UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

SCHEDULE 14A

Proxy Statement Pursuant to Section 14(a) of the

Securities Exchange Act of 1934

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

Check the appropriate box:

First Commonwealth Financial Corporation

(Name of Registrant as Specified In Its Charter)

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

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FIRST COMMONWEALTH FINANCIAL CORPORATION

601 Philadelphia Street

Indiana, Pennsylvania 15701

Notice of 2017 Annual Meeting of ShareholdersNOTICE OF 2019 ANNUAL MEETING

OF SHAREHOLDERS

To Our Shareholders:

The 20172019 Annual Meeting of Shareholders of First Commonwealth Financial Corporation will be held at First Commonwealth Place, 654 Philadelphia Street,the Rustic Lodge, 2199 Oakland Avenue, Indiana, Pennsylvania 15701 on Tuesday, April 25, 2017,23, 2019, beginning at 2:00 p.m., Eastern Time, to consider and vote on the following matters:

The record date for the meeting was March 1, 2017.2019. We sent shareholders of record as of the close of business on the record date a Notice of Internet Availability of Proxy Materials on or about March 16, 2017.14, 2019. Instructions on how to receive a printed copy of our proxy materials are included in the notice.

By Order of the Board of Directors,

March 16, 2017				By Order of the Board of Directors,
				Matthew C. Tomb Secretary

Matthew C. Tomb

Secretary

March 14, 2019

TABLE OF CONTENTS

FIRSTCommonwealth2019 Proxy Statementi

PROXY STATEMENT FOR THE

FIRST COMMONWEALTH FINANCIAL CORPORATION

20172019 ANNUAL MEETING OF SHAREHOLDERS

We are sending this proxy statement and the accompanying proxy card to you as a shareholder of First Commonwealth Financial Corporation, in connection with the solicitation of proxies for the Annual Meeting of Shareholders (the “Annual Meeting”).

First Commonwealth’s Board of Directors is soliciting proxies for use at the Annual Meeting, or at any postponement or adjournment of the Annual Meeting. Only shareholders of record as of the close of business on March 1, 20172019 will be entitled to vote at the Annual Meeting.

In this proxy statement, the “Company,” “First Commonwealth,” “we,” “our” or “us” all refer to First Commonwealth Financial Corporation and its subsidiaries. We also refer to the Board of Directors of First Commonwealth Financial Corporation as the “Board.”

PROXY SUMMARY

Here we present an overview of information that you will find throughout this proxy statement. As this is only a summary, we encourage you to read the entire proxy statement for more information about these topics prior to voting.

ANNUAL MEETING

2199 Oakland Avenue

Indiana, Pennsylvania 15701

How to Vote: By Internet, Telephone or Mail. Refer to the Notice of Availability of Proxy Materials and the proxy card for instructions.

SHAREHOLDER VOTING MATTERS

FIRSTCommonwealth2019 Proxy Statement     1

OUR DIRECTOR NOMINEES

You are being asked to vote on the election of the twelve (12)thirteen (13) director nominees listed below. Detailed information about each nominee’s background, skills and expertise can be found under “Proposal 1 – Election of Directors.”

Age Director Since Independent Audit Governance Compensation & Human Resources Risk Credit

Name Current Position

Julie A. Caponi Assistant Treasurer of Arconic

55

2007

YES

Chair

🌑

Ray T. Charley Chief Executive Officer of Thomi Co.

65

1998

YES

🌑

🌑

Gary R. Claus Partner of Boyden Retired Partner of PWC

64

2011

YES

🌑

🌑

David S. Dahlmann Chairman of First Commonwealth Financial Corporation

67

1998

YES

🌑

🌑

Johnston A. Glass Retired President and CEO of First Commonwealth Bank

67

1986

YES

🌑

Chair

Jon L. Gorney Retired Executive Vice President of National City Corporation

66

2013

YES

Chair

🌑

David W. Greenfield Retired General Counsel of Kennametal, Inc.

66

2010

YES

🌑

🌑

Luke A. Latimer Chairman, CEO & Treasurer of R&L Development, Inc.

40

2011

YES

🌑

🌑

T. Michael Price President and CEO of First Commonwealth Financial Corporation

54

2012

NO

Laurie Stern Singer Consultant; Former President of Allegheny Valley Development Co.

65

1998

YES

🌑

Chair

Robert J. Ventura Executive Managing Director of Ventura Group LLC

67

2004

YES

🌑

Chair

Stephen A. Wolfe President and CEO of Indiana Regional Medical Center

52

N/A

YES

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CORPORATE GOVERNANCE FACTS

We recognize that corporate governance is the foundation of sustainable growth. Our governance policies and structures, summarized in the table below, are designed to promote thoughtful consideration of business actions and appropriate risk taking, with the goal of producing strong business results for our shareholders.

FIRSTCommonwealth2019 Proxy Statement     3

STOCK OWNERSHIP OF CERTAIN BENEFICIAL OWNERS

The following table sets forth certain information concerning the persons known by us to be the beneficial owners of more than 5% of the outstanding shares of our common stock.

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STOCK OWNERSHIP OF DIRECTORS AND MANAGEMENT

The following table sets forth certain information as of the March 1, 20172019 record date with respect to beneficial ownership of our common stock by: (i) each director and nominee; (ii) each Named Executive Officer (“NEO”) listed in the Summary Compensation Table under the section of this proxy statement entitled “Executive Compensation,” and (iii) all directors and executive officers as a group. As of the record date, there were 89,100,94098,636,839 shares of common stock outstanding. Unless otherwise indicated, all persons named as beneficial owners of the Company’s common stock have sole voting power and sole investment power with respect to the shares indicated as beneficially owned.

FIRSTCommonwealth2019 Proxy Statement     5

CORPORATE GOVERNANCE

The Board of Directors is responsible for overseeing the management of the Company’s business and affairs. The Board measures the effectiveness of its oversight using a balanced scorecard which is comprised of three themes:

Sound corporate governance provides the foundation which enables the Board to effectively carry out these responsibilities. This section discusses First Commonwealth’s corporate governance policies and practices, as well as the composition of the Board and its standing committees.

Corporate Governance Policies

The Board of Directors has adopted Corporate Governance Guidelines which codify our corporate governance policies and reflect our commitment to following corporate governance best practices. Below is a summary of the significant guidelines that we follow.

Separation of Chairman and CEO. We believe that the roles of Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer should be held by separate persons and that the Chairman of the Board should be an independent director. This separation establishes an appropriate division of the Board’s oversight role from the management responsibilities of the officers and employees of the Company. Consistent with this principle, our current Chairman, David S. Dahlmann, is anon-executive independent director.

Majority Voting in Director Elections. Under our Corporate Governance Guldelines, any director who does not receive a majority of votes cast “for” his or her election in an uncontested election must tender his or her resignation promptly following the failure to receive the required vote. Within 90 days of the certification of the shareholder vote, the Governance Committee would then be required to make a recommendation to the Board as to whether the Board should accept the resignation, and the Board would be required to decide whether to accept the resignation and to disclose its decision-making process.

Director Independence. We believe that all directors other than the Chief Executive Officer should be independent from management. All of our directors other than the Chief Executive Officer currently satisfy the independence requirements of the New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”), as described below under “Independence of Directors.”

Executive Sessions. Our Board and committees regularly meet in executive session without management present, and ournon-management directors meet regularly without the Chief Executive Officer. This enables directors to provide candid feedback, raise concerns and discuss sensitive or confidential matters. Our Chairman, David S. Dahlmann, has also been designated as our Lead Director to preside at meetings of thenon-management directors.

