UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

SCHEDULE 14A INFORMATION

Proxy Statement Pursuant to Section 14(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934

(Amendment No. ______)

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19-01 Route 208 North

Fair Lawn, New Jersey 07410

April 9, 2021

Dear Shareholder:

You are cordially invited to attend the Annual Meeting of shareholders of Columbia Financial, Inc. (the “Company”). The safety of our shareholders are important to us, and due to the impact of COVID-19 and to support the health and well-being of our shareholders, this year’s Annual Meeting will be a virtual only meeting of shareholders, via the Internet, which will be held on Thursday, May 20, 2021 at 10:00 a.m., local time.

The notice of Annual Meeting and proxy statement appearing on the following pages describe the formal business to be transacted at the meeting. Directors and officers of the Company, as well as a representative of KPMG LLP, the Company’s independent registered public accounting firm, will be present at the virtual meeting to respond to appropriate questions of shareholders.

It is important that your shares are represented at this meeting, whether or not you attend the virtual meeting and regardless of the number of shares you own. To make sure your shares are represented, we urge you to vote online or by telephone, or to complete and mail the enclosed proxy card. If you attend the virtual meeting, you may vote online at the virtual meeting even if you have previously voted online or by telephone or if you have mailed a proxy card.

We look forward to seeing you at the meeting.

	Sincerely,
	Thomas J. Kemly
	President and Chief Executive Officer

19-01 Route 208 North

Fair Lawn, New Jersey 07410

NOTICE OF 2021 ANNUAL MEETING OF SHAREHOLDERS

Thursday, May 20, 2021

10:00 a.m., Eastern Time

Virtual Meeting Access:

In light of the coronavirus, or COVID-19, outbreak, for the safety of all of our people, including our shareholders, and taking into account recent federal, state and local guidance that has been issued, we have determined that the 2021 Annual Meeting will be held in a virtual meeting format only, via the Internet, with no physical in-person meeting. If you plan to participate in the virtual meeting, please see “Information about the Annual Meeting.” Shareholders will be able to attend, vote, examine the shareholders list, and submit questions (for a portion of, the meeting) from any location via the Internet. Stockholders may participate online by logging in at www.virtualshareholdermeeting.com/CLBK2021.

You will need to have the multi-digit Control Number provided in your proxy materials to access the virtual meeting.

As always, we encourage you to submit your proxy prior to the annual meeting.

Items of Business:

Other Business:

As of the date of this notice, the Board of Directors knows of no other matters that may be brought before shareholders at the Annual Meeting.

Who May Vote:

You may vote if you were a shareholder of record as of the close of business on March 30, 2021.

YOUR VOTE IS IMPORTANT.

It is important that your shares be represented and voted at the virtual meeting. You can vote your shares online or by telephone, or by completing and returning the proxy card or voting instruction card sent to you. Voting instructions are printed on your proxy card or voting instruction card and are included in the accompanying proxy statement. You can revoke a proxy at any time before its exercise at the meeting by following the instructions in the proxy statement.

Whether or not you plan to attend the virtual Annual Meeting, please vote online or by telephone, or by marking, signing, dating and promptly returning the enclosed proxy card or voting instruction card.

Thank you in advance for your cooperation.

	By Order of the Board of Directors,
	Mayra L. Rinaldi
	Corporate Secretary

Fair Lawn, New Jersey

April 9, 2021

This proxy statement and the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended

December 31, 2020, are available online at http://ir.columbiabankonline.com.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

PROXY SUMMARY

This summary highlights information contained elsewhere in this Proxy Statement. The Board of Directors of Columbia Financial, Inc. is referred to in this Proxy Statement as the “Board of Directors.” Columbia Financial, Inc. is referred to in this Proxy Statement as “Columbia Financial,” the “Company,” “we” or “our.” Columbia Bank is sometimes referred to in this Proxy Statement as the “Bank.”

This summary does not contain all of the information that you should consider, and you should read the entire Proxy Statement before voting. For more complete information regarding the Company’s 2020 performance, please review the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2020 (the “Annual Report”).

VOTING AND MEETING INFORMATION

Please carefully review the proxy materials for the 2021 Annual Meeting of Shareholders (the “Annual Meeting”) which will be a “virtual meeting” to be held on May 20, 2021 at 10:00 a.m. Eastern time and follow the instructions below to cast your vote on all of the voting matters.

Who is Eligible to Vote

You are entitled to vote at the Annual Meeting if you were a shareholder of record at the close of business on March 30, 2021 (the “Record Date”). On the Record Date, there were 109,051,417 shares of common stock outstanding and entitled to vote at the Annual Meeting, including 67,339,203 shares held by Columbia Bank, MHC, the Company’s parent mutual holding company.

Advance Voting Methods

Even if you plan to attend the virtual Annual Meeting, please vote right away using one of the following advance voting methods (see page 4 for additional details).

You can vote in advance in one of three ways:

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

Unless you previously elected to receive paper copies of our proxy materials, we are sending our shareholders a Notice Regarding the Availability of Proxy Materials for the Annual Meeting (the “Notice”) that will instruct you on how to access the proxy materials and proxy card to vote your shares by telephone or over the internet. If you would like to receive a paper copy of our proxy materials free of charge, please follow the instructions included in the Notice.

It is anticipated that the Notice will be mailed to shareholders on or before April 9, 2021.

This Proxy Statement and our Annual Report are available to shareholders online at http://ir.columbiabankonline.com.

Ballot Items

Shareholders are being asked to vote on the following proposals at the Annual Meeting:

Director Nominees (page 14)

The following table provides summary information about each director nominee:

(1)       As of December 31, 2020.

(2)       A = Audit Committee; COM = Compensation Committee; NOM = Nominating/Corporate Governance Committee; R = Risk Committee

Compensation Matters — Executive Summary (page 16)

The Compensation Discussion and Analysis (“CD&A”) provides information about our executive compensation philosophy and objectives and the process governing our named executive officers’ 2020 total compensation. The Company's compensation disclosures in this Proxy Statement include the following named executive officers: the Chief Executive Officer (“CEO”), Chief Financial Officer (“CFO”) and the three highest paid other executive officers.

We assess executive officer performance by analyzing specific, achieved Company financial goals and individual performance metrics and goals. The Company's executive compensation program balances short and long-term Company performance with shareholder value creation. In addition, the compensation program provides incentives needed to attract, reward, motivate and retain key executives who are critical to executing the Company's strategy for long-term success.

We align executive compensation to the success of the Company and the interests of our shareholders through short term and long term incentive plans, where payments under such plans are tied to performance metrics as detailed in our CD&A. In 2019, the Company adopted a shareholder approved equity incentive plan. In 2020, payments were made to our executive officers under the long term cash incentive plan for the 2017 – 2019 performance period and the 2018 – 2020 performance period. The Company did not make any new cash or equity awards in 2020 to our named executive officers under our long term incentive plans.

Details of our executive compensation philosophy, objectives, process and decisions can be found under the CD&A section of this Proxy Statement.

Corporate Governance (page 7)

The Company is committed to maintaining strong governance practices, and the Board regularly reviews its governance procedures to ensure compliance with laws, rules and regulations. Our website at http://ir.columbiabankonline.com includes important information about our policies and Board committee charters, including the Company’s Code of Ethics and Business Conduct and certain Company U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) filings and press releases. Examples of our corporate governance practices are set forth in the “Corporate Governance” section of this Proxy Statement.

Information About the Annual Meeting and Voting (page 4)

Please see the “Information About the Annual Meeting” section of the Proxy Statement for important information about the Annual Meeting. The deadlines to submit shareholder proposals for the 2022 Annual Meeting of Shareholders can be found in the “Other Information” section of the Proxy Statement.

PROXY STATEMENT

This Proxy Statement is furnished in connection with the solicitation of proxies by the Board of Directors to be used at the Annual Meeting and at any postponements or adjustments thereof.

INFORMATION ABOUT THE MEETING

Time and Location

The Annual Meeting will be a “virtual meeting” which will be held on Thursday, May 20, 2021 at 10:00 a.m., local time. A notice of internet availability of proxy materials regarding this proxy statement is being first mailed to shareholders on or about April 9, 2021.

Who Can Vote at the Annual Meeting

You are entitled to vote your shares of Columbia Financial common stock at the Annual Meeting if the records of the Company show that you held your shares as of the close of business on March 30, 2021 (the “Record Date”). If your shares are held in a stock brokerage account or by a bank or other nominees, you are considered the beneficial owner of shares held in “street name” and these proxy materials are being forwarded to you by your broker, bank or other nominee. As the beneficial owner, you have the right to direct your broker on how to vote your shares. Your broker, bank or other nominee has enclosed a voting instruction form for you to use in directing it on how to vote your shares.

On the Record Date, there 109,051,417 shares of common stock outstanding and entitled to vote at the Annual Meeting, including 67,339,203 shares held by Columbia Bank, MHC, the Company’s parent mutual holding company. Each share of common stock has one vote.

The Company’s certificate of incorporation provides that record holders of the Company’s common stock who beneficially own, either directly or indirectly, in excess of 10% of the Company’s outstanding shares are not entitled to any vote with respect to those shares held in excess of the 10% limit. This provision does not apply to shares held by Columbia Bank MHC, which owned 67,339,203 shares, or 61.8%, of the Company’s outstanding common stock as of March 30, 2021.

Advance Voting Materials

Even if you plan to attend the virtual Annual Meeting, please vote in advance of the meeting using any one of the following advance voting methods.

