GENERAL INFORMATION

        This Proxy Statement is furnished in connection with the solicitation by the Board of Directors of Charles River Laboratories International, Inc., a Delaware corporation, of proxies, in the accompanying form, to be used at the Annual Meeting of Shareholders to be held at The Market Pavilion, 225 East Baythe Conference Center at the offices of Goodwin Procter LLP, Exchange Place, 53 State Street, Charleston, South Carolina 29401Boston, Massachusetts 02109 on Tuesday,Wednesday, May 5, 2015,11, 2016, at 8:30 a.m., and any postponements or adjournments thereof (the Meeting). The Notice of Meeting, this Proxy Statement, the enclosed proxy card and our Annual Report to Shareholders for the year ended December 27, 201426, 2015 are being mailed to shareholders on or about March 31, 2015.2016. Copies of these documents may also be obtained free of charge through our website atwww.criver.com/annual2015.annual2016.

        When proxies in the accompanying form are properly executed and received, the shares represented thereby will be voted at the Meeting in accordance with the directions noted thereon. If no direction is indicated on the proxy and it is signed, the shares represented thereby will be voted "FOR" the election of the Board's nominees as directors, 2016 Incentive Plan, the advisory vote on executive compensation, and the ratification of the selection of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP as our independent registered public accounting firm for fiscal year 2015.2016.

        Any proxy given pursuant to this solicitation may be revoked by the person giving it at any time before its use by delivering to us a written notice of revocation or a duly executed proxy bearing a later date. Any shareholder who has executed a proxy but is present at the Meeting, and who wishes to vote in person, may do so by revoking his or her proxy as described in the preceding sentence. Shares represented by valid proxies in the form enclosed, received in time for use at the Meeting and not revoked at or prior to the Meeting, will be voted at the Meeting. The presence, in person or by proxy, of the holders of a majority of the outstanding shares of our common stock is necessary to constitute a quorum at the Meeting. Votes of shareholders of record who are present at the Meeting in person or by proxy, abstentions, and broker non-votes are counted as present or represented at the Meeting for purposes of determining whether a quorum exists.

        If you hold your shares of common stock through a broker, bank or other representative, generally the broker or your representative may only vote the common stock that it holds for you in accordance with your instructions. However, if it has not timely received your instructions, the broker or your representative may vote on certain matters for which it has discretionary voting authority. Brokers may not vote without specified instruction in the election of directors (Proposal 1) and, the advisory vote on executive compensation (Proposal 2), and the 2016 Incentive Plan (Proposal 3), but may cast discretionary votes in the ratification of the independent registered public accounting firm (Proposal 3)4). If a broker or your representative cannot vote on a particular matter because it does not have discretionary voting authority, this is considered to be a "broker non-vote" on that matter.

        The close of business on March 13, 201515, 2016 has been fixed as the record date for determining the shareholders entitled to notice of and to vote at the Meeting. As of the close of business on March 13, 2015,15,

2016, we had 47,439,97547,101,221 shares of common stock outstanding and entitled to vote. Holders of common

stock at the close of business on the record date are entitled to one vote per share on all matters to be voted on by shareholders.

        An admission ticket and government-issued picture identification will be required to enter the Meeting. Any individual arriving without an admission ticket will not be admitted to the Meeting unless it can be verified that the individual is a Charles River shareholder as of the record date for the meeting. You may obtain a Meeting ticket by writing to the Corporate Secretary, Charles River Laboratories International, Inc., 251 Ballardvale Street, Wilmington, Massachusetts 01887. If you are a registered holder, please indicate that in your request. If your shares are held by a bank, broker or nominee, you must enclose with your request evidence of your ownership of shares with your ticket request, which you can obtain from your broker, bank or nominee (and, if you wish to vote in person at the Meeting, you will need to bring a proxy from your broker, bank or nominee). Please submit your ticket request and proof of ownership as promptly as possible in order to ensure you receive your ticket in time for the Meeting. Admission to the Meeting will be on a first-come, first-served basis.

        The cost of soliciting proxies, including expenses in connection with preparing and mailing this Proxy Statement, will be bornepaid by us.the Company. In addition, we will reimburse brokerage firms and other persons representing beneficial owners of our common stock for their expenses in forwarding proxy material to such beneficial owners. Solicitation of proxies by mail may be supplemented by telephone, facsimile and personal solicitation by our directors, officers or employees. No additional compensation will be paid for such solicitation. We have retained Morrow & Co., LLC to assist in the solicitation of proxies at a cost of approximately $12,500 plus reimbursement of expenses.

Votes Required

        As a result of the amendment toIn accordance with our amended and restated by-laws, effective December 1, 2014 to provide for a majority vote standard for election of directors in uncontested elections, nominees for election as directors at the Meeting will be elected by a majority of the votes of the shares properly cast at the Meeting. The affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of the shares of common stock cast on the matter is required to approve the 2016 Incentive Plan. The affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of the votes cast is required to approve our 2016 Incentive Plan and ratify the appointment of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP as our independent registered public accounting firm for the fiscal year ending December 26, 2015,31, 2016, and will constitute the shareholders' non-binding approval with respect to our executive compensation program.

        Shares which abstain from voting as to a particular matter and broker non-votes will not be voted in favor of such matter, and will also not be counted as shares voting on such matter. Accordingly, broker non-votes and abstentions will have no effect on the voting on any matter that requires the affirmative vote of a majority of the shares cast on the matter.matter (with the exception of Proposal 3, in which case abstentions will have the effect of a vote counted "against" the proposal).

PROPOSAL ONE
ELECTION OF DIRECTORS

        Under our By-laws, the number of members of our Board of Directors is fixed from time to time by the Board of Directors, but may be increased or decreased either by the shareholders or by the majority of directors then in office. Directors serve in office until the next annual meeting of shareholders and until their successors have been elected and qualified, or until their earlier death, resignation or removal.

        The Board of Directors has voted to nominate Mr. James C. Foster, Mr. Robert Bertolini, Mr. Stephen D. Chubb, Dr. Deborah T. Kochevar, Mr. George E. Massaro, Dr. George M. Milne, Jr., Mr. C. Richard Reese, Dr. Craig B. Thompson, and Mr. Richard F. Wallman for election at the Meeting. There are no family relationships between any of our directors or executive officers.

        In the event that any nominee shall become unable or unwilling to serve, the shares represented by the enclosed proxy may be voted for the election of such other person as the Board of Directors may recommend in that nominee's place or the Board may reduce its size. Our Board of Directors has no reason to believe that any nominee will be unable or unwilling to serve.

        The Board of Directors unanimously recommends a vote "FOR" the election of each of these nominees for directors.

NOMINEES FOR DIRECTORS

        The following table provides information as of the date of this Proxy Statement about each nominee. In addition to the information presented below regarding each nominee's specific experience, qualifications, attributes, and skills that led our Board to the conclusion that he or she should serve as a director, we also believe that all of our director nominees have a reputation for integrity, honesty, and adherence to high ethical standards. They each have demonstrated business or scientific acumen and an ability to exercise sound judgment, as well as a commitment of service to Charles River and our Board.

Name and Age as of the 20152016 Annual Meeting				Position, Principal Occupation, Business Experience and Directorships
James C. Foster		6465		Mr. Foster joined us in 1976 as General Counsel and over his tenure has held various staff and managerial positions. Mr. Foster was named President in 1991, Chief Executive Officer in 1992 and Chairman in 2000. Mr. Foster has been a director since 1989. Mr. Foster was selected to serve as a director on our Board due to his role as our Chief Executive Officer, his depth of knowledge of us and our operations, his acute business judgment, extensive familiarity with the businesses in which we compete, and his lengthy experience with us.
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Robert Bertolini		5354		President and Chief Financial Officer of Bausch & Lomb Incorporated from February 2013 to August 2013 (until its acquisition by Valeant Pharmaceuticals International Inc.). Mr. Bertolini served as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer at Schering-Plough Corp. from November 2003 until November 2009 (until its merger with Merck & Co) with responsibility for tax, accounting, and financial asset management. Prior to joining Schering-Plough, Mr. Bertolini spent 20 years at PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, ultimately leading its global pharmaceutical industry practice. Mr. Bertolini also serves as a director of Actelion Pharmaceuticals Ltd. He served as a director of Genzyme Corporation until its merger with Sanofi-Aventis in 2011. Mr. Bertolini has been a director since January 2011. Mr. Bertolini's qualifications to serve as a director include his industry and financial expertise. He has extensive experience in building world-class finance and information technology functions and in leading business development and strategy. Having joined Schering-Plough at a time when it was facing challenges across several areas, Mr. Bertolini was part of the team that turned Schering-Plough around and drove strategic decisions. He has had responsibility for key financial areas including tax, accounting, and financial asset management, and extensive experience in audit, financial controls and corporate governance. He has expertise in working with small and large health care companies on initial public offerings, licensing, and other strategic issues. As a result of his extensive background in public accounting and prior experience as a public company Chief Financial Officer, Mr. Bertolini qualifies as an "audit committee financial expert" under SEC guidelines.
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Name and Age as of the 20152016 Annual Meeting				Position, Principal Occupation, Business Experience and Directorships
Stephen D. Chubb		7172		Special Limited Partner of Catalyst Healthcare Ventures, a venture investment firm specializing in medical devices and diagnostic products, since June 2010. From September 2010 through March 2011, Mr. Chubb served as President and Chief Executive Officer of Allegro Diagnostics, Inc., a privately held molecular diagnostics company focused on the development and future sale of innovative genomic tests for the diagnosis, staging and guided treatment of lung cancer and lung diseases. Mr. Chubb was previously Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Matritech, Inc., a publicly traded leading developer of proteomics-based diagnostic products for the early detection of cancer, from its inception in 1987 until December 2007. Mr. Chubb served as President and Chief Executive Officer of T Cell Sciences, Inc. and as President and Chief Executive Officer of Cytogen Corp., both publicly traded biotechnology companies. Mr. Chubb also previously served as Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Mount Auburn Hospital in Cambridge, Massachusetts and as a director of Caregroup Healthcare System, and currently serves as a director of Immunetics, Inc. and Amylyx Pharmaceuticals Inc. Mr. Chubb has been a director since 1994. Mr. Chubb brings to the Board a wealth of industry and business expertise, drawing upon his 30-year history as a CEO/Chief Executive Officer, president and board member at a variety of public and private life sciences companies. The Board benefits particularly from Mr. Chubb's strong biotechnology industry expertise, and he also brings a valued perspective given his service to hospitals and healthcare providers. In addition, as a result of his background as a certified public accountantCertified Public Accountant and prior service as a public company CFO,Chief Financial Officer, Mr. Chubb qualifies as an "audit committee financial expert" under SEC guidelines.
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Deborah T. Kochevar,     D.V.M., Ph.D.		5859		Dean of the Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University since 2006. Previously, Dr. Kochevar was a long-time faculty member and administrator at the College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University, where she held the Wiley Chair of Veterinary Medical Education. Dr. Kochevar is a past-president of the Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges and American College of Veterinary Clinical Pharmacology. Dr. Kochevar is active in the American Veterinary Medical Association, having chaired its Council on Education and the Educational Commission for Foreign Veterinary Graduates. Dr. Kochevar has been a director since October 2008. Dr. Kochevar was selected to the Board in recognition of her distinct perspective as a highly distinguished academic and educator in the life sciences. As a boarded diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Clinical Pharmacology, with a Ph.D. in cell and molecular biology combined with a D.V.M. degree, and with a deep knowledge base of comparative medicine and complex animal models, Dr. Kochevar's training and experience is particularly suited to understanding and providing insights into the veterinary medical, contract research and drug development support activities that we conduct. Dr. Kochevar also provides the Board with current industry and scientific insights through her on-going involvement in a broad array of biomedical professional and trade organizations.
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Name and Age as of the 20152016 Annual Meeting				Position, Principal Occupation, Business Experience and Directorships
George E. Massaro		6768		Director and Vice Chairman of Huron Consulting Group, Inc., a management consulting company, since May 2010. Mr. Massaro was non-Executive Chairman of the Board of Huron Consulting Group from July 2009 to May 2010, Director and Vice Chairman of Huron Consulting Group since June 2004 (Vice Chairman since March 2005), Chief Operating Officer of Huron Consulting Group, Inc. and Huron Consulting Services LLC from June 2003 until March 2005, and Managing Director of Huron Consulting Services LLC from August 2002 to May 2003. He was the Managing Partner of Arthur Andersen'sAndersen LLP's New England practice from 1998 to 2002. Mr. Massaro also serves as a director of Eastern Bank Corporation, an independent mutual bank holding company in New England. Mr. Massaro has been a director since 2003. Mr. Massaro has more than 35 years of accounting and auditing experience with expertise in a broad range of areas. As a former managing partner of a major accounting firm, Mr. Massaro brings a deep knowledge of financial reporting, and auditing and tax matters applicable to a variety of industries. Mr. Massaro also provides business acumen from his numerous senior positions at Huron Consulting, as well as his service on boards of other companies. As a result of his extensive background in public accounting and prior experience at Arthur Andersen, Mr. Massaro qualifies as an "audit committee financial expert" under SEC guidelines.
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George M. Milne, Jr., Ph.D.		7172		Venture partner of Radius Ventures LLC since 2003. Dr. Milne retired from Pfizer Inc. in 2002 after a 32 year32-year career encompassing a broad array of management responsibilities, including as Executive Vice President, Pfizer Global Research and Development,Development; President, Worldwide Strategic Sales and Operations Management,Management; President of Central Research with global responsibility for Pfizer's Human and Veterinary Medicine Research and Development,Development; Senior Vice President of Pfizer Inc.; and a member of the Pfizer Management Council. Dr. Milne is a director of Mettler-Toledo International, Inc. and also serves on the boards of several private companies and charitable organizations. He was previously a director of MedImmune, Inc. from 2005-2007, Athersys, Inc. from 2002-2012, Aspreva Pharmaceutical Corporation from 2004-2007, and Conor Medsystems, Inc. from 2003-2006. Dr. Milne has been a director since 2002. With his strong scientific background (including a Ph.D. in Organic Chemistry), his long tenure at Pfizer Inc., his work as a venture partner with Radius Ventures and through his service on multiple life science boards, Dr. Milne has a deep understanding of R&D processes and the services, tools and technologies used in the life sciences industry, and supplies particular insights into industry drivers as well as the concerns and perspectives of the consumers of our products and services. In addition, he has had exposure to strategic and operational issues relevant to board leadership through his prior roleroles at Pfizer and aton other public and private company boards. Dr. Milne also brings a unique industry perspective from his biomedical venture capital activities through Radius Ventures.
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Name and Age as of the 20152016 Annual Meeting				Position, Principal Occupation, Business Experience and Directorships
C. Richard Reese		6970		Former Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Iron Mountain Incorporated, a global public information protection and storage company. Mr. Reese originally served as the Chief Executive Officer of Iron Mountain from 1981-2008 and then again from 2011-2012, and served as its Chairman from 1995- 20081995-2008 and as Executive Chairman between June 2008 and April 2011. Mr. Reese has been a director since 2007. Mr. Reese is a proven global business leader who, from the time he joined Iron Mountain as its president in 1981 with only $3 million in annual revenue, developed it into a global company with over $3.0$3 billion in revenue and more than 100,000 corporate customers. As a member of our Board, Mr. Reese provides us with invaluable guidance and advice, particularly in the areas of strategic execution, customer service, and innovation, drawing upon his extensive experience, entrepreneurial spirit, and proven track record.
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Craig B. Thompson, M.D.		6263		President and Chief Executive Officer of Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center since November 2010. From 2006 to 2010, Dr. Thompson served as the Director of the Abramson Cancer Center at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, and, from 1999 to 2011, he was a Professor of Medicine and Cancer at the University of Pennsylvania. Dr. Thompson is a Fellow,fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences; and Member,member of the Medical Advisory Board of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, and of the National Academy of Sciences and its Institute of Medicine. Dr. Thompson is a director of Merck & Co. He has been a director since 2013. Dr. Thompson was selected to the Board in recognition of his distinct perspective as a highly distinguished academic and educator in medicine as well as his extensive scientific and medical expertise relevant to life science industries, including the research and development activities of our clients. Dr. Thompson's training and experience is particularly suited to understanding and providing insights into the contract research and drug development support activities we conduct. Dr. Thompson also provides the Board with current industry and medical insights.
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Richard F. Wallman		6364		From 1995 through 2003, Mr. Wallman served as the Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Honeywell International, Inc., a diversified technology company, and AlliedSignal, Inc. (prior to its merger with Honeywell). He is also a member of the boards of directors of Convergys Corporation, Roper Industries Inc., Tornier B.V.Wright Medical Group, Inc., and Extended Stay America, Inc., and in the past five years has served as a member of the boards of Dana Holding Corporation and Ariba, Inc. Mr. Wallman has been a director since January 2011. Mr. Wallman's leadership experience, including CFO,his role as a Chief Financial Officer, and his, financial and outside board experience, providesprovide him with an informed understanding of the financial issues and risks that affect us.
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Corporate Governance

        We are committed to operating our business with integrity and accountability. We aim to meet or exceed all of the corporate governance standards established by the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) and the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Each member of our Board members,of Directors (Board), other than Mr. Foster who is also our Chief Executive Officer and President, is independent and has no significant financial, business or personal ties to us or management, and all of our required Board committees are composed of independent directors. Our Board adheres to our Corporate Governance Guidelines and our Code of Business Conduct and Ethics, which have been communicated to employees and posted on our website. We are diligent in complying with established accounting principles and are committed to providing financial information that is transparent, timely, and accurate. We have a Related Person Transactions Policy in order to promote the timely identification of transactions with related persons (as defined by the SEC) and to ensure we give appropriate consideration to any real or perceived conflicts in our commercial arrangements. We have established global processes through which employees, either directly or anonymously, can notify management (and the Audit Committee of the Board of Directors) of alleged accounting and auditing concerns or violations including fraud. Our internal Disclosure Committee meets regularly and operates pursuant to formal disclosure procedures and guidelines to help ensure that our public disclosures, including our periodic reports filed with the SEC, earnings releases and other written information that we disclose to the investment community, are complete, accurate and timely. We will continue to monitor developments in the law and stock exchange regulations and will adopt new procedures consistent with new legislation or regulations. Copies of our Corporate Governance Guidelines and our Related Person Transactions Policy are available on our website atwww.criver.com under the "Investor Relations—Corporate Governance" caption.

Code of Business Conduct and Ethics

        All our employees and officers, including our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, and members of our Board, of Directors, are required to abide by our Code of Business Conduct and Ethics (Code) to ensure that our business is conducted in a consistently legal and ethical manner. This Code forms the foundation of a comprehensive process that includes compliance with all corporate policies and procedures, an open relationship among colleagues that contributes to good business conduct, and an abiding belief in the importance of integrity of our employees. Our policies and procedures cover areas of professional conduct, including employment policies, conflicts of interest, intellectual property and the protection of confidential information, as well as strict adherence to all laws and regulations applicable to the conduct of our business.

        Employees are required to report any conduct that they believe in good faith to be an actual or apparent violation of the Code of Business Conduct and Ethics. Consistent with the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, we maintain procedures to receive, retain and treat complaints regarding accounting, internal accounting controls or auditing matters and to allow for the confidential and anonymous submission by employees of concerns regarding questionable accounting or auditing matters.

        The full text of our Code is available on our website atwww.criver.com, under the "Investor Relations—Corporate Governance" caption. We will disclose any future material amendments to the Code and any waivers granted to any director or officer within the period required following the date of such amendment or waiver on our website.

Contacting the Board of Directors

        In order to provide shareholders and other interested parties with a direct and open line of communication to the Board, of Directors, we adopted the following procedures for communications to directors. Shareholders and other interested parties may contact the lead director, any other directors, or the

independent members of the Board of Directors as a group through its Lead Director,

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We engaged in substantial outreach efforts with our major shareholders and proxy advisory firms to gather feedback.



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We obtainedobtain advice and recommendations on executive compensation best practices from our independent external compensation consultant, Pay Governance LLC.



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We shifted our Executive Long-Term Equity Incentive Compensation Program for our officers (including each of our named executives) to be more directly performance based by restructuring awards made to those officers so that they were comprised of approximately 60% Performance Share Units (PSUs) incorporating relative Total Shareholder Return (TSR) and non-GAAP EPS metrics, 20% stock options, and 20% restricted stock.stock awards/units.



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For the limited number of our executives with whom we had change-in-control agreements (which included each of our executive officers)officers at the time), we amended these agreements to eliminate any "gross up" payment by the Company of any "golden parachute" excise taxes.



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We eliminated our Corporate Officer Discretionary Allowance (CODA) program.



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We eliminated "single-trigger" accelerated equity vesting in our executive officers' change-in-control agreements.



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We added a Clawback Policy to our Corporate Governance Guidelines.



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We engage in substantial outreach efforts with our major shareholders to gather feedback, including nearly 65%% of the holders of our outstanding shares.

        In addition to the changes noted above, we have taken further action this year by including "double-trigger" accelerated equity vesting in the 2016 Incentive Plan, which we are submitting to shareholders for their approval this year.

        The Compensation Committee believes that these changes were responsive to feedback from investors and enhanceenhanced the performance orientation of our executive compensation program. As those elements of our executive compensation program continue today, we encourage shareholders to take these into account in considering the vote presented below.

        Notwithstanding the significant vote of approval for our executive compensation program in 2014,2015, we have embraced the idea of continuing outreach with our shareholders, particularly for executive compensation and corporate governance issues. In the fall of 2014,2015, we reached out to 20 of our top 25 shareholders (which included, to the best of our knowledge, shareholders holding nearly 60%65% of our outstanding stock) and inquired whether they wanted to meet and/or speak with us to discuss our executive compensation and corporate governance practices. We received positive responses from, and held one-on-one conversations with, a small subset of these shareholders, with the remainder indicating they were satisfied with our compensation and governance practices or otherwise not responding to our inquiries. In these one-on-one meetings, shareholders offered their perspectiveperspectives on relevant issues, and in each case we were informed that the shareholders were very satisfied with our financial performance, changes to our executive compensation program, and corporate governance profile. In the few areas where the shareholders indicated they might see opportunities for enhancement, management forwarded the information to our Board of Directors for future consideration.

        We urge shareholders to read the Compensation Disclosure and AnalysisCD&A on pages 24-4241-60 of this proxy statement,Proxy Statement, which describes in more detail how our executive compensation policies and procedures operate and how they are designed to achieve our compensation objectives, includingobjectives. The CD&A includes informative data that demonstrates our pay-for-performance alignment, as well as the Summary Compensation Table and other related compensation tables and narratives. Furthermore, for a detailed discussion of our 20142015 financial performance and the actions we have taken during the past four years, please also see the sections entitled "Our Strategy" and "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations" in our Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on February 17, 2015.12, 2016.

Advisory Vote and Board Recommendation

        We request shareholder approval of the 20142015 compensation of our named executives as disclosed in this Proxy Statement pursuant to the SEC's compensation disclosure rules (which disclosure includes the CD&A, the compensation tables and narrative disclosures that accompany the compensation tables within the Executive Compensation section of this Proxy Statement). This vote is not intended to address any specific element of compensation, but rather the overall compensation of our named executives and the compensation philosophy, policies, and practices described in this Proxy Statement.

        Accordingly, we ask our shareholders to vote on the following resolution at the Annual Meeting:

"RESOLVED, that the Company's shareholders approve, on an advisory basis, the compensation of the named executives, as disclosed in the Company's Proxy Statement for the 20152016 Annual Meeting of Shareholders pursuant to the compensation disclosure rules of the Securities and Exchange Commission, including the Compensation Discussion and Analysis, the 20142015 Summary Compensation Table, and the other related tables and disclosure within the Executive Compensation section of this Proxy Statement."

        This advisory resolution is non-binding on the Board of Directors. Although non-binding, our Board of Directors and the Committee value the opinions of our shareholders, and will carefully review and consider the voting results when making future decisions regarding our executive compensation program.

        The affirmative vote of the majority of the votes cast will constitute the shareholders' non-binding approval with respect to our executive compensation programs. Abstentions and broker non-votes will have no effect on the outcome of this Proposal.

        The Board of Directors recommends a vote "FOR" the approval of the advisory resolution on executive compensation.

PROPOSAL THREE—APPROVAL OF THE 2016 INCENTIVE PLAN
(INCLUDING SECTION 162(m) PERFORMANCE GOALS)

        The Board of Directors believes that the continued growth of the Company depends, in large part, upon our ability to attract, motivate, and retain key employees and directors, and that stock incentive awards are an important means of doing so.

        On March 28, 2016, the Board of Directors adopted the 2016 Incentive Plan (the Plan), subject to shareholder approval. The Plan is intended to replace the Company's existing equity compensation plan, the Charles River Laboratories International, Inc. Amended and Restated 2007 Incentive Plan (as amended, the 2007 Incentive Plan). The Board of Directors believes that the Plan will help the Company continue to achieve our goals by keeping the incentive compensation program dynamic and competitive with that of other companies, and ensuring that we may continue to attract and retain key employees who are expected to contribute to our success. The Plan will also allow us to accommodate and to create the appropriate incentives for a large pool of employees who will join us following the pending acquisition of WIL Research, and to promote retention among employees of this newly acquired business. Furthermore, as the 2007 Incentive Plan will expire in 2017, approval of a new plan is necessary to ensure that we can continue to issue stock incentive awards without disruption.

        The Plan, similar to the 2007 Incentive Plan, will utilize a fungible pool concept (described in more detail below) where each share issued in connection with awards that do not have option-like features (full-value awards) such as restricted stock and unrestricted stock (including shares issued for above-target payouts earned through performance awards) is counted as 2.3 units, and each share issued that is subject to options, stock appreciation rights, and other awards that have option-like features and that expire no more than seven years from the date of grant is counted as 1 unit against the overall reserved and available shares. The aggregate number of shares being requested for authorization under the Plan is 6,116,000 shares, which includes (i) an initial reserve of 2,467,000 of the shares of stock remaining available for issuance under the 2007 Incentive Plan and (ii) an increase of 3,649,000 shares of stock, as approved by the Board of Directors, subject to approval by the shareholders of the Company. As such, the requested aggregate share reserve under the Plan represents only an additional 2,489,396 shares in excess of the remaining share capacity under the 2007 Incentive Plan (which is 3,626,604 shares as of March 15, 2016). If the Plan is approved by our shareholders, the Plan will replace the 2007 Incentive Plan and no additional grants will be made from the remaining share reserve under the 2007 Incentive Plan. However, shares forfeited or otherwise not delivered in accordance with the 2007 Incentive Plan (such as shares currently reserved for settlement of outstanding Performance Share Unit (PSU) awards at a maximum payout level) will become available for issuance under the Plan.

        Depending on the forms of awards granted under the Plan, a maximum of 6,116,000 stock options or stock appreciation rights or 2,659,130 full-value awards could be granted under the Plan. Except as described above, no further awards are permitted to be granted under any of our preexisting stock option and incentive plans. The number of shares authorized under the Plan is anticipated to enable us to grant stock-based awards through 2019. In 2013, our shareholders approved an amendment to the 2007 Incentive Plan authorizing an increase in the number of shares that could be granted under such plan. Our Board of Directors projected then that shares authorized under the 2007 Incentive Plan would enable the Company to grant stock-based awards through 2016, and we have managed our share reserve to meet this projection.

        The closing price of Charles River common stock on the NYSE on March 15, 2016 was $71.07.

        The Compensation Committee worked with Pay Governance LLC, its outside compensation consultant, to develop the Plan, while taking into account the many institutional investor dilution guidelines, as well as the guidelines of investor advisory firms. We will continue to monitor the comparative advantages and accounting treatment of equity compensation awards going forward, in

order to ensure that the Plan promotes retention and creates incentives in a manner which benefits our shareholders.

        The affirmative vote of a majority of the votes present or represented and entitled to vote at the Meeting is required to approve the proposed Plan. This means that, assuming a quorum is present, the number of votes cast in favor of the proposal must exceed the number of votes cast against it. In addition, under New York Stock Exchange rules, an "abstention" is counted as a vote "against" the proposal. If the Plan is not approved by shareholders, we will not be able to make the proposed additional 3,649,000 shares available for issuance under the Plan.

There are a number of reasons why we believe approving this Plan is important:

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The 2007 Incentive Plan will expire in 2017.  Approval of a new plan is necessary to ensure that we can continue to issue stock incentive awards without disruption.



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The Plan will allow us to continue to grant equity awards, an important incentive tool for creating shareholder value.  The use of equity compensation as a component of our compensation program is critical to our future success. Equity awards create an employee ownership culture that aligns the interests of employees with shareholders. Equity compensation also focuses employees' attention on creating long-term value, since the awards are subject to vesting and/or performance conditions. For example:



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We have established stock ownership requirements for all corporate officers, which are further described on pages 59-60 of this Proxy Statement; and



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A substantial portion of the equity compensation granted to executive officers is awarded in the form of performance share units (PSUs), which are earned only if the Company attains specified performance levels, as described in more detail on pages 54-58 of this Proxy Statement.



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Equity awards are critical as a recruiting and retention tool.  Our success is dependent on having talented employees to drive our growth and performance, and a competitive compensation program that includes equity awards is essential for attracting and retaining such employees. Equity compensation is utilized routinely by other companies with whom we compete for talent, and if we were not able to continue to include stock-based awards in our compensation mix, we would be at a significant competitive disadvantage for critical talent. Without equity compensation, our recruiting efforts could be more challenging, and executives and other leadership staff would no longer have stock awards at risk of forfeiture, which could impact our ability to retain them.



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Equity awards are critical as a motivational tool.  We have placed a significant portion of eligible employees' compensation at risk through the use of our annual bonus and equity grant programs, both of which only provide value to the employee if the Company's performance remains strong. This encourages employees to pair a short-term view of performance (for purposes of the annual bonus) with a long-term view of performance (for purposes of stock grants), which provides sustained motivation for ongoing innovation.



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We have demonstrated prudent equity compensation practices.  We recognize that equity compensation programs dilute shareholder equity and we take seriously our responsibility to use these programs responsibly. Our compensation programs are designed to be consistent with competitive market practice, and we believe that our historical share utilization has been prudent and mindful of shareholder interests. For example:

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Our 3-year average burn rate for 2013-2015 was 4.94%, which is well within the market standard for our industry and company size. The "burn rate" is the ratio of the number of shares underlying awards, including PSUs valued at 100% of target, granted during a year to the number of basic weighted average common shares outstanding at fiscal year-end. For purposes of calculating the burn rate, we have used the higher Institutional Shareholder Services (ISS) fungible multiplier (3.0) for every full-value share granted.



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We have a record of effectively estimating and managing our share reserve. For instance, in 2013, when we asked our shareholders to approve an increase in the number of shares that could be granted under the 2007 Incentive Plan, our Board of Directors projected that the share reserve would enable the Company to grant stock-based awards through 2016, and we effectively managed our share reserve to meet this projection. For the 2016 Plan, we are projecting the initial share reserve will allow us to grant stock-based awards through 2019.



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Through our stock repurchase program (described on page 42 of this Proxy Statement), we have offset equity issuances related to stock compensation by repurchasing a sufficient number of shares to avoid a dilutive increase in shares outstanding.



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We generally employ a 4-year vesting schedule for annual, time-based awards which encourages sustained performance and a return of value to shareholders as well as employees; and



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We emphasize the use of full-value shares over options, which helps to minimize dilution by using fewer shares than a program which emphasizes options. The Company aims to deliver a dollar value through its awards, and because it takes fewer full-value shares than options to deliver a particular dollar value to recipients, an emphasis on full-value shares results in our utilization of fewer shares.



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The Plan includes features designed to protect shareholder interests:  



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Awards under the Plan are administered by the Compensation Committee, which consists entirely of independent directors;



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The Plan includes strict recycling provisions. Shares held back in satisfaction of the exercise price or tax withholding requirements will not be available for new grants;



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The Plan prohibits granting stock options and stock appreciation rights (SARs) with an exercise price below the fair market value of a share of stock on the date of grant;



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The Plan prohibits the repricing of stock options or SARs or the exchange of stock options or SARs for cash or other awards without shareholder approval;



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The Plan provides that at least 95% of all full-value awards to employees that are not performance awards made under the Plan will vest (i.e., become free of forfeiture restrictions) over a period of time at least three years or more from the date of grant; and



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Material amendments to the Plan require shareholder approval.



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If the Plan is not approved, we would experience a serious disruption of our compensation programs and we would be compelled to increase the cash component of employee compensation.  If the Plan is not approved and we fail to replace the value of equity compensation, it would create an environment where engagement of our most critical employees (including employees being added as a result of our acquisition of WIL Research) could be severely eroded. Therefore, in order to provide competitive compensation opportunities to attract, motivate and retain employees without equity compensation, we would likely need to employ cash or other non-equity rewards to replace the compensation previously delivered in equity awards. We believe these alternative forms of compensation do not align employee interests with those of

shareholders as efficiently as stock-based awards, and we feel it is important to continue to provide compensation which continues to effectively align employees with shareholders.

Section 162(m) Performance Goals

        Shareholder approval of the Plan will constitute approval of the material terms of the performance goals under the Plan for purposes of Section 162(m) of the Internal Revenue Code (Code). We are seeking shareholder approval of the material terms of the performance goals under the Plan to provide us with additional flexibility to grant awards that meet the requirements to avoid the disallowance of tax deductibility under Section 162(m) of the Code.

        Section 162(m) of the Code generally limits the federal income tax deduction for compensation paid to any person who serves as chief executive officer or who is one of the three other most highly compensated executive officers, other than the chief financial officer, of a publicly held corporation (each such person, a Covered Employee) to $1 million per year, with an exception for qualified performance-based compensation.

        One of the requirements of the qualified performance-based compensation exception under Section 162(m) of the Code is that the material terms of the performance goals under which compensation may be paid be disclosed to, and approved by, shareholders. For purposes of Section 162(m) of the Code, the material terms of the performance goals are:

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the individuals eligible to receive compensation (see "—Summary of the Plan—Eligibility to Receive Awards" below);



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a description of the criteria on which the performance goals are based (see "—Summary of the Plan—Description of the Awards, Performance Awards" below); and



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either the maximum amount of compensation that could be paid to an employee if the performance goals are attained, or the formula used to calculate the amount of compensation to be paid to the employee if the performance goals are attained (see "—Summary of the Plan—Certain Share Limits on Awards under the Plan, Individual Award Limitations" below).

        By approving the Plan, our shareholders will provide us with more flexibility and an additional means to ensure that the compensation we pay to our executive officers is fully deductible for federal income tax purposes under Section 162(m) of the Code. If our shareholders do not approve the Plan, the compensation paid to our executive officers may not be entirely deductible under Section 162(m) of the Code.

The Board of Directors believes that the Plan, authorizing the issuance of
6,116,000 shares of common stock, is in the best interest of the Company
and its shareholders and recommends a vote "FOR" the approval of the Plan.

Summary of the Plan

        The following is a brief summary of the material terms of the Plan, as proposed. This summary is qualified in its entirety by reference to the Plan, a copy of which is attached as Appendix B to the electronic version of this Proxy Statement as filed with the SEC and may be accessed from the SEC's website (www.sec.gov). In addition, a hard copy may be obtained by making a written request to our Corporate Secretary.

The Board of Directors approved the Plan, which authorizes a total of 6,116,000 shares of common stock, on March 28, 2016. The total of 6,116,000 shares of common stock includes (i) an initial reserve of 2,467,000 of the shares of stock remaining available for issuance under the 2007 Incentive Plan as of March 15, 2016, and (ii) an increase of 3,649,000 shares of stock, as approved by the Board of Directors, subject to approval by the shareholders of the Company. The Plan may be

amended by the Board of Directors or the Compensation Committee, provided that any amendment which requires shareholder approval in order to ensure (i) continued qualification under the NYSE rules, (ii) favorable federal income tax treatment for any incentive stock options under Section 422 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, (iii) eligibility for the performance-based exception under Section 162(m) of the Code or (iv) compliance with, or the avoidance of adverse consequences under, Section 409A of the Code, is subject to obtaining such shareholder approval. As of March 15, 2016, the market value of the total number of shares to be reserved for issuance under the Plan was $71.07. The Plan is being submitted for shareholder approval at the Meeting to ensure qualification of the Plan under the NYSE rules and Sections 422 and 162(m) of the Code.

Eligibility to Receive Awards

        All employees, non-employee directors, and individuals providing services to the Company or its affiliates (approximately 8,700 people as of March 15, 2016) are potentially eligible to participate in the Plan. Eligibility for incentive stock options is limited to those individuals whose employment status would qualify them for the tax treatment of Sections 421 and 422 of the Code. Participants are not required to provide consideration to the Company or its affiliates for the grant or extension of awards under the Plan, other than to provide services to the Company or its affiliates.

Non-Employee Director Limit

        The aggregate grant date fair value (determined as of the date of grant) of any equity award granted under the Plan to an individual upon becoming a non-employee member of the Board of Directors (Initial Non-Employee Director Grant) shall not exceed $800,000. All awards granted under the Plan to any individual non-employee member of the Board of Directors during any one-year term (excluding an Initial Non-Employee Director Grant) shall not exceed $600,000.

New Plan Benefits

        The granting of awards under the Plan is discretionary, and we cannot now determine the number or type of awards to be granted in the future to any particular group or person. Accordingly, a new plan benefits table for the Plan and the benefits or amounts that would have been received by or allocated to participants for the last completed fiscal year under the Plan if the Plan was then in effect, as described in the proxy rules, are not provided because all awards made under the Plan will be subject to the terms of the Plan and made at the discretion of the Compensation Committee (with respect to all participants other than non-employee directors) or the Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee (with respect to non-employee directors). As of the date of this Proxy Statement, no awards have been granted under the Plan. Therefore, the benefits and amounts that will be received or allocated under the Plan are not determinable at this time. Nevertheless, the Company anticipates that awards will be made under the Plan (if approved by shareholders at the Annual Meeting) to our non-employee directors in May 2016. If each non-employee director were awarded stock options and restricted stock in 2016 with the same grant date fair value as the award the director received in 2015, then as of March 11, 2016, each director would receive 3,070 stock options and 1,850 shares of restricted stock pursuant to the Plan. For additional information on our annual equity awards to non-employee directors in the last fiscal year, please see the 2015 Director Compensation Table on page 19 of this Proxy Statement. Please also refer to the Summary Compensation Table on page 61 in this Proxy Statement which sets forth certain information regarding awards granted to our named executives during fiscal 2015.

Administration of the Plan

        The Compensation Committee administers the Plan. Subject to the provisions of the Plan, the Compensation Committee determines the persons to whom awards will be granted, the number of

shares to be covered by each stock award, and the terms and conditions upon which each of the awards may be granted including vesting periods and transferability.

Available Shares

        Subject to adjustment upon certain corporate transactions or events, as proposed, up to a maximum of 6,116,000 shares of common stock (the Fungible Pool Limit), which includes (i) an initial reserve of 2,467,000 of the shares of stock remaining available for issuance under the 2007 Incentive Plan as of March 15, 2016, and (ii) an increase of 3,649,000 shares of stock, as approved by the Board of Directors, subject to approval by the shareholders of the Company, may be subject to stock options, restricted stock, stock appreciation rights, unrestricted stock, deferred stock, and other equity-based awards under the Plan. Each share issued or to be issued in connection with awards such as restricted stock and unrestricted stock that do not have option-like features (full-value awards) shall be counted against the Fungible Pool Limit as 2.3 units. Each share issued or to be issued that is subject to options, stock appreciation rights and other awards that have option-like features and that expire no more than seven years from the date of grant shall be counted against the Fungible Pool Limit as 1 unit. Awards not denominated in shares shall not count against the Fungible Pool Limit.

        Shares that are forfeited or cancelled shall not be considered to have been delivered under the Plan (and thus will be available for future grant under the Plan), but shares retained by the Company in satisfaction of the exercise price or tax withholding requirements of an award will be considered to have been delivered under the Plan (and thus will not be available for future grant under the Plan). In addition, shares repurchased by the Company with proceeds collected in connection with the exercise of outstanding options will not be added to the number of shares available for future grant under the Plan. The Compensation Committee will administer the appropriate methodology for calculating the number of shares of common stock issued pursuant to the Plan in accordance with the foregoing.

Description of Awards

        The Plan provides for a range of awards including stock options, stock appreciation rights, restricted stock, unrestricted stock, deferred stock, cash performance awards, and grants of cash made in connection with other awards in order to help defray in whole or in part the economic cost (including tax cost) of the award to the participant. In addition, the Plan provides that certain awards may be designated as performance awards if they are related to a performance period determined at the time of grant.

Stock Options

        Stock options under the Plan may be either (1) options intended to qualify as "incentive stock options" under Section 422 of the Code or (2) non-qualified stock options. Incentive stock options may be granted under the Plan to employees of the Company and its affiliates. Non-qualified stock options may be granted to employees of the Company and its affiliates, consultants, and directors.

        In accordance with federal tax laws, the aggregate fair market value (determined at the time of grant) of shares issuable pursuant to incentive stock options which first become exercisable in any calendar year under any incentive stock option of the Company may not exceed $100,000 calculated individually for each option holder. Options granted under the Plan may not be granted at a price less than the fair market value of the common stock on the date of grant, or 110% of fair market value in the case of incentive stock options granted to an employee holding 10% or more of the voting stock of the Company. The Compensation Committee determines the exercise price of each stock option, provided that each option must have an exercise price that is not less than the fair market value of the common stock on the date of grant.

Stock Appreciation Rights (SARs)

        SARs are rights entitling the holder upon exercise to receive cash or stock, as the Compensation Committee determines, equal to a function (determined by such factors as the Compensation Committee deems appropriate) of the amount by which the stock has appreciated in value since the date of the award. The Compensation Committee determines the exercise price of each SAR, provided that each SAR must have an exercise price that is not less than the fair market value of the common stock on the date of grant.

Restricted Stock

        Restricted stock is an award of stock subject to restrictions requiring that such stock be redelivered to the Company if specified conditions are not satisfied.

Unrestricted Stock

        Unrestricted stock is an award of stock not subject to any restrictions under the Plan.

Deferred Stock

        Deferred stock is a promise to deliver stock, other securities, or other property in the future on specified terms described in each deferred stock agreement to a participant (including, for the avoidance of doubt, a director of the Company). Our Restricted Stock Units (RSUs) are a form of Deferred Stock.

Cash Performance Awards

        A cash performance award is a performance award payable in cash.

Performance Awards

        A performance award refers to an award granted to employees where receipt of an underlying final award is dependent upon satisfaction of specified performance criteria. At the beginning of each performance period, targeted performance levels will be established at which a target performance award may be earned, with a threshold or minimum performance level below which no award will be paid, and a maximum beyond which no additional amounts will be paid. The percentage of each performance award that will become a final award will be determined by the Compensation Committee on the basis of the performance goals established and the performance achieved. A final award may be less than or greater than the target performance award. Final awards may relate to, and upon vesting be paid in the form of, restricted stock, unrestricted stock, deferred stock, cash performance awards or cash (or any combination). Except in the case of a participant's full career retirement, which is subject to age, service, and advance notice requirements, payment of final awards will be contingent upon the participant continuing to render services to the Company at such time (unless this condition is waived by the Compensation Committee). For more information about full career retirement provisions in our equity awards, please see page 56 of this Proxy Statement.

Vesting and Exercisability

        The Compensation Committee determines the time or times at which awards under the Plan will vest or become exercisable and the terms on which an award will remain exercisable. However, as discussed below, there are certain minimum vesting periods for issuances of full-value awards that are not performance awards.

Repricings

        Options and SARs may not be repriced, or replaced with any other award (including full-value awards) or repurchased for cash, without shareholder approval.

Transferability of Awards

        No award granted under the Plan is transferable by the holder except by will or by the laws of descent and distribution.

Certain Share Limits on Awards under the Plan

Full-Value Award Limitations

        All full-value awards that are not performance-based shall vest over a period of time at least three years or more from the date of grant and all performance-based full-value awards shall be subject to the attainment of performance objectives which require at least 12 months to achieve. However, full-value awards aggregating not more than 5% of the number of shares reserved for issuance under the Plan, as well as full-value awards to non-employee directors, may be awarded without regard to such vesting requirements.

Individual Award Limitations

        The maximum number of shares of stock for which stock options may be granted to any person annually from and after adoption of the Plan and prior to March 28, 2026, the maximum number of shares of stock subject to SARs granted to any person annually during such period, and the aggregate maximum number of shares of stock subject to other awards that may be delivered (or the value of which may be paid) to any person annually during such period, shall each be 2,000,000, subject to adjustments as provided in Section 5 of the Plan. For purposes of the preceding sentence, the repricing of stock options or SARs will be treated as a new grant to the extent required under Section 162(m) of the Code, assuming that the repricing is permitted by shareholders. Subject to these limitations, each person eligible to participate in the Plan will be eligible to receive awards covering up to the full number of shares of stock then available for awards under the Plan. No awards may be granted under the Plan after March 28, 2026, but previously granted awards may extend beyond that date.

        In addition, no more than $3,000,000 may be paid to any individual with respect to any cash performance award (other than an award expressed in terms of shares of stock or units representing stock). In applying the dollar limitation of the preceding sentence, multiple cash performance awards to the same individual that are determined by reference to performance periods of one year or less ending with or within the same fiscal year of the Company shall be subject in the aggregate to the $3,000,000 limit. Multiple cash performance awards to the same individual that are determined by reference to one or more multi-year performance periods ending in the same fiscal year of the Company are not included in the limit described above; instead, they are subject in the aggregate to a separate $3,000,000 limit.

Reclassification of Stock

        Under the Plan, if the shares of common stock shall be subdivided or combined into a greater or smaller number of shares, or if the Company shall issue any shares of common stock as a stock dividend on its outstanding common stock, the Compensation Committee will make appropriate adjustments to the maximum number of shares that may be delivered under the Plan and to the maximum share limits described above, and will also make appropriate adjustments to the number and kind of shares of stock or securities subject to awards then outstanding or subsequently granted,

including any exercise prices relating to the awards and any other provision of awards affected by such change.

Certain Transactions

        Other than in connection with awards that are denominated and subject to settlement in cash, awards will not vest in connection with a Covered Transaction unless such Covered Transaction is accompanied by a "double trigger event". For this purpose, a "double trigger event" occurs in connection with a Covered Transaction if (i) the award is not appropriately assumed nor an equivalent award substituted by the surviving, continuing, successor or purchasing company or other business entity or parent thereof, as the case may be, (ii) cash or cash equivalents are the sole or primary form of consideration to be received by the shareholder of the Company or (iii) at the time of, or within 12 months following the Covered Transaction, the participant incurs a termination of employment without Cause or for Good Reason (each as defined in the Plan, which is attached as Appendix B to the electronic version of this Proxy Statement as filed with the SEC and may be accessed from the SEC's website (www.sec.gov)).

        Upon a Covered Transaction "double trigger event": (i) in the case of a stock option or SAR, the stock option or SAR shall become fully vested and exercisable immediately upon the occurrence of the double trigger event; (ii) in the case of restricted Stock, deferred stock or restricted stock units (in each case other than an award of restricted stock, award of deferred stock or award of restricted stock units that is a performance award), the restriction period shall lapse and the restricted stock, deferred stock or restricted stock unit (as applicable) shall fully vest immediately upon the occurrence of the double trigger event; and (iii) in the case of a performance award, payment under the award shall be subject to the terms set forth in the applicable award agreement.

        A Covered Transaction is deemed to occur where the Company undergoes any of (1) a consolidation, merger or other transaction which results in any individual, entity or "group" acquiring the beneficial ownership directly or indirectly of more than 50% of either the then-outstanding shares of common stock of the Company or the combined voting power of the then-outstanding voting securities of the Company entitled to vote generally in the election of directors, (2) at any time during a period of 12 consecutive months, individuals who at the beginning of such period constituted the Board of Directors and any new member of the Board of Directors whose election or nomination for election was approved by a vote of at least a majority of the directors then still in office who either were directors at the beginning of such period or whose election or nomination for election was so approved, cease for any reason to constitute a majority of members of the Board of Directors, (3) a sale or transfer of all or substantially all the Company's assets, or (4) a dissolution or liquidation of the Company.

Forfeiture or Clawback of Awards

        The Compensation Committee may determine that any award under the Plan shall be subject to provisions for the forfeiture and/or reimbursement of all amounts received in connection with an award in the event of breach of noncompetition, nonsolicitation, or confidentiality agreements. All awards granted under the Plan are subject to recoupment, to the extent applicable, under the Company's Corporate Governance Guidelines and/or any other recoupment, clawback or similar policy that may be approved by the Board of Directors or any committee thereof. Notwithstanding any other provision of the Plan, a participant shall be required to reimburse the Company amounts received in connection with an award to the extent required under Section 304 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 and Section 954 of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2010.

Federal Income Tax Considerations

        The following is a description of certain U.S. federal income tax consequences of the issuance and exercise of awards under the Plan under U.S. federal income tax laws as currently in effect:

Incentive Stock Options

        An optionee is generally not taxed on the grant or exercise of an incentive stock option. The difference between the exercise price and the fair market value of the shares on the exercise date will, however, be considered an adjustment for purposes of the alternative minimum tax. If an optionee holds the shares acquired upon the exercise of an incentive stock option for at least two years following grant and at least one year following exercise, the optionee's gain (or loss), if any, upon a subsequent disposition of such shares is a long-term capital gain (or loss). The measure of the gain is the difference between the proceeds received on disposition and the optionee's basis in the shares (which generally equals the exercise price). If an optionee disposes of stock acquired pursuant to exercise of an incentive stock option before satisfying the one and two-year holding periods described above, the optionee will recognize both ordinary income and capital gain (or loss) in the year of disposition. The amount of the ordinary income will be the lesser of (1) the amount realized on disposition less the optionee's adjusted basis in the stock (usually the exercise price) or (2) the difference between the fair market value of the stock on the exercise date and the exercise price. The balance of the consideration received on such a disposition will be short-term capital gain or long-term capital gain depending on the holding period of the share. The Company is not entitled to an income tax deduction on the grant or exercise of an incentive stock option or on the optionee's disposition of the shares after satisfying the required holding periods described above. If the holding periods are not satisfied, the Company will be entitled to a deduction in the year the optionee disposes of the shares, in an amount equal to the ordinary income recognized by the optionee.

Non-Qualified Stock Options

        The grant of a non-qualified option will not result in taxable income to the optionee or deduction to the Company at the time of grant. The optionee will recognize taxable compensation, and the Company will have a corresponding deduction, at the time of exercise in the amount of the excess of the then fair market value of the shares acquired over the exercise price, and the optionee will be required to satisfy the tax withholding requirements applicable to such income. Upon disposition of the shares, the optionee will generally realize capital gain or loss (short- or long-term, depending on the length of the period the shares were held), and the optionee's basis for determining gain or loss will be the sum of the exercise price paid for the shares plus the amount of compensation income recognized on exercise of the option.

Stock Appreciation Rights

        The amount of any cash or the fair market value of any stock received by a participant upon the exercise of SARs under the Plan will be subject to ordinary income tax in the year of receipt, and the Company will be entitled to a deduction for such amount.

Restricted Stock

        A participant who receives restricted stock will recognize no income on the grant of the restricted stock and the Company will not qualify for any deduction, unless the election described below is made by the participant. At the time the restricted stock is no longer subject to a substantial risk of forfeiture, a participant will recognize ordinary compensation income in an amount equal to the excess, if any, of the fair market value of the restricted stock at the time the restriction lapses over the consideration paid for the restricted stock, if any. The holding period that determines whether the

participant has short- or long-term capital gain or loss begins when the restriction period expires, and the tax basis for the shares will generally be the fair market value of the shares on such date.

        A participant may elect, under Section 83(b) of the Code, within 30 days of his or her receipt of the restricted stock, to recognize ordinary compensation income on the date of transfer in an amount equal to the excess, if any, of the fair market value on the date of such transfer of the shares of restricted stock, determined without regard to certain restrictions, over the consideration paid for the restricted stock, if any. Additional special tax rules apply if the participant forfeits the shares. On a disposition of the shares, a participant will recognize gain or loss equal to the difference between the amount realized and the tax basis for the shares.

        Whether or not the participant makes an election under Section 83(b), the Company generally will qualify for a deduction, subject to the reasonableness of compensation limitation and Section 162(m) of the Code, at the time and equal to the amount that is taxable as ordinary income to the participant.

Unrestricted Stock

        Upon receiving an award of unrestricted stock under the Plan, the participant will realize ordinary income to the extent of the fair market value (determined at the time of transfer to the employee) of such shares, over the amount, if any, paid by the employee for the shares. Such taxable amounts will generally be deductible as compensation by the Company, subject to Section 162(m) of the Code.

Restricted Stock Units (RSUs)

        A participant generally does not recognize income, and the Company generally will not be allowed a tax deduction, at the time an RSU is granted. When the RSUs vest and are settled for cash or shares, the participant generally will be required to recognize as income an amount equal to the fair market value of the shares or the amount of cash on the date of settlement, and the Company generally will be allowed a corresponding tax deduction at that time, subject to the reasonableness of compensation limitation and Section 162(m) of the Code. Any gain or loss recognized upon a subsequent sale or exchange of the shares (if settled in shares) is generally treated as capital gain or loss for which we are not entitled to a deduction. For purposes of clarity, for federal income tax considerations, our PSUs are considered a variant of RSUs.

Deferred Stock

        A participant who receives an award of deferred stock will recognize no income on the grant of such award. However, he or she will recognize ordinary compensation income on the later transfer of the actual stock. If at the time of transfer the stock received is subject to a substantial risk of forfeiture, the tax treatment will be the same as discussed above under the caption "Restricted Stock." The Company generally will qualify for a deduction, subject to the reasonableness of compensation limitation and Section 162(m) of the Code, at the time and equal to the amount that is taxable as ordinary income to the participant.

Cash Performance Awards

        Generally, a participant will recognize ordinary income and the Company will generally be entitled to a deduction (and will be required to withhold federal income taxes), subject to Section 162(m) of the Code, with respect to such cash awards at the earliest time at which the participant has an unrestricted right to receive the amount of such cash payment.

Section 162(m)

        Section 162(m) of the Code provides that the deduction by a publicly held corporation for compensation paid in a taxable year to the chief executive officer and the three other most highly compensated executive officers of the corporation is limited to $1 million per each individual officer. For purposes of Section 162(m), compensation which meets the requirements of "qualified performance-based compensation" is not subject to the deductibility limitation. There can be no assurance that such compensation under the Plan will be fully deductible under all circumstances.

        This general tax discussion is intended for the information of shareholders considering how to vote with respect to this proposal and not as tax guidance to participants in the Plan. Different tax rules may apply to specific participants and transactions under the Plan, particularly in jurisdictions outside the United States.

Section 409A

        To the extent applicable, awards granted under the Plan are intended to comply with or be exempt from Section 409A of the Code, and the Plan will be interpreted and administered in accordance therewith. The administrator of the Plan will have the authority unilaterally to accelerate or delay a payment to which the holder of any award may be entitled to the extent necessary or desirable to comply with, or avoid adverse consequences under, Section 409A of the Code (including with regard to an individual deemed to be a "specified employee" under Section 409A of the Code who has received an amount under the Plan deemed to be "deferred compensation" subject to Section 409A of the Code).

        Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Company does not guarantee that the Plan, any awards or any payments with respect thereto are in compliance with Section 409A of the Code. Unless certain requirements set forth in Section 409A of the Internal Revenue Code are satisfied, holders of such awards may be taxed earlier than would otherwise be the case (e.g., at the time of vesting instead of the time of payment) and may be subject to an additional 20% penalty tax (and, potentially, certain interest penalties and additional state taxes).

Registration with the SEC

        If our shareholders approve the Plan, we will file a Registration Statement on Form S-8 with the Securities and Exchange Commission as soon as reasonably practical after the approval, to register the shares available for issuance under the Plan.

Equity Compensation Plan Information

        The following table summarizes, as of December 26, 2015, the number of options issued under the Company's stock option plans and the number of options available for future issuance under these plans.

        The following table provides additional information regarding the aggregate issuances under our existing equity compensation plans as of December 26, 2015:

        In February 2016, the Company issued its annual equity compensation awards to its employees and on March 1, 2016 issued awards to new hires. Accordingly, the following table summarizes, as of March 15, 2016, the updated number of options issued under the Company's stock option plans and the updated number of options available for future issuance under these plans.

        The following table provides additional information regarding the aggregate issuances under the Company's existing equity compensation plans as of March 15, 2016.

Share Utilization Disclosure

        The following table summarizes our share utilization with respect to the 2007 Plan over the past three fiscal years. We include this table in recognition that many shareholders find this information useful in evaluating equity compensation proposals, such as this Proposal 3.

COMPENSATION DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS

        The purpose of our compensation program is to recruit and retain the strongest possible management team, while simultaneously aligning management's interest with those of our shareholders. With these considerations in mind, the Compensation Committee (referred to in this section of the Proxy Statement as the Committee) has overseen the development, implementation and administration of our Executive Compensation Program (the Compensation Program or Program), described below, for members of senior management including the Chief Executive Officer and the other fourfive executives who are identified in the Summary Compensation Table below (our named executives)., which includes one former executive officer and another executive officer who retired in March 2016. Our philosophy behind the Compensation Program is that it should appropriately align executive compensation with both the short- and long-term performance of the Company. Our named executives for fiscal year 20142015 are: James C. Foster (Chief Executive Officer and President), Thomas F. AckermanDavid R. Smith (Corporate Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer), Thomas F. Ackerman (formerly our Corporate Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer; as of the end of fiscal year 2015, Senior Financial Advisor), Dr. Nancy A. Gillett (Corporate Executive Vice President and Chief Scientific Officer), David P. Johst (Corporate Executive Vice President, Human Resources, General Counsel and Chief Administrative Officer), and Dr. Davide A. Molho (Corporate Executive Vice President and President, Global RMS, Safety Assessment & Biologics).

Executive Summary

        We believe that the design of our 20142015 Compensation Program is best understood by evaluating it in the context of the business environment in which we have been operating since the end of the previous decade. At that time, large pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies began to undertake significant changes in their operations as they endeavored to improve the productivity of their drug development pipelines, and at the same time, streamline their infrastructures in order to improve efficiency and reduce operating costs. Until recently,a few years ago, these actions had an unfavorable impact on sales of our products and services, and resultingour financial performance. Thisperformance, and this was due to their measured research and development spending; delays in decisions and commitments; tight cost constraints and the resultant pressure on pricing, particularly in view of excess capacityreflected in the contract research industry; and a focus on late-stage clinical testing.compensation earned by our officers.

        InOver the last fewpast four to five years, however, the demand for our outsourced services has begun to increase,steadily improved, as has demand for products and services to support our clients' manufacturing activities. Our pharmaceutical and biotechnology clients have continued to intensify their use of strategic outsourcing to improve their operating efficiency and access capabilities that they do not maintain internally. Many of our large biopharmaceutical clients are beginning to refocus on their drug discovery and early-stage development efforts after a period of stronger emphasis on delivering late-stage programs to bring new drugs to market. In addition, mid-tier biopharmaceutical clients benefited from a resurgenceWe

took several important steps in the biotechnology funding environment duringpast two years to position the fiscal year 2014, from both capital markets and partnering with large biopharmaceutical companies. Academic customers have also benefited from partnering activities, as large biopharmaceutical companies have increasingly utilized academic research capabilitiescompany to broaden the scope of their research activities.

        The primary result of these trends was improved demand for our discovery and safety assessment services in fiscal 2014. This improvement led to capacity continuing to fill in our safety assessment business, in which utilization is beginning to approach optimal levels. Our targeted sales efforts also generated continued market share gains. Price remained competitive, but trends are stable to slightly improving. We believe our scientific expertise, quality, and responsiveness remain key criteria when our clients make the decision to outsource to us. In order to accommodatemeet this increased demand and to maintain responsiveness to clients' needs, including:

•

we openedenhanced our Safety Assessment and Discovery capacity by opening small amounts of new capacity in fiscal 2014 at existing facilities in 2014 and continue to strategically evaluate further capacity additions.

        Our clients' intensified focus on the earliest stages of their pipelines has been visible in increasing demand for discovery services2015, and their willingness to outsource new areas of their research programs. To address these emerging needs and move further upstreamreopening our Charles River Massachusetts facility in the first quarter of 2016;



•

we acquired Celsis Group Limited in July 2015 to further enhance our rapid testing portfolio by expanding in the non-sterile quality control testing market;



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we acquired Sunrise Farms, Inc. in May 2015 to expand our production of specific-pathogen-free fertile chicken eggs and chickens used in the manufacture of live viruses; and



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we acquired several Discovery Services businesses in 2014 and 2015 (Argenta, BioFocus, ChanTest, VivoPath and Oncotest) to enhance our early-stage drug research capabilities and development continuum, in 2014 we acquired Argenta, BioFocus, ChanTest, and VivoPath, which has enabledenable us to work with clients at the earliest stages of the discovery process. These acquisitions formed the core of our Early Discovery business.

        In response to the challenges we faced at the end of the last decade, forAdditionally, in the past five to six years we have taken a variety of decisive, and sometimes difficult, actions targeted at:

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appropriately aligning our infrastructure to meet current demand;



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better supporting our clients in today's competitive environment;



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identifying new strategies to enhanceat strengthening the business, enhancing client satisfaction;



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improving operating efficiencies (including our consolidated operating marginsatisfaction and free cash flow generation) and generally strengthening our business model;



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maintaining disciplined investment in growth businesses; and



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returning value to shareholders.

Our continued actions toward the achievement of these initiatives in 2014 include2015 included the following:

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We continued our focus on operating efficiencies through the implementation of the plan originally announced in the second half of 2013further optimizing our infrastructure, utilizing automation to consolidate production inreduce manual processes, and generating greater savings from our U.S. research model facilities.procurement activities.



•

We created aexpanded our project management office (PMO) in order to help identify and manage initiatives that contribute to our organization's productivity, efficiency, and risk management. This group participates globally across all our businesses to support maximizing revenues, minimizingmaximization of revenue, minimization of costs, and reducing risks.reduced risk. PMO projects are prioritized through regular updates to both our Executive Committee and Board of Directors.Committee.



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During 2014, weWe made three growth acquisitions of various sizes. First,sizes and in March 2014, we acquired Argenta and BioFocus, global leaders in integrated drug discovery services located in the United Kingdom and the Netherlands, with a predominant focus onin vitro capabilities. Second, in June 2014, we acquired substantially all of the assets of VivoPath, a discovery service company located in Massachusetts. Third, in October 2014, we acquired ChanTest, a premier provider of ion channel testing located in Cleveland, Ohio.different business segments (as noted above).



•

We continuecontinued to repurchase our stock with the intent to drive immediateoffset dilution of shareholder value.value due to stock and option awards to employees and directors in order to align their interests with those of shareholders. During 20142015 we repurchased 2.1approximately 1.5 million shares on the open market based on our stock repurchase program. OurAs a result of our share repurchase program, weighted average shares outstanding ofwere 47.6 million for the year ending December 27, 2014 was only about 1 million shares lower than26, 2015, and essentially unchanged from the prior year as share repurchases were offset by significant exercises of previously granted stock options during 2014 as our stock price increased. During 2014, our Board of Directors approved a $150 million increase to our stock repurchase program.year.

        We believe these actions contributed significantly contributed to our strong financial performance in fiscal 2015, in which we achieved:

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a 20.6%5.1% increase in our total shareholder return during 2014 and revenue;



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cash flow from operating activities of $288.2 million;



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an 18.1%8.7% increase in non-GAAP earnings per share from continuing operationsoperations; and



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a 24.6% increase in 2014. our total shareholder return.

        We believe that, when viewed in this context, the compensation for our executive officers was appropriately aligned to our financial performance. For instance, our CEO's annual cash bonus amount was 156.6% of the target, due to the fact that we generally outperformed the measures on which the annual cash bonus is based: free cash flow far exceeded expectations, operating income and EPS moderately exceeded expectations, and revenue was slightly above our expectations. Our other named executives received annual cash bonus amounts ranging from 81.4% to 197.3% of the target amount.

(For a detailed discussion of our 20142015 financial performance, the factors that we believe are influencing demand from our clients, and the actions we have taken during the past years, please see the sections entitled "Our Strategy" and "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations" in our Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC on February 17, 2015.

        We had very strong financial performance in fiscal 2014, which included an 11.3% increase in revenue, a substantial increase in diluted earnings per share from continuing operations, and cash flow from operating activities of $252.1 million. We believe that the compensation for our executive officers was appropriately aligned to our financial performance. For instance, our CEO's annual cash bonus amount was 154.0% of the target which represented results for EPS that far exceeded expectations, results for free cash flow that moderately exceeded expectations, and performance for operating income and revenues that were slightly above our expectations. Our other named executives received annual cash bonus amounts ranging from 140.1% to 158.1% of the target amount.12, 2016.)

20142015 Advisory Vote on Executive Compensation

        Charles River shareholders provided very strong majority support for our named executives' compensation at our 20142015 annual meeting of shareholders (92.3% support(97.7% of shares voted in support on this matter; 96.2%98.2% excluding abstentions). We attribute this level of support to our financial performance in 2013, as well as2014 and the significant actions we implemented from 2012 through 2014, including significant changes to our executive compensation practices in over the past couple of years,program during that period, which followed a period of substantial outreach to our shareholders, as follows:

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Introduced Performance Share Units and Increased the Performance Orientation of the Long-Term Incentive Compensation Program: During fiscal 2012, following a comprehensive review of our long-term equity incentive program, the Compensation Committee approved a new structure for long-term incentive awards granted beginning in fiscal 2013 that significantly

increased the emphasis on performance-based equity compensation. The new structure was piloted toby our executive officers in fiscal 2013, and expanded to all of our corporate officers in fiscal 2014. Under the revised structure, our officers receive three types of equity awards:





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Performance Share Units (PSUs), which vest on a "cliff basis" after three years only if service and performance requirements are met and which will be paid out in shares based upon two separate performance metrics: (1) first fiscal year non-GAAP earnings per share (EPS) and (2) 3-yearthree-year relative Total Shareholder Return (relative TSR), as further described on pages 37-3954-58 of this Proxy Statement in the discussion related to Long-Term Equity Incentive Awards. PSUs are intended to comprise approximately 60% of the intended value of long-term equity incentive awards provided to executive officers in any fiscal year.



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Time-based stock options, which vest over four years. Stock options are intended to comprise approximately 20% of the intended value of long-term equity incentive awards provided to officers in any fiscal year.



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Time-based restricted stock/restricted stock units, which vest over four years.years (except in limited circumstances when special awards are granted). Restricted stock/restricted stock units are intended to comprise approximately 20% of the intended value of long-term equity incentive awards provided to officers in any fiscal year.



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Elimination of 280G Excise Tax Gross-Ups.  For the limited number of our executives with whom we had change-in-control agreements (which included each of our executive officers), we amended these agreements to eliminate any "gross-up" payment by the Company of any of the excise taxes imposed by Section 4999 of the Internal Revenue Code due to "golden parachute" payments.



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Reduction and Elimination of the Discretionary Allowance.  The Corporate Officer Discretionary Allowance (CODA) program, which provided specific cash allowance tiers based on an executive's officer level, was eliminated effective fiscal 2014 after having been reduced by 50% for all officers, including our named executives, in 2013.



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Elimination of "single-trigger" vesting in change-in-control agreements.  For the limited number of our executives with whom we had change-in-control agreements (which included each of our executive officers), we amended these agreements to change the provisions which provided for "single-trigger" accelerated vesting of equity awards to "double-trigger" accelerated vesting. Accordingly, these agreements now provide for accelerated vesting only upon both the occurrence of a change of control and a qualifying termination of the executives' employment within a reasonable period following the change in control.2014.



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Introduction of Clawback Policy.  In February 2013, our Board of Directors amended our Corporate Governance Guidelines to include a recoupment (also known as a clawback) policy. This policy applies to all of our executive officers. Under this Clawback Policy, in the event of a restatement of all or a significant portion of Charles River's financial statements that has been determined by the Board to be due to the gross negligence, intentional misconduct or fraud by

an executive officer, the Board has the discretion to require repayment of a portion or all of any incentive-based compensation paid to such executive officer or former executive officer and/or effect the cancellation of any unvested incentive compensation, subject to specified criteria.

        In addition to the changes noted above, we have taken further action this year by including "double-trigger" accelerated equity vesting in the 2016 Incentive Plan, which we are submitting to shareholders for their approval this year.

        The Compensation Committee believes these changes have been responsive to feedback from investors and enhance the performance orientation of our executive compensation program. Following further shareholder outreach in the fall 2014,of 2015, we once again received overwhelming positive response to the changes that were made during the preceding two years, and none of our shareholders advocated for any substantial changes to our executive compensation program. Notwithstanding this positive reception, the Board and Committee will continue to explore ways in which Charles River's executive compensation programs could be improved, and we remain committed to ongoing engagement with our shareholders on the various corporate governance topics that are of interest to them.

Historical Elements of Our Compensation Practices

        Certain elements of our compensation practices reflect legacy decisions and changes that were made in prior years (generally 2009 to 2013)(since 2009) which were designed to ensure alignment between executive compensation and companyCompany performance, and which continue to carry forward and have influence in our program:

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Base Salaries:  We have kept base salary increases modest. In 2009 we implemented a salary freeze for most of our workforce, including our named executives. While year-to-year there are adjustments (ranging from 0% to 5%) that freeze has since been lifted, overall for the period from 2008 to 2014,may be below or above the average, in general annualized merit increaseincreases (excluding promotional increases) was 2.74% per year for our named executives, which isare consistent with the average annualized merit increase allotted to our North American workforce during that time.workforce.



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Annual Cash Incentive Awards:  With business plans having been scaled to levels below earlier high-growth years, we reduced targeted bonus payouts for each goal under our Executive Incentive Compensation Plan (EICP) from 2009 through 2012. We resumed non-reduced targeted payouts in 2013 following a second consecutive year of solid financial performance, and maintained that level for 2014.in 2014 and 2015.



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Perquisites:  We eliminated the majority of individual perquisites/benefits and associated tax gross-ups available to our officers (including the named executives). Between 2010 and 2013, the value of these perquisites was partially replaced by our Corporate Officer Discretionary Allowance (CODA) program. The CODA was fully eliminated effective in fiscal 2014.



•

Retirement Plan Contributions:  We reduced our 401(k) matching contribution by approximately 33.3% during this period.



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Severance:  We reduced the severance plan benefits for involuntary terminations of corporate officers under our Officer Separation Plan.

        We believe that all of these adjustments to our Program during this period were appropriate in light of, and consistent with, the economic and market environments, our financial performance, the corporate actions taken, and executive compensation trends. Furthermore, the increased focus on near-term financial and operational objectives properly aligned management's incentives with the interests of our shareholders. For example, our pay mix maintains a continued focus on variable, or "at risk," compensation. On average, approximately 78.7%71.9% of 20142015 target annual compensation for our named executives was based on long-term equity incentives and performance-based bonuses (85.9%(87.9% for our CEO). Furthermore, annual base salary for our named executives remains a relatively small portion (21.3%(28.1%) of our named executives' core intended compensation (14.1%(12.1% for our CEO). We note that these averages are slightly skewed due to the absence of any 2015 equity grant to Dr. Gillett in light of her impending retirement. Absent Dr. Gillett's compensation, annual base salary for our named executives is only 22.0% of intended core compensation.

        Furthermore, as seen in the graph below, the alignment between executive pay and our performance is demonstrated by the close correlation from 2008 to 20142015 between (1) the total compensation paid (consistent with the Summary Compensation Table) to our CEO in those years and (2) our non-GAAP earnings per share from continuing operations during that period. As illustrated, compensation generally increased with strong performance and decreased when performance declined.

A very similar alignment can be seen between our performance and the average pay (based on

Summary Compensation Table disclosure) to ourfor the four other four named executives who have consistently been included in the summary compensation table during the period from 2010 to 2014 (the period of time during which all have been executive officers)2015 (Mr. Ackerman, Mr. Johst, Dr. Gillett and Dr. Molho).

        For purposes of these graphs, "Other" refers to the total average amounts set forth in the following columns in the Summary Compensation Table on page 4361: (1) Change In Pension Value and Non-qualified Deferred Compensation EarningsEarnings; and (2) All Other Compensation. Information with respect to 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011 and 20112012 compensation is set forth in our 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014 and 20142015 Proxy Statements, respectively.

        Please seeAppendix A to this Proxy Statement for reconciliation of our non-GAAP EPS to GAAP EPS for 2008-2014.2008-2015.

        In addition to the changes summarized above and the quantified alignment between executive pay and our performance, we maintain existing compensation practices that represent strong corporate governance, including the following:

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a cap on the annual EICP bonus opportunity, even for exceptional performance;



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significant stock ownership guidelines that align executives' interests with those of shareholders and which increase with the level of the executive's responsibility;officer level;



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rules prohibiting executives from trading derivative securities, pledging our stock, and from hedging the economic risk of ownership of our stock;



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an annual risk assessment of our pay practices;



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an annual shareholder advisory vote on executive compensation;



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a Compensation Committee comprised entirely of independent directors; and



•

an independent compensation consultant.

        The changes to the Program made during the past few years reflect our flexibility in responding to changing market conditions, our business strategy and financial performance, executive compensation standards, and the opinions and suggestions of our investors.

        In addition to changes to the Program, in light of periodic discussions with shareholders and observation of general governance trends, we have recently made modifications to our corporate governance structure. For instance, in December 2014 we amended our bylaws to provide for a majority vote standard for election of directors in uncontested elections, and in January 2016 we amended our bylaws to authorize the removal of directors by shareholders without cause upon an affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of shares entitled to vote.

        We remain committed to ongoing engagement with our shareholders on various corporate governance topics that are of interest to them. We conduct these efforts through meetings and telephone calls throughout the year with our senior management, and provide shareholders with the opportunity to cast an annual say-on-pay advisory vote on executive compensation. We have determined that our shareholders should vote on a say-on-pay proposal every year, consistent with the preference expressed by our shareholders at the 2011 Annual Meeting. The Committee is always open to the input of our shareholders in making future compensation decisions for the named executives. At the same time, we believe it is important to maintain consistency in our compensation philosophy and approach. While the Committee and our management team understand the impact that immediate economic conditions and our operating performance may have on our stock price, it is important to us that the elements of the Program continue to incentivize management toward the properto achieve important short- and long-term operating goals whichthat are intended to strengthen the company and translate ultimately into stock price appreciation for our shareholders.

Objectives of the Compensation Program

        The Committee reviews and monitors the Compensation Program and compensation policies by reference to specific objectives which are established in accordance with its charter. The Committee recognizes the importance of establishing clear objectives for ourthe Program and evaluating the valuerelative effectiveness of comparatively evaluating current and proposed compensation policies and practices in terms of their relative effectiveness in advancing those objectives. In keeping with our philosophy that the Program should appropriately align executive compensation with both the short- and long-term performance of the Company, the Committee has determined that the Compensation Program should achieve the following objectives:

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attract and retain superior talent;



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support the achievement of desired levels of Company performance;



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align the interests of executives with the long-term interests of shareholders;



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differentially and meritoriously reward individual performance; and



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promote accountability.

        To achieve these broader objectives, the current design of the Compensation Program has also been crafted to accomplish the following:

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effectively balance fixed and at-risk compensation through a continuum of compensation elements;



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differentially reward individuals based on performance through the incorporation of both short- and long-term elements;



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differentially reward individuals who contribute to the success of high-performing business units; and



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promote the achievement of desired levels of Company performance through the utilization of both short-term bonus and long-term equity elements which are closely aligned with our business performance; and



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accommodate ongoing acquisitions where the motivation and retention of talent is key to integration and business performance.

Compensation Elements

        Our Compensation Program for fiscal year 20142015 consisted of the following core and supplemental elements:

        The core elements of compensation are typically those which the Committee evaluates on an annual basis, while the supplemental elements are programs or arrangements that we have installedincluded for strategic reasons and are evaluated on a less frequent basis by the Committee.

        Annual base salary represents a smallthe smallest portion (on average approximately 21%) of our named executives' target core compensation. Approximately 79%compensation (less than 30%). Over 70% of 20142015 targeted annual compensation for our named executives was based on variable or "at-risk" compensation elements, (short- and long-term incentives), reflecting the Committee's focus on ensuring that senior management is appropriately rewarded for actual performance achievements.

The following table shows the 20142015 total core compensation mix, based on targeted (not actual) compensation (note: duecompensation.

Compensation Setting Process

        As described above on pages 14-1515-16 of this Proxy Statement, the Compensation Committee engaged Pay Governance as its independent compensation consultant to advise the Compensation Committee on matters related to 20142015 executive compensation. Pay Governance generally assists the Compensation Committee in fulfilling its responsibilities under its charter, including advising on proposed compensation packages for our top executives, compensation program design and market practices generally, guidance on how to appropriately compensate officers, and other topics as the Compensation Committee deems appropriate. The Compensation Committee has authorized Pay Governance to interact with management on behalf of the Compensation Committee, as needed, in connection with advising the Compensation Committee and Pay Governance is included in discussions with management. With respect to fiscal year 20142015 compensation determinations, Pay Governance specifically assisted in the following:

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evaluating and recommending adjustments to our peer group;



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benchmarking and analyzing executive compensation levels and recommending pay strategies (but not necessarily specific pay levels) for 2014;2015; and

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performing initial and ongoing calculations related to the Performance Share Unit grants to our corporate officers, including tracking and reviewing calculations of Total Shareholder Return relative to peers.

        Pay Governance is directly accountable to the Compensation Committee, which has sole authority to engage, dismiss, and approve the terms of engagement of the compensation consultant. During 2014,2015, Pay Governance did not provide any other services to the Company.

        Only two of the named executives of the Company are regularly involved in assisting the Committee in setting compensation parameters. In his role as our Corporate Executive Vice President, Human Resources, General Counsel and Chief Administrative Officer, Mr. Johst assists the Committee by providing data to the Committee's consultants, developing or modifying compensation plans and programs based on the Committee's input, and otherwise supporting the Committee's efforts to obtain the information and data required to make well-reasoned decisions regarding the compensation elements which comprise the Program. In his capacity as Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Foster regularly participates in strategic discussions with the Committee regarding the

design and scope of the Program to help ensure that the compensation elements, policies, and practices underlying the Program are properly aligned with the Company's short-term financial and long-term strategic objectives. Mr. Foster also provides recommendations to the Committee regarding modifications tothat would allow the Program which allow it to function more effectively in the context of our evolving business organization, and assists the Committee in evaluating the individual performance of each executive officer (other than himself) to ensure that their respective levels of compensation take such performance into account. As a matter of process, Mr. Foster and Mr. Johst frequently work collaborativelycollaborate to analyze internal and externally-provided compensation data and information, and provide preliminary recommendations to the Compensation Committee during the course of the Committee's determination of annual compensation levels. Other than Messrs. Foster and Johst, none of our executive officers plays a significant, ongoing role in assisting the Committee to set compensation parameters.

Total Compensation Strategy and Peer Group

        The Committee attemptsstrives in its methodology to adhere to a methodology that providesprovide total core compensation to our named executives that is targeted toreflects an appropriate market benchmark and refers to an applicablea select peer group of companies which are similar to the Company (the peer group). The peer group has beenis primarily comprised of companies operating in the area of life sciences and drug discovery and development, with a particular focus on ensuring that the peer group takes into account the presence of companies, both in the greater Boston area and globally, who compete directly with the Company for scientific and management talent. We draw upon data for comparable companies from public disclosures for the companies in the peer group and from reputable ongoing compensation surveys of similarly sized companies in the industries listed above. Each year the Committee reviews and approves the peer group as well as a target Total Compensation Strategy. The Committee does not target a specific competitive percentile for the named executives, but rather relies on a variety of factors in making pay decisions beyond market data, such as each executive's experience, performance ratings, internal equity, and strategic value of the executive's position to the Company.

Fiscal Year 20142015 Compensation Analysis Methodology

        For fiscal year 2014,2015, in conjunction with the changes to the peer group described below, the Committee (with the assistance of Pay Governance) utilized a regression model to analyze the competitiveness of current executive compensation. Accordingly, our target Total Compensation Strategy utilizes a methodology whereby target Total Direct Compensation is evaluated against the size-appropriate benchmark data that factors in our Company's relative size compared to the size of peer group companies and that is established for each position by reference to the peer group. Total

Direct Compensation in 20142015 for our named executives generally approximated the executive's associated market benchmark.

        The peer group identified by Pay Governance consists of industry comparators both larger and smaller in revenue size than Charles River; accordingly, Pay Governance has developed a method of adjusting proxy compensation data for the peer group using common statistical regression methods to result in a good correlation between the proxy data and Charles River's corporate revenue, such that the regressed proxy revenue is commensurate to Charles River's revenue. This size-adjusted peer group proxy data is then blended with size-appropriate, custom compensation survey data (with proxy data weighted 75% and survey data weighted 25% for the named executive officer benchmarks) to derive a "market composite benchmark" for evaluating our executive compensation. The Committee originally adopted this "market composite benchmark" methodology and a peer group that is relatively large in quantity of component companies for evaluating and setting 2012 executive pay levels, in part due to industry consolidation presenting a challenge to maintaining a consistent group of peer companies year-over-year, and has continued with its use since.

        For evaluating 20142015 compensation levels, the proxy peer group consisted of the following 3839 companies: