Management Succession. As reflected in our Corporate Governance Guidelines, one of the Board’s primary responsibilities includes planning for CEO succession and monitoring and advising on succession planning for other NEOs, with the goal of establishing an effective succession plan. The Board routinely discusses management succession during its meetings, including during sessions held by the Company’s independent directors.
Shareholder Proposals; Universal Proxy Card. Shareholders interested in submitting a proposal for inclusion in our proxy materials for our 2027 annual meeting of shareholders may do so by following the procedures set forth in Rule 14a-8 promulgated by the SEC under the Exchange Act. To be eligible for inclusion in such proxy materials, our Corporate Secretary must receive shareholder proposals no later than December 25, 2026. Any shareholder proposal submitted other than for inclusion in the proxy materials, or to nominate a person for election as a director, for that meeting must be delivered to us no sooner than February 1, 2027 and no later than March 3, 2027, or such proposal will be considered untimely. Any such proposal must contain all the information required by our By-Laws.
If a matter is properly brought before our 2027 annual meeting of shareholders, and we did not have notice of such matter prior to March 10, 2027, then we may vote in our discretion as to the proposal all the shares for which we have received proxies for the 2027 annual meeting of the shareholders.
In addition, for shareholder nominees for directors to be considered timely for inclusion on a universal proxy card pursuant to Rule 14a-19 under the Exchange Act, shareholders must provide notice to us no later than April 2, 2027, containing the information required by Rule 14a-19 under the Exchange Act; however, Rule 14a-19’s notice requirement does not override or supersede the longer notice period established by our Amended and Restated Bylaws, and the longer period contained in our Amended and Restated Bylaws controls.
Shareholder Engagement. The Board and management consider institutional shareholders as partners in our business and actively engage and communicate with them throughout the year. This engagement is accomplished through a combination of events, including investor days (during which directors, officers, and a variety of leaders attend and participate), one-on-one investor meetings, analyst and institutional conferences, non-deal road shows, telephone conferences, headquarter visits, and field trips to our business units. Our overall philosophy is to provide consistent and meaningful access and build relationships with a long-term time horizon in mind. This engagement is not just held with investment decision-makers, but also with institutional shareholders’ corporate governance leaders.
In 2025, we met with approximately 225 institutions, including approximately 100 with investments in our Company. We attended 13 investor conferences, hosted a well-attended Investor Day in December 2025 in Miami, and collaborated with the analyst community on several non-deal roadshows. In addition, we communicated with the primary proxy advisory services to discuss the Company’s track record, cultural foundations, and our unique use of restricted shares as part of our compensation philosophy. More information can be found at www.watsco.com in the Investor Relations section.
Communications with the Company and the Board. Interested parties may communicate with the Company by letter addressed to Investor Relations, Watsco, Inc., 2665 South Bayshore Drive, Suite 901, Miami, Florida 33133, or by e-mail to info@watsco.com.
Interested parties may also communicate with our Board by calling (800) 4WATSCO in the U.S. and leaving a message for the Lead Independent Director, or by e-mailing our Lead Independent Director at presidingdirector@watsco.com. Regardless of the method used, the Lead Independent Director will view the unedited message and determine how to relay your message to other members of the Board.
Environmental, Social, and Governance
Watsco is committed to understanding and exceeding the expectations of our employees, customers, suppliers, and shareholders. As stakeholder expectations change and evolve, including around environmental, social, and governance matters, we are committed to changing and evolving with them and we have a strong foundation upon which to do so.