Proposes to allocate 50 mn shares to employees aligned to shareholder value creation and to broaden and deepen employee ownership of the company
Bengaluru – May 16, 2019
Infosys (NYSE: INFY), a global leader in next-generation digital services and consulting, today announced that its board of directors has approved the Infosys Expanded Stock Ownership Program 2019 that links long term employee incentives with shareholder value creation. Subject to shareholder approval, this unique plan proposes to allocate 50 mn shares (or 5 crore shares) equating 1.15% of the company’s equity shares to a broad base of employees, which will vest on challenging performance criteria.
This program builds on the strong legacy of meritocracy that was established by the founders, and strengthens the company’s efforts towards wealth creation for employees, enhanced shareholder returns and delight for customers. The company has been a pioneer in India, rewarding its employees through stock ownership programs starting in 1994, including the 2015 Incentive Compensation Plan.
The Infosys Expanded Stock Ownership Program 2019, under which grants will vest based on performance, aims to align employee interest with shareholder value creation, incentivize, attract and retain key talent, and reward employee performance with ownership. The grants allocated to employees over a period of seven years will vest based on challenging performance criteria of a) relative Total Shareholder Return (TSR) against an industry peer group, b) relative TSR against domestic and global indices and c) operating lead performance metrics such as total revenue and digital revenue growth, and operating margins.
Salil Parekh, Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director, Infosys, said, “Infosys has been a pioneer for many firsts in India, and this program is a key milestone as it sets another benchmark in the industry. Our employees are our biggest asset, and through this program we aim to recognize and reward individuals who are committed to driving value creation for all stakeholders through their continued and consistent performance. By making employees owners, they get an opportunity to be beneficiaries in the long term success of the company and realize the results of their work and dedication.”
Infosys is a global leader in next-generation digital services and consulting. We enable clients in 45 countries to navigate their digital transformation. With over three decades of experience in managing the systems and workings of global enterprises, we expertly steer our clients through their digital journey. We do it by enabling the enterprise with an AI-powered core that helps prioritize the execution of change. We also empower the business with agile digital at scale to deliver unprecedented levels of performance and customer delight. Our always-on learning agenda drives their continuous improvement through building and transferring digital skills, expertise, and ideas from our innovation ecosystem.
Visit www.infosys.com to see how Infosys (NYSE: INFY) can help your enterprise navigate your next.
Certain statements mentioned in this release concerning our future growth prospects and our future business expectations are forward-looking statements intended to qualify for the 'safe harbor' under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such statements involve a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in such forward-looking statements. The risks and uncertainties relating to these statements include, but are not limited to, risks and uncertainties regarding fluctuations in earnings, fluctuations in foreign exchange rates, our ability to manage growth, intense competition in IT services including those factors which may affect our cost advantage, wage increases in India, our ability to attract and retain highly skilled professionals, time and cost overruns on fixed-price, fixed-time frame contracts, client concentration, restrictions on immigration, industry segment concentration, our ability to manage our international operations, reduced demand for technology in our key focus areas, disruptions in telecommunication networks or system failures, our ability to successfully complete and integrate potential acquisitions, liability for damages on our service contracts, the success of the companies in which Infosys has made strategic investments, withdrawal or expiration of governmental fiscal incentives, political instability and regional conflicts, legal restrictions on raising capital or acquiring companies outside India, and unauthorized use of our intellectual property and general economic conditions affecting our industry. Additional risks that could affect our future operating results are more fully described in our United States Securities and Exchange Commission filings including our Annual Report on Form 20-F for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2018. These filings are available at www.sec.gov. Infosys may, from time to time, make additional written and oral forward-looking statements, including statements contained in the company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission and our reports to shareholders. The company does not undertake to update any forward-looking statements that may be made from time to time by or on behalf of the company unless it is required by law.
For further information, please contact: PR_Global@infosys.com