Stock Ownership. We believe that directors should hold a meaningful investment in the Company’s stock to ensure that their interests are aligned with our shareholders. Our guidelines require that all directors own shares having a value of at least $120,000$130,000 (five times the annual cash retainer) or 25,000 shares, whichever is less. This guideline must be met within five years of a director’s initial election to the Board. Directors receive 50% of their annual retainer in shares of Company stock; however, directors who own at least 50,000 shares having a value of $400,000 or greater may elect to receive their entirefull retainer in cash.

Director Orientation and Education. All new directors and committee members receive orientation to learn about the Company and its strategic plans, significant financial, regulatory, accounting and risk management matters and policies and compliance programs. Our current directors regularly participate in continuing education to maintain the skills necessary to perform their duties and responsibilities and to keep abreast of industry trends, legal and regulatory developments and corporate governance practices.

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Performance Evaluations. Our Board and committees regularly evaluate and discuss their performance. In addition, our Board performs a peer evaluation from time to time to provide directors with a confidential forum to assess and provide candid feedback regarding their own performance and the performance of fellow directors. The Board and its committees use the results of these evaluations to identify opportunities to enhance performance and topics for director continuing education.

Retirement Age. We have established a mandatory retirement age of 75 for our directors. No candidate may be nominated for election as a director if he or she would be age 75 or older at the time of the election.

Meeting Frequency and Attendance. Directors are expected to attend Board meetings and meetings of committees on which they serve and to spend the time needed and meet as frequently as necessary to properly discharge their responsibilities. Last year, our Board met tennine times. All of our directors attended at least 75% of the total number of meetings of the Board and all committees of which they were members.

Annual Meeting Attendance. The annual meeting provides an opportunity for shareholders to meet and interact with our directors. All directors are expected to attend the annual meeting in the absence of an unavoidable conflict. Last year all of our directors attended the annual meeting except for Mr. Barone.meeting.

Composition and Diversity of the Board

We believe that our Board should generally consist of between 10 and 15 directors. This range permits diversity of experience and sharing of Board and committee responsibilities without hindering effective governance. However, the Board may increase its membership beyond 15 to accommodate an exceptional candidate or operate with fewer than 10 directors if a vacancy arises.

We believe that effective oversight requires that the Board possess a diversity of perspectives, backgrounds and skills. The Governance Committee considers the diversity of the professional experience, education, expertise, viewpoints, background and other demographics when evaluating the current composition of the Board and the need for additional directors and when identifying and evaluating director nominees. The Governance Committee is also guided by a set of criteria that has been approved by the Board of Directors. Under these criteria, a director candidate should:

When assessing each current director for possible nomination andre-election, the Governance Committee considers all of the criteria listed above, as well as the needs of the Board, the independence of the director, the director’s meeting attendance and participation, and the value of the director’s contributions to the effectiveness of our Board and its committees.

Independence of Directors

The rules of the NYSE require that at least a majority of our Board of Directors be comprised of independent directors. Our Corporate Governance Guidelines require that all directors other than the Chief Executive Officer must meet the independence standards established by the NYSE.

FIRSTCommonwealth2019 Proxy Statement     7

The Board reviews all relationships between the Company and its directors at least once per year and assesses each director’s independence annually using the NYSE independence standards. The Board has determined that a director may be independent even if he or she has business relationships with First Commonwealth or one of its affiliates, as long as, in the Board’s business judgment:

Based upon these criteria, the Board has determined that directors Barone, Caponi, Charley, Claus, Dahlmann, Gorney, Glass, Greenfield, Johnson, Latimer, SingerVentura and VenturaWolfe and director nominee WolfeOliphant are independent.

When evaluating the independence of Mr. Latimer, the Board considered the lease transaction between First Commonwealth Bank and SML Limited Partnership described below under the heading “Related Party Transactions,” and concluded that the transaction did not impact the independence of Mr. Latimer because the amount paid to SML Limited Partnership during 20162018 fell below the quantitative limits established by the NYSE independence rules and was not otherwise material to Mr. Latimer or First Commonwealth.

Oversight of Risk

The Board of Directors actively oversees the risk management practices employed by First Commonwealth and its management team. The Board receives regular reports from our Chief Risk Officer regarding material risk exposures and the actions taken to monitor and mitigate those risks. In addition, senior management updates the Board at its regular meetings regarding trends and developments for credit, market, liquidity, compliance, reputation, operational and strategic risk. Our Risk Committee provides risk oversight for the Board as a dedicated forum to review and discuss risks and risk management policies and practices. In addition, the Credit Committee of the First Commonwealth Bank Board of Directors oversees the Bank’s lending operations and the quality and performance of its loan portfolios.

Audit Committee

The Audit Committee is comprised of Julie A. Caponi (Chair), Gary R. Claus, Laurie S. Singer and Robert J. Ventura, each of whom is an independent director under our Guidelines and the NYSE and Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) standards. The primary responsibilities of the Audit Committee are to monitor the integrity of our financial statements, select and oversee our independent registered public accounting firm, oversee our internal audit process, monitor our compliance with legal and regulatory requirements, including the receipt and resolution of complaints concerning accounting, internal controls and auditing matters, and review and discuss major financial risk exposures with management and steps taken to monitor and control those exposures, including risk assessments and risk

management policies. Each member of the Audit Committee is financially literate, and our Board has determined that Directors Caponi and Claus qualify as “audit committee financial experts” as defined by the rules of the SEC. The Audit Committee met eightten times in 2016.2018. A report of the Audit Committee follows on page 20.17.

Compensation and Human Resources Committee

The Compensation and Human Resources Committee is comprised of Robert J. Ventura (Chair), Julie A. Caponi, Ray T. Charley, Gary R. Claus and David W. Greenfield. The primary responsibilities of the Compensation and Human Resources Committee are to review and determine the compensation of the CEO and other executive officers, lead the annual review of the performance of the CEO, develop and approve the CEO succession plan and oversee succession and development planning for the other executive officers, establish and oversee executive compensation and employee benefit programs, and review and approve the terms of any employment, severance, change of control or similar agreement for our CEO and other

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executive officers. The Compensation and Human Resources Committee met seven times during 2016.2018. Each member of the Compensation and Human Resources Committee is an independent director under our Guidelines and applicable NYSE standards. A report of the Compensation and Human Resources Committee follows on page 40.33.

Governance Committee

The Governance Committee is comprised of Laurie S. SingerDavid W. Greenfield (Chair), Ray T. Charley, David W. Greenfield, and Luke A. Latimer.Latimer, and Laurie S. Singer. The primary responsibilities of the Governance Committee are to identify and recommend director nominees to the Board of Directors, recommend directors to serve as members and as chair for each committee of the Board, determine director compensation, lead the annual review of the performance of the Board and its committees, recommend and approve corporate governance policies and practices for the Board, and review and approve related party transactions and monitor compliance with our Code of Conduct and Ethics, insider trading and related policies. Each member of the Governance Committee is an independent director under our Guidelines and applicable NYSE standards. The Governance Committee met fivesix times during 2016.2018.

Risk Committee

The Risk Committee is a joint committee of the Boards of Directors of First Commonwealth Financial Corporation and First Commonwealth Bank and is comprised of Jon L. Gorney (Chair), James G. Barone, David S. Dahlmann, and Johnston A. Glass.Glass, Bart E. Johnson and Stephen A. Wolfe. The primary responsibilities of the Risk Committee are to oversee and review information regarding our enterprise risk management framework, review and approve our significant risk management policies, assess the risks associated with our compensation practices, review and discuss with management the level and trend of risk exposures, including credit, market, liquidity, operational, compliance and legal, reputation and strategic risk, and assess risks associated with strategic and operating plans and strategic initiatives. Each member of the Risk Committee is an independent director under our Guidelines and applicable NYSE standards. The Risk Committee met eight times during 2016.

Code of Conduct and Ethics

The Code of Conduct and Ethics governs the actions and working relationships of First Commonwealth employees, officers and directors. This Code addresses, among other items, conflicts of interest, confidentiality, fair dealing, protection and proper use of corporate assets and compliance with laws, rules and regulations. The Code of Conduct and Ethics encourages and provides a process for the reporting of any illegal or unethical behavior. First Commonwealth has established an ethics hotline to allow employees, officers and directors to anonymously report any known or suspected violation of laws, rules or regulations or the Code of Conduct and Ethics.

Where to Find Governance Documents

You can find copies of the charters for our Audit Committee, Compensation and Human Resources Committee, Governance Committee and Risk Committee, as well as our Corporate Governance Guidelines, Code of Conduct and Ethics and other important information, by visiting our website at www.fcbanking.com and following the links to “Investor Relations” and “Corporate Governance.”

Communicating with Directors

You may communicate directly with any director or the full Board. To do so, please write to the person or persons desired and mail the communication to:

First Commonwealth Financial Corporation

Attn: Board Communications

P.O. Box 400

Indiana, PA 15701

Our employees will not open or otherwise screen any communications sent to this address. The communications will be delivered directly to the Lead Director, who will determine how to respond,

FIRSTCommonwealth2019 Proxy Statement     9

including whether to present the communication to the full Board or to forward it to an individual director. If you send director-related communications to our offices, we will handle them in accordance with a collection and organization process approved by the Board. These communications are subject to a screening process that will determine which communications will be relayed to directors.

In addition, First Commonwealth has retained an independent service provider to receive calls from shareholders and other interested parties who wish to communicate with thenon-management directors. The telephone number for this service is1-866-825-5283. The independent service provider will forward all communications to the Lead Director who will take such action as he deems appropriate. A summary report of all communications received and actions taken by the Lead Director will be presented during the next executive session of thenon-management directors and, if thenon-management directors deem appropriate, to the full Board.

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COMPENSATION OF DIRECTORS

Director Compensation Schedule

Our In 2018 ourNon-Management directors arewere compensated according to the following schedule:

The Credit Committee met more frequently than other committees in 2016 due to its oversight of lending activities. As compensation for the additional time and effort required, each member of the Credit Committee received a premium of $4,000 in addition to the committee member retainer.

In addition to the fees described above, Mr. Dahlmann received an annual retainer fee of $175,000$125,000 during 20162018 for his service as thenon-executive Chairman of First Commonwealth Financial Corporation.

The Chief Executive Officer does not receive additional compensation for service on our Board of Directors.

Director Compensation in 20162018

The following table shows the compensation paid to ournon-employee directors during 2016:2018:

None of our directors hold options to purchase our stock.

FIRSTCommonwealth2019 Proxy Statement     11

PROPOSAL 1 – ELECTION OF DIRECTORS

Upon the recommendation of our Governance Committee, the Board of Directors has nominated the twelve (12)thirteen (13) persons named below for election at the 20172018 Annual Meeting of Shareholders to serve until the next annual meeting and until his or her successor is elected and qualified. Director Laurie Singer has advised the Board that she will retire from the Board of Directors at the expiration of her current term and is not standing for reelection at the Annual Meeting. Relevant biographical information concerning each nominee, including the nominee’s business experience and qualifications, is set forth below.

Julie A. Caponi.Ms. Caponi, age 55,57, is a Certified Public Accountant. She has servedIn January 2018, she retired from her position as Assistant Treasurer of Arconic Inc. (formerly known as Alcoa Inc.), a manufacturer of engineered products from aluminum and other lightweight metals, having served in that capacity since May 2013. SheMs. Caponi previously served as Vice President-Audit of Arconic from 2005 to 2013 and as Assistant Controller of Arconic from 2000 to 2005. Before joining Arconic, Ms. Caponi was an audit partner at Deloitte, principally serving clients in the financial services industry. Ms. Caponi joined our Board in 2007 and currently chairs our Audit Committee. She is a director of First Commonwealth Bank and a member of the Credit Committee of First Commonwealth Bank. Ms. Caponi has served as a Director of First Western Financial, Inc., a bank holding company in Denver, Colorado, since 2017 and is a member of our Compensationthe audit and Human Resources Committee. She is also a directorcompensation committees of First Commonwealth Bank.Western Financial. Ms. Caponi earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Accounting from the Indiana University of Pennsylvania. She is a member of the American and Pennsylvania Institutes of Certified Public Accountants. Ms. Caponi’s qualifications for service on our Board include her leadership experience and her expertise in financial accounting, auditing and internal controls.

Ray T. Charley.Mr. Charley, age 65,67, has served as the Chief Executive Officer of Thomi Co., an operator of retail grocery stores in Greensburg, Pennsylvania, since 1983. Mr. Charley served as a director of Southwest National Corporation from 1989 and joined our Board in 1998 upon the completion of our merger with Southwest National Corporation. Mr. Charley is a member of our Governance Committee and our Compensation and Human Resources Committee and is also a director of First Commonwealth Bank. He is the Chair of the Westmoreland Frick Hospital Foundation of Excela Health, an operator of hospitals and other health care facilities in Western Pennsylvania, and a former officer of Excela Health Holding Co. Mr. Charley also serves as a director and in leadership capacities for various charitable organizations. Mr. Charley earned a Bachelor’s degree from Duquesne University and a law degree from the Pennsylvania State University Dickinson School of Law. Mr. Charley’s qualifications for service on our Board include his business acumen and his commitment to sound governance and oversight as demonstrated by his extensive experience as a director in the financial services industry.

Gary R. Claus.Mr. Claus, age 64,66, is a Certified Public Accountant. He has served as Partner of Boyden, an executive search and talent advisory firm, since September 2016. Mr. Claus previously served as Managing Director of the Jade Group, an executive search and management consulting firm from 2008. Prior to joining the Jade Group, Mr. Claus spent 35 years as a tax accountant at PriceWaterhouseCoopers, where he was admitted as a Partner in 1986 and served as the Pittsburgh Tax Site Leader from 1992 through 2004. He served as an executive search and talent consultant from 2008 until his retirement in October 2017. Mr. Claus joined our Board in April 2011, serves as a member of our Audit Committee and our Compensation and Human Resources Committee and is also a director of First Commonwealth Bank. Mr. Claus has a wide variety of experience advising clients ranging from large publicly held companies to small privately owned companies, including manufacturers, law firms and other service companies. He is also active in professional,

community and church organizations, serving as Chairman of the Board of Goodwill of Southwestern Pennsylvania and Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Robert Morris University. Mr. Claus earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting from Robert Morris University. Mr. Claus’s qualifications for Board service include his extensive professional experience in accounting, executive compensation and human resources.

David S. Dahlmann.Mr. Dahlmann, age 67,69, has served as the Chairman of the Board of First Commonwealth Financial Corporation and First Commonwealth Bank since 2006. He was formerly Vice Chairman of First Commonwealth Financial Corporation from 1998 to 2002, President and Chief Executive Officer of Southwest National Corporation from 1991 to 1998 and President and Chief Executive Officer of Southwest Bank from 1991 until its merger with First Commonwealth Bank in 2002. He was a director of Southwest National Corporation from 1991 and joined our Board in 1998 upon the completion of our merger with Southwest National Corporation. Mr. Dahlmann formerly served on the Board of Directors of the

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Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland and as an Adjunct Professor at Saint Vincent College in Latrobe, Pennsylvania, and he serves as a director for numerous charitable, educational and civic associations. Mr. Dahlmann is a member of our Risk Committee and the Credit Committee of First Commonwealth Bank. He earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Economics and Masters of Business Administration degrees from the Indiana University of Pennsylvania. Mr. Dahlmann’s qualifications for Board service include his extensive career as a director and executive in the financial services industry and his expertise and experience in corporate governance matters.

