UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

SCHEDULE 14A

Proxy Statement Pursuant to Section 14(a) of the

Securities Exchange Act of 1934

(Amendment No.         )

Filed by the Registrant ☒

Filed by a Party other than the Registrant ☐

Check the appropriate box:

United Rentals, Inc.

(Name of Registrant as Specified In Its Charter)

(Name of Person(s) Filing Proxy Statement, if Other Than the Registrant)

Payment of Filing Fee (Check the appropriate box):

UNITED RENTALS, INC.

100 First Stamford Place, Suite 700

Stamford, Connecticut 06902

March 23, 2021

Dear Fellow Stockholders:

You are cordially invited to attend this year’s Annual Meeting of Stockholders (the “2021 Annual Meeting”), which will be held on Thursday, May 6, 2021, at 9:00 a.m., Eastern daylight time.

Due to ongoing public health and safety concerns related to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, the 2021 Annual Meeting will be a virtual meeting conducted exclusively online via a live webcast. Please note that there is no in-person meeting this year for you to attend. We expect to hold future meetings of stockholders in-person, absent extenuating circumstances, such as the ongoing impact of COVID-19.

Under U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission rules that allow companies to furnish proxy materials to stockholders over the Internet, we have elected to deliver our proxy materials to the majority of our stockholders over the Internet. This delivery process allows us to provide stockholders with the information they need, while at the same time conserving natural resources and lowering the cost of delivery. On March 23, 2021, we mailed to our stockholders a Notice and Access to Internet Availability of Proxy Materials (the “Notice”) containing instructions on how to access our 2021 proxy statement and annual report for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2020. The Notice also provides instructions on how to cast your vote and instructions on how to receive, free of charge, a paper copy of the proxy materials by mail.

Details of the business expected to come before the annual meeting are provided in the enclosed Notice of Annual Meeting of Stockholders and proxy statement. Your vote is important. Whether or not you plan to attend the 2021 Annual Meeting, it is important that your shares be represented. Stockholders of record may vote via the Internet or over the telephone via a toll-free number. Stockholders who received a paper copy of the proxy materials by mail may also vote by promptly completing, signing and mailing the enclosed proxy card in the return envelope. While you are encouraged to vote your shares prior to the meeting, the Notice provides information on casting your vote via the Internet during the meeting.

Thank you for your continued support.

Sincerely,

UNITED RENTALS, INC.

100 First Stamford Place, Suite 700

Stamford, Connecticut 06902

NOTICE OF ANNUAL MEETING OF STOCKHOLDERS

To Our Stockholders:

The annual meeting of stockholders of United Rentals, Inc. (the “Annual Meeting”) will be held virtually via live webcast at www.virtualshareholdermeeting.com/URI2021 on Thursday, May 6, 2021 at 9:00 a.m., Eastern daylight time, for the following purposes:

The meeting may be adjourned or postponed from time to time. At any reconvened or rescheduled meeting, action with respect to the matters specified in this notice may be taken without further notice to stockholders, except as may be required by our By-Laws. Stockholders of record at the close of business Eastern daylight time on March 9, 2021, are entitled to notice of, and to vote on, all matters at the meeting and any reconvened or rescheduled meeting following any adjournment or postponement.

We are pleased to take advantage of U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission rules that allow issuers to furnish proxy materials to their stockholders over the Internet. We believe these rules allow us to provide you with the information you need while lowering the costs of printing and delivering proxy materials and reducing the environmental impact of the Annual Meeting.

March 23, 2021

Important Notice Regarding the Availability of Proxy Materials for the Annual Meeting of Stockholders to be held on Thursday, May 6, 2021. Prior to May 6, 2021, the Notice and Proxy Statement for the 2021 Annual Meeting of Stockholders and the Company’s 2020 Annual Report to Stockholders are available electronically at https://materials.proxyvote.com/911363. These materials are also available at https://www.unitedrentals.com/en/our-company/investor-relations/annual-reports-proxy-statements.

Table of Contents

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UNITED RENTALS, INC.

100 First Stamford Place, Suite 700

Stamford, Connecticut 06902

March 23, 2021

Proxy Statement

Annual Meeting of Stockholders

We are providing this Proxy Statement in connection with the solicitation by the Board of Directors (the “Board”) of United Rentals, Inc. (the “Company”) of proxies to be voted at our 2021 annual meeting of stockholders (the “Annual Meeting”) to be held virtually via live webcast on Thursday, May 6, 2021, at 9:00 a.m., Eastern daylight time, at www.virtualshareholdermeeting.com/URI2021, and at any reconvened or rescheduled meeting following any adjournment or postponement.

This Proxy Statement contains important information for you to consider when deciding how to vote. Please read this information carefully.

Internet Availability of Proxy Materials

We are making this Proxy Statement and our 2020 annual report to stockholders available to our stockholders over the Internet. On March 23, 2021, we mailed our stockholders a Notice and Access to Internet Availability of Proxy Materials (the “Notice”) containing instructions on how to access our proxy materials, including this Proxy Statement and our 2020 annual report. Stockholders will be able to access all proxy materials over the Internet free of charge, with such materials being searchable and printable. The Notice also provides instructions on how to vote over the Internet, by telephone or by mail. If you received the Notice by mail, you will not receive a printed copy of the proxy materials in the mail unless you specifically request these materials.

Internet distribution of proxy materials is designed to expedite receipt by stockholders, lower the cost of our Annual Meeting, and reduce the environmental impact of such meeting. However, if you received the Notice by mail and would like to receive a printed copy of our proxy materials, free of charge, please follow the instructions for requesting such materials contained in the Notice.

Record Date

The record date for determining stockholders entitled to notice of, and to vote at, the Annual Meeting (and at any reconvened or rescheduled meeting following any adjournment or postponement) has been established as the close of business, Eastern daylight time, on March 9, 2021.

Voting Securities Outstanding on Record Date

As of the record date, there were 72,330,146 shares of our common stock outstanding and entitled to vote. In accordance with Delaware law, a list of stockholders entitled to vote at the Annual Meeting will be available for inspection by appointment with the Company beginning 10 days prior to the Annual Meeting and in electronic form on the day of the Annual Meeting at www.virtualshareholdermeeting.com/URI2021.

Right to Vote

With respect to each matter properly brought before the Annual Meeting, each holder of our common stock as of the record date will be entitled to one vote for each share held on the record date.

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Voting

Voting Before the Annual Meeting

If you are a stockholder of record, meaning that you hold your shares in certificate form or through an account with our transfer agent, American Stock Transfer & Trust Company, you have three options to vote before the Annual Meeting:

If you indicate a choice with respect to any matter to be acted upon when voting via the Internet (or by telephone or on your returned proxy card, if applicable) and you do not validly revoke it, your shares will be voted in accordance with your instructions. If you do not vote via the Internet or by telephone, or sign, date and return a proxy card prior to the deadlines set forth above, you may vote via the Internet during the Annual Meeting.

If you hold your shares in “street name” through an account with a bank or broker, you will receive voting instructions from your bank or broker.

Voting During the Annual Meeting

If you are a stockholder of record, you may attend and vote your shares during the Annual Meeting. You can attend the meeting by accessing www.virtualshareholdermeeting.com/URI2021 and entering the 16-digit control number on the proxy card or Notice you previously received.

If you hold your shares in “street name” (i.e. through an account at a broker or other nominee) and want to attend or vote your shares during the Annual Meeting, please follow the instructions you received from your broker or nominee to obtain your 16-digit control number in advance of the Annual Meeting date.

Even if you plan to attend the Annual Meeting, we encourage you to vote your shares before the meeting via the Internet, by telephone or by mail.

Failure to Provide Specific Voting Instructions

If you are a stockholder of record and you properly sign, date and return a proxy card, but do not indicate how you wish to vote with respect to a particular nominee or proposal, then your shares will be voted as follows:

If you hold your shares in “street name” through an account with a bank or broker, you will receive voting instructions from your bank or broker. Banks and brokers have the authority under NYSE rules to vote

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shares for which their customers do not provide voting instructions on routine matters. The proposal to ratify the appointment of our independent registered public accounting firm is considered a routine matter under NYSE rules. This means that banks and brokers may vote in their discretion on this matter on behalf of clients who have not furnished voting instructions at least 10 days before the date of the Annual Meeting. However, some brokers will only vote uninstructed shares in the same proportion as all other shares are voted with respect to a proposal. Unlike the proposal to ratify the appointment of our independent registered public accounting firm, proposals 1, 3 and 4 are each non-routine matters for which brokers do not have discretionary voting power and for which specific instructions from beneficial owners are required. As a result, brokers are not allowed to vote on these proposals on behalf of beneficial owners if such owners do not return specific voting instructions.

Quorum

The presence at the Annual Meeting, in person or represented by proxy, of the holders of a majority of the outstanding shares entitled to vote will constitute a quorum for the transaction of business. If a share is deemed present at the Annual Meeting for any matter, it will be deemed present for all other matters. Abstentions and broker non-votes are treated as present for quorum purposes.

Right to Revoke Proxies

If you are a stockholder of record (even if you voted via the Internet, by telephone or by mail), you retain the power to revoke your proxy or change your vote. You may revoke your proxy or change your vote at any time prior to its exercise by (i) sending a written notice of such revocation or change to United Rentals, Inc., 100 First Stamford Place, Suite 700, Stamford, Connecticut 06902, Attention: Corporate Secretary, which notice must be received by 5:00 p.m., Eastern daylight time, on Wednesday, May 5, 2021, (ii) voting during the Annual Meeting, (iii) submitting a new proxy via the Internet or by telephone that is received by 11:59 p.m., Eastern daylight time, on Wednesday, May 5, 2021, or (iv) executing and mailing a later-dated proxy card to Vote Processing, c/o Broadridge, 51 Mercedes Way, Edgewood, NY 11717, which proxy card must be received by 5:00 p.m., Eastern daylight time, on Wednesday, May 5, 2021.

“Street name” stockholders who wish to revoke a proxy already returned on their behalf must direct the institution holding their shares to do so.

Method and Cost of Solicitation

In addition to solicitation by mail, our directors, officers and employees may solicit proxies by telephone, electronic communication or other means. We have also retained Innisfree M&A Incorporated, a proxy solicitation firm, to assist us in soliciting proxies, for an estimated fee of $22,500, plus reimbursement of reasonable out-of-pocket expenses and disbursements. Our directors, officers and employees receive no additional compensation for solicitation of proxies.

We will bear all costs associated with soliciting proxies for the Annual Meeting. We will, upon request, and in accordance with applicable regulations, reimburse banks, brokers, other institutions, nominees and fiduciaries for their reasonable expenses in forwarding solicitation materials to beneficial owners.

Matters to Be Acted Upon

As discussed in more detail under “Proposal 1—Election of Directors,” each director is required to be elected by a majority of votes cast with respect to such director, i.e., the number of votes cast “for” must exceed the number of votes cast “against.” Abstentions and shares not represented at the meeting will have no effect on the election of directors. Brokers are not entitled to vote on director elections if not furnished voting instructions by their client. As a result, broker non-votes will not be treated as votes cast and will have no effect on the election of directors.

The matter described in “Proposal 2—Ratification of Appointment of Public Accounting Firm” is required to be approved by the affirmative vote of the majority of shares present in person or represented by proxy at the Annual Meeting and entitled to vote on the matter. Abstentions will have the same effect as a vote against this proposal, whereas shares not represented at the meeting will not be counted for purposes of

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determining whether such matter has been approved. Brokers may vote in their discretion on this proposal on behalf of clients who have not furnished voting instructions. As a result, broker non-votes will not arise in connection with, and thus will have no effect on, this proposal.

