SEC Info  
  Home     Search     My Interests     Help     Sign In     Please Sign In  

Yahoo Inc · 10-K/A · For 12/31/07

Filed On 4/29/08 5:12pm ET   ·   SEC File 0-28018   ·   Accession Number 891618-8-237

  in   Show  and 
  As Of               Filer                 Filing     As/For/On Docs:Pgs              Issuer               Agent

 4/29/08  Yahoo Inc                         10-K/A     12/31/07    3:78                                     Bowne of Palo Alto/FA

Amendment to Annual Report   ·   Form 10-K
Filing Table of Contents

Document/Exhibit                   Description                      Pages   Size 

 1: 10-K/A      Amendment to Form 10-K                              HTML    471K 
 2: EX-31.1     Certification per Sarbanes-Oxley Act (Section 302)  HTML      6K 
 3: EX-31.2     Certification per Sarbanes-Oxley Act (Section 302)  HTML      6K 


10-K/A   ·   Amendment to Form 10-K
Document Table of Contents

Page (sequential) | (alphabetic) Top
 
11st Page   -   Filing Submission
"Table of Contents
"Explanatory Note
"Our Executive Officers
"Our Directors
"Section 16(A) Beneficial Ownership Reporting Compliance
"Code of Conduct
"Audit Committee
"Recent Bylaw Amendment
"Director Compensation
"Executive Officer Compensation and Other Matters
"Equity Compensation Plan Information
"Information Regarding Beneficial Ownership of Principal Stockholders and Management
"Related Party Transaction Policy
"Certain Transactions
"Director Independence
"Fees Billed for Services Rendered by Principal Registered Public Accounting Firm
"Signature
"Exhibit Index

This is an EDGAR HTML document rendered as filed.  [ Alternative Formats ]


  e10vkza  

Table of Contents

UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
 
 
Form 10-K/A
(Amendment No. 1)
 
     
þ
  ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
    For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2007
 
OR
 
     
o
  TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
    For the transition period from                   to          
 
Commission File Number 0-28018
 
YAHOO! INC.
(Exact name of Registrant as specified in its charter)
 
     
Delaware   77-0398689
(State or other jurisdiction of
incorporation or organization)
  (I.R.S. Employer
Identification No.)
 
701 First Avenue
Sunnyvale, California 94089
(Address of principal executive offices, including zip code)
 
Registrant’s telephone number, including area code:
(408) 349-3300
 
 
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:
 
     
Title of Each Class
 
Name of Each Exchange on Which Registered
Common stock, $.001 par value
  The NASDAQ Stock Market LLC (NASDAQ Global Select Market)
Rights to Purchase Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock
  The NASDAQ Stock Market LLC (NASDAQ Global Select Market)
 
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act:
None
(Title of Class)
 
 
Indicate by check mark if the Registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act. Yes þ  No o
 
Indicate by check mark if the Registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Act. Yes o  No þ
 
Indicate by check mark whether the Registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the Registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days. Yes þ  No o
 
Indicate by check mark if disclosure of delinquent filers pursuant to Item 405 of Regulation S-K (§229.405 of this chapter) is not contained herein, and will not be contained, to the best of Registrant’s knowledge, in definitive proxy or information statements incorporated by reference in Part III of this Form 10-K or any amendment to this Form 10-K. o
 
Indicate by check mark whether the Registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, or a smaller reporting company. See definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” and “smaller reporting company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act. (Check one):
 
     
Large accelerated filer þ
  Accelerated filer o
     
Non-accelerated filer o (Do not check if a smaller reporting company)
  Smaller reporting company o
 
Indicate by check mark whether the Registrant is a shell company (as defined by Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act). Yes o  No þ
 
As of June 29, 2007, the aggregate market value of voting stock held by non-affiliates of the Registrant, based upon the closing sales price for the Registrant’s common stock, as reported on the NASDAQ Global Select Market, was $32,724,039,883. Shares of common stock held by each officer and director and by each person who owns 10 percent or more of the outstanding common stock have been excluded in that such persons may be deemed to be affiliates. This determination of affiliate status is not necessarily a conclusive determination for any other purpose.
 
The number of shares of the Registrant’s common stock outstanding as of February 15, 2008 was 1,337,165,049.
 
DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE
 
The following documents (or parts thereof) are incorporated by reference into the following parts of this Form 10-K:
 
None.
 



 
TABLE OF CONTENTS

EXPLANATORY NOTE
OUR EXECUTIVE OFFICERS
OUR DIRECTORS
SECTION 16(A) BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP REPORTING COMPLIANCE
CODE OF CONDUCT
AUDIT COMMITTEE
RECENT BYLAW AMENDMENT
DIRECTOR COMPENSATION
EXECUTIVE OFFICER COMPENSATION AND OTHER MATTERS
EQUITY COMPENSATION PLAN INFORMATION
INFORMATION REGARDING BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP OF PRINCIPAL STOCKHOLDERS AND MANAGEMENT
RELATED PARTY TRANSACTION POLICY
CERTAIN TRANSACTIONS
DIRECTOR INDEPENDENCE
FEES BILLED FOR SERVICES RENDERED BY PRINCIPAL REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM
Signature
EXHIBIT INDEX
EXHIBIT 31.1
EXHIBIT 31.2


Table of Contents

 
 
EXPLANATORY NOTE
 
This Amendment No. 1 to Form 10-K (this “Amendment”) amends the Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2007 (the “2007 Form 10-K”), originally filed on February 27, 2008 (the “Original Filing”), of Yahoo! Inc., a Delaware corporation (“Yahoo!”, the “Company”, “our”, “we”, or “us”). We are filing this Amendment to include the information required by Part III and not included in the Original Filing as we will not file our definitive proxy statement within 120 days of the end of our fiscal year ended December 31, 2007.
 
Except as described above, no other changes have been made to the Original Filing. The Original Filing continues to speak as of the date of the Original Filing, and we have not updated the disclosures contained therein to reflect any events which occurred at a date subsequent to the filing of the Original Filing.
 
Part III
 
Item 10.   Directors, Executive Officers and Corporate Governance
 
 
OUR EXECUTIVE OFFICERS
 
Executive officers are elected by and serve at the discretion of the board of directors. Set forth below is information regarding our executive officers as of April 1, 2008.
 
