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Published: 2021-04-27 16:22:03 ET
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DEF 14A 1 d105910ddef14a.htm DEF 14A DEF 14A
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UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

 

 

SCHEDULE 14A

Proxy Statement Pursuant to Section 14(a) of the

Securities Exchange Act of 1934

(Amendment No.    )

 

 

Filed by the Registrant  ☒                             Filed by a Party other than the Registrant  ☐

Check the appropriate box:

 

   Preliminary Proxy Statement
   Confidential, FOR Use of the Commission Only (as permitted by Rule 14a-6(e)(2))
   Definitive Proxy Statement
   Definitive Additional Materials
   Soliciting Material Pursuant to §240.14a-12

EverQuote, Inc.

(Name of Registrant as Specified In Its Charter)

 

(Name of Person(s) Filing Proxy Statement, if other than the Registrant)

Payment of Filing Fee (Check the appropriate box):

  No fee required.
  Fee computed on table below per Exchange Act Rules 14a-6(i)(1) and 0-11.
    (1)   

Title of each class of securities to which transaction applies:

 

     

    (2)   

Aggregate number of securities to which transaction applies:

 

     

    (3)   

Per unit price or other underlying value of transaction computed pursuant to Exchange Act Rule 0-11 (set forth the
amount on which the filing fee is calculated and state how it was determined):

 

     

    (4)   

Proposed maximum aggregate value of transaction:

 

     

    (5)   

Total fee paid:

 

     

  Fee paid previously with preliminary materials.
  Check box if any part of the fee is offset as provided by Exchange Act Rule 0-11(a)(2) and identify the filing for which the offsetting fee was paid previously. Identify the previous filing by registration statement number, or the Form or Schedule and the date of its filing.
    (1)   

Amount previously paid:

 

     

    (2)   

Form, Schedule or Registration Statement No.:

 

     

    (3)   

Filing party:

 

     

    (4)   

Date Filed:

 

     

 

 

 


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LOGO

EVERQUOTE
Notice of Annual Meeting
and Proxy Statement
Annual Meeting of Shareholders
to be held on June 10, 2021


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LOGO

Our Mission
To empower insurance shoppers to better protect life’s most important assets—their family, property, and future.
Our Values
BOOTSTRAPPING: We bootstrap our growth
EverQuote was built as a bootstrap, largely funding our growth under our own power. Today, this approach continues to enable us to retain control over our destiny. With every new thing we do, we value speed to unit profitability, and expect initiatives to drive increasing value as they scale.
TENACITY: We are tenacious entrepreneurs
We have fire and grit. We think constantly about reducing the friction and cost of protecting consumers’ most important assets. We are impatient to change a massive industry and are energized about building a mammoth business as we do it.
DATA CENTRICITY: We are data driven
We expect discussions at all levels to be rooted in and guided by data and follow our north star of getting the consumer protected. We believe data democratizes decision making and enables us to embrace diversity of perspectives and direct, if not always comfortable, communication.
IMPACT: We are obsessed with execution
Effort matters, but consistent execution wins. We are proactive, solution-oriented owners focused on generating high value for our customers. We test, learn and adapt with urgency to execute against our ambitious goals.
HEART: We have fun together as we work together
Goats are high achievers, but life is too short not to have fun and enjoy the company of our colleagues. We recognize that collaboration is key to our success, and we seek to create a respectful and inclusive environment for all employees, partners and customers. We also value honesty and integrity, and realize that our actions reflect on ourselves and our community.


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LOGO

April 20, 2021
Dear Fellow Shareholders,
Despite unprecedented challenges, the EverQuote team delivered impressive results in 2020 with 39% and 48% year-over-year growth in Revenues and Variable Marketing Margin (VMM), respectively. We continued to diversify our business as our non-auto verticals maintained their rapid growth trajectory, with revenues increasing 55% year-over-year with improving unit economics. While growing revenues, we also drove greater efficiency, leading to a doubling of Adjusted EBITDA over 2019.
Our company’s vision is to become the largest online source of insurance policies by using data and technology to make insurance simpler, more affordable and personalized, ultimately reducing cost and risk. Our strategy is based on building a unique ecosystem of insurance distribution assets, connected by our proprietary data and technology, to enable us to emerge as the insurance shopping destination for consumers, and the distribution platform of choice for providers across all major lines of insurance.
Last year, we made substantial investments to drive continued growth across our four growth levers — attracting more shoppers, expanding non-auto verticals, optimizing and deepening consumer-provider engagement, and growing insurance provider coverage and budget. We also continued our efforts to become a destination employer in technology and welcomed many talented new team members. We believe that these investments will enable us to continue to grow into the enormous market opportunity in front of us while we strengthen our technology- and data-driven competitive moat.
In August 2020, we announced the acquisition of Crosspointe Insurance, a leading health insurance agency. This acquisition, in conjunction with our internally-developed, direct-to-consumer (DTC) agency initiatives, broadens EverQuote’s ability to access the massive commission component of the overall insurance distribution spend shifting online. The acquisition also represents our first time using our corporate development capabilities to accelerate our strong organic growth strategy.
In November 2020, EverQuote suffered a tragic loss with the sudden passing of Seth Birnbaum, our former CEO and much-admired Co-Founder. I was honored and humbled when the Board of Directors appointed me to succeed him as Chief Executive Officer and a member of the Board of Directors. Since joining EverQuote in 2017, I worked with Seth on a daily basis to build our business and was guided and inspired by his vision and entrepreneurial spirit. Seth’s legacy lives on in the world-class team we have built at EverQuote; we remain laser-focused on building an industry-defining company.
“Our vision is to become the largest online source of insurance policies by using data and technology to make insurance simpler, more affordable and personalized, ultimately reducing cost and risk.”
Looking ahead, I believe we are in the early innings of $150 billion of insurance distribution spend moving online, and it’s in seismic shifts like this that large, enduring and game-changing companies are born. I believe EverQuote is well positioned to be one of those companies. We enter 2021 with clarity in strategy and focus on execution. We will continue to invest in new platforms, experiences, and capabilities to enhance the consumer shopping experience, improve provider performance, and ultimately get more people the coverage they need with less cost and friction.
I would like to thank our customers, partners and shareholders for their ongoing support and for believing in EverQuote’s vision. I especially want to express my gratitude to our employees for their tireless work ethic, dedication and passion in growing our company. We are building the team, investing in our technology and executing upon our online destination for insurance, and we are just getting started.
Yours truly,
Jayme Mendal
Chief Executive Officer


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LOGO

We continue to mourn the loss of our Founder, former CEO, and friend, Seth Birnbaum, who passed away unexpectedly and peacefully last November.
Seth was a sincere and deeply caring husband, father, friend and colleague as well as a genuine, dynamic leader. His remarkable passion, vision and tenacity attracted the world-class team we have in place today, which serves as the foundation for EverQuote’s continued success. We will be forever grateful for his entrepreneurial spirit and the welcoming and caring environment he cultivated.
Seth’s legacy lives on, every day in our work at EverQuote, where we remain laserfocused on building an industry-defining company.
In Memoriam
Seth Birnbaum, Co-Founder
1973-2020


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LOGO

To provide a window into the leader and person that Seth was, we are sharing his Thanksgiving message to the team, in its entirety.
November 26, 2020 Dear Team,
Whether you celebrate Thanksgiving or not, I want to thank you all for a successful year at work while so much else was going on! I do celebrate it and this year I’m just giving thanks to the important people in my life—you especially. It is my favorite holiday because I get to cook and eat non-stop for 36 hours with my family, one of my favorite things to do. This year will be different, so I’m moving the holiday to June and going small and safe, we are tenacious and we do adapt :-)!
I want to take a moment during this extraordinary and for many, awful, year to write a personal note to you all to thank you and express my deepest gratitude for the incredible grit you demonstrated all year in building EverQuote with me. Some suffered unspeakable loss, our hearts go out to you and you amazed me by showing up to support the team anyways. In spite of, and maybe spurred on by the turmoil, this team rose to every challenge in our business, launched new platforms, new talent centers in Ireland, India and Seattle and worked steadily together regardless of the stress, disruption and pain in the world.
I made a few mistakes this year and learned a ton. Thank you for your patience with me and constructive feedback while cranking out results for our customers, shareholders and each other. You showed up while taking care of yourself in isolation or with kids, family and others. You helped create more than 200 net new full time jobs for folks across the world during a time when employment contracted and I’m confident we will create many more as we progress. You raised more than $200,000 for causes supporting racial justice and equality, hired a truly fantastic head of DEI and promoted Darryl Auguste to our board of directors. small steps on a larger but important journey to increase our diversity at every level.
We acquired and integrated, and are celebrating Crosspointe, our first acquisition done in a new remote environment and it’s beating expectations, an impressive feat during normal times. You helped millions of consumers shop and buy insurance they needed for work, family or their home and personal health while making EverQuote the best place for agents to continue to thrive online and serve millions of consumers who don’t understand insurance well. It’s very complex and we will make it easier as we integrate and build out improved customer experiences!
From personal experience both with remote learning and familial loss, it’s an awesome achievement with so much demand on your time. I am so grateful to all of you for making our journey together possible and I continue to be deeply honored to both be part of and lead the best, most humble team in the insuretech space. Enjoy the time with your family, loved ones if you can, remote or in person we collectively have much to give thanks for this year. If anyone is alone or wants to reach out, email or call me anytime.
To say thank you in person and do some culture bombing, Jayme, Elyse, Darryl, Shimrit and I will host a global meetup as soon as we’re safe to do so, my guess is no later than June. We’ll check in on our plans, meet one another in person and talk about progress and challenges, have some fantastic global food and drink and celebrate our gratitude together. Next year will be excellent if we keep doing what we’re doing, while raising our expectations of what is possible for all of our customers and stakeholders :-) It is my privilege to partner with all of you to crush it. We have an unlimited future as insurance moves online and for all of you I’m VERY grateful!
Onward, upward and EVER Yours, Seth


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LOGO

April 27, 2021

Dear EverQuote Stockholder:

I am pleased to invite you to attend the 2021 Annual Meeting of Stockholders (the “Annual Meeting”) of EverQuote, Inc. (“EverQuote”) to be held via the internet at a virtual web conference at https://www.virtualshareholdermeeting.com/EVER2021 on Thursday, June 10, 2021, at 10:00 a.m., Eastern Time. Our Annual Meeting will be a “virtual meeting” of stockholders, which will be conducted exclusively via the internet at a virtual web conference. There will not be a physical meeting location, and stockholders will not be able to attend the Annual Meeting in person. This means that you can attend the Annual Meeting online, vote your shares during the online meeting and submit questions during the online meeting by visiting the above-mentioned internet site. In light of the ongoing public health and safety concerns related to the COVID-19 pandemic, we believe that hosting a “virtual meeting” will enable greater stockholder attendance and participation from any location around the world.

Details regarding the meeting and the business to be conducted are more fully described in the accompanying Notice of 2021 Annual Meeting of Stockholders and Proxy Statement.

Pursuant to rules of the Securities and Exchange Commission that allow issuers to furnish proxy materials to stockholders over the internet, we are posting the proxy materials on the internet and delivering a notice of internet availability of the proxy materials. On or about April 27, 2021, we will begin mailing to our stockholders a Notice of Internet Availability (the “Notice”) containing instructions on how to access or request a copy of our Proxy Statement for the Annual Meeting and our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2020.

Your vote is important. Whether or not you plan to attend the Annual Meeting online, I hope you will vote as soon as possible. You may vote over the internet or during the meeting or, if you requested printed copies of proxy materials, you may also vote by mailing a proxy card or voting by telephone. Please review the instructions on the Notice or on the proxy card regarding your voting options.

We look forward to seeing you at our virtual Annual Meeting.

Sincerely,

LOGO

Jayme Mendal

President and Chief Executive Officer


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YOUR VOTE IS IMPORTANT

In order to ensure your representation at the Annual Meeting, whether or not you plan to attend the Annual Meeting online, please vote your shares as promptly as possible over the internet by following the instructions on your Notice or, if you requested printed copies of your proxy materials, by following the instructions on your proxy card. Your participation will help to ensure the presence of a quorum at the Annual Meeting and save EverQuote the extra expense associated with additional solicitation. If you hold your shares through a broker, your broker is not permitted to vote on your behalf in the election of directors, unless you provide specific instructions to the broker by completing and returning any voting instruction form that the broker provides (or following any instructions that allow you to vote your broker-held shares via telephone or the internet). For your vote to be counted, you will need to communicate your voting decision in accordance with the instructions set forth in the proxy materials. Voting your shares in advance will not prevent you from attending the Annual Meeting online, revoking your earlier submitted proxy in accordance with the instructions set forth in the proxy materials or voting your shares during the meeting.

 

LOGO

EVERQUOTE, INC.

210 Broadway

Cambridge, MA 02139

NOTICE OF 2021 ANNUAL MEETING OF STOCKHOLDERS

Please take notice that the 2021 Annual Meeting of Stockholders of EverQuote, Inc. (the “Annual Meeting”) will be held on Thursday, June 10, 2021, at 10:00 a.m., Eastern Time. This year’s Annual Meeting will be a completely “virtual meeting” of stockholders. You will be able to attend the Annual Meeting, vote and submit your questions during the Annual Meeting via live webcast by visiting https://www.virtualshareholdermeeting.com/EVER2021. The Annual Meeting will be held for the following purposes:

 

   

To elect nine directors, Darryl Auguste, David Blundin, Sanju Bansal, Paul Deninger, John Lunny, Jayme Mendal, George Neble, John Shields and Mira Wilczek, to hold office until our 2022 annual meeting of stockholders or until their successors are duly elected and qualified, subject to their earlier death, resignation or removal;

 

   

To ratify the appointment of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP as our independent registered public accounting firm for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2021;

 

   

To approve, on a non-binding advisory basis, the compensation of the Company’s named executive officers;

 

   

To approve, on a non-binding advisory basis, the frequency with which to hold future advisory votes on the compensation of the Company’s named executive officers; and

 

   

To transact any other business that properly comes before the Annual Meeting (including adjournments and postponements thereof).

In light of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, for the health and well-being of our stockholders, employees and directors, we have determined that the Annual Meeting will be held in a virtual meeting format only, via the internet, with no physical in-person meeting. At our virtual Annual Meeting, stockholders will be able to attend, vote and submit questions by visiting https://www.virtualshareholdermeeting.com/EVER2021. Further information about how to attend the Annual Meeting online, vote your shares online during the meeting and submit questions during the meeting is included in the accompanying proxy statement.

Only holders of record of our Class A common stock and Class B common stock at the close of business on April 13, 2021 (the “Record Date”) are entitled to notice of and to vote at the Annual Meeting as set forth in the


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enclosed proxy statement (the “Proxy Statement”). You are entitled to attend the Annual Meeting only if you were a stockholder as of the close of business on the Record Date or hold a valid proxy for the Annual Meeting. If you are a stockholder of record, your ownership as of the Record Date will be verified prior to admittance into the virtual meeting. If you are not a stockholder of record but hold shares through a broker, trustee or nominee, you will receive instructions from the holder of record that you must follow for your shares to be voted. Please allow ample time for the admittance process. A complete list of registered stockholders will be available at least 10 days prior to the Annual Meeting for a purpose germane to the meeting by sending an email to annualmeeting@everquote.com, stating the purpose of the request and providing proof of ownership of Company stock. The list of these stockholders will also be available on the bottom of your screen during the Annual Meeting after entering the control number included on the Notice of Internet Availability of Proxy Materials that you received, on your proxy card, or on the materials provided by your bank or broker. For instructions on how to vote your shares, please refer to the instructions on the Notice of Internet Availability of Proxy Materials you received in the mail, the section titled “Voting” beginning on page 2 of the attached Proxy Statement or, if you requested to receive printed proxy materials, your enclosed proxy card.

By Order of our Board of Directors,

 

LOGO

David Mason

General Counsel

Cambridge, MA

April 27, 2021


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TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

GENERAL INFORMATION

     1  

PROPOSAL ONE ELECTION OF DIRECTORS

     6  

Number of Directors; Board Structure

     6  

Nominees

     6  

DIRECTORS, EXECUTIVE OFFICERS AND CORPORATE GOVERNANCE

     7  

Board of Directors

     7  

Nominees for Election

     7  

Executive Officers

     10  

Director Independence

     11  

Board Leadership Structure

     12  

Code of Business Conduct and Ethics

     12  

Anti-Hedging Policy

     12  

Corporate Governance Guidelines

     13  

Board Meetings

     13  

Annual Meeting Attendance

     13  

Committees

     13  

Compensation Consultants

     14  

Compensation Committee Interlocks and Insider Participation

     15  

Board Processes

     15  

Stockholder Communications

     16  

Compensation Risk Assessment

     17  

PROPOSAL TWO RATIFICATION OF THE APPOINTMENT OF OUR INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM

     18  

Principal Accounting Fees and Services

     18  

Report of the Audit Committee of our Board of Directors

     19  

PROPOSAL THREE TO APPROVE, ON A NON-BINDING ADVISORY BASIS, THE COMPENSATION OF THE COMPANY’S NAMED EXECUTIVE OFFICERS

     20  

PROPOSAL FOUR TO APPROVE, ON A NON-BINDING ADVISORY BASIS, THE FREQUENCY OF THE STOCKHOLDER ADVISORY VOTE ON COMPENSATION OF THE COMPANY’S NAMED EXECUTIVE OFFICERS

     21  

SECURITY OWNERSHIP OF CERTAIN BENEFICIAL OWNERS AND MANAGEMENT AND RELATED STOCKHOLDER MATTERS

     22  

Delinquent Section 16(a) Reports

     24  

EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION

     25  

Summary Compensation Table

     25  

Outstanding Equity Awards at Fiscal Year-End

     26  

Potential Payments upon Termination or Change in Control

     27  

Employment Offer Letters and Agreements

     28  

Equity Compensation Plan Information

     29  

Retirement Benefits

     29  

Employee Benefits and Perquisites

     29  

DIRECTOR COMPENSATION

     30  

Limitation of Liability and Indemnification

     31  

Rule 10b5-1 Sales Plans

     32  

RELATED PERSON TRANSACTIONS

     33  

Agreements with Entities Affiliated with Link Ventures

     33  

Office Space Agreement with Cogo Labs

     33  

Registration Rights

     33  

Indemnification Agreements

     33  

TRANSACTION OF OTHER BUSINESS

     34  

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

     34  

Procedures for Submitting Stockholder Proposals

     34  


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LOGO

PROXY STATEMENT

FOR THE 2021 ANNUAL MEETING OF STOCKHOLDERS TO BE HELD

THURSDAY, JUNE 10, 2021

GENERAL INFORMATION

Our board of directors solicits your proxy on our behalf for the 2021 Annual Meeting of Stockholders (the “Annual Meeting”), and at any postponement or adjournment of the Annual Meeting, for the purposes set forth in this Proxy Statement. To support the health and well-being of our stockholders, employees and directors in light of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the meeting will be held via the internet at a virtual web conference at https://www.virtualshareholdermeeting.com/EVER2021 on Thursday, June 10, 2021, at 10:00 a.m., Eastern Time. We intend to mail a Notice of Internet Availability of Proxy Materials to stockholders of record and to make this Proxy Statement and accompanying materials available on the internet on or about April 27, 2021.

In this Proxy Statement the terms “EverQuote,” “the company,” “we,” “us,” and “our” refer to EverQuote, Inc. The mailing address of our principal executive offices is EverQuote, Inc., 210 Broadway, Cambridge, MA 02139. All website addresses set forth in this Proxy Statement are for information only and are not intended to be an active link or to incorporate any website information into this document.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT THE PROXY PROCESS AND VOTING

 

Virtual Meeting

To support the health and well-being of our stockholders, employees and directors in light of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the Annual Meeting will be a virtual meeting of stockholders where stockholders will participate by accessing a website using the internet. There will not be a physical meeting location. In light of the public health and safety concerns related to COVID-19, we believe that hosting a virtual meeting will facilitate stockholder attendance and participation at the Annual Meeting by enabling stockholders to participate remotely from any location around the world. Our virtual meeting will be governed by our Rules of Conduct which will be posted at https://investors.everquote.com/financials-and-filings/Annual-Meeting. We have designed the virtual annual meeting to provide the same rights and opportunities to participate as stockholders would have at an in-person meeting, including the right to vote and ask questions through the virtual meeting platform.

 

Attending the Meeting

We will host the Annual Meeting live online via webcast. You may attend the Annual Meeting live online by visiting https://www.virtualshareholdermeeting.com/EVER2021. The webcast will start at 10:00 a.m., Eastern Time, on June 10, 2021. You will need the control number included on your proxy card or voting instruction form in order to be able to enter the Annual Meeting online. Instructions on how to attend and participate online, including how to demonstrate proof of stock ownership, are posted at https://www.virtualshareholdermeeting.com/EVER2021. Online check-in will begin at 9:45 a.m., Eastern Time on June 10, 2021, and

 

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you should allow ample time for the online check-in proceedings. We will have technicians standing by and ready to assist you with any technical difficulties you may have accessing the virtual meeting starting at 9:45 a.m., Eastern Time, on Thursday, June 10, 2021. If you encounter any difficulties accessing the virtual meeting during the check-in or meeting time, please follow the instructions for getting assistance that will be available at https://www.virtualshareholdermeeting.com/EVER2021.

 

Internet Availability of Proxy Materials

We are providing access to our proxy materials over the internet. On or about April 27, 2021, we will mail the Notice to stockholders, unless they requested a printed copy of proxy materials. The Notice contains instructions on how to access our proxy materials and how to vote. If you would like to receive a paper or e-mail copy of our proxy materials, please follow the instructions in the Notice. If you requested printed versions of these materials by mail, they will also include a proxy card for the Annual Meeting.

 

Record Date

April 13, 2021.

 

Stockholders Entitled to Vote

A list of registered stockholders as of the close of business on the Record Date will be available for examination by any stockholder for any purpose germane to the Annual Meeting for a period of at least 10 days prior to the Annual Meeting by sending an email to annualmeeting@everquote.com, stating the purpose of the request and providing proof of ownership of Company stock. The list of these stockholders will also be available on the bottom of your screen during the Annual Meeting after entering the control number included on the Notice of Internet Availability of Proxy Materials that you received, on your proxy card, or on the materials provided by your bank or broker.

 

Quorum

A majority of the voting power of all issued and outstanding shares of our Class A common stock and Class B common stock (voting together as a single class) entitled to vote on the Record Date must be virtually present during the meeting or represented by proxy to constitute a quorum.

 

Shares Outstanding

22,366,434 shares of Class A common stock and 6,407,678 shares of Class B common stock outstanding as of the Record Date.

 

Voting

There are four ways a stockholder of record can vote:

 

  (1)

By Internet: If you are a stockholder as of the Record Date, you may vote over the internet by following the instructions provided in the Notice.

 

  (2)

By Telephone: If you are a stockholder as of the Record Date, you may vote by telephone by following the instruction in the Notice.

 

  (3)

By Mail: If you requested printed copies of proxy materials and are a stockholder as of the Record Date, you may vote by mailing your proxy as described in the proxy materials.

 

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  (4)

During the Meeting: If you are a stockholder as of the Record Date, you will have the ability to attend the virtual meeting and vote online during the meeting. The Annual Meeting will be a virtual only meeting, which can be accessed at https://www.virtualshareholdermeeting.com/EVER2021. Submitting a proxy will not prevent a stockholder from attending the Annual Meeting online, revoking their earlier-submitted proxy in accordance with the process outlined below and voting during the meeting.

 

  In order to be counted, proxies submitted by telephone or internet must be received by 11:59 p.m., Eastern Time, on June 9, 2021. Proxies submitted by U.S. mail must be received before the start of the Annual Meeting.

 

  If you hold your shares through a bank or broker, please follow their instructions.

 

Revoking Your Proxy

Stockholders of record may revoke their proxies by virtually attending the Annual Meeting and voting during the meeting, by filing an instrument in writing revoking the proxy or by filing another duly executed proxy bearing a later date with our Secretary before the vote is counted or by voting again using the telephone or internet before the cutoff time (11:59 p.m., Eastern Time, on June 9, 2021). Your latest telephone or internet proxy is the one that will be counted. If you hold shares through a bank or broker, you may revoke any prior voting instructions by contacting that firm.

 

Voting Rights

Holders of our Class A common stock are entitled to one vote per share of Class A common stock held on the Record Date in respect of any proposal presented at the Annual Meeting. Holders of our Class B common stock are entitled to ten votes per share of Class B common stock held on the Record Date in respect of any proposal presented at the Annual Meeting.

 

Votes Required to Adopt Proposals

For Proposal One, the election of directors, the nominees receiving the highest number of votes properly cast FOR election, or a “plurality” of the votes properly cast, will be elected as directors.

 

  For Proposal Two, a majority of the votes properly cast FOR the proposal is required to ratify the appointment of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP as our independent registered public accounting firm for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2021.

 

  For Proposal Three, a majority of the votes properly cast FOR the proposal is required to approve, on an advisory, non-binding basis, the compensation of our named executive officers.

 

 

For Proposal Four, stockholders are entitled to vote for one of the three provided choices: every one, two or three years, or abstain from voting. If none of these frequency alternatives receives a majority of the votes properly cast, we will consider the frequency that receives

 

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the highest number of votes properly cast to be the frequency that has been selected by the stockholders.

 

Effect of Abstentions and Broker Non-Votes

Votes withheld from any nominee, abstentions and “broker non-votes” (i.e., where a broker has not received voting instructions from the beneficial owner on all matters and for which the broker does not have discretionary power to vote on a particular matter) are counted as present for purposes of determining the presence of a quorum. Shares voting “withheld” have no effect on the election of directors. Abstentions have no effect on the ratification of the appointment of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP as our independent registered public accounting firm for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2021.

 

  Under the rules that govern brokers holding shares for their customers, brokers who do not receive voting instructions from their customers have the discretion to vote uninstructed shares on routine matters, but do not have discretion to vote such uninstructed shares on non-routine matters. Only Proposal Two, the ratification of the appointment of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, is considered a routine matter where brokers are permitted to vote shares held by them without instruction. If your shares are held through a broker, those shares will not be voted in the election of directors unless you affirmatively provide the broker instructions on how to vote.

 

Voting Instructions

If you complete and submit your proxy voting instructions, the persons named as proxies will follow your instructions. If you submit proxy voting instructions but do not direct how your shares should be voted on each item, the persons named as proxies will vote FOR the election of the nominees for directors, FOR the ratification of the appointment of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP as our independent registered public accounting firm, FOR approving, on an advisory, non-binding basis, the compensation of our named executive officers and EVERY THREE YEARS as the frequency with which to hold future advisory votes on the compensation of our named executive officers. The persons named as proxies will vote on any other matters properly presented at the Annual Meeting in accordance with their best judgment, although we have not received timely notice of any other matters that may be properly presented for voting at the Annual Meeting.

 

Voting Results

We will announce preliminary results at the Annual Meeting. We will report final results by filing a Form 8-K within four business days after the Annual Meeting. If final results are not available at that time, we will provide preliminary voting results in the Form 8-K and final results in an amendment to the Form 8-K after they become available.

 

Additional Solicitation/Costs

We are paying for the distribution of the proxy materials and solicitation of the proxies. As part of this process, we reimburse brokerage houses and other custodians, nominees and fiduciaries for their reasonable out-of-pocket expenses for forwarding proxy and

 

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solicitation materials to our stockholders. Proxy solicitation expenses that we will pay include those for preparation, mailing, returning and tabulating the proxies. Our directors, officers and employees may also solicit proxies on our behalf in person, by telephone, email or facsimile, but they do not receive additional compensation for providing those services.

 

Householding

Some banks, brokers and other nominee record holders may be participating in the practice of “householding” proxy statements and annual reports. This means that only one copy of the Notice, Proxy Statement and Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2020, as applicable, is being delivered to multiple stockholders sharing an address unless we have received contrary instructions. We will promptly deliver a separate copy of any of these documents to you if you write to us at Investor Relations at EverQuote, Inc., 210 Broadway, Cambridge, MA 02139 or email us at investors@everquote.com or call us at (855) 522-3444. If you want to receive separate copies of the Notice, Proxy Statement or Annual Report on Form 10-K in the future, or if you are receiving multiple copies and would like to receive only one copy for your household, you should contact your bank, broker or other nominee record holder, or you may contact us at the above address or email or telephone number.

 

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PROPOSAL ONE

ELECTION OF DIRECTORS

Number of Directors; Board Structure

Our board of directors currently consists of nine members, elected each year at the annual meeting of stockholders for a term of one year. The terms of our current directors expire at the Annual Meeting. Directors are elected to hold office for a one-year term or until the election and qualification of their successors in office, subject to their earlier death, resignation or removal.

Under the terms of a voting agreement, which we refer to as the Link voting agreement, each of Tomas Revesz and the heirs or estate of Seth Birnbaum have agreed to vote on all matters presented to our stockholders all voting capital stock held by him or they, respectively, in the manner directed by Link Ventures, LLLP. The Link voting agreement is the only agreement containing contractual obligations regarding the election of our directors. The Link voting agreement will continue in full force and effect until terminated by written consent of Link Ventures, LLLP in its sole discretion.

Nominees

Our board of directors has nominated Darryl Auguste, David Blundin, Sanju Bansal, Paul Deninger, John Lunny, Jayme Mendal, George Neble, John Shields and Mira Wilczek for election as directors to hold office until our 2022 annual meeting of stockholders or until their successors are duly elected and qualified, subject to their earlier death, resignation or removal. Each of the nominees is a current member of our board of directors and has consented to serve if elected.

Unless you direct otherwise through your proxy voting instructions, the persons named as proxies will vote all proxies received “FOR” the election of each nominee. If any nominee is unable or unwilling to serve at the time of the Annual Meeting, the persons named as proxies may vote for a substitute nominee chosen by the members of our board of directors. In the alternative, the proxies may vote only for the remaining nominees, leaving a vacancy on our board of directors.

Our board of directors may fill such vacancy at a later date or reduce the size of our board of directors. We have no reason to believe that any of the nominees will be unwilling or unable to serve if elected as a director.

Recommendation of our Board of Directors

 

The board of directors recommends that you vote “FOR” the election of each of Darryl Auguste, David Blundin, Sanju Bansal, Paul Deninger, John Lunny, Jayme Mendal, George Neble, John Shields and

Mira Wilczek as directors.

 

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DIRECTORS, EXECUTIVE OFFICERS AND CORPORATE GOVERNANCE

Board of Directors

The biographies of each of the director nominees and continuing directors below contain information regarding each such person’s service as a director on our board of directors, business experience and other experiences, qualifications, attributes or skills that caused our board of directors to determine that the person should serve as a director of the company. In addition to the information presented below regarding each such person’s specific experience, qualifications, attributes and skills that led our board of directors to the conclusion that he or she should serve as a director, we also believe that each of our directors has a reputation for integrity, honesty and adherence to high ethical standards. Each of our directors has demonstrated business acumen and an ability to exercise sound judgment, as well as a commitment of service to our company and our board of directors, including a commitment to understanding our business and industry. We also value our directors’ experience in relevant areas of business management and on other boards of directors and board committees.

Below is information regarding our director nominees and directors whose terms are continuing after the Annual Meeting.

 

Name

   Age     EverQuote
Director
Since
    

Independent

  

Committee Membership

Darryl Auguste

     33       2020      No    —  

Sanju Bansal

     55       2014      Yes    Audit Committee

David Blundin

     54       2008      No    —  

Paul Deninger

     62       2019      Yes    Audit Committee, Compensation Committee

John Lunny

     55       2014      Yes    Compensation Committee

Jayme Mendal

     35       2020      No    —  

George Neble

     64       2018      Yes    Audit Committee

John Shields

     68       2018      Yes    Audit Committee

Mira Wilczek

     39       2017      No    Compensation Committee

Nominees for Election

Darryl Auguste has been a member of our board of directors since July 2020 and has served as our executive vice president of strategic projects since January 2019. Previously, he served as our senior vice president of analytics and online marketing since December 2014 and as our vice president, consumer analytics beginning in February 2013. Prior to joining EverQuote, from 2011 to 2012, Mr. Auguste worked at Cogo Labs, Inc., a startup incubator, ultimately serving as director of analytics, email marketing. Mr. Auguste holds a B.A. degree in economics and mathematics from Yale University. We believe that Mr. Auguste is qualified to serve on our board of directors because of his extensive experience with analytics and marketing and his deep knowledge of our company.

Sanju Bansal has served as a member of our board of directors since May 2014. Mr. Bansal has served as chief executive officer of Hunch Analytics, LLC, a data analytics company that he founded, since November 2013. Previously, Mr. Bansal served in various executive leadership positions and as a director of MicroStrategy Incorporated, a worldwide provider of business intelligence software, including as executive vice president from 1993 to 2013 and chief operating officer from 1993 to 2012. Mr. Bansal also served as a member of MicroStrategy’s board of directors from 1993 to 2013, including as vice chairman from November 2000 to November 2013. Mr. Bansal has served as a director of Cvent, Inc., an event management software company, since November 1999. Mr. Bansal also served as a director of CSRA Inc., an information technology services company specializing in national security, from November 2015 to April 2018. Mr. Bansal served as a director of The Advisory Board Company from 2009 until the company’s sale in November 2017. Mr. Bansal holds an S.B. degree in electrical engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and an M.S. degree in computer

 

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science from The Johns Hopkins University. We believe that Mr. Bansal is qualified to serve on our board of directors because of his deep background in consulting and information and systems technology, his leadership experience as a senior executive of a public company, his corporate governance experience from serving as a member of public company boards of directors, and his extensive knowledge of relevant technologies.

David Blundin, one of our co-founders, has served as chairman of our board of directors since August 2008. Mr. Blundin is the founder of Link Ventures, a venture capital firm, where he has served as managing partner since January 2006. He is also the co-founder of Vestigo Ventures LLC, a venture capital firm, where he has served as managing partner since January 2016. In June 2005, Mr. Blundin co-founded Cogo Labs, Inc., a technology incubator, data analytics and quantitative marketing company, where he has served as the chairman since its founding and also served as chief executive officer from its founding to February 2017. Previously, Mr. Blundin was the chairman of Autotegrity, Inc., a data analytics and online marketing company that he co-founded, from 2008 until its sale to ADP in 2011, and chief technologist at Vignette Corporation, a content management and delivery company, from 2000 to 2002. Prior to Vignette, he co-founded DataSage, Inc., a software company, and served as its chief executive officer and chairman from 1996 to 2000. Mr. Blundin holds an S.B. degree in computer science from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. We believe that Mr. Blundin is qualified to serve on our board of directors because of his extensive experience as a director of technology companies and deep knowledge of our company.

Paul Deninger has served as a member of our board of directors since April 2019. Mr. Deninger was a senior advisor with Evercore, an investment banking advisory firm, from June 2016 to February 2020. He joined Evercore as a senior managing director in 2011 and was previously a vice chairman at Jefferies, a global securities and investment banking firm, since 2003. Prior to Jefferies, Mr. Deninger served as chairman and chief executive officer of Broadview, a technology investment banking firm he joined in 1987, from 1996 until its acquisition by Jefferies in 2003. Mr. Deninger also serves as a director of Resideo Technologies Inc., a publicly held provider of home automation products and services, and is vice chairman of the board of Epiphany Technology, a publicly held blank check company seeking to acquire a business in the enterprise IT market. Mr. Deninger holds a B.S. degree from Boston College and an M.B.A. degree from Harvard Business School. We believe that Mr. Deninger is qualified to serve on our board of directors due to his deep knowledge of capital markets, merger and acquisition strategies and technology services businesses as well as his extensive management experience.

John Lunny has served as a member of our board of directors since June 2014. Mr. Lunny co-founded Vestmark, Inc., a wealth-management SaaS technology company, and has served as its chief executive officer since 2008 and served as its president and chief operating officer from 2003 to 2008. Prior to co-founding Vestmark, Mr. Lunny co-founded DataSage, Inc., an enterprise data analytics software company, and served as its vice president of engineering from 1996 to 2001 leading to its acquisition by Vignette Corporation. Following the acquisition, Mr. Lunny served as senior director of engineering at Vignette Corporation from 2001 to 2003. In 2018, Mr. Lunny was honored as the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year in financial services. Mr. Lunny holds an S.B. degree in electrical engineering and an S.B. degree in computer science from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. We believe that Mr. Lunny is qualified to serve on our board of directors because of his experience as an executive in the technology industry.

Jayme Mendal has served as our president, chief executive officer and a member of our board of directors since November 2020. Previously Mr. Mendal served as our chief operating officer since February 2019 and as our chief revenue officer since September 2017. Mr. Mendal previously served as the vice president of sales and marketing at PowerAdvocate, Inc., an energy intelligence company, from May 2017 to September 2017. Prior to that, Mr. Mendal served in multiple positions at PowerAdvocate, Inc., including manager of corporate strategy from August 2013 to August 2014, director of corporate strategy and marketing from August 2014 to December 2015 and senior director of sales and marketing from June 2015 to May 2017. From August 2007 to July 2010, he was a management consultant within the growth strategy division of Monitor Deloitte (formerly Monitor Group). Mr. Mendal holds a B.S. degree in finance and economics from Washington University in St. Louis and

 

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an M.B.A. degree from Harvard Business School. Mr. Mendal is qualified to serve on our board of directors due to his experience in leading our operations and previously our revenue functions, his extensive knowledge of our company and industry, as well as his vision and leadership as our president and chief operating officer.

George Neble has served as a member of our board of directors since May 2018. Since July 2017, Mr. Neble has served as a business consultant. Mr. Neble has served as the audit committee chair and a board member of LumiraDx, a diagnostics company, since July 2020. Mr. Neble also serves as a director of Real Goods Solar, Inc., a publicly held provider of solar equipment. From 2012 to June 2017, Mr. Neble served as managing partner of the Boston office of Ernst & Young LLP, an accounting firm. Prior to that, Mr. Neble was a senior assurance partner at Ernst & Young from 2002 to 2012. Mr. Neble is a certified public accountant. He holds a B.S. degree in accounting from Boston College. We believe that Mr. Neble is qualified to serve on our board of directors because of his financial expertise and his experience in public accounting.

John Shields has served as a member of our board of directors since May 2018. He has served as the president of Advisor Guidance, Inc., a business consulting firm, since 2010, as a trustee of Domini Investment Trust, a registered investment company, since 2004, as a director of Vestmark, Inc. since December 2015, as a director of Cogo Labs, Inc., a startup incubator, since May 2008, and as a consultant in the financial services industry since 2002. From October 2016 to June 2018, Mr. Shields served as managing director, head of risk and regulatory compliance at CFGI, LLC, a financial consulting firm. From January 2014 to October 2016, he served as director, head of investment management consulting at Navigant Consulting, Inc. From 1998 to 2002, he served as chief executive officer of Citizens Advisers, Inc., an investment management company. Mr. Shields is a certified public accountant (inactive). He holds a B.S. degree in accounting from Saint Peter’s University. We believe that Mr. Shields is qualified to serve on our board of directors because of his financial and accounting expertise.

Mira Wilczek has served as a member of our board of directors since February 2017. Ms. Wilczek has been a managing director at Link Ventures, a venture capital firm, since June 2015. Since December 2019, Ms. Wilczek has served as a general partner of XLIX Ventures, a family investment office. She previously served as president and chief executive officer of Cogo Labs, Inc., a startup incubator, from October 2016 to November 2019 and was entrepreneur in residence at Cogo Labs from December 2013 until February 2017. Prior to joining Link, Mira founded Red Panda Security, a research consultancy specializing in mobile behavioral analytics, and served as its chief executive officer from 2012 to 2013. From 2009 to 2012, she served as director of business development at Lyric Semiconductor, a fabless semiconductor company. Ms. Wilczek holds an S.B. degree in electrical engineering and computer science and an M.B.A. degree from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. We believe that Ms. Wilczek is qualified to serve on our board of directors because of her investment and operations experience in the technology industry.

 

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Executive Officers

The following table sets forth information regarding our executive officers as of April 22, 2021:

 

Name    Age     

Position(s)

Jayme Mendal

     35      President and Chief Executive Officer, Director

John Wagner

     47      Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer

David Brainard

     49      Chief Technology Officer

Nicholas Graham

     35      Chief Revenue Officer

Craig Lister

     46      Chief Marketing Officer

David Mason

     45      General Counsel and Secretary

Elyse Neumeier

     34      Chief People Officer

Tomas Revesz

     47      Chief Architect

Eugene Suzuki

     46      Chief Information Officer

The biography of Mr. Mendal can be found under “—Nominees for Election.”

John Wagner has served as our chief financial officer and treasurer since March 2014. Previously, Mr. Wagner served as chief financial officer of NuoDB, Inc., a database company, from 2012 to 2014. Prior to that, Mr. Wagner served as the vice president of finance at Carbonite, Inc., an online backup company, from 2011 to 2012, as corporate controller at Constant Contact, Inc., an email marketing company, from 2006 to 2011 and as vice president of finance and chief financial officer at Salesnet, Inc., a sales software company, from 2003 to 2006. Mr. Wagner holds a B.B.A. degree in accounting from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst and an M.B.A. degree from Boston University. He is also a licensed Certified Public Accountant in Massachusetts.

David Brainard has served as our CTO since January 2021 and was previously Head of Engineering starting in December 2019. Previously, he was Head of Ad Tech systems at Wayfair, a specialty retail company, for 2019. Prior to that, he led the Voluntary Benefits engineering organization at Liberty Mutual, an insurance company, from 2016 to 2019. Prior to his role at Liberty Mutual, Mr. Brainard was Architecture leader at Bank of America from 2010 to 2016. He also previously served as a Principal Consultant in IBM’s global integration group, and a manager and architect at BMC Software. Mr. Brainard holds a B.A. from Wayne State University and a Master’s degree from Boston University.

Nicholas Graham has served as our Chief Revenue Officer since November 2020. He previously served as General Manager for our Agency Business from November 2018 to November 2020 and VP of Sales Strategy & Operations from January 2018 to October 2018.He joined EverQuote in January 2018. Previously, Mr. Graham was a consultant at Bain & Company, a global consulting firm, from January 2016 to December 2017. He holds a B.S. degree in Mechanical Engineering from Northwestern University, a M.S. degree in Mechanical Engineering from Georgia Institute of Technology, and an M.B.A. degree from the MIT Sloan School of Management.

Craig Lister has served as our chief marketing officer since December 2020. Craig leads all digital and offline marketing channels at EverQuote. Previously, Mr. Lister led Global Customer Acquisition at NortonLifeLock, a publicly held software company, from August 2015 to December 2020. Prior to NortonLifeLock, Lister held a variety of leadership positions across consumer marketing, analytics, CRM, digital and performance marketing, working with leading brands including Toyota, DIRECTV, AAA, Viking River Cruises and Mammoth Mountain Ski Area. Mr. Lister holds a B.A. in Mathematics from SUNY Geneseo.

David Mason has served as our general counsel and secretary since February 2014. Previously, Mr. Mason served as deputy general counsel at KAYAK Software Corporation, a leading travel metasearch site, from October 2011 to January 2014. From October 2006 to October 2011, he was an associate in the mergers, acquisitions and securities group at Bingham McCutchen, LLP (now Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP). Mr. Mason has also served as an adjunct professor at Boston College Law School since 2006. He holds a B.B.A. degree from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst and a J.D. degree from Boston College Law School.

 

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Elyse Neumeier has served as our chief people officer since September 2019. She served as associate director of talent strategy at Wayfair Inc., a specialty retail company, from September 2016 to September 2019. Prior to that, she was a consultant at Bain & Company, a global consulting firm, from September 2014 to September 2016. Ms. Neumeier holds a B.A. degree in Anthropology from Tufts University and an M.B.A. degree from the MIT Sloan School of Management.

Tomas Revesz, one of our co-founders, has served as our chief architect since January 2021. Previously, Mr. Revesz served as our CTO since September 2010. Prior to that, he co-founded Digital Guardian, Inc., a data security company, in 2003, where he served as executive vice president of global services until September 2010 and before Digital Guardian, he served as vice president of information systems at NeoGenesis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. from 1998 to 2003. Mr. Revesz studied electrical engineering and management science at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Eugene Suzuki has served as our chief information officer since November 2015 and previously served as our vice president of technology operations beginning in January 2012. Previously, Mr. Suzuki was the vice president of technology solutions at Digital Guardian, Inc. from 2005 to 2011. Mr. Suzuki holds a B.S. degree in Electrical and Computer Engineering from the Worcester Polytechnic Institute. Mr. Suzuki is also a Certified Information Systems Security Professional.

Director Independence

Under the rules of the Nasdaq Stock Market, independent directors must comprise a majority of a listed company’s board of directors. In addition, the rules of the Nasdaq Stock Market require that, subject to specified exceptions, each member of a listed company’s audit and compensation committees be independent and that director nominees be selected or recommended for the board’s selection by independent directors constituting a majority of the independent directors or by a nominations committee comprised solely of independent directors. Under the rules of the Nasdaq Stock Market, a director will only qualify as “independent” if, in the opinion of that company’s board of directors, that person does not have a relationship that would interfere with the exercise of independent judgment in carrying out the responsibilities of a director and that such person is “independent” as defined under Nasdaq Stock Market and Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) rules.

Audit committee members must also satisfy the independence criteria set forth in Rule 10A-3 under the Exchange Act. In order to be considered independent for purposes of Rule 10A-3, a member of an audit committee of a listed company may not, other than in his or her capacity as a member of the audit committee, the board of directors or any other board committee: (1) accept, directly or indirectly, any consulting, advisory or other compensatory fee from the listed company or any of its subsidiaries or (2) be an affiliated person of the listed company or any of its subsidiaries.

We are a “controlled company” as that term is set forth in Nasdaq Stock Market rules. Under Nasdaq Stock Market rules, as a “controlled company,” we are exempt from certain corporate governance requirements, including: (1) the requirement that a majority of our board of directors consist of independent directors, (2) the requirement that director nominees be selected or recommended for the board’s selection by independent directors constituting a majority of the independent directors or by a nominations committee comprised solely of independent directors, and (3) the requirement that we have a compensation committee composed entirely of independent directors with a written charter specifying, among other things, the scope of the committee’s responsibilities. We currently avail ourselves of certain of these exemptions and, for so long as we are a “controlled company,” we will maintain the option to utilize from time to time some or all of these exemptions. In accordance with these exemptions, we do not have a nominations committee, director nominees are not selected or recommended for the board’s selection by independent directors constituting a majority of the independent directors and our compensation committee is not composed entirely of independent directors. Even as a “controlled company,” we must comply with the rules applicable to audit committees set forth in the Nasdaq Stock Market rules.

 

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At least annually, our board of directors will evaluate all relationships between us and each director in light of relevant facts and circumstances for the purposes of determining whether a material relationship exists that might signal a potential conflict of interest or otherwise interfere with such director’s ability to satisfy his or her responsibilities as an independent director. Based on this evaluation, our board of directors will make an annual determination of whether each director is independent within the meaning of the independence standards of the Nasdaq Stock Market rules, the SEC and our applicable board committees.

In February 2021, our board of directors determined that each of Messrs. Bansal, Deninger, Lunny, Neble and Shields is “independent” as defined under the rules of the Nasdaq Stock Market. Our board of directors also has determined that Messrs. Bansal, Deninger, Neble and Shields, who comprise our audit committee, and Messrs. Deninger and Lunny, who serve on our compensation committee, satisfy the independence standards for such committees established by the SEC and the rules of the Nasdaq Stock Market, as applicable. Our board of directors determined that Ms. Wilczek, the chair of our compensation committee, does not satisfy the independence standards for such committee established by the SEC and the rules of the Nasdaq Stock Market, as applicable. In making such determinations, our board of directors considered the relationships that each such non-employee director has with our company and all other facts and circumstances our board of directors deemed relevant in determining independence, including the beneficial ownership of our capital stock by each non-employee director and any institutional stockholder with which he or she is affiliated.

Board Leadership Structure

Our corporate governance guidelines provide that the roles of chairman of the board and chief executive officer may be separated or combined. Our board of directors has considered its leadership structure and determined that, at this time, the roles of chairman of the board of directors and chief executive officer should be separate. Separating the chairman and the chief executive officer positions allows our chief executive officer, Mr. Mendal, to focus on running the business, while allowing the chairman of our board of directors, Mr. Blundin, to lead the board in its fundamental role of providing advice to and oversight of management. Mr. Blundin has been an integral part of the leadership of our company and our board of directors since August 2008, and his strategic vision has guided our growth and performance. Our board of directors believes that Mr. Blundin is best situated to focus the board of director’s attention and efforts on critical matters. Mr. Mendal has served as our president since November 2020 and chief executive officer and as a director since November 2020. Our board of directors believes that the board’s leadership structure is appropriate because it strikes an effective balance between independent oversight and management participation in the board process.

Code of Business Conduct and Ethics

We have adopted a written code of business conduct and ethics that applies to our directors, officers and employees, including our principal executive officer, principal financial officer, principal accounting officer or controller, or persons performing similar functions. A copy of the code is available under the heading “Corporate Governance–Governance Documents” on the Investors section of our website, which is located at investors.everquote.com. In addition, we intend to post on our website all disclosures that are required by law or Nasdaq Stock Market rules concerning any amendments to, or waivers from, any provision of the code.

Anti-Hedging Policy

We have adopted an insider trading policy that, among other things, expressly prohibits all of our employees, including our named executive officers, as well as our directors, and certain of their family members and related entities, from engaging in short sales of our securities, including short sales “against the box”; purchases or sales of puts, calls or other derivative securities based on our securities; and purchases of financial instruments (including prepaid variable forward contracts, equity swaps, collars and exchange funds) that are designed to hedge or offset any decrease in the market value of our securities.

 

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Corporate Governance Guidelines

Our board of directors has adopted corporate governance guidelines to assist in the exercise of its duties and responsibilities and to serve the best interests of our company and our stockholders. The guidelines provide, among other things, that:

 

   

our board of directors’ principal responsibility is to oversee the management of the company;

 

   

the independent directors will meet in executive session at least semi-annually;

 

   

directors have full and free access to management and, as necessary, independent advisors; and

 

   

new directors participate in an orientation program and all directors are expected to participate in continuing director education on an ongoing basis.

A copy of the corporate governance guidelines is posted under the heading “Corporate Governance–Governance Documents” on the Investors section of our website, which is located at investors.everquote.com.

Board Meetings

Our board of directors meets on a regularly scheduled basis during the year to review significant developments affecting us and to act on matters requiring its approval. It also holds special meetings when important matters require action between scheduled meetings. Members of senior management regularly attend meetings to report on and discuss their areas of responsibility. Our board of directors held ten meetings (including regularly scheduled and special meetings) during the fiscal year ended December 31, 2020.

During 2020, each director attended at least 75% of the aggregate of (i) the total number of meetings of our board of directors held during the period for which he or she has been a director and (ii) the total number of meetings held by the audit committee and compensation committee of our board of directors during any periods in which he or she served. Our board of directors periodically holds executive sessions of the independent directors. Executive sessions do not include employee directors or directors who do not qualify as independent under the Nasdaq Stock Market and SEC rules.

Annual Meeting Attendance

It is our policy that members of our board of directors are encouraged to attend annual meetings of our stockholders. All eight directors then serving attended the 2020 Annual Meeting of Stockholders.

Committees

Our amended and restated bylaws provide that our board of directors may delegate responsibility to committees. Our board of directors has established an audit committee and a compensation committee, which operate under charters approved by our board of directors. Both the audit committee charter and the compensation committee charter are available under the heading “Corporate Governance—Governance Documents” on the Investors section of our website, which is located at investors.everquote.com.

Audit Committee

Our audit committee’s responsibilities include:

 

   

appointing, approving the compensation of, and assessing the independence of our registered public accounting firm;

 

   

overseeing the work of our registered public accounting firm, including through the receipt and consideration of reports from such firm;

 

   

reviewing and discussing with management and the registered public accounting firm our annual and quarterly financial statements and related disclosures;

 

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coordinating our board of directors’ oversight of our internal control over financial reporting, disclosure controls and procedures, and code of business conduct and ethics;

 

   

discussing our risk management policies;

 

   

establishing policies regarding hiring employees from the registered public accounting firm and procedures for the receipt and retention of accounting related complaints and concerns;

 

   

meeting independently with our registered public accounting firm and management;

 

   

reviewing and approving or ratifying any related person transactions; and

 

   

preparing the audit committee report required by SEC rules.

All audit services and all non-audit services, other than de minimis non-audit services, to be provided to us by our independent registered public accounting firm must be approved in advance by our audit committee.

The members of our audit committee are Messrs. Bansal, Deninger, Neble and Shields. Mr. Neble is the chair of our audit committee. Our board of directors has determined that Mr. Neble is an “audit committee financial expert” as defined by applicable SEC rules.

Our audit committee held seven meetings during the fiscal year ended December 31, 2020. Our audit committee operates under a written charter adopted by our board of directors, a current copy of which is available under the heading “Corporate Governance—Governance Documents” on the Investors section of our website, which is located at investors.everquote.com.

Compensation Committee

Our compensation committee’s responsibilities include:

 

   

reviewing and approving, or making recommendations to our board of directors with respect to, the compensation of our chief executive officer and our other executive officers;

 

   

reviewing and making recommendations to our board of directors with respect to incentive-compensation and equity-based plans;

 

   

recommending to the independent directors serving on our board of directors to approve any tax-qualified, non-discriminatory employee benefit plans;

 

   

reviewing and making recommendations to our board of directors with respect to director compensation;

 

   

reviewing and discussing annually with management our “Compensation Discussion and Analysis” disclosure, if applicable; and

 

   

preparing the compensation committee report to the extent required by SEC rules.

The members of our compensation committee are Messrs. Lunny and Deninger and Ms. Wilczek. Ms. Wilczek is the chair of our compensation committee.

Our compensation committee held nine meetings during the fiscal year ended December 31, 2020. Our compensation committee operates under a written charter adopted by our board of directors, a current copy of which is available under the heading “Corporate Governance—Governance Documents” on the Investors section of our website, which is located at investors.everquote.com.

Compensation Consultants

Our compensation committee may, in its sole discretion, retain or obtain the advice of one or more compensation consultants. Our compensation committee engaged Compensia, Inc. as its independent compensation consultant,

 

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to provide comparative data on executive compensation practices in our industry, to assist our compensation committee in developing an appropriate list of peer companies, and to advise on our executive compensation program for 2020 and 2021generally. Our compensation committee also engaged Compensia, Inc. for recommendations and review of non-employee director compensation in 2020.

Although our compensation committee and board consider the advice and recommendations of independent compensation consultants as to our executive compensation program, our compensation committee and board ultimately make their own decisions about these matters. In the future, we expect that our compensation committee will continue to engage independent compensation consultants to provide additional guidance on our executive compensation programs and to conduct further competitive benchmarking against a peer group of publicly traded companies.

Our compensation committee will review information regarding the independence and potential conflicts of interest of any compensation consultant it may engage, taking into account, among other things, the factors set forth in the Nasdaq Stock Market rules. With respect to services provided in 2020, our compensation committee concluded that the engagement of Compensia, Inc. did not raise any conflict of interest. Outside of services provided for the compensation committee and the board, Compensia, Inc. provided nominal additional services to us in 2020 related to benchmarking data with respect to certain executive and non-executive positions in an effort to ensure that our compensation was competitive so that we could attract, reward, motivate and retain our employees. The total amount paid to Compensia, Inc. in connection with these additional engagements was less than $120,000 in 2020.

Compensation Committee Interlocks and Insider Participation

Messrs. Lunny and Deninger and Ms. Wilczek served as members of our compensation committee in 2020. None of our executive officers serves as a member of the board of directors or compensation committee, or other committee serving an equivalent function, of any entity that has one or more executive officers who serve as members of our board of directors or the compensation committee.

Board Processes

Oversight of Risk

Our board of directors oversees our risk management processes directly and through its audit committee. Our management is responsible for risk management on a day-to-day basis. The role of our board of directors and its audit committee is to oversee the risk management activities of our management. They fulfill this duty by discussing with management the policies and practices utilized by management in assessing and managing risks and providing input on those policies and practices. In general, our board of directors oversees risk management activities relating to business strategy, acquisitions, capital allocation, organizational structure and certain operational risks, and our audit committee oversees risk management activities related to financial controls and legal and compliance risks, including with respect to enterprise risk, fraud and cybersecurity. The audit committee reports to the full board of directors on a regular basis, including reports with respect to the committee’s risk oversight activities as appropriate. In addition, because risk issues often overlap, the committee from time to time requests that the full board of directors discuss particular risks.

Director Nomination Process

Our board of directors is responsible for selecting its own members. The process followed by our board to identify and evaluate director candidates may include requests to members of our board of directors and others for recommendations, evaluation of the performance on our board of directors and its audit committee of any existing directors being considered for nomination, consideration of biographical information and background material relating to potential candidates and, particularly in the case of potential candidates who are not then serving on our board of directors, interviews of selected candidates by members of our board of directors.

 

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Generally, our board identifies candidates for director nominees in consultation with management, through the use of search firms or other advisors, through the recommendations submitted by stockholders or through such other methods as our board deems to be helpful to identify candidates. Once candidates have been identified, our board confirms that the candidates meet all of the minimum qualifications for director nominees established by our board.

Our board of directors may gather information about the candidates through interviews, detailed questionnaires, comprehensive background checks or any other means that our board deems to be appropriate in the evaluation process. Our board then discusses and evaluates the qualities and skills of each candidate, both on an individual basis and taking into account the overall composition and needs of our board of directors. Based on the results of the evaluation process, our board determines the persons to be nominated for election as directors. In considering whether to nominate any particular person for election as a director, our board applies the criteria set forth in our corporate governance guidelines described above under “Corporate Governance Guidelines.” Consistent with these criteria, our board expects every nominee to have the following attributes or characteristics, among others: integrity, honesty, adherence to high ethical standards, business acumen, good judgment and a commitment of service to our company, including a commitment to understand our business and industry. Our board considers the value of diversity when selecting nominees, and believes that our board of directors, taken as a whole, should embody a diverse set of skills, experiences and abilities. The board does not make any particular weighting of diversity or any other characteristic in evaluating nominees and directors.

All of the director nominees are currently members of our board of directors. The biographies of such director nominees under the heading “Nominees for Election” in this Proxy Statement indicate the experience, qualifications, attributes and skills of each of the director nominees that led our board of directors to conclude he or she should continue to serve as a director of our company. Our board of directors believes that each of the nominees has the individual attributes and characteristics required of a director of our company, and that the nominees as a group possess the skill sets and specific experience desired of our board of directors as a whole.

Stockholders may recommend individuals for consideration by our board of directors as potential director candidates by submitting their names, together with appropriate biographical information and background materials, and information with respect to the stockholder or group of stockholders making the recommendation, including the number of shares of capital stock owned by such stockholder or group of stockholders, to our Secretary at EverQuote, Inc., 210 Broadway, Cambridge, MA 02139. The specific requirements for the information that is required to be provided for such recommendations to be considered are specified in our amended and restated bylaws and must be received by us no later than the date referenced below under the heading “Procedures for Submitting Stockholder Proposals.” Assuming that appropriate biographical and background material has been provided on a timely basis, our board will evaluate stockholder-recommended candidates by following substantially the same process, and applying substantially the same criteria, as it follows for candidates submitted by others.

Stockholders also have the right under our amended and restated bylaws to directly nominate director candidates, without any action or recommendation on the part of our board of directors, by following the procedures set forth below under the heading “Procedures for Submitting Stockholder Proposals.”

In evaluating proposed director candidates, our board may consider, in addition to the minimum qualifications and other criteria approved by it from time to time, all facts and circumstances that it deems appropriate or advisable, including, among other things, the skills of the proposed director candidate, his or her depth and breadth of professional experience or other background characteristics, his or her independence and the needs of our board of directors.

Stockholder Communications

Stockholders or other interested parties may contact our board of directors or one or more of our directors with issues or questions about EverQuote, by mailing correspondence to our General Counsel at 210 Broadway,

 

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Cambridge, MA 02139. Our legal team will review incoming communications directed to our board of directors and, if appropriate, will forward such communications to the appropriate member(s) of the board of directors or, if none is specified, to the chairman of our board of directors. For example, we will generally not forward a communication that is primarily commercial in nature, is improper or irrelevant, or is a request for general information about EverQuote.

Compensation Risk Assessment

We believe that although a portion of the compensation provided to our executive officers and other employees is performance-based, our executive compensation program does not encourage excessive or unnecessary risk taking. This is primarily due to the fact that our compensation programs are designed to encourage our executive officers and other employees to remain focused on both short-term and long-term strategic goals, in particular in connection with our pay-for-performance compensation philosophy that applies to our executive officers. In addition, we believe that the equity compensation component of our executive compensation program assists in protecting against excessive or unnecessary risk taking by providing our executives with a strong link to our long-term performance, creating an ownership culture and helping to align the interests of our executives and our stockholders. As a result, we do not believe that our compensation programs are reasonably likely to have a material adverse effect on us.

 

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PROPOSAL TWO

RATIFICATION OF THE APPOINTMENT OF

OUR INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM

We have appointed PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP as our independent registered public accounting firm to perform the audit of our consolidated financial statements for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2021, and we are asking you and other stockholders to ratify this appointment. PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP has served as our independent registered public accounting firm since 2014.

Our audit committee annually reviews the independent registered public accounting firm’s independence, including reviewing all relationships between the independent registered public accounting firm and us and any disclosed relationships or services that may impact the objectivity and independence of the independent registered public accounting firm, and the independent registered public accounting firm’s performance. As a matter of good corporate governance, our board of directors determined to submit to stockholders for ratification the appointment of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP. A majority of the votes properly cast is required in order to ratify the appointment of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP. In the event that a majority of the votes properly cast do not ratify this appointment of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, we will review our future appointment of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP.

Our audit committee’s charter, which was adopted in connection with our IPO in June 2018, contains a formal policy concerning approval of audit, audit-related and non-audit services to be provided to the company by its independent registered public accounting firm. The policy requires that all services to be provided by our independent registered public accounting firm, including audit and audit-related services and permitted non-audit services, must be preapproved by our audit committee, provided that de minimis non-audit services may instead be approved in accordance with applicable SEC rules. Our board of directors or our audit committee approved all audit, audit-related and non-audit services provided by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP during fiscal years 2019 and 2020. We expect that a representative of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP will attend the virtual Annual Meeting and the representative will have an opportunity to make a statement if he or she so chooses. The representative will also be available to respond to appropriate questions from stockholders.

Principal Accounting Fees and Services

The following table sets forth the aggregate professional fees billed or to be billed by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP for audit, audit-related, tax and other services rendered for 2018 and 2019 (in thousands).

 

Fee Category

   2019      2020  

Audit Fees

   $ 568      $ 1,080  

Audit-Related Fees

   $ 8      $ 8  

Tax Fees

   $ 37      $ 40  
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total Fees

   $ 613      $ 1,128  
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

Audit Fees. Represents fees for professional services provided in connection with the audit of our annual consolidated financial statements and the reviews of our quarterly consolidated financial statements.

Audit-Related Fees. The amount represents fees for services provided in connection with SEC filings other than our quarterly and annual reports.

Tax Fees. Represents fees for professional services provided for tax advice and planning.

 

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Recommendation of our Board of Directors

 

The board of directors recommends that you vote “FOR” the ratification and appointment of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP as our independent registered public accounting firm for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2021.

Report of the Audit Committee of our Board of Directors

The information contained in this audit committee report shall not be deemed to be (1) “soliciting material,” (2) “filed” with the SEC under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”) or the Exchange Act, (3) subject to Regulations 14A or 14C of the Exchange Act, or (4) subject to the liabilities of Section 18 of the Exchange Act. No portion of this audit committee report shall be deemed to be incorporated by reference into any filing under the Securities Act, or the Exchange Act, through any general statement incorporating by reference in its entirety the proxy statement in which this report appears, except to the extent that EverQuote specifically incorporates this report or a portion of it by reference.

Our audit committee’s general role is to assist our board of directors in monitoring our financial reporting process and related matters. Its specific responsibilities are set forth in its charter.

Our audit committee has reviewed the company’s consolidated financial statements for 2020 and met with management, as well as with representatives of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, the company’s independent registered public accounting firm, to discuss the consolidated financial statements. Our audit committee also discussed with the independent registered public accounting firm the matters required to be discussed by the applicable requirements of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board and the SEC.

In addition, our audit committee received the written disclosures and the letter from PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP required by applicable requirements of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board regarding the independent accountant’s communications with our audit committee concerning independence, and discussed with members of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP its independence.

Based on the foregoing communications, its review of the financial statements and other matters it deemed relevant, our audit committee recommended to our board of directors that the company’s audited consolidated financial statements for 2020 be included in the company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for 2020.

Respectfully submitted by the members of the audit committee of the board of directors:

George Neble (Chair)

Sanju Bansal

Paul Deninger

John Shields

 

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PROPOSAL THREE

TO APPROVE, ON A NON-BINDING ADVISORY BASIS, THE COMPENSATION OF THE COMPANY’S NAMED EXECUTIVE OFFICERS

We are providing our stockholders the opportunity to vote to approve, on an advisory, non-binding basis, the compensation of our executive officers named in the Summary Compensation Table under “Executive Compensation,” who we refer to as our “named executive officers” as disclosed in this proxy statement in accordance with the SEC’s rules. This proposal, which is commonly referred to as “say-on-pay,” is required by the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2010, which added Section 14A to the Exchange Act. Section 14A of the Exchange Act also requires that stockholders have the opportunity to cast an advisory vote with respect to whether future executive compensation advisory votes will be held every one, two or three years, which is the subject of Proposal No. 4.

Our executive compensation programs are designed to attract, motivate, and retain our executive officers, who are critical to our success. Under these programs, our named executive officers are rewarded for the achievement of our near-term and longer-term financial and strategic goals and for driving corporate financial performance and stability. The programs contain elements of cash and equity-based compensation and are designed to align the interests of our executives with those of our stockholders.

The “Executive Compensation” section of this proxy statement describes in detail our executive compensation programs and the decisions made by the Compensation Committee and the Board of Directors with respect to the fiscal year ended December 31, 2020.

Our executive compensation program embodies a pay-for-performance philosophy that supports our business strategy and aligns the interests of our executives with our stockholders. The Board believes this link between compensation and the achievement of our near- and long-term business goals has helped drive our performance over time. At the same time, we believe our program does not encourage excessive risk-taking by management.

Our Board of Directors is asking stockholders to approve a non-binding advisory vote on the following resolution:

RESOLVED, that the compensation paid to the Company’s named executive officers, as disclosed pursuant to the compensation disclosure rules of the Securities and Exchange Commission, including the compensation discussion and analysis, the compensation tables and any related material disclosed in this proxy statement, is hereby approved.

As an advisory vote, this proposal is not binding. Neither the outcome of this advisory vote nor of the advisory vote included in Proposal No. 4 overrules any decision by us or the Board of Directors (or any committee thereof), creates or implies any change to our fiduciary duties or those of the Board of Directors (or any committee thereof), or creates or implies any additional fiduciary duties for us or the Board of Directors (or any committee thereof). However, our Compensation Committee and Board of Directors value the opinions expressed by our stockholders in their vote on this proposal and will consider the outcome of the vote when making future compensation decisions for named executive officers.

 

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PROPOSAL FOUR

TO APPROVE, ON A NON-BINDING ADVISORY BASIS, THE FREQUENCY OF THE STOCKHOLDER ADVISORY VOTE ON COMPENSATION OF THE COMPANY’S NAMED EXECUTIVE OFFICERS

In Proposal No. 3, we are providing our stockholders the opportunity to vote to approve, on an advisory, non-binding basis, the compensation of our named executive officers. In this Proposal No. 4, we are asking our stockholders to cast a non-binding advisory vote regarding the frequency of future executive compensation advisory votes. This proposal, which is commonly referred to as “say-on-frequency,” is required by the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2010, which added Section 14A to the Exchange Act. Stockholders may vote for a frequency of every one, two, or three years, or may abstain from voting.

The Board of Directors will take into consideration the outcome of this vote in making a determination about the frequency of future executive compensation advisory votes. However, because this vote is advisory and non-binding, the Board of Directors may decide that it is in the best interests of our stockholders and the Company to hold the advisory vote to approve executive compensation more or less frequently

Recommending a vote every three years

After careful consideration, the Board of Directors believes that the executive compensation advisory vote should be held every three years, and therefore our Board of Directors recommends that you vote for a frequency of every THREE YEARS for future executive compensation advisory votes.

The Board of Directors believes that a once every three years, or triennial, executive compensation advisory vote will allow our stockholders to evaluate executive compensation on a more thorough, long-term basis than a more frequent vote. Consistent with our view that our executive compensation program should serve as an incentive and retention tool, we take a long-term view of executive compensation and encourage our stockholders to do the same. Too-frequent executive compensation advisory votes may encourage short-term analysis of executive compensation. Annual or biennial executive compensation advisory votes also may not allow stockholders sufficient time to evaluate the effect of changes we make to executive compensation.

A triennial vote will also give our Board of Directors sufficient time to engage with stockholders to better understand their views about executive compensation and respond effectively to their concerns. Independent of the timing of the executive compensation advisory vote, we encourage stockholders to contact the Board of Directors at any time to provide feedback about corporate governance and executive compensation matters.

 

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SECURITY OWNERSHIP OF CERTAIN BENEFICIAL OWNERS AND MANAGEMENT AND RELATED STOCKHOLDER MATTERS

The following table sets forth certain information known to us regarding the beneficial ownership of our capital stock as of March 31, 2021, for:

 

   

each person, or group of affiliated persons, known by us to beneficially own more than 5% of our Class A common stock or Class B common stock;

 

   

each of our named executive officers;

 

   

each of our directors; and

 

   

all of our executive officers and directors as a group.

Applicable percentage ownership is based on 22,351,517 shares of Class A common stock and 6,407,678 shares of Class B common stock outstanding at March 31, 2021. The number of shares beneficially owned by each stockholder is determined under rules of the SEC and includes voting or investment power with respect to securities. Under these rules, beneficial ownership includes any shares as to which the individual or entity has sole or shared voting power or investment power. In computing the number of shares beneficially owned by an individual or entity and the percentage ownership of that person, shares of Class A common stock and Class B common stock subject to options, warrants or other rights held by such person that are currently exercisable or will become exercisable within 60 days after March 31, 2021 are considered outstanding, although these shares are not considered outstanding for purposes of computing the percentage ownership of any other person.

Unless otherwise indicated, the address of all listed stockholders is c/o EverQuote, Inc., 210 Broadway, Cambridge, MA 02139. Each of the stockholders listed has sole voting and investment power with respect to the shares beneficially owned by the stockholder unless noted otherwise, subject to community property laws where applicable.

 

     Shares Beneficially Owned      %      % of
Total
Voting
Power
 
     Class A      Class B  
Name    Number      %      Number  

5% Stockholders

              

Link Ventures, LLLP, directly or through the Link voting agreement(1)(2)

     2,378,973        10.6        6,566,197        96.4        78.6  

Baillie Gifford(3)

     1,153,385        5.2        —          —          —    

Named Executive Officers and Directors

              

Seth Birnbaum(4)

     2,976        *        382,051        5.8        4.4  

John Wagner(5)

     127,617        *        38,336        *        *  

Jayme Mendal(6)

     168,280        *        —          *        *  

David Brainard(7)

     5,498        *        —          —          —    

David Blundin(8)

     2,833,893        12.7        5,556,462        86.7        67.4  

Darryl Auguste(9)

     20,669        *        74,513        1.2        *  

Sanju Bansal

     394,989        1.8        —          *        *  

Paul Deninger

     16,619        *        —          —          —    

John Lunny(10)

     10,952        *        20,000        *        *  

George Neble

     20,600        *        —          —          *  

John Shields

     10,700        *        —          —          *  

Mira Wilczek(11)

     184,897        1.0        —          *        *  

All executive officers and directors as a group (14 persons)(12)

     3,897,309        17.4        6,807,496        98.9        83.1  

 

*

Less than 1%.

(1)

Consists of (i) 1,009,735 shares of Class B common stock and 67,267 shares of Class A common stock held by other stockholders who are parties to the Link voting agreement, as indicated in footnote 2 below, (ii)

 

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  3,610,112 shares of Class B common stock and 1,464,654 shares of Class A common stock held by Link Ventures Investment Vehicle II, LLC, and (iii) 1,946,350 shares of Class B common stock and 779,786 shares of Class A common stock held by Link Ventures, LLLP. David Blundin is the managing member of Link Ventures Investment Vehicle II, LLC. David Blundin is also the managing member of Link Management, LLC, which is the general partner of Link Ventures, LLLP. As a result of holding these positions, David Blundin may be deemed to hold voting and dispositive power with respect to the shares held by Link Ventures Investment Vehicle II, LLC and Link Ventures, LLLP, and the parties to the Link voting agreement. Each of the Link Ventures entities and persons mentioned in this footnote disclaims beneficial ownership of the shares, except for those shares held of record by such entity, and except to the extent of their pecuniary interest therein. The address of the entities and persons mentioned in this footnote is One Kendall Square, Building 200 – Suite B2106, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139.
(2)

Pursuant to the Link voting agreement, David Blundin, or his designees, hold an irrevocable proxy over shares of Class A common stock and Class B common stock held by Seth Birnbaum, or his heirs, and Tomas Revesz, and such parties to the Link voting agreement have agreed to vote all shares held by him in the manner directed by Link Ventures, LLLP.

(3)

Based on a Schedule 13G filed with the SEC by Baillie Gifford & Co on January 28, 2021. According to the Schedule 13G, as of December 31, 2020, sole voting power is held by Baillie Gifford & Co over 968,263 shares of Class A common stock and sole dispositive power is held by Baillie Gifford & Co over 1,153,385 shares of Class A common stock. The address of Baillie Gifford & Co is Carlton Square, 1 Greenside Row, Edinburgh EH1 3AN, Scotland, UK.

(4)

Consists of (i) 2,976 shares of Class A common stock, (ii) 237,094 shares of Class B common stock, and (iii) 144,147 shares of Class B common stock subject to options exercisable within 60 days following March 31, 2021. The shares and stock options directly held by the estate of Mr. Birnbaum are subject to the Link voting agreement.

(5)

Consists of (i) 118,519 shares of Class A common stock, (ii) 38,336 shares of Class B common stock subject to options exercisable within 60 days following March 31, 2021, and (iii) 9,098 shares of Class A common stock subject to restricted stock units vesting within 60 days following March 31, 2021.

(6)

Consists of (i) 63,058 shares of Class A common stock, (ii) 98,080 shares of Class A common stock subject to options exercisable within 60 days following March 31, 2021, and (iii) 7,142 shares of Class A common stock subject to restricted stock units vesting within 60 days following March 31, 2021.

(7)

Consists of (i) 74 shares of Class A common stock and (ii) 5,424 shares of Class A common stock subject to options exercisable within 60 days following March 31, 2021.

(8)

Consists of (i) 3,610,112 shares of Class B common stock and 1,464,654 shares of Class A common stock held by Link Ventures Investment Vehicle II, LLC, (ii) 1,946,350 shares of Class B common stock and 779,786 shares of Class A common stock held by Link Ventures, LLLP, (iii) 1,009,735 shares of Class B common stock and 134,533 shares of Class A common stock held by other stockholders who are parties to the Link voting agreement, as indicated in footnote 2 below, and (iv) 454,920 shares of Class A common stock held by Cogo Labs, Inc. Mr. Blundin is the controlling stockholder of Cogo Labs, Inc. and thus may be deemed to share dispositive power with respect to the shares held by Cogo Labs, Inc. David Blundin is the managing member of Link Ventures Investment Vehicle II, LLC. David Blundin is also the managing member of Link Management, LLC, which is the general partner of Link Ventures, LLLP. As a result of holding these positions, David Blundin may be deemed to hold voting and dispositive power with respect to the shares held by Link Ventures Investment Vehicle II, LLC, and Link Ventures, LLLP, and the parties to the Link voting agreement.

(9)

Consists of (i) 20,044 shares of Class A common stock and (ii) 625 shares of Class A common stock subject to restricted stock units vesting within 60 days following March 31, 2021, and (iii) 74,513 shares of Class B common stock subject to options exercisable within 60 days following March 31, 2021.

(10)

Consists of (i) 10,952 shares of Class A common stock and (ii) 20,000 shares of Class B common stock subject to options exercisable within 60 days following March 31, 2021.

(11)

Consists of (i) 90,897 shares of Class A common stock and (ii) 94,000 shares of Class A common stock subject to options exercisable within 60 days following March 31, 2021.

 

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(12)

Includes (i) 216,913 shares of Class A common stock subject to options held by our executive officers and directors exercisable within 60 days following March 31, 2021, (ii) 42,857 shares of Class A common stock issuable pursuant to restricted stock units vesting within 60 days following March 31, 2021 and (iii) 483,130 shares of Class B common stock subject to options held by our executive officers and directors exercisable within 60 days following March 31, 2021.

Delinquent Section 16(a) Reports

Section 16(a) of the Exchange Act requires our directors, executive officers and persons who own more than 10% of our common stock to file with the SEC initial reports of beneficial ownership and reports of changes in beneficial ownership. Officers, directors and greater than 10% stockholders are required by SEC regulations to furnish us with copies of all such reports. To our knowledge, based solely on a review of the copies of such reports furnished to us and written representations that no other reports were required, we believe that for 2020 all required reports were filed on a timely basis under Section 16(a), except that:

Elyse Neumeier filed a Form 4 on March 2, 2020 reporting the sale of 5,052 shares of Class A common stock on February 19, 2020; and on August 21, 2020 reporting the sale of 1,663 shares of Class A common stock on August 18, 2020. Sanju Bansal filed a Form 4 on March 6, 2020 reporting the conversion on November 17, 2019 of 387,304 shares of Class B common stock into 387,304 shares of Class A common stock, the sale on March 2, 2020 of 4,267 shares of Class A common stock and the sale on March 3, 2020 of 5,000 shares of Class A common stock. David Blundin filed a Form 4: on March 12, 2020 reporting the sale of 6,061 shares of Class A common stock on March 5, 2020; on December 28, 2020 reporting the sale of 14,667 shares of Class A common stock on May 13, 2020; on June 15, 2020 reporting the sale of 31,572 shares of Class A common stock on June 10, 2020; and on July 7, 2020 reporting the sale of 9,667 shares of Class A common stock on July 1, 2020 and the sale of 1,085 shares of Class A common stock on July 2, 2020. Tomas Revesz Jr. filed a Form 4: on April 9, 2020 reporting the sale of 2,552 shares of Class A common stock on April 6, 2020; on April 13, 2020 reporting the sale of 5,000 shares of Class A common stock on April 8, 2020; on July 6, 2020 reporting the sale of 25,000 shares of Class A common stock on July 30, 2020; on July 20, 2020 reporting the sale of 9,646 shares of Class A common stock on June 30, 2020; on October 1, 2020 reporting the sale of 10,425 shares of Class A common stock on September 28, 2020; and on January 4, 2021 reporting the sale of 10,324 shares of Class A common stock on December 29, 2020. David Mason filed a Form 4 on April 9, 2020 reporting the sale of 4,000 shares of Class A common stock on April 6, 2020. Eugene Suzuki filed a Form 4 on April 13, 2020 reporting the exercise of an option to acquire 10,000 shares of Class A common stock and the sale of 10,000 shares of Class A common stock on April 8, 2020. Link Ventures, LLLP filed a Form 4 on December 28, 2020 reporting the sale of 6,600 shares of Class A common stock on May 13, 2020; on June 15, 2020 reporting the sale of 10,928 shares of Class A common stock on June 10, 2020; and on July 7, 2020 reporting the sale of 3,346 shares of Class A common stock on July 1, 2020 and the sale of 3,135 shares of Class A common stock on July 2, 2020. Link Ventures Investment Vehicle II, LLC filed a Form 4 on December 28, 2020 reporting the sale of 8,067 shares of Class A common stock on May 13, 2020; on June 15, 2020 reporting the sale of 20,644 shares of Class A common stock on June 10, 2020; on July 7, 2020 reporting the sale of 6,321 shares of Class A common stock on July 1, 2020 and the sale of 2,050 shares of Class A common stock on July 2, 2020; and on December 28, 2020 reporting the sale of 8,493 shares of Class A common stock on July 13, 2020. Mira Wilczek filed a Form 4 on June 1, 2020 reporting the exercise of an option to acquire 5,000 shares of Class A common stock. Each of John Shields, Sanju Bansal, George Neble, Paul Deninger and John Lunny filed a Form 4 on June 17, 2020 reporting the acquisition on June 11, 2020 of shares of Class A common Stock issuable under 2,255 restricted stock units. Seth Birnbaum filed a Form 4 on July 20, 2020 reporting the sale of 9,658 shares of Class A common stock on June 30, 2020; and on October 1, 2020 reporting the sale of 11,742 shares of Class A common stock on September 28, 2020. Nicholas Graham filed a Form 4 on November 23, 2020 reporting the sale of 4,299 shares of Class A common stock on November 9, 2020.

 

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EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION

Summary Compensation Table

The following table sets forth the total compensation paid to our chief executive officer and each of our two other most highly compensated executive officers for the years ended December 31, 2019 and 2020. We refer to these individuals as our “named executive officers.”

 

Name and Principal Position

  Year     Salary
($)
    Bonus
($)
    Stock
awards
($)(1)
    Option
awards
($)(1)
    Non-equity
incentive plan
compensation
($)(2)
    All other
compensation
($)
    Total
($)
 

Jayme Mendal(3)

    2020       200,000       —         —         4,048,371       137,500       4,434 (4)      4,390,305  

President and Chief Executive Officer

    2019       200,000       —         2,498,000      
—  
 
    205,000       4,752 (4)      2,907,752  

Seth Birnbaum

    2020       235,577       —         —         4,048,371       —         9,600 (4)      4,293,548  

Former President and Chief Executive Officer

    2019       250,000       —         —         —         —         5,440 (4)      255,440  

John Wagner

    2020       300,000       150,000       1,020,978       —         200,000       8,640 (4)      1,679,618  

Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer

    2019       295,289       —         624,500       —         —         6,280 (4)      926,069  

David Brainard(5)

    2020       250,000       3,000       2,299,974       —         —         3,052 (4)      2,256,026  

Chief Technology Officer

               

 

(1)

The amounts reported represent the aggregate grant-date fair value of the stock grants awarded to the named executive officer during the year in question, calculated in accordance with FASB ASC Topic 718. Such grant-date fair values do not take into account any estimated forfeitures related to service-vesting conditions. The assumptions used in calculating the grant-date fair value of the sale of the stock or equity awards reported in this column are set forth in the notes to our consolidated financial statements included in our Annual Reports on Form 10-K for the years ended December 31, 2020 and December 31, 2019. The amounts reported in this column reflect the accounting cost for these equity awards and do not correspond to the actual economic value that may be received by the named executive officers in connection therewith.

(2)

The amounts reported reflect the cash incentive amounts earned by the executives under our executive bonus plan.

(3)

Mr. Mendal was named President on November 9, 2020, and subsequently named Chief Executive Officer on November 28, 2020 following the death of Seth Birnbaum. Amounts represent Mr. Mendal’s full compensation during the year.

(4)

Consists of benefits made available to employees generally and includes matching 401(k) contributions, company paid life insurance premiums, and company paid parking in excess of tax deductible amounts.

(5)

Mr. Brainard was not a named executive officer for 2019. Therefore, the Summary Compensation Table includes compensation information for 2020 only.

 

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Outstanding Equity Awards at Fiscal Year-End

The following table sets forth information regarding outstanding stock awards held as of December 31, 2020 by our named executive officers.

 

Name

  Grant
Date
    Number of
securities
underlying
unexercised
options (#)
exercisable
    Number of
securities
underlying
unexercised
options (#)
unexercisable
    Option
exercise
price
($)
    Option
expiration
date
    Number of
shares or units
of stock that
have not vested
(#)
    Market
value of
shares or
units of
stock
that
have not
vested
($)
    Equity
incentive
plan awards:
Number of
unearned
shares, units
or other
rights that
have not
vested (#)
    Equity
incentive
plan awards:
Market or
payout value
of unearned
shares, units
or other
rights that
have not
vested ($)(1)
 

Jayme Mendal

    10/18/2017 (2)      75,840       3,334       6.96       10/17/2029          
    6/28/2018 (3)                  14,394       537,616  
    6/28/2018 (4)              10,795       403,193      
    6/11/2019 (5)              157,143       5,869,291      
    2/20/2020 (6)        265,554       45.17       2/19/2030          

Seth Birnbaum

    1/11/2016 (7)      144,147         6.88       1/10/2026          

John Wagner

    4/2/2014 (8)      57,502         1.61       4/1/2024          
    1/11/2016 (9)      13,108       3,333       6.88       1/10/2026          
    10/4/2016 (10)              30,000       1,120,500      
    6/28/2018 (11)              10,795       403,193      
    6/28/2018 (12)                  14,394       537,616  
    8/1/2018 (13)              21,875       817,031      
    6/11/2019 (14)              31,250       1,167,188      
    2/20/2020 (15)              20,061       749,278      

David Brainard

    2/13/2020 (16)              42,783       1,597,945      

 

(1)

The value of equity awards is based on the closing price of our Class A common stock on the Nasdaq Select Market on December 31, 2020.

(2)

The shares of our Class A common stock subject to this option vested with respect to 25% on September 30, 2018, and then vest in equal monthly installments over the three years following that date, subject to continued service with us through each applicable vesting date.

(3)

The shares of our Class A common stock subject to this award are scheduled to vest in equal annual installments over four years commencing after June 28, 2018, subject to annual performance conditions and continued service with us through each applicable vesting date.

(4)

These performance stock units, representing the right to receive an equal number of shares of our Class A common stock, are scheduled to vest in equal annual installments over four years from the grant date, subject to (i) continued service with us through each applicable vesting date and (ii) the achievement of certain financial metrics as measured at the time of filing our Annual Report on Form 10-K with the SEC.

(5)

These restricted stock units, representing the right to receive an equal number of shares of our Class A common stock, are scheduled to vest in equal quarterly installments over seven years from the grant date, subject to continued service with us through each applicable vesting date, with the first installment having vested on August 25, 2019.

(6)

This performance stock options represent the right to purchase shares of our Class A common stock upon the achievement of certain market and performance conditions. The vesting of the performance option is subject to the achievement of certain value-weighted average price targets of the Class A Common Stock and the achievement of a performance condition of both trailing twelve months revenue and variable marketing dollar targets as determined based on our most recent financial statements filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, or the SEC, provided that if the performance condition is not immediately satisfied, it may later be satisfied by determining achievement of both trailing twelve month targets based on any future financial statements filed by us with the SEC where the twelve month period measured includes the date on which the price target was achieved for the applicable shares. The price target and performance condition are measured monthly, and the performance option will vest with respect to 25% of the shares underlying the award on the first date both the price target and the performance condition are met. After the initial vesting of the performance option, the performance option will vest in additional 25% tranches at each time the target price and performance condition are met as measured on each anniversary of the initial vesting date. If the target price or market condition are not satisfied for any of the subsequent three annual vesting tranches, achievement will be reassessed monthly thereafter until the earlier of such time that the target price and the market condition are satisfied until the performance option is fully vested or the award terminates. If the initial target price is not achieved by February 20, 2024, the performance option will terminate on such date. Vesting is further subject to Mr. Mendal’s continued service through the applicable vesting date as our chief executive officer. In the event of a change of control at a price per share greater than or equal to the price target, the market condition and the performance condition will be considered satisfied, and the performance option will vest with respect to 25% of the number of shares originally underlying the award. If Mr. Mendal’s employment is terminated

 

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  without cause or for good reason within one year after or six months prior to a change of control that results in a vesting of the award, the performance option will vest in full and he will have 12 months following his termination date to exercise the performance option.
(7)

Amount represents the number of unexercised options to purchase shares of Class A common stock outstanding at the time of Mr. Birnbaum’s death.

(8)

The shares of our Class B common stock subject to this option were fully vested as of April 2, 2018.

(9)

The shares of our Class B common stock subject to this option are scheduled to vest in equal monthly installments over six years commencing on December 31, 2015, subject to continued service with us through each applicable vesting date.

(10)

These restricted stock units, representing the right to receive an equal number of shares of Class A common stock, started to vest on December 24, 2018 as to an amount equal to 96,000 multiplied by a fraction, the numerator of which is the number of full months since March 17, 2018 that Mr. Wagner has provided services to us and the denominator of which is 48, and the balance of these restricted stock units will vest in equal monthly installments thereafter such that 100% of the restricted stock units will vest as of February 28, 2022, subject to continued service with us through each applicable vesting date. Additionally, these restricted stock units will accelerate and vest in full if (A) within 12 months following a sale event, as defined in our 2008 Stock Incentive Plan, Mr. Wagner is terminated by us without cause or Mr. Wagner terminates his employment for good reason, each as defined in Mr. Wagner’s employment agreement, or there is a material diminution of Mr. Wagner’s position, duties, authority or responsibilities or (B) such termination or diminution occurs within 6 months prior to such sale event.

(11)

These restricted stock units, representing the right to receive an equal number of shares of our Class A common stock, are scheduled to vest in equal quarterly installments over four years from the grant date, subject to continued service with us through each applicable vesting date, with the first installment having vested on September 28, 2018.

(12)

These performance stock units, representing the right to receive an equal number of shares of our Class A common stock, are scheduled to vest in equal annual installments over four years from the grant date, subject to (i) continued service with us through each applicable vesting date and (ii) the achievement of certain financial metrics as measured at the time of filing our Annual Report on Form 10-K with the SEC.

(13)

These restricted stock units, representing the right to receive an equal number of shares of our Class A common stock, are scheduled to vest in equal quarterly installments over four years from the grant date, subject to continued service with us through each applicable vesting date, with the first installment having vested on November 1, 2018.

(14)

These restricted stock units, representing the right to receive an equal number of shares of our Class A common stock, are scheduled to vest in equal quarterly installments over four years from the grant date, subject to continued service with us through each applicable vesting date, with the first installment having vested on August 25, 2019.

(15)

The shares of our Class A common stock subject to this award are scheduled to vest in quarterly installments over four years - 15% after year 1, 15% after year 2, 30% after year 3, and 40% after year 4, commencing after February 20th, 2020, subject to continued service with us through each applicable vesting date.

(16)

The shares of our Class A common stock subject to this award are scheduled to vest in equal quarterly installments over four years commencing after February 13th, 2020, subject to continued service with us through each applicable vesting date.

Potential Payments upon Termination or Change in Control

Upon or in anticipation of a sale event, the 2008 Stock Incentive Plan and all outstanding awards under the 2008 Stock Incentive Plan shall terminate upon the effective date of such sale event, unless provision is made otherwise in connection with the sale event in the sole discretion of the parties to the sale event. Upon such termination of the 2008 Stock Incentive Plan, each participant under the plan may exercise all vested options, including those that will become vested upon consummation of the sale event, within a specified period of time prior to the sale event. Our board of directors has sole discretion to cancel any award in exchange for cash and/or consideration as calculated under the plan, provided that, if the fair market value per share of common stock on the date of the change in control does not exceed the exercise price, our board of directors may cancel that award without any payment.

Under our 2018 Equity Incentive Plan, our board of directors may provide that outstanding awards shall become exercisable, realizable, or deliverable, or restrictions applicable to an award shall lapse, in whole or in part, in connection with (a) any merger or consolidation of the company with or into another entity as a result of which all of the common stock of the company is converted into or exchanged for the right to receive cash, securities or other property or is cancelled, (b) any transfer or disposition of all of the common stock of the company for cash, securities or other property pursuant to a share exchange or other transaction or (c) any liquidation or dissolution of the company. Further, under our 2018 Equity Incentive Plan, our board of directors has complete discretion to cause any award to become immediately exercisable in whole or in part, free of some or all restrictions or conditions, or otherwise realizable in whole or in part, as the case may be.

 

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As discussed below in “—Employment Offer Letters and Agreements,” we have also agreed to (i) provide certain severance benefits to John Wagner, our chief financial officer and treasurer, in the event his employment with us is terminated without cause or he resigns for good reason, and (ii) upon a sale event, accelerate 50% of the then unvested shares underlying an option to purchase shares of Class B common stock held by Jayme Mendal, our chief executive officer, as well as the potential vesting of up to 100% of the performance stock option held by Mr. Mendal.

Employment Offer Letters and Agreements

Seth Birnbaum

On August 27, 2010, we entered into an offer letter with Seth Birnbaum, who previously served as our president and chief executive officer. The offer letter provides for Mr. Birnbaum’s at-will employment, beginning August 27, 2010, and sets forth his initial annual base salary, an initial sign-on bonus of $6,250, target bonus and initial option grants, as well as his eligibility to participate in our benefit plans generally. Mr. Birnbaum’s current annual base salary was $250,000. Mr. Birnbaum was subject to our standard Employee Agreement Regarding Inventions, Confidentiality and Non-Competition pursuant to which Mr. Birnbaum was subject to covenants for confidentiality in perpetuity, non-solicitation of employees and customers for 24 months post-termination and non-competition for 18 months post-termination.

John Wagner

On March 17, 2014, we entered into an employment agreement with John Wagner, who currently serves as our chief financial officer and treasurer. The employment agreement provides for Mr. Wagner’s at-will employment, beginning March 17, 2014, and sets forth his initial annual base salary as well as his eligibility to participate in our benefit plans generally. Mr. Wagner’s current annual base salary is $300,000. In March 2019, Mr. Wagner was awarded a retention bonus of $150,000, contingent upon his remaining an employee in good standing until March 2020, and this bonus was paid in March 2020. For fiscal year 2020, Mr. Wagner was eligible to receive a discretionary cash bonus of up to $200,000 based upon the achievement of agreed upon targets. Mr. Wagner is also eligible to receive the same bonus amount in 2021 based upon the achievement of agreed upon targets. Mr. Wagner is subject to an employee non-disclosure, non-solicitation and invention assignment agreement. In the event that Mr. Wagner’s employment with us is terminated without cause or he resigns for good reason, each as defined in his employment agreement, then, subject to and contingent upon Mr. Wagner’s execution, delivery and non-revocation (if applicable) of a general release in a form satisfactory to us within 60 days after the termination date, Mr. Wagner shall be entitled to receive, among other things, (i) payments equal to his annual base salary, payable in accordance with our normal payroll practices, over the 12 months following his termination date, (ii) acceleration of unvested equity pursuant to the terms of Mr. Wagner’s stock option agreements or other equity award agreements and (iii) continuation of welfare benefit plans for 12 months following his termination date.

Jayme Mendal

On July 31, 2017, we entered into an offer letter with Jayme Mendal, who currently serves as our president and chief executive officer. The offer letter provides for Mr. Mendal’s at-will employment, beginning September 4, 2017, and sets forth his initial annual base salary, an initial sign-on bonus of $39,200, target bonus and initial option grants, as well as his eligibility to participate in our benefit plans generally. Under the terms of his offer letter, Mr. Mendal’s annual base salary is $200,000, and he is eligible to receive a discretionary cash annual target bonus of $200,000 based on the achievement of agreed upon targets. Mr. Mendal is subject to our standard Employee Agreement Regarding Inventions, Confidentiality and Non-Competition pursuant to which Mr. Mendal is subject to covenants for confidentiality in perpetuity, non-solicitation of employees and customers for 24 months post-termination and non-competition for 18 months post-termination.

 

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David Brainard

On November 8, 2019, we entered into an offer letter with David Brainard, who currently serves as our chief technology officer. The offer letter provides for Mr. Brainard’s at-will employment, beginning December 9, 2019, and sets forth his initial annual base salary, an initial sign-on bonus of $100,000, target bonus and initial grant of restricted stock units, as well as his eligibility to participate in our benefit plans generally. Mr. Brainard’s current annual base salary is $275,000, and he is eligible to receive a discretionary cash annual target bonus of $175,000 based on the achievement of agreed upon targets. Mr. Brainard is subject to our standard Employee Non-Competition and Non-Solicitation Agreement as well as our standard Invention and Non-Disclosure Agreement, and pursuant to these agreements, Mr. Brainard is subject to covenants for confidentiality in perpetuity, non-solicitation of employees and customers for 24 months post-termination and non-competition for 12 months post-termination.

Equity Compensation Plan Information

Our equity compensation plan consists of our 2008 Stock Incentive Plan and our 2018 Equity Incentive Plan. Prior to our IPO, we granted awards under the 2008 Stock Incentive Plan. Following our IPO, any remaining shares available for issuance under our 2008 Stock Incentive Plan were added to the shares reserves under our 2018 Equity Incentive Plan.

The following table shows certain information concerning all of our equity compensation plans in effect as of December 31, 2020:

 

     Number of securities
to be issued
upon exercise of
outstanding options,
warrants and  rights
     Weighted-average
exercise price of
outstanding options,
warrants and
rights(1)
     Number of
securities remaining
available for future
issuance under equity
compensation plans
 

Equity compensation plans approved by security holders

        

2008 Stock Incentive Plan

     1,805,471      $ 6.96        —    

2018 Equity Incentive Plan

     383,448      $ 14.75        1,026,673  

Equity compensation plans not approved by security holders

     —          —          —    

Total

     2,188,919      $ 7.43        1,026,973  

 

(1)

The weighted average exercise price is calculated based solely on outstanding stock options. It does not take into account the shares of our common stock underlying restricted stock units, which have no exercise price.

Retirement Benefits

We maintain a retirement plan for the benefit of our employees, including our named executive officers. The plan is intended to qualify as a tax-qualified 401(k) plan so that contributions to the 401(k) plan, and income earned on such contributions, are not taxable to participants until withdrawn or distributed from the 401(k) plan (except in the case of contributions under the 401(k) plan designated as Roth contributions). The 401(k) plan provides that each participant may contribute up to an annual statutory limit. Additionally, we match employee contributions up to 2% of the employee’s salary. Participants who are at least 50 years old can also contribute additional amounts based on statutory limits for “catch-up” contributions. Under the 401(k) plan, each employee is fully vested in his or her deferred salary contributions. Employee contributions are held and invested by the plan’s trustee as directed by participants.

Employee Benefits and Perquisites

Our named executive officers are eligible to participate in our health and welfare plans to the same extent as all full-time employees. In addition, during 2020 we paid the cost of Mr. Birnbaum’s personal use of car ride sharing services.

 

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DIRECTOR COMPENSATION

Under our non-employee director compensation program, which our board of directors approved in May 2018 and became effective as of immediately prior to the commencement of trading of our Class A common stock on the Nasdaq Global Market, non-employee directors that are not affiliated with Link Ventures receive the cash compensation set forth below, and on the date of the first board meeting held on or after the date of each annual meeting of our stockholders, each non-employee director that is not affiliated with Link Ventures will be granted restricted stock units with respect to the number of shares of Class A common stock determined by dividing $125,000 by the closing price of our Class A common stock on the Nasdaq Global Market on the date of grant. Unless otherwise provided at the time of grant, and subject to the non-employee director’s continued service as a director, each such restricted stock unit will vest with respect to 100% of the shares subject thereto on the earlier of the first anniversary of the grant date and the date of our next annual meeting of stockholders and, in the event of a change in control of our company, the vesting of such restricted stock units will accelerate in full. In addition, in July 2020, our board of directors approved the issuance of restricted stock units representing 2,064 shares of our Class A common stock to Darryl Auguste, Executive Vice President of Strategic Projects, in connection with his appointment to our board of directors with such shares to vest on the date of our next annual meeting.

Each non-employee director that is not affiliated with Link Ventures is eligible to receive compensation for his or her service on our board of directors or the audit committee or compensation committee of our board of directors, consisting of annual cash retainers paid quarterly in arrears, as set forth in the table below. The directors serving on the compensation committee of our board of directors began receiving compensation for their service in the third quarter of 2020.

 

Position    Retainer  

Board member

   $ 30,000  

Audit committee chair

   $ 20,000  

Audit committee member

   $ 10,000  

Compensation committee chair

   $ 12,000  

Compensation committee member

   $ 5,000  

The following table sets forth information regarding compensation earned by our non-employee directors during the year ended December 31, 2020.

 

Name

   Fees earned
or paid in cash
($)
     Stock awards
($)(1)(2)
     Option awards
($)(2)(3)
     Total
($)
 

David Blundin

   $ —        $ —        $ —      $ —    

Darryl Auguste(4)

   $ —        $ 103,984      $ —      $ 103,984  

Sanju Bansal

   $ 40,000      $ 124,995      $ —      $ 164,995  

Paul Deninger

   $ 42,500      $ 124,995      $ —      $ 167,495  

John Lunny

   $ 32,500      $ 124,995      $ —      $ 157,945  

George Neble

   $ 50,000      $ 124,995      $ —      $ 174,995  

John Shields

   $ 40,000      $ 124,995      $ —      $ 164,995  

Mira Wilczek

   $ —        $ —        $ —      $ —    

 

(1)

The values disclosed represent the aggregate grant date fair value of restricted stock units granted to the director, calculated in accordance with FASB ASC Topic 718. The assumptions used in calculating the grant date fair value of the restricted stock unit grants reported in this column are set forth in the notes to our consolidated financial statements in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2020.

 

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(2)

The following table sets forth, with respect to each of our non-employee directors, the aggregate number of stock awards and the aggregate number of option awards outstanding as of December 31, 2020:

 

Name

   Stock awards (#)      Option awards
(#)
 

David Blundin

     —          —    

Sanju Bansal

     2,255        20,000  

Paul Deninger

     2,255        —    

John Lunny

     2,255        20,000  

George Neble

     2,255        —    

John Shields

     2,255        —    

Mira Wilczek

     —          180,000  

 

(3)

The values disclosed represent the aggregate grant date fair value of options to purchase shares granted to the director calculated in accordance with FASB ASC Topic 718. The assumptions used in calculating the grant date fair value of the option grants reported in this column are set forth in the notes to our consolidated financial statements in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2020.

(4)

Mr. Auguste joined our board in July 2020, and the amount includes additional shares awarded to Mr. Auguste for his service from July 2020 to the time of the annual board grant in June 2021.

Limitation of Liability and Indemnification

Our restated certificate of incorporation limits the personal liability of directors for breach of fiduciary duty to the maximum extent permitted by the Delaware General Corporation Law and provides that no director will have personal liability to us or to our stockholders for monetary damages for breach of fiduciary duty or other duty as a director. However, these provisions do not eliminate or limit the liability of any of our directors:

 

   

for any breach of the director’s duty of loyalty to us or our stockholders;

 

   

for acts or omissions not in good faith or which involve intentional misconduct or a knowing violation of law;

 

   

for voting or assenting to unlawful payments of dividends, stock repurchases or other distributions; or

 

   

for any transaction from which the director derived an improper personal benefit.

Any amendment to, or repeal of, these provisions will not eliminate or reduce the effect of these provisions in respect of any act, omission or claim that occurred or arose prior to such amendment or repeal. If the Delaware General Corporation Law is amended to provide for further limitations on the personal liability of directors of corporations, then the personal liability of our directors will be further limited to the greatest extent permitted by the Delaware General Corporation Law.

In addition, our restated certificate of incorporation provides that we must indemnify our directors and officers and we must advance expenses, including attorneys’ fees, to our directors and officers in connection with legal proceedings, subject to very limited exceptions.

We maintain a general liability insurance policy that covers certain liabilities of our directors and officers arising out of claims based on acts or omissions in their capacities as directors or officers. In addition, we have entered into indemnification agreements with each of our directors and executive officers. These indemnification agreements may require us, among other things, to indemnify each such director and executive officer for some expenses, including attorneys’ fees, judgments, fines and settlement amounts incurred by him in any action or proceeding arising out of his service as one of our directors or executive officers.

Certain of our non-employee directors may, through their relationships with their employers, be insured and/or indemnified against certain liabilities incurred in their capacity as members of our board of directors. We have

 

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agreed that we will be the indemnitor of “first resort,” however, with respect to any claims against these directors for indemnification claims that are indemnifiable by both us and their employers. Accordingly, to the extent that indemnification is permissible under applicable law, we will have full liability for such claims (including for the advancement of any expenses) and we have waived all related rights of contribution, subrogation or other recovery that we might otherwise have against these directors’ employers.

Rule 10b5-1 Sales Plans

Our directors and executive officers may adopt written plans, known as Rule 10b5-1 plans, in which they will contract with a broker to buy or sell shares of our capital stock on a periodic basis. Under a Rule 10b5-1 plan, a broker executes trades pursuant to parameters established by the director or officer when entering into the plan, without further direction from them. The director or officer may amend or terminate the plan in some circumstances. Our directors and executive officers may also buy or sell additional shares outside of a Rule 10b5-1 plan when they are not in possession of material, nonpublic information.

 

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RELATED PERSON TRANSACTIONS

Other than compensation arrangements for our executive officers and directors which are described elsewhere in this proxy statement, below we describe transactions since January 1, 2019 to which we were or will be a participant and in which:

 

   

the amounts involved exceeded or will exceed $120,000; and

 

   

any of our directors, executive officers or holders of more than 5% of our capital stock, or any member of the immediate family of, or person sharing the household with, the foregoing persons, had or will have a direct or indirect material interest.

Agreements with Entities Affiliated with Link Ventures

Cogo Labs, Inc., or Cogo Labs, a wholly owned subsidiary of Link Equity Partners, LLC, which is wholly owned by David Blundin, and various other affiliates and subsidiaries of Link Ventures, LLLP provide a range of marketing-related services to us, including email advertising, search engine marketing and market research data sharing services.

We are also party to various data license and marketing services agreements with Cogo Labs, AMN, Reference Advisor, LLC, Cognius, LLC, Meta42 LLC, Nufit Media, Inc., Jobcase, Inc. (formerly known as Percipio Media), Tenizen, Inc., and Minerva Analytics each of which is a direct or indirect subsidiary of Link Ventures, LLLP, whereby each such entity provides marketing services to us by delivering EverQuote-related advertisements through websites, social media platforms, emails and other marketing campaigns.

We believe that the terms and conditions of each of these agreements are no less favorable to us than those that could be obtained in arms-length dealings. Pursuant to these agreements, we paid an aggregate of approximately $5.7 million in 2019 and $3.1 million in 2020 to Link Ventures and entities affiliated with Link Ventures.

Office Space Agreement with Cogo Labs

On March 24, 2019, we began to lease directly from our landlord space that was previously occupied by Cogo Labs at 210 Broadway, Cambridge, MA 02139. Since we did not yet have a need for the entirety of the space, we licensed approximately 5,000 square feet to Cogo Labs, commencing on March 24, 2019, for $29,200 per month which ceased in September 2020.

Registration Rights

We are a party to an investors’ rights agreement, originally entered into in August 2008 and most recently amended and restated in June 2016, with certain holders of our Class B common stock, including entities affiliated with Link Ventures. The investors’ rights agreement provides these holders the right to demand that we file a registration statement or request that their shares be included in a registration statement that we are otherwise filing. Pursuant to the investors’ rights agreement, we are required to pay all registration expenses and indemnify these holders with respect to each registration of registrable shares that is effected.

Indemnification Agreements

Our restated certificate of incorporation provides that we will indemnify our officers and directors to the fullest extent permitted by Delaware law. In addition, we have entered into indemnification agreements with each of our directors and executive officers. See “Executive Compensation—Limitation of Liability and Indemnification.”

 

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TRANSACTION OF OTHER BUSINESS

Our board of directors knows of no other matters that will be presented for consideration at the Annual Meeting. If any other matters are properly brought before the Annual Meeting, the persons appointed in the accompanying proxy intend to vote the shares represented thereby in accordance with their best judgment on such matters, under applicable laws.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Procedures for Submitting Stockholder Proposals

Requirements for Stockholder Proposals to be Brought Before the Annual Meeting. We must receive notice of proposals of stockholders (including director nominations) intended to be presented at the 2022 annual meeting of stockholders but not included in the proxy statement by March 12, 2022, but not before February 10, 2022. However, in the event the 2022 annual meeting of stockholders is scheduled to be held on a date before May 11, 2022, or after August 9, 2022, notice must be delivered not later than the close of business on the later of the 90th day prior to such annual meeting or the 10th day following the day on which public announcement of the date of such meeting is first made. A stockholder must give written notice of such proposals to our Secretary at 210 Broadway, Cambridge, MA 02139. Any nomination must include all information relating to the nominee that is required to be disclosed in solicitations of proxies for election of directors in election contests or is otherwise required under Regulation 14A of the Exchange Act, the person’s written consent to be named in the proxy statement and to serve as a director if elected, and such information as we might reasonably require to determine the eligibility of the person to serve as a director. As to other business, the notice must include a brief description of the business desired to be brought before the meeting, the reasons for conducting such business at the meeting, and any material interest of such stockholder (and the beneficial owner) in the proposal. The proposal must be a proper subject for stockholder action. In addition, to make a nomination or proposal, the stockholder must be of record at the time the notice is made and must provide certain information regarding itself (and the beneficial owner), including the name and address, as they appear on our books, of the stockholder proposing such business, the number of shares of our capital stock which are, directly or indirectly, owned beneficially or of record by the stockholder proposing such business or its affiliates or associates (as defined in Rule 12b-2 promulgated under the Exchange Act) and certain additional information.

Requirements for Stockholder Proposals to be Considered for Inclusion in the Company’s Proxy Materials. In addition to the requirements stated above, any stockholder who wishes to submit a proposal for inclusion in our proxy materials must comply with Rule 14a-8 promulgated under the Exchange Act. For such proposals to be included in our proxy materials relating to our 2022 annual meeting of stockholders, all applicable requirements of Rule 14a-8 must be satisfied and we must receive such proposals no later than December 28, 2021. Such proposals must be delivered to our Secretary, c/o EverQuote, Inc., 210 Broadway, Cambridge, MA 02139.

 

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LOGO

About EverQuote
EverQuote operates a leading online insurance marketplace, connecting consumers with insurance providers. The company’s mission is to empower insurance shoppers to better protect life’s most important assets—their family, property, and future. Our vision is to become the largest online source of insurance policies by using data and technology to make insurance simpler, more affordable and personalized, ultimately reducing cost and risk.
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For more information, visit everquote.com
Twitter @everquotelife Instagram @everquotepics
LinkedIn linkedin.com/company/everquote


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LOGO

EVERQUOTE
210 Broadway Cambridge, MA 02139
© 2021 EverQuote, Inc.


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EVERQUOTE, INC.

210 BROADWAY

CAMBRIDGE, MA 02139

  

VOTE BY INTERNET

Before The Meeting - Go to www.proxyvote.com

 

Use the Internet to transmit your voting instructions and for electronic delivery of information. Vote by 11 :59 P.M. Eastern Time on June 9, 2021. Have your proxy card in hand when you access the web site and follow the instructions to obtain your records and to create an electronic voting instruction form.

 

During The Meeting - Go to www.virtualshareholdermeeting.com/EVER2021

 

You may attend the meeting via the Internet and vote during the meeting. Have the information that is printed in the box marked by the arrow available and follow the instructions.

 

VOTE BY PHONE - 1-800-690-6903

Use any touch-tone telephone to transmit your voting instructions. Vote by 11 :59 P.M. Eastern Time on June 9, 2021. Have your proxy card in hand when you call and then follow the instructions.

 

VOTE BY MAIL

Mark, sign and date your proxy card and return it in the postage-paid envelope we have provided or return it to Vote Processing, c/o Broadridge, 51 Mercedes Way, Edgewood, NY 11717.

 

TO VOTE, MARK BLOCKS BELOW IN BLUE OR BLACK INK AS FOLLOWS:

 

   D50324-P55037        KEEP THIS PORTION FOR YOUR RECORDS                    
— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —  — — — — —  — — — — —  — — — — — — — — —  —  — — — — — — — — —  — — — — — — — — —  — — — — — — —
   DETACH AND RETURN THIS PORTION ONLY                  

THIS PROXY CARD IS VALID ONLY WHEN SIGNED AND DATED.

 

    EVERQUOTE, INC.

  For

All

  Withhold
All
  For All
Except
   To withhold authority to vote for any individual nominee(s), mark “For All Except” and write the number(s) of the nominee(s) on the line below.       
  The Board of Directors recommends you vote FOR the following:                  
 
  1.   Election Of Directors         

 

                   
    Nominees:                

 

  01)   Darryl Auguste   06)   Jayme Mendal              
  02)   David Blundin   07)   George Neble              
  03)   Sanju Bansal   08)   John Shields              
  04)   Paul Deninger   09)   Mira Wilczek              
  05)   John Lunny                  

 

 

The Board of Directors recommends you vote FOR the following proposal:

    For   Against   Abstain  
 

 

2.

 

 

To ratify the appointment of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP as our independent registered public accounting firm for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2021.

   

 

 

 

 

 

 
 

 

The Board of Directors recommends you vote FOR the following proposal:

   

 

For

 

 

Against

 

 

Abstain

 
 

 

3.

 

 

To approve, on a non-binding advisory basis, the compensation of the Company’s named executive officers.

   

 

 

 

 

 

 
 

 

The Board of Directors recommends you vote 3 YEARS on the following proposal:

 

 

1 Year

 

 

2 Years

 

 

3 Years

 

 

Abstain

 
 

 

4.

 

 

To approve, on a non-binding advisory basis, the frequency with which to hold future advisory votes on the compensation of the Company’s named executive officers.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
 

 

NOTE: Such other business as may properly come before the meeting or any adjournment thereof.

 

 

Please sign exactly as your name(s) appear(s) hereon. When signing as attorney, executor, administrator, or other fiduciary, please give full title as such. Joint owners should each sign personally. All holders must sign. If a corporation or partnership, please sign in full corporate or partnership name by authorized officer.

     

 

                           
 

Signature [PLEASE SIGN WITHIN BOX]

 

Date

    

Signature (Joint Owners)

 

Date

  
 


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Important Notice Regarding the Availability of Proxy Materials for the Annual Meeting:

The Notice and Proxy Statement and Annual Report are available at www.proxyvote.com.

 

 

 

 

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D50325-P55037        

 

 

EVERQUOTE, INC.

Annual Meeting of Stockholders

Thursday, June 10, 2021, 10:00 AM Eastern Time

 

This proxy is solicited by the Board of Directors

 

The undersigned stockholder hereby appoints Jayme Mendal, John Wagner and David Mason, or any of them, each with the power of substitution, and hereby authorizes them to represent and vote the shares of the undersigned, with all the powers which the undersigned would possess if personally present, at the Annual Meeting of Stockholders of EverQuote, Inc. to be held at 10:00 AM Eastern Time on June 10, 2021, held virtually at www.virtualshareholdermeeting.com/EVER2021, or at any postponement or adjournment thereof.

 

Shares represented by this proxy will be voted by the stockholder. If no such directions are indicated, the proxies will have authority to vote FOR the election of directors in Proposal 1 and FOR Proposal 2, 3 and 3 YEARS on Proposal 4.

 

In their discretion, the proxies are authorized to vote upon such other business as may properly come before the Annual Meeting.

 

 

 
 

Continued and to be signed on reverse side