With respect to “Proposal 3—Advisory Approval of Executive Compensation,” the affirmative vote of a majority of shares present in person or represented by proxy at the Annual Meeting and entitled to vote on the matter is required for approval of the compensation of our named executive officers. Abstentions will have the same effect as a vote against this proposal, whereas shares not otherwise represented at the meeting will have no effect on the outcome of this proposal. Brokers are not entitled to vote on Proposal 3 if not furnished voting instructions by their client. As a result, broker non-votes will have no effect on the outcome of Proposal 3. Voting for Proposal 3 is being conducted on an advisory basis and, therefore, the voting results will not be binding on the Company, the Board or the Compensation Committee.

With respect to “Proposal 4—Stockholder Proposal to Improve Shareholder Written Consent,” the affirmative vote of holders of a majority of shares present in person or represented by proxy at the Annual Meeting and entitled to vote on the matter is required for approval. Abstentions will have the same effect as a vote against this proposal, whereas shares not otherwise represented at the meeting will have no effect on the outcome of this proposal. Brokers are not entitled to vote on Proposal 4 if not furnished voting instructions by their client. As a result, broker non-votes will have no effect on the outcome of Proposal 4. Voting for Proposal 4 is being conducted on an advisory basis and, therefore, the voting results will not be binding on the Company.

The Board unanimously recommends that you vote:

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PROPOSAL 1

ELECTION OF DIRECTORS

General

Our Board is currently comprised of the following 11 directors: José B. Alvarez, Marc. A Bruno, Matthew J. Flannery, Bobby J. Griffin, Kim Harris Jones, Terri L. Kelly, Michael J. Kneeland, Gracia C. Martore, Filippo Passerini, Donald C. Roof and Shiv Singh. All directors were elected annually for one-year terms, which expire at the Annual Meeting.

The Board, upon the recommendation of the N&CG Committee, has nominated all current directors to stand for election at the Annual Meeting: José B. Alvarez, Marc A. Bruno, Matthew J. Flannery, Bobby J. Griffin, Kim Harris Jones, Terri L. Kelly, Michael J. Kneeland, Gracia C. Martore, Filippo Passerini, Donald C. Roof and Shiv Singh. Each director elected at the Annual Meeting will hold office until our 2022 annual meeting of stockholders (the “2022 Annual Meeting”) and, subject to the resignation policy described below, until such director’s successor is elected and qualified.

Voting

Our By-Laws require a director to be elected by a majority of votes cast with respect to such director in uncontested elections. The number of votes cast “for” a director must exceed the number of votes cast “against” that director. Abstentions and shares not represented at the meeting have no effect on the election of directors. Directors will continue to be elected by a plurality of votes cast in contested elections. A “contested election” takes place at any meeting in respect of which (i) our corporate secretary receives a notice pursuant to our By-Laws that a stockholder intends to nominate a director or directors and (ii) such proposed nomination has not been withdrawn by such stockholder on or prior to the 10th day preceding the date on which the Company first mails its notice of meeting for such meeting to its stockholders.

If a nominee who is serving as a director is not elected at the Annual Meeting, under Delaware law, the director would continue to serve on the Board as a “holdover director” until his or her successor is elected and qualified. However, under our Corporate Governance Guidelines, any director who fails to be elected by a majority vote must offer to tender his or her resignation to the Board on the date of the certification of the election results. The N&CG Committee will then consider the resignation offer and make a recommendation to the Board on whether to accept or reject the resignation, or whether other action should be taken. The Board will accept such resignation unless it determines that the best interests of the Company and its stockholders would not be served in doing so. The Board will act on the N&CG Committee’s recommendation within 90 days from the date of the certification of the election results, unless such action would cause the Company to fail to comply with any requirement of the NYSE or any rule or regulation under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), in which event the Company will take action as promptly as is practicable while continuing to meet those requirements. The Board will promptly disclose its decision and the rationale behind it in a Form 8-K report furnished to the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”). The director who offers to tender his or her resignation will not participate in the N&CG Committee’s recommendation or in the Board’s decision.

If a nominee who is not already serving as a director is not elected at an Annual Meeting, under Delaware law, that nominee would not be a “holdover director” and the process described above would not apply.

All 11 of the nominees for election at the Annual Meeting are currently serving on the Board. Each person nominated has agreed to continue to serve if elected. If any nominee becomes unavailable for any reason to serve as a director at the time of the Annual Meeting, then the shares represented by each proxy may be voted for such other person as may be determined by the holders of such proxy.

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The Board unanimously recommends a vote FOR the election of each of Mses. Harris Jones, Kelly and Martore and Messrs. Alvarez, Bruno, Flannery, Griffin, Kneeland, Passerini, Roof and Singh to hold office until the 2022 Annual Meeting (designated as Proposal 1) and until such director’s successor is elected and qualified.

Information Concerning Director Nominees and Board Consideration of Director Nominee Experience and Qualifications

In addition to the independence matters described under “Corporate Governance Matters—Director Independence,” the Board and the N&CG Committee considered the specific qualifications, experience, skills, background, judgment and other attributes of the director nominees named herein and concluded that based on the aforementioned factors, and including each director nominee’s demonstrated business acumen, ability to exercise sound judgment, integrity and collegiality, such individuals should serve as directors of the Company. The following is a summary of our director nominees’ aggregate prioritized competencies.

The charts below represent diversity and other characteristics of our 11 director nominees.

* Diverse represents our female directors and ethnically diverse directors.

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The following is a summary of the age, period of service as a director, current committee membership, business experience, attributes and skills and other directorships for each director nominee.

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EXECUTIVE OFFICERS

General

The tables below identify, and provide certain information concerning, our current executive officers other than our current President and CEO, whose information is included above.

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BOARD MATTERS

General

Our Board is currently comprised of the following 11 directors: José B. Alvarez, Marc A. Bruno, Matthew J. Flannery, Bobby J. Griffin, Kim Harris Jones, Terri L. Kelly, Michael J. Kneeland, Gracia C. Martore, Filippo Passerini, Donald C. Roof and Shiv Singh. The Board, upon the recommendation of the N&CG Committee, has nominated all of the current directors to stand for re-election. All directors will be elected annually for one-year terms.

Meetings of the Board and its Committees

During 2020, the Board met 9 times. During 2020, each then-current member of the Board attended 100% of the aggregate of (i) the total number of Board meetings held during the period for which he or she was a director and (ii) the total number of meetings of each committee of the Board on which the director served during the period for which he or she was on the committee, except for one director who attended 95% of the aggregate of (x) the total number of Board meetings held during the period for which he was a director and (y) the total number of meetings of each committee of the Board on which he served during the period for which he was on the committee.

Committees of the Board

The following table summarizes the current composition (as of March 23, 2021) of the four current standing committees of the Board: the Audit Committee, the Compensation Committee, the N&CG Committee, and the Strategy Committee. Our Chairman is not a member of any of the Board’s standing committees. However, the Chairman usually attends meetings of the Board’s committees, as all directors are invited.

Compensation Committee Interlocks and Insider Participation

None of the current members of the Compensation Committee has ever been an officer or employee of the Company or its subsidiaries or had any relationship with the Company requiring disclosure as a related party transaction under applicable rules of the SEC. During fiscal year 2020, none of our executive officers served as a member of the compensation committee of another entity, one of whose executive officers served on our Compensation Committee; none of our executive officers served as a director of another entity, one of whose executive officers served on our Compensation Committee; and none of our executive officers served as a member of the compensation committee of another entity, one of whose executive officers served as a member of our Board.

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Audit Committee

We have a separately-designated Audit Committee established in accordance with the Exchange Act. The Audit Committee operates pursuant to a charter that complies with the corporate governance standards of the NYSE. You can access this document on our website at http://www.unitedrentals.com (go to “Company” tab → “Investor Relations” → “Corporate Governance”) or in print upon written request to our corporate secretary at United Rentals, Inc., 100 First Stamford Place, Suite 700, Stamford, Connecticut 06902.

The general purpose of the Audit Committee is to:

The Audit Committee also has the sole authority to appoint or replace the independent registered public accounting firm (subject to stockholder ratification) and to approve compensation arrangements for the independent registered public accounting firm.

The current members of the Audit Committee are shown in the table on page 26. Each member of the Audit Committee meets the general independence requirements of the NYSE and the additional independence requirements for audit committees specified by Rule 10A-3 under the Exchange Act. The Board has determined that each of Mr. Roof and Mses. Harris Jones and Martore qualifies as an “audit committee financial expert” as defined by the SEC and has “accounting or related financial management expertise” within the meaning of the corporate governance standards of the NYSE, and that each member of the Audit Committee is financially literate within the meaning of the corporate governance standards of the NYSE.

In 2020, the Audit Committee met 7 times.

Compensation Committee

The Compensation Committee operates pursuant to a charter that complies with the corporate governance standards of the NYSE. You can access this document on our website at http://www.unitedrentals.com (go to “Company” tab → “Investor Relations” → “Corporate Governance”) or in print upon written request to our corporate secretary at United Rentals, Inc., 100 First Stamford Place, Suite 700, Stamford, Connecticut 06902.

The general purpose of the Compensation Committee is to:

For additional information concerning the Compensation Committee, see “Executive Compensation—Compensation Discussion and Analysis.”

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The current members of the Compensation Committee are shown in the table on page 26. Each member of the Compensation Committee meets the independence requirements of the NYSE. In addition, each member qualifies as a “non-employee director” within the meaning of Rule 16b-3 under the Exchange Act.

The Compensation Committee may select and retain outside compensation consultants to advise with respect to director, CEO or executive officer compensation; it may also terminate engagements with outside compensation consultants. The Compensation Committee also has the authority to obtain advice and assistance from internal or external legal, accounting and other advisors. Although the Company pays for any compensation consultant, the Compensation Committee, in its sole discretion, approves the fees and other terms related to the consultant’s engagement. The Compensation Committee’s use of compensation consultants is described below under “Executive Compensation—Compensation Discussion and Analysis.”

The Compensation Committee may delegate all or any portion of its duties and responsibilities to a subcommittee consisting of one or more members of the Compensation Committee.

In 2020, the Compensation Committee met 7 times.

N&CG Committee

The N&CG Committee operates pursuant to a charter that complies with the corporate governance standards of the NYSE. You can access this document on our website at http://www.unitedrentals.com (go to “Company” tab → “Investor Relations” → “Corporate Governance”) or in print upon written request to our corporate secretary at United Rentals, Inc., 100 First Stamford Place, Suite 700, Stamford, Connecticut 06902.

The general purpose of the N&CG Committee is to:

For additional information concerning this committee, see “Corporate Governance Matters—Director Nomination Process.”

The current members of the N&CG Committee are shown in the table on page 26. Each member of the N&CG Committee meets the independence requirements of the NYSE.

In 2020, the N&CG Committee met 5 times.

Strategy Committee

The Strategy Committee assists management and the Board in overseeing the development and implementation of the Company’s corporate strategy. You can access the Strategy Committee’s charter on our website at http://www.unitedrentals.com (go to “Company” tab → “Investor Relations” → “Corporate Governance”) or in print upon written request to our corporate secretary at United Rentals, Inc., 100 First Stamford Place, Suite 700, Stamford, Connecticut 06902.

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The general purpose of the Strategy Committee is to:

The current members of the Strategy Committee are shown in the table on page 26.

In 2020, the Strategy Committee met 4 times.

Risk Oversight

The Board has overall responsibility for risk oversight, including, as a part of regular Board and committee meetings, general oversight of the way the Company’s executives manage risk. A fundamental part of risk oversight is not only understanding the material risks the Company faces and the steps management is taking to manage those risks, but also understanding what level of risk is appropriate for the Company. Our Board’s involvement in reviewing our business strategy is integral to the Board’s assessment of management’s tolerance for risk and also its determination of what constitutes an appropriate level of risk for the Company. As part of its risk oversight responsibility, the Board regularly covers legal and regulatory matters; finance; compensation; cybersecurity; and climate, environmental, health and safety concerns, among others. The Board has also empowered its committees with risk oversight responsibilities as noted below.

The Audit Committee shares responsibility for risk management with senior management and the Company’s Enterprise Risk Management Council (the “ERM Council”), which is comprised of senior representatives from field operations and from each of the primary corporate functions. Risks are initially identified by each department and then communicated to senior management and the ERM Council for the development of appropriate risk management programs and policies which are subsequently implemented at the department or other appropriate level within the Company. The Audit Committee oversees the process by which management identifies and assesses the Company’s exposure to risk (including, but not limited to, financial risk and cybersecurity risk), and helps ensure that the risk management infrastructure established by management is capable of managing those risks. In addition, the Audit Committee periodically reviews and assesses critical risk management policies and infrastructure implemented by management and recommends improvements where appropriate. The Audit Committee coordinates communications regarding risk among the various Board committees and keeps risk on both the full Board’s and management’s agenda on a regular basis.

The Compensation Committee has responsibility for reviewing incentive compensation arrangements to confirm that incentive pay does not encourage unnecessary risk taking and oversees the relationship between risk management policies and practices, corporate strategy and senior executive compensation.

The N&CG Committee has responsibility for reviewing the Company’s environmental, social and governance policies and practices, including review of related risks and current and emerging trends that may affect the Company’s business activities, performance or reputation.

In addition to the work done by the Compensation Committee, Audit Committee, ERM Council and senior management, the Company’s Internal Audit department conducts an annual risk assessment. Such assessment consists of reviewing the risks identified by the Audit Committee and the ERM Council, as well as risks identified during the prior year’s risk assessment and the audit work performed during the year. In addition, the Internal Audit department collaborates with the ERM Council to identify discrete risks and common risk themes to be considered in developing the internal audit plan.

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The Board, Audit Committee, ERM Council and senior management devote significant resources to cybersecurity and risk management processes to adapt to the changing cybersecurity landscape and respond to emerging threats in a timely and effective manner. This includes, but is not limited to, taking steps to reduce the potential for fraud and service disruptions. The Company has been focused on, among other matters, expanding investments in information technology security, expanding end-user training, using layered defenses, identifying and protecting critical assets, and engaging experts. We also continuously test defenses by performing simulations and drills at both a technical and management level. Further, we conduct external assessments of our cybersecurity capabilities annually. These tests and assessments are useful tools for ensuring that we maintain a robust cybersecurity program to protect our investors, customers, employees, vendors, and intellectual property. The Company’s Chief Information Officer is responsible for developing and implementing an information security program and reporting on cybersecurity matters to the Board.

The Audit Committee performs an annual review of the Company’s cybersecurity program, which includes discussion of management’s actions to identify and detect threats, as well as planned actions in the event of a response or recovery situation. The Audit Committee’s annual review also includes review of recent enhancements to the Company’s defenses and management’s progress on its cybersecurity strategic roadmap. In 2020, the Audit Committee also hosted a third party expert to discuss general developments with respect to cybersecurity risks and related trends and considerations. In addition, the Board receives quarterly reports on cybersecurity, which include a review of key performance indicators, test results and related remediation, and recent threats and how the Company is managing those threats. Further, at least annually, the Board receives updates on the Company’s Crisis Management Plan which covers, among other things, potential cybersecurity incidents, data privacy and its compliance programs. To aid the Board with its cybersecurity and data privacy oversight responsibilities, the Board periodically hosts experts for presentations on these topics, as discussed below under “Director Orientation and Continuing Education.”

Director Attendance at Previous Annual Meeting

We encourage our directors to attend the annual meeting of stockholders, and we typically schedule Board and committee meetings to coincide with the annual meeting. All of our 2020 director nominees attended the 2020 annual meeting of stockholders.

Board and Committee Self-Evaluations

We have continued to strengthen our annual Board and Board committee self-evaluation process. The process is overseen by the N&CG Committee and varies year-to-year.

For 2017 and 2019, the N&CG Committee determined to use a holistic self-evaluation process, whereby our directors completed anonymous written questionnaires focused on how the Board and each committee performed as a unit. The results of the questionnaires were compiled by an independent law firm and the independent law firm then conducted a discussion with the Board and each committee. The Board believes that this holistic approach was appropriate for 2017, given the Board’s refreshment plan which began in 2016 with a comprehensive evaluation of the Board, and appropriate for 2019, given the 2018 process described below.

For 2018, the N&CG Committee determined that individual-level interviews by an independent law firm partner would encourage candor and be the most effective method for conducting self-evaluations. Interview topics generally included, among other matters, Board composition and structure, Board committees and their leadership, meeting topics and process, information flow, Board oversight of strategic planning and risk management, and access to management. The law firm partner, who leads her law firm’s corporate governance team, used insights from the individual interviews to lead a full Board discussion. Following discussion, the Board decided to implement certain enhancements and make other modifications identified during the process.  

For 2020, the N&CG Committee and Board had originally planned to conduct a process similar to the 2018 process described above. However, based on feedback provided during the 2019 self-evaluation, the N&CG Committee instead determined that the Chairman and each of the committee chairpersons

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would lead self-evaluation discussions, guided by question lists, at their October meetings, and conduct any follow-up discussions at their December meetings.  

For 2021, the N&CG Committee is planning to use the same overall process as used in 2018 (i.e., individual-level interviews by an independent law firm).

Director Orientation and Continuing Education

All new directors participate in an extensive director orientation program which enables them to quickly become active, knowledgeable and effective members of the Company’s Board. The program includes, among other things, receiving extensive written materials covering the Company, meetings with key members of management, meetings with the chairpersons of the committees the new director will be joining, and a branch visit. The process is tailored to take into account the individual needs of each new director, including their experience level and the committees to which they have been assigned.

The N&CG Committee is responsible for overseeing the new director orientation program. The Executive Vice President—Chief Administrative and Legal Officer and Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary are responsible for administering the program and reporting to the N&CG Committee the status of the orientation process with respect to each new director. The orientation process is designed to provide new directors with comprehensive information about the Company’s business, strategic plan, financial performance and compensation practices, as well as the policies, procedures and responsibilities of the Board and its committees.

The Board also provides continuing education for all directors through individual speakers who make presentations in connection with in-person Board and committee meetings. During 2020, the Board hosted: (i) an expert to discuss cybersecurity risks faced by public companies and board oversight with respect to cybersecurity; (ii) a representative from one of the Company’s largest investors to discuss how that firm is evaluating companies on environmental and social matters and how the Company is performing in these areas; and (iii) a third party expert to discuss greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, the Company’s GHG program and potential next steps in the Company’s climate change strategy.

During 2019, the Board hosted: (i) an economist; (ii) a speaker who discussed innovation and corporate strategy; (iii) a cybersecurity expert; and (iv) a representative from Ceres, a sustainability nonprofit organization, who discussed board oversight of environmental, social and governance risks, with a focus on climate.

The Company receives feedback from the directors on potential topics that would be useful for these presentations. In addition to facilitating these customized in-house programs, we also provide opportunities for directors to attend commercial director education seminars hosted by third parties. The N&CG Committee reviews the company’s director education process periodically to ensure that the continuing education provided remains relevant and helpful.

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CORPORATE GOVERNANCE MATTERS

Board Leadership Structure and Role of Our Lead Independent Director

Our Board has separated the roles of Chairman of the Board and CEO. We believe that separating the roles of Chairman and CEO better enables the Board to provide oversight and guidance to management, especially in relation to the Board’s essential role in risk management oversight. Furthermore, this separation provides for focused engagement between these two roles in their respective areas of responsibility, while still providing for collaborative participation.

In light of our Chairman not being an independent director, considering Mr. Kneeland’s previous service as CEO, our independent directors appointed Bobby Griffin to become Lead Independent Director in May 2019. As Lead Independent Director, Mr. Griffin’s responsibilities include:

We believe this structure of a separate Chairman and CEO, combined with a Lead Independent Director, enables each person to focus on different aspects of our Company’s leadership and reinforces the independence of our Board as a whole. We believe this structure also results in an effective balancing of responsibilities, experience and independent perspective; establishes and preserves management accountability; provides a structure that allows the Board to set objectives and monitor performance; and enhances stockholder value.

Corporate Governance Guidelines

We have adopted Corporate Governance Guidelines to promote the effective functioning of the Board. The guidelines address, among other things, criteria for selecting directors and director duties and responsibilities. In 2019, we amended the guidelines to provide, among other things, (i) for the selection of a Lead Independent Director in the event that the Chairman is not considered independent within the meaning of the rules of the NYSE, and (ii) that the independent directors should meet in an executive session that includes only independent directors at least twice a year. We amended the guidelines again in 2020 to clarify that the Board should collectively possess a diverse range of attributes and that factors to be considered in evaluating a prospective Board candidate will include whether a candidate serves on other public company boards and the number of such positions.

We have also adopted categorical independence standards (in addition to the requirements of the NYSE) by which we assess the independence of our directors. You can access these documents on our website at http://www.unitedrentals.com (go to “Company” tab → “Investor Relations” → “Corporate Governance”) or in print upon written request to our corporate secretary at United Rentals, Inc., 100 First Stamford Place, Suite 700, Stamford, Connecticut 06902.

Code of Ethical Conduct

We have adopted a Code of Ethical Conduct (the “Code”) for our employees, officers and directors. You can access this document on our website at http://www.unitedrentals.com (go to “Company” tab → “Investor Relations” → “Corporate Governance”). This document is also available in print to any

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stockholder upon written request to our corporate secretary at United Rentals, Inc., 100 First Stamford Place, Suite 700, Stamford, Connecticut 06902. The Code constitutes a “code of ethics” as defined by the rules of the SEC. We intend to satisfy the disclosure requirement under Item 5.05 of Form 8-K relating to amendments to the Code or waivers from any provision of the Code applicable to our principal executive officer, principal financial officer and controller by posting such information on our website at the location set forth above within four business days following the date of such amendment or waiver. The Board reviews the Code annually. In addition, we actively monitor internal compliance with the Code through an annual survey, which is given to (i) all salaried employees and (ii) hourly employees in a financial, information technology or sourcing role. We also require that all employees complete an online training course covering the Code.

Statement on Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking

We have adopted a Statement on Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking, which highlights the policies and measures we have implemented under the United Kingdom Modern Anti-Slavery Act of 2015. The statement was approved by our Board and can be accessed on our website at http://www.unitedrentals.com (go to “Company” tab → “Investor Relations” → “Corporate Governance”).

Human Rights Policy

We have adopted a Human Rights Policy, which highlights the policies and measures we have implemented with respect to our workplace commitment to human rights. The statement can be accessed on our website at http://www.unitedrentals.com (go to “Company” tab → “Investor Relations” → “Corporate Governance”).

Proxy Access

The Board previously approved amendments to the Company’s By-Laws to implement proxy access, which provides stockholders the ability to nominate individuals for election as a director and to have the nominee included in the Company’s proxy statement and proxy. The Board’s voluntary adoption of proxy access followed a careful evaluation by the N&CG Committee and Board over the course of several meetings of stockholder views, policies and votes at other companies on proxy access, evolving practices at other large corporations, relevant academic research, the potential impact on the Company of the adoption of proxy access, alternatives to proxy access and proxy access frameworks adopted by other companies. Section 3.10 of the Company’s By-Laws permits a stockholder, or a group of up to 20 stockholders, owning at least 3% of the Company’s outstanding common stock continuously for at least three years to nominate and include in the Company’s proxy materials director nominees constituting up to the greater of (i) 20% of the Board or (ii) two directors, provided that the stockholders and the nominees satisfy the requirements specified in the By-Laws. The Board’s adoption of proxy access enhanced stockholders’ rights without taking away any of the existing rights stockholders had to nominate directors.

Simple Majority Voting Requirements

The Company’s certificate of incorporation was previously amended to remove supermajority voting requirements. Any voting requirement in the certificate of incorporation is now a simple majority requirement.

Stockholders’ Ability to Call Special Meetings of Stockholders

The Company’s certificate of incorporation was previously amended to eliminate the provision limiting stockholders’ ability to call special meetings and the Company’s By-Laws were amended to implement the right for one or more stockholders who own at least 25% of the Company’s outstanding shares of common stock in the aggregate to request that the Board call a special meeting of stockholders.

After due consideration of feedback from the Company’s stockholder outreach program (described more fully on page 4 of the Company’s 2018 proxy statement) and corporate governance best practices, the Board determined that it was in the Company’s best interests not to lower the ownership threshold for stockholders to be able to call special meetings from 25% to 10%.

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Stockholders’ Right to Act by Written Consent

In response to a stockholder proposal that narrowly passed (receiving support from 50.15% of the shares present and entitled to vote on the proposal) at our 2019 annual meeting and after careful consideration of related feedback we received from stockholders (described on page 84 of our 2020 proxy statement), the Company’s certificate of incorporation and By-Laws were amended in 2020 to enable stockholder action by written consent. The right to act by written consent contains certain procedural safeguards to ensure that stockholder action by written consent does not occur without adequate notice, transparency, information or time. For example, to protect against stockholder disenfranchisement, written consents must be solicited from all stockholders in accordance with the applicable securities laws, rules and regulations. Additionally, to ensure that stockholders who have limited support for the action being proposed do not cause the Company to incur unnecessary expenses or disruption caused by a written consent solicitation, a minimum of 25% or more of outstanding shares of common stock of the Company is required to commence the written consent process.

Director Independence

In assessing director independence, we follow the criteria of the NYSE. In addition, and without limiting the NYSE independence requirements, we apply our own categorical independence standards. Under these standards, we do not consider a director to be independent if he or she:

For purposes of these independence standards, the “Company” includes United Rentals, Inc. and any of its subsidiaries.

A substantial majority of our directors must be independent under our Corporate Governance Guidelines, which are more stringent than NYSE rules in this regard. Nine of our 11 current directors have been

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determined by the N&CG Committee and the Board to be independent under the criteria of the NYSE: José B. Alvarez; Marc A. Bruno; Bobby J. Griffin; Kim Harris Jones; Terri L. Kelly; Gracia C. Martore; Filippo Passerini; Donald C. Roof and Shiv Singh. In addition, the Board has determined that each of these directors and director nominees also meets the categorical independence standards described above. Michael J. Kneeland and Matthew J. Flannery are not considered independent because of their employment (or, in the case of Mr. Kneeland, former employment) with the Company.

In accordance with SEC regulations, with respect to the directors that we have identified as being independent under NYSE rules, we discuss below any relationships considered by the Board in making its independence determinations. Given the size of the Company and the nature of its business, it has purchase, finance and other transactions and relationships in the normal course of business with companies with which certain Company directors or their relatives are associated. Each such transaction and relationship was determined by the Board to be an “immaterial relationship” that would not disqualify the particular director from being classified as an independent director.

In particular, the N&CG Committee and the Board considered that Marc Bruno is Chief Operating Officer, U.S. Food & Facilities at Aramark Corporation (“Aramark”) and that the Company pays fees to and generates revenue from Aramark. The annual fees that the Company pays to Aramark and the annual revenue that the Company generates from Aramark both did not exceed $1 million in 2020. The Board and the N&CG Committee believe that these transactions during fiscal year 2020 were on arm’s-length terms that were reasonable and competitive and the director did not personally benefit from such transactions. Because of the Company’s extensive operations, the number of Company store locations and employees, and the thousands of products rented and sold by each store location, transactions and relationships of this nature are expected to take place in the ordinary course of business in the future.

Executive Sessions of the Board

Our Corporate Governance Guidelines currently provide that our non-management directors should meet at least twice a year in executive sessions without the presence of management. Non-management directors who do not qualify as “independent” within the meaning of the rules of the NYSE may participate in these meetings. However, at least twice a year, the independent directors should meet in an executive session that includes only independent directors. The purpose of such executive sessions is to facilitate free and open discussion among the participants. The Chairman of the Board (or, in the absence of the Chairman, the Lead Independent Director or such other independent director as may be selected by the Board) should preside over executive sessions and, as required, provide feedback to the Chairman and CEO and such other officers as is appropriate, based upon the matters discussed at such meetings. During 2020, our non-management directors met in executive session without the presence of management two times, and our independent directors met in executive session four times.

Director Nomination Process

General

The Board has established the N&CG Committee, as described above. The responsibilities of this committee include, among other things: (i) developing criteria for evaluating prospective candidates to the Board or its committees; (ii) identifying individuals qualified to become members of the Board or its committees; and (iii) recommending to the Board those individuals that should be nominees for election or re-election to the Board or otherwise appointed to the Board or its committees (with authority for final approval remaining with the Board).

For information on how stockholders may submit director recommendations, see “Other Matters—Submission of Stockholder Proposals for the 2022 Annual Meeting—Stockholder Nominees for Inclusion in the 2022 Proxy Statement (Proxy Access)” and “Other Matters—Submission of Stockholder Proposals for the 2022 Annual Meeting—Other Stockholder Proposals or Nominees for Presentation at the 2022 Annual Meeting (Advance Notice).”

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Process for Identifying and Evaluating Candidates

The N&CG Committee may identify potential Board candidates from a variety of sources, including recommendations from current directors or management, recommendations of security holders or any other source the N&CG Committee deems appropriate. The N&CG Committee may also engage a search firm to assist in identifying director candidates. The N&CG Committee has been given sole authority to select, retain and terminate any such search firm and to approve its fees and other retention terms.

In considering candidates for the Board, the N&CG Committee evaluates the entirety of each candidate’s credentials. In accordance with our Corporate Governance Guidelines, the N&CG Committee considers, among other things: (i) business or other relevant experience; (ii) expertise, skills and knowledge; (iii) contacts in the communities in which the Company does business and in the Company’s industry or other industries relevant to the Company’s business; (iv) personal qualities and characteristics, accomplishments, integrity and reputation in the business community; (v) the extent to which the candidate will enhance the objective of having directors with diverse viewpoints, backgrounds, experience, expertise, skills and other demographics (including gender, age, race and ethnicity); (vi) willingness and ability to commit sufficient time to Board and committee duties and responsibilities (including whether such candidate also serves on the boards of directors of other public companies and the number of such positions); and (vii) qualification to serve on Board committees, such as the Audit Committee or the Compensation Committee. The N&CG Committee recommends candidates based on its consideration of each individual’s specific skills and experience and its annual assessment of the composition and needs of the Board as a whole, including with respect to diversity. Consideration of diversity as one of many attributes relevant to a nomination to the Board is implemented through the N&CG Committee’s standard evaluation process. In particular, the N&CG Committee obtains and reviews profiles and engages in thorough discussions at Committee meetings in an effort to identify the best candidates. Once preliminary candidates are identified, the N&CG Committee Chairperson, the Chairman, the Lead Independent Director and/or CEO conduct preliminary interviews with those individuals. After the preliminary interview stage, final candidates interview with all members of the Board, which the Board believes creates “buy-in” from all parties and helps attract quality candidates and populate an effective Board. The effectiveness of the Board’s diverse mix of viewpoints, backgrounds, experience, expertise, skills and other demographics is considered as part of the N&CG Committee’s assessment.

The 11 nominees for election as directors at the Annual Meeting are: José B. Alvarez, who has been a director since January 2009; Marc A. Bruno, who has been a director since May 2018; Matthew J. Flannery, who has been a director since May 2019; Bobby J. Griffin, who has been a director since January 2009 and who became Lead Independent Director in May 2019; Kim Harris Jones, who has been a director since September 2018; Terri L. Kelly, who has been a director since May 2018; Michael J. Kneeland, who has been a director since August 2008 and who became Chairman in May 2019; Gracia C. Martore, who has been a director since June 2017; Filippo Passerini, who has been a director since January 2009; Donald C. Roof, who has been a director since April 2012; and Shiv Singh, who has been a director since May 2017. The N&CG Committee reviewed and evaluated, in addition to each nominee’s background and experience and other criteria set forth in the Company’s Corporate Governance Guidelines, each director’s independence, each incumbent director’s performance during his or her recent tenure with the Board, and whether each was likely to continue to contribute positively to the Board. The N&CG Committee also considered each director nominee's positions, if any, on other public company boards and the number of such positions. For details about the N&CG Committee’s consideration of Mr. Griffin's other board commitments, see "Executive Summary-Additional Information About Bobby Griffin, Lead Independent Director" in this Proxy Statement.

Board Refreshment

Board composition remains a priority for the Company as evidenced by its continuing refreshment efforts. We strive to maintain a Board composed of directors who bring diverse viewpoints, perspectives and areas of expertise, exhibit a variety of key skills and relevant professional experiences, and effectively represent the long-term interests of our stockholders. We believe that longer-serving directors, in particular, bring critical skills to the boardroom due to their experience, institutional knowledge and

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understanding of the challenges facing the Company. However, we are also cognizant of the need to maintain a balanced mix of tenures.

Director succession presents an opportunity for the Company to expand and replace key skills and experience, build on its record of Board diversity and bring fresh perspectives to the boardroom. Accordingly, our Board engaged an independent consulting and search firm (the “Firm”) beginning in 2016 to assist in developing a long-term succession plan to identify, recruit and appoint new directors whose qualifications would bring further strength to our Board. During 2016, the Firm interviewed each then-current director and members of senior management and worked with the Board to identify key Company strategies and related prioritized competencies for directors. The prioritized competencies were then used to develop a skills matrix for directors and a long-term succession plan, both of which have been used to guide new director appointments since 2016. The Board reviews the list of prioritized competencies periodically to confirm that it reflects the Company’s latest strategy, and makes updates as needed. The current prioritized competencies are listed under the “Proposal 1 – Election of Directors” section of this Proxy Statement, and will be used to inform any future director searches.

In addition, in furtherance of our commitment to Board refreshment, we previously amended our Corporate Governance Guidelines to add a director retirement age policy.

As a result of our ongoing board refreshment initiatives, three of our long-serving directors did not stand for re-election in 2017; one long-serving director did not stand for re-election in 2018; Dr. Jenne Britell, our prior Chairman, did not stand for re-election in 2019; and Dr. Jason Papastavrou, a long-serving director, did not stand for re-election in 2020. In addition, Mr. Singh and Ms. Martore joined the Board as new directors in 2017; Mr. Bruno and Mses. Kelly and Harris Jones joined the Board as new directors in 2018; and Mr. Flannery joined the Board as a new director in 2019.

Board Diversity

The Board believes that its members should collectively possess a broad and diverse range of experience, skills, expertise, knowledge, contacts, personal attributes and diversity of opinion useful to the effective oversight of the Company’s business. To achieve this objective, the N&CG Committee and the Board consider a wide range of attributes when determining and assessing director nominees and new candidates, including personal and professional backgrounds, gender, race and tenure of Board service, recognizing that the Company’s businesses, operations and customers are diverse in nature. The N&CG Committee is committed to considering diversity in its director candidate recommendations. The Committee does not assign specific weight to the various factors it considers and no particular criterion is a prerequisite for nomination.

As summarized in the “Proposal 1—Election of Directors—Information Concerning Director Nominees and Board Consideration of Director Nominee Experience and Qualifications” section of this Proxy Statement, each of our directors brings to the Board a variety of qualifications and skills and, collectively, these qualifications form a depth of broad and diverse experiences that help the Board effectively oversee our activities and operations. The list of Board nominees includes three female directors and three ethnically diverse male directors out of 11 total directors. Further, three of our four committees are chaired by either a female director or an ethnically diverse male director, and our Lead Independent Director is ethnically diverse. In addition, the tenure of our Board is varied, which brings varying perspectives to our Board functionality.

Direct Communications with Directors

We have adopted procedures to enable our security holders and other interested parties to communicate with the Board or with any individual director or directors. If you wish to send a communication, you should do so in writing. Security holders and other interested parties may send communications to the Board or the particular director or directors, as the case may be, in the manner described in the Company’s written policy available on its website at http://www.unitedrentals.com (go to “Company” tab → “Investor Relations” → “Corporate Governance”).

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Environmental and Social Highlights

Management and our Board understand the importance of acting responsibly as a business, an employer and a corporate citizen, and we are committed to incorporating environmental and social considerations into how we do business. In furtherance of this commitment, the N&CG Committee charter notes that the committee is responsible for oversight of the Company’s environmental and social policies and practices, including review of related metrics.

Each year, we publish a corporate responsibility report showcasing our commitment to balancing the social, economic and environmental aspects of our business. Our 2019 corporate responsibility report (“CRR”) is available on our website at http://www.unitedrentals.com under the “Company—About Us” tab or using the following link: https://www.unitedrentals.com/sites/default/files/press-releases/2019%20CRR%20final.pdf.

The information presented below is intended to be a summary of our CRR. For further details about our commitment to improving the social, economic and environmental aspects of our business, please see our CRR.

Environment

We believe that our primary business—the rental of equipment—is more environmentally friendly and cost efficient than our customers buying their own equipment. The shared utilization of existing products results in lower material consumption and reduced emissions and pollutants within the manufacturing and distribution processes.

Additionally, as highlighted in our CRR, we are committed to minimizing our environmental impact. To further this objective, in October 2020, we announced a significant greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions intensity reduction goal – to reduce the GHG emissions intensity of our direct operations (scopes 1 and 2) by 35% by 2030, using 2018 as the baseline. Logistics optimization for our fleet is a key strategy for reducing fuel usage and our carbon footprint. Our FAST (field automation systems technology) program optimizes delivery and pickup routes, and loads, while also increasing trailer deck space. This reduces the number of miles driven, resulting in lower fuel consumption and emissions per total work.

Other efforts include a heating, ventilating and air conditioning (HVAC) preventive maintenance program for increased efficiency, and our lighting retrofit program at our branch locations. We also track energy consumption and associated GHG emissions at all our locations, including the fuel usage for owned vehicles to transport equipment to and from jobsites. Each branch monitors usage on an electronic scorecard to evaluate performance over time and identify potential areas of improvement. Additionally, our drivers’ idling times are reviewed to drive improvement.

In addition, becoming increasingly energy efficient in the use of our equipment by our customers is a significant part of our approach to sustainability. Innovations like telematics and self-service tools give our customers more information, allowing them to make data-based decisions. We believe there are substantial benefits to using telematics, including: (i) visibility into runtime and equipment utilization; (ii) the ability to locate equipment; and (iii) proactive fuel alerts. UR Control^®, our online rental management platform, assists customers in renting only the equipment they need and off-renting equipment they do not need, thus reducing underutilized equipment at jobsites and in transit.

Social

To support its key human capital objectives of attracting, retaining and developing talent, the Company’s human resources programs, discussed below, are designed to: keep people safe and healthy; enhance the Company’s culture through efforts aimed at making the workplace more inclusive; acquire and retain diverse talent; reward and support employees through competitive pay and benefit programs; develop talent to prepare them for critical roles and leadership positions; and facilitate internal talent mobility to create a high-performing workforce.  

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Environmental and Social Risk Management

A cross-functional core team consisting of leaders from our human resources, legal, environmental and safety departments sets corporate responsibility objectives and identifies issues that may impede our ability to advance these objectives. In addition, the Board oversees environmental and social issues and addresses stakeholder concerns through a number of processes and advises on potential risks and opportunities. The Board and the N&CG Committee have a formal schedule for consideration of social and environmental matters.

In particular, the Board believes that one of its primary responsibilities is to oversee the development of executive level talent to successfully execute the Company’s strategy. Management succession is regularly discussed by the Board, including during the Board’s executive sessions. The Board reviews candidates for all senior executive positions to confirm that qualified and diverse successor-candidates are available for all positions and that development plans are being utilized to strengthen the skills and qualifications of successor-candidates. The Board’s investment in people development does not stop with management succession planning. It actively takes an interest in making sure all employees are fully engaged and realizing their potential. To accomplish this, the Board annually reviews workplace diversity and receives monthly updates on diversity metrics. The Board also reviews results from all employee engagement surveys. In addition, the N&CG Committee regularly discusses environmental matters, including reviewing the Company’s climate change strategy and providing input on the Company’s recently announced environmental goal.

Environmental and social risks are also part of our ERM Council’s comprehensive risk management program, which is discussed in the “Board Matters—Risk Oversight” section of this Proxy Statement. As part of this program, the Board reviews the effectiveness of the Company’s risk management and due diligence processes related to environmental and social topics. In addition, the Board actively considers environmental and social issues in connection with the Board’s involvement in the Company’s strategic planning process.

Political Activities and Public Policy Participation

The Company’s policy on political activities prohibits political contributions by the Company of any kind (money, time, goods or services), directly or indirectly, even when permitted by law. This includes a prohibition on Company contributions to any candidate, campaign, political party, political committee, 501(c)(4) organization and any other tax-exempt organization that may use the Company’s contribution for political purposes. In addition, the Company is restricted from financially supporting events where a portion of the funds will be used, directly or indirectly, to fund political candidates or political parties, election campaigns or related expenses, such as communications. Moreover, the Company does not make payments to trade associations or other industry groups to be used specifically for political purposes, and it is the Company’s policy to instruct trade associations not to use Company funds for contributions to federal, state, or local candidates, independent campaign expenditures, or for other election related purposes or activities. This policy does not prohibit trade associations from using a portion of Company funds for lobbying expenditures that are not used for political contributions.

The Company may make expenditures to advocate particular viewpoints on public policy issues or support intermediaries, such as lobbyists, that advocate on the Company’s behalf. The Company’s legal department oversees this type of advocacy on behalf of the Company. Pursuant to its charter, the N&CG Committee oversees the Company’s policy on political spending and receives an annual report from management about any Company lobbying expenditures.

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EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION

Compensation Discussion and Analysis (“CD&A”)

Our executive compensation program aims to attract, retain, and reward high caliber management talent who will lead our business and execute our strategy for long-term profitable growth. This CD&A outlines our 2020 executive compensation philosophy and objectives, describes the elements of our executive compensation program, and explains how the Compensation Committee (the “Committee”) of the Company’s Board of Directors (the “Board”) arrived at its compensation decisions for our 2020 named executive officers (“NEOs”) listed below:

Executive Summary

2020 Business Overview

In 2020, our senior management team led the Company’s aggressive response to COVID-19, with the foremost priority being the health and safety of our employees and customers. We quickly determined that COVID-19 required a sweeping response to protect our employees and customers, sustain our operations in North America and Europe, and safeguard the interests of our investors.

Consequently, substantial changes were made to safety and operational protocols at all levels of the business at a time of significant macroeconomic duress. The Company persevered through this period of change by continuing to execute well, maintain its service capacity, mitigate risk and manage its capital structure for financial strength and stability.

This plan was executed by a cross-functional Emergency Operations Center (“EOC”) group of executive leaders and representatives from safety, human resources, legal, environmental, sales, strategic sourcing, operational excellence and security. The EOC structure has ensured a comprehensive approach to decision-making and cohesive communications to over 18,000 employees.

With this perspective, the Board of Directors and the Committee monitored the Company’s 2020 performance against goals in key categories, including: safety, social, stock performance, returns, profitability, balance sheet and market share. Decisions about compensation were also based on a Company-wide, consistent philosophy, which applied to all employees, including the NEOs. This included the preservation of 2020 merit increases based on the pre-COVID-19 budget and the approach toward any discretionary awards at the end of the year.

The progress of the Company in 2020 — financially, operationally and culturally — has been a critical source of support for our employees and customers during the pandemic, while continuing to serve our investors.

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Stock Performance

The charts below show that, despite the challenges of 2020, the Company continues to outpace both the S&P 500 and its Executive Compensation Peer Group (as defined on page 50 of this Proxy Statement). The following chart shows the total cumulative return of the Company’s stock based on the December 31 share price from 2015 through 2020, compared with the S&P 500 and the Peer Group.

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Note: HD Supply Holdings, Inc. was acquired by Home Depot on December 24, 2020, and is not included above; Fortive, Inc. and Ingersoll Rand do not have five years of stock price history and are not included above.

In addition, the following chart shows 2020 total shareholder returns relative to the S&P 500 and the Peer Group.

Note: HD Supply Holdings, Inc. was acquired by Home Depot on December 24, 2020, and is not included above.

For more information regarding the Company’s performance and operations, please refer to the Form 10-K and our website unitedrentals.com.

The Impact of COVID-19 on Executive Compensation

2020 Annual Incentive Compensation Plan (“AICP”) Funding Levels and Results

Despite the macroeconomic headwinds from COVID-19, our senior management team helped lead the Company to achieve strong financial and operational results in 2020, demonstrating disciplined execution, cost control and the ability to execute well under volatile market conditions. We limited the year-over-year decline in our adjusted EBITDA margin to 50 basis points, and economic profit improvement (“EPI”), which aligns with ROIC and reflects management’s ability to grow the business for profitable returns, was

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above threshold. The chart below shows the 2020 goals set for adjusted EBITDA and EPI prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as actual results. Despite our perseverance through 2020, we did not meet our original internal operating plan goals under this plan, resulting in a funding amount of 28.5% of target.

After evaluating the goal achievement under the pre-established 2020 adjusted EBITDA and EPI goals below, the Committee considered the following: that, by force of circumstance, the original adjusted EBITDA targets became effectively unattainable; that, despite external headwinds, actual results for adjusted EBITDA were slightly below the pre-established threshold goal (actual results (as defined below) of $3.938 billion versus the threshold goal of $4.028 billion); that management successfully managed EPI above the pre-established threshold goal; and that the Company ultimately performed favorably across the key performance categories described on page 42. Based on these considerations, the Committee determined to use discretion to adjust the actual results for adjusted EBITDA from 0% to 50%. As a result, the Committee approved an adjusted funding amount of 53.5% of each NEO’s applicable bonus target, which was calculated by giving equal weight to the actual results for EPI (57.1%) and the adjusted results for adjusted EBITDA (50%), as illustrated in the table below. Consistent with the Company’s philosophy of making equitable, Company-wide compensation decisions for 2020, the adjusted funding amount of 53.5% of target was applicable for all AICP participants (approximately 900 corporate and region employees), not just the NEOs. In addition, the Committee determined to use discretion to provide for an expanded range for individual performance adjustments of 80%-120% of the adjusted funded amount, instead of the typical range of 90%-110%, the application of which varied by executive based on performance results achieved. For details, please refer to “The 2020 Executive Compensation Program in Detail” section starting on page 51 of this Proxy Statement.

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2020 Performance-Based RSUs (“PRSU”) Outcomes

Like most other companies, we experienced dramatic declines in total revenue beginning in mid-March 2020, when the impact of COVID-19 was first significantly felt. It was clear that the unprecedented COVID-19 market dislocation, based on outside factors beyond the Company’s control, would lead to total 2020 revenue results that were well below expectations and unattainable threshold performance levels. As such, management’s emphasis turned to mitigating disruption, maintaining a focus on safety, continuing to support the needs of our customers, and making decisions to preserve returns and profits without sacrificing future capacity. Through these efforts, management successfully managed ROIC above the pre-established threshold goal.

Given the unprecedented COVID-19 impact, the Committee formally modified the Long Term Incentive Plan (“LTIP”) solely with respect to 2020 on December 16, 2020, by changing the weighting of the independent plan metrics to place 100% emphasis on ROIC, as outlined in the table below. With this adjustment, the Committee determined that 57.3% of the target PRSUs were earned for the performance cycle. These PRSUs were settled in shares of the Company’s common stock in the first quarter of 2021. Consistent with the Company’s philosophy of making equitable, Company-wide compensation decisions for 2020, the LTIP modification was applicable for all employees participating in the LTIP (approximately 50 employees), not just the NEOs.

The chart below shows the original performance goals set for total revenue and ROIC, as well as actual results. The chart also provides the final actual results based on the modified metric weightings. Consistent with our program structure, these metrics applied to the first tranche of PRSUs awarded in 2020, the second tranche of PRSUs awarded in 2019, and the third tranche of PRSUs awarded in 2018.

2020 “Say on Pay” Results and Investor Engagement

At the Company’s 2020 annual meeting of stockholders, we received substantial support for our executive compensation program, with approximately 92% of the stockholders who voted on the advisory “say on pay” proposal approving the compensation of our NEOs. This is consistent with the positive feedback we received in discussions with our stockholders throughout the year.

We value our investors’ perspective on our business and each year proactively interact with investors through numerous engagement activities. In 2020, these included our annual meeting of stockholders,

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quarterly earnings calls, various investor conferences, and several (non-deal) road shows. In addition, management conducted the 2020 Outreach Program to engage with stockholders about, among other topics, key compensation topics. Further, in two separate instances, stockholders engaged directly with members of our Board during 2020. Details about our 2020 Outreach Program and Board engagement with stockholders are outlined on page 5 of this Proxy Statement.

Overall, our stockholders continue to be broadly supportive of our approach to executive compensation, and we are committed to keeping our program aligned with our business strategy and investor expectations. During our engagements, one stockholder asked the Company to consider enhancing its existing clawback provisions. Based on this feedback, the Compensation Committee evaluated the Company’s existing clawback provisions (located in employment and award agreements), and decided to implement a standalone and centralized clawback policy for the Company effective February 15, 2021, which consolidates and expands upon the Company’s existing provisions, as further described in the “—Other Practices, Policies and Guidelines—Clawback Policy” section of this CD&A.  

Summary of Our Executive Compensation Practices

What Guides Our Program

Our Compensation Philosophy

The foundation of our compensation philosophy is to ensure that our executive compensation program is designed to align with the Company’s business strategy and drive long-term stockholder value. Our compensation philosophy is supported by three pillars: stockholder alignment, market competitiveness, and internal balance. These pillars are reinforced by the following objectives:

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The Principal Elements of Pay: Total Direct Compensation

Our compensation philosophy is supported by the following principal elements of pay:

As discussed below, we also provide our NEOs with a 401(k) retirement plan, limited perquisites and other personal benefits, as well as severance and change in control protection.

2020 Pay Mix

Our executive compensation program emphasizes variable pay that aligns compensation with performance and stockholder value. For the NEOs, the mix of compensation elements is heavily weighted toward variable, performance-based compensation with a balanced focus on growth, profitability, and returns. The CEO’s compensation has a greater emphasis on variable compensation than that of the other NEOs because his actions have a greater influence on the performance of the Company as a whole.

As shown below, the significant majority of NEO pay continues to be variable (87% for the CEO and an average of 77% for our other active NEOs as of December 31, 2020) based upon annual TTDC for fiscal year 2020. These charts do not include any one-time grants or awards outside of annual TTDC.

A Closer Look at the Performance Measures in Our Incentive Plans

At the beginning of each performance year, the Committee approves the performance metrics for our incentive plans. Under these plans, variable pay is based on a balanced portfolio of metrics, which promote an even weighting between growth and returns given our position in the business cycle. The chart below provides an overview of the metrics under each of the plans, their weightings (prior to any adjustments for 2020, as described above), and how they are defined.

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2020 Target Total Direct Compensation (TTDC)

The following table shows the 2020 TTDC opportunity for each active NEO as of December 31, 2020:

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Our Decision-Making Process

The Role of the Compensation Committee

The Committee is made up of independent, non-employee members of the Board and oversees the executive compensation program for our NEOs. The Committee works very closely with its independent compensation consultant and management to evaluate the effectiveness of the Company’s executive compensation program throughout the year. The Committee’s specific responsibilities are set forth in its charter, which can be found on the Company’s website at http://www.unitedrentals.com under “Corporate Governance” in the Investor Relations section.

The Committee makes all final compensation and equity award decisions regarding our NEOs. The Committee seeks to ensure that the total compensation paid to our NEOs: is fair, reasonable, and competitive; provides an appropriate balance of base pay and short-term and long-term incentives; and does not cause unnecessary risk-taking.

The Role of Senior Management

Senior management has two key responsibilities with respect to the executive compensation program:

The Role of the Independent Compensation Consultant

The Committee has engaged Pearl Meyer & Partners, LLC (“Pearl Meyer”) as its independent compensation consultant. Pearl Meyer reports directly to the Committee and does not provide any other services to the Company. In May 2020, the Committee performed an independence assessment of Pearl Meyer pursuant to SEC and NYSE rules and standards. In performing its evaluation, the Committee took into consideration a letter from Pearl Meyer confirming its independence based on factors set forth in the NYSE rules for compensation committee advisors. At the culmination of the evaluation, the Committee determined that Pearl Meyer is an independent advisor.

As the Committee’s compensation consultant, Pearl Meyer generally reviews, analyzes, and provides advice about the Company’s executive compensation programs for senior executives. Pearl Meyer considers the objectives of these programs, compares the programs to designated Executive Compensation Peer Group companies (discussed below under “The Role of Benchmarking and the Executive Compensation Peer Group”) and best practices, and provides information and advice on competitive compensation practices and trends, along with specific views on the Company’s compensation programs. In 2020, Pearl Meyer also provided advice to the Committee on director compensation and related market practices. Pearl Meyer regularly attends Committee meetings and also responds on a regular basis to questions from members of the Committee, providing them with analysis and insights with respect to the design and implementation of current or proposed compensation programs.

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The Role of Benchmarking and the Executive Compensation Peer Group

The Company competes with business entities across multiple industries for top executive-level talent. To this end, the Committee evaluates, on an annual basis, industry-specific and general market compensation practices and trends to ensure that our program and NEO pay opportunities remain appropriately competitive (but the Company does not target a specific benchmarking level).

The Committee compares each component of the total compensation package to the compensation components of comparable executive positions of a peer group of publicly traded companies (the “Executive Compensation Peer Group”). If information for a sufficient number of comparable positions in the Executive Compensation Peer Group for the applicable year is not publicly available, the Committee will also consider comparisons with general industry executive compensation benchmarking data from Towers Watson’s U.S. CDB General Industry Executive Database.

The companies that make up the Executive Compensation Peer Group and the General Industry Executive Database may vary from year to year. While the Committee does not use a specific formula to determine the allocation between performance-based and fixed compensation, it does review total compensation and competitive benchmarking when determining such allocation.

In setting 2020 target compensation levels for the NEOs, the Company used the Executive Compensation Peer Group detailed below. This Executive Compensation Peer Group was determined by the Committee based on an in-depth review by its independent compensation consultant, Pearl Meyer, which included an assessment of potential comparators to evaluate the degree to which the current peers have kept pace with the Company’s growth and evolution and an examination of the broader marketplace to identify appropriate and relevant additions to the peer group. The 2020 TTDC opportunities, consisting of base salary, target AICP, and annual LTIP awards, were determined to be, on average, competitive with the market median.

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The 2020 Executive Compensation Program in Detail

Base Salary

Base salary represents annual fixed compensation and is a standard element of compensation necessary to attract and retain talent. Base salary levels are reviewed annually. When making adjustments, the Committee considers the Company’s overall performance; the executive’s individual performance; the executive’s experience, career potential, and tenure with the Company; the applicable terms, if any, of the executive’s employment agreement; and competitive market practices. Decisions are generally made during the first quarter of the fiscal year and effective in April.

During the first quarter of 2020 and prior to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, based on the annual review, the Committee determined to increase base salaries for Mr. Flannery, Ms. Graziano and Messrs. Asplund, Pintoff and McDonnell by $100,040, $40,539, $17,805, $17,035 and $16,911, respectively, effective April 1, 2020. Mr. Flannery and Ms. Graziano received above average base salary increases to improve their competitive positions relative to our peer group. The table below shows the updates to the NEOs’ base salary rates (because Mr. Fenton was not an NEO in 2019, his 2019 base salary rate is not shown below):

During the first quarter of 2021, based on the annual review, the Committee determined to increase base salaries for Mr. Flannery, Ms. Graziano and Messrs. Asplund, Pintoff and Fenton by $49,960, $54,737, $63,480, $29,246 and $14,668, respectively, effective April 1, 2021. Ms. Graziano and Mr. Asplund received relatively large base salary increases, compared to the increases for the other NEOs, to improve their competitive positions relative to our peer group and, for Mr. Asplund, reflective of his expanded leadership responsibilities with respect to sales and specialty operations.

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Annual Incentive Compensation Plan

2020 AICP At-A-Glance

2020 AICP Targets

Target bonus opportunities are expressed as a percentage of base salary and are established based on the NEO’s level of responsibility and ability to impact the Company’s overall results. The Committee also considers market data in setting target award amounts. NEO target award opportunities for 2020 were as follows:

During the first quarter of 2021, based on the annual review, the Committee determined to increase Mr. Asplund’s target award opportunity for 2021 from 90% to 100%, effective as of January 1, 2021.

2020 Funding Levels and Results

At the beginning of 2020, and prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Committee established adjusted EBITDA and EPI performance goals as set forth below.

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Despite the severe impact of COVID-19 on the economic landscape, our senior management team helped lead the Company to achieve strong financial and operational results in 2020, demonstrating disciplined execution, cost control and the ability to execute well under volatile market conditions. We limited the year-over-year decline in our adjusted EBITDA margin to 50 basis points, and EPI was above threshold. However, notwithstanding our perseverance through 2020, we did not meet our original internal operating plan goals under this plan, resulting in a funding amount of 28.5% of target, as illustrated in the table presented in the “—Executive Summary—The Impact of COVID-19 on Executive Compensation—2020 Annual Incentive Compensation Plan Funding Levels and Results” section of this CD&A.

After evaluating the goal achievement under the pre-established 2020 adjusted EBITDA and EPI goals below, the Committee considered various external and internal factors (see “—Executive Summary—The Impact of COVID-19 on Executive Compensation—2020 Annual Incentive Compensation Plan Funding Levels and Results” section of this CD&A for a discussion of these factors) and determined to use discretion to adjust the actual results for adjusted EBITDA from 0% to 50%. As a result, the Committee approved an adjusted funding amount of 53.5% of each NEO’s applicable bonus target, which was calculated by giving equal weight to the actual results for EPI (57.1%) and the adjusted results for adjusted EBITDA (50%). Consistent with the Company’s philosophy of making equitable, Company-wide compensation decisions for 2020, the adjusted funding amount of 53.5% of target was applicable for all AICP participants (approximately 900 corporate and region employees), not just the NEOs. The table on page 54 of this Proxy Statement lists the actual awards and bonuses earned by the NEOs in 2020 (and paid in 2021).

2020 Individual Performance Adjustment Framework

For 2020, the Committee determined, prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, to use a consistent framework of pre-determined strategic factors linked to Human Capital Management, Customer Experience and Digital & Technology objectives to measure individual performance, in addition to individual key objectives tied to the NEOs’ individual areas of responsibility as defined in their annual performance reviews. None of the objectives are dispositive or individually weighted.

Based on achievements against the strategic factors in the framework and individual contributions to performance, the Committee may, in its own discretion, decide to adjust each NEO’s funding level upward or downward in the range of 90% to 110% of the initial funding amount. To assess individual performance for 2020, the Committee considered achievements against the following individual goals for each of the NEOs, respective of their areas of responsibility:

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As described in “The Impact of COVID-19 on Executive Compensation–2020 Annual Incentive Compensation Plan (“AICP”) Funding Levels and Results” in this CD&A, for 2020 AICP pay outcomes, the Committee determined to use discretion to provide for an expanded range for individual performance adjustments of 80%-120% of the adjusted funded amount, instead of the typical range of 90%-110%, the application of which varied by executive based on performance results achieved.

2020 AICP Pay Outcomes

The funding of the annual incentive amounts was set at 53.5% of each NEO’s applicable bonus target.

To further align the economic interests of our NEOs with those of our stockholders, earned annual incentive amounts were generally delivered as 50% in cash and 50% in vested shares of the Company’s common stock for 2020. The following table lists the actual awards and bonuses earned by the NEOs in 2020 (and paid in 2021).

As discussed below under “Stock Ownership Guidelines,” the NEOs are required to hold between two and six times their respective base salaries in the Company’s common stock, depending on their position. Until this guideline is met, each NEO must retain 50% of the Company’s common stock received upon the exercise, vesting, or payment of equity-based awards granted by the Company, including the shares paid in respect of his or her 2020 annual incentives. Each of the current NEOs was in compliance with the guidelines as of December 31, 2020.

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Long-Term Incentive Plan (“LTIP”) (Equity Compensation)

Equity compensation directly aligns the interests of the NEOs with those of our stockholders. In 2020, the Company granted annual equity compensation awards under our Second Amended and Restated 2010 Long-Term Incentive Plan as follows (these charts do not include any one-time grants or awards):

Performance-based restricted stock units (“PRSUs”) are earned and vest only when a specified performance level is achieved. Time-based restricted stock units (“RSUs”) vest ratably over a three-year period based solely on continued service. Time-based RSUs help to secure and retain executives and instill an ownership mentality. Historically, the Company’s PRSUs and time-based RSUs have not earned any dividend equivalents.

2020 LTIP Awards

In determining the size of each equity award granted, the Committee considers a variety of factors, including benchmarking data on competitive long-term incentive values, the percentage of long-term incentive value to be allocated to PRSUs and time-based RSUs, and the NEO’s position within the Company. The actual number of PRSUs and time-based RSUs granted is calculated by dividing the dollar value of the award by the closing price of the Company’s stock on the equity award grant date. The table below shows the PRSUs and time-based RSUs awarded for fiscal 2020 for each of the NEOs (the table below does not reflect any one-time grants or awards):

A Closer Look at Performance-Based RSUs (“PRSUs”)

Performance criteria for our PRSUs measure year-over-year performance over the course of a three-year period, rather than measure performance once at the end of the three-year period, to better account for the dynamic nature of our business. Accordingly, one-third of our NEOs’ PRSUs are eligible to vest each

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year, in an amount ranging from 0% to 200% of target, based on achievement of annual performance metrics and generally subject to the NEO’s continued employment through fiscal year-end. We measure performance annually because we operate in a highly cyclical and volatile business environment in which forecasting multi-year performance is extremely difficult and possibly counterproductive. By reestablishing goals annually, we ensure that we always have the appropriate criteria and rigor tied to the incentive performance targets. We maintain a long-term perspective by requiring multi-year vesting and denominating our awards in stock, which, coupled with our robust stock ownership guidelines, effectively aligns management’s long-term interests with those of our stockholders.

2020 PRSU Outcomes

As described in more detail on page 45 of this Proxy Statement, we experienced dramatic declines in total revenue beginning in mid-March 2020, when the impact of COVID-19 was first significantly felt. It was clear that the unprecedented COVID-19 market dislocation, based on outside factors beyond the Company’s control, would lead to total 2020 revenue results that were well below expectations and unattainable threshold performance levels. As such, management’s emphasis turned to mitigating disruption, maintaining a focus on safety, continuing to support the needs of our customers, and making decisions to preserve returns and profits without sacrificing future capacity. Through these efforts, management successfully managed ROIC above the pre-established threshold goal.

Given the unprecedented COVID-19 impact, the Committee formally modified the LTIP solely with respect to 2020 on December 16, 2020, by changing the weighting of the independent plan metrics to place 100% emphasis on ROIC, as outlined in more detail on page 45 of this Proxy Statement. As a result of this change and based on our performance results, the Committee determined that 57.3% of the target PRSUs were earned for the performance cycle. These PRSUs were settled in shares of the Company’s common stock in the first quarter of 2021. Consistent with the Company’s philosophy of making equitable, Company-wide compensation decisions for 2020, the LTIP modification was applicable for all employees participating in the LTIP (approximately 50 employees), not just the NEOs.

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Other Practices, Policies and Guidelines

Stock Ownership Guidelines

Stock ownership guidelines are a key vehicle for aligning the interests of management and the Company’s stockholders. A meaningful direct ownership stake by our NEOs demonstrates to our investors that each NEO has a strong commitment to the Company’s success. The Committee maintains stock ownership guidelines for our NEOs and other Company officers with a title of vice president and above. For 2020, our stock ownership guidelines were as follows:

Shares that count toward meeting these ownership guidelines include: shares directly owned by the executive; shares beneficially owned by the executive, such as shares held in “street name” through a broker or shares held in trust; unvested restricted stock or RSUs that vest solely based on continued service; and the value of the spread (the difference between the exercise price and the full market value of the Company’s common stock) of fully vested stock options.

Until the guidelines are met, NEOs and other officers are required to retain 50% of the net shares of the Company’s common stock received upon future vestings. NEOs and other Company officers have five years from becoming a covered employee or moving to a position with a higher ownership level to come into compliance with the guidelines. Each of the NEOs was in compliance with these guidelines as of December 31, 2020.

Anti-Hedging Policy; Anti-Pledging Policy

The Company’s insider trading policy prohibits directors, officers, employees and consultants (including each of our NEOs) as well as certain of the covered person’s family members, others living in the covered person’s household, or entities whose transactions in Company securities are subject to the covered person’s influence or control from trading in securities of the Company (or securities of any other company with which the Company does business) while in possession of material nonpublic information, other than in connection with a Rule 10b5-1 plan adopted in compliance with the policy. Such individuals are also restricted from engaging in hedging transactions on the Company’s common stock, pledging Company common stock as collateral for a margin loan, or from engaging in short sale transactions, credit default swaps and transactions in options (other than the exercise of stock options granted under the Company’s equity incentive plans), puts, calls or other derivative securities tied to Company securities.

In addition, before any director or executive officer engages in a transaction involving Company securities, such director or executive officer must obtain pre-clearance and approval of the transaction from the Company’s Executive Vice President—Chief Administrative and Legal Officer or General Counsel.

Clawback Policy

The Committee approved a standalone, and centralized clawback policy effective February 15, 2021 that applies to all Section 16 officers and other individuals as designated by the Board or Committee. The policy expands the current “injurious conduct provision” that already applies to all equity awards granted by the Company since 2009, including those held by each of the NEOs, to include AICP awards. The lookback was extended to apply to covered compensation that was paid to and received by the covered employee on or after the date which is one year prior to the date the injurious conduct occurred. The policy also includes an updated “mandatory restatement” provision (currently included in the Company’s employment agreements with certain NEOs) that requires reimbursement of compensation if amounts were paid based on financial results that subsequently become subject to certain mandatory restatements that would have led to lower (or zero) payment.

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As summarized above, the Company’s updated clawback policy consolidates and expands upon existing policies that the Company has in place. For all PRSU, time-based RSU and stock option awards granted since 2009, the award agreements include an “injurious conduct” provision that requires forfeiture of the award or, to the extent the award has vested or been exercised within six months prior to the occurrence of the relevant conduct, mandates reimbursement of shares or amounts realized. The injurious conduct concept is generally focused on actions that would constitute “cause” under an employment agreement, namely, actions that are in material competition with the Company or breach the executive’s duty of loyalty to the Company. In addition, the Company generally includes “clawback” provisions in certain of our NEOs’ employment agreements, including those with respect to Mr. Flannery, Ms. Graziano and Messrs. Pintoff, Fenton and McDonnell, that generally require reimbursement of amounts paid under performance provisions (in the case of cash incentives and PRSUs) if amounts were paid or shares vested based on financial results that subsequently become subject to certain “mandatory” restatements that would have led to lower payments or forfeiture of all or a portion of the shares subject to an award.

Termination and Change in Control Benefits

The provision of reasonable severance benefits is common among similar companies and is essential to recruiting and retaining key executives. Accordingly, the employment agreements with our NEOs generally provide for varying levels of severance in the event that the Company terminates the executive’s employment without “cause” or the executive resigns for “good reason” (each as defined in the applicable employment agreement, as described in more detail under “Benefits upon Termination of Employment”). Upon a qualifying termination, Mr. Flannery would receive a severance payment which economically represents 200% of his annual base salary and target incentive opportunity for the then-current fiscal year paid over a two-year period; Ms. Graziano would receive a severance payment which economically represents 100% of her annual base salary and target incentive opportunity paid over a one-year period; Mr. Asplund would receive a severance payment equal to 100% of his annual base salary paid over a one-year period; Mr. Pintoff would receive a severance payment which economically represents 94.7% of his annual base salary and target incentive opportunity paid over a one-year period; and Mr. Fenton would receive a severance payment equal to 100% of his annual base salary and target incentive opportunity paid over a one-year period. Upon a qualifying termination, the Company would also provide each NEO with COBRA continuation coverage for a 12- to 18-month period.

Severance payments to the NEOs are conditioned on the execution of a release of claims in favor of the Company. In addition, each of the NEOs is subject to non-competition and non-solicitation restrictions for a period of time following their termination, as described in more detail under “Benefits upon Termination of Employment.”

All unvested PRSUs, time-based RSUs and stock options granted to each of the NEOs provide for forfeiture on the NEO’s termination of employment for any reason, except in the case of a qualifying termination following a change in control or upon death, disability or retirement, each as described below. Following a termination without cause or a resignation for good reason, vested stock options will remain outstanding and exercisable for 30 days following such termination, and will remain outstanding and exercisable for one year following a termination as a result of death or permanent disability.

For PRSU awards, upon an awardee’s death, all units that could have been earned for the performance period in which the death occurs will vest based on target performance, and upon an awardee’s permanent disability, all units that could have been earned for the performance period in which the disability occurs will vest based on actual performance. The time-based RSU awards provide for vesting of all outstanding units upon death or permanent disability.

The Company entered into a Severance Agreement and General Release with Mr. McDonnell, dated September 21, 2020, in connection with his departure from the Company on September 30, 2020, that includes a form of Consulting Agreement with the Company. Mr. McDonnell’s agreement provides that he will be paid at a rate of $10,608 per week while serving as a consultant to the Company during a two-year consulting period, and will also receive severance at a rate of $5,769 per week during the first 26 weeks following September 30, 2020. Mr. McDonnell was also entitled to receive (i) a lump sum amount equal to the annual cash bonus that otherwise would have been earned in 2020 prorated for the portion of the year employed, (ii) continued vesting of the tranches of PRSUs otherwise scheduled to vest in January

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2021 and time-based RSUs otherwise scheduled to vest in March 2021, and (iii) Company-paid medical, dental and vision coverage under COBRA through March 30, 2022. Mr. McDonnell signed a general release of claims in favor of the Company and must comply with ongoing confidentiality and non-disparagement obligations, and with non-competition and non-solicitation covenants for a period of 24 months from his separation date.

Upon a termination as a result of retirement, time-based RSUs awarded will vest and be delivered upon such retirement. Outstanding PRSU awards will remain outstanding and vest based on actual performance for the full performance period and be delivered on the normal settlement schedule.

For the NEOs, retirement requires: (1) attainment of age 60; (2) age plus years of continuous service equal to at least 70; and (3) at least one year’s prior written notice of retirement.

The prospect of a change in control of the Company can cause significant distraction and uncertainty for executive officers and, accordingly, the Committee believes that appropriate change in control provisions are important tools for aligning executive interests in change in control scenarios with those of stockholders. In addition, changes to the Company following a change in control may affect the ability to achieve previously set performance measures. Consequently, outstanding RSUs and stock option awards held by the NEOs provide for “double trigger” treatment upon a change in control. A “change in control” for this purpose is defined in the employment agreement for Mr. Flannery, in the applicable award agreement or in the LTIP, as set forth in more detail under “Benefits upon a Change in Control.” If the change in control results in shares of common stock of the Company (or any direct or indirect parent entity) being publicly traded and the grantee’s employment is terminated by the Company without “cause” or by the individual for “good reason” within the 12 months following the change in control, then all such RSUs and stock options will vest in full, and all performance conditions for PRSUs will be deemed satisfied at the target level. However, in the limited circumstances that the change in control results in none of the common stock of the Company (or any direct or indirect parent entity) being publicly traded following a change in control, then all outstanding awards will vest in full, and all performance conditions for PRSUs will be deemed satisfied at their target level upon the date of such change in control.

The Internal Revenue Code imposes an excise tax on the value of certain payments that are contingent upon a change in control, referred to as parachute payments, which exceed a safe harbor amount. The Company does not provide any executive with a gross-up for any excise tax that may be triggered. The employment agreement for Mr. Flannery provides that if the executive receives payments that would result in the imposition of the excise tax, such payments will be reduced to the safe harbor amount so that no excise tax is triggered if the net after-tax benefit to him is greater than the net after-tax benefit that he would receive if no reduction occurred.

The severance and change in control provisions of our NEOs’ employment agreements and other arrangements are described in detail in the sections “Benefits upon Termination of Employment” and “Benefits upon a Change in Control,” respectively.

Employment Agreements

We have entered into employment agreements with each of the NEOs: for Mr. Flannery, effective May 8, 2019; for Ms. Graziano, effective October 12, 2018; for Mr. Asplund, effective April 28, 2008; for Mr. Pintoff, effective January 20, 2016; for Mr. Fenton, effective January 20, 2016; and for Mr. McDonnell, effective October 31, 2018. As discussed above, the Company entered into a Severance Agreement and General Release with Mr. McDonnell, dated September 21, 2020, and Mr. McDonnell ceased employment with the Company on September 30, 2020.

The employment agreements generally provide that the NEOs are entitled to participate in the Company’s benefit plans and programs, to the extent the NEO is eligible under the terms thereof, and receive the benefits and perquisites generally provided by us to our executives, including family medical insurance (subject to applicable employee contributions). Upon a termination of employment (including, for Mr. Flannery, a termination following a change in control of the Company), the employment agreements provide for the benefits described above under “Termination and Change in Control Benefits,” and below under “Benefits upon Termination of Employment” and “Benefits upon a Change in Control.”

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The employment agreements also generally provide that, during the period of employment, the NEO shall not engage in any activity that would conflict with the executive’s duties and cannot engage in any other employment. In addition, the employment agreements provide for indefinite confidentiality obligations as well as post-termination non-compete and non-solicit restrictions for two years for Messrs. Flannery, Asplund and McDonnell, and one-year for Ms. Graziano and Messrs. Pintoff and Fenton.

Indemnification Agreements

We have entered into indemnification agreements with each of the NEOs. These agreements provide, among other things, for us to indemnify and advance expenses to the NEOs against specified claims and liabilities that may arise in connection with each NEO’s services to the Company. 

Other Benefits and Perquisites

Nonqualified Deferred Compensation Plan

The Company’s nonqualified deferred compensation plan, the Executive Nonqualified Excess Plan (“ENEP”), is an unfunded plan. The participants in the plan are unsecured general creditors of the Company. The ENEP permits a select group of management and other highly compensated employees, including the NEOs, to defer all or part of their base salary and annual incentive compensation. Deferred amounts are credited with earnings (or losses) based on the investment experience of measurement indices selected by the participant from among the choices offered by the plan. The ENEP also provides for additional credits that are discretionary on the part of the Company. The Company did not make any contributions to the ENEP in 2020.

Retirement Benefits

The Company maintains a 401(k) plan for all employees and provides discretionary employer-matching contributions (subject to certain limitations, including an annual limit of $3,000 for 2020 for our NEOs) based on an employee’s contributions.

Perquisites and Other Personal Benefits

We maintain various employee benefit programs, including health and medical benefits, for all of our employees, including our NEOs. In addition, all executives who are senior vice presidents or above, including the NEOs, are eligible to receive an annual wellness exam.

The Company does not have a formal perquisite policy, although the Committee periodically reviews perquisites for our NEOs. Rather, there are certain specific perquisites and benefits that the Company has agreed to provide to particular executives based on their specific situations. Among these are relocation costs, including temporary housing and living expenses, and use of Company vehicles. In order to make travel time more conducive to work-related activities, we may periodically provide our executives with business-class travel on commercial airlines when traveling for work-related matters.

For 2020, none of the NEOs received perquisites or personal benefits with a total value exceeding $10,000, with the exception of Mr. Flannery, whose Company-paid supplemental life insurance premium was $8,505 and whose discretionary employer-matching contributions in the 401(k) plan were $3,000 based on his contributions. Additionally, the Company provided the following payments and benefits to Mr. McDonnell, in addition to the $3,000 discretionary employer-matching contributions in the 401(k) plan based on his contributions: (i) $105,617 in relocation expenses, (ii) $84,383 in a gross-up of amounts reimbursed during 2020 for the payment of taxes in connection with such relocation expenses, (iii) $4,879 related to his personal use of a Company vehicle, and (iv) $150,000 in accrued severance payments in connection with Mr. McDonnell’s separation from service. Please see the “All Other Compensation” column of the “Summary Compensation Table” on page 64 of this Proxy Statement for more information.

Tax and Accounting Considerations

The Committee considers certain tax implications when designing the Company’s executive compensation programs, including the deductibility of compensation paid to our NEOs. Section 162(m) of

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the Internal Revenue Code generally limits the deductibility of compensation paid to certain executive officers in excess of $1 million during a year. Prior to the enactment of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 (“Tax Act”), compensation that qualified as "performance-based compensation" under Section 162(m) was exempt from this $1 million limit. However, the Tax Act generally eliminated this performance-based compensation exemption for taxable years beginning after December 31, 2017. The Committee believes that tax deductibility is only one of several relevant considerations in setting compensation, and that the tax deduction limitation should not be permitted to compromise the Committee's ability to structure its compensation to attract, retain and appropriately motivate executive officers, thus providing benefits to the Company and its stockholders that outweigh the potential benefit of the tax deduction. Accordingly, the Committee has discretion to approve and authorize compensation that is not deductible for federal income tax purposes.

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Compensation and Risk Management

The Committee performs an annual risk assessment of our executive compensation programs. In 2020, the Committee considered both risk mitigators and risk aggravators—that is, elements of the executive compensation architecture that potentially mitigate excessive risk or encourage risk-taking, respectively. On balance, the Committee found that the sum total of the risk mitigators greatly outweighed the risk aggravators. The risk mitigators include: the opportunity for stockholders to cast advisory votes on executive compensation, stock ownership guidelines for executives, an independent compensation committee and compensation consultant, clawback provisions in employment and equity award agreements, a clearly defined pay philosophy, peer group and market positioning to support the Company’s business objectives, provisions enabling the use of negative discretion in certain payouts, and an effective balance of cash and equity compensation. In performing its assessment, the Committee took into account the annual risk review of the Company’s human capital programs led by the Enterprise Risk Management (“ERM”) Council comprised of senior representatives from field operations and from each of the primary corporate functions.

The ERM Council leads a review of the Company’s human capital policies and practices (including compensation) annually to ensure that they appropriately balance short-term and long-term goals and risks and rewards. Specifically, this review includes the annual cash incentive program that covers all senior management and a broad employee population, and equity compensation. These plans are designed to focus senior management and employees on increasing stockholder value and enhancing financial results. Based on this comprehensive review in 2020, we concluded that our compensation program does not encourage excessive risk-taking and is not reasonably likely to have a material adverse effect on the Company. We are confident that our program is aligned with the interests of our stockholders and rewards for performance.

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Compensation Committee Report

The Compensation Committee has reviewed the Compensation Discussion & Analysis required by Item 402(b) of Regulation S-K and discussed that analysis with management and with the Compensation Committee’s independent compensation consultant. Based on this review and discussion, the Compensation Committee recommended to the Board of Directors that the Compensation Discussion & Analysis be included in the Company’s annual report on Form 10-K and in this Proxy Statement.

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Summary Compensation Table

The table below summarizes the total compensation paid or earned by each of the NEOs for the fiscal years ended December 31, 2020, 2019 and 2018.

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Grants of Plan-Based Awards in 2020

The table below summarizes the equity and non-equity awards granted to the NEOs in 2020.