             
Name
 
Age
 
Position
 
Jerry Yang
    39     Chief Executive Officer, Chief Yahoo and Director
David Filo
    41     Chief Yahoo
Susan L. Decker
    45     President
Blake Jorgensen
    48     Chief Financial Officer
Aristotle Balogh
    44     Chief Technology Officer
Michael J. Callahan
    39     Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary
Michael A. Murray
    51     Senior Vice President, Finance and Chief Accounting Officer
 
Mr. Yang, a founder of Yahoo! and Chief Yahoo, has served as Chief Executive Officer of Yahoo! since June 2007 and as a member of the board of directors since March 1995. Mr. Yang co-developed Yahoo! in 1994 while he was working towards his Ph.D. in electrical engineering at Stanford University. Mr. Yang also serves as a director of Yahoo! Japan Corporation and Cisco Systems, Inc. Mr. Yang holds a Bachelor’s and a Master’s degree in electrical engineering from Stanford University.
 
Mr. Filo, a founder of Yahoo! and Chief Yahoo, has served as an officer of Yahoo! since March 1995, and served as a director of Yahoo! from its founding through February 1996. Mr. Filo reports to our Chief Executive Officer, Jerry Yang. He is involved in guiding Yahoo!’s vision, is involved in many key aspects of the business at a strategic and operational level, and is a stalwart of the Company’s employee culture and morale. Mr. Filo co-developed Yahoo! in 1994 while working towards his Ph.D. in electrical engineering at Stanford University, and co-founded Yahoo! in 1995.
 
Ms. Decker became President of Yahoo! in June 2007. Prior to that time, Ms. Decker served as Head of Advertiser and Publisher Group from January 2007 to June 2007 and as Yahoo!’s Chief Financial Officer from June 2000 to June 2007. Ms. Decker served as Executive Vice President, Finance and Administration from January 2002 to December 2006. Prior to that, Ms. Decker served as Senior Vice President, Finance and Administration from June 2000 to January 2002. From August 1986 to May 2000, Ms. Decker held several positions for Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette, including Director of Global Research from 1998 to 2000. Prior to 1998, she was a Publishing & Advertising Equity Securities Analyst for 12 years. Ms. Decker also serves as a director Berkshire Hathaway, Intel Corporation and Costco Wholesale Corporation.
 
Mr. Jorgensen became Chief Financial Officer of Yahoo! in June 2007. Prior to joining the Company, Mr. Jorgensen was the Chief Operating Officer and Co-Director of Investment Banking at Thomas Weisel Partners, which he co-founded in 1998. From December 1998 to January 2002, Mr. Jorgensen served as a Partner and Director of Private Placement at Thomas Weisel Partners. From December 1996 to September 1998, Mr. Jorgensen


2



Table of Contents

was a Managing Director and Chief of Staff for the CEO and Executive Committee of Montgomery Securities and a Principal in the Corporate Finance Department of Montgomery Securities. Previously, Mr. Jorgensen worked as a management consultant at MAC Group/Gemini Consulting and Marakon Associates. Mr. Jorgensen holds a Bachelor’s degree from Stanford University and an M.B.A. from Harvard University.
 
Mr. Balogh became Chief Technology Officer of Yahoo! in February 2008. Prior to joining Yahoo!, Mr. Balogh held various positions beginning in 1998 at VeriSign, Inc., a provider of Internet infrastructure services, where he was most recently Executive Vice President, Chief Technology Officer and Head of Global Product Design. Mr. Balogh holds an M.S.E. in Electrical and Computer Engineering and a B.S. in Electrical and Computer Science from John Hopkins University.
 
Mr. Callahan became Executive Vice President in April 2007 and has served as General Counsel and Secretary since September 2003. Mr. Callahan served as Senior Vice President from September 2003 to April 2007. Prior to that, Mr. Callahan served as Deputy General Counsel and Assistant Secretary from June 2001 to September 2003 and in various other positions in the Yahoo! legal department from December 1999 to June 2001. Prior to joining Yahoo!, Mr. Callahan held positions with Electronics for Imaging Inc. and the law firm of Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP.
 
Mr. Murray has served as Senior Vice President, Finance since October 2004 and Chief Accounting Officer since December 2004. Prior to joining Yahoo!, Mr. Murray held several positions with Sun Microsystems, Inc., including Vice President, Global Financial Services and Treasurer from July 2002, Treasurer from July 2001 to June 2002 and Vice President Finance, Sun Services from April 1998 to July 2001.
 
 
OUR DIRECTORS
 
The names of our directors, their ages as of April 1, 2008 and certain other information about them are set forth below:
 
             
Name
 
Age
 
Position
 
Jerry Yang
    39     Chief Executive Officer, Chief Yahoo and Director
Roy J. Bostock(1)(3)
    67     Chairman of the Board
Ronald W. Burkle(1)(4)
    55     Director
Eric Hippeau(4)
    56     Director
Vyomesh Joshi(2)(4)
    54     Director
Arthur H. Kern(1)(3)
    61     Director
Robert A. Kotick(3)
    45     Director
Edward R. Kozel(4)
    52     Director
Mary Agnes Wilderotter(2)
    53     Director
Gary L. Wilson(2)
    68     Director
 
(1) Member of the Compensation Committee
 
(2) Member of the Audit Committee
 
(3) Member of the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee
 
(4) Member of the Transactions Committee
 
Each of the directors listed above, except for Mrs. Wilderotter who joined the Board in July 2007, was elected to be a director for a one-year term at the Company’s annual meeting of stockholders held on June 12, 2007. There are no family relationships among any of the directors or executive officers of the Company. Our board of directors has affirmatively determined that each of Messrs. Bostock, Burkle, Hippeau, Joshi, Kern, Kotick, Kozel and Wilson and Mrs. Wilderotter is an independent director (“Independent Director”) under the rules of the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”), the listing standards of The Nasdaq Stock Market (“Nasdaq”) and the Company’s Corporate Governance Guidelines.
 
Mr. Yang’s biography is set forth under the heading “Our Executive Officers.”
 
