Performance-Based Restricted Stock Unit Award

Exhibit 10.43

Participants NOT Eligible for Executive

Severance and CIC Plan—Business Transformation 2019

Performance-Based Restricted Stock Unit Award

(Stericycle, Inc. 2017 Long-Term Incentive Plan)

 

Participant:

 

PSU Grant Date:

 

Number of PSU shares:

 

Performance Period:        January 1, 2019 through December 31, 2022

 

Performance Year:Each calendar year during the Performance Period

 

 

THIS PERFORMANCE-BASED RESTRICTED STOCK UNIT AGREEMENT (this “Award Agreement”), dated as of the Grant Date specified above, by and between Stericycle, Inc. (the “Company”) and Participant, is entered into pursuant to the Stericycle, Inc. 2017 Long-Term Incentive Plan (as the same may be amended, restated, supplemented and otherwise modified from time to time, the “Plan”).  This Award Agreement is subject to the terms and conditions of the Plan.  

 

1.Defined Terms.  All capitalized terms not otherwise defined in the text of this Award Agreement have the meanings attributed to them in the Plan.

2.Grant of Performance Restricted Stock Units.  Subject to the terms and conditions of the Plan and this Award Agreement, the Company hereby grants to Participant a Full Value Award under the Plan in the form of performance-based restricted stock units (“Performance Stock Units”).  The Performance Stock Units shall vest based on (a) Participant’s continued service with the Company and its Subsidiaries and (b) satisfaction of Performance Targets, as described in Paragraph 3.  Each Performance Stock Unit constitutes an unfunded and unsecured promise of the Company to deliver (or cause to be delivered) to Participant a share of Common Stock, or its cash equivalent, subject to the terms and conditions of the Plan and this Award Agreement, and is not an actual share of Common Stock.  Prior to settlement, as described in Paragraph 4, Performance Stock Units are only bookkeeping entries, either on the Company’s own records or on those of E*Trade (or any other record keeper that the Company may use in connection with the administration of the Plan), and Participant shall not have any rights as a stockholder of the Company in respect of his or her Performance Stock Units.  

3.Vesting.

 

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(i)A Qualifying Termination means the occurrence of Participant’s Termination Date by reason of (I) termination by the Company or a Subsidiary without Cause or (II) termination by Participant for Good Reason (as defined below).

(ii)Participant’s Termination Date shall be considered to have terminated for Good Reason if (A) without Participant’s consent, one or more of the following actions or omissions occurs: (I) a material reduction in Participant’s base salary as in effect immediately prior to the Change of Control, (II) Participant is required to be based at any office or location more than 50 miles from Participant’s office or location in effect immediately prior to the Change of Control, (III) any material diminution in Participant’s authority, duties or responsibilities as in effect immediately prior to the Change of Control, or (IV) any material breach of this Award Agreement or the Plan by the Company or the Committee, (B) Participant notifies the Company in writing of the event constituting Good Reason within 90 days after the occurrence of such event and within the Protected Period, (C) the Company has not cured the event constituting Good Reason within 30 days following receipt of the notice

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from Participant, and (D) Participant terminates employment within 5 days following expiration of the cure period.  For the avoidance of doubt, a delay in the delivery of a notice of Good Reason or in Participant’s termination following the lapse of the cure period shall constitute a waiver of Participant’s ability to terminate for Good Reason under this Award Agreement.

(iii)The “Release Requirements” will be satisfied as of any date provided that, as of such date, Participant (A) has timely delivered to the Company a general waiver and release of claims in favor of the Company and related parties (the “Release”) in such form provided by the Company in its sole discretion and with such terms and conditions (which shall include, but are not limited to, non-competition, non-solicitation, confidentiality, and other restrictive covenants, as well as the events that shall result in the forfeiture, recoupment, and/or claw-back of the benefits provided under this Award Agreement and the Plan) as are reasonably acceptable to the Company, (B) Participant does not revoke the Release, and (C) the revocation period related to such Release has expired.

4.Settlement. If any of the Performance Stock Units become Vested Performance Stock Units, the Award shall be settled with respect to such Vested Performance Stock Units as soon as practicable after the applicable Vesting Date but no later than 45 days after the Vesting Date.  Settlement of the Vested Performance Stock Units shall be made, in the sole discretion of the Committee, in (a) the form of shares of Common Stock (with one share of Common Stock distributed for each Vested Performance Stock Unit and cash equal in value to any fractional Vested Performance Stock Unit) registered in the name of Participant, (b) a lump sum cash payment equal to the Fair Market Value (determined as of the Vesting Date) of the number of shares of Common Stock determined under subparagraph (a), or (c) a combination of the payment forms described in subparagraphs (a) and (b).  Participant shall be entitled to settlement only with respect to Vested Performance Stock Units.

5.Withholding.  This Award and the delivery of shares of the Common Stock or the payment of cash in settlement of the Award pursuant to Paragraph 4 shall be conditioned upon the satisfaction of any applicable withholding tax obligation.  Such withholding obligations shall be satisfied through the surrender of shares of Common Stock (or other amounts) to which the Participant is otherwise entitled under the Plan (net withholding) unless the Participant elects to satisfy such withholding (a) through cash payment by the Participant or (b) through the surrender of shares of Common Stock that the Participant already owns.  Notwithstanding the foregoing, previously-owned Common Stock that has been held by Participant or Common Stock to which Participant is entitled under the Plan may only be used to satisfy the minimum tax withholding required by applicable law (or other rates that will not have a negative accounting impact).

6.Employee Covenant Agreement. This Award Agreement and the grant of Performance Stock Units to Participant are subject to Participant’s acceptance of and agreement to be bound by the Employee Covenant Agreement which has been provided or made available to Participant with this Award Agreement. The Company would not have granted the Award to Participant without Participant’s acceptance of and agreement to be bound by the Employee Covenant Agreement.  

7.Transferability. None of the Performance Stock Units may be transferred, assigned or pledged (whether by operation of law or otherwise), except (i) as provided by will or the applicable laws of intestacy or (ii) in accordance with Section 9.5 of the Plan. The Award shall not be subject to execution, attachment or similar process.

8.Interpretation/Administration. This Award Agreement is subject to the terms of the Plan, as the Plan may be amended, but except as required by applicable law, no amendment of the Plan after the Grant Date shall adversely affect Participant’s rights in respect of the Performance Stock Units without Participant’s consent.

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If there is a conflict or inconsistency between this Award Agreement and the Plan, the terms of the Plan shall control. The Committee’s interpretation of this Award Agreement and the Plan shall be final and binding.

The authority to manage and control the operation and administration of this Award shall be vested in the Committee, and the Committee shall have all powers with respect to the Award and this Award Agreement as it has with respect to the Plan.  Any interpretation of this Award Agreement by the Committee and any decision made by it with respect to the Award or this Award Agreement is final and binding on all persons.

9.No Employment Rights. Nothing in this Award shall be considered to confer on Participant any right to continue in the employ of the Company or a Subsidiary or to limit the right of the Company or a Subsidiary to terminate Participant’s employment.

10.No Stockholder Rights. Participant shall not have any rights as a stockholder of the Company in respect of any of Performance Stock Units unless and until this Award vests and is settled in shares of Common Stock.

11.Governing Law. This Award Agreement shall be governed in accordance with the laws of the State of Illinois.

12.Binding Effect. This Award Agreement shall be binding on the Company and Participant and on Participant’s heirs, legatees and legal representatives.

13.Effective Date. This Award shall not become effective until Participant’s acceptance of this Award and agreement to be bound by the Employee Covenant Agreement. Upon such acceptance and agreement, this Award shall become effective, retroactive to the Grant Date, without the necessity of further action by either the Company or Participant.  If, within 90 days of the Grant Date, this Award is not accepted and/or if the Employee Covenant Agreement is not signed and returned to the Company, the Award shall be forfeited and cancelled and Participant shall have no further rights under or with respect thereto.

14.Adjustment.  This Award, and the shares of Common Stock subject hereto, shall be subject to adjustment by the Committee in accordance with the terms of the Plan.

15.Code Section 409A.  It is intended that any amounts payable or benefits provided under this Award Agreement shall either be exempt from or comply with Section 409A of the Code and all regulations, guidance and other interpretive authority issued thereunder (“Code Section 409A”) so as not to subject Participant to payment of any additional tax, penalty or interest imposed under Code Section 409A and any ambiguities herein shall be interpreted to so comply.  Neither the Company nor any of the Subsidiaries, however, makes any representation regarding the tax consequences of this Award.  Notwithstanding any other provision of this Award Agreement to the contrary, if any payment or benefit hereunder is subject to Code Section 409A, and if such payment or benefit is to be paid or provided on account of Participant’s Termination Date (or other separation from service or termination of employment):

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APPENDIX A

Performance Targets

Calculation of Vested Performance Stock Units

 

The Performance Targets for the 2019 Performance Year shall be as follows:

EBITDA TARGET:  

Up to 50% of the Performance Stock Units that would otherwise vest under the Award Agreement based on satisfaction of Performance Targets for the 2019 Performance Year shall vest based on EBITDA performance determined as follows:

 

 

 

 

 

 

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SAVINGS ACHIEVEMENT TARGET:  

Up to 50% of the Performance Stock Units that would otherwise vest under the Award Agreement based on satisfaction of Performance Targets for the 2019 Performance Year shall vest based on Savings Achievement performance determined as follows:

 

 

 

 

 

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