Johnston A. Glass.Mr. Glass, age 67,69, is retired. Mr. Glass has served on our Board since 1986. He served as Vice Chairman of First Commonwealth Financial Corporation and as President and Chief Executive Officer of First Commonwealth Bank and its predecessor, NBOC Bank, until his retirement in 2005. Mr. Glass is a director of First Commonwealth Bank, serves as member of our Risk Committee and Chairs the Credit Committee of First Commonwealth Bank. Mr. Glass served as a director of First National Bank of Santa Fe until May 2013. He has served as a director and officer of numerous civic andnon-profit associations and as past director of the Pennsylvania Bankers Association. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree from the Pennsylvania State University. Mr. Glass’s qualifications for Board service include his extensive leadership experience in the banking industry, his thorough understanding of First Commonwealth and its business and his long history of service as a director of First Commonwealth and other organizations.

Jon L. Gorney.Mr. Gorney, age 66,68, is a management consultant. He was appointed tojoined our Board in January 2013. He is also a director of First Commonwealth Bank. Mr. Gorney chairs our Risk Committee and is a member of the Credit Committee of First Commonwealth Bank. Mr. Gorney began his37-year career in the financial services industry with National City Corporation. He served as Executive Vice President of National City Corporation from 1992 through 2008 and oversaw all technology and operations for National City. From 2004 through 2006, Mr. Gorney also served as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of National Processing Company, a majority subsidiary of National City that was the second largest merchant card processor in the United States. Mr. Gorney joined PNC Financial Services Group through the acquisition of National City in December 2008 and served as an Executive Vice President until his retirement in June 2010. While at PNC, Mr. Gorneyco-chaired the company-wide integration of PNC and National City and was responsible for the leadership

and development of a single operating organization for PNC. He currently serves as a director of Professional Bank, Coral Gables, Florida. Mr. Gorney earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science from the University of Dayton. His qualifications for Board service include his extensive experience as a financial services executive and his strong expertise in financial services information technology and operations.

David W. Greenfield.Mr. Greenfield, age 66,68, is retired. He has served on our Board since April 2010 and is a member of our Compensation and Human Resources Committee and Chair of our Governance Committee andCommittee. He is also a director of First Commonwealth Bank. Mr. Greenfield was formerly Vice President, Secretary and General Counsel of Kennametal, Inc., a global manufacturer of tooling, engineered components and advanced materials consumed in production processes from 2001 until his retirement in 2010. Prior to joining Kennametal in 2001, Mr. Greenfield was a shareholder of Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney P.C., a Pittsburgh-based law firm, focusing on corporate, financial and transactional issues involving public and private companies. He also served as Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary of Meritor Automotive, Inc. and Associate General Counsel of Rockwell International Corporation. He is also active in a number of charitable, educational and civic organizations.organizations, and also serves as a trustee of Warren Wilson College in Asheville, North Carolina. Mr. Greenfield earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Pittsburgh and a law degree from Wake Forest University School of Law. Having practiced law for over 35 years and served in executive capacities for three publicly traded companies, Mr. Greenfield has extensive experience in corporate governance, ethics and compliance matters and the execution of corporate strategy and is therefore qualified to serve as a director.

Bart E. Johnson.Mr. Johnson, age 53, is President and Chief Executive Officer of AgriCommunicators, Inc., a multi-channel communications firm specializing in the agricultural community. Mr. Johnson served as a director of DCB Financial Corp., the bank holding company for The Delaware County Bank and Trust Company, from 2010 until the merger of DCB Financial Corp with First Commonwealth. Mr. Johnson was

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appointed to our Board following the merger in April 2017. He is also a director of First Commonwealth Bank and serves as a member of our Risk Committee and the Credit Committee of First Commonwealth Bank. He earned a Bachelor’s degree in Agricultural Economics from The Ohio State University. Mr. Johnson has expertise in marketing and communications from his association with AgriCommunicators, and his background and association with Delaware County, Ohio and the regional farm community provides an important connection between First Commonwealth and its Central Ohio market and agricultural related customers.

Luke A. Latimer.Mr. Latimer, age 40,42, is Chairman, Chief Executive Officer and TreasurerPresident of R&L Development, a heavy construction company in New Alexandria, Pennsylvania. He previously served as Executive Vice President and Treasurer of R&L Development from 1999 to October 2015. Mr. Latimer has also served as Vice President and Treasurer of Derry International LTD, Incorporated, a mining company based in New Alexandria, Pennsylvania, since 1999, and is a General Partner of SML Limited Partnership, a real estate holding and development partnership in New Alexandria, Pennsylvania. Mr. Latimer joined our Board in April 2011. He also serves as a director of First Commonwealth Bank and is a member of our Governance Committee and the Credit Committee of First Commonwealth Bank.Committee. Mr. Latimer has served as a Director and Compensation Committee member of First Western Financial, Inc., a bank holding company in Denver, Colorado, since July 2015, and previously served as Chairman of the Board of Directors of First National Bank of Santa Fe and a director of New Mexico Banquest Corporation, a bank and bank holding company in Santa Fe, New Mexico, until May 2013. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Management from Saint Vincent College. His qualifications for service as a director include his extensive business experience and his years of service as a director in the financial services industry.

Aradhna M. Oliphant. Ms. Oliphant, age 53, has served as President and Chief Executive Officer of Leadership Pittsburgh, Inc., a leadership development and networking organization in Southwestern Pennsylvania, since 2005. She previously served in leadership positions at The Forbes Funds, an affiliate of the Pittsburgh Foundation, The Children’s Festival Chorus in Pittsburgh, and Princeton Pro Musica in New Jersey. She has also served as an Adjunct Professor of Business Management and Psychology at various universities in New Jersey including Rider University, College of New Jersey, and College of St. Elizabeth. Ms. Oliphant earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Humanities and a Master of Arts Degree in Psychology from University of Bhopal, India. She earned a Master of Business Administration from Rutgers University, New Jersey. She has received Honorary Doctorates from Waynesburg University and Robert Morris University, both in Pennsylvania. Ms. Oliphant’s qualifications for service on our Board include her extensive leadership, professional development and business experience, extensive command of issues affecting the Pittsburgh Region and strong network and reputation among leaders across the business, foundation, public and civic sectors.

T. Michael Price.Mr. Price, age 54,56, is the President and Chief Executive Officer of First Commonwealth Financial Corporation and Chief Executive Officer of First Commonwealth Bank. He has been a director of the Company since March 2012 and is also a director of First Commonwealth Bank. He served as Interim President and Chief Executive Officer of the Company from January 2012 until being appointed to serve in that capacity on a permanent basis in March 2012. Mr. Price served as President of First Commonwealth Bank from November 2007 until May 2013. Before joining First Commonwealth, Mr. Price served as Chief Executive Officer of the Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky Region of National City Bank from July 2004 to November 2007 and as Executive Vice President and Head of Small

Business Banking of National City Bank prior to July 2004. He currently serves on the Board of Directors of Indiana Regional Medical Center and is the First Vice Chairman of the Pennsylvania Bankers Association Board of Directors. Mr. Price received his Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Utah, and he earned his MBA from Cleveland State University. Mr. Price’s qualifications for service on our Board include his thorough understanding of the banking and financial services industry, which he has attained through more than 25 years of executive leadership experience.