Mr. Bostock has served as Chairman of the Board since January 2008 and as a member of the board of directors since May 2003. He has served as Chairman of the Board of Northwest Airlines Corporation, the parent of Northwest Airlines, Inc. since May 2007 and has served as Chairman of the Board of the Partnership for a Drug Free


3



Table of Contents

America since October 2002. Mr. Bostock also serves as a director of Morgan Stanley. Mr. Bostock holds a Bachelor’s degree from Duke University and an M.B.A. from Harvard University.
 
Mr. Burkle has served as a member of the board of directors since November 2001. Mr. Burkle is managing partner of The Yucaipa Companies, a private investment firm, which he co-founded in 1986. Mr. Burkle also serves as a director of Occidental Petroleum Corp. and KB Home Corporation.
 
Mr. Hippeau has served as a member of the board of directors since January 1996. Mr. Hippeau has been a Managing Partner of SOFTBANK Capital, a technology oriented venture capital firm, since 2000. Mr. Hippeau also serves as a director of Starwood Hotels and Resorts WorldWide, Inc.
 
Mr. Joshi has served as a member of the board of directors since July 2005. Mr. Joshi has been an Executive Vice President of the Imaging and Printing Group at Hewlett-Packard Company since 2002. Mr. Joshi holds a Master’s degree in electrical engineering from Ohio State University.
 
Mr. Kern has served as a member of the board of directors since January 1996. Mr. Kern is an investor in several media and marketing companies and has served as Chairman of the Board of Directors of American Media Management, Inc., a group owner of commercial radio stations, which is now part of Clear Channel Communications, Inc., since December 1990. Mr. Kern holds a Bachelor’s degree from Yale University.
 
Mr. Kotick has served as a member of the board of directors since March 2003. Since February 1991, Mr. Kotick has been the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Activision, Inc., a publisher of interactive entertainment software products.
 
Mr. Kozel has served as a member of the board of directors since October 2000. He has been Managing Member of Open Range, LLC, a venture capital firm, since 2001. He has been the chairman of the board of Skyrider, Inc., a developer of a peer-to-peer networking platform, since March 2006 and was the Chief Executive Officer from March 2006 to December 2007. Mr. Kozel was the managing member of Open Range Ventures, a venture capital firm, from January 2000 to December 2006. Between January 2004 and December 2004, Mr. Kozel was a managing director of Integrated Finance Ltd. Mr. Kozel also serves as a director of Network Appliance, Inc. Mr. Kozel holds a Bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from the University of California, Davis.
 
Mrs. Wilderotter has served as a member of the board of directors since July 2007. She has served as Chairman of the Board of Citizens Communications Company since December 2005 and as Chief Executive Officer and President and as a director since November 2004. From February 2004 to November 2004, Mrs. Wilderotter was Senior Vice President of World Wide Public Sector at Microsoft Corporation, and from November 2002 to February 2004, she was Microsoft’s Senior Vice President, Business Strategy. Mrs. Wilderotter also serves as a director of Xerox Corporation. Mrs. Wilderotter holds a Bachelor’s degree from The College of the Holy Cross.
 
Mr. Wilson has served as a member of the board of directors since November 2001. Mr. Wilson served as Chairman of the Board of Directors of Northwest Airlines Corporation, the parent of Northwest Airlines, Inc., from April 1997 to May 2007. Mr. Wilson also serves as a director of CB Richard Ellis Group, Inc. Mr. Wilson holds a Bachelor’s degree from Duke University and an M.B.A. from the Wharton Graduate School of Business.
 
 
SECTION 16(A) BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP REPORTING COMPLIANCE
 
Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”) requires the Company’s directors, executive officers and persons who own more than 10 percent of the Company’s common stock (collectively, “Reporting Persons”) to file with the SEC initial reports of ownership and changes in ownership of the Company’s common stock. Reporting Persons are required by SEC regulations to furnish the Company with copies of all Section 16(a) reports they file. To the Company’s knowledge, based solely on its review of the copies of such reports received or written representations from certain Reporting Persons that no other reports were required, the Company believes that during its fiscal year ended December 31, 2007 all filing requirements applicable to the Reporting Persons were timely met, except one Form 4 to report two transactions by Eric Hippeau (the acquisition of 35,000 shares by option exercise and the sale of those shares) and the Forms 4 to report the automatic annual option grants to certain of Yahoo!’s non-employee directors: Roy J. Bostock, Ronald W. Burkle, Eric Hippeau, Vyomesh Joshi, Arthur H. Kern, Robert A. Kotick, Edward R. Kozel, and Gary L. Wilson. Such late filings did not result in any liability under Section 16(b) of the Exchange Act.


4



Table of Contents

 
 
CODE OF CONDUCT
 
Our board of directors has adopted two codes of conduct, which are posted on the Company’s website at www.yahoo.com. These codes may be found as follows: From our main webpage, first click on “Company Info” at the bottom of the page and then on “Corporate Governance.” Next, click on, as applicable, “Code of Ethics” or “Guide to Business Conduct and Ethics.”
 
Code of Ethics.  The Company’s Code of Ethics applies to our Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer, Principal Accounting Officer and Controller and sets forth specific policies to guide the designated officers in their duties. We intend to satisfy the disclosure requirement under Item 5.05 of Form 8-K regarding any amendment to, or waiver from, a provision of this Code of Ethics by posting such information on our website, at the address and location specified above.
 
Guide to Business Conduct and Ethics.  The Company’s Guide to Business Conduct and Ethics applies to the Company’s employees and directors. The Guide to Business Conduct and Ethics sets forth the fundamental principles and key policies and procedures that govern the conduct of our business.
 
 
AUDIT COMMITTEE
 
The Company has a separately-designated Audit Committee established in accordance with Section 3(a)(58)(A) of the Exchange Act. The Audit Committee is comprised of three of the Company’s Independent Directors: Mrs. Wilderotter (Chair) and Messrs. Joshi and Wilson. Mr. Kern served as a member of the Audit Committee until January 1, 2008 when Mrs. Wilderotter was elected to the Audit Committee. Mr. Kozel served as Chair of the Audit Committee until March 3, 2008, when he resigned from the Audit Committee and Mrs. Wilderotter was appointed Chair of the Audit Committee. The Audit Committee is responsible for the appointment, retention and termination of the Company’s independent registered public accounting firm and monitors the effectiveness of the audit effort, the Company’s financial and accounting organization and its system of internal controls and disclosure controls. Each member of the Audit Committee is independent within the meaning of the rules of the SEC and Nasdaq. The Board has determined that Mr. Wilson qualifies as an audit committee financial expert within the meaning of SEC rules.
 
 
RECENT BYLAW AMENDMENT
 
On March 3, 2008, the Board approved an amendment to Section 2.5 (Advance Notice of Stockholder Nominees) of the Company’s amended and restated bylaws to extend the date by which stockholders may submit nominations of persons for election to the Board of Directors of the Company at the Company’s 2008 annual meeting of stockholders to the close of business on the 10th day following the earlier of (a) the day on which notice of the date of the 2008 annual meeting is mailed or (b) the day public announcement of the date of the 2008 annual meeting is first made.
 
Item 11.   Executive Compensation
 
 
DIRECTOR COMPENSATION
 
The Company does not currently pay cash fees to its directors for performance of their duties as directors of the Company, other than the Chairman and committee chair fees described below. The Company does reimburse its directors for their out-of-pocket expenses incurred in connection with attendance at board, committee and stockholder meetings, and other business of the Company. The Company’s 1996 Directors’ Stock Plan, as amended and restated, (the “Directors’ Plan”) provides that each newly appointed or elected non-employee director of the Company will be granted a nonqualified stock option to purchase 30,000 shares of common stock and an award of 10,000 restricted stock units on the date he or she first becomes a director. Thereafter, on the date of each annual meeting of stockholders at which such non-employee director is elected, he or she will be granted an additional option to purchase 15,000 shares of common stock and an additional award of 5,000 restricted stock units if, on that date, he or she has served on the board of directors for at least six of the preceding 12 months. If the director has served on the board of directors for less than six of the preceding 12 months, he or she will receive a pro rata portion of such option and restricted stock units based on number of days served during such six month period. The options and restricted stock units granted to non-employee directors are scheduled to vest in equal quarterly


5



Table of Contents

installments over the one-year period following the date of grant. The restricted stock units granted under the Directors’ Plan will generally be paid in an equivalent number of shares of common stock on the earlier of the date the non-employee director’s service terminates and the third anniversary of the date of grant, subject to any election by the non-employee director to defer the payment date.
 
The Directors’ Plan provides certain benefits that are triggered by certain corporate transactions. In the event of the dissolution or liquidation of the Company, a sale of all or substantially all of the assets of the Company, or the merger or consolidation of the Company with or into another corporation in which the Company is not the surviving corporation or any other capital reorganization in which more than 50% of the shares of the Company entitled to vote are exchanged (a “Corporate Transaction”), options and restricted stock units granted under the Directors’ Plan will become fully vested, and the Company will provide each director optionee either a reasonable time within which to exercise the option or a substitute option with comparable terms as to an equivalent number of shares of stock of the corporation succeeding the Company or acquiring its business by reason of such Corporate Transaction. Vested restricted stock units will generally be paid in an equivalent number of shares of common stock immediately prior to the effectiveness of such Corporate Transaction.
 
The non-executive Chairman of the board of directors receives an additional annual fee of $275,000 for his service as Chairman payable in cash. The Company also pays an annual fee to each non-employee director who serves as the chair of a committee of the board of directors. The fee is $35,000 for the chair of the Audit Committee and $15,000 for the chair of each of the Compensation, Nominating/Governance and Transaction Committees. These committee chair fees are payable in cash, but the director may elect to have his or her fee converted into an award of either stock options or restricted stock units granted under the Directors’ Plan. If the director elects a stock option, the option would cover a number of shares of the Company’s common stock determined by multiplying his or her fee by three and dividing the product by the fair market value of a share of the Company’s common stock on the grant date, which is generally the last day of the calendar quarter for which the applicable fees would have otherwise been paid. The exercise price of the stock option would be equal to the fair market value of a share of the Company’s common stock on the grant date. If the director elects a restricted stock unit award, he or she would be credited with a number of restricted stock units equal to the amount of his or her fee divided by the fair market value of a share of the Company’s common stock on the grant date, which is generally the last day of the calendar quarter for which the applicable fees would have otherwise been paid. Any stock option or restricted stock unit award granted upon conversion of committee chair fees would be fully vested on the grant date.
 
Each of our non-employee directors will have served for more than six months of the preceding 12 months at the time of the 2008 annual meeting, and each will therefore be granted an option to purchase 15,000 shares of the Company’s common stock and 5,000 restricted stock units under the Directors’ Plan if he or she is elected to the board of directors at the 2008 annual meeting.
 
The Board has adopted stock ownership guidelines for directors. By the later of three years after joining the Board or October 20, 2008, each director should own at least 12,000 shares of Yahoo! common stock. Vested but unpaid restricted stock units count toward satisfaction of this threshold.


6



Table of Contents

Director Compensation Table — Fiscal 2007
 
A director who is also an employee of Yahoo! receives no additional compensation for serving on the Board or its committees. The following table shows compensation information for Yahoo!’s non-employee directors for fiscal 2007.
 
                                                         
    Fees
                                     
    Earned or
                Non-Equity
    Change in Pension
             
    Paid in
    Stock
          Incentive Plan
    Deferred
    All Other
       
    Cash
    Awards
    Option Awards
    Compensation
    Compensation
    Compensation
    Total
 
Name
  ($)     ($)(1)(2)     ($)(3)(4)     ($)     Earnings     ($)     ($)  
 
Roy J. Bostock
    0       140,035       359,229 (5)     N/A       N/A       0       499,264  
Ronald W. Burkle
    0       140,035       342,011       N/A       N/A       0       482,046  
Eric Hippeau
    0       140,035       356,639 (6)     N/A       N/A       0       496,674  
Vyomesh Joshi
    0       140,035       379,485       N/A       N/A       0       519,520  
Arthur H. Kern
    0       154,979 (7)     342,011       N/A       N/A       0       496,990  
Robert A. Kotick
    0       140,035       352,739 (8)     N/A       N/A       0       492,774  
Edward R. Kozel
    0       140,035       376,167 (9)     N/A       N/A       0       516,202  
Mary Agnes Wilderotter
    0       103,736 (10)     102,096 (10)     N/A       N/A       0       205,832  
Gary L. Wilson
    0       140,035       342,011       N/A       N/A       0       482,046  
 
  (1) Amounts shown in this column reflect the Company’s accounting expense for these awards and do not reflect whether the recipient has actually realized a financial benefit from the awards (such as by vesting in a restricted stock unit award). This column represents the dollar amount recognized for financial statement reporting purposes with respect to the 2007 fiscal year for the fair value of restricted stock units granted to the directors in accordance with Financial Accounting Standard No. 123 (revised 2004), “Share-Based Payment” (“SFAS 123R”). Pursuant to SEC rules, the amounts shown exclude the impact of estimated forfeitures related to service-based vesting conditions. No stock awards were forfeited by any of our non-employee directors in 2007. For additional information, refer to Note 12 of the Yahoo! consolidated financial statements in the 2007 Form 10-K, as filed with the SEC. For information on the valuation assumptions with respect to grants made prior to 2007, refer to the note on Employee Benefits in Yahoo!’s consolidated financial statements in the Form 10-K for the respective year.
 
  (2) Except for Mrs. Wilderotter, who joined the Board on July 26, 2007, each non-employee director listed in the table above was granted an award of 5,000 restricted stock units on June 12, 2007 under the Directors’ Plan. Each of these awards had a grant date fair value of $135,250. The outstanding and unvested restricted stock units held by each director at 2007 fiscal year-end: Mr. Bostock (2,500), Mr. Burkle (2,500), Mr. Hippeau (2,500), Mr. Joshi (2,500), Mr. Kern (2,500), Mr. Kotick (2,500), Mr. Kozel (2,500), Mrs. Wilderotter (7,500), and Mr. Wilson (2,500).
 
  (3) Amounts shown in this column reflect the Company’s accounting expense for these awards and do not reflect whether the recipient has actually realized a financial benefit from the awards (such as by exercising stock options). This column represents the dollar amount recognized for financial statement reporting purposes with respect to the 2007 fiscal year for the fair value of stock options granted to the directors. The fair value was estimated using the Black-Scholes option pricing model in accordance with SFAS 123R. Pursuant to SEC rules, the amounts shown exclude the impact of estimated forfeitures related to service-based vesting conditions. No stock options were forfeited by any of our non-employee directors in 2007. For additional information, refer to Note 12 of the Yahoo! consolidated financial statements in the 2007 Form 10-K, as filed with the SEC. For information on the valuation assumptions with respect to grants made prior to 2007, refer to the note on Employee Benefits in Yahoo!’s consolidated financial statements in the Form 10-K for the respective year.
 
  (4) Except for Mrs. Wilderotter, each non-employee director listed in the table above was granted a stock option to purchase 15,000 shares on June 12, 2007 under the Directors’ Plan with an exercise price of $27.05. Each of these options had a grant date fair value of $134,576. The outstanding options held by each director at 2007 fiscal year-end: Mr. Bostock (251,356), Mr. Burkle (430,000), Mr. Hippeau (652,560), Mr. Joshi (130,000), Mr. Kern (650,885), Mr. Kotick (252,140), Mr. Kozel (290,144), Mrs. Wilderotter (30,000), and Mr. Wilson (343,200).
 
  (5) In lieu of cash, Mr. Bostock elected to receive payment of his committee chair fees earned during 2007 in the form of options to purchase the Company’s common stock. Accordingly, Mr. Bostock was granted an option to purchase 161 shares on December 31, 2007 with an exercise price of $23.26, which had a grant date fair value of $1,377.
 
  (6) In lieu of cash, Mr. Hippeau elected to receive payment of his committee chair fees for 2007 in the form of options to purchase the Company’s common stock. Accordingly, Mr. Hippeau was granted an option to purchase 359 shares on March 30, 2007 with an exercise price of $31.29, which had a grant date fair value of $3,411; an option to purchase 414 shares on June 29, 2007 with an exercise price of $27.13, which had a grant date fair value of $3,331; an option to purchase 419 shares on September 30, 2007 with an exercise price of $26.84, which had a grant date fair value of $3,756; and an option to purchase 483 shares on December 31, 2007 with an exercise price of $23.26, which had a grant date fair value of $4,131.
 
  (7) In lieu of cash, Mr. Kern elected to receive payment of his committee chair fees for 2007 in the form of restricted stock units. Accordingly, Mr. Kern was granted an award of 119 restricted stock units on March 30, 2007, which had a grant date fair value of $3,724; an award of 138 restricted stock units on June 29, 2007, which had a grant date fair value of $3,744; an award of 139 restricted stock units on September 30,


7



Table of Contents

2007, which had a grant date fair value of $3,731; and an award of 161 restricted stock units on December 31, 2007, which had a grant date fair value of $3,745.
 
  (8) In lieu of cash, Mr. Kotick elected to receive payment of his committee chair fees for 2007 in the form of options to purchase the Company’s common stock. Accordingly, Mr. Kotick was granted an option to purchase 359 shares on March 30, 2007 with an exercise price of $31.29, which had a grant date fair value of $3,411; an option to purchase 414 shares on June 29, 2007 with an exercise price of $27.13, which had a grant date fair value of $3,331; an option to purchase 419 shares on September 30, 2007 with an exercise price of $26.84, which had a grant date fair value of $3,756; and an option to purchase 322 shares on December 31, 2007 with an exercise price of $23.26, which had a grant date fair value of $2,754.
 
  (9) In lieu of cash, Mr. Kozel elected to receive payment of his committee chair fees for 2007 in the form of options to purchase the Company’s common stock. Accordingly, Mr. Kozel was granted an option to purchase 838 shares on March 30, 2007 with an exercise price of $31.29, which had a grant date fair value of $7,961; an option to purchase 967 shares on June 29, 2007 with an exercise price of $27.13, which had a grant date fair value of $7,780; an option to purchase 978 shares on September 30, 2007 with an exercise price of $26.84, which had a grant date fair value of $8,768; and an option to purchase 1,128 shares on December 31, 2007 with an exercise price of $23.26, which had a grant date fair value of $9,647.
 
(10) In connection with her appointment to the board of directors, Mrs. Wilderotter was granted on July 26, 2007 a nonqualified stock option to purchase 30,000 shares of common stock with an exercise price of $24.03, which had a grant date fair value of $236,502, and an award of 10,000 restricted stock units which had a grant date fair value of $240,300.
 
 
EXECUTIVE OFFICER COMPENSATION AND OTHER MATTERS
 
Compensation Discussion and Analysis
 
The Company’s general compensation arrangements are guided by the following principles and business objectives:
 
  •  Our people strategy is to hire and retain top talent in an extremely competitive marketplace, especially for high-impact positions that directly contribute to stockholder value creation.
 
  •  We target our resources toward the highest contributors by focusing on high impact positions and differentiating at all levels based on performance.
 
  •  We believe in broad-based equity compensation to align employee and stockholder interests, with greater equity ownership concentrated among those who have the greatest impact on performance.
 
The Company’s compensation philosophy for executive officers is designed with these principles in mind and is intended to achieve two principal objectives: (1) to provide a total compensation arrangement for executive talent that enables the Company to attract and retain the key executive talent needed to achieve the Company’s business objectives, and (2) to link executive compensation to improvements in Company performance, increases in long-term stockholder value and individual performance and achievements.
 
In 2007, Yahoo! embarked on a transformation of the Company’s business and articulated three primary strategic objectives that will form the core of our strategy and operations for the next few years: become the starting point for users on the Internet; establish Yahoo! as the “must buy” for advertisers; and deliver industry-leading platforms that attract developers. During 2007, there were significant changes to our executive leadership team. Notably, our board appointed Jerry Yang, Yahoo! co-founder and long-time board member, to succeed Terry Semel as our Chief Executive Officer, named Susan Decker as our President, and named Blake Jorgensen as our Chief Financial Officer. In 2007, the Compensation Committee gave significant consideration to the retention of our existing executive talent during this period of transition. Consideration was also given to the following significant accomplishments during the year which were achieved through the leadership and oversight of our executive team:
 
  •  acquisition of Right Media Inc., an online advertising exchange, and BlueLithium Inc., an online global ad network, to further the Company’s objectives in building the industry’s leading advertising and publishing network;
 
  •  launching Yahoo! Search Assist, among the most advanced assistance technology on the Web;
 
  •  launching Yahoo! Go for Mobile 2.0, an innovative application that significantly enhanced the mobile Internet experience for consumers through a unique product design, the ability to personalize with content from the entire Internet, and an all new mobile search;
 
  •  launching the second phase of the search marketing system, known as Project Panama, by introducing the new ranking model which allows ads to be ranked by quality and keyword bid price;


8



Table of Contents

 
  •  combining Yahoo!’s search and display advertising sales teams in the U.S. to better serve all our advertisers’ marketing objectives from brand awareness to direct response;
 
  •  strengthening of the Company’s position in advertising, social media, communications and mobile through a range of product launches, strategic partnerships and acquisitions; and
 
  •  continuing to create compelling new consumer offerings to drive audience growth and deepen engagement.
 
Those individuals listed in the Summary Compensation Table in this report are referred to as the “Named Executive Officers.” The Company’s executive compensation arrangements are administered by the Compensation Committee. The Compensation Committee confers with the board of directors in determining the compensation for Mr. Yang, our Chief Executive Officer. In determining compensation for the other Named Executive Officers, and as discussed in more detail below, the Compensation Committee considers, among other things, Mr. Yang’s recommendations. The Compensation Committee is, however, solely responsible for making the final decisions on compensation for the Named Executive Officers. (As noted below, Messrs. Semel, Rosensweig and Nazem each terminated employment with the Company during 2007; references in the following discussion to the “Named Executive Officers’ generally do not include these former executive officers unless otherwise expressly noted.)
 
Executive Compensation Program Objectives and Overview
 
Overview
 
In order to increase the size of our business and create continued stockholder value, the Company must be able to respond rapidly to new technological developments and changing trends in the multiple worldwide businesses in which we compete. The broad scope and complexity of our business require unique experience and talents in our executives, making it critical to retain on a long-term basis those executives who have developed and grown our business to date, as well as to attract new talent. We also operate in a highly competitive executive labor market and face competitors of similar size and scale to the Company as well as new competitors and start-ups seeking to hire our executives to facilitate and speed their entry into, or expansion of, competing businesses.
 
Executive Compensation Programs
 
The Company’s current executive compensation program has three key components, which are designed to be consistent with the Company’s compensation philosophy and to reward executives based on individual and company performance: (1) base salary; (2) annual incentive bonuses; and (3) long-term stock awards, including stock options and restricted stock units. In structuring executive compensation arrangements, the Compensation Committee considers how each component promotes retention and/or rewards performance by the executive. Other than our 401(k) plan, the Company does not provide any pensions or other retirement benefits for our executive officers, nor does it generally provide material perquisites. Furthermore, our executive officers generally do not have contractual rights to severance benefits upon a termination of their employment, except as described below under “Change in Control Severance Plan” and “Potential Payments Upon Termination or Change in Control.”
 
In order to attract and retain our key executives, the Company seeks to provide targeted “total direct compensation” to our executives above the 50th percentile of competitive market practice. As used in this discussion, the term “total direct compensation” means the executive’s base salary, annual incentive bonus, and long-term equity incentive awards based on the grant-date fair value of such awards as determined in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles and SEC rules. While the Compensation Committee does not target compensation levels to specific bench-marks against the peer companies identified below, base salary levels are generally intended to be consistent with competitive market base salary levels. Performance-based compensation, such as bonus and long-term equity incentive opportunities, is generally targeted to make up a larger portion of each executive’s total direct compensation opportunities. The Compensation Committee believes that the design of our annual bonuses and long-term equity incentives provides an effective and appropriate mix of incentives to ensure our executive performance is focused on long-term stockholder value creation. For this reason, performance-based compensation constitutes the most substantial portion of each Named Executive Officer’s total direct compensation opportunity.
 
2007 Compensation Arrangement with Mr. Yang
 
Mr. Yang is a founder and one of the Company’s largest stockholders based on beneficial ownership of the Company’s common stock during 2007. Given the value of Mr. Yang’s existing equity stake in the Company and the


9



Table of Contents

fact that a substantial portion of Mr. Yang’s net worth is dependent upon the value of the Company’s common stock, the Compensation Committee and Mr. Yang agreed that it would be appropriate to pay him a base salary of $1 for his services to the Company during 2007. Mr. Yang did not receive an annual bonus or long-term equity incentive grant from the Company during 2007.
 
