SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

SCHEDULE 14A INFORMATION

PROXY STATEMENT PURSUANT TO SECTION 14(a) OF THE SECURITIES
EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

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		o		Preliminary Proxy Statement		o		Confidential, for Use of the Commission Only (as permitted by Rule 14a-6(e)(2)).
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		o		Soliciting Materials Pursuant to Section 240.14a-11(c) or Section 240.14a-12

CABOT MICROELECTRONICS CORPORATION

(Exact name of Registrant as Specified in Its Charter)

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CABOT MICROELECTRONICS CORPORATION
870 North Commons Drive
Aurora, Illinois 60504

 

NOTICE OF ANNUAL MEETING OF STOCKHOLDERS

To be held March 2, 2010

 

To our Stockholders:

 

We are notifying you that the Annual Meeting of Stockholders of Cabot Microelectronics Corporation will be held on Tuesday, March 2, 2010 at 8:00 a.m. local time at Cabot Microelectronics Corporation, 870 North Commons Drive, Aurora, Illinois 60504 for the following purposes:

 

1. To elect two directors, each for a term of three years;

 

2. To ratify the selection of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm, as our independent auditors for fiscal year 2010; and

 

3. To transact other business properly coming before the meeting.

 

Each of these matters is described in further detail in the accompanying proxy statement. We also have included a copy of our 2009 Annual Report. Only stockholders of record at the close of business on January 11, 2010 are entitled to vote at the meeting or any postponements or adjournments of the meeting. A complete list of these stockholders will be available at our principal executive offices prior to the meeting.

 

We are delivering our proxy statement and 2009 Annual Report this year under the United States Securities and Exchange Commission rules that allow companies to furnish proxy materials to their stockholders over the Internet. Accordingly, we are sending a Notice of Internet Availability of Proxy Materials to our stockholders, which is designed to reduce our printing and mailing costs and the environmental impact of the proxy materials. A paper copy of our proxy materials may be requested through one of the methods described in the Notice of Internet Availability of Proxy Materials.

 

Please use this opportunity to take part in our affairs by voting your shares. You are cordially invited to attend the meeting in person. If you wish to attend the meeting in person, please bring a valid form of photo identification to the meeting. If your stock is not registered in your own name and you plan to attend the meeting and vote in person, you should contact your broker or agent in whose name your stock is registered to obtain a broker’s proxy and bring it to the meeting in order to vote at the meeting.

 

Whether or not you plan to attend the meeting, your vote is important. Please promptly submit your proxy by telephone, Internet or mail by following the instructions found on your Notice of Internet Availability of Proxy Materials or proxy card. Your proxy can be withdrawn by you at any time before it is voted.

 

By order of the Board of Directors,

 

William P. Noglows

Chairman of the Board

 

Aurora, Illinois

January 15, 2010, and is first being made available to stockholders electronically via the Internet on or about January 15, 2010.

Table Of Contents

 

CABOT MICROELECTRONICS CORPORATION

 

870 North Commons Drive

Aurora, Illinois 60504

 

 

PROXY STATEMENT

 

 

 

The Board of Directors of Cabot Microelectronics Corporation is asking for your proxy for use at the annual meeting of our stockholders to be held on Tuesday, March 2, 2010 at 8:00 a.m. local time, at Cabot Microelectronics Corporation, 870 North Commons Drive, Aurora, Illinois 60504 and at any postponements or adjournments of the meeting.

 

Pursuant to the rules and regulations adopted by the United States Securities and Exchange Commission, we have elected to provide our stockholders with access to our proxy materials over the Internet rather than in paper form. Accordingly, we are sending a Notice of Internet Availability of Proxy Materials, rather than a printed copy of the proxy materials, to our stockholders of record as of January 11, 2010. We expect to mail the Notice of Internet Availability of Proxy Materials to stockholders entitled to vote at our annual meeting on or about January 15, 2010.

 

At our annual meeting, stockholders will act upon the matters outlined in the accompanying notice of meeting, including the election of two directors and the ratification of the selection of our independent auditors. In addition, our management will report generally on the fiscal year ended September 30, 2009 and respond to questions from stockholders.

 

In accordance with rules and regulations adopted by the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”), instead of mailing a printed copy of our proxy materials to all stockholders entitled to vote at our annual meeting, we are furnishing the proxy materials and our 2009 annual report to our stockholders electronically via the Internet. On or about January 15, 2010, we will mail to our stockholders a Notice of Internet Availability of Proxy Materials containing instructions on how to access and review our proxy materials and our 2009 annual report. You will not receive a printed copy of the proxy materials. Instead, the Notice of Internet Availability will instruct you as to how you may access and review the proxy materials and submit your proxy via the Internet. If you would like to receive a printed copy of the proxy materials, please follow the instructions included in the Notice of Internet Availability of Proxy Materials for requesting printed materials.

 

Important Notice Regarding the Availability of Proxy Materials for the Stockholder Meeting to Be Held March 2, 2010:

 

 

Our board of directors recommends that you vote your shares “FOR” the election of each of the nominees named below under “ELECTION OF DIRECTORS” and “FOR” the ratification of the selection of our independent auditors.

 

Only stockholders of record at the close of business on the record date, January 11, 2010, are entitled to receive notice of the annual meeting and to vote the shares of common stock that they held on that date at the meeting, or any postponements or adjournments of the meeting. Each outstanding share of common stock entitles its holder to cast one vote, without cumulation, on each matter to be voted on.

 

 

If a majority of the shares outstanding on the record date are present at the annual meeting, either in person or by proxy, we will have a quorum at the meeting permitting the conduct of business at the meeting. As of the record date, we had approximately 23,565,977 shares of common stock outstanding and entitled to vote. Any shares represented by proxies that are marked to abstain from voting on a proposal will be counted as present for purposes of determining whether we have a quorum. If a broker, bank, custodian, nominee or other record holder of our common stock indicates on a proxy that it does not have discretionary authority to vote certain shares on a particular matter, the shares held by that record holder (referred to as “broker non-votes”) will also be counted as present in determining whether we have a quorum.

 

 

You may vote in person at the annual meeting or you may vote by proxy. You may vote in person by attending the meeting, presenting a valid form of photo identification and delivering your completed proxy card in person. You may vote by proxy by signing, dating and mailing a proxy card. In addition, you may vote by telephone or through the Internet by following the instructions below or those included in the Notice of Internet Availability of Proxy Materials.

 

To vote by telephone, if you are a record holder of our common stock (that is, if you hold your stock in your own name in our stock records maintained by our stock transfer agent, Computershare Trust Company, N.A., P.O. Box 43078, Providence, Rhode Island 02940-3078), call toll free 1-800-690-6903 and follow the instructions provided by the recorded message. To vote by telephone if you are a beneficial owner of our common stock, call the toll free number listed in the Proxy Card or follow the instructions provided by your broker. For all holders of our common stock (whether record or beneficial), to vote through the Internet, log on to the Internet and go to www.proxyvote.com and follow the steps on the secured website. You also may access the proxyvote website (www.proxyvote.com) or view our proxy materials by going to our website, www.cabotcmp.com, selecting “Investor Relations” on our Homepage, and then selecting “Proxy Materials” from the “Investor Information” section on the left side of the Investor Relations page.

 

If you vote by proxy, the individuals named on the proxy card as proxy holders will vote your shares in the manner you indicate. If you sign and return the proxy card without indicating your instructions, your shares will be voted “FOR”:

 

 

 

Yes. Even after you have submitted your proxy, you may revoke your proxy or change your vote at any time before the proxy is voted at the annual meeting by delivering to our Secretary a written notice of revocation or a properly signed proxy bearing a later date, or by attending the annual meeting and voting in person. (Attendance at the meeting will not cause your previously granted proxy to be revoked unless you specifically so request.) To revoke a proxy previously submitted electronically through the Internet or by telephone, you may simply vote again at a later date, using the same procedures, in which case the later submitted vote will be recorded and the earlier vote revoked.

 

Our bylaws provide that director nominees must receive the affirmative vote of a plurality of the votes cast at the meeting by stockholders entitled to vote thereon, meaning that the two nominees for director with the most votes will be elected. However, our Corporate Governance Guidelines, which are available through our website,

www.cabotcmp.com, provide that in an uncontested election, any nominee for director who receives a greater number of votes “withheld” from his or her election than votes “for” such election (a “Majority Withheld Vote”) shall promptly tender his or her resignation following certification of the stockholder vote for such election. In this situation, our nominating and corporate governance committee then shall consider the resignation offer and recommend to our board of directors whether to accept it. The board of directors then will act on the nominating and corporate governance committee’s recommendation within ninety (90) days following certification of the stockholder vote for such election. Thereafter, the board of directors will promptly disclose its decision whether to accept the director’s resignation offer (and the reasons for rejecting the resignation offer, if applicable), in a press release to be disseminated in the manner that we typically distribute press releases. The ratification of the selection of our independent auditors requires the affirmative vote of a majority of the votes cast at the meeting in person or by proxy by stockholders entitled to vote thereon. Abstentions and broker non-votes will not be counted for purposes of determining whether an item has received the requisite number of votes for approval.

 

Other than the matters described in this proxy statement, we do not expect any additional matters to be presented for a vote at the annual meeting. If you vote by proxy, your proxy grants the persons named as proxy holders the discretion to vote your shares on any additional matters properly presented for a vote at the meeting.

 

Certain directors, officers and employees, who will not receive any additional compensation for such activities, may solicit proxies by personal interview, mail, telephone or electronic communication. We will also reimburse brokerage houses and other custodians, nominees and fiduciaries for their reasonable out-of-pocket expenses for forwarding proxy and solicitation materials to our stockholders. This year we have not hired any third parties to assist in the solicitation of proxies, but may choose to do so in the future. We shall bear all costs of solicitation.

 

The SEC has adopted rules that permit companies and intermediaries (e.g. brokers) to satisfy the delivery requirements with respect to two or more stockholders sharing the same address by delivering a single Notice of Internet Availability of Proxy Materials addressed to those stockholders. This process, which is commonly referred to as “householding,” potentially means additional convenience for stockholders, cost savings for companies, and reduced environmental impact of our proxy materials.

 

A number of brokers with accountholders who are stockholders will be “householding” the Notice of Internet Availability of Proxy Materials. As indicated in the notice previously provided by these brokers to stockholders, a single Notice of Internet Availability of Proxy Materials will be delivered to multiple stockholders sharing an address unless contrary instructions have been received from an affected stockholder. Once you have received notice from your broker or us that they will be “householding” communications to your address, “householding” will continue until you are notified otherwise.

 

Stockholders who received a householded mailing this year and would like to have additional copies of the Notice of Internet Availability of Proxy Materials mailed to them, or would like to opt out of this practice for future mailings should submit a written request to our transfer agent, Computershare Trust Company, N.A., at P.O. Box 43010, Providence, Rhode Island 02940-3010 Attention: Shareholder Inquiries. We will promptly send additional copies of the Notice of Internet Availability of Proxy Materials upon receipt of such request.

 

Stockholders who currently receive multiple copies of the Notice of Internet Availability of Proxy Materials at their address and would like to request “householding” of their communications should contact their broker or, if a stockholder is a direct holder of shares of our common stock, they should submit a written request to our transfer agent, Computershare Trust Company, N.A., at P.O. Box 43010, Providence, Rhode Island 02940-3010 Attention: Shareholder Inquiries.

 

The following table sets forth certain information regarding the beneficial ownership of our common stock as of January 11, 2010 (except as indicated below) by:

 

 

Unless otherwise indicated, each stockholder listed below has sole voting and investment power with respect to the shares of common stock beneficially owned by such stockholder.

 

Stock Ownership Table

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 requires our directors, executive officers and holders of more than 10% of our common stock to file with the Securities and Exchange Commission reports regarding their ownership and changes in ownership of our common stock. Based solely on our review of the reports furnished to us, we believe that all of our directors and executive officers have complied with all Section 16(a) filing requirements for fiscal year 2009.

 

Our board of directors is currently comprised of eight directors. The board of directors is divided into three classes: Class I, whose terms will expire at the upcoming annual meeting of stockholders; Class II, whose terms will expire at the annual meeting of stockholders to be held in 2011; and Class IIII, whose terms will expire at the annual meeting of stockholders to be held in 2012. Messrs. Fuller and Mooney are currently in Class I, Messrs. Birgeneau, Wilkinson and Xia are currently in Class II, and Messrs. Frazee and Noglows and Ms. Klein are currently in Class III.

 

At each annual meeting of stockholders, the successors to directors whose terms will then expire will be elected to serve from the time of election and qualification until the third annual meeting following election. Our certificate of incorporation provides that the authorized number of directors may be changed only by resolution of the board of directors. Any additional directorships resulting from an increase in the number of directors will be distributed among the three classes so that, as nearly as possible, each class will consist of one-third of the total number of directors. Our certificate of incorporation also provides that our board of directors may fill any vacancy created by the resignation of a director or the increase in the size of our board of directors.

 

The board of directors has nominated and urges you to vote “FOR” the election of the two nominees named below for terms of office ending in 2013. Proxies will be so voted unless stockholders specify otherwise in their proxies.

 

In the event a nominee is not available to serve for any reason when the election occurs, it is intended that the proxies will be voted for the election of the other nominees and may be voted for any substitute nominee. Our board of directors has no reason to believe that any of the nominees will not be a candidate or, if elected, will be unable or unwilling to serve as a director. In no event will the proxies be voted for a greater number of persons than the number of nominees named.

 

Our board of directors recommends that you vote “FOR” the election to the board of each of the nominees named below.

 

Nominees for election at this meeting for terms expiring in 2013:

 

H. Laurance Fuller, 71, was elected a director of our company in June 2002. He also is a director of Abbott Laboratories. Mr. Fuller retired from the position of Co-Chairman of BP Amoco, p.l.c., a global petroleum and petrochemicals company, in 2000 after serving as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Amoco Corporation since 1991 and President since 1983. Mr. Fuller received his B.S. in chemical engineering from Cornell University.

 

Edward J. Mooney, 68, was elected a director of our company in March 2005. He also serves on the boards of directors of Commonwealth Edison, which is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Exelon Corporation, FMC Corporation, FMC Technologies, Inc., the Northern Trust Corporation and PolyOne Corporation. Mr. Mooney was the Delegue General-North America, Suez Lyonnaise des Eaux from March 2000 until his retirement in March 2001. From 1994 to 2000, he was Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Nalco Chemical Company, one of the world’s largest providers of water and chemical treatment technologies and services. Mr. Mooney received both a B.S. in chemical engineering and a J.D. from the University of Texas.

 

Directors whose terms continue until 2011:

 

Robert J. Birgeneau, 67, was elected a director of our company in March 2005. He has been the Chancellor of the University of California, Berkeley since September 2004. He also holds a faculty appointment in the department of physics there. From July 2000 until assuming his current position, Mr. Birgeneau served as the President of the University of Toronto. Prior to that, Mr. Birgeneau was the Dean of the School of Science at the Massachusetts

Institute of Technology, and previously had been the chair of the physics department of M.I.T. Mr. Birgeneau received his B.S. in mathematics from the University of Toronto and his Ph.D. in physics from Yale University.

 

Steven V. Wilkinson, 68, was elected a director of our company in April 2000. He is also a director of Entergy Corporation. Mr. Wilkinson has been retired since 1998. Prior to retirement, he was a partner of Arthur Andersen LLP. Mr. Wilkinson received his B.A. in economics from DePauw University and his M.B.A. from the University of Chicago.

 

Bailing Xia, 54, was elected a director of our company in September 2007. He is the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Summer Leaf, Inc., a privately-held technology and project development consulting company, headquartered in Toronto, Canada, and has served in that role since 1996. In addition, he has been the Chief Representative in North America for China Central Television (CCTV) for education, science, technology, culture and health programs since 1994. In addition, in April 2007 he was appointed a Member of the Planning Committee of the China Development Bank. Mr. Xia holds a degree in Economics from Anhui University, and also graduated from the Sino-American Scientific Technology, Industry and Business Administration Program.

 

Directors whose terms continue until 2012:

 

John P. Frazee, Jr., 65, was elected a director of our company in April 2000. He has been a private investor since 2001 and has served as a senior advisor to Greenhill & Co., Inc. since November 2007. Prior to 1997, he served as President and Chief Operating Officer of Sprint Corporation, and before that as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Centel Corporation. Mr. Frazee received his bachelor’s degree in political science from Randolph-Macon College.

 

Barbara A. Klein, 55, was elected a director of our company in April 2008. She retired in May 2008 as the Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of CDW Computer Centers, Inc., a FORTUNE 500 company and a leading provider of technology products and services for business, government and education. Ms. Klein also serves on the board of directors of Corn Products International, Inc. She received a B.S. in accounting and finance from Marquette University, and an M.B.A. from Loyola University.

 

William P. Noglows, 51, has served as our Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer since November 2003. Mr. Noglows also is a director of Littlefuse, Inc. From 1984 through 2003, he served in various management positions at Cabot Corporation, culminating in serving as an executive vice president and general manager. While at Cabot Corporation, he was one of the primary founders of our company and was responsible for identifying and encouraging the development of the CMP application, which is the core of our business. Mr. Noglows had previously served as a director of our company from December 1999 until April 2002. Mr. Noglows received his B.S. in Chemical Engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology.