Laurie Stern Singer.    Ms. Singer, age 65, consults in business finance and organization management in both the public and private sector. She served as President of the Allegheny Valley Development Corporation and Allegheny Valley Chamber of Commerce for 27 and 20 years respectively. Ms. Singer was a director of Southwest National Corporation from 1994 and joined our Board in 1998 upon the completion of our merger with Southwest National Corporation. She is also a director of First Commonwealth Bank, chairs our Governance Committee and serves as a member of the Audit Committee. Ms. Singer has held leadership positions and has served as a director for numerous professional associations, educational and community organizations. She has a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Michigan and a law degree from Wayne State University and is a graduate of the Institute for Organizational Management. Ms. Singer’s qualifications for Board service include her business finance and development expertise, her extensive experience as a director of financial services companies and other organizations and her strong commitment and understanding of corporate governance matters.

Robert J. Ventura.Mr. Ventura, age 67,69, is Executive Managing Director of Ventura Group, LLC, an investment banking firm in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and formerly served in a similar capacity as Managing Director of Raptor Partners, LLC, from June 2010 through August 2012 and as Principal of Ventura Group, LLC. Mr. Ventura previously served as Director of Acquisitions and Divestitures and Director of Financial Planning and Analysis during a15-year career with Rockwell International Corporation, a diversified global manufacturing company. Mr. Ventura served as a director of GA Financial, Inc. from 1998 and joined our

14    FIRSTCommonwealth2019 Proxy Statement

Board in 2004 at the completion of our acquisition of GA Financial, Inc. Mr. Ventura chairs our Compensation and Human Resources Committee, serves as a member of our Audit Committee and is also a director of First Commonwealth Bank. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Industrial Engineering from the University of Pittsburgh and Masters of Business Administration degree from Duquesne University and holds hishas held Series 79 and 63 securities licenses. Mr. Ventura’s qualifications for Board service include his expertise in business and financial analysis and mergers and acquisitions and his experience as a director in the financial services industry.

Stephen A. Wolfe. Mr. Wolfe, age 52,54, has served as President and Chief Executive Officer of Indiana Regional Medical Center, an independent community hospital in Indiana, Pennsylvania, since 1999. Mr. Wolfe is the Founder, President and Chairman of the Pennsylvania Mountains Healthcare Alliance, a regional health information organization that facilitates the exchange of electronic health information among healthcare providers, and is the Chairman of the Pennsylvania Mountain Care Network, a collaborative network of three hospitals in Western Pennsylvania. Mr. Wolfe joined our Board in April 2017 and serves as a director of First Commonwealth Bank and as a member of our Risk Committee. He is active in numerous civic and charitable organizations, having served as Chairman of the Indiana County Chamber of Commerce, a member of the Indiana County Development Corporation and Center for Economic Operations, theco-founder and Chairman of the Seeds of Faith Christian Academy and Campaign Chair for the United Way. Mr. Wolfe earned a Bachelor of Science degree in

Pharmacy from Temple University and a Masters in Public Administration from Penn State University. Mr. Wolfe will addcontributes extensive experience in business, strategic planning and execution and organizational development to our Board of Directors.

Each director elected this year will continue in office until a successor has been elected. Each nominee has indicated that he or she will serve if elected. We do not anticipate that any nominee will be unable or unwilling to stand for election, but if that happens, your proxy will be voted for another person nominated by the Board. The Board may also choose to reduce the number of directors to be elected, as permitted by ourBy-laws.

Appointment of DCB Financial Corp DirectorFIRSTCommonwealth2019 Proxy Statement     15

PROPOSAL 2 – RATIFICATION OF INDEPENDENT ACCOUNTING FIRM

The Audit Committee of the Board has appointed KPMGErnst & Young LLP as the independent auditors of First Commonwealth and our subsidiaries for the year ending December 31, 2017.2019. KPMG LLP has auditedserved as our financial statements since 2006. In accordance with SEC rules,independent registered public accounting firm for the firm’s lead audit partner rotates every five years. Our Audit Committee and its Chair are directly involved in the selection of KPMG LLP’s lead engagement partner.year ended December 31, 2018. The Audit Committee actively oversees fee negotiations and hasperiodically considers whether there should be a rotation of the sole authority to approve all engagement fees paid to KPMG LLP.

Prior to retaining KPMG LLP for the 2017 fiscal year,independent registered public accounting firm. As part of that consideration, during 2018, the Audit Committee evaluated KPMG LLP’s performance with respectconducted a competitive selection process to determine the 2016 fiscal year. Company’s independent registered public accounting firm. As a result of that process, the Audit Committee decided to approve the appointment of Ernst & Young LLP for 2019.

In conducting this evaluation,selecting Ernst & Young LLP, the Audit Committee considered a number of factors, including:

At the annual meeting, shareholders will be asked to ratify the appointment of KPMGErnst & Young LLP as First Commonwealth’s independent registered public accounting firm for the 20172019 fiscal year. Although shareholder approval is not required, the Board desires to obtain shareholder ratification of this appointment. If the appointment is not ratified at the annual meeting, the Board will review its future selection of auditors. If the appointment is ratified, the Audit Committee in its discretion may select a different independent registered public accounting firm at any time during the year if it determines that such a change would be in the best interests of First Commonwealth and its shareholders. RepresentativesNo formal statement by representatives of KPMG LLP or Ernst & Young LLP is anticipated at the Annual Meeting. However, representatives of Ernst & Young LLP are expected to be present atattend the annual meeting to make a statement if they so desire andAnnual Meeting to respond to appropriate questions.

The affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of First Commonwealth’s common stock present in person or represented by proxy at the annual meeting is necessary for ratification of the appointment of KPMGErnst & Young LLP as our independent registered public accounting firm.

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AUDIT INFORMATION

Report of the Audit Committee

The Audit Committee of First Commonwealth’s Board of Directors operates under a written charter that specifies the Audit Committee’s duties and responsibilities. This charter is available on First Commonwealth’s website at www.fcbanking.com by following the links to “Investor Relations” and “Corporate Governance.”

Management is responsible for the financial reporting process, the system of internal controls, including internal control over financial reporting, and procedures designed to ensure compliance with accounting standards and applicable laws and regulations. KPMG LLP, First Commonwealth’s independent registered public accounting firm (“independent auditors”), is responsible for the integrated audit of the consolidated financial statements and internal control over financial reporting. The Audit Committee’s responsibility is to monitor and oversee these processes and procedures. The Audit Committee relies, without independent verification, on the information provided to the Audit Committee and on the representations made by management regarding the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting, that the financial statements have been prepared with integrity and objectivity and that such financial statements have been prepared in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America. The Audit Committee also relies on the opinions of the independent auditors on the consolidated financial statements and the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting.

In fulfilling its responsibilities, the Audit Committee has reviewed and discussed the audited consolidated financial statements of First Commonwealth as of and for the year ended December 31, 20162018 with First Commonwealth’s management and the independent auditors.KPMG LLP. The Audit Committee has also discussed with First Commonwealth’s independent auditorsKPMG LLP the firm’s independence from the Company and management, and has received the written disclosures and the communication from the independent auditor required by applicable requirements of the PCAOBPublic Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB) regarding the independent auditor’s communications with the Committee concerning independence. In addition, the Committee has discussed with the independent auditorKPMG LLP the required communications of PCAOB Auditing Standard No. 16,Communications with Audit Committees.