2007 Compensation Arrangement with Ms. Decker
 
In November 2007, the Compensation Committee approved a new compensation arrangement for Ms. Decker in connection with her appointment, and significantly increased responsibilities, as the Company’s President. The Compensation Committee determined that in light of Ms. Decker’s increased responsibilities in her new position for the overall operations of the Company, and to encourage her retention during a period of important strategic and organizational transition for the Company, the changes in Ms. Decker’s compensation, and the differences between her compensation level and the compensation levels of the other Named Executive Officers, were appropriate. Ms. Decker’s past contributions to the Company were also considered.
 
In determining the new compensation arrangement for Ms. Decker, the Compensation Committee considered data provided by Compensia, compensation consultants retained by management to provide assistance in preparing recommendations for Ms. Decker’s arrangement, as well as input from Frederic W. Cook & Co., Inc., the Compensation Committee’s compensation consultant. Compensia identified certain companies as having executives whose role, level and scope of duties and responsibilities are similar to those performed by Ms. Decker for Yahoo!; specifically, Adobe Systems Incorporated, Apple Inc., eBay Inc., Hewlett-Packard Company, International Business Machines Corporation, Microsoft Corporation, Motorola, Inc., Network Appliance, Inc., Oracle Corporation, and Time Warner Inc. Compensia also provided comparable data for the executives performing these roles at these companies.
 
After consideration of the market data provided by Compensia, input from Frederic W. Cook & Co., the other factors described above, the compensation levels of the Company’s other executives, and Mr. Yang’s recommendations, the Compensation Committee approved an arrangement to provide total direct compensation for Ms. Decker in the top quartile of competitive market practice. Ms. Decker’s base salary level was intended to be consistent with competitive market levels for her position. To link her interests with those of the Company’s stockholders, over 90% of Ms. Decker’s total direct compensation opportunity for 2007 was performance-based and tied directly to stockholder value creation.
 
As described in more detail below, the new arrangement increased Ms. Decker’s base salary and annual target bonus opportunity, provided retention grants of stock options and restricted stock units, and modified the termination-related provisions of stock options granted to her in May 2006. In setting the levels of the equity-based awards, the Compensation Committee took into account the size of the May 2006 option grant, as well as competitive market data for similarly situated executives. The specific components of Ms. Decker’s arrangement are described in the sections below and in the tables that follow this Compensation Discussion and Analysis.
 
Independent Consultant and Peer Group
 
The Compensation Committee’s practice has been to retain independent compensation consultants to help identify appropriate peer group companies and to obtain and evaluate current executive compensation data for these companies. For 2007, the Compensation Committee retained the consulting firm of Frederic W. Cook & Co., Inc. for this purpose. Frederic W. Cook & Co. advised the Compensation Committee with respect to trends in executive compensation, determination of pay programs, assessment of competitive pay levels and mix (e.g., proportion of fixed pay to incentive pay, proportion of annual cash pay to long-term incentive pay), and setting compensation levels. Frederic W. Cook & Co. also provided advice to the Compensation Committee as it considered Ms. Decker’s compensation arrangements described above. In setting compensation levels, the Compensation Committee also considers compensation survey data compiled from the Mercer Benchmark Database — Executive Positions and data included in the Radford Executive Survey. The Compensation Committee reviews the information provided by Frederic W. Cook & Co. and obtained from these surveys to inform its decisions on executive compensation arrangements, including the competitive reasonableness of arrangements.
 
In consultation with Frederic W. Cook & Co., the Compensation Committee selected the following companies as our peer group companies for 2007: Amazon.com Inc., Adobe Systems Incorporated, Apple Inc., eBay Inc., Electronic Arts Inc., EMC Corporation, Expedia, Inc., Google Inc., IAC/InterActiveCorp, Intuit Inc., Juniper


10



Table of Contents

Networks, Inc., Network Appliance, Inc., News Corp., Oracle Corporation, QUALCOMM Incorporated, SAP AG, Symantec Corporation, Time Warner Inc., Viacom Inc., and The Walt Disney Company. Given the breadth of the Company’s business and the rapidly changing environment in which the Company competes, it is very difficult to identify comparable companies. Each peer group company is comparable to the Company in certain respects or areas of our business but not others. Factors such as whether the founders run the company or outside executives have been hired also affect executive compensation comparisons among peer companies, as well as the way that the companies structure their top-management organizations. The Compensation Committee believes that the nature of the Company’s business and the environment in which we operate requires flexibility in setting compensation based on a consideration of all facts and circumstances with respect to each executive. As a result, the Compensation Committee does not base its decisions on targeting compensation to specific bench-marks against the peer group. Instead, the role of peer group compensation data is to generally inform the Compensation Committee regarding competitive pay levels.
 
Current Executive Compensation Program Elements
 
Base Salaries
 
The Company provides base salaries to executive officers primarily to provide them with a minimum fixed level of cash compensation each year. Salaries for our Named Executive Officers are generally reviewed by the Compensation Committee on an annual basis. As noted above, base salary levels are generally intended to be consistent with competitive market base salary levels. The Compensation Committee sets base salaries so that the most substantial portion of the executives’ total direct compensation remains dependent on performance-based annual bonuses and long-term equity awards. In setting specific salary levels for each Named Executive Officer and the Company’s other executive officers, the Compensation Committee considers, among other factors, the executive’s scope of responsibility, prior experience, past performance, advancement potential, impact on results, salary relative to other executives in the Company, and relevant competitive data. The Compensation Committee does not target compensation levels to specific bench-marks against its peer group.
 
In connection with her promotion to the position of President, Ms. Decker’s annual base salary was increased from $500,000 to $815,000, effective July 1, 2007. Mr. Jorgensen’s annual base salary was set at $450,000 upon his joining the Company in June 2007. Mr. Callahan’s annual base salary was increased effective April 1, 2007 from $325,000 to $360,000, and Mr. Murray’s annual base salary was increased effective July 1, 2007 from $340,000 to $360,000. On March 3, 2008, the Compensation Committee increased the 2008 annual base salary levels of Messrs. Jorgensen, Callahan and Murray to $500,000, $420,000, and $375,000, respectively. The Compensation Committee determined that these increases were appropriate based on its general assessment of individual merit and the factors noted above.
 
Annual Cash Bonuses
 
The Compensation Committee believes that it is important to retain flexibility and discretion in determining executive bonuses given the dynamic nature of the business. Accordingly, the Compensation Committee has not historically established any specific quantitative Company or individual performance objectives, or any predetermined qualitative performance objectives, that must be achieved in order for a Named Executive Officer to earn his or her annual incentive compensation. Instead, the Compensation Committee’s decision regarding the annual incentive bonus to be paid to each Named Executive Officer is subjective. Factors considered by the Compensation Committee when determining the annual incentive bonus to be paid to a Named Executive Officer are the Company’s overall financial performance, achievement of strategic operating objectives, each Named Executive Officer’s individual performance during the year, and Mr. Yang’s general recommendations and performance evaluations. Bonus decisions are the result of the Compensation Committee’s overall assessment of performance and not related to any single specific goal or achievement. The members of the Compensation Committee have interaction with all of the Named Executive Officers frequently throughout the year and form their own subjective views on the executive’s performance throughout the year, which plays a factor in the Named Executive Officers’ compensation arrangements.
 
Another factor considered by the Compensation Committee in making its bonus decisions for the Named Executive Officers is the percentage at which the Company’s management incentive bonus plan is funded for the corresponding year. The management incentive bonus plan is maintained by the Company for members of


11



Table of Contents

management other than the executive officers. Target bonuses are set as a percentage of salary for each level of participant, and then aggregate earned awards are determined based on Company financial performance, and allocated based on individual performance. For 2007, the management incentive plan was funded at 90% of aggregate target awards. While the Company’s executive officers do not participate in the management incentive bonus plan, the Compensation Committee believes that the Named Executive Officers generally should not receive a greater percentage of their target bonuses than employees across the Company, and took the amount funded under the Company’s management incentive plan into account in determining the 2007 earned bonuses for the Named Executive Officers.
 
The Compensation Committee also generally considers each Named Executive Officer’s bonus for the prior year. While there is no specific correlation between the levels of the prior year’s annual bonus to the current year’s annual bonus, the Compensation Committee generally considers prior year bonus information to help ensure consistency in the Company’s compensation policies from year to year, particularly since the Compensation Committee’s bonus determinations are subjective.
 
In determining Ms. Decker’s bonus for 2007, the Compensation Committee also considered Ms. Decker’s increased responsibilities and successful transition to the role of President of the Company. Prior to becoming President, she served as the Company’s Chief Financial Officer until June 2007 and headed up the Company’s Advertiser and Publisher Group, developing its strategy and organization and executing on this strategy. She also played a key role in executing the Company’s online advertising exchange and network strategies, with the acquisitions of Right Media Inc. and BlueLithium, Inc., and its platform strategy with the development of its new online display advertising platform; continued expansion of the Newspaper Consortium; and continued expansion of the Company’s network of premium publishers. After assuming the role of President, she implemented new procedures to increase operational efficiency and execution and create synergies across the Company’s consumer and advertiser businesses. She also worked with Mr. Yang to develop a three-year strategic plan for the Company and to implement programs for enhancing our culture and vision. As part of the compensation arrangement established for Ms. Decker in November 2007, her annual target bonus is 150% of her base salary, which was determined to be consistent with the 75th percentile of peer company practice. Based on the factors considered, the Compensation Committee determined that Ms. Decker would receive 90% of her target bonus ($1,100,250). This bonus was for her service as both President and Head of Advertiser and Publisher Group and so was not pro-rated.
 
In determining Mr. Jorgensen’s bonus for 2007, the Compensation Committee also considered that Mr. Jorgensen had successfully transitioned into his new role as Chief Financial Officer and had helped refine the Company’s business model to support our vision, reorganized the Company’s finance department, and made significant contributions to the Company’s 2008 operating plan. Mr. Jorgensen’s annual target bonus is 100% of his base salary, which was determined to be consistent with the peer group median. Based on the factors considered, the Compensation Committee determined that Mr. Jorgensen would receive 90% of his target bonus ($405,000). The Compensation Committee determined that it was appropriate to pay this amount, without pro-ration for the portion of the year that Mr. Jorgensen worked for the Company, in light of the fact that Mr. Jorgensen accepted employment with the Company in June 2007 and was not eligible for a 2007 bonus from his prior employer.
 
In determining Mr. Callahan’s bonus for 2007, the Compensation Committee also considered that Mr. Callahan had made significant contributions by assisting the Company with executive employment matters, including departures, transitions to new positions and compensation arrangements; successful management of the Company’s litigation and regulatory matters; successful recruitment of new talent to the legal department; further developing and strengthening the Company’s public policy, compliance and intellectual property functions; and efficient management of the Company’s expenses in the areas of his responsibility. The Compensation Committee determined that he would receive a bonus of $225,000, which was consistent with relative payouts for other high-performing executives and in the median competitive range for similar positions.
 
In determining Mr. Murray’s bonus for 2007, the Compensation Committee also considered Mr. Murray’s significant contributions in global tax planning and strategy, overall cost management, real estate strategies, global workforce planning, outsourcing of administrative functions, and oversight of the internal controls and tax audit functions. Mr. Murray did not have a target bonus. The Compensation Committee determined that he would receive a bonus of $180,000, which was consistent with relative payouts for other high-performing executives.


12



Table of Contents

In July 2007, the Compensation Committee also awarded Mr. Murray a retention bonus of $100,000, which will be paid in two installments in June 2008 and June 2009, provided that Mr. Murray remains employed with the Company through the respective payment dates. The Compensation Committee determined that this bonus was appropriate in light of its general assessment of Mr. Murray’s individual contributions, and the importance to the Company of continued retention of his services.
 
Long-Term Incentive Equity Awards
 
In the past, the Company has relied on long-term equity awards as a key element of compensation of our executive officers so that a substantial portion of their total direct compensation is tied to increasing the value of our Company. The Company has historically made annual grants of stock options and restricted stock unit awards to align our executives’ interests with those of our stockholders, to promote executives’ focus on the long-term financial performance of the Company, and, through staggered grants with extended time-based vesting requirements, enhance long-term retention.
 
In determining the size of equity-based awards, the Compensation Committee considers competitive grant values for comparable positions as well as various subjective factors primarily relating to the responsibilities of the individual executive, past performance, and the executive’s expected future contributions and value to the Company. The Compensation Committee also considers the executive’s historic to