Common
Stock plus dividends on a share of Common Stock or on the common
stock of a company in the Comparison Group assuming dividend
reinvestment at the dividend payment date.
3. DETERMINATION OF PERFORMANCE
SHARES
(a) Designation of Performance
Shares and Related Terms .
(i) Not later than 90 days after the
beginning of a Performance Cycle, the Committee shall:
(a) select employees to participate in the Program for the
relevant Performance Cycle; (b) designate, for each such
Participant, the Target Performance Shares such Participant shall
have the opportunity to earn in such Performance Cycle;
(c) specify the duration of the Performance Cycle; and
(d) specify a table, grid or formula that sets forth the
number or percentage of Target Performance Shares that will be
earned corresponding to the percentile rank of the Company’s
EPS Growth Rate for the three years ending on the last day of the
Performance Cycle as compared to the EPS Growth Rate of the
Comparison Group for the three years ending on the last day of
the
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CHITTENDEN CORPORATION
Performance Share Program
Performance Cycle. Exhibit B
contains such a table for the 2005-2007 Performance Cycle. The
Committee may, in its discretion, adjust the number of Performance
Shares earned by a Participant, notwithstanding the achievement of
a specified performance condition. The Committee may exercise this
discretion in light of other performance measures it deems
relevant, including but not limited to Total Shareholder Return
results of the Company during the relevant Performance Cycle
relative to the Comparison Group; provided, however, that the
Committee may only exercise such discretion to reduce, and not to
increase, the number of Performance Shares earned by a Participant
unless such award was not intended to be Qualified
Performance-based Compensation. Threshold awards will be equal to
50% of Target Performance Shares and maximum awards will be equal
to 150% of Target Performance Shares.
(ii) The provisions of
Section 3(a)(i) notwithstanding, at any time during a
Performance Cycle, the Committee may select a new employee or a
newly promoted employee who was not currently participating in the
Performance Cycle to participate in the Performance Cycle and
designate the Target Performance Shares for such Participant;
provided, however, that such designation must be effective before
the date on which two-thirds (2/3) of the relevant Performance
Cycle has elapsed; and further provided that such individuals must
be designated within the first 90 days of such Performance Cycle if
awards to such indiv