UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

 

SCHEDULE 14A

(Rule 14a-101)

Information Required in Proxy Statement

Schedule 14A Information

Proxy Statement Pursuant to Section 14(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934

 

 

TRIPADVISOR, INC.

(Name of Registrant as Specified In Its Charter)

(Name of Person(s) Filing Proxy Statement, if other than the Registrant)

Payment of Filing Fee (Check the appropriate box):

 

 

 

 

 

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April 28, 2015

Dear Fellow Stockholder:

You are cordially invited to attend the Annual Meeting of Stockholders of TripAdvisor, Inc. We will hold the Annual Meeting on Thursday, June 18, 2015, at 1:30 p.m. local time at the offices of Goodwin Procter LLP, 53 State Street, Boston, MA 02109.

At the Annual Meeting, stockholders will be asked (1) to elect the nine directors named in this Proxy Statement, (2) to ratify the appointment of KPMG LLP as our independent registered public accounting firm for 2015, (3) to approve, on an advisory basis, the compensation of our named executive officers as disclosed in our Proxy Statement, and (4) to consider and act upon any other business that may properly come before the meeting and any adjournments or postponements thereof. The Board of Directors recommends a vote FOR proposals (1) through (3).

You may vote if you were a stockholder of record on April 20, 2015. You may vote via the Internet or by telephone by following the instructions on your Notice of Internet Availability and on the website noted in the Notice of Internet Availability. In order to vote via the Internet or by telephone, you must have your stockholder identification number, which is provided in your Notice. If you have requested a proxy card by mail, you may vote by signing, voting and returning that proxy card in the envelope provided. If you attend the Annual Meeting, you may vote in person even if you have previously returned your proxy card or have voted via the Internet or by telephone.

Your vote is very important to us. Please review the instructions for each voting option described in the Notice and in this Proxy Statement. Your prompt cooperation will be greatly appreciated.

 

 

 

 

 

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TRIPADVISOR, INC.

141 Needham Street

Newton, Massachusetts 02464

NOTICE OF ANNUAL MEETING OF STOCKHOLDERS

To Be Held on June 18, 2015

The Annual Meeting of Stockholders of TripAdvisor, Inc., a Delaware corporation, will be held on Thursday, June 18, 2015, at 1:30 p.m. local time at the offices of Goodwin Procter LLP, 53 State Street, Boston, MA 02109. At the Annual Meeting, stockholders will be asked to consider the following:

1.To elect the nine directors named in this Proxy Statement, each to serve for a one-year term from the date of his or her election and until such director’s successor is elected or until such director’s earlier resignation or removal;

2.To ratify the appointment of KPMG LLP as our independent registered public accounting firm for 2015;

3.To approve, on an advisory basis, the compensation of our named executive officers as disclosed in our Proxy Statement; and

4.To consider and act upon any other business as may properly come before the Annual Meeting and any adjournments or postponements thereof.

Only holders of record of outstanding shares of TripAdvisor capital stock at the close of business on April 20, 2015 are entitled to notice of and to vote at the Annual Meeting and any at adjournments or postponements thereof.

In accordance with the rules of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, we will send a Notice of Internet Availability of Proxy Materials on or about April 28, 2015, and provide access to our proxy materials over the Internet, beginning on April 28, 2015, to the holders of record and beneficial owners of our capital stock as of the close of business on the record date.

Only stockholders and persons holding proxies from stockholders may attend the Annual Meeting. If your shares are registered in your name, you must bring a form of identification to the Annual Meeting. If your shares are held in the name of a broker, trust, bank or other nominee, you must bring a proxy or letter from that broker, trust, bank or other nominee that confirms that you are the beneficial owner of those shares.

 

 

April 28, 2015

Important Notice Regarding the Availability of Proxy Materials

for the Annual Meeting of Stockholders to Be Held on June 18, 2015

This Proxy Statement and the 2014 Annual Report are available at:

http://ir.tripadvisor.com/annual-proxy.cfm

 

 

 

 

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TRIPADVISOR, INC.

PROXY STATEMENT FOR THE ANNUAL MEETING OF STOCKHOLDERS

TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

 

 

 

 

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PROCEDURAL MATTERS

This Proxy Statement is being furnished to holders of common stock and Class B common stock of TripAdvisor, Inc., a Delaware corporation, in connection with the solicitation of proxies by TripAdvisor’s Board of Directors for use at its 2015 Annual Meeting of Stockholders or any adjournment or postponement thereof (the “Annual Meeting”). All references to “TripAdvisor,” the “Company,” “we,” “our” or “us” in this Proxy Statement are to TripAdvisor, Inc. An Annual Report to Stockholders, containing financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2014, and this Proxy Statement are being made available to all stockholders entitled to vote at the Annual Meeting.

TripAdvisor’s principal executive offices are currently located at 141 Needham Street, Newton, Massachusetts 02464. This Proxy Statement is being made available to TripAdvisor stockholders on or about April 28, 2015.

Date, Time and Place of Meeting

The Annual Meeting will be held on Thursday, June 18, 2015, at 1:30 p.m. local time at the offices of Goodwin Procter LLP, 53 State Street, Boston, MA 02109.

Only stockholders and persons holding proxies from stockholders may attend the Annual Meeting. If your shares are registered in your name, you must bring a form of identification to the Annual Meeting. If your shares are held in the name of a broker, trust, bank or other nominee, otherwise known as holding in “street name,” you must bring a proxy or letter from that broker, trust, bank or other nominee that confirms you are the beneficial owner of those shares. Cameras and recording devices will not be permitted at the Annual Meeting.

Record Date and Voting Rights

The Board of Directors established the close of business on April 20, 2015 as the record date for determining the holders of TripAdvisor common stock entitled to notice of and to vote at the Annual Meeting. On the record date, 130,707,574 shares of common stock and 12,799,999 shares of Class B common stock were outstanding and entitled to vote at the Annual Meeting. TripAdvisor stockholders are entitled to one vote for each share of common stock and ten votes for each share of Class B common stock held as of the record date, voting together as a single voting group, in (i) the election of six of the nine director nominees, (ii) the ratification of the appointment of KPMG LLP as TripAdvisor’s independent registered public accounting firm, and (iii) the advisory resolution to approve the compensation of our named executive officers. TripAdvisor stockholders are entitled to one vote for each share of common stock held as of the record date in the election of the three director nominees that the holders of TripAdvisor common stock are entitled to elect as a separate class pursuant to TripAdvisor’s restated certificate of incorporation.

On August 27, 2014, the entire beneficial ownership of our common stock and Class B common stock held by Liberty Interactive Corporation (“Liberty”) was transferred to Liberty TripAdvisor Holdings, Inc. (“LTRIP”).  Simultaneously, Liberty, LTRIP’s former parent company, distributed, by means of a dividend, to the holders of its Liberty Ventures common stock, Liberty’s entire equity interest in LTRIP.  We refer to this transaction as the Liberty Spin-Off.  As a result of the Liberty Spin-Off, effective August 27, 2014, LTRIP became a separate, publicly traded company and 100% of Liberty’s interest in TripAdvisor was held by LTRIP.  Liberty also assigned to LTRIP the rights and obligations under the Governance Agreement between TripAdvisor and Liberty, dated December 20, 2011 (the “Governance Agreement”).

As a result of these transactions, as of the record date, LTRIP beneficially owned 18,159,752 shares of our common stock and 12,799,999 shares of our Class B common stock, which shares constitute 13.9% of the outstanding shares of common stock and 100% of the outstanding shares of Class B Common Stock. Assuming the conversion of all of the LTRIP’s shares of Class B common stock into common stock, as of the record date LTRIP would beneficially own 21.6% of the outstanding common stock. Because each share of Class B common stock generally is entitled to ten votes per share and each share of common stock is entitled to one vote per share, as of the record date LTRIP may be deemed to beneficially own equity securities representing approximately 56.5% of our voting power. As a result, regardless of the vote of any other TripAdvisor stockholder, LTRIP has control over the vote relating to (i) the election of six of the nine director nominees, (ii) the ratification of the appointment of KPMG LLP as TripAdvisor’s independent registered public accounting firm, and (iii) the approval, on an advisory basis, of the compensation of our named executive officers.

Quorum; Abstentions; Broker Non-Votes

Transaction of business at the Annual Meeting may occur if a quorum is present. If a quorum is not present, it is expected that the Annual Meeting will be adjourned or postponed in order to permit additional time for soliciting and obtaining additional proxies or

 

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votes, and, at any subsequent reconvening of the Annual Meeting, all proxies will be voted in the same manner as such proxies would have been voted at the original convening of the Annual Meeting, except for any proxies that have been effectively revoked or withdrawn.

With respect to (i) the election of six of the nine director nominees, (ii) the ratification of the appointment of KPMG LLP as TripAdvisor’s independent registered public accounting firm, and (iii) the approval, on an advisory basis, of the compensation of our named executive officers, the presence at the Annual Meeting, in person or by proxy, of the holders of a majority of the total votes entitled to be cast constitutes a quorum. For the election of the three directors whom the holders of TripAdvisor common stock are entitled to elect as a separate class, the presence at the Annual Meeting, in person or by proxy, of the holders of a majority of shares of common stock constitutes a quorum.

If a share is represented for any purpose at the meeting, it is deemed to be present for quorum purposes and for all other matters as well. Shares of TripAdvisor capital stock represented by a properly executed proxy will be treated as present at the Annual Meeting for purposes of determining a quorum, without regard to whether the proxy is marked as casting a vote or abstaining.

Abstentions and broker non-votes are counted as present and entitled to vote for purposes of determining a quorum. A broker non-vote occurs when a nominee holding shares for a beneficial owner does not vote the shares on a proposal because the nominee does not have discretionary voting power for a particular item and has not received instructions from the beneficial owner regarding voting. Brokers who hold shares for the accounts of their clients have discretionary authority to vote shares if specific instructions are not given with respect to the ratification of the appointment of our independent registered public accounting firm. Brokers do not have discretionary authority to vote on (i) the election of our directors or (ii) the advisory resolution to approve the compensation of our named executive officers, so we encourage you to provide instructions to your broker regarding the voting of your shares.

Solicitation of Proxies

TripAdvisor will bear the cost of the solicitation of proxies from its stockholders. In addition to solicitation by mail, the directors, officers and employees of TripAdvisor, without additional compensation, may solicit proxies from stockholders by telephone, by letter, by facsimile, in person or otherwise. Following the original mailing of the proxies and other soliciting materials, TripAdvisor will ask brokers, trusts, banks or other nominees to forward copies of the proxy and other soliciting materials to persons for whom they hold shares of TripAdvisor capital stock and to request authority for the exercise of proxies. In such cases, TripAdvisor, upon the request of the brokers, trusts, banks and other stockholder nominees, will reimburse such holders for their reasonable expenses.

Voting of Proxies

The manner in which your shares may be voted depends on whether you are a:

Whether you hold shares directly as a registered stockholder or beneficially as a beneficial stockholder, you may direct how your shares are voted without attending the Annual Meeting. For directions on how to vote, please refer to the instructions below and those on the Notice of Internet Availability of Proxy Materials, proxy card or voting instruction form provided. To vote using the Internet or by telephone, you will be required to enter the control number included on your Notice of Internet Availability of Proxy Materials or other voting instruction form provided by your broker, trust, bank or other nominee.

 

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All proxies properly submitted and not revoked will be voted at the Annual Meeting in accordance with the instructions indicated thereon. If no instructions are provided, such proxies will be voted FOR proposals (1) through (3) described in this Proxy Statement.

TripAdvisor is incorporated under Delaware law, which specifically permits electronically transmitted proxies, provided that each such proxy contains, or is submitted with, information from which the inspector of elections can determine that such proxy was authorized by the stockholder. The electronic voting procedures provided for the Annual Meeting are designed to authenticate each stockholder by use of a control number, to allow stockholders to vote their shares and to confirm that their instructions have been properly recorded.

Voting in Person at the Annual Meeting

You may also vote in person at the Annual Meeting. Votes in person will replace any previous votes you have made by mail, telephone or the Internet. We will provide a ballot to registered stockholders who request one at the meeting. Shares held in your name as the stockholder of record may be voted on that ballot. Shares held beneficially in street name may be voted on a ballot only if you bring a legal proxy from the broker, trust, bank or other nominee that holds your shares giving you the right to vote the shares. Attendance at the Annual Meeting without voting or revoking a previous proxy in accordance with the voting procedures will not in and of itself revoke a proxy.

Your vote is very important. Whether or not you plan to attend the Annual Meeting, please take the time to vote via the Internet, by telephone or by returning your marked, signed and dated proxy card so that your shares will be represented at the Annual Meeting.

Revocation of Proxies

Any proxy given pursuant to this solicitation may be revoked by the person giving it any time before the taking of the vote at the Annual Meeting.

 If you are a beneficial stockholder, you may revoke your proxy or change your vote only by following the separate instructions provided by your broker, trust, bank or other nominee.

If you are a registered stockholder, you may revoke your proxy at any time before it is exercised at the Annual Meeting by (i) delivering written notice, bearing a date later than the proxy, stating that the proxy is revoked, (ii) submitting a later-dated proxy relating to the same stock by mail, telephone or the Internet prior to the vote at the Annual Meeting or (iii) attending the Annual Meeting and properly giving notice of revocation to the inspector of elections or voting in person. Registered holders may send any written notice or request for a new proxy card to TripAdvisor, Inc., c/o Broadridge, 51 Mercedes Way, Edgewood, New York 11717, or follow the instructions provided on the Notice of Internet Availability of Proxy Materials and proxy card to submit a new proxy by telephone or via the Internet. Registered holders may also request a new proxy card by calling 1-800-579-1639.

Other Business

The Board of Directors does not presently intend to bring any business before the Annual Meeting other than the proposals discussed in this Proxy Statement and specified in the Notice of Annual Meeting of Stockholders. The Board of Directors has no knowledge of any other matters to be presented at the Annual Meeting other than those described in this Proxy Statement. If any other matters should properly come before the Annual Meeting, the persons designated in the proxy will vote on them according to their best judgment.

 

 

 

 

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PROPOSAL 1:

ELECTION OF DIRECTORS

Nominees

Our Board of Directors currently consists of nine members. Pursuant to the terms of TripAdvisor’s bylaws, each director serves for a one-year term from the date of his or her election and until such director’s successor is elected or until such director’s earlier resignation or removal. The Board of Directors has nominated the following directors and recommends that each be elected to serve a one-year term and until such director’s successor shall have been duly elected and qualified or until such director’s earlier resignation or removal:

Gregory B. Maffei

Stephen Kaufer

Jonathan F. Miller

Dipchand (Deep) Nishar

Jeremy Philips

Spencer M. Rascoff

Christopher W. Shean

Sukhinder Singh Cassidy

Robert S. Wiesenthal

TripAdvisor’s restated certificate of incorporation provides that the holders of TripAdvisor common stock, acting as a single class, are entitled to elect a number of directors equal to 25% of the total number of directors, rounded up to the next whole number, which is currently three directors. The Board has designated Messrs. Miller, Philips and Wiesenthal as nominees for the positions on the Board to be elected by the holders of TripAdvisor common stock voting as a separate class.

Pursuant to the Governance Agreement, LTRIP has the right to nominate up to a number of directors equal to 20% of the total number of the directors on the Board of Directors (rounded up to the next whole number if the number of directors on the Board of Directors is not an even multiple of five) for election to the Board of Directors and has certain other rights regarding committee participation, so long as certain stock ownership requirements applicable to LTRIP are satisfied.  LTRIP has designated Messrs. Maffei and Shean as its nominees to the Board of Directors.

Although management does not anticipate that any of the nominees named above will be unable or unwilling to stand for election, in the event of such an occurrence, proxies may be voted for a substitute nominee designated by the Board of Directors.

Required Vote

Election of Ms. Singh Cassidy and Messrs. Maffei, Kaufer, Nishar, Rascoff and Shean as directors requires the affirmative vote of a plurality of the total number of votes cast by the holders of shares of TripAdvisor common stock and Class B common stock, present in person or represented by proxy, voting together as a single class.

Election of Messrs. Miller, Philips and Wiesenthal as directors requires the affirmative vote of a plurality of the total number of votes cast by the holders of shares of TripAdvisor common stock, present in person or represented by proxy, voting together as a separate class.

Valid proxies received pursuant to this solicitation will be voted in the manner specified. Where no specification is made, it is intended that the proxies received from stockholders will be voted FOR the election of the director nominees identified. For the election of the directors, abstentions and broker non-votes will have no effect because approval by a certain percentage of voting stock present or outstanding is not required.

THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS RECOMMENDS THAT STOCKHOLDERS VOTE “FOR” THE ELECTION OF EACH OF THE NOMINEES FOR DIRECTOR NAMED ABOVE.

Directors and Executive Officers

Set forth below is certain background information, as of April 24, 2015, regarding the members of our Board of Directors, each of whom is also a nominee, as well as TripAdvisor’s executive officers. There are no family relationships among directors or

 

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executive officers of TripAdvisor. In addition to the information presented below regarding each nominee’s specific experience, qualifications, attributes and skills that led the Board of Directors to the conclusion that he or she should be renominated as a director, each nominee has demonstrated business acumen and an ability to exercise sound judgment, as well as a commitment to TripAdvisor and our Board of Directors as demonstrated by the nominee’s past service. All of our nominees also have extensive management experience in complex organizations. The Board of Directors considered the NASDAQ requirement that TripAdvisor’s Audit Committee be composed of at least three independent directors, as well as specific NASDAQ and U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) requirements regarding financial literacy and expertise.

 

Gregory B. Maffei has been the Chairman of the Board of Directors of TripAdvisor since February 2013. Mr. Maffei has served as a director as well as the President and Chief Executive Officer of Liberty Media Corporation (“LMC”) (including its predecessor) since May 2007, LTRIP since July 2013 and Liberty Broadband Corporation (“LBC”) since June 2014.  He has served as President and Chief Executive Officer of Liberty since February 2006 and as a director since November 2005.  .  He also served as CEO-Elect of Liberty from November 2005 through February 2006.  Prior to joining Liberty in 2005, Mr. Maffei served as President and Chief Financial Officer of Oracle Corporation, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of 360networks Corporation and Chief Financial Officer of Microsoft Corporation.  Mr. Maffei also currently serves as a director of the following companies:  Starz, Sirius XM Holdings Inc., Live Nation Entertainment, Inc., Charter Communications, Inc. and Zillow Group, Inc.  Mr. Maffei holds an M.B.A. from Harvard Business School, where he was a Baker Scholar, and an A.B. from Dartmouth College.

Board Membership Qualifications:    Mr. Maffei brings to our Board significant financial and operational experience based on his senior policy-making positions at Liberty, LMC, LBC, LTRIP, Oracle, 360networks and Microsoft and his other public company board experience. He provides our board with an executive and leadership perspective on the operation and management of large public companies and risk management principles.

 

Stephen Kaufer co-founded TripAdvisor in February 2000 and has been the President and Chief Executive Officer of TripAdvisor since that date. Mr. Kaufer has been a director of TripAdvisor since the completion of the spin-off from Expedia (the “Spin-Off”) in 2011. Prior to co-founding TripAdvisor, Mr. Kaufer served as President of CDS, Inc., an independent software vendor specializing in programming and testing tools, and co-founded CenterLine Software and served as its Vice President of Engineering. Mr. Kaufer serves on the boards of several privately-held companies, including CarGurus, LLC, LiveData, Inc., and GlassDoor, Inc., as well as the charity Caring for Carcinoid Foundation. Mr. Kaufer holds an A.B. in Computer Science from Harvard University.

Board Membership Qualifications:    As co-founder of TripAdvisor and through his service as its Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Kaufer has extensive knowledge of TripAdvisor’s business and operations, and significant experience in the online advertising sector of the global travel industry. Mr. Kaufer also possesses strategic and governance skills gained through his executive and director roles with several privately-held companies.

Jonathan F. Miller has been a director of TripAdvisor since the completion of the Spin-Off in 2011.  He previously served as Chairman and Chief Executive of News Corporation’s digital media group and News Corporation’s Chief Digital Officer from April 2009 until October 2012. Mr. Miller was a founding partner of Velocity Interactive Group (“Velocity”), an investment firm focusing on digital media and the consumer Internet, from its inception in February 2007 until April 2009. Prior to founding Velocity, Mr. Miller served as Chief Executive Officer of AOL LLC (“AOL”) from August 2002 to December 2006. Prior to joining AOL, Mr. Miller served as Chief Executive Officer and President of USA Information and Services, of USA Interactive, a predecessor to IAC/InterActiveCorp (“IAC”). Mr. Miller previously served as a director of Live Nation Entertainment, Inc. and Ticketmaster

 

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Entertainment, Inc. prior to its merger with LiveNation.  Mr. Miller is currently a member of the Board of Directors of Shutterstock, Inc.; AMC Networks, Inc.; The Interpublic Group of Companies, Inc.; Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Company and RTL Group, S.A.  Mr. Miller also serves on the Board of Trustees of the American Film Institute and The Paley Center for Media. Mr. Miller holds a B.A. from Harvard College.

Board Membership Qualifications:    Through his various senior leadership positions at other private and public companies and business divisions thereof, Mr. Miller possesses extensive executive, strategic, operational, and corporate governance experience. Mr. Miller also has expertise in the digital media and online advertising sectors. Further, Mr. Miller has experience as a director serving on other public company boards.

Dipchand (Deep) Nishar has been a director of TripAdvisor since September 2013. Mr. Nishar has served on the Board of Directors of OPower, Inc. since August 2013.  From January 2011 to October 2014, Mr. Nishar served as Senior Vice President, Products and User Experience, for LinkedIn Corporation and, from January 2009 until January 2011, served as its Vice President, Products.  Prior to LinkedIn, Mr. Nishar served in several roles, including most recently as the Senior Director of Products for the Asia-Pacific region at Google Inc., an Internet search company, from August 2003 to January 2009. He was also the Founder and Vice President of Products at Patkai Networks, a service oriented architecture software company. Mr. Nishar holds an M.B.A. with highest honors (Baker Scholar) from Harvard Business School, an M.SEE from University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, and a B.Tech with honors from the Indian Institute of Technology.

Board Membership Qualifications:    Through his roles with LinkedIn and Patkai Networks, Mr. Nishar has significant operational experience in those areas which are directly applicable to TripAdvisor’s business and areas of focus.  Mr. Nishar has an extensive background in the Internet industry and, in particular, the digital media and online advertising sectors.

Jeremy Philips has been a director of TripAdvisor since the completion of the Spin-Off in 2011.  He has been a general partner of Spark Capital since May 2014.  He is also a director of several private Internet companies. Mr. Philips served as the Chief Executive Officer of Photon Group Limited, a holding company listed on the Australian Securities Exchange, from June 2010 to January 2012. Mr. Philips had previously served as an Executive Vice President in the Office of the Chairman of News Corporation from January 2006 to March 2010, and as Senior Vice President of News Corporation from July 2004 to January 2006. Prior to joining News Corporation, he served in several roles, including as co-founder and Vice-Chairman of a publicly traded Internet holding company, and as an analyst at McKinsey & Company. Mr. Philips also served as a director of REA Group Ltd. from March 2009 to June 2010. He is an adjunct professor at Columbia Business School and holds a BA and LLB from the University of New South Wales and an MPA from the Harvard Kennedy School of Government. 

Board Membership Qualifications:    Mr. Philips has significant strategic and operational experience, acquired through his service as Chief Executive Officer of Photon Group Limited and other executive-level positions at other companies. He also possesses a high level of financial literacy and expertise regarding mergers, acquisitions, investments and other strategic transactions.

Spencer M. Rascoff has been a director of TripAdvisor since September 2013. Mr. Rascoff has served as the Chief Executive Officer of Zillow, Inc. since September 2010 and has served as a member of its Board of Directors since July 2011. Mr. Rascoff joined Zillow as one of its founding employees in 2005 as Vice President of Marketing and Chief Financial Officer and served as Chief Operating Officer from December 2008 until he was promoted to Chief Executive Officer. From 2003 to 2005, Mr. Rascoff served as Vice President of Lodging for Expedia. In 1999, Mr. Rascoff co-founded Hotwire, Inc., an online travel company, and managed several of Hotwire’s product lines before Hotwire was acquired in 2003 by IAC, Expedia’s parent company at the time. Mr. Rascoff previously served in the mergers and acquisitions group at Goldman, Sachs & Co., an investment banking and securities firm, and at TPG Capital, a private equity firm.  Mr. Rascoff serves on the Board of Directors of Zulily, a privately held consumer products company, and Julep Beauty Incorporated, a privately-held beauty products company. Mr. Rascoff graduated cum laude with a B.A. in Government from Harvard University, and he serves on the Seattle Children’s Hospital Research Institute Advisory Board.

Board Membership Qualifications:    Mr. Rascoff has significant operational and financial experience, acquired through his current service as Chief Executive Officer and prior service as Chief Financial Officer of Zillow. Mr. Rascoff also possesses a high level of financial literacy and expertise regarding mergers, acquisitions, investments and other strategic transactions as well as an extensive background in the Internet industry and global travel industry.

Christopher W. Shean has been a director of TripAdvisor since February 2013. Mr. Shean has been a Senior Vice President of LMC (including its predecessor) since May 2007, the Chief Financial Officer since November 2011 and the Controller from May 2007 to October 2011.  Mr. Shean has also served as a Senior Vice President of Liberty since January 2002 and the Chief Financial Officer since November 2011.  Previously, Mr. Shean served as the Controller of Liberty from October 2000 to October 2011 and a Vice President from October 2000 to January 2002.  Mr. Shean has also served as Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer

 

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of LTRIP since July 2013 and LBC since June 2014.  Mr. Shean serves as a director of FTD Companies, Inc.  He is a graduate of Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University.

 

Board Membership Qualifications:    Mr. Shean has significant financial and operational experience gained through his service as Chief Financial Officer and other executive-level positions at Liberty and LMC and as a partner of KPMG. As a result of his extensive business and financial experience, Mr. Shean is able to provide valuable business, financial and risk management advice. He also possesses a high level of financial literacy and expertise regarding mergers, acquisitions, investments and other strategic transactions.

 

Sukhinder Singh Cassidy has been a director of TripAdvisor since the completion of the Spin-Off in 2011. In January 2011, Ms. Singh Cassidy founded, and currently serves as Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of Joyus, a video commerce website. Ms. Singh Cassidy previously served as Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board of Polyvore, Inc., a privately-held social commerce website, from March 2010 to September 2010. Prior to that, she was CEO-in-residence at Accel Partners, a global venture and growth equity firm, from April 2009 to March 2010. From October 2003 to April 2009, Ms. Singh Cassidy held various positions at Google Inc., including, most recently, Global Vice President of Sales and Operations for Asia Pacific and Latin America in which she was responsible for Google’s international growth.  Previously, Ms. Singh Cassidy worked with Yodlee.com, Amazon.com and News Corporation, and in investment banking with Merrill Lynch & Co., Inc. Ms. Singh Cassidy currently serves on the board of Ericsson (NASDAQ:  ERIC) and has previously served on the board of J. Crew Group, Inc. and J. Hilburn, Inc. She has also served on the Princeton Computer Science Advisory Council as well as the Advisory Board of A Women’s Nation in partnership with Maria Shriver and the Center for American Progress.  Ms. Singh Cassidy graduated from the University of Western Ontario and earned her H.B.A. from the Richard Ivey School of Business.  

Board Membership Qualifications:    Through her experience as a consumer Internet and media executive, Ms. Singh Cassidy has in-depth knowledge of the online media and advertising sectors. Ms. Singh Cassidy also possesses extensive executive, strategic and operational experience.

Robert S. Wiesenthal has been a director of TripAdvisor since the completion of the Spin-Off in 2011. Since January 2013, Mr. Wiesenthal served as Chief Operating Officer of Warner Music Group Corp., a leading global music conglomerate. From 2000 to 2012, Mr. Wiesenthal served in various senior executive capacities within the Sony Corporation. From January 2002 through June 2012, Mr. Wiesenthal served as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Sony Corporation of America and, since July 2005, as Executive Vice President and Chief Strategy Officer, Sony Entertainment. Prior to joining Sony, Mr. Wiesenthal was Managing Director at Credit Suisse First Boston and head of the firm’s Entertainment and Digital Media practices from 1999 to 2000, a member of its Media Group from 1993 to 1999 and a member of its Mergers and Acquisitions Group from 1988 to 1993. Mr. Wiesenthal presently serves on the Board of Directors of Starz. Mr. Wiesenthal has a B.A. from the University of Rochester.

Board Membership Qualifications:    Mr. Wiesenthal possesses extensive strategic, operational and financial experience, gained through his wide range of service in executive-level positions with a strong focus on networked consumer electronics, entertainment, and digital media. He also has a high degree of financial literacy and expertise regarding mergers, acquisitions, investments and other strategic transactions.

Julie M.B. Bradley has served as Senior Vice President, Chief Financial Officer, Chief Accounting Officer and Treasurer of TripAdvisor since October 2011. Prior to joining TripAdvisor, from July 2005 to April 2011, Ms. Bradley served as Senior Vice President, Chief Financial Officer, Treasurer and Secretary of Art Technology Group, Inc., a provider of e-commerce software solutions and services, which was acquired by Oracle Corporation in January 2011. Prior to joining Art Technology Group, Ms. Bradley was at Akamai Technologies, Inc. from April 2000 to June 2005, most recently serving as Vice President of Finance. Previously, Ms. Bradley was an accountant with Deloitte LLP. Ms. Bradley is currently a member of the Board of Directors of Wayfair.com and a member of the Board of Trustees of The Judge Baker’s Children’s Center.  Ms. Bradley previously served on the Board of Directors of Exact Target.  Ms. Bradley received her B.A. in Economics from Wheaton College and is a certified public accountant.  

On April 2, 2015, Ms. Bradley informed TripAdvisor of her intention to resign from the Company.  In order to provide for the transition of Ms. Bradley’s responsibilities, the Company and Ms. Bradley have entered into a Separation Agreement, dated April 2, 2015 pursuant to which Ms. Bradley has agreed to remain with the Company on a full-time basis for a transition period, which will last until the earlier of September 30, 2015 or thirty days following her successor’s start date.

 

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Seth J. Kalvert has served as Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary of TripAdvisor since August 2011. Prior to joining TripAdvisor, Mr. Kalvert held positions at Expedia, which he joined in March 2005, most recently as Vice President and Associate General Counsel beginning in February 2006. Prior to that, from July 2001 to March 2005, Mr. Kalvert held a variety of internal legal positions at IAC and its subsidiaries. Previously, Mr. Kalvert held a business development position at Bolt Media Inc., a privately-held online social networking and e-commerce company, and was an associate at Debevoise & Plimpton, LLP, a New York law firm. Mr. Kalvert holds an A.B. degree from Brown University and a J.D. degree from Columbia Law School.

Dermot M. Halpin has served as President of the Vacation Rentals division at TripAdvisor since December 2011.  Mr. Halpin served as a Board member, commencing June 2009 and CEO commencing November 2009 of Autoquake, a venture-backed consumer Internet business, until his resignation in March 2011.  Prior to Autoquake, from October 2001 to December 2008, Mr. Halpin worked at Expedia, Inc., most recently serving as President of Expedia EMEA (Europe, Middle East and Africa).  Before joining Expedia, Dermot worked at several technology-driven businesses. Mr. Halpin holds an MBA from INSEAD and studied engineering at University College Dublin, Ireland.

Barrie Seidenberg has served as the Chief Executive Officer of the Attractions division at TripAdvisor since TripAdvisor acquired Viator, Inc., (“Viator”), in August 2014.  Ms. Seidenberg joined Viator as President in 2005 and took on the additional role of CEO in 2008.  Before joining Viator, Ms. Seidenberg was Chief Marketing Officer at Preview Travel, one of the early leaders in online travel.  She has previously held senior-level positions with Atinera, Williams-Sonoma and American Express. Ms. Seidenberg received a B.A. from Yale University and an M.B.A. from the Stanford Graduate School of Business.

Board of Directors

Director Independence

Under the NASDAQ Stock Market Listing Rules (the “NASDAQ Rules”), the Board has a responsibility to make an affirmative determination that those members of the Board who serve as independent directors do not have any relationships that would interfere with the exercise of independent judgment in carrying out the responsibilities of a director. In connection with the independence determinations described below, the Board reviewed information regarding transactions, relationships and arrangements relevant to independence, including those required by the NASDAQ Rules. This information is obtained from director responses to questionnaires circulated by management, as well as our records and publicly available information. Following this determination, management monitors those transactions, relationships and arrangements that were relevant to such determination, as well as solicits updated information potentially relevant to independence from internal personnel and directors, to determine whether there have been any developments that could potentially have an adverse impact on the Board’s prior independence determination.

The Board of Directors has determined that each of Ms. Singh Cassidy and Messrs. Miller, Nishar, Philips, Rascoff and Wiesenthal is an “independent director” as defined by the NASDAQ Rules. In making its independence determinations, the Board of Directors considered the applicable legal standards and any relevant transactions, relationships or arrangements. In addition to the satisfaction of the director independence requirements set forth in the NASDAQ Rules, members of the Audit Committee and Compensation Committee have also satisfied separate independence requirements under the current standards imposed by the SEC and the NASDAQ Rules for audit committee members and by the SEC, NASDAQ Rules and the Internal Revenue Service for compensation committee members.

Controlled Company Status

On August 27, 2014, the entire beneficial ownership of our common stock and Class B common stock held by Liberty was transferred to LTRIP.  Simultaneously, Liberty, LTRIP’s former parent company, distributed, by means of a dividend, to the holders of its Liberty Ventures common stock, Liberty’s entire equity interest in LTRIP.  We refer to this transaction as the Liberty Spin-Off.  As a result of the Liberty Spin-Off, effective August 27, 2014, LTRIP became a separate, publicly traded company and 100% of Liberty’s interest in TripAdvisor was held by LTRIP. 

As of the record date, LTRIP beneficially owned 18,159,752 shares of our common stock and 12,799,999 shares of our Class B common stock, which shares constitute 13.9% of the outstanding shares of common stock and 100% of the outstanding shares of Class B common stock, respectively. Assuming the conversion of all of LTRIP’s shares of Class B common stock into common stock, LTRIP would beneficially own 21.6% of the outstanding common stock. Because each share of Class B common stock generally is entitled to ten votes per share and each share of common stock is entitled to one vote per share, LTRIP may be deemed to beneficially own equity securities representing approximately 56.5% of our voting power. LTRIP has filed a Statement of Beneficial Ownership on Schedule 13D with respect to its TripAdvisor holdings and related voting arrangements with the SEC.

 

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The NASDAQ Rules exempt “controlled companies,” or companies of which more than 50% of the voting power is held by an individual, a group or another company, such as TripAdvisor, from certain governance requirements under the NASDAQ Rules, including, among other items, the requirement that our Board of Directors be comprised of a majority of independent directors. On this basis, TripAdvisor is relying on the exemption for controlled companies from certain requirements under the NASDAQ Rules, including, among others, the requirement that the Compensation Committee be composed solely of independent directors and certain requirements relating to the nomination of directors. We may, in the future, rely on other exemptions available to a controlled company, including, among others, the requirement that a majority of the Board of Directors be composed of independent directors.

Board Leadership Structure

Mr. Maffei serves as the Chairman of the Board of Directors, and Mr. Kaufer serves as President and Chief Executive Officer of TripAdvisor. The roles of Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board of Directors are currently separated in recognition of the differences between the two roles. This leadership structure provides us with the benefit of Mr. Maffei’s oversight of TripAdvisor’s strategic goals and vision, coupled with the benefit of a full-time Chief Executive Officer dedicated to focusing on the day-to-day management and continued growth of TripAdvisor and its operating businesses. We believe that it is in the best interests of our stockholders for the Board of Directors to make a determination regarding the separation or combination of these roles each time it elects a new Chairman or Chief Executive Officer based on the relevant facts and circumstances applicable at such time.

Independent members of the Board of Directors chair our Audit Committee, Compensation Committee and Section 16 Committee.

Meeting Attendance

The Board of Directors met eight times in 2014. During such period, each member of the Board of Directors attended at least 75% of the meetings of the Board and the Board committees on which they served. The independent directors meet in regularly scheduled sessions, typically before or after each Board meeting, without the presence of management. We do not have a lead independent director or any other formally appointed leader for these sessions. Directors are encouraged but not required to attend annual meetings of TripAdvisor stockholders. All of the incumbent directors who were directors at the time have historically attended the annual meetings of stockholders.

Committees of the Board of Directors

The Board of Directors has the following standing committees: the Audit Committee, the Compensation Committee, the Section 16 Committee and the Executive Committee. The Audit, Compensation and Section 16 Committees operate under written charters adopted by the Board of Directors. These charters are available in the “Corporate Governance” section of the Investor Relations page of TripAdvisor’s corporate website at ir.tripadvisor.com. At each regularly scheduled Board meeting, the Chairperson of each committee provides the full Board of Directors with an update of all significant matters discussed, reviewed, considered and/or approved by the relevant committee since the last regularly scheduled Board meeting. The independent membership of our Audit, Compensation and Section 16 Committees ensures that directors with no ties to Company management are charged with oversight for all financial reporting and executive compensation related decisions made by Company management.

The following table sets forth the current members of each committee of the Board of Directors.

 

 

 

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Audit Committee.    The Audit Committee of the Board of Directors currently consists of three directors: Messrs. Miller, Rascoff and Wiesenthal. Mr. Wiesenthal is the Chairman of the Audit Committee. Each Audit Committee member satisfies the independence requirements under the current standards imposed by the rules of the SEC and NASDAQ. The Board has determined that each of Messrs. Wiesenthal and Rascoff is an “audit committee financial expert,” as such term is defined in the regulations promulgated under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”).

The Audit Committee is appointed by the Board of Directors to assist the Board with a variety of matters discussed in detail in the Audit Committee charter, including monitoring (i) the integrity of our financial reporting process, (ii) the independent registered public accounting firm’s qualifications and independence, (iii) the performance of the independent registered public accounting firm and our internal audit department, and (iv) our compliance with legal and regulatory requirements. The Audit Committee met six times in 2014. The formal report of the Audit Committee with respect to the year ended December 31, 2014 is set forth in the section below titled “Audit Committee Report.”

Compensation Committee.    The Compensation Committee consists of Ms. Singh Cassidy and Messrs. Philips and Maffei. Ms. Singh Cassidy is the Chairperson of the Compensation Committee. Each member of the Compensation Committee is an “outside director” for purposes of Section 162(m) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”).With the exception of Mr. Maffei, each member is an “independent director” as defined by the NASDAQ Rules.  No member of the Compensation Committee is an employee of TripAdvisor.

The Compensation Committee is responsible for (i) designing and overseeing our compensation with respect to our executive officers, including salary matters, bonus plans and stock compensation plans and (ii) approving all grants of equity awards, but excluding matters governed by Rule 16b-3 under the Exchange Act (which are handled by the Section 16 Committee described below). A description of our policies and practices for the consideration and determination of executive compensation is included in the section below titled “Compensation Discussion and Analysis.” The Compensation Committee met three times in 2014.

Section 16 Committee.    The Section 16 Committee consists of Ms. Singh Cassidy and Mr. Philips. Ms. Singh Cassidy is the Chairperson of the Section 16 Committee. Each member is an “independent director” as defined by the NASDAQ Rules and satisfies the definition of “non-employee director” for purposes of Section 16 of the Exchange Act.

The Section 16 Committee is authorized to exercise all powers of the Board of Directors with respect to matters governed by Rule 16b-3 under the Exchange Act, including approving grants of equity awards to TripAdvisor’s executive officers. The Section 16 Committee met three times in 2014.

In this Proxy Statement, we refer to the Compensation Committee and Section 16 Committee collectively as the “Compensation Committees.”

Executive Committee.    The Executive Committee consists of Messrs. Kaufer, Maffei and Shean. The Executive Committee has the powers and authority of the Board of Directors, except for those matters that are specifically reserved to the Board of Directors under Delaware law or our organizational documents. The Executive Committee primarily serves as a means to address issues that may arise and require Board approval between regularly scheduled Board meetings. Following are some examples of matters that could be handled by the Executive Committee: (i) oversight and implementation of matters approved by the Board of Directors, (ii) administrative matters with respect to benefit plans, transfer agent matters, banking authority, formation of subsidiaries and other administrative items involving subsidiaries and determinations or findings under TripAdvisor’s financing arrangements and (iii) in the case of a natural disaster or other emergency as a result of which a quorum of the Board of Directors cannot readily be convened for action, directing the management of the business and affairs of TripAdvisor during such emergency or natural disaster. The Executive Committee did not meet in 2014.

Risk Oversight

Assessing and managing risk is the responsibility of TripAdvisor’s management. Our Board of Directors oversees and reviews certain aspects of our risk management efforts. Our Board of Directors is involved in risk oversight through direct decision-making authority with respect to significant matters and the oversight of management by the Board of Directors and its committees. The President and Chief Executive Officer, the Senior Vice President, Chief Financial Officer, Chief Accounting Officer and Treasurer and the Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary attend Board meetings and discuss operational risks with the Board. Management also provides reports and presentations on strategic risks to the Board. Among other areas, the Board is involved, directly or through its committees, in overseeing risks related to our overall corporate strategy, business continuity, crisis preparedness and competitive and reputational risks.

 

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The committees of the Board execute their oversight responsibility for risk management as follows:

Ultimately, though, management is responsible for the day-to-day risk management process, including identification of key risks and implementation of policies and procedures to manage, mitigate and monitor risks. In fulfilling these duties, management conducted an enterprise and internal audit risk assessment and will use the results of that assessment in its risk management efforts. In addition, management has formed a Compliance Committee in connection with the implementation, management and oversight of a corporate compliance program to promote operational excellence throughout the entire organization in adherence with all legal and regulatory requirements and with the highest ethical standards

Director Nominations

Given the ownership structure of TripAdvisor and our status as a “controlled company,” the Board of Directors does not have a nominating committee or other committee performing similar functions or any formal policy on director nominations. The Board of Directors does not have specific requirements for eligibility to serve as a director of TripAdvisor, nor does it have a specific policy on diversity; however, the Board of Directors does consider, among other things, diversity when considering nominees to serve on our Board of Directors. We broadly construe diversity to mean diversity of opinions, perspectives, and personal and professional experiences and backgrounds, such as gender, race and ethnicity, as well as other differentiating characteristics. In evaluating candidates, regardless of how recommended, the Board of Directors considers whether the professional and personal ethics and values of the candidate are consistent with those of TripAdvisor, whether the candidate’s experience and expertise would be beneficial to the Board in rendering service to TripAdvisor, including in providing a mix of Board members that represent a diversity of backgrounds, perspectives and opinions, whether the candidate is willing and able to devote the necessary time and energy to the work of the Board of Directors, and whether the candidate is prepared and qualified to represent the best interests of TripAdvisor’s stockholders.

Pursuant to the Governance Agreement, LTRIP has the right to nominate a number of directors equal to 20% of the total number of the directors on the Board of Directors (rounded up to the next whole number if the number of directors on the Board is not an even multiple of five) for election to the Board of Directors so long as certain stock ownership requirements are satisfied. LTRIP has nominated Messrs. Maffei and Shean as nominees for 2015. The other nominees to the Board of Directors were recommended by the Chairman and then were considered and recommended by the entire Board of Directors.

The Board of Directors does not have a formal policy regarding the consideration of director candidates recommended by stockholders, as historically TripAdvisor has not received such recommendations.  However, the Board of Directors would consider such recommendations if made in the future. Stockholders who wish to make such a recommendation should send the recommendation to TripAdvisor, Inc., 141 Needham Street, Newton, Massachusetts 02464, Attention: Secretary. The envelope must contain a clear notation that the enclosed letter is a “Director Nominee Recommendation.” The letter must identify the author as a stockholder, provide a brief summary of the candidate’s qualifications and history and be accompanied by evidence of the sender’s stock ownership, as well as consent by the candidate to serve as a director if elected. Any director candidate recommendations will be reviewed by the Secretary and, if deemed appropriate, forwarded to the Chairman for further review. If the Chairman believes that the candidate fits the profile of a director nominee as described above, the recommendation will be shared with the entire Board of Directors.

 

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Communications with the Board

Stockholders who wish to communicate with the Board of Directors or a particular director may send such communication to TripAdvisor, Inc., 141 Needham Street, Newton, Massachusetts 02464, Attention: Secretary. The mailing envelope must contain a clear notation indicating that the enclosed letter is a “Stockholder-Board Communication” or “Stockholder-Director Communication.” All such letters must identify the author as a stockholder, provide evidence of the sender’s stock ownership and clearly state whether the intended recipients are all members of the Board of Directors or certain specified directors. The Secretary will then review such correspondence and forward it to the Board of Directors, or to the specified director(s), if deemed appropriate. Communications that are primarily commercial in nature, that are not relevant to stockholders or other interested constituents or that relate to improper or irrelevant topics will generally not be forwarded to the Board of Directors or to the specified director(s).

 

 

 

 

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PROPOSAL 2:

RATIFICATION OF APPOINTMENT OF

INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM

Overview

KPMG LLP (“KPMG”) was TripAdvisor’s independent registered public accounting firm for the year ended December 31, 2014.  The Audit Committee of the Board of Directors has also appointed KPMG as TripAdvisor’s independent registered public accounting firm for the year ending December 31, 2015.

In February 2014, the Audit Committee of the Board of Directors determined it to be in the best interest of TripAdvisor to select KPMG to replace Ernst & Young LLP (“E&Y”) as TripAdvisor’s independent registered public accounting firm for the year ended December 31, 2014.

On February 6, 2014, the Audit Committee determined to dismiss E&Y as TripAdvisor’s independent registered public accounting firm effective immediately upon TripAdvisor’s filing of its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2013 (the “Annual Report”). The Annual Report was filed with the SEC on February 11, 2014. The reports of E&Y on TripAdvisor’s consolidated financial statements as of and for the years ended December 31, 2013 and 2012 did not contain an adverse opinion or a disclaimer of opinion, and were not qualified or modified as to uncertainty, audit scope or accounting principles. During the years ended December 31, 2013 and 2012, and through February 11, 2014, there were no: (i) disagreements with E&Y on any matter of accounting principles or practices, financial statement disclosure, or auditing scope or procedure, which disagreements, if not resolved to E&Y’s satisfaction, would have caused E&Y to make reference to the subject matter thereof in connection with its reports for such years; or (ii) reportable events, as described under Item 304(a)(1)(v) of Regulation S-K. TripAdvisor provided E&Y with a copy of the disclosures it expected to make in the Current Report on Form 8-K and requested from E&Y a letter addressed to the SEC indicating whether or not it agrees with the above disclosures. A copy of E&Y’s letter dated February 11, 2014 is attached as Exhibit 16.1 to TripAdvisor’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed on February 11, 2014.

Contemporaneous with the determination to dismiss E&Y, the Audit Committee appointed KPMG as TripAdvisor’s independent registered public accounting firm for the year ended December 31, 2014, also to be effective immediately following the filing of TripAdvisor’s Annual Report. During the years ended December 31, 2013 and 2012 and the subsequent interim period through February 11, 2014, TripAdvisor did not consult with KPMG with respect to (i) the application of accounting principles to a specified transaction, either completed or proposed, or the type of audit opinion that might be rendered with respect to TripAdvisor’s financial statements, and no written report or oral advice was provided to TripAdvisor that KPMG concluded was an important factor considered by TripAdvisor in reaching a decision as to any accounting, auditing or financial reporting issue, or (ii) any matter that was subject to any disagreement, as defined in Item 304(a)(1)(iv) of Regulation S-K and the related instructions thereto, or a reportable event within the meaning set forth in Item 304(a)(1)(v) of Regulation S-K.

The Audit Committee is directly responsible for the appointment, compensation and oversight of the audit work of the independent registered public accounting firm. If the stockholders fail to vote to ratify the appointment of KPMG, the Audit Committee will reconsider whether to retain KPMG and may retain that firm or another firm without resubmitting the matter to our stockholders. Even if stockholders vote on an advisory basis in favor of the appointment, the Audit Committee may, in its discretion, direct the appointment of a different independent registered public accounting firm at any time during the year if it determines that such a change would be in the best interests of TripAdvisor and our stockholders.

A representative of KPMG is expected to be present at the Annual Meeting, and will be given an opportunity to make a statement if he or she so chooses and will be available to respond to appropriate questions.

Required Vote

At the Annual Meeting, we will ask our stockholders to ratify the appointment of KPMG as our independent registered public accounting firm for 2015. This proposal requires the affirmative vote of a majority of the voting power of our shares, present in person or represented by proxy, and entitled to vote thereon, voting together as a single class.  Abstentions will be counted toward the tabulations of voting power present and entitled to vote on the ratification of the independent registered public accounting firm proposal and will have the same effect as votes against the proposal. Brokers have discretion to vote on the proposal for ratification of the independent registered public accounting firm.

 

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THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS RECOMMENDS THAT STOCKHOLDERS VOTE “FOR” RATIFICATION OF THE APPOINTMENT OF KPMG LLP AS TRIPADVISOR’S INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM FOR 2015.

 

Fees Paid to Our Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

KPMG was TripAdvisor’s independent registered public accounting firm for the year ended December 31, 2014.  E&Y was TripAdvisor’s independent registered public accounting firm for the year ended December 31, 2013. The following table sets forth aggregate fees for professional services rendered by KPMG and E&Y for the years ended December 31, 2014 and 2013, respectively.

 

 

Audit and Non-Audit Services Pre-Approval Policy

The Audit Committee has responsibility for appointing, setting compensation of and overseeing the work of the independent registered public accounting firm. In recognition of this responsibility, the Audit Committee has adopted a policy governing the pre-approval of all audit and permitted non-audit services performed by TripAdvisor’s independent registered public accounting firm to ensure that the provision of such services does not impair the independent registered public accounting firm’s independence from TripAdvisor and our management. Unless a type of service to be provided by our independent registered public accounting firm has received general pre-approval from the Audit Committee, it requires specific pre-approval by the Audit Committee. The payment for any proposed services in excess of pre-approved cost levels requires specific pre-approval by the Audit Committee.

Pursuant to its pre-approval policy, the Audit Committee may delegate its authority to pre-approve services to one or more of its members, and it has currently delegated this authority to its Chairman, subject to a limit of $250,000 per approval. The decisions of the Chairman (or any other member(s) to whom such authority may be delegated) to grant pre-approvals must be presented to the full Audit Committee at its next scheduled meeting. The Audit Committee may not delegate its responsibilities to pre-approve services to Company management.

All of the audit-related, tax and all other services provided to us by KPMG and E&Y in 2014 and 2013, respectively, were approved by the Audit Committee by means of specific pre-approvals or pursuant to the procedures contained in the Company’s pre-approval policy.  

The Audit Committee has considered the non-audit services provided by KPMG and E&Y in 2014 and 2013, as described above, and believes that they are compatible with maintaining KPMG’s and E&Y’s independence in the conduct of their auditing functions.  

 

 

 

 

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PROPOSAL 3:

ADVISORY VOTE ON COMPENSATION OF NAMED EXECUTIVE OFFICERS

Overview

Stockholders are provided with an opportunity to cast an advisory vote on the compensation of our named executive officers, or NEOs.  Our Board of Directors, with the Compensation Committee and senior management, are committed to designing an effective compensation program and values the views of our stockholders in this regard.

TripAdvisor’s executive compensation program is designed to attract, retain and motivate highly skilled executives with the business experience and acumen that management and the Compensation Committees believe are necessary to achieve TripAdvisor’s long-term business objectives. In addition, the executive compensation program is designed to reward short-term and long-term performance and to align the financial interests of executive officers with the interests of TripAdvisor’s stockholders.

We are asking for stockholder approval, on an advisory basis, of the compensation of our named executive officers as disclosed in this Proxy Statement, which include the disclosures in the “Executive Compensation” and “Compensation Discussion and Analysis” sections, the compensation tables and the narrative discussion following the compensation tables in this Proxy Statement. This vote is not intended to address any specific item of compensation, but rather the overall compensation of our named executive officers and the policies and practices described in this Proxy Statement.

This vote is advisory and therefore not binding on TripAdvisor, the Compensation Committees, or the Board of Directors. The Board of Directors and the Compensation Committees value the opinions of TripAdvisor’s stockholders. To the extent there is any significant vote against our named executive officers’ compensation as disclosed in this Proxy Statement, the Compensation Committees will consider the impact of such vote on its future compensation policies and decisions.

Our first (and most recent) advisory vote on the compensation of our named executive officers was held at our 2012 annual meeting of stockholders on June 26, 2012.  At that meeting, stockholders representing over 99% of the votes cast on the “say-on-pay” proposal approved, on an advisory basis, the compensation of our named executive officers as disclosed in our proxy statement for our 2012 annual meeting.  Also at this meeting, the frequency at which future advisory votes on executive compensation would be held of once every three years received the affirmative vote of a majority of the votes cast on the “say-on-frequency” proposal.  As a result, we currently expect that the next advisory vote on the compensation of our named executive officers will be held in 2018.

Required Vote

At the Annual Meeting, we will ask our stockholders to approve, on an advisory basis, the compensation of our named executive officers as disclosed in this Proxy Statement in accordance with SEC rules. This proposal requires the affirmative vote of a majority of the voting power of the shares of TripAdvisor capital stock, present in person or represented by proxy, and entitled to vote thereon, voting together as a single class.

Abstentions will be counted toward the tabulations of voting power present and entitled to vote on the TripAdvisor executive compensation proposal and will have the same effect as votes against the proposal. Brokers do not have discretion to vote on the proposal regarding TripAdvisor’s executive compensation and broker non-votes will have no effect on the proposal.

THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS RECOMMENDS THAT STOCKHOLDERS VOTE “FOR” THE APPROVAL OF THE COMPENSATION OF TRIPADVISOR’S NAMED EXECUTIVE OFFICERS AS DISCLOSED IN THIS PROXY STATEMENT.

 

 

 

 

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AUDIT COMMITTEE REPORT

Management has the primary responsibility for the financial statements, the reporting process and maintaining an effective system of internal control over financial reporting. TripAdvisor’s independent registered public accounting firm is engaged to audit and express opinions on the conformity of our financial statements to generally accepted accounting principles and applicable rules and regulations, and the effectiveness of TripAdvisor’s internal control over financial reporting.

The Audit Committee serves as a representative of the Board of Directors and assists the Board in monitoring (i) the integrity of our financial reporting process, (ii) the independent registered public accounting firm’s qualifications and independence, (iii) the performance of the independent registered public accounting firm and our internal audit department, and (iv) our compliance with legal and regulatory requirements. In this context, the Audit Committee met six times in 2014 and took the following actions:

Relying on the reviews and discussions referred to above, the Audit Committee recommended to the Board of Directors that the audited consolidated financial statements be included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2014, and the Board approved such inclusion.

No portion of this Audit Committee Report shall be deemed to be incorporated by reference into any filing under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, through any general statement incorporating by reference in its entirety the Proxy Statement in which this report appears, except to the extent that TripAdvisor specifically incorporates this report or a portion of it by reference. In addition, this report shall not be deemed filed under either the Securities Act or the Exchange Act.

Members of the Audit Committee:

Robert S. Wiesenthal (Chairman)

Jonathan F. Miller

Spencer Rascoff

 

 

 

 

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COMPENSATION DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS

Overview

This Compensation Discussion and Analysis describes TripAdvisor’s executive compensation program as it relates to our “named executive officers” as determined as of December 31, 2014 pursuant to SEC rules.  As of December 31, 2014, our “named executive officers” were those individuals listed below.  On April 2, 2015, Ms. Bradley informed us of her intention to resign from the Company.  

 

 

The Board of Directors has a Compensation Committee and a Section 16 Committee that together have primary responsibility for establishing the compensation of our named executive officers. In this Proxy Statement, we refer to the Compensation Committee and Section 16 Committee jointly as the “Compensation Committees.”

Executive Summary and 2014 Business Highlights

Fiscal 2014 was a solid year for TripAdvisor with the Company achieving record revenue, adjusted EBITDA and earnings per share and substantially achieving its annual operating plan, while at the same time consummating several strategic acquisitions as well as launching several important initiatives.   As a result, the Company generally funded its annual cash bonus programs at approximately 96% of target.

 

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Compensation Program Objectives

Our executive compensation program is designed to attract, motivate and retain highly skilled employees in executive positions with the business experience and acumen that management and the Compensation Committees believe are necessary for achievement of our long-term business objectives and to ensure that the compensation provided to these executives remains competitive with the compensation paid to similarly situated executives at comparable companies. The executive compensation program is also designed so that it does not encourage our named executive officers to take unreasonable risks relating to our business. In addition, the executive compensation program is designed to reward both short-term and long-term performance and to align the financial interests of our named executive officers with the interests of our stockholders.

Management and the Compensation Committees evaluate both performance and compensation levels to ensure that we maintain our ability to attract and retain outstanding employees in executive positions. To that end, management and the Compensation Committees believe the executive compensation packages provided by TripAdvisor to our named executive officers should include both cash and equity-based compensation.

Roles and Responsibilities

Role of the Compensation and Section 16 Committees

The Compensation Committee is appointed by the Board of Directors and consists entirely of directors who are “outside directors” for purposes of Section 162(m) of the Code. The Compensation Committee currently consists of Ms. Singh Cassidy and Messrs. Philips and Maffei, with Ms. Singh Cassidy acting as Chairperson of the Compensation Committee.  The Compensation Committee is responsible for (i) designing and overseeing our compensation with respect to our executive officers, including salary matters, bonus plans and stock compensation plans and (ii) approving all grants of equity awards, but excluding matters governed by Rule 16b-3 under the Exchange Act (for which the Section 16 Committee has responsibility as described below). Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Compensation Committee has delegated to the Chief Executive Officer of the Company authority to grant certain types of equity awards, subject to certain limitations, to employees other than executive officers.

The Section 16 Committee is also appointed by the Board of Directors and consists entirely of directors who are “non-employee directors” for purposes of Rule 16b-3 under the Exchange Act. The Section 16 Committee currently consists of Ms. Singh Cassidy and Mr. Philips. The Section 16 Committee is responsible for administering and overseeing matters governed by Rule 16b-3 under the Exchange Act, including approving grants of equity awards to our named executive officers. Ms. Singh Cassidy is also the Chairperson of the Section 16 Committee. 

Role of Executive Officers

Management participates in reviewing and refining our executive compensation program. Mr. Kaufer, our President and Chief Executive Officer, annually reviews the performance of TripAdvisor and each named executive officer with the Compensation Committees and makes recommendations with respect to the appropriate base salary, annual cash bonus and grants of equity awards for each named executive officer, other than in connection with compensation for himself. Based in part on these recommendations and the other factors discussed below, the Compensation Committees review and approve the annual compensation package of each named executive officer.

Role of Compensation Consultant

Pursuant to the Compensation Committee and Section 16 Committee Charter, the Compensation Committees may retain compensation consultants for the purpose of assisting the Compensation Committees in their evaluation of the compensation for our named executive officers. In 2014, the Compensation Committees retained Compensia, Inc. (“Compensia”), a management consulting firm providing executive compensation advisory services to compensation committees and senior management, to assist in an evaluation of TripAdvisor’s compensation peer group, to use the compensation peer group to compile and analyze competitive compensation market data for certain executive officer positions and to advise on matters related to our long-term incentive compensation structure. The Compensation Committees consider input from their compensation consultant as one factor in making decisions with respect to compensation matters, along with information and analysis they receive from management and their own judgment and experience.

Based on consideration of the factors set forth in the rules of the SEC and NASDAQ, the Compensation Committees have determined that their relationship with Compensia and the work performed by Compensia on behalf of the Compensation Committees has not raised any conflict of interest. In addition, in compliance with the Compensation Committee and Section 16 Committee

 

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Charter, the Compensation Committees approved the fees paid to Compensia for work performed in 2014 and confirm that such payments did not exceed $120,000.

Role of Stockholders

TripAdvisor provides its stockholders with the opportunity to cast an advisory vote to approve the compensation of our named executive officers every three years. In evaluating our 2014 executive compensation program, the Compensation Committees considered the result of the stockholder advisory vote on our executive compensation (the “say-on-pay vote”) held at our Annual Meeting of Stockholders on June 26, 2012, which was approved by over 99% of the votes cast. As a result, the Compensation Committees did not make any significant changes to our executive compensation program for 2014. The Compensation Committees will continue to consider the outcome of the say-on-pay vote when making future compensation decisions for our named executive officers.

We will hold a say-on-pay vote every three years until the next vote on the frequency of such stockholder advisory votes, which will occur no later than our 2018 Annual Meeting of Stockholders.  We will hold a say-on-pay vote at this Annual Meeting. Our next say-on-pay vote, following this meeting, will be held at the annual meeting of our stockholders in 2018.

Compensation Program Elements

General

The primary elements of our executive compensation program are base salary, an annual cash bonus and equity awards. Generally, the Compensation Committees review these elements in the first quarter of each year in light of our business and individual performance, recommendations from management and other relevant information, including prior compensation history and outstanding long-term incentive compensation arrangements. Management and the Compensation Committees believe that there are multiple, dynamic factors that contribute to success at an individual and business level. Management and the Compensation Committees have therefore refrained from adopting strict formulas and have relied primarily on a discretionary approach that allows the Compensation Committees to set executive compensation levels on a case-by-case basis, taking into account all relevant factors.

The following chart illustrates the composition of the target total direct compensation for the Chief Executive Officer and for the other named executive officers between base salary, short term and long term compensation. All elements of compensation are considered to be “at-risk” with the exception of base salary.

 

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One of the primary objectives of our compensation philosophy is to design and support pay opportunities that align with our performance and ultimately result in strong long-term value creation for our stockholders. The significant weighting of long-term incentive compensation ensures that our named executive officers’ primary focus is sustained long-term performance, while our short-term incentive compensation motivates consistent annual achievement.  The following chart illustrates the percentage of compensation which is fixed versus variable and the allocation between short and long-term compensation.  

Following recommendations from management, the Compensation Committees may also adjust compensation for specific individuals at other times during the year when there are significant changes in responsibilities or under other circumstances that the Compensation Committees consider appropriate.

Base Salary

Base salary represents the fixed portion of a named executive officer’s compensation and is intended to provide compensation for expected day-to-day performance. A named executive officer’s base salary is initially determined upon hire or promotion based on his or her responsibilities, prior experience, individual compensation history and salary levels of other executives within TripAdvisor and similarly situated executives at comparable companies. Base salary is typically reviewed annually, at which time management makes recommendations to the Compensation Committees based on consideration of a variety of factors including, but not limited to, the following:

 

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After careful consideration of the factors discussed above with respect to each of the named executive officers, the Compensation Committees approved 2014 salary changes for our named executive officers.  The table below describes, for each named executive officer, the 2013 annualized salary, the annual salary increase and the 2014 annualized salary.  Adjustments were made to the compensation annual base salary of Ms. Bradley and Mr. Kalvert primarily in acknowledgement of the extent to which they had achieved their individual performance goals and in response to the analysis provided by Compensia on competitive compensation market data for executive officers with in our peer group in comparable positions.  Ms. Seidenberg’s salary was set in August 2014 when TripAdvisor acquired Viator and her employment commenced.  Only her annualized 2014 base salary is included in the table below.  

 

 

Annual Cash Bonuses

Cash bonuses are awarded to recognize and reward each named executive officer’s annual contribution to Company performance. Unless otherwise provided by the provisions of his or her employment agreement, the target annual cash bonus opportunities for our named executive officers are generally established by the Compensation Committees, based on competitive market data and recommendations by the President and Chief Executive Officer (other than in connection with his own compensation).  

In February 2015, management recommended bonuses with respect to calendar year 2014 for each of our named executive officers after taking into account a variety of factors including, but not limited to, the following:

 

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Annual cash incentive bonuses awarded to our named executive officers for 2014 were subject to the achievement of performance goals relating either to stock price performance or revenue, which were satisfied. These performance goals were designed to permit TripAdvisor to deduct all named executive officer compensation for 2014 in accordance with Section 162(m) of the Code. Specifically, the cash bonuses awarded to our named executive officers in 2014 were subject to the satisfaction of one of the following performance goals:

In general, these performance goals reflect the minimally acceptable Company performance that must be achieved for cash bonuses to be awarded to our named executive officers, but with respect to which there is substantial uncertainty when established. The Compensation Committees may exercise negative discretion in making the annual cash bonus awards.   As a result, while performance targets were used in setting compensation under this plan, ultimately the levels of those targets and the Compensation Committees’ use of negative discretion typically result in the award of compensation as if the annual incentive plan were operating as a discretionary plan.

After consideration of the factors discussed above (including confirmation of satisfaction of the performance goals established for the Company and individual performance goals established between our CEO and President and the named executive officers), the Compensation Committees awarded 2014 cash bonuses to our named executive officers.  The table below describes, for each named executive officer other than Ms. Seidenberg, the target bonus for 2014, the actual bonus paid and percentage of bonus paid relative to target.

 

 

Ms. Seidenberg joined TripAdvisor in August 2014 upon the consummation of the acquisition of Viator by TripAdvisor.  Pursuant to the terms of her employment agreement, Ms. Seidenberg remained on the Viator bonus program through the end of 2014.  As a result, she was eligible to receive a quarterly target bonus of $18,750 for the second, third, and fourth quarters of 2014 as well as a target annual bonus of $75,000.  Such payouts were made with consideration for Viator business and financial performance, although specific targets were not set. The table below describes Ms. Seidenberg’s 2014 target bonuses, the actual bonus paid and percentage of bonus paid relative to target.

 

Equity Awards

The Compensation Committees use equity awards to align executive compensation with our long-term performance. Equity awards link compensation to financial performance because their value depends on TripAdvisor’s share price. Equity awards are also

 

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an important employee retention tool because they generally vest over a multi-year period, subject to continued service by the award recipient.

Equity awards are typically granted to our named executive officers upon hire or promotion and annually thereafter. Management generally recommends annual equity awards in the first quarter of each year when the Compensation Committees meet to make determinations regarding annual bonuses for the last completed fiscal year and to set compensation levels for the current fiscal year. The practice of the Compensation Committees is to generally grant equity awards to our named executive officers only in open trading windows.

Typically, equity awards have been in the form of awards of restricted stock units (“RSUs”) and/or options to purchase shares of TripAdvisor common stock or some combination of the two. Stock options have an exercise price equal to the market price of TripAdvisor common stock on the date of grant, and, therefore, provide value to our named executive officers only if our stock price increases. Stock options generally vest over a period of four years. We believe stock options incentivize our named executive officers to sustain increases in stockholder value over extended periods of time. RSUs are a promise to issue shares of our common stock in the future provided the named executive officer remains employed with us through the award’s vesting period. RSUs generally vest over a period of four years. RSUs provide the opportunity for capital accumulation and long-term incentive value and are intended to assist in satisfying our retention objectives.

The Compensation Committees review various factors considered by management when they establish TripAdvisor’s equity award grant pool including, but not limited to, the following:

For specific awards to our named executive officers, management makes recommendations to the Section 16 Committee based on a variety of factors including, but not limited to, the following:

After review and consideration of the recommendations of management and the President and Chief Executive Officer (other than with respect to awards for himself), the Section 16 Committee decides whether to grant equity awards to our named executive officers. After consideration of the factors discussed above, in February 2014, the Section 16 Committee granted the equity awards described below.

 

 

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In August 2013, the Section 16 Committee granted an option to purchase 1,100,000 shares of TripAdvisor common stock to Mr. Kaufer, which will vest in equal installments on each of the fourth and fifth anniversaries of the award date of the grant, subject to Mr. Kaufer’s continuous employment with, or performance of services for, TripAdvisor or one of its subsidiaries or affiliates and his being in good standing through each such vesting date. In consideration of this award, Mr. Kaufer is subject to non-competition and non-solicitation covenants that apply during his employment and until 18 months immediately following the termination of his employment for any reason. In recognition of the size of the stock option granted to Mr. Kaufer in August 2013, the Section 16 Committee indicated its expectation that Mr. Kaufer would not be eligible for another equity award until August 2017, and, accordingly, Mr. Kaufer was not granted an equity award in 2014.

In February 2014, the Compensation Committee considered Mr. Halpin’s outstanding February 2013 performance grant of an option to purchase 100,000 shares of common stock.  The first tranche of the award, relating to 33 1/3% of the shares underlying the stock option award, or 33,333 shares, was scheduled to vest on December 31, 2013 subject to achievement of certain interim performance targets.  Given that business priorities affected the achievement of these interim performance targets, Mr. Kaufer recommended, and the Compensation Committee approved, a modification of the performance-based stock option such that the 33,333 shares underlying the award that had been scheduled to vest on December 31, 2013 would instead vest on December 31, 2014, subject to Mr. Halpin’s continued employment at TripAdvisor.  Please refer to the Grants of Plan Based Awards table for the incremental expense related to this modification.   Vesting of the remaining 66,667 shares underlying that portion of the award will vest on February 1, 2016, subject to the achievement of performance metrics related to revenue and EBITDA.

In August 2014, Ms. Seidenberg joined TripAdvisor in connection with the Viator acquisition.  Upon the close of the acquisition, Ms. Seidenberg was granted stock options and RSUs in the amounts below to motivate, retain, and align her interests with those of our stockholders. In addition, TripAdvisor assumed Ms. Seidenberg’s Viator stock options covering a total of 24,943 shares that were not exchanged for cash in connection with the transaction, details of which can be found in the Outstanding Equity Awards at Fiscal Year End table.

 

Employee Benefits

In addition to the primary elements of compensation described above, our named executive officers also participate in employee benefits programs available to our employees generally, including, for named executive officers residing in the United States, the TripAdvisor Retirement Savings Plan. Under this plan, TripAdvisor matches 50% of each dollar a participant contributes, up to the first 6% of eligible compensation, subject to tax limits. Prior to his relocation from the United Kingdom to the United States, Mr. Halpin participated in our UK pension scheme, pursuant to which we match 100% of participant contributions, up to the first 5% of eligible compensation.

In addition, we provide other benefits to our named executive officers on the same basis as all of our domestic employees generally. These benefits include group health (medical, dental, and vision) insurance, group disability insurance, and group life insurance.

In situations where a named executive officer is required to relocate, TripAdvisor also provides relocation benefits, including reimbursement of moving expenses, temporary housing and other relocation expenses as well as a tax gross-up payment on the relocation benefits.  In 2014, Mr. Halpin relocated from the United Kingdom to our corporate headquarters in Newton, Massachusetts and received such relocation support as disclosed in the Summary Compensation Table.

TripAdvisor also sponsors a Global Personal Travel Reimbursement program generally available to all employees, including our named executive officers, that provides for reimbursement of up to $750 a year for leisure travel that is arranged using one of the TripAdvisor Media Group family of products and provides all employees, including our named executive officers, an annual holiday bonus in the form of a gift card as well as a tax gross-up payment on the value of the gift card.

 

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Compensation Program Policies

Executive Compensation Recovery

TripAdvisor has an executive compensation recovery, or clawback, provision in our form of award agreements providing for recoupment of equity compensation. Each of TripAdvisor’s equity award documents provides that in the event an employee is terminated for Cause (as defined in the 2011 Plan) or resigns within two years after any event or circumstance that would have been grounds for termination of employment for Cause, then the employee agrees that certain equity securities issued to such employee (whether or not vested) may be forfeited and cancelled in their entirety upon such termination of employment. In such event, TripAdvisor may cause the employee to either (i) return the equity securities or shares of common stock issued upon exercise or vesting of such securities, or (ii) pay to TripAdvisor an amount equal to the aggregate amount, if any, that the employee had previously realized in respect of any and all shares of common stock acquired upon exercise or vesting of such equity awards.

We intend to adopt a general clawback policy covering our annual and long-term incentive award plans and arrangements or amend our existing documents once the SEC adopts final rules implementing the requirement of Section 954 of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act

Insider Trading and Hedging Policy

TripAdvisor has adopted an Insider Trading Policy covering our directors, officers, employees and consultants designed to ensure compliance with relevant SEC regulations, including insider trading rules. TripAdvisor’s insider trading policy also prohibits directors, officers, employees and consultants from engaging in various types of transactions in which they may profit from short-term speculative swings in the value of TripAdvisor securities.  These transactions include “short sales” (or selling borrowed securities which the sellers hopes can be purchased at a lower price in the future), “put” and “call” options (or publicly available rights to sell or buy securities within a certain period of time at a specified price or the like) and hedging transactions, such as zero-cost collars and forward sale contracts.  The policy also prohibits the pledge or use of company securities as collateral in a margin account or collateral for a loan.

The Role of Competitive Compensation Market Data

Management considers multiple data sources when reviewing compensation information to ensure that the data reflects compensation practices of relevant companies in terms of size, industry and geographic location. Among other factors, management considers the following information in connection with its recommendations to the Compensation Committees regarding compensation for our named executive officers:

In the summer of 2013, the Compensation Committees retained Compensia to review the existing compensation peer group and to recommend possible changes.  Our business model is somewhat unique. We use our innovative technology systems and software to attract users and then facilitate transactions between our business partners and those users.  Accordingly, Compensia recommended certain changes to the compensation peer group, including focusing on publicly-traded companies in the business to consumer (“B2C”) and software industries.

In February 2014, based on input from Compensia, the Compensation Committees approved the following companies to constitute the compensation peer group for purposes of serving as a referring in determining 2014 base salaries and equity awards for our executive officers:

 

 

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The 2014 peer group remains unchanged from the peer group approved by the Compensation Committees in August, 2013.  

When available, management and the Compensation Committees consider competitive market compensation paid by peer group companies but does not attempt to maintain a certain target percentile within the compensation peer group or otherwise rely solely on such data when making recommendations to the Compensation Committees regarding compensation for our named executive officers. Management and the Compensation Committees strive to incorporate flexibility into our executive compensation program and the assessment process to respond to and adjust for the evolving business environment and the value delivered by our named executive officers.

Tax Matters

Section 162(m) of the Code generally permits a tax deduction to public corporations for compensation over $1 million paid in any fiscal year to their chief executive officer and certain other highly compensated executive officers only if the compensation qualifies as “performance-based compensation” for purposes of Section 162(m). The Compensation Committees endeavor to structure the compensation of our executive officers to qualify as “performance-based compensation” when it deems such qualification to be in the best interests of TripAdvisor and its stockholders. Nonetheless, from time to time certain nondeductible compensation may be paid and the Board of Directors and the Compensation Committees reserve the authority to award nondeductible compensation to our executive officers in appropriate circumstances.

For purposes of enabling TripAdvisor to deduct the compensation paid to and recognized by our named executive officers in accordance with Section 162(m) of the Code, the Compensation Committees sought to design the annual bonuses awarded to our named executive officers for 2014 to qualify as “performance-based compensation” as described under “Compensation Program Elements – Cash Bonuses” above.

Post-Employment Compensation

Change in Control

Under the 2011 Plan, Ms. Bradley and Messrs. Kaufer and Kalvert are entitled to accelerated vesting of certain of their outstanding and unvested equity awards in the event of a change in control of TripAdvisor (i.e. a “single trigger” acceleration provision), although the definition of a “change in control” in the 2011 Plan does not include the acquisition of voting control by Liberty or LTRIP. When the 2011 Plan was adopted, the Compensation Committees believed that accelerated vesting of equity awards in connection with change in control transactions would provide an incentive for our named executive officers to continue to help execute successfully such a transaction from its early stages until closing. Under the 2011 Plan, acceleration of equity awards and equity awards for all other employees is subject to double trigger acceleration (i.e., accelerated vesting occurs only upon an involuntary termination of employment or resignation for “good reason” during the two-year period following a change in control).

In August 2013, after further evaluation of the “single trigger” acceleration provisions, the Compensation Committees determined that future equity awards made under the 2011 Plan would not be entitled to “single trigger” acceleration and, instead, the award agreements with respect to such equity awards would provide that any acceleration of vesting of the equity awards would be subject to “double trigger” rather than “single trigger” acceleration.  This means that a vesting of outstanding and unvested equity awards granted on or after August 28, 2013, would only occur upon both a change in control and qualified termination of employment. With respect to Mr. Kaufer’s equity award granted in August 2013, he agreed to waive the “single trigger” acceleration right and instead agreed that acceleration of this equity award is subject to “double trigger” acceleration. This determination will not have an impact on equity awards made to our named executive officers prior to Mr. Kaufer’s equity award grant in August 2013. For a

 

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description and quantification of change in control payments and benefits for our named executive officers, please see the section below entitled “Potential Payments Upon Termination of Change in Control.”

Severance

In March 2014, TripAdvisor, entered into employment agreements with each of Mr. Kaufer, Ms. Bradley and Mr. Kalvert.  In addition, at the time of their employment with TripAdvisor, the Company executed offer letters with Mr. Halpin and Ms. Seidenberg.  Pursuant to these agreements and offer letters, each of our named executive officers is eligible to receive certain severance payments and benefits in the event of a qualifying termination of employment. The material terms of these employment agreements are described below under the headings “Potential Payments Upon Termination or Change in Control.”

Compensation Committee Interlocks and Insider Participation

The Compensation Committee consists of Ms. Singh Cassidy and Messrs. Philips and Maffei and the Section 16 Committee consists of Ms. Singh Cassidy and Mr. Philips. None of Ms. Singh Cassidy or Messrs. Philips, or Maffei was an officer or employee of TripAdvisor, formerly an officer of TripAdvisor, or an executive officer of an entity for which an executive officer of TripAdvisor served as a member of the compensation committee or as a director during the one-year period ended December 31, 2014.

During the last fiscal year, none of our executive officers served as: (1) a member of the compensation committee (or other committee of the board of directors performing equivalent functions or, in the absence of any such committee, the entire board of directors) of another entity, one of whose executive officers served on our compensation committee;(2) a director of another entity, one of whose executive officers served on our compensation committee, or (3) a member of the compensation committee (or other committee of the board of directors performing equivalent functions or, in the absence of any such committee, the entire board of directors) of another entity, one of whose executive officers served on our Board.

Compensation Committees Report

This report is provided by the Compensation Committee and the Section 16 Committee (the “Compensation Committees”) of the Board of Directors. The Compensation Committees have reviewed the Compensation Discussion and Analysis and discussed that analysis with management. Based on this review and discussions with management, the Compensation Committees recommended to the Board of Directors that the Compensation Discussion and Analysis be included in TripAdvisor’s 2015 Proxy Statement.

 

Members of the Compensation Committee:

Sukhinder Singh Cassidy (Chairperson)

Jeremy Philips

Gregory B. Maffei

Members of the Section 16 Committee:

Sukhinder Singh Cassidy (Chairperson)

Jeremy Philips

 

 

 

 

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EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION

Summary Compensation

The following table sets forth certain information regarding the compensation paid to our Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer and three most highly compensated executive officers in 2014.  On February 5, 2015, the Board of Directors determined that for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2014, Mr. Dermot and Ms. Seidenberg were “executive officers” for purposes of Rule 3b-7 promulgated under the Exchange Act.

 

 

 

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2014 All Other Compensation

 

 

Grants of Plan-Based Awards

The table below provides information regarding the plan-based awards granted to our named executive officers in 2014.

 

 

 

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Outstanding Equity Awards at Fiscal Year-End

The following table provides information regarding the holdings of stock options and RSUs by our named executive officers as of December 31, 2014. The market value of the RSUs is based on the closing price of TripAdvisor common stock on the NASDAQ Stock Market on December 31, 2014, the last trading day of the year, which was $74.66 per share.

 

 

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Option Exercises and Stock Vested

The following table sets forth all stock option awards exercised and the taxable income realized upon exercise and all other stock awards vested and the taxable income realized upon vesting by the named executive officers during 2014.

 

 

Non-Qualified Deferred Compensation

We do not currently have any other defined contribution or other plan that provides for deferred compensation on a basis that is not tax-qualified for our employees.

Potential Payments Upon Termination or Change in Control

Certain of our compensation plans, award agreements and employment agreements or offer letters provide our named executive officers with accelerated vesting of outstanding and unvested equity awards or severance payments in the event of a change in control of TripAdvisor and/or upon the termination of employment or material adverse modification of his or her employment with TripAdvisor under specified circumstances. These plans and agreements are described below as they apply to each named executive officer.

Change of Control Provisions of TripAdvisor’s 2011 Stock and Annual Incentive Plan and Award Agreements Thereunder

The 2011 Plan provided that, unless otherwise provided in the applicable award agreement (or with respect to converted Expedia awards, only to the extent provided in the relevant award agreement), in the event of a Change in Control (as defined below), (i) any outstanding stock options held by certain of our named executive officers as of the date of the Change in Control which are not then exercisable and vested will become fully exercisable and vested, and (ii) all RSUs held by these named executive officers will be considered to be earned and payable in full and such RSUs will be settled in cash or shares of TripAdvisor common stock as promptly as practicable.

 

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After further evaluation of the “single trigger” acceleration provisions in the 2011 Plan, the Compensation Committees determined that future equity awards made under the 2011 Plan would not be entitled to “single trigger” acceleration and, instead, the award agreements with respect to such equity awards would provide that any acceleration of vesting of the awards would be subject to “double trigger” rather than “single trigger” acceleration. This means that a vesting of outstanding and unvested equity awards would only occur upon both a change in control of TripAdvisor and qualifying termination of employment. With respect to Mr. Kaufer’s equity award granted in August 2013, Mr. Kaufer agreed to waive the “single trigger” acceleration right and instead agreed that acceleration of this award is subject to “double trigger” acceleration. This determination will not have an impact on equity awards made to our named executive officers prior to Mr. Kaufer’s equity award granted in August 2013.

Stephen Kaufer Employment Agreement

In March 2014, TripAdvisor, LLC, a subsidiary of TripAdvisor, entered into an employment agreement with Mr. Kaufer. Previously, the Company did not have an employment agreement with Mr. Kaufer. The agreement has a term of five years.

Pursuant to the employment agreement, in the event that Mr. Kaufer’s employment terminates by reason of his death or disability, then:

Pursuant to the employment agreement, in the event that Mr. Kaufer terminates his employment for Good Reason (as defined below) or is terminated by TripAdvisor without Cause (as defined below) and such termination occurs during the period commencing three months immediately prior to a Change in Control (as defined below) and ending 24 months immediately following the Change in Control, then:

Pursuant to the employment agreement, in the event that Mr. Kaufer terminates his employment for Good Reason or is terminated by TripAdvisor without Cause and such termination is not in connection with a Change in Control, then:

 

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Receipt of the severance payments and benefits set forth above is contingent upon Mr. Kaufer executing and not revoking a separation and release in favor of TripAdvisor.  Each of the payments set forth above shall be offset by the amount of any cash compensation earned by Mr. Kaufer from another employer during the 12 months following his termination of employment.  

With respect to Mr. Kaufer’s equity award granted in August 2013, he agreed to waive the single trigger acceleration right upon a change in control and, instead, acceleration of this award is subject to double trigger acceleration.  

Mr. Kaufer has also agreed to be restricted from competing with TripAdvisor or any of its subsidiaries or affiliates or soliciting their employees, consultants, independent contractors, customers, suppliers or business partners, among others, during the term of his employment and through the period ending 18 months after the termination of employment.

Seth J. Kalvert Employment Agreement

In October 2011, TripAdvisor, LLC entered into an employment agreement with Mr. Kalvert. Such employment agreement had a term of two years and expired in October 2013. Effective March 31, 2014, TripAdvisor, LLC entered into a new employment agreement with Mr. Kalvert, with a two-year term and on substantially the same terms as the expired employment agreement.

Pursuant to the employment agreement with Mr. Kalvert, in the event that his employment terminates by reason of his death or disability, he will be entitled to continued payment of base salary through the end of the month in which the termination occurs.

Pursuant to the employment agreement with Mr. Kalvert, in the event that he terminates his employment for Good Reason (as defined below) or is terminated by TripAdvisor without Cause (as defined below), then:

Receipt of the severance payments and benefits set forth above is contingent upon Mr. Kalvert executing and not revoking a separation and release in favor of TripAdvisor.  In addition, Mr. Kalvert agreed to be restricted from competing with TripAdvisor or any of its subsidiaries or affiliates or soliciting their employees, consultants, independent contractors, customers, suppliers or business partners, among others, through the longer of (i) the completion of the term of the employment agreement and (ii) 12 months after the termination of employment.

 

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Julie M.B. Bradley Employment Agreements

In October 2011, TripAdvisor, LLC entered into an agreement with Ms. Bradley. Such employment agreement had a term of two years and expired in October 2013. Effective March 31, 2014, TripAdvisor, LLC entered into a new employment agreement with Ms. Bradley, with a two-year term and on substantially the same terms as the expired employment agreement and those described above for Mr. Kalvert.  

On April 2, 2015, Ms. Bradley informed TripAdvisor of her intention to resign from the Company. In order to provide for the transition of Ms. Bradley’s responsibilities, TripAdvisor and Ms. Bradley have entered into a Separation Agreement, dated April 2, 2015 (the “Separation Agreement”), pursuant to which Ms. Bradley has agreed to remain with the Company on a full-time basis for a transition period, which will last until the earlier of September 30, 2015 or thirty days following her successor’s start date (the “Transition Period”).

Under the Separation Agreement and subject to the terms and conditions set forth therein, in exchange for Ms. Bradley’s continued service during the Transition Period, the Company and Ms. Bradley have agreed to the following:

The employment agreement, dated as of March 31, 2014, between Ms. Bradley and the Company was superseded and replaced by the separation agreement, except to the extent that certain provisions and obligations of the employment agreement were expressly preserved and incorporated by reference into the separation agreement.  

Receipt of the severance payments and benefits set forth above is contingent upon the executive executing and not revoking a separation and release in favor of TripAdvisor, Inc.  In return, Ms. Bradley has agreed to be restricted from competing with TripAdvisor or any of its subsidiaries or affiliates or soliciting their employees, consultants, independent contractors, customers, suppliers or business partners, among others, through the longer of (i) the completion of the term of the employment agreement, and (ii) 12 months after the termination of employment.  

Dermot M. Halpin Offer Letter

On November 29, 2011, TripAdvisor, Ltd., a subsidiary of TripAdvisor, entered into an offer letter with Dermot Halpin. Pursuant to the offer letter, TripAdvisor may terminate the employee with immediate effect if Mr. Halpin:

 

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In the event of termination of Mr. Halpin’s employment by the Company for any reason other than those noted above, then the Company will make a compensation payment to Mr. Halpin in an amount equal to nine months’ base salary at the rate then payable.  Mr. Halpin shall also be entitled to, at the Company’s discretion, extension of health benefits or the cost of comparable benefits.

The offer letter also provides that in the event of a termination of employment for any reason other than those noted above, the Company will consider in good faith the acceleration of Mr. Halpin’s November 30, 2011 stock option grant and his February 27, 2013 performance award that otherwise would have vested in the nine months post-termination.  In the case of the performance award, any amount that would vest under this provision would only vest to the extent that the performance conditions are satisfied.

Simultaneously with entering into the offer letter, Mr. Halpin also entered into a Non-Disclosure, Developments and Non-Competition Agreement, pursuant to which Mr. Halpin agreed to be restricted from competing with TripAdvisor or any of its subsidiaries or affiliates or soliciting their employees, consultants, independent contractors, customers, suppliers or business partners, among others, through the longer of (i) the completion of the term of the employment agreement and (ii) nine months after the termination of employment.

Barrie Seidenberg Offer Letter

Effective August 8, 2014, TripAdvisor, LLC entered into an offer letter with Ms. Seidenberg. Pursuant to the offer letter, in the event that she terminates her employment for Good Reason or is terminated by TripAdvisor without Cause, then:

Simultaneously with entering into the offer letter, Ms. Seidenberg also entered into a Non-Disclosure, Developments and Non-Competition Agreement, pursuant to which Ms. Seidenberg agreed to be restricted from competing with TripAdvisor or any of its subsidiaries or affiliates or soliciting their employees, consultants, independent contractors, customers, suppliers or business partners, among others, through the longer of (i) the completion of the term of the employment agreement and (ii) 12 months after the termination of employment.

Employment Agreement Definitions

Under the employment agreements with Ms. Bradley and Messrs. Kaufer and Kalvert and the offer letter with Ms. Seidenberg, “Cause” means: (i) the plea of guilty or nolo contendere to, conviction for, a felony offense by the executive; provided, however, that after indictment, TripAdvisor may suspend the executive from rendition of services but without limiting or modifying in any other way TripAdvisor’s obligations under the employment agreement, (ii) a material breach by the executive of a fiduciary duty owed to TripAdvisor or its subsidiaries, (iii) material breach by the executive of certain covenants of the employment agreement, (iv) the willful or gross neglect by the executive of the material duties required by the employment agreement and (v) a knowing and material violation by the executive of any TripAdvisor policy pertaining to ethics, legal compliance, wrongdoing or conflicts of interest that, in the cases of the conduct described in clauses (iv) and (v) above, if curable, is not cured by the executive within 30 days after the executive is provided with written notice thereof. 

Under the employment agreements with our named executive officers and under the 2011 Plan, “Change in Control” shall mean any of the following events:

(i)The acquisition by any individual entity or group (within the meaning of Section 13(d)(3) or 14(d)(2) of the Exchange Act), other than Barry Diller, Liberty Media Corporation, and their respective Affiliates (a “Person”) of beneficial ownership

 

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(within the meaning of Rule 13d-3 promulgated under the Exchange Act) of equity securities of the Company representing more than 50% of the voting power of the then outstanding equity securities of the Company entitled to vote generally in the election of directors (the “Outstanding Company Voting Securities”); provided, however, that for purposes of this subsection (i), the following acquisitions shall not constitute a Change in Control: (A) any acquisition by the Company, (B) any acquisition directly from the Company, (C) any acquisition by any employee benefit plan (or related trust) sponsored or maintained by the Company or any corporation controlled by the Company, or (D) any acquisition pursuant to a transaction which complies with clauses (A), (B) and (C) of subsection (iii); or

(ii)Individuals who, as of the Effective Date, constitute the Board (the “Incumbent Board”) cease for any reason to constitute at least a majority of the Board; provided, however, that any individual becoming a director subsequent to the Effective Date, whose election, or nomination for election by the Company’s stockholders, was approved by a vote of at least a majority of the directors then comprising the Incumbent Board shall be considered as though such individual were a member of the Incumbent Board, but excluding, for this purpose, any such individual whose initial assumption of office occurs as a result of an actual or threatened election contest with respect to the election or removal of directors or other actual or threatened solicitation of proxies or consents by or on behalf of a Person other than the Board; or

(iii)Consummation of a reorganization, merger or consolidation or sale or other disposition of all or substantially all of the assets of the Company or the purchase of assets or stock of another entity (a “Business Combination”), in each case, unless immediately following such Business Combination, (A) all or substantially all of the individuals and entities who were the beneficial owners of the Outstanding Company Voting Securities immediately prior to such Business Combination will beneficially own, directly or indirectly, more than 50% of the then outstanding combined voting power of the then outstanding voting securities entitled to vote generally in the election of directors (or equivalent governing body, if applicable) of the entity resulting from such Business Combination (including, without limitation, an entity which as a result of such transaction owns the Company or all or substantially all of the Company’s assets either directly or through one or more subsidiaries) in substantially the same proportions as their ownership, immediately prior to such Business Combination of the Outstanding Company Voting Securities, (B) no Person (excluding Barry Diller, LMC, and their respective affiliates, any employee benefit plan (or related trust) of the Company or such entity resulting from such Business Combination) will beneficially own, directly or indirectly, more than a majority of the combined voting power of the then outstanding voting securities of such entity except to the extent that such ownership of the Company existed prior to the Business Combination and (C) at least a majority of the members of the board of directors (or equivalent governing body, if applicable) of the entity resulting from such Business Combination will have been members of the Incumbent Board at the time of the initial agreement, or action of the Board, providing for such Business Combination; or

Under the employment agreements with Ms. Bradley and Messrs. Kaufer and Kalvert and the offer letter with Ms. Seidenberg, “Good Reason” means the occurrence of any of the following without the executive’s prior written consent: (A) TripAdvisor’s material breach of any material provision of the employment agreement, (B) the material reduction in the executive’s title, duties, reporting responsibilities or level of responsibilities in such executive’s position at TripAdvisor,  (C) the material reduction in the executive’s base salary or the executive’s total annual compensation opportunity, or (D) the relocation of the executive’s principal place of employment more than 50 miles outside the Boston metropolitan area; provided that in no event shall the executive’s resignation be for “Good Reason” unless (x) an event or circumstance set forth in clauses (A) through (D) shall have occurred and the executive provides TripAdvisor with written notice thereof within 30 days after the executive has knowledge of the occurrence or existence of such event or circumstance, which notice specifically identifies the event or circumstance that the executive believes constitutes Good Reason, (y) TripAdvisor fails to correct the event or circumstance so identified within 30 days after receipt of such notice, and (z) the executive resigns within 90 days after the date of delivery of the notice referred to in clause (x) above.

For a description and quantification of change in control payments and benefits for our named executive officers, please see the section below entitled “Potential Payments Upon Termination of Change in Control.”

Estimated Potential Incremental Payments

The table below reflects the estimated amount of incremental compensation payable to each of our named executive officers upon termination of his or her employment in the following circumstances: (i) a termination of employment by TripAdvisor without Cause not in connection with a Change in Control, (ii) resignation by him or her for Good Reason not in connection with a Change in Control, (iii) a Change in Control or (iv) a termination of employment by TripAdvisor without Cause or by him or her for Good Reason in connection with a Change in Control.

 

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The amounts shown in the table assume that the triggering event was effective as of December 31, 2014 and that the price of TripAdvisor common stock on which certain of the calculations are based was the closing price of $74.66 per share on the NASDAQ Stock Market on December 31, 2014, the last trading day in 2014. These amounts are estimates of the incremental amounts that would be paid out to each named executive officer upon such triggering event. The actual amounts to be paid out can only be determined at the time of the triggering event, if any.

 

 

 

 

 

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Equity Compensation Plan Information

The following table provides information as of December 31, 2014 regarding shares of common stock that may be issued under TripAdvisor’s equity compensation plans consisting of the 2011 Plan, the Viator Inc. 2010 Stock Incentive Plan, and the Non-Employee Director Deferred Compensation Plan.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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DIRECTOR COMPENSATION

Overview

The Board of Directors sets non-employee director compensation, which is designed to provide competitive compensation necessary to attract and retain high quality non-employee directors and to encourage ownership of TripAdvisor common stock to further align their interests with those of our stockholders. Each non-employee director of TripAdvisor is eligible to receive the following compensation:

We also pay reasonable travel and accommodation expenses of the non-employee directors in connection with their participation in meetings of the Board of Directors.

TripAdvisor employees do not receive compensation for services as directors. Accordingly, Mr. Kaufer does not receive any compensation for his service as a director.

Non-Employee Director Deferred Compensation Plan

Under TripAdvisor’s Non-Employee Director Deferred Compensation Plan, the non-employee directors may defer all or a portion of their directors’ fees. Eligible directors who defer their directors’ fees may elect to have such deferred fees (i) applied to the purchase of share units representing the number of shares of TripAdvisor common stock that could have been purchased on the date such fees would otherwise be payable or (ii) credited to a cash fund. If any dividends are paid on TripAdvisor common stock, dividend equivalents will be credited on the share units. The cash fund will be credited with deemed interest at an annual rate equal to the average “bank prime loan” rate for such year identified in the U.S. Federal Reserve Statistical Release. Upon termination of service as a director of TripAdvisor, a director will receive (1) with respect to share units, such number of shares of TripAdvisor common stock as the share units represent and (2) with respect to the cash fund, a cash payment. Payments upon termination will be made in either one lump sum or up to five installments, as elected by the eligible director at the time of the deferral election.

 

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2014 Non-Employee Director Compensation Table

The following table shows the compensation information for the non-employee directors of TripAdvisor for the year ended December 31, 2014:

 

 

 

 

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SECURITY OWNERSHIP OF CERTAIN BENEFICIAL OWNERS AND MANAGEMENT

Beneficial Ownership Table

The following table presents information as of April 20, 2015 relating to the beneficial ownership of TripAdvisor’s capital stock by (i) each person or entity known to TripAdvisor to own beneficially more than 5% of the outstanding shares of TripAdvisor’s common stock or Class B common stock, (ii) each director and director nominee of TripAdvisor, (iii) the named executive officers and (iv) our executive officers and directors, as a group. In each case, except as otherwise indicated in the footnotes to the table, the shares are owned directly by the named owners, with sole voting and dispositive power. Unless otherwise indicated, beneficial owners listed in the table may be contacted at TripAdvisor’s corporate headquarters at 141 Needham Street, Newton, Massachusetts 02464.

Shares of TripAdvisor Class B common stock may, at the option of the holder, be converted on a one-for-one basis into shares of TripAdvisor common stock; therefore, the common stock column below includes shares of Class B common stock held by each such listed person, entity or group, and the beneficial ownership percentage of each such listed person assumes the conversion of all Class B common stock into common stock. For each listed person, entity or group, the number of shares of TripAdvisor common stock and Class B common stock and the percentage of each such class listed also include shares of common stock and Class B common stock that may be acquired by such person, entity or group on the conversion or exercise of equity securities, such as stock options, which can be converted or exercised, and RSUs that have or will have vested, within 60 days of April 20, 2015, but do not assume the conversion or exercise of any equity securities (other than the conversion of the Class B common stock) owned by any other person, entity or group.

The percentage of votes for all classes of TripAdvisor’s capital stock is based on one vote for each share of common stock and ten votes for each share of Class B common stock. There were 130,707,574 shares of common stock and 12,799,999 shares of Class B common stock outstanding on April 20, 2015.

 

 

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Section 16(a) Beneficial Ownership Reporting Compliance

Pursuant to Section 16(a) of the Exchange Act, TripAdvisor officers and directors and persons who beneficially own more than 10% of a registered class of TripAdvisor’s equity securities are required to file initial statements of beneficial ownership (Form 3) and statements of changes in beneficial ownership (Forms 4 and 5) with the SEC. Such persons are required by the rules of the SEC to furnish TripAdvisor with copies of all such forms they file. Based solely on a review of the copies of such forms furnished to TripAdvisor and/or written representations that no additional forms were required, TripAdvisor believes that all of its directors and officers complied with all the reporting requirements applicable to them with respect to transactions during 2014.

CERTAIN RELATIONSHIPS AND RELATED PERSON TRANSACTIONS

Review and Approval or Ratification of Related Person Transactions

In general, we will enter into or ratify a “related person transaction” only when it has been approved by the Audit Committee of the Board of Directors, in accordance with its written charter. Related persons include our executive officers, directors, 5% or more beneficial owners of our common stock, immediate family members of these persons and entities in which one of these persons has a direct or indirect material interest. Related person transactions are transactions that meet the minimum threshold for disclosure in the proxy statement under the relevant SEC rules (generally, transactions involving amounts exceeding $120,000 in which a related person or entity has a direct or indirect material interest). When a potential related person transaction is identified, management presents it to the Audit Committee to determine whether to approve or ratify. When determining whether to approve, ratify, disapprove or reject any related person transaction, the Audit Committee considers all relevant factors, including the extent of the related person’s interest in the transaction, whether the terms are commercially reasonable and whether the related person transaction is consistent with the best interests of TripAdvisor and our stockholders.

 

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The legal and accounting departments work with business units throughout TripAdvisor to identify potential related person transactions prior to execution. In addition, we take the following steps with regard to related person transactions:

If any related person transaction is not approved, the Audit Committee may take such action as it may deem necessary or desirable in the best interests of TripAdvisor and our stockholders.

Related Person Transactions

Relationship between Expedia and TripAdvisor

Upon consummation of the Spin-Off, Expedia was considered a related party under GAAP based on a number of factors, including, among others, common ownership of our shares and those of Expedia.  However, we no longer consider Expedia a related party.   For purposes of governing certain of the ongoing relationships between us and Expedia at and after the Spin-Off, and to provide for an orderly transition, we and Expedia entered into various agreements at the time of the Spin-Off, under which TripAdvisor has satisfied its obligations. However, TripAdvisor continues to be subject to certain post-spin obligations under the Tax Sharing Agreement between TripAdvisor and Expedia.

Under the Tax Sharing Agreement, we are generally required to indemnify Expedia for any taxes resulting from the Spin-Off (and any related interest, penalties, legal and professional fees, and all costs and damages associated with related stockholder litigation or controversies) to the extent such amounts resulted from (i) any act or failure to act by us described in the covenants in the tax sharing agreement, (ii) any acquisition of our equity securities or assets or those of a member of our group, or (iii) any failure of the representations with respect to us or any member of our group to be true or any breach by us or any member of our group of any covenant, in each case, which is contained in the separation documents or in the documents relating to the IRS private letter ruling and/or the opinion of counsel.

Relationship between Liberty, LTRIP and TripAdvisor

On August 27, 2014, the entire beneficial ownership of our common stock and Class B common stock held by Liberty was transferred to LTRIP.  Simultaneously, Liberty, LTRIP’s former parent company, distributed, by means of a dividend, to the holders of its Liberty Ventures common stock, Liberty’s entire equity interest in LTRIP.  As a result of the Liberty Spin-Off, effective August 27, 2014 LTRIP became a separate, publicly traded company and 100% of Liberty’s interest in TripAdvisor was held by LTRIP. 

As a result of these transactions, as of the record date, LTRIP beneficially owned 18,159,752 shares of our common stock and 12,799,999 shares of our Class B common stock, which shares constitute 13.9% of the outstanding shares of common stock and 100% of the outstanding shares of Class B common stock. Assuming the conversion of all of LTRIP’s shares of Class B common stock into common stock, LTRIP would beneficially own 21.6% of the outstanding common stock (calculated in accordance with Rule 13d-3). Because each share of Class B common stock is generally entitled to ten votes per share and each share of common stock is entitled to one vote per share, LTRIP may be deemed to beneficially own equity securities representing approximately 56.5% of our voting power.  As a result, LTRIP is effectively able to control the outcome of all matters submitted to a vote or for the consent of TripAdvisor’s stockholders (other than with respect to the election by the holders of TripAdvisor common stock of 25% of the members of TripAdvisor’s Board of Directors and matters as to which Delaware law requires a separate class vote).

 

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WHERE YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION AND INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE

TripAdvisor files annual, quarterly and current reports, proxy statements and other information with the SEC. TripAdvisor’s filings are available to the public over the Internet at the SEC’s website at http://www.sec.gov. You may also read and copy any document that TripAdvisor files with the SEC at its public reference room in Washington, D.C. located at 100 F Street, N.E., Room 1580, Washington, D.C. 20549. Please call the SEC at 1-800-SEC-0330 for further information on the operation of the public reference facilities. You can also obtain copies of those documents at prescribed rates by writing to the Public Reference Section of the SEC at that address. TripAdvisor’s SEC filings are also available to the public from commercial retrieval services.

The SEC allows TripAdvisor to “incorporate by reference” the information that TripAdvisor’s files with the SEC, which means that TripAdvisor can disclose important information to you by referring you to those documents. The information incorporated by reference is an important part of this proxy statement. TripAdvisor incorporates by reference its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2014 filed with the SEC on February 17, 2015.

ANNUAL REPORTS

TripAdvisor’s Annual Report to Stockholders for 2015, which includes our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2014 (not including exhibits), is available at http://ir.tripadvisor.com/annual-proxy.cfm. Upon written request to TripAdvisor, Inc., 141 Needham Street, Newton, Massachusetts 02464, Attention: Secretary, TripAdvisor will provide, without charge, an additional copy of TripAdvisor’s 2014 Annual Report on Form 10-K. TripAdvisor will furnish any exhibit contained in the Annual Report on Form 10-K upon payment of a reasonable fee. Stockholders may also review a copy of the Annual Report on Form 10-K (including exhibits) by accessing TripAdvisor’s corporate website at www.tripadvisor.com or the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov.

PROPOSALS BY STOCKHOLDERS FOR PRESENTATION AT THE

2016 ANNUAL MEETING

Stockholders who wish to have a proposal considered for inclusion in TripAdvisor’s proxy materials for presentation at the 2016 Annual Meeting of Stockholders must ensure that their proposal is received by TripAdvisor no later than December 29, 2015 at its principal executive offices at 141 Needham Street, Newton, Massachusetts 02464, Attention: Secretary. The proposal must be made in accordance with the provisions of Rule 14a-8 of the Exchange Act. Stockholders who intend to present a proposal at the 2016 Annual Meeting of Stockholders without inclusion of the proposal in TripAdvisor’s proxy materials are required to provide notice of such proposal to TripAdvisor at its principal executive offices no later than March 11, 2016.  TripAdvisor reserves the right to reject, rule out of order or take other appropriate action with respect to any proposal that does not comply with these and other applicable requirements.

DELIVERY OF DOCUMENTS TO STOCKHOLDERS SHARING AN ADDRESS

If you share an address with any of our other stockholders, your household might receive only one copy of the Proxy Statement, Annual Report and Notice, as applicable. To request individual copies of any of these materials for each stockholder in your household, please contact TripAdvisor, Inc., 141 Needham Street, Newton, Massachusetts 02464, Attention: Secretary, or call us at 617-670-6300. We will deliver copies of the Proxy Statement, Annual Report and/or Notice promptly following your request. To ask that only one copy of any of these materials be mailed to your household, please contact your broker.

Newton, Massachusetts

April 28, 2015

 

 

 

 

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THIS PROXY CARD IS VALID ONLY WHEN SIGNED AND DATED.

 

Important Notice Regarding the Availability of Proxy Materials for the Annual Meeting:

The Combined Document is available at www.proxyvote.com .

 

 

 

 

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