You can vote in advance in one of three ways:

Attending the Annual Meeting

As permitted by Delaware law, our Annual Meeting will be held solely as a virtual meeting live via the internet, and not at any physical location. You will be able to attend the Annual Meeting via live audio webcast by visiting the Company’s virtual meeting website at http://www.virtualshareholdermeeting.com/CLBK2021 on Thursday, May 20, 2021, at 10:00 a.m. Eastern Time. Upon visiting the meeting website, you will be prompted to enter your 16-digit Control Number provided to you on your Notice or on your proxy card if you receive materials by mail. Your unique Control Number allows us to identify you as a shareholder and will enable you to securely log on, vote and submit questions during the Annual Meeting on the meeting website. Further instructions on how to attend and participate via the internet, including how to demonstrate proof of stock ownership, are available at www.proxyvote.com.

Vote Required

The Annual Meeting will be held only if there is a quorum. A majority of the outstanding shares of Columbia Financial common stock entitled to vote, represented in person or by proxy, constitutes a quorum. If you return valid proxy instructions or attend the meeting via live webcast, your shares will be counted for purposes of determining whether there is a quorum, even if you abstain from voting.

Our management anticipates that Columbia Bank MHC, our majority shareholder, will vote all of its shares in accordance with our Board’s recommendation with respect to all nominees and proposals to be presented at the Annual Meeting. In addition, the Columbia Bank Foundation, in accordance with its governing documents, must vote all the shares of Columbia Financial in the same proportion as shares are voted by all other shareholders.

Abstentions and “broker non-votes” are not considered “votes cast” and will therefore have no effect on the outcome of any proposals voted on at the Annual Meeting. A broker non-vote occurs when a broker, bank or other nominee holding shares for a beneficial owner does not vote on a particular proposal because the broker, bank or other nominee does not have discretionary voting power with respect to that item and has not received voting instructions from the beneficial owner. Broker non-votes will be counted for purposes of determining the existence of a quorum.

Effect of Not Casting Your Vote

If you hold your shares in street name it is critical that you cast your vote if you want it to count in the election of directors (Proposal 1) or with respect to the one advisory proposal regarding executive compensation (Proposal 3). Current regulations restrict the ability of your bank or broker to vote your uninstructed shares in the election of directors and other matters on a discretionary basis. Thus, if you hold your shares in street name and you do not instruct your bank or broker how to vote in the election of directors, no votes will be cast on your behalf. These are referred to as broker non-votes. Your bank or broker will, however, continue to have discretion to vote any uninstructed shares on the ratification of the appointment of the Company’s independent registered public accounting firm (Proposal 2). 

Voting by Proxy

This proxy statement is being sent to you by the Board of Directors of the Company to request that you allow your shares of the Company common stock to be represented at the Annual Meeting by the persons named in the enclosed proxy card. All shares of Company common stock represented at the meeting by properly executed and dated proxies will be voted according to the instructions indicated on the proxy card. If you vote online or by telephone, or if you sign, date and return a proxy card without giving voting instructions, your shares will be voted as recommended by the Company’s Board of Directors.

The Board of Directors recommends that you vote:

If any matter not described in this proxy statement is properly presented at the Annual Meeting, the persons named in the proxy card will use their judgment to determine how to vote your shares. This includes a motion to adjourn or postpone the meeting in order to solicit additional proxies. If the Annual Meeting is postponed or adjourned, your shares of Columbia Financial common stock may also be voted by the persons named in the proxy card on the new meeting date, unless you have revoked your proxy. The Company does not know of any other matters to be presented at the Annual Meeting.

You may revoke your proxy at any time before the vote is taken at the Annual Meeting. To revoke your proxy, you must advise the Corporate Secretary of the Company in writing before your Company common stock has been voted at the Annual Meeting, deliver a later-dated valid proxy or attend the meeting and vote your shares online. In addition, if you voted by telephone or via the Internet, you may revoke your vote by following the instructions provided for each. Attendance at the virtual Annual Meeting will not in itself constitute revocation of your proxy.

If your Columbia Financial common stock is held in street name, you will receive instructions from your broker, bank or other nominee that you must follow to have your shares voted. Your broker, bank or other nominee may allow you to deliver your voting instructions by telephone or by the Internet. Please see the instruction form provided by your broker, bank or other nominee that accompanies this proxy statement. If you wish to change your voting instructions after you have returned your voting instruction form to your broker, bank or other nominee, you must contact your broker, bank or other nominee.

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

Unless you previously elected to receive paper copies of our proxy materials, we are sending our shareholders a Notice Regarding the Availability of Proxy Materials for the Annual Meeting (the “Notice”) that will instruct you on how to access the proxy materials and proxy card to vote your shares by telephone or over the internet. If you would like to receive a paper copy of our proxy materials free of charge, please follow the instructions included in the Notice.

It is anticipated that the Notice will be mailed to shareholders on or before April 9, 2021.

This Proxy Statement and our Annual Report are available to shareholders online at http://ir.columbiabankonline.com.

Participants in the Bank’s ESOP and 401(k) Plan

If you participate in the Columbia Bank Employee Stock Ownership Plan (the “ESOP”) or if you hold shares of Company common stock through the Columbia Bank Savings and Investment Plan (the “401(k) Plan”), you will receive a proxy card that reflects all shares you may vote under the plans. Under the terms of the ESOP, the ESOP trustee votes all shares held by the ESOP, but each ESOP participant may direct the trustee how to vote the shares of common stock allocated to his or her account. The ESOP trustee, subject to the exercise of its fiduciary duties, will vote all unallocated shares of Company common stock held by the ESOP and allocated shares for which it does not receive timely voting instructions in the same proportion as shares for which it has received timely voting instructions. Under the terms of the 401(k) Plan, a participant may direct the trustee how to vote the shares of Columbia Financial common stock credited to his or her account in the 401(k) Plan. The trustee will vote all shares for which it does not receive timely instructions in the same proportion as shares for which it has received timely instructions. The deadline for returning your voting instructions to each plan’s trustee is May 17, 2021.

CORPORATE GOVERNANCE

General

The Company periodically reviews its corporate governance policies and procedures to ensure that the Company meets the highest standards of ethical conduct, reports results with accuracy and transparency and maintains full compliance with the laws, rules and regulations that govern the Company’s operations. As part of this periodic corporate governance review, the Board of Directors reviews and adopts best corporate governance policies and practices for the Company.

Code of Ethics and Business Conduct

The Company has adopted a Code of Ethics and Business Conduct that applies to all of its directors, officers and employees, including its principal executive officer, principal financial officer and principal accounting officer and persons performing similar functions. The Code of Ethics and Business Conduct is available upon written request to Corporate Secretary, Columbia Financial, Inc., 19-01 Route 208 North, Fair Lawn, New Jersey 07410 and on the Company’s website at http://ir.columbiabankonline.com. If the Company amends or grants any waiver from a provision of the Code of Ethics and Business Conduct that applies to its executive officers, it will publicly disclose such amendment or waiver on its website and as required by applicable law, including by filing a Current Report on Form 8-K with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

Board Leadership Structure

Our Board of Directors has determined that the separation of the offices of Chairman of the Board and President and Chief Executive Officer enhances Board independence and oversight. Moreover, the separation of the positions of Chairman of the Board and President and Chief Executive Officer enables the President and Chief Executive Officer to focus on his responsibilities of running Columbia Financial and Columbia Bank and expanding and strengthening our franchise while enabling the Chairman of the Board to lead the Board of Directors in its fundamental role of providing advice to and independent oversight of management. Consistent with this determination, Noel R. Holland, who is independent under the listing requirements of the Nasdaq Stock Market, Inc. serves as Chairman of the Board and Thomas J. Kemly serves as President and Chief Executive Officer.

Board Oversight of Management

Our Board of Directors believes that effective risk management and control processes are critical to our safety and soundness, our ability to predict and manage the challenges that we face and, ultimately, our long-term corporate success. Our Board of Directors, both directly and through its committees, is responsible for overseeing our risk management processes, with each of the committees of our Board of Directors assuming a different and important role in overseeing the management of the risks the Company faces. The Risk Committee, which is comprised of the entire Board of Directors, oversees the identification and management of the various risks we face including, among

other things, financial, credit, collateral, consumer compliance, operational, Bank Secrecy Act, fraud, cyber security, vendor and insurable risks.

The Audit Committee of the Board of Directors is responsible for overseeing risks associated with financial matters (particularly financial reporting, accounting practices and policies, disclosure controls and procedures and internal control over financial reporting). The Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors has primary responsibility for risks and exposures associated with our compensation policies, plans and practices, regarding both executive compensation and the Company’s compensation structure. In particular, our Compensation Committee, in conjunction with our President and Chief Executive Officer and other members of our management, as appropriate, reviews our incentive compensation arrangements to ensure these programs are consistent with applicable laws and regulations, including safety and soundness requirements, and do not encourage imprudent or excessive risk-taking by our employees. The Compensation Committee is also responsible for oversight of our policies and strategies relating to human capital management. The Nominating/Corporate Governance Committee of the Board of Directors oversees risks associated with the independence of our Board of Directors and potential conflicts of interest and also is responsible for review and oversight of our environmental, social and governance policies and activities.

Our senior management is responsible for implementing our risk management processes by assessing and managing the risks we face, including strategic, operational, regulatory, investment and execution risks, on a day-to-day basis, and reporting to our Board of Directors regarding our risk management processes. Our senior management is also responsible for creating and recommending to our Board of Directors for approval appropriate risk appetite metrics reflecting the aggregate levels and types of risk we are willing to accept in connection with the operation of our business and pursuit of our business objectives.

The role of our Board of Directors in our risk oversight is consistent with our leadership structure, with our President and Chief Executive Officer and the other members of senior management having responsibility for assessing and managing our risk exposure, and our Board of Directors and its committees providing oversight in connection with those efforts. We believe this division of risk management responsibilities presents a consistent, systemic and effective approach for identifying, managing and mitigating risks throughout our operations.

