8-K/ALeadership ChangesExhibits & Filings

CHIPOTLE MEXICAN GRILL INC 8-K/A Report, Executive Changes (Apr 5, 2018)

Filed April 5, 2018For Securities:CMG

Summary

This filing is an amendment to a previous 8-K report, primarily to correct an exhibit. The material update concerns the Compensation Committee's approval of equity awards to key executives, including CEO Brian Niccol, CFO Jack Hartung, Chief Digital and Information Officer Curt Garner, and Chief Restaurant Officer Scott Boatwright. These awards, granted on March 29, 2018, are designed to align executive compensation with long-term company performance and incentivize their continued service. The awards consist of performance shares tied to comparable restaurant sales increases and restaurant-level cash flow margins over a three-year period, and Stock-Only Stock Appreciation Rights (SOSARs) with exercise prices set at a premium to the market price on the grant date (except for Mr. Niccol's initial grants, which were at market price per his offer letter). These incentives are a key component of their 2018 annual compensation and aim to foster a focus on operational improvements and shareholder value.

Key Highlights

  • 1Chipotle granted equity awards (performance shares and SOSARs) to its CEO, CFO, and other key executives on March 29, 2018.
  • 2These awards form the long-term incentive portion of the executives' 2018 annual compensation.
  • 3Performance shares are contingent upon achieving specific comparable restaurant sales increases and restaurant-level cash flow margins from 2018-2020.
  • 4Stock-Only Stock Appreciation Rights (SOSARs) have exercise prices set at a premium to the market closing price on the grant date, aligning with shareholder value creation.
  • 5CEO Brian Niccol's SOSARs were granted at the closing price on the grant date, as per his offer letter, with earlier inducement awards having different premium structures.
  • 6Vesting for both award types is generally tied to continued employment and performance metrics, with provisions for acceleration under specific termination or change-in-control events.
  • 7This filing is an amendment to a prior 8-K, correcting the version of Exhibit 10.1 that was initially filed.

Frequently Asked Questions

This filing is an amendment to a previous 8-K report to correct an error in an attached exhibit. The substantive information concerns the approval of equity awards for key executive officers on March 29, 2018.

The executives received two types of awards: performance shares and Stock-Only Stock Appreciation Rights (SOSARs). These are intended as the long-term incentive component of their 2018 compensation.

The performance shares are tied to Chipotle's achievement of specific comparable restaurant sales increases and restaurant-level cash flow margins over a three-year performance period (January 1, 2018, through December 31, 2020). Payouts can range from zero to three times the target amount based on a matrix of these performance measures.

SOSARs give the holder the right to receive shares of common stock equal to the value of the stock's appreciation over a specified exercise price. The exercise price for most executives was set at a 10% premium to the stock's closing price on the grant date, meaning they only profit if the stock price increases beyond this premium.

Yes, Brian Niccol's offer letter stipulated that his initial SOSAR grants were made at the closing price on the grant date (not a premium). His awards also have specific provisions for vesting acceleration in the event of termination without cause or by him for good reason.