Based on the review and discussions noted above, the Audit Committee recommended to the Board of Directors that the audited consolidated financial statements be included in First Commonwealth’s annual report on Form10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 20162018 for filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Julie A. Caponi, Chair

Gary R. Claus

Laurie S. Singer

Robert J. Ventura

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Fees Billed by KPMG LLP to First Commonwealth

The aggregate fees billed by KPMG LLP for each of the fiscal years ended December 31, 20162018 and 2015,2017, respectively, were as follows:

(1) The amount of “Audit Fees” for 2016 represents actual fees billed and does not include additional fees related to the integrated audit of First Commonwealth’s 2016 consolidated financial statements that may be billed after the date of this proxy statement.

The increase in Audit Fees from 2015 to 2016 was primarily due to additional audit procedures related to acquisitions.

Audit CommitteePre-Approval Policies and Procedures

The Audit Committee is required topre-approve the audit andnon-audit services performed by First Commonwealth’s independent auditors in order to assure that the provision of those services does not impair the accounting firm’s independence. Accordingly, the Audit Committee has adopted a policy for thepre-approval of audit andnon-audit services by First Commonwealth’s independent auditors and requires that KPMG LLPthe independent auditor be engaged fornon-audit services only when it is best suited for the job. This policy allows the Audit Committee topre-approve services through generalpre-approval or specificpre-approval.

Under generalpre-approval, the Audit Committee approves in advance the payment of up to a specified amount of fees for the performance of specified types of audit, audit-related, tax and other services by the independent auditors. The term of generalpre-approval is generally twelve (12) months from the date ofpre-approval. Any services that are not subject to generalpre-approval or fees in excess ofpre-approved limits must be specificallypre-approved by the Audit Committee on acase-by-case basis.Pre-approved fee levels or budgeted amounts for all services to be provided by the independent auditors are established annually by the Audit Committee.

The Audit Committee does not delegate its responsibilities topre-approve services performed by the independent auditors to management. However, thepre-approval policy allows the Audit Committee to delegate to one or more designated members of the Audit Committee the authority to grant requiredpre-approvals. The decision of any member to whom authority is delegated topre-approve an activity is presented to the full Audit Committee at its next scheduled meeting.

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PROPOSAL 3 – ADVISORY VOTE ON EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION

First Commonwealth is providing shareholders with the opportunity at the 20172019 Annual Meeting of Shareholders to vote on an advisory resolution, commonly known as “Say-on-Pay,“Say-on-Pay,” to approve the compensation of First Commonwealth’s named executive officers. Such compensation is described on pages 2420 through 5142 of this proxy statement. We currently conductSay-on-Pay votes annually. The nextSay-on-Pay vote is expected to occur in 2018.2020.

The Compensation and Human Resources Committee, which is responsible for the compensation of our executive officers, has overseen the development of a compensation program designed to attract, retain and motivate executives who enable us to achieve our strategic and financial goals. The Compensation Discussion and Analysis section of this proxy statement and the tabular disclosures regarding named executive officer compensation, together with the accompanying narrative disclosure, allow shareholders to view the trends in compensation and application of our compensation philosophies and practices for the years presented.

Shareholders are being asked to vote on the following advisory resolution:

RESOLVED, that the shareholders approve the compensation of First Commonwealth Financial Corporation’s named executive officers as described in the Compensation Discussion and Analysis section and in the tabular disclosure regarding named executive officer compensation (together with the accompanying narrative disclosure) in this proxy statement.

Because your vote is advisory, it will not be binding upon the Board of Directors. However, the Compensation and Human Resources Committee and the Board will take the outcome of the vote into account when considering future executive compensation arrangements.

PROPOSAL 4 – FREQUENCY OF VOTE ON EXECUTIVE COMPENSATIONFIRSTCommonwealth2019 Proxy Statement     19

RESOLVED, that the shareholders elect to hold an advisory vote on the compensation of First Commonwealth’s named executive officers every one, two or three years, as determined by the alternative that receives the highest number of shareholder votes.

Because your vote is advisory, it will not be binding upon the Board. However, the Board of Directors and Compensation and Human Resources Committee will take into account the outcome of the vote when determining which frequency it will adopt.

You may vote to have the advisory vote held every “ONE YEAR,” “TWO YEARS” or “THREE YEARS”, or you may “ABSTAIN.” If a broker or other nominee holds your shares in its name on your behalf, the broker or nominee is not permitted to vote your shares on this proposal in the absence of voting instructions from you. Abstentions and broker non-votes will not affect the outcome of voting on this proposal. The alternative receiving the highest number of votes will indicate the frequency preferred by our shareholders.

The Board of Directors unanimously recommends that you vote to hold the advisory vote on named executive officer compensation every “ONE YEAR.”

EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION

Compensation Discussion and Analysis

This Compensation Discussion & Analysis, or CD&A, is intended to assist shareholders in understanding and evaluating the information found in this proxy statement about the compensation and benefits provided to First Commonwealth’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Chief Financial Officer (CFO), and the three other executive officers who earned the highest compensation during 2016,2018, which we refer to as the “named executive officers” or NEOs. The NEOs are identified below.

Executive Summary

We seek to align the interests of our executives with the interests of our shareholders. We believe it is important to incent and reward executives for corporate and individual performance, with a clear emphasis on corporate performance. We maintain apay-for-performance compensation philosophy with an executive compensation program having both short-term and long-term performance-based awards, including a significant equity component and a significant portion ofat-risk compensation.

Consistent with our longstanding compensation practices, performance-based cash and equity awards in 2018 constituted a significant portion of the compensation for our named executive officers. Our short-term performance goals for 2018 required the Company to achieve double-digit growth of core EPS and core ROA, a core Efficiency Ratio that surpassed management’sbelow-60% target and performance that met or exceeded the consensus estimate of analysts. Our long-term performance goals for the 2016-2018 performance cycle required the Company to achieve sustained earnings per share growth and deliver total return to shareholders that outperformed our peers. These performance goals advanced strategic objectives that we believe will create long-term value for our shareholders without encouraging undue risk taking or imprudent actions by our executive officers.

2018 Achievements

First Commonwealth’s activities in 2018 reflected key strategic accomplishments.

Overview of 2016 Executive Compensation20    FIRSTCommonwealth2019 Proxy Statement

First Commonwealth achieved strongcontinued its trend of consistently improving financial performance and franchise growth in 2016 with2018 delivering record net income driven by higher revenue, net interest margin expansion, improved operating leverage and decreased operating expenses, continued growth of the mortgage banking business launched in 2014 and geographic expansion with two strategic acquisitions in Ohio. The following are among the Company’s significant strategic and financial accomplishments during 2016:low credit costs.

First Commonwealth ROA/EPS Improvement 2011-2018

The Compensation and Human Resources Committee (the “Committee”) provided a compensation program for NEOs in 2016 that consisted of three primary elements: (1) base salary, (2) potential annual cash and equity incentive awards and (3) long-term equity incentive awards.

To implement the annual and long-term incentive components, the Committee established performance goals for 2016 under First Commonwealth’s Annual Incentive Plan (AIP) and for 2016-2018 under First Commonwealth’s Long-Term Incentive Plan (LTIP). In addition to corporate performance goals tied to profitability and efficiency, annual performance goals for executives with risk management responsibilities also included individual performance goals that were tied to key business objectives.

2016 Performance Highlights

Corporate Governance Highlights

We maintain important corporate governance policies:

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Summary of Executive Compensation Actions

The following is a summary of compensation actions taken by the Company in 2016:

Composition and Role of the Compensation Committee

The Compensation and Human Resources Committee of the Board is comprised of fivefour directors: Robert Ventura (Chairman), Julie Caponi, Ray Charley, Gary Claus and David Greenfield. Each member of the Committee is an “independent director” for purposes of the New York Stock Exchange listing standards for compensation committee members. The Committee operates under a written charter that is reviewed and approved annually by the Board. A copy of this charter is available under the “Investor Relations – Corporate Governance” section of our website, http://www.fcbanking.com.

The primary responsibilities of the Committee are to:

management and employees and may invite them to attend any Committee meeting. The Committee has the power and discretion to retain, at First Commonwealth’s expense, independent counsel and other advisors and experts as it deems necessary or appropriate to carry out its duties.

Independent Compensation Advisor

Board Advisory LLC has served as the Committee’s compensation advisor since 2010. Board Advisory provides the Committee with peer executive compensation data, as well as expertise and advice on various matters brought before the Committee. Board Advisory also provides data and advice relating tonon-employee director compensation to the Governance Committee. As part of its engagement in 2016,2018, Board Advisory was asked to facilitate the Board’s evaluation of the CEO, evaluate our performance and compensation against the performance and compensation of our peer group and make recommendations regarding the design of executive incentive compensation plans. The analysis ofprovided by Board Advisory is described under “Peer Comparisons” and elsewhere in this CD&A.

The Committee has the sole authority to retain and terminate Board Advisory as its compensation consultant and approve fees and other engagement terms. The Committee has determined that Board Advisory is independent from management based upon the consideration of relevant factors, including:

Role of Executives in Establishing Compensation

The CEO plays a significant role in the design and implementation of our compensation program for all executive officers other than himself. His role includes:

The compensation peer group selected by the Committee is comprised of 1916 publicly traded commercial banks with headquarters in theMid-Atlantic and Midwest regions and total assets generally between $3.5$4 billion and $12.5$15 billion, which is roughlyone-half to double First Commonwealth’s asset size. Three members of the 2017 peer group were removed in 2018 because they exceed the upper end of the target size: FNB Corporation, is also included based on its position as a key competitor for talent, customersChemical Financial Corporation, and investors within our market.United Bankshares Inc. The companies within the compensation peer group are listed below.

In assessing thepay-for-performance relationship, the Committee considers the historic realizable pay provided by the Company to its CEO and other NEOs in relation to the

Company’s performance. Realizable pay consists of actual base salary and annual cash incentives paid, the fair market value of full-value share grants and payouts (or shares earned) under long-term incentive plans for a specified performance period. The Committee believes this can beis a more accurate reflection of the actual compensation delivered to the NEOs than the amounts reported in the Summary Compensation Table, which include a mix of actual pay and unearned long-term pay opportunities.

The following is a summary of the key findings from the Committee’s 2018 peer compensation assessment:

FIRSTCommonwealth2019 Proxy Statement     25

The charts below showsshow the realizable pay of the Company’s CEO compared to the peer group relative to the Company’s 2017 Core ROE and relative to the Company’s total shareholder return (TSR) over the three-year period 20132015 through 20152017 (the most recent publicly-available compensation data as of the publication of this proxy statement). As these charts illustrate, the relatively low CEOCEO’s realizable pay realized through Company programs remained commensurate in comparative terms with Company performance over the same three-year time period.

3-Year Realizable Pay vs. Core ROE 3-Year Realizable Pay vs. 3-Year TSR

Executive Compensation Philosophy and Strategy

Overall Objective.Objective

The Committee believes that the continued success of the Company in achieving its strategic objectives will dependdepends in large part on the talent and leadership of its executives and the alignment of those executives with the interests of our investors. Accordingly, the Committee’s philosophy toward executive compensation can be summarized as follows:

26    FIRSTCommonwealth2019 Proxy Statement

The following graph showsgraphs show the direct relationship between our financial performance and our CEO total compensation levels and our improving performance relative to peers by comparing our Core ROA, Core ROATCE and EPS growth to the median of our peer group and the total annual compensation² for Mr. Price since he was named for each of the last five years.

CEO of First Commonwealth in January 2012:¹Compensation versus ROA

CEO Compensation versus ROATCE

FIRSTCommonwealth2019 Proxy Statement     27

CEO Compensation versus Core EPS Growth

Compensation Positioning and Mix.Mix

First Commonwealth strives to maintain an executive compensation package (both individual components and in the aggregate) that is competitive with the market. While the targeted pay level is set to provide competitive pay for meeting expected performance, the actual pay level (by component and in the aggregate) varies based on performance relative to goals and industry performance over both short- and long-term timeframes. In the aggregate, the objective of First Commonwealth’s total compensation program is to provide a balanced mix of fixed and variable (i.e., incentive / performance) and cash and equity compensation. The target mix of compensation will vary based on the executive’s role, and the actual mix will vary based on performance. For example, in a year when no annual incentive is paid, the percentage of total compensation paid in salary will increase, while in a year of strong corporate performance, incentive compensation would represent a larger percentage of total compensation.

The Committee generally targets incentive compensation to represent at least 50% of the total compensation opportunity for the CEO and 33%35% to 39%45% of the total compensation opportunity of other NEOs.

¹ ROA for 2014 excludesBelow is a table that reflects the effectmix of a one-time charge in connection with a litigation settlement in the amounteach element of $5.6 million (after tax). ROA for 2015 excludes the effects of one-time acquisition expenses and severance costs totaling $2 million (after tax). ROA for 2016 excludes one-time acquisition expenses totaling $3.2 million. CEO Compensation includes allocation of 2012 restricted stock award over the four year vesting period and allocation of a 2015 performance unit award over the five year vesting period.

The following charts illustrate the target and actual compensation mix for our CEO for 2016. The target compensation mix depicted below is derived from the target annual incentive payout and the target long-term incentive grant value relative to the CEO’s actual salary. The actual compensation mix reflects actual CEO salary and the annual incentive earned for 2016 performance (both as reflected in the summary compensation table), as well as the valuecompensation at risk as percentages of 34,550 shares earned from the 2014-2016 LTIP awardtarget total compensation as of December 31, 2018. Compensation at risk is comprised of short and one-fifthlong-term incentives. Approximately 51% of the valueour CEO’s and 43% of aour other NEOs’ target compensation in 2018 was subject to performance unit award granted to Mr. Price in December 2015.and/or vesting requirements.

Elements of Compensation.Compensation

The compensation program for our NEOs consists of base salary, cash and equity-based incentive compensation and other benefits. Each of these elements of compensation is described below.

Base Salary.Salary

We provide base salaries to compensate our NEOs for services performed during the year. Base salaries further our objectives of attracting and retaining executive talent and providing compensation that is competitive with our peers. Base salary directly affects the size of incentive planour Annual Incentive Plan awards, because we express incentive planAIP awards as a percentage of salary.

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Base salaries for executive officers are determined by:

The Committee typically reviews and approves base salaries annually as part of the performance review process as well as upon promotion or other change in job responsibility. Adjustments to base salaries, within a range of competitive practices, are determined primarily by:

Incentive Compensation.Compensation

In order to align pay with corporate performance, the Committee seeks to appropriately balance fixed compensation with variable, or “at risk,” incentive compensation that is contingent on performance and the financial success of the organization.

For 2016,2018, the NEOs and certain other key executives participated in two incentive compensation plans:

Each plan includes performance goals with “threshold,” “target” and “superior” performance levels. The threshold level represents the minimum acceptable level of performance to earn an award under the particular performance goal. InThe Committee considers our budget, peer performance, growth percentages and the caseconsensus estimate of the AIP,covering analysts when establishing the target level of performance is generally aligned withunder our budget, while theAIP. The superior performance level generally reflects stretch targets for the corporate performance goals. ForTo achieve the target performance level in our LTIP, the target levelCompany’s performance must meet or exceed the median of performance is generally based on our three-year forecast in the casea national peer group comprised of all United States banks and thrifts having total assets between 50% and 200% of the cumulative earnings per share (EPS) goalCompany’s total assets. The threshold level requires performance above the first quartile and the 55th percentile of the peer group for the total return to shareholders (TRS)superior level requires performance goal, while superior performance is based on stretch EPS targets over a three-year period andwithin the top quartile of the national peer group for TRS.group. The Committee has discretion to consider unusual factors and their resulting effect on our performance, e.g. significantsuch as merger and acquisition transactions, the impact of share repurchase activity on the achievement of performance goals, strategic decisions that have an adverse impact on near-term results such as conversion-related expenses, unusual investment gains or losses, corporate and balance sheet restructuring, significant asset sales and other items it deems appropriate in determining the extent of which we achieve our performance goals.

TheseOur incentive compensation plans are intended to align our executives’ financial interests with those of our investors. The combination of annual and long-term incentives is intended to balance our desire to improveachieve strong financial results over the short term with the need to employ prudent and sustainable growth strategies.

Benefit Programs and Perquisites.Perquisites

The NEOs participate in employee benefit programs available to all other eligible employees of First Commonwealth, including our 401(k) plan, and group medical, life and disability insurance. In addition, First Commonwealth maintains a Nonqualified Deferred Compensation Plan that is designed to restore benefits that are not available to them under our 401(k) plan as highly compensated employees, according

FIRSTCommonwealth2019 Proxy Statement     29

to rules of the IRS. Under the terms of this Plan, each participant may contribute up to 25% of his/his or her compensationbase salary and up to 100% of his or her annual incentive payment to the Plan in the form of a salary reduction.Plan. There are presently no employer matching contributions under this Plan.

The Company pays for certain members of senior management (including certain NEOs) to belong to one or more private clubs as a venue to entertain customers and to participate in various community functions. Expenses of a personal nature or related to a spouse are not paid by the Company.

Beginning in 2015, theThe Company offeredoffers our executive officers (including NEOs) the opportunity to participate inreceive financial planning and tax preparation services throughfrom a third-party service to assist with their personal finances. Providing this service gives our executive officers a better understanding of their pay and benefits, allowing them to concentrate on the Company’s future success. Two NEOs and certain other executive officers utilized this service during 2016.

If the Company hires or initiates a transfer of an employee, including an NEO, and requires a relocation of more than 50 miles, the employee may be eligible for reimbursement of the costs of house hunting trips, closing on the sale of the old home and the purchase of the new home, temporary living quarters and moving household goods and furniture. In these circumstances the Company will also gross up taxable relocation reimbursements for federalapplicable taxes.

The perquisites and other personal benefits provided by the Company to the NEOs are consistent with the Company’s philosophy of attracting and retaining superior executive talent. The Committee periodically reviews the levels of perquisites and other personal benefits provided to executive officers (including the NEOs.NEOs). The Committee believes the perquisites and other personal benefits provided by the Company are consistent with the Company’s philosophy of attracting and retaining superior executive talent.

Agreements with Executives.Executives

We provide employment and change of control agreements to certain executive officers (including the NEOs) to promote stability and continuity of executive officers and ensure their interests are aligned with shareholders. Terms of these agreements consider marketplace practices and First Commonwealth’s unique needs and are tailored to the individual executive with a focus on retention and recruitment. The change of control agreements contain a “double trigger,” providing benefits only upon an involuntary termination or constructive termination of the executive officer in connection with a change of control. The agreements do not provide for any taxgross-ups payments upon a change of control event. The Committee considers change of control agreements to be necessary in the current financial services industry legal, regulatory and economic environment. Details on employment agreements and change of control agreements are included under “Potential Payments Upon Termination or Change of Control” on page 46.

Stock Ownership Guidelines.Guidelines

The Committee has established stock ownership guidelines to encourage Company share ownership by our executive officers (including the NEOs) through retention of shares granted under the Company’s incentive plans. The stock ownership guidelines are summarized in the table below.

Executives are not required to purchase shares to reach these ownership guidelines. However, theyexecutives are restricted from liquidatingselling shares received as equity-based compensation (net of required withholding tax) until the guidelines are achieved. Furthermore, executives are required to retain at least 50% of shares earned under equity-based compensation plans (net of required withholding tax) once the guidelines have been met. The Committee believes that these stock ownership guidelines, coupled with the use of equity-based compensation, will increase the level of executive stock ownership over time, which will further align the interests of our executives with shareholders.

As

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All of the record date for the annual meeting of shareholders, all of theour executive officers were(including the NEOs) are currently in compliance with the stock ownership guidelines.

Policy Regarding Derivatives, Short Sales and Hedging.Hedging

First Commonwealth’s policy prohibits directors and executive officers (including the NEOs) from pledging shares on margin, trading in derivative securities of First Commonwealth’s common stock, engaging in short sales of First Commonwealth securities, or purchasing any other financial instruments that are designed to hedge or offset any decrease in the market value of First Commonwealth securities.

Executive Compensation Decisions in 20162018

Base Salary

In February 2016,2018, the Committee approved merit increases for Mr. Price and other NEOs. The table below compares the base salaries of the NEOs as of December 31, 20152017 and 2016.2018.

Annual Incentive Plan

The Committee approved AIP participation for the NEOs in January 2016.February 2018. The 20162018 AIP utilized corporate performance measures to maximize the alignment between executive incentive pay and corporate performance. The Committee retained earnings per share (EPS), ROA and efficiency ratio as corporate performance measures. The Committee also retained an individual performance component for those executive officers with risk management responsibilities (our Chief Credit Officer, Chief Risk Officer and Chief Audit Executive) with a weighting of 30%.

The table below lists the performance goals for the 20162018 AIP and their respective weightings and threshold, target and superior performance levels, and results:

In 2016,2018, First Commonwealth’s core performance improved compared to 20152017 and exceeded budget and AIP targets due to strong loan andnon-interest income growth, net interest margin expansion, lower credit costs and a lower operating expensescorporate income tax rate. Core EPS and Core ROA performance each exceeded the Superior performance level, and Core Efficiency Ratio fell between the target and superior performance

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levels. The Committee determined that it was appropriate to exclude the effects of the acquisition of 13 branches in Canton-Massillon and Ashtabula, Ohio, because these were unbudgeted items related to strategic actions that are expected to produce long-term benefits to the Company. The Committee also determined that Mr. EmmerichKarrip achieved his individual goals at 100%150% of the target performance level having met the targetsuperior performance levelslevel for both provision expense andnon-performing assets. The Committee determined that Mr. Tomb achieved his individual goals at 150% of the target performance level having met the superior performance levels for legal expense management and internal and external audits and examinations. Based on the corporate and individual performance, in January 2017,2019, the Committee approved a payout under the AIP to each of the NEOs between the target and superior performance levels. At that time the Committee also removed a prior feature whereby any portion of an award earned in excess of target (100%) is paid in shares of restricted stock. The Committee observed that all of the NEOs are now in compliance with the stock ownership guidelines. The total incentive amount in excess of target was approximately $197,000, or 14,000 shares among the eight executives.

¹ 2016 financial results exclude the effect of one-time acquisition expenses totaling $2 million (after tax), which equates to approximately $0.02 per share or 4 basis points of ROA.

In accordance with the terms of the AIP, each NEO received a cash payment as set forth in the table below.