Meetings and Committees of the Board of Directors

The Company conducts business through meetings of its Board of Directors and its committees. The Company’s Board of Directors held nine regular meetings and seven special meetings during the fiscal year ended December 31, 2020. No director attended fewer than 75% of the total meetings of the Company’s Board of Directors and committees on which such director served.

The Board of Directors of the Company maintains an Audit Committee, a Compensation Committee, a Nominating/Corporate Governance Committee and a Risk Committee. The Board of Directors has adopted a written charter for each committee, other than the Risk Committee, that, among other things, specifies the scope of each committee’s rights and responsibilities. A copy of each committee charter is available in the Investor Relations section of the Company’s website at http://ir.columbiabankonline.com.

The following is a description of each of the Company’s Board committees:

The following table identifies our standing committees and their members as of the Record Date. All members of each committee are independent in accordance with the listing standards of the Nasdaq Stock Market, Inc., except for Thomas J. Kemly.

* Denotes Chairperson

Nominating/Corporate Governance Committee Procedures for Shareholder Director Nominations

The Nominating/Corporate Governance Committee has adopted a set of criteria that it considers when it selects individuals to be nominated for election to the Board of Directors.

Minimum Qualifications. First, a candidate must meet the eligibility requirements set forth in the Company’s Bylaws, which include an age limitation. A candidate also must meet any qualification requirements set forth in any Board or committee governing documents.

The Nominating/Corporate Governance Committee will consider the following criteria in selecting nominees: contributions to the range of talent, skill and expertise appropriate for the Board; financial, regulatory and business experience; knowledge of the banking and financial services industries; familiarity with the operations of public companies and ability to read and understand financial statements; familiarity with the Company’s market area and participation in and ties to local businesses and local civic, charitable and religious organizations; personal and professional integrity, honesty and reputation; ability to represent the best interests of the shareholders of the Company and the best interests of the Bank; ability to devote sufficient time and energy to the performance of his or her duties; independence; current equity holdings in the Company; and any other factors the Nominating/Corporate Governance Committee deems relevant, including age, diversity, size of the Board of Directors and regulatory disclosure obligations. In its consideration of diversity, the Nominating/Corporate Governance Committee seeks to create a Board that is strong in its collective knowledge and that has a diverse set of skills and experience with respect to management and leadership, vision and strategy, accounting and finance, business operations and judgment, industry knowledge and corporate governance.

In addition, prior to nominating an existing director for re-election to the Board of Directors, the Nominating/Corporate Governance Committee will consider and review an existing director’s Board and committee attendance and performance; length of Board service; experience, skills and contributions that the existing director brings to the Board; and independence.

Director Nomination Process. The process that the Nominating/Corporate Governance Committee follows when it identifies and evaluates individuals to be nominated for election to the Board of Directors is as follows:

For purposes of identifying nominees for the Board of Directors, the Nominating/Corporate Governance Committee relies on personal contacts of the committee members and other members of the Board of Directors, as well as its knowledge of members of the communities served by the Bank. The Nominating/Corporate Governance Committee also will consider director candidates recommended by shareholders in accordance with the policy and procedures set forth below. The Nominating/Corporate Governance Committee has not previously used an independent search firm to identify nominees.

In evaluating potential nominees, Nominating/Corporate Governance Committee determines whether the candidate is eligible and qualified for service on the Board of Directors by evaluating the candidate under the selection criteria set forth above. In addition, the Nominating/Corporate Governance Committee will conduct a check of the individual’s background and interview the candidate to further assess the qualities of the prospective nominee and the contributions he or she would make to the Board.

Consideration of Recommendation by Shareholders. To submit a recommendation of a director candidate to the Nominating/Corporate Governance Committee, a shareholder must submit the following information in writing, addressed to the Chairman of the Nominating/Corporate Governance Committee, care of the Corporate Secretary, at the main office of the Company:

In order for a director candidate to be considered for nomination by the Board of Directors at the Company’s Annual Meeting of shareholders, the recommendation must be received by the Nominating/Corporate Governance Committee at least 120 calendar days prior to the date the Company’s proxy statement was released to shareholders in connection with the previous year’s Annual Meeting, advanced by one year.

Attendance at the Annual Meeting

The Board of Directors encourages directors to attend the Annual Meeting of shareholders. All of the Company’s directors attended the Company’s 2021 Annual Meeting of shareholders.

Diversity and Inclusion Policy

The Company’s Board of Directors has adopted a Diversity and Inclusion Policy Statement as a reflection of the Company’s belief that diversity and inclusion are both a competitive advantage and a core tenet of the future success of the Company and its affiliates. The Company believes that a diverse Board of Directors and workforce increases its creativity and innovation, promotes higher quality decisions, enhances economic growth, and represents the shareholders and customers it serves. The Company is committed to ensuring that it is diverse across all levels of the organization and that its policies, practices, and actions promote inclusion and continue to strengthen the Company’s ability to attract, develop and retain the best talent, while accelerating business growth, increasing shareholder value and supporting its local communities. The Company recognizes that diversity and inclusion will only be achieved by its continued compliance with applicable laws, and the commitment and accountability at the most senior levels of the organization. Our Board of Directors, executive management and leadership teams are committed to working together to implement a comprehensive strategy to support, promote, and accelerate diversity and inclusion across the Company with a focus on achieving sustained results, value and impact.

The Company’s Board of Directors consists of nine members, all of whom are independent under the current listing standards of the Nasdaq Stock Market, Inc. except for Thomas J. Kemly, who is the President and Chief Executive Officer of the Company and the Bank. In determining the independence of its directors, the Board considered transactions, relationships or arrangements between the Company, the Bank and its directors that are not required to be disclosed in this proxy statement under the heading “Transactions with Related Persons.” The Board is divided into three classes with approximately three-year staggered terms, with approximately one-third of the directors elected each year.

At the Annual Meeting, shareholders will be asked to elect three directors to serve for a term of three years to expire at the 2024 Annual Meeting of the Company’s shareholders.

The Board of Directors recommends a vote FOR the election of each of the director nominees.

Information regarding the Board of Directors’ nominees for election at the Annual Meeting is provided below. Unless otherwise stated, each director has held his or her current occupation for the last five years. The age indicated for each individual is as of December 31, 2020. There are no family relationships among the directors, nominees or executive officers. The indicated period of service as a director includes service as a director of the Bank.

Nominees for Election as Directors

Directors Continuing in Office

COMPENSATION DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS 

The following compensation discussion and analysis (“CD&A”) provides a detailed description of the Company’s executive compensation philosophy, plans and programs, and the factors used by the Compensation Committee for determining 2020 compensation for the Named Executive Officers, identified pursuant to the rules of the Securities and Exchange Commission. This discussion should be read in conjunction with the compensation tables and accompanying narrative starting on page 31. For 2020, the following executive officers comprised our Named Executive Officers (collectively, our “NEOs”):

Executive Summary

2020 Business Highlights and Results

Despite the significant challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Company achieved another successful year in 2020. Below are some of the highlights of our financial and operational performance for the year ended 2020 in support of our strategic plan:

The following charts highlight our financial performance over the four year period beginning January 1, 2017 and ending December 31, 2020:

“Say on Pay” Vote and Shareholder Alignment

On May 22, 2020, shareholders voted on a non-binding resolution to approve the compensation for the Named Executive Officers, commonly referred to as a “Say on Pay” vote. The resolution was approved with an affirmative vote of 98.9% of votes cast, which reflects a strong vote of confidence in our executive compensation program and practices.

Executive Compensation and Shareholder Engagement

The Compensation Committee utilizes the following best practices to ensure that executive compensation is aligned with shareholder interests:

The Compensation Committee believes that each of these elements provides a meaningful reward opportunity to the NEOs, focuses our leadership team on our short-term financial results and long-term strategic objectives and links realized pay directly to performance.

Executive Compensation Philosophy

2020 Executive Compensation Elements

The four primary elements of our total direct compensation program for our NEOs and a summary of the actions taken by the Compensation Committee regarding those elements during fiscal year 2020 are set forth below.

Compensation Element

Link to Business and Talent Strategies

2020 Actions

	·	Aligns the compensation interests of our executives with the financial interests of our shareholders.
	·	Encourages growth in our stock price.

Important Corporate Governance Policies

Our 2020 executive compensation program was based on the compensation philosophy adopted by our Compensation Committee and reflected the advice of the Compensation Committee’s independent compensation consultants (see page 22 below). The Compensation Committee is guided by the following key principles in determining the compensation structure for our executives:

Factors for Determining Compensation

Role of Compensation Committee

The Compensation Committee is made up of independent directors as required under the Nasdaq listing rules. Details on the Compensation Committee’s functions are described in the Committee’s charter, which has been approved by the Board and is available on our Investor Relations website.

The Compensation Committee has the authority to obtain advice and assistance from internal or external legal, human resources, accounting or other experts, advisors, or consultants as it deems desirable or appropriate. The Compensation Committee has sole authority to retain and terminate any compensation consultant and to approve the fee arrangements and the terms of engagement. For 2020, the Compensation Committee engaged an independent consulting firm, which specializes in executive compensation (see page 22 below).

In 2020, the Compensation Committee reviewed and approved all aspects of compensation plans and policies applicable to the NEOs, including participation and performance measures. In carrying out its duties, the Compensation Committee considered the relationship of corporate performance to total compensation; set salary and bonus levels; and reviewed the adequacy and effectiveness of various compensation and benefit plans. The Chair of the Compensation Committee reported committee actions to the Board following each committee meeting.

The Compensation Committee worked closely with Mr. Kemly to review and discuss his recommendations for the NEOs and other executive officers. The Compensation Committee also considered the market and peer group analysis provided by the compensation consultant to assess market practices, the mix of fixed and variable compensation, and the levels of compensation for each named executive. The Compensation Committee reviewed and approved individually-determined salary increases for the other NEOs as recommended by Mr. Kemly for the 2020 calendar year.

The Compensation Committee reviewed and accepted the self-evaluation (including relevant quantitative and qualitative accomplishments) of Mr. Kemly for the 2020 calendar year and provided feedback to Mr. Kemly. The Compensation Committee used this evaluation in making compensation decisions concerning Mr. Kemly and approved a base salary increase for Mr. Kemly as recommended by the Chair of the Compensation Committee for the 2020 calendar year.

Role of CEO and Management

Members of our senior management team attend regular meetings in which executive compensation, Company performance, individual performance and competitive compensation levels and practices are discussed and evaluated. Only the Compensation Committee members can vote on decisions regarding NEO compensation. The CEO does not participate in the deliberations of the Compensation Committee with respect to his own compensation.

The Compensation Committee believes that even the best advice of a compensation consultant or other outside advisors must be combined with the input from senior management and the Compensation Committee’s own individual experiences and judgment to arrive at the proper alignment of compensation philosophy, programs, and practices. Members of senior management worked with the Compensation Committee to provide perspectives on reward strategies and how to align those strategies with the Company’s business and management retention goals. They provided feedback and insights into the effectiveness of the Company’s compensation programs and practices. The Compensation Committee looked to the CEO, other members of executive management, and outside legal counsel for advice in the design and implementation of compensation plans, programs, and practices. In addition, the CEO and other members of executive management at times attended portions of Compensation Committee meetings to participate in the presentation of materials and to discuss management’s point of view regarding compensation issues.

Role of Independent Compensation Consultants

In 2020, the Compensation Committee retained the services of an independent compensation consultant, GK Partners (“GK Partners”), to perform a competitive assessment of the Company’s executive and director compensation programs, as well as to provide guidance on the changing regulatory environment governing executive compensation. The annual executive and director assessments include, but are not limited to, an assessment of the Company’s financial performance relative to its peers, an assessment of the Company’s compensation program compared to its peers, recommendations for total cash compensation opportunities (base salary and cash incentives), and a comparative benchmark study of executive compensation and non-employee director compensation.

A representative of GK Partners attended Compensation Committee and Board meetings during 2020, upon request, to review compensation data and participate in general discussions on compensation and benefits for the NEOs and Board members. While the Compensation Committee considered input from GK Partners when making compensation decisions, the Compensation Committee’s final compensation decisions reflect many factors and considerations.

The Compensation Committee considered the independence of GK Partners under applicable SEC and Nasdaq listing rules and concluded there was no conflict of interest with respect to the consultant.

Risk Considerations in Compensation Program

The Compensation Committee has assessed the Company’s compensation programs and has concluded that our compensation policies and practices do not create risks that are reasonably likely to have a material adverse effect on the Company. Our Compensation Committee has also assessed the Company’s executive and broad-based compensation and benefits programs to determine if the programs’ provisions and operations create undesired or unintentional risk of a material nature. This risk assessment process included a review of program policies and practices; a program analysis to identify risk and risk control related to the programs; and determinations as to the sufficiency of risk identification, the balance of potential risk to potential reward, risk control, and the support of the programs and their risks to company strategy. Although the Compensation Committee reviews all compensation programs, it focuses on the programs with variability of payout, with the ability of a participant to directly affect payout and the controls on participant action and payout.

Based on the foregoing, we believe that our compensation policies and practices do not create significant inappropriate or unintended risk to the Company. We also believe that our incentive compensation arrangements provide incentives

that do not encourage risk-taking beyond the organization’s ability to effectively identify and manage significant risks; that are compatible with effective internal controls and our risk management practices; and that are supported by the oversight and administration of the Compensation Committee with regard to executive compensation programs.

Peer Group and Benchmarking

The Compensation Committee believes benchmarking is a useful method to gauge both the compensation level and compensation mix for executives within competitive job markets that are relevant to the Company. Competitive benchmarking is one of many factors considered by the Compensation Committee in making executive compensation decisions. The Compensation Committee generally reviews data gathered from the proxy statements of our peer group (as defined below) as well as industry surveys for benchmarking purposes in its review and analysis of base salaries, discretionary bonuses and short-term and long-term cash incentives, and equity grants to establish our executive compensation program. The Compensation Committee reviews the peer group annually and updates the peer group as appropriate to ensure that the peer group continues to consist of financial institutions with business models and demographics and a reasonable range of financial performance similar to the Company.

In 2019, GK Partners was commissioned to conduct an annual comparative marketplace benchmarking study of NEO and non-employee director cash and equity compensation among a selected group of twenty (20) suitable peer comparator banking companies. GK Partners identified the 20 comparator companies based on the following factors: asset size, profitability, rates of return, market capitalization, location and lines of business.

The Compensation Committee reviewed and accepted the recommendations of GK Partners concerning the selection and composition of the executive and Board compensation comparator peer group based on the Compensation Committee’s review of a detailed analysis of 12 directly relevant financial and operational metrics pertaining to the appropriate selection of the peer companies. These factors included: total assets, net income, ROE, ROAA, EPS, market capitalization, non-interest income, efficiency ratio, loan to asset ratio, loan to deposit ratio, number of full time employees, and net income per employee. The peer group included publicly traded financial institutions with assets between approximately $5.4 billion and $13.8 billion as of December 31, 2018 from the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic regions. The median asset size of the peer group was $7.9 billion, placing the Company at slightly below the 50th percentile in asset size, with asset size at year end 2018 of $6.6 billion. The peer group approved by the Compensation Committee consisted of the following financial institutions:

The peer group was utilized by the Compensation Committee in December 2019 for purposes of determining executive compensation and compensation of non-employee directors for 2020.

In March 2020, GK Partners conducted a review of the Company’s 2019 compensation peer group, taking into account 2019 year-end financial data for comparator companies consisting of the same twelve factors discussed above, the completion of the Company’s acquisition of Roselle Bank and the Company’s internal asset growth. Based on such review, GK Partners recommended changes to the peer group to better reflect the companies that would be more relevant from size and business model perspectives. The Compensation Committee determined that the recommended adjustments to the peer group for 2020 were appropriate and approved the 2020 peer group for the Company. The following sets forth the additions and deletions to the prior year’s peer group that were made in approving the 2020 peer group:

Taking into account the changes noted above, the 2020 peer group included publicly traded banks and thrifts with assets between approximately $5.2 billion and $17.6 billion as of December 2019, primarily from the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic regions. The median asset size of the adjusted peer group was $8.8 billion, placing the Company slightly below the 50th percentile in asset size.

Employment Agreements with our NEOs

The Compensation Committee believes that employment agreements are necessary to attract and retain qualified executives and ensure the stability of our executive management team. Our employment agreements with our NEOs generally set forth the terms of the executive’s employment with the Company and also promise severance benefits if the executive is involuntarily terminated without cause or, in some cases, if the executive voluntarily terminates his or her employment for good reason. The retention of key management is essential to and in our shareholders’ best interests. The Compensation Committee believes reasonable severance benefits help ensure the continued dedication and efforts of management without undue concern for or distraction by their personal, financial and employment security. Similarly, in the context of a change in control, the Compensation Committee believes that employment agreements effectively motivate executives to remain engaged and strive to create shareholder value in the event the Company is targeting or being targeted by another company for acquisition, despite the risk of job loss or the loss of equity vesting opportunity. In addition, these severance arrangements are necessary to attract and retain qualified executives who may have other job alternatives that may appear to them to be less risky absent these arrangements. For a description of the terms of the employment agreements with our NEOs, see the discussion below on page 28.

Elements of 2020 Compensation Program

The various elements of our 2020 compensation program are intended to reflect our compensation philosophy and: (i) provide an appropriate level of financial certainty through fixed compensation, (ii) ensure that a significant portion of the compensation program is at-risk based on performance, (iii) ensure that at least 30% of previously awarded equity compensation is at-risk based on performance, and (iv) create a balance of short-term and long-term incentives.

Base Salary

Our NEO base salaries are set at levels that are intended to reflect the competitive marketplace in attracting, retaining, motivating and rewarding high performing executives. In determining base salaries, the Compensation Committee considers the following elements: (i) individual performance based on experience and scope of responsibility, (ii) non-financial performance indicators including strategic developments for which an executive has responsibility and managerial performance, (iii) compensation paid by peers, (iv) functionality of the executive management team, (v) economic conditions in the Company’s market areas and (vi) analyses or guidance from independent consultants during the annual review process. The base salaries are intended to compensate the NEOs for the day-to-day services performed for the Company and the Bank.

In establishing base salaries for our NEOs for 2020, the Compensation Committee reviewed the factors discussed above and determined that base salary increases were appropriate given our strong financial performance in 2020, our relative positioning to our peers and to maintain competitive base salaries. Mr. Klimowich received a larger base salary increase to account for larger competitive deficits as compared to the average and median to the base salary of the peer group for a comparable role. Below are changes to NEO base salaries from 2019 to 2020.

(1)       Amounts in table represent NEO base salaries at the end of the period presented.

Short-Term Incentives

Performance Achievement Incentive Plan. We maintain an annual cash incentive plan - the Performance Achievement Incentive Plan (“PAIP”) – that is designed to align the interests of our employees with the overall performance of the Company. All exempt employees (excluding commissioned employees), including the NEOs, are eligible to participate in the PAIP, subject to certain eligibility requirements. A participant is eligible to earn a target incentive award for a calendar year defined as a percentage of the participant’s base salary. For 2020, the participant’s target incentive opportunity was adjusted based on the Company’s return on average assets and net interest margin, as was done in prior years, and the participant was eligible to earn a percentage of the adjusted target incentive based on achievement of a combination of overall Company, department/team and individual performance goals. Awards for the NEOs are approved by the Compensation Committee.

The Compensation Committee reviewed our 2020 Business Plan approved by our Board and the key performance measures for our business and information related to our peer group provided by GK Partners and, based on such review, in February 2021, the Compensation Committee, decided to focus the bonus metrics for 2020 on three factors: net income, efficiency ratio, and non-performing assets to total assets, in addition to individual performance goals for eligible executives other than Mr. Kemly and Mr. Allen. Additionally, the 2020 PAIP performance metrics were designed to allow for payouts to be determined within the range of a threshold to a maximum, with maximum targets

reflecting stretch goals that aligned with our 2020 Business Plan. The 2020 PAIP payout was capped at 125% of target as the Compensation Committee believed this cap was market competitive for short-term incentives. Actual payouts were based on the level of achievement of the performance metrics subject to the Compensation Committee’s ability to exercise discretion to make such adjustments for extraordinary one-time items as the Compensation Committee deems appropriate to fairly reflect the Company’s performance for the year. Further details on each of these components of the 2020 PAIP are described below.

When designing the 2020 PAIP and when considering whether we reached the target performance metric for a payout under the 2020 PAIP, the Compensation Committee had the discretion to take into account categories of significant, unplanned and unusual items that would be excluded from the performance metrics, whether the resulting impact was positive or negative, because they distort our operating performance. This practice, which is consistent with the practices of peer group companies, ensures that our executives will not be unduly influenced in their day-to-day decision-making because they would neither benefit, nor be penalized, as a result of certain unexpected and uncontrollable events or strategic initiatives that may positively or negatively affect the performance metric in the short-term. For 2020, the Compensation Committee did not make any adjustments to the PAIP performance metrics for the NEOs.

The performance measure for the 2020 PAIP included the same corporate goals for each NEO and specific individual goals depending on the individual roles and responsibilities of each NEO, with each NEO’s individual scorecard, other than with respect to Mr. Kemly and Mr. Allen, setting forth the weightings assigned to each performance measure.

The following table summarizes the thresholds, targets, and maximum parameters and actual 2020 performance for each of the applicable financial metrics selected under the 2020 PAIP:

The weighting assigned to each NEO in the categories that are applicable to them are set forth below:

For purposes of determining the level of achievement for each of the performance measures under the 2020 PAIP, the Compensation Committee reviewed the applicable financial metrics, as derived from our 2020 financial results, and the individual and department metrics. For the 2020 performance year, the Compensation Committee certified achievement of the pre-established performance measures for the CEO and each of the other NEOs as reflected in the table above,

Given the unprecedented challenges to the Company’s business, employees and customers created by the pandemic and in March 2020, the Company’s leadership quickly shifted priorities to address employee safety and customer response, including the additional workload in connection with the Paycheck Protection Program. After review and discussion, the successful execution of individual and departmental strategic objectives in 2020 coupled with the

Company’s financial performance resulted in payouts generally ranging between 109.97% and 119.81% of each NEO’s target 2020 PAIP opportunity, as is set forth below.

The actual dollar amounts earned by our NEOs in fiscal year 2020, pursuant to the 2020 PAIP, are disclosed in the “Non-Equity Incentive Plan Compensation” column of the Summary Compensation Table below.

Discretionary Bonus Payments. We limit the use of discretionary bonus payment to extraordinary circumstances to rectify inequities or recognize outstanding performance. In 2020, the Company made no discretionary bonus payments to the NEOs.

Long-Term Incentives

Cash Incentive Plan. We maintain a long-term cash incentive plan - the Long-Term Incentive Plan (“Cash LTIP”) - that is focused on ensuring alignment and commitment to achieving long-term financial results for Columbia Bank. Our NEOs participate in the Cash LTIP. Prior to 2019, LTIP awards were granted annually using a three-year performance period. A participant is eligible to earn a target LTIP cash award for a performance period with the amount of such awards based on a percentage of the participant’s base salary. The participant is eligible to earn a percentage of the target award for a performance period based on achievement of one or more performance measures established by the Compensation Committee of the Board for that performance period. Once the Compensation Committee determines achievement of the performance goals for a performance period, two-thirds of the earned amount will be paid in cash within two and a half months following completion of the performance period and one-third of the earned amount will be paid in cash one year later subject to continued employment of the participant during that year. For 2019 and 2020, no new awards were made under the Cash LTIP.

In connection with the implementation of the 2019 Equity Plan, the Compensation Committee determined that one-half of the incentive opportunity under the 2018-2020 Cash LTIP (“2018 Cash LTIP”), would be replaced by equity awards granted to the NEOs in 2019 and that the remaining one-half of the incentive opportunity under the 2018 Cash LTIP would be paid at 50% of target at the end of the performance period. The payments to the NEOs under the 2018 Cash LTIP were as follows:

In addition, in 2020 the NEOs received the final one-third payment due to them for achievement of awards under the Cash LTIP 2017 – 2019 performance period. No further cash payments are due to the NEOs under the 2017 Cash LTIP or the 2018 Cash LTIP. The actual dollar amounts earned by our NEOs in fiscal year 2020 for prior performance periods under the Cash LTIPs are disclosed in the “Non-Equity Incentive Plan Compensation” column of the Summary Compensation Table below.

2019 Equity Incentive Plan. On June 6, 2019, shareholders of the Company approved the 2019 Equity Incentive Plan, which provided for the grant of stock-based awards to officers, employees and non-employee directors of the

Company and its subsidiaries. The Company may grant options, stock appreciations rights, restricted stock, restricted units, unrestricted stock awards, cash based awards, performance awards, and dividend equivalent rights. The total number of shares of the Company's common stock reserved for issuance under the plan are 7,949,996.

Both incentive stock options and non-qualified stock options may be granted under the Equity Plan, with total shares reserved for options equaling 5,678,569 with 1,969,941 shares remaining available for grant as options as of December 31, 2020. The total number of shares reserved for restricted stock or restricted units is 2,271,427, with 835,502 shares remaining available for grant as restricted stock or restricted units as of December 31, 2020. No grants were made to our NEOs in 2020.

Retirement Benefits and Deferred Compensation

We maintain broad-based tax-qualified pension, tax-qualified employee stock ownership, and tax-qualified 401(k) plans. Generally, all employees of the Company are eligible to participate in these plans, including the NEOs. However, the pension plan was closed to new participants effective October 1, 2018.

In addition to the tax-qualified plans described above, we provide our NEOs and other highly compensated employees with benefits under a nonqualified retirement and deferred compensation plans, as described below.

See the narrative accompanying the pension benefit tables and nonqualified deferred compensation tables for details regarding these plans as well as the discussion of such plans below under “Executive Compensation.”

Other Benefits

We provide our NEOs with a set of core benefits that are generally available to our other full-time employees (e.g., coverage for medical, dental, vision care, prescription drugs, and basic life insurance and long-term disability coverage), plus voluntary benefits that a NEO may select (e.g., supplemental life insurance).

Employment Agreements with Named Executive Officers

We entered into employment agreements with our NEOs in 2018 in connection with our initial public offering. For a detailed description of our employment agreements with our NEOs, please see the section entitled “Summary of Executive Agreements and Potential Payments upon Termination or Change in Control” beginning on page 37.

Additional Compensation Practices and Policies

Clawback Policy

The Company has a policy for the recoupment of incentive compensation (the “Clawback Policy”). Under the Clawback Policy, if we restate our financial statements, or a financial statement or the calculation of a performance goal or metric is materially inaccurate, the Compensation Committee, in its sole discretion, may require recoupment from our executive officers, including our NEOs, of the portion of any annual or long-term cash or equity-based incentive or bonus compensation paid, provided, or awarded to any executive officer that represents the excess over what would have been paid if such event had not occurred.

Stock Ownership Guidelines

Each of these individuals must fulfill their ownership requirement within five years of becoming subject to the Share Ownership and Retention Policy, and individuals are further required to fulfill 25% and 50% of their ownership requirement within two and three years, respectively, of becoming subject to the Share Ownership and Retention Policy. In the event of a participant receiving a raise in his or her base salary or annual retainer, leading to an increase in the ownership requirement, the participant will be provided additional one year from the time of the increase to achieve the required incremental increase in his or her ownership of shares. For purposes of determining ownership, the following shall be taken into account in computing ownership: (i) shares owned directly by the individual or his or her immediate family members residing in the same household, or shares held through a trust for the benefit of the individual or the individual’s dependent family members residing in the same household; (ii) shares owned through a qualified employee benefit plan, including the 401(k) Plan, or through the ESOP; (iii) share equivalents held in a non-qualified, deferred compensation arrangements; and (iv) 100% of restricted stock, or restricted stock units, the vesting of which is contingent on time or performance.

Each NEO’s and non-employee director’s stock ownership level is reviewed annually by the Company and the Nominating and Governance Committee. As of December 31, 2020, all current NEOs were in compliance with their respective stock ownership levels.

Anti-Hedging and Pledging Policies

The Company has a written policy that prohibits our directors and officers from hedging the value of our stock by the purchase and sale of puts, calls, options, or other derivative securities based on Company stock, or other transactions related to the monetization of the value of our stock. In addition, our officers, directors and employees are not allowed to pledge Company stock as collateral or acquire Company stock on margin.

No Tax Gross Ups

Our employment agreements with our NEOs provide for a “best net benefits” approach in the event that severance benefits under the agreements or otherwise result in “excess parachute payments” under Section 280G of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended. The best net benefits approach reduces an executive’s payments and benefits to avoid triggering the excise tax if the reduction would result in a greater after-tax amount to the executive officer compared to the amount the executive officer would receive net of the excise tax if no reduction were made.

Perquisites

We annually review the perquisites that we make available to our named executive officers. The primary perquisites for these individuals include automobile allowances and certain club dues. See “Executive Compensation — Summary Compensation Table” for detailed information on the perquisites provided to our NEOs.

Tax and Accounting Considerations

To the greatest extent possible, we structure our compensation programs in a tax-efficient manner. Section 162(m) of the Internal Revenue Code generally does not allow a tax deduction to public companies for compensation in excess of $1 million paid to the CEO or other NEOs and certain former NEOs. Prior to 2018, compensation was specifically exempt from the deduction limit to the extent that it was “performance-based” as previously defined in Section 162(m) of the Internal Revenue Code. For taxable years beginning on and after January 1, 2018, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 generally eliminated the “performance-based” compensation exemption and expanded the $1 million per covered employee annual limitation on tax deductibility to a larger group of named executive officers. In addition, the new tax law also provides that any named executive officer who was a covered employee in taxable years beginning on and after January 1, 2017, will continue to be a covered employee for all subsequent taxable years (even after employment termination). As a result, the Company may not take a tax deduction for any compensation paid to its covered employees in excess of $1 million annually per covered employee with the exception of “performance-based” compensation paid pursuant to a written binding contract that was in effect on November 2, 2017, and that was not modified in any material respect on or after such date.

The Compensation Committee believes that tax deductibility is but one factor to consider in developing an appropriate compensation package for executives. As such, the Compensation Committee reserves and will exercise its discretion

in this area to design a compensation program that serves the long-term interests of the Company but which may not qualify for tax deductibility under Section 162(m) of the Internal Revenue Code.

In addition to Section 162(m) of the Internal Revenue Code, the Compensation Committee considers other tax and accounting provisions in developing the pay programs for the NEOs, including:

While the Compensation Committee generally tries to compensate the NEOs in a manner that produces favorable tax and accounting treatment, the main objective is to develop fair and equitable compensation arrangements that appropriately incentivize, reward, and retain the NEOs and aligns our performance goals with shareholder returns.

Share usage requirements and resulting potential shareholder dilution from equity compensation awards is also considered by the Compensation Committee in determining the size of long-term incentive grants.

Compensation Committee Report

The Compensation Committee has reviewed and discussed this Compensation Discussion and Analysis with management. Based on this review and discussion, the Compensation Committee recommended to the Board that the Compensation Discussion and Analysis be included in this proxy statement.

Submitted by the Compensation Committee:

Noel R. Holland (Chair)

Frank Czerwinski

Elizabeth E. Randall

Lucy Sorrentini

Robert Van Dyk

March 22, 2021

EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION

Summary Compensation Table

The following information is furnished for all individuals serving as the principal executive officer and principal financial officer of the Company for the most recently completed fiscal year and the next three most highly compensated executive officers of the Company whose total compensation for 2020 exceeded $100,000.

Outstanding Equity Awards at 2020 Fiscal Year End

The following table shows information regarding all unvested equity awards held by our NEOs on December 31, 2020. No equity awards were made to the NEOs in 2020. These awards are subject to forfeiture until vested, and the ultimate value of performance-based awards is unknown. The material terms and conditions of the equity awards reported in this table are described in the “Long-Term Incentives” section of the Compensation Discussion and Analysis beginning on page 16 of this Proxy Statement. No equity award granted to a NEO has been transferred to any other person, trust or entity.

Option Exercises and Stock Vested

The following table shows the value realized upon the vesting of restricted stock awards in 2020.

Pension Benefits

Tax-Qualified Pension Plan. The Columbia Bank Retirement Plan (“Pension Plan”) is a tax-qualified defined benefit pension plan that covers approximately 994 eligible current employees, former employees and retirees of the Company. All of the named executive officers participate in the Pension Plan. If a participant elects to retire upon the attainment of age 65, and the participant was hired prior to July 1, 2005, the plan provides that the participant’s normal retirement benefit will equal 2% of his or her average annual compensation for each plan year and month of service, up to a maximum of 45 years. If a participant elects to retire upon attainment of age 65, and the participant was hired on or after July 1, 2005, the plan provides that the participant’s normal retirement benefit will equal 1.8% of his or her average annual highest compensation over five consecutive years for each plan year and month of service, up to a maximum of 45 years. Participants who have attained age 55 and have completed 10 years of service may retire early. If the participant was hired prior to July 1, 2005, his or her benefit will be reduced by 0.25% for each year of early commencement between age 55 and 65; if the participant was hired on or after July 1, 2005, his or her benefit will be reduced by 1/15th for each year of early commencement between age 60 and 65 and an additional 1/30th for each year of early commencement between age 55 and 60. Participants become fully vested in their accrued plan benefit after five years of service. Under the plan, “average annual compensation” is defined as the average of a participant’s compensation for the period of five consecutive years during which his or her compensation was the highest. The Pension Plan was closed to new participants effective October 1, 2018. The Pension Plan was overfunded at December 31, 2020, with assets representing 132% of our benefit obligation at that date.

Retirement Income Maintenance Plan. The Columbia Bank Retirement Income Maintenance Plan (“RIM”) is a nonqualified and unfunded defined benefit retirement plan that provides supplemental retirement benefits to certain highly compensated employees of the Company and its subsidiaries whose benefits under the Pension Plan are limited due to the restrictions of Section 415 and/or Section 401(a)(17) of the Internal Revenue Code. All of the NEOs who participate in the Pension Plan also participate in the RIM. A participant’s benefit under the RIM is equal to the excess of (i) the benefit that would be payable to the participant in accordance with the terms of the tax-qualified pension plan disregarding the limitations imposed by Section 415 and Section 401(a)(17) of the Internal Revenue Code, less (ii) the benefit actually payable to the participant under the Pension Plan after taking such limitations into account. A participant becomes vested in his or her RIM benefits upon satisfying the requirements for early retirement (attaining age 55 while employed and completing 10 years of service) or normal retirement (attaining age 65 while employed and completing 5 years of service). A participant’s vested RIM benefit will be paid at the time and in the form elected by the participant; the default time and form of payment is a life annuity with a minimum of 120 monthly payments commencing on the first day of the month following the month in which the participant separates from service, provided that if the participant is a “specified employee” for purposes of Section 409A of the Internal Revenue Code on the date of the participant’s separation from service, payment will be delayed for six months following the participant’s separation from service.

Pension Benefits Table. The following table shows the actuarial present value of the accumulated benefit under our tax-qualified pension plan and the RIM, along with the number of years of credited service under the respective plans, for each of our named executive officers.

Pay Ratio

The Company is required by SEC rules to disclose the median of the annual total compensation of all employees of the Company (excluding the Chief Executive Officer), the annual total compensation of the Chief Executive Officer, and the ratio of these two amounts (the “pay ratio”). The pay ratio below is a reasonable estimate based on the Company’s payroll records and the methodology described below, and was calculated in a manner consistent with SEC rules. Because SEC rules for identifying the median employee and calculating the pay ratio allow companies to use variety of methodologies, the pay ratio reported by other companies may not be comparable to the pay ratio reported below, as other companies may have different employment and compensation practices and may use different methodologies, exclusions, estimates and assumptions in calculating their own pay ratios.

The Company selected December 31, 2020 as the determination date for identifying the median employee. Year-to-date taxable wages paid from January 1, 2020 to December 31, 2020 for all employees as of the determination date, with the exception of Mr. Kemly, were arrayed from lowest to highest. Wages of newly hired permanent employees were adjusted to represent wages for the entire measurement period. This period captured all incentive payments for the tax year as well as the vesting of equity awards, as applicable. The median employee was identified, and total compensation for the median employee was calculated in the manner required for the Summary Compensation Table. Mr. Kemly’s total compensation for 2020, as disclosed in the Summary Compensation Table, was $3,617,871 and the median employee’s was $77,094 producing a ratio of 47 to 1.

Nonqualified Deferred Compensation

Supplemental Executive Retirement Plan. The Columbia Bank ESOP Supplemental Executive Retirement Plan (“ESOP SERP”) is a nonqualified and unfunded defined contribution retirement plan that provides supplemental retirement benefits related to its tax-qualified employee stock ownership plan. The ESOP SERP provides benefits to eligible officers of the Company and its subsidiaries designated by the Board that cannot be provided under the tax-qualified employee stock ownership plan but for the eligibility requirements of the plans or limitations imposed by the Internal Revenue Code. All NEOs are eligible to participate in the ESOP SERP. A NEO becomes vested in these benefits in 25% increments after completing two, three, four and five years of service with the Company. In addition

to providing benefits that would otherwise be lost as a result of eligibility requirements or the Internal Revenue Code limitations on tax-qualified plans, the ESOP SERP also provides a supplemental benefit upon a change of control prior to the scheduled repayment of the tax-qualified employee stock ownership plan loan. Under the terms of the ESOP SERP, each NEO is eligible to receive a cash payment in the event of a change in control equal to the dollar value of the stock benefit the NEO would have received under the tax-qualified employee stock ownership plan and ESOP SERP had the executives remained employed throughout the term of the loan, less the shares of common stock allocated under the tax-qualified employee stock ownership plan and ESOP SERP on the NEO’s behalf. The supplemental change in control benefits under the ESOP SERP are nonforfeitable and distributable upon termination of employment for any reason.

Non-Qualified Savings Income Maintenance Plan. The Columbia Bank Savings Income Maintenance Plan (the “SIM”) is a non-qualified and unfunded defined contribution retirement plan for the benefit of certain highly compensated employees of the Company and its subsidiaries. All NEOs are eligible to participate in the SIM. Under the SIM, a participant may defer between 3% and 13% of the participant’s compensation above the salary limit imposed by Section 401(a)(17), reduced by the amount of Federal Insurance Contribution Act taxes that the participant must pay in a plan year with respect to such compensation. In addition, the Company may make matching contributions equal to a portion of a participant’s compensation deferred under the SIM. For 2019, Columbia Bank made matching contributions in an amount equal to 100% of up to the first 3% of a participant’s compensation in excess of $280,000 that the participant deferred under the SIM. Participants earn a return on their notional account balances based on investment in phantom investment funds (similar to those available under the 401(k) Plan) selected by participants. The SIM does not guarantee a rate of return and none of the investment funds provide above market earnings. Participants are immediately 100% vested in their account balances attributable to compensation deferral contributions. Participants generally become vested in their account balances attributable to matching contributions in installments – 25% after two years of service, 50% after three years of service, 75% after four years of service and 100% after five years of service – and become 100% vested upon death. A participant’s vested account balance will be distributed to the participant in a single lump sum upon the earlier of the participant’s separation from service or a change in control of Columbia Bank. If distribution is triggered by separation from service, it will be made on the first day of the month next following the two-month anniversary of the participant’s separation from service, provided that if the participant is a “specified employee” for purposes of Section 409A of the Internal Revenue Code on the date of the participant’s separation from service, payment will be delayed for six months following the participant’s separation from service. If distribution is triggered by a change in control, it will be made on the first day of the month next following the change in control.

Stock-Based Deferral Plan. In connection with the public offering of Columbia Financial common stock in 2018, participants in the SIM and the Columbia Bank Director Deferred Compensation Plan were provided with the opportunity to direct the investment of portions of their account balances under those plans into phantom shares of Columbia Financial common stock by way of a transfer of these amounts to the new Columbia Bank Stock-Based Deferral Plan. Beginning with 2019, the Compensation Committee may, in its discretion, specify an annual window period during which participants may direct the investment of portions of their SIM and the Columbia Bank Director Deferred Compensation Plan account balances into phantom shares of Columbia Financial common stock by way of a transfer of these amounts to the Columbia Bank Stock-Based Deferral Plan. This plan in effect is an additional phantom investment alternative available with respect to the SIM and the Columbia Bank Director Deferred Compensation Plan. As a result, data for this plan is not included in the table below.

Nonqualified Deferred Compensation Table. The following table disclosed contributions made under the SIM and the ESOP SERP for each named executive officer in 2020, along with the earnings and balances on each executive’s account as of December 31, 2020.

Summary of Executive Employment Agreements and Potential Payments Upon Termination or Change in Control

We have entered into two-year employment agreements with Messrs. Kemly, Gibney, Allen, and Klimowich and Ms. Schlesinger. Each employment agreement provides for a two-year term. The Board may extend the terms of the employment agreements with the NEOs annually for another twelve month period, unless the NEO gives notice of non-renewal at least sixty days prior to such extension. The Compensation Committee annually reviews the NEO’s base salaries. In addition to base salary, the agreements provide that the NEOs shall be eligible to participate in the short-term and long-term incentive compensation plans of Columbia Bank. Each NEO shall also be entitled to continue participation in any fringe benefit arrangements in which he or she was participating on the effective date of the employment agreement. In addition, the agreements provide for reimbursement of reasonable travel and other business expenses incurred in connection with the performance of the NEO’s duties.

If a NEO’s employment is terminated by Columbia Financial or Columbia Bank during the term of the agreement, without cause, including a resignation for good reason (as defined in the agreement), but excluding termination for cause or due to death, disability, retirement, the executive would be entitled to a payment equal to a multiple (three times for Mr. Kemly and two times for Messrs. Gibney, Allen, and Klimowich and one times for Ms. Schlesinger) of the sum of: (i) his or her annual base salary plus (ii) his or her target annual bonus in effect on the termination date. The severance payment shall be paid to the NEO as salary continuation in substantially equal installments over the thirty-six, twenty-four or twelve month period, respectively, in accordance with Columbia Bank’s customary payroll practices, subject to the receipt of a signed release of claims from the NEO within the time frame set forth in the agreement. Assuming the NEO elects continued medical, vision and dental coverage under COBRA, Columbia Bank will reimburse the executive the amount equal to the monthly COBRA premium paid by the NEO for such coverage less the active employee premium for such coverage for a period of 36 months, in the case of Mr. Kemly, and

24 months, in the case of Messrs. Gibney, Allen, and Klimowich and 12 months in the case of Ms. Schlesinger or such lesser period as may be required under COBRA.

If executive NEO’s employment is terminated during the term of the agreement by Columbia Financial or Columbia Bank without cause, including a resignation for good reason (as defined in the agreements), within 24 months after a change in control (as also defined in the agreements), the NEO would be entitled to a payment equal to a multiple of three times (two times in the case of Ms. Schlesinger) of the sum of: (i) his or her annual base salary (or his base salary in effect immediately before the change in control, if higher) plus (ii) his or her annual target bonus (or his target bonus in effect immediately before the change in control, if higher). The severance payment shall be paid to the NEO within sixty days of the termination date in a single lump sum payment. The payment shall also include a sum equal to his or her prior year bonus in a lump sum on the date on which the annual bonus would have been paid to NEO but for NEO’s termination of employment. In addition, each NEO shall receive a lump sum payment equal to the cost of providing continued life, medical, vision and dental coverage for 36 months following termination less the active employee charge for such coverage in effect on the termination date.

For purposes of the NEO’s ability to resign and receive a payment under the agreement, “good reason” would include the occurrence of any of the following events: (i) a material reduction in the NEO’s base salary or target bonus under the cash incentive plans, if applicable, except for reductions proportionate with similar reductions to all other members of the executive leadership team; (ii) a material adverse change in NEO’s position that results in a demotion in the NEO’s status within Columbia Financial or Columbia Bank; (iii) a change in the primary location at which the NEO is required to perform the duties of his employment with Columbia Financial and Columbia Bank to a location that is more than thirty (30) miles from the location of the Bank’s headquarters as of the date of the agreement; or (iv) a material breach by Columbia Financial or Columbia Bank of any written agreement between the NEO, on the one hand, and any of Columbia Financial and Columbia Bank or any other affiliate of Columbia Financial, on the other hand, unless arising from the NEO’s inability to materially perform his or her duties under the agreement.

Section 280G of the Internal Revenue Code provides that severance payments that equal or exceed three times an individual’s base amount are deemed to be “excess parachute payments” if they are contingent upon a change in control. An individual’s base amount is generally equal to an average of the individual’s taxable compensation for the five taxable years preceding the year a change in control occurs. The employment agreements with our NEOs provide for a “best net benefits” approach in the event that severance benefits under the agreements or otherwise result in “excess parachute payments” under Section 280G. The best net benefits approach reduces a NEO’s payments and benefits to avoid triggering the excise tax if the reduction would result in a greater after-tax amount to the NEO compared to the amount the NEO would receive net of the excise tax if no reduction were made.

Under the employment agreements, if executive NEO’s employment terminates as a result of disability, the employment agreement will terminate and the NEO will receive an amount equal to one times the sum of his or her base salary and target bonus in effect on the termination date less the amount expected to be paid to the NEO under the Columbia Bank long term disability plan, payable as salary continuation in substantially equal installments over a twelve-month period. For these purposes, disability will occur on the date on which the insurer or administrator of the Bank’s long-term disability insurance determines that the NEO is eligible to commence benefits under such insurance. If the NEO dies while employed, (i) the NEO will remain entitled to life insurance benefits pursuant to Columbia Bank’s plans, programs, arrangements and practices in this regard and (ii) Columbia Bank will pay to his or her designated beneficiary an amount equal to one times the sum of the NEO’s base salary and target bonus in effect on the termination date.

Under the 2019 Equity Incentive Plan and the award agreements for the equity awards made to the NEOs, in the event of a change in control (as defined in the plan) and the involuntary separation of the NEO from service with the Company and its affiliates without cause within 12 months of the change in control and prior to the last vesting date for such awards, if such awards are not assumed by the surviving entity in the change in control, all such awards that are unvested at the time of the change in control will become immediately vested upon the effective date of the change in control.

As disclosed under “Nonqualified Deferred Compensation” at page 35 above, under the terms of the ESOP SERP, a NEO will receive an additional cash payment in the event of a change in control equal to the benefit the NEO would have received under the ESOP and the ESOP SERP had the NEO remained employed throughout the term of the ESOP loan, less the benefits actually provided under the ESOP and ESOP SERP on the NEO’s behalf.

The supplemental change in control benefits credited to NEO accounts under the ESOP SERP are nonforfeitable and will be distributed upon termination of employment for any reason. Payments under the ESOP SERP are not categorized as parachute payments and, therefore, do not count towards a participating executive’s limitation under Section 280G of the Internal Revenue Code.

Each NEO’s account balance under the SIM will become fully vested upon the NEO’s death. RIM benefits are described in more detail under “Nonqualified Deferred Compensation” at page 35 above,

Messrs. Kemly, Allen and Klimowich are vested in their RIM benefits and elected to receive payment of their accrued benefits under the RIM upon a change in control (as defined in the RIM). RIM benefits are described in more detail under “Pension Benefits” at page 34 above.

Tabular Information Regarding Potential Payments to Executives Upon Termination or a Change in Control

The following table summarizes the estimated payments to which the named executive officers were entitled upon termination as of December 31, 2020. Benefits payable under the Retirement Plan, the RIM, the 401(k) Plan and vested balances under non-qualified, deferred compensation plans are not included. For additional information on the benefits payable to our named executive officers upon termination or a change in control, see “—Employment Agreements with Named Executive Officers.”

DIRECTOR COMPENSATION

Elements of Director Compensation

Director Fees. During 2020, the non-employee directors of Columbia Bank received compensation for service and attendance as follows:

Board members do not receive any additional compensation as a result of their service as directors of Columbia Financial or Columbia Bank MHC.

Long-Term Equity Program. The 2019 Equity Incentive Plan was adopted by the Company and approved by our shareholders to enhance the alignment between the financial interests of our employees and non-employee directors and those of our shareholders.

The following table sets forth the annual equity awards that were granted in 2020 to our non-employee directors who were elected as directors of the Company at the 2020 Annual Meeting of Shareholders. The stock awards and options vest over a three year period at a rate of 33 1/3% per year.

2020 Director Compensation

The following table sets forth the compensation received by individuals who served as our non-employee directors during the year ended December 31, 2020.

PROPOSAL 2 — Ratification of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

The Audit Committee of the Board of Directors has appointed KPMG LLP to be the Company’s independent registered public accounting firm for the 2021 fiscal year, subject to ratification by shareholders. A representative of KPMG LLP is expected to be present at the Annual Meeting to respond to appropriate questions from shareholders and will have the opportunity to make a statement should he or she desire to do so.

If the ratification of the appointment of the independent registered public accounting firm is not approved by a majority of the votes cast at the Annual Meeting, the Audit Committee will consider other independent registered public accounting firms. In addition, if the ratification of the independent registered public accounting firm is approved by shareholders at the Annual Meeting, the Audit Committee may also consider other independent registered public accounting firms in the future if it determines that such consideration is in the best interests of the Company and its shareholders.

The Board of Directors recommends a vote FOR the ratification of the appointment of KPMG LLP as the Company’s independent registered public accounting firm.

Audit and Non-Audit Fees

The following table sets forth the fees billed to the Company for the years ending December 31, 2020 and December 31, 2019 for services provided by KPMG LLP.

Pre-Approval of Services by the Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

The Audit Committee is responsible for appointing, setting compensation and overseeing the work of the independent registered public accounting firm. In accordance with its charter, the Audit Committee approves, in advance, all audit and permissible non-audit services to be performed by the independent registered public accounting firm. Such approval process ensures that the independent registered public accounting firm does not provide any non-audit services to the Company that are prohibited by law or regulation.

In addition, the Audit Committee has established a policy regarding pre-approval of all audit and permissible non-audit services provided by the independent registered public accounting firm. Requests for services by the independent registered public accounting firm for compliance with the auditor services policy must be specific as to the particular services to be provided. The request may be made with respect to either specific services or a type of service for predictable or recurring services.

Any proposed specific engagement may be presented to the Audit Committee for consideration at its next regular meeting or, if earlier consideration is required, to the Audit Committee or one or more of its members. The member or members to whom such authority is delegated shall report any specific approval of services at the next regular meeting of the Audit Committee. The Audit Committee will regularly review summary reports detailing all services being provided to the Company by its independent registered public accounting firm.

During the year ended December 31, 2020, all services were approved, in advance, by the Audit Committee in compliance with these procedures.

Audit Committee Report

The Company’s management is responsible for the Company’s internal control over financial reporting. The independent registered public accounting firm is responsible for performing an independent audit of the Company’s consolidated financial statements and issuing an opinion on the conformity of those financial statements with generally accepted accounting principles. The Audit Committee oversees the Company’s internal controls over financial reporting on behalf of the Board of Directors.

In this context, the Audit Committee has met and held discussions with management and the independent registered public accounting firm. Management represented to the Audit Committee that the Company’s consolidated financial statements were prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, and the Audit Committee has reviewed and discussed the consolidated financial statements with management and the independent registered public accounting firm. The Audit Committee discussed with the independent registered public accounting firm all communications required by generally accepted accounting standards.

In addition, the Audit Committee has received the written disclosures and the letter from the independent registered public accounting firm required by the applicable requirements of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board and has discussed with the independent registered public accounting firm the accounting firm’s independence from the Company and its management. In concluding that the accounting firm is independent, the Audit Committee considered, among other factors, whether the non-audit services provided by the independent registered public accounting firm were compatible with their independence.

The Audit Committee discussed with the Company’s independent registered public accounting firm the overall scope and plans for their audit. The Audit Committee meets with the independent registered public accounting firm, with and without management present, to discuss the results of their examination, their evaluation of the Company’s internal control over financial reporting, and the overall quality of the Company’s financial reporting process.

In performing all of these functions, the Audit Committee acts only in an oversight capacity. In its oversight role, the Audit Committee relies on the work and assurances of the Company’s management, which has the primary responsibility for financial statements and reports, and of the independent registered public accounting firm who, in its report, expresses an opinion on the conformity of the Company’s financial statements to generally accepted accounting principles. The Audit Committee’s oversight does not provide it with an independent basis to determine that management has maintained appropriate accounting and financial reporting principles or policies, or appropriate internal controls and procedures designed to assure compliance with accounting standards and applicable laws and regulations.

Furthermore, the Audit Committee’s considerations and discussions with management and the independent registered public accounting firm do not assure that the Company’s financial statements are presented in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, that the audit of the Company’s consolidated financial statements has been carried out in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board or that the Company’s independent registered public accounting firm is in fact “independent.”

In relying on the reviews and discussions referred to above, the Audit Committee recommended to the Board of Directors, and the Board has approved, that the audited consolidated financial statements be included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2020 for filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The Audit Committee has appointed, subject to shareholder ratification, the selection of the Company’s independent registered public accounting firm for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2021.

Audit Committee of the Board of Directors

Michael Massood, Jr. (Chair)

Noel R. Holland

James M. Kuiken

Paul Van Ostenbridge

PROPOSAL 3 — Advisory Vote on Executive Compensation

As required by federal securities laws, we are providing our shareholders with the opportunity to cast an advisory vote regarding the compensation of our named executive officers as disclosed in this proxy statement. This proposal, commonly known as a “say-on-pay” proposal, gives the Company’s shareholders the opportunity to endorse or not endorse the Company’s executive pay program and policies through 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, compensation tables and related narrative discussion contained in the 2021 proxy statement, is hereby approved.”

This advisory vote on the compensation of our named executive officers is not binding on us, our Board or the Compensation Committee. However, our Board and the Compensation Committee will consider the outcome of this advisory vote when making future compensation decisions for our named executive officers.

The Board of Directors recommends that shareholders vote FOR the approval of the compensation paid to the Company’s named executive officers.

STOCK OWNERSHIP

Stock Ownership Tables

The following table provides information as of the Record Date about the persons and entities known to the Company to be the beneficial owners of more than 5% of the Company’s outstanding common stock. A person or entity may be considered to beneficially own any shares of common stock over which the person or entity has, directly or indirectly, sole or shared voting or investment power.

The following table provides information as of the Record Date about the shares of Columbia Financial common stock that may be considered to be beneficially owned by each director or nominee for director of the Company, by the executive officers of the Company and by all directors and executive officers of the Company as a group. A person may be considered to beneficially own any shares of common stock over which he or she has directly or indirectly, sole or shared voting or investment power. Unless otherwise indicated, none of the shares listed are pledged as security and each of the named individuals has sole voting and sole investment power with respect to the number of shares shown. As of the Record Date, none of our directors or executive officers beneficially owned more than 1% of the Company’s outstanding shares of common stock and the number of shares beneficially owned by all directors and executive officers as a group totaled 2.2% of our outstanding shares.

(a)       Represents shares of unvested restricted stock granted under the Company’s 2019 Equity Incentive Plan.

Section 16(a) Beneficial Ownership Reporting Compliance

Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 requires the Company’s executive officers and directors, and persons who own more than 10% of any registered class of the Company’s equity securities, to file reports of ownership and changes in ownership with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Executive officers, directors and greater than 10% shareholders are required by regulation to furnish the Company with copies of all Section 16(a) reports they file.

Based solely on its review of the copies of the reports it has received and written representations provided to the Company from the individuals required to file the reports, the Company believes that each of its executive officers and directors has complied with applicable reporting requirements for transactions in Columbia Financial common stock during the year ended December 31, 2020.

Stock Ownership Guidelines

Our Board of Directors has adopted a Share Ownership and Retention Policy, which sets forth stock ownership guidelines that are robust and reflect current corporate governance trends. We require our executive officers and non-employee directors to own or acquire shares of Company stock having a fair market value equal to the following amounts:

Each of these individuals must fulfill their ownership requirement within five years of becoming subject to the Share Ownership and Retention Policy, and individuals are further required to fulfill 25% and 50% of their ownership requirement within two and three years, respectively, of becoming subject to the Share Ownership and Retention Policy. In the event of a participant receiving a raise in his or her base salary or annual retainer, leading to an increase in the ownership requirement, the participant will be provided additional one year from the time of the increase to achieve the required incremental increase in his or her ownership of shares. For purposes of determining ownership, the following shall be taken into account in computing ownership: (i) shares owned directly by the individual or his or her immediate family members residing in the same household, or shares held through a trust for the benefit of the individual or the individual’s dependent family members residing in the same household; (ii) shares owned through a qualified employee benefit plan, including the 401(k) Plan, or through the ESOP; (iii) share equivalents held in a non-qualified, deferred compensation arrangements; and (iv) 100% of restricted stock, or restricted stock units, the vesting of which is contingent on time or performance.

OTHER INFORMATION 

Policies and Procedures for Approval of Related Person Transactions

We maintain a Policy and Procedures Governing Related Person Transactions, which is a written policy and set of procedures for the review and approval or ratification of transactions involving related persons. Under the policy, related persons consist of directors, director nominees, executive officers, persons or entities known to us to be the beneficial owner of more than five percent of any outstanding class of the voting securities of the Company, or immediate family members or certain affiliated entities of any of the foregoing persons.

Transactions covered by the policy consist of any financial transaction, arrangement or relationship or series of similar transactions, arrangements or relationships, in which:

This policy excludes: