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| March 2, 2023 | ![]() | |||||||
| Dear Frank, | ||||||||
I am pleased to welcome you to Wella Company. This letter serves to confirm the terms of your offer. Your place of employment will be based in New York. However, within the normal course of your duties, you may be required to travel in accordance with business needs. | ![]() | |||||||
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| TITLE AND REPORTING | You will be appointed to the full time, exempt role of Chief Financial and Operating Officer reporting to CEO- Wella Company, Annie Young Scrivner. | |||||||
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| HIRE DATE | You will commence employment in this role on March 26h 2023. | |||||||
| PAY | You will receive an initial annual base salary of $700,000 USD, less applicable deductions, payable in accordance with the Company's payroll practices (such annual base salary, at the rate in effect at the applicable time, the "Base Salary"). | ![]() | ||||||
| EMPLOYEE BENEFITS | You will be eligible to participate in applicable benefit plans and programs subject to the eligibility terms and conditions of such plans and programs. Information regarding these plans and programs will be provided to you separately. The company will cover travel and accommodation as a part of the commute to New York. | ![]() | ||||||
In addition, you will also be eligible for an Executive Wellbeing Benefit in the amount of $25,000 USD which will be paid out in one payment via payroll subject to applicable deductions. | ||||||||
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| ANNUAL INCENTIVE PLAN (AIP) | You will be eligible to participate in the Wella Bonus Program with a target award of 100% of the Base Salary ("Target Bonus"). | |||||||
| Your bonus opportunity will be subject to the terms and conditions of each fiscal year's AIP program design based on discretionary review and approval by the Company's Board of Directors. For the current FY23, your bonus eligibility will be from January 1, 2023 and any bonus payout for FY23 will be made in October 2023 payroll. | ![]() | |||||||
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| WELLA INCENTIVE SCHEME | You will be eligible to participate in the Company's Wella Incentive Scheme ("WINS") at an investment opportunity of $1,000,000 USD, in accordance with its terms. You will acquire shares at current valuation of EUR23.95 per Ordinary share and EUR1.00 per B Preference share. In addition you will be granted Restricted Stock Units (RSUs) to augment the Ordinary shares you acquire which should then ensure your total equity is at EUR1.00 per share as agreed. The RSUs will have the same vesting rules as your acquired shares which is Time vesting on an annual basis but fully vested upon exit. Do note that the WINS program and the equity acquired and granted are only applicable to the Pre IPO period. Post IPO the company will create an appropriate Long Term Incentive program for a publicly listed company. | ![]() | ||||||
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| SIGN ON BONUS | You will receive a one-time sign on bonus in the amount of $1,700,000 USD, less applicable taxes and deductions, on the 28th of March, 2023. Should you voluntarily resign from your position or be terminated for cause within the first 24 months of employment, you will be required to return the full amount of this payment to the Company within 30 days after your departure. For clarity, the definition of "Cause" is(l) conviction of a felony, any act involving moral turpitude, or a misdemeanor where imprisonment is imposed; (2) commission of any act of theft, fraud, dishonesty, or falsification of any employment or Company records; (3) improper disclosure of the Company’s confidential or proprietary information; (4) any action by the Executive which has a material detrimental effect on the Company's reputation or business; (5) a course of conduct amounting to gross incompetence, (6) chronic and unexcused absenteeism, or (7) unlawful appropriation of a corporate opportunity, or (8) material breach by the Executive of his/her employment offer, contract of employment (as interpreted by an employment court of competent jurisdiction), or any confidentiality, non-competition agreement or other covenant (subject, in each case, to a cure period of 30 days from the date of notification to Executive of the breach, to the extent that such breach is capable of being cured), (9) breach by Executive of his/her compliance undertakings or any compliance policy implemented by the Wella Group which has been made available to Executive in writing or is generally accessible by employees of the Wella Group (for example, via the Wella Group sharepoint or similar)), subject to a cure period of 30 days from the date of notification to Executive of the breach, to the extent that such breach is capable of being cured. | |||||||
VACATION | You will accrue vacation days pursuant to the Company's standard vacation policy. You will be eligible for 5 weeks (25 business days) of vacation annually (calendar year). You must take your vacation entitlement in the year it accrued. Failure to do so will result in forfeiture of any such accrued vacation not taken. | |||||||
RESTRICTIVE COVENANTS | You will be required, as a condition of employment or continued employment, to execute the attached Confidentiality, Non-Competition and Non-Solicitation Agreement, which sets forth a reciprocal notice period and obligations you may have with respect to confidentiality, non-competition and non-solicitation. | |||||||
GOVERNING LAW | This letter will be governed by the laws of the State of New York, and any other jurisdiction required by law. All disputes concerning your employment or the termination of such, including any disputes regarding your obligations to the Company or the Company's obligations to you following such termination, shall be governed by the laws of the State of New York, and the parties consent to the exclusive jurisdiction of the state and federal courts located in New York to hear and determine any such disputes. In the case of any conflict with the provisions of any other agreement between you and the Company, this provision shall govern. | |||||||
| ASSIGNMENT | You may not assign any of your rights or obligations under this letter. This letter will be binding upon and inure to the benefit of the Company's successors and assigns. Without limiting the foregoing, to the extent permissible under applicable law, the Company may assign its rights and delegate its duties hereunder in whole or in part to any transferee of all or a portion of the assets or business to which your employment relates. | |||||||
| AT-WILL EMPLOYEE | Other than obligations contained in the attached Confidentiality, Noncompetition and Non-Solicitation Agreement please be aware that neither this letter, nor any other document confers any contractual right. Either express or implied, to remain employed by the Company for any fixed period of time, nor does it guarantee any fixed terms or conditions of employment. While we hope that your employment with the Company will be mutually beneficial, please understand that you are an at-will employee, which means that both you and the Company have the right to terminate your employment at any time, with or without notice or cause. | |||||||
| SEVERANCE PACKAGE | If there is a Wella initiated termination of employment not for cause, you will receive a severance amount of twelve (12) months of base salary, less standard federal and state withholdings for taxes and authorized deductions, including authorized paycheck deductions. This severance amount will be paid in equal bi-weekly installments pursuant to the Company's standard payroll practices. You will also be paid any outstanding bonus earned and not yet paid, as well as a prorated bonus for the current fiscal up to your date of exit. | |||||||
| CONDITIONAL OFFER | This offer is contingent upon you not being subject to any lawful limitation, obligation or agreement that would preclude your full-time employment with the Company or in any way restrict your ability to perform your duties as a Company employee on the Hire Date. You will be required to sign the attached Confidentiality, Non-Competition and Non-Solicitation Agreement as a condition of employment. This offer is also contingent upon proof of identity and work eligibility. Under the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986, employers are required to verify the identity and employment eligibility of all new hires within 3 business days of their first day of work. To assist us in complying with this requirement, please bring appropriate documents with you on your first day. | |||||||
ENTIRE UNDERSTANDING | This offer letter, together with the attached Confidentiality, Noncompetition and Non-Solicitation Agreement, constitutes the entire understanding between you and the Company, and supersedes any previous agreements and understandings, whether oral or written, regarding your offer of employment by the Company. You acknowledge and agree that you have not relied on any representations or statements, whether oral or written, regarding your employment with the Company, other than as contained in this offer letter. | |||||||
| MODIFICATION | Any amendment to this offer letter must be made in writing and signed by you and a duly authorized officer of the Company. You agree that your obligations and restrictions under this letter will continue in accordance with its terms, regardless of any change in your title, position or duties (unless otherwise agreed). We look forward to receiving your acceptance of the Company's offer by signature below. We hope you share our excitement and look forward to working together in building a true global leader in beauty. | |||||||
Should you have any questions, please let me know. | ||||||||
Regards, | ||||||||
/s/ Annie Young-Scrivner | ||||||||
Annie Young-Scrivner | ||||||||
CEO, Wella Company | ||||||||
Accepted and agreed: Frank Smalla | |||||||||||||||||
Sign: | /s/ Frank H Smalla | ||||||||||||||||
Print Name: | Frank H Smalla | ||||||||||||||||
Date: | March 7, 2023 | ||||||||||||||||