 

Our board of directors has a standing audit committee, a standing compensation committee and a standing nominating and corporate governance committee to assist the board of directors in the discharge of its responsibilities. Our board of directors has adopted the Cabot Microelectronics Corporation Corporate Governance Guidelines, which are available on our website, www.cabotcmp.com, along with other corporate governance materials, such as board of directors committee charters and our Code of Business Conduct. Pursuant to the Corporate Governance Guidelines, committee charters and other corporate governance materials and practices, our board of directors and audit committee periodically review and provide oversight of the management of various risk factors that are relevant to our company. Our board of directors also reviews annually the functioning of the board. During fiscal year 2009, our board of directors held thirteen meetings and took no action by written consent. Each of our directors other than Mr. Fuller attended our annual meeting of stockholders in fiscal year 2009. Each of our directors attended at least 75% of all the meetings of the board and those committees on which he or she served during fiscal year 2009. Since fiscal year end, the board of directors has met three times. Stockholders and third parties may communicate with our board of directors through the Chairman of the Board, c/o the Secretary of our company at our offices at 870 North Commons Drive, Aurora, Illinois 60504.

Independent Directors and Leadership Structure.  The board of directors has determined that seven of our eight directors, including Messrs. Birgeneau, Frazee, Fuller, Mooney, Wilkinson, and Xia and Ms. Klein, are “independent” directors as defined in Rule 4200 of the National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotation (“Nasdaq”) Marketplace Rules and as defined in applicable rules by the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”). In making its determinations of independence, in addition to consideration of the relevant SEC and Nasdaq rules (according to which the definition of “independent director” is set forth in our Corporate Governance Guidelines), the board of directors considered factors for each director such as any other directorships, any employment or consulting arrangements, and any relationship with our company’s customers, suppliers or advisors. With respect to Mr. Frazee, the board considered the fact that in November 2007 Mr. Frazee became a Senior Advisor to Greenhill & Co., Inc., an investment banking firm that has served as a financial advisor to us in the past pursuant to certain contractual arrangements, which have since been terminated. Our independent directors hold regularly scheduled meetings in executive session, at which only independent directors are present. As provided in our Corporate Governance Guidelines, the Chairman of the nominating and governance committee, Mr. Frazee, serves as chairman of the meetings of the independent directors in executive session and performs other responsibilities such as working with the Chairman of the board of directors to plan and set the agenda for meetings of the board of directors. Mr. Noglows is the Chairman of the board of directors and Chief Executive Officer of our company. The board of directors believes that this leadership structure is appropriate for our company given the size and scope of our business, the experience and active involvement of our independent directors, and our corporate governance practices, which include regular communication with and interaction between and among Mr. Noglows and the independent directors. The board believes that this approach serves to provide for the board’s role in corporate governance and guiding corporate policy in an efficient manner. Stockholders and third parties may communicate with our independent directors through the Chairman of the nominating and corporate governance committee, c/o the Secretary of our company at our offices at 870 North Commons Drive, Aurora, Illinois 60504. During fiscal year 2009, our independent directors met in executive session eleven times. Since fiscal year end, our independent directors have met in executive session twice.

 

Audit Committee.  The functions of the audit committee include selecting, appointing, retaining, compensating and overseeing our independent auditors, deciding upon and approving in advance the scope of audit and non-audit assignments and related fees, reviewing accounting principles we use in financial reporting, and reviewing the adequacy of our internal control procedures, including the internal audit function. The members of the audit committee are currently Messrs. Frazee and Wilkinson (Chairman) and Ms. Klein. Mr. Fuller served as a member of the audit committee until March, 2009. Each of these audit committee members during fiscal year 2009 and currently:

 

 

Our board of directors has determined that the audit committee has at least one member who qualifies as an Audit Committee Financial Expert, as defined by relevant SEC rules, and has designated Mr. Wilkinson, the Chairman of the committee, as such Audit Committee Financial Expert. As previously stated, Mr. Wilkinson is an independent director. The audit committee operates under a written charter, a current copy of which is attached to this proxy statement as Appendix A and is available on our website, www.cabotcmp.com. The audit committee reviews and reassesses the adequacy of the audit committee charter on an annual basis. The audit committee has established procedures for the receipt, retention, and treatment of complaints received regarding accounting, internal accounting controls or auditing matters, as well as for the pre-approval of services provided by our independent auditors, both of which are also available on our website, www.cabotcmp.com. A current copy of the procedures for the pre-approval of services provided by our independent auditors is attached to this proxy statement as Appendix B. As set forth in the audit committee charter, the audit committee is also responsible for the review and approval of any related party transaction in advance of the company entering into any such transaction; since April 2002, we have not been engaged in any related party transactions and none have been proposed to the audit

committee for consideration. The audit committee met eight times during fiscal year 2009 and has met twice since fiscal year end with respect to the audit of our fiscal year 2009 financial statements and related matters. In fulfillment of the audit committee’s responsibilities for fiscal year 2009, Mr. Wilkinson, the audit committee Chairman, reviewed our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2009 (as did the other members of the committee and board of directors), and our Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q before we filed them, and Mr. Wilkinson and other members of the committee also reviewed quarterly earnings announcements and related matters before we released them.

 

Compensation Committee.  The functions of the compensation committee include reviewing and approving the compensation and benefits for our employees, evaluating and deciding upon the compensation of our chief executive officer, evaluating and deciding upon the compensation of our other executive officers, which is done following consultation with our chief executive officer, monitoring the administration of our employee benefit plans, authorizing and ratifying stock option grants, restricted stock awards and other incentive arrangements, and authorizing employment and related agreements. Our chief executive officer is neither present for voting or deliberation on, nor votes upon decisions relating to, his compensation. In addition, our chief executive officer does not vote upon decisions related to the compensation of our other executive officers. Also, our chief financial officer, who also has responsibility for our human resources function, and his staff support the compensation committee in its work by providing input and recommendations on the overall mix and forms of executive compensation as directed by the compensation committee. Our chief financial officer and human resources staff do not make decisions regarding the amount of compensation for our named executive officers or other executive officers.

 

The compensation committee has engaged the services of a compensation consultant, W.T. Haigh & Company, Inc., which reports directly to the committee. The consultant has been engaged to advise the committee on executive compensation and equity incentive matters and trends and to perform benchmark comparison analysis of compensation practices of peer companies. From time to time, and as part of the committee’s ongoing and annual reviews of executive officer compensation matters, the consultant recommends specific ranges of compensation for our executive officers, including our named executive officers, based on information provided by the committee regarding different performance scenarios and desired market placement. The consultant also advises the nominating and corporate governance committee on non-employee director compensation matters. The consultant provides no other services to our company.

 

The members of the compensation committee are Messrs. Birgeneau, Fuller (Chairman), Mooney and Xia, each of whom was during fiscal year 2009 and is now an “independent” director as defined in Rule 4200(a)(15) of the Nasdaq Marketplace Rules and as defined in applicable rules adopted by the SEC. The compensation committee operates under a written charter that addresses compensation matters, a current copy of which is available on our website, www.cabotcmp.com. The compensation committee reviews and reassesses the adequacy of the compensation committee charter on an annual basis. The compensation committee met five times during fiscal year 2009 and did not take action by written consent, and has met three times since the fiscal year end with respect to 2009 annual bonuses, salary increases, stock option grants and restricted stock awards, and other matters.

 

Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee.  The functions of the nominating and corporate governance committee include reviewing and recommending a slate of nominees for the election of directors, recommending changes in the number, classification and term of directors, reviewing nominations by stockholders with regard to the nomination process, reviewing and recommending compensation and other matters for our directors, and attending to general corporate governance matters. The members of the nominating and corporate governance committee are Messrs. Frazee (Chairman), Fuller and Wilkinson and Ms. Klein, each of whom was during fiscal year 2009 and is now an “independent” director as defined in Rule 4200(a)(15) of the Nasdaq Marketplace Rules and as defined in applicable rules adopted by the SEC. The nominating and corporate governance committee operates under a formal charter that addresses the nominations process and such related matters as may be required under the federal securities laws and Nasdaq listing requirements, a current copy of which is available on our website, www.cabotcmp.com. The nominating and corporate governance committee reviews and reassesses the adequacy of the nominating and corporate governance charter on an annual basis. The nominating and corporate governance committee met three times during fiscal year 2009 and has met twice since fiscal year end. The nominating and corporate governance committee acted unanimously to recommend the nomination of the Class I director nominees to the board of directors, subject to stockholder approval, as discussed in “ELECTION OF DIRECTORS,” above.

 

The nominating and corporate governance committee considers candidates to fill new directorships created by expansion and vacancies that may occur and makes recommendations to the board of directors with respect to such candidates. The nominating and corporate governance committee considers suggestions from many sources regarding possible candidates for director and will consider nominees recommended by stockholders. Any such stockholder nominations, together with appropriate biographical information, should be submitted to the Chairman of the nominating and corporate governance committee, c/o the Secretary of our company at our offices at 870 North Commons Drive, Aurora, Illinois 60504. To be included in the proxy statement, such nomination must be received by the Secretary of our company not later than the 120th day prior to the first anniversary of the date of the preceding year’s proxy statement.

 

In fiscal year 2009, we did not pay a fee to any third party to identify or evaluate potential director nominees; however, in the future we may pay a fee to a third party to identify or evaluate potential director nominees if the need arises, given the important role our directors play in guiding our strategic direction and overseeing the management of our company.

 

Board candidates are selected based upon various criteria including their character, business experience and acumen. Some of the factors that are considered in evaluating candidates for the board of directors include experience in areas such as technology, manufacturing, marketing, finance, strategy, international business, and academia, as well as geographic, cultural, experiential and other forms of diversity. The nominating and corporate governance committee and board of directors review these factors, including diversity, in considering candidates for board membership. Board members are expected to prepare for, attend and participate in all board of directors and applicable committee meetings, and our annual meetings of stockholders. The nominating and corporate governance committee considers a director’s past attendance record, participation and contribution to the board of directors in considering whether to recommend the reelection of such director.

 

The following table shows information concerning the compensation that the company’s non-employee directors earned during the last completed fiscal year ended September 30, 2009.

 

2009 Director Compensation

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A director who is also our employee receives no additional compensation for his services as a director. Non-employee directors are eligible for the following compensation, which was approved by our board of directors in March 2007:

 

 

As provided in our Corporate Governance Guidelines and the nominating and corporate governance committee charter, the nominating and corporate governance committee is responsible for reviewing and recommending to the board of directors compensation (cash and equity) for non-employee directors. The committee does this through review of director compensation benchmark information and analysis provided by W.T. Haigh, director compensation consultant to the committee.

 

Our non-employee directors received an aggregate of 42,000 stock options and 14,000 shares of restricted stock in fiscal year 2009.

 

Under our Directors’ Cash Compensation Umbrella Program, which only applies to non-employee directors and is filed as an exhibit to our Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC on December 10, 2003, each non-employee director may choose to receive his compensation either in cash, in fully vested restricted stock under our 2000 Equity Incentive Plan (as of the date the fees are earned, the fees would be converted into the equivalent number of fully vested restricted shares, which would be beneficially owned and reported on Form 4 filings), or as deferred compensation under our Directors’ Deferred Compensation Plan, as amended September 23, 2008, which first became effective in March 2001, and is filed as an exhibit to our Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC on November 25, 2008. Non-employee directors continue to receive their respective annual retainer fees, committee chair annual retainer fees and annual non-qualified stock option grants at the time of our annual meeting, or upon the effective date of a director’s original election to the board of directors, if other than the annual meeting date. Non-employee directors also are eligible for reimbursement of travel and other out-of-pocket costs incurred in attending meetings. Non-employee directors are not eligible for any other compensation arrangement.

 

Prior to January 1, 2008, Messrs. Frazee, Fuller, Mooney, and Wilkinson had each elected to defer his compensation to future periods under the Directors’ Deferred Compensation Plan. Messrs. Frazee and Wilkinson, as of January 1, 2008, and Mr. Mooney, as of January 1, 2009, each elected to no longer defer his compensation under the plan. Under the Directors’ Deferred Compensation Plan, deferred amounts are payable only in the form of our common shares. A participating director is required to elect a date on which deferred compensation will begin to be distributed, which date generally must be at least two years after the end of the year deferrals are made and no

later than the date of termination. As of the date the compensation is earned, the fees are converted into the right to acquire the equivalent number of shares of common stock at the end of the deferral period. These rights to acquire shares under the Directors’ Deferred Compensation Plan are reported as beneficially owned on Form 4 filings for each participating director. As of January 11, 2010, an aggregate of approximately $1,446,290 of directors’ compensation was deferred under the plan, and as of September 30, 2009, the amount was $1,428,290.

 

None of the current or former members of the compensation committee are or have been our employees.

 

 

During fiscal years 2008 and 2009, the audit committee pre-approved 100% of all audit and non-audit services provided by our independent auditors, PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm. For such pre-approval of services, the audit committee follows its policy for the pre-approval of services provided by our independent auditors, a current copy of which is attached to this proxy statement as Appendix B and also is available on our web-site, www.cabotcmp.com. The following table presents fees for audit services rendered by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP for the audit of our annual financial statements for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2009, and September 30, 2008, and fees billed for other services rendered by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP during those periods.

 

 

 

 

The following report of the audit committee does not constitute soliciting material and should not be deemed filed or incorporated by reference into any other of our filings under the Securities Act of 1933 or the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, except to the extent we specifically incorporate this report by reference therein.

 

The audit committee of the board of directors is responsible for providing independent, objective oversight of our accounting and system of internal controls, the quality and integrity of our financial reports, and the independence and the selection, appointment, retention, compensation and oversight of the performance of our independent auditors. The audit committee is composed of independent directors and operates under a written charter, a current copy of which is attached to this proxy statement as Appendix A and is available on our website, www.cabotcmp.com. The audit committee reviews and reassesses the adequacy of the audit committee charter on an annual basis. Our board of directors has determined that the audit committee has at least one member who qualifies as an Audit Committee Financial Expert, as defined by relevant Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) rules, and has designated Mr. Wilkinson, the Chairman of the committee, as such Audit Committee Financial Expert.

 

Management is responsible for our internal controls and the financial reporting process. The independent auditors are responsible for performing an independent audit of our financial statements in accordance with generally accepted auditing standards and issuing a report on those financial statements. The audit committee monitors and oversees these processes.

 

In this context, the audit committee reviewed and discussed the audited financial statements for fiscal year 2009 with management and with the independent auditors. Specifically, the audit committee has discussed with the independent auditors the matters required to be discussed by Statement on Auditing Standards No. 61 (Communications with Audit Committees), which include, among other things:

 

 

The audit committee believes strongly in the principles underlying the requirement that independent auditors maintain their independence in strict compliance with applicable independence rules. The audit committee has received the written disclosures and the letter from the independent auditors required by applicable requirements of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board regarding the independent accountant’s communications with the audit committee concerning independence, and has discussed with the independent auditors the issue of the independent auditors’ independence from the company and management. In addition, in accordance with the SEC’s auditor independence requirements, the audit committee has considered whether the independent auditors’ provision of non-audit services to the company is compatible with maintaining the independence of the independent auditors and has concluded that it is.

 

Based on its review of the audited financial statements and the various discussions noted above, the audit committee recommended to the board of directors that the audited financial statements be included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2009.

 

Respectfully submitted by the audit committee,

 

John P. Frazee, Jr.

H. Laurance Fuller (until March, 2009)

Barbara A. Klein

Steven V. Wilkinson, Chairman

 

In this section, we discuss and analyze our executive officer compensation program and how we compensated each of our named executive officers identified in the following table in fiscal year 2009. The individuals listed include our chief executive officer, chief financial officer and our three other most highly compensated executive officers based on total compensation.

 

 

General.  Our executive compensation program is administered by the compensation committee of our board of directors, which is composed solely of independent directors. The compensation committee is responsible for determining the level of compensation paid to our named executive officers and our other executive officers, including determining awards under and administering the 2000 Equity Incentive Plan. The compensation committee is also responsible for reviewing and establishing all other executive officer compensation programs and plans that we may adopt from time to time. During and for fiscal year 2009, the compensation committee made all decisions pertaining to the compensation of our named executive officers and our other executive officers. The compensation committee also reviewed and approved the methodology used for compensation of our general employee population. Our chief executive officer is neither present for voting or deliberation on, nor votes upon decisions relating to, his compensation. In addition, our chief executive officer does not vote upon decisions related to the compensation of our other executive officers. Although our chief executive officer evaluates the performance of our other executive officers, including the named executive officers, discusses the compensation and mix and forms of compensation of the other executive officers with the compensation committee’s compensation consultant and with the committee, and makes recommendations to the committee with respect to the compensation of the other executive officers, the committee makes all final decisions regarding the executive officers’ compensation. Also, our chief financial officer, who also has responsibility for our human resources function, and his human resources staff, support the compensation committee in its work by providing input and recommendations on the overall mix and forms of executive officer compensation, and discusses such matters with the committee’s compensation consultant, as directed by the compensation committee. Our chief financial officer and human resources staff do not make decisions regarding the amount of compensation for our named executive officers or other executive officers, and are not present for voting or deliberation on, any such matters.

 

Compensation Policy and Overall Objectives.  In determining the amount and composition of executive officer compensation, the committee’s goal is to provide compensation that will enable us to:

 

 

In general, executive officers, including our Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer and our other named executive officers, are eligible for, and participate in, our compensation and benefits programs according to the same general terms as those available to all of our employees. For example, the terms and conditions of our annual equity incentive awards under the 2000 Equity Incentive Plan are the same for our executive officers as they are for our other employees. Similarly, the health and welfare benefit programs are the same for all of our employees, including our named executive officers and other executive officers; all executive officers participate in the same ESPP, 401(k) Plan and Supplemental Plan, according to the same terms, as all of our employees. Aside

from the change-in-control severance protection agreements with our named executive officers and other executive officers, and employment agreements with Mr. Noglows and Dr. Spiro, all of which are described in greater detail in the “Executive Compensation” section below, we do not have post-termination of service agreements with our executive officers. Our executive officers are eligible to participate in our Executive Officer Deposit Share Program, under which they are entitled to voluntarily use all or a portion of their after-tax bonus compensation to purchase, at fair market value, shares of restricted stock awarded under the 2000 Equity Incentive Plan. These shares are retained on deposit with us until the third anniversary of the date of deposit (“deposit shares”), and our company matches the deposit with a restricted stock grant equal to 50% of the shares deposited by the participant (“award shares”) subject to certain terms and conditions, as described in greater detail below.

 

Competitive Compensation and Benchmarking.  The compensation committee believes that each element of the compensation program should target compensation levels that take into account current market practices. Offering market-comparable pay opportunities allows us to maintain a stable, successful management team. Our direct competitors in our core business of developing, manufacturing, and selling chemical mechanical planarization (“CMP”) slurries and pads are not stand-alone publicly-traded entities; therefore, our market for compensation comparison purposes is comprised of a group of companies that develop, manufacture, supply or use a variety of semiconductor products and processes, including companies that have similar revenue levels, market capitalizations, employment levels and geographic presence. The compensation committee considers changes to the composition of this group from time-to-time based on changes in our or others’ business, and during fiscal year 2008, for the first time in approximately three years, revised the group based on recommendations made by the compensation committee’s outside compensation consultant, W.T. Haigh & Company, Inc. This current group, which the compensation committee first used as of the end of fiscal year 2008 to consider benchmarks for fiscal year 2008 annual cash bonuses, and fiscal year 2009 base salaries, annual cash bonus targets, and long term equity incentive awards, and has used since then for all comparison purposes, including fiscal year 2009 annual cash bonuses and fiscal year 2010 base salaries, annual cash bonus targets and long term equity incentive awards, is comprised of the following companies:

 

 

In evaluating the comparison group for compensation purposes, the compensation committee, in consultation with an outside compensation consultant hired by the committee, currently W.T. Haigh & Company, Inc., exercises its discretion and makes its judgment regarding executive officer compensation matters after considering all relevant factors. In general, it is the goal of the compensation committee that each element of compensation and total compensation for our named executive officers and our other executive officers fall within the 50th to 75th percentile for comparable positions within the comparison group. However, a direct correlation may not always exist between the roles and responsibilities of each of our executive officers and those of the position that appears to best correspond to such individual at companies within the comparison group. In addition, a direct correlation may not always exist between the relevant time period of evaluation given that the fiscal year end of companies within the comparison group is in most cases different from the company’s fiscal year end of September 30, thereby making direct or any comparison difficult, especially when, as in the company’s fiscal year 2009 and in the comparison group’s fiscal year 2008 and fiscal year 2009, significant macro-economic factors materially affect business performance and may affect business performance and therefore, compensation, differently and at different times to the company and to the companies within the comparison group.

 

The key elements of our compensation program for our named executive officers and other executive officers are:

 

 

In addition, we provide our named executive officers and other executive officers with:

 

 

Descriptions of these elements and the reasons we provide them to our named executive officers and other executive officers are provided in the following table:

 

Each of these elements is also addressed separately below. In determining compensation for executive officers, the compensation committee considers all elements of an executive officer’s total compensation package in comparison to current market practices, including change in control arrangements, ability to participate in savings plans and other benefits. On at least an annual basis, the compensation committee considers the base salary, annual cash bonus, and long-term equity incentive elements, and balance among each of these elements, of each executive officer’s overall compensation.

 

Base Salaries.  The compensation committee regularly reviews each executive officer’s base salary. Base salaries for executive officers are initially determined by evaluating the executive officers’ levels of responsibility, prior experience, breadth of knowledge, internal equity issues and external compensation practices, with particular reference to the comparison group of companies. Increases to base salaries are driven primarily by performance and current market practices, and evaluated by the compensation committee based on sustained levels of contribution to the company in the context of our performance-based management process. In the past several years, depending on the level of performance of the company and each executive officer, this generally has meant base salaries in the 50th to 75th percentile of the salary ranges of similarly positioned executive officers in the comparison group of companies. The significant adverse global economic conditions of fiscal year 2009 served as a primary factor for consideration by the compensation committee with respect to changes to base salary for both fiscal year 2009 (effective as of January 1, 2009), and fiscal year 2010 (effective as of January 1, 2010).

 

The factors the compensation committee considers in determining base salary levels are not assigned specific weights. Rather, the compensation committee reviews all of the factors and makes base pay determinations that reflect the compensation committee’s analysis of the aggregate impact of these factors. Following fiscal year 2007 and upon review of each executive officer’s performance in the fiscal year and compensation, the compensation committee, in considering merit salary increases to be effective January 1, 2008 for the calendar year, increased our named executive officers’ base salaries in the range of 4% to 8% to remain competitive within our peer group. Following fiscal year 2008 and upon review of each executive officer’s performance in the fiscal year and compensation, the compensation committee, in considering merit salary increases to be effective January 1, 2009 for the calendar year, approved an increase to our named executive officers’ base salaries of approximately 3% to remain competitive within our peer group. However, the compensation committee also instructed Mr. Noglows that, in light of the significant adverse global economic conditions that were beginning to affect our business, if Mr. Noglows chose to reduce the base salary merit increase percentage for the general employee population by 1% as he had discussed with the committee, the committee approved in advance Mr. Noglows’ extension of the same percentage point reduction in approved base salary increase for all of the executive officers, including himself and all of the other named executive officers. Given the growing global economic downturn, Mr. Noglows declined the entire base salary increase of 3% that the compensation committee had approved for him for 2009, and retained his own base salary at its 2008 level of $545,000. He also made the decision to reduce the January 1, 2009 base salary merit increase percentage for the general employee population and all executive officers, including the other named executive officers, by 1%, as discussed with the compensation committee, which resulted in an increase to our named executive officers’ base salaries of approximately 2%. Following fiscal year 2009 and upon review of each executive officer’s performance in the fiscal year and compensation, as well as the macroeconomic environment of the past fiscal year, the compensation committee, in considering merit salary increases to be effective January 1, 2010 for the calendar year, approved an increase to our named executive officers’ base salaries of approximately 2.5%, with the exception of Mr. Wobby, whose base salary was increased by 4.5% to more align his base salary with those of his internal peers, remain competitive within our peer group of companies, and to reflect his performance in fiscal year 2009. The resulting base salaries for 2010, 2009, and 2008 are as follows:

 

Annual Cash Bonuses.  All of the company’s employees are eligible to participate in the company’s cash bonus program, which is called our Annual Incentive Program, with executive officer, including named executive officer, bonuses, if any, determined by the compensation committee. As with all employees, executive officers’ opportunities to earn annual cash bonuses correspond to the degree to which our company achieves the annually-established goals. The compensation committee believes that a cash bonus program allows us to communicate specific goals that are of primary importance during each year and motivates executive officers to achieve these goals.

 

Performance-Based Management Program and Company Performance Objectives: At the beginning of each fiscal year, the compensation committee and board of directors establish specific performance goals for the company in accordance with our performance-based management process. These objectives are set to reflect the key elements of our annual plan and budget, and provide a common platform for our initiatives for the year. Throughout the year, our senior management periodically reviews the company’s progress in achieving these goals with our board of directors and compensation committee. In December, 2008, the board of directors and compensation committee approved our Fiscal Year 2009 Company Performance Objectives, which also served as our Performance Goals for the purposes of our Annual Incentive Program. As in prior years, the fiscal year 2009 Annual Incentive Program Performance Goals were chosen to encourage a particular and enhanced focus on certain aspects of our company’s business strategy and objectives for all of our employees, including our named executive officers and other executive officers, and for which all of our executive officers collectively have responsibility for influencing and driving. The fiscal year 2009 Annual Incentive Program Performance Goals were set when the possible extent and severity of the significant adverse impact of the global economic dislocation was just beginning to be experienced by our company.

 

The board of directors and compensation committee selected as our Fiscal Year 2009 Company Performance Objectives and Annual Incentive Program Performance Goals financial measures that are consistent with those used by the investment community to evaluate the performance of our company, and which would be appropriate goals by which to incent the ongoing balanced performance of the company and its employees, including its executive officers, across all of its operational units, and in an extremely challenging economic environment. The Fiscal Year 2009 Company Performance Objectives and Annual Incentive Program Performance Goals with corresponding Measures for evaluating attainment of such, were as follows:

 

Fiscal Year 2009 Company Performance Objectives:

 

Fiscal Year 2009 Annual Incentive Program Performance Goals (with corresponding Measures):

 

 

Performance Goals, Bonus Pool and Bonus Calculation: As in prior years, in fiscal year 2009, achievement of the noted five Fiscal Year 2009 Annual Incentive Program Performance Goals served as the mechanism by which the company determined the amount of funding for our Annual Incentive Program Bonus Pool (“AIP Bonus Pool”), which is approved by the compensation committee for all employees, including our named executive officers and other executive officers.

 

To determine the funding of the AIP Bonus Pool, the performance goals generally are weighted, based on their relative importance to achieving the company’s overall goals. Then, for each performance goal, “threshold”, “target” and “stretch” metrics, or levels, of performance are established. Because each year our performance goals are set to reflect the key objectives of our annual plan and budget, the “threshold”, “target” and “stretch” metrics for each goal are designed to reflect increasing levels of difficulty, improvement, and motivation in achieving each level. As part of our senior management’s periodic review throughout the year of our progress in meeting our Company Performance Objectives and Annual Incentive Program Performance Goals with the compensation

committee and board of directors, performance is discussed against a particular goal’s “threshold”, “target” and “stretch” levels.

 

The specific “threshold,” “target,” and “stretch” metrics related to the Annual Incentive Program Performance Goals noted above are omitted from this discussion because disclosure of such metrics would result in competitive harm to the company because these metrics reflect our specific business strategies, financial objectives, and proprietary commercialization, operations and marketing plans. We are the global leader in CMP slurries, and developing complementary businesses both within and outside of the CMP consumables market, and our direct competitors in our core business of developing, manufacturing, and selling CMP slurries and pads, aggressively follow and seek the competitive details of our business. Our direct competitors are comprised of United States as well as foreign entities. In addition, our competitors are not stand-alone publicly-traded entities; rather, they are either privately-held entities or divisions or functions within divisions of large publicly-held companies. Thus, these competitors are not subject to the same public company disclosure requirements and disclosure of the specific metrics related to our Company Performance Objectives and Annual Incentive Program Performance Goals would place the company at a relative competitive disadvantage.

 

The “threshold” level of performance for a particular performance goal represents the lowest level of performance for which any bonus would be earned on that goal. The “stretch” level of performance represents the level for which the maximum bonus would be earned for that particular goal, and the “target” represents the target level of performance. The actual bonus, if any, attributable to each performance goal is calculated based on the actual performance compared to these “threshold”, “target” and “stretch” performance levels, and these are added together for all the performance goals to determine the funding of the AIP Bonus Pool. In turn, the AIP Bonus Pool is allocated for payment of bonuses to employees and executive officers, including our named executive officers. For fiscal year 2009, the bonus for a particular employee or executive officer was calculated by:

 

i) multiplying the salary of the employee or executive officer by the bonus target level established for the particular role or band of the employee or executive officer (expressed as a percentage of the individual’s base salary, and set according to market pay practices), as described in greater detail for executive officers below;

 

ii) multiplied by a factor related to the overall achievement of the Annual Incentive Program Performance Goals (expressed as a percentage of the “target” level of performance); and

 

iii) multiplied by a factor that corresponds to an assessment of the individual performance of the employee or executive officer relative to the individual’s own performance objectives.

 

In addition, in certain years, in assessing the company’s overall performance and calculating the funding of the AIP Bonus Pool for all of our employees, including our named executive officers and other executive officers, the compensation committee also considers certain additional factors, such as, for example, acquisition activity, or the impact of global or other events beyond the company’s control, that may have affected our Company’s achievement of certain of the Performance Goals that the committee considered important in evaluating the company’s performance for the particular fiscal year, but that were not able to be known to the company at the time the year’s Annual Incentive Program Performance Goals and related metrics were established. In fiscal year 2009, however, the compensation committee did not consider additional factors like these in assessing the company’s overall performance and calculating the funding of the AIP Bonus Pool, given the comprehensive and material adverse effect of the global economic crisis on the company and its overall performance in fiscal year 2009.

 

Individual Executive Officer Bonus Target Levels and Cash Bonus Earned: As described above, actual payouts for cash bonus awards are determined by the level of performance of our company and the individual performance of each employee, including each named executive officer and other executive officers, and may be higher or lower than the established individual’s bonus target level depending upon performance relative to the pre-established goals. The compensation committee, in consultation with its outside compensation consultant, has established a bonus award target for each executive officer by evaluating factors such as external pay practices, with particular reference to the comparison group of companies (as described above, bonus award targets are established for each of our employees based on an individual’s role or level). In this regard, for fiscal year 2009 the compensation committee retained the bonus award target for each named executive officer at the same level as each individual’s

bonus award target for fiscal year 2008. The bonus award targets and actual amounts earned for our named executive officers for fiscal year 2009 were as follows:

 

 

 

 

Fiscal Year 2010 Performance Management Program and Performance Goals. In November, 2009, the compensation committee and board of directors set our Fiscal Year 2010 Annual Incentive Program Performance Goals, generally using the process described above. These performance goals are: financial goals that include earnings per share, gross margin, total revenue, and a cash flow measure, and a business operations goal focused on achieving certain business opportunities. In approving the fiscal year 2010 Annual Incentive Program Performance Goals, the compensation committee noted that any cash bonus award amounts pursuant to the Annual Incentive Program will be determined for each participant based on levels of attainment of the indicated goals by our company, as well as the attainment of individual performance objectives, as assessed by the compensation committee using its discretion; such assessment may include consideration of macroeconomic and other factors, whether or not able to be generally foreseen, that may impact our company’s performance during fiscal year 2010.

 

Long-Term Equity Incentives.  Long-term equity incentives are provided to our named executive officers and other executive officers pursuant to the 2000 Equity Incentive Plan. All of the company’s employees are eligible to participate in our 2000 Equity Incentive Plan, with any and all awards to executive officers, including named executive officers, pursuant to it determined by the compensation committee. The compensation committee believes that equity-based compensation is an essential element in our overall compensation scheme. Equity-based compensation is emphasized in the design of our executive officer compensation program because it involves at-risk components of compensation that directly link our executive officers’ interests with those of our stockholders. The compensation committee, in consultation with its outside compensation consultant, evaluates the balance of equity-based compensation with the base salary and cash bonus elements of cash compensation by considering factors such as external compensation practices, with particular reference to the comparison group of companies, the ability to achieve a desired balance between cash and equity-based compensation, and the financial impact to our company of providing various kinds and amounts of equity-based compensation to our employees, including our executive officers.

 

Timing of Grants: Initial or “new-hire” options and restricted stock may be awarded to employees, including our executive officers, when they join the company. Thereafter, options and restricted stock may be awarded to employees, including each executive officer, annually and from time to time based on performance. To enhance retention, options and restricted stock awarded to executive officers, as with awards to all other employees, are subject to vesting restrictions that generally lapse over a four-year period. Stock option grants to executive officers, whether “new hire”, occasional, or pursuant to our annual incentive program, may only be made upon specific approval by the compensation committee, as is the case with all other forms of equity-based compensation and non-equity-based compensation for executive officers. Our stock option grant practice consistently has been that the exercise price for all of our stock option grants, including those to our executive officers, is the fair market value, as represented by the closing price, of our stock on the stock option grant date, as approved by the compensation committee. For “new hire” grants, the grant date is the first day of employment for the grant recipient; for grants

made pursuant to our annual grant program or at other times in particular circumstances, the latter of which has not occurred for any of our executive officers, the grant date is the date of approval by the compensation committee or a subsequent date set by the committee in its approval. For our annual grant program, our practice for the past eight annual cycles has been that the one grant date for grants made to all employees, including all of our executive officers, occurs within the week following the compensation committee’s meeting (usually late November or early December) to consider and decide upon performance and compensation-related matters for our employees, including specific evaluations and decisions regarding each of our executive officers, such as annual cash bonuses, base salary increases, and equity-based incentive awards following the close of our fiscal year on September 30. It is our practice to set a stock option’s grant date only for a date certain on or subsequent to the date the grant is approved, and it is not our practice to set a stock option’s grant date as a date prior to the date of approval for a grant (i.e., “backdating”). In addition, it is not our practice to make stock option grants while we are in possession, or in coordination with the release, of material non-public information regarding our company. To our knowledge, we have followed our stock option grant practices throughout our history as a publicly-traded company. While we do not have any current plans to change our stock option grant practices, circumstances may arise such that we might decide it is in the best interests of our business to do so in the future.

 

Allocation Among Awards: Prior to our fiscal year 2007 awards and grants that the compensation committee made on December 1, 2006, as part of our annual equity incentive award program, our compensation committee had awarded only non-qualified stock option grants pursuant to our annual grant program. As permitted by the 2000 Equity Incentive Plan, on December 1, 2006, our compensation committee decided to award a blend of non-qualified stock option grants and restricted stock awards (restricted stock units for our non-United States employees) to all employees who were receiving awards on December 1, 2006, including the named executive officers and other executive officers, according to approximately a three-to-one ratio of non-qualified stock options granted to restricted stock awarded. Our compensation committee made this decision primarily to address the financial impact of the expensing of equity-based compensation required pursuant to an accounting standard issued by the Financial Accounting Standards Board (SFAS 123R) that became applicable to us as of October 1, 2005, as well as to more competitively balance the types of equity incentives being awarded to our employees pursuant to the 2000 Equity Incentive Plan. In addition, for our fiscal years 2008, 2009 and 2010 annual equity incentive award program grants, which occurred on November 30, 2007, December 1, 2008 and December 1, 2009, respectively, we continued to provide this combination of restricted stock and stock option awards for our employees, including our named executive officers. For more information regarding these awards, see Footnote no. 2 to the Grants of Plan-Based Awards table.

 

Size of Awards: When determining awards for individual executive officers under the 2000 Equity Incentive Plan, the compensation committee primarily considers compensation practices and equity values awarded at the comparison group of companies, as well as the executive officer’s level of current and potential future responsibility, and to some extent performance in the prior year. In determining award sizes, the compensation committee does not assign specific weights to these factors. Rather, the factors are evaluated on an aggregate basis. In addition, the compensation committee considers the overall number of units to be granted in our annual equity incentive award program to all employees with respect to consideration of our annual equity award run rate. For example, for our fiscal year 2007 annual equity incentive awards, which occurred on December 1, 2006, we reduced the overall “units” to be awarded to our employees, including our named executive officers and other executive officers, receiving such awards, relative to the fiscal year 2006 grants generally in order to reduce our overall equity award run rate, manage the financial impact of the expensing of equity-based compensation pursuant to SFAS 123R, and make our awards more consistent in number with those of peer companies; we generally maintained this overall level of awards for our fiscal year 2008 annual equity incentive awards, which occurred on November 30, 2007. As another example, for our fiscal year 2009 annual equity incentive awards, which occurred on December 1, 2008, the compensation committee, upon the advice of its compensation consultant, increased the overall “units” to be awarded to our employees, including our named executive officers and other executive officers, receiving such awards, relative to the fiscal year 2008 awards generally in order to reflect a dollar value of award delivered based upon the average recent price of our stock more consistent with that value delivered in fiscal year 2008, and with those of peer companies. Similarly, for our fiscal year 2010 annual equity incentive awards, which occurred on December 1, 2009, the compensation committee, upon the advice of its compensation consultant, decreased the overall number of “units” to be awarded to our employees, including our named executive officers and other

executive officers, receiving such awards, relative to the fiscal year 2009 awards generally in order to reflect a dollar value of award delivered based upon the average recent price of our stock more consistent with the value delivered in fiscal year 2009. These fiscal year 2010 annual equity incentive awards, which occurred on December 1, 2009, are shown in the following table:

 

 

In general, the compensation committee has not considered any actual amounts that may have been realized from prior equity-based compensation awards in awarding subsequent equity-based compensation, or other elements of compensation. However, in considering awards under the 2000 Equity Incentive Plan to our employees, including executive officers, the compensation committee does consider whether equity-based awards that previously may have been made to them continue to fulfill the purposes of motivation and retention.

 

Our executive officers are also eligible to participate in the Executive Officer Deposit Share Program. See “EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION — Executive Officer Deposit Share Program,” below. While all of our executive officers have equity ownership in our company through participation in various equity-based programs such as the Employee Stock Purchase Plan, Executive Officer Deposit Share Program, and our annual equity incentive award program, we do not currently have equity-ownership requirements or guidelines for our executive officers.

 

Change in Control Severance Protection Benefits.  The terms and conditions of the change in control severance protection agreements with our named executive officers and the employment agreements with Mr. Noglows and Dr. Spiro are described in more detail in the section entitled “Executive Compensation” below. The board of directors and compensation committee originally determined the terms and conditions of the change in control severance protection agreements, including the severance benefit payable, and the triggering events for the payment of such severance benefit, pursuant to such agreement, in consultation with their compensation consultant and our financial and other advisors, and considered external practices at similarly situated companies regarding change in control arrangements. The board of directors and compensation committee also review the costs and benefits of the change in control severance protection agreements approximately every three years, most recently in June 2007. As a result of this review, the board of directors and compensation committee, with advice from the committee’s compensation consultant regarding market practices, determined that the cost to the company and the competitiveness of such agreements remain reasonable and appropriate. The agreements are described in more detail in the section entitled “Executive Compensation” below.

 

Retirement and Other Benefits.  We have adopted various employee benefit plans and arrangements for the purpose of providing compensation and employee benefits to our employees, including our executive officers. In general, the same terms apply to all of our employees, including our executive officers. These plans and arrangements include our 2000 Equity Incentive Plan, Employee Stock Purchase Plan, the 401(k) Plan, and the Supplemental Plan.

 

When Mr. Noglows joined our company in fiscal year 2004, the compensation committee, in consultation with outside advisors hired by the committee, used the executive compensation practices described above to determine the terms of Mr. Noglows’ employment offer and initial compensation, comprised of base salary, cash bonus and equity-based compensation elements, which are part of Mr. Noglows’ employment agreement with our company, as described in greater detail in the section entitled “Executive Compensation” below. As part of the agreement and his joining the company, Mr. Noglows also entered into a change-in-control severance protection agreement and

became eligible for the reimbursement of certain relocation and other expenses, all of which are described in greater detail in the section entitled “Executive Compensation” below.

 

Upon completion of fiscal year 2009, the compensation committee, in consultation with the compensation committee’s outside compensation consultant, used the executive compensation practices described above, including the performance goals established by the committee, to determine Mr. Noglows’ compensation, composed of a cash bonus for fiscal year 2009, and a non-qualified stock option grant and a restricted stock award as part of the annual equity incentive award cycle for which all employees were eligible. In addition, in setting both the cash-based and equity-based elements of Mr. Noglows’ compensation, the compensation committee made an overall assessment of Mr. Noglows’ leadership in achieving the company’s long-term and short-term strategic, operational and business goals. This included a favorable review of his overall performance in leading the company, especially in the midst of one of the most severe economic dislocations in recent history, while at the same time strategically advancing the company through actions such as the successful negotiation, close and integration of a cross-border acquisition in Taiwan on schedule, and the ongoing successful growth of our polishing pads business, including the implementation of a polishing pads facility at a strategic customer, as well as a desire to keep his compensation competitive within our peer group and equitable and consistent compared to our other executive officers. In addition to these factors, Mr. Noglows’ cash bonus award for fiscal year 2009 reflected the company’s performance against certain financial and other objectives in fiscal year 2009, and the aspects of the overall pre-established goals for fiscal year 2009 that were met, all of which were materially adversely affected by the severe macroeconomic environment, as assessed by the compensation committee, using its discretion. These goals are described in greater detail above. Based upon all of these criteria, which included the compensation committee’s assessment of the company’s and Mr. Noglows’ performance in various respects in fiscal year 2009 as compared with fiscal year 2008, the compensation committee awarded Mr. Noglows $109,000 as a cash bonus for fiscal year 2009, and increased his annual base salary to $559,000, effective January 1, 2010. Mr. Noglows’ fiscal year 2009 cash bonus of $109,000, together with his $545,000 base salary paid during fiscal year 2009, resulted in total cash compensation to Mr. Noglows for fiscal year 2009 of $654,000; this was $409,750 less than the $1,063,750 in total cash compensation that Mr. Noglows received for fiscal year 2008. In addition, as noted above and as reported in Footnote no. 2 to the 2009 Grants of Plan-Based Awards table that follows, on December 1, 2009, the compensation committee awarded Mr. Noglows equity-based compensation in the form of: (i) non-qualified stock options to purchase an aggregate of 75,000 shares of the company’s common stock that vest in equal increments upon each anniversary over four years and have a term of ten years that expires December 1, 2019, at an exercise price of $31.11, which was the closing price of our stock on the grant date; and (ii) 25,000 shares of restricted stock with a fair market value based on the closing price of our stock on the award date of $31.11 per share that lapse in equal increments upon each anniversary over four years. Aside from the number of options granted and restricted stock awarded, the terms and conditions of this option grant and restricted stock award are the same as those for grants and awards made to our other employees, including those that provide that any options that are not vested and restricted stock on which restrictions have not lapsed at the time of termination of employment are forfeited. Because these equity awards were made after the completion of fiscal year 2009, they are reported in the referenced footnote and not specifically reported in the compensation tables that follow.

 

As noted above, the compensation committee and the board of directors reviews on a periodic basis the hypothetical costs to the company of Mr. Noglows’ change-in-control severance protection agreement, and those of the company’s other executive officers and key employees who have such agreements.

 

Internal Revenue Code Section 162(m).  As one of the factors in its review of compensation matters, the committee considers the anticipated tax treatment to our company and to our executives of various payments and benefits. The deductibility of some types of compensation payments depends upon the timing of an executive’s vesting or exercise of previously granted rights. Furthermore, interpretations of and changes in the tax laws and other factors beyond the compensation committee’s control also affect the deductibility of compensation. For these and other reasons, the compensation committee will not necessarily limit executive compensation to that deductible under Section 162(m) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended. The compensation committee will consider various alternatives to preserving the deductibility of compensation payments and benefits to the extent

reasonably practicable and to the extent consistent with its other compensation objectives. At our annual meeting of stockholders held in March 2004, our 2000 Equity Incentive Plan was submitted to our stockholders for approval, and our stockholders approved the plan. The 2000 Equity Incentive Plan’s predecessor plan, the Amended and Restated Cabot Microelectronics Corporation 2000 Equity Incentive Plan, previously had been approved by our stockholders in March 2001. The 2000 Equity Incentive Plan is intended to qualify certain compensation awarded under that plan for tax deductibility under Section 162(m).

 

Other Factors.  As described above, our compensation committee began the use of awards of restricted stock in addition to grants of non-qualified stock options primarily to address the financial impact of the expensing of equity-based compensation required under SFAS 123R. In addition, the company has intended for its non-qualified deferred compensation plans and other plans and agreements subject to the requirements of Internal Revenue Code Section 409A to be in compliance with such requirements.

 

The following report of the compensation committee does not constitute soliciting material and should not be deemed filed or incorporated by reference into any other of our filings under the Securities Act of 1933 or the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, except to the extent we specifically incorporate this report by reference therein.

 

The compensation committee of the board of directors has reviewed and discussed the Compensation Discussion and Analysis with our company’s management, and based on the review and discussions, the compensation committee has recommended to the board of directors that the Compensation Discussion and Analysis be included in this proxy statement and the company’s annual report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2009.

 

Submitted by the compensation committee,

 

Robert J. Birgeneau

H. Laurance Fuller, Chairman

Edward J. Mooney

Bailing Xia

 

The following tables set forth certain compensation information for our Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer, and three other most highly compensated executive officers of the company (collectively the “named executive officers”) for the fiscal years ended September 30, 2009, September 30, 2008 and September 30, 2007.

 

 

 

 

 

 

On November 2, 2003, we entered into an employment agreement with Mr. Noglows to become our Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer. Pursuant to this employment agreement, among other terms, we agreed to pay Mr. Noglows an annual base salary of $450,000 and a cash bonus for fiscal year 2004 that would not be less than $160,000, following the end of fiscal year 2004. Mr. Noglows’ agreement provides that following the close of each fiscal year, beginning with the end of fiscal year 2004, the compensation committee of the board of directors will meet to consider an increase in Mr. Noglows’ annual base salary in accordance with its normal practices, and the compensation committee has done so, as described in more detail above; for 2008, the compensation committee set Mr. Noglows’ base salary at $545,000, as described above, for 2009 Mr. Noglows declined any increase to his base salary and instead retained it at $545,000, despite the fact that the compensation committee had approved an increase of 3% to his base salary for 2009, and for 2010, the compensation committee has set his salary at $559,000. The employment agreement also provided the grant of an option to purchase 250,000 shares of our common stock with an exercise price of $55.37, vesting in four equal annual installments on each subsequent anniversary of November 3, 2003, his first date of employment, and an expiration of November 3, 2013. We also agreed to provide Mr. Noglows with certain relocation and other reimbursements and to allow Mr. Noglows to utilize first-class air travel while he is employed by us.

 

On November 13, 2003, we entered into an employment agreement with Dr. Spiro to become our Vice President, Research & Development. Pursuant to this agreement, among other terms, we agreed to pay Dr. Spiro an annual base salary of $225,000. Dr. Spiro’s agreement states that annual reviews by the compensation committee of the board of directors with respect to any future salary adjustments are usually held in the quarter following the close of our fiscal year; for 2008, the compensation committee set his salary at $299,000, for 2009, the compensation committee set his salary at $304,900, and for 2010, the compensation committee has set his salary at $312,500. Dr. Spiro’s agreement also provided for the grant of an option to purchase 50,000 shares of our common stock, vesting in four equal annual installments on each subsequent anniversary of Dr. Spiro’s first day of employment, December 1, 2003. Dr. Spiro’s employment agreement provides that he is eligible to participate in our annual cash incentive program with a target of 45% of base salary, which, as described in greater detail above, has been raised by the compensation committee to be a target of 65% of base salary.

 

We have adopted various employee benefit plans and arrangements for the purpose of providing compensation and employee benefits to our employees, including our named executive officers and our other executive officers. In general, the same terms apply to all of our employees, including our named executive officers and our other executive officers. These plans and arrangements include the 2000 Equity Incentive Plan, the Employee Stock Purchase Plan, the 401(k) Plan, and Supplemental Plan.

 

The following table shows all awards granted to the named executive officers during the fiscal year ended September 30, 2009 pursuant to the 2000 Equity Incentive Plan.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The options granted on December 1, 2008 vest in equal increments upon each anniversary over four years, and have a term of ten years, expiring December 1, 2018. As with all other grants of stock options and awards of restricted stock to our named executive officers and other executive officers, other than the number of options or restricted stock awarded, the terms and conditions of these stock option grants are the same as those made to all other employees. This includes a provision that if a participant retires (defined as the voluntary termination of employment, where no circumstances for termination for cause exist, upon the participant’s achievement of at least 55 years of age and five years of service), then the participant may retain any option previously vested throughout the term of such option; as with our other option grants, any options that have not yet vested as of termination are forfeited.

 

Our executive officers are eligible to participate in the Executive Officer Deposit Share Program that our board of directors adopted in March 2000. Under this program, our executive officers are entitled to use all or a portion of their after-tax bonus compensation to purchase at fair market value shares of restricted stock awarded under the 2000 Equity Incentive Plan. These shares are retained on deposit with us until the third anniversary of the date of deposit (“deposit shares”), and our company matches the deposit with a restricted stock grant equal to 50% of the shares deposited by the participant (“award shares”). If the participant is employed by us on the third anniversary of the deposit date and the deposit shares have remained on deposit with us through such date, the restrictions on the award shares will lapse. Seven individuals currently participate in the deposit share plan, and 18,821 shares (including award shares) are currently on deposit under that program for all executive officers. Of the named executive officers, Mr. Noglows, Mr. Johnson, and Mr. Wobby participate with (i) 2,714, (ii) 2,896, and (iii) 3,348 respective deposit shares and (i) 1,356, (ii) 1,447, and (iii) 1,673 respective award shares on deposit under the program. These amounts do not include the 23,766 shares (including award shares) no longer under deposit or subject to restrictions as of January 11, 2010, of which Mr. Noglows, Mr. Johnson, Dr. Spiro, Mr. Weisman and Mr. Wobby respectively had (i) 4,970, (ii) 1,912, (iii) 5,484, (iv) 457, and (v) 1,476 respective deposit shares and (i) 2,484, (ii) 956, (iii) 2,741, (iv) 228, and (v) 738 respective award shares. On December 12, 2007, Mr. Noglows, Mr. Johnson and Mr. Wobby participated in the Executive Officer Deposit Share Program as follows: Mr. Noglows purchased 1,085 deposit shares and received 542 award shares; Mr. Johnson purchased 678 deposit shares and received 339 award shares; and Mr. Wobby purchased 1,085 deposit shares and received 542 award shares. The restrictions on the award shares will lapse on December 12, 2010 if the participant is employed by us at that time and the corresponding deposit shares have remained on deposit with us through such date. On December 10, 2008, Mr. Noglows, Mr. Johnson and Mr. Wobby participated in the Executive Officer Deposit Share Program as follows: Mr. Noglows purchased 1,629 deposit shares and received 814 award shares; Mr. Johnson purchased 1,425 deposit shares and received 712 award shares; and Mr. Wobby purchased 1,629 deposit shares and received 814 award shares. The restrictions on the award shares will lapse on December 10, 2011 if the participant is employed by us at that time and the corresponding deposit shares have remained on deposit with us through such date. On December 9, 2009, Mr. Johnson and Mr. Wobby participated in the Executive Officer Deposit Share Program as follows: Mr. Johnson purchased 793 deposit shares and received 396 award shares; and Mr. Wobby purchased 634 deposit shares and received 317 award shares. The restrictions on the award shares will lapse on December 9, 2012 if the participant is employed by us at that time and the corresponding deposit shares have remained on deposit with us through such date.

 

The following table shows outstanding stock option awards classified as exercisable and unexercisable as of September 30, 2009 for each named executive officer. The table also shows unvested and unearned stock awards assuming a market value of $34.86 a share (the closing market price of the company’s stock on